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__label__wiki	0.749835	0.749835	Call us now! (941)722-1100 pcrbaggs@tampabay.rr.com Copack, co-pack, contract packer What we do & How we do it Owned and operated by the Greenlaw family since 1927. John Greenlaw founded Palmetto Canning in 1927. We originally only produced guava jelly. After WWII, John Greenlaw Jr. assumed control and diversified the operation into tomato canning and other canned products. About 1950, after the downturn in the tomato industry, he decided to take the company back to its core business, Guava Jelly. He expanded into private labeling for Goya Foods and other brands and achieved wide-spread distribution into grocery chains nationwide. In 1982, Jonathan Greenlaw, a graduate of Florida Atlantic University (B.S. Business), assumed control. Wishing to expand the business, Jonathan diversified the company even further by increasing the product lines into many other flavors of tropical jellies, marinades, hot sauces, BBQ sauces, steak sauces, cocktail sauce, cooking wines, soy sauce, reduced sodium products and more. 2014: Palmetto Canning demolished the original canning plant building and constructed a new distribution warehouse in its place. www.palmettocanning.com 3601 U.S. 41, Palmetto, Florida, USA Mon to Fri - 8:30am to 5:00pm Copyright © 2020 Palmetto Canning. All rights reserved.	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line382
__label__cc	0.70237	0.29763	Canadian Pacific Railway Company, 506 results 506 Crawford, Lawrence, 55 results 55 Vancouver Board of Trade, 1 results 1 Canadian National Steamships, 1 results 1 Alaska Steamship Company, 1 results 1 Wallace B. Chung and Madeline H. Chung, 1 results 1 CP Ships, 3 results 3 Canadian Pacific Railway, 2 results 2 Fairmont Hotels and Resorts, 2 results 2 CP Air, 2 results 2 Sitka Training School, 1 results 1 Union Steamship Company of British Columbia, 1 results 1 Clandonald, AB, 1 results 1 Yip Sang (Family), 1 results 1 Labourers, 1 results 1 Mining, 1 results 1 British Columbia Coast Steamship Service Wallace B. Chung and Madeline H. Chung collection ca.1860-2008 The collection consists of documents, archival records, photographs, ephemera and artifacts related to three broad themes: British Columbia history, immigration and settlement and the Canadian Pacific Railway Company. Included are the archival fon... Wallace B. Chung and Madeline H. Chung Cassiar Gold Rush collection The Cassiar Gold Rush collection contains materials related to the Cassiar gold rush which occurred in the late 19th century, prompting an influx of transportation, industry, and resource extraction in the northwest region of British Columbia know... British Columbia Coast Steamship Service letterhead RBSC-ARC-1679-CC-TX-148-5 Correspondence, forms, and other material related to the Canadian Pacific Railway Company British Columbia Coast Steamship Service. Two items in Chinese. Canadian Pacific Navigation Company Limited Receipts and other material related to the Canadian Pacific Navigation Company Limited. Receipts for shipped goods Three receipts. Steamer Islander for Freight and Charges from Vancouver to Victoria A bill for shipping on the steamship. Most of the writing is illegible or difficult to read. Alaska by Canadian Pacific route, 1892 RBSC-ARC-1679-CC-TX-152-18 Two pamphlets regarding early tours to Alaska via the Canadian Pacific Railway. Lakes and rivers services Pamphlets, menus, and other material related to the Canadian Pacific Railway Company's lakes and rivers steamship services. The Charmer, Islander, Tees Newspaper clippings, reports, and other textual and graphic material related to the B.C.C.S.S.'s vessels: Charmer, Islander, and Tees. RBSC-ARC-1679-CC-OS-00404 Newspaper clippings and other material related to the Princess Victoria. Diary of Captain W.H. Porter A diary kept from 1904 to 1917 by W. H. Porter, a captain with the B.C.C.S.S. The diary includes several carbon copies of letters from Porter. The diary also includes annotations by Dr. W. B. Chung regarding the diary, inside front cover, and is a... General Superintendant's Log Book Princesses of older generation Newspaper clippings and other material related to the Princess ships May, Beatrice, Ena, Royal, Mary, Sophia, Patricia, and Irene. Canadian Pacific RY.Co. General Superintendant's Log Book (1907) Coastal steamships officers Employee records of Oliver Hazard Perry Rogers, clippings and business cards relating to officers serving with the British Columbia Coast Steamship Service Menus, and other material related to the Princess Charlotte. Canadian Pacific Railway coastal tugs Newsclippings and magazine clippings related to British Columbia Coast Steamship Service tug vessels. Alaska-Yukon exposition, 1909 Pamphlets and a postcard related to voyages to Alaska aboard Princess ships. To three cities by three funnels Pamphlet regarding daily service between Vancouver and Victoria, British Columbia, and Seattle via the Princess Victoria and the Princess Charlotte. Canadian Pacific Railway Coastal steamships general clippings Newspaper clippings, magazine clippings, pamphlets and other material regarding the British Columbia Coast Steamship Service. 1909 pamphlet titled, 'To Three Cities by Three Funnels', regarding daily service between Vancouver and Victoria, British Columbia, and Seattle via the Princess Victoria and the Princess Charlotte. Gulf Islands, Jervis Inlet Pamphlets regarding trips aboard Princess ships, including a pamphlet promoting voyages to the Gulf Islands, and a pamphlet advertising one day cruises to Jervis Inlet. Canadian Pacific Railway Company British Columbia Coast Steamship Service Fall and Winter Schedule 1910-1911 A copy of the schedule with sailing dates and times and ports of call. Plans for Barge No. 3 and Tug "Kyuquot" File consists of technical drawings and plans related to the C.P.R. Barge No. 3 and the tug Kyuquot, and one plan for the C.P.R. Barge No. 16. Titles include: Barge No. 3 Detail of Rudder Trunk, Barge No. 3 Spars and Fittings : Steel Barge Spars a... Records of J. R. Dodge, quartermaster, Princess Maquinna Letters and other material, originally assembled by Jack R. Dodge, a quartermaster on the Princess Maquinna, relating to his service with the B.C.C.S.S. Princess May, option for sale Two postcards and a letter regarding the Princess May. Menus and a beverage list related to the British Columbia Coast Steamship Service, including menus from its Triangle Route Service between Victoria, Vancouver and Seattle, Alaska service, Nanaimo-Vancouver Service, and its Vancouver, Ocean Falls a... Specification, three track car barge Three copies of a Specification of a Three-track Car Barge for the Canadian Pacific Railway Company. Specification, three track steel car barge Four copies of a Specification of the Labor and Material Required in the Construction of a Three-Track Steel Car Barge for the Canadian Pacific Railway Company. Canadian Pacific Railway Company British Columbia Coast Steamship Service "Princess" Lines A description of the routes and itineraries for the Princess lines. Princess Alice, Adelaide Ephemeral material related to the ships Princess Alice and Princess Adelaide. Inspection trip to Alaska, Princess May A memorandum, typed notes, and a manuscript table regarding a trip made by a Canadian Pacific Railway Company employee from Seattle to Skagway, Alaska, aboard the Princess May, in order to inspect towns along the way as possible ports of call for ... Princess Beatrice menus Menus and a card with letterhead from the Princess Beatrice. Princess Patricia Newspaper clippings and other material related to the first Princess Patricia. Vancouver-Victoria-Seattle Route Sailings A timetable for the Princess line steamship between the three cities. Princess Maquinna Newspaper clippings, a telegram, and other material related to the life of the Princess Maquinna, including a Christmas card featuring a photograph of the ship. Northern British Columbia inspection, Princess Mary, Princess Sophia A report titled Alaska and Northern British Columbia Inspection, 1912, Princess Mary and Princess Sophia, regarding a trip made by a Canadian Pacific Railway Company employee from Vancouver, British Columbia to Alaska, aboard the Princesses Mary a... Log Book B.C. Coast Service CPR Co. British Columbia Coast Service Alaska, Puget Sound, & West Coast Vancouver Island A map of the available routes with general information on the destinations including photographs. British Columbia Coast Service pamphlets Three copies of a Canadian Pacific Railway Company pamphlet, titled British Columbia Coast Service, promoting Princess ship service, from Washington State, along the British Columbia coast, and to Alaska. Pamphlets regarding trips to Alaska aboard the B.C.C.S.S.'s Princess fleet. Appropriations 1917-1923 British Columbia Coast Steamship Service sailings A pamphlet and a broadside listing British Columbia Coast Steamship Service sailings for August, 1917 and January to March, 1919. Alaska cruise, daily bulletin 14 "Daily Bulletin" pamphlets distributed to passengers during voyages to Alaska aboard the British Columbia Coast Steamship Service's Princess fleet. Triangle service Pamphlets related to the Triangle service of the BCCSS. Princess Sophia A portion of a report, dated January 27, 1919, made to J. E. McMullen regarding the sinking of the Princess Sophia. Princess Joan and Elizabeth specification of hull The B. C. copy of a specification of hull for the Princess Joan and the Princess Elizabeth titled, 'Specification of Hull for Proposed Steamers for the British Columbia Coast Steamship Service', with contemporary annotations. Machinery for Princess Louise	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line395
__label__wiki	0.604692	0.604692	career & salary information CAREER Questions & answers VIDEO & virtual tours NAVC Player Development Awards Conditions: To be awarded annually to members of the Golden Bears or Pandas Volleyball Team with satisfactory academic standing on a minimum of 18 credits in any undergraduate degree program as per CIS regulations. Recipients must have been a member of the Northern Alberta Volleyball Club for at least one season to qualify for this award. If applicable, one award will be given to a female and one award will be given to a male. Recipients will be selected on the basis of academic standing and merit in volleyball. Related Scholarships: American Society for Metals Award in Engineering Value $100. Awarded annually to an outstanding student with an interest in materials engineering. Donor: Ottawa Valley Chapter, American Society for Metals. Nora Fulton Gibson Memorial Bursary 2 bursaries, $500 each; for financial need; available to students attending Cowichan Campus. The Joan Jackson Dunbar Travel Scholarship (H) To be awarded to a woman student who has completed Level I and an additional 60 - 75 units of an Honours program in English for excellence in the work of the program (with... The T. Russell Wilkins Memorial Scholarships (S) Two scholarships to be awarded to students entering the penultimate level of an Honours program in Arts and Science, Health Sciences or Science who have demonstrated outstanding... Cy and Emerald Keyes Scholarship in Mining and Mineral Process Engineering Scholarships to a total of $2,000 have been made available by the late Cy and Emerald Keyes for undergraduate students in Mining and Mineral Process Engineering. The awards are... Joan Porret Memorial Bursary A $150 bursary has been endowed in memory of Joan Porret by her family and friends for a mature woman undergraduate student entering the Faculty of Education. George D. Sherwood Prize The award is made on the recommendation of the Faculty of Commerce and Business Administration to the top student in courses relating to investments (Commerce 475). Earl R. Peterson Memorial Scholarship in Civil Engineering One or more scholarships totalling $2,400 are made to students with strong academic backgrounds undertaking graduate work in Water Resources on the recommendation of the... George R. Howey Prize in Chemical Engineering A $300 prize is awarded to the student obtaining the highest standing in third year Chemical Engineering. The award is made on the recommendation of the Department of Chemical... W. H. MacInnes Memorial Scholarship Scholarships totalling $5,900 are made to students in the Faculty of Arts. Ernest Wesley Cubitt Sharpe Memorial Scholarship The award is made on the recommendation of the School of Music, to the top ranking student in Music Scholarship. Frank Stevens Scholarship in Studio Art The scholarship is awarded to a student entering third or fourth year, who is majoring in Studio Art in the Bachelor of Fine Arts Program. The award is made on the... Great Canadian Bagel Limited Award Eligibility: -Entering a first-year program -Admission average of 85% or higher -Made a contribution to the life of their school or community -Demonstrable financial... Hyacinth Taylor Owen Entrance Bursary Eligibility: -Faculty of Arts applicants from secondary schools in the Jane-Finch corridor -Canadian citizen/permanent resident/protected person and Ontario resident... Halifax Ladies Music Club Scholarship The Halifax Ladies Music Club sponsors an annual scholarship of $500 for a first-year student in Music at Dalhousie. Gordon C. McCausland Scholarship Eligible candidates must have fulfilled or expect to fulfil the minimum entrance requirements into third year of the undergraduate Civil Engineering programme in the Faculty of... The Dean J. Esmonde Cooke Award This award of $500 is awarded annually to a student who has successfully completed one or more years of the class leading to a degree in pharmacy and who is enrolled in pharmacy... Talisman Energy Inc. Criteria: -Enrolled in any one of the following fields of study: Earth Sciences, Engineering, Commerce, Economics -Financial need -Academic achievement Joy Ripley Alberta SPCA Scholarship in Animal Science Conditions: Awarded to a student with superior academic achievement entering the third year of a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture degree program majoring in Animal Science in... Executive Education Scholarship Conditions: Awarded to a student with superior academic achievement entering the third or fourth year of an undergraduate degree program in the School of Business. Recipient... Career & Salary Tell a Friend about this Site \| Scholarship Newsletter Signup \| Post a Scholarship \| Post a Volunteer Opportunity University Course Outlines \| Submit an Article \| High School Scholarships \| City Specific Scholarships \| Privacy Policy \| Contact Us Scholarship Application: NAVC Player Development Awards - Scholarships	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line405
__label__wiki	0.64061	0.64061	sibi is an instructions generator to make potential artworks. The original version of the game has been designed by Roberto Fassone in 2012, in the form of a manuscript, playable with dice. In 2013 his uncle designed and installed on a TOSHIBA T-5200 a software inspired by the book. In 2014 two mysterious coders developed an online version of sibi, that you can find here. Since 2012, just after the first release of the sibi cybertext, the game has been tested in collaboration with universities, museums and art spaces in the form of workshops, group games and performances. > sibi maga demo, video, within the frame of Global Learning, curated by Alessandro Castiglioni, Francesca Chiara, Lorena Giuranna, Museo MAGA, Gallarate. > sibi (how to make an artwork), lecture, within the frame of Global Learning, curated by Alessandro Castiglioni, Francesca Chiara, Lorena Giuranna, Museo MAGA, Gallarate. A demo version of the software, designed specifically for a workshop within the MAGA museum and a lecture have been developed during the exhibition Global Learning. > sibi [how to make a conceptual artwork], performance, within the frame of Abitare il Minerale, curated by a.titolo and Marianna Vecellio, Castello di Rivoli Museo d'Arte Contemporanea, Turin sibi has been tested with three group of players, which received an identical set of instructions and within the time frame of one hour had to develop a solution. The following was the set they received: [M] you have to shoot a photograph with three main elements. The photo should feature the color purple. [A] your photo has to be about ugly and surprise. [T] the title of the photo has to feature one word. An improvised group of players from the audience sent me this photo of the performance as a meta-solution, higlightning the ugliness of my jumper. > sibi jr, workshop at smART, Rome 27 kids, ranging from 6 to 12 years old, tested sibi jr, a gamebook inspired from the sibi software. Here a photo in which we all look very thoughtful. > play sibi Generiere dein eigenes Kunstwerk!, workshop at BÄMlab, Zkm, Karlsruhe Following a lecture about how to make an artwork, sibi has been tested with the visitors of the Zkm. > sibi, workshop at re:publica 10, in collaboration with Zkm, Berlin sibi has been tested with the audience of re:publica 10, known as "The Most Exciting Festival for the Digital Society!". A very nice guy designed and built a weird space bunny in our stand following a set of rules generated by the game. In that occasion we also learned that in Morrocan the word sibi is slang for the word vagina, reason why a nice Moroccan girl was laughing a lot when she saw our handmade sign. > Collections for a Creative Museum, workshop at IAAD with Francesca Comisso and Lisa Parola, IAAD, Turin sibi has been tested in collaboration with the students of IAAD (a design school in Turin), during an intense week of workshop. A group of students designed a structure composed by six transparent panels that, through anamorfosis process, displayed the word “oltre” (beyond). The structure was the response to the following set of instructions: [M] you have to make a sculpture/writing. it has to be in a national language. the writing has to be a one word. the writing has to be on a transparent surface. [A] your work has to be about work and about flying. [T] the title of the work has to be totally or in part in English. > Play sibi – Generate your own Artwork Workshop in the context of ArtOnYourScreen (AOYS), Zkm, Karlsruhe, More than 50 teams played sibi and documented their solutions within the space of ZKM in Karlsruhe. sibi was awarded the second prize of AOYS (ArtOnYourScreen), held by ZKM \| Center for Art and Media, Karlsruhe (play sibi at AOYS) > Blank Arcade, curated by Lindsay Grace and Paolo Ruffino, Leuphana Centre for Digital Cultures, Lüneburg An exhibition of experimental games and artworks that push the boundaries of game design and theory. sibi was awarded the First Prize of Arte Laguna Prize (Digital Section) in Venice sibi TOSHIBA T-5200 was awarded the First Prize of Local Art, promoted by Fondazione CRC, Cuneo > sibi eneRGETICO, La Ene, Buenos Aires sibi has been tested for one month in Buenos Aires, at La Ene, Nuevo Museo Energía de Arte Contemporáneo. During one night we made a competition. The group with the best solution would have won an Italian treasure, featuring Fernet Branca, Nutella, pasta, mozzarella, etc... A very nice group of Mexicans won the prize, with a performative work, during which the performer described us the work, while walking away from the gallery. > sibi AGON, in collaboration with .dotventi, Campus Luigi Einaudi, Torino, (supported by Fondazione Pistoletto) sibi AGON is a contest that took place in the campus of the Torino University. Four teams played sibi supported by a huge amount of materials, in order to create their own sculpture. I remember very well a flying dog. March-June 2015 > sibi a Workshow II, Politecnico di Milano sibi a Workshow II is a workshop that took place at the Politecnico di Milano in the spring of 2014, during the course of User And Social Innovation, held by Rebecca Pera. The students were divided into 10 groups. Each of them received the same set of instructions generated by sibi and produced a solution/work. The set was the following: (M) you have to shoot a photo in black and white. it has to be shot in an open space and measure 20x25cm. (A) your work has to be about names and about strength. (T) the title of the work has to feature simple present verbs. A group delivered an awesome solution, entitled That's Not My Name. The photo shows three girls waiting, outside of the railway station, for famous people. What strikes me the most about the work is that, without knowing, the group developed a solution that was pretty much identical to an existing artwork made by Jonathan Monk in 1998 and entitled Waiting For Famous People. The following was the photo that was more appreciated by the students, entitled "Where is Soledad?". Soledad is a very common name between the Spanish speaker countries that means loneliness, the picture shows an open space, without boundaries or doors, accessible to everybody and easy to go through and to escape, unfinished and an unoccupied with a chair for Soledad, which is not there, but there’s the loneliness instead. It’s not a presence, is the absence, the presence of an absent. > MAGA SIBI, MAGA, Gallarate sibi had been played by a group of teenager students with a focus on performative works. In this occasion the sibi software had been modified. The workshop took place at MAGA, the museum of contemporary art of Gallarate (VA). A group of them had to perform a work following these instructions: (M) you have to make a performance using only the upper part of your body. the performance should feature a precious object. the object has to be always in contact with the performers. (A) the performance has to be about make-believe and elements. (T) the title of the performance has to feature an unit of measurement. The students came up with an idea of staying for one hour in contact with the air, undoubtely a precious element. sibi was shortlisted for the 17th Japan Media Arts Festival, Tokyo > sibiNVIAFARINI, Viafarini, Milan A workshop of 3 months, testing sibi, took place in Viafarini, non profit organization for contemporary art founded in 1991 in Milan. 12 groups of players played the game, brainstorming ideas. > Six Coups De Dés, curated by Resò Meet Up, Barriera, Turin A collective exhibition in which sibi has been exhibited on a TOSHIBA T-5200 along with some statistic related to the game and a solution of the game. > sibi the Playroom, Palazzo Ottolenghi, Asti sibi the Playroom has been a laboratory for creative experimentation. Organized in three rooms it gave the opportunity to the Asti citizens, for one month, to play sibi. > sibi a Workshow, Politecnico di Milano, Milan sibi a Workshow is a workshop that took place at the Politecnico di Milano in the spring of 2012, during the course of User and Social Innovation, held by Rebecca Pera. The students were divided into 21 groups. Each of them received a set of instructions generated by sibi and sent me an email with images documenting the work and a text explaining it. A student received the following instructions: [M] You have to make a series of three photographies. The same person has to be present in the three photos and the photos have to be shot in different places. [A] The series has to be about mistery and equilibrium. [T] The title of the series has to be in Spanish. And sent me these three photos with no explanations, entitled Sin Titulo. (1) Roberto Fassone, sibi maga demo, still, 2017 (2) Carlo Cavedon, Asè, 2017 (3) Valeria Marzano/Hèctor Sànchez/Francesca Plassio/Carmen Carugno/Giulia La Ganga, Another Way, 2016 (4) Roberto Fassone/Guglielmo Bogetti, sibi TOSHIBA T-5200, 2014 (5) Mary Kon Giraud/Deborah Fumolo/Ida Aronsson, That's not my name, 2014 (6) Jonathan Monk, Waiting For Famous People, 1995 (7) Karen Avellaneda, Where's Soledad?, 2014 (8) Pretenders, Un’ora d’aria (One hour air conditioning), 2014 (9) R.Fassone/L.Tutino, sibi (shiva night fever), installation, 2012 (ph. Alessandro Talpo) (10) Tiziana Desideri, Sin Titulo, 2012 Generatori d’arte. Roberto Fassone e la sua sibi on Artribune (ITA) sibi, la macchina dell'arte on Exibart (ITA) Quando la critica d'arte è generativa on Artribune (ITA) The title of the work has to contain only words taken from the song ‘‘What’s Going On’’ by Marvin Gaye. L’esperienza di SIBI: The Playroomin 2. Play the aesthetics. Video game between art and media, curated by Mauro Salvador and Elena Di Raddo. sibi has been supported by: a.titolo, Fondazione CRC, Fondazione CRT, Fondazione Pistoletto, Fondazione Bevilacqua La Masa, MAGA, Museo La Ene, Movin'up, Viafarini, ZKM A very special thanks to: Riccardo Fassone, Rebecca Pera, Francesca Comisso, Lisa Parola, Guglielmo Bogetti, Anita Bogetti, Antonio Fassone, Gabriele Cavoto, Simone Frangi, Paolo Novarese, .dotventi, Samuele Cherubini, Valeria Mancinelli, Massimo Bartolini, Lindsay Benedict, Isaias Vena, Domenico Quaranta, Gail Cochrane, Cesare Pietroiusti, Mauro Miceli, Eleonora Torchio, Serena Trapani.	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line407
__label__wiki	0.927839	0.927839	Katrina Kaif to play Shahid Kapoor Heer in Heer Ranjha Katrina to play Shahid's Heer in Heer Ranjha First there were rumours that she had replaced Deepika as Ranbir’s girlfriend. Now, it seems that Katrina has replaced Deepika in a movie too. Recently, there was a buzz created when Deepika Padukone was rumoured to star opposite Shahid Kapur in Sabir Khan’s Heer Ranjha. She was keen to do the film and had given the go-ahead. However, reports suggest that Deepika has been unceremoniously dropped and Katrina has replaced her. Our source informs, “Deepika is still to recover from the shock as she didn’t even know she was out of the film. She had said yes to Sajid and was all set to sign the film when she learnt that Katrina has already been finalised. Now Katrina, who has only some YRF films currently, wanted to be a part of the film and called Sajid who is her rakhi brother and said that she was keen to star in the film. Sajid just could not refuse and the swap was finalised overnight.” Looks like Katrina is taking Deepika’s place in more than one sphere of Bollywood. Katrina Kaif. Shahid Kapoor Biography. Katrina Kaif to play Shahid Kapoor Heer in Heer Ra...	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line410
__label__wiki	0.955233	0.955233	Shahid Sonam Kapoor NDTV Interview Shahid Kapoor Sonam Kapoor interview 1 Rajeev Masand interview with Shahid Kapoor Sonam Kapoor Mausam denied clearance by Air Force Pankaj Kapoor's directorial debut Mausam seems to be facing more turbulent weather than anticipated. The film was supposed to go into censoring on Thursday. Instead it is now stuck in a state of frozen uncertainty. Reason? The Air Force has objected to an aerial action sequence with Shahid Kapoor. For those who came in late, Shahid plays an Air Force pilot in Mausam. Special permission had been sought and granted to shoot in a real airbase. So what is the Air Force objecting to? Apparently, it's a dramatic action fight sequence with Shahid on board a Mirage fighter plane. The Mausam producer Sheetal Talwar is livid. "How can they do this? We had the script cleared by the Air Force on August 23, 2010. Now suddenly they're objecting to a sequence after it's been shot, edited and the film was ready for censoring?" Needless to say, Mausam cannot be submitted for censorship until the Air Force gives an all-clear signal. Talwar is all set for a meeting with officers of the Air Force on Friday. Otherwise he is ready to move court.	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line411
__label__wiki	0.950069	0.950069	Fans name a star after Shahid Kapoor! Here's what your favourite Bollywood celebrities are tweeting. Shahid Kapoor, who recently celebrated his birthday in Goa, got an unique gift. A star has been named after him, thanks to his fans! The star, which is now named after Shahid, is located in the Orion constellation. Shahid thanked his fans for the gift and wrote: 'Wanna thank all the #shanatics for the sweetest bday gift .......... U guys r. Just the best ......... V touched' However, he isn't the only one. The International Lunar Geographic Society, a New York-based organisation committed to the study of the moon, had announced a lunar crater in the moon's Sea of Tranquility christened after Shah Rukh Khan in 2010. Meanwhile, Shahid is reported to be starring in the Hindi remake of Tamil superhit film Vettai, featuring R Madhavan and Arya. http://shahid-kapoor.blogspot.in/ Twinkle twinkle little star for Shahid Kapoor Thanks to his fans, a heavenly body has been named after the actor Some pray. Some build temples. Some even hurl themselves on the unsuspecting celebrity. But Shahid Kapoor's fans buy a star for their star. As a birthday present for the actor who turned 31 on February 25, his fans have bought him a gift that literally glows. Mumbai Mirror has learnt that a handful of people, who admire Shahid, have bought what most heroines in Hindi cinema have been yearning for over the years. A friend of the actor told Mumbai Mirror, "Shahid celebrated his birthday in Goa with a bunch of friends. When he returned to his Andheri residence, he was surprised to see this unique gift waiting for him. A bunch of fans had bought a star for him and named it Shahid. The official letter from the company and a certificate claiming that the star is now named Shahid was delivered." Prior to this, a lunar crater in the moon's 'sea of tranquility' was christened after Shah Rukh Khan in 2010. The star now named after Shahid is located in the Orion constellation. "The star was booked by his fans through the official website starfoundation.net. Shahid was overwhelmed by this gesture. He wears a bracelet that his fans had earlier given him," added the friend. Though Shahid Kapoor remained unavailable for comment, his spokesperson confirmed the story and sent us a copy of the star certificate issued by the foundation. Shahid is now a star, literally! Shahid Kapoor has got a special gift on his birthday. His fans have bought the actor a star. The certificate claiming that the heavenly body is now named Shahid was delivered to him, reports Mumbai Mirror. "Shahid celebrated his birthday in Goa with a bunch of friends. When he returned to his Andheri residence, he was surprised to see this unique gift waiting for him. A bunch of fans had bought a star for him and named it Shahid. The official letter from the company and a certificate claiming that the star is now named Shahid was delivered," the actor's friend told Mumbai Mirror. The star named after Shahid is located in the Orion constellation. "The star was booked by his fans through the official website starfoundation.net. Shahid was overwhelmed by this gesture. He wears a bracelet that his fans had earlier given him," the friend told the tabloid. Shahid spokesperson has confirmed the story to the tabloid. Happy Birthday, Shahid Kapoor! As the actor gears up for his birthday celebrations this year at Morjim beach, Goa, we wonder what made him strike off "good friend" aka ex-girlfriend Priyanka Chopra from his guest list As the Kapoor kid gets a year older, he's all set to be at his hospitable best at his birthday party, which is why he flew out to the venue a couple of days early to make sure that everything's organised perfectly. But when we came across a picture of Shahid Kapoor having a gala time in Goa with a couple of Kingfisher models, we had to wonder what the status of the party is at the moment.Looks like the weather of Goa and the special attention from the bikini-clad beauties has made Sasha a lazy boy. Of course, we cannot help speculating if this is not a new style of shoot that photo-whiz Atul Kasbekar is cooking up for the annual calendar for the beleaguered airline! The people invited for the party as of now are Tabu, Ahmed Khan, Genelia D'Souza, Rani Mukerji, Siddharth Anand and Kunal Kohli, to name a few. Now even though Shahid and Priyanka Chopra have recently shot for a movie together and were on absolutely cordial terms till now, we wonder what the sudden bone of contention is. Whatever it is, we must say we are happy to see Shahid relaxing on the idyllic beaches – and porches – of Goa with gorgeous babes to keep him company. Vicarious thrills, you see! shahid-kapoor.blogspot.com/ Posted by Mahendra at 9:02 PM 0 comments Shahid Kapoor is livin’ it up in Goa! Shahid Kapoor is livin' it up in Goa! Actor Shahid Kapoor, who recently gifted himself his dream car — a Jaguar — a little ahead of his birthday, has only one birthday resolution to make today — 'to party hard and then party harder all this week before I get back to work!' "It will be a weeklong party for me," is what Shahid is said to have told his friends and that's exactly what he's been doing. The actor, who turns 31 today, is already in Goa since Wednesday and had plans to ring in his birthday last night with non-stop partying with friends. And this list of friends, include actors Nargis Fakhri and Tabu, both of whom flew in to Goa to join him in his birthday revelry. While Tabu is a good friend of the actor for quite some time now, his friendship with Nargis has already set tongues wagging in B-Town linking up the two. But a source close to the actor says that it's assuming too much at the moment. "Shahid met Nargis at a recent awards show, where they performed together. They both hit it off instantly and have been friends since." As for them dating, an insider reveals, that they both are single at the moment and closer in age, so they are just bonding. "It's too early to say that they are dating each other. Right now they are just getting to know each other better, but who knows what happens in the future," adds the insider. The actor has gifted himself this mini-break of sorts, before he gets back into the Bolly grind. "Shahid will be there till the 27th. He's in a very happy space, both personally and professionally, and is making the most of the time in hand before he starts shooting," added the source. While there were speculations of whether good friend Priyanka Chopra too will join in the fun in Goa, there's been no confirmation yet and sources say that she might not have been invited at all. Shahid Kapoor will find true love in 2014? As Shahid Kapoor is soon set to step in his 32nd year, we see what his stars predict for his future. His last film Mausam directed by his father Pankaj Kapur turned out to be a damp squib at the box office. Even his much talked about relationship with Priyanka Chopra went sour. As his birthday comes close, we ask astro numerologist Bhavikk Sangghvi on what the future holds for the talented Shahid Kapoor? "Shahid was born on 25th February 1981 which makes him a Number 7 (Ketu) person in numerology. He is a Piscean (ruler Jupiter - Number 3) and his destiny number adds up to Number 1 (Sun). Since he is ruled by Number 7, he is automatically ruled by Number 2 (Moon) as these two numbers always go hand in hand" explains Bhavikk. "Being a Number 7, Shahid is very creative but also very moody. He can be soft spoken and family loving but at the same time very temperamental and aggressive. He will acquire what he wants from life no matter what and will get it on his terms. Even money would keep flowing in and he shall have no major monetary problems as such ever in life. He should learn to keep his secrets of life to himself as he easily gets targeted by negative forces around him which may hamper his progress personally as well as professionally", he explains further. "This year when Shahid will be primarily running in his 32nd year will also prove to be just plain average for him. His work in his next release Kunal Kohli's 'Teri Meri Kahaani' (tentatively titled) with ex-girlfriend Priyanka Chopra will be much appreciated, but the film may not do well as expected", predicts Bhavikk. "Even on the personal front, things might not be that good for Shahid. He will actually have to wait for some more time (read 2014) to find his 'true love' and only then he can think of settling down". "Wearing a Cat's Eye set in silver on his smallest finger on a Thursday night will help him deal with the tremendous amount of negative energy which he is surrounded with", signs off Bhavikk on a serious note. Shahid Kapoor hosting at Screen Awards Shahid Kapoor Perfornmance Zee Cine Award 5th February 2012 part 3 Shahid Kapoor as Host at the Star Screen Awards 2012 Shahid Kapoor scoots It is a well-known fact that Shahid Kapoor has a step father Rajesh Khattar with whom he has spend all his growing years till the time he entered movies & awakened to his Kapoor pedigree & apparently got close to his biological father Pankaj Kapoor. People in know vouch that Rajesh & Shahid were very close & Shahid did insist on changing his surname to Khattar ( which incidentally he still carries in his passport till date). But today things are different,as he hasn't ever acknowledged Rajesh in public,so when recently Shahid went for a music club opening , he was taken aback coming face to face with Rajesh Both met effusively but were visibly uncomfortable with the presence of camera's & predictably Shahid left immediately after. It is said that they still share a very warm relationship but then why shy away from public eye. Time to reveal the reason why are you so elusive about your relationship with a man you have spent more than 10 yrs & considered your father Mr Shahid Kapoor ( aka Khattar ) I'm not mad at Shahid or Punit: Sonam Kapoor Though there has been buzz about Sonam Kapoor and Punit Malhotra, the actress still maintains that she is single The actress also denies having anything against Shahid Kapoor. She took to Twitter to clear the air, "I'm hearing the funniest rumours about myself! In Thailand, and all I can say is I'm on the floor laughing. Okay morning guys I'm not mad at Shahid Kapoor or Punit Malhotra and I'm not dating anyone! I'm minding my own business and working." Sigh... till the next time Sonam is spotted with Punit. MD News Shahid Kapoor Talks about Single Life and Relationship with Priyanka Chopra It's official: Shahid Kapoor is back to being a bachelor. The Times of India sat down with Shahid and asked him the question girls all over have been wanting to know: Is he single? "According to my last memory," the actor replied, "I am single." Shahid has dated his fair share of Bollywood's most beautiful women. He was in a long-term relationship with Kareena Kapoor (the two split during filming of their hit film Jab We Met, though their chemistry was still palpable right through to the final scene) and then dated Priyanka Chopra (famously answering her door in his shorts when tax agents came after Priyanka last year). Speaking of Priyanka Chopra, Shahid had only the nicest things to say about her . She is great fun, a good co-star, a fine actor, neighbour and friend. If Shahid Kapoor harbors any bitterness over Priyanka leaving him, it doesn't come through in how he speaks about her. Clearly he's still fond of his ex (though one has to wonder what he thinks about her new "relationship" with Shahrukh Khan), and is gentlemanly enough to praise her in public during a time when her reputation is constantly in jeopardy. Shahid Kapoor in Riteish Genelia Sangeet ceremony Shahid Kapoor had recently said that he is ready to settle down. So, will we be seeing him as a groom soon? Riteish-Genelia Sangeet ceremony Glittering anarkali suits, shimmering saris, here is a look at who wore what to Riteish and Genelia 's Sangeet ceremony Shahid Kapoor speaks his mind about Bipasha The handsome actor has found a way to distract people from his uninteresting love life – by making bizarre and blunt statements Shahid Kapoor has an opinion on everything nowadays it seems, with opinions that amuse us no end. At a recent event the actor said, “I like being used” when quizzed about his link-ups to Vidya Balan, Priyanka Chopra and Anushka Sharma. Shortly after that he lashed out at the media for linking him with Anushka Sharma, saying, “There’s a limit to everything. I felt disgusted to read reports about a lady who comes from respected family.” Uh oh! But weren’t you liking it a while ago, Shak? The latest that caught our attention was Shahid’s verbal lashing out at his alleged ex-girlfriend Bipasha Basu’s item number. Looks like our man vehemently disagrees with actors blurring the lines between their ‘real’ and ‘reel’ selves. “It’s very personal. I would be embarrassed by it but I am sure a lot of people will like it. I don’t think there is anything wrong with it. I think in films we play different characters, so how could you have songs on your own name is beyond my logic,” he said at an event. But that’s Bipasha’s personal choice, no? And Shahid, wethinks you aren’t really involved in it…or are you? Anyway, we would’ve continued to ponder the Mausam man’s comments and reasons related to them when the actor himself offered an explanation with “I’m unemployed,” and blamed it all on director Manish Sharma’s slipped disc that’s preventing his upcoming movie (Yash Raj Films next) from hitting the floors. Ah, so an empty mind becomes the devil’s workshop here, to blame for Shahid’s devilish remarks, is it? Dear Sasha, you can continue making quirky comments and blaming it all on others, but the question that begs to be asked is – how long before someone demands some answers from you? Shahid Kapoor raises an eyebrow on 'Bipasha' Shahid Kapoor raises an eyebrow on Bipasha Basu While Bipasha Basu has been raving about her latest song "Bipasha", actor Shahid Kapoor, once rumoured to be dating her, says he fails to understand the logic behind having songs named after actors' names. Personally, he says he would be uncomfortable with it. "It's very personal. I would be embarrassed by it but I am sure a lot of people will like it. I don't think there is anything wrong with it. I think in films we play different characters, so how could you have songs on your own name is beyond my logic," the 30-year-old said here at an event. Shahid Kapoor Perfornmance Zee Cine Award 5th Febr... Shahid Kapoor as Host at the Star Screen Awards 20... Shahid Kapoor Talks about Single Life and Relation...	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line412
__label__cc	0.614908	0.385092	#knife sharpeners#pocket sharpener#sharpening stones Before we tell what the best pocket knife sharpeners in the market are, know what exactly are they and what purpose do they serve. What Are Pocket Knife Sharpeners? Pocket Knife Sharpeners or jackknives are heavy-duty and versatile tools that are used for some everyday activities. They are usually foldable blades enclosed in sturdy cases that make it handy to be around and can be used to cut even the thinnest paper or the tautest rope, even replacing kitchen cutleries when it calls for a need. Pocketknives are the most diverse in type, whose existence dates back to the first-century Roman soldiers and explorers. There are many types and classification of pocket knives. From its blade types, the number of blades, the appendages that come with it in a case, the housing case types, and a lot more that contributes to its miscellany. From simple tearing off parcels to boxes, or cutting edges from materials, or carving woods, it is a handy occupational tool. Owing to its valuable contribution to humanity, a hardcore tool like pocket knife must be kept in top condition to keep its reputation. And that means always letting the razor sharp edges in its mint factory condition. Pocketknives are the best on-the-go tool because as it is called, it can easily be slipped into the pocket for portability and convenience. Although the federal and state laws recently have some issues concerning the legality of carrying these type of knives as it could account for an offensive weapon, the most daunting concern of many is probably on how to revive a dull pocket knife blade back to life and put it to good use. 10 Best Pocket Knife Sharpeners Unlike common household cutleries, their blades are designed to withstand stringent pressures without limitations on what they can cut. The angle of each side of the double-beveled blades are set at a rough 20° to 30°, thicker and robust despite their small sizes and will not fit with just any new technology electrical or manual knife sharpeners. Maintaining their angles at its original setting is also necessary to preserve the durability of the blades. The multitude of knife manufacturers and companies are not only innovating on the development of knives but are also looking at how to incorporate the convenience of sharpening blocks to service the need for keeping edges flawless and durable. This is especially true for backpackers and outdoor enthusiasts who might not get the access to sharpening materials out in the field. Instead of devising hacks for sharpening tools, manufacturers developed the best knife sharpeners to cater to their need. 1. Smith’s 50364 Pocket Pal X2 Sharpener and Outdoor Tool ($$) For portability and multi function of pocket knife sharpener, this versatile tool from Smith’s Consumer Products is an example of an all-around portable and convenient knife sharpener for people who are always on the go. It is designed to provide the standard sharpening efficiency most sharpeners can offer despite its small size that is made available by its pull-through sharpening slots. This knife sharpener has a two-stage system, the coarse slot which has carbide abrasives for setting edges of very dull pocket knives, and the ceramic abrasive that is used for polishing the edges of even of any double beveled knives. These abrasives are replaceable to make it reusable to last indefinitely with proper use and diligent care. A tapered rod that can be extended from the casing is used to sharpen serrated knives, single beveled knives or gut hooks. This compact and multi-purpose sharpener comes in a set of tools that are essential for outdoor explorers like LED light, whistle, fire lighter, and a compass that are requisite for outdoor exploration survival. To set the edge of a damaged double-beveled knife, insert the knife blade into the coarse carbide slot. Pull the blade from the heel to the tip using moderate downward force, tipping the knife downward for curving tips for equal and uniformly sharpened blades. Repeat pulling 4 to 6 times until sharp or more until the hair-splitting sharpness is achieved. Testing on a piece of paper is the best way to check for its efficiency. A reasonably sharp blade can then be honed in the ceramic abrasive slot using about 8 to 10 to pulls to refine edges that enable the blade to maintain its sharpness. Pocketknives made of steel may require additional pulls because of its hardness compared to any other type of metal knives. For better leverage, place the sharpener on a flat and sturdy surface when sharpening. To sharpen a serrated knife and gut hook, use the tapered rod. Extend the rod and match the grind angle to the serrations. To avoid damaging the serrations, choose the diameter of the rod that is slightly smaller than the gullet or tooth of the knife. Push the rod into the serration or hook with light downward pressure, gently rolling it as you do. Repeat on the entire serrations. For better result, a serrated knife can be passed through the ceramic slot to polish the edge and remove the burr after sharpening with the rod. With the pre-set angle of 22.5°, this multipurpose and functional sharpener is the best tool to have for any outdoor activity and a versatile pocketknife sharpener. 2. Kitchen IQ 50009 Edge Grip 2 Stage Knife Sharpener ($) Taking the two-slot sharpener design of this brand into a smaller and compact version, this mini manual sharpener is good for outdoor use because of its portability. However, small as it is, it is also exceptional in its sharpening ability. Designed to accommodate most pocket knives and other cutleries, Kitchen IQ 50009 is a nifty sharpener to be around. The product’s dimension is only 4.3 x 2.1 x 5.9 inches and weighs only 0.6 ounces. It may just fit the palm, but it is versatile and functional. This two-stage sharpener has a coarse carbide and fine ceramic blades that give the same powerful result as Kitchen IQ’s larger version of this manual knife sharpener. It can be used for American/European angle specific blades and can sharpen both straight edge and serrated knives. It’s Deluxe Edge Grip features a V-Grip bottom that can be used on the edge of the counter top to prevent larger knives from touching the surface of the platform when sharpening and large knives from dragging it away. This user-friendly tool is beneficial for outdoor enthusiast because it can be carried anywhere without all the hassle and guesswork of sharpening. For sharpening the first time or for setting edges of dull & damaged knives, use the coarse carbide slot. Set the sharpener on any sturdy & steady surface for better grip. Insert the blade from the heel and, applying moderate pressure, drag it across the sharpener covering the entire surface of the blade up to the tip, following any curving blade edge if it has. Continue pulling 4 to 5 times until the necessary sharpness is acquired. After sharpening, continue to pull the blade on the fine ceramic blades to polish the edges and set the durable sharpness. This fine honing slot is also used for sharpening serrated knives. When sharpening serrated knives, allow a minimum pressure on guiding the blade across the sharpener to preserve the jagged edges of the knife. Serrated knives are a bit delicate to handle because of its saw-like edges that would chip away if not handled properly. Any aggressive sharpening could also deform the edges and renders the knife unusable. Regular honing on the fine ceramic slot before using a knife, or after an excessive cutting job helps maintains the sharpness of the edges to make it always available for future stringent pocketknife activities. 3. Lansky Blademedic Pocket Sharpening Kit ($) For quick repair of pocket knives, serrated, filet or gut hook even when out the field, this pocket sharpening kit is a great solution. It has four sharpening functions: the tungsten carbide slot for restoring damaged & nicked edges, ceramic sharpening slot for finishing, light touch ups of already sharp edges, and the serrated knife sharpener for easy sharpening. The carbide slot is very aggressive in sharpening and can be used for really quick sharpening but is not advisable for frequent use as it could remove more metal from the knife and in time could damage its original formation. Use this slot only for severely damaged knives, making 3 to 4 strokes with moderate downward pressure. The ceramic slot polishes the edge and is used after using the carbide sharpener to give the refined edge of the blade an additional bite. This is also the best for maintenance of slightly dull knives and regular honing. The serrated knife sharpener is made up of medium grit ceramic abrasives that are fashioned similar to a bench stone type sharpener that could evenly sharpen the edges of the serrations. To use, make a sweeping motion of the blade across the surface ensuring that it covers all of the edges entirely. The ceramic abrasives are designed not to wear out, but over time, metal filings accumulating on the surface could diminish its effectiveness. Solve the dilemma with Lansky Eraserblock, their patented product for cleaning such types of sharpeners. The extendable diamond tapered rod is used for sharpening fish hooks. The diamond abrasives can cut faster than steel making it a more speedy option for reconditioning all knife types but is advisable to be used sparingly hence it could remove more metals on itself and the knife due to its aggressiveness on sharpening. To use with gut hooks, make a rotating motion of the rod on the edges until it is sharp. Lansky Blademedic is also portable and can go very well with the manageability of the pocketknife. 4. Chef’s Choice M317 Sportsman Extreme 2 Stage Straight and Serrated Edge Diamond Hone Knife Sharpener ($$$) Pocketknives sharpening do not necessarily mean everything that can slip easily into the pocket. Sometimes it needs effective tool to help give out its added bite. For the superior quality of sharpness, without all the hassles of angle-guesswork, effortless sharpening, advanced equipment like this Chef’s Choice Sportsman Extreme can be used. This versatile sharpener is suitable for various outdoor tools with varying thickness to help it revive its industrial quality sharpness for it to be able to perform its rigorous work. The two stages of its sharpening slots are equipped with 100% diamond abrasives that can cut faster and more precisely into the metal edges bringing even the most dying blade back into life. Stage 2 has flexible stropping disks that create the arc-shaped edge patent of Chef’s Choice to ensure the durability of the knife’s edge. The geometry of the edges plays a role in ensuring a lasting and more reliable sharpness of the blades. The traditional V-shaped edge that is prevailing in most knives’ designs have lesser metal support making the blades more prone to dulling or chipping. Knives become dull when metals start to coil back into itself that would happen with the V-blades. To begin sharpening, place the knife in the slot on stage 1 making sure that the knife is keeping in contact with the rollers for even and uniform sharpness. Apply a minimum but an unbroken force when pulling at a speed of approximately 3 seconds for every 6-inch blade. For knives that have a curving tip, gently lift the handle and tip the knife over so that the blade is entirely fed into the rollers. Repeat for 8 to 10 times. Continue honing the knife on Stage 2 pulling the knife for about 3 to 5 repetition. The arc-shaped ones are more robust and are beneficial to pocket knives granting its laborious and unspecific cutting job description. This unit is also compatible to use with other kitchen knives, filet knives, Santoku, serrated knives and other outdoor and sports knives. 5. Buck Knives 97076 Edge Tek Dual Grit Pocket Stone Diamond Knife Sharpener ($$) Pocketknives on an outdoor adventure require its unwavering rigor. When being out in the field, there can be hacks on sharpening a pocket knife when it gives away in the middle of the journey, like doing what the primitive men do: sharpening on a rock. Of course, this is where all these knickknacks of sharpeners had sprung. However, it is technically not built for the extreme. But keeping an evolved version of a sharpening stone like this Buck Knives 97076 could be a great idea. This slim and lightweight sharpener has a 100% diamond coated surface that has a dual sharpening surface of medium and coarse grit, already a two process grinding and honing. A great and heavy-duty add-on to a heavy-duty tool but light on the load. Sharpening stones are the best contrivance for pocket knives because of its superior quality result, diamonds above all are valuable metals for its fast cutting rate that could bring back blades sharpness in no time. Buck knives are diamond metal encrusted, super compact and weigh only about 1.3 ounces and just 3 millimeters thick. The coarse grit diamond surface is good for working out severely damaged knives even those with nicks and chips. The medium one is used for polishing the edges and removing the burr caused by the first sharpener. It is also best for maintaining the sharpness of the edge to keep it in its top shape after extensive use, or to prepare it for a rigorous one. Maintaining edges is not just for aesthetic or display reasons, it is for serving a pocket knife’s purpose. For chipped edges, it is best to start sharpening around the edges of the nicks using the coarse stone to remove the metals that have folded on that edge before doing the entire surface of the blade. To use the diamond stone, evaluate the blade first. If it is only slightly dull, the medium grit can be used. First is to lubricate the stone with water base honing fluid or simply water to promote cutting. Maintaining an angle of the side of the blade, make a scraping motion across the stone with the knife, about five strokes per side or more, depending upon the desired level of sharpness. Another stroke to be used is the circular scraping that is beneficial in keeping the blade’s exact angle. Simply make the clockwise motion of the edges of the blade until it entirely covers the surface of the sharpener. Flip the blade over and continue on the other side counter clockwise, applying the same pressure as on the other side. To be always ready, a pocketknife and a pocket knife sharpener must always be available on hand for a complete outdoor adventure package. 6. Sharpal 101N 6-In-1 Knife Sharpener & Survival Tool ($) Another high quality and precise sharpening performance tool is this Sharpal 6-in-1 sharpener and survival tool that is made possible by its preset tungsten carbide blades for restoring edges of pocket knives and its ceramic blades for polishing the edges into finer and sharper metal blades. Tungsten carbides are very abrasion-resistant which means it will not scrape itself off when used in sharpening different metal types of the knife’s blades. It can also maintain the finished edge that requires only a little honing to produce a finer cut. The ceramic blade for honing is best for realigning and polishing the edges of pocket knives after sharpening. Sharpal’s knife sharpener also comes with a tapered diamond rod that can be used to sharpen the gullets of a serrated knife, gut hooks, and fish hooks. The diamond rod is also extensive in sharpening the edges of a pocket knife for regular maintenance. To use the “V’ shaped sharpener for knives, set it on a flat surface for steady grip. Follow the arrow that shows the proper direction of strokes printed in the slot. Insert the blade at 90° angle with the sharpener, parallel to the surface. Pull the blade through the slot from the heel to the tip 3 to 5 times until the desired sharpness is reached. Continue on the ceramic slot to refine the edges. To use the diamond-tapered rod, simply rub the rod back and forth across the gullets of the knife until sharp. The groove on the rod is used for sharpening fish hooks. Also enclosed in the case is a fire starter and whistle for extreme measures. The fire starter is a rod to be pulled across the tungsten carbide slot to ignite a fire. This kit is a multi-functional tool that is best to have around that can be slipped into the pocket conveniently for a price that is also convenient for the pocket. 7. Lansky Quadsharp Carbide/Ceramic Multi-Angle Knife Sharpener ($$) Best used for maintaining consistency of the angle of the blades to its factory edge, Lansky had incorporated the patented Lansky-Controlled Angle Sharpening System into this portable sharpener. Keeping the angles consistent is best so as not to compromise the durability of the sharpness of the blades that enables the knife to function with the same precision as when it was first bought. But not many have the reflexes for precision especially when hand sharpening. A pocketknife’s durability is never to be compromised, and it was on that premise that this tool could be the best as far as the blade’s angle is concerned. Pocketknives have angles ranging from 20° to 30° for durability to withstand whatever was put their way. Lanksy’s Quad Sharp has carbide slots for 17°, 20°, 25° and 30° which are perfect for these outdoor tools. Pocket knives can be sharpened at the 25° angle. The sturdy sides enable the sharpener to stand on a flat surface during sharpening for better leverage. It also has a ceramic bench stone on the top edge that is used for sharpening serrated pocket knives and for fine polishing. Use the slots like any manual knife sharpeners pulling the knife across the carbide slots until the sharpness is achieved. 8. Work Sharp WSGFS221 Guided Field Sharpener ($$$) Another compact pocket knife sharpener is the guided field sharpener of Work Sharp that also features a controlled angle sharpening system at 20° and 25° angle to accommodate pocketknives and other tactical and sports knives. The device has five abrasives for complete sharpening namely: the coarse and fine diamond sharpening plates, coarse and fine ceramic hones, and a leather strop that will hone knives into perfection. The coarse and fine diamond plate for sharpening has a magnetic attachment to the housing and is removable if it is to be used for freehand sharpening. A knob at the end of the sharpener can be used to rotate the coarse and fine honing rod and a ceramic rod for sharpening serrations, thoroughly labeled for precision. When using the sharpening kit, always keep the knives at its exact angle using the ramp guide at each end of the sharpening plates. Similarly, coarse sharpening plate is used for very damaged knives, and fine sharpening plate refines the edges of a slightly sharp knife. To use, lightly rest the blade on the guide and push it along the abrasive about 5 to 10 strokes. If the coarse plate is used, repeat the process on the fine sharpening plate. Then use the ceramic rod to hone and refine the edges and finish polishing in the leather strop to achieve the wicked and durable sharpness. To sharpen serrated knives, use the ceramic rod, pushing the beveled side of the knife back and forth into the rod until sharp. The ceramic rod is also used for curved blades and scissors while fish hooks can be sharpened on the ceramic rod designed for it. This sharpener can also be used in other blades and outdoor tools. 9. DMT FWFC Double Sided Diafold Sharpener ($$$) Field sharpening gets easier with the foldable sharpener of DMT (Diamond Machining Technology) that comes with two surfaces. The coarse diamond coated stone can repair pocket knives’ edges while the fine stone refines and polishes the edges. There are four sets of grit combination to choose from: the coarse & extra coarse; fine & coarse; extra fine & fine; extra fine & extra-extra fine. For pocket knives sharpening, the coarse and fine surface combination of the foldable sharpener is good enough to complement its rugged activities. Its size is reasonable enough for a pocketknife, but this compact sharpener can also be used in heavy duty blades like hatchets, shears and scissors, shovel, spade, pruner and other utility knives. The best thing about having something so small is its ability to be slipped in the pocket, and the very best thing that one can get is the superior quality blades it could produce notwithstanding its diminutive appearance. The micronized monocrystalline diamonds coated with the proprietary Hardcoat of DMT creates the durable surface of the sharpener for it to retain its shape and minimize the worn out when used with hard metals like ceramics. Diamonds are aggressive sharpening stones that easily cut into the metal of the blades to speed up the task and at the same time create a nice and wicked sharpness for field knives. That being the case, it would also work best even with ceramic knives without it losing its surface during sharpening. It’s coarse surface can be able to set and repair damaged edges of blades while the fine diamond surface keeps the edges polished and honed to withstand any rigor in cutting. The interrupted surface or holes within the surface of the coarse stone are made to catch metal filings while sharpening to prevent it from accumulating on the surface and impede the task. It can, therefore, be used even without the need for water or lubricants. Cleaning off the swarf can be done after. The fine stone has a continuous surface, and this is best used for just regular and quick touch ups of slightly sharp blades. This foldable sharpener is compact enough for pocket knives and outdoor knives. Since it does not require any water, sharpening can be done just almost anywhere, even take it standing. To use simply scrape the blades uniformly on both sides to set the dull edges and finish refining to its superior cutting quality on the other side. The sharpener comes in a plastic case for fold-and-go convenience. 10. Victorinox Pocket Knife Sharpener If convenience, portability, and superiority are the basis for a pocket knife sharpener, this pen type sharpener would probably be one of the top ranking sharpeners. Victorinox is a company specializing in explorer tools like the Swiss Army pocket knives and therefore understood the importance of a travel sharpener to accompany a multi purpose knife on an expedition because as they said, a dull knife is not an excuse. The pen-type sharpener already has two stages: the grinding stone for pre-sharpening, and the ceramic notch for edge refining. Weighing only about 1.4 ounces and just 9 inches in height, it is a package of complete sharpening tool that can be used for any expedition. To sharpen a dull pocket knife, just use the grinding stone rod. Simply scrape the edge of the knife into the surface of the rod as you would on any sharpening rod. Keep stroking until the optimum sharpness if reached. Then hone the edges on the ceramic notch to create a finer edge. The best thing to do is to lay the blade on a flat surface, blade facing up. Then run the V-shaped notch and pull it across the entire surface of the blade. This notch is also good for cleaning even the heel of the knife near the handle where rusts usually accumulate. The choice for choosing the correct pocket knife sharpener is subjective of the purpose. Those that are just used for light and daily activities can have the bulky sharpeners, but for those whose life was really out in the field, a portable one is the best option. No one would want to own a knife so portable with a sharpener occupying half of the backpack. The choice is endless, but the suitability and functionality are diverse. What’s best is a knife sharpener that keeps the pocket knife blades always job ready even when out into the vast outdoor. Why Are Butterfly Knives Illegal And Where?	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line413
__label__cc	0.588552	0.411448	RonsSpot Welcome to the Underground Post Snitches Underground Newz Tips for Spotting an Undercover Cop LAS VEGAS, Nov. 1, 2010 – Ford debuts the ultimate stealth Police Interceptor concept at SEMA – a customized version of its all-new Police Interceptor sedan goes undercover that’s not only stylish but full of high-tech surprises. (11/01/2010) Spotting an undercover police officer isn’t as hard as you might think, provided you know what you’re looking for. Unmarked police vehicles can often be recognized by features like municipal plates, clusters of antennas, and dark tinted windows. When you’re scrutinizing a could-be cop in person, look out for short, neatly-groomed military hairstyles, heavy-duty boots, or baggy clothing with lots of pockets. An undercover cop might also attempt to win your trust or pump you for information in order to make progress on a case. Look for nondescript plates on the back of the vehicle. Unmarked police cars are often fitted with special municipal plates. Unlike ordinary license plates, which include a combination of letters and numbers, municipal plates typically only feature a short string of numbers. This could be enough to make them stand out at a glance.[1] In some cases, municipal plates may be stamped with the letters “MU” at the end.[2] Some unmarked cop cars are even required to have tags bearing the name of the local police department. Check Out the Car In a perfect world, all police would be required to drive around in 1992 Crown Victorias with gigantic antennas and a visible gun rack in the back seat. Unfortunately, it’s not that easy. These days, undercover cops are tooling around in anything from minivans to Mustangs. So how do you spot a car that’s outfitted for the sole purpose of harshing your mellow? Fortunately, police need lots of special equipment in their cruisers to do their jobs effectively. If you look hard enough, you can see it. On unmarked cars, lights are often placed in the grill, front windshield and exterior mirrors. Even if they aren’t turned on, you should be able to see them provided there is a sufficient amount of light. Look for stubby police antennas on the trunk lid and more lights in the rear windshield. Each state has special license plates that are issued to government workers. Learn yours. If you see it on the car that’s pulling up to the spot where you’re lighting up, swallow that weed like a professional. Tip: The Ford Crown Victoria, Dodge Charger Pursuit, Chevrolet Impala, and Hummer H3 are among the most common vehicles used by police departments throughout North America. Check the roof or trunk for a suspicious number of radio antennas. Cops have to stay in constant communication with headquarters, as well as other officers. Unfortunately for them, there’s no good way to hide the abundance of antennas needed to make this possible. A cop car may have as many as 4-5 separate antennas, whereas most consumer vehicles only have 1 or 2.[3] Keep in mind that retractable power antennas may not be visible at all times. Nowadays, more and more cop cars are being outfitted with puck antennas, which are short and round and made to blend in with the car’s paint job. These can be harder to catch, but they still have a fairly distinct look.[4] Pay Attention to Details Here’s the thing about undercover cops…they’re really good at blending in with the environment they’re in. Anyone who’s ever been enjoying a joint on a park bench only to have a guy in flip-flops and a Hawaiian shirt flashing a badge in their face out of the blue will surely attest to that. But everybody makes mistakes, police are no different. Does that shady weed dealer at your local park with the three day facial hair growth, unkempt hair and filthy clothes also have impeccably manicured fingernails? Is he wearing a beat to shit army jacket and four hundred dollar Armani jeans? If so, you probably shouldn’t buy your weed from him. Actually, you shouldn’t just walk up to anyone you don’t know and try to buy drugs from them. But if it’s come to that, at least watch for those little inconsistencies that might indicate that they aren’t who they say they are. Pinpoint out-of-place lights on the grill or side mirrors. Examine the front end of the vehicle and see if you can make out a row of flashers set between the headlights. Emergency lights may be accompanied by searchlights on the side mirrors. Both of these features are a dead giveaway of a cop car in disguise.[5] If you don’t see a light bar on the grill, take a peek at the bottom of the rear windshield, just above the back row of seats. It may be in one place and not the other. It’s not legal for civilians to drive cars equipped with emergency lights, so if you see them, you can be sure that there’s an officer behind the wheel.[6] See if the car has a push bumper. A push bumper (also known as a “bullbar,” “crashbar,” or “bumpbar”) is a cage-like device that goes over the front bumper of a vehicle to prevent damage in the event of a collision and make it easier to force other vehicles off of the road. They’re a staple of police-issue vehicles, and may be found on any make, model, or style of car.[7] The majority of civilian vehicles with push bumpers are larger models, such as Hummers, Jeeps, and pickup trucks. Police departments, on the other hand, are known to install them on sedans, owing to their superior speed and maneuverability. Don’t Bother Asking There’s a popular myth that claims if you ask an undercover cop if they’re a cop, they have to tell you if they are. Not true, says Barry Cooper, a former undercover cop who came around to the good side and now gets paid to tell people how to spot and avoid being busted by undercover cops. In fact, he says this misconception actually helps law enforcement: Many times as an undercover, suspects would ask if I were a cop and explain I must tell if I were. I would respond, “No. I’m not a cop and you are correct. I would have to tell you if I were.” The suspects were always comfortable with this answer and would sometimes comment on how cool the “must tell” law was. So that’s a bummer. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t mention the police at all if you think an undercover is in your midst… Expect to find dark window tinting. It’s not uncommon to pass a car with tinted windows—many upscale vehicles even include it as a standard feature. The windows of a police car will usually be much darker, though, particularly towards the front. The point is to make it harder for other drivers to see inside, but it has the unintended effect of making the car itself more noticeable.[8] The presence of tinted windows alone isn’t enough to be sure that a given vehicle is being driven by a police officer, but it can be a major tell when taken with other clues. Did You Hear the News? Did the police make a significant bust in your area recently? If so, mention it. Undercover cops are trained to stay relaxed in high pressure situations, but by bringing up some especially noteworthy piece of police news, you’ve just entered something into the mix that normally isn’t present…their ego. Try mentioning that you don’t see what the big deal is about the bust that was all over the news last week and then, just like in poker, wait for the tell. Nobody likes to have their pride injured, and that’s exactly what you’re doing. If the guy hoping to sell you a pound of kush suddenly snaps at you about how that bust was a HUGE deal, you’re probably dealing with a cop. Watch for any reaction that strikes you as out of the ordinary. If your gut is telling you to flee the scene, do it. THE DRUG TEST It’s perfectly legal for undercover pigs and informants to engage in criminal activity to protect their cover. Narcs are allowed to buy, sell and do drugs of every kind. Forget any urban myths you may have heard to the contrary: narcs are entitled to smoke/snort/swallow/inject controlled substances. “We use surveillance for the protection of the undercover deputy — and evidence is gathered in the recordings of the conversations and the payment of money for drugs,” former undercover agent Barry Cooper told the Underground. Although many undercover officers and informants come equipped with transmitting or recording devices, this type of electronic equipment is miniaturized. A police agent who’s “wearing a wire” is unlikely to be uncovered by a mere pat down. The equipment can easily be hidden in hard articles of clothing, such as belt buckles, boots, etc. Law enforcement agents can, as part of their job, lie and engage in criminal activity. It seems unreal that the police don’t have to live up to the same standards that they’re enforcing. However, a great deal of police investigation operates on the basis that the end justifies the means—a flawed rationale, particularly in the context of maintaining a just legal system. An undercover officer can legally initiate crime. That is, the narc can be the person pushing the drugs, or actively seeking a source for buying them. (“Hey man, you know where I can get some good weed? Can you hook me up?”) Look for suspiciously neat or well-groomed hairstyles. You can get your first hint as to whether or not someone is an undercover cop with a quick glance. Shaved heads, clean side parts, and military burs or “high-and-tight” haircuts are all common for male officers. Similarly, female officers often sport ponytails, low buns, or close-cropped bobs in order to keep their hair out of their faces.[9] Most police departments insist that their officers adhere to high grooming standards—higher than the average person on the street. Hairstyle alone isn’t enough to go on. It’s not unusual for cops in deep cover assignments to grow out their head and facial hair to make themselves less likely to be identified.[10] Take note if the person is wearing an oversized jacket. Long or bulky outerwear makes it easier for cops to carry all the tools and equipment they need without attracting attention. If the person is wearing a rugged work jacket, ¾ length coat, or plush windbreaker, there’s a chance that there’s a pair of handcuffs in one of the pockets.[11] Keeping one or both hands stuffed inside their jacket pockets can also be an indication that there’s something in there they want to be able to grab in a hurry. See if the person is wearing cargo pants or shorts. Like bulky jackets, bottoms with multiple, roomy pockets are part of many police officers’ wardrobes because of the amount of practical storage they offer. These pockets may be used to hold items like a badge, flashlight, taser, pepper spray, backup handcuffs, or zip ties.[13] An undercover officer’s cargo pockets aren’t just there for decoration—more often than not, they’ll be full. By contrast, a careless cop might also make the mistake of wearing an expensive pair of jeans with other less fancy “show” garments.[14] Check for drab military or hiking-style boots. If you’ve studied the person’s outfit and still aren’t sure what to make of them, look down. Cops tend to gravitate towards durable, heavy-duty types of footwear because of how much time they spend on foot. They might also be wearing chunky hiking sneakers or something similar.[15] Police officers have a preference for neutral colors like black, brown, and gray, as they’re much more low-profile than bright colors and flashy designs. It’s not so much a matter of the shoes themselves as the way they’re matched with other clothing and accessories. How many people do you know who rock tactical boots with a Chargers hoodie and khaki cargo pants? Watch for the outline of a gun beneath their pants or shirt. One alarming but surefire way to tell if someone who’s acting a little funny is actually working undercover is to catch a glimpse of their sidearm under their clothes. The tell-tale shape of a gun will be easiest to detect when they’re bending, leaning, or raising their arms.[16] If you discover that the person you’re talking to is concealing a firearm, it’s wise not to say anything to them about it, whether they’re a police officer or not. Be wary of anyone you don’t know who tries to earn your trust. If you have a run-in with a stranger who seems oddly friendly or inquisitive and your gut is telling you that there’s something not quite right about the situation, listen to it. An undercover cop’s whole job is to secretly sniff out information from civilians by pretending to be one of them.[17] There’s a difference between someone who’s just trying to make small talk and someone who seems like they’re after something. If you start to receive pointed questions, such as, “How old are you?” or “Do you know the person who’s throwing this party?”, consider it a red flag. Zero in on mismatched pairs in public places. In some cases, an undercover officer will have a partner along with them on dangerous or high-stakes assignments. Since cops don’t always get a say in who they’re with, the two of them may look like something of an odd couple. They’ll most likely stick close to one another, but might not do much chatting, or even acknowledge each other at all.[19] Two people with significant age or cultural differences hanging out alone on a street corner, for instance, may be there for police reasons rather than personal ones. Avoid drawing unnecessary attention to the person or yourself. If you think you’ve correctly identified an undercover cop, it’s important that you don’t say or do anything to interfere with their duties. Making a scene could put them in immediate danger or even get you hit with an obstruction of justice charge. Remember, they’re there to enforce the law and protect you and the other civilians they mingle with. SNITCHES Law enforcement agencies often use informants. Some informants work for money, but most are people who’ve been caught engaging in criminal activity. The vast majority of snitch deals are made by the police, who refrain from charging a suspect they’ve caught, in return for information or undercover work (typically, buying or selling drugs). A very productive snitch will be protected by law enforcement, to maintain him as a source of future information. An inept snitch may not be so lucky. But what can you do to stop snitches? Here’s a list of snitches with pictures and locations. Also read: Control of Information so you can stop snitching on yourself. Also: How to find out who’s a snitch and 10 Ways to Spot an Informant and How the cops are tracking you and No Warrant No Problem and Criminal defenses (How to beat your court case) And to inspire you: 7 Fugitives who Became Folk Heroes, How I Lost my friends Search Ron’s Spot Find a Snitch Snitching Who’s a Rat Golden Snitches Real Snitches (blog) Control of information 10 Ways to Spot an Informant How to find out who’s a snitch Snitches pictures and locations Learning the Identity of a Confidential Informant Snitches in the news Hero or snitch: Baseball has mixed feelings toward whistleblower Mike Fiers Rapper Tec Says Gunna Is A Snitch As “Crimestoppers” Video Went Viral He’s a Liar, a Con Artist and a Snitch. His Testimony Could Soon Send a Man to His Death. The (original) snitch list DA Todd Spitzer Adds Deputies to List Linked to Snitch Scandal Darren Till Goes After ‘Snitch’ Colby Covington’s Sister Online Ring Told People to Snitch on Their Neighbors in Exchange for Free Stuff The Fix: Drug Informants Confidential informant testifies about execution of motorcycle gang leader King of the Snitches: The Fashion Photographer Who Duped Drug Lords and the DEA The FBI Used Its Secret Spy Program To Protect Killers, Jail Innocents, And Screw Victims ‘Jawn Wick’ Was a Snitch: Accused Philly Cop Shooter Said to Have Been an Informant for the Feds Inside The Informant File Man arrested after posting police informant’s personal information LE: How to Sue the Police How to Beat the Police Resist the Police State (How to) Beat your court case How the cops are tracking you DO’s and DON’Ts Street Walkers When Can I Sue Police for False Arrest? 10 ways to beat any undercover sting Know Your Rights With Police Officers Prostitution Stings & Undercover cops No Warrant No Problem (How LE gets your info / data) How to file a complaint against a police officer The Impact of Police-Perpetrated Domestic Violence If the FBI Approaches You to Become an Informant How to prevent a CPS Investigation and How to get your kids back How to De Criminalize Prostitution for Dummies If The Cops Can Track You, You Should Be Able To Track Them. Here’s How. Government Snitches: Incentivized Witnesses Are the Leading Cause of Wrongful Convictions Underground Resistance (blog) Free Privacy Anonymous IP Easy List Encrypted Email Encrypted IM Enigmail IPredator It’s Hidden VPN Jitsi Lockbin Phone/SMS encryption Private SE Voice encryption Girl Thrive Stop it Now GLBT Hotline Women’s Law Male survivor Teen Dating Abuse Pathways to Safety Survivors of Incest Children of the Night End Rape on Campus Sexual Assault Hotline Parental Control Bar (free) Stalking Resource Center Disability Rights Network Alliance on Mental Illness National Children’s Alliance Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner Help and suicide prevention Human Trafficking Resource Center: Coalition against Domestic Violence National Children’s Advocacy Center Natl. Ctr. for Missing and Exploited children Resource Center on Violence Against Women Sex worker news Backpage Alternatives There Is No New Backpage More bang for your buck Better than Backpage/Craigslist How To Pick the Right Sex Therapist Sex workers say anti-trafficking law fuels inequality Sex Work Is Work—And Its Laborers Are Officially Unionizing After Craigslist personals go dark, sex workers find new sites Sex workers come out against human trafficking bill Website allows people to find prostitutes, rate sex workers Florida Lawmaker to Sex Workers: They’re Criminals, I Don’t Need to Listen Twitter Is Asking Sex Workers If They’re Bots and Demanding Their Phone Numbers Advocates for Utah sex workers argue for wiping out criminal penalties for safety’s sake STAY INFORMED: War on Sex Workers California Just Passed a Landmark Law Protecting Sex Workers’ Rights We can’t trust police to protect us from racist violence. They contribute to it After Backpage, U.S. Investigates Massage, Escort Websites That Now Dominate Market Sex Work Should be Legal — If Only to Protect Women from Police Long Island ‘born-again Christian’ accused of trying to kidnap sex workers Bay Area Sex Workers Speak Out About Dangerous Conditions D.C. effort to decriminalize sex work won’t move forward after 14-hour hearing Sex Workers Are at the Forefront of the Fight Against Mass Surveillance and Big Tech RonsSpot Proudly powered by WordPress <# print( 'RonsSpot' ) #>	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line416
__label__wiki	0.803065	0.803065	HOME POLITICS CLIMATE BUSINESS SCIENCE WORLD HISTORY LIFESTYLE EDITORIAL RESOURCES CONTACT Warning! Menu may have been blocked by IE-SP2's active content option. This browser feature blocks JavaScript from running locally on your computer. The Planet Has a Fever Have you felt it? The sweltering summer that has strained the grid? The floods and tornadoes and the hail? The increased humidity where it was a dry heat? The dry heat where it was moist? The planet has a fever. That's not supposition. The National Climactic Data Center of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has recorded year-to-date combined global and and surface temperatures that are the warmest on record. • The combined global land and ocean surface temperature for April-June 2010 was 1.26°F (0.70°C) above the 20th century average—the warmest April-June period on record. • For the year-to-date, the global combined land and ocean surface temperature of 57.5°F (14.2°C) was the warmest January-June period. This value is 1.22°F (0.68°C) above the 20th century average. • June 2010 was the fourth consecutive warmest month on record (March, April, and May 2010 were also the warmest on record). This was the 304th consecutive month with a global temperature above the 20th century average. The last month with below-average temperature was February 1985. • It was the warmest June and April–June on record for the Northern Hemisphere as a whole and all land areas of the Northern Hemisphere. • Arctic sea ice continued its annual decline, typically reaching a September minimum. Similar to May 2010, the Arctic sea ice continued to decline at a record rapid rate—the fastest measured for June (more than 50 percent greater than average). The Journal, Nature, reports that the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology predicts the Mediterranean region of Europe can expect the worst of record breaking heat waves: Mediterranean most at risk from European heatwaves Increased heat and humidity predicted to have biggest health impact in valleys and coastal cities. Rome is one of the cities where the health effects of climate change will be most severe, researchers predict. A projected increase in heatwaves in Europe would hit low-lying river basins and coastal cities across the Mediterranean the hardest, say researchers. Russia has experienced a heat wave this year from the normally cool Ural Mountains through their major cities, costing crops, lives and fish who died from the increased temperature of water. Russian heat wave kills fish, crops A state of emergency has been declared in 19 Russian regions due to the worst heat wave since the Stalin era. Saturday could see temperatures in Moscow hit 37 C, which would break the previous high of 36.6 C set in 1936. The state weather bureau in Moscow said it expected the heat wave to continue into next week. Russia is facing its worst drought in 130 years, with little or no rain for weeks across several regions. On Thursday, officials reported that dry conditions have destroyed nearly 10 million hectares of crops. Fish breeders in central Russia have lost much of their sturgeon and trout to a scorching heat wave that continued Saturday. At Volgorechensk fish farm, near the Volga River, farmers say they have been forced to throw away 12 tonnes of fish because of high temperatures. Hundreds of Russians are reported to have drowned in swimming accidents as they drink to offset their misery and take to unsupervised rivers and streams to escape the heat. Russians sweltered Friday in record-breaking temperatures as hundreds drowned in bathing accidents often influenced by alcohol. As many cooled down by swimming in rivers and ponds, often with no lifeguards, hundreds have died from drowning. The emergency ministry said more than 400 people had drowned since the beginning of July, while 1,244 people drowned in June. The U.S. West Coast has not escaped the sizzle. That last few days have seen record heat in Southern California and NOAA reports that drought conditions in the Southern U.S. are expected to worsen. NOAA Predicts Drought Conditions in Southwest U.S. to Worsen NOAA’s National Weather Service Climate Prediction Center released its seasonal drought outlook today for the period from August through October. The outlook indicates already dry conditions across parts of Arizona and New Mexico are likely to worsen in coming months. The official outlook calls for current severe drought conditions to persist. Climate scientists have warned of this for years. The tipping point of 350 ppm in greenhouse gases has been passed and it's given the planet a temperature. The consequences of fossil fuels have shown themselves to horrific measure in the Gulf. What has not been talked about is the methane, twenty times more potent a greenhouse gas than C02, that was released into the Gulf and the atmosphere during the Gulf oil disaster. Now there is some kind of head-in-the-sand consensus building, amid the heat, that climate change is not real; a lasting impression left by a frenzy of reporting on the theft of climate scientists' emails, dubbed "Climategate," where scientific conclusions were put into doubt through allegations that have since been debunked (with retractions buried on back pages). 'Climategate' fallout may impact legislation Five investigations into the "Climategate" scandal have now cleared a group of scientists accused of twisting data in an effort to prove the world is getting warmer. But many environmentalists and climate researchers fear the damage has already been done. British and American investigations have now largely exonerated the scientists, saying they did not warp their studies to reach a pre-determined end. But the public may not buy it. Some polls show the public's belief in the reality of climate change has ebbed, although other surveys disagree. "Despite multiple denials from people in the field, this has really hurt," said Daniel Kammen, a UC Berkeley professor who contributes to reports by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. The accuracy of the IPCC's reports, long considered the most authoritative on global warming, came under fire during Climategate. "Even though the science of climate change hasn't changed, the public perception of it has," Kammen said. "You have less than 50 percent of people strongly believing in something that 99.99 percent of climate scientists agree on." Perhaps the fifty plus percent who've decided it's more convenient to believe there is nothing wrong should go outside during the next heat wave. Perhaps they should stay there without air conditioning, as do so many around the world, until they realize the planet has a fever of our making and that we are the only ones who can cool it down. LABELS: CLIMATE CHANGE, CLIMATEGATE, ENVIRONMENT, GLOBAL WARMING, HEAT WAVE, NCDC, NOAA,SCIENCE, WEATHER Science on THE ENVIRONMENTALIST Since November 6, 2006 ©2006-2013 by THE ENVIRONMENTALIST - all rights reserved	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line418
__label__cc	0.626432	0.373568	SCP-4005: The Holy and Heavenly City of Fabled China Author: Tufto. This was originally written for the SCP-4000 competition, and initially had the title "A Lantern for Kashgar". More of their work can be found here. Image: Can be found here, under a CC license. The image was digitally altered by the author. SCP-4005, shortly before containment. Photograph found in the possessions of an inhabitant of Cairo, Ziyad Abdullah, who disappeared without trace in the 1970s. Object Class: Safe Apollyon Special Containment Procedures 01/07/28: Containment of SCP-4005 is no longer possible. Description: SCP-4005 refers to an indestructible glass mosque lamp, recovered from Cairo, Egypt. Based on the testimony from a number of writers over the centuries, the lamp is believed to have been created in Marrakesh in the 14th century, travelling across Africa and Asia for several centuries before being brought to Cairo in the 1950s. When an individual stares for several seconds at SCP-4005 while it is lit, they will see images of urban scenes within the fire. These images possess a strong cognitohazardous effect1, causing the viewer to become an SCP-4005-1 instance. SCP-4005-1 instances are characterised by an impetus to go on a pilgrimage to the city seen within SCP-4005's fire. This involves travelling a great distance on foot, usually to another continent, and entering a specific portal; most often a door, cave entrance, or window. The location travelled to is almost always of some personal or spiritual importance to the SCP-4005-1 instance. Upon entering these portals, SCP-4005-1 instances will disappear. When interviewed by Foundation staff, SCP-4005-1 instances invariably believe that they will be taken to the city seen in SCP-4005 at the conclusion of their pilgrimage. They claim that all the urban scenes are of the same, single city, supposedly located somewhere within China or encompassing the entirety of China. These scenes have a great deal of variety, and although none are believed to correspond to any known location, they often bear a great deal of similarity to real-world cities. The prominence of this city in SCP-4005-1 instances' narratives and the possibility of its existence based on common features found within them has lead to its provisional designation as SCP-4005-2. SCP-4005 was discovered in 1975, when it was removed from storage in a Cairo mosque and lit during a full congregation, which resulted in several hundred worshippers being converted into SCP-4005-1 instances. The resulting mass movement of people was noticed by the Foundation, who contained SCP-4005 and detained several hundred SCP-4005-1 instances after a full investigation. Addendum 1 09/09/2027: The following is a diary written by one Omar ibn Rashid, an Egyptian novelist active in the 1950s. Ibn Rashid disappeared in 1958, approximately 3 years after this diary was written. The entire diary was composed in a series of intricate and complex codes, and has yet to be fully translated. The following pages are translations of what have been decoded thus far. +Diary Excerpt 1 -Diary Excerpt 1 The past is a lie. It is merely a series of intricate narratives, told by people desparate to make sense of the nonsensical, all hiding some aberrant wrongdoing at the core of the chaos. I could give you a narrative of my own past, but it would be the same kind of lie. A boy, raised in something approaching but not quite reaching poverty, understanding himself in a cacaphony of competing orthodoxies. A primitive child of a people still becoming whole. A pious boy in submission of God. A future subject of nationalism, throwing off the chains of the past. A pawn in the unending machine of capital. The man I became was also torn between these movements, moments, screaming matches, and like many of the young, I was enticed by all. Nasser's pan-Arabism intrigued me, but when I saw his salesman's smile as Cairo descended into a slum, I became disillusioned. The Brotherhood's piety seemed to be an antidote, but I soon realised it was a twisted hybrid of the modern and premodern. Communists and nationalists were just playing with their Enlightenment building-blocks in different combinations, pyramids of ancient stone or alienated labour. I felt lost. Only in the zawiyahs of the Sufis did I find any meaning. The people there could, at times, be just as dogmatic, just as narrow-minded as the rest of them. But when they thought, meditated, threw themselves into union with God could I see some glimmer of something greater. I did not, at the time, realise what it was. And so, I roamed. My books and poems were never popular. In a heterodoxy of orthodoxies, nobody cared for someone who offered no solutions, only more questions. But they netted me some small, meagre sum, enough to feed and clothe myself. And to indulge my curiosity with the history of far-flung places, and odd curiosities. And that was how I found Aladdin's lamp. It was getting dark, and the clouds were coloured black against the blue sky. Out in the desert, the sands moved and shifted, swirling odd patterns in the twilight. I was travelling in the Soviet Union, in Samarkand, doing some research for my next book. It was to be a historical novel, set in Timur's Registan. It was to be my masterpiece. But cloistered in a high-up Cairo flat, I had become uninspired. My comfortable middle-class existence was no training for how to tell a story about khans and sultans, empires and wars. So I resolved to travel, and so travel I did. Stalin was dead, Khrushchev was liberalising reforms, and I had just about enough cash. It wasn't like I had anything else to do other than smoke and argue with Sufis. Samarkand was just what I needed. The words all fell into place. I felt inspired, happy, free. The city was being destroyed by Soviet monotony but I knew, I knew, that within its streets, its complex zigzags and already-decaying utopias, was some hint of the past. I wrote and I wrote but one thing nagged me: the conclusion. Timur lies, dying, on the road to Kashgar. His desire to possess the world is quashed. His mind, at once so clever and so feeble, is unable to perceive what is happening to him. But where does his tale end? In one, I gave him oblivion; a suitable reminder of his physical, human frailty. But that was not satisfying; it reduced the unseen to mere facts of atoms, removing all history and concepts and the interplay of different ideas. So I gave him judgement, before God and the hosts of angels. But that made the story too simple, defining his destruction upon some antiquated axis of right and wrong. I stared at them for days, not knowing which one to pick. What I needed was the answer. And I found it in a cellar. I was staying with an old friend of mine, a Kyrgyz antiquarian from Osh, who wanted to show me his newest acquisitions. He was a strange fellow. At a time when their country's history is being handed down to them by their Russian masters, he was struggling to preserve any hint of a different order, creating his own collection through scattered pieces of a different conception of living. He showed me marvels: manuscripts by al-Kashgari and Khayyam, Ilkhanid miniatures, metalwork in intricate Uzbek and Timurid patterns. He went to supper, but I stayed down, examining everything. And then I saw the lamp. It was a dusty, unprepossessing thing. I almost didn't give it a second thought, but then I was seized with an odd, romantic thought. I wanted to see this ancient thing lit up again. To transform it from some objet d'art, a thing valued only for form and meaning, into a genuine and living tool of purpose. I found my host's oil, poured it in, and lit the lamp. I gazed at it. And I saw things. I saw spires of silken light, scraping the clouds and gleaming like jewels. I saw bazaars of covered domes, in greys and blues deeper and more beautiful than anything in Persia. I saw the shape of twisting sandstone alleyways, of red pagodas fluttering in the breeze. I saw blue mosques placed in timeless conjunctions with sandy squares and aged cities. I saw a city, generations upon generations of a city, a catalogue of history. I understood at once. This was China, the real China. The one constructed from crude matter was only a mirage, a shadow. This city was the empire at the end of the road, beyond the Iron Gates of Karasahr and the marshes of the Bengal. I knew that I had to see, grasp, hold the thing. I packed my rucksack, bid farewell to my bemused host, smuggled the lamp out and set off on foot. South. Because the entrance to al-Sin is not in the east, as ancient sages would have you believe, but in the south. I knew instinctively, that in a hallway in Marrakesh, there is an arch that marks the edge of Uighurstan. I know this to be true. It is why I am perched on a cold night in a desert kasbah, writing these words as the wind whips around my robes. When we see a miracle, it is rare that we perceive it as such. We might be taken aback by some flash, flicker, some odd movement. We will think it a trick, concoct a narrative and subsume it into our conception of events. Our past is a history of lies of this kind; miracles of man explained by recourse to God, and miracles of God explained through the fears of man. Our past is many pasts, swirling concoctions to help us sleep, clashing constantly with one another. A cacophony of false utopias. But behind all of them, distant and hazy, is a true past. And that past was built into a glass lamp. Addendum 2 07/01/28: The following is an interview conducted by Project Lead Martha Hardcastle with an SCP-4005-1 instance, hereafter referred to as SCP-4005-1A. +Interview 1 -Interview 1 Interviewer: Dr. Martha Hardcastle, Project Lead on SCP-4005 Interviewee: SCP-4005-1A, formerly Dr. Fatima Mahmoud, Level 3 researcher at Site 867. Location: Site 867, Containment Facility 8B. <Begin Log> Dr. Hardcastle: Hello, SCP-4005-1A. SCP-4005-1A: I should have figured you'd go cold on me quickly, Martha. Dr. Hardcastle: Are your quarters to your satisfaction? SCP-4005-1A: They are, thank you. Not quite as nice as the staff rooms, but they will do in a pinch. Dr. Hardcastle: What were the motives for your actions on the 17th? SCP-4005-1A: …I am sorry, Martha. But I had to know. Dr. Hardcastle: Know? Know what? SCP-4005-1A: I've always thought that Foundation background checks were getting far laxer. Dr. Hardcastle: Wh- oh. Oh. Mahmoud. SCP-4005-1A: Aisha Mahmoud and Rashid Mahmoud. Both disappeared on the same day in 1975, along with the entire congregation of the mosque. I was at home, sick, with my aunt. It must have been hard to find a lot of my early documentation, and Mahmoud is a common surname. Things were more hectic in poor Cairo slums. Dr. Hardcastle: So, what? You wanted to know what it felt like? SCP-4005-1A: Not at first. I spent years looking for them, everywhere I could. I developed an early interest in the unexplained, in mysterious disappearances, and I was good at what I did, so… when the Foundation offered me a job, I jumped at the chance. Took me a couple of years to find my parents on the database. Dr. Hardcastle: I… look, for what it's worth, I'm sorry, Fatima. They were already sick when- SCP-4005-1A: It's OK. It was a long time ago, now. Anyway, I got a transfer here. It wasn't with any design, I just- just wanted to know what had happened. What had really happened. I get that the Foundation does stuff like this- I mean, I have done stuff like this. I… needed some closure, I suppose. Dr. Hardcastle: Well. Anyway. That still doesn't explain what you did last night. SCP-4005-1A: I haven't been feeling great, if I'm honest. Recently, I mean. You know about the incident a couple of months back, with the train, and… well, I've been thinking about them, too. My parents, I mean. I read the files, on their interviews. Their desperation to get out, to travel. I don't blame you, but I just- I wanted to know what it was like, to know what they went through. Dr. Hardcastle: If- we have psych people here. I could have set up a- SCP-4005-1A: People aren't always logical, Martha. Dr. Hardcastle: Right. Right, I know. Well…what did you see in there? SCP-4005-1A: I lit it, I stared, and… I saw it. The city. It showed me the whole of it, or as much of the whole as can be seen. It is so many things at once, all working in timeless motion of a seamless whole. All who have seen its lantern, their buildings, their cities. Their paradises. I saw streets of London townhouses, more beautiful and vast, in straight and twisting boulevards all mixed together. I saw dusty prisms like of Turkish houses, their past and present selves all merged together. I saw colonial cities dreamed up by old Americans, with steam over wooden houses and bumpy carriages riding through the streets. I saw concrete blocks rising from the deeps. I don't know how to describe it, Martha. It was- was pure creation. The memories, the histories from a thousand peoples all jumbled up. Dr. Hardcastle: You saw the whole? What does it look like from the outside? SCP-4005-1A: You cannot really see it like that. It's… it is so many things at once. An inland city, an external city. A city built around a central plaza, like the colonies of old; but all the central plazas marking different centres. Churches, temples, mosques. Canals, bridges strung from skyscraper to skyscraper. Avenues of decadent sin, falling into one another into a cascade like Kowloon. It is a place where the memories of the thousands who have stared into its light all criss-cross across eternity. Dr. Hardcastle: You were always purple in your prose. SCP-4005-1A: It demands purple prose. It is overwhelming. Dr. Hardcastle: This place cannot exist. It's a fantasy. It makes no sense. SCP-4005-1A: It makes sense. It makes its own sense, Martha. They stared at me, from atop an iron gate. They planted the image in my head- planted the city in my head. The denizens. The once-human, now creatures making and unmaking themselves tirelessly. Dr. Hardcastle: That's something we've heard before. A lot of people claim to have some living link to this place, that they carry it with them in the images they saw. That the city maintained a presence inside their heads. I never thought that was very significant, though… SCP-4005-1A: I know, Martha, I studied the same people you did, but- only now do I get it. When you pass through, you… change. You lose parts of yourself, or they're transformed into something else. The denizens of this place, they're- they live as if in a constant dream, and they've shared that dream with us. One single, unified, shared dream, a wire running through our brains- ahh, I can't describe it. I'm sorry, Martha, I know you want more. Dr. Hardcastle: Dreams, yes, a shared dream, we hadn't thought of… but this is all nonsense. All lies! There's no city, Fatima. Of that I am cordially certain. SCP-4005-1A: I… I know it seems unlikely, but- Dr. Hardcastle: If it is a dream, it is a dream of the unattainable. Maybe that's the joke. Don't you get it, Fatima? You walk through the door to utopia and disappear. Utopia. It's just More's city, eu-topos, no-place. It can't exist. It couldn't. Human nature, the expiration of the body, the thousand natural shocks and all that guff… so much denies it. SCP-4005-1A: I choose to believe otherwise. Dr. Hardcastle: And sadly, I can't stop you doing that. I am sorry, Fatima. I really am. SCP-4005-1A: It's OK. Dr. Hardcastle: Just one more thing. Why have you not tried to escape? Our other instances have spent most of their containment desperate to get out, to complete this pilgrimage of yours. Why have you not gone? SCP-4005-1A: Oh, but I already have, Martha. Pilgrimages don't have to be journeys on foot. Mine is entirely different. Dr. Hardcastle: …Not going to tell me anything else? SCP-4005-1A: You'll find out soon, Martha. I'm sorry I've caused all this trouble. I really am. <End Log> Addendum 3 23/01/28: The following is a selectively curated testing log of D-Class personnel exposed to SCP-4005. SCP-4005 Observations Place of disappearance D‑2188 Born and raised in Caracas, Venezuela 09/12/76 Subject observed a series of whitewashed coastal dwellings by a green ocean. Subject saw "a beautiful woman playing a violin to a postal worker." A cave on the Venezuelan coast, near Caracas. D‑3733 Born in London, United Kingdom; raised in Yellowknife, Canada 08/02/79 Subjected reported seeing an "underground London, but somehow wrong." Entrance to SCP-1678 D‑3930 Born and raised in Worcester, United Kingdom. 12/11/86 Subject reported seeing a large number of factory workers, emerging from a "pear factory"2. Subject claimed that this represented the perfect way to live, a perfected form of Victorian-era capitalism. The cellar of a London townhouse. D‑2513 Born and raised in Shanghai, China 07/02/92 Reported seeing the entire city; would not elaborate, and spent the rest of the time prior to entering SCP-4005-2 claiming he was the "brother of Jesus" A gateway in Nanjing, China. D‑3380 Born in Shiraz, Iran; raised in Los Angeles, USA 17/01/97 Reported seeing a large palace, with many blue domes on its roof; the body, however, was reminiscent of the Pruitt-Igoe housing developments in St. Louis. The entrance to the Ali Qapu palace in Esfahan, Iran. D‑3043 Born and raised in Buenos Aires, Argentina 11/04/05 Reported seeing a large library which stretched on forever, with "each book being better than the last." Entrance to the National Public Library of Argentina. D‑2508 Born and raised in Marrakesh, Morocco 28/06/14 Reported seeing an old man sitting on a carpet in some form of courtyard. The entrance to a door in Morocco. Agents escorting the subject noticed that the name "Omar ibn Rashid" had been carved into an external wall of the mosque. D‑2072 Born and raised in Podgorica, Montenegro 15/12/25 Subject did not report on sightings. Instead, subject gouged out her own eyes while repeating the phrase "it does not have to happen! I am free! I am free!" A large door made of silicon in a factory in Podgorica. D‑2747 Born in Kashgar, China; raised in Cairo, Egypt 11/07/27 Subject reported seeing large numbers of men, women and children "standing on an iron wall" and "staring at Dr. Hardcastle." The subject did not elaborate on how they knew what these subjects were staring at. Dr Hardcastle reported feeling a sense of profound unease during the experiment. The Iron Gates, a mountain pass in Xinjiang, China, and part of one of the traditional "Silk Road" routes. Addendum 4 31/05/28: On 30/05/28, several members of Site 867 spontaneously turned into SCP-4005-1 instances. The effect appeared to spontaneously affect members of Site 867 at random; after a few hours, approximately 20% of Site 867's staff had been converted into SCP-4005-1 instances. The following is an interview conducted by Project Lead Martha Hardcastle with SCP-4005-1A concerning these alterations to SCP-4005's functioning. +Interview 4005-2 Dr. Hardcastle: Alright, Fatima, what the hell. SCP-4005-1A: Hey, Martha. Dr. Hardcastle: Don't you- just shut up and tell me what the hell is going on. I don't know who I can trust any more but you were my friend for a long, long time. I want to- SCP-4005-1A: I… I really am sorry. I know this must be hard. But, you'll see, it's all for the greater- Dr. Hardcastle: God-damnit!! Dr. Hardcastle sits down, and breathes heavily for several seconds. Dr. Hardcastle: The site is on lockdown. Half the staff have been shoved in containment cells for trying to escape. They keep screaming about going on pilgrimage. And a bunch more managed to get away from us, fleeing into the woods. How do I stop this, Fatima? SCP-4005-1A: I- I didn't- it's not my decision, Martha. Dr. Hardcastle: Then whose is it? My job is to contain. That's what I'm good at. So tell me what to put in a fucking box, Fatima. Please. SCP-4005-1A: You can't. It's begun. I'm sorry, Martha, but it's already over. Dr. Hardcastle: What is?? SCP-4005-1A: The great pilgrimage. All across the world, person after person, knowing how to last. Coming to the city. Coming to the just kingdom. Dr. Hardcastle: People still die in the city. You told me as much yourself. SCP-4005-1A: But their creation doesn't. Their creation lasts there for an eternity. Falling into ruin and then out again, just to see what it looks like in different colours. It is a gift. There, we can be happy, free, able to turn our needs and desires to other things because the city has lifted us up. We don't have to be afraid any more. It is a gift. Dr. Hardcastle: You keep saying that, Fatima, every time I come in here, but there are a thousand places that promise the same. Alagadda, the Tangential Frontier, the Whisper King and his Army of Nightmares. All I see is children looking in the mirror and throwing themselves on the rocks, hoping there was water below. Diving into oblivion. Into the eel's fucking maw. At least yours a prettier death, I'll grant you that. SCP-4005-1A: Don't talk about it like that. There is a pause for several seconds. Dr. Hardcastle: Oh, just- give me something, Fatima, something. SCP-4005-1A: I can't. I'm sorry. Even if I wanted to, and I don't, there's nothing I can do. The city was constructed by people, just people, and now it's calling them to it. It's time, time the world was changed, time the whole edifice was cast aside. Imagine not having to worry, every day, about who you are. About what you are. Imagine being in a place where it all makes sense. Where we don't have to waste our lives on the struggle. Dr. Hardcastle: The struggle is what lets us create. SCP-4005-1A: Does it? Are tortured geniuses so clever because they are tortured, or are they geniuses despite the torture? Nobody ever asks that, do they? None of you have ever wondered if maybe, just maybe, geniuses are made to suffer by people, and that we'd see a lot more of them if people like us didn't lock them in cages, didn't make it so that people could only express beauty through pain. We can make the just kingdom, Martha. Dr. Hardcastle: There's no such thing. SCP-4005-1A: There is. There absolutely is. We are taking this world back, Martha. We are creating justice. We are giving people what they deserve: a real chance. A world that really is theirs for the shaping, and which won't be ripped away from them. Mankind doesn't stink, but it has a hell of a lot that's wrong with it. We'll remove the need for vice. We'll stop them wanting to be evil. We'll do it with kindness. Dr. Hardcastle: You sound like some student activist. Don't you know that all these dreams are doomed to fail? I'm older than you, Fatima. I've seen the world burn and shake and tremble. All my dreams are dust, and yours will be too. Or you will. SCP-4005-1A: You're so jaded. Just because you've failed doesn't mean I will. We're making a world where people can be people. Where we can all be free, all create, all liberated from the crushing burden of their chains! Dr. Hardcastle: Oh, listen to you! I have seen a thousand people like you. Standing up on barricades, shouting about what you want. If this world really is made by us, it'll be just as bad as everything that's gone before it. It'll be blown apart, its creations scattered! I can't believe you. How do you know that this lamp really is showing you a city, huh? How do you know it's- that it's not just some ancient god, luring you in with promises and lies to consume, imprison, enslave you? SCP-4005-1A: I don't. But I have enough trust to try. What's the point, Martha? What's the point in this endless grind, this normalcy the Foundation is so desperate to protect? Why not try to change the world? Why not have a little chaos? Because you're so frightened of becoming another Manna that you can't concieve of a better existence. The Foundation had everything. We'll take that and give them back the gift of a better life. You want to know what's going on? I'll tell you. al-Sin has become a myth again. By hints of shadows, by word of mouth, by any recognition at all, it'll spread like a virus. There's a better world out there, Martha! In the kingdom at the end of the road. In the justice at the end of all islands. Dr. Hardcastle: …This interview is over. Restrain her. Addendum 5 02/06/28: The following is another set of decoded entries from Omar ibn Rashid's diary. The present is a lie. It is a series of moments we try to give context to, but the context is being erased and written all around it, leaving only the confusion of the throng. I have never thought much of pilgrimages before now. The religion of my country has always had one, vast one, the yearly Hajj; it has had shrines to sufis and other holy men scattered across its lands to which people flock. These may be fewer every year, but they still hold power. But I, bourgeois and modern as I am, never thought much of them. They seem like a frivolous pursuit for those determined to show off their piety in social and conventional ways. I know better now. The pain, hungry, fever of a pilgrimage is not there for the sake of vanity of mindless flagellating asceticism. It is there as part of a journey, a journey which changes you. It makes you better. I walked across the world, one step in front of another. It was hard, at times, but slowly it became routine, and then enjoyable. There was something real about it, something so human. I begged and sold and bartered my way across Persia, Syria, into Africa, and to the city of my youth. It was there I left the lamp. I had, in moments of despair, filled it with oil and lit it, to stare again into my heart's desire. I saw the streets and houses, the palaces. I saw kings who existed not as people but as props. And I saw an old man, laughing like a little child as he wandered the endless streets of China. Imagine it is the 14th century, in Christian years; the 8th in ours. Don't think of it as time travel, or thinking about the past; think of it as a present which once was, and might be again. For the people of this earlier time, our recent past is their future. They have an entirely different notion of time, too, for which events in both our pasts happened differently, and can take on very different meanings. This is the present; just the present in another context. Other times never really die, they are merely locked away where we can never see them. There is an emir, living in a citadel. The citadel is in Marrakesh. Once, this city was the seat of Almoravids and Almohads, but they are long gone now. It is surrounded by walls of ochre, which give the city its nickname: the Red City. It is beautiful under the summer sun, but its beauty is the beauty of the past. Of course, we know that the city would reach great heights again under the Sa'adis, but this emir does not know that. To him, he simply rules over an old and decaying city, while the Marinid seat in Fez is coated in glory. At night, he has bad dreams. As he sits within the citadel, he tosses and turns. He loves his city. He loves its walls, its madrasas, its citadel. He loves its green places, courtyard houses, bright-coloured handicrafts. The walls upon walls upon walls, winding in ways incomprehensible to some but making perfect sense to its inhabitants, their mahalle neighbourhoods and family streets aligned in an order of utmost security. His city is dying. He sobs, as the nightmares come of its fall, of armies of Berbers, Malians or Franks storming across the Maghreb and not even stopping to loot. He wants an answer, a solution. He wants his city to last forever. One day, a traveller comes. He has come from the kingdom of al-Sin, far away even to the farthest fringes of the dar al-Islam. China, he knows, is where all the beautiful things come from. Once on campaign, he was shown a beautiful miniature from the work of Rashid al-Din, the Mongol vizier who died when he was a child. They had faces like the moon and colours that weaved with one another. He had seen their handiwork, trailing down the Pax Mongolica and into the bazaars of Morocco. The traveller tells him similar stories. He tells him of Kubla Khan, of the thousands of nations in subservience to him, of the palace of Khan-baliq and the sprawling market of Khanfu. Red padogas which glinted in the light. A kingdom without beginning, and apparently without end. The emir was transfixed. He wanted it. He wanted all of it. Marrakesh might fall, but he could glimpse a city like no other, where nothing ever ended, where milk and money poured from the mountains. He could not see a way to transform Marrakesh, but the very knowledge of this mythical place's existence was enough. He could not travel to the east himself, being an old man with too many duties, but he was desperate to see the cities regardless. In Marrakesh, there was an alchemist. His name was known to the emir, but it was always dark, clouded. This man had few scruples and few pleasantries. The emir came to him, hidden, disguised, and requested that he make him something. Something that would allow him to see, for one single instant, the entirety of al-Sin. The alchemist nodded, and set to work. He took glass, metal, bound them together. He infused in them strange symbols and devices. He made it beautiful. He placed oil in it. He gave it to the emir. The emir lit it, and stared into the flames, and as he gazed transfixed, the alchemist left, not daring to look at his own creation. Because the alchemist had lied. He had no idea how to see across the oceans and mountains. So he did something else. He created a world, and let the emir pour his own vision into it. What the emir saw was not al-Sin, but the contents of his mind being brought to that city. It was created by him. It was part of him, and he was part of it. But it was not enough for the emir. He was transfixed, maddened. He saw utopia. Under the cover of darkness, he left his citadel, with only a robe, some food, and some water. He was never seen again. Inside the lantern, inside the city, a thousand different presents exist. The particularities of each moment, caught in this great accident, this mirror to an emir's mind. We, his humbler successors, have never managed to shape the city as he shaped it merely by a glance into flame- it was designed for him. But we have followed in his footsteps. We have found our routes to China- for all travel to China, for the people of Morocco, was necessarily hard, necessarily a pilgrimage. And once inside, we have altered and changed and shaped the city beyond what would have been imaginable to the alchemist, to the emir. His heavenly al-Sin, his twisted Marrakesh, is real. It is perfect. It is possible. All it requires is belief, and the effort of our twisted feet. Addendum 6 20/06/2028: The following is a log of attempts to contain SCP-4005. Date attempt begun Percentage of population converted into SCP-4005-1 Description of attempt 04/06/2028 0.00004% Full lockdown and quarantine of Site-867 Attempt failed. SCP-4005-1 instances reported in population of nearby towns, which rapidly spread to other towns and cities nearby. 07/06/2028 0.3% Removal of all known SCP-4005-1 instances to remote site in northern Canada; attempt to track down remaining instances, presuming all are still in the vicinity of Site 867. Attempt failed; generation of SCP-4005-1 instances random and worldwide. 09/06/2028 2.5 Large-scale attempt, using a wide variety of technological and anomalous means, to track down and kill SCP-4005-1 instances while simultaneously conducting research into methods of immunisation. All tracking and immunisation attempts failed. 11/06/2028 12.5 Immediate shutdown of all modes of transport worldwide. Large-scale checkpoints, curfews and population control enforced. Immediate termination of any suspected SCP-4005-1 instances. Activation of Broken Masquerade protocols. Attempt initially successful, but SCP-4005-1 instances quickly began using alternate portals to enter SCP-4005-2. 14/06/2028 20.6 Immediate removal of all known human populations away from possible SCP-4005-1 instances. Attempt failed; SCP-4005-1 conversion has become random and capable of appearing even in isolated populations. 15/06/2028 38.5 Use of SCP-2000 Request denied by O5-Council 16/06/2028 57.9 Ritual sacrifice to [DATA EXPUNGED] Request denied by O5-Council 18/06/2028 89.6 SCP-3799 Request denied by O5-Council, who also demanded the immediate reclassification of SCP-4005 as Thaumiel and the embarkation of Dr. Hardcastle and remaining personnel at Site 867 on a pilgrimage. This was countermanded by Dr. Hardcastle. 19/06/2028 99.9 Destruction of last non-infected human via suicide Attempt interrupted by SCP-4005-1A. Interview log concerning these events can be found in an addendum below. SCP-4005 has been reclassified as Apollyon. Addendum 7 29/06/2028: The following is a log of an unscheduled interview between SCP-4005-1A and Dr. Hardcastle. Location: Site 867, Quarters of the Site Director. SCP-4005-1A: Hello, Martha. Dr. Hardcastle: What do you want? Spit it out. SCP-4005-1A: To see if you are alright. I am your friend. Dr. Hardcastle: You have new friends now. Not running off with them? SCP-4005-1A: They're my brothers and sisters in pilgrimage. They're not my friends. And, anyway, I'm not finished here yet. Dr. Hardcastle: There's nobody left. They're all gone. All of them. My husband was laughing and smiling as he left me with the children. "We'll see you soon", he said. But he won't. I'll never go. Never. SCP-4005-1A: Why not? Dr. Hardcastle: Because there is no utopia! There is no perfection, no change, just an endless struggle! How would it even work, anyway? A city that's everyone's perfect city? What about the people who hate cities? SCP-4005-1A: They create green spaces in its centre, so vast that they never see the rest. Dr. Hardcastle: How's it even a city, then, eh? That could describe a whole country. SCP-4005-1A: Because each park is surrounded by the buildings, constructed in such a way that they can only be seen by those who should see them. Dr. Hardcastle: And who decides who should? SCP-4005-1A: The city does. Whatever works for each person. Whatever they want. Dr. Hardcastle: This is not true utopia. A true utopia- SCP-4005-1A: A true utopia, Martha, is a place where people can coexist and all be happy. It is not heaven. It is something more real. Dr. Hardcastle: I'll trust in the real world, thanks. SCP-4005-1A: Who defines what is real, and what is the lie? The distinction is only in your head, Martha. You are remarkable. The only people even capable of resistance were those who understood the anomalous, understood what was happening to them, but they all saw the light eventually. But you, Martha, you soldier on regardless. You just can't see any beauty in what's going on. You can't even accept the idea that maybe the world could be better. Dr. Hardcastle: The world's not getting any better. You're just running away. Cowards! You're all cowards. SCP-4005-1A: The thing you don't get is that it's not a cognitohazard, Martha. It's free will. We saw something beautiful and we wanted it. We're going on a pilgrimage. Pilgrimages aren't always safe, especially since there's only so much food to go around. We cross the land on only our feet, until we find the place we are meant to go. All across the world, nations walking on. Dr. Hardcastle: Except you. SCP-4005-1A: My pilgrimage is you, Martha. Dr. Hardcastle: Wh- what's that supposed to mean? SCP-4005-1A: That my pilgrimage is convincing you to go. SCP-4005-1A opens the door. SCP-4005-1A: There it is. My Iron Gates, my pass to Kashgar. But it will only open if you come with me. Dr. Hardcastle: I am not going with you. SCP-4005-1A: The city, Martha, is divided into districts, each forged by a single person- Dr. Hardcastle: I'm not listening, I'm not listening, I'm not! SCP-4005-1A: -and each district converges on a central point. Never mind the impossibility; physics is only a convention of this universe. The form of the city- the way is is percieved- that is what makes it. The same place can seem totally different depending on the image of space and its absence which we form. And at the centre lies the answer. There is a pause of several seconds. Dr. Hardcastle: The… answer? SCP-4005-1A: An emir from Marrakesh. That's all there is, and I don't deny it. At the centre of the road, through all the streets, the city's heart is a single Moroccan courtyard wrapped in four walls. And in it is an emir, who smiles. Dr. Hardcastle: …Why does he smile? SCP-4005-1A: Because he knows that there is good in this world, Martha. Because he knows that there is an answer. That mankind can improve its own lot. That his city will never die, because his city is a Marrakesh in the stars, a fable of al-Sin. He is happy because he believes. There is another long pause. Dr. Hardcastle: All my life, I never believed in anything. Not God, not man, not creations, not… and all I've ever done is lock things in boxes to stave off death for another day. And never dared dream that we could change it. Never dared to hope. SCP-4005-1A: It's our lot to be bound to a wheel that spins eternally. Come with me, Martha. Come and smash the chains. Come and be free. Addendum 8 02/07/2028: The following is a third set of decoded entries from Omar ibn Rashid's diary. SCP-4005's translation and decoding team insisted, shortly after becoming SCP-4005-1 instances, that Dr. Hardcastle preserve these in the Foundation database. Dr. Hardcastle acquiesed to their request shortly after she accepted the fact that she had become an SCP-4005-1 instance. The future is a lie. It is a desperate hope projected by desperate men onto the fog they cannot see, only for it all to collapse within the inevitability of oblivion. When I think of my country, I see many futures. I see the completeness of various tyrannies, of Nasser or the Brotherhood or the liberals or the fascists or the Marxists or whatever else springs up. Each of these knows what the past is, an endless system of nation, faith or class. Each of these knows what the present is, a series of problems to be fixed. And each of these knows what the future is, a series of dystopias or utopias spiralling into an inky void. And behind this all, Cairo grows, like an engorged monster that has no control or energy. A mass of people, emerging from ancient communities and lured by the bright lights of the city. Cairo seems to be a system, a unified, singular thing that makes sense and provides answers, but this is a lie. All cities are chaos, dependent upon their surroundings. They are defined by being not the country, just as the country is defined as being not the city, but they bleed into one another. Streets, squares, markets percieved one way by one angle are seen completely differently by another. The view from above, below, in the street and from the distant plain, alter the system. Make it stranger. And history is just the same. The events are just the building blocks. The infernal cacaphony of motivations, understandings, paradigms we slip into it, to define trajectories of time, swirl and alter and change. An endless scream of orthodoxies all bound together. All things subsumed into a system which, by subsuming all, negates itself. Past, present, future; all lies, tattered ideology imposed upon an unwilling past. All is lies. All is nought. But deep within our buried hearts, deep in our inner convictions, we all share the desire for something better. Something more whole. My entire life has been defined by false truths, enough to make a man weep that nothing will ever move. But perhaps there is a history which is not a lie. A history defined not by the wants of the present but by a comprehension of the struggle of the poor, the fables of the believer, the thousand incontrovertible narratives clashing with one another to create a glorious, beautiful whole. What if Cairo's endless concrete blocks were transformed? Arabesques and murqanas sweeping over their windows and walls, twisting against one another in patterns of infinity. The people inside raised from their squalor to become princes, to become heroes, to become saviours. Instead of the endless fluctuating chaos, a world governed by narrative, purpose, movement, with everyone swimming in a beauty of their own devising. I understand them, now. I understand the ideals that beat in men's hearts. There is a city, on a hill, through a door, under a cave. It is a city born from a long and tired pilgrimage; and when that pilgrimage is over, it becomes a maze of dark streets, each opening onto one another, a labyrinth of different histories all rubbing up against one another. Istanbul bleeds into Beijing bleeds into Tenochtitlan, each vaster and more terrible than their earthly counterparts. You walk through the chaos. You walk through the families, as they cook meals over antique braziers and construct prisms of lights, refracting and refracting until they negate themselves. The many districts all focused, endlessly, on a singular point, because all of them are variations on that singular point. You push through the fog, through looming tower blocks at dusk, through sand-swept moorish palaces, through twisting Zulu kraals and mud-spun mosques of Timbuktu, through the eyes of African residents and European dreamer. In the centre of the web, at the perfect location of cosmic time, the crossroads of the city, lies a palace. It does not look grand. It does not look like anything special; just a red house in Marrakesh. And in it is a courtyard. And inside that is a grey-faced emir, who is smiling, just smiling, sitting on the ground and smiling at a sun that washes over a city that will never die. And he smiles because he knows that utopia is possible, if one only steps, inch by inch, into their own creation. 1. SCP-4005-1 instances, even those with cognitohazardous training, universally claim that they merely react with free will and not via compulsion; this has been deemed extremely unlikely by Project Lead Dr. Martha Hardcastle. 2. Possibly linked to Worcester's 19th century industrial revolution as well as its premodern reputation for pear growing, which gives the city its coat of arms. 4000artifact_cccognitohazardesoteric-classglasshistoricalindestructiblelightscpvisual Wiki for 'My Vineyard' A Facebook Application CUNEF Group A2 For Your Work, Opinions and Discoveries! Tauren Ate My Grandma has moved! uberOptions Enable all options on all buttons in SetPoint	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line420
__label__cc	0.744553	0.255447	About SIPSAR Publication and Patents Industrial Trips Extra-Curricular and Sports Add. : 20-21, Knowledge Park –I, Nr. Kailash Hospital, Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh 201309 Spectrum Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences & Research (SIPSAR) is established in Greater Noida under the aegis of Delhi International Educational Society (IDEA). Admissions start for the batch 2019-2020 Approved by Pharmacy Council of India (PCI) The Pharmacy education and profession in India is regulated by PCI, a statutory body governed by the provisions of the Pharmacy Act, 1948 passed by the Parliament. In pursuit the regulation of PCI, The objectives of the Institution is follows below: Regulation of the Pharmacy Education in the Institutions as per Pharmacy Act. Regulation of Profession and Practice of Pharmacy. B.Pharmacy program of SIPSAR is approved by Pharmacy Council of India in 2011.All the SIPSAR students are eligible to register in state pharmacy council and become a licensed pharmacist. M.Pharmacy program approval is under process. Approved by AICTE SIPSAR provides all facilities which are necessary for the pharmacy technical education by following the instructions as directed by AICTE. B. Pharmacy program at SIPSAR is approved by All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) in 2008. Affliated to AKTU B. Pharmacy program at SIPSAR is affiliated to Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Technical University (AKTU) . Come and be a part of one of the biggest think tanks of education Extra Curricular & sports Publication & Patents © 2019 SIPSAR. All Rights Reserved. Don't have an account? Create your account. It's take less then a minutes Forgot password \| Create a new account Are you a already member ? Login User name or email id Are you a already member ? Login \| Create a new account	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line427
__label__wiki	0.639481	0.639481	Geographical situation Nicolas is a mountain village located in the district of Petit-Goâve. Petit-Goâve is 47 miles from Port-au-Prince and Nicolas is at 2 1/2 h drive from Petit-Goâve. The road is practicable but not asphalted and in bad condition. The access is difficult. 8 classrooms, 1 dormitory, 1 dining hall 2 attendances : 8h30-12h30 et 13h-17h Enrollment : 446 students, preschool and primary Staff : 13 teachers Assessment of the building The school consists of several units: the Principal’s office and the dependencies; across the schoolyard are the classrooms, the teachers' dormitory, arts and crafts’room, a warehouse and a toilet. The building housing the classrooms is made of solid walls of a river pebbles envelope, poor cement mortar with a roof of galvanized sheet metal on wood frame (strong and crude wooden slats, untreated). The window openings consist of cement trellises. During the earthquake, the back wall of all the classes could not resist since there are no reinforced concrete structure in the building. At Nicolas, construction work is completed. Classes are now bright, and ready to welcome students. The school Director, Mr. Zacharie Danjou, shared with us what parents said to him just two days earlier: “Lekòl sa a se li menm ki pi kanpé nan zòn nan”. (Haitian Creole) “This school is the nicest in the area.” And the Director added: “We really appreciated the team spirit from the construction team. The laborers they hired locally have learned a lot from them.” Javascript must be enabled to view the Photo Album on this page. back to schools completed page	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line428
__label__wiki	0.862807	0.862807	Pakistan’s forgotten sports heroes honoured Labels: Abdul Qadir Qureshi, Meherullah Lassi, Pakistan News and Features Services, PNFS, Rasheed Qambrani, Sherwanis Sports Trust, Shujaat Sherwani By Abdul Qadir Qureshi (Pakistan News & Features Services) Pakistan’s forgotten national sports heroes in boxing, cycling and football who brought glories to the country in Asian Games, Commonwealth Games and other international competitions were honoured at a grand function organised by Sherwani Sports Trust on May 25. Those who to be honoured on the occasion included Olympic boxer and Asian and CW Games medal winner Meherullah Lassi, South Asian Boxing Games Champion Rasheed Qambrani. Financial assistance was also extended to to distressed sportsmen of yesteryears and the beneficiaries included boxer Azeem Jan, cyclist Sher Haider, footballers Jan Mohammad Baloch, Mohammad Sharif and Jafar Alam and former Olympic referee/judge Ali Akbar Shah. They were also awarded shields and mementos as a token of acknowledgement of their heroic feats Sherwani Motors set a noble example by distributing cash awards worth Rs 200, 000 among the needy sportsmen. In an emotional discourse, the 2002 Busan Asian Games gold medalist Meherullah Lassi complimented and lauded Sherwani Trust for coming forward and supporting and assisting those neglected sportsmen mostly from Lyari area. “They may be from the past but continue to be counted as national heroes and deserve respect and support from the nation,” he observed. He hoped that more organizations will feel their responsibilities towards the neglected heroes in the field of sports and follow this noble gesture demonstrated by Sherwani Sports Trust and assist these poor, needy and jobless sportsmen. “The basic purpose of holding this program was to support and assist those needy sportsmen, who were neglected despite their achievements for Pakistan,” Shujaat Sherwani, the chairman of the trust, stated. “We are really honoured with the presence of galaxy of international sportsmen with us. It’s the duty of the society to support these great men, who served the country bringing honor and dignity in international sports arena. It is always a great sight and feeling when Pakistan flag is raised and national anthem is played at the international stage,” he said in an emotional tone. Shujaat Sherwani also announced scholarships to highly talented boys and girls, specially from Lyari who may show bright prospects for the country in coming months. Describing the assistance extended as meager token assistance for financially distressed sportsmen, Shujaat said our dream is that Pakistan should regain its lost glory in hockey and other sports in Asian Games and Olympics. Shujaat Sherwani pointed out that in order to achieve the cherished objective he was also running a free cricket academy and hockey club and staged Motorsports Really in Hub and Nooriabad in recent months. Speaking on the occasion Justice (Rtd) Zafar Sherwani, who was the guest of honour, expressed his delighted to be standing among the heroes of the country, reckoning that sports can play a vital role in the development of youth of the nation. Justice Zafar expressed dismay that Pakistan once a great sporting nation of the continent failed to win a single medal in Muslim Solidarity Games held in Baku where small host nation Azerbaijan emerged on the top. On the occasion Meherullah and Rasheed Qambrani also planted trees as part of the ongoing Go Green Karachi slogan. KG Ramazan Festival’s prizemoney enhanced Labels: Karachi Gymkhana Ramazan Festival Twenty20 Cricket Tournament 2017, Nadeem Omar, Omar Associates Trophy, Pakistan News and Features Services, PNFS The prize money of the 32nd edition of the Karachi Gymkhana Ramazan Festival Twenty20 Cricket Tournament 2017 for the Omar Associates Trophy, due to start here at the Karachi Gymkhana Cricket Ground on the first day of Ramazan, has been enhanced substantially. According to the details unveiled by the Tournament Director, Jam Nafees Ali, during the media briefing here at the Karachi Gymkhana on May 22, the categories for cash awards has been increased and the total prize money of the four-week event, whose final will be played on 28th of Ramazan, will be Rupees 14 lacs and 63 thousand, which is the highest in the 31-year-old history of the tournament. The champions will be getting Rs seven lacs and the runners-up will be collecting Rs three lacs fifty thousand with the losing semifinalists will be receiving Rs 50,000 each. The new categories of awards being introduced are for the most boundaries, most catches and most wickets in every match which will be in addition to Man of the Match awards. The tournament is being sponsored by Omar Associates (Pvt) Ltd, the promoters of Quetta Gladiators, Omar Cricket Club and Omar Colts, who have also been managing veterans and women’s teams besides having its regular team which plays national-level tournaments, for the fourth year running. In his welcome address, the Karachi Gymkhana President, Fawad Salim Malik, described the club as the premier sports and social club of the country, having been established more than 125 years ago. To a question, he disclosed that the Gymkhana management was working the plans to install floodlights at their cricket ground later this year. Speaking on the occasion, Nadeem Omar, Managing Director, Omar Associates, welcomed the participation of the co-sponsors in the tournament hoped that other corporations and institutions will also come forward for patronizing sports. “The Karachi Gymkhana Ramazan Festival has remained a most sought after tournament in which many future greats were discovered. The promising cricketers from all over the country get an opportunity to showcase their talents and those performing well get headstart to their career,” he added. Riazuddin, an international umpire and member of the technical committee, disclosed that all the T20 rules and regulations of the International Cricket Council (ICC) and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), including Duckworth-Lewis method for shortened matches, will be applied during the tournament. As in the past, tournament will be contested by a total of 16 teams, having been divided equally in four groups for the preliminary rounds. This includes quite a new teams like Dubai Hawks XI, Acme Technologies, Mangus Sports, New Al Habib Cricket Club, Friends Cricket Club (Kandhkot) and Opera Cricket Club, who will be making their debut in the competition. The top two teams from each group will qualify for the knockout phase, starting with quarter-finals on the 21st day of Ramazan. Omar CC has been drawn in the Group A alongwith Dubail Hawks XI, Karachi Port Trust (KPT) and Advance Telecom while the Group B comprises of Karachi Gymkhana Whites, Dollar East, Mohammad Hussain Cricket Club and Acme Technologies. The Group C contains Eaton CC, Magnus Sports, Sojhla Cricket Academy (Dera Ghazi Khan) and New Al Habib CC while the Group D will be Tapal CC, Heroes CC (Quetta), Friends CC (Kandhkot) and Opera CC. Jalaluddin, Qadir Qureshi hail Toyota Highway Motors’ Go Green Mission Posted by Editor at 10:25 AM . Labels: Abdul Qadir Qureshi, Ehsan Qureshi, Go Green Mission, Jalaluddin, Pakistan News and Features Services, PNFS, Shujaat Sherwani, Toyota Highway Motors By Ehsan Qureshi Prominent members of cricketing community have come out to make Karachi green and joined hands with Toyota Highway Motors in planting trees in a bid to check growing environmental pollution to some extent. Noted cricketers like Pakistan's most successful outgoing captain Misbah-ul-Haq, spin magician of his time, Iqbal Qasim, former Test opener, Sadiq Mohammed, former Test all-rounder Ejaz Faqih, hockey Olympian and 1984 Los Angeles gold medalist, Hasan Sardar, and ex-Junior and a member of 1979 Junior World Cup winning team in France Jan Mohammed, are among the figures who have planted trees to go all out with the slogan one tree each to make Karachi green. The latest in series of the prominent sportsmen was Jalaluddin, the man who who had the distinction of accomplishing the first hat-trick in One-Day International against Australia at Niaz Stadiim Hyderabad 32 years ago. The former Test fast bowler and now a highly quailed coach was the guest of honour to plant a tree on May 13. Among other dignitaries to grace the occasion was the veteran journalist Abdul Qadir Qureshi, the Chief Editor of Jumbo Karachi Guide, who had been promoting Go Green cause through his reporting since he was a junior reporter. Lack of greenery in this part of the country has been portrayed as a big problem as the governments of today and yesterday showed least interest in developing greenery in the wake of all time high environmental pollution, more specially in Karachi, the world's seventh populous city which is the business hub of the country but far behind in greenery concept. While other organizations have had limited success to meet national expectations in this regard, Toyota Highway Motors, just a few kilometers from Sohrab Goth (Zero Point) on Super Highway, has come out with the daunting task to share the mission to make Karachi Green and to slightly remove the stigma on this once city of lights. Having set a target of planting 5,000 trees as initial count for their mission, the company’s CEO Shujaat Sherwani announced that they provide one plant free of cost to each of their car buyer. As part of the mission they introduced a unique concept of inviting Pakistan's sports legends to promote the slogan of Green Karachi. This slogan started with Pakistan's most successful test captain Misbah-ul-Huq who was visibly moved by the idea and highly appreciative of the same while planting a tree along Super Highway, followed by other legends. With carrying out the mission of this Green Slogan, Shujaat Sherwani extended warm reception to the eminent visitors, also awarding them attractive shields besides paying them tributes for their services and bringing fame and name to Pakistan. "It has always been my passion to honour sporting legends and be a humble promoter of Go Green and this has doubled my enthusiasm,” he observed in a brief speech on the occasion. Maintaing their tradition officials of the Toyota Highway Motors led by its CEO Shujaat Sherwani, General Manager Sales and Marketing, Shad Ali Khan, Ahsan Sherwani, Manager Sales, Irfan Zaidi, gave a standing ovation to both Jalaluddin and Abdul Qadir Qureshi. Giving his reaction, Jalaluddin said initially he was reluctant to come for a visit here because of lack of information, but now he was highly impressed with the missionary zeal being exhibited by Shujaat and his team for a noble cause besides extending a true respect to country's legendary figures. "Go Green is a great concept and our country badly needs to overcome the serious problem of environmental changes which is risking the lives of millions of Karachiites. I am highly impressed to see lots of trees having been planted already,” he complimented. He described it a great mission and said that the one-car-one-tree was certainly a unique and novel idea to promote the cause. He said that he felt himself proud for planting a tree here and he will come again to see his plant having grown as a big tree consuming pollution to some extent. Shujaat Shewani appreciated the services rendered by Abdul Qadir Qureshi in the domain of journalism through his positive reporting skills and regretted that presently positivity was on the way to extinction with negativity having taken strong roots. The veteran journalist, in his speech, enlightened the gathering by sharing his experiences, particularly those related to coverage of various Presidents and Prime Ministers during their visits abroad. On the occasion, Shujaat Sherwani presented a Max Dirt Track official shirt to Jalaluddin which is designed to promote newly developed world class track in Hub on Sindh-Balochistan borders. He recalled that Captain of 2009 World T20 winning team Younis Khan also attended the Max Dirt Rally and took a round of track and complimented the organizers for promoting this popular sport. Archery comes alive with Ziauddin Valika Memorial Tournament Labels: Al-Nadi-al-Burhani Sports Complex, Pakistan News and Features Services, PNFS, SAA, Sindh Archery Association, Zain Valika, Ziauddin Valika Memorial Archery Tournament The Sindh Archery Association (SAA) celebrated its revival by holding the inaugural Ziauddin Valika Memorial Archery Tournament with fanfare at the historic Al-Nadi-al-Burhani Sports Complex, situated at Old Queens Road in Karachi, on May 1. There were a couple of competitions organized by the SAA on the May Day. The duo of Tahir Najamuddin Mandviwala and Kanwal Ansar emerged the champions in the mixed doubles event while Tahir Najamuddin Mandviwala also won the individual spitfire contest. Rasheeda Ziauddin Valika was the chief guest in the prize distribution ceremony held soon after the conclusion of the twin events. She presented cash awards and trophies to the outstanding performers. Tahir Mandviwala and Kanwal Ansar clinched the mixed doubles event by outshining Murtaza Hussain and Zara Khan in the final. The third position was clinched by Khizar Shaikh and Kinza Baloch. Danyal Valika ended as the runner-up, finishing just behind the eventual champion, Tahir Mandviwala, in the individual spitfire competition in which Khizar Shaikh came third. The SAA, inspired by its new chief patron, Zain Valika, braved the dust and the heat of an oppressive summer day to organize the day-long tournament with renewed enthusiasm, indicating that it’s a new beginning for the sport of archery in the province. As the contestants continued to display their expertise by hitting a target fixed on 25-metre distance, on its sidelines it was the SAA chief patron who entertained the guests besides having chats with the media corps. “We all know that strong character leads to confidence in any arena. Archery is considered an outlet with measurable improvement which helps to increase self-reliance, self-assurance, self-worth, and self-respect. Individuals with strong character and confidence create a better community. The SAA desires to play its role in helping to build healthy humans by engaging the youngsters in archery,” Zain Valika explained. Jalaluddin, Qadir Qureshi hail Toyota Highway Moto... Archery comes alive with Ziauddin Valika Memorial ...	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line429
__label__wiki	0.533922	0.533922	Home Documentary "Molf-e Gand" (Molf-e Gand) "Molf-e Gand" (Molf-e Gand) Director: Mahmood Rahmani Image: Mahmood Rahmani Sound Recording: Mahmood Rahmani Sound Mix: Farid Daghagheleh Music: Mohsen Safaariaan Assistant Director: Amin Sepehrian Producer: Visual Arts Center of Khuzestan Color, Video, 16:9, 53 min, 2008–2009, Iran In this one sequence-plan documentary Mohammad satirically talks about his childhood memories and his strong sixth sense (Molf-e Gand) during the Iran-Iraq war. With his beautiful power of expression, he turns his bitter sweet memories into eye-catching images which form and move before the eyes of the viewers. Mahmoud Rahmani was born in 1980 in the Southern city of Izeh, Khuzestan Province. He has an honours degree from the First Professional Workshop of the Documentary and Experimental Film Center, and he teaches film making in schools and on a professional level. He is active in organizing specialized documentary workshops nationwide too. In 2003, he made his first short film "Gagola" (name of a village boy in Southern Iran). He made his second short film "Oha" (dragon) in 2004. In 2005, he directed his first documentary "Naft Sepid" named after the city where oil was discovered. The film was well received in Iran and abroad and was entered in various film festivals such as IDFA, Cinema du Reel, etc. His second documentary film "Zero Degree Orbit" was produced in 2007 and received more than 15 prizes at home and outside Iran. His latest documentary "Molf-e Gand" was made in 2008 and is considered the longest plan in Iranian Cinema. Gagola Naft Sepid Zero Degree Orbit Molf-e Gand My Mother Balut Munich Int’l Documentary Film Festival (5 – 12 May 2010/ Germany) Competition Al-Kasaba Int’l Film Festival (7 – 18 Oct. 2010 / Palestine) Kassel Documentary Film and Video Festival (8 – 13 Nov. 2010 / Germany) Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (26 Jan. 2011 / USA) UCLA Film & Television Archive (13 Feb. 2011 / USA) Millenium Int’l Documentary Film Festival (11 – 13 June 2011 / Belgium) Winner of the Best Film Nuremberg Int’l Human Rights Film Festival (28 Sept. – 5 Oct. 2011/ Germany) Competition	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line433
__label__wiki	0.826124	0.826124	The Book Report Network 20SomethingReads Teenreads ReadingGroupGuides GraphicNovelReporter FaithfulReader AuthorsOnTheWeb Core Lists Author News and Interviews Archives - January 2014 Interview: Carrye Kay Syma, author of Graphic Novels and Comics in the Classroom: Essays on the Educational Power of Sequential Art GRAPHIC NOVELS AND COMICS IN THE CLASSROOM is an ambitious book, not simply because it tackles the sometimes tricky topic of using comics for education --- but also because it quite simply covers a lot of comics and comics history. It’s an inclusive academic work featuring essays from more than two dozen educators and experts in the field. Interview: Jimmy Gownley, author of The Dumbest Idea Ever! For Jimmy Gownley, life after AMELIA RULES! looks a lot like life before it. Gownley ended his much-beloved YA graphic novel series after 2012’s HER PERMANENT RECORD, and now he’s back with a brand-new book, THE DUMBEST IDEA EVER! In this one, he draws on his own personal experience, detailing his difficult transition from grade school --- where he was tops in his class, both academically and on the basketball court --- to high school, where illness and increased academic pressures took their toll. Gownley’s solution to his falling social status? Interview: Nick Andors, author of A Frozen World With his debut graphic novel, A FROZEN WORLD, Nick Andors creates a challenging and disturbing dystopian world known as Irongates. Life is horrifying in this troubled place, but somehow some small sliver of hope manages to survive…and people manage to cope. Here’s what Andors had to say about this world and how he came to create it. Interview: Alexis E. Fajardo, author of Kid Beowulf and the Rise of El Cid You may know BEOWULF, but do you know him as a boy? You do if you’ve read Alexis E. Fajardo’s fun-filled (and incredibly educational!) adventure series KID BEOWULF. The series, now three books in, has been chronicling what came before the epic BEOWULF and what led to creating the incredible hero (along with his twin brother, Grendel). We talked to Fajardo about putting a twist on a classic. Browse by last name: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z View all by author » graphicnovelreporter on Facebook graphicnovelreporter on Twitter Shop with TBRN on IndieBound Shop with TBRN on Amazon Shop with TBRN on Barnes & Noble Author News Archives Follow GNR Copyright © 2020 The Book Report, Inc. All Rights Reserved.	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line439
__label__cc	0.745804	0.254196	Blues Fusion & Swing Dancing Home Gallery Location Resources FAQ The Dance Examples Attire Etiquette Conduct BluesLab Syllabus Primer What is Blues Fusion Dancing? Wikipedia provides a good overview of the History of Blues Dancing Original Blues dancing began as a vernacular African-American dance, tied to the blues and jazz music that evolved during the early 1900's. It is a lead-follow partner dance that involves rhythmic, syncopated, and often sensual movement. With the resurgence of Lindy Hop during the 80's and 90's, a Slow/Smooth Lindy style developed that shares a musical tradition with West Coast Swing (WCS) and original Blues dancing. This set the stage for a recent spread of contemporary Blues dancing and the evolution of Blues-Fusion dancing. While open-connection Blues dancing has much in common with WCS (minus the anchors) and Slow Lindy (minus the swivel hips) - unlike WCS and most other partner dances, Blues dancing lacks a "standard" basic pattern. As such, Blues dancing relies heavily on explicit weight changes, deep listening, and a dynamic connection, to convey intention. Syncopated pulsing is the aesthetic element common to all Blues dancing. Blues dancing has three physical frames of connection: Open Connection (similar to most swing dances), Closed Frame (similar to a WCS starter-step), and Close Embrace (similar to a relaxed Argentine Tango). MY BLUES PHILOSOPHY - THE EMOTIVE CORE Most musical genres are recognized through their rhythms: Jazzy Swing usually has evenly-spaced taps, Rock has a boom-chick. Blues music emulates a heartbeat with a ba-boom---shhh - forming a pulse and a drive/slide. Likewise, Blues dancing has a pulse that emulates that heartbeat - and movement comes from what I call the Emotive Core (in Contemporary Blues dancing, at the sternum, near the heart). I make a distinction between the Emotive Core, and what ballet dancers would call their Power Core (the pivot point between upper and lower body isolations). Your Power Core provides the strength in your movements; your Emotive Core is what communicates your intent. In Blues dancing, movement (and particularly the lead) comes from the Emotive Core. If movement does not originate from the emotive core, then it's not readily communicated to your partner, leading to a break in connection (or an intentional isolation). The location of the Emotive Core varies depending on the era of Blues dancing you are using. For Blues prior to the 1940s, the Emotive Core was somewhere between the hips and ribs - leaving your upper body free to move. Contemporary (eg Gentrified) Blues shifts the Emotive Core to the sternum, near the heart - maintaining room between the partner's pelvis. By listening to the pulse in the music (it may be implied, particularly in Blues-Fusion music), then moving from your emotive core (letting your body/frame follow) - your partner (if they are listening) will automatically see/feel your intention. This is the essence of a body lead. CLOSE EMBRACE Blues dancing is a contact sport. Close Embrace involves a firm compressive connection between the Follow's sternum and the Lead's chest, similar to a relaxed Argentine Tango. The Lead moves their Emotive Core with clear intention (forward/back, side-to-side, up/down, rotation) - the Follow controls/maintains connection via compression of their Emotive Core with the Lead's right suspender line; when the Lead moves backward, the Follow will drive forward to maintain connection; when the Lead moves forward, the Follow will provide resistance. The arms may be used for stability, styling, suggestion - but should not be relied on for connection/frame. Leads keep their torso and head upright, generally with knees bent. Follows keep their torso upright, or slightly leaned in; their head may be upright, or resting on the Lead's shoulder/chest (depending on height). A common error for novice Follows is to lean back or press their hips in - this breaks connection, causing the Lead to either lean over, or press their hips into their partner's in order to regain connection. CLOSED FRAME This is similar to the connection/frame used in WCS for the starter step, or within a Whip. The heel of Lead's hand (usually the right) is under the arm and against the lats the Follow's mirror side (usually left). The follow's mirror arm is placed on top of the Lead's arm, with the hand resting in front of the the Lead's shoulder (with some compression). The Follow's bicep, forearm and hand provide 3 points of contact for firm connection. As with Close Embrace, the Follow controls the tone by their level of compression/resistance. The partners' opposite hand may (or may not) be held in a light hand-hold - often held hanging low, or up (no higher than the shoulder); it will only be held above the shoulder for turns/spins, or certain stylistic movements. OPEN CONNECTION This will be familiar for most partner dancers: one or both hands (mirrored or crossed) held in connection - alternately providing compression or tension. This is the one form of physical Blues connection where the Lead sets the tone, and the Follow generally matches. Unlike most partner dances, Blues has a "dynamic" tone in connection: the level of compression/tension is controlled by the "energy" of the dance, which will vary from dance-to-dance, with the music moment-to-moment, and with varying partners. A common error for novice Leads in partner dancing is to 1) step, 2) pull/push their partner, then 3) move their bodies. Instead, 1) lead by moving your core, 2) driving your legs, then 3) by maintaining frame your arms will follow. Your Follow should move with your core - not your arms. WEIGHT CHANGES and MOMENTUM Structured dances use rules that make it easier for a Follow to predict what they should do next: slots, momentum, anchors, patterns, basic steps, frame, etc. While Blues may be danced in a slot, it often is not; in a crowded dance floor, the Lead may send the Follow into any open space, which may be in a diagonal direction. Since Blues dancing is largely unstructured, it relies heavily on two "rules": clear/complete weight changes, and momentum: the Follow keeps moving/turning until decelerated/stopped or redirected by the Lead, and generally stays stopped, until accelerated/led by the Lead. Squaring up and standing with split weight (common in old-school WCS, but not contemporary WCS) makes it difficult for the Follow to know what's coming next - as you can start with any foot/direction in Blues dancing. Instead, zipper your feet, such that the Follow's right foot is generally between the Lead's feet. You should (with very few exceptions) always be able to lift up your unweighted foot and balance on just your weighted foot - at any point in your dance. It helps to keep your knees slightly bent, feet grounded, chest/head upright. Weight changes should be distinct/clear enough that your partner is aware of it visually without touch, or with their hand on your shoulder with eyes closed. That's not to say that weight changes need to be exaggerated (they can be subtle), but they must be distinct. This is accomplished by: a) bending the weighted leg, (b) letting the unweighted leg hang (or collect) beneath your body, and c) moving from your Emotive Core first. Mirror dances, such as East Coast Swing and Lindy, tend to hit the beat at the same time. As a result, they tend to have higher tone, firmer frame, and bounce to emphasize the beat. Argentine Tango, WCS, and Blues all support Viscosity: the capacity to Lag, where the Follow may provide some resistance, and lag behind the Lead. This allows the Follow more flexibility to express their voice and interpret the lead. This in turn allows for a lighter tone, relaxed frame, and a grounded pulse, rather than a bounce. It also allows for a dynamic tone, which varies throughout the dance - for better musical expression. Pulsing (a syncopated intent without weight change) is the defining aesthetic element to Blues dancing. Unlike most Lindy Hop (and more similar to WCS), Blues dancing is generally not a bouncy dance. Dancers often pulse (usually back/forward or laterally, rarely vertically) for syncopation, styling, and establishing musical connection. Your head/shoulders should not be bobbing up and down, unless it's intentional to accent a bouncy song. Pulsing generally involves planting weight on one foot, shifting slightly without a real weight change, then replanting weight on the same foot. Nor does Blues dancing generally involve emphasized hip patterns in Open Connection common to Lindy. In Blues dancing, hip movement is led by the emotive core, rather than from the hips or arms. A NOTE TO WESTIES Beginning West Coast Swing dancers are trained to weight-change on every beat (step, triple-step, or break); the expectation is that something happens every beat. Blues dancing emphasizes musicality - and the song, or simply a moment between the partners, will suggest a pause (not necessarily an accented break), where you just maintain weight on one leg - either still (feeling each other's breath), pulsing, or doing a light shimmy or sway. The music or mood may also suggest switching to quarter, half, or double-time. Follows from a Westie tradition must pay particular attention to the Lead's weight-shifts - as they may decide to just hang out in place for a bit. The beat does not dictate a step - think of your dance as another layer of instrumentation over the music. A fundamental feature of WCS is the anchor - and while anchors may be used in Blues Open Connection (often called stretch), they often are not. The interpretation of the music may suggest an un-tensioned pause, or a bounce (lateral, not vertical) from full extension. Westie Follows will need to listen closely to interpret their Lead's intention; Leads need to be very mindful in using acceleration/deceleration to indicate their intent. GENDER_NEUTRAL ROLES AND SWITCH Blues dancing (particularly in the SF Bay Area) has a tradition of decoupling Lead/Follow roles from gender. Men and women dance either role, and everyone is encouraged to learn both, as it strengthens your primary role. Some dancers will dance one role for a song, then another role for a different song/partner. Others will switch roles during a dance, usually (but not always) between musical phrases. A Follow may (when mutually agreeable) take lead, or the Lead may relinquish lead. This involves a high level of listening/connection, and allows for a deep level of communication. BLUES FUSION DANCING Contemporary Blues dancing, as experienced in many clubs and dance halls, is often a fusion of many dance traditions: Argentine Tango (in close embrace), Contact Improv (in closed connection), and WCS without anchors (in open connection). In fact, as long as you maintain clear weight changes, lead with intension, and follow with momentum, you can really integrate technique from any dance tradition. It's a matter of musicality, with each dancer listening to the "voice" of their partner. Note, however, if you wish to maintain a Blues aesthetic in your fusion dance, remember to express your pulse. - Bob Free, Founder/Organizer of South Bay Fusion Copyright © 2011 Graphcomp Term of Service Privacy Policy Powered by gcSite	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line440
__label__wiki	0.612895	0.612895	Search for course number, title, instructor or keywords Courses by semester: STS 1113 FWS: Vital Politics: Science, Medicine, Activism During Spring 2017, headlines across multiple media announced: "Thousands Rally in DC for March for Science;" "March for Science: Crowds Join International Global Earth Day Protests." But why are people gathering to assert – publically – that science matters? Why now? What is the relationship between science and politics, science and democracy, science and social change? This seminar tackles these questions and others by examining social movements in which issues of science and medicine have become objects of contentious political debate. We explore environmentalism and green movements, reproductive justice, HIV & AIDS, and related topics in the interdisciplinary field of Science and Technology Studies. Closely examining the craft and rhetoric of effective communication, we "read" academic scholarship, print and web-based media, fiction and film – both words and images. Academic Career: UG Instructor: Christopher Roebuck (cr566) Full details for STS 1113 : FWS: Vital Politics: Science, Medicine, Activism STS 1123 FWS: Technology and Society Topics This seminar explores the ways in which Technology and Society shape one another and provides the opportunity to write extensively about this mutual shaping. Topics vary by section. Academic Career: UG Instructor: Vu Tien Dung Ha (dvh27) Full details for STS 1123 : FWS: Technology and Society Topics STS 1201 Information Ethics, Law, and Policy This course investigates the ethical, legal, and policy foundations of contemporary information technology. Through lectures, readings, discussions, and short assignments, we will address contemporary challenges ranging from privacy in big data and social computing to the nature of innovation, property, and collaboration in a networked world. We will cover key areas of technology law and policy such as telecommunications and network policy; concentration and antitrust; free speech and the first amendment; intellectual property; and privacy, security and freedom of information. We will also address new ethical questions and controversies that law and policy has yet to sort out. Through this course you'll learn about the key frameworks, processes, and institutions that govern the contemporary world of technology, along with key theories and methods from the academic fields that shape and inform them (law, philosophy, economics, political science, communication, sociology, etc.). You'll also learn core writing and analytic skills central to success in the worlds of social science, law, policy, and many other settings. But above all you'll learn to engage critically and strategically with the worlds of information and technology around you, deciding what kind of information consumer, user, and citizen YOU want to be. Distribution: (CA-AS) Academic Career: UG Instructor: Steven Jackson (sjj54) Karen Levy (kl838) Full details for STS 1201 : Information Ethics, Law, and Policy STS 1942 The History of Science in Europe: Newton to Darwin; Darwin to Einstein What is modern science? And how did it get that way? This course examines the emergence of the dominant scientific worldview inherited by the 21st century, to trace how it, and its associated institutional practices, became established in largely European settings and contexts from the 18th to the early 20th centuries. It focuses on those broad conceptions of the universe and human knowledge that shaped a wide variety of scientific disciplines, as well as considering the twin views of science as "natural philosophy" and as practical tool. Distribution: (HA-AS) Academic Career: UG Instructor: Peter Dear (prd3) Full details for STS 1942 : The History of Science in Europe: Newton to Darwin; Darwin to Einstein STS 2011 What Is Science? An Introduction to the Social Studies of Science and Technology This course introduces some central ideas in the field of S&TS. It is aimed at students from any background who are challenged to think more critically about what counts as scientific knowledge and why, and how science and technology intervene in the wider world. It also serves as an introduction to majors in Biology and Society or in Science and Technology Studies. The course mixes lectures, discussions, writing, and other activities. The discussion sections are an integral part of the course and attendance is required. A series of take-home written assignments and quizzes throughout the semester comprise the majority of the grade. Academic Career: UG Instructor: Jeremy Trombley (jmt387) Full details for STS 2011 : What Is Science? An Introduction to the Social Studies of Science and Technology STS 2061 Ethics and the Environment Politicians, scientists, and citizens worldwide face many environmental issues today, but they are neither simple nor straightforward. Moreover, there are many ways to understand how we have, do, and could value the environment from animal rights and wise use to deep ecology and ecofeminism. This class acquaints students with some of the challenging moral issues that arise in the context of environmental management and policy-making, both in the past and the present. Environmental concerns also highlight important economic, epistemological, legal, political, and social issues in assessing our moral obligations to nature as well as other humans. This course examines various perspectives expressed in both contemporary and historical debates over environmental ethics by exploring four central questions: What is nature? Who counts in environmental ethics? How do we know nature? Whose nature? Distribution: (KCM-AS) Academic Career: UG Instructor: Sara Pritchard (sbp65) Full details for STS 2061 : Ethics and the Environment STS 2071 Introduction to the History of Medicine This course offers an introductory survey of the history of medicine (principally in Europe and the United States) from classical antiquity to the early twentieth century. Using a combination of both primary and secondary sources, students will learn about the "Hippocratic Heritage" of contemporary western medicine; medicine in late antiquity; faith and healing in the medieval period; medicine and knowledge in the Islamic world; medicine during the Renaissance (particularly the rise of the mechanical philosophy); medicine in the age of Enlightenment; professionalization, women-doctors and midwives, and battles over 'quackery' in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries; the role of medicine in colonialism and empire; and the promises and perils of modern medicine (dramatic decreases in mortality on the one hand, the rise of Eugenics and the importance of Medicine to the National Socialist State on the other). As well as this temporal survey, we will consider a number of ongoing themes: race, bodily difference, and medicine; medicine and the environment; women, gender, and medicine; the history of the body; the history of sexuality; and the close connections between forms of social order and forms of medical knowledge. The course meets three times a week (for two lectures and a section) and is open to all. Academic Career: UG Instructor: Suman Seth (ss536) Full details for STS 2071 : Introduction to the History of Medicine STS 2468 Medicine, Culture, and Society Medicine has become the language and practice through which we address a broad range of both individual and societal complaints. Interest in this "medicalization of life" may be one of the reasons that medical anthropology is currently the fastest-growing subfield in anthropology. This course encourages students to examine concepts of disease, suffering, health, and well-being in their immediate experience and beyond. In the process, students will gain a working knowledge of ecological, critical, phenomenological, and applied approaches used by medical anthropologists. We will investigate what is involved in becoming a doctor, the sociality of medicines, controversies over new medical technologies, and the politics of medical knowledge. The universality of biomedicine (or hospital medicine) will not be taken for granted, but rather we will examine the plurality generated by the various political, economic, social, and ethical demands under which biomedicine has developed in different places and at different times. In addition, biomedical healing and expertise will be viewed in relation to other kinds of healing and expertise. Our readings will address medicine in North America as well as other parts of the world. In class, our discussions will return regularly to consider the broad diversity of kinds of medicine throughout the world, as well as the specific historical and local contexts of biomedicine. Academic Career: UG Instructor: Stacey Langwick (sal54) Full details for STS 2468 : Medicine, Culture, and Society STS 2721 History of Mental Health and Mental Illness in the United States This course examines the history of mental illness—its conception and treatment—in the United States, from the early 1800s to the present, focusing on four major questions: (1) How have understandings of mental illness been developed and deployed by psychologists, psychiatrists, psychoanalysts, and social workers, and how have those understandings varied across time and place? (2) How have understandings and treatments of mental illness shaped, and been shaped by, conceptions of race, class, gender, and sexuality? (3) In what ways have treatment of mental illness and "social deviance" operated as a form of social control? (4) How do conceptions of mental illness come to circulate in popular culture and everyday life? Pairing historical scholarship with autobiographical writing and case studies from the 1800s to the present, the course moves chronologically in order to track, and draw connections between, a wide range of movements within American psychological and social welfare history, including the creation and closing of mental hospitals, the pathologization of racial, gender, and sexual difference, psychopharmacology, anti-psychiatry, and the politics of diagnosis. Academic Career: UG Instructor: Stephen Vider (sv484) Full details for STS 2721 : History of Mental Health and Mental Illness in the United States STS 2841 Viruses- Humans-Viral Politics (Social History and Cultural Politics of HIV & AIDS) This course explores what has been termed "the modern plague." It investigates the social history, cultural politics, biological processes, and global impacts of the retrovirus, HIV, and the disease syndrome, AIDS. It engages material from multiple fields: life sciences, social sciences, & humanities as well as media reports, government documents, activist art, and community-based documentaries. It explores various meanings and life-experiences of HIV & AIDS; examines conflicting understandings of health, disease, the body; investigates political struggles over scientific research, biomedical & public health interventions, and cultural representations; and queries how HIV vulnerability is shaped by systems of power and inequality. As well, we come to learn about the practices, the politics, and the ethics of life and care that arise in "the age of epidemic." Full details for STS 2841 : Viruses- Humans-Viral Politics (Social History and Cultural Politics of HIV & AIDS) STS 2851 Communication, Environment, Science, and Health Environmental problems, public health issues, scientific research-in each of these areas, communication plays a fundamental role. From the media to individual conversations, from technical journals to textbooks, from lab notes to the web, communication helps define scientifically based social issues and research findings. This course examines the institutional and intellectual contexts, processes, and practical constraints on communication in the sciences. Distribution: (SBA-AS) Academic Career: UG Instructor: Danielle Eiseman (dle58) Full details for STS 2851 : Communication, Environment, Science, and Health STS 3181 Living in an Uncertain World: Science, Technology, and Risk This course explores the history, sociology, and ethics of risk. In particular, we will focus on the complex and often ambiguous relationship between science, technology, and risk. A historical perspective shows how science and technology have generated risks while they have also played key roles in managing and solving those very risks. By examining several case studies, including 19th-century mining, the 1911 Triangle fire, nuclear science, the space shuttle disasters, asbestos litigation, Hurricane Katrina, and the contemporary financial crisis, we will consider how risk and ideas about risk have changed over time. By exploring different historical and cultural responses to risk, we will examine the sociopolitical dimensions of the definitions, perceptions, and management of risk both in the past and the present. Academic Career: UG Instructor: Rebecca Slayton (rs849) Full details for STS 3181 : Living in an Uncertain World: Science, Technology, and Risk STS 3241 Environmental Sociology Humans have fraught relationships with the animals, plants, land, water—even geological processes—around us. We come together to revere, conserve, protect the things many call nature. We struggle over who gets to use what, which resources to use or to keep intact, which scientific claims are true and worthy of action. Every environmental concern is on some level a social concern, and more social concerns than we often realize are environmental concerns. In this course, we will examine how people make and respond to environmental change and how groups of people form, express, fight over, and work out environmental concerns. We will consider how population change, economic activity, government action, social movements, and changing ways of thinking shape human-environmental relationships. The fundamental goal of this course is to give you knowledge, analytical tools, and expressive skills that make you confident to address environmental concerns as a social scientist and a citizen. Academic Career: UG Instructor: John Zinda (jaz65) Full details for STS 3241 : Environmental Sociology STS 3440 Data Science & Society Lab The next generation of thinkers and leaders will need a firm grasp on the practices and values implicated in designing and using data science tools. The Data Science & Society Lab is a project-based course that welcomes students from across the disciplines, or anyone who uses or studies data science. The lab is designed to sensitize students early on to the complexities of data science as both a social and a technical project. In an immersive and hands-on learning experience, we will lay the groundwork for future coursework and critical engagement with data science. Students from the social sciences, humanities, and STEM fields will work together to critically examine data science concepts and engage in social, ethical, and policy analysis. Academic Career: UG Instructor: Stephen Hilgartner (shh6) Malte Ziewitz (mcz35) Full details for STS 3440 : Data Science & Society Lab STS 3561 Computing Cultures Computers are powerful tools for working, playing, thinking, and living. Laptops, PDAs, webcams, cell phones, and iPods are not just devices, they also provide narratives, metaphors, and ways of seeing the world. This course critically examines how computing technology and society shape each other and how this plays out in our everyday lives. Identifies how computers, networks, and information technologies reproduce, reinforce, and rework existing cultural trends, norms, and values. Looks at the values embodied in the cultures of computing and considers alternative ways to imagine, build, and work with information technologies. Full details for STS 3561 : Computing Cultures STS 3601 Ethical Issues in Engineering Practice Studies ethical issues involved in engineering practice. Explores the engineer's role in technical decision-making in organizations. Considers the engineer's relationship to the uses of technology in society, especially emerging technologies. Case studies covered include the Space Shuttle Challenger, the Space Shuttle Columbia, The Macondo Well Blowout, The Ford Pinto Case, The VW Emissions scandal, the Tesla Automatic Driving accident, Three Mile Island, Chernobyl, Fukushima, and the Bhopal case, among others. Technology topics considered include brain-machine interface, human enhancement, genetic engineering, intelligent autonomous systems, privacy and surveillance, energy technologies, and environmental issues, among others. Codes of ethics in engineering, ethical theory, philosophical models of knowledge production, and sociological models of human and technological agency are introduced to analyze these issues. Academic Career: UG Instructor: Park Doing (pad9) Full details for STS 3601 : Ethical Issues in Engineering Practice STS 3636 Floods, Toxic Drinking Water and Other Muddy Disasters This is an interdisciplinary course on water and disasters. It confronts the question about which environmental phenomena (restricted to watery ones) we consider disasters (whether fast-onset or slow-onset), how are they represented, and what is missing in such representation. We will build on theory in the social sciences (anthropology, development sociology), humanities (history in particular) and natural sciences of water (geology/hydrogeology, fluvial morphology, geochemistry of water, water management), but ground our discussion in case studies of floods, mudslides, water toxicity, and water scarcity/insecurity. The course will comprise of interactive lectures and experiential learning, including building an art/research installation "The Flood Room: Environmental Knowledge, Disaster Preparedness, Community Resilience and Climate Change Communication in Ithaca, New York." Academic Career: UG Instructor: Luisa Cortesi (lc937) Full details for STS 3636 : Floods, Toxic Drinking Water and Other Muddy Disasters STS 3991 Undergraduate Independent Study Applications for research projects are accepted by individual STS faculty members. Students may enroll for 1–4 credits in STS 3991 with written permission of the faculty supervisor and may elect either the letter grade or the S–U option. Information on faculty research, scholarly activities, and undergraduate opportunities are available in the Science & Technology Studies office, 303 Morrill Hall. Independent study credits may not be used in completion of the major requirements. Full details for STS 3991 : Undergraduate Independent Study STS 4040 Due Process Clinic Automated scoring systems play an increasingly important role in ordering our lives. Whether we want to obtain a loan, rent an apartment, be found in search results, qualify for government assistance, or make the shortlist for a job – all of these decisions involve a range of computational techniques, including large-scale data analytics and predictive algorithms. So what to do when things go wrong and individuals feel mistreated by these systems? The Due Process Clinic is a semester-long, 4-credit course that focuses on the capacities of ordinary people to cope with, understand, and challenge automated scoring systems. It involves a mixture of hands-on fieldwork and seminar discussions, ranging from social and technical analyses of scoring practices to the ethical challenges of representing data subjects. Academic Career: UG Instructor: Malte Ziewitz (mcz35) Full details for STS 4040 : Due Process Clinic STS 4122 Darwin and the Making of Histories The power of a name is sometimes as great as that of an idea. This course will study how Darwin became, then and now, an icon rather than just a Victorian naturalist. We will look at writings of Darwin himself, especially On the Origin of Species (1859), Descent of Man (1871), and his short autobiography, and attempt to understand what they meant in their own time, how Darwin came to write them, and how his contemporaries helped to shape their future. How did Victorian ideologies of gender, race, and class shape the production and reception of Darwin's work? We will also examine the growth of "Darwinism" as a set of broader social and cultural movements, particularly in Britain and the United States. Were eugenics movements examples or perversions of Darwinism? Finally, we will consider how Darwin's name has been used by more recent evolutionary biologists and by American anti-evolutionists. Full details for STS 4122 : Darwin and the Making of Histories STS 4280 Health and Environmental Justice Human bodies are inescapably enmeshed in our environments: human health and environmental health are inseparable. But human bodies are not equally impacted by environmental degradation and toxicity. Environmental injustice physically reproduces structures of power along lines of race, gender, global position, and wealth disparity. This upper-level seminar examines global and US case studies of environmental injustice and public health. Topics include waste flows, dump and industrial siting, environmental monitoring, and agriculture and aquaculture. We will also examine the politics of environmental health knowledge and movements for environmental justice. Academic Career: UG Instructor: Hannah LeBlanc (hfl22) Full details for STS 4280 : Health and Environmental Justice STS 4410 Bending Instruments What is a sounding object or musical instrument and how does human culture shape these unique human-made material sources of sound? How can instruments and sound objects be modified or "bent" to produce yet more sounds? In a workshop environment participants will treat these topics through practical exploration as well as reading the history and culture of instruments/sound objects or devices. By using ideas from the new interdisciplinary field of sound studies, and inspired by visiting instrument makers, we will explore what instruments are and could be. Students, working alone or in collaboration, will design and build (could include a conceptual reworking) their own instrument or sounding object that they will learn to operate and modify to make new sounds. Distribution: (LA-AS) Academic Career: UG Instructor: Marianthi Papalexandri-Alexandri (mp955) Trevor Pinch (tjp2) Full details for STS 4410 : Bending Instruments STS 4442 Toxicity Identifying and managing the "toxic" is critical to medical and environmental sciences as well as techniques of governing (and resisting). This course takes up the subject of toxicity as a field of expertise, an object of knowledge and ethical substance. We will consider the specific histories of industrialization and of the sciences that shape modern engagements with toxicity, and we will explore other ways that the sorts of harms, poisons, and powers glossed as toxicity have been articulated. Over the course of the semester, students will develop the skills to "provincalizing" relations between toxicity, remedy and memory. Texts will draw from social theory, anthropology, science and technology studies and history as well as art and activism. Full details for STS 4442 : Toxicity STS 4451 Making Science Policy: The Real World This course focuses on what happens when science meet the policy-making world. We will discuss theoretical and empirical studies in Science & Technology Studies that analyze the interactions between science, society and politics. We will specifically investigate the mechanisms by which science may impact policy-making by focusing on: the rise of science diplomacy, initiatives to use science in order to further development goals, and efforts to produce evidence-based foreign policy. We will also focus on currently hotly debated political issues in government affairs, including the politization and militarization of space, the rise of big data, the politics of climate change, and the construction of border walls. As part of this course we will hear from experts in the federal government on how they attempt to integrate science into the everyday workings of governance. Academic Career: UG Instructor: Christine Leuenberger (cal22) Full details for STS 4451 : Making Science Policy: The Real World STS 4460 Lightscapes Sunset, polar night, Times Square, satellites in space—these are just four lightscapes. Light is essential to humanity in multifaceted ways. It both reflects and shapes human interactions with the environment. Yet light is also complex, multiple, and contested. This seminar explores diverse lightscapes in varied contexts. How do we know light? How does light define and shape landscapes and nightscapes? How have people managed, transformed, and valued different lightscapes over time? This course draws primarily from the history of science and technology, STS, and environmental history with forays into anthropology, environmental humanities, geography, media studies, and more. We will examine texts and images, and engage with lightscapes at Cornell and in Ithaca. The seminar culminates in a class project centered on student-selected lightscapes. Full details for STS 4460 : Lightscapes STS 4470 Data Bodies: Art and Politics in the Digital Age Long before the advent of digital platforms such as Facebook, Google, Instagram and Twitter, artists began questioning the growing production and commodification of "data bodies." Groups such as Critical Art Ensemble helped highlight the ways that surveillance, power, new technologies and bodies interacted with one another. This course asks, what shapes do data and bodies take in digital environments? Conversely, how have computing cultures and networks been shaped by data and bodies? What kinds of politics can be performed in such conditions? We use a particular context, the little-discussed practices of Latina/o/x artists as well as their contributions to the history of performance, multimedia art and tactical media since the late-twentieth century, to explore these questions. Academic Career: UG Instructor: Ivan Chaar Lopez (ic349) Full details for STS 4470 : Data Bodies: Art and Politics in the Digital Age STS 4644 Animal Power The modern world relies on a vast array of natural resources to drive its activities, but for most of human history, animals have provided energy to people. Animals were, and often still are, the energy fueling human transportation, agriculture, nutrition, and even entertainment. This course examines Classical and modern representations of animals as workpower, food and fuel, and raw materials for manufacture. We will read a wide array of sources that depict the work of animals in Classical antiquity and the modern world; we will also look at texts that attempt to describe how the animal body creates energy. For longer description and instructor bio, visit societyhumanities.as.cornell.edu/courses Academic Career: UG Instructor: Athena Kirk (aek238) Full details for STS 4644 : Animal Power STS 4646 Moving and Knowing A martial artist learns movements and quirks unique to his teacher. A dancer conveys unbearable sorrow with a curve of her back. An artist's charcoal flies across the page. Horse and rider make a pirouette in perfect balance. This course emerges from the idea that we know our worlds through movement. Using texts drawn from anthropology, philosophy, sensory studies, science studies, and animal studies, this course pushes against any simple division of mind and body by examining balance, kinesthesia, and proprioception as often-neglected means of knowing our worlds. It also critiques the static and fixed nature of "rational-centric" thinking, considering how the movement energy of living beings challenges and disrupts division, separation and stabilization. For longer description and instructor bio, visit societyhumanities.as.cornell.edu/courses Academic Career: UG Instructor: Rachel Prentice (rep35) Full details for STS 4646 : Moving and Knowing STS 4647 The Energy Transition in the Nineteenth Century This course explores the epochal transition from organic to mineral energy sources during the nineteenth century. The idea of an "energy transition" seems to pinpoint the underlying material transformation that wrought the modern world and the critical necessity of saving modernity from itself. On both counts, it is important to try to understand the shift from an organic to a mineral energy regime that occurred most decisively in the 1800s. Approaching the topic from multiple angles, the course aims to illuminate the structures, experiences and meanings of a transitional energy regime. For longer description and instructor bio, visit societyhumanities.as.cornell.edu/courses. Academic Career: UG Instructor: Ariel Ron (ar2422) Full details for STS 4647 : The Energy Transition in the Nineteenth Century STS 4650 Advanced Topics in Clinical Ethics In this advanced course, students will use their knowledge and analytical skills to explore complex value-laden issues in contemporary healthcare and health policy debate. Case studies and news stories will springboard discussion around topics including the changing professional-patient relationship, medical decision-making, emerging technologies, contemporary health concerns, evolving care-delivery systems, and the healthcare experience of vulnerable populations. Discussions will emphasize contextual issues and vantage point at the individual and societal levels, as well as the interconnections between bedside ethical dilemmas and broader health system, health policy, and sociocultural/political issues. Topics will encompass the life span from maternal-fetal to end-of-life. We will utilize speakers/field trips to enhance exposure to different voices. Readings will be selected from the popular press and healthcare, ethics, social science, and law literatures. Academic Career: UG Instructor: Kim Overby (kjo46) Full details for STS 4650 : Advanced Topics in Clinical Ethics STS 4691 Food, Agriculture, and Society Multidisciplinary course dealing with the social and environmental impact of food production in the United States and developing countries. Agroecosystems of various kinds are analyzed from biological, economic, and social perspectives. The impacts of traditional, conventional, and alternative agricultural technologies are critically examined in the context of developed and developing economies. Specific topics include biodiversity and ecosystem services in agriculture, transgenic crops, biofuels, urban agriculture, and sustainable development. Distribution: (PBS-AS) Academic Career: UG Instructor: Alison Power (agp4) Full details for STS 4691 : Food, Agriculture, and Society STS 4721 Peace Building in Conflict Regions: Case Studies Sub-Saharan Africa Israel Palestinian Territories This course focuses on issues of conflict, peace, and reconciliation in Israel and the Palestinian Territories as well as Sub-Saharan Africa. Both regions exemplify how issues ranging from nationalism and ethnocentrism to land, water and resource management, climate change and migration, as well as socio-psychological dynamics, can exacerbate conflicts. At the same time, these regions also exemplify how trans-border collaboration and regional integration, civilian peace building efforts, strategies for achieving historical justice, as well as science education and science diplomacy can become crucial tools for long-term peace-building, reconciliation and development. In this course we will work with and discuss issues of peace and conflict with policy-makers and local stakeholders involved in peace-building efforts. Full details for STS 4721 : Peace Building in Conflict Regions: Case Studies Sub-Saharan Africa Israel Palestinian Territories STS 4991 Honors Project I Students must register for 4 credits each semester (4991-4992) for a total of 8 credits. After the first semester, students receive a letter grade of "R"; a letter grade for both semesters is submitted at the end of the second semester whether or not the student completes a thesis or is recommended for honors. Minimally, an honors thesis outline and bibliography should be completed during the first semester. In consultation with the advisors, the director of undergraduate studies will evaluate whether the student should continue working on an honors project. Students should note that these courses are to be taken in addition to those courses that meet the regular major requirements. If students do not complete the second semester of the honors project, they must change the first semester to independent study to clear the "R" and receive a grade. Otherwise, the "R" will remain on their record and prevent them from graduating. Academic Career: UG Instructor: Sara Hatfield (smh388) Full details for STS 4991 : Honors Project I STS 4992 Honors Project II Students must register for the 4 credits each semester (BSOC 4991-BSOC 4992) for a total of 8 credits. After the first semester, students receive a letter grade of "R"; a letter grade for both semesters is submitted at the end of the second semester whether or not the student completes a thesis or is recommended for honors. Minimally, an honors thesis outline and bibliography should be completed during the first semester. In consultation with the advisors, the director of undergraduate studies will evaluate whether the student should continue working on an honors project. Students should note that these courses are to be taken in addition to those courses that meet the regular major requirements. If students do not complete the second semester of the honors project, they must change the first semester to independent study to clear the "R" and receive a grade. Otherwise, the "R" will remain on their record and prevent them from graduating. Full details for STS 4992 : Honors Project II STS 6311 Qualitative Research Methods for Studying Science In this Graduate seminar we will discuss the nature, politics and basic assumptions underlying qualitative research. We will examine a selection of qualitative methods ranging from interviewing, oral history, ethnography, participant observation, archival research and visual methods. We will also discuss the relationship between theory and method. All stages of a research project will be discussed - choice of research topic and appropriate methods; human subject concerns and permissions; issues regarding doing research; as well as the process of writing up and publishing research findings. Academic Career: GR Instructor: Trevor Pinch (tjp2) Full details for STS 6311 : Qualitative Research Methods for Studying Science Academic Career: GR Instructor: Marianthi Papalexandri-Alexandri (mp955) The modern world relies on a vast array of natural resources to drive its activities, but for most of human history, animals have provided energy to people. Animals were, and often still are, the energy fueling human transportation, agriculture, nutrition, and even entertainment. This course examines Classical and modern representations of animals as workpower, food and fuel, and raw materials for manufacture. We will read a wide array of sources that depict the work of animals in Classical antiquity and the modern world; we will also look at texts that attempt to describe how the animal body creates energy. For longer description and instructor bio, visit societyhumanities.as.cornell.edu/courses. Academic Career: GR Instructor: Athena Kirk (aek238) A martial artist learns movements and quirks unique to his teacher. A dancer conveys unbearable sorrow with a curve of her back. An artist's charcoal flies across the page. Horse and rider make a pirouette in perfect balance. This course emerges from the idea that we know our worlds through movement. Using texts drawn from anthropology, philosophy, sensory studies, science studies, and animal studies, this course pushes against any simple division of mind and body by examining balance, kinesthesia, and proprioception as often-neglected means of knowing our worlds. It also critiques the static and fixed nature of "rational-centric" thinking, considering how the movement energy of living beings challenges and disrupts division, separation, and stabilization. For longer description and instructor bio, visit societyhumanities.as.cornell.edu/courses. Academic Career: GR Instructor: Rachel Prentice (rep35) Academic Career: GR Instructor: Ariel Ron (ar2422) STS 6661 Public Engagement in Science In recent years, the scientific community has increasingly referred to "public engagement in science." This seminar explores the scholarly literature addressing that move; the links between "public engagement" and earlier concerns about sciences literacy, public understanding of science, and outreach; and the intersections between literature in communication and in science studies on issues involving the relationships among science(s) and public(s). Academic Career: GR Instructor: Bruce Lewenstein (bvl1) Full details for STS 6661 : Public Engagement in Science STS 6991 Graduate Independent Study Applications and information are available in 303 Morrill Hall. Academic Career: GR Instructor: Peter Dear (prd3) Full details for STS 6991 : Graduate Independent Study STS 7001 Special Topic 1: Science Studies and the Politics of Science The field of Science & Technology Studies (STS) has called attention to the contingent and socially embedded character of knowledge and technology. This seminar explores the consequences of these findings for the analysis of politics, considering such issues as trust and skepticism, political and legal agency, science and norms, responsible research and innovation, and the co-production of knowledge and social order. A prominent theme will be the role of science and technology in ordering the politics of democratic societies. What role does technical knowledge play in underwriting democracy? What problems of legitimacy arise from the interpretive flexibility of knowledge? How are stable settlements (sometimes) achieved in contexts of contingency? How are science and technology implicated in structuring power relations and shaping relationships between citizens and the state? Academic Career: GR Instructor: Stephen Hilgartner (shh6) Full details for STS 7001 : Special Topic 1: Science Studies and the Politics of Science Academic Career: GR Instructor: Stacey Langwick (sal54) STS 7937 Proseminar in Peace Studies The Proseminar in Peace Studies offers a multidisciplinary review of issues related to peace and conflict at the graduate level. The course is led by the director of the Judith Reppy Institute for Peace and Conflict Studies and is based on the Institute's weekly seminar series, featuring outside visitors and Cornell faculty. Academic Career: GR Instructor: Rebecca Slayton (rs849) Full details for STS 7937 : Proseminar in Peace Studies BSOC 1942 The History of Science in Europe: Newton to Darwin; Darwin to Einstein Full details for BSOC 1942 : The History of Science in Europe: Newton to Darwin; Darwin to Einstein BSOC 2061 Ethics and the Environment Full details for BSOC 2061 : Ethics and the Environment BSOC 2071 Introduction to the History of Medicine Full details for BSOC 2071 : Introduction to the History of Medicine BSOC 2201 Society and Natural Resources The actions of people are crucial to environmental well-being. This course addresses the interrelationships between social phenomena and the natural (i.e., biophysical) environment. It is intended to (1) increase student awareness of these interconnections in their everyday lives; (2) introduce students to a variety of social science perspectives, including sociology, economics, psychology, and political science, that help us make sense of these connections; (3) identify the contributions of each of these perspectives to our understanding of environmental problems; and (4) discuss how natural resource management and environmental policy reflect these perspectives. Academic Career: UG Instructor: Richard Stedman (rcs6) Full details for BSOC 2201 : Society and Natural Resources BSOC 2468 Medicine, Culture, and Society Full details for BSOC 2468 : Medicine, Culture, and Society BSOC 2581 Environmental History This lecture course serves as an introduction to the historical study of humanity's interrelationship with the natural world. Environmental history is a quickly evolving field, taking on increasing importance as the environment itself becomes increasingly important in world affairs. During this semester, we'll examine the sometimes unexpected ways in which "natural" forces have shaped human history (the role of germs, for instance, in the colonization of North America); the ways in which human beings have shaped the natural world (through agriculture, urbanization, and industrialization, as well as the formation of things like wildlife preserves); and the ways in which cultural, scientific, political, and philosophical attitudes toward the environment have changed over time. This is designed as an intensely interdisciplinary course: we'll view history through the lenses of ecology, literature, art, film, law, anthropology, and geography. Our focus will be on the United States, but, just as environmental pollutants cross borders, so too will this class, especially toward the end, when we attempt to put U.S. environmental history into a geopolitical context. This course is meant to be open to all, including non-majors and first-year students. Academic Career: UG Instructor: Aaron Sachs (as475) Full details for BSOC 2581 : Environmental History BSOC 2721 History of Mental Health and Mental Illness in the United States Full details for BSOC 2721 : History of Mental Health and Mental Illness in the United States BSOC 2841 Viruses- Humans-Viral Politics (Social History and Cultural Politics of HIV & AIDS) Full details for BSOC 2841 : Viruses- Humans-Viral Politics (Social History and Cultural Politics of HIV & AIDS) BSOC 3181 Living in an Uncertain World: Science, Technology, and Risk Full details for BSOC 3181 : Living in an Uncertain World: Science, Technology, and Risk BSOC 3390 Primate Behavior and Ecology with Emphasis on African Apes The course will investigate all aspects of non-human primate life. Based on the fundamentals of evolutionary theory, group and inter-individual behaviors will be presented. In addition, an understanding of group structure and breeding systems will be reached through an evaluation of ecological constraints imposed on primates in different habitats. Subjects include: primate taxonomy, diet and foraging, predation, cooperation and competition, social ontogeny, kinship, and mating strategies. Distribution: (PBSS-AS) Academic Career: UG Instructor: Adam Arcadi (apc13) Full details for BSOC 3390 : Primate Behavior and Ecology with Emphasis on African Apes BSOC 3751 Independent Study Projects under the direction of a Biology and Society faculty member are encouraged as part of the program of study within the student's concentration area. Applications for research projects are accepted by individual faculty members. Students may enroll for 1 to 4 credits in BSOC 3751 Independent Study with written permission of the faculty supervisor and may elect either the letter grade or the S-U option. Students may elect to do an independent study project as an alternative to, or in advance of, an honors project. Information on faculty research, scholarly activities, and undergraduate opportunities are available in the Biology and Society Office, 303 Morrill Hall. Independent study credits may not be used in completion of the major requirements. Full details for BSOC 3751 : Independent Study BSOC 4122 Darwin and the Making of Histories Full details for BSOC 4122 : Darwin and the Making of Histories BSOC 4127 The Body Politic in Asia Visions of bodily corruption preoccupy ruler and ruled alike and prompt campaigns for moral, medical, and legal reform in periods of both stability and revolution. This seminar explores the links between political, sexual, and scientific revolutions in early modern and modern Asia. The focus is on China and Japan, with secondary attention to South Asia and Korea. Interaction with the West is a major theme. Topics include disease control, birth control and population control, body modification, the history of masculinity, honorific violence and sexual violence, the science of sex, normative and stigmatized sexualities, fashion, disability, and eugenics. The course begins with an exploration of regimes of the body in "traditional" Asian cultures. The course then turns to the medicalization and modernization of the body under the major rival political movements in Asia: feminism, imperialism, nationalism, and communism. Academic Career: UG Instructor: Kristin Roebuck (kar79) Full details for BSOC 4127 : The Body Politic in Asia BSOC 4280 Health and Environmental Justice Full details for BSOC 4280 : Health and Environmental Justice BSOC 4425 Victorian Evolutions In the nineteenth century, evolution was a "dangerous" yet seductive concept. How did competing ideas of evolution impact the literary imagination? This course examines the influence of evolutionary thinking on nineteenth-century literature. Examining Charles Darwin's On the Origin of Species and The Descent of Man, we will consider how a galvanizing scientific theory took narrative shape before turning to the work of major Victorian novelists and poets. We will analyze how evolutionary ideas affected how the Victorians understood relations with animals, the status of religion, and the concept of race. In turn, these ideas affected how literary forms and genres themselves (realism, nonsense, elegy, science fiction) "adapted" to evolution's new horizons on the human. Authors will include Tennyson, Eliot, Carroll, Hardy, Hopkins, Schreiner, and Wells. Academic Career: UG Instructor: Elisha Cohn (ejc244) Full details for BSOC 4425 : Victorian Evolutions BSOC 4460 Lightscapes Full details for BSOC 4460 : Lightscapes BSOC 4650 Advanced Topics in Clinical Ethics Full details for BSOC 4650 : Advanced Topics in Clinical Ethics BSOC 4691 Food, Agriculture, and Society Full details for BSOC 4691 : Food, Agriculture, and Society BSOC 4991 Honors Project I Full details for BSOC 4991 : Honors Project I BSOC 4992 Honors Project II Full details for BSOC 4992 : Honors Project II	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line441
__label__cc	0.571626	0.428374	Oplan August Moon still on EDITORIAL Click to enlarge 11/16/2009 Oplan August Moon still on National Security Adviser Norberto Gonzales was a natural choice for Gloria as a replacement for Gilberto Teodoro as defense secretary — but only if she has something up her sleeve prior to the elections next year...perhaps, even after poll day, should a failure of elections .... MORE ALTERNATE URL: http://www.classicposters.com/commentary/20091116com1.html What’s up, Norbert? Consumer expectations in 2010 Predictable moro-moro endings Taliban guerrillas bring ‘Iraq tactics’ to Pakistan ‘Bora’ Boracay blight Labels: Daily Tribune, EDITORIAL What’s up, Norbert? FRONTLINE Ninez Cacho-Olivares 11/16/2009 While it is true that given only six more months in the Malacañang seat of power, and with presidential elections expected to bring in a brand new leadership, it is almost impossible for Gloria to attract new Cabinet members to fill in the posts vacated and to be vacated in a few weeks by her officials who will have to resign to run for an elective.... MORE Labels: Daily Tribune, Ninez Cacho-Olivares Consumer expectations in 2010 ZOOMING IN Rudy Romero 11/16/2009 Rudy Romero Economists tell us that at this stage in the Philippine economy’s development consumption accounts for two thirds of the nation’s gross domestic product (GDP). That being the case, any attempt to forecast the economy’s performance in 2010 must of necessity be based on a reasonably accurate reading of consumer expectations for the 12-month period that will begin .... MORE Labels: Daily Tribune, Rudy Romero Predictable moro-moro endings DIE HARD III Herman Tiu Laurel 11/16/2009 Moro-moro is a unique Filipino theater genre for the show battles between Moors and Christians. It also perfectly describes the show staged last week between Gloria Arroyo and Hillary Clinton. With them, a bevy of supporting cast provided the backdrop: From the kidnap and beheading of a high school principal in Sulu, allegedly by Abu Sayyaf bandits, giving the “evil” characters, the bad guys, another opportunity to strike fear; to the kidnap of an Irish Catholic priest by unknown elements, prompting certain quarters to ask the country to pray for the “good” old clergyman — all these have culminated with the GRP-deemed “good” MILF helping secure the priest’s release in time for Clinton’s tête-à-tête with Arroyo, with news headlines ending the show with “Clinton to gov’t on MILF talks: Strike while iron is hot.” Last Friday, we depicted this series of MILF-related incidents as a coordinated set-up for Clinton’s visit. Her real message: More “ap-peace-ment” talks that will cede the ARMM and some more, plus the entire Sulu Sea, to the MILF’s BangsaMoro Juridical Entity (BJE), as stipulated in the junked Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain (MoA-AD). All the headlines about Clinton wanting to discuss “Ondoy” or clean elections are simply crap. She came to demand from Gloria the signing of the MoA-AD before the latter’s term ends. This new marching order, despite the huge backlash against it from the people and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), is intended to avoid any new administration from further hemming and hawing on the issue. Gloria then would probably use this US impatience over Mindanao as an opportunity to stage a fait accompli for an extension of her stay in exchange for getting the MoA-AD through. Question is, will the AFP, as an institution tasked with preserving the nation’s territorial integrity, which has sacrificed literally tens of thousands of lives over the decades, yield to this? Well, in the event of a confusion in the elections run by a most incompetent and mentally dishonest Comelec, Gloria and the US might just succeed. Meanwhile, the 2010 elections and the Comelec may be described more as a zarzuela rather than a moro-moro. The comic state-of-affairs in the Automated Elections System is as predictable as most other things that happen in our “democracy.” I am not impressed with Chairman Jose Melo because, despite the PR spin, he has absolutely no record of outstanding service. He has served the corrupt judicial system with nary a squeak of protest. Ferdinand Rafanan, too, has revealed himself a dreamer for promising a heavenly perfect automated election despite critiques from intelligent and honest skeptics. The Comelec is facing a massive debacle with the automated voting machines a month behind production schedule. All these, plus the “garbage-in-garbage-out” probabilities inherent in any computerized system, prove that I just can’t have faith in the 2010 polls. Of course, I am still campaigning for President Joseph Estrada; but it’s more of my faith in him and his vision than in the electoral and political system that prevail. If there’s any political leader who has never tolerated moro-moro or zarzuela in governance, it is Estrada. He went out to tackle real life problems as mayor of San Juan by producing real tangible results: Resettlement and housing for squatters; computerized tax collection 20 years ahead of others; and paving roads without using excessive government funds (by tapping the people’s resourcefulness). As president, he seriously tackled the issues of food security, peace-and-order, the insurgency, as well as, other problems by brooking no hypocrisy. He moved to flush jueteng into the daylight and tried to end the “sovereign guarantees” that Big Business has long used to bleed the people dry. Erap’s struggle is an uphill fight because the US Embassy and the domestic oligarchy are opposed to his return. The three-headed ABS-CBN-Inquirer-Ayala hydra, for sure, is out to derail his determination to protect the poor and middle class from endless power, water and other utility rate increases. Erap has no love lost for these oligarchs but there is one more thing he must add to his agenda: Fighting the “oily-gopoly” by initiating the re-nationalization of Petron or, at the minimum, setting up a new national oil company to deal with oil producing countries ready to supply cheap oil. Since Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez already offered such a deal in 1999, it’s time for us to take it up seriously. Erap must continue campaigning — for, at any moment, something other than elections could happen. The Arroyo regime is always ready for a surprise; which is why Bono Adaza last Friday hinted as much about AFP elements preparing their own. Even Tribune columnist Tony Gat wrote that he’s still waiting for a revolution. And the mood is worldwide. The US , in the wake of Obama’s failed “change,” is rife with talk of revolution. 2012, despite the apocalyptic themes attached to it, could be a turning point for a world hungry for a new beginning. As it opens its eyes to the lies of the prevailing world order after the Wall Street Ponzi scheme collapse, 9/11 and the Iraq-Afghan War, the Obama fraud, the MoA-AD et al., the end of the current US-Western hegemony here and around the world is now at hand. And this is no moro-moro. (Tune in to 1098AM, Sulong Pilipinismo, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.; Global News Network, Destiny Cable Channel 21, Talk News TV, Tuesday, 8:15 p.m. to 9 p.m. on “The Fight Against the Oily-gopoly;” also visit http://hermantiulaurel.blogspot.com) (Reprinted with permission from Mr. Herman Tiu- Laurel) Labels: Daily Tribune, Herman Tiu Laurel Oplan August Moon still on EDITORIAL Click to enl... What’s up, Norbert? FRONTLINE Ninez Cacho-Olivare... Consumer expectations in 2010 ZOOMING IN Rudy Rom... Predictable moro-moro endings DIE HARD III Herman... Taliban guerrillas bring ‘Iraq tactics’ to Pakista... ‘Bora’ HE SAYS Aldrin Cardon 11/16/2009 Boracay blight SHE SAYS Dinah S. Ventura 11/16/2...	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line447
__label__wiki	0.976565	0.976565	Jinggoy links Angie, Ligot to ownership of US homes By Michaela P. del Callar 02/08/2011 BOMBSHELL ON EX-GENERALS’ CALIFORNIA HOMES IN SENATE Jinggoy links Angie, Ligot to ownership of US homes They weren’t featured in glossy US magazines such as House Beautiful, Home and Gardens, Town and Country and Architectural Digest, but photos of the the obviously illegally-acquired homes registered in the name of the spouse of former military comptroller during the term of then Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief of Staff, Gen. Angelo Reyes, Ret. B/Gen. Jacinto Ligot, certainly made a big splash in the Senate blue ribbon hearing yesterday, with Senate president pro-tempore Jinggoy Estrada showing the pictures of the twin homes located in California, USA, complete with documentation of ownership. Estrada yesterday bared that the spouses of embattled retired generals Angelo Reyes and Ligot, who are linked to massive corruption in the military, have unlawfully acquired properties in the United States. Estrada, at the Senate blue ribbon committee hearing, said two houses located in suburban communities in California, amounting to $504,000 and $183,688, respectively, were acquired using the name of Ligot’s wife, Erlinda. Showing photos of the properties at the hearing, Estrada confronted Ligot and asked him if he is aware that his wife owns two houses in California..... MORE Senate caucus spares Garcia from contempt, detention raps 02/08/2011 Senate caucus spares Garcia from contempt, detention raps Discharged Maj. Gen. Carlos Garcia, who has been threatened by the Senate with contempt charges and a detained stay at the Senate for refusing to respond to the questions posed by the senators forming the blue ribbon committee probe on the massive military corruption, won’t be cited for contempt by the Senate—at least not this time around. Throughout the Senate blue ribbon inquiry, Garcia has been invoking his right against self-incrimination and last week, senators threatened to cite him for contempt and a possible detention at the Senate until he opens up. But as there was an absence of quorum on the day the senators wanted him cited for contempt, an announced caucus was instead resorted to by the senators, The caucus was held yesterday, after the panel’s inquiry was suspended. The right against self-incrimination is a constitutional right and it was speculated by many legal minds that Garcia, through his lawyers, would challenge this contempt citation and his detention at the Senate should the Senate go ahead with its threat..... MORE Palace softens stance on RH bill, drops birth control in Ledac meet 02/08/2011 Palace softens stance on RH bill, drops birth control in Ledac meet An expanded list of priority bills to be discussed in the first Legislative Executive Development Advisory Council (Ledac) meeting scheduled on Feb. 28 was finally presented by Malacañang to the media yesterday but it did not include the controversial Responsible Parent-hood (RP) bill, Freedom of Information (FoI) bill as well the Whistleblowers Act which President Aquino previously said he would vouch for. Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda explained that the five-pronged RP bill or the sanitized version of the controversial Reproductive Health (RH) bill was omitted from the list out of courtesy to the members of the Catholic Church pending the final results of their dialogs. “I think that’s the whole idea of holding a dialog (is) to listen to their (Church leaders’) views. We have made that position very clear with them. We will maintain the five-point statement (on RP bill) but we would like to have their views as well. So we are going to finish the dialog and whatever inputs they have there — without necessarily moving away from our position of providing access to both natural and artificial family planning methods — will also be placed in part and parcel of the Responsible Parenthood bill,” Lacierda told reporters at a news conference. “The President has not backtracked on this (Responsible Parenthood Bill). We are aware of the sensitivity of this issue and the President is keen on listening to all sectors concerned,” Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr. explained for his part..... MORE Mancao vows to pin Ping on Dacer murders By Benjamin B. Pulta 02/08/2011 Mancao vows to pin Ping on Dacer murders Former police Supt. Cezar Mancao II yesterday met with Justice officials and vowed to pin down his former boss, Sen. Panfilo “Ping” Lacson, for the murders of publicist Salvador “Bubby” Dacer and his driver Emmanuel Corbito in November 2000. “I have sacrificed a lot to be away from my family, I was removed from the service. I hope the public and the media will understand,” he said. The Court of Appeals (CA) earlier junked the two murder cases against Lacson. It also ruled that “Mancao is not a credible and trustworthy witness.” But Mancao believes the CA erred in ruling against his credibility. “I’m disappointed but there is a process. I still believe in the justice system, they can still do better than what they are doing now. The truth will come out.”.... MORE RP gov’t defends Taiwanese deportation 02/08/2011 RP gov’t defends Taiwanese deportation The government yesterday defended its decision to deport 14 suspected Taiwanese fraudsters to China, while expressing hope the incident would not hurt relations with Taiwan. Philippine authorities arrested the Taiwanese group, along with 10 Chinese nationals, in December for allegedly swindling $20 million in an international scam targeting mainland Chinese, and last week deported them to the mainland. The move infuriated Taiwan, which said the Taiwanese should have faced justice at home on the self-ruled island rather than in China. Taiwan threatened to review its exchanges with the Philippines over the incident. But the office which handles Philippine relations with Taiwan said authorities had acted appropriately..... MORE Pichay, CoA members linked to funds scam 02/08/2011 By Michaela P. del Callar Pichay, CoA members linked to funds scam By Michaela P. del Callar The vicious web of corruption alleged to be endemic in the military has branched out into the legislature and the state audit body itself, based on the continuing revelations by whistle-blower Lt. Col. George Rabusa at the Senate yesterday with former Surigao del Sur Rep. Prospero Pichay, a close ally of former President Arroyo, being accused of receiving part of the controversial funds diverted from the Philippine military’s coffers. Rabusa said Pichay, then House committee chairman on national defense, received P500,000 each time he visited the office of former Armed Forces Chief of Staff Gen . Diomedio Villanueva. He said former AFP comptroller Carlos Garcia would instruct him to release the money to Pichay, but claimed that he does not know what it was for. “Immediately he (Garcia) would tell me to prepare P500,000 for Pichay whenever he dropped by the office of the Chief of Staff,” Rabusa told the Senate blue ribbon committee. “I just follow the order of General Garcia because he was my boss.” Rabusa said, adding that Pichay had been given the money at least three times..... MORE Embattled Garcia faces expulsion from PMAAA By Mario J. Mallari 02/08/2011 Embattled Garcia faces expulsion from PMAAA Former Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) comptroller discharged Maj. Gen. Carlos Garcia is now facing expulsion from the Philippine Military Academy Alumni Association (PMAAA) amid the growing controversies about the alleged massive corruption in the AFP during his incumbency as deputy chief of staff for comptrollership or J6. Former AFP chief and Muntinlupa Rep. Rodolfo Biazon, chairman of the PMAAA, said that a resolution from fellow cavaliers have been passed calling for the expulsion of Garcia, a member of the controversial PMA Class of 1971. “A resolution for expulsion had been submitted and so we discussed it in the board. Finally, the board agreed that we should not preempt the judicial proceedings ongoing,” Biazon said. Garcia was charged with plunder for allegedly amassing more than P300 million in unexplained wealth during his incumbency as AFP comptroller..... MORE Jinggoy links Angie, Ligot to ownership of US home... Senate caucus spares Garcia from contempt, detenti... Palace softens stance on RH bill, drops birth cont... Mancao vows to pin Ping on Dacer murders By Benjam... RP gov’t defends Taiwanese deportation 02/08/2011... Pichay, CoA members linked to funds scam 02/08/20... Embattled Garcia faces expulsion from PMAAA By Mar... Stars of stage and screen gather for awards - Joaquin Phoenix, Renee Zellweger and Phoebe Waller-Bridge were among the winning attendees.	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line449
__label__wiki	0.95608	0.95608	The numbers don’t jibe EDITORIAL 03/23/2011 The numbers don’t jibe One of the reasons survey outfits’ results are not quite taken seriously, and are many times disbelieved, is that certain claimed perceptions just don’t jibe. Pulse Asia’s recent poll findings show that the trust and approval rating of Noynoy Aquino on a nationwide basis slid by a substantial five points, and by 12 percent in the National Capital Region (NCR). Overall, however, Noynoy still obtained a high 75 percent from 80 percent in October by way of trust ratings, while he fell from 79 percent in October to 74 percent in performance or approval rating. The biggest Noynoy suffered was a 12 percent drop coming from the NCR, from 78 percent last October to 66 percent in March. The Pulse Asia poll noted that public perception on six issues confronting the Aquino administration was not favorable as reflected in the latest survey. Public confidence fell on his administration’s performance on six key issues, including the equal enforcement of the law, creating more jobs and controlling the population growth, which showed huge declines from October last year..... MORE Tarnishing the presidency FRONTLINE Ninez Cacho-Olivares 03/23/2011 Tarnishing the presidency Incredible but true. We have a president who not only blatantly dips his entire hand into congressional moves, specifically the impeachment of Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez, but even goes public by lauding the congressmen who early yesterday morning, voted resoundingly to impeach her as “our heroes of today.” His statement was followed up his mouthpiece, Edwin Lacierda, who said: “By doing so, the House has put an end to the long era of impunity that tarnished our institutions and made a mockery of the bedrock principle of accountability enshrined in our Constitution. This is the glory of democracy: where the law applies to all, where scrutiny exempts no one, and where accountability is for our institutions to exact.” The problem with these pharisees in Malacañang is that even as they mouth all these “noble” statements of the principle of accountability, of the glory of democracy, of the law being applied to all, of transparency, of scrutiny exempting no one, is that they exempt themselves from all these..... MORE Tsunami disruption spreads deep into Japan focus 03/23/2011 Tsunami disruption spreads deep into Japan MORIOKA — Ten days after Japan’s tsunami disaster, towns far from the impact zone are still experiencing shortages that have thrown the neat, ordered lives of local residents completely out of gear. Gas station queues stretching for several kilometers, long waits at supermarkets, empty store shelves and shuttered businesses have become a part of the landscape in post-tsunami Japan. At the foot of the Mount Iwate volcano, the people of Morioka city — almost 100 kilometers (60 miles) west of the devastated coast — are still trying to adjust to the sudden absence of many things they had simply taken for granted. At a gas station on the outskirts of the city, motorists waited hours on end before finally reaching the gas pump, clutching a 2,000 yen ($25, 17 euros) daily rationing coupon in their hands. The coupon is barely enough to buy a third of a tank on an average-sized city car..... MORE That Pulse Asia survey C.R.O.S.S.R.O.A.D.S Jonathan De la Cruz 03/23/2011 That Pulse Asia survey If you believe in surveys, the latest Pulse Asia “Ulat ng Bayan” survey issued for the quarter ending March 2011 says that despite the many challenges coming his way, a solid majority of respondents continue to have trust in P-Noy (75 percent) and appreciate what he has been doing thus far (74 percent). With 1,200 adult respondents polled from Feb. 24 to March 6, the survey showed that P-Noy’s approval rating was positive across geographical areas ranging from 66 percent in Metro Manila to 83 percent in the Visayas with only a 4 to 9 percent disapproval. On the other hand, his approval rating for socio-economic classes ranged from 69 percent in Classes ABC to 80 percent in Class E while his disapproval rating was between 5 to 8 percent. Pulse Asia also noted that almost one in five respondents (18 percent) remained undecided about P-Noy’s performance with the indecision most notable in Metro Manila (26 percent) and least in the Visayas (13 percent) with Mindanao registering 15 percent. Across income classes, the level of public ambivalence about his performance ranged from 26 percent in Classes ABC to 14 percent in Class E..... MORE US says goal is to get Kadhafi to step down focus 03/23/2011 US says goal is to get Kadhafi to step down SANTIAGO — The United States Monday sent mixed messages about its objectives in Libya, as President Barack Obama said Moamer Kadhafi must go, but vowed US forces would stick to a narrower UN mandate. “Our military action is in support of an international mandate from the Security Council that specifically focuses on the humanitarian threat posed by Colonel Kadhafi to his people,” Obama told a press conference in Chile. The missile and air strikes launched at the weekend were “in support of UN Security Resolution 1973, that specifically talks about humanitarian efforts, and we are going to make sure that we stick to that mandate,” he added. But Obama stressed it was “US policy that Kadhafi needs to go” accusing the veteran leader who has ruled the north African country for more than four decades of murdering civilians as he tries to quell an opposition uprising..... MORE Dazed and confused HE SAYS Aldrin Cardon 03/23/2011 And just about anything else. Except to tell the truth. Sen. Jinggoy Estrada must have known all along there ain’t anything substantial he could get from Erlinda Ligot and his brother Edgardo Yambao. And much less, or none at all, from Jacinto Ligot, the former military comptroller who probably would know than what Angelo Reyes had brought to his grave. But while Estrada could not be forgiving, although he seemed passive at times for the duration of the Senate inquiry on the anomalous AFP transactions, his hands are shackled by a system that governs us all, including those who have done the country wrong. Yet they could be forgetful, especially when pressed about the missing AFP millions, or the ownership of several properties a soldier’s salary could not afford. The Ligots are not even quibbling. Less talk, less mistakes..... MORE Contemptible SHE SAYS Dinah S. Ventura 03/23/2011 Contemptible First it was Jose Pidal (who, in the course of investigation, was finally revealed to be then-President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s brother-in-law, Rep. Ignacio Arroyo, brother of then first gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo). Then it was former Agriculture Undersecretary Jocelyn “Joc-joc” Bolante, who went through the same Q&A portion for the Fertilizer Fund Scam. One after the other, they popularized the now-infamous line, “I invoke my right to privacy.” It appears that they had the same lawyer, Antonio Zulueta, who is now counseling another controversial couple. The “Ligots” — who, for purposes of this column, shall be comprised of retired former military comptroller Jacinto Ligot, his wife Erlinda and brother-in-law Edgardo Yambao — are also invoking their right to privacy and against self-incrimination, faced as they are now with a barrage of questions at the Senate inquiry for alleged military corruption. Listening to them can make you want to throw things..... MORE Noy offered extra P20-M pork for yes vote—solons By Charlie V. Manalo 03/23/2011 DOUBTS RAISED OVER NUMBER OF YES VOTES ON MERCI IMPEACH Noy offered extra P20-M pork for yes vote—solons Personal calls from President Aquino to congressmen, allegedly offering the sweetener of an additional P20 million in congressional pork barrel in exchange for a yes vote, were all part of the presidential push to impeach Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez “resoundingly.” These measures appeared to have done the trick, with an almost full House attendance, said to be comparable only to the congressional attendance during a President’s State of the Nation Address (Sona). The additonal P20-million pork pledged is said to be taken from the budget savings which form part of the pork barrel funds of Aquino, congressional sources told the Tribune yesterday. But the numbers in the plenary impeachment votes also didn’t add up, with some congressmen now questioning the accuracy of the vote count..... MORE Senate ready for trial, debates on rules By Angie M. Rosales 03/23/2011 Senate ready for trial, debates on rules As senators await the formal transmittal of the articles of impeachment against Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez, debates on the rules that will government their trial proceedings kicked off yesterday. Its adoption is seen to take place today, before Congress goes on a Lenten break or just in time when they resume sessions on May 9, simultaneous with its convening as an impeachment trial body to take up the Gutierrez case. Majority Leader Vicente Sotto III yesterday proposed that a “gag order” of sorts be observed by his colleagues while trial proceedings are ongoing, which means that no interview with any member of the media or entity will be granted by any of the senator-judges. Sotto’s proposal does not spare even the members of the prosecution panel, the person impeached as well as their respective counsels and witnesses..... MORE DFA asks Libya to allow return of 4 Kadhafi maids 03/23/2011 DFA asks Libya to allow return of 4 Kadhafi maids The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) had asked Libya to let four Filipino women working as maids for a relative of leader Moamer Kadhafi to leave for home amid Western-led air strikes. The four last week rang their relatives back home to help get the government to negotiate their release from work contracts, DFA director for migrant workers affairs Enrico Fos said. The DFA has sought assistance from Libya’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs to let the four maids identified as Diana Rivera, Racquel Dadang, Mary Ann Ducus and Zenaida Labugen to be evacuated along with other Filipinos. They work for Al Sahal Shariff, who is said to be Kadhafi’s nephew. “The relatives called the DFA to alert it of their wish to leave, but their employer told them their help was needed at this time,” Fos told a news conference..... MORE RP named laundering center for drug money By Michaela P. del Callar 03/23/2011 RP named laundering center for drug money The Philippines was among countries that the United States cited as the global centers for the laundering of money coming from international narcotics trafficking in a recent report. In its 2011 International Narcotics Control Strategy Report, the US State Department Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs placed the Philippines in the “Jurisdictions of Primary Concern,” a roll of coun-tries said to be engaged in heavy narco-money laundering activities. “The complex nature of money laundering transactions today makes it difficult in many cases to distinguish the proceeds of narcotics trafficking from the proceeds of other serious crime,” the State Department said. However, it noted that financial institutions engaged in transactions that involve significant amounts of proceeds from other serious crimes, like the Philippines, “are vulnerable to narcotics-related money laundering.”.... MORE Pinay, daughter among tsunami dead 03/23/2011 Pinay, daughter among tsunami dead A Filipina and her 12-year-old daughter were among the thousands of people who perished in the magnitude 9.0 earthquake and subsequent tsunamis that devastated Northeastern Japan on March 11, Depart-ment of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said yesterday. The Fukushima Iwaki Central Police Headquarters informed the Philippine Honorary Consulate in Morioka that the remains of Grace Agnes Oprecio-Hiruta, 45, and daughter Maria were identified by her husband, Masahiro Hiruta. Police said the cause of their death is tsunami-related. According to the DFA, the search and rescue team discovered the body of Mrs. Hiruta inside the vicinity of the house of a certain Mr. Suzuki on March 19 in Iwaki City, Fukushima..... MORE Brother of Maguindanao governor implicated in prosecutor’s ambush By Benjamin B. Pulta 03/23/2011 Brother of Maguindanao governor implicated in prosecutor’s ambush Justice Secretary Leila de Lima has ordered preliminary investigations into charges against a brother of Maguindanao Gov. Esmail “Toto” Mangudadatu who was implicated in the ambush of Maguindanao Provincial Prosecutor Akilali Balt last week. A panel of investigating fiscals was formed by De Lima, composed of Assistant State Prosecutor Vimar Barcellano and Prosecution lawyers Gerard Gaerlan and Mark Roland Estepa to determine probable cause in the complaint filed by Balt’s daughter Aminah. The complaint alleged that Mayor Ibrahim Mangudadatu of Buluan was behind the attack. Balt was on his way home aboard service vehicle with his driver Dandan Balt Datu Dakula when two men riding a motorcycle appeared on their side in a red light and suddenly opened fire at them. He sustained gunshot wounds in his lower right ear, lower right neck and right forearm and was still in comatose as of yesterday afternoon..... MORE Binay tells Makati building owners to follow strictly building code By Pat C. Santos 03/23/2011 Binay tells Makati building owners to follow strictly building code By Pat C. Santos 03/23/2011 As part of the preparation for earthquakes and other eventualities, Makati City Mayor Jejomar Erwin Binay Jr. has asked building owners, particularly at the Central Business District, to follow strictly the building code and have occupants ready and familiarized themselves with all the emergency instructions in any eventuality. This was the call made by young Binay when interviewed yesterday during the awarding of some 50 building owners in Makati who had complied with the 2011 fire safety compliance. The mayor said they are making the necessary arrangements for preparedness and they are canceling a day to conduct earthquake drills and lectures but they were burdened by the preparation in the aftermath of the Japan experience. But late last night Binay said they were working and making their own assessment to determine what would be the effect of an earthquake in Makati City..... MORE DoJ summons Ligots for P428-M tax evasion By Benjamin B. Pulta 03/23/2011 DoJ summons Ligots for P428-M tax evasion Embattled former military comptroller Lt. Gen. Jacinto Ligot and his wife Erlinda who are facing a Senate inquiry into their alleged illegal wealth have been summoned to appear before the Department of Justice for the preliminary investigation into the P428-million tax evasion charges against them. The Ligots were directed to appear before prosecutors on April 6 and April 13 by Assistant State Prosecutor Stewart Mariano who sent separate summonses to Ligot and his wife. The case stemmed from the tax evasion charges filed by the Bureau of Internal Revenue for eight counts of non-payment of tax and five counts of non-filing of income tax returns (ITRs) for taxable years 2001 to 2004. According to the BIR, Ligot failed to file his ITR in 2001 while his wife likewise ignored filing her ITRs in 2001 to 2004. They also failed to declare their income in 2001 worth P41,854,181.57; P103,601,281.22 in 2002; P165,367,784.39 in 2003, and P184,995,700.14 in 2004..... MORE Tarnishing the presidency FRONTLINE Ninez Cacho-Ol... Tsunami disruption spreads deep into Japan focus ... That Pulse Asia survey C.R.O.S.S.R.O.A.D.S Jonatha... US says goal is to get Kadhafi to step down focus ... Dazed and confused HE SAYS Aldrin Cardon 03/23/20... Contemptible SHE SAYS Dinah S. Ventura 03/23/2011... Noy offered extra P20-M pork for yes vote—solons B... Senate ready for trial, debates on rules By Angie ... DFA asks Libya to allow return of 4 Kadhafi maids ... RP named laundering center for drug money By Micha... Brother of Maguindanao governor implicated in pros... Binay tells Makati building owners to follow stric... DoJ summons Ligots for P428-M tax evasion By Benja...	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line450
__label__cc	0.68701	0.31299	NY Yankees 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 3 2 Texas 1 0 2 0 2 1 0 0 x 6 10 0 W: L. Lynn (16-11) L: M. Tanaka (11-9) 12:05 PM PT1:05 PM MT2:05 PM CT3:05 PM ET15:05 ET19:05 GMT3:05 12:05 PM MST2:05 PM EST2:35 PM VEN23:05 UAE2:05 PM CT, September 29, 2019 Globe Life Park in Arlington, Arlington, Texas Attendance: 47,144 D. LeMahieu, 1B 3 0 0 0 0 0 1 .327 .375 .518 M. Ford, 1B 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 .259 .350 .559 A. Judge, RF 3 1 1 1 4 0 1 .272 .381 .540 C. Frazier, RF 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 .267 .317 .489 B. Gardner, CF 3 0 0 0 0 1 1 .251 .325 .503 G. Stanton, DH 4 0 0 0 0 0 2 .288 .403 .492 G. Torres, 2B 3 0 0 0 0 0 2 .278 .337 .535 G. Sánchez, C 3 0 1 0 1 0 1 .232 .316 .525 K. Higashioka, C 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .214 .211 .464 D. Gregorius, SS 3 0 0 0 0 0 1 .238 .276 .441 T. Estrada, SS 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .250 .294 .438 G. Urshela, 3B 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 .314 .355 .534 T. Wade, 3B 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 .245 .330 .362 C. Maybin, LF 3 0 0 0 0 0 2 .285 .364 .494 Totals 30 1 3 1 6 1 13 - - - W. Calhoun, LF 3 0 1 1 1 0 1 .269 .323 .524 D. Santana, RF 3 1 1 1 1 0 1 .283 .324 .534 N. Solak, 3B 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 .293 .393 .491 R. Guzmán, 1B 4 0 1 2 1 0 2 .219 .308 .414 J. Trevino, C 4 1 2 0 2 0 1 .258 .272 .383 Totals 31 6 10 4 11 4 6 - - - 2B: Tex 1, S. Choo (31). HR: NYY 1, A. Judge (27). HR Detail: NYY, A. Judge (Inning: 3 , 2 Out, 0 on) off L. Lynn. Scoring Position: NYY - 0 for 0.Tex - 3 for 12. SF: NYY 0, Tex 1, W. Calhoun (1). C. Green 1.0 1 1 0 1 2 0 5 23 9 - 14 4.17 .247 M. Tanaka, (L 11-9) 3.0 5 2 1 1 2 0 15 53 18 - 35 4.45 .261 T. Kahnle 1.0 2 2 2 1 0 0 6 18 8 - 10 3.67 .200 A. Ottavino 1.0 1 1 1 1 0 0 5 17 8 - 9 1.90 .198 Z. Britton 1.0 1 0 0 0 1 0 3 8 2 - 6 1.91 .182 A. Chapman 1.0 0 0 0 0 1 0 3 9 3 - 6 2.21 .185 L. Lynn, (W 16-11) 7.1 2 1 1 1 10 1 25 101 29 - 72 3.67 .243 Errors: NYY 2, G. Sánchez (15), M. Tanaka (2). Double Plays: NYY 2, (Torres to Gregorius to LeMahieu; Torres to Ford). Stolen Bases: Tex 3, S. Choo (15), E. Andrus 2 (31). Hit by Pitch: Tex, D. Santana by T. Kahnle. Umpires: HP--Baker, 1B--Tosi, 2B--Cederstrom, 3B--Johnson.	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line454
__label__wiki	0.5733	0.5733	Stephenson Tales THESE ARE SOME OF MY FAVORITE THINGS (But I am of two minds about one role.) As I have noted elsewhere, I began performing at a very early age. I have been at it for over eighty years—and there are some experiences which stand out in my memory as particularly joyful. Every theater experience—either as an actor or as a director—is unique. Each has its challenges which belong to that event and to no other. Therefore one's creativity is always being challenged to find what is right THIS time. One can never simply repeat what one has done before—or one's productions would soon be all alike! It is said that Max Rinehart did A Midsummer Night's Dream over A HUNDRED TIMES and no two productions were alike. That makes sense when you think about it. Each time he was older: casts were not the same, audiences were not either; and even the scenery, props, theater itself all dictated what should be done THIS time. Sometimes when I have repeated a role or repeated a show I have already directed, I make a conscious effort to NOT repeat what I had done before. Now that is not always true, of course, I have done A Midsummer Night's Dream three times and there were some "bits" that I did use again—simply because they worked so well. I not only steal from my former self, but from other productions that I have admired. This is what is known as research! There are some roles that I have played which gave me the most satisfaction—both in the initial creative processes and also in the way that my preparation paid off in performance. Which roles did I enjoy the most? There are several that come to mind at once: George in Our Town in Italy These at the University of Michigan: Andrew Undershaft in Shaw's Major Barbara Capt. Jack Absolutely in The Rivals by Sheridan Tom in The Glass Menagerie A very minor character in On Borrowed Time (I came in on page 47 and got fatally shot on page 52. I loved it!) Chorus (with Lucy Chase) in HMS Pinafore Richard Dudgeon on The Devils Disciple Iago in Othello (more about this a little later) As far as directing, I must confess that I have MOST enjoyed the productions in which our children had roles: Lucky and Danny in HMS Pinafore; Lucky in The Silver Whistle John in Major Barbara and in On Borrowed Time (when he was 12) Evie in Rhinoceros and The Gloop in the Magic Toy Factory Robin as Pop in The Gloop in the Magic Toy Factory and as Polly in The Boyfriend and as understudy for the Fairy Queen in Iolanthe Toni in Aladdin and Daddy Warlock's Reluctant Daughter and The Oldest Established Permanent Academy for Fairy Godmothers in Creation—and Evie was Stage Manager Robbie in You're a Good Man Charlie Brown and My Own Private Pirate Adult shows I have most enjoyed: A Midsummer Night's Dream, Merchant of Venice, Macbeth, all the Gilbert and Sullivan operettas. Now about my Iago in Othello: The director told me that he wanted Iago right on the brink of laughing in scorn the whole time at the stupidity of those all around him—until the fateful last minute when his perfidy is revealed. Nafe Katter, brilliant and creative actor, was a lot of fun to play with—intense and emotional. Our scenes when Iago tempts and taunts Othello were some of the best things we EVER did. In the last moments after Iago is revealed as the villain that he is, Othello turns on him: OTHELLO: If that thou be'st a devil I cannot kill thee. (wounds Iago) LODOVICO: Wrench his sword from him. IAGO: I bleed, Sir, but not killed. During rehearsals Nafe had always worn very thick glasses and, without them he was nearly blind. These were the days before contact lenses were as ubiquitous as they are now and glasses on Othello would have been anachronistic, of course. So during performance when he turned to me to run me through, he could see only a blur. He lunged at me and the point of his sword, instead of going through the narrow slit between my arm and amy chest, went through my costume and into my chest about an inch just below my lowest rib on the right side. As directed, I whirled around with my back to Othello and faced the audience and clasped my hand over where he had run me through. Lucy Chase and her whole family were sitting in the front row and almost fainted to see blood spurting out from between my fingers. I finished the scene, of course, and was carried out after my last line, "I will never more speak word." Othello killed himself on cue and the play came to its dramatic and quick end. The other actors rushed around me (Mr. Windt never let anyone take curtain calls) as the curtain came shut. In half a minute Lucy Chase and her whole family were there to see how badly I was hurt. It was not bad, actually, but it bled a lot and I still have a tiny white scar as my battle wound. Composed on 24 December, 2008, Transcribed by Robin © Jim Bob Stephenson 2008	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line455
__label__wiki	0.976529	0.976529	JASH’s Rubberhead premieres on Vimeo A former Xbox project, the variety show hosted by Sarah Silverman and featuring sketches from online talent, has found a new home. By Melita Kuburas Another former Xbox Entertainment Studios (XES) project has found a new home. JASH Presents Rubberhead, a 45-minute variety show that includes performances from Sarah Silverman, Seth Rogan and Key & Peele, is debuting today exclusively on Vimeo on Demand for $4.99. Silverman hosts the show, and the comedian handpicked some of her favorite digital-grown talent to star in it. The lineup also includes sketches from Kyle Dunnigan, Shelby Fero, Nathan Fielder and Tim Heidecker & Eric Wareheim, among others. JASH is a YouTube comedy network that provides artists with financing and production resources to create “unfiltered” short films, sketches and series. Asked why Vimeo was the best place to take Rubberhead, company producer Mickey Meyer said it stayed true to the no-interference spirit JASH was founded on. “To be honest, it just felt like the right fit. They have celebrated filmmaking since their inception, and what they’re doing has been really interesting to watch evolve. Doing the release with Vimeo allowed us to keep our full show as we intended it, uncensored and with all creative decisions going to the artists involved,” Meyer said to StreamDaily in an email. XES had about a dozen projects in development until July, when it was announced the content studio would be shutting down. At the time, JASH producers confirmed they had the rights to Rubberhead and the show would find a new home. While Microsoft is expected to follow through on a handful of projects despite the departure of execs Nancy Tellem and Jordan Levin, there has not yet been confirmation on what will happen to all the projects that were in the works. Earlier this fall, Humans, an 8-part drama from Channel 4 and Shine Group-owned Kudos, made a deal with AMC to replace XES’s role, saving the series. Casting was completed shortly after AMC came on board, and shooting started in October. AMC now has the television rights for the U.S. and Canada. Comedy, JASH, Mickey Meyer, Rubberhead, Sarah Silverman, Vimeo, XBox, XBox Entertainment Studios Melita Kuburas is the editor of StreamDaily. You can reach her directly at press[at]streamdaily.tv or on Twitter @melitakuburas My Damn Channel to distribute Bill & Sons Towing The sophisticated evolution of branded entertainment Vimeo enables creators with monetization tools Vimeo sets date to launch sci-fi spoof, Con Man	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line457
__label__cc	0.543877	0.456123	Taxis in Varna Nova Medical Centre Home Page > History > Churches Archaeological Animal Archaeological Fossil Archaeological Human Archaeological Industrial Graveyards and Burial Grounds Varna Ancient Trail Historic Ruins Municipality Buildings General History Points Historic dates & events Historic Parks Mill, Water Power Wells, Viaducts and Springs Castles and Fortifications Minor Battlements Docks, Piers and Waterfront Transport Flight One of the most visited buildings in Varna, the Aquarium, stands practically.. History Churches Church of St. Nicholas the Thaumaturge At the heart of the historical center of Varna stands a beautiful old stone church. Formally, it was used as a Greek Orthodox Church, but today is a used as a Bulgarian Orthodox one. It was built in 1865 by the design of a local architect Janko Konstandis. The idea belongs to a wealthy merchant from Varna – Paraskeva Nikolau. He immigrated to Odessa in the Russian Empire, where he managed to earn a small fortune. According to his last will and testament he left a substantial amount of money for the construction of a hospital and a church in Varna. At the time the Saint Nicolas church was the biggest Christian temple in Varna and the seat of the Greek Metropolitan Church in the area. After 1912 it became a Bulgarian church. The temple is a magnificent stone masterpiece of the Eastern Mediterranean Neo-renaissance style. With arched windows, stone columns with capitols and roman style basilical hall, this church is an iconic image for the center of Varna. The Varna Architectural Trail Continues Tourism Record Varna Eye Tourism Record	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line461
__label__cc	0.607504	0.392496	The House of the Virgin Mary by Godfrey E. Phillips By Godfrey E. Phillips Come to understand the home of the Virgin Mary which, in response to numberless saints, ratings of popes, and lots of respectable files of the Vatican (and to guard it from the depredations of the Saracens) was once within the overdue 1200s miraculously transported from Mary’s village of Nazareth to a hillside in Italy. In this residence, the Virgin Mary herself was once born, she used to be saluted through the angel Gabriel, and Jesus himself grew to become flesh. There he spent the 1st twelve years of his life. Rev. G.E. Phillips’ e-book, The condominium of the Virgin Mary, is the excellent story of the Holy condo in Nazareth, and its superb shipping to Loreto, Italy – a pleasant ebook that conscientiously lays out the proof for the miracle and provides you designated, convincing solutions to those that have challenged it. You’ll study about: Its veneration in Nazareth sooner than it mysteriously disappeared, leaving basically its foundation Its unexpected, fabulous visual appeal on a hillside in Italy, dismaying neighborhood citizens How surprised Italians used exacting detective talents in Italy and later in Palestine to find the place the home had come from How believers have commemorated Our girl of Loreto and respected her Holy residence for over seven-hundred years now (shouldn’t you, too?) the tale of the 15th century erection of an impressive basilica over the common-or-garden Holy residence and the 16th century enclosing of the delicate constitution in a grand marble encasement The treatment within the Holy apartment of 2 Popes in succession (and the story of many different miracles witnessed there) Among the facts introduced forth during this robust booklet are: Scores of quotations from thirteenth century witnesses, and from hundreds and hundreds of students and viewers within the seven centuries considering then Other unique assets from 3 international locations: letters, wills, testimony, summaries, reputable experiences from historic data, and files (including encyclicals) from the Vatican itself attesting to the authenticity of the miracle and the benefit of devotion to the Holy apartment and Our girl of Loreto. Believers may be overjoyed and consoled by way of the facts provided the following; skeptics may have their skepticism tempered and lots of can even come to work out the reality concerning the Holy residence: it's a astonishing living, testimony in stone to the loving strength of our God. That’s why pontiff after pontiff has inspired trust within the magnificent shipping of the Holy condominium to Italy and why an analogous trust has been rapturously followed via a number of saints together with many medical professionals of the Church. Over forty five popes have sanctioned the tale of the transport, together with Popes Benedict XII, Blessed city V, city VI, Pope Paul II, Julius II, Leo X, St. Pius V, Gregory XIII, Sixtus V, Clement VIII, Clement X, blameless XII, Pius IX, Leo XIII, Pius X, Benedict XV, and plenty of others. Countless saints, too, have long gone on pilgrimage there, including St. Francis of Assisi, St. Francis Xavier, St. Ignatius, St. Charles Borromeo, St. Aloysius Gonzaga, St. Stanislaus Kostka, St. Francis of revenues, St. Benedict Labre, St. Alphonsus Liguori, St. Thérèse of Lisieux, and others. Perhaps it’s eventually time so that you can find out about Our girl of Loreto and her Holy condo, and to obtain from devotion to them the various new heavenly graces and merits the Church offers should be yours. Read Online or Download The House of the Virgin Mary PDF Similar church history books Covenant-Making: The Fabric of Relationship This assortment explores the principal theological thought of covenant. it's been produced in honor of Dr. R. Larry Shelton, revered pupil and loved husband, father, colleague, and buddy. Covenant--the unifying subject matter of this book--is an issue to which Dr. Shelton committed massive cognizance over his forty-five-year profession as a pupil and instructor. Awakening the Evangelical Mind: An Intellectual History of the Neo-Evangelical Movement The 1st significant research to attract upon unknown or overlooked assets, in addition to unique interviews with figures like Billy Graham, Awakening the Evangelical brain uniquely tells the attractive tale of ways evangelicalism constructed as an highbrow stream in the course of the twentieth century. starting with the lifetime of Harold Ockenga, Strachan exhibits how Ockenga introduced jointly a small group of Christian students at Harvard collage within the Forties who agitated for a reloaded Christian mind. Becoming Christian: The Demise of the Jesus Movement The evolution of Christianity because it is understood this day all started in Antioch, yet as changing into Christian unearths, it had as soon as been really assorted. whereas so much histories gloss over the earliest interval of Christianity to start with the Christian institution, this booklet uncovers the little-known historical past in the "gap" among 31 and 70 CE, while the Jesus stream was once centered in Jerusalem lower than the authority of James bar Joseph, the brother of Jesus, and the apostles served as missionaries wearing the lessons of Jesus all through Judea, Galilee, and Samaria. The House of the Virgin Mary Come to understand the home of the Virgin Mary which, in keeping with numberless saints, rankings of popes, and lots of respectable records of the Vatican (and to guard it from the depredations of the Saracens) used to be within the past due 1200s miraculously transported from Mary’s village of Nazareth to a hillside in Italy. Angels and Orthodoxy: A Study in their Development in Syria and Palestine from the Qumran Texts to Ephrem the Syrian (Studien und Texte zu Antike und Christentum ... and Texts in Antiquity and Christianity) Origen: Homilies 1-14 on Ezekiel (Acw) (Ancient Christian Writers) Atheist to Christian Jesus Made in America: A Cultural History from the Puritans to "The Passion of the Christ" Atlas of the European Reformations Additional resources for The House of the Virgin Mary The Calamari Library > Church History > The House of the Virgin Mary by Godfrey E. Phillips ← Man Made God: A Collection of Essays by Barbara G. Walker,D.M. Murdock,Acharya S The Status of Law in World Society: Meditations on the Role by Friedrich Kratochwil →	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line463
__label__cc	0.56958	0.43042	The Colorless You are a guest "I used to have a life before The Colorless" Join a laid-back, close-knit community of mixed interests Get a free account! CL Short Story Project 2.0: Topic Discussion ⇤ First #63047 • 2013-08-28 07:27:53 • johan_5179 said: The genre we have right now is fantasy. And I think that fantasy works best when the elements inside are richly detailed. A lower word limit would call for greater skill, and it would be fun to do, but it would also be more difficult. I think that you (DC) would be the best judge of that since you did a lot of the background work on the last project, but I feel that the upper limit should be raised. So instead of the current 2000-3000, we could have a 2000-3500. 500 more words could really make a difference. If feasible, the jury could take word-count into account when judging the stories, so that shorter stories have an advantage. #63048 • 2013-08-28 07:38:04 • Taro_Tanako said: I kinda agree with @johan_5179 about that word count. Also, i'm totally in on this! ^_^ #63049 • 2013-08-28 07:40:22 • Kirn said: I will join. I already have the idea of a story mapped out in me head anyhow. And I have planned one additional thing for it too... anyways, since I am better with short form, I got no problem with word count, cause I probably won't be using many words anyhow. #63052 • 2013-08-28 12:46:12 • olivaisfire1997 said: Ok, fantasy might work out better because it's a wider theme, and since the word count isn't something that big I don't have to worry about school that much. I'm in on this. #63053 • 2013-08-28 13:49:53 * • Cenica said: I kind of like the idea of a lower word count. It's a challenge and I think it will cause the writers to focus more on planning and story layout. It's like giving someone the materials and seeing what they can do with them. I'm also hoping that since there will be more planning it will motivate writers to get started on their pieces earlier. (Then again most CL people are lazy...) #63055 • 2013-08-28 15:47:10 • --Jack-- said: @DarkChaplain I think a word limit like last time's would be fairly reasonable. Unless editing was truly a hassle. In which case, a limit of 2000 words is still pretty workable for large-scale writers. #63056 • 2013-08-28 15:56:00 * • Cloud-VK said: Don’t get me wrong here; I did have an issue with the word count. But now I am just interested; Fantasy is a very very large genre. I wanna see what everyone else comes up with to fit that scope, 2000 words, 3000 words yeah it will be a challenge, but that’s more than enough room to write something impressive. So, I’m also for the current word count. I am not going to put it off this time, I planning right now so I can start typing as soon as the official word is out. Needless to say I’m itching to get this thing going. #63058 • 2013-08-28 16:01:30 • DarkChaplain said: @CloudVariasKira Fantasy is only a large genre if you ignore what we have discussed here and narrowed it down to. I suggest re-reading the thread. Alright, thanks for the feedback on that. I think I'll keep the minimum at about the same, but'll raise the upper limit. I'm not sure how much to raise it by, but will make that clear before/when the thing officially starts, which should be fairly soon. Not at any point did I ignore the discussion, I know that we had narrowed it down to a certain type of Fantasy. I said it that way because ...well...honestly I thought it sounded good, but the point that I was trying to make was that even with the genre narrowed down, there’s an infinite amount of stories one could write and still be totally original. Though that’s the truth with any genre… so I just was stating something obvious anyway. Yay! I'm massively excited about this and also itching to get started. Can't wait to put into practice what I learnt last time. I have school starting again soon but I can't imagine it getting in the way since it's only the beginning of term. Got some nice ideas already I think. #63066 • 2013-08-28 23:32:37 • Teru said: I could not give feedback because I slept for 18 hours. : V But I'm willing to write any genre. Since this topic is fairly cliche fantasy, can we use steampunk aspects in the setting or any possible tech that exists? I'm thinking of Final Fantasy-style airships, structures, etc. I can understand if this is sort of a breach-of-genre. #63075 • 2013-08-29 05:36:24 • Ucui said: On topic of the word count, 3000-3500 sounds like a decent number. To be honest, I'd prefer a larger word count, but, as it has been stated in this thread, I suppose it would be interesting to try my hand at something that I am not accustomed to. Challenging oneself seems to be the basis for these short story contests so to say that I'm not interested in exploring new writing techniques would be a lie. I'm perfectly content with the current genre of D&D. #63077 • 2013-08-29 06:34:39 * • DarkChaplain said: @--Jack-- Considering that D&D, Warhammer, Warcraft and others do indeed feature weird contraptions and strokes of technical genius, I don't see why steampunk-y elements should be a problem. Have your zeppelins, or the odd gunpowder weapon, that's perfectly fine. Dwarfen or gnomish creativity is a rather common element in a lot of fantasy franchises - just make sure you don't throw in lightsabers or laspistols in there, and put in some details as to how they're not all that common or why they're special. Steam Tanks are monstrous, smoke-belching creations that rumble towards the enemy, firing deadly cannon balls from their steam-powered guns. The advance of these iron behemoths is terrifying to behold, as arrows ricochet from armoured hulls and enemy warriors are crushed beneath their immense bulk. The Warp Lightning Cannon is a weapon of pure destruction. Created by the Warlock Engineers of Clan Skryre, it has the power to tear apart units and monsters with ease. While Clan Skryre perfects the art of firing incandescent balls of warp lightning, the Plague Monks of Clan Pestilens are busy launching toxic sludge from their Plagueclaw Catapults, which brings long-range death to the arsenal of the combat-oriented Plague Monks. Armour offers no protection to those hit by the deadly payload of the Plagueclaw catapult as it will eat through metal, skin and bone without discrimination. As long as they make sense in the context of the world and characters, and have some nice descriptions and/or explanations mixed in, there is nothing wrong with having such stuff. The above examples have been well-established in their worlds, but are more like mad strokes of genius or highly rare and unstable experiments. Gunpowder weapons exist for sure, but aren't as widespread as bows, crossbows or the likes. People know they exist, but unless they're either very lucky, wealthy or elite troops in an army, they'll hardly gain access to these things. The thing I'm getting at is: Don't let technology undermine your story, and make sure they're well-considered. Also make sure they make sense in the hands of the user. Try looking at fantasy tropes, for example. But yeah, I won't rule those steampunky elements out. They're interesting after all! @Ucui That's the way I've experienced you in those projects, yeah. Eager for some ways to test yourself and improve your stuff. And you're right, absolutely, I intend these projects to be learning experiences, first and foremost. That's why I want people to leave comments and feedback on the submissions, and try to push some less natural topics to get people out of their comfort zones. I'm glad people are willing to give it a shot, even if the genre is something like Horror or Fantasy. #63080 • 2013-08-29 12:27:54 • hellstorm901 said: Now I'm happy. Steampunk in Fantasy is always good. Sign up or Sign in to write a reply Search content Search titles Respond 16 people participating Tags of this thread colorless (278) contest (50) writing (58) project (89) books (52) feedback (7) story (41) darkchaplain (160) Other currently popular threads 1 Alpha Testo Boost price 1 Секреты массажа 1 Look New Games 1 фабрика мебельных фасадов в Ростове 1 Hot photo galleries blogs and pictures If you wish to help the site, you can do so by donating using the sidebar widget. 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__label__cc	0.630124	0.369876	Posts Tagged ‘Playstation Plus’ Monday Freeview: Sort Of . . . Games with Gold vs. PlayStation Plus by John Carle, Jan 20 2014 // 8:00 AM So on the Monday Freeview, we have brought you some examples of free shows or games you’ve been able to get a hold of. Up until this point though we have ignored two very important “free” options in the gaming world. These are the downloadable gaming libraries available to those subscribed to the XBox Live Gold and PlayStation Plus services. While these services are technically not free, the inclusion of downloadable titles has been added to them as an added value while both primarily serve as a way for gamers to play online for the XBox 360, XBox One and PlayStation 4. First, let’s take a look at the PlayStation Plus service. Originally a waning service as it wasn’t required for online play, the Instant Game Collection was one of the features that had not been fully exploited. It wasn’t until about two years after the service launched in June of 2010 that they began offering full PlayStation 3 titles to the roster as opposed to mainly retro games or PSN titles. Posted in: Games · Monday Freeview · News · Playstation 3 · PlayStation 4 · PlayStationNetwork · Sony · Video Games · XBLA · Xbox 360 · XBox One Tagged: Bioshock Infinite, Borderlands 2, Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons, DMC, Free, Games, Monday Freeview, Playstation 3, PlayStation 4, Playstation Plus, PlayStation Vita, Video Games, Xbox 360, XBox Live, Xbox Live Gold, XBox One Sony Offers 3 Months Free with One Year Purchase of PlayStation Plus by John Carle, Jan 29 2013 // 3:00 PM Sony announced yesterday that with the purchase of a 12 month PlayStation Plus subscription, buyers would also get an additional 3 months for free added to their subscription time. A 25% bonus is nothing to ever be disappointed in. But the question comes up if PlayStation Plus is worth the $50 yearly (now technically 15 month) price point. Posted in: Announcements · News · Playstation 3 · PlayStationNetwork · Sony · Video Games Tagged: Discounts, News, Offers, Playstation, Playstation 3, Playstation Plus, PS+, PSN, Sony, Video Games E3 2012: Sony Press Conference Replay by John Carle, Jun 6 2012 // 7:00 AM Of the Big 3 press conferences, Sony had the strongest conference for gamers. This partially comes from one of the most impressive pieces of footage from a game already announced as well as an exciting new trailer as well that no one was expecting. While they did diverge slightly away from core games and put some emphasis on the move and a new peripheral, Sony definitely delivered the “gamer’s conference” when compared to Nintendo and Microsoft. After a standard clip montage and Jack Tretton giving the same introductory speech that has been heard time and again, things started off strong with the reveal of Beyond: Two Souls by the same studio that brought us Heavy Rain. With the lead character played by Ellen Page, Beyond promises to bring together storytelling in gaming unlike anything seen before. With the footage below, it may be the truth. What was one of the other hotly anticipated games that followed ended up being somewhat of a letdown for those watching. The crowd was strangely silent during the demo of PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale which looked generic as a Smash Brothers clone with a very boring level layout. Also announced as playable characters were Nathan Drake from Uncharted and the Big Daddy from Bioshock. Posted in: Announcements · E3 2012 · Game Trailers · Games · News · Playstation 3 · PlayStationNetwork · Ubisoft · Video Games Tagged: Assassin's Creed, Assassin's Creed III, Assassin's Creed III: Liberation, Beyond, Beyond: Two Souls, BioShock, Book of Spells, E3, E3 2012, FarCry, Farcry 3, God of War, God of War: Ascension, Nathan Drake, Naughty Dog, Playstation 3, PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale, Playstation Move, Playstation Plus, Press Conference, Sony, The Last of Us, Uncharted, Wonderbook Cloud Saves Becoming Available to PlayStation Plus Subscribers by John Carle, Mar 9 2011 // 3:00 PM As a part of the March 10th system update for the PlayStation 3 (v3.60), PlayStation users will be allowed cloud game save support. This feature will currently only be available to PlayStation Plus subscribers, PlayStation’s incentive based online subscription program which up until now has allowed for game discounts as well as features like Hulu. According to IGN, a Playstation representative has stated, “We haven’t announced any plans for it to be available to everyone at this time.” While this doesn’t rule out free users being able to do this in the future, the space and bandwidth aren’t going to come free and a feature like this is definitely an incentive for hardcore gamers to subscribe to avoid loss of their game data from a system crash. They also announced that 150mb of data with a maximum of 1000 data files will be allowed per PlayStation Plus account. It will be interesting to hear if this affects PlayStation Plus subscription rates moving forward. For current PlayStation Plus subscribers, PlayStation has given advanced instructions on how to use this feature. Check them out after the jump, and go to the cloud! Posted in: Announcements · Games · Gear · Geek · Hulu · Playstation 3 · PlayStationNetwork · Sony · Tech · Video Games Tagged: Cloud Computing, Playstation, Playstation 3, PlayStation Network, Playstation Plus, Sony Preview Hulu Plus On Your PlayStation 3 Today As we mentioned a few weeks ago, for those users lucky enough to get the invite, Hulu Plus is currently in it’s preview period. As promised, Hulu has begun enabling the applications on various devices, including the much anticipated PlayStation 3 update. In a coup for all you Playstation 3 defenders, Hulu Plus has chosen the Playstation 3 for limited console exclusivity through the end of the year. And for those of you who were concerned, no you don’t need a CD to play it like Netflix, you just need to download the free app from the PlayStation store. The program looks almost identical to the Hulu desktop, and the video streams in beautiful 1080p (as long as your internet and TV can handle it). Unfortunately, in order to access the preview you do need to be a PlayStation Plus member. Aside from Hulu Plus, said membership allows access to free or discounted add-ons, themes, avatars and games. Posted in: Geek · Hardware · News · Playstation 3 · PlayStationNetwork · Tech · TV · Video · Video Games · Web Tagged: Hulu, Hulu Plus, Netflix, Playstation Plus, PS3, Samsung, Sony, Vizio E3 2010: Sony Announces ‘Playstation Plus’ Subscription Service by Cortney Zamm, Jun 16 2010 // 6:00 AM One of the great things about the Playstation Network is that, as opposed to Xbox Live, using the network and playing online has always been 100% free for Playstation 3 owners. At Sony’s E3 press conference today, Sony acknowledged this fact, but still wanted to offer players more. That’s why they announced “Playstation Plus” a new premium subscription service that will supplement the Playstation Network and will offer a more “enchanced experience”. By subscribing to Playstation Plus, Playstation Network users can gain access to demos earlier than other gamers, receive discounts on purchases made on the Playstation Network, and watch the Playstation lifestyle series Qore. In addition, subscribers to the service also will get free Playstation Minis and even classic Playstation games every month. Playstation Plus will cost $49.99 for the year, or $17.99 for three months of service. Content from Playstation Plus will only be accessible as long as your subscription is active. The service launches later this month, and all Playstation 3 owners will get a free three-month long trial of Playstation Plus. All other features of the Playstation Network will continue to be free. Posted in: E3 2010 · Games · Gear · Geek · News · Playstation 3 · PlayStationNetwork · Sony · Video Games Tagged: E3, E3 2010, Playstation, Playstation 3, Playstation Plus, Sony	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line468
__label__wiki	0.826058	0.826058	Louis' 93 Campus Dr, Saskatoon SK The University of Saskatchewan’s beloved campus pub has been bringing high profile acts to the school since 1981. It was originally named Louis’ Hangout, aptly named after one of Canada’s founding fathers, Louis Riel. Since it was established it’s been both a go-to watering hole for students and one of the city’s best music venues. Louis’ has hosted legendary Canadian acts like Alexisonfire, Tokyo Police Club, Joel Plaskett, Death From Above 1979 and Propagandhi, all on the University’s campus. The pub’s capacity tops out at just under 600, which makes it one of the larger club style venues in the area. On the second floor there’s Louis’ Loft, a fair trade coffee shop offering sandwiches and light lunch bites, which can also be rented out for private parties. Louis’ has a lowered floor that’s perfect for those who want to dance and jam out to their heart’s desire, while still saving a lot of space for the more relaxed concert-goers. The pub also hosts Monday game nights and Tuesday karaoke nights, and other student-led events throughout the week. Concerts @ Louis' Thursday Jan 23 The Original Wailers Saskatoon @ Louis' Original Wailers Coleman Hell / Alex Bent Saskatoon @ Louis' Coleman Hell \| Alex Bent Friday Feb 14 The Beaches Saskatoon @ Louis' Monday Mar 23 grandson Saskatoon @ Louis' Cleopatrick \| grandson Exclaim! @ Louis'	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line469
__label__cc	0.53917	0.46083	November 24, 2019 Astrumratio 2 Comments Contest EntryHolstaurMinotaurMore than one perspectiveNo SmutStoryUnicornViolence Archibald’s perspective Archibald slowly opened his eyes to the familiar sight of his bedroom ceiling. He spent a minute or two of letting his gaze wander along the wooden beams, following the various patterns and minute cracks in the wood. He sighed quietly as he found himself wondering if he would miss this sight when he was gone. Being close to death’s door sure made the mind wander in strange directions. He slowly turned his head towards his left, quickly forgetting about the ceiling as his wife’s face came into view. She looked so peaceful where she was snoozing away, her face inches from his own. He decided to just lay there and watch her for a litte bit. Her cute button nose moved ever so slightly with every slow breath she took. The faint sound of flowing air was as soothing as an ocean breeze on a summer day. Archibald could not help himself and slowly moved his hand towards her face, gently caressing her cheek with his fingertips. A faint smile soon manifested itself on her lips and she seemingly instinctively reached out with her hands, grabbing and gently pulling his hand towards her until his whole palm cupped her cheek (which was by now tinted by a faint shade of pink). Archibald could not help but smile to himself. Helen always did enjoy cuddling, even in her sleep. His gaze wandered across her face, past her floppy ears that she so enjoyed being tickled, and stopped when it fell on one of her horns. As had so often been the case lately, a pang of guilt hit him as soon as he looked at it. It was only a couple of inches long, same as her other horn and, even though he currently could not see it, her tail as well. It had been like that ever since that incident years ago. The guilt that bubbled in his gut whenever he looked at her horns lately was not due to any self-blame for letting it happen, however. He had chastised himself for a while after it did, but Helen and the counselor they went to had convinced him that it wasn’t his fault and he had eventually accepted it. No, the guilt he now felt was brought on by an entierly different event. Something he had never told Helen about. Archibald rolled onto his back and staired up at the ceiling again. He felt like a coward. He had kept quiet all these years by telling himself that he was sparing Helen by not telling her the truth, but now he felt like it was more for the sake of sparing himself rather then anyone else. Along with that feeling, another one had manifested in the last few days. The feeling of not wanting to leave important things unsaid before his time was up. He rolled his head back to look at his lovely wife’s face again, trying desperately to work up the curage to tell her the truth. “She deserves to know, and I deserve whatever she says to me as a result“, he kept telling himself over and over while waiting for her slumber to end. Archibald’s train of thought was eventually interrupted when he noticed that his wife had opened her eyes and was looking at him. He greeted her with a faint smile. “Good morning honey, did you sleep well?” He was greeted with a smile in return. “I always sleep well when I’m next to you Archie.” Archibald felt his courage waver for a bit, but he steeled his resolve and reached out, cupping one of her hands with both his own. “Listen, there is something important I need to tell you. It’s not going to be easy to hear, but you need to hear it.” He paused for a second when he saw a look of concern manifest on Helen’s face. He felt himself hesitate yet again and it made him angry at himself. “Come on you big coward, own up to it already!“ His moody thoughts were quickly disrupted however, when he felt Helen’s other hand touch his face. He turned his gaze back towards her eyes and was met with a look that was serious, but warm at the same time. “Whatever it is, my love, I will listen until you have said everything you need to say”. Feeling the corners of his eyes burning slightly, Archibald put his hand on top of hers. Once he had calmed down a bit, he took a deep breath and slowly started talking. “You know the guy who did… that.. to you. I said the last time I saw him was at the trial where he got his sentence.” He paused for a moment, but when Helen didn’t show any signs of wanting to end the conversation, he continued. “Actually, that’s not true. I did see him one more time after that…” Jakob’s perspective Jakob awoke to the sharp, ringing tone of the morning call bell. It was shortly followed by the familiar voice of Mike, booming though the PA system. “Rise and shine you bastards, time for another exciting day.” The voice was heavy with it’s usual and obvious sarcasm. The only time anything got exciting in a high security prison was when something you did not want to be a part of was happening. A fact Jakob had become all to familiar with. As he got out of bed and stood in front of the barred door to his cell, waiting for the guard to do the headcount round, his thoughts drifted to the events that had lead to his current situation. A few years ago he had thought of himself as some sort of grand champion of the human race, boldly daring to oppose the incursion of the alien monsters that had suddenly appeared through portals in several different countries and somehow managed to negotiate a “cultural sharing program” with the humans. Jakob and his “brothers” had been the bold resistance, those who dared to fight back. Thinking about it now almost made him cry in resentment at his own stupidity. They had all truly been the very definition of ‘young and dumb’, and had fallen for the honeyed words of the man who recruited them, words that condemned the monsters as demons from hell that needed to be opposed by warriors loyal to god. Jakob, who had struggled with his faith at the time, had found a sense of purpose in those words and happily fallen in line. It had even been fun for a while, harassing monsters and the humans who where in relationships with them, organising raids on public cultural exchange events etc. The gradual progression towards more violent methods had been a slow burn, too slow for any of them to realize what they were turning into. Things really reached the point of no return when they abducted a monster, more specifically a holstaur, to “make an example out of”, as their leader called it. Jakob had been given the task of sawing her horns of and severing her tail, and he had done it while his brothers filmed the whole thing. The holstaur’s screems as he put the electric saw to her horns still tormented him in his nightmares. The plan had been to upload the video online along with a manifesto, but before they had time to get that far, they were raided and arrested by a special unit consisting of humans and mamano that had been put together to deal with people like them. Apparently they had tracked the kidnapped holstaur via a ritual conducted by a high level witch and the holstaur’s husband. Said husband had been at the scene at the time of the raid, and Jakob could still remember it like it was yesterday. How he had been cuffed by a salamander and led towards a prison truck, how they had walked past the ambulance at the scene, and how the man who was holding his crying holstaur wife in his arms looked at him when they passed by. Those eyes had burned with a silent, furious hatred the likes of which Jakob had never seen before, and he had been taken aback by the sheer intensity of it. That look he had recieved back then was the main reason his mind kept returning to those past events whenever it had an idle moment, which it had a lot of in here. It felt almost like the man was reaching out to Jakob from beyond the prison walls, not allowing him to forget the weight of his sins. Jakob was brought back to the present by another sharp ringing tone, followed by all the cell doors sliding open with their characteristic metallic grinding noise. He left his cell and got in line with the other inmates, moving towards the mess hall to start of a new long, tedious day (if he was lucky). Jakob had quickly learned that there were no such thing as a secret that could be kept in this place. Pretty much everyone knew exactly what crime everyone else was in here for, and he had come to understand that his particular crime wasn’t exactly benficial to his social standing. In the eyes of his fellow inmates, he was somewhere between a rapist and a pedofile. In other words, he was pretty much at the bottom of the pecking order. This was a prison for humans, but there were some mamano amongst the guards. One of them, a large minotaur named Enya, seemed to really have it in for him in particular. She didn’t use any direct profanity when speaking to him, but it was easy to tell that her words were heavy with contempt. She regularly assigned jobs to him that were of a difficult nature, such as cleaning the entire shower room by himself, sweeping all the sand that got stuck in every nook and cranny in the outdoors gym area or even just moving heavy rocks from one place to another to ‘redecorate’. She also seemed very enthusiastic about throwing him in into an isolation cell (‘the hole’ as it was affectionately known) as soon as he got into a fight, no matter if he had started it or not. It was not overly difficult to figure out why she held him in such contempt. She was basically almost the same race as his victim after all. There was one good thing about her harassment though, it provided a good distraction to keep his mind from wandering. On this particular day, he could see her in a corner of the mess hall as he was having his breakfast. As he glanced in her direction, his gaze briefly met hers. She gave him a thin smirk, typically a bad sign. Jakob tried to ignore her and finish his meal, but there was an eerie quality to her telltale smirk today that made him get a really foreboding feeling. Now starting to dread what she might have planned for him, he stood up from the table and tried to quickly make his way to the counter to return his tray so he could leave the mess hall. In his haste, he failed to notice the leg that suddenly extended itself in front of his foot, curtesy of one of his fellow inmates, and fell straight forward as he tripped over it. He landed face-first on a nearby table, his tray clattering loudly as he dropped it. Raising his head, he was met with a wide grin with a missing front tooth. “Oi, what the hell do ya think ya’r doin’ boy?” Jakob swallowed involontarily. The owner of that particular grin and voice was none other than Manfred ‘Marble Statue’ Grant, the man who held the current bench press record among the inmates. He was more then 2 meters tall and basically solid muscle, and had the dubious honor of being a resident of the prison because he had beaten two men half to death (leaving them with permanent disabilities in the form of broken spines) with his bare hands. The two men in question had attempted to sexually assault Manfred’s niece at a party, she had gotten away and called him to come pick her up, he had done so and then ‘payed a visit’ to the perpetrators. According to the rumors, eyewitness accounts from the people at the party claimed that he had busted the door of it’s hinges when he entered the house. Manfred had also made it overwhelmingly obvious to Jakob that he utterly despised him. “Guard, this lille piece o’ shit here just ruined ma breakfast. I do believf’ some dicipline ish in order.” The grin on his face grew wider still as he saw Jakob’s reaction. The guard that approached the table was, of course, Enya. “Hmm, I think you are right on the money with that remark, inmate Grant.” “Innit right? Me thinks’ he’s ernd imself some nice quiet time.” Enya smirked and extended her massive hand, sealing his arm in an iron grip. “Come along now, you wouldn’t want to cause any more of a scene, would you?” Jakob had no room to protest as he struggled to not get pulled off his feet while she dragged him away, Manfred waving at him as she did. “Say ‘ello to them rats for me boy.” Enya’s grip did not relent for even a second as she dragged Jakob towards the solitary wing of the prison. He knew that it was pointless to resist, and yet something in the back of his mind urged him to do so anyway. Something about that glint in her eyes scared him far more then the thought of spending a day in the solid darkness that was the hole. His fears were confirmed when they reached the entrance area to the solitary wing, but didn’t go in. Instead, she moved right past it and entered a nearby room that seemed to be some sort of storage space. There were a lot of shelves with boxes stashed on them, but they had been moved slightly to create a more open space in the middle of the room. Enya smirked as she dragged him into the room, closed the door and grabbed a folded chair that was leaning against the wall. She set the chair up in the open area, pulled him down onto it, then cuffed his hands behind the chair’s back and tied his feet to the chair’s legs with plastic straps. As he felt her powerful hands work on his restraints, Jakob could only shiver in dread at all the things he imagined would happen next. To his surprise however, Enya stood up and left him alone as soon as she was done. She went straight to to the door and opened it, making her exit. Jakob stared at her as she left, but just before the door closed behind her, she turned around to face him. “Be back in a little while, gotta grab my coffee from the staff room while it’s still hot.” The obviousness of the lie made it very clear that whatever happened next would not be very enjoyable for him. After waiting in a state of high-strung anticipation for what felt like an eternity, but was probably no more then ten minutes or so, the door slowly creaked open again. However, the face that greeted Jakob when it did was not that of Enya, or any other guard for that matter. It was a face he knew very well, the face that haunted his thoughts in every idle moment. The face of the man whose wife had been mutilated by Jakob’s hand. Every hair on his body felt like it stood up and a chill ran through him. The man’s gaze radiated every bit as much cold hatred as it had done the last time he saw it. Now fully realizing his situation, it was all Jakob could do to not scream out loud. He could only sit there, not moving a muscle, as the man slowly closed the door and approached him, never once taking his eyes of him. Eventually, he broke the heavy silence. “Judging from that look on your face, you remember who I am.” He leaned forward, bringing his face right in front of Jakob’s. “And I most certainly remember you.” The words were icy and hostile, so much so that they almost felt like needle pricks. The man withdrew himself a short distance away from Jakob, then suddenly said a name. “Helen.” Blinking in slight surprise, Jakob didn’t respond. The man continued. “That is the name of the woman whom I love more than anything. The woman who saved me from my depression and solitude, the kindest person I have ever met.” His words had been rather neutral as he spoke, but they turned icy once more as he continued. “She is also the woman you saw fit to hurt for the sake of your bullshit agenda.” Jakob knew that apologies were going to be useless. What he had done was inexcusable and they both knew it. The only thing he could do was to wait for the man to continue. “Do you know what the worst part was?” Jakob blinked as he looked up at the sudden question. He reflexively opened his mouth to respond, but thought better of it and simply shook his head. The man sighed. “I didn’t think so. How could you possibly know such a thing.” He moved closer again. “Helen was really proud of her horns. They were a part of her identity and she took good care of them. They were also the first part of her body that I complemented her on when we first met.” He paused, looking of to the side for the first time since he had entered the room. “Do you know what she said to me after she was rescued?” As his face turned back towards Jakob, there were obvious tears in his eyes. “She apologised to me for not having her horns anymore!!” The sheer force with which he had roared those words was startling. The shock of it made Jakob forget to breath for a moment. The man’s voice was heavy with resentment as he continued. “Can you even imagine how that felt?! I love her just as much no matter how she looks, but I couldn’t say that it didn’t matter if her horns were gone, because it mattered to her! They were important to her!!” His breathing got heavier as he laid his anger bare. “She wants to be the best she can possibly be for my sake, and you stole something from her that she can never get back! You and your shitty friends who don’t give a fuck what your actions mean to other people!” More angry words and profanity flowed freely from the man’s mouth for several minutes as he fully opened the floodgates and unleashed his fury. Listening to it all forced Jakob to fully realize the truth of not just his crime against this man and his wife, but all the other crimes he had comitted before then as well. He had of course known it from a logical standpoint for a while now, but this was the first time he fully understood the emotional and mental effect his actions had on his victims. When the torrent of anger finally subsided, the man took a minute of heavy breathing to calm himself down. When he spoke again, his tone was different from before. “My mother used to say that my old man wasn’t the most refined individual you ever met, but if it was one thing he always got right it was how to treat a lady.” He slipped his hand into his pocket. “Do you know what he always told me? He said ‘Son, a real man does not seek payback for every little slight against him, imagined or otherwhise, and only resorts to his fists as a last option for solving a conflict’.” He pulled his hand from his pocket, revealing the small pruning shears he was now holding. “He also said this: ‘However, if someone does something to hurt your woman, then you respond in kind without mercy’.” He slowly losened and tightened his grip on the handle of the shears, cutting the air with them. “You understand what I mean, don’t you?” He moved behind the chair that Jakob was tied to, grabbed the index finger on his right hand and placed the blades of the shears around the joint closest to the knuckles. Jakob was shivering uncontrollably by this point, yet he knew he was powerless to stop what was going to happen. He wondered if this was how Helen had felt back then when he stood over her with the saw in his hands. The man behind him leaned forward until his mouth was right next to his ear. “I haven’t told you my name yet, have I? It’s Archibald.” Jakob awoke to the sound of a door in the distance creaking open. He didn’t bother opening his eyes, there was no light in the isolation cells anyway. After severing the fingers on his right hand, the man named Archibald had left the room and swiftly been replaced by Enya, who had dragged him into this cell after wrapping his hand tightly in bandages. There had been no kindness in that gesture though, she simply explained that she didn’t want him bleeding all over the place. Jakob had only been in the hole for about 24 hours but it felt longer. His hand was painful, sure, but it was nothing compared to thinking about Archibald’s words and the look in his eyes. He had thought a lot about Helen as well. In his rant, Archibald had mentioned a few more details about her. He had met her late in life, when he had pretty much given up on love and on ever having children. He had turned to drinking, and his mind had been in a very dark place. Meeting Helen had completely turned his life around. He had quit drinking, started doing many things he had never tried before and even opened up an art gallery. It was no exaggeration to say that she had become the sun in his life. She was also the last person to ever deserve having something so cruel done to her. Suddenly, the door to his cell opened. Jakob instinctively pressed his eyelids tighter together as she sharp, piercing white electric light flooded the small room. He heard the familiar voice before he could see it’s owner. “Y’ello boy, ‘ad a gud night’s rest?” As his vision slowly came into focus, he noticed Enya standing behind Manfred outside the door. “Wonderin’ why ma beautiful self is ‘ere? Well don’ you worry boy, I’ll tell ya’.” Manfred gave him his trademark grin that showed of the gap between his teeth. “As miss guard ‘ere were letting yer sorry arse out of yer cell, and movn’ ye back to gen pop, I suddenly jumped ya and bit yer fingers of. Miss guard will naw throw my arse in the hole while ye get to go visit the doc to get yer hand patch’d up.” His grin widened even more. “Isn’t that hella nice of meh? No need fer thanks, it’s on da house.” Jakob understood perfectly well how everything had transpired now. The two people in here who loathed him the most had cooperated to enable him and Archibald to have a ‘meeting’ off the books. Bizarrely, it almost made him laugh when he though about just how much Manfred despised him to willingly take a vacation in the hole just to screw him over. On top of that, Enya showed no sympathy whatsoever for him as she dragged him to the doctor’s office. “Talk about a sobering realization”, he thought to himself. This had been his daily routine for years now, and he had long since stopped worrying about the sarcasm in Mike’s voice. Standing in front of his cell door, he took his usual morning time-out, while waiting for the headcount to be completed, to reflect on some thoughts. He idly scratched one of his stumped fingers, the source of the nickname he went by in here now. It was kind of a cruel joke, as someone had figured out that with fingers that short, you could not play scissors in a game of rock paper scissors. And so, whenever people challenged him to that particular game, they kept playing only paper against him (since any attempt of playing scissors was deemed ‘illegal’ for him) until he eventually gave up and played rock to lose and end it. Because of this, he was now known as ‘Rocky’. The other half of the joke was all the comments about ‘hitting rock bottom’ whenever he played rock to lose. It had bothered him in the beginning, but he had learned to live with it. In fact, he even found an unexpected use for his mutilated hand. After about 15 years in here, he had suddenly been called into the warden’s office. There, he had been informed of a rather unexpected opportunity. The warden had told him that the prison was starting a new program. One where select inmates would be allowed to go outside the prison (escorted by a guard of course) to visit schools and talk about what lead to them becoming criminals. The idea was that the children could learn from their mistakes and hopefully use that knowledge to avoid ending up in such a life themselves. When Jakob had asked why he specifically had been selected, the warden had answered him by saying ‘When one of my best guards recommends that I give the inmate she used to hate the most a second chance, I am inclined to listen’. As it turned out, Enya herself had suggested him to be selected for the program. On the condition that she was to be the one to escort him whenever he left the prison. Jakob had accepted the deal. Since then, he had visited several schools and told the assembled children his life story. He told them all the traps he fell into when he was recruited, about the self delusions he lived by as a ‘soldier of god’, and about the effects his actions had on his victims. He always made it a point to show them his stumped fingers while talking about this, an ever present symbol of the kind of feelings his actions had evoked. He did not, however, mention that it was Archibald who had severed them, instead sticking to the story Manfred had spun all those years ago. He would sooner lose all his remaining fingers then cause more grief for those two. Today was another ‘field trip day’, and so he had been reciting his speech yesterday to get ready. He had come to really look forward to these trips. Partly because he finally felt like he was doing something to make up for his crimes, and partly because he had discovered Enya to actually be a good conversation partner on the drive to the schools and back. She no longer treated him badly, she had gradually toned it down ever since a couple of years after Archibald’s visit to the prison. The two of them were now on fairly decent speaking terms. He was pulled back to the present as another loud buzz rang out and the cell doors slid open. He stepped out of his cell and got in line, heading for the mess hall. Jakob sat in the passenger seat of the car, idly watching the landscape flow by as the car moved. Enya, who was driving, was going over their schedule for the day. “We will be arriving shortly after the first bell has been rung, so all the kids should be in their classrooms. I’ll go and meet the headmaster and then I’ll come and get you. I’ll set your ankle bracelet to the car’s proximity until I get back. Sound good?” Jakob turned his head to face her. “Yep, no complaints here.” He recieved a nod in return. “Good. You are scheduled to appear on stage in the auditorium after lunch, so you will have more than enough time to get everything in order.” Jakob nodded back. This was the typical routine these trips followed, but it felt nice for some reason to talk about it all the same. On a whim, he asked her a somewhat overdue question. “Why did you recommend me for this program? It was pretty much the last thing I expected you to do.” Enya took a moment to answer. “Because despite how much I hated you, I could still see how deeply you came to regret your actions, and how hard you struggled to change yourself once you did. I thought you deserved a second chance.” The way in which she said it surprised Jakob. Not just her words, but the tone of her voice was decisively different then her usual deep and gruff one. “I, well eh, thanks.” The words came out awkwardly, but Enya didn’t seem to mind. “That, and I truly do believe this program can make a positive difference for a lot of young people. So make sure to keep doing your best.” Jakob could only nod in response. Her words continued to linger in his mind long after they stopped talking. Enya parked the car near the school gates and started typing on her wrist band’s small keyboard. It was linked to Jakob’s electronic ankle bracelet and showed her his exact position at all times. She was currently setting the alarm to go of if he moved from the car. This was actually her way of doing him a small favor, as staying in the car while she went to greet the headmaster was a rare chance for him to be alone and unwatched outside the prison enviroment. He was actually very grateful to her for these little moments. Her wristband beeped, signaling that it had recieved and implemented it’s instructions. Enya opened her door and stepped out of the car. She turned to look at him before closing it. “See you soon.” He nodded back, then watched her close the door and head over towards the school entrance. As soon as he was alone, Jakob lowered the window a tiny bit and took several deep, slow breaths. It was spring now, and the trees in the nearby park were in full bloom. The scent was amazingly calming. He made it a little game with himself to see how many different types of smells he could single out from the mix. After having his fill of rich flower scent, Jakob turned to look at the people passing by on the street. He had once been just like them, free to roam wherever he wanted. Observing them like this was a good reminder of just how much you could lose by making stupid decisions and by not questioning what people told you. Jakob shifted his gaze towards the school building. If his efforts during all of these trips would prevent even one of the many children inside that building from going down the same path he did, then it would be worth it. When he lowered his gaze back towards the street, his eyes were immediately drawn to one specific individual. He had never seen one before, but he knew right away that she had to be a unicorn. The clear, white fur, characteristic horn in the middle of her forehead, and dazzling beauty were unmistakable. She looked like she was around twelve, although Jakob had to admit to himself that he wasn’t very good at judging centaur age. She also looked like she was in a hurry, lightly galloping on the sidewalk with a school bag on her back. Jakob guessed that she was running late, recalling what Enya had said earlier about the first bell being rung before their arrival. So that meant this was one of the new human/mamano coed schools. Jakob almost laughed at himself when he thought about how such a thing would have made him cringe back in his younger, dumber days. What happened next, however, immediately stifled any potential laughter he might have had. A man, who had been standing with his back against a wall right next to an alleyway, suddenly dropped the newspaper he had been holding and started chasing after the unicorn as soon as she ran past him. Another man, who was further ahead along the sidewalk, placed himself right in her path and grabbed her as she ran into him, putting a hand over her mouth. His partner caught up and grabbed the hourse part of her body, lifting her feet of the ground as the two quickly ran towards the allyway, the unicorn struggling in their grip, her eyes reflecting pure terror visible even from across the street. Jakob felt as if his blood had turned to icewater, his mind playing flashbacks to when Helen had been abducted. His body moved before he had time to think, as he threw the car door open he almost flew out of his seat and started running after them, his legs carrying him faster than he ever remembered being able to run. His ankle bracelet started beeping angrily, but he didn’t even hear it. All of his thoughts were suddenly focused on a single solitary thing. To not let them get away. It turned out the allyway was rather short, as the men had almost made it through it by the time Jakob entered it. Jakob could see a white van with an open side door waiting for them on the street that it lead to. Somehow he found himself going even faster as he chased after them, the terrified unicorn noticing him and desperately extending her free hand towards him while trying to scream. Her struggling slowed them down just enough that he caught up with them as they were about to exit the allyway, and he used his momentum to sink his fist as deeply as he could into the stomach of the man who held the human half of her body. The guy let out a weezing noise and fell to the ground in a fairly unglamorous way, having had all the air knocked straight out of him. Roaring in anger, Jakob kicked the man on the ground straight in the face to make sure he stayed down, then aimed another blow at the man who as still carrying the unicorn, but he suddenly found himself jerking violently to the side, almost falling over but managing to regain his balance after several steps. Turning back towards the now screaming unicorn, it became obvious what just happened. Another kidnapper, most likely the driver, had jumped out of the car and shoved him away. Jakob sized him up. He was wearing a tank top which revealed his muscular arms. He was a far cry from mister Marble Statue back at the slammer, but still plenty intimidating. He placed himself between Jakob and the white van while his partner dragged the hysterical unicorn into the back space and yelled something about needing to split. Jakob had gained some muscle during the past few years, but he could tell that he was probably outmatched in this particular fight. Even so, backing down was not soemthing he even considered an option. He raised his fists and charged straight forward. Words would have been wasted breath. Jakob managed to dodge the kidnapper’s first swing and hit him straight in the chest. This did not seem to have much effect however as the man quickly returned the favor. The shock of the impact felt almost like a hammer, but Jakob blocked out the pain as best he could and swung straight at his face next. This time the result was more pleasing as the soft cartilage of the man’s nose broke with a crack. He staggered backwards a few steps, but quickly regained his bearings and came after Jakob hard, his fists raining blows on him. Jakob had to go completely on the defensive, but the heavy blows that hammered him soon made him keel over from the intense pain. Extending his hands to break his fall, Jakob blinked furiously in an attempt to clear his foggy vision. He had taken a hard blow to the head. His ears were ringing, but he could hear the man in the van yell something, and see his partner turn towards the driver’s door. Jakob gritted his teeth in frustration and chastised himself. “Come on you lazy ass! Stand up! Don’t you dare let these assholes get away!” Jakob used his legs to launch himself straight at the muscular man’s back, grabbing him around the waist and holding on for dear life. The man began flailing to throw him of, but he couldn’t quite bend his arms enough to get a good hit in. Jakob moved around as much as he could, doing everything in his power to keep the man from getting into that driver seat. It was a losing battle however, as he could feel his grip slipping every time the man thrashed around. Eventually, he lost his grip and was thrown to the ground. The muscular man seemed to have taken the whole thing as a personal insult, because he bent down, pulled jakob up by the collar, pulled his fist back to his shoulder and then delivered his hardest punch yet. Jakob could taste blood and a few teeth swimming around in his mouth. He fell down and landed flat on his back, barely managing to stay conscious. He tried to move, but he had no more strenght left. Everything hurt. He could still hear the crying voice of the young unicorn. Right around then he heard it. The sound of large, heavy hoofs slamming down hard onto the ground. He knew she would come running as soon as his ankle bracelet alarm went of, and he had bet it all on keeping the kidnappers occupied until she arrived. It looked like he had won that bet. Shifting his hazy vision towards the allyway, he could see Enya charging towards them at a ferocious speed. The two men seemed to have noticed her as well, as the man who was holding the unicorn slammed the side door shut while the muscular guy was now struggling to get in the van as fast as he could. But no matter how fast he managed it, it was already to late. Enya crossed the last of the distance just as he shut the driver’s door and slammed into the van with a massive, crashing noise. The whole side of the vehicle deformed as it toppled over, coming to a rest laying on its other side. Wasting no time, Enya moved to the back of the van, promptly tore the back doors straight of like they were made of paper, and entered the van. A few sickeningly crunching noises escaped the van’s interior, most likely originating from the two kidnappers being introduced to two large minotaur fists, and then everything became silent. After several minutes, Enya emerged from the van with the sobbing unicorn girl in her arms, moving over to and kneeling down next to Jakob. He coughed and spat out a pool of blood and teeth to be able to speak. “D-Did you get em?” She nodded. “You did well Jakob, you can relax now. I’ll call the cops and deal with the paperwork.” She paused to set the unicorn girl down. “Don’t fall asleep just yet, there is someone here who would like to tell you something.” She smiled at him (that was a first) before she stood up, took out her phone and started making calls. Jakob could feel his concentration slipping, but he managed to stay awake and turn his face towards the unicorn. She walked up to him, then folded her legs and laid her horse belly flat against the ground right next to his torso. Fresh tears fell from her eyes as she looked at him. She bent down and gently, ever so gently embraced his head while almost wispering in a soft voice. “Thank you Jakob, thank you so much!” Jakob could feel her horn touching his forehead. A strange, tingling sensation slowly began to spread from the point of contact. The sensation seemed to replace the pain as it slowly spread through his body. “Ah, that’s right. Unicorns can use powerful healing magic, now I remember”. With that last thought, Jakob finally fell unconscious. When Jakob awoke, he found himself in a hospital bed. “Good morning sleepyhead, or perhaps I should say good evening.” Turning his head towards the familiar voice, he saw Enya sitting in a chair next to his bed. He returned her greeting with a grin. “How bad is it?” She actually smiled as she answered. “Not nearly as bad as it could have been. Little miss Erika refused to give up until she had managed to re-attach your teeth and heal your broken ribs. Because you had a few of those.” He gave her a quizzical look. “Erika?” “The little unicorn lady you so gallantly rescued. She actually wanted to be here when you woke up, but I convinced her to go with her parents by promising to stay with you.” Jakob let his head sink back into the pillow. “Is she alright?” “She was not physically hurt. She did get one hell of a shock though.” Enya leaned a little closer. “The hospital shrink told me to ask you if you wanted to participate in Erika’s therapy sessions once you’re better. Having you around might help her feel safer, according to what she said.” Jakob almost cried when he heard her say that. A feeling unlike any he had felt before spread through his chest. It was a warm, pleasant feeling. He turned towards Enya again. “Only if you come along as well. You are the one who actually saved her in the end.” Enya surprised him by grabbing his hand. “We saved her together. I want you to know I am proud of you and what you did, don’t try to belittle yourself.” Jakob was unable to formulate a response, so she giggled and continued. “Don’t you always tell the children we visit that if you hurt someone, you must be ready to accept thier anger? That means you should learn to accept the grattitude and praise you get for helping people as well, doesn’t it?” Jakob paused for a moment, then let out a big sigh, followed by a smile. “I guess I can’t fault you on that logic.” They both looked at each other, then quietly laughed together. Archibald’s perspective. Archibald was sitting in his favourite armchair in the living room, a cup of hot coffee sitting untouched on the small table to his right. He was nervously twirling his thumbs as his gaze wandered back and forth. He wasn’t quite sure what he had expected would happen when he told Helen the truth two days ago, but it certainly hadn’t been this. Rather then becoming upset, sad or angry, Helen had seemed relieved when he told her. This had puzzled him for a moment, before she let on that she had known about it for a while. She had even wanted to bring it up, but never seemed able to find the proper time to do so. “Not entirely unlike me”, Archibald thought. As it turned out, Helen had a cousin that worked in the prison where Jakob had been incarcerated. A minotaur named Enya. Archibald had met Helen’s grandmother, who was an echidna, and knew that one of her children was a minotaur, but he did not know that she had a child of her own so this was news to him. Helen had laughed and explained that her minotaur aunt had always been the lone wolf of the family, and was pretty much always off somewhere with her husband, looking for new things to do. “Her daughter seems to have adopted a polar opposite mindset with her choise of profession then”, Archibald had thought to himself. At any rate, Enya had pretty much kept Helen up to date on everything that happened with Jakob, so she knew the full story and had told Archibald everything. She had then suggested that they should invite them over. So now, here he sat. Waiting for Enya and Jakob to arrive and not having the slightest clue how to feel. His thoughts were interrupted by the doorbell ringing out. He could hear the sound of Helen’s hooves as she went to open the door, and his chest tightened as a wave of nervousness came over him. He sat as still as he could, listening to the sounds from the entrance hall. He could hear them talking, but not quite make out the words. The tone of their voices seemed to be bright though. Helen was the first to enter the living room. She walked up to him and sat down on his left side (The armchair was big enough for them both, which was one reason he liked it so much). She wrapped her arms around his left arm an leaned her head onto his shoulder, almost instantly dissolving most of his tension. Archibald turned to look into her eyes, quietly thanking her. She had always been very good at calming his heart whenever he felt nervous and agitated, yet another reason why he loved her so damn much. After steadying himself, Archibald gave her a slight nod. She returned the gesture and turned towards the door. “You can come in now.” Enya was the first to enter the room. Her tall, massive form managed to obscure the man behind her for a few moments, but as they moved closer Archibald could see his right hand. A hand with stumps for fingers. The minotaur stopped in front of him and extended her hand. He took it as he introduced himself. “Archibald, nice to meet you.” “Enya, Helen’s told me a lot about you.” She then stepped aside to reveal Jakob, who had been standing behind her. It was strange seeing the man again after so long. The last time Archibald saw him, his heart had held nothing but contempt for him. Seeing him now though, he couldn’t really make sense of what he was feeling. Several different emotions mingled together, making it hard to even discern what they had been in the first place. Jakob was the first to break the silence. “Before you say anything, let me just tell you this. Don’t apologise.” Archibald blinked in surprise, opening his mouth to inquire further, but Jakob continued before he could formulate the question. “I know, it sound weird coming from me, right?” He sat down in one of the two chairs that Helen had placed slightly in front of Archibald’s armchair in advance. Enya took a seat in the other one before he continued. “Believe it or not, I am actually grateful for what you did. It taught me the most valuable lesson I ever learned.” His gaze shifted over to Helen as he spoke. “It taught me just how much of an effect my own actions could have on other people’s minds and hearts.” Looking back at Archibald, he gave him a genuine smile. The next hour or so was spent talking about everything that had happened since Archibald’s visit to the prison. Jakob did most of the talking with Enya filling in at certain points. When they got to the part about the attempted kidnapping, Enya even pulled out a photo she had taken of Erika standing next to Jakob’s hospital bed with a brilliant smile on her face. She made sure to emphasize not only Jakob’s bravery, but also the fact that he would not have been there to stop them in the first place if he hadn’t turned his life and self view around. At this point (once his blush subsided a bit), Jakob leaned forward and grabbed Archibald’s hand. “This wonderful girl is safe and sound thanks to you.” He then turned towards Enya and gestured towards her stomach. “And so is the little fella in here.” At those words, Helen stared wide eyed at her cousin. “Enny! You didn’t tell me you were pregnant!” Enya squirmed in her seat, suddenly finding a specific point of the ceiling to be very intriguing. “Y-You know I have a hard time talking about, stuff like that.” Helen clapped her hands together. “Oh but this is great news! Archie, we need to let the kids know! I’m sure they will be thrilled to know they are going to have a second cousin.” Archibald turned to look at Helen. She gave him that cute smile he so utterly adored. She then slowly reached for his face and used the back of her index finger to wipe away the tears he hadn’t even realized were there until now. His gaze wandered to the big picture frames on the wall that held the images of his and Helen’s two children when they were small. A holstaur girl named Mandy and a bright looking boy named Richard. It then continued towards Enya’s stomach, not yet shoving the telltale signs of pregnancy, then to Jakob and his honest smile, then finally back to Helen. Feeling more tears was on the way, he hugged his lovely wife tightly and turned back towards Jakob and Enya. Helen held him close as his tears started to flood. Archibald felt like he had been stuck in a deluge under a dark sky, then suddenly saw the coulds part and a ray of warming sunlight hit his face. The four of them spent the rest of the day talking until it grew dark outside. Jakob and Enya offered to leave, but Helen wouldn’t hear it and prepeared the guest room for them. When Archibald finally laid down in his own bed with Helen at his side, he cupped her face in his hands and kissed her tenderly. She returned the kiss and embraced him, pressing her chest against his. Archibald mused to himself as he felt her warmth. “Heh, I might decide to stick around for a bit longer in this life after all. It seems like there will be a lot of interesting things to see soon.” 2 thoughts on “Redemption” Peasantry says: Some satisfying instances of an eye for an eye, and an interesting look into fanaticism. Kinda weird that there wasn’t any rapey mamono, and I usually avoid the ‘no smut’ tag due to reasons, but I’m glad I read this. Astrumratio says: I’m glad you enjoyed the story. I did consider putting smut of some variety in, but I felt like in this particular instance I wanted to focus more on other aspects. I do have another smut including idea in the works though, but I’ll wait and see if I can use it in the upcoming contest. Meeting the Parents- Wurm July 30, 2015 Ooohh this was going to be a long evening. My parents, bless their hearts I love them to death, … Harem Heroes: The Heaven’s Gold Spear / Chapters 25-27 July 15, 2019 David, currently able to be in two places at once thanks to the Potion of Shadows, has just consummated his … Sojourn’s End, Chapter 4; Hard Questions Uneasy Answers July 31, 2017 The Great Maou, (thankfully) chose to change her line of query. “Earlier you said you were created. Does that mean … Assistantauspicious I am a young-man with a love for vampires and werewolves. Read More OTAKUevangelist Demon is best girl. Read More Schoolgirls Are Real Bitches (score 2.36 - 14 votes)	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line470
__label__wiki	0.708024	0.708024	< Minor Leagues Twins Daily 2018 Top 20 Prospect Countdown: 11-15 Feb 06 2018 08:50 PM \| Nick Nelson in Minor Leagues As we run through the rest of Twins Daily's second tier of highest-rated prospects before kicking off one-by-one Top 10 profiles on Thursday, you'll find some familiar faces with serious breakthrough potential in 2018. 15. Mitch Garver, C Age: 27 (DOB: 1/15/91) 2017 Stats (AAA): 372 PA, .291/.387/.541, 17 HR, 45 RBI ETA: 2018 2017 Ranking: 11 A year ago, we ranked Garver 11th on this list. He went on to post the second-highest OPS in the International League (behind only Rhys Hoskins), rightfully earning Twins Minor League Player of the Year honors. So what's with the slide? In part, this speaks to the general quality of Minnesota's farm system. But it also points to Garver's ticking clock. He's the oldest player on this list by a big margin. It gets difficult to call someone a top prospect when he's 27 and still hasn't made an impact in the majors. Garver got his feet wet last year but struggled to a .196 average and .636 OPS in 50 plate appearances with the Twins. In 2018 he is primed to get his full shot, lined up as Jason Castro's timeshare partner behind the plate (a role that got Chris Gimenez plenty of tread). Garver's defense is well regarded and he's proven he can hit at the highest level of the minors, particularly against left-handed pitching. We'll see now if he can do the same in the big leagues. It's not implausible the former 9th-round pick could yet develop into Minnesota's primary long-term catcher after Castro moves on. 14. LaMonte Wade, OF Age: 24 (DOB: 1/1/94) 2017 Stats (AA): 519 PA, .292/.397/.408, 7 HR, 67 RBI Like Garver, Wade was a 9th-round pick who has healthily exceeded expectations as a pro. A lefty-swinging outfielder whose lack of outstanding speed now limits him to the corners, he has made his name on one key skill: getting on base. He posted a .402 OBP between two levels of Single-A in 2016, and last year made the jump to Double-A with a .397 mark that ranked him third in the Southern League. With his somewhat limited defensive profile, Wade needs to keep producing at the plate, and that will probably require him to add more power. Stellar walk rates in the low minors tend to erode as prospects move closer to the majors, unless they are giving pitchers a reason to fear throwing them strikes. The 24-year-old put up a career-low slugging percentage at Chattanooga, managing only 32 total extra-base hits in more than 500 plate appearances. That probably won't cut it. But with his sturdy lower half, Wade has the build to necessary to start driving the ball with more authority. Notable slugging improvement at Rochester in 2018 would greatly increase Wade's outlook as an asset, though perhaps more as a trade chip than a future piece. He will have a hard time breaking into Minnesota's outfield as things currently stand. 13. Lewin Diaz, 1B Age: 21 (DOB: 11/19/96) 2017 Stats (Low A): 508 PA, .292/.329/.444, 12 HR, 68 RBI Since being signed out of the Dominican Republic for $1.4 million at age 16, Diaz has always maintained a level of lowkey hype in the Twins system despite failing to put up eye-catching numbers. With his big 6-foot-3 frame beginning to fill out as he ages into his 20s, Diaz is turning into the physical prototype for an intimidating force at the dish. But if his numbers don't start reflecting that potential soon, he is doomed to continue his slide on this list after dropping out of the 2017 Top 10. It wasn't a bad season for Diaz necessarily. Taking on full-season ball for the first time in Cedar Rapids at age 20, he nearly batted .300 and kept the strikeouts in check, with his 15.7% K-rate placing among the ten lowest in the Midwest League. The lefty swinger actually performed better against southpaws, quieting those usual concerns. But while his ability to make contact and stroke line drives was impressive, Diaz didn't show many other dimensions to his game. Making 321 more plate appearances than he did the previous season in Elizabethton, he hit only three more home runs. He also showed minimal patience, with his 4.9% walk rate ranking second-worst MWL among players with 500+ PA (only 18-year-old Padres prospect Hudson Potts was lower). Offering minimal defensive value, Diaz needs to hit – and hit a lot – to become a valuable big-leaguer. The Twins still believe he'll get there, but he needs to prove it this year, especially since he'll be Rule 5 eligible again following the season if they don't dedicate a 40-man roster spot to him. 12. Lewis Thorpe, LHP 2017 Stats (A+/AA): 83 IP, 3.36 ERA, 91/33 K/BB, 1.21 WHIP 2017 Ranking: NR The Twins did make the 40-man commitment to Thorpe last fall, despite not having a ton of information to go on. He threw only 83 total innings in 2017, and that was his highest total since signing out of Australia in 2012. The talented southpaw has been plagued by injuries, which sidelined him for both the 2015 and 2016 seasons in their entirety. But Thorpe's return to the mound last summer went very smoothly. Spending most his campaign at Ft. Myers after opening in extended spring training, he continued to silence opposing bats as he had before all the missed time, striking out 84 hitters in 77 innings while allowing only three homers. Bringing a potent repertoire from the left side, he induced double-digit whiffs in seven of his final 13 turns, including an August spot start at Double-A where he struck out seven over six frames. He'll probably start his year at Chattanooga, so Thorpe could quickly emerge as an option for the MLB club. It's not difficult to see parallels between him and Fernando Romero, who returned in 2016 after missing basically two full seasons and has since established himself as one of the team's very best prospects. 11. Zack Littell, RHP Age: 22 (DOB: 10/5/95) 2017 Stats (A+/AA): 157 IP, 2.12 ERA, 142/41 K/BB, 1.12 WHIP Even in an age where the valuation of the almighty "W" among analysts has thankfully diminished greatly, it's hard not to look at Littell's shiny 19-1 record in 2017 and say, "whoa." The right-hander, acquired from the Yankees at the deadline when Minnesota flipped Jaime Garcia, picked up a win in 19 of his 25 starts, a reflection of his masterful performance (17 quality starts). Littell's numbers have outpaced his prospect luster; he hasn't had any presence on national lists and didn't even make Minor League Ball's Top 20 for the Yankees last year despite going 13-6 with a 2.66 ERA between two levels of A-ball in 2016. But at this point those numbers are getting harder to ignore. He transitioned to Double-A without a hitch, working at least six innings in all but two of his 14 starts with Trenton and Chattanooga while, obviously, delivering sterling results. Having said that, Littell comes close to cracking the Top 10 more because of his floor than his ceiling. As good as his numbers have been in the minors, few believe he'll achieve remotely similar outcomes in the bigs with his 89-91 MPH fastball and unspectacular secondaries. Having a great feel for the craft of pitching shouldn't be overlooked, as it can make up for shortcomings with stuff. That's certainly been the case for Littell the past two years. We'll see if he can carry it over to Triple-A and – perhaps, in the latter half of the summer, Target Field? Twins Daily Top 20 Prospects 2018 20. Felix Jorge, RHP 19. Tyler Jay, LHP 18. Yunior Severino, 2B 17. Travis Blankenhorn, 2B/3B 16. Ben Rortvedt, C 10. Coming Thursday! Read profiles of 16-20 here Get to know more about these five Minnesota Twins prospects and much more in the 2018 Minnesota Twins Prospect Handbook. ORDER NOW: 2018 Minnesota Twins Prospect Handbook (paperback, $15.99) ORDER NOW: 2018 Minnesota Twins Prospect Handbook (eBook, $10.99) The 2018 Minnesota Twins Prospect Handbook goes in-depth and provides player bios, scouting reports, statistics and much more on almost 160 Twins minor leaguers. Oldgoat_MN, mikelink45, dbminn and 2 others like this I think by season’s end Lewis Thorpe will be in the top 5 prospects for the Twins. I see him coming out the gates in Chattanooga stronger than Fernando Romero did last year as Thorpe’s game is not so much power as it is using his 4 pitch arsenal (fastball, change, curve, slider). Thorpe finally has had a healthy off season to improve his craft, something he hasn’t had since 2014, so he should show the improvement most scouts felt he would have on his command/control and his improvement in his curve and slider. Thorpe very well could be another top of the rotation prospect. Of course though he has to stay healthy... Steve Lein, ThejacKmp, bluechipper and 3 others like this Kind of an uninspiring group from 11-15.These kinds of lists also still reflect the relative youth of the big league lineup, which brings guys slightly further up a ranking than they would otherwise be.But it's baseball, so you know at least one of these guys will develop into a solid big leaguer.Diaz and Thorpe certainly appear to have precious "upside" at least. SF Twins Fan likes this Respy I'm extremely optimistic that most of 11-15 either slid a bit or was NR last year.If anyone thought we had a good or above average farm system last year, then it should be clear we have a very good one now. wabene likes this 15. Mitch Garver, C - I really liked your explanation of his drop.You are right.By age 27 you should be in the bigs or you are on a path to be Crash Davis.I hope takes his opportunity and makes something of it. 14. LaMonte Wade, OF - As I read your description I kept thinking Grossman.Without the OPS there is nothing to recommend him, but then Grossman has made a career out of it. 13. Lewin Diaz, 1B - still lots of hype, but nothing to grab on to.Lets hope he finds a turning point this year. 12. Lewis Thorpe, LHP - he has been written about so much I keep thinking he is older than his actual age.I can only go with what all of you have written since I have not seen him throw and he has not shown us a really healthy stretch. 11. Zack Littell, RHP - This was a great pick up.As a Wins do Count guy, I am very impressed.You have to pitch long enough to qualify for a win and do well enough to leave with the lead.But his raw numbers do not say star in MLB.Good luck to Zack. I am so pleased, again, to have you break things down for the rest of us.This was fascinating and I look forward to your next list.The only question I have for these ten is this: How many of them are really expected to make the bigs and how many are supposed to do something good when they do? Nick Nelson, Dantes929, lsh and 2 others like this jrod23 Great list Nick!I'm always afraid to buy into the hype for guys who have been injured for so long.Not sure if it's better they were injured at a young age where they can rebound better, or if it's a sign we have injury prone prospects.Romero and Thorpe both have been injured or hampered for a the greater part of their young careers.Are there any analytics on players who have been able to crack the bigs that have been out for so long while in the minors?...that being said, yes, I've bought into the hype for Romero and Thorpe. Diaz swings a nice bat.Seems to be a decent enough first baseman, but man, he is the opposite of fast.You're right when you said, he needs to hit and hit a lot in order to crack the bigs.Who knows, he may develop a solid power swing.Weird that a guy that young already qualified for the Rule V draft. On Littell, and Moya I guess, why were the Yankees so quick to trade off Littell (fan choice for MiLB pitcher of the year) and Gabriel Moya (MiLB relief pitcher of the year) for a mid-level rental pitcher?I've read both of their numbers don't reflect their actual ability.Are they the anomaly in this new world of analytics? On Littell, and Moya I guess, why were the Yankees so quick to trade off Littell (fan choice for MiLB pitcher of the year) and Gabriel Moya (MiLB relief pitcher of the year) for a mid-level rental pitcher? Moya came to us from Arizona in exchange for catcher JR Murphy. gunnarthor This group looks nice. Garver and Wade seem to be back-ups but that's not a horrible thing. Wade might be underrated a bit around here because of the things he can't do while we are ignoring the thing he can do very well - not make outs. Diaz and Thorpe are the two guys with upside. Thorpe might be close, actually. I think he'll start the year in AA. Diaz is apparently better than his stats so far but it would be nice if his stats improved this year. Littel seems like he'll make his ML debut this year. He could be another solid innings eating back-end starter that we used to collect. That's not a bad thing. bluechipper likes this 2wins87 The ranking of Garver has actually been the most baffling thing to me this year.He was old for his level last year, and every other year.Now he destroyed AAA - where I would say age to league no longer means much of anything - but the argument is now that he's too old. I used to think he was ranked too high, mostly because of his age and questions about defense.I've been encouraged by reports of his defense solidifying, but now he's kind of an afterthought. I get why national rankers more or less ignore guys that are 26 or 27.But it's not that strange for a catcher to be fairly old before making an impact at the MLB level.About a quarter of the dozenish catchers to put up 2+ WAR last season didn't get a regular job until they were at least 27 (Austin Barnes, Robinson Chirinos, and Manny Piña specifically).There's no reason to think that Garver's not still a prospect and doesn't have time to make an impact. gagu likes this Thorpe is the best guy on this part of the list....he's a legit MLB starter, imo (based on nothing....but when did that stop anyone on the interwebs) Garver should be at least a solid backup catcher, if not more. Wade will get starts for some team someplace. I have never liked the Diaz signing, so I feel too biased to comment, but maybe some actual results would be nice. Littel? I doubt he's ever much more than a AAAA player, gets some MLB time here and there, but is the guy that goes back and forth between MLB and AAA, mostly in AAA. That said, who knows? Maybe he has some insane something that will translate. Nice list, the inclusion of Thorpe, Garver, and Wade make this part for me. All three are MLB players. Dantes929 and Oxtung like this He's now been traded twice for legitimate major league pitching, so evidently the scouts see something. JLease If Thorpe stays healthy for a full season this ranking will look low in retrospect, but his history makes this the right sort of spot for him. I want to believe, and I'm really rooting for him but injury history can be hard. This will be Garver's last year on a prospect list, since he's almost certainly going to graduate to the big club. Let's hope his cup of coffee helped him acclimate and a defined and consistent role helps him get off to a good start. If he gets 200 ABs this year and can out-hit Gimenez, that will be a nice result. Littell is interesting. The performance has been impressive. He's pitched in 5 different leagues in 2 years and done well in all of them. Control slipped a little when he came to the MN system, but that could be SSS, it could be league adjustment, trade adjustment...who knows? Rochester seems like the right place for him to start, and if he keeps mowing his way through lineups, you have to think he could be a factor in the rotation in the second half of the year. Maybe he's going to be one of those guys who gets just enough Ks, doesn't give up the HRs, doesn't walk too many guys, doesn't get hit real hard and just chews through unspectacular outings time after time. It will be interesting to see if he can get deep into games consistently; he still doesn't have a ton of innings. Mike Sixel, David HK, howieramone2 and 4 others like this Shane Wahl Lewis Thorpe will be a top 5 prospect by mid-season this year. LaMonte Wade will be Grossman's replacement at some point late in the season. Haaaa!!!I'm better than that.Thanks for the correction.I was thinking Moya instead of Enns for some reason. ashbury likes this Parker Hageman I think there is a big unknown in the public realm about what Zack Littell is packing on the mound, mostly because the gen pop doesn't have access to spin rates and the other statcast metrics that teams do, but I tend to think the Twins tapped him because of some of those underlying metrics that they have access to which we do not. The Twins have had their system-wide trackman in the minors before a lot of other teams and probably have a longer background of data of those opponents. MLB Pipeline alluded to it but it sounds like Littell has one of those lower velo/high spin fastballs which gets plenty of swinging strikes and weak contact. I think most prospect evaluators have viewed Littell's curveball very much as a plus pitch. Small sample sure but I think you can get a feel for the movement and the hitter's reaction on these two clips. So we don't know where LIttell's fastball spin rate sits. Let's assume it is above 2450 RPM making it one of the top rates in the league. It is really kind of hard to find an existing comp for that -- a high-spin, low heat velo fastball and big curve. Most of the ones that sort of fall under that are aging variety (Matt Cains, Jake Peavys) or are left-handed. Zack Grienke has also been that pitcher with his fastball the last five seasons, but he also has three plus pitches to draw from after that. What's more is all of those pitchers once had much better velocity and grew experience before reducing to that velocity level. The younger(ish) upside comp might be Dylan Bundy, with a low-90s fastball and big curveball, or perhaps Tyler Chatwood. The wild card here is if he can hone in on that third pitch. Some evaluators have said the changeup looks good at times and he's just started using the slider more. If not, a two-pitch combination can play well as a reliever. He's a super intriguing prospect to me and I'm looking forward to seeing more from him. Nick Nelson, gunnarthor, howieramone2 and 2 others like this Seth Stohs I should have posted this earlier... but here are where the four of us ranked these five players: Mitch Garver: Seth (16), Nick (11), Cody (15), Tom (15) LaMonte Wade: Seth (13), Nick (10), Cody (16), Tom (16) Lewin Diaz: Seth (11), Nick (18), Cody (10), Tom (13) Lewis Thorpe: Seth (12), Nick (13), Cody (11), Tom (14) Zack Littell: Seth (14), Nick (15), Cody (9), Tom (8) My quick thoughts: Garver's role may be as a backup, but his offense should be good enough that we could feel really good about him as a starter. Wade has a chance to be really good. He's got the approach, speed, defense.. And he absolutely has the power, it just hasn't shown up in games yet. His floor is probably 4th OF, but he can be a starter. Also, him getting a NRI this year says a lot too. Diaz has a chance. I know he's a first baseman. He's not fast. That's the only place he can play (besides DH), but I think he's got a ton of power potential that we haven't seen yet. We may not see it in 2018, but it's there. I also think he can be more than "just" a power hitter. Good swing to the whole field. Thorpe just needs to stay healthy and get innings. Probably starts in AA, but could get to AAA. I don't think he jumps to the Top 5 like some suggest, but he should be Top 8 or so next year. Littell can spin the ball, as Parker pointed out, and that's important. No one projects him to be a top-of-the-rotation type, but he can be a #3 maybe... and there's a ton of value in that! gunnarthor, gagu and Tom Froemming like this gagu Thanks for doing the research on age, 2wins. I was going to do the same thing after reading the comments. You saved me a good hour. I know that Garver is still a prospect, but I don't even think of him that way. He will be a very solid backup catcher for several years. I don't really have any doubts, and never did, about this. youngpadawan I find it kind of silly that Thorpe isn't a top 5 or at least top 10 prospect in our system. When on the field, he has done little to warrant a slide. If it is a health thing then you would think Romero would sit lower too. He has missed 2 years and at 22 is already at AA. It is possible he would have received his first cup of coffee this last season if he didn't have a delayed surgery and mono. Rankings are just rankings and they are fun. I always look forward to them and love the debates about them. I just don't get the hesitation of putting him back where he was pre(vacation). He seems like a fair bet to be a pretty dominant lefty. There just aren't alot of those around. David HK Re: Littell-it sounds like you described Brad Radke to a T Do the Twins Really Need to Add Another Starter? by Seth Stohs , 16 Jan 2020 3 Current Twins That Were Late-Blooming Prospects by Cody Christie , 13 Jan 2020 Otwins Top 20 Minnesota Twins Assets of 2020: Part 3 (6-10) by Nick Nelson , 08 Jan 2020 rdehring Can Lewis Thorpe Translate Whiffs into Results? beckmt Projecting Minnesota's 2023 Line-Up by Cody Christie , 23 Dec 2019 → Minor Leagues → Article: Twins Daily 2018 Top 20 Prospect Countdown: 11-15	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line471
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__label__wiki	0.557155	0.557155	urdolls Ik ga op reis en neem mee… Reismap Can A Sex Doll Machine That Makes Love Breathe? Geplaatst door 31 oktober 2019 door urdolls The goal is to make the sex doll robot move The ultimate goal of the sex doll company is to make the robot move its arms and legs to enable it to walk. However, according to the Daily Star, it is a similar breakthrough for human beings, and it hopes to make the machines that make love breathe. Silicone Sally: Japanese men find true love for sex dolls. The physiotherapist Masaaki Osaki took a bath with his silicone sex doll, Mayu, who slept with his home in Tokyo with his wife and teenage daughter. The rise of sexual robots has been accused of turning Japanese into “endangered species” Japanese sex dolls provide a personalized experience by remembering your personality, allowing you to engage in conversations, facial expressions and blinks. The 45-year-old physiotherapist said in an interview with AFP: “After my wife gave birth, we no longer have sex, I feel very lonely.” “But when I saw Mayu in the showroom, it was love at first sight.” Ozaki blushed. He was wearing a doll in a wheelchair, wearing a wig, sexy clothes and jewelry to dress her. However, the rise of GYNOID doll has caused some experts to worry, which they say may be partly due to the reduction in birth date. Experts are said to link areas where birth rates have fallen to areas where sex doll sales are growing. In 2017, Japan’s birth rate fell below 1 million, with a population of 127 million. At the same time, the total number of deaths in Japan in 2017 is estimated at approximately 1.2 million. As researchers work to develop next-generation sex robots that can talk, laugh, or simulate orgasm, future TPE sex doll users can expect more money. But for now, the long-suffering wife of Ozaki, Riho, tried to ignore the boring rubber enchantress and silently mocked her from her husband’s bedroom. “I just continue to do housework,” she smelled. “I cook dinner, clean, wash clothes. I choose to sleep instead of sex.” The doll is still in production and the company plans to start flat chested love dolls in a few months. Ozaki added: They are very selfish. Men want someone to listen to others when they get home from work, don’t complain. No matter what problem I have, Mayu is always waiting for me there. I love her a little and want to be with her forever. Recently, psychologists at a major London drug addict clinic warned people that they might be fascinated by dirty robots. She never betrayed me, she eliminated my troubles. The relationship between Nakajima and Saori made his family split, but the Tokyo-born businessman refused to give up her. “In the future, I think more and more people will choose the relationship with the d cup sex doll,” he said. His home is Aladdin’s doll, kitsch toy and Japanese erotic cave. He added: This relieves stress and they complain much less than women. He is a military fan, living alone, but has a familiar girlfriend, he has more than 10 life-size dummies – he wears many uniforms wearing wartime fantasy. https://urdolls.blogspot.com/2019/10/sex-dolls-have-been-widely-reported.html https://www.urdolls.com/love-doll-c-58.html Geplaatst in Reizen,Robot,Sport \| Tags: Skin,TPE Sex Dolls Are Difficult To Distinguish From Humans Sex dolls will match humans to reality in a few years The owner of GYNOID doll said that after the AI upgrade, sex robots will be “difficult to be different.” An industry expert said that after the artificial intelligence upgrade, gender robots are difficult to distinguish from humans. The doll president believes that artificial intelligence is developing so fast that sexual robots will match humans to reality in a few years. He told The Daily Star Online: “I think that we must not only improve the AI part, but also improve the rest of the technology (making it difficult to distinguish human capabilities from the TPE sex doll/robot). A long way to go. Sharing a recommendation to change lives with one gender, while another gender itself is seen as another gender discrimination, but this is only the beginning. Once you have carefully reviewed the approved account, there are a dozen dangerous signs. Replace the quasi-metal of the entire sex! Take a moment to clap your hands. But there are more: and this is only the last few weeks. If you continue to scroll down his Twitter timeline, there may be more such treasures. Everyone can see if you don’t like strong people, you can avoid following him. He did say that women can follow him “if they want,” isn’t it? Later that day, his attitude towards the mini 100cm doll was re-established. “In the past few years, the robotics and AI parts have been widely reported, so the public is aware of the progress being made. Operated by Harsh Strongman, he is said to be a financial advisor and certified public accountant in his 20s, who is said to write articles on health, business, money, personal finance, investment, social skills, body language and self-improvement. His profile picture is a photograph of Chanakya, an ancient Indian politician and royal adviser, who is known for his classic Arthashastra (economics). After browsing the tweets and blog posts, people realized why he was not willing to recommend this account to women. He said that ordinary dolls can reduce the weight of 65 to 80 pounds. If you can reduce this weight, you can add other functions to the flat chested love dolls. Over the years, I think we have made great strides in realism, but my hope for the next few years is more innovation. I think people are very concerned about AI and robotics, but other innovations have been overlooked, such as reducing the weight of the sex doll. He said that people read his tweets and blog posts clearly, “because the Japanese sex doll adds value to their lives,” Strongman said, and strongly stated that he is not “a low-necked shirt.” The babes are attracted to more than 96,000 followers. This “not a hot girl” made some keen observations on women’s psychology. This is his deep side: The X-star star teamed up with the sex doll company to make a replica of her face and body for £2,800, including “advanced lightweight core platinum silicone”, so admirers can join the exclusive star real life. http://www.osnabruecker.com/blog_entry.php?user=serry&blogentry_id=32545 Geplaatst in Reizen,Robot,Sport \| Tags: reality,Skin,TPE X-level Star Cooperates With Sex Doll Company Admirers can live real life with star sex dolls The X-star star teamed up with sex doll company urdolls to make a replica of her face and body for £2,800, including “advanced lightweight core platinum silicone”, so admirers can compete with this exclusive star Live together. “Soon, fans can take me to bed every night and enjoy my company’s honour, and I’m very excited about it.” Kova is proud to say that it will “keep all my curves in a more flexible, agile On the frame.” The 31-year-old is from Canada and has a large fan base – more than 578,000 followers on Instagram. GYNOID doll like Kova replicas are becoming more and more complex – the entire industry is ambitious and hopes to create a fully operational sex robot. When commenting on the project, the management of the manufacturer praised their creation as the “second best” for a real porn star company. The flat chested love dolls is definitely the next good thing to own Korina. Stacey Townsend, CEO of the Sex Doll Store, said: “We are very excited to work with Korina Kova to create an incredibly sexy TPE love doll based on her exact size; working with the sculptor team, we are able to capture every curve And every sexy detail. Scientists and engineers have been working hard to create the world’s first fully operational mini 100cm doll. It is still in production, and the sex doll engineers boast that it will perfectly reproduce the Kova. This product is the company’s first “special design” using “advanced light core platinum silicone”. Sex doll owners boast that being with the real TPE sex doll is “the next best thing.” The next best thing:: It is said that a copy of the porn star is ready to conquer the world of dolls. The $3,500 replica was “designed” by a company whose engineers used “advanced lightweight core platinum silicone” for this purpose. Porn star Korina Kova wants to be the “perfect human clone” sex machine. Exclusive: Korina wants to surpass herself by surpassing “lifelike” and “anatomically correct” Japanese sex dolls. One day, people will be able to buy fully autonomous, AI-controlled sex robots to take home. Some dolls can bring you back to the price of £15,000, and even brothels are composting here, for punters to try these dolls in Europe and the United States. Recently in Japan, experts suggested that the popularity of sex dolls and sex robots may be the reason for the decline in birth rates in the country. http://interarticles.com/article/31495-people-buy-gifts-for-their-silicone-sex-doll-mate/ Geplaatst in Robot,Sport,Trips \| Tags: reality,Skin,TPE When Can A Sex Doll Robot Cross The Crowd? Geplaatst door 9 oktober 2019 door urdolls You have produced some kind of love for sex dolls Imagine when they can cross the crowd. “You may be brushed by someone in Macy’s who tries to perfume on your body, but maybe you will hesitate if they are robots.” A sexy sex doll robot. By then, yes, they will be physical, but you have some kind of love for their brains. The sex dolls and robots exhibited at this year’s event have a richer imagination. From self-heating talking dolls to sex robots that specialize in oral sex, VR also brings the connection between adult products and customers closer and provides an incredible fantasy experience. Experts say that sexual robots should have “human rights” to prevent sexual assaults. University of Westminster law lecturer Victoria Brooks suggested in an article in Dialogue that we need to change the way we look at TPE sex doll robots. Ms. Brooks suggested that in the near future, we may need to obtain sexual consent from sexual robots. If you think that lifelike sex dolls are good, then in the past few years, advances in technology have led to some disturbing and realistic GYNOID doll, and the dolls made in the East are almost the same as real people. Mentioning the sex dolls in reality must not ignore the Japanese Oriental industry, which can be said to be the weight figure in the world of sex dolls. The inflatable doll finally entered the 21st century. But the question is whether they will make women sexually redundant. She looks like you – if she wants, she might look like a flat chested love doll. To make matters worse, under the silky shaving, she feels like you. Oh, she can bend like a pretzel. The evolution of sex dolls and their impact on interpersonal relationships was a topic worth discussing in the Carte Blanche episode last week. Host Bingwa brings the audience to a world where sex and technology meet. Most importantly, the development of adult entertainment means huge amounts of money. The international entertainment industry is worth approximately $23 billion (R295b), and advances in technology will further strengthen these numbers. Like the desire for food, sexual desire is a normal motivation. This is very important! In Japan, the culture surrounding sex is particularly developed. For example, in places such as… In Japan, a variety of 100cm sex doll are being sold. But for some people, when it comes to women, they may hesitate. But what impact will this have on interpersonal relationships? Relationship experts believe that the development of the Japanese sex doll robot will bring happiness. “We live in a world where people’s connections have been replaced by apps and social media. She said: “We have had very little conversation. In fact, we can see the expressions on the faces of loved ones or listen. The emotions in their voices. “But she said that the human touch is irreplaceable.” http://yorfriends.com/blogs/post/170#sthash.mWj3hCGK.dpbs http://zordis.com/japanese-sex-doll-is-essential-for-small-details/ Geplaatst in Reizen,Robot,Steden \| Tags: Skin,TPE Inschrijven maillinglijst Blijf op de hoogte van mijn reis. Ontvang een e-mail bij elk nieuw reisverhaal. Over mijn reis! Ik ga ... maanden naar .... , daar ga ik allemaal leuke dingen bekijken. Mijn reis doe is samen met .... (of alleen). Laatste reisverhalen Life-size Sex Dolls That Are Now Deceased Loved One 16 januari 2020 The Most Popular Request Is GYNOID Doll 13 januari 2020 Equipped With AI Sex Doll Learning Technology 11 januari 2020 Confidence In The Development of Sex Doll Robots 3 januari 2020 We Are All Familiar With This Gynoid Doll Story 31 december 2019 what does ocean king mean op Sex Dolls Lead to A Decline in Demand for Prostitution Jij.GaatVerWeg.nl op De voorbereiding is begonnen. Reisblog van Gaatverweg.nl Spring naar de toolbar	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line477
__label__cc	0.652101	0.347899	Key Expertises Henk van Schaik Name: Henk van Schaik M.Sc. Position: Water Partner Henk van Schaik (1947) is Water Partner at WaterPartner Foundation and Water and Heritage Ambassador of ICOMOS, member of the International Advisory Board of the Water Heritage Systems programme of the World Water Council and the International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage and Board member of the Water Integrity Network. Mr. Van Schaik has been working on international water management issues since 1976. After his M.Sc. on water purification at Wageningen University (1972) with major in Water Treatment, Air pollution, Toxicology and Colloid Chemistry he worked for some 16 years on planning, governance, implementation, capacity development and research issues in rural water supplies. He wrote the first water supply policy paper for the Dutch Government. For 10 years he was Inspector of Water Projects for the Netherlands Government. Since 2001 he has been coordinating the international Cooperative Programme on Water and Climate. He was (co-) author of several publications and initiator of various films on international water issues. Mr. Van Schaik organized many international events on Water and Climate, including for the World Water Fora, and for the international Stockholm Water Weeks since 2003. Since 2012 he is Water and Heritage Ambassador of ICOMOS Netherlands. CV Henk van Schaik Jeroen Kool Sjef IJzermans Teun Bastemeijer Dr. Patrick Huntjens Rens de Man Joop de Schutter Maarten Blokland Joppe Cramwinckel Job Kleijn © Copyright 2010 - 2020. Designed and powered by MTWebdesign	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line478
__label__cc	0.522876	0.477124	30 November 2019 by Ellis Jones Leave a Comment “Since almost everyone can talk, it hardly seems fair that only a few come to be admired for it.” Thus the great Clive James, who finally left us this week, after talking and writing brilliantly through many months – indeed years – of painfully borrowed time, and who anyone with ears to hear or eyes to read admired beyond description. What a talent. What a loss. Source: TVNZ My evenings this week have been filled with a “binge” catch-up on the first two series of “The Crown” and one episode contains a re-creation of the legendary 1960s political satire “Beyond the Fringe”. This brilliantly cheeky show launched a quartet of amazing careers – Alan Bennett, Peter Cook, Dudley More and Jonathan Miller, who sadly also has now departed. Beyond the Fringe Source: BBC Among Dr Miller’s awesome range of achievements were many celebrated theatre projects, including in recent years directing final year students at RADA – however a much earlier production today swam back into memory. In 1970 one of my great pals was Norman Beaton, whom I went to watch deliver a super-cool Ariel in Miller’s post-colonial version of “The Tempest” at the Mermaid Theatre. I was quite surprised to track down this image a few hours ago – the show also featured Rudi Walker as Caliban. Norman Beaton as Ariel, directed by Jonathan Miller, Mermaid Theatre. Source: BBA Shakespeare, University of Warwick There’s a 2015 conversation between Clive James and Jonathan Miller on Youtube – link below. Ok, now please pay attention. This contribution is written in November, which is the AUTUMN – not, repeat not Christmas! For weeks I have fought my way through throngs of shoppers with ring-a-jing music swilling in the air, Christmas trees sprayed with fake snow stacked outside a church, a neighbouring house has sparkly lights and paper bells in the window. This is November folks, damp bonfire ashes still smoulder, bedraggled poppies are still pinned to lapels, why don’t we just enjoy this season – there are rich gold-brown leaves to be scuffed through, woodsmoke to be savoured, it’s the time of roast chestnuts and toffee apples, the football, hockey and rugby leagues in full – if muddy -swing. Autumn morning, Kingston balcony view Well OK, if you’re one of our Kiwi or Oz readers no doubt you’re just pulling the tabs off a few tubes while settling to a Test match under the springtime sun, while here in the Old Country we are fighting to keep the turning year’s precious traditions, as the Philistines drag us towards a Trumpian dystopia. If today’s alarming election polls are right, as Britain’s New Johnsonian Age unfolds next Christmas in the shopping malls green-masked Santas will sing of special-offer hip replacements and tinsel-bright teeth implants, available through US Big Pharma Finance! Ching-a-ling! In September and some way into October here in London the summer fitfully lingered, long enough for my happy troupe of student visitors from New York to enjoy outdoor theatre shows in our capital – and the one which they all seemed to love was “Evita” at the Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre. This paired-down, gutsy new version of the Lloyd-Webber musical is coming back in 2020 to be re-staged at the Barbican. Casting has yet to be announced – but I hope they’re bringing back Sarah Pauly as Evita – at the Park she was quite terrific. We also caught “As You Like It” at Shakespeare’s Globe – with a brilliant, sparky Rosalind from RADAgrad Jack Laskey – but now the nights have drawn in the Globe’s actors have retreated to their indoor Jacobean playhouse, the Wanamaker. About to be on offer are candle-lit versions of “Henry V1″and “Richard 111” – but be warned! This is an exquisite space, and the experience of watching a play in flickering light with the honeyed perfume of beeswax in the air is pure magic – UNLESS you have been persuaded to buy one of the low-cost seats in the upper galleries, from whence you will see but a fraction of the stage, and the wooden bench on which you perch will get harder and harder as the play goes on… Source: The Guardian As the afternoons shortened in October I didn’t take much persuading to spend a few days with my friends Doug and Kate down at Le Cap d’Antibes. The lingering sun allowed a couple of swims in the sea, and a wondrous al fresco lunch at the famous Colombe d’Or restaurant in St Paul de Vence, up in the hills above the Cote d’Azur. The hotel, its restaurant and terrace are littered with important works of art, the place echoes with shades of parties thrown in the 60s by Yves Montand and Simone Signoret, and the food – of course – is mouth-watering. The day we were there a rather up-market British vintage car club turned up for lunch, the car-park a-gleam with polished chrome… The Terrace, Colombe d’Or A brace of Matisses Four-wheel visitors Meanwhile, down on the coast, the season was turning... And so back to a soggy Kingston, to my sofa and the box set. And talking of posh cars – where do they get the ones in “The Crown”? They must have raided every vintage car collection in Europe, finding glorious examples of spot-on appropriate vehicles, from an Austin A40 to a Silver Wraith Convertible. Talk about production values – Netflix don’t stint on budgets. If you don’t have Netflix you can now get the first two series on DVD and I think it would make anyone a great present – be they monarchist or republican – when the festivities do arrive (towards the end of next month, in case you’d forgotten.) I now unreservedly take back any doubt I cast earlier on Matt Smith’s tackling of the nuances of class difference. His Philip Mountbatten, alongside Claire Foy’s remarkable Elizabeth Windsor, is totally convincing – and the pair of them deliver Peter Morgan’s extraordinary scripts with insight and great acting skill. The scripts are of course made-up private conversations and imagined events – but the research that’s gone into both well-documented history and the inevitable accumulation of gossip and rumour has clearly been intense, and Morgan’s writing matches his cast’s acting. So I salute all concerned, and a big hand please for Casting Director Nina Gold – not least for the utterly inspired choice of Vanessa Kirby as Margaret, giving as detailed and nuanced a performance as you’ll see on any screen anywhere this decade. Source: Imgur.com (I haven’t yet taken in all of Season 3 – it would be interesting to know how fellow addicts of the early seasons feel about the new cast.) Earlier this month, as the all-too-real history of 20th century wars was recalled in the days around November the 11th, I was asked by Music Director Peter Broadbent to read some poetry relevant to remembrance at a concert given at St Gabriel’s Church in Pimlico. This was with the very distinguished choir, The Joyful Company of Singers, and it was a real privilege to work with such a fine, gloriously in tune ensemble. The work included superb compositions by the late Malcolm Williamson, which you can hear the choir singing on the link below. Alas I never met Clive James – however in his later years his failing health wouldn’t permit him to fly, so on several occasions he crossed the Atlantic on the Queen Mary 2, during the time when I was in charge of companies of RADA graduates giving classical theatre shows on board. Two of our actors one day reported they had encountered Clive taking a morning stroll, and he’d approached them to say how refreshing it was to hear “Shakespeare spoken properly”. That’s a report which made all of us at Gower Street very, very proud, not to say Joyful. Clive James talking with Jonathan Miller: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4BUp4AylZE The Joyful Company of Singers: https://youtu.be/e-8nL02r-FE Filed Under: The Blog Summer 2019 – an award and new horizons 3 August 2019 by Ellis Jones Leave a Comment There are many good things about Stratford upon Avon, and many remarkable people who live there. Not least a doughty crew of scribes, of locally-based journalists, authors and other thinking, articulate folk, who meet under the banner of “Bran and Chaff”. Each year they hold a lunch to celebrate Shakespeare’s birthday, an alternative to the annual Shakespeare Birthday Lunch and procession, an event dating back to 1824. The “official” Birthday Lunch involves presenting a trophy sponsored by a Stratford jewellery company, the Pragnell Award, to a distinguished theatre practitioner, academic or organisation. This year it went to the celebrated Polish Shakespearian Professor Jerzy Limon, and previous recipients include many theatrical dames and knights, such as Judi Dench and Anthony Sher. The “Bran and Chaffers” offer a slightly lower-key, Not-the-Pragnell award, to someone who has served the Shakespearian cause, but with perhaps not quite so noticeable a profile, such as the quietly brilliant actor David Troughton, Liz Flower of the Flower’s Brewery Family (who organised for years the “official” lunch) and the poet and former director of the Stratford Poetry Festival, Roger Pringle. So I was hugely honoured to be offered their 2019 award, on the strength of my having steered the training of a number of today’s eminent Shakespearian actors. Now, while it’s true graduates from my time as head of actor training at RADA feature strongly on any recent list of great classical performances, I would be the last to claim any personal credit for their achievements, or for those of the extraordinary team of specialist tutors who actually delivered the teaching I was tasked to co-ordinate. But co-ordinate I did, and with my wondrously wise and caring colleagues Patricia Myers and Nick Barter did our best to look after and guide these unique, special young talents on their way into an uncertain, unpredictable trade. Since then we’ve seen some amazing work, including for instance a range of Hamlets – Ben Whishaw, Maxine Peake, Jack Laskey, Tom Hiddleston, Michelle Terry – plus, with reference to Stratford, Ed Bennett’s famous 2008 short-notice RSC take-over from the injured David Tennant, recorded by The New York Times as “Bennett…an actor who had been given the opportunity of his career and knew just what to do with it.” That’s our boy! I had two bites at this particular cherry. Sandy Holt, the moving spirit behind Bran and Chaff, had persuaded the outstanding Irish artist Eve Parnell to create as the award a Shakespeare-inspired picture, and Eve had agreed to fly over specially to present it at the lunch on April 27. But that was the weekend, if you remember, when the British isles were hit by a hurricane-level storm, and all flights out of Dublin were cancelled – so we proceeded with the lunch, and I was given a photo of the picture instead! And we had a terrific meal in the restaurant atop the Royal Shakespeare Theatre and were treated to tales of Performing the Bard by two brilliant former RSC company members, Nicholas Day and Hannah Young. Nicholas Day Hannah Young Later, it was decided that another date would be set for Eve to present the award in person – and so on a July Monday, the Bran and Chaffers hosted another gathering, at the Falcon Hotel Stratford – and this time the winds from Ireland were fair, Eve arrived and bestowed on me her lovely piece of work. It’s an ink drawing of Touchstone in “As You Like It” and he’s saying “The more pity that fools may not speak wisely what wisemen do foolishly…” We can only hope there is a Touchstone somewhere in Downing St… And so here’s the summer, and it finds me at new location. Instead of each morning staring at Canada geese swarming a reservoir in east London, I now start each day with Canada geese swarming the river to the capital’s south west, and witness a parade of river-users – rowers, swimmers, skullers, sailors, fishers, fishes, ducks, gulls, geese and cormorants. Upstream is Kingston, Hampton Court and Garrick’s Villa, downstream is Teddington Lock – where the the tides reach – Richmond, Twickenham and after a few winding miles, London. These are places resonant with the nation’s history and sometimes with my own, so watch this space for further reflections as the year unfolds. So how is your summer reading? I have three recommendations to offer TYA blog readers. For those intrigued by the ways in which the craft of acting can be taught and learned, Vladimir Mirodan’s The Actor and the Character is now available in paperback – a rich, detailed exploration of how the acting process has intertwined with our understanding of human behaviour throughout history. Hot off the press is a wonderfully succinct, practical book on how to make sure people people really listen to – and remember – you and what you’ve got to say. No surprises that it’s written by a terrific actor and director, now also a highly successful international business trainer, Dominic Colenso. The title says it all – Impact. And for those hungry for more about a glove-maker’s son from Stratford who became history’s most celebrated playwright and poet, seek out Nicholas Fogg’s Hidden Shakespeare – a book about a Stratford lad by a Stratford lad, taking the reader into fascinating new and unexpected territory. Meanwhile, are any of you still thinking of joining a summer school? If you like the idea of studying performance skills in the Mediterranean, I hear quite cheap flights can still be found this year even though this is peak season. And it may still be possible to find a late place on a course in a wonderful location by an olive grove in Greece, where several of my distinguished former RADA colleagues have put together an intriguing programme. Check out the Kalamata Drama web-site on the link at the bottom of this page. Back in Stratford in April, although I was the only guest collecting a Bran and Chaff prize, Sandy made sure we actors all went home with a really clever “goody bag”, including mini-sculptures by local artist Claire Brierley. Here they are – Shakespeare again, this time the King and the Fool, fashioned from small shards of wood off-cuts. Good aren’t they? There’s a link about Claire below – check out her work when you visit Warwickshire. And now I find there are three Fools in my room…Touchstone on the wall, the wood-chip Fool on the shelf…and then, when I moved house, in a dusty case I found this picture, a 1970s black & white image taken during a camera rehearsal for a Thames Television version of “King Lear”. Who might be the goofy wispy-haired Fool gazing wistfully at Nuncle? And observe the King – played by the late great Irish actor Patrick Magee – seen here flicking the ash off his cigarette…You can read more about this amazing, sadly missed star on the link below. And while we’re on Stratford and its remarkable inhabitants, few are as remarkable as the traveller, admired writer and revered teacher Jay Norris, who this year on Bastille Day celebrated her birthday with an enthusiastic swim in the pool on a ship circumnavigating the UK – Happy 99th, Jay! Links – click to visit the relevant web-site: Nicholas Day, actor Hannah Young, actor Eve Parnell, Artist Claire Brierley, Artist The Actor and the Character Kalamata International Drama Summer School Patrick Magee – Drunk, Hell-raiser..and star April 12th Of ships, camels and Shakespeare 11 April 2019 by Ellis Jones Leave a Comment This was Egypt three weeks ago. Before Egypt I was briefly in India. Anything – oh anything – to get away from Brexit…. Last time I wrote about New Zealand, where all our thoughts flew when we heard of the terrorist attack, and to whose citizens we can only send sympathy, love and admiration for the quiet dignity of their response. I’ve a few more lovely memories of my time there still to share, but for now let’s briefly catch up on travels and events elsewhere. As regular readers know, a fairly weird range of projects comes my way, including sometimes on ships. This time it was to create theatre workshops reflecting “A Thousand and One Nights”, for passengers on a ship sailing from India to Egypt via the Red Sea. The team was me, Cyphers director Marcus Bazley, and Pallavi Patel, recently Costume Supervisor for the Indian Disney stage musical of “Aladdin”. Pallavi lives in Mumbai (which she and most locals still, by the way call “Bombay”) so we flew there to join her and the ship. It was frustrating to leave the plane and cross in a single hour by taxi one of the world’s more amazing cities and immediately to set off elsewhere. Swirling traffic, ladies in saris clinging to the backs of men on scooters hurtling past dusty water trucks, amazing Victorian architecture, glimpses of cricket, and of the dazzling inner-city beach at Chowpatty. We decided to base our workshops on just one of the Arabian Nights stories, the original tale of “Aladdin” as translated by the Victorian polymath Sir Richard Burton. His is a rather different tale from that told to generations of British Christmas pantomime audiences, and indeed from the story as told by Disney. The thing about Richard Burton, apart from sharing a name with a legendary Welsh actor, was that he was a dead ringer for Freddie Mercury….. 1821-1890 …but he kept on fighting till the end… The tale of the street urchin and his magic lamp as told by Burton makes lively workshop material – and was complemented on the ship by lectures by the distinguished and irrepressible writer Tahir Shah. Tahir has written over twenty books, including “In Arabian Nights”, which contains the true story of how he survived solitary confinement in a Pakistani jail after his arrest on charges of spying (subsequently dropped). There’s a link to finding out more about the wondrous World of Tahir – adventurer, writer and film-maker – at the end of this post. On our way to the Red Sea we called in at Oman for coconuts and bananas and marvelled at white, white sand and nodding palms. The Gulf of Aden is a pirate zone, so for a while extra armed security appeared on board, who slipped away as we sailed north, with the Yemen then Saudi Arabia to our right, to our left the ancient Land of Punt. This, called by the ancient Egyptians the “Land of the Gods”, is modern Djibouti and northern Ethiopia. We sailed by, latter day Sinbads, and with our fellow-passengers re-told the magic lamp story, all of us decked out in Pallavi’s lovely costumes, past lands where ancient conflicts still seethe, and where all-too-present starvation prowls. All adventures come to an end, and a few hours after land-fall in Egypt (where we met the above camel – called, believe it or not, Sinbad) we were bound for Gatwick – and the next day back to, oh dear, benighted, Brexit-bound Britain. But hey, for now theatre life in London thrives, and my lovely students from NYU Tisch have been savouring rich fare – work for instance featuring former students from Gower St days – Naomi Frederick in “Agnes Collander” at the Jermyn St Theatre, and Tom Hiddleston in “Betrayal” at the Pinter. So soon after leaving Egypt it was almost as exotic to go with my Americans to discover the gloriously resurrected theatre at Alexandra Palace, once host to performers like Gracie Fields, Ellen Terry and RADA’s revered founder, Herbert Beerbohm Tree. In amongst the vast spaces of the East Court, the Palm Court, the Skating Rink and beside the world’s oldest television news studio you will find a magnificent performance space. There we saw a strong “Richard the Third”, co-produced at Bristol and Northampton, on tour to those places and beyond – and soon afterwards caught the version of “Richard the Second” currently at the Wanamaker Playhouse. This all-female company is led by Adjoah Andoh’s fiercely passionate Richard, who the night we were in drew a sour chuckle from the audience on Richard’s assertion that England “…has made a shameful conquest of itself”. No, let’s not mention the “B” word! Let’s reluctantly offer a warning to any of you who haven’t yet visited this playhouse. It’s a magical place, a beautiful creation from original architect’s plans of a 17th century theatre, in which all productions are lit by bees-wax candles. But you should know that while the seats above the front row of the upper level are attractively inexpensive, the sight-lines are villainous. For much of the time you can only see about a third of the stage, so that we felt we’d experienced much of “Richard 11” more as a radio play, rather than a stage show. One other special event to mention – Ireland’s currently most charismatic actor Cillian Murphy is giving an extraordinary performance at the Barbican in “Grief is the Thing with Feathers”, a production co-produced by Complicité and Judith Dimant’s new Wayward Productions. If you’re a “Peaky Blinders” fan like me, or if you’ve not yet seen this guy, do go and watch. His character is obsessed with, and becomes occupied by the Crow as personalised in the famous Ted Hughes poem. Weird, brilliant and disturbing. Photo: Colm Hogan Now, today is a Significant Day in that it marks the 80th birthday of the most successful British playwright, the writer whose shrewd, wise, witty – and sometimes edgy – comedies have added to the gaiety of our nation (and many others) for six decades. Happy Birthday, Sir Alan Ayckbourn. In Scarborough and across the globe the theatre world salutes! In September, Sir Alan’s EIGHTY-THIRD play will be produced – called, appropriately enough “Birthdays Past, Birthdays Present”. Tahir Shah: http://www.tahirshah.com/ Pallavi Patel: https://pallavipatel.com/ Cyphers Theatre Company: https://www.cyphers.org.uk/ P.S. You will have noticed that the pictures in this post are oddly of different sizes. This is because WordPress have introduced a new format and I simply can’t fathom how best to edit and post photos – so if you have any ideas as to how to get this under control – please share via the Comments link. “Tis charity to show…” March 1st A Sultry New Year and a tap on the knee 1 March 2019 by Ellis Jones Leave a Comment Ok,I’m back. In fact I got back some time ago but February filled up so quickly and here we are, St David’s Day upon us and nothing posted since the autumn – shameful! Nothing short of a disgrace! So where have you been, I hear you ask. What, pray, kept you from blogging these several months? Well dammit, Carruthers, it was the heat, the heat and those confounded drums… Oh all right there weren’t many drums, but I was in New Zealand and it was the start of their summer, sharing festivities with my amazing friends the Townsends, and there were parties and sightseeing and swimming, and there was cricket and football and Shakespeare to be watched. And then there was the pedal-power vineyard touring. And the dolphins. I was there for five weeks. And to be honest I needed to unwind after a tricky start to December. Suddenly it was time to move on from Walthamstow. A chance has arisen to move to a lovely spot by the River Thames, a spiffing flat coming available in the spring sometime after my scheduled return from the Antipodes. So my worldly goods – beds, books, chairs, the lot – had to be marshalled into storage in Surrey, and arrangements made for me to stay with my sister in Hampshire until such time as the new place is ready. So this, dear reader, is the Interim Hampshire Blog. The next edition, rather than Words from Waterside will be Thoughts from the Riverbank. If there are any of you left out there, please stay tuned. As well as moving there were was work to be sorted, shows to be seen, theatre essays to be marked, private students to be coached ahead of the Christmas break. And then another old friend died. Andrew Burt was suddenly diagnosed with advanced cancer in late November, and was gone within three weeks. His passing was dignified and gentle, eased with loving care especially by our mutual friend Joanna Munro, someone with a heart as big and warm as her wondrous talent as a performer. Jo led our farewells to Andrew at Mortlake, with great skill and sensitivity . Obituaries appeared – there was a good one in The Telegraph – but if you’d like to see some notes on Andrew’s career – from Jack Sugden in “Emmerdale Farm” to the rousing voice heralding “News at Ten” – I’ve put some on a link at the end of this post. So I rushed from the crematorium back to Walthamstow to see my goods off to storage in a van steered by two cheery Russians, shoved some summer clothes and a toothbrush into my one remaining empty suitcase and headed for Heathrow. Moving house and long-distance travel have to be coped with in similar ways – in my case by slipping into a low-tempo, almost Zen state, dozing as often as possible. I dozed my w ay first to Los Angeles, where in the few hours’ wait before my connecting flight I purchased a beer, a burger and some joke presents from the Donald Trump Store. You can buy speaking Christmas cards with greetings in Donald’s very own voice, and packs of “Trump small hand soap”. Also you can buy loo-roll with his face on every sheet…. My plane from LA to Auckland arrived late, so I had a bit of a wait for the connection to Wellington where my pals live. But hey, suddenly it was summer and there was hot sunshine and pohutukawa trees in full bloom. These are the local “Christmas trees” with gorgeous scarlet flowers, and they’re abundant – at the roadside, at the cricket ground, in people’s gardens, and of course standing guard by those endless, empty beaches. An early treat was to watch New Zealand play Sri Lanka at the Wellington Basin Reserve – just think, a Hull City supporter blinking at a sun-splashed cricket field but two days after leaving the gathering gloom of a British December: To trace the start of this adventure you must go back, back many decades to a black and white, windswept East Yorkshire school playing field. The race was on, the field flanked either side by a Brylcreemed, Marty Wilde lookalike to the left, and a lean, tousle-headed streak to the right. These two outriders went on to glory. Well, up to point. Some months later we came first and second in the Hull inter-schools half mile, and were picked to represent the City in the All Yorkshire School Sports. At which we didn’t get past the “heats” stage, and thus the Townsend-Jones brand pales somewhat in sporting history alongside the likes of Bannister, Coe and Farrah. However, from thence we set off on two separate winding roads, often bumpy – even more often very muddy – but managing to wave to each other and stay in touch, most of the time anyway, Townsend threading through minefields of politics, social services and journalism, Jones bobbing on the fickle waters of showbiz and the arts. Our birthdays are either side of Christmas, and this year we were marking (whisper it) a combined century and a half on the planet, and Valérie – the amazing Mrs Townsend – insisted on flying me out so we could share a Special Yuletide. And boy was it special. First off was a party out on the decking in their Wellington garden, with some very distinguished guests. Townsend, courtesy of a replacement limb or two, is still something of a demon on the tennis court – note the admiring glance from the guest on his right – and his political wisdom inevitably attracts requests for guidance from Jacinda, the current NZ Prime Minister… (Photo by Murray Lloyd) The party was a gas – then there was Test Match cricket at the Basin, a wonderfully democratic place where at lunch-break the pitch (apart from the current wicket) is opened up for practice by all the local enthusiasts. See below: Felix – the youngest member of the clan Townsend – on lunch-break fielding alert. Kiwi passions seem to split more or less evenly between the sports field and the vineyard, so having sampled the one I was whisked off to explore the other. The winemakers around Martinborough, north of Wellington, offer five-dollars-a-head tasting sessions, but this being a socially responsible society motorised tasting tours are discouraged. However – and here’s the cunning marketing twist – pedal-power vehicles are readily and cheaply available for hire. There were six of us in our party, and we chose a 4-seater 4 wheeler, plus a tandem. I do recommend this – a merry form of transport for an even merrier pastime…. (Townsend briefly commandeered a Maserati as an alternative – fortunately it had no engine…) We had so much fun during all those five weeks – so many lovely interesting people and places, terrific food and memorable wines, dolphins you can swim with, seals on the beaches – and mostly no people on the beaches – the weird cries of tui birds and birds of prey in the air, ferns, palm trees lakes and rivers in huge landscapes. Driftwood by the Tasman Sea, Whanganui It’s the land of the Long White Cloud, and there’s no wonder the film industry has taken root there, following Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings/Hobbit epics. This trip we were always in the North Island – the fjords and glaciers are in the South – but each excursion brought a different set of vistas, from stark rocks shielding the seal colonies at Cape Palliser, to the busy paddle-steamer plying the wide river at Whanganui, to the sub-tropical splendour of the Bay of Islands, rich in Maori and colonial history. But hold! comes the cry – wildlife and scenery are all very fine, but is not this blog to with The Theatre? Indeed it is, and yes NZ has a thriving live performance scene, with some terrific theatres to complement the shiny restored art-deco cinemas reflecting the country’s film renaissance. We were proudly shown Whanganui’s refurbished Edwardian opera house, and caught a spirited production of Shakespeare’s “Richard the Third” by the race-course at Auckland. This was in the “Pop-Up Globe” – no, not a toy cardboard whimsy, but a full-scale “temporary” building of sheet metal and scaffold, holding almost as many punters as its namesake on London’s Bankside. This structure started life in a car-park in the city, and now lives amongst the trees beside the race-track, where you can sip your pre-performance pinot-gris beneath portraits evoking the spirit of the Bard. After all, his and Richard Burbage’s own building was a mobile structure, by all accounts carried at night from Shoreditch to Southwark after a fall-out with their London ground-landlord. These wondrous memories have left no space this time for London or indeed for Hampshire, where currently I dwell in Austen-land. The next gap will be much shorter, I promise. I’ve just got to nip over to India, and from thence to Egypt – watch this space. To what did the second half of this entry’s title refer? Well chaps it’s personal. Like many an ageing being, I sometimes have what are delicately termed “plumbing issues”. On returning from the Antipodes, I took myself into Charing Cross Hospital, where our beloved NHS folk introduced me to a brand-new treatment, which has proved wondrously helpful. And all it took was a kettle-full of steam, and a tap on the knee… Shepherd’s hut with snowdrops last week at Chawton House Hampshire Here’s the link about Andrew B: https://www.dropbox.com/s/9tq2jv2yjxwtpk1/ANDREW%20BURT%20draft%20obit%20%28amended%29.docx?dl=0 Filed Under: Speeches, The Blog October 10th When Autumn leaves…. 10 October 2018 by Ellis Jones Leave a Comment There’s a remarkable image in the final scene of Florian Zeller’s play “The Father”: ANDRÉ: I feel as if… I feel as if I’m losing all my leaves, one after another. WOMAN: Your leaves? What are you talking about? ANDRÉ: The branches! And the wind… I don’t understand what’s happening any more….. For the opening night at Wyndham’s Theatre, Kirsty Oswald – inspired by this scene – made a striking portrait of Ken Cranham as André, and gave all of us in the company copies. Now as the leaves in my garden turn and scatter over the reservoir, Kirsty’s picture keeps coming back into my mind, recalling a rich, lovely time working on an extraordinary play with a quite exceptional, special company. I hope she won’t mind my reproducing it here. A further prompt for these memories has been another fine play exploring the worrying territory of dementia, this time by the American writer Sharr White, who in his story shows the disintegrating world of a female scientist, ironically suffering the very condition into which she is conducting important research. The play is THE OTHER PLACE, and is currently at The Park Theatre in Finsbury Park, London. Skilfully directed by Claire van Kampen, the central role is given a powerful and disturbing performance by Karen Archer, who is also co-producer. The show is a collaboration between the Park Theatre and the Theatre by the Lake in Keswick, to which it migrates after the Finsbury Park run, which finishes on October 20th. (Links below) KAREN ARCHER is a remarkable talent, who tackles work and life with formidable energy. She joined Martin Wimbush and I in 2017 to help re-create a play about the first Duke of Wellington, a project Martin and I have wheeled out intermittently at various venues over several decades. Its latest title is MISS WILSON’S WATERLOO, an unrolling of the Iron Duke’s adventures during a late-in-life (mythical) encounter with the most notorious of his many mistresses, Harriette Wilson – a role tackled with some zest by Ms Archer. We presented it initially at sea on board a private cruise ship between Amsterdam and Hamburg, and subsequently last April at the Le Colombier Theatre at Cordes-sur-Ciel in South-West France. Karen’s contributions to the project as a company member (and merciless script editor) were inspiring and revitalising – bringing a splash of sophisticated glamour to our story, which went down wonderfully well with the (largely British ex-pat) audience in France. We were also made splendidly welcome by Donald Douglas and his Friends of English Theatre in this gorgeous corner of Europe, who provided generous – indeed lavish – accommodation and hospitality – and a well equipped, modern theatre with an efficient, supportive tech and admin team. If you’re minded to explore that region – rich with history and scenery – don’t fail to find Cordes and its theatre – again, link below. Production photos by JENNY CUNDY It did, I must say, seem a bit odd to take a play about the Duke of Wellington – in British history a famous conqueror of the French – to a theatre in France, but then most of our audience on this occasion were Brits, so there were no – at least audible – murmurs of dissent. I understand French historians regard the battle of Waterloo as a draw. I’m quite certain Michel Barnier does… I came across another largely French story this month – “Picasso’s Women”, produced by Colette Redgrave – a project I helped on its way a couple of years ago – at the Gallery Different in Percy St. It’s a good, thought-provoking glimpse into the love-life of a Great European Genius, and makes an ideal on-site show for an art gallery. Oh, and includes three excellent performances, including a welcome appearance as Fernande Olivier by the estimable Judith Paris. I gather the project is available to all gallery-owners across Europe and beyond – link below. What a cross you must bear as the offspring of a legend! No I’m not talking about Cressida Wyn Jones, who copes admirably, but about Finty Williams, actor daughter of two other actors, one of whom is our profession’s most revered icon, Dame Judi Dench! Finty has taken on one of her mother’s celebrated roles from the early 90s – Barbara in Hugh Whitemore’s terrific real-life espionage story PACK OF LIES – at the Menier Chocolate Factory in Southwark – and succeeds wonderfully. It’s a brittle, sweet and heart-breaking performance in a spot-on, crisp period production by Hannah Chissick, and is not to be missed. Tracy-Ann Oberman, Finty Williams, Macy Nyman Picture: Evening Standard I love the play – I directed it at Keswick not long after its West End run, with Debbie Farrington as the daughter, who had played the part in London. Michael Williams, Finty’s dad, who had co-starred with Dame Judi came to see our production. The play concerns the Kroger spy case of the early 60s, and has many a resonance of the recent dark dealings in Salisbury and elsewhere. Michael talked about meeting the original M15 officer who dealt with the case, and who is the basis for the narrator character in the play. Apparently the MI5 man came to the first night, and when asked to comment afterwards he bristled slightly and then – inevitably – simply murmured “Pack of lies….” THE OTHER PLACE London: https://www.parktheatre.co.uk/whats-on/the-other-place Keswick: https://www.theatrebythelake.com/production/17974/The-Other-Place FRIENDS OF ENGLISH THEATRE, CORDES sur CIEL: https://www.fetatlecolombier.com/aboutus PICASSO’S WOMEN: http://www.picassos-women.co.uk/ PACK OF LIES: https://www.menierchocolatefactory.com/Online/default.asp?doWork::WScontent::loadArticle=Load&BOparam::WScontent::loadArticle::article_id=47B366FF-3E61-4888-98FD-DF46E2052134&sessionlanguage=&SessionSecurity::linkName= P.S. You may wonder why Martin Wimbush and I have so often trotted out a play about the Duke of Wellington over such a long period. So do we, sometimes. I suppose the pictures below may be clue. As they say in Private Eye, could they by chance be related? Martin Wimbush Duke of Wellington Don’t forget you can offer comments, further information or even digital advice – e.g. how to make the Private Eye gag work on a phone as well as on a computer? Just scroll back to the top of this page and click on “Leave a Comment.” September 2018 Who wants to be a star? 17 September 2018 by Ellis Jones Leave a Comment As autumn floods into east London, time to admire the turning leaves, the glowing berries, and to reflect…. (Those, by the way, are ducks becalmed in what should be the restless millstream at the Walthamstow Copper Mill. But it’s been dammed, and now looks more like a field than a stream!) Lapsing into autumnal musings about a life of learning and teaching about acting I pondered Success and Fame, those two elusive targets. It’s perfectly possible of course to have one without the other – some of the most quietly successful actors are those whose face you might know, but seldom their name – and it’s possible to be famous without achieving anything worthwhile at all – in which regard I mention no names, of course… Every week we London theatre tutors rejoice as former students garner awards and blink as the press-cameras flash – but what of those who dedicate time in their lives, often several years, to training to be actors and never achieve lasting “household name” status as performers? Do they regard their learning to speak and move well, to study and interpret great texts, as a waste of time? Well this summer I’ve encountered at least two people you could ask. My guess is they wouldn’t change a thing – they’ve gone on to amazing, fulfilling success and I bet don’t regret for a moment the absence of paparazzi attention. Doug D’Arcy, like me, spent three years in the Drama Department at Manchester University. Like me, he came to London to seek auditions – but only ever did one, for a job at Bromley Rep which he didn’t get – but then ran into Chris Wright, another old mate from university, with whom he used to book the bands for student union gigs. The result has been an extraordinary career at the heart of the music business – which you can read all about, and hear his beautifully-spoken podcast, via the link at the end of this blog. He’s had the neat idea of casting his memoires as an echo of Shakespeare’s “Seven Ages of Man” – but unlike Jacques in the Forest of Arden, Doug defines his life through “Seven Offices”. A click on the link below will explain how this collage of rock-music images fits with seven front doors! I found the second case in the grounds of a stately home in North Yorkshire a few weeks ago, at a very tidy touring production of Shakespeare’s “The Tempest” by The Lord Chamberlain’s Men. They performed with panache and spirit, on a brilliantly neat, entirely appropriate set as the Yorkshire twilight gathered, and sheep silently munched grass in a nearby field. I admired the set – a clever construction suggesting sail-cloth and driftwood – and looked in my programme to seek the designer – and found the name Morgan Brind. Now Morgan trained as an actor at the Bristol Old Vic School, and one of his early acting jobs was for me, with one of the graduate companies on the Cunard QM2, which spawned the audacious spoof Bond movie “The Scampi Trail”, in which Morgan featured as an unsettling dark-hearted villain. Now it seems he has a thriving career as a designer, writer and producer – and still exercises his training as a performer at least once a year as Dame in one of his own panto’s! Meanwhile, another thought to be pondered by would-be actors is that if you’ve got creative talent, even if you achieve a successful performing career you may well find that acting on its own just isn’t enough! Once you’ve cracked the part, given the performance and everyone’s told you you were marvellous, and even if you’ve made pots of money and you’re really famous, then to achieve lasting satisfaction you will almost certainly feel a need to de doing something else – directing, producing, writing, teaching – all pursuits with rewards that stay with you, and don’t evaporate over the next day’s breakfast. I’ve already in this blog celebrated the multi-talented Michelle Terry adding the directorship of Shakespeare’s Globe to her impressive portfolio of acting and writing credits, and these last weeks the achievements of another female RADAgrad have been entirely unavoidable. Phoebe Waller-Bridge, having notched a double-sided TV hit as writer and performer with “Fleabag” has gone for another twin smash as actor in, and screen-adapter of, “Killing Eve” – which started this week on BBC1 and is already a hit in America. So much so that the BBC has invested in pre-publicity to a quite remarkable degree. Travelling across London on the tube last night everywhere I looked were “Killing Eve” posters. Here are two shots taken at Vauxhall underground – a poster seemingly spawning an entire brood of mini-posters, swarming up the escalator wall! Incidentally, Phoebe’s script has earned a nomination in the States for this year’s EMMY awards as a writer, alongside another terrific RADAgrad nominee as Best Actor in a Drama Series – that’s Matthew Rhys in “The Americans”. Matthew has had such success on American TV that many US viewers assume he’s one of their own. Not a bit of it – he is a Cardiff-born proud Welshman, an Honorary Fellow of Aberystwyth University, a member of the Druidic Order of Bards and a supporter of Plaid Cymru! But to leave the glitter of awards and return to my earlier mention of actors with familiar faces unhampered by persistent and insistent Fame. Here’s one such face. This is Malcolm Rennie – think lovely character work in “Mr Selfridge”, in “Pride and Prejudice” and lots of other shows – and then look out for “Shackleton’s Carpenter”, a cracking one-man play currently on tour. Gail Louw has written a tight, witty and moving script about a key figure in one of the great exploits in the history of antarctic exploring, whom we discover as an abandoned derelict on the wharf at Wellington, New Zealand. If you’re interested in what British class attitudes meant (and often still mean) then here’s a telling and disturbing true story. If you’re interested in acting, then go and learn from Malcom’s command of the stage, his assured and thrilling vocal skill – and above all for his painstaking exploration of every nuance of the script and the situation it portrays. Masterly work. Check the link below for dates and venues. Ok, time to apologise for this blog’s several months’ absence, chaps – no excuses, just bad time-management. I’ve been travelling again of course – in June I was back in Beijing, teaching English communications skills to business graduates at Peking University, which was a lot of fun. As ever, my friend Professor Lin-Yi and her team made me warmly welcome, and this time around there seemed to be some fresh air available. I didn’t have to don a mask to walk to work, I could actually see the Fragrant Hills from my hotel room, and could dine comfortably outside in the warm evening air: When I commented to colleagues that there seemed to be less pollution than on previous visits, they said “Oh yes, the government just closed down some factories using too much coal…” Running things would be so easy when you could just give an order without all this pesky debate, wouldn’t it Donald…? Not that you’d do anything so weakly liberal as close down air-polluting factories… One of my favourite Beijing teaching moments this time was when a mature student, having completed a presentation describing his fan-making business, presented me with my very own fan. I am now aching for a chance to direct a Restoration comedy – any offers out there? Own props supplied. I went to France twice this summer – the first time at the height of the Soccer World Cup. Boy, the French know how to celebrate! We watched the French team win through to the semi-finals and then to the final on TV in the bars of Juan les Pins. The exuberance throughout the games was fantastic, waiters spinning through the crowds carrying aloft trays with vast orders of wine and beer, acrobats and drummers clammering in the streets, everyone (including us) wearing tricolour face-paint – and then the eruptions at the final whistle! Red white and blue smoke, fire-crackers, car-horns honking. “Allons, enfants de la Patrie…” Their national anthem is so much more exhilarating than ours – no wonder they won! And after the fun, a calming stroll by the water… Red photo: DD Later in July I was back again in France, this time further West, to the Tarn and my friend Jenny’s Special Birthday. A countryside every bit as lovely as the Riviera but so different – slow rivers, green deep forests, rolling hills, light filtered through trees and vines, leisurely pre-supper garden drinks before the special meal on the raised decking…. Bliss, bliss…only to be shattered by RYANAIR!!! My friend Robinson and I (the self-appointed stage-management team for Jenny’s Birthday Events) were booked to fly back from Toulouse Airport on the Saturday evening – but a combination of pilot strikes and heavy rainfall at Stansted stranded us in Toulouse with no hope of a flight back till TUESDAY!! Exceptional weather, forsooth…!! And there was a massive electrical problem on the railways and no trains were running from Toulouse to Paris so Eurostar wasn’t an option. Fortunately Jenny was kind and invited us back to stay with her in the meantime BUT I was booked to take a group of Chinese students to Shakespeare’s Globe on the Sunday and to present certificates to them at the Concert Artistes’ Association on the Monday. Sacré Bleu!! A flurry of anguished ‘phone calls ensued – and behold, the fraternity of London actors rallied to my rescue – so my thanks here and now to Jack Laskey and James Garnon, who gallantly fielded the Chinese students between performances of “Hamlet” at the Globe, and to Frank Barrie – as distinguished an understudy as could ever be wished – who took my place at the CAA. Phew! I belatedly became aware that, during my time away, alarming headlines had appeared about events at the Central School of Speech and Drama and “calls for the resignation” of the Principal, since he had expressed an opinion of not necessarily being in support of “quotas” in the school’s admissions policy. Now this is an ancient and well-worked debate, and Gavin Henderson is man of great integrity, intelligence and humanity. For him to be pilloried and abused has been shameful, and I am extremely relieved to know that he has received full support from the Central Board, and that sanity seems to have prevailed. As with so many “quick-fix” apparent answers to difficult social and political issues, imposing quotas risks outcomes exacerbating the very evils they purport to address. Better instead to celebrate what the current practitioners in our theatre are achieving – for instance the exciting policies Michelle now has in place at the Globe, and the work currently on show at the Old Vic. Michelle’s first season at the Globe has been the breath of fresh air we all hoped it would be. The ensemble work has been terrific, honouring the idea of a company of actors as actors, be they female, male, of whatever ethnic background they happen to be, and with whatever conditions happen to inform their lives – what a joy it was to see a deaf actor contributing a whole new dimension to the process of telling Shakespeare’s stories. Currently there’s a top-class “Othello” on the main stage, with former Artistic Director Mark Rylance and NYU graduate André Holland leading another fine ensemble under Clare van Kampen’s brilliant direction – and not a microphone or loudspeaker anywhere in sight! And lastly, another sad farewell – this time to Geoffrey Case, actor-turned award-winning scriptwriter. An old friend whose younger son Jacob is my godson. We took our farewells to Geoff last week at a woodland burial plot in Suffolk, a place of calm, reassuring beauty. DOUG D’ARCY’S SEVEN OFFICES: https://www.sevenoffices.com/office-1/ MALCOLM RENNIE in SHACKLETON’S CARPENTER: http://shackletons-carpenter.weebly.com/tour.html MORGAN BRIND’S PRODUCTIONS: https://www.thelittlewolf.co.uk/about MATTHEW RHYS on his White House fans: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UmL-4if_Kdo STOP PRESS: MATTHEW RHYS gets the gong! Da iawn! Picture: Entertainment World	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line483
__label__cc	0.73051	0.26949	Actor Robin Williams dies from an apparent suicide By staff on August 11, 2014 Medical News, Men's Health, mental health Robin Williams’ presence in the entertainment industry was undeniable. He’s been a major star for many decades, but that road has come to an end. According to various media reports, Williams died from an apparent suicide at the age of 63. The reports of a suicide haven’t been officially confirmed by his publicist, but this statement was issued. “Robin Williams passed away this morning. He has been battling severe depression of late. This is a tragic and sudden loss. The family respectfully asks for their privacy as they grieve during this very difficult time.” Williams was first known nationally for his role on the hit show, “Mork and Mindy,” which was on the air from 1978 till 1982. He has also done several major films, including “Good Will Hunting,” “Night at the Museum,” and many others. One of his biggest roles of all-time was in the film, “Mrs. Doubtfire.” We wish the best for Mr. Williams’ family. Here are some tips from WebMD on how to recognize and deal with signs of depression. If you or a loved one are struggling with this ailment, get the help you need. There is medication and support for you. RIP Mr. Williams, it was a nice ride. You will always be missed and your laughter will last into eternity. aleximaq on August 11, 2014 11:36 pm So sad…he will be missed, such a great actor and very open about his many battles with drugs and alcohol and depression……his demons would not let him be…that has to be so very hard…..remaining an addict or fighting the demons to remain sober…..I hope God forgives him. naimaa on August 12, 2014 12:09 am Agreed and well said. God forgives. Butch on August 11, 2014 11:39 pm I can’t even believe it! This is ridiculous. I guess he didn’t want to be here anymore. Jahi "Mr. Communicator" Muhammad on August 11, 2014 11:46 pm Salaam! Mr. Williams talent will be missed. Historical note: He actually received his first major Hollywood break when Bro. Paul Mooney hired him as a writer for The Richard Pryor Show in 1977! Also a part of the writing team; Tim Reid, John Witherspoon, and Sandra Bernhardt. phoenyx on August 11, 2014 11:57 pm What a lost talent. Depression is an illness that some folks can’t seem to get better from this illness. They canceled his show which was funny as hell. He seemed to have gone downhill after the cancelation. So sorry for the family and friends. Kimmie on August 12, 2014 12:00 am Wow! Didn’t know that. That’s an awesome team. A on August 12, 2014 12:05 am What a lost. He was a genuine individual. Depression has taken the lives of so many. My prayers are with his family and friends. LaSonya Cochran on August 12, 2014 12:24 am He will surely be missed. Absolutely one of my favorite people. Prayers for the family. Ms. Red on August 12, 2014 12:45 am Well said Aleximaq…..I totally agree because when the dominant demons get a whole of you it can be very devastating unless you totally depend on GOD and allow him to fight your battles….R.I.P. Robin Williams and you will greatly be missed…. black jones on August 12, 2014 12:50 am A man who gave his all to make others laugh–UNBELIEVABLE——RIP Toni on August 12, 2014 1:03 am SAD :-(( Denise Wilson on August 12, 2014 1:04 am HE WAS A COWARD TO LEAVE HIS FAMILY TO PICK UP THE PIECES HE SHOULD HAVE SOUGHT HELP. NOW HIS FAMILY WILL BE LEFT TO MOURN. #YESISAIDIT Bette Reeves on August 12, 2014 12:29 pm Denise Wilson, what a callous thing for you to say. How do YOU know he didn’t seek help? And, it was widely publicized that he did. With that attitude, I really do hope that you’ll get the help that you need and I hope that a heart transplant is part of your treatment. Yes, his family will have to deal with their loss but you don’t know squat about any of it. My heart goes out to them for their loss as yours should have. Denise on August 12, 2014 12:46 pm I agree Bette Reeves. Well stated. Unfortunately this world is so full of hate. And the comment above is evident of it. Prayers for the William family. Regina on August 12, 2014 6:21 pm He did you stupid moron. Re-read the article. People die, whether it is by natural causes, accident, homicide or suicide. As you idiotic xtians say, only G-d knows when you go and how. This was the time and cause to leave this world. What a stupid woman. Debbie on August 13, 2014 7:19 pm He wasn’t a coward, he was Ill. You mean to tell me you know of no one near and dear to you that doesn’t suffer from mental illness? Then you live a bubble. This man had dementia, and there are studies that we may never know about like head trauma Robin Williams may have suffered from during his football day’s beforehand. Yeah, so before you go judging someone else’s character, check yourself first. Allie on June 8, 2016 1:06 am It’s good to get a fresh way of loinokg at it. http://www.legacyrealestatehomes.com/ on July 4, 2016 12:13 pm Expressar nossos direitos de cidadÃ£o Ã© fÃ¡cil,o difÃcil Ã© ter quem houvir.Mais aqui temos a mera tranquilidade de fazer isso.Mais uma iniciativa que jÃ¡ estÃ¡ dando certo,e a populaÃ§Ã£o sÃ³ tem a ganhar com isso.ParabÃ©ns e pode contar comigo.AbraÃ§o. http://www./ on July 8, 2016 11:07 am Whoever edits and publishes these articles really knows what they’re doing. http://www.lasmangist.com/ on July 15, 2016 10:30 am Gracias Esperanza!AsÃ como lo comentÃ© oportunamente; me parece apropiado, agradecer tambiÃ©n en forma pÃºblica este cambio de categorÃa de que va de usuario a Colaborador Principal. Nos estamos leyendo por el foro! Saludos! kreditkarte anfordern visa on October 19, 2016 3:55 pm Voi ettÃ¤, kirjoitit niin hyvin, vaikka istuin vieressÃ¤si samassa tilaisuudessa, en olisi osannut yhtÃ¤ hyvin haastatteluja purkaa. :)Kirjailijoiden yhteistyÃ¶ tuntui sujuneen todella hyvin ja heillÃ¤ oli varmasti mukava tehdÃ¤ tÃ¤tÃ¤ projektia yhdessÃ¤. Molemmat kehuivat toistensa hyviÃ¤ puolia kirjoittajina. Todella lÃ¤mminhenkinen ja mukava tilaisuus. http://www./ on November 14, 2016 8:06 am Marc… en fin… me recuerdas a cierto periodista de cuatro que acaba todas las noticias hablando de lo malos que son los otros, como un absurdo intento de justificar al protagonista de la noticia… el paro sube… pero con el pp habÃa…. suben los impuestos… pero ciu votÃ³… hay mÃ¡s accidentes… pero hace cuatro aÃ±os iu dijo… http://www./ on November 15, 2016 11:44 am The piano in the listing third from the bottom (titled: sold) looks like it would have required some professional movers and possibly taking out out the front window to remove. – Rate this comment: 1 0 kfz versicherung kündigen muster on February 2, 2017 4:48 pm It’s information from the United States Geological Survey.Don’t expect a goverment agency to get the terms right.However, in the past all of USGS’s estimates of oil deposits have been way low. Stephanie on August 12, 2014 1:30 am whomever calls this man a coward FUCK YOU! you obviously have lived a ROSY FUCKING LIFE to able to sit up on your high horse and publicly call out someone whom you have NO FUCKING idea of what he was going through! BITCH! Aww Stephanie Did I Hurt Your Little doped up ass Feelings Don’t Cry wimp. WELL PEEP THIS yo mama is A BITCH And so is your mama. Officer Friendly on August 12, 2014 4:22 am Iktr Stephanie, who the hell do people think they are to judge,nobody knows what Mr. Williams was going thru, until you live it,dont judge @DENISE STUPID ASS WILSON!!!! Stephanie you wanna whoop some damn sense into this dumb ass bitch? I’m in! BLESSINGS GOING UP FOR THE WILLIAMS FAMILY, MUCH LOVE AND RESPECT! HardTruthSoldier on August 12, 2014 1:56 am To hell with Robin Williams. He didn’t even like you sorry kumbaya negroes. Meanwhile a black teenager was murdered in St Louis by a racist cop and I bet not one you said RIP to that young man. I can’t stand a weak scary enemy loving negro. Go listen to some of Robin Williams jokes. He made racist steretypical jokes about you pitiful negroes. balicheetah on August 12, 2014 3:42 am truth. say it, man! Bert C on August 12, 2014 4:17 am HardTruthSoldier, You got Robin Williams wrong, he comes out of the the Johnathan Winters school of comedy. Mr. Winters was a strong Advocate for Minority Rights, with special attention to Native Americans. He gave up a lot fame because of his convictions. By the way black and white comedians talk about each other. Lastly, read about his life and the things he has done. Lisa on August 12, 2014 12:53 pm Hardtruthsoldier your comment is far from being true. In fact it was a black man that gave him his very first job. The comedian Paul Mooney. I had the pleasure of meeting Robin William and family. In his home in the Bay Area. He loved my family. Stop your hatred ignorance. No place here for that. Prayers for his family and all who loved him. Seston on June 8, 2016 2:45 am Yeah that’s what I’m talking about baicn–bye work! As for Mr. Brown, I am very pissed at what is going on and what happened to him. So don’t confuse condolences for pacifism. Anything white you dumb negroes will shed a year for. Shed a tear for your sorry ass, Soldier Boy! Arneader on August 12, 2014 2:22 am NO. He was first known nationally for his regular appearance on The Richard Pryor Show. He was funny as he’ll on that show. Fame and money doesn’t make you happy. TIMM DAWG on August 12, 2014 3:17 am NANU…NANU BRAH…NANU…NANU!!!!…..R.I.P…. floria haynes on August 12, 2014 3:20 am HardTruthSoldier you are a stupid f..k, I expect someone like you to make idiotic statements like that because you hide behind words. Hope you sleep well at night. Given one of his mentors was Johnathan Winters speaks to his spiritual side. It seems that some people who are sensitive and have deep feelings have problems with this world. It appears he took as much as he could. My favorite movie of Mr. Williams was “Moscow On The Hudson.” I’ll see you on the other side Mr. Williams, in peace. #God4US on August 12, 2014 5:34 am Robin, you laughed when you wanted to cry; when you were hurting; when you were confused; when you were angry, but never when you were alone. It takes strength most of us know nothing about to block out pain with comedic bravery. You did not go it alone; part of us went with you. We get it Robin, with heavy hearts, we finally get it my brother … and we apologize. Robeana thomas on August 12, 2014 7:26 am I’ve read so many comments about Robin Williams and it’s sad that some idiot would compare a suicide to a murder.Robin Williams wasn’t prejudice, he did whatever was necessary to make people forget their troubles for a while. A good laugh always does . Depression is a disease that sometimes not even medication will help but only he and God knew what was going on. As for the murder and it was a murder by the police in St Louis that was expected especially by the police more so than a person off the street. I have said a prayer of forgiveness for Robin Williams and his family but I’ve also prayed for the young man family. I asked God to keep them strong and increase their belief that justice shall be served against the racist basted that did this to him. Two separate deaths one person was a celebrity and the other we don’t know what lied ahead for his future, he may have become our next senator or actor, scientist, engineer, we will never know. Mr Williams wasn’t a coward. The Bible says judge years not for you shall be judged. Don’t speak about anyone unless you’ve walked his or her walk. Thank you for reading my opinion of both situations. I loved Robin in “The Birdcage” and “Patches” Rest With God both of them!!!! Robeana Thomas thank you. Well stated. Namiah on August 12, 2014 10:15 am Masah Robin Sir! Eye’sah so sorry to hear ‘You gone up an left we all here in this crazy world’. I wanna thank yuh sir for the joy yuh gave meh & the pain yuh help meh throw off on this here journey. I suppose when yuh see somebody else’s SUNSHINE yuh never think they have cloudy thunder days. Even so Yuh left us wid a beautiful gift ‘Laughter’ and just like yuh gift that looked across Colour Size & Religon. yuh helped too brighten up all Our Night’s & Day’s! So Masah Robin yuh are in All our thoughts & there yuh will stay. Masah Robin was good Folk’s! RIP TOO U MASAH ROBIN! RIP… Dash on August 12, 2014 1:29 pm Thanks Robin. James H. Roseau--Danbury, CT on August 12, 2014 4:05 pm Mr. Williams, I am so sorry that you are gone, for you were a unique individual whose gifted comedies have helped to heal this wicked world with the incomparable laughter that they have generated. It certainly takes a true hero to camouflage his or morbid pain in order to make another person laugh. Though some ignoramuses may unfairly judge your decision to depart so soon, they can never acquire the strength to walk in your immeasurable shoes. Mr. Williams, I greatly appreciate your heroism, which I sincerely hope will echo in the ears of every generation. Now, I pray that the true God of this infinite universe welcomes and embraces you with everlasting compassion, forgiveness, peace, and love. Mr. Williams, I am so sorry that you are gone, for you were a unique individual whose gifted comedies have helped to heal this wicked world with the incomparable laughter that they have generated. It certainly takes a true hero to camouflage his or her morbid pain in order to make another person laugh. Though some ignoramuses may unfairly judge your decision to depart so soon, they can never acquire the strength to walk in your immeasurable shoes. Mr. Williams, I greatly appreciate your heroism, which I sincerely hope will echo in the ears of every generation. Now, I pray that the true God of this infinite universe welcomes and embraces you with everlasting compassion, forgiveness, peace, and love. Victoria on August 12, 2014 8:48 pm A true talent gone…..RIP Deahn E. Connor on August 13, 2014 3:22 pm Denise Wilson, you are obviously an ignorant person, grow up. Robin Williams will rest with God. He touched the heart if a lot of people. Robin is surely one of Gods children, he was here to do what he did, and that was to spread love and peace to everyone and that he did. My heart and prayers goes out to his family. Well said, well said. SUGAR HILL, NEW YORK CITY on August 13, 2014 4:32 pm MY HEART GOES OUT TO HIS BELOVED FAMILY. I WILL ALWAYS BE A FAN OF THE LATE GREAT ROBIN WILLIAMS. HE WAS A TRUE PIONEER IN THE ENTERTAINMENT GAME. DEPRESSION IS A VERY, VERY DEEP THING. I’VE BEEN DEPRESSED. MY SISTER HAS BATTLED (AND STILL BATTLING) WITH DEPRESSION FOR ABOUT 50 YEARS. WHEN I WAS DOWN, HE MADE ME LOOK UP AND SMILE. ALTHOUGH I COULD BE GOING THROUGH SOMETHING, I COULD LOOK AT ONE OF HIS PROJECTS AND LAUGH. I WANNA THANK HIM FOR THAT. ROBIN WILLIAMS STARTED OUT ON ‘THE RICHARD PRYOR SHOW’ DURING THE MID-SEVENTIES, ALONG WITH JOHN WITHERSPOON. PAUL MOONEY AND TIM REID TO NAME A FEW. HE LIVED AND LEARNED FROM MR. PRYOR. I HOPE WE CAN ALL LEARN FROM THIS SITUATION. GOD BLESS THE WILLIAMS FAMILY, AND GOD BLESS US ALL. Reply To phoenyx Cancel Reply	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line489
__label__cc	0.625503	0.374497	Home / Uncategorized / Inside a Wondersmith: Dave Inside a Wondersmith: Dave Date: 22nd March 2015 Tags: Ash, bass, Beethoven, beginner, blog, Brown Sugar, Canon in D, drums, Eastenders, Free, Friday I'm in love, Granddad's Van, guitar, I Quit, moonlight sonata, Mr Brightside, music, music history, Oasis, pachelbel, piano, playing by ear, recorder, Roll the dice, Salford University, Shining Light, Sweet Home Alabama, The Cure, The Killers, The Limits, The Rolling Stones, The Wondersmiths, violin So it all began aged 5 or 6, sat at the top of the stairs, long after bedtime, listening to my mum play Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata. I remember thinking “music can’t get better than this” beautiful, tense, delicate, powerful, emotional – simply perfection. It stirred something inside me – I made a real connection with music that night, turning it from being something I heard into something I felt. Here’s a teenage Asian with a funny name playing it: I was fortunate enough to be surrounded by music and aged 6 I took up the recorder (Check out our WonderVlog where I play… I can still remember about 7 notes!!). Playing the recorder didn’t ‘release me’ the same way hearing the piano did, but looking back I remember some key discoveries whilst playing the recorder, for example I found that if one half of the recorder group played ‘Good King Wenceslas’ whilst the other played ‘Au Clair de la lune’ it would ‘sound nice’. Sure I didn’t understand why (each line acting as a counter melody to the other, providing mainly diatonic harmonies and dominant to tonic cadences), but I felt that it would fit. Whilst playing the recorder I also got a feel for entertaining people with music – performing ‘little bird’ in stereo (two recorders in my mouth, right and left hand playing in unison), as well as playing ‘Greensleeves’ in one breath! Aged 7, I was selected to play violin, I never got good at it, but it enabled me to be part of hundreds of ensemble performances, and helped me to learn an important lesson many guitarists never have the chance to – understanding the value of playing an instrument that contributes to the overall sound of an orchestra a kind of “You’ll notice me if I don’t play” mentality. This helps with songwriting now – it’s never been ‘all about me or my guitar part’ (like other guitarists I’ve come across), my ego is firmly rested in the overall sound of the band. Aristotle once said “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts”. Aged 8 is where I can pinpoint the start of developing a tool that separates me from 99% of the musicians I’ve come across in my life. I hadn’t started piano lessons, I hadn’t even been shown the notes on the keyboard, but I taught myself to play Pachelbel’s ‘Canon in D’ (the one everyone has at their wedding!) using two hands – covering the melody and a basic harmony / bass line. It probably wouldn’t seem significant to a lot of people (don’t people work out the theme tune to Eastenders all the time?!), but looking back, it’s right there… I heard something (we were playing in string orchestra), and I transferred what I heard from memory, to piano. I’ve gone on to develop and sharpen this tool ‘playing by ear’ so much so that I’m confident I can play any song I’ve ever heard. Sorry this is coming across as boastful, it feels easier to write than to actually say in person, but please feel free to test me next time I’m sat at a piano! Aged 9 I started formal piano lessons (although by this time, I could already play a few things), which helped to develop my motor skills, as well as the discipline of reading music. I didn’t love playing the pieces set by the exam board – but I did love sitting the exams – a chance to show off ! I also LOVED playing the piano to wind my brother and sisters up!! Playing the ‘set pieces’ only filled a small hole, the goal for me was learning every oasis song written, and singing along to them. Playing oasis (Don’t look back in anger, was a particular favourite), set me free from the constraints of playing ‘dots on a page’ (reading music), where I was playing an accompaniment that was different every time, but still right every time! It also released me to making music with other kids, and I remember performing in a few assemblies at middle school – again, any chance to show off what we could do was a win! Scooting forward through middle and upper school, I was exposing myself to more music, and more people who also loved playing and making music every day; literally – I went to ‘music school’ on a Saturday and I regularly played piano or drums (self taught the spazzy way) in church on a Sunday! Aged 17 I joined my first band – ‘Granddad’s Van’ – named after the brothers Nick and Marc Golding’s Granddad’s Van – which we used to take us to our first ‘jam session’ in some office block out of hours. We were just four mates who wanted to consciously put some energy into creating and performing music. Here I learnt about creating music collaboratively, and band dynamics (brothers in a band was both awesome and totally crap!!). Although I never loved any of our songs, I loved hanging out with the guys and working towards goals of writing, recording and performing. Aged 21 I graduated from Salford University with a first in music, with no idea what I wanted to do in life, other than make music! Aged 22, really started learning the guitar (borrowing off my brother whilst he was living in New Zealand), I taught myself by ear, so I have some dodgy techniques that other guitarists cringe at, but I always get the sound and tone I want so whatever. Aged 23 Granddad’s Van fell to pieces, leaving me emotionally exhausted and creatively frustrated. Sure I was still playing every now and then, but a lot of it was just for me or my family, there wasn’t anything ‘big coming up’. Aged 24 and I needed to get a band together to play at my wedding. Instantly thought of my brother-in-law to be, Chris Horncastle, who had been singing with The Limits and multi talented Timmy Laismith – who can play just about any instrument going (we settled on him playing guitar and me playing bass!). We had a good time coming up with a few covers to play (Shining light, Play that funky music, Sweet home Alabama, Brown sugar, Mr Brightside etc) but it needed a drummer. After being let down by a Celery muncher, Chris recommended former band mate from The Limits, Oli Franklin. At first I wasn’t sure because he kept on going on about being a ‘metal drummer’ and he couldn’t work out where to come in on The Cure’s ‘Friday I’m in love’. But once he settled into his rhythm, he held his own. A few months later one Chris, Timmy and I decided to form The Wondersmiths, which instantly enthused Chris and I to start getting together a couple of nights a week and write music. In the space of about 8 weeks we had written 10 songs – including – Free, Roll The Dice and I Quit. After a few line up changes (including, Nick and marc from old band Granddad’s Van) and with Timmy moving to Seattle, we came to how it is today – myself, Chris, Oli and Alex Kaltio (son of Finland’s answer to Eric Clapton, Timo Kaltio). Together we are shaping music history, if only at grassroots level right now! As a band we share the same passion for creating and performing music. We love the buzz you get when an audience sings your song back to you. And although we’d do it for free, we feel so fortunate to get paid for doing something we love. My personal dream is that one day, a song I’ve written will recreate ‘that moment’ for other naughty boys staying up past their bedtime, encouraging that same passion and desire I felt all those years ago discovering a world of possibilities in music. If you made it down this far – thanks for reading! I’d be fascinated to read about what inspires you, and if you recall the very first encounter you had with it!	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line493
__label__wiki	0.649268	0.649268	Prosecutors Defend FBI’s Ruse to Send Agents into Hotel Suites As Internet Repairmen Prosecutors defended the FBI’s controversial decision shut off the Internet connection to three luxury Las Vegas suites in a ruse to send in undercover agents to “fix” the problems, the Associated Press reports. U.S. Attorney Daniel G. Bogden and two other government lawyers filed a lengthy court filing defending the practice. The response comes after the defense asked a judge to dismiss the evidence gathered in the illegal gambling case against eight suspects. “Law enforcement has long been permitted to obtain consent by posing as a confederate, business associate, or service provider. In fact, the government uses ruses every day in its undercover operations,” the prosecutors wrote in defense of the FBI operation. The prosecutors said the ruse was legal because it still gave the defendants a choice of letting in the agents. “Disruption of the (high speed Internet) did not — in any legitimate sense — require immediate attention,” prosecutors wrote. Posted: November 11th, 2014 under News Story. Tags: FBI, Gambling, Las Vegas, prosecutors FBI Denies Pressuring Witness to Back Off Testifying in Oklahoma City Bombing Case Timothy McVeigh Did Timothy McVeigh act alone when he detonated a bomb in Oklahoma in 1995? Salt Lake City attorney Jesse Trentadue believes there’s video evidence to prove that McVeigh had help. But the FBI, after many delays, finally issued a report that shows the bureau did not pressure a government operative into not testifying, the Associated Press reports. The records indicate the former operative, John Matthews, didn’t want to testify and asked not to be a part of the case. FBI inspectors concluded Matthews was never discouraged from testifying after they reviewed five recorded phone conversations between Matthews and an agent. According to one transcript, Matthews was insistent he didn’t want to testify. “I’m going to sit there on the stand and say I don’t recall anything,” he said. Tags: bombing, FBI, Oklahoma City, Salt Lake City, timothy mcveigh GOP Senate Chairman Pledges to Crack Down on Immigration with Border Security Bill Although President Obama is preparing to take executive action on immigration, an incoming GOP Senate chairman has pledged to create a stronger border security bill, the Associated Press reports. Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin is about to become chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. His plan is to introduce legislation that would discourage illegal immigration. Republicans fear Obama plans to remove the threat of deportation for millions of immigrants. “Regardless of what President Obama does I’m going to move forward with a very strong border security bill,” Johnson said. “I hope President Obama doesn’t take that executive action because I think for many people that will poison the well and certainly make it more difficult to solve the immigration problem.” Johnson said he plans to waste no time and will act “as quickly as we can” once Congress convenes in January. Tags: Bill, immigration, President Obama, Republicans Ex-DEA Administrator Criticizes NYC Mayor’s Decision to Stop Arrests for Petty Pot Possession Ex-DEA Administrator Peter Bensinger For New York Daily News The announcement by Mayor de Blasio that the NYPD would not be making arrests for small amounts of marijuana is in defiance of federal law and the laws of almost every country around the world. Possession of small amounts of marijuana is still a violation of New York State law. There is a misperception that our prisons and jails are full of offenders arrested for the possession or use of marijuana, when in fact, out of the 1,341,804 inmates in state prisons, less than one-third of 1% are there for the simple possession or use of marijuana. Less than a handful of individuals in any big-city jail are there for the use or possession of marijuana. New York City and the United States have to ask whether we enforce the laws we have or ask Congress or the state Legislature to make changes and penalties. FBI: Detroit Leads U.S. in Murders, Violent Crimes Defense Lawyers Ask for Details in FBI Misconduct Case Former FBI Agent Shares Stories of Trailblazing Career Prices of Generic Drugs up? Justice Department Investigates NAACP Calls for Justice Department Probe in Utah Shooting Posted: November 11th, 2014 under FBI, News Story. Tags: arrest, DEA, jail, marijuana, New York City	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line495
__label__wiki	0.630553	0.630553	Worlds Family Medicine wfamilymedicine.com Home » Health News » Brain cells that suppress drug cravings may be the secret to better addiction medicines Brain cells that suppress drug cravings may be the secret to better addiction medicines 09-10-2019 mediabest Health News For the nearly 20 million U.S. adults who are addicted to drugs or alcohol, no effective medical treatment exists — despite plentiful scientific knowledge surrounding the factors that trigger relapse. It’s a quandary that prompted a research quest for Nobuyoshi Suto, PhD, of Scripps Research’s Department of Neuroscience. Rather than continue to dig for clues on what drives relapse among those who struggle with compulsive drug use, Suto and his team decided to take a different approach: They explored how the brain responds to environmental cues that suppress — not promote — drug cravings, specifically for alcohol and cocaine, two of the largest classes of abused drugs. By shedding new light on these poorly understood brain mechanisms, their findings may contribute to better medicines to treat addiction, Suto says. The research, supported by grants from NIH’s National Institute on Drug Abuse and the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, appears in Nature Communications. “Medications designed to counter brain processes that lead to relapse have seen limited success in patients, as have non-drug interventions such as cue-exposure therapy that seeks to help individuals deal with addiction triggers,” Suto says. “We believed an alternate strategy would be beneficial, so we sought to explore what happens in the brain in the absence of triggers, when cravings are not driving behavior.” The study examined how nerve cells behaved in the brain’s infralimbic cortex. This brain region is believed to be responsible for impulse control. For their experiments, the scientists worked with male rats that were conditioned to be compulsive users of alcohol or cocaine. Suto and his team wanted to find out what happens in the brain when the rats received environmental cues (a citrus scent, in the case of this study) that drugs were not available. Those signals, known as “omission cues,” were successful at suppressing all of the main factors that promote drug relapse. The team then dug deeper into the underlying “anti-relapse” brain mechanisms, using a laboratory technique that would remove any ambiguity about what role the neurons play in shaping behavior. “Our results conclusively establish that certain neurons that respond to omission cues act together as an ensemble to suppress drug relapse,” Suto says. Additional research will build on these findings. “A medical breakthrough is needed in addiction treatment,” Suto adds. “Our hope is that further studies of such neural ensembles — as well as the brain chemicals, genes and proteins unique to these ensembles — may improve addiction medicine by identifying new druggable targets for relapse prevention.” This work was supported by the Extramural and Intramural funding from National Institute on Drug Abuse as well as National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institute of Health, R21DA033533 (N.S.), R01DA037294 (N.S.), R01AA023183 (N.S.), R01AA021549 (F.W.), ZIADA000467 (B.T.H.), N01DA59909 (G.I.E.). A.L. and H.N. were supported by Ruth L. Kirschstein Institutional National Research Service Award from National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institute of Health, USA: T32AA007456 (PIs, Drs. Loren “Larry” Parsons and Michael Taffe). addictionAlcoholismBrain TumorcocaineControlled SubstancesIllegal DrugsNervous SystemPharmacology Previous Post:What to say if someone tells you they're suicidal Next Post:Once or twice weekly daytime nap linked to lower heart attack/stroke risk: But no such association found for greater frequency or duration of naps Why we differ in our ability to fight off gut infections Enigmatic Suffer on the track: Key note can fall in the subordinate clause Bisphenol A activates immune response in mice that passes down through generations Many men suffer from Peyronie’s but no one talks about penis disease What is winter dehydration and how can you prevent it? Alesha Dixon health: The Greatest Dancer judge has been ‘crippled’ by her condition What happens to your body when you eat cucumbers every day Researchers uncover new vulnerability in kidney cancer CDC: Many Americans are inactive, with Southerners faring worse Experts Reveal Why It’s Vital for Women to Eat Carbs To Lose Weight Experts Claim This New Therapy May Treat Your Peanut Allergies! wfamilymedicine.com. Copyright © 2020	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line497
__label__cc	0.538923	0.461077	Saturday Night RS74 Radio Looking at my news feed on Facebook, I have a number of songs suggested by bands I follow. Some have posted their own songs, some have posted songs by others. So I said to myself, "Self, why don't you share these recommendations with the readers of the WYMA blog." So I have. PreTeen are a San Francisco band we covered recently. They posted this very nice song, "About A Girl". Phil Wilson posted this Phil Wilson Band cover of an unreleased song by Granite Shore-- Teens. from Boise, Idaho posted this song from the 60s by Peter & Gordon-- Scottish band Honey posted this song by another Scottish band, The Seventeenth Century-- Reggae star Shaggy posted this video for "For Yur Eyez Only" by Shaggy ft. Alaine-- Posted by Rocksteady74 (Scott) at 11/05/2011 No comments: Links to this post New Discovery: Republic of Letters - Stories Republic of Letters is a San Diego band playing Britpop a la Snow Patrol, Coldplay, stuff like that - heavy emotional content, very good lead guitars and soaring melodies. Here's the video for lead track "Lost Chord" - a big-sounding track with galloping drums and chiming guitars: And just this week, they released a new video for "Karma", for my money, the rockingest track on the record: Republic of Letters Website (listen and buy) Posted by John Hyland at 11/05/2011 No comments: Links to this post Get to Know: The Blue Runes Gabriel Albelo (guitars, vocals), Eugenio Jimenez (bass), and Ricardo Santana (drums) are The Blue Runes, a rock band with blues, roadhouse and psychedelic (check out "We Call Out the Birds") shadings. The band was formed in Puerto Rico in late 2010, and recently released the following five-song album. EP by The Blue Runes In my view, the boys rock hard but they don't ignore melody. The Soul Corner - Harlem Shuffle Here's a great song that needs no introduction, though I suspect many of you have never heard this original version: George Harrison reportedly called Bob and Earl's version of "Harlem Shuffle", released in 1963, his favorite song of all time. The song was arranged by a then unknown musician named Barry White who had been the bass player for Bob and Earl in earlier bands. Love that groove. I appreciate the Stones bringing this song to a larger audience. Here's their version, wonderful, true to the original, but not better in any way in my view: Shake a tailfeather baby! Posted by Jim Desmond at 11/04/2011 No comments: Links to this post Seattle Show: Seapony, Brave Irene; and Generifus For readers who are in or around Seattle this weekend, we'd like to alert you to a show that includes a band we've written about this year, Seattle's Seapony, a band we probably should have written about at some point, Brave Irene, and Olympia, Washington's folk/pop Generifus. The show is sponsored by The Vera Project, which is located at the corner of Warren & Republican Ave N, in Seattle. The show starts at 7:30 pm, and only costs $10. As a reminder of the sounds of Seapony, here is "Go Away"-- Seapony - Facebook Seapony - Label page Brave Irene is headed by Rose Melburg (of The Softies and Tiger Trap). They released a self titled EP on Slumberland Records earlier this year. Here is "Bank Holiday" from that album-- Brave Irene - Facebook For a taste of Generifus, here is the album they released in February. It is full of delightful, carefree tunes. The band is the project of Spencer Sult, with Eli Moore, Karl Blau and others helping out. I don't have to worry by generifus Generifus - Website Generifus - Bandcamp Cool Video Thursday I've been busy with other projects for the Blog, so we only have one new video this week, but I hope you'll agree that it is a good one. Seattle soul rockers Pickwick sing an a capella rendition of 'Blackout' to the Suzzallo Reading Room at the University of Washington. Pickwick - Blackout (Suzzallo Reading Room) from Tyler Kalberg on Vimeo. REVIEW: The Windsor Player - The Windsor Player The Windsor Player is a new group led by Troy Stewart, who plays guitar with Snow Patrol... he's recruited something of an all-star cast: Scott McCaughey (R.E.M., The Minus 5, Young Fresh Fellows), Gregg Williams (Sheryl Crow, Emmylou Harris), Jote Osahn (Elbow, Gorillaz), Chris Schleyer (Prick, Kidneythieves) and additional players Peter Buck (R.E.M., The Minus 5) and Richard Coburn (Belle & Sebastian, Snow Patrol). The sound varies from well-played folk rock - song 1, "Release" - to country rock that calls to mind 70's stalwarts like The Byrds, Buffalo Springfield and Poco - "Big Texas Sky" - to laid-back sprawling guitar rock on the 8-minute "Best Friend". The influences are good ones, and the vision of country rock is well realized. Plenty of great guitar sounds throughout - rock guitar, acoustic strumming and pedal steel - are underpinned by a good rhythm section and augmented by strings, piano and mandolin (the aforementioned Peter Buck). There are even well-placed horn parts among the guitars on "Best Friend", too. Closing track "Big Texas Sky" captures the ethos pretty well - big, sprawling and warm... You can listen and order at Windsor Player Website. New Video from Black Keys upcoming album El Camino - "Lonely Boy" Great video, great song... looking forward to this one, and grateful they are giving us a new record so soon: You Got Your Punk In My Garage I'm a shameless kind of guy, so I'll make no apologies for shilling You Got Your Punk in My Garage - The Best of the GaragePunk Hideout, Vol. 3, a delightful collection of punk/garage rock from bands you've likely never heard of. And yes, it is 22 tracks for $6.99. The album is released by GRGPNK Records which is a social network-based label created to release the Hideout Comp series. If you click to the Bandcamp page linked below, you'll be able to access other releases in the series. I've listened to the compilation below, and a few others in the series. I highly recommend them to any garage rock fan. You Got Your Punk in My Garage - The Best of the GaragePunk Hideout, Vol. 3 by Various Artists GRGPNK Records website GRGPNK Facebook page GRGPNK on Twitter Posted by Rocksteady74 (Scott) at 11/03/2011 2 comments: Links to this post Midweek Roundup: Wet Nuns, New Cassettes, Glossary This week's Midweek Roundup sounds like the first rainy day at a parochial school... but it's only rock & roll: Wet Nuns is a Sheffield band that describes itself as "death blues". They've got a single coming out 11/11, which will apparently be available free at their website. They have a real heavy rock sound - reminds me a little bit of Motorhead. Here's a live video: Wet Nuns Live @ The Bowery from Bowery Sheffield on Vimeo. Here's "No Death"... more available to stream at Soundcloud: No Death by Wet Nuns New Cassettes, another British group, plays a punky style of dance-rock... check it out for yourself: Download and Stream via Pure Volume: And finally, here are a couple of entertaining videos from Murfreesboro, TN pop rockers Glossary - trailers for their new record, Long Live All Of Us: Love the soul influences by way of their Memphis visitors - Jim Spake (Al Green, Alex Chilton) and Nahshon Benford (Snowglobe, Lucero)... Horns, percussion, falsetto vocals in spots, it's another good rock record from Tennessee. They're on tour, check out dates and more info at the Glossary website. Get to Know: Sun Wizard Vancouver, BC's Sun Wizard are James Younger, Francesco Lyon, Malcolm Jack, and Ben Frey. They play muscular, crunchy power pop with harmonized vocals, which usually is a winning combination around When You Motor Away. Earlier this year the band released Positively 4th Avenue on Light Organ Records, an excellent LP that unfortunately has been flying under everyone's radar. You can stream the entire album below. But first, we have a video the band shot for one of the songs: Sun Wizard "World's Got A Handle" from Light Organ Records on Vimeo. Positively 4th Avenue by Sun Wizard The Quit Acting Cold 7" was released in 2010, and shows the band's promise. Quit Acting Cold 7" by Sun Wizard I think it would have been nice to discover these guys before the summer started, but better late than never. Enjoy! Light Organ Records Posted by Rocksteady74 (Scott) at 11/02/2011 1 comment: Links to this post The Witches - A Haunted Person's Guide To The Witches They're out on a "Halloween Tour", and playing as good a variety of psychedelic garage rock as you will hear. This is a compilation album - I hesitate to use the term "greatest hits" because well, I wish more people knew about The Witches... so maybe "greatest songs"? At any rate, this is just the kind of stuff you want to play on Halloween. Or anytime you want some good spooky rock, psychedelic and surf guitar and reverb... really, anytime. Check out "Down On Ugly Street" and know their greatness: The Witches - Down On Ugly Street by alivenaturalsound They're from Detroit, so they share a birthright and a worldview with artists like Mitch Ryder and The Stooges... and they boast bass player (and founder) Troy Gregory (Dirtbombs, Killing Joke), John Nash (Electric Six, LCD Soundsystem) on guitar, and producer Jim Diamond (White Stripes, Von Bondies) on electric twelve-string. If like me, you missed them the first time around, this is the perfect way to catch up. Here's a fan video for "On The Haunted Side of the House": The Witches at AliveNaturalsound Records The Pack a.d. - new video for "Haunt You" from Unpersons I dig their album (review here), so I'm happy to share this new video from The Pack a.d., released in conjunction with Halloween: Really good stuff, and keep an eye out for some more Halloween-inspired madness from the twisted mind and control panel of the great Jim Diamond. Robin Bacior - "Ohio" from Rest Our Wings, out Nov. 1 Here's a new video from a very talented young artist, Robin Bacior: ROBIN BACIOR \| Ohio from Earth vs Space on Vimeo. Pretty cool video, and I really like the way this song boogies. The rest of it is a little more acoustic in approach. She's got a bright, clear voice and a strong presence. And you can download "Ohio" here, and listen to several other songs at her website. Robin Bacior Website REVIEW: Wake the President - Zumutung! Exciting artists acknowledge their genre but don't allow themselves to be constrained by the work of others. This attribute is embodied in the music of Wake the President. They clearly embrace the musical template of the '80s Postcard records guitar pop, particularly Orange Juice, The Fire Engines and Josef K. But rather than look backward to make sure they paint within the lines, they stride forward on their own path. The result is Zumutung!, an exuberant, often cynical, and varied collage of emotional snapshots of the subject young men write about--girls. And it is one of my favorite albums of the year. The core of Wake the President is Bjorn and Erik Sandberg. Twin brothers from Glasgow who have been building a reputation as musicians and promoters for at least the last four years. Erik is the lyricist and main vocalist; Bjorn is the guitarist and focuses on things musical. As with their first album, the Sandbergs have enlisted Paul Savage, producer extraordinaire (and former drummer of The Delgados) to produce Zumutung! at Chem19 Studios. The ten tracks the brothers have crafted for this album are sonically and emotionally diverse. "Elaine" (which is provided below) is the most straightforward indie pop song, and may bring to mind Belle & Sebastian. The albums first four tracks, "She Fell Into My Arms", "Your Expressions", "In Youth There Is Pleasure" and "This Is New" are at the more raucous edge of post punk guitar pop. "Sort of Blonde" is an acoustic music hall sing-along, and "Stockholm's Archipelago", the album's bittersweet closer, shows that Wake the President can nail the grand-scale post rock pop song. However, the sound of the album is nearly universally lively and engaging. The counterpoint to the exuberant music is in the lyrics. Based on snippets of conversations with various women and laced with literary references, the lyrics present the pitfalls and turmoils inherent in looking for love, or an acceptable facsimile for love. For example, while "She Fell Into My Arms" will entice you to move your feet, the words suggest a cynical take on love: The voice of the cock, or its flight overhead, it easily managed to shake off a dozen or so lovers that remained bereft, so here’s how I got into this mess: I saw the inscription in your blushing and when you fell into my arms, so willingly, that I wondered why I’d bothered at all. You buy love, but you can’t afford the hurt that’s printed on the receipt and if affection is a one pound coin then why do you expect a hundred pence in return? She said, “We’re like a couple of ghosts that wander above”. And when you fell into my arms, so willingly, I wondered why I bothered at all. "She Fell Into My Arms" An even darker take on relationships is the "In Youth There Is Pleasure": We don’t just need to be apart, we need a lifetime of it, I’ll admit. As I unlocked the forbidden room, I was struck by how many corpses there were. Boy meets girl, girl loses boy: boy opens fire on a choc-a-bloc street. And the narrator in the delightful sounding "Elaine" explains that he is initiating the end of the relationship, although suggesting that his inadequacies are at fault. But the outlook isn't all gloom and doom. In "E.T." Erik expresses the hope that an ended relationship can be rekindled, and "Sort of Blonde" suggests at least the possibilities for love developing. In my view, the approach to music and lyrics works perfectly on two levels. First, the album works as an engaging manifesto of guitar pop regardless of the lyrical content. But on another level, the music and lyrics work together to point out that the trips and falls of relationships are just part of the rhythm of life; you soldier on and a new adventure is around the corner. Of course, it is easier to accept all that if you are comfortable with cynicism and, maybe, a dose of paranoia. "Elaine" Wake the President's first LP, You Can't Change That Boy, was a mostly lively, but sometimes gentle, textbook of indie pop. Both the music and the stories told were bold and well defined. For Zumutung!, there is a matured palette of expression. While still painted on the Glasgow indie pop canvass, the music is more varied and subtle; there are keyboards and choirs and even strings. And the lyrics match the music with more shaded tones; more areas where the import of direct statements is left unexplained. In my opinion, the additional nuance results in Zumutung! being more evocative and exciting than the excellent debut album because it implicitly invites you to flesh out the story in your own. A note about sourcing the album--Zumutung! may not be available in the States in physical form at this time, but I'm advised that it is available from Amazon, iTunes and Spotify. If you want the physical artifact, which is understandable, try contacting We Can Still Picnic, at the Facebook link or email me through this site and I'll put you in touch. In their young lives, Bjorn and Erik Sandberg who form the foundation of the band have founded two record labels, Say Dirty and We Can Still Picnic, the second of which is releasing Zumutung!, collaborate with others to keep music and arts vibrant in their community, and have released two LPs and a few singles. I expect them to continue to contribute to music and the other arts, and I encourage everyone to support them. Twitter ( @WakethPresident ) We Can Still Picnic (label's Facebook page REVIEW: Tom Waits - Bad As Me Time to make room on Mt. Rushmore for one more American hero. Bad As Me, and of course no one is as gloriously badass as Tom Waits, is the 61 year old artist's first release of new material in 7 years. It was well worth the wait. Here's Waits' reaction, you judge how tongue-in-cheek, to the album being leaked over the internet prior to release date: Bad as Me is completely in keeping with the chaos of the day - it clanks, wails, weeps and rages. If I had to describe it with a simple term, it's a rock'n'roll record. There is a groove, energy and major force to this effort. And even classic rockabilly, on the delicious "Get Lost". It's restless, its characters cooped up and maybe moving across the country, or thinking their relationships are falling apart, searching, longing, in pain, and sometimes even at war. If you are a musician, and your phone rings and its Tom Waits asking you to play on his record, you of course answer yes. So on guitars here we have Marc Ribot, David Hidalgo and Keith Richards. And wow do they bring it, amplify the deparate mood and get a great sound. One highlight of Bad As Me is a raging rocker, "Satisfied". Waits, as usual speaking in first person, turns the typical young man voice of rock'n'roll on its ear, tipping his hat to the Rolling Stones classic "Satisfaction", but contemplating later age and impending death, and vowing to go out with a bang, while a now much older Keith Richards is a laying down the big rock riffs over a mile wide groove: Before I'm gone I will have satisfaction I will be satisfied Now Mr. Jagger and Mr. Richards I will scratch where I've been itching. Instead of "I hope I die before I get old", Waits' brand of rock'n'roll here is more like "I am going to kick life's ass and yours too before I get old and die." Here's the wild and wooly title track: But just as effective and moving is this gorgeous ballad "Back in the Crowd" that merges mariachi and country music: As sentimental as Waits can be, and I've always loved that side of his writing, he also presents here one of the harshest and most unflinching songs about war I've ever heard, "Hell Broke Luce", so brutal and real that it's as hard to look away from as it is to absorb. Here's a terrific feature story on Waits and the making of Bad as Me from the New York Times: Tom Waits: Bad As Me - 10/23 NY Times Feature And while we are at it, here's an interview Waits did with himself a few years back, one of my all-time favorite pieces of writing, hilarious and brilliant, and a must read: Waits on Waits - 2008 interview from NPR's All Songs Considered Blog Artist web page: http://www.tomwaits.com/ ▼ October 30 (16) New Video from Black Keys upcoming album El Camino... Midweek Roundup: Wet Nuns, New Cassettes, Glossary... The Witches - A Haunted Person's Guide To The Witc... The Pack a.d. - new video for "Haunt You" from Unp... Robin Bacior - "Ohio" from Rest Our Wings, out Nov...	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line498
__label__cc	0.544335	0.455665	WhirliDogs to serve opportunity: Workers with disabilities will learn, make hot dogs By Brie Handgraaf bhandgraaf@wilsontimes.com \| 252-265-7821 Posted 5/28/19 From the beginning, WhirliDogs has been about more than just opening a hot dog cafe and store in historic downtown Wilson. Wesley Trump and Martha Wrenn are the retired educators who got the ball … Sign up to keep reading — IT'S FREE! In an effort to improve our website and enhance our local coverage, WilsonTimes.com has switched to a membership model. Fill out the form below to create a free account. Once you're logged in, you can continue using the site as normal. You should remain logged in on your computer or device as long as you don’t clear your browser history/cookies. Create a free website account to continue reading. I agree to the terms and conditions as posted on this site. Subscribe to the Wilson Times Daily Briefing email newsletter Every morning, receive a summary of the top local stories we're reporting on. If you already have an account, log in for continued access. Current print subscribers can activate a website account by clicking here. Please consider supporting community journalism by subscribing. help@wilsontimes.com Diversified Opportunities culinary class instructor Wesley Trump talks about rolling out sugar cookie dough May 21 with students Erick and April. The class is part of a larger effort to open a training center, cafe and shop dubbed WhirliDogs in historic downtown Wilson. Brie Handgraaf \| Times Posted Tuesday, May 28, 2019 10:21 pm Diversified Opportunities culinary class member Alan sprinkles flour for Braxton, who rolls out sugar cookie dough. The class is part of a larger effort to open a training center, cafe and shop dubbed WhirliDogs in historic downtown Wilson. Brie Handgraaf \| Times Wesley Trump and Martha Wrenn are the retired educators who got the ball rolling back in 2017 for the idea of a business that would help train and employ Wilson adults with disabilities. Through community input, the concept for WhirliDogs evolved, but the idea is based around similar businesses like the Bitty and Beaus coffee shop in Wilmington. The business and training center came under the Diversified Opportunities umbrella last spring, and that’s when the effort really started taking shape. Trump developed a curriculum to teach concepts such as health and safety procedures, cooking and service. “The ‘power of possibility’ is our tagline, and we wanted to offer as many skill sets as possible,” Trump said. “Just because someone has a development disability or something doesn’t mean they have the same interests and skills as someone else.” Once open in the next 12 to 18 months, WhirliDogs hopes to provide opportunities for up to 149 disabled adults a year with skills to work in a restaurant or other service industry while also learning tasks such as inventory and management. “You can ask just about anyone if they know someone who is disabled, and they all do, but they also know the heartache that can come with loving someone with disabilities,” Trump said. “When you’re in high school, everybody is always talking about what they are doing after graduation, but there are limited opportunities for those with barriers. Our big goal and mission is to train folks, and when they finish, they’ll have on-the-job experience to put on their resumes.” Purpose and possibilities The WhirliDogs culinary class is the latest addition to Diversified Opportunities’ services. Executive Director Cindy Harrell said it was a natural fit with the nonprofit’s overarching mission: to provide vocational evaluation, training and job placement for individuals 16 and older with disabilities or disadvantaged circumstances so they can earn income and enhance their independence in the community. “Diversified Opportunities’ mission and WhirliDogs’ mission are almost identical,” Harrell said. Diversified Opportunities has roughly 100 clients at any given time. Harrell said the organization’s programs provide a gamut of services that help clients from age 16 to 87 with intellectual or physical disabilities learn everyday skills as well as train for various types of employment. Since the WhirliDogs concept has become public knowledge, her staff has seen an uptick in interest from parents and community members wanting to know more about Diversified Opportunities. “We’ve had people come in and begin services after hearing about WhirliDogs,” Harrell said. “In that respect, WhirliDogs has already fulfilled that mission and improved the quality of life for people in Wilson.” Trump and Wrenn said they’ve been touched by all the parents who have been supportive of WhirliDogs, volunteering time and energy to make the business a reality. “All parents want the same thing for their children: to be successful, happy and independent. And a job helps make that happen,” Wrenn said. “The parents that are involved in this are so happy and appreciative because they know this is going to open doors for their children, and they are willing to do a lot of work to make it happen.” ORGANIZATION AND OBSTACLES WhirliDogs organizers drummed up support from local officials for the project in recent months in hopes of getting a state grant, but when that bid fell through, they didn’t give up. “We were disappointed, but we were not deterred,” Trump said. “We started looking at some other grant opportunities, and we learned you’ve got to really get your name out there because foundations want to know the community is supporting a project before they throw their money behind it.” “We were nervous about that, but I think it was actually a blessing we didn’t get that grant because it forced us to put the whole WhirliDogs concept out there and the community support has been amazing,” Wrenn added. The duo launched a social media campaign — including www.facebook.com/whirlidogs/ — and eventually came up with the idea of getting supporters to host fundraisers dubbed Parties with a Purpose. Susan Kellum, downtown marketing and communications coordinator, was among the attendees and expressed her support for WhirliDogs. “During the seven years I’ve been with Wilson Downtown Development, we’ve had a lot of people come in and want to open a business. They all have passion and enthusiasm, but I’ve never seen anyone come in as new entrepreneurs who have worked so diligently to be prepared,” Kellum said at one recent party. “Wesley has worked with the Small Business Center at Wilson Community College and taken almost every class they have. She and Martha have reached out to countless organizations to explore partnership possibilities, crossed the state visiting businesses that offer training for adults with special needs and eaten at every hot dog joint along the way to get a feel for what will work on their menu.” MONEY WHERE YOUR MOUTH IS The group is hoping to raise $250,000 to purchase equipment and outfit a downtown location. “Downtowns ‘specialize’ in small businesses. With approximately 4,500 employees working downtown, we definitely have room for more restaurants,” Kellum said. “And, most importantly, downtowns serve as a community living room and, as such, are welcoming of everyone, including those with special needs.” While they haven’t picked a specific building, Trump and Wrenn said they are investigating the logistics of several spots. “We want to put a commercial kitchen in because beyond hot dogs, we’re hoping to do some catering and offer a commissary kitchen,” Trump said. “Right now we’re just looking to serve hot dogs during lunch and for ‘hot dog hump day’ dinners on Wednesdays, but when we’re not open for business, it’ll be a classroom used to cover curriculum for adults and provide some pre-employment seminars for high school students.” Trump said while Diversified Opportunities has pledged some financial support, the hope is that WhirliDogs will become sustainable and self-sufficient just as the employees do through the training. “If we had the funds today, we’d pick a location and work toward opening for business,” Harrell said. WhirliDogs recently sold T-shirts to help raise funds and is continuing to take orders. T-shirts are available by calling Diversified Opportunities at 252-291-0378. Monetary and equipment donations are tax-deductible and can be directed to WhirliDogs through Diversified Opportunities at 1010 Herring Ave. E. 217 Brew Works also is having a free event from 4-6 p.m. on June 9 to rally support for WhirliDogs. The brewery will be releasing a small batch of WhirliDog Wheat, WhirliDog T-shirts will be on sale, and the Diversified Opportunities culinary class is making light hors d’oeuvres.	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line503
__label__cc	0.59462	0.40538	Wine Tasting Tour Limo Los Angeles Home Wine Tasting Tour Limo Los Angeles Come and get your best knowledge on Wine Tours in LA area!! California’s most recognizable wine country lies considerably north of the Los Angeles area, yet the southern part of the state is home to its own under-the-radar wine scene. With a wine grape growing heritage dating back to the 1800’s, Los Angeles and Orange counties contain six distinctive wine regions. Wine tasting in the Los Angeles area tends to involve some road time, yet the reward is the discovery of an uncrowded, laidback tasting scene. These tend to be independent, family run operations with an annual production the fraction of the size of the giants further north. Within 15 miles of downtown Los Angeles can be found three wineries, San Antonio (est. 1917) bears a central city address and is one of the oldest in the state. Nearby Pasadena is home to Black Rock Wine works, producer of award winning Sauvignon Blanc, Grenache wines, and Zinfandel varietals, while the hills of Bel Air host the exclusive Moraga Vineyards. Travel 45 miles north of Los Angeles and you’ll find Agua Dulce Vineyards, surrounded by horse ranches along the scenic Sierra Highway. Another 15 miles will put you in Ventura County, a homey, up and coming wine region that contains over a dozen boutique wineries and tasting rooms, such as Four Brix Winery, which considers their wines to be internationally inspired yet hand crafted, and the self-labeled ‘alternative’ Plan B Cellars, offering Rhone varietals and more. Heading west from the city will bring you to Malibu, most often associated with the beach and surf scene. But the Santa Monica Mountains surrounding Malibu have also become regarded as producing high quality wines and quite a few wineries can be found along the coast and Mulholland highways. There are over 50 vineyards along the Malibu Wine Trail, including those of regional pioneer George Rosenthal (Malibu Estate Winery), in this area that is rapidly growing in popularity. Traveling east, you will reach four independent wineries: St James Spirits in Irwindale (which also produces flavored rum, brandy, and agave), Rancho De Philo Winery in Alta Loma (which also makes a sought after triple cream sherry), Galleano Winery in Mira Loma (known for its dessert wines), and fourth-generation Joseph Filippi Winery in Rancho Cucamonga. Several wineries are located along the coast south of the city between Torrance and Laguna Beach. Right in Torrance is family-owned Peralta while just east of Long Beach in Los Alamitos, King Wines bottled under the name Gary King Wines. One of the area’s largest producers is in Palos Verdes Estates, Castle Rock Winery, with an estimated 500,000 cases per year. In Orange County, Thompkin Cellars in Costa Mesa and Laguna Canyon Winery in Laguna Beach,are both boutique operations. Heading southeast, five wineries can be found in and around Anaheim such as OC Custom Wine which sources grapes from outside the area, but the winery operations are located right in the heart of Anaheim. With so many directions to head and so many tasting possibilities, you might well consider hiring a vehicle for the day from Los Angeles Limo Service. Our Los Angeles Wine Tour professional and courteous chauffeurs will serve as your expert guides and direct you to a personalized and memorable Southern California wine tasting experience. Get instant price quote for our reliable Virginia Wine Tours DC and Los Angeles Winery Tours Limo service! Get a Fast & Easy Price Quote Complete a form to receive a fast, free quote or Need to talk to us immediately? GET FREE QUOTECALL: (888) 882-3134	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line504
__label__wiki	0.573707	0.573707	The way I see it ? Blackburn Rovers v Arsenal Last updated : 24 February 2006 By Jason Hogan This time last week, after our dismal showing at Anfield, I was a tortured soul wrestling with my conscience and trying (but failing) to console myself with the fact I had actually seen the Arsenal in a lot worse state than we are now. Even whilst I was writing my article as part of a preview to the Real game (an article I never quite managed to finish in time for the game) I was trying to remind myself that it was almost 11 years ago to this very day when the bung scandal at Arsenal came to a head, George Graham was sacked and the Arsenal team he had left behind were only a handful of points clear of the relegation zone. But somehow even a point as pertinent as that did very little to lift the gloomy feeling I had. But, for all the problems we have and all the things that have been written or said about us, I told every one of my Gooner mates on the eve of the Real game (most of whom, somewhat understandably, were absolutely dreading our meeting with Real in the Bernabeu and fearing the worst) that I was always reasonably optimistic. The reason for my optimism before the Real game stemmed from one simple thing – I have a fairly long memory. After all, we went to Juventus way back in 1980 and beat them in their own back yard against all the odds to reach the Cup Winners Cup final that year. We also beat a highly rated Parma side in 1994 complete with the talents of a younger (and considerably leaner) Tomas Brolin, Faustino Asprilla and Franco Zola to actually win the Cup Winners Cup – despite the fact that nobody but NOBODY outside of Highbury gave us a prayer. I just kept asking myself the same questions over and over again; how many times have I seen the Arsenal given no chance of winning certain match or a certain trophy over the years only to see us defy all the odds and ram all the assertions of our dissenters back down their ignorant, disrespectful throats? Plenty – so I then thought "Well, given that I know all of this, why should I not have faith in the Arsenal doing it again in the Bernabeu?" In other words, I had simply remembered the main reason as to why I have never totally written us off or dismissed our chances of winning any game in any situation – because history has always told me that the Arsenal tend to be at their best when they are really, really up against it. Having said that, I would be lying if I said to you that we would go to the Bernabeu and not only win there but play Real virtually off their own pitch while we were at it. Whilst I always thought that we would have a chance given that Real Madrid were unlikely to be "in our faces" if you like, even I was gobsmacked at the way we tore into them in the first 15 minutes or so. Still, although we should have been at least 2-0 up after just a quarter of an hour, the tone for the match was invariably set and Thierry Henry scored a goal that underlined that. Leaving three or four players floundering in his wake after running virtually from the half way line before dispatching a cross shot past Cassillas was not too bad for a guy universally known outside of Highbury as a "flat track bully, a bottler and a choker". I have to say that I am so pleased for EVERBODY that is remotely connected with Arsenal. Senior players such as Lehmann, Gilberto, Ljungberg and of course Henry really came up big for us and there are not enough words I can say about the younger lads such as Eboue, Flamini, Senderos and in particular Reyes, Fabregas and Hleb who all were outstanding. More than though there was one particular bunch amongst the legions of Gooners who I was pleased for more than most - and that was the 3,000 or so that went up to Anfield the week before. They would have all paid damn good money to go all that way in the middle of the week to see such an inept display and if anybody deserves to savour what happened at the Bernabeu perhaps even more than the rest of us, it's them. Of course, the tie is still far from over and any Arsenal fan worth his (or her) salt will know better than to think otherwise. But nevertheless, in a season where Gooners everywhere have had to endure all manner of frustrations and indignities, I think that everyone connected with the Arsenal is entitled to feel ten feet tall right now. Because once again the Arsenal have triumphed against the odds, once again the Arsenal have carved themselves out another unique piece of history – and guess what, the Arsenal bloody well did it in style too – and no matter what anyone outside of Highbury says, NOBODY can take any of that away from us. God, I don't half feel a lot better today than I did this time last week! Still, come this Saturday, we will be faced with a match that couldn't be much more of a stark contrast to the glitz and glamour of a trip to the Bernabeu. Instead, the Arsenal, having lived it up in the land of tapas, paella and sangria will head off next to a part of the world where meat pies and a pint of warm bitter is about as exotic as things get. Let's look forward to our trip to Ewood Park where we will face Blackburn. I'm not sure that most Arsenal fans would agree with me but I do think that Rovers have come a fairly long way as a footballing side since we met them in last year's FA Cup semis. This is in spite of the fact that they have some of the most notorious aggro merchants in the game today. The likes of Dickov, Bellamy, Andy Todd and Lucas Neill all fit into quite comfortably into that category and that's before we even begin to start talking about Robbie Savage! But hand on heart, I can honestly say that Blackburn have genuinely impressed me with some of their play this season. This may be a funny way of illustrating my point but I remember watching them play Newcastle in a Pay per view match at Ewood earlier on in the season. True, Rovers did actually lose the game 3-0 but the final score didn't come anywhere near telling the real story of the game. For 75 minutes, Rovers played some really great stuff and totally dominated the game only to be hit by not one but two genuine sucker punches. The second of those, a goal by Michael Owen, pretty much knocked the stuffing out of Rovers that day and Charles N'Zogbia helped himself to a third thus giving the final scoreline an almost absurd ring to it. Funnily enough they did get their own back on the Magpies a couple of weeks ago when they turned them over at St James's Park a couple of weeks ago with a highly controversial goal from Morten Gamst Pedersen. What goes around, comes around is the phrase that instantly springs to mind. Another team that had to pay a price recently for denying Blackburn glory were ManUre. Having been agonisingly close to making the Carling Cup Final by United, Blackburn got their own back once again on their opponents by beating United at Ewood in the league and securing a home and away league double over them to boot. Whatever we Gooners may say in mocking jest about ManUre, beating them home and away is no mean achievement and interestingly enough, the catalyst of the win over United was a lad called David Bentley who scored a hat-trick against them barely 24 hours after making his move from Arsenal to Blackburn permanent. Obviously Bentley will be itching to do well against us but for me, one of the men we have to watch out for has to be Bellamy. He may be a right royal pain in the arse to get along with – and that's if you happen to be his team mate! But the boy is a decent player, has pace to burn and if his head is right, he could be a right royal pain in the arse to us as well. Aside from him, Pedersen has shown that he has a great eye for goal and don't be surprised to see Mark Hughes opts for someone like Shefqi Kuqi up front in order to test our mettle at the back. It's safe to say that Blackburn's form of late has been patchy to say the least but then the Arsenal have not really been much better and that, in a nutshell, is the reason why there is only ONE point between the two teams going into the game. I know that I have said that Rovers are capable of really playing some decent stuff these days when they put their minds to it but I'll bet that Hughes sends his team out to get stuck into us tomorrow and just give Arsenal a far from gentle reminder that they are quite some way away from the Bernabeu. I suppose the key to this game for Arsenal is very simple. They have to decide whether go to Ewood determined to build on what they did in the Bernabeu and finally show that they are just as capable of going up north on a cold afternoon as they are in more exotic surroundings. There is still a race to be won for a fourth place but given the proximity of some of the teams around us, the margin we have for error has quite simply disappeared. It's getting to crunch time now and if we fail to make the top four, then Gooners all have a fair idea what the consequences could well be.	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line518
__label__cc	0.590665	0.409335	DAILY DOZEN Daily Dozen with Lithuanian Artist Tomas Martišauskis 0 Arterritory.com Tomas Martišauskis (b. 1977) is a Lithuanian artist, who works in various media such as sculpture, installations and photography. He has participated in various solo and group exhibitions both in Lithuania and abroad. Tomas’ practice is best described as an analysis of visual strategies and mechanisms of culture. His theoretically informed use of technology as an alternative to craft emphasizes the spectacularization of the contemporary society. As Guy Debord manifested in the 60’s, everything that was once real has now become a spectacle, a representation of things, and Martišauskis’ practice elevates this all consuming idea of simulation to the surface through imitating real life, and creating indexical objects, that preserve a hint, an iconographical clue, or a personal memory. His background in sculpture is evident in the intelligent use of materials, such as plaster, wood, and even precious metals. Playing with their archetypal meaning, that is deaply rooted in tradition, he substitutes their reign as sculptural materials with technological alternatives, to create a modified reality. From 14 September 1. 2013 to January 12, 2014 Reykjavik Art Museum presents a site-specific installation by artist Tomas Martišauskis, named Creature/ Vera. Tomas Martišauskis “Creature/ Vera”. Photo: © Petur Thomsen What’s the best moment of your day? Any moment basically. All moments which give pleasure. Why do you work as an artist? I do that because I want to. It gives meaning in a daily routine otherwise I can get crazy. Which films, concerts, exhibits, or books have left a lasting impression on you? The book by Carl May “Vinnetou”, theatre performance “Oak tree” by Tim Crouch and exhibition at National museum in Berlin “Melancholy”. Where do you currently get ideas for your works? They appear as thunder from clear blue sky. Simply. Which work(s) of art would you like to have in your possession? Those wishes come and go. Recently (4 days ago) I wanted to have a collage of Martin Neumaier. Tomorrow I don't know. What do you do when you’re not occupied with art? The same things as any person. Do you sleep a lot? Sometimes, it’s enough 5 hours, but usually 8 hours is OK. No, but maybe some images from web will grow in to collection. What is one of the most important things in your studio? Just me and my artifacts. What do you like to eat, and what don’t you like? I really love to eat what my wife cooks, and I dislike public canteens. When you were a kid, what did you want to be? Vinnetou or maybe Robin Hood, I don't remember exactly. Name three creative individuals, from any era, with whom you’d gladly spend an evening. I would like to spend one evening with Douglas Gordon, Ben Lewis and Maurizio Cattelan. Creature/ Vera is a postmodern take on the relationship between sculptural matter and the space. Using advanced technologies artist translates a specific sculptural object into various mediums thus expanding the notion of traditional sculpture. Paradoxical relationship between authenticity and a copy enables to see different aspects of the object: its interior and exterior, its sound, plasticity in animation and in the structural drawing. martisauskis.eu	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line520
__label__cc	0.633896	0.366104	Carabidologist Pronounced /kærəbɪ'dɒlədʒɪst/ This turned up recently in a newspaper report of a study into the probable number of living species. It was said to be a person who studied beetles. Up to a point, Lord Copper. The usual term for a beetleologist is coleopterist (from a Greek word that means sheath-winged), so carabidologist must mean something else. Finding what it really meant required some minor delving, as it doesn’t appear in any of my dictionaries, not even the huge Oxford English Dictionary, and it’s clearly a specialist term even among beetle researchers. A carabidologist studies carabids, a large and diverse family of mainly nocturnal predatory ground beetles that includes bombardier beetles, sand beetles and tiger beetles. All carabids are beetles, but by no means all beetles are carabids. If you relied on its etymology for help, you would be left utterly confused. Carabid is said by various dictionaries to derive from Latin cārabus. We can ignore its sense in late Latin of a small ship (which has bequeathed us caravel, a small, fast Portuguese or Spanish ship of the fifteenth to seventeenth centuries). The Latin meaning from classical times given in the dictionaries — a sort of crab, crayfish or crustacean — leaves us scratching our heads. Works of a more specialist nature help by pointing out that cārabus came into Latin from a Greek word that could mean either a spiny lobster or a horned beetle (it seems that neither Greeks nor Romans were hot on detailed species identification). Carabid has no link with scarab, though that’s indubitably also a beetle; several centuries ago the latter was a vague hand-waving term in English for any insect that was presumed to breed in dung. Page created 17 Sep. 2011 This page URL: http://www.worldwidewords.org/weirdwords/ww-car4.htm Last modified: 17 September 2011.	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line525
__label__cc	0.678857	0.321143	50-55 of 56 results 5 \| 10 \| 15 \| 20 results per page Sort results by : last modified \| A-Z \| Year of production Uranya (2006) Ουρανία (original title) Fiction, 95 min Production countries: Greece,Italy Director: Costas Kapakas Plot keywords: Comedy In a small village, a group of young people are growing up on dreams, prejudices, secrets and lies. And passions – both political and “family”. The summer of 1969 will leave its mark on their dreams… [...] East, West, East: The Final Sprint (2009) Lindje, Perëndim, Lindje (original title) Production countries: Albania,Italy Director: Gjergj Xhuvani Tirana, 1990: Former cycling champion, Ilo, now 50, is assigned by the government to assemble a team of five young cyclists to represent the country in an amateur race in France. While on their way to [...] Three Monkeys (2008) Üç maymun (original title) Production countries: Turkey,France,Italy Director: Nuri Bilge Ceylan Plot keywords: drama, crime, No music Near the Bosporus, Eyüp and Hacer live in a modest flat with their son Ismail, in his twenties, who's doing poorly in his studies. Few words pass between them, and a past family tragedy brings sorrow [...] Τοπίο στην ομίχλη (original title) Production countries: Greece,France,Italy Director: Theo Angelopoulos Plot keywords: drama In a working-class suburb of Athens, two illegitimate children, Voula, aged 11 and her brother Alexander, aged 5, dream each night that they will join their father in Germany. The father, in reality, does [...] Ulysses` Gaze (1995) Το βλέμμα του Οδυσσέα (original title) Production countries: Greece,France,Italy,Germany A man (Harvey Keitel) travels across the Balkans of the '90s, the Balkans of discord, fanaticism and war. It is a journey echoing the myth of Ulysses (Odysseus), a quest leading the hero from Greece to [...]	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line534
__label__cc	0.630036	0.369964	Ayya Vaikundar The Spiritual light About a hundred and fifty years ago Ayya Vaikundar arose for the upliftment of the poor and down trodden people of the erstwhile South Travancore. He was rather a great social revolutionary than a preacher. He revolutionized Hindu religion. He foretold a variety of events many of which have been realized. He established the cult of Ayyavazhi. Thousands of people from far and near and from every walk of life irrespective of caste, creed and language, visit Swamythoppu to worship Ayya Vaikundar. There was a long felt need for an online site about Ayya Vaikundar in English and we hope this will satisfy the need to a certain extent. This will be the first step to take Ayya Vaikundar to the nonTamil speaking world. Many people have helped in the presentation. Thiru. Bala prajapathi Adikalar not only guided us in every aspect but has also gone through and offered useful comments. We thank Thiru. Balaprajapathi Adikalar for rendering us all the help we needed. We are solely responsible for the factual error, spelling or usage. We are very grateful to Anbuvanam for publishing this. Thiru. Bala Prajapathi Adigalar Thousands of people from far and near and from every walk of life irrespective of caste, creed and language, visit Swamythoppu to worship Ayya Vaikundar. more… Our Sincere thanks to Sri.N.Muthiah Nadar(Eachenvilai) and Miss. Thanam(Kottaram) for their co-ordination to help us publish this online. Ayya undu. N. Elango A. Vijaya Shanthi Elango Chottapanickan Therivilai Ayya Thunai Ayya Vaikundar is the light of the world. His principles dispell darkness from the minds of people. The tenets of Akilathirattu and Arulnool are applicable to any period of time. It is necessary to bring out his principles in all languages of he world so as to reach wider audience. By rendering the principles in English, they are made accessible to many people. We bless the Mr.Elango and Mrs. Vijaya Santhi Elango and others who helped to bring out this. We bless for the success of their efforts and expect that the principles of Ayya Vaikuntar reach out to people across the world. Balaprajapathi Adikal Swamithoppu P.O. Pin : 629 704 Ph : 04652 – 258999 Lord Vishnu Lakshmi Swamithoppu Muttapathi Thamarakkulam Pathi WordPress Carousel Slider Plugin	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line541
__label__wiki	0.739269	0.739269	The Board of BaseballSoftballUK Ltd, based on provisions of the company’s Memorandum and Articles of Association, is made up of a Chair, two Directors appointed by each Federation and up to five Independent Directors who can bring valuable skills to the Board. The Independent Directors are people who have no direct connection to the BBF Board or BSF Executive, but who can contribute valuable skills and experience to the BSUK Board and bring a different perspective to the challenges we face. The Board provides policy direction and review for BSUK and for the work carried out by BSUK staff, and meets on a quarterly basis. But much of the Board’s work is now carried out through subcommittees that meet more regularly and consist of both Independent and Federation Directors. These subcommittees cover areas such as development strategy, diversity, employment, finance, governance, marketing and the service level agreement (SLA) between BSUK and the Federations. The Board is committed to making appointments on the basis that no less than 30% of its total membership be represented by either gender, progressing to gender parity and progressing towards achieving greater diversity on the Board. The Board has also adopted the Diversity Action Plan. The current demographic of the BSUK Board and staff is: Gender: 75% Male; 25% Female LGBT: 18% LGBT Disability: 0% BAME: 59% White British; 35% White Other; 6% Other Minutes from meetings of the Board and sub-committees are published in the Company Documents section. BSUK Chair Position Vacant Chris Greenhalgh I first experienced baseball at the age of five on holiday in Canada watching the Blue Jays at the SkyDome (now Rogers Centre) in 1991. Then in 2007 I visited my aunt in St Louis and watched the Cardinals at the new Busch Stadium with Albert Pujols launching a huge home run over left field. He may have moved on but I still follow the Redbirds from afar. I have been employed for the last six years in an evolving sports development team which has moved from a district to a unitary authority then to a charitable leisure trust. I have been involved in a number of diverse projects, originally delivery focused around national products such as Sport Unlimited and Sportivate; more recently focusing on local strategic work and embedding an improvement culture through the team. Personally, I am a keen cricketer playing, coaching, and acting as club welfare and development officer for my local club. I live with my wife and young son in South Cheshire. Evan Ray My first experience of the baseball was playing T-ball and later Little League as a child in Marin County, California. I lived and breathed baseball, had an impressive baseball card collection and was a devoted fan of the Oakland A’s. At 10 years old I was a decent shortstop, but my playing days, outside the occasional social game of softball in the park, are mostly behind me. I am a lawyer specialising in commercial contracts and compliance in the sports sector. Having worked for the Premier League since 2013, my remit includes advising on, drafting and negotiating the Premier League’s commercial contracts, ensuring the business meets its compliance and safeguarding obligations and advising on sport specific legal issues from ticket touting to safe standing. Prior to retraining as a solicitor, I worked for a number of years as a talent booker in broadcast (BBC, ITV) and print media (FHM Magazine), negotiating television appearances and securing exclusive magazine interviews with celebrities. I live in North London with my wife and young son. Simon Winman Following an 11-year teaching career, I have worked for the Rugby Football Union for 17 years and am currently Head of Club Development, responsible for: the retention, recruitment and recognition of volunteers; facility investment and improving the leadership; management and governance of clubs. I have been responsible for the facility investment programme at the RFU since its inception in 2003 following England’s Rugby World Cup success to its current position where it has invested £69m, generating investment of over £200m in a range of grass roots club facilities. I am currently leading the development of a ground-breaking volunteer leadership programme to support volunteers in clubs and counties. I played rugby for a number of years, including Exeter University and Exeter RFC, but I found I was a better coach, going on to coach Oxford University. I am married with two children and can, on occasions, be seen out running around the streets of Aylesbury and Twickenham. BBF Board Nominated Director Chris Deacon Competing with a stick, bat or club and a ball of various compositions has always been part of my sporting life before I enthusiastically decided to become involved in baseball in 2008, having previously only been a spectator at handful of games in the US. In fact, it was my then 5-year-old son who was the catalyst; he started playing and inevitably parents are asked to help out, which ultimately lead to being encouraged to start playing baseball myself in my early 40s. In 2012, involvement ratcheted up after joining a new club and my son moving to a new league. Since then I’ve looked after baseball fields, been an assistant coach, run a team, managed a club, umpired and served on the British Baseball Federation board as the Officials Commissioner. I have also well been fortunate to travel with my family to support my son playing in various locations round Europe. The last decade in British sport, like in many sectors, has seen huge successes, near misses and importantly changes to improve aspects of governance and development. Expanding access to sports and activities is a cornerstone of the recent sport funding review and with baseball and softball included in the 2020 Olympics, there is a bright future for our sports particularly as they cater for a wide section of the population and arguably wider than many other traditional field sports. While on the BBF Board, I worked on a project to explore how baseball and softball organisations can work more closely together and look forward to progressing this along with bringing my sporting and professional experience to BaseballSoftballUK. Professionally, after leaving the Royal Navy, I have worked in investment services in various roles and more recently have changed sector to payrolling and contracting services, a challenging EU cross-border business even before Brexit. BSF Board Nominated Director Jenny Fromer I worked for BaseballSoftballUK for over fifteen years, first as Director of Baseball Operations and from 2005-2017 as Joint CEO and Head of Operations. During my tenure with BSUK, my particular focus and legacy was on strong governance and this was demonstrated in the high regard with which BSUK was held across sport. I was an integral part of successfully securing Sport England investment from 2005-2019. On leaving BSUK, I took up the voluntary role of President of the British Softball Federation and joined the BaseballSoftballUK Board. Prior to my time at BSUK, I spent several years working with Major League Baseball, first running their various youth programmes and later as Director of Game Development. I have also previously worked in social housing and run a pair of independent cinemas in the Washington, DC area. My current role is Head of HR for a secondary school in Hammersmith. I have run a slowpitch softball team, SPAM, for over 25 years and am a devoted New York Yankees fan. The National Governing Bodies Major League Baseball International Work With BSUK Governing Body Endorsements Use of Photographs and Video Baseball5 brings families together at New City Primary School in Newham BSUK Stakeholder Survey: have your say on the future priorities of your sport Richard Chataway appointed to BSUK Board BaseballSoftballUK seeks Independent Directors BaseballSoftballUK seeks Independent Non-Executive Director of Finance BaseballSoftballUK seeks Chair and Independent Board Directors BaseballSoftballUK given all clear on Governance Code compliance Schedule coming together for Coach Summit in January Federations give BSUK power to act as agent for their Olympic national teams Sport and Recreation Alliance presents Emeritus Award to Jenny Fromer BSUK Board Minutes (10 September 2019) BSUK Board Minutes (27 August 2019) BSUK Board Minutes (11 June 2019) BSUK Board Minutes (5 March 2019) BSUK Board Minutes (5 February 2019) BSUK Board Minutes (25 November 2018) BSUK Board Minutes (7 October 2018) Governance Committee Minutes (17 July 2017) Development Strategy Committee Minutes (28 February 2018) 2010-2011 Year in Review Sport and Recreation Alliance	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line546
__label__wiki	0.687364	0.687364	Greatest NBA players of all time Debating the greatest NBA players of all time is often centered around four to five players that make the base for ranking the game’s best. But even among those elite there is little consensus among who goes where. The one (near) consensus of NBA fans today would be that the conversation runs through Michael Jordan. A few quick comments since I did a greatest of all time ranking like this back in December of 2012. Some of you who have been reading since those days might be groaning… not another ranking of the greatest in the NBA, you say. Well, I decided it’s time for a new one because 1) I’m ready to spice up the debate by entering LeBron James into the discussion and 2) further research changed my ranking in a couple significant ways. Not only that but I’m also going to change how I’m going to frame the debate. Instead of focusing on individual players’ accomplishments and briefly highlighting their rankings, I’m going to delve right into the debate and reason you through the ranking. The primary iteration of this had some great discussion in the comments section. I want to give you the opportunity to read my opinion prior to commenting—something that many GOAT articles fail to do. At the end I will summarize and give the career numbers of each of the top 10. So with that in mind, let’s get back to Michael Jordan: The clear GOAT The truth is that I’ve seen some people rank Wilt Chamberlain ahead of Air Jordan but those that's simply a result of being too enamored with his statistical prowess. Jordan’s combination of brilliance starts with statistics on a nightly basis and continues through post-season and NBA Finals glory. 6-for-6 in the Finals, a multitude of the greatest playoff performances of all time, and five regular season MVPs. Jordan’s legacy is felt to this day, where he nearly triples the second highest brand sales of a basketball player. 2013 vs, 2012 sales by player: Jordan $2.25 B 2013, $2B 2012; Lebron $300M, $300M; Durant $175M, $35M; Rose $40M, $40M; Kobe $50M, $50M — Matt Powell (@mattSOS) February 6, 2014 Jordan dominated in every facet necessary when considering greatness: 1) regular and post-season stats, 2) awards, 3) championships (and more importantly Finals MVPs), and 4) that franchise player consistency. For that franchise player stature/consistency that I value highly, I would define it as a response to this question: who else would you rather have for their 10-year (or more) “prime” besides Player X? In Jordan’s case, the answer right now to that is simple: nobody. If LeBron James retired today, where would he fit? This brings us to one of the NBA’s most polarizing players today: LeBron James. At this point, the only real argument preventing Michael and LeBron for being in the discussion together is their respective playoff resumes. In terms of that franchise player stature, to me, LeBron comes in second to Michael Jordan. There is nobody else in the history of the NBA that I would rather build an organization around. While that is admittedly quite subjective, LeBron’s all-around talent and leadership is exactly what you want to build an organization around. But in terms of overall “greatness,” he is certainly not No. 1 all time and falls down a couple more spots to Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar who won five and six titles respectively themselves, each with a couple Finals MVPs to boot. Kareem and Magic’s consistent greatness is for a longer period of time has yet to be matched by LeBron. Between LeBron, Larry Bird, Wilt Chamberlain, and Bill Russell, the separation is far less. LeBron has that “beast mode” combination of size, speed, and courtvision and has been the best player in the league for arguably every year since age 20, Larry Bird also had 9-10 seasons of stats that we currently think of as “LeBron numbers.” In the Hick from French Lick’s first nine years in the league, he put up 25 points, 10 rebounds, and six assists per game on nearly 50-40-90 shooting numbers. He also led the league in defensive win shares for four of those years (to LeBron’s zero) and was really an underrated facilitator for the simple reason that his ability to score was second-to-none. And although James and Bird have the same number of Finals MVPs, that extra ring of Bird's comes into play namely because the 1981 Finals MVP voting came down to scoring where Cedric Maxwell beat out Bird by a couple points per game even though Bird had nearly 15 percent higher field goal shooting (Bird only shot 42 percent from the field that Finals). However, Bird dominated Maxwell in three other main facets of the game: rebounding (15.3 to 9.5), assists (7.0 to 2.8), and steals (2.3 to 0.2). So really you could argue either way, and ultimately it was Bird who led Boston to that point in ’81 anyway. So, right now it goes Bird ahead of James. LeBron edges out Wilt and Russell mainly because the other two were able to feast on a less fine-tuned and competitive NBA. Bill Russell’s monstrous numbers need to be placed in context of a high-paced game where those 60s Celtics were so far greater than the other teams that he was able to win 11 titles. The parity of today’s league makes that task an impossible feat. So while it’s mind-boggling to think someone like Russell won 11 titles, we can’t automatically place him and every other non-60s Celtic who won a host of rings ahead of LeBron. I mentioned it earlier and I’ll probably say it again, rings don’t directly correlate to greatness. LeBron’s offensive and defensive versatility outweigh Russell’s defensive prowess. Russell feasted on a weaker league. (Surprisingly, this logic could apply to Michael Jordan, as I discussed in an article on how we overrate Michael Jordan on HoopsVibe in light of a changing league in the late 80s and early 90s.) So at age 29, LeBron James is already one of the top-five greatest players in NBA history. Magic vs. Kareem and Wilt Chamberlain vs. Bill Russell Now time to differentiate between two teammates battling for the No. 2 and 3 spot on the GOAT list and two greats of the 1960s NBA battling for no.’s 6 and 7. Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar are always tough to place. Unlike the great duos since them (Jordan and Pippen, Kobe and Shaq, LeBron and Wade), Magic and Kareem were critical in nearly equal ways to the success of their Lakers. (In contrast, Shaq and LeBron dominated Kobe and Wade in MVPs and Finals MVPs and were clearly the better players. MJ and Scottie… no discussion to be had there). The Magic vs. Bird rivalry of the 1980s is what brought the NBA to where it is today. In fact, if you haven’t watched the HBO special, Magic & Bird: A Courtship of Rivals, I highly recommend it—it is probably the best sports documentary out there. One thing in there that I find notable is just how friendly the two were with each other. While you generally here retired players complaining of how friendly players like LeBron and Durant are with each other, these guys were really buddies. Yet somehow today's players are critiqued for befriending their rivals? I just don't get it. The game was and is great because of the dynamic between Magic and Larry. Nowhere in the rivalry was there really much talk of Kareem, which does go in Magic’s favor when comparing the two. Johnson’s leadership lifted those championship caliber teams, but you can’t neglect Kareem’s importance. Take the 1980 Finals for example: Magic averaged nearly a triple-double for the series (22, 11, and 9) but Kareem put up 33, 14, 3, and five blocks. Kareem was undoubtedly a more valuable defensive presence. The edge has to go to Kareem when you also look at that franchise player consistency. The NBA’s all-time leading scorer, famous for his sky-hook, scored more than 22 points per game in every season from age 22 as a Milwaukee rookie to age 38 as a Laker legend. At age 41, he still managed 10 points per game and started 74 games. You could even argue that Kareem peaked before he went to LA, where he averaged 35 and 17 on 57 percent shooting as a Buck in 1972. The man also averaged more than 40 minutes per game in each of his first seven years in the league. With consistency over an extended period of time being critical to ranking the greatest of all time, the no. 2 GOAT has to be Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Magic is no. 3. Now time to delve into the Wilt Chamberlain vs. Bill Russell debate. I must say that recent research did drop Wilt substantially in my ranking of him (I had him at No. 2 GOAT in my previous iteration of this ranking). For one, his blistering career scoring average of 30.1 points per game needs to be put into context. The pace in the 60s was much faster than today’s game. As /u/nevillebanks pointed out on reddit, his 1962 season (50 points per game!) is less impressive when adjusted for pace than both Jordan’s 37 PPG in 1987 and Kobe’s 35 in 2006. Chamberlain’s true shooting and effective field goal percentages were also the lowest compared to nine other greatest scoring seasons in NBA history. And so, Wilt falls to the discussion for No. 6 or No. 7 with Bill Russell, the NBA’s greatest champion. In terms of statistical greatness, Wilt wins by a country mile when compared to Russell (as you can see in the stat rankings at the conclusion of the article). Russell dominates in championship totals. Incredibly enough, the two have an extended 51-game history of head-to-head matchups…and the series is nearly .500 at 26-25, in favor of Bill. Bill Russell still managed more regular season MVPs than Wilt Chamberlain, which says something considering Wilt’s monstrous numbers. Separation between these two players really is illuminated in their desires, where Wilt cared about stats and Bill about championships. In the year that Wilt led the league in assists, he reportedly would yell at teammates for missing shots so he wouldn’t be credited with the assist. And while their regular season stats could arguably favor Wilt, in the playoffs there was no contest. Chamberlain admits that “people really started calling me a ‘loser’” after his first seven years in the league when he was 0-for-5 in series against Bill Russell. Another knock against Chamberlain was his 1965 interview with Sports Illustrated where he criticized, well…basically everyone. The great Wilt threw his teammates, coaches, and even NBA administrators under the bus in this interview, further damaging his public image. Superficially, you might argue the numbers Wilt put up give him the edge because he had a far superior offensive repertoire…something that I, at one time argued myself, as someone who never got to watch Wilt play. When you consider who you would want to build a championship organization around, the answer has to be Bill. This puts Russell at no. 6 and Wilt at no. 7 GOAT. At No. 8, Shaquille O’Neal fits perfectly. Like Wilt Chamberlain, Shaq dominated the league at his peak. The 7’ and 300-pound monster broke backboards and blocked shots like nobody’s business. He averaged 26 points, 12 rebounds, three assists, and three blocks per game for his first 14 years in the league. So despite his drop in production from years 15 to retirement, 14 years is easily long enough to say Shaq’s sustained greatness puts him in the discussion. Obviously, the tension between Kobe and Shaq ultimately hurt Shaq’s legacy more than Kobe’s because in the early 00s, Shaq was the better player. It would’ve been something like the Kareem and Magic debate, except Shaq and Kobe would be in the discussion as top-five instead of bottom-five greats. Ultimately, it came down to Shaq not wanting to take a paycut at age 32 and Kobe wanting to prove he could win without Shaq. So, he fits in right behind Bill (who had more greatness as measured by championships, defensive skillset, and effort) and Wilt (who had greater individual talent and a longer era of domination). With regards to the players below him, Shaq has some combination of more individual accolades, team success, and in all comparisons would be the guy you want to build your team around the most. Oh the irony of Shaquille O’Neal coming in, representing the Los Angeles Lakers, at No. 8. Kobe, Oscar Robertson, Duncan and Hakeem: four players, two spots You’ll likely see some variation on the 12 players I’ve mentioned in these 10 spots on most greatest NBA players of all time lists. The one who gets knocked off first for me is Oscar Robertson. The Big-O, out of these four, simply did not sustain greatness for as long. So while he is the only player in NBA history to average a triple-double for an entire season (1962), he did not have the numbers or accolades necessary to get him into my top-10. (Some of that could very well be attributed to the fact that two players on this list dominated Robertson's era.) As for the Kobe vs. Duncan debate, both players dominated an era of basketball, but Duncan was better able to affect the game on both sides of the floor. There were no trade demands, no drama, Duncan quietly has been the centerpiece of a successful organization for verging on two decades. I realize that Kobe Bryant is one of the most popular players in the NBA and many readers will ultimately disagree with my ranking of Kobe, but his stage in Los Angeles blew his greatness out of proportion. In the same way that I argue Michael Jordan is overrated (and yet still the greatest NBA player of all time), so too is Kobe Bryant. Nobody ever questions Kobe Bryant's work ethic or desire, but the blips in his career where he couldn’t succeed without help proved his mortality. The Black Mamba needed a solid core to succeed and is known for alienating those around him. Add on top of that Duncan’s greater total in Finals MVPs and regular season MVPs, and Duncan has to be deemed the greater player. Where does Hakeem Olajuwon fit into all of this? Initially, one might argue behind both Duncan and Kobe because of fewer championships. The hidden factor here is Michael Jordan. Jordan dominated the prime of Hakeem with two three-peats. As if that wasn’t enough, three of the other top four players in the league also held the throne in Hakeem’s prime (Abdul-Jabbar, Magic, and Larry Bird). But when he got his opportunity, unlike Karl Malone and John Stockton, he delivered back-to-back championships during Jordan’s first retirement. He proved he was a champion, just had the misfortune of playing in a time with greater champions. And with 17 of his 18 NBA seasons as a Houston Rocket, he was clearly the man you could build a franchise around. Famous for his Dream Shake and incredible post moves, Olajuwon had the best post moves ever from a true center. At 7’ tall, The Dream was unstoppable in his own right. Players like Kobe, Duncan, and Dwight Howard, seek his help today for gaining an edge in the post. You can question how greats like Russell and Chamberlain would fair in today’s game, there’s no doubt that Hakeem would succeed. Michael Jordan said, in a 2005 interview with Marvin Shanken that “if [he] had to pick a center [for an all-time best team, he] would take Olajuwon. That leaves out Shaq, Patrick Ewing. It leaves out Wilt Chamberlain. It leaves out a lot of people…people don’t realize he was in the top seven in steals…For all facets of the game, I have to give it to him.” While I don’t agree that Olajuwon beats out all of the greats that MJ mentioned, The Dream sneaks in ahead of Duncan and by nature of my Kobe vs. Duncan discussion, Kobe, too. Hakeem’s individual skill-set does put him high in the ranks of great individual players, but when assessing greatness, there are factors (like championship and MVP totals) that need consideration, too. And yes, Kobe Bryant is not one of the top-10 greatest NBA players of all time…he’s “only” the eleventh. 10. Tim Duncan Finals MVPs 9. Hakeem Olajuwon 8. Shaquille O’Neal 7. Wilt Chamberlain 6. Bill Russell 5. LeBron James 4. Larry Bird 3. Magic Johnson 2. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 1. Michael Jordan Follow @ElijahAbramson Labels: Bill Russell, greatest of all time, Hakeem Olajuwon, Kobe Bryant, Lakers, LeBron James, Los Angeles, Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, Shaquille O'Neal, Tim Duncan, Wilt Chamberlain Liam February 8, 2014 at 9:41 PM Everything is perfect except for 1 thing, I'd switch Bill Russell and LBJ, Bill's stats, finals wins, and the fact that if they counted blocks in his era he'd average about 10 a game. Bill revolutionized the game and the center position. Elijah February 8, 2014 at 9:58 PM Thanks, Liam! I can definitely see why you would do that but like I mentioned at this point I think they're close enough in everything besides championship titles that I'd give the edge to LeBron. How would you answer the question I briefly mentioned, although not specifically between LeBron and Russell: who would you rather build a franchise around? R.t. Thomas February 9, 2014 at 8:00 AM I agree with Liam. Russell was the ultimate glue guy, whose talents meshed with anybody. He won with scoring points and defensive points. He was the singular constant on a team that won more than anyone else. Winning 5 MVPs despite never being more than the 3rd offensive option at best shows just how spectacular a player he was. Also, I disagree with your premise that Russell was in a watered down league. There were fewer teams, but all of the teams were stacked compared to the teams today. Plus, it's not like Russell didn't have any competition at his position back then. Elijah February 9, 2014 at 11:45 AM That's exactly how I view LeBron - who was able to get to the Finals with a bunch of nobodies. So while I agree that glue guys are very important, I don't think that they can be valued as highly as someone as LeBron. I think of Russell kind of like I think of Ben Wallace. A great defensive center who was critical to championships but didn't have the same ability that LeBron has shown to lead his teams there offensively and defensively. And what makes you say that the teams were stacked? In the early days of the NBA, it wasn't as competitive because greater players didn't have to compete against the same huge pool of concentrated talent. Think of it like this, more teams = more chances for him to lose, too. Russell facing less teams and less players meant that he could beat up on them more regularly. Like I asked Liam, would you really rather build an organization around Bill than LeBron? Thanks! Appreciate that, Jorit. DTR February 9, 2014 at 3:36 PM Surprisingly, this was a very solid article. So I guess I'll start with some of the stuff I [shockingly] agree with. LeBron is probably #5 or #6 at this point (I may switch him with Russell), but he is absolutely a top 10 player. His stats are incredible, and even though he is still a pretty young guy, he has already played 10 full seasons (going on his 11th), which is as much as many of the top players of all time. He also has two championships and two finals MVPs. Admittedly, his stinker in the 2011 finals was pretty bad, but he has done enough since then to make up for it. Good to see Hakeem jump into the top 10... He was an all-around monster. I actually might even flip him with Shaq, just because he was a significantly better defender than Shaq. For his size, Shaq was never a dominant defender, and when you're looking at top 10 players, you want them to be successful at both ends. Now, in regard to my disagreement, you might guess that it is the absence of Kobe in the top 10. This really just relays back to my comments in your Duncan v Kobe article, and Duncan's recent NBA finals appearance hasn't done anything to change that for me. At the end of the day, Kobe has played 17 seasons, has won 5 championships (with 2 finals MVPs, which isn't very few at all), and has been dominant on the offensive and defensive end. Since 2005, he has played with one very solid big man (and Pau is not a hall of famer... his stats are comparable to somebody like Chris Bosh, Z.Bo, Lamarcus Aldridge...), a whiny center who has flamed out completely since leaving LA, and, for one season, with an all-star center coming off of back surgery. His teammates haven't been bad, but the idea that Kobe has played with a cast of all-stars his entire career isn't really true when you examine it closely. He has had 5 coaches in 8 years, actually, including two of the worst coaches in the NBA of the previous four years. Right now, the Lakers might be the most talentless team in the NBA. Ten years from now when people discuss Duncan's career, a word that will come up often is "consistency". This is true both of Timmy D's stats and of his surroundings. He has played his entire career with one coach, who is widely regarded as the greatest coach in the league not just for his tactics, but for the culture he creates. For the last 10 years, he has developed along with two borderline hall of famers (Parker & Ginobilli). These players have thrived because of Duncan, and Duncan has thrived because of them. This shouldn't necessarily be held against him, considering that he has been a big reason why the Spurs have been so consistently good. But his coach and teammates have a huge role in that as well, and that's something that gets lost in the shuffle. So, I would put Kobe 10th and Duncan 11th. Matt Donnelly February 9, 2014 at 7:13 PM Great Article as I said before I like the way it was set up traditionally. Where you actually compared the players almost like a preface and used it as a basis to set up your rankings. I would like to say that most of the time lists are subjective, opinionated but you have your general consensus out there. I think one of the biggest all time debates is Shaq vs Hakeem. Such different styles, and different type of dominance but such a great debate. On one hand Hakeem dominated Shaq just about every time they faced eachother. But anybody could bring up the fact that Shaq was at his peak (best of career) dominance with the early 2000 Lakers. The Shaq that Hakeem dominated was a much different player. It would be a great matchup to see peak Hakeem vs peak Shaq. As historically great of a defensive player I'm not sure he would be able to stop the sheer force of Shaq. Great offense beats great defense 9/10. I def thought Hakeem was the more all around skilled, or balance (defense + offense) but Shaq was the more sheer dominant. 30+/11+ is crazy. They are almost 1A and 1B. A little off subject as for the list! It's not far out of the question but I'd still have LBJ around 10th. Only thing holding him back IMO is an added longevity of peak. He's already a top 11 Lock and I'd say as high as 8th. But one more MVP or Ring/Finals MVP could propel him into a top 6 lock. Alls Lebron really has to do is just keep playing at 25/6/6 level and he will climb fast. On my list I have and in general i have Wilt + Bill Russell > Magic + Bird. This debate in and of itself. And it's always easiest to rank both side to side since they were in eachother respective ERA"s Thanks, Matt, and I'm assuming you mean the way it was set up non-traditionally? Or maybe you mean something different from what I think of as traditional with regards to GOAT ranking articles that usually just rank and talk about players. Either way, yeah, perhaps I will start a movement to change the way ranking articles are made! Haha. As for the Hakeem vs. Shaq thing, I think you're right on the money. I am perhaps a bit biased because Shaq was actually my first favorite player when he was on the Lakers in his heyday. My brother was an AI fan rooting for the Sixers and I was rooting for Shaq. His sheer dominance at that time was incredible and it wasn't the skillset that Hakeem possessed. However, I agree that they're both extremely close (as you can tell from my ranking). LeBron in my eyes has already broke top-5 because he's done a little bit of everything and a lot of some things (regular season MVPs). I initially wanted to put him ahead of Larry but settled for this. I don't doubt he will surpass Larry before he retires. If you look at the numbers, LeBrons career totals are already remarkably close to Magic and Larry. I believe he will pass them in games only in a couple years (2016). Anti Troll February 9, 2014 at 9:22 PM argument is built too transparent, too casual-fan like. you'd have to dive really deep into circumstancial comparisons. like, which of the player's listed above got closest to winning without A) a legit co star and B) the weakest supporting cast. the only 1 you mentioned that won without a legit co star was Hakeem, but even his roster was far better than Lebron's rosters from 06-10. If you understand context, it says that it isn't fair to compare Magic Bird Jordan Kareem Russel Duncan or even Shaq to what Hakeem and Lebron accomplished. They all had great , established coaches as well as a roster that. Also, Lebron's effect on games certainly makes even Jordan's stats look empty. For 1, MJ led the league in shots attempted for I think 9 or10 out of 13 seasons, so it's no wonder he won so many scoring titles. Lebron played in a slower league (18-25 less possessions per game) and NEVER led the league in fg's attempted, while leading the league in fg's made 4 times. also, MJ's #'s decreased when his team started winning, compare his 3rd season to any of his title seasons while Lebron's hadn't changed while he was in Cleveland and his team got better almost every season. And let's be real, MJ averaged 22+ shot attempts per game he was selfish where as Lebron is scrutinized for not shooting more often yet he's still an outstanding scorer. Like many GOAT discussions, people use hindsight combined with no care to research the history behind the stats. After MJ's 1st retirement, the Bulls lost 2 more games. When Bron went to Mia, the Cavs lost 40 more (i think) and had the longest losing streak in NBA history. no disrespect to mr thomas above, but his comment is clearly attempting to be politically correct rather than brutally honest. russel isn't comparable to Bron or any of the guys above, because in their primes there are very very few players you could even put on their teams that could've taken away finals mvp. russell was a dominant defender, but he makes dwight's post game look like olajuwon. he didn't even shoot 50% throughout his career, and that has always been the norm for bigs even in those days. Accomplishments wise, yes Lebron is in a good place on your list. But in terms of true basketball value, I could make a real case he's #1 and has been for a while. You've really gotta have an intrinsic look at basketball though, like which shots are more important/favorable for your team, the rules of MJ's era and the current rules. For instance, the general consensus is that the handchecking era rules made it tougher than todays rules. Complete bs. I'd rather get handchecked a million times before I played a great zone defense like the 08 celts, the spurs or even the Pacers in a playoff series. also, in the handchecking era each defender had to stay within a close distance of every single defender as long as they were in the half court, so even if shaq went to the 3 point line, someone had to go stay above the freethrow line. that equals automatic floor spreading, easy isolation situations if you simply tell 4 players to go to the 3 point line. In that era, imagine Lebron with a 1 on 1 with no center infront of the rim. also, if a defender decided to double, he had to commit to the double. so let's say wade, bosh, allen and beasley are on the 3 point line and paul george is defending lebron. Lebron can easily get past him if Hibbert comes to double, Bosh will be open at the 3 point line every single time. players could not shade between double teaming and their man in those days, or it was called illegal defense. Elijah February 9, 2014 at 10:03 PM I am a big LeBron fan myself. There aren't many articles nowadays with LeBron in the top-10, never mind top-5. A lot of that has to do with the hate that guys like MJ and Kobe have toward him (hatred, disrespect, whatever you want to call it). In true basketball value, I agree with you. A case could be made for LeBron at No. 1. For me, right now, I'd slate him at no. 2 behind MJ. But it's a toss-up for me. If you were to ask the plain and simple question, who would you most prefer to build a franchise around, my answer is either LeBron or MJ. The argument is built in a way unlike any other GOAT article I have ever read. I delved into it deeply enough to where it was an extensive article but my goal was also to retain the attention of the reader. Bill Simmons wrote a great Book of Basketball, but that's just it. He wrote a book. My goal with this article was to write a column that mentioned everything in enough depth to get a grasp of why I ranked who I did where I did and no more. Conciseness was critical - and the piece still managed to be 3000 words. Circumstantial comparisons, you ask for? I did exactly that. Go back to the part where I referenced why Wilt Chamberlain took a hit in my ranking compared to my previous iteration and you'll see some in-depth analysis I dug up in my research. (In reference to his 50 PPG season) I don't think I've ever said this before, because I am a LeBron fan myself, but you might be pulling off a bit too much in the LeBron homerism department. He's a beast, but in terms of sheer greatness, he needs some more time to climb up further. Oh and let's put that "further" in context. I already ranked him the fifth greatest player the game has ever seen. Surprisingly?? -____- C'mon man. Haha. Crazy to see you think so much of LeBron, I feel you've probably changed your tune quite a bit since the days of my first Kobe vs LeBron comparison. I might need to wake up tomorrow and re-read this because you just said LeBron James is a greater player than Kobe Bryant (No. 5-6 vs. No. 10). As for the Shaq vs. Hakeem debate, it's a tough one. I just see Shaq's championship resume as marginally outweighing Hakeem in terms of greatness. And just take a look at Shaq's field goal percentage! I know the guy was shooting 2ft from the basket but to average 20+ PPG and 58% from the field (!!) for a career?? That's absurd. So in terms of greatness, I'd give the slightest of edges to Shaq. If I were to draft a player to start an organization around, it'd be an absolute toss-up. Give me either, and I can build a champion...as long as MJ isn't in the league. As for the Kobe vs. Duncan I still stand firm in my position and I believe that there are some issues with the points you bring up: 1) 2 finals MVPs, which isn't very few. True, but Duncan has more. You also forgot to mention that Duncan has more MVPs than Kobe, something that speaks volumes considering the two were in the league at the same time AND in the same conference. Also, Kobe has fewer scoring titles than guys like Allen Iverson and Kevin Durant (if memory serves me right) even though he's known as a scorer. 2) Dominance defensively... come on man. We're talking about a guy, Kobe, whose own coach (a Hall of Famer who you forgot to mention coached Kobe as well) said his defense was overrated by the media. I went into that more in an earlier Kobe vs. someone comparison. And not only that but we're comparing Kobe's defense to Tim Duncan's defense!! Per Basketball-Reference, Duncan had the most defensive win shares of any player in the NBA four times - 1998 (his rookie year!!), 1999, 2001, 2006, and 2007. He also led the league in defensive rating in three consecutive years (05-07) and again just last year (2013)! You already know how many times Kobe has lead the league in DWS and DRtg (zero). I also placed some emphasis in this ranking of measuring a player's value to his team in terms of chemistry (see explanation for why Wilt fell a ton in my ranking). Kobe and Shaq was only the beginning of chemistry issues he caused. There is no question that I would rather build around a guy like Duncan than Kobe. One other thing: you mentioned Kobe had 5 coaches in 8 years. Don't you think there could be a connection there to Kobe (again with the chemistry)? By no means am I saying Mike Brown is a competent coach, but he did coach the 07 Cavs to the Finals. And like you said yourself, another key is consistency. Duncan had it, Kobe did...but not as much. I discussed it in the KG vs Duncan article but "coulda woulda shoulda" only gets you so far (sorry KG). In terms of greatness, it has to be Duncan over Kobe. Matt Donnelly February 10, 2014 at 8:52 AM I kind of get what "Anti Troll" is getting at however I disagree quite a bit with his stance. You stated that the only reason he lead the league in scoring 9/13 seasons so it's no wonder he lead the league so many times? But also forgot to mention #1. When he got drafted by the Chicago Bulls #3, they had to be in rebuilding mode meaning he didn't have too many great teammates so it was clear the Chicago Bulls needed a scorer regardless of how many shots it took. Also failing to mention that sure he lead the league just about ever year but when your shooting on about 50% the shots he was taking were always worthy of being taken. He wasn't just shooting for the hell of it, he is historically one of the most efficient wings ever, and I'd go as far as to say the most efficient combined with the most volume. There isn't one player who even came close to that type of volume let alone with the type of efficiency. And lastly on MJ his stats did diminish as his teams got better but why wouldn't they? If you have a better team more capable players your Usage % is automatically going to go down with added supporting cast. As for Lebron James he's one of my favorite players but we can't ignore what he did in the 2011 Finals, The entire team was the same all year long and Lebron James did not show up for that finals. That finals def puts a chink in his armor as far as legacy goes. Failing to realize this is complete and utter homerism R.t. Thomas February 10, 2014 at 8:55 PM PC? Not hardly. Sadly, your response is typical. People are dismissive of players that came before. You're doing it with Bill. People do it with Kareem, Bird, and Magic. Some are doing it today with MJ. I can argue stats and the like for days on this with anybody, but I'll keep it brief. Russell is THE prototype for the modern athletic center. At 6'10", with Olympic level hops and speed, he could (and often did) start the break with a block, run the floor, and finish at the hoop. As an individual player, Russell AVERAGED over 22 rebounds per game. He is acknowledged by most to be the greatest defensive player in the history of the game. There is more to hoops than scoring, right? Also, he finished in the top 10 in the league in assists FOUR times (As a point of emphasis, Jordan only did this once). He added 15 ppg to go along with this superior passing, rebounding, and defense. Now, if you told me you could get team-first, defensive minded, awesome rebounding (Only Wilt and Rodman are in this tier with him) guy that you didn't have to run your offense through for him to score 15 a game, are you going to turn that down? I'd argue I'd find scorers far easier than I'd find someone with Russell's game. But don't take my word for it. A guy that knows a thing or two about titles and coaching all time greats agrees with me. http://nba.si.com/2013/05/23/phil-jackson-michael-jordan-bill-russell-comparison-bulls-celtics-lakers-first-pick-start-franchise/ Great call on TD over Kobe. Dexter Sulit February 10, 2014 at 11:52 PM But you didn't factor this in... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OZQ0XYOD_Yg Elijah February 11, 2014 at 12:34 AM HAHA! This right here is why Shaq was my first favorite player. The dude was a beast on the course and an absolute stand up comedian off the court. And not sure why but for some reason I prefer the old SC layout to the new one. #oldschool I haven't really seen anyone do it with MJ to be honest but definitely agree with regards to some of the old timers. As for Bill Russell, I don't really see how he is the model for current centers 1) because there really is a disappearance of the true center (see Chris Bosh in Miami and Tim Duncan in San Antonio who was a PF coming into the league) and 2) his numbers are all out of whack. i cited some research done where someone converted Wilt's 50 PPG game to today's scoring numbers and it was less impressive than seasons that Kobe and MJ had when they scored sub-40 per game. By this logic, Russell's 15 PPG are particularly unimpressive. This isn't to take anything away from Russell, but I feel he would be FAR less dominant in today's game. Perhaps a better version of Ben Wallace. And in today's game, I would see that building around a well above average center is something more favorable to do than a guard. I say this because like you mentioned there are many more scorers in today's league which gives a GM the opportunity to add a scorer and some role players if they have the rare gem of a good big man. So in the end you can build a more complete squad if you can build around someone like, say, Anthony Davis. R.t. Thomas February 11, 2014 at 6:26 AM We can agree to disagree. Russell has the distinct disadvantage of not being great at the numbers everyone sees, which is scoring and shooting. Still, when polled in 1980, the Pro Basketball Writers' Association of America named him "the Greatest Player in the History of the NBA," better than Wilt Chamberlain, Elgin Baylor, Oscar Robertson, or Bob Cousy. When Wilt had his 50 ppg year, Russell won the MVP. I think its important to bring up that back then the players voted for the award. I actually respect that you recognized that a guy with that many accolades without gaudy offensive numbers in your top 10. I do feel that you, and others, discount defense, blocks, and rebounding far too much. Russell's Celtics invented the modern fastbreak and small ball game. It played to his strengths as a rebounder and outlet passer. I'd contend he'd do better in today's game specifically because of the lack of Centers today. Your right about the Davis thing. We know it works, because the Celtics proved that building around a defense first Center won big. Elijah February 11, 2014 at 7:53 PM Fair enough. It seems like we agree on the majority of things which is pretty good as it is. I definitely did not expect as much agreement with my rankings as I have seen so far but perhaps it has to do with the style of article which I haven't really seen for a GOAT article. Out of curiosity, what would be your ranking, R.T.? I think you got the right guys, but my order would be slightly different: 1. Jabbar 2. Jordan 3. Magic 4. Bird 5. Russell 6. LeBron 7. Wilt 8. Duncan 9. Shaq 10. Hakeem (For Comparison Sake) 11. Moses Malone 13. Kobe I'm old school in my thinking, and believe a solid big should anchor your team. Historically, that has always been the case, with only a few exceptions. If you factor in degree of difficulty, Jordan could drop to 4th place. But, I couldn't in good conscience do that. I disagree with Jordan at #1 for several reasons. He never beat the Celtics with Bird on the team. Even when he was entering his prime in '88 (MVP, DPoY) he couldn't beat the Pistons until they got old. Plus, he only beat one team out of 6 with a Championship Pedigree, and LA was also old and without Jabbar. Jabbar won a title with an expansion team in his second year. I contend that the teams in the 80's had it far, far tougher than MJ's 90's Bulls. In the 80's, there were 4 teams with Championship Pedigrees that had to beat each other for the ring. Especially in the East. Individually, Bird and Magic had to beat each other, Dr. J, and Moses Malone, to win their MVPs. Jordan's main rivals were Barkley and Karl, who while excellent players weren't of the same pedigree as those other guys. That's not a dig, though. We're splitting hairs here. IMO, if you built your team around any of the guys on this list, you'd be happy and would win multiple titles. He will pass Bird's totals, as Bird only played for 12 seasons, and the last 4 were worse when his back was bad. Still, Peak Bird is as good a player as has ever played the game. Peak Bird takes a back seat, offensively and defensively (yes, DEFENSIVELY) to nobody. At his best (3x MVP, 2x FMVP) his numbers were 27/10/7/2/1 on 51/40/90 splits. He played in a more competitive era (as far as teams, stars and opposing SFs), with a lower usage rate than most superstars. One could also argue that if he wasn't injured in the 85 playoff, he would've probably take another ring and FMVP. Even with the 4 "bad" years, he's the only 20/10/5 guy in NBA history. Offensively, NOBODY had his all around game. Nobody. Also, Larry is so underrated when it comes to D. If he played in this era where people go crazy over advanced stats, he would be praised like crazy. The Celtics were one of the worst defensive teams in the league before he was there, year he arrived, with essentially the same team, they become one of the best. Bird led the league in DWS 4 times (first time was his rookie year - Pre McHale and Parrish), was Top5 7 times, #2 in DRtg in '84, was Top6 6 times. LeBron hasn't touched those metrics. Bird was: A better shooter from pretty much everywhere Had a better post game Was a better rebounder Was an even better passer (wasn't as ball dominant, and still averaged 6 a game) Had a better off-ball offensive game Played better post and help D Was a better leader Had a tougher mentality Was definitely more clutch Possessed a higher basketball IQ LeBron is more athletic and a better on ball defender, but really that's it. totallyserious February 12, 2014 at 9:34 AM I like that you put Jordan at the top without really much of discussion, but I think this needs to be brought up. In my opinion, a player should be judged by what they do for their TEAMMATES, not for themselves. Where a transcendant player differentiates from a good player is his ability to find open teammates for shots, not take hero shots himself. As God says, "do onto others, not onto yourself". MJ averaged 5 assists a game for his career, and less than that later in his career, while firing away and firing away at the hoop. You see his big dunks and fade-away Js, but you don't see the many of those that he missed, while an open teammate of his couldve had a much higher-percentage shot. That is why Rondo, not CP3, is the best point guard in the league. His ability to find open teammates, especially considering how bad his teammates are, is second to nobody. Why isn't John Stockton on this list? He had over 15,000 assists!!! That means that his teammates scored at least 30,000 points directly because of his willingness to PASS them the ball and give them an open shot. Karl Malone gets the hype, but he got all of his points courtesy of Stockton. It's a bit upsetting that only ONE of top-10 all-time in assists is on your top-10 list (Magic). To have somebody like Jordan or Kobe, who just chucked and chucked and chucked, ahead of guys like Stockton or Jason Kidd is just laughable. This is where I have the most respect for players like LeBron, Magic, Bird... These guys could score just like Jordan/Kobe if they wanted to (I mean just LOOK at LeBron!!!), but they take the time to find their teammates instead. These guys are true CHAMPIONS, and have 10 rings between them. I think that just like how Monta Ellis and Allen Iverson have been dismissed by the new analytics era as high-volume chuckers who don't help their team, the same will happen soon to players like Jordan, Kobe, Shaq, Kareem, and others. Elijah February 12, 2014 at 9:57 AM I'll be honest, at first when I saw you put Kareem at No. 1 I thought you were absolutely crazy. But reading your reasoning, I can see the argument for him. MJ played 1000 games while Kareem was at 1500. That's a HUUUGE difference. Degree of difficulty should definitely factor into this discussion - and I did mention it when talking about Hakeem who had the misfortune of playing in the same era as MJ. I'm going to have to do some more research on Kareem's era and MJ's era for a 2015 greatest of all time article because you might be on to something. It really comes down to how you define greatness, and I think MJ often gets the nod simply because of what he did for the game. But as I'm sure you would argue (and I agree as per watching the Magic & Bird documentary), those two did more getting the league out of the cellar than Michael did. Michael has just reaped the profits (literally) of that fact a lot more than Magic and Larry. As you can probably tell from a lot of columns I've written here on Bases and Baskets, I completely agree with the premise that a great player makes those around them better. Like you said, MJ and Kobe fail miserably in this category. Wilt probably does too. On that note, here's a metric that I created that looks to measure the difference between a point guard's mentality (ie are they pass-first or a scoring PG?): http://www.basesandbaskets.com/2012/12/traditional-vs-scoring-point-guards.html I haven't done any follow-up analysis but that original piece you can see the pass-first generally do better for their team. As for John Stockton...there's no way he's on this list. This is a discussion of greatness and there is no argument to be had that a top-10 GOAT can have no rings. None. Also, keep in mind, I didn't have Kobe in my top-10. As for calling Michael Jordan a chucker... he was a career 50% from the field, that is most certainly not a chucker. Shaq a high-volume chucker? The dude shot nearly 60% from the field in his career. Kareem? Similar things. You have a good initial point, but you made it too extreme to the point where makes no sense. I completely agree. I really wish there was another guy like Larry Bird in the league today but I can settle for a superstar who idolizes him (Kevin Durant). The tenacity with which Bird played the game with was great and he was also one of the greatest trashtalkers. One quote I just found that I love is when he was at the 3pt contest: "“I want all of you to know I am winning this thing. I’m just looking around to see who’s gonna finish up second." And this from Dennis Rodman has been my absolute favorite: “I would be all over him, trying to deny him the ball, and all Larry was doing was yelling at his teammates, "I’m open! Hurry up before they notice nobody is guarding me!" then he would stick an elbow in my jaw and stick the jumper in my face, then he would start in on my coach "Coach you better get this guy out and send in somebody who’s going to D me up, because its too easy when I’m wide open like this." " totallyserious February 12, 2014 at 11:05 AM The field goal percentag doesn't matter as much as assists do, because an open shot has a FG% of 80%+. I'm sure that many of the times that Shaq was in the deep post trying to dunk and getting double teamed, there was a wide open teammate on the wing ready to nail a 3-pointer. So, Shaq should've PASSED. Judging by his career 2.5 apg, he barely ever did. I read in one of your artikles that rings are the legacy of a TEAM. Is it Stockton's fault that his team was bad and that he lost in the finals to a high-volume overrated chucker? NO! And Jason Kidd does have a ring... where is he on your list? As I said, the analytics era (esp Hollinger, Goldsberry, etc) have already proven that great passers are worth 10x more to their teams than chuckers like Ellis, JR, Iverson, Kobe, Carter, etc. Soon enough they'll prove that Stockton is the best player ever. I'm beginning to question your username. 80%+ ... where did you pull that number out of? Any shot in the deep post is worth more than an open three. Kirk Goldsberry, who works with Harvard and Grantland, wrote about this a bit in his latest article there discussing a new stat. I'm not gonna lie I'm laughing think Shaq should've passed when he was deep in the paint. To who...Rick Fox or Derek Fisher for three? And 2.5 APG is actually not too bad. Can you name a single center with more than 5 assists per game? As for Stockton and Kidd, no, rings are the legacy of a team as I said. However, as I mentioned in a comment in response to DTR on this article, ring total does impact greatness. That's just the way the game is built. We're not talking about necessarily the BEST players but rather the GREATEST. (Note: there is considerable overlap between the two concepts.) Also, I'd like to see some sources on great passers being worth 10x as much as chuckers. Stockton, Kidd, Nash, Mark Jackson. Three of the greatest passers of all time. Take a guess how many rings they combine to have. What does this prove? Passers are often great complementary players but not necessarily "great." They need players to hit shots and as such passing only gets you so far. How many rings does CP3 have or even Finals appearances for that matter? Answer: none. totallyserious February 12, 2014 at 8:08 PM Cp3 shoots too much... I've seen CP3 take shots when he has an open teammate. And come on, these are NBA players. Stephen Curry hits like 90% on open 3s LOL you're comparing Steph Curry to the average NBA player?? Man, as a Warriors fan I find that particularly insulting. That guy is one of the best shooters this game has seen. Last time I checked, none of the guys you mentioned had teammates like that. Geoffrey Martin February 14, 2014 at 2:10 PM I think it's important to note there's a difference between the best player (ability) and the best career (accomplishments). I like this assessment very much, but I believe you made a gross mistake in saying Lebron's leadership is "exactly what you want to build around." Was this true when he quit on his team 2 years in a row in Cleveland? James is def climbing the ladder, but his leadership is still evolving from being very questionable just a few yrs ago. I also think that Wilt should be much higher. The notion that he and Russ dominated a weak league can certainly be said of both Shaq, Duncan and Kobe as well. Here's my Top 10 best players: 7. Hakeem 1. Michael And for those of you who believe that Kareem's sky-hook was unstoppable, just go to the archives and watch an old, post knee surgery Chamberlain swat it away. That guy was scary good, albeit his ego kept him from achieving even more. Great comment, Geoffrey, and you bring up a point that I talked about in responding to another reader's thoughts on this debate. I do continue to make the distinction between "greatest" and "best" players because there is a difference. Kobe is "great" with all of his rings but I don't think he fairs well in terms of the "best" players of all time. LeBron James did not quit on his teams two years in a row, not sure what you're referring to there. I am glad you didn't mention him leaving Cleveland for Miami. It's laughable that people (namely MJ and Kobe fans) discuss LeBron leaving as a sign that he isn't great. The fact of the matter is that MJ and Kobe already had talent in Chicago and Los Angeles. Cleveland is, well... Cleveland. Anyway that's a bit off topic but only mildly so. I gave a lot of reasons why Wilt is not as high as you ranked him here. I also am particularly confident in this ranking because he is a perfect example of one of the "best" players not being that "great" in the sense that his faults in terms of lack of championship desire, desire to boost stats, and other things I discussed in my segment on him hurdle him down the ladder (although still in the top-10 with room to spare). You mentioned that Shaq, Duncan, and Kobe played in weaker leagues and that is not true. I cited a piece that compared the best scoring seasons of Kobe's (35ppg) and Wilt's (50ppg) and you could clearly see that Kobe's is more impressive when adjusted for pace. Obviously, I'm not saying Kobe is greater because he was essentially an elite scorer, but when you look at the league back then compared to how it is now, you really need to keep that in mind. As for Wilt, there's no doubt that guy was a freak of nature. He and LeBron both have to be no. 1 and no. 2 in terms of craziest athletic ability on the basketball court (and in general). DAN February 24, 2014 at 1:53 AM Wilt.prior to LA, had the weakest support,and that is why he was the greatest. Wilt and Thurmond had better stats than Russell.Put either one w/Bostons 7 other guys scoring dbl figures and Boston still wins w/o Russell Bee Ballin May 29, 2014 at 8:23 PM on every list Shaq is over kobe why is tht? Elijah May 30, 2014 at 2:09 PM Kobe and Shaq won 3 rings together and Shaq won an MVP during one of those years (00) and also won the Finals MVP for all three of those championships. This is the main reason, among others. whatever June 17, 2014 at 4:05 PM 1) Jordan 2) Lebron (Only player to play at Jordan's level. Win shares, stats, whatever) 3) Kareem (Milwaukee years were some of the most dominant ever, and won a ring without any help. Robertson was pretty done at that point) 4) Magic 5) Bird 6) Duncan (Defense is more important than offense for a center/pf, so over Shaq) 7) Shaq 8) Hakeem (Carried the Rockets, pretty much same talent level as Duncan but two rings is hard to back) 9) Wilt 10) Russell (Even though he's not a top-10 player, most rings equal top 10 status) 11) Kobe, highly overrated, but still great NBA Trade Scenarios: OKC should trade Russell West... Oklahoma City Thunder Outlook: Will Durant manage ... Post-game recap: Warriors defeat Jazz, 95-90	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line547
__label__wiki	0.7028	0.7028	Anna Wahrman Checking in on Facebook Instant Articles April 12, 2016 April 12, 2016 anna Leave a comment Fortune media hound Mathew Ingram noted in May 2015, when Facebook’s Instant Articles format launched, that Big Blue saw it as “as a mutual exchange of goods, driven by the company’s desire to help publishers make their articles look as good as possible and reach more readers.” He went on to say: But whenever you have an entity with the size and power of Facebook, even the simplest of arrangements becomes fraught with peril, and this is no exception. Why? Because a single player holds all of the cards in this particular game. Around that time, Gawker’s Nick Denton, since brought low by a multimillion-dollar lawsuit loss you may have seen coverage about, went so far as to call the Facebook-publisher relationship not a distribution partnership but “abject surrender”: So many media organizations are just playing to Facebook. They’re just catering to the preferences…expressed in some algorithm that nobody understands. It’s almost like we’re leaving offerings for some unpredictable machine god that may or may not bless us. Almost a year after its launch, and a year’s worth of tweaks to the Instant Articles product, we have a more complete picture of the pros and cons. Massive distribution open to many publishers Following its closed launch with a limited amount of “partners,” including the New York Times and National Geographic, Facebook has opened the program to publishers big and small, in the U.S. and around the world, “giving every news organization the capability to publish their content on the social network,” according to Poynter. WordPress plug-ins make it easier After a rocky launch that required programmers to reformat every article especially for Facebook, the company was able to scale it to most new organizations through a WordPress plugin the company created, “essentially greasing the skids for mass adoption of the program among news organizations.” Per Poynter: The plugin is being built in partnership with Automattic, the parent company of WordPress.com, and helps translate news stories to Facebook’s Instant Articles format. This removes a significant hurdle for news organizations. New potential revenue streams It’s no secret that magazines are continuing to fold and even digital-native sites can’t make the numbers work. We’ve also seen the rise of ad blockers and native/sponsored/branded content. Are content partnerships like these the answer, or at least an answer? Only certain companies are seeing real benefits BuzzFeed and Vox, to name two, are on board with the new format. Vox even hired media heavy hitter Choire Sicha to oversee its distributed partnerships (Facebook, Snapchat, Apple News and others, presumably). Per the WSJ, “Vox Media has long counted its own content platform as a key to its success. But now it says the future lies in platforms run by others, so it’s bringing in a digital media stalwart to help strengthen those ties.” But others have yet to make hay from Facebook’s sunshine. As Fortune notes: The media industry is in a “get big or go home” phase. BuzzFeed and Vox are big, so they can play in Facebook’s Instant Articles world better than the smaller guys can. It’s difficult (and costly) to track the audience As AdAge reports, publishers have to pay more to track their audiences on distributed platforms. Yes, they get bigger distribution (theoretically, anyway), but ComScore apparently charges “$15,000, per platform, per year, to add tracking capabilities.” And six months post-launch, Apple News still doesn’t even have ComScore integration. This puts publishers in a tough position: In order to help their bottom lines, they want to reach the audience wherever the audience is, but doing so costs money they don’t have. It’s not clear that publishers make money Following on the point above, in the distributed content ad model, if you don’t know how much audience you have, you also don’t know how much revenue you stand to make. At this point, publishers are still crossing their fingers that this translates to revenue. Jobs continue to be cut but not added back Publishers are “re-allocating resources to build teams that produce content for specific social platforms,” per AdAge, but they’re cutting far, far more than they’re adding. Journalism is going through the kind of massive…transition, disruption, sea change, slaughter, whatever you want to call it, that is epic in scale. There are too many outlets that have closed up shop or gone through major layoffs to name. It’s especially chilling when digital-only publications like Mashable, IBT and Slant (just in the past couple of weeks) can’t even make the numbers work. Distributed content alone isn’t going to save publishers. Maybe a combination of distribution, ads that escape blockers, native/sponsored content and cutting more staff will help. Also? Prayer. Honestly, prayer seems to be publishers’ main strategy at the moment: Please, Facebook and Google, don’t change your algorithms. Please, Snapchat and Apple News. Please, BuzzFeed and Vice. Please, someone figure this out for us. God bless us, every one. New Year’s media quote roundup January 7, 2013 Anna Wahrman Leave a comment The Mayans were wrong, the holiday season has ended, New Year’s has come and gone, and we’re all settling in to 2013. It may be a new year, but it’s the same old problems for the future of journalism…or is it? Below, five of the most interesting nuggets I read this week about the state of print media, advertising and marketing. Andrew Sullivan, late of the Daily Beast, announced in a post called “New Year, New Dish, New Media” that he’s taking his site to the people. He’s leaving the advertiser-based media world entirely, as well as the venture-backed one: We want to help build a new media environment that is not solely about advertising or profit above everything, but that is dedicated first to content and quality. We want to create a place where readers — and readers alone — sustain the site. No bigger media companies will be subsidizing us; no venture capital will be sought to cushion our transition (unless my savings count as venture capital); and, most critically, no advertising will be getting in the way…. Hence the purest, simplest model for online journalism: you, us, and a meter. Period. No corporate ownership, no advertising demands, no pressure for pageviews. From an essay in yesterday’s NYT magazine called “Can Social Media Sell Soap?” by Stephen Baker on the value, or perceived value, of data- and social media-based marketing and advertising on social media today compared to the so-called heyday of advertising that’s depicted on Mad Men. In the “Mad Men” depiction of an advertising firm in the ’60s, the big stars don’t sweat the numbers. They’re gut followers. Don Draper pours himself a finger or two of rye and flops on a couch in his corner office. He thinks…. Fellow humanists dominate Don Draper’s rarefied world, while the numbers people, two or three of them crammed into dingier offices, pore over Nielsen reports and audience profiles. In the last decade however, those numbers people have rocketed to the top. They build and operate the search engines. They’re flexing their quantitative muscles at agencies and starting new ones. And the rise of social networks, which stream a global gabfest into their servers, catapults these quants ever higher. Their most powerful pitches aren’t ideas but rather algorithms. This sends many of today’s Don Drapers into early retirement. While the rise of search battered the humanists, it also laid a trap that the quants are falling into now. It led to the belief that with enough data, all of advertising could turn into quantifiable science. This came with a punishing downside. It banished faith from the advertising equation. For generations, Mad Men had thrived on widespread trust that their jingles and slogans altered consumers’ behavior. Thankfully for them, there was little data to prove them wrong. But in an industry run remorselessly by numbers, the expectations have flipped. Advertising companies now face pressure to deliver statistical evidence of their success. When they come up short, offering anecdotes in place of numbers, the markets punish them. Faith has given way to doubt. This leads to exasperation, because in a server farm packed with social data, it’s hard to know what to count. What’s the value of a Facebook “like” or a Twitter follower? What do you measure to find out? From a news item today titled “Two Custom-Publishing Powerhouses Join Forces,” by Stuart Elliott: “We see a real shift going on from traditional advertising to a content-driven strategy,” Dan Kortick, managing partner at Wicks, said in a phone interview on Friday. “It’s more about engagement than exposure,” Mr. Kortick said, as content marketing offers “real engagement with your customer base.” Derek Thompson of The Atlantic weighs in on why web advertising sucks and which of the models described in the quotes above will work going forward (spoiler alert: it’s probably a combination of both, depending on the scale and the goal). It’s commonly understood that Web advertising stinks, quarantined as it is in miserable banners and squares around article pages. BuzzFeed’s approach is different: It designs ads for companies that aim to be as funny and sharable as their other stories. Jonah Peretti, the CEO of BuzzFeed, told the Guardian’s Heidi Moore that he attributed nearly all the company’s revenues to this sort of “social” advertising. “We work with brands to help them speak the language of the web,” Peretti said. “I think there’s an opportunity to create a golden age of advertising, like another Mad Men age of advertising, where people are really creative and take it seriously.” The online reaction to the Dish [striking out on its own, without advertising] and BuzzFeed [getting $20 million in funding] seems to be that what Andrew’s doing is sort of quaint and old-fashioned and what BuzzFeed is doing is weird and revolutionary. The opposite is true. Funding a journalistic enterprise without advertising is weird and revolutionary and experimenting with ads that are suitable to their medium is a clear echo of history. Just as the first radio ads were essentially newspaper ads read aloud, and the first television ads were little more than radio spots over static images, many on the Web are fighting the last war rather than building ads that work for the Internet, journalism history professor Michael Schudson explained to me. Banners and pop-up ads are so awful they practically sulk in their acknowledged awfulness, fully aware that they are interruptions rather than attempts to compete with editorial content for the readers’ attention. BuzzFeed (and other companies experimenting with designing advertising for their advertisers) gets that and tries to fix it. Just as TV ads are successful precisely because they try to be as evocative, funny, arresting, and memorable as actual TV, there’s no reason why advertising content shouldn’t aim to be as informative or delightful as an original online piece. Even as Sullivan’s Dish is pushing the boundaries of subscriptions, testing how much a dedicated audience is willing to pay for online journalism that is supposedly free, BuzzFeed is pushing the boundaries of advertorial — advertising content like looks like editorial content — testing how far each side of their two-sided market (readers and companies) is willing to go. The future of paid journalism — if we can even try to guess at it — will probably be a blend of the two strategies celebrated this week: Ads that are less useless and ignorable, and readers who are asked to show a little more love than they’re used to. Finally, let’s wrap up with yet another pollyanna-ish piece from David Carr, titled “Old Media’s Stalwarts Persevered in 2012.” He has postulated that “old media,” by which he means broadcast networks, are “raining green” because they’ve learned from happened to music and print. The worries about insurgent threats [to broadcasters] from tech-oriented players like Netflix, Amazon and Apple turned out to be overstated. Those digital enterprises were supposed to be trouncing media companies; not only is that not happening, but they are writing checks to buy content…. “As it turns out, the traditional television business is far stickier than people thought, and audience behavior is not changing as rapidly as people thought it might,” said Richard Greenfield, an analyst at BTIG Research. Perhaps the numbers support this for now — this quarter, this year — but I think that’s a temporary glitch of the awful economy, not a harbinger of the future. As Carr reports, these giant corporations, instead of spending money, paid out dividends and financed stock buybacks. So sure, the numbers are up…but stuffing your savings under the mattress is not a long-term strategy. And its certainly not one that will not work for all “old media,” which Carr eventually acknowledges: Another thing about those dinosaurs is that they aren’t really old media in the sense of, um, newspapers. When their content is digitized, it is generally monetized, not aggregated. I’ll ignore the irony of having aggregated the thoughts above. And I won’t even comment on five white guys having written them in the first place, and the stories themselves being about other white guys, and what these facts say about the future (or is it past?) of media and advertising. Happy 2013. Google, news December 26, 2012 Anna Wahrman Leave a comment A sobering statistic that sheds light on the destruction of newspapers and magazines in the past half-decade. In 2006, Google made $60 billion less than U.S. newspapers and magazines. Now it makes more ad money than all of U.S. print media combined. via Yes, you read that right: Google’s $20 billion in ad revenue was better than every magazine and newspaper put together in 2012. Staggering. Junk at scale vs. quality in proportion October 12, 2012 Anna Wahrman Leave a comment SF Weekly recently published an in-depth look at the Bleacher Report, a sports-centric site whose content is populated almost entirely by its readers. As the article notes, it “[tapped] the oceanic labor pool of thousands of unpaid sports fanatics typing on thousands of keyboards.” The site is user-generated content taken to its logical extreme, for good and bad. The good being the scale of coverage; the bad, the poorly written content. But now it’s gone pro, hired real writers and editors, and been polished up — and the “lowest-common-denominator crap,” editor King Kaufman says, has been gussied up. The site is now owned by Turner Broadcasting, which snapped it up this summer for a couple hundred mil. Not bad for a site that was built on the backs on unpaid superfans. I’m not interested in the Bleacher Report per se, but I am interested in the idea that nowadays, crap at scale matters less than quality in proportion, because it’s part of a larger trend sparked by disparate forces in the evolution of the Internet. They’ve come together to wipe away a short-lived business model that called for garbage content that ranked well in search but left the user unfulfilled. This model’s most prominent proponent was Demand Media (and its sites, among which are eHow and Livestrong), but certainly the Bleacher Report qualifies too. The article does a good job explaining how Bleacher Report (and Demand) initially found so much success — basically, by cheating search engines: Reverse-engineering content to fit a pre-written headline is a Bleacher Report staple. Methodically crafting a data-driven, SEO-friendly headline and then filling in whatever words justify it has been a smashing success. The piece also touches on the larger context of the shift from what it calls “legacy media” to the current landscape: After denigrating and downplaying the influence of the Internet for decades, many legacy media outlets now find themselves outmaneuvered by defter and web-savvier entities like Bleacher Report, a young company engineered to conquer the Internet. In the days of yore, professional media outlets enjoyed a monopoly on information. Trained editors and writers served as gatekeepers deciding what stories people would read, and the system thrived on massive influxes of advertising dollars. That era has gone, and the Internet has flipped the script. In one sense, readers have never had it so good — the glut of material on the web translates into more access to great writing than any prior era. The trick is sifting through the crap to find it. Most mainstream media outlets are unable or unwilling to compete with a site like Bleacher Report, which floods the web with inexpensive user-generated content. They continue to wither while Bleacher Report amasses readers and advertisers alike. But that being the case, we’re now entering a brand-new era, one that will attempt to combine the scale and optimization of the new guys with the polish of the old. And we’re seeing the end of the SEO-engineered-dreck model for three reasons: 1. The rise of social media as currency 2. Google’s Panda algorithm change 3. Advertiser interest Used to be, back in the aughts, when you were looking for (for example) a podiatrist, you’d Google “podiatrist 10017.” You’d get pages and pages of results; you’d sift through them and cross-reference them to your insurance provider, then go to the doctor, discover he had a terrible bedside manner, and decide you’d rather keep your darn ingrown toenail. Nowadays, your first move would probably be to ask your friends on Facebook or Twitter, “Anyone in NYC have a recommendation for a good podiatrist who takes Blue Cross?” And you’d get a curated response from a dependable source (or even a few of them). Plainly, social media users endorse people, products and articles that are meaningful. You’d never tweet, “Great analysis of how to treat an ingrown toenail on eHow” (at least not unironically). But you might recommend an article from Fast Company on the latest from ZocDoc. There will always be a place for search — it’s one of the main entryways into any news or information site, and that’s not going to change anytime soon — but good quality content from a trustworthy source is becoming increasingly valuable again. In early 2011, Google changed its algorithm in an update it called Panda. This meant that, broadly speaking, better content ranked higher in Google’s results. Its advice to publishers regarding SEO was basically, “Create good content and we’ll find it.” No longer could Demand Media’s and Bleacher Report’s search-engine-spamming formula win them page views. In fact, Demand Media completely retooled itself in response, saying that “some user-generated content will be removed from eHow, while other content will run through an editing and fact-checking process before being re-posted.” In other words, quality started to matter to users, who let Google know it, and Google responded accordingly. The result was a sea change from how it had been done, leading to a completely new business model for Demand and its ilk. Advertisers have long shunned poor quality content. From the beginning, they almost never wanted placements on comment pages, which can feature all-caps rants, political extremism at its worst and altogether unsavory sentiments (which is why many news sites feature comments separately — you thought that tab or link to comments on a separate page was a UX choice? Hardly). The SF Weekly article quotes Bleacher Report’s Kaufman, who says of its transformation to better quality stuff, “This was not a decision made by the CEO, who got tired of his friends saying at parties, ‘Boy, Bleacher Report is terrible.’ Bleacher Report reached a point where it couldn’t make the next level of deal, where whatever company says ‘We’re not putting our logo next to yours because you’re publishing crap.’ Okay, that’s the market speaking.” So it is. A longer story for another time, but neither advertisers nor publishers are getting a lot of bang out of banner ads, CPMs and click-through rates. Increasingly, the least you can do to appeal to the market, if you’re a publisher, is create good content. How to do it without breaking your budget and while devising new technologies, maintaining your legacy product and operations, and appealing to readers…well, if I knew the answer to that, I’d be a rich woman. Meantime, even though “critics from traditional journalistic outlets continue to knock Bleacher Report as a dystopian wasteland where increasingly attention-challenged readers slog through troughs of half-cooked word-gruel, inexpertly mixed by novice chefs,” they’re making money like you wouldn’t believe. They don’t break stories, they own them (the same is true of the Huffington Post). Time for the “legacy” to embrace the future. Mobile to the future, seriously June 20, 2012 Anna Wahrman Leave a comment Another wowing graph that demonstrates the wildly off-base strategy of pouring money into print when you should be spending it where the eyeballs really are: mobile: Take a gander at the print and mobile bars, specifically, on either end: “Not having a mobile strategy/roadmap in place for your brand is a recipe for disruption. The golden age of mobile is here and will be here for years.” via The GM-Facebook showdown Two posts on the GM-Facebook face-off. Similar thoughts (and similar to those I’ve voiced before), but the lesson is that brands need to up their content game to appeal to users in new ways and meet consumers where they are. The technology (and marketing philosophy around same) seems to be evolving faster than brands can strategize, but brands must engage users — via the users’ rules — if they want to succeed. “When brands focus more of their resources on creating compelling digital content—things that people care about sharing—they’ll be able to reach the audiences they’re after.” via “Advertisers need to think about new end-to-end experiences that inspire and engage a far more connected and discerning audience.” via Ultimately Facebook is a revolution, and that’s bigger than one brand. As I’ve said before, I wouldn’t root against ’em. Trusted brands rule social UCLA and HP researchers have determined that successful tweets have common — and predictable — characteristics. Per this fascinating piece in the Atlantic, the researchers’ algorithm can predict a tweeted article’s popularity “with a remarkable 84 percent accuracy” based on the principle that news’ social success can be defined by source, category, language used and the celebrity factor. But the striking thing is just how much the “source” part accounts for: “What led most overwhelmingly, and most predictably, to sharing was the person or organization who shared the information in the first place. …Brand, even and especially on the Internet, matters. Online, the researchers are saying, the power of the brand is exactly what it has been since brands first emerged in the Middle Ages: It’s a vector of trust. ..When it comes to news, trust is actually much more important than emotion. Shareability is largely a function of reliability.” It’s all a part of the trend of consumers having conversations with brands and vice versa — instead of being overtly bought and sold as in days past — and the resulting trust rewarded to brands who do it well. Extrapolating, content marketing and social marketing, which help brands build that trust and have those conversations, have with this study been proven out with measurable statistics. As recently as last year, many brands’ strategy could be summarized by the following (ridiculous) two-pronged approach: 1. Chase SEO (damn the quality of the result); 2. Pray for something to (somehow) go viral. But the Internet changes with alarming rapidity, and the past year and a half has seen a major shift away from these tactics. SEO baiting abated, thanks to Google tweaking its algorithms to rank better content higher, and brands acknowledged that since viral content is by its nature unreliable, they shouldn’t rely on it. This isn’t to say that search and innate shareability shouldn’t be considerations for brands — they absolutely should; they are foundational. But the new forward strategy is reaching users where they are (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, etc.), giving them something reliable and useful, and earning trust in return. In the case of so-called old media, they must become trusted sources again in this new landscape. Successful new brands (Fab.com to name one) are taking it even one step further with an almost post-branded attitude: Their online presence not only establishes trust with consumers, but their conversational and understanding tone also unpacks branding itself and exposes undisguised sellers as outmoded entities that peddle wares to you but don’t really get you. Reaching consumers and establishing trust by getting them isn’t a new concept in advertising and marketing, but it’s one that must be repeatedly learned anew as consumer attitudes evolve. It’s a snarky world, but it’s the one we live in, and brand strategies must evolve or perish. Content strategy in context June 3, 2012 Anna Wahrman Leave a comment From content strategist Rahel Bailie’s Intentional Design blog, regarding what she terms Big Content, which is to say: “Consideration of content beyond the copy, and even beyond the content.” “When users feel good about an experience now, they will give feedback now. Conversely, when users have a bad experience, they are more likely to hold onto that feeling of indignation until they feel heard. …For organizations that increasingly depend on user-generated content as part of their marketing strategy, it’s important for them to (a) get users to generate content and (b) get users to generate content that reflects well on their customer experience. In other words, building an environment that encourages users to give immediate feedback should increase the number of instances of positive feedback.” More — way more — about content strategy and how it relates to user experience at her Big Design Slideshare. Below is my favorite bit: What content means in context: Can we monetize mobile already, please? I didn’t really understand a lot of the slides in Mary Meeker’s presentation at D10, which All Things D and Scribd were nice enough to share, but a few sure stood out. In this pair of slides we can see that tablet (which counts as mobile, compared with desktop) has seen explosive growth. Now look at the monetization. What?! Why are we still trying to justify $3.50 CPM on desktops (versus 75 cents on mobile!) when as we’ve just seen, mobile use is on track to surpass desktop (as it already has in India). This is not any one business’s problem (which seems to be a popular opinion with regard to Facebook). It’s every business’s problem, and it’s mystifying how we have been ignoring it. Web publishers are already playing catch-up to web users’/readers’ value versus those from print (compare $10 or so) — let’s not roll over any more than we must. Let’s work on real solutions for monetizing mobile already. Really awesome sales and marketing products that draw in the users who are there already, ready to be shown great stuff. Is Facebook destined to fail? Don’t bet on it May 30, 2012 Anna Wahrman Leave a comment I know Michael Wolff is a provocateur, and I take just about everything he does, says or writes with a large grain of salt. But this Technology Review piece about Facebook being “a bust” is just ridiculous in its arguments and assumptions. He basically makes a few on-the-nose observations, draws all the wrong conclusions, then dismantles his original thesis. Basically, he writes, Facebook is destined to fail because it’s ad-supported. He makes a correct, if rather obvious, observation: “At the heart of the Internet business is one of the great business fallacies of our time: that the Web, with all its targeting abilities, can be a more efficient, and hence more profitable, advertising medium than traditional media.” And he is right when he says that “the daily and stubborn reality for everybody building businesses on the strength of Web advertising is that the value of digital ads decreases every quarter, a consequence of their simultaneous ineffectiveness and efficiency.” And of course he’s on target when he reports, “I don’t know anyone in the ad-Web business who isn’t engaged in a relentless, demoralizing, no-exit operation to realign costs with falling per-user revenues, or who isn’t manically inflating traffic to compensate for ever-lower per-user value.” But there’s nothing new there — any of it. We already know CPMs don’t work. As an industry, we’re testing out (or should be, anyway) new revenue streams to see what will work. Pay walls? Maybe — but the jury’s still out whether non-print-subscribing users will put up money for the website only. Cutting jobs (and quality)? Likely, except while it helps the bottom line in the short-term, it erodes trust between reader and media in the long-term. Better targeted ads? Probably, yes, until everyone opts out and/or the government bans it. Running the exact same stories on different local channels to save on news-gathering and ad sales teams? I hope to the heavens that stops really soon. Meantime, our collective time is probably better spent thinking up new ways to do business online and encouraging and learning from those companies who are testing new ways of doing business — like Facebook. Otherwise, you’re just a hater. So his conclusion that “Facebook is not only on course to go bust, but will take the rest of the ad-supported Web with it” is an utterly hyperbolic eye-roller. And his acknowledgment that the company “has convinced large numbers of otherwise intelligent people that the magic of the medium will reinvent advertising in a heretofore unimaginably profitable way, or that the company will create something new that isn’t advertising, which will produce even more wonderful profits” is actually an argument in favor of the very thing he claims to want fixed a mere paragraph before. Not only should Facebook “reinvent advertising,” it must. Because the way things work now for consumer websites, as Wolff acknowledges, isn’t working. And I think it will. Or at least I wouldn’t bet against ’em. Wolff draw parallels between Google and Facebook, yet somehow fails to draw a similar parallel for Facebook’s growth potential. He praises Google for its ad system, acknowledging that it also “didn’t have the big idea at the company’s founding, either,” but dismisses Facebook altogether: “Facebook has, in some yet-to-be-defined way, redefined something. Relationships? Media? Communications? Communities? Something big, anyway.” “Big” is right — it has redefined all those things, so therefore it can and will create its own, new reality. So when Wolff says that Facebook’s strategy is “Just wait,” I say, “Hell, yes.” The company, in its brief life, has completely flipped the script on all the items he mentions. They just did it. They’re doing it. It is, in fact, as Wolff says, “the bridge to new modes of human connection.” And that is the opposite of being “left in the same position as all other media companies.” Most other media companies are failing at the ad-web business. We know this. Most other media companies (and, frankly, non-media companies) are drafting off of what Facebook is doing — and following its rules and ecosystem, just as they did with Google in years past. I’m not Facebook’s biggest fan; it often pisses me off as much as it pleases me. But I’ve seen it change the web business from the front lines these past few years. Jobs are being created — “Social Media Editor,” “Social Marketing Manager” — that didn’t exist only two or three years ago, and these are being directly guided by Facebook (and, to a lesser degree, Twitter, Tumblr, Pinterest, etc.): its game, its rules. As Google did with “SEO,” so Facebook is creating an industry around its product. I guess the most (and the least, after all these words I just typed) I can say is this: I’m looking forward to the day when I can say, “I bought Facebook at $29.” They, uh, forgot to optimize for mobile. Still pretty exciting! #TheWeeklyNYT ⁦@nytimes⁩ https://t.co/hGixnH3BZi about 8 hours ago RT @briantylercohen: Implicated by Lev Parnas in the #Maddow interview: Donald Trump Mike Pence Bill Barr Rudy Giuliani Devin Nunes Lindse… January 16, 2020 RT @RBReich: Lev Parnas' @maddow interview makes Watergate look like child's play. Trump knew. Pence knew. Everyone knew. No wonder Mit… January 16, 2020 Even for the #LOLMets this is the most #mets situation since, what, Bobby Bonilla? https://t.co/PZA1ihb96p January 16, 2020 RT @jenalyson: At a brand event last year a speaker asked “How many of you have YouTube channels you’d describe as a dumping ground?” Ever… January 16, 2020 @wahrman Yahoo’s painful (deadly?) cuts Amazon goes back to the future Yahoo for sale! Any takers? Anyone? Anyone? The latest Dish, a sad tale indeed	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line549
__label__cc	0.572196	0.427804	Board index ‹ General Discussion ‹ Fun and Games FLASH FICTION INDEX 2: Dec. 2011 - May 2017 Writing challenges, flash fiction, interesting anecdotes, amusements, and general miscellanea. 386 posts • Page 12 of 13 • 1 ... 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 kailhofer Editor Emeritus Joined: December 31, 1969, 08:00:00 PM Location: Kaukauna, Wisconsin (USA) December 29, 2016, 02:07:21 PM by kailhofer The "Elf Help" Challenge The Elf Who Saved Christmas Jim Harrington I squinted into the sun, a hand protecting my eyes, and saw what looked like a small Christmas tree perched on the bridge ahead. As I got closer, I realized it was a little person dressed in green pants and shirt and a red cap with a white puff sitting with his legs dangling over the edge. His beard was a few days old with a mix of black and grey hairs. “Good day, good sir,” I said. I moved next to him and placed my forearms on the railing, my fingers laced together. “Long ways down, isn’t it?” He didn’t respond, just continued to look straight ahead. “Sun feels good after three days of rain. Don’t you agree?” I leaned over enough to see his face. “Tough day at work?” He remained silent. I stood beside him for a few minutes, then sat down, mimicking his pose. “My name’s Jed. You got a name?” I waited. He finally said,“Elf 113,” in a scratchy voice. “Interesting name.” “Well, it takes a lot of us to make all those toys, and Santa’s too busy to try and name everyone. Besides, we all look the same to him.” “Huh,” I said and tried not to smile. “So what brings you to the bridge today. I cross it just about every day, and I haven’t seen you before.” “I . . ..” He looked down at his hands. “I don’t want to talk about it.” “Oh, I doubt it’s that bad. After all, it’s Christmas, a time to smile, and sing, and best of all, drink. In fact, I have a half-filled bottle of fine whiskey in my coat pocket. Well, at least the finest I can afford. Would you like a sip?” “No thanks. My mom said it would stunt my growth.” This time I choked back a chuckle, but a little seeped out. I attempted to disguise it as a cough. I wasn’t sure I wanted to get involved, but I hated to see someone who appeared to have lost his way do something he might regret--like jump. “So you never said why you’re here.” “I got passed over for another promotion. Three years in a row. I even had my new uniform ready.” He looked out over the water below. “Everyone sees it as a badge of honor.” “Oh? What does it look like?” “It’s the opposite of what I’ve got on--red pants and shirt and a green hat.” He finally looked at me.” I guess the outfit I have on will finally get washed when I jump.” “Whoa, whoa. What do you mean jump?” I wanted to reach out and grab his arm but was afraid it might startle him. “That seems pretty drastic for not getting a promotion.” “There’s Elfie May, too.” “Elfie May?” “That’s what I call her. Her real name is Elf 275. She works. . .worked. . . in the sewing department. We’d been dating for a year. I was going to propose. I thought she loved me, until she and the reindeer herder ran off. I don’t know where.” He turned toward me, pain on his face. “And I don’t care,” he said, his voice a few decibels louder. “You sure you don’t want a little nip. It’s the best medicine I’ve found.” I removed the bottle from my coat, unscrewed the top, and took a belt. “Well, I guess it can’t hurt.” I passed the bottle over. He put the top to his lips, tilted the bottom up, and took a bigger drink than I’d hoped he would. I was going to have to panhandle to pad my bank account, i.e., my trouser pockets, sooner than usual. “Thanks, “ he said, handing the bottle back. “Now jumping doesn’t seem so scary.” He placed his hands on either side of his legs and lifted his butt slightly. “Wait. You can’t jump today.” This time I grabbed his left arm. “It’s No-Jumping-Off-Bridges-Day.” I grasped harder. “You’ll ruin everyone’s Christmas if you do.” “You’re BSing me.” He relaxed and let his body ease back onto the bridge. “No, I’m not. Swear to His Holy Father.” I crossed myself hoping I did it right. “No, you’re BSing me for sure.” He scooched forward with a determined look on his face. “Okay, I was BSing. But I’ve got a friend--a female friend--who might be able to help you out.” “She can find Elfie May?” “Well, no, but she’s nice and friendly--for a price.” “You mean a hooker.” “Kinda.” “Either she is or she isn’t.” “Okay, she is--or used to be. She’s a little long in the tooth, as they say.” It was my turn to look down at the rippling water. “We were married once. Needless to say, it didn’t work out. She drove me to drink. And I drove her to. . ..” “Oh, hell.” he said, standing. “I didn’t want to jump anyway.” He brushed off his bottom and strode off the bridge. “Too much of a coward, you know. Let’s go see your old lady and find out if she has any Christmas spirit.” I didn’t know if the little guy felt any better, but I did. I might even wish a few folks a merry Christmas on our way to town, something I hadn’t done myself for a couple of years. A Spirited Meeting N.J. Kailhofer "Kvass. Amarula. Bajtra!" the girl said. Jesus Christie, it's another elf. This one had the look down, too. Dark hair, green eyes, pointy shoes, pointy ears, green and yellow striped outfit, stocking hat with a tassel--but she looked like she was six. I'm not into that. I'm not into Little Persons, either, but that doesn't seem to stop them from searching me out like I was the Messiah, or something. Plus, she smelled a little like licorice. Yuck. I ducked away from her on the dark, cold, snowy street. Viktor, the bouncer, waved me through the door into the warm barroom. He knew me well. "Vodka," I called to Anton behind the bar. Anton was born in Brooklyn, but he poured the best Russian vodka in town. The best everything, really. He winked and poured me a shot before hustling down to a customer at the other end. The liquid burned all the way down and cleaned my sinuses, just the way I liked it. "Are you the one who writes those books?" the elf asked. I jumped, surprised. "How did you get past Viktor?" "You're just a kid. You shouldn't be in here." I waved to Anton. "Can you have somebody find this girl's parents?" Anton's been pouring my drinks for years, so he's used to the obsessed fan thing. He started to come back over, but the 'she-elf' turned and glared at him, and, I swear, Anton stopped in his tracks and looked afraid to come near. "I am Brianna Norrel. I'm 325 years old. I've been in taverns since before your great-great-great grandfather was born." I scratched my two-day's growth of graying stubble. "Suuure you have. Right." "Are you Ellis Cullen, author of the 'Elf Help' books, or not?" "Yes, but I'm not giving autographs today." Brianna smirked. "Don't want one. I need holiday spirit." I barked a laugh. "If you're coming to me for that, I'm a dry hole. I hate the holidays." She put her hands on her hips. "I read the dust jacket of one of your books. You're famous. You help people get their holiday spirit. Mine is gone." "Look, those books are just a gimmick. A Little Person elf shows up and helps people save the day. They fix whatever is wrong, from a store closing to a sagging roof, help the couple fall in love, give them some holiday spirit, and everybody feels good. They sell a ton of copies to women." Now that they make them into movies on the Hallmark Channel, it's even worse. I used to be a real writer. Now, I can't stand my own work anymore. "I don't really know any elves, and they don't actually save the day. It's just simple, formula writing. I can't help you. Go away." She climbed up on the leather stool next to me. "I can't go away. I can't go back without the spirit, so I'm staying with you until you help me get some." I sighed. "Isn't there someone else you can bother?" She looked sad. Like verge of tears sad. "You're the 'Elf Help' man. I'm an elf, and I need help." I thought about leaving, but I really liked Anton's place. It was more my home than my own was these days. "If I help you, then will you go away?" "Of course. After I have the spirit, I can go home again." I blinked. "What, you're like, trapped here? Need a bus ticket for Cleveland, or something?" It would be worth it. Brianna punched me in the thigh. It didn't hurt at all. "Could you take this seriously?" I looked at her pointed ears and outfit. "Sorry. What was I thinking?" She rolled her eyes. "Well? Make it happen." "Make what happen?" Do children look that annoyed at their parents? She replied, "The holiday spirit." "I don't think it works that way." She muttered under her breath, "How do human women put up with them?" I definitely didn't think I had enough to drink for this. "Hey!" "If only for Kvass," she lamented. Anton, who was hurrying past, stopped in his tracks. "Kvass?" Brianna nodded. "Amarula? Bajtra?" "Amarula... Bajtra... No." Anton held up a finger as if to wait, then disappeared toward his backroom. I didn't understand this at all. How could Anton speak Elf? He came back holding a dusty, dark-green bottle with a no label. He set it on the brown bar top in front of us. A murky red liquid sloshed inside. "My grandmother made kvass like in the old country, from beets. I've had this bottle for many years." He uncorked it and poured a teeny bit into a shot glass. I boggled. "Kvass is a drink?" Brianna looked at me sideways. "Of course. What kind of spirit did you think I wanted?" Brianna took a sip, and I swear to God, she began to sparkle. Literally! She sighed softly and whispered, "Much better than seagull wine." Elves were real. I asked, "Why did you need me?" She looked at me appreciatively. "I look like a kid. No one will sell spirit to me." I asked Anton, "How much for the bottle?" "$200." I dropped the money on the bar and handed her the bottle. Her smiling face surprised and moved me in a way I did not understand at the time. I felt... I felt happy, like I hadn't been in a long time. She hugged me and said sweetly, "Thank you, Ellis. I hope you have a happy holiday." She hopped down off the stool and strode out the door with the bottle. I felt quite warm inside. Anton paused. "Uh, did you just give a bottle of booze to a six year-old?" "No, it just looked like it." I smiled. A real elf had just helped me remember my own holiday spirit. "How about a round for the house? I feel like giving." "You got it, my friend." I mused, This would make a great book. - Winner - A Raisin To Live jmstein She lived alone many years after her husband passed away. Life just seemed to pass her by. The traffic outside her front windows traveled the streets to and fro as she watched sad and alone. Her husband took care of everything and she was fine with that. Now that he was gone, she didn't have the desire to do anything. She no longer decorated for Christmas except to unwrap the elf statue she would place on the mantle above the fireplace. Her husband found him in an antique store before they were married fifty years earlier. The statue (she was never sure what it was made of) seemed to beam with joy each year. Megan and Jim would often talk to it and the elf appeared to radiate a glow as if 'he the elf' was glad to be with them. Jim was always industrious. A good provider and a nurturing companion always with a smile; Megan had joy when she looked at him. He was quite a handsome man in a non-assuming manner. And devoted, oh yes he doted on her with great affection. He loved her soul and this encompassed him throughout their life together. He was tall with brown curly hair and always muscular being he was a cement contractor. She loved looking at him, when he wasn't looking. Megan was ordinary in appearance and she knew it. Nevertheless, her life was her man and she was happy with that. Now much older with white hair, her dark blue eyes having faded to gray, she had long since buried love and there was no one else. The house was always kept clean. The house needed painting, it needed new curtains for the old ones had worn, the refrigerator wasn't working like it should, the couch looked old and torn, but she covered it the best she could with knitted tapestry. What the house needed most was mirth and warmth from living souls who cared for one another. I would like…(the writer thinks for a moment) she would have liked that too. Hermee wasn't smiling anymore. He was frowning. He wasn't happy sitting on the mantle. I don't know - can elves get depressed? Children go their own way, living their own lives, forgetting about the times they were held and comforted by a mother who adored them. But sadly in time, the parents become the children, often forgotten, except for a call a few times a year on important occasions. Megan was still waiting for her call. The doorbell rang. She rushed to the window and peered out the curtains. It was her neighbor Jonathan and his five-year-old daughter Shelley, a nickname for Michelle. Megan opened the door. "Hi Megan," little Shelley said smiling. "We got a present for you!” "Did we catch you busy planning for Christmas?" her father said being polite. "Please come in. I'm glad to see you both. Have you finished your shopping for the holidays?" Megan was embarrassed she didn't have food on hand. She always loved serving raisin cake to visitors during Christmas days. "We can't stay but a minute, we have many stops to make. Merry Christmas Meg." Jonathan handed her a beautiful hand crafted scarf knitted by his wife. "Thank you so much." Megan held back tears. "I have some homemade eggnog for you. I'll put it into your fridge." While Jonathan walked into the kitchen, little Shelley walked over to the fireplace. She stared up at the elf statue and stretched for it, but of course it was much too high. Megan reached up and took the statue from the mantle and handed it to her. Shelley hugged it cradling it like a baby. While in the kitchen, Jonathan opened the fridge to find it off. He checked the plug; it was in but the fridge wasn't working. What food was in there had spoiled. He looked in her cabinets to find only crackers and some canned peaches with rust around the edges. He placed the eggnog on the counter and walked hurriedly back into the living room. "Come on Shelley we need to go." He noticed the elf statue his daughter was snuggling in her arms. "Sweetheart, put that back we need to leave." "No, it is her present," Megan said earnestly. "I want her to have it." Jonathan said thank you and rushed out the door. As Shelley walked down the steps, Megan could see the face of the elf statue...and he was smiling...for the first time in a long time. Megan closed the door, leaned her back up against it and cried while she held her stomach. She slid down until she sat on the floor. Hours later she got up and went to the kitchen to make some raisin cake in case she had more visitors. She opened the cabinets and remembered she didn't have any flour, raisins, cinnamon or eggs. Her memory faded from the present to the past and back again. She walked back to the living room and sat on the couch. She looked up on the mantle. She missed him. Moments later, there was a knock at the door. She looked out the curtain but it was too dark to see. She slowly opened the door and to her surprise it was Jonathan's father who was also named Jim. His wife had passed away the year before and he stayed in most of the time. "Your son was here hours ago but he left," Megan told him. "I know I came to see you". "He reached out and hugged her with one hand. In the other hand he was carrying a raisin cake and a thermos of coffee. "How did you know?" Megan asked looking at him with bewilderment". Jim said, "Your little elf told me" Looking past him she could see her yard full of people with gifts and food and love and mirth. Hermee went for help. January 29, 2017, 01:44:52 PM by kailhofer Murder in Cranberry Bay The challenge was to write a story from the perspective of a human who murdered the alien Oola in the Great Lakes tourist town of Cranberry Bay. Example story: Hooked on Oola Oola's thick, neon-pink blood dripped all over me. I was drenched in it. It smelled like sour milk. If it all wasn't so horrible, I'd have looked ridiculous. "So," I asked, "you're saying this is normal?" County Sheriff Wayne Landreman looked at me. "Yes, Bill. They call it the Blood Dance. Hoosacians like the victim here do it when they have been 'breached,' as they call it. They spray it all over before they die. They believe the further their blood travels the more chance they have of uniting their life force with the universe, or some such thing. I heard about a traffic accident in Chicago were a car spun out and drove into three 'Hoos' on a sidewalk. That stuff sticks to everything, and stains. They were scrubbing and hosing down the storefronts on those buildings for a week. Your hair and skin will be that pink color until it grows out." He pointed to my squad car. A pink spray peppered it, except for a void in the shape of my body where I stood in front of it, and also where my favorite lure dangled at the end of my fishing pole out the back window. It was open just a crack. "They'll have to repaint the car. After the crime lab releases it, of course." "Crime lab?" That's just what I needed. The Village of Cranberry Bay only had one squad. I got enough guff from the county deputies for being a part-time constable, but wait until I had to report to crime scenes in my old, rusty Geo Prizm with the words "Long Cast Charter Fishing" on the side. Even school kids I picked up for speeding past Lambert's Hardware would laugh at me. Wayne shrugged. "Oola here was a visitor from another planet. Some kind of linguist who could communicate with almost any species, even animals. That's special, even for them. You're lucky three witnesses saw you respond. You pulled up, stepped out, and pow. Since this stuff goes everywhere, it would be inside the squad if you had something to do with it." His tone became a little condescending. "Well, except for that little bit where your fishing pole was. Otherwise, you'd be a suspect. Obviously, you can't work the case, though." "Hardy Brockman flagged me down because she was in the alley behind his bait store screaming like a banshee. I never heard anything like it." He nodded. "That's the windup. They do it for around two minutes while the internal pressure builds. Then 'pop goes the weasel.'" That was important. "So, she was... breached... within two minutes of me arriving. Do we know what 'punctured' her? Did she get shot, or something?" Wayne frowned. "Bill, you can't work the case." I knew my place. "I'm the only police force this town has." "My office will make extra patrols. You're out of this." His voice softened. "It takes more than a paper cut to do them in, but any knife or sharp metal object could do it. Their world is very watery, soft, and squishy. They lvisit wet places, like the Great Lakes, and swim. They can stay underwater for hours." "Was she inside Hardy's bait shop? There's a lot of sharp fishing tackle on sale in there." "Dammit, no, Bill. Stop it." Wayne paused. "Two questions before we get you out of those clothes, and then you're on your way home. First, did you have any prior contact with the victim?" I nodded. "Yes, in Mike's café, last night. She asked me who was the best charter captain. She said she wanted to go to the salmon grounds." "She didn't say, but I assume from what you said, she wanted to swim." "Who did you tell her?" "I'm booked tomorrow, so I told her to go to Popp's." "Anybody see you talking?" "Mike." Wayne seemed satisfied. "Ok, second question: Are we still on for tomorrow?" I smiled. "I'll get you some fish. Still bringing two on the charter?" "Yeah, two assemblymen from the capitol. Wait until they get a load on how far you can throw a hook. I've never seen the like. So far and spot on." I tried to look nonchalant, still dripping pink goo, gesturing at the scene around us, "Casting and crime, those are my only skills." Dawn was beautiful that morning. My charter boat bounced up and down as we pounded toward the grounds, but the waves made Wayne's elected buddies look a little green. The lake smelled like fish. Wayne asked, "So, Pinky, What're we going for? Salmon? Steelhead? Walleye?" I said, "We'll see what we can get. They say Brown Trout are hitting well." Wayne whispered, "Just not perch, ok? These guys are important for my funding." "Not to worry." I slowed the boat down and checked the GPS. This was where Oola wanted to swim. She said she wanted to teach our fish about the hooks and lures. What would we have done then, if the fish wouldn't bite? This was a fishing village. We couldn't make it on selling knick-knacks alone. I read up on 'Hoos' as soon as they started showing up in town. I made sure I was in the alley when she came out the back door of Hardy's shop. I parked my squad just around the corner. Got her right in the neck. There was plenty of time to drive around to Main St. and get flagged down. I left the murder weapon dangling in plain sight, out of my car door, to be covered with her sprayed DNA, so no one would suspect the lure already had her blood on it. I looked at the fish finder, grabbed a rod, and let the line fly. The assemblymen were impressed by the distance. I handed the rod to one of them right before the fish hit. He was loving it. Wayne grinned at me and I smiled back. No one can cast like me. Kate Stuart To say people liked Oola is vastly understating her popularity. Oola was here as part of the Earth-Chaimal exchange program. Every year, thousands of Chaimangi exchanged places with Earthlings to experience living on an alien planet. The locals were all mad about having an alien in their town. A tourist town like Cranberry Bay, on the banks of the gorgeous Lake Michigan, thrived on out-of-town visitors, and Oola was both a visitor -- anxious to spend ridiculous amounts of cash on her Earth experience -- and an attraction. How could the locals see this as anything but a win-win situation? All I wanted was to be close to Oola, and, with some careful planning, I was sure I could make her mine. Finally, a couple of weeks ago, she came into my store, Lakeshore Treasures. A tall, octopus-like creature, she sauntered in on four of her eight tentacles. After handing me the special filter that shifts her voice into the human auditory range, her operatically soprano voice filled my head, “What is it you do here?” “I-I-I sell tourists souvenirs. These are little baubles to remind them of the happiness they found here.” I picked up a delicate sea urchin-looking driftwood sculpture. “And I make these.” Oola reached out a single, translucently blue-green tentacle to stroke the smooth pieces of wood. “It’s beautiful.” “Sometime, perhaps you would like to see my workshop, or,” I rushed on feeling her discomfort at the idea, “maybe you could come with me when I go collecting.” The finger of her tentacle brushed against my hand holding the sculpture. I could have died of rapture right then. She only said, “That might be nice. The lakeshore is beautiful.” I invited her that Monday to accompany me. The weather was perfect. Spring was only starting to give way to summer so the air was cool and the water cold. Oola balanced on four tentacles using the other four to sift through the sand and shells. Mostly we didn’t talk. I didn’t want to scare her off, and it’s not like we had any privacy. Everywhere she went, hordes of admirers followed. I had been one of those. But now I was more. Now, I might even be allowed to call her my friend. At the end of the afternoon, my basket full of new treasures, I invited her to dinner. “I can’t. I have other plans.” Did I imagine that her voice sounded sad? “Maybe some other time.” Apparently, Oola enjoyed scoping for driftwood. She came into the shop early Tuesday to ask if she could accompany me the next week. I said yes. I spent the entire week in a flurry. The workshop had to be ready for a tour, everything needed to be in place; and there was following Oola: catching every glimpse I could IRL, Facebook, Twitter, I even opened up a Snapchat account though I find all this social media exhausting and pointless. Of course, there was also minding the store; though I left that mainly to my assistant. I snagged a dinner reservation for Friday at Toliver’s -- the steakhouse that Oola would be patronizing that night. There she was, seated at the table next to me. She put the napkin on her head -- a mistake she’d made when she first arrived and now had adopted as a personal quirk. Then Oola invited me to come with her to an art opening at a studio in downtown Cranberry Bay. After dinner, I winded my way downtown to the studio cum frame shop -- Badger Gallery. I wished there were some way to shed Oola’s entourage. Crammed into the tiny space, we drank wine and gaped at some local’s abstract impressions of the town. They were awful, but what could I do but stay? I’d just about decided that it was useless, when she appeared by my side slipping a tentacle into my hand, “Do you want to get out of here?” My breath caught, “Uh. Y-yeah. Sure.” She tugged and I followed. We walked along the quiet downtown sidewalk. Finally, she said, “Is the invitation to visit your workshop still open?” I couldn’t even continue walking. All the preparations; all the faux conversations, wheedling, cajoling, enticing, seducing, all in my head, and here she was asking. Outright. “Yes. Of course, yes. We can go there now if you’d like.” She leaned in a little, “I’d like that.” We got an Uber and ten minutes later we were standing at the threshold of my workshop. I opened the door. Oola made a little “oh” at the sight of rows of driftwood Chaimangi dolls: awkward simulations of their jellyfish bodies with twig tentacles held together by pins, wire, and glue. Each one hand-stained blue with painted red eyes, four of them, and yellow lips. “These are stunning,” Oola sang. Turning to me, she wrapped two tentacles around my neck and two grazed the bare skin of my calves, a thousand pinpricks of ecstasy. Then she kissed me. Her lips were cool and intoxicating. I knew this was my chance, however much my body wanted to wait. I grabbed the knife from the work table next to us, and jammed it up into her soft underbelly. Her eyes flew open, “Wh-what?” I caught her in my arms and gently lowered her to the floor, “Now you’ll be mine, Oola. Always mine, and no one else’s.” She laughed breathlessly. Green blood seeped down the corners of her mouth. “Enjoy me while you can, Shaina.” “I will.” I kissed her, running a hand over her skin. “Do you feel that? On your neck? On your legs?” I did, the pinpricks of ecstasy turning into knife points of pain. “Those are my babies, burrowing into your flesh, my dear. Soon you’ll be nothing but a distant memory.” I had just enough time to see the workshop door open. Was that another Chaimangi? Robin B Lipinski “Would anyone like some more cranberry sauce? Seems I made a lot more than that old turkey and mashed spuds could handle.” Martha, she was the matron of the Parker family. At age seventy-two she ran her home much like a Marine drill instructor, though with a thinly veiled sense-of-humor. Some of those seated at the table were family, some were friends, some just ended up sitting there, but they all shared one thing in common, they all lived in the town named after the sauce, Cranberry Bay. It was no coincidence the Parker family lived there or served ample amounts of mashed sour cranberries…they owned many ponds and made their yearly living growing and harvesting the nasty product. And since this was also the Holiday season they all shared another of Martha’s locally famous fantastic gut busting turkey dinners. “No thanks mother, I’m about as stuffed as the bird you served,” laughed Henry, her balding oldest son said as he pushed his chair back from the table and lit up his pipe filled with aroma inducing cherry tobacco. As the room filled with the sweet smoke the conversation turned to recent events occurring in the boring town of Cranberry Bay, which by local standards as boring as waiting for a red stop sign to turn green. “Say, did you all hear about the alien getting cut into tiny little pieces?” Henry said this with a smiling afterglow of consuming the wonderful meal. “No, she was not cut into little pieces…” Martha said, a slight tremor in her voice. She was a very beautiful woman, a kind of woman not seen around here what with all those crazy human women running about here on this planet like a bunch of dressed up whores…” The large group of people seated there at the very large table all started talked about the killing. It was kind of hard to concentrate. Snippets of conversation were: “I heard the killer used a chainsaw.” “Some say she was raped and then cut up into pieces.” “I heard she was cut into pieces and then raped.” “Cannibalism…” “Hate crime…” “Alien haters…” Oh my, the conversation was as varied as one would expect among a bunch of people talking about what they know nothing of. Most of them led boring, mundane lives, and most of them were really not that intelligent. Only two people could be considered smart, that being the head of the family Martha, and Henry, the oldest son of Martha. Martha’s face was red when she said, “No, she was not raped or cut up into pieces, I know…” but before she could finish her sentence one of the guest asked, “What was the alien woman’s name?” Henry said, “I knew that alien, her name was ‘O’ something…Ola, Olga, no…Oola, yes that’s her, I mean, was her name. Oola. She used to shop at lot at my store. Spent a lot of money she did. Nice person for being an alien and all. Aside from the strong odor of sulfur her skin emitted, she was actually not bad to look at.” And with a remembering thought added, “And her four breasts…Ah, my…They…” “You watch your mouth Henry!” Martha was red in the face and angry that Henry was starting to stray into the taboo realm of sexuality, and for Cranberry Bay sex was the missionary position for married couples behind locked doors and minds. “Oh come on mother, lighten up. Oola was very beautiful, and the way she screamed…I mean, she walked…” Henry’s face immediately turned white with his omission now known to the world. Silence is often said to be invisible but in that room when Henry said, “Scream,” the whole room became very silent. It was a solid wall until the silence was broken after a few awkward seconds. A cousin’s face was white when he asked Henry, “What do you mean when you said the alien screamed? How would you know this?” “Okay. Okay. I confess. Oola and I were lovers. Such a wonderful love. We had sex in the woods, in my home, her space ship. My god, her body was beyond this world…” Everyone looked at Henry with mixed looks of shock, dismay, envy, hate…It was the Babylon of emotions in that room as the people’s minds came to judge what they just heard: Henry engaged in, well, in outer world carnal lust and now one of those lovers had been discovered no longer among the living. “Did you kill her?” “Why did you kill her” “What was the sex like?” “Do aliens have vagina’s or what the hell do they have? And so many more questions were thrown at Henry that he just sat there wondering why he had said anything at all. The answer on why was actually pretty simple: He loved that alien and he had drank a wee bit too much Scotch before/during/and after the wonderful dinner. While the whole room had focused their attention on the confession of Henry they completely ignored Martha as she was just an old lady who just happened to cook wonderful meals and run the Parker family with an iron fist. Now, if the people had paid attention to her earlier they would have seen her leave the room and return with the family double-barreled 12 gauge shotgun. They would have seen her but for sure they heard her open the barrel and insert two shells and with a quick snap, shut the barrels. “How could you Henry? She was to be mine. She was my lover, my soul mate…I was going to marry her and move to her planet, yet it is you she wanted. You and not me… Damn you Henry. I had to kill her, and now I have to kill you…” “No! Martha, no. Nooo!” Henry raised both of his hands in defense, but 00 buckshot? Human flesh is weak, just like love, and anger. Put the Blame on the A.M.E. Sergio Palumbo Cranberry Bay was a small city situated along the coast on Lake Michigan, in Wisconsin. Named for the bay nearby, a wide stream flowed through the town, which was enjoyed by the few residents who actually lived there. The local population was meager which was common in the few villages and urban areas that were present this far north. However, there were huge numbers of tourists in this place – and these were, nowadays, mainly aliens, of course. Nothing really happened there, at least not very frequently. This was why all the citizens were so worried and upset as soon as the news started spreading about the corpse of that visitor. The dead alien’s name was Oola and the evidence indicated that he had been murdered in this quiet town. Being a typical tourist from another world who came every summer to visit the area, he seemed to love this village situated near the Great Lakes that reminded him of his birth planet: full of water with a perfect environment for him. The members of his species resembled yapok-like creatures – and they all usually spent a lot of money for touristy goods and services, much to the delight of the local shop-owners. “Did you know that Bartholomew Hardwood harbored a deep resentment to the alien tourists?” a voice asked me. It was Grazia, the long-haired woman who owned the largest newsstand in town. “Why do you say that? Do you think that he might have been involved in such a cruel murder?” I asked in return. “A policeman who is a friend of mine told me that Oola was assaulted using some specialized tools that came from Bartholomew’s shop...the one that closed down not long ago. So, he is the man they are accusing of this crime.” “I did hear him talking against the aliens before,” I said frowning. “You see? It was him. Who else would have done this?” As I move away, walking along the streets of Cranberry Bay which are full of worried alien tourists, I think about what I have done and I sneer. I also remember how it all started and how things got to this point. What began the whole thing was the collapse of Earth’s economy which occurred the day the Agreement for Merchandise Exchange (the A.M.E.) was signed between the appointed Earth Government and the representatives of the Union of Monger Worlds. Well, it was not as if Earthlings had a choice, since they had admitted their goods were inferior once everyone had seen what the alien newcomers had for sale. The alien’s products were actually far better than anything else you could ever find on Earth: medicines, computers, electronics, there was nothing on our planet that could compare to these new products! And the technology by which the aliens made such merchandise was a tightly kept secret, so there was no chance for Earth companies to compete. In exchange, what aliens wanted was food and other special products that were typical of our world, that couldn’t be cultivated easily elsewhere. So within a matter of 50 years, a large part of Earth had been turned into megafarms in order to sell those newcomers what they wanted, thus trading for the new unbelievable alien wares in return. On the other hand, all the companies on the planet based on human technology and old medical treatments were put aside, soon going to pot, leaving millions unemployed. Earth’s military might have opposed all this but what could they try against aliens who travelled from one star to another in the same time a human could travel from home to his office? Our planet had no chance of winning a full blown war… But resentment and hatred against those alien newcomers had grown in some parts of the population, and it was said to be spreading in many areas of the country. In Wisconsin, too, some thought… So, long story short, most of the unemployed humans simply turned to other activities, as it seemed that such aliens didn’t just like Earth’s food, but they also loved our planet as a perfect place to vacation. So, the tourist business greatly increased, although competition was stiff, every day. This was exactly why the alien named Oola had to be murdered here in Cranberry Bay. It was why the alien tourists had to believe that it was due to some resident who hated aliens … someone who had just lost his income because of the family business closing down. Bartholomew was the perfect mark to hang this murder on. His stubborn family had been the last company in the area to manufacture small excavators and metallic hand tools, only closing up a few months ago. He had to be blamed because he appeared to have a good reason to join one of the groups that spread hatred against the aliens across the country. The evidences that I planted at the crime scene would easily help the local policemen to come to that conclusion, as it was the obvious solution to the case. Actually, as I said, competition is fierce among the small towns situated along the coast of Lake Michigan. Every place wants more tourists, as the aliens are the only financial resource now, fish and food apart, and a murder like Oola’s will force them to check out other better sites to vacation. They will find other less dangerous places nearby to spend their money, like Blackcurrant Bay, for example. By chance, I am from Blackcurrant Bay, I was born there 50 years ago, and what I did is for the good of my town. And for increasing my tourist business there, indeed… Things were going to change now. Blackcurrant Bay would become a thriving place as soon as the aliens changed their destinations and started to go there instead. I was ready to welcome them, along with my fellow citizens - with the best possible vacation spot on Earth that they could ever dream of… Oola the Rat George T. Philibin “Tourist my ass! She was a spy for the F.B.I. I know that. She came here pretending to be some dumb ass tourist but I know the truth about her. Yes, I know all truths and Oola was a rat beyond that meaning of rat. Every day, every hour she smiled and looked happy. To me she’s just a rat. That thing that walked around on tentacles and wiggled down the sidewalk. Yet, they all loved her----the stupid shopkeepers. Just because she spent money they were all friendly toward her. I tell you she was a rat beyond the definition of the word. Yes, a rat! And that squeaky voice she had? They didn’t know what I knew. Oola sucked the blood from winos. Yeah, did you know that! The winos under the pier. I seen her do that. And the stray dogs and cats that have been reported missing? Yes, Oola got them too. She got them all, that tentacled squid looking thing, but she made one and I mean it, one big mistake. You never trust a snake. A rat, or a two-face. The feds knew what she was doing, but didn’t arrest her. That told me that she was working for them. She had to be. Oola thought that Buddy was a nobody. She didn’t know that Buddy works from me. I found him late one night--- high as the stars on marry-jane down at the beach. He was sixteen at the time, and just ran away from home. Nice kid, I thought. Told Joe to get him and bring him to my place. The kid took to me like a Republican to a tax cut. By the time he reached nineteen, I had him loan sharking. With his size he did a good job. Our nice little tourist town is just a cover. With all the people coming and going, they never suspect that I’m moving Heroin, weed, pills, along with laundering money in my little quaint shops along the piers. Hell, these tourists pay big time for junk. A lot of money’s flowing. I like that. Oola asked too many questions. She was always stickin’ her ---what looked like a nose-- into my business. Asking the shop keeper in a friendly way about how much money they took in during the day. Trying to look in the back rooms. Hell, she even when so far as to ask if she could get into a poker game. Do you believe that! A poker game and she said that she heard through the grape vine that some big games go on in the back rooms. When Buddy first told me about this Oola I thought that maybe she watched too many old Humphrey Bogart and Edward G. Robinson movies. You know these aliens from space just love the old gangster pictures. I don’t know why. I guess they all behave themselves up there. Oola kept it up. That day when she asked a storekeeper if she could have a fix, I knew something was up then. Nobody does that except a rat! And that storekeeper was Buddy. Buddy did a good job of covering. Boy, did he do a good job. He looked back at Oola and said, “Do you have a flat tire?” Oola, according to Buddy just stuttered back. Boy that was a good one. Buddy called me afterward and I tailed Oola. She’s smart, very smart in some ways. She didn’t call to text anybody. That’s smart. She didn’t leave any messages anywhere, and she didn’t talk to anyone out in the open. But she made one hell of a mistake. You see, Buddy knows things. Oola went into the Historical Museum one day acting like some tourist. I had Buddy watch her. Boy was I lucky this time. Oola went over to a picture of a light house. She spent some time looking at it and that’s where Buddy knew something was up. You see, the museum was a library one time, and where the picture of the lighthouse is, you could talk softly into the wall and be heard through it. That’s how Buddy talked with his girl when he was a teenage. Her parents hated him and didn’t want her around him. Buddy would slip in the back janitor’s door and talk with her through the wall. Somebody else must have known about it and used it so Oola could talk with the feds. Yes! Probably some other rat the lives around here set things up. Buddy saw a fed leave the back janitor door shortly afterward. I wanted to do the job myself---- been a long time since I killed a rat. Got out the old Tommy Gun my grandfather used when he was in the Capone gang. Been wanting to used it some day. Wasn’t hard getting her, and the old Tommy gun would confuse he feds. Everybody uses new automatic weapons now. Not some old antique. But I was worried. She might leave before . . . but she didn’t. No, she kept hanging around and going to this place and that. Boy, she never realized what was coming. The 4th of July came and that’s when I got her. Nobody noticed the shots, how could they with all the fireworks going off. It was a nice-clean-job. To this day nobody suspects me------ they think it was one of the Ardriennes. They hate Oola’s planet and have vowed to eliminate them. But what the hell. We do have a nice little tourist town----and everybody’s welcome. Murder in a Small Town “Oola looks at peace. Doesn’t she, Nate?” “You did a wonderful job picking out the coffin. The mahogany with the white overlay sets off her blue uniform nicely.” “Least I could do.” “It is, given the circumstances.” “I’m surprised no one else is here. Everybody seemed to like Oola.” “It’s early.” “I’ve never been in a funeral home before. It’s like a dungeon in here, dark carpet, dark walls, dark mood. All it needs is shackles hanging on the walls. These chairs aren’t very comfortable, either, and the music reminds me of molasses. I hate the smell of molasses." “Maybe those folks in New Orleans have the right idea, having a parade for the departed and making a party of it.” “You know, she’s almost pretty lying there.” “She never was a looker.” “No, not really. The wig helped, but the long, oval face and small slit for a nose made her stand out.” “That and the fact she oozed orange tears when she cried.” “I don’t remember ever seeing her cry.” “She did right after you stabbed her the first time.” “Hey, Nate. Remember when we found her rocket half submerged in the lake?” “How could I forget? Strangest thing ever to happen in Cranberry Bay. That and the time Jack Burks fell into the water, pickup and all, while ice fishing. Idiot should have known it was too warm to drive out on the lake.” “He was new to the village. Didn’t know the quirks of Lake Erie like the rest of us. Anyway, she was kinda woozy stepping out of that contraption. How would you describe it? Like a big old torpedo with four wings and a tail--certainly not the flying saucer you’d expect.” “A torpedo with four wings sounds good to me. I was surprised how folks here took to her. Especially, Edna Farber. She never took to anyone.” “When we told her Oonah was an alien, she wanted to deport her back to Mexico where she belonged. The rest took a liking to Oonah right off. Even kept her a secret to keep Nosy Rosies away.” “You keep doing that. Her name’s Oola, not Oonah.” “Right. I keep mixing her up with that poet lady. Anyway, it’s too bad you had to kill Oola.” “I didn’t have any choice, according to you. She knew.” “What do you mean maybe? Maybe she knew or maybe I had no choice.” “Maybe she knew.” “You’re the one who said she positively did and that I had to do something about it.” “Well, you should know better than to trust me. Aren’t I the one who told you to shoot out Mr. Tundrell’s bedroom window because he was sleeping with his daughter.” “Uh huh, and it turned out she was living in Seattle with her mother. A shoulder shrug? That’s all you got? I could have seriously injured the man. I heard the fights on the TV through the open living room window. You know he refuses to wear his hearing aids. I didn’t expect him to be in the bedroom.” “And how about the time I told you to run over Mrs. Gilbert’s dog because he tried to bite me.” “You mean the Rottweiler with no teeth?” “Yea, that one.” “You should have told me about the no teeth thing before I hit him.” “That’s not how I work, Nate. You know that.” “I should, but you constantly bug me until I can’t seem to help myself. So, did Oola know or not?” “Does it really matter now? She’s dead.” “Yea, she’s dead, and it’s your fault!" “Hey, I’m not the one who found her sneaking out of our house. I’m not the one who turned angry and red and told her to not tell anyone about the money she found, and that she could have some if she kept silent. I’m not the one who called her a liar when she denied knowing anything about the money. I’m not the one who forgot to move the bag of money you found on River Road to a safer place—like I told you to. And I’m not the one who stuck the blade in her, then dropped her in the creek behind the Miller’s place. The creek was a good idea, though, since everybody likes that spot for fishing. Lots of footprints to confuse the cops. So, what have you got to say for yourself?” “You bastard. You did it to me, again. Imposed your will on me, even though I tried to ignore you. You’re always whispering in my ear, egging me on to do bad things. And I keep listening to you, buckling under. Why can’t my angel side ever win? Why is it always your voice that prevails? Dr. Jensen is right. I need to get you out of my head. Stop listening to you. Be my own man.” “She does say that a lot. Maybe Doc Jensen needs to be the next one. What do you think about that, Nate?” March 05, 2017, 04:05:10 PM by kailhofer The Undying Love Challenge The challenge was to write about love with or from a zombie. In Passing Robin B. Lipinski Pictures matching disjointed words appeared in Kate’s mind. Such strange pictures. Naked people wearing strange hats. Animals talking. Vivid colors… And conversation. Words coming clearly into her mind as she slept in a bed once belonging to her husband, Lee. Lee was now no longer a part of her life. He had decided other lives, prettier lives, lives of young beautiful women were much better to be a part of. Divorce was an easy choice for him and he left Kate the bed, the house, everything except good memories of their time together. “Hello…” Again, the greeting coming into Kate’s sleeping mind. The voice came from a shadowy figure; blurry, out-of-focus, yet somehow, soothing. “Who are you?” Kate murmured in her dream while in the reality of the dark room she had kicked the blankets and sheets off her body. Kate enjoyed sleeping naked and tonight was no different. Though, tonight she was sweating profusely. This was due to the strange pictures appearing in her dreams. Erotic, horrific, and strange. “I am in love with you.” Definitely a male voice. Deep in tone. Husky. And soothing. “Who are you? Why would you love me? I don’t know you, do I?” Kate felt a tingle of pleasure tease her breasts. This along with the sweat cooling caused her to sigh. Inside her mind the shadowy figure took a more male appearance, his hands touching her. “I once was a man who sought love but was tricked by a witch. This evil woman cursed me to live among the dead. She was beautiful and I fell in love with her, but she hated men. She took pleasure using her voodoo magic to torture men. Many such as myself have been doomed to live the life of a zombie.” The rest of that night was one of many dreams. It was one of many passions and thoughts. That night was the beginning of something special between Kate and a cursed man looking for love. When Kate woke in the morning she felt tired. Rising she took a shower and wondered about the previous night. Never in her life had she experienced such vivid dreams. They were so real she could still hear the man’s voice. She could still feel the tingles in her body as if he really had touched her. Feeling good and very refreshed, though yawning a bit, she headed off to work. The next night Kate fell asleep wondering if he would return. Green numbers on LED clock next rolled through time. Twelve, one, two…As the number, three, appeared, the dreams started in earnest. “Hello…” he said. “Hi.” She smiled in her sleep. More strange shapes. More erotica. More talking animals, even a laughing penguin. Only, tonight the man appeared as a man. A handsome man. His muscles large, his smile -beckoning. The two talked and in her mind, Kate fell in love. Kate fell in love and looked forward to each and every night as each and every night, he was there. He was constant and reliable. He was soothing and wonderful. He was in love with her and she, with him. There is much to know about Zombie’s. Much has been written about zombie’s, even love between people and zombies. The truth is though, a normal human cannot truly love a zombie nor a zombie a human. There must be a change in the situation. Either the normal person becomes a zombie or the zombie becomes normal. Kate studied many books about the topic. She asked many questions to those dealing with the ‘strange’. Hearing many answers, she was not happy about any of them. It was starting to appear she could only live her love with him in her mind. While it was nice, she wanted more. She wanted it all. People in love do strange things. Not as strange as listening to penguins laugh or falling in love with zombies but they do strange things anyway. For Kate, she turned to a voodoo witch. After all, one had been responsible for turning him into a zombie so it was only logical one could change him back. Traveling to New Orleans she met with Zarla, a wise old woman she had learned about from some of those she had questioned earlier. It was a bit scary as she entered the witches home. There were various dead animals hanging outside the door while inside all sorts of smells and pictures assailed her. She even heard a penguin laugh… “Welcome Kate,” an old witch said without even giving the courtesy of raising her head to see who had entered. Kate was surprised the witch knew her name but it all was so strange anyway she did not query why. Instead she,“I come to you for help because I’m in love with a Zombie.” “Ha! Love. You people and your love. Waste of time if you ask me, but I have what you need.” The witch handed her a small glass bottle while adding, “Take this home with you and on the third day of your bleeding moment during this next month, drink everything in the bottle before going to bed.” Kate was shocked. How did the witch know? With this look of surprise on her face the witch smiled and said, “No charge.” Then the old woman turned and started humming, completely ignoring Kate. Arriving back home the dreams and romance continued. Then, three days into her period, Kate drank the contents and fell asleep. Outside, lightning crashed and in a grave the zombie in love reached his arm to the surface. His arm no longer a zombie arm; now a normal man’s arm. Inside, on the bed, Kate changed too, she now became a zombie… Ah, love. One voodoo witch hated men, one hated women. In New Orleans, Zarla cackled, knowing the beautiful woman was now an ugly zombie, while her male lover was free now, to find love. Small Carcasses on the Floor The Thar Desert stretched for miles forming a barren boundary between India and Pakistan. Its soil remained dry for much of the year, being prone to continuous wind erosion. There were only a few shrub species that could survive in such an environment, although you really had to keep your eyes peeled if you wanted to spot any life from where their small Hindu temple stood. As he did every morning, Jyothi cleaned the vast entrance of the stone building, sweeping the floor and removing the dust that the wind gusts brought inside. It was a struggle that never ended, which many might have considered to be worthless, but it had to be done if you didn’t want the sand to pile up in huge heaps. Once the young bald monk had completed what was needed in that part of the building, he remembered something else he had to do elsewhere, and walked into the basement of the temple. The old building’s basement was bleak and niffy. However, it was exactly those conditions that seemed to attract some peculiar guests – namely the voles. They had a stout body that grew up to 9 inches in length, a hairy tail, a round head and tiny ears and eyes. A person might have thought they were weak and inoffensive; in a way you might even love them, though in modern towns nowadays people only wanted to kill those using any means possible. But monks didn’t kill such creatures because doing such would be against their religion. They simply allowed them to live in the basement and eat whatever they could find. The fact that nobody could get rid of those small creatures made everything more difficult, a wary Jyothi considered. He knew exactly what must be done: he had to wait until the right moment came, which didn’t happen every day, of course - but sooner or later the opportunity would present itself and he had to be ready. His eyes focused on the darkened floors and it took him half an hour before he found what he was looking for: the dead body of a vole. Of course, none of the monks killed voles. But animals died, just like humans died, and when this happened it was a reason for Jyothi to be joyful. As the young man approached the small carcass, he considered himself lucky: this vole had just passed away, so its blood would be perfect to meet his special ends. His capable hands went for the tools he always brought along with him and drained all the blood out of the tiny body, collecting it in a small vase before putting it under his lungi, an orange wrap he wore around his body. Then he quickly moved away to get back to his duties before his superior came to oversee his work. “Peace and love for all creatures be with you, brother,” said Mahesh, a monk of his age, as he arrived on the ground floor again. “And with you as well, brother,” Jyothi replied, before quickly going to his small room, where he immediately treated the blood contained in the vase with a special anticoagulant that was meant to keep it in liquid form until night came… As he was doing this, memories filled his mind. He remembered the aspiring young monk who had reached their temple one year ago. Akshay was the name he used when he introduced himself to them but he was later discovered to be a young woman called Neha, and not a man at all. When their superior found out, he immediately drove her away, yelling that only male monks were allowed into their community. The woman begged to be let back in, but the superior proved to be unwavering. So she eventually moved away from their gate deciding to live alone in the desert. Jyothi didn’t know how Akshay could have ever been mistaken for a man, as she was attractive even though very skinny and with her head shaved. Maybe this was love, he wasn’t sure… Sadly, she kept her promise and stayed in the desert. She then died after suffering a lot of hardship over a few months. Jyothi had desperately wanted her to be allowed back in – but that didn’t happen. He was very surprised when, late one evening while he was outside the temple looking for shrubs for their community, he stumbled into a strange creature. From the first impression he got, and the pale features he saw, the young monk immediately thought it had to be a fabled Preta: an undead creature, once human, that had passed away after undergoing an extreme level of hunger and thirst, according to legends. Moreover, the strange being’s torn clothes made him figure out that it was Neha, or what was left of her! Jyothi was happy to see her again, though he was sad about the miserable end she had come to. He knew a few things about a fabled Preta: it was said to be afflicted with an insatiable hunger for a particular substance - blood from corpses. So he knew he didn’t need to be afraid for his own safety, but he also knew that there were not many ways for a Preta to get the blood she needed in that desert. He had to help her! After all, wasn’t the love for all Earthly creatures, even the undead ones, among the key principles of their religion? Since that day, he had started searching for carcasses of small voles, waiting for the right moment to take their blood after they died. And then he left that vase with the reddish liquid in it outside the door of the temple, waiting for the night to come so the Preta could satisfy her unearthly hunger… It was comforting to think that Akshay - the male name which that woman had used when they first knew her – just meant ‘Undecaying’ in the oldest language of their country. He heard faint music playing like it was carried on the wind from far away. Then it stopped. His eyes opened. The night moon was high overhead and the air chilled him. There were palm trees all around him. Lifting his head from the ground, Horace could feel grit in his mouth, and he chewed at it. As his jaw bobbed up and down, the dirt on his tongue dribbled out the side of his face. He put his hand to his mouth. His left cheek was a rough-torn hole, and he could feel his teeth right through the gap. There was dried blood hard-caked around it. He was going to need some kind of surgery. Horace turned his blurry eyes towards his shoeless feet. He was half buried in the earth, his clothes torn and bloody, but he didn't seem to be bleeding anymore. The skin on his hands looked sunken and leathery, like it had burned. He was so hungry. So thirsty. His head ached. Where am I? How long have I been here? The last thing he could remember was Candy. They met on the island, in the bar. She was a Caribbean knockout--the kind of girl who would have never given him a second look back in the States. She had great skin, black hair, and brown eyes. She wore a stunning, tight dress with a short skirt. Her busty figure and long legs wowed him, and he couldn't help but stare. She stalked over to him and said that he looked handsome, and that just about blew his mind. Candy had an intense, impish look on her face, like she was about to do something naughty. They had several drinks together, and then they were in her resort bungalow. He remembered she had him wind up a black, antique music box next to the bed, which played 'Beautiful Dreamer.' He remembered the strange runes and symbols carved into its cover. Then Candy began to slowly, seductively, take her clothes off. They made love. The memory made him sigh and smile. Then he remembered a crash, like breaking glass, but nothing after that. Horace wondered, Is Candy all right? Did someone hurt her, too? He had to find her. His skin felt like pins and needles all over as he lurched to his feet. The world spun. Nothing made sense at first. Which way? He grabbed the trunk of a palm tree to steady himself. There! Horace heard the music box on the wind again. She must be close. His left leg didn't quite work right, and it dragged as he staggered toward the music. I--I love her. I must make her safe, he repeated to himself. His world spun, but he lurched on towards the music. So hungry. He was so very hungry. Horace swallowed in a dry throat. It felt like hours searching in the dark, but he finally shoved aside a branch and saw her bungalow. The lights were on. He could see through the windows. Candy was on the bed, with another man. Horace almost couldn't look. He loved her. How could she do that? Around her wrists, he saw the rope. She was tied down. He didn't even feel himself start to run. Horace lurched through the open patio door and toward the man. The man looked up at him and shrieked, but Horace didn't care. He only saw the ashamed look on Candy's face, and he couldn't bear it. The thing on top of her had to suffer. Horace flew into him, knocking him off the bed. Horace tried to punch, but his hands wouldn't go into fists. He tried to kick, but his body wouldn't move right. He was desperate for a way, some way to hurt. Horace bit. His jaw and teeth worked. He bit and tore, again and again. He felt the blood slide down his parched throat and flesh settle in his stomach. So good. He reveled in the taste. It's so good. Horace's rapture was cut short by the man slumping. He looked down. The man was dead. He deserved it. "Good," Candy said from the bed. She lay on her side. The ropes around her wrists were cut and loose, only a foot and a half long. They had made her look like she had been tied up, but she wasn't, really. Something... something about them looked familiar. He couldn't remember. She rolled over and stood in front of him in all her glory. She stepped close, reached out, and pulled his head down. She was so beautiful. Candy kissed his forehead. "You are mine now. Like the others." She sauntered to the antique, black music box and stopped it from playing. The thump of a plant tipping over turned Horace's head. By the doorway were three men. Their clothes were torn, eyes cloudy, skin withered and dark, and their bodies ripped open. They were dead. Horace looked down at his bloody, leathery hands. He knew. He was dead, too. She smiled at him, and his concern melted away. Nothing else mattered if she was near. He would do anything for her. Anytime. Anywhere. Dead or not. "Now," she said, "all of you take this one and leave him in the grove of palm trees where you woke. Then come back here." Her grin was just plain evil. "He will join with you soon, when the next one winds the music box." Horace forced air into his lifeless lungs and whispered, "Yes, love." April 05, 2017, 08:50:22 PM by kailhofer The "Never Apologize for Saying You're Sorry" Challenge The challenge was to write a story about a character living with a specific type of fear and whether they either overcome it or be destroyed by it. This challenge was run by Daniel Johnson. The Hero Forge By Hope Gillette "Because we're in the business of making heroes, that's why." Raelyn's eyes snapped open, her attempt at meditation ruined by her own thoughts. With a sigh, she leaned forward and grabbed the small, polished figurine on the floor before her and placed it deep inside the inner pocket of her tunic. No communing with the gods tonight. Not that they had anything to say to her, anyway. Steeling herself to what she was about to do, Raelyn quietly ascended the stairs to where her husband had fallen asleep in his study. Standing in the doorway of the dark room, she could make out his moonlit form hunched over in a chair by the fireplace. He was sound asleep; he'd worked hard that day at the market. Walking over him with an unnatural stealth, she gently touched his hairline, her fingers barely whispering over the cool skin of his brow. They'd been together for 6 years. He was a good man, and it had been impossible not to love him. Still, she was an Enlightener, and she had a purpose here, no matter what it cost her emotionally, physically, or mentally. With that affirmation of her role, she swallowed back her tears and picked up the pipe still smoldering on a table next to her husband's slumbering body. He had a bad habit of leaving it burning. At first, Balor thought he was dreaming. He was warm, but too warm, like the heat of the summer sun hit midday and he was caught in its unforgiving light. He could feel sweat pooling in trenches on his skin, but in his half-sleep state, he couldn't figure out why the smell of smoke was heavy in the air. It wasn't until he heard his wife scream in another room that he jolted up in bed. "Balor!" she cried out again. "Where are you? We need you! The door!" What is going on? How did Raelyn get me to bed? He stumbled out from the tangle of sheets only to realize smoke was pouring in through the opening underneath the door. Oh gods the house. The house is on fire! Corrine! Raelyn! Rushing to the door he tried to pull it open but the handle seared his skin. "Gods," he exclaimed, jerking back. "Raelyn!" "Balor? Help us!" Her voice was distant, most likely coming from Corrine's room down the hall. "We can't get out! Something's blocking the door!" They couldn't get out, but neither could Balor. With a pained cry, he grabbed the handle again, groaning as his skin blistered around the red-hot metal. Summoning all his strength, he wrenched the door inward, but to no avail. The hinges had fused shut with the heat of the fire in the interior of the house. Cradling his disfigured hand, he ran to the window, knocking out the panes of glass with a pitcher Raelyn kept by the bed. Numb to the shards of glass biting his skin as he crawled through the opening, Balor sucked in the cool night air and tumbled out onto the grass. No time. Get up. He could still hear Raelyn screaming from inside, her words inaudible. On his feet, he charged toward the other side of the modest cabin, the side where his daughter had a window into her own room. In the fleeting moments as he ran, the night's scenarios ran through his mind. What could have caused this? It wasn't the season for a hearth fire, where embers might have caught after bed... Gods. My pipe. Did he leave it burning like he had so many nights in the past? Those thoughts slipped away as his daughter's window loomed in view, and then everything fell away as each window in the house erupted outward, flames consuming the structure entirely. The force of the blaze was enough to knock Balor off his feet, but the grief was what kept him laying on the ground long after. "How is he?" "Oh, he's going through the phases, you know. He's passed the point of taking his life, at least, though he is much consumed with guilt." In a quiet room, in an ancient ruin, the Enlightener once known as Raelyn nodded her head. "I see." The monk sitting next to her placed a sympathetic hand on her shoulder. "You should take some extra time before the next one," he said softly. "If there is a next one. This has taken a great toll on you." Unable to quell her tears, Raelyn nodded. "Yes, Master Uilleam. Tell me again, why it has to be this way?" "Oh my child, because we're in the business of making heroes, that's why. The hero forge works through overcoming great, personal suffering." The robed man, supposedly a direct link to gods Raelyn doubted daily, smiled bleakly. "If this man chooses to rise above his pain, he will do great things for the world. If he chooses the path of bitterness and pain, well, then, on to the next." The way her mentor casually spoke sent a shiver up the Enlightener's spine. She looked back into the rippling pool at her feet. "Yes, Master Uilleam," she replied. "If he overcomes...he is destined for great things?" "Why, of course, child. Nothing short of saving the world." "That's good, then," said Raelyn, her voice breaking. "I am ready for an end to this." Master Uilleam nodded. "I am sorry about the child. Not your first, though, am I right? Surely the pain is less this time." With a bitter chuckle, Raelyn kicked a stone into the water. "You know what they say. Every hero has a tragic story, and we are, after all heroes of our own tales." The monk did not reply, and he and Raelyn sat in somber silence, watching the ripples bounce off the walls of the fountain. Location: Xerion, fourth planet from the sun in the Abdula Galaxy Danjaki noticed Yerkof enter from the haze and amble toward the bar. "Nasty out there today," Danjaki said. "Gets worse everyday," Yerkof replied, using his fingers to brush ash and grit from his government cyber security worker's uniform. He removed his hat, slapped it against his knees a couple of times, and placed it on the bar. "Makes you wonder if those in charge ever go outside." "Conditions have worsened since the President ordered an increase in mining production." Danjaki replied. "I hear the air quality on the other side of the planet is so bad people have to wear masks any time they're outside." "I eVideoed a couple of friends from there last night. They said the air quality wasn't much better indoors. Asked if my office had any openings." Yerkof put his elbows on the bar and cupped his chin in his hands. "The government keeps it up, we'll need to find another planet to live on soon. The usual?" Danjaki knew the answer but asked anyway. "Make it a double." Danjaki poured a long shot of dark whiskey, put a napkin on the bar, and placed the drink in front of Yerkof. "I heard about Phrya leaving you. Sorry, man." "My own stupid mistake to cheat on her at that postal convention." Yerkof downed his drink and nodded for another. "I sure wasn't thinking with my brain." "How'd she find out?" Danjaki asked. "From a stupid idiot -- me." Yerkof shrugged his shoulders. "I couldn't stand deceiving her." "You two've been together for a long time." "Started dating in high school. Married ten years next month." Yerkof took a small sip, wiped a dusty sleeve across his face, and swiveled on the stool as a woman walked into the room grabbing everyone's attention. "Wow, haven't seen her in here before." He stared at the Eusterian as she strode to the opposite end of the bar. Two men approached her immediately and began a conversation. She smiled and accepted a drink. When Danjaki delivered it, Yerkof thought she might have whispered something in Danjaki's ear. The low light in the bar didn't provide Yerkof with a clear view, but he could tell she was about five feet nine inches tall, with Eusterian blue skin and a single braid of hair hanging to her waist that divided her otherwise bald head in two perfect sections. She wore a singlet that had to have been painted on. Her smallish breasts peeked out of the top. When she smiled, Yerkof felt a twitch in his crotch that made him pinch his legs together. He spent a few more minutes ogling her slim body and appealing curves. "Need another?" Yerkof jumped at the sound of Danjaki's voice. "Geez, you sneaked up on me," Yerkov said, holding a hand over his heart. "Or maybe your mind was busy elsewhere." When Yerkof, his head down as if in prayer, didn't respond, Danjaki moved a towel in circles over the bar a few times before continuing. "Think Phrya will take you back?" "I hope so. I tried eTexting and eMessaging her, but she didn't respond. I called and it went to vMail. She's staying with her brother. I don't dare go there. Not yet, anyway." "He's a big SOB," Danjaki said. Yerkof nodded and finished his drink. He pulled a wad of money out of his pocket, laid it on the bar, and headed toward the door. "Where you going?" Danjaki asked. "It's still early." "Home to take a cold shower." Yerkof glanced again at the woman before wobbling outside on weak knees. "Better make it a double," Danjaki yelled through a laugh. The Eusterian woman slithered onto the stool Yerkof had vacated and put a half full glass of Third Galaxy wine on the bar. "That's quite the disguise," Danjaki said. "It's so unlike me, all tight and sexy," Phrya replied. "Maybe that's partially why he…" She stared straight ahead, her fingers wrapped around her glass. "Anyway, my cousin's a makeup artist in CineTown. I asked if she could help me out and voilà," she said with a swipe of a delicate hand. "Did he notice me?" "Every man and many of the woman in here noticed you," he said. He offered to fill her glass. She covered the top with her hand and shook her head. "There's going to be a lot of drool to clean up tonight." "Funny," she replied, crossing her legs. She saw Danjaki's eyes follow the movement and was pleased she could still attract attention from the opposite sex. "As long as Yerkof was one of the droolers." She winked, lifted the glass in salute, and took a sip of her wine. "Do you think he knew it was me?" "Naw. It's too dark and smoky in here to see anyone clearly at that distance." Danjaki wiped the bar some more, uncertain what to do. "You gonna take him back?" She paused before answering. "Probably, but he needs to suffer more first. Will he be back tomorrow?" "Should be." "I'll be here, too." She finished her wine and handed Danjaki the glass, lightly touching his wrist. "He really likes my butt, you know. Maybe I'll make sure he gets a good long look at it tomorrow." She stood up, turned her back to the bar, and wiggled from side to side. "Oh, God," she said, her cheeks warm. "I can't believe I did that." "He'll need three cold showers," Danjaki said, stepping closer to the bar to hide his excitement. "Let's hope," she said with a wink as she sauntered out the door, leaving many of the patrons open-mouthed. By Eddie Sullivan She never loved me. At least that is what I tell myself as I keep cutting. This needs to be done before the maid comes. If luck is with me I can push it a little past check out time, but the body needs to be long gone by then. A few little details can still be taken care of in the last hour or two. The best I estimate if the body isn’t gone by eight a.m. then I’m toast. “You never loved me.” She didn’t answer. The hacksaw didn’t seem to be doing its best work. I wondered not for the first time if you needed to sharpen them once you brought them home. It was far more likely the blade, which was replaceable, was a crappy one in the hopes of getting the buyer to spend more on an upgraded version. Again the world never seems to disappoint. “God,” crunch, “damn,” crunch, “money grubbing” crunch, “pigs.” The carpet knife came sharp though. Most of the meat came clean off for those first few layers. I considered doing some more cutting like that but let it pass. Staying on task was the only way this was going to work out. She said I never finished anything. I wrote half a novel, built half a porch; she even said I was only half a husband. Ironic now that she was less than a whole wife. The clock on the night table said 5 a.m. I felt the need for more coffee. The courtesy packs were gone long ago. No time for a java run. Hmmph. My arms were killing me by seven. Most of her was gone though, down the drain. Thank you Piggly Wiggly for being open all night and for selling cheese graters. I packed the bones in our luggage and took our clothes to the dumpster in a garbage bag that was in the Chevy. I can’t remember why it was in there. Guess I got lucky. Clean up was easier than I thought it would be. If I looked over the room one more time I figured I would lose it. It was nine a.m. I had two hours till check out. The bags were lighter with just the bones believe it or not. I made an effort to make it seem like they had more weight than they had in reality while walking them out to the car. Everything seemed good so I popped back up to the room and set the alarm for eleven. I would catch a well deserved nap. Then I would check out and begin my new drama free life. The klaxon of the alarm blared and in the haze I expected to hear her complaining about something anything, the noise, the time, something. It took a moment of not hearing her voice; the voice that got under my skin worse than any alarm before I realized it was over. No more did I have to suffer the shrew. Vigor filled my steps as I grabbed the key card off the nightstand and headed to the front desk. A young Hispanic girl was working by herself. She gave that fake customer service smile, but hers was pleasant enough and close to believable. I smiled back, why not? It was going to be a beautiful day. “Hello sir. How was you stay?” “Lovely. I feel refreshed.” “That is terrific.” She took the keycard and punched at her keyboard for a moment then slid a paper across the desk. I took the pen that was sitting there and went to sign it. Just before applying the pen I saw that the name line said ‘Karen Hundecker’. “Excuse me miss. You gave me the wrong paper.” “I’m sorry Mister...?” “Palmour, Sidney Palmour.” She typed away some more. “Huh. Stupid system. Somehow it confused you and Ms. Hundeckers room keys. You were in 112 and she was in 211.” A prickling went up my back. I could feel the temperature drop and a miasma come over the lobby. The elevator dinged and the door opened. It was her stepping off with that stupid scowl on her face. “There you are stupid! I leave you for one little bit in the hotel bar and you stay out all night drinking. Did you sleep in the lobby you worthless bum?” The girl pushed the right paper across and I signed it. The harpy slapped me in the back of the head on her way out past the desk. “Go back up and get the bags, stupid.” There was some ridiculous award or other on the counter for display to the customers. It was a big piece of glass carved into a trophy, which was to resemble a shooting star coming up. It was for cleanest rooms in the chain like ten years ago. I grabbed it over hand and turned it like a club. Quick sprint to catch up and bang. Right across the back of her head. She never saw it coming. The young desk clerk gasped, of course. I kept swinging after she hit the ground. Pieces began to shatter off the trophy as there wasn’t much head left between it and the floor. She would have ratted me out when she got to the car and found the bags of bones anyway. Miserable witch. When I was sure she wasn’t getting up like some mythological monsters that couldn’t die I stopped smashing. Then I sat back and waited for the cops. They had to be coming. The breeze coming in the front doors smelled sweet. It was just about springtime. Winter was over, new beginnings were arriving. Ends and beginnings, everything was always coming around. Things had a way of working out. By Casey Callaghan Having a time machine means never leaving a mistake uncorrected. There's a little bit more to it than that, of course. If I hadn't found the secret to eternal youth in the far future, well, a far future, I would have died of old age centuries ago. And then there are the calculations. Every last variable has to be accounted for, every last quantum variation, every last - I'm sorry if I sound a bit obsessed. But I have to be. I don't dare get a single detail wrong, not the tiniest little bit out of place. It's said that a butterfly's wings change the course of history. I've got computing hardware - from a different universe - well enough to track every last butterfly's wings to the millimeter. If only I'd had it in time, before - but even this is not enough. I can't track every last molecule of the atmosphere. I could turn the entire solar system into a giant computer - I have done that, in a few possible futures, far from where it could have any negative effects on the present - and I still wouldn't be able to simulate the problem well enough to find anything approaching a solution. Last time I tried that - I made a self-improving AI and then jumped forward a few million years to give it time to work on the problem. It tried to psychoanalyze me instead. It - it shouldn't be a hard problem. I just need to put everything back. Make it as if I'd never invented this infernal time machine in the first place. But that's the one thing I can't change. Because the first time I went back - two hundred years, just a test - I changed something. And I don't know what. And everybody I ever knew is gone - replaced by similar people with different names, an entire world of total strangers with not one single person that I remember. A genocide, all the worse because there were no corpses left - I didn't just kill everyone I knew, I wiped them out of existence before they were even born! Even my own younger self - gone, inaccessible, never born - and I, every now and then, I, I try again, I go back, one second before the last time, and it never works, I never find myself back in the present, I never find my family, oh, very rarely, I find strangers with their names, once even their names and faces, but different under that, so, so, so, so different, I've spent ten thousand years trying and I'll spend ten thousand more if I need to, it needs to be right in every last detail if I have to rerun history ten billion times to get my family back then I'll do that because having a time machine means never leaving a mistake uncorrected... Puff or Poof By: Robin B. Lipinski “Hiya Tom. Wanna come over and look at girly magazines?” At only the age of twelve, Frank was already interested in his dad’s tattered collection of forbidden fruit hidden beneath what else? His dad’s, Fruit-of-the-Loom, underwear in the lowest drawer in the parent’s bedroom. “Naw, not today.” “What? Are you feeling okay…” Normally Tom and Frank were so like-minded it was as if they both were brothers or twins instead of best friends. So, it was strange to hear the disinterest. Tom mumbled something that was not understandable and he appeared to be engrossed in something inside a large plastic bag. “What? I can’t understand what the heck you’re saying,” and as he was saying this he grabbed at his friend’s plastic bag adding, “What’s so interesting in there?” “Holy cat nip! Is that…Are those… Fireworks?” Tom saw that the bag had a lot of brightly colored tubes and those tubes had fuses. Letting his friend take in the boyhood joy of seeing not one, not two, not three, but a whole bag full of illegal fireworks… It was now evident that no girly magazine could hold the youngster’s attention when compared to the hot, red hot firepower of powder and BANG! “Dang. Where the heck did you get this from Tom? There must be enough in there to blow up a whole house.” Smiling, Tom casually said, “I found them.” “You found them? Where?” “In old man Tuckerson’s garbage.” A confused look came over Frank’s face as he said, “Tuckerson’s garbage? What were you doing in… Oh, yeah. I understand now.” Toms face became a red as it was known to both boys that old man Tuckerson also liked girly magazines only he did not save or hide them in his bedroom, rather he threw them away. Amazing how boys can become good at ferreting out forbidden fruit such as beer, cigarettes, and such. Frank then added, “Wonder why he threw out such great fireworks.” “I don’t know, but they sure are cool. Lets go to the fort and check them out.” The boys had built a fort in a cottonwood tree nearby. It was a typical boyhood fort. Built out of scabbed materials such as scrap lumber, garbage, old carpet. It definitely was not pretty or functional but it was theirs. It was their sanctuary from the prying eyes of parents or other adults. It was here they could talk about fishing, hunting, girls. It was here they could smoke cigarettes, swear like sailors, and be what the world has always been; boys. For better or worse, it was a great fort. When both of them entered their castle, Tom dumped the contents of the bag upon the plywood floor. The plywood was extremely weathered and covered with an ample amount of forest pack-rat pellets, or in the vernacular of the boys, the forbidden word: (Rhymes with schmit.) “Wow! Way cool! This is awesome!” Tom was greatly excited seeing the large pile of various missiles and packs of some large strange explosives. He was not as excited though as Frank. “Dang… Would ya look at that pile? Geez, I bet we could blow up a car, maybe blow a rock to smithereens.” Any adult looking in on this scene would pale and start sweating. They would also seize the pile or call someone brave enough to do so. There was indeed a huge pile of Chinese ordnance. Old, unstable, and extremely dangerous illegal fireworks much larger than the mundane fireworks sold every Fourth of July in town. These fireworks were so large they could only be legally purchased by professionals, with a license in pyrotechnics. A silence came over both boys as they sat there and ogled the treasure. Only the peaceful sounds of birds flying in the forest and swooshing breeze of the leaves outside the fort could be heard. Tom broke the silence and said, “Should we?” Franks nodded his head and said, “Yea. Which one first?” Tom picked up a large red ball covered in large black ‘X’-s, “How about this one?” It was agreed and Frank reached up onto a crude wooden shelf where they had a lighter for lighting cigarettes. When he clicked it, no flame. He tried again and again with the same results of no flame. “Crap. Looks like the lighter is out of fuel. You got one on ya?” Shaking his head, Tom said, “Nope.” There was a silent moment again until Frank said, “Wait here, I’ll be right back.” “Okay.” And with that said and agreed upon, Frank climbed out of the fort and ran towards home to get another form of ignition leaving his friend to guard the fort. Sitting alone in the fort with the explosives, swooshing leaves, and chittering birds, Tom fondled the fireworks and dreamed. As he was lost in thought he spied the old lighter that did not work. A bit bored now he reached out and clicked the lighter, with the same results being no flame until on his last click, the lighter emitted a flame. What luck, the lighter emitted flame, Tom smiled, and the pile of fireworks was filled with fuses. Fuses old and highly flammable and in Toms young hands the flaming lighter merely brushed a stray fuse… The coming explosions were great. Deer ran away in all directions. Birds were blown out of the air. The fort became kindling, and Tom? His body was now in many strange pieces, one piece resembled the outline of the country of India. Floating in the air was the spirit of Tom and he said, “Wow! Nice!” He floated over to Frank’s body running at top speed back to the fort, the sound being heard all the way home. Hovering over his friend, he reached out and patted Frank on his shoulder saying, “Don’t cry Frank, I’m okay. Everything will be okay.” Frank could not hear but he felt his friend was near. Two Princesses and the King By Kandi Tims King Aiden rules over the land over Catan, a land rich with majestic mountains and streams filled with gold. He had two daughters, both lovely to behold. They had eyes of blue that shimmered like the majestic mountains and had golden strands of hair like the gold in the streams. "Rachelle," said King Aiden to his eldest daughter, who was elder of the two by about three minutes. "You shall marry Prince Yule, soon to be king in yonder land of Simeesia. You shall be honored as first of his wives and rule with him in yonder land until the time when the tow lands shall be joined together. They shall be ruled as one land with armies and riches surpassed by none." But Rachelle didn't want to marry Yule. For she had seen him but once and didn't fancy the balding upon his head or the prearrangement of their marriage. Besides, she felt that Tennison the sheriff of Catan would be a better candidate to rule with her. He was acquiring much power and had thick wavy brown hair and she liked the way he twirled his fingers about his mustache when e came by the palace to court her. "Sister Leah," she said to her twin on the night before she was to wed. "We will make merry mischief like we did when we were of younger age. The story of our delightful switch will be told throughout all the lands. And when the mighty, soon to be king learns of this, it will already be bound by the laws of matrimony. Leah, who had a birthmark upon her cheek, agreed and married Prince Yule. But upon the night of their wedding in their bedchambers, Leah was very afraid. "Oh my prince," she said. "Please have mercy upon me for I have deceived you. If you will spare my life, I will be a maid servant to you all of my days." For she sensed he was a man to be feared of great honor, authority and righteousness. She lifted her golden strands of hair and showed him the birthmark. "You have married the wrong sister." Yule was touched by how lovely and humble of spirit she was. "No, my beautiful bride, never could I have dreamed to find a wife such as you," he said. Leah was most grateful that he not only spared her life, but he loved her very much. Unlike his father as his father's father he took on no other wives or concubines. When Yule became king, she rules by his side. As agreed they combined the two kingdoms and ruled it as one. And the people of both lands benefited from the union and honored and revered the couple. They had many children and were very happy. Rachelle, on the other hand bemoaned her life. "It all should have been mine! I could have loved him if I had only known," she thought to herself. Rachelle had married Tennison, now the high sheriff of Catan. "Fetch me my slippers," he said. "It was a hard day at work!" "Work, work, work," Rachelle nagged. "That's all you care about." Rachelle wished she could go to the great wizard and undo what had been done. "I am the eldest! I am entitled! But my sister is ruling as queen in my stead," she thought. But there was no wizard in Catan or anywhere else that could reverse the mistake that was made. Beside, to Rachelle it was not her mistake, but rather, an unfortunate twist of fate. "Sweet cheeks," Tennison bellowed, who was now balding and round of belly from much ale. "Can you bring me some ale too?" This jolted Rachelle who was deep in thought. "Who do you think you are talking to? I am the eldest daughter...of King Aiden...I'm entitled...Oh," she shrugged. "Here are your darn slippers." "Ah sweetums...what about my ale?" The Secrets of General Nuisance By Bingemeister General Nuisance sashayed the visiting Rear Admiral into his prefabricated office to quench their parched tongues with some nerve calming hooch, brewed from rice in a still that was built from a rusted jeep radiator and filtered through a pair of long worn skivvies. Of course, the Rear Admiral was unaware of the origins of this elixir. This was okay, since he spewed it onto the general's smooth surface desk, which was due to the pretty bottoms of female service women, who frequently dusted it during sex. It didn't make no never mind, the general was happy for all the service the women under him gave...him. "We got ourselves a nice little operation here, don't you agree Paddy?" The general was on a first name basis with all the underhanded crooks he consorted with. "Yes indeedy, a nice profitable scam. And the military oversight committee will never get their hands dirty by showing up here overseas." The two men started to laugh in an inconspicuous way, more like an evil laugh, yet disguising the evil part so as not to give it away. When they had their fill of laughing, they moved on to more pressing business...the laundry. Skimming money from the laundry supply purchases, adding a nickel more to the invoice and pocketing the surplus was one of the many ways the two men could pick up extra change. They did that too in the bakery and made a lot of extra dough. Didn't make a lot of money, but not every scam can be profitable. Sometimes you win; sometimes you lose. A pretty petty female officer came into the room and said to the general, "You have a call on line one and two". "At the same time? You know I can't think and talk simultaneously. Who's on the first line?" "Yes sir, it's the Korean delegate Wel Hung Hoo." "Then who is on the second line?" the general said slightly irritated. "No sir, it's James Watt, the secretary of defense." "So Hoo's on first and Watts on second?" "Yes sir, and there is someone waiting for you in the outer office." She wasn’t too smart, but at least she always held her end up, which was the way the big brass liked it. The general was distracted by her curvaceous figure, but then continued. "So, who's in the outer office?" “No sir," the blonde attendant said getting frazzled, "Who's on first." Getting a handle on this the general said, "Okay who, I mean what, uh..I mean the person in the outer office, what is that person's name?" "I don't know," she said bewildered. The general threw a banana at her and continued talking with the admiral. The general asked, "Why don't we stroll by the nurses shower and do a top to bottom inspection. You know they can't do anything about it, cause we're so powerful." "Sounds good. I like it when they get embarrassed and cry and tell us, boo hoo I got a husband or kids or well, whatever. They follow my orders or it's the stockade. And you know they don't get out of there without a lot of bending over. So they're screwed anyway they go." The men started that evil laughing again, shaking their big potbellies up and down. Well they couldn't help it cause...they're so fat! So General Nuisance and his buddy the Rear Admiral, went in the direction of the women's shower in an over excited manner. They say power has its privileges. They called a formation insisting that all women, including the naked ones must report as is or be punished. These Brassy guys were also into that. As they walked up and down, eyeing each and every woman in their underneath, making them feel violated (you know, these bawdy men like that too), they did not noticed one naked woman in a jeep barreling toward them at eighty miles an hour. Ooooh the carnage! Oh the inhumanity! Say it isn’t so! Blood everywhere! Squashy! Squishy! And you know...she didn't just hit them once. She went crazy on their butts. The angry naked woman kept running the jeep over their ever decreasing mass of person, until the maintenance crew brought out the wet vacs. The women who had been ogled by the former powerful men, swore that the jeep went rogue and ran the two men over…twenty or thirty times without human involvement. Yeah they say power has its privileges. They also said something about a woman scorned. They…say a lot of things. By Jean-Paul L. Garnier “Enter sequence code 016358. Confirm when sequence is initiated. Out” After all the months of sitting in this hole it was the first order ever to come through. Jerry sat up alert and began the work he had been trained for. He quickly looked over the protocol sheets and initiated the code. “Sequence initiated.” Lights on the instrument panel began to blink and a complex fury of bleeps sprung forth from the machine. “Any further orders?” asked Jerry Silence was the response. Probably just a training drill to see if I’m asleep at the helm down here. He went back to thumbing through his magazine, looking more at the pictures than reading. He repeated the question and again there was no response. Yep, a training exercise. I knew it. Convinced that he would not receive a response he decided not to bother the brass with more questions. Glancing up at the clock he saw that his scheduled break was coming up. He switched the machine onto automatic control then began to ascend the spiral staircase up the tube towards the exit. The elevator was still broken down and he cursed the twelve flights between him and his smoke break. Finally he arrived at the ground floor and typed in his pin number to open the door. The door wouldn’t budge, so he shouldered it and nearly fell to the floor when it swung wide open. Recovering his balance he reached for his pack of cigarettes and was busy lighting up when he noticed the strange shift in light. It was only three in the afternoon but it sky around him appeared to be dusk. What the hell? Jerry bent down to extinguish his smoke and realized that the ground was covered in ash. It wasn’t a training exercise. The epiphany shrank him. I, I did this. They never told me what the sequences were for. Oh God. He gazed up to the horizon and knew then that the entire landscape was now covered in fallout ash. He swallowed dryly. Reaching for his pack once again he pulled out another smoke and lit it. Not bothering to close the door behind him he walked out into what had once been the parking lot. His boots sank into the ash as more rained down. He didn’t bother to look back as he strode into the wasteland, his mind looping the numbers 016358. Bring Them Back... By Sergio Palumbo For most people the term castle brought to mind an enormous stone structure on the top of a hill. And this was true for the most part, at least for similar buildings that you could spot in many of the realms that bordered this country. But the great fortress standing on top of the small mountain within the walls of the capital of the Empire of Klener also meant the personification of undisputed supremacy, as it was the seat of power for the murderous tyrant who lived there. Well, truth be told, the great castle had seen better days, and there was much more activity around its enormous gates and along its impenetrable battlements, where cavalrymen entered and exited continuously to follow the orders of the Emperor. His troops went here and there, night and day, to execute the ruler’s commands. In most cases, their orders were to apprehend people, torment them and then kill whoever was left alive after their long imprisonment in the underground dungeons. Actually, the usual thinking of the Emperor was very simple: he really believed that his rule would be strengthened and unquestioned if he only had his many enemies in his hands, all of them. He knew he would feel much safer once every last one of them was dead and buried. This he had done for 60 years, having begun his reign when he was 18, and the passing years hadn’t made him less cruel. All wrapped in his luxurious garbs, with costly fur-lined vest coats, he sat in the Great Hall, his long white curls covering his shoulders while his hardened features looked weary. His appearance sought to instantly draw your attention, and the pale face showed off two black eyes that seemed to be sunken into his head. The man spent all day long thinking of possible dangers and of his enemies that still needed to be captured and killed. There were nothing else in his head, and no deeper worries to upset him. Things had always been this way throughout the Empire, and multitudes of common people had died because of his bloody orders. But the man had made a mistake, and it was a very large one. There was a lone sorcerer who refused to serve him. He lived alone in the woods, not interested in the material things or in meddling in the problems of the Empire. But the tyrant couldn’t tolerate anyone living within the boundaries of his lands who refused to submit to his will. Despite all the suggestions his oldest mages gave him, and the serious warnings, he wanted that man brought before his eyes to be subjected before him. “Leave him alone, allow him to be free…” some wise mages told the powerful Emperor. “He will never act against you if you don’t harm him…” others added. But the bloody tyrant didn’t listen to them. “Kill him now, execute my orders!” he replied. He was not ready to accept that someone might live freely, simply. So, he ordered that man to be brought to the courtyard of the great castle and be burned alive. When his mages saw that the ruler gave this order, they were astonished. The bloody Emperor should have listened to his advisers. He should have stopped when that man started cursing him saying that he would be ill-starred from that moment on, and that the souls of the enemies he had killed would persecute him, turning his last days into hell on Earth. Those severe, awful and bloodcurdling words were spoken. But he didn’t stop. Since that day, things changed in the castle, and throughout the whole Empire. The tyrant began having some strange visions, a few delusions at first that increased very soon, each one becoming stronger and more frightening. There were unusual presences, ghosts apparently, that entered and sat wherever they wanted, startling him. And what worried him most was that such souls were only visible to him! ‘Keep a cool head!’ he thought, trying his best, but there was nothing he could do. It didn’t take the Emperor long before he recognized those faces and understood who they were, or better, who they had once been. The ghosts of the many enemies he had had killed under his rule! But he had had them killed so he could eventually get rid of those, not to have them come back as undead! Very soon they filled every corner of the great fortress he lived in. His mind started faltering, his senses weakened and he was afraid to meet his courtiers in the open, preferring to stay alone, without taking the chance to stumble into one of those presences that only he could see. Then, he reminded himself of the curse bestowed on him by the sorcerer he had burned alive some time before, and he understood. “Bring back my previous glorious days!” he found himself uttering in the dark, while nobody could see or hear him. But it was too late. There was no way to go back in time, to change his past actions. There was also no way to get rid of those ghosts, and turn the castle again into the image of power and stability that it had been before. Similarly, it was unattainable by the Emperor to become what he had once been, and this was why he remained secluded, alone and mostly silent in a dim tower of the castle. For that was the only place his mages had been able to protect using their sorcery, as a safe site for the dejected ruler to stay away from the vengeful souls of the many dead he had previously killed by force. Oh, and the fact that he had had all of those mages killed, too, once they had failed to extend that useful protection to the rest of the castle, had just added more and more ghastly presences all around, of course… No Brainer By The Fisher of Men There are zombies and then, there are zombies. The kind seen in Sci Fi flicks are from the recesses of the human mind; frail imaginations of ghosts and goblins, vampires and monsters. None such exist. But what are mind-controlled slaves, who have been implanted with biochip technologies, forged through generations of torture and dehumanization. This is where my story begins. Human trafficking has been going on since the beginning of civilization, setting apart the elite masters from the masses (like you and me). And the plan is going, well...as planned. It only takes ten minutes to make an incision on the right side of a human head and insert a chip that ceases the personality and the will of the human being leaving their minds ready for programming. A mind can be programmed in many ways, even through frequencies from computer software. There are a few signs that you're observing a mind controlled slave, but they are becoming harder to detect. Their eyes often have a glassy appearance and a dissociative stare. Many human slaves are demon possessed and so their eyes are black as the pit of hell. "Wake up, wake up. Can you hear me?" the nurse said to the patient. The patient opened her eyes staring at the cold, white-blue ceiling, possessing no thoughts. "She is ready for conditioning," the nurse said to the programmer. Reader, I’ve seen this before. It is an assembly line. Cruel they are that captures the mind of those who would be free. Most of the people involved in human conversion technology are human bots themselves. Enslaving the human race has always been the plan. You precious reader would be terrified if you knew how short a time you really have. The conversion lab underground at the Desario Air Force Base. “Cyrus, the infant girl is rejecting the chip. During the three attempts, some of its brain tissue was damaged,” the lab tech said to the demon overseer. Impatient he growled, “Incinerate it!” Actors and actresses in movies and television are born into generational families, meaning their parents and their grandparents and their great grandparents were mind-controlled slaves. The methods of mind control now are high tech, but there have been various methods used through the centuries to enslave humans. Methods involving chemicals, hypnotism, fear induced trauma and torture too gruesome for you reader to know. I’m a journalist researching and identifying the progression of the world toward the New World Order. I commentate through various online sources. I know the dark powers are watching me. They watch for anyone that could interrupt or delay their plans. There has always been a violent possession of demonic spirits until technology was created around the nineteen forties (technology created for human enslavement has been fifty years in advance of known technology. I was startled by a sound outside my window. I see through the blinds it’s a van parked on a street corner diagonal to where I am staying. They’re using equipment to monitor my actions. I’m typing this offline so they cannot see until I upload to your site, but if they have equipment to see through my walls… I must hurry. Ultimately, the plan is to exterminate a third of the world's population, (the useless eaters is what they call us) and implant the rest of humanity with chip technology. The elite masters buy and sale mind control slaves (people who once had a will of their own and now whose only thought is what is given to them). In the ancient book it is told how angels who had fallen mated with human women who bore to this world a race of giants, demon/human hybrids that became the secret rulers of this planet, aided by trillions of lower ranking demons, armed with the powerful gift of deception - so powerful they have deceived the elect of this world throughout time. You are being conditioned dear reader and are probably not aware of it. A human slave enters the underground bunker of “The Council. “I have given orders to include RH 487 in the processed food supply. It should take effect in several months.” “Take off your clothes!” The old filthy men enjoy their slaves. In the air, chemicals called chemtrails are being sown which make humans receptive to programming. The media, entertainment, sports and especially the news are all programming - all designed to slowly make the human race susceptible to mass mind control. Religion has been infiltrated and demonized; the major businesses of the world are owned and operated by the New World Order. You're in a world system where what is true seems like fantasy and what seems like fantasy is actually real and terrifying. It is a hard fight to resist evil and cleanse your life so as to take yourself out of the world system in order to overcome it. That's why most people choose not to fight...until it's too late. The news is programming chaos into the world - racially charged division, loss of faith in the people’s national government, inducing fear (the demons feed off of that) and creating worldwide mass instability. One day a leader will emerge and make all the trouble go away and people will follow him, without reservation, because he will appear to give the world relief when actually the world council will just stop creating the chaos. I have not given my life to God, a mistake I am living to regret. I need more power to fight. I could have done so much. Now, I don't know, maybe I still could. I need to try. There are a lot of unfriendly signs. It's still not too late. As for you dear reader, we all have to make our own choices... - Co-Winner - By N.J. Kailhofer "Do you not ever clean, child?" old Vala snapped. "You cannot let him in!" Young Anna regarded the shriveled woman in filthy rags that smelled like grime and soil with obvious credulity. "Let who in?" Vala grabbed the broom from beside the empty fireplace and spun it on Anna in her fine, flaxen dress, holding the straw end only inches from the surprised girl's nose. "He is a monster, a devil of the night." "Who?" Vala ignored her. "He will come with the dust. Keep him out." Vala shook the broom insistently and Anna realized the old woman wanted her to take it. "Clean, now." Vala said. "Clean well, that I may tell the Elders you are fit to marry Johan." Anna grabbed the broom and set it aside. Indignant, she asked, "What do you mean, fit? Who are you to judge me?" Vala strolled to the broom and calmly picked it up before abruptly smacking Anna over the head with it. "Ow!" "Listen, now. No one in the village may marry without my word to the Elders." Her eyes dropped. "The cost is too high. Clean!" Chastised and a little afraid of her visitor, Anna snatched up the old broom and hurried to cleaning Johan's small cottage. Vala crossed her arms and stood in the middle of the room, watching the girl's every action like a hawk. When Anna was done, she looked up. Vala's face was a mask of disappointment. "Do you wish that devil to take your child?" Anna stepped back. "What child?" Vala snorted. "Johan's seed already grows within you." Anna instinctively put her hand on her belly. Ashamed, she asked, "How did you know?" Anna steeled herself for a fluid burst of abuse, but instead, Vala sighed and sat slowly into the creaky rocker by the fireplace. "You are not from this village, so you cannot know. I was once in love with a man, too, except he was not a man." Anna sat at the table to listen. Vala's eyes glazed, happy for a moment. "Reynaud," the old woman said. "That was his name. Oh, he was fine. Tall, handsome, with good hair and teeth. Neatly-kept, dark, curled mustache. His clothes were nice, a rich man's, which I suppose he was. He owned a perfumery, and he always smelled delightful. He called on me late in the evenings, always after dark, and we courted... He said he traveled the land to trade his perfumes, so I loved to hear his tales of exotic lands and strange people. So different from here." She paused, "He never smiled. His eyes would look happy, but his mouth never smiled. That was strange about him, but that was all that was unusual. In every other respect, he seemed the perfect man." Vala looked sheepish. "I loved him, 'tis true, and I lay with him out of wedlock." Anna raised her brows at this, but she held her tongue and did not call the old woman the hypocrite she wanted to. "Once I knew I was with child, I had to tell him. We talked late and then lay together. He grew restless as dawn approached, but I didn't want to let him go. What if he was angry, or rejected me? I was sure I couldn't live without him. He said he must go, but I held him and said I must tell him a secret. He asked if it could wait, and I said it could not. He bid me hurry, but telling a man you have his child is not easy. I struggled. It grew light out, and finally he shouted for me to tell him, for he must leave." Anna was at the edge of her seat. "What happened?" "Tell him I did." Vala lost herself, remembering. "Reynaud smiled wide for the first time, and that's when I saw his huge, sharp fangs!" Anna gasped. "I thought he was about to rip me open and drink my blood. I was never more afraid! Then, just then, the sun came through the window and landed where we lay. The moment it did, he collapsed to dust there on the blankets. Oh, the shriek he made as it did!" Anna's jaw fell open. "I screamed and tossed the blankets outside, shaking his dust out into the strong wind. I watched it blow away, out of sight." Vala continued, haltingly. "I was wrong. I was so wrong!" Anna came and set her hand on Vala's shoulder. "What of the child?" "Turned to dust with his father." A tear rolled down Vala's wrinkles. Anna asked, "If he turned to dust and blew away, why do you think he could return?" Vala held up a finger. "On the blankets the next night was the outline of his body, but made of dust. He was trying to come back together, to return from death. This is why the village must be kept clean, foolish girl, lest he steal you or your child away into the night. You must not let his dust in!" "I won't!" Anna gathered her sweepings into a bucket. "What should I do with this?" "I'll take it, as I do for all." Vala smiled. "Now that you understand, I must go." Anna thanked the old woman profusely for telling the tale and bid her goodnight. "I have kept him from the rest of the village for fifty years." Vala felt pride as she stepped out of the door, carrying the bucket of dirt and dust. Vala decided, Anna will keep Reynaud out. The happy crone patted the bucket, tottering away. She knew just where to empty its contents: at home. Vala dumped every bucket from the whole village inside her home. From everything she had collected, Reynaud's dust was nearly all there. "If only I hadn't tossed you out in the first place," Vala mumbled. "I'm sorry, my love. You'll be with me again... and not with anyone else." Re: The "Never Apologize for Saying You're Sorry" Challenge The Children of Mars By Kate Thornton (Based on an African Fable of Regret) Buzzy's body was jettisoned out into space like the trash, but not with the trash; that would have been disrespectful. With the remains decorating the hull of the space freighter, everyone except Nyota went back to work and things got back to normal. In this case, normal meant that the ship could resume its route between De Grasse Station on Mars and Space Station Three. Foods were shipped from De Grasse to SS3, then routed to Earth. The Fukushima Event poisoned its oceans and coastlines. Earth, once a successful agricultural planet, now was inhabited only in the interiors of its major continents, with six cities holding the residual populations. Food products were grown and processed on Mars and uncontaminated water, an expensive luxury, was distilled there, too. No one knew exactly why humans could not reproduce on Mars, but no human female had ever carried to term on the Martian surface, so after a couple of decades and thousands of failed pregnancies, they stopped trying. Life on the freighter included all of the usual drama, but Nyota did her job and avoided conflict. She was from Shana, the African city known for beautiful textiles and medicinal plants. She did not plan to fall in love, but the trips were lonely and the crew were thrown together. Buzzy was a pushy braggart, and his outlandish claims of sexual prowess, especially his claim that he could father Martian children, were ridiculous. "Just check with my little honey in De Grasse," he bragged. "I got me two kids, both born on the red planet." Of course, if that were true he would not be schlepping crates on a food freighter. But the heart wants what the heart wants, and it seldom asks the brain for advice. So Nyota and Buzzy fell hard, if not in love, then at least in lust. When Buzzy, who was a bit short of common sense, decided to surprise Nyota one night in her bunk, he should have remembered her fear of attack and at least whispered a sweet nothing or two before pouncing. But he didn't, and it was dark, and Nyota's bedside tonic - harmless in small doses but lethal otherwise - was in a cut glass bottle. She screamed, grabbed the bottle and brained Buzzy with it. If the wound didn't kill him, the poison did. The Captain ruled accidental death and Nyota stayed an extra day in her cabin crying. Upon landing at De Grasse, Nyota wandered the streets, dazed by what had happened. She went back early to the dock to watch the last of the cargo loading procedure. A large, plain woman stood near the freighter watching too. She turned as Nyota approached her. "You from that ship?" she asked. Nyota nodded. "Do you know Robert Buzzetti?" The woman seemed anxious. Nyota nodded again. "I'm his wife. Where is he?" Nyota gasped. He hadn't mentioned a wife. Kids, yes. Wife, no. "I am sorry. He was killed. " The woman crumpled like a used tissue and sank to the dirty concrete. Nyota felt terrible. She reached for the woman and knelt beside her as the sobs rocked them both. She could not add to the woman's grief by confessing that she was the instrument of her widowhood, nor that her husband had been her lover. "Let me take you home," Nyota offered, supporting the woman. They walked slowly through the town, and Nyota wondered if she would miss takeoff. She called the ship and arranged to stay through until the next trip. Mrs. Buzzetti - "Call me Lynn," she said - lived in a small cubicle near the fields. Nyota inspected the tiny but neat home and noted the children's belongings. As they both drank tea, real tea from real plants, Lynn told Nyota about her life. She had shipped from earth as a young girl. She did her stint in the fields and met Buzzy when he was a crewman on one of the big supply ships. When Lynn became pregnant, she went to the clinic for termination, but there was a waiting list, so she continued working. She gave birth at home prematurely, expecting the hallmark stillborn of Mars. But the child lived. When Buzzy returned from a supply run, she showed him the living child. "Get rid of it," he ordered. "It's unnatural." Over the course of the next Martian year, Lynn produced another living child. She hid them from the local authorities, fearing notoriety and repercussions from Buzzy. Nyota shivered. She had indeed killed the only man to have successfully fathered Martian offspring. "I must tell you something," she said, "something terrible." She confessed to Lynn what had happened. "I am so sorry. I loved him." Lynn sighed. "I knew he was seeing other women. Have you been to the clinic?" Nyota shook her head. "I am on leave, but I will go to the clinic." She hadn't considered that she might be pregnant. "What will you do now?" Lynn sighed bitterly. "I'll continue to work and when the boys are old enough, I'll tell them about their cheating father and how he was killed by his mistress." Nyota looked down."Please forgive me." She knew she could not forgive herself. "Give me your child - his child - and I will forgive you for killing his father." Nyota wept. Before the next Martian year, she had given birth to a living child, a boy. He was a dark-skinned version of his half brothers, the image of Buzzy. Nyota went back to the ship and never saw her son again. In dreams, she relived the terrible night she had killed Buzzy and the day she gave up her baby to his wife, a life for a life. But it was really two lives, as one of them was hers. Joined: April 23, 2016, 01:32:10 AM May 13, 2017, 07:15:38 PM by Daniel Johnson The Only Thing We Have To Fear Challenge The challenge was to write a story about a character living with a specific type of fear, where they either overcame it or be destroyed by it. Story Ranking First Place - Hope Gillettee, Jim Harrington, N. J. Kailhofer Second Place - Sergio Palumbo, Ryan Harris Third Place - Eddie Sullivan Total Vote Breakdown from 16 voting members First - 4 / Second - 1 / Third - 1 - Hope Gillette: The Dragonshead Inn First - 4 / Second - 1 / Third - 1 - Jim Harrington: If At First First - 1 / Second - 5 / Third - 2 - Ryan Harris: "Huntress" First - 1 / Second - 5 / Third - 0 - Sergio Palumbo: If You Light Up the Darkness First - 2 / Second - 1 / Third - 5 - Eddie Sullivan: Thanatophobia - Press Send First - 4 / Second - 1 / Third - 1 - N. J. Kailhofer: Angels First - 0 / Second - 0 / Third - 2 - Frank Martin: The Conversation First - 0 / Second - 2 / Third - 3 - Jason McGraw: Into the Dragons Lair First - 0 / Second - 0 / Third - 1 - Robin B. Lipinski: Rusted Fear Three Way Tie: First Place The Dragonshead Inn Recessed lanterns, set within old barn wood walls, were part of what gave The Dragonshead Inn its charm, though hot food, clean beds, and jovial music didn't hurt the establishment's popularity, either. Unlike many other inns along the Beltway, the Dragonshead prided itself on being a place with standards, and the owner, Eugene Buenford III, was not a man to be tested on his code of conduct. That much could be seen without speaking to him, from his imposing form and cold-steel eyes to the way he casually picked the calluses on his hand with a Teranian warknife. And, of course, the dragon's head on the wall behind the bar, hewn from its body by Eugene himself, also made an impression. "Eugene! Can you please have a word with that man in the corner booth? I'm telling you, he's a brooding type. Won't eat or drink, and told me to mind my own business when I asked where he was from. Can you believe that? Told me to mind my own business!" The innkeeper smirked to himself as he methodically wiped down the bar countertop. "Okay, Bernice. Don't make a fuss. Not everyone's got to tell you their life story." The barmaid stomped her foot in exasperation, throwing her table rag onto the floor. "Don't you talk to me like that, Buenford. After all I do around here..." He could hear her--he just wasn't listening. Eugene's focus was on the man Bernice was ranting about. Sitting in a corner booth by the fireplace, the hooded figure was staring back at the innkeeper, and even though the upper aspect of the man's face was hidden in shadow, Eugene would have known his presence in the darkest of night. "Bernice," Eugene's voice was a whisper. When she didn't acknowledge him, he said it louder and more forcefully than before. "Bernice. Clear out the dining room. It's time for the guests to retire." She hesitated a moment but didn't argue. Though stubborn, like all the Dragonshead staff, she knew when Eugene meant business. Without another complaint, Bernice swirled around the end of the bar and started ushering people to their rooms. Only one person remained seated: A mysterious man in a dark hood, sitting in orange light cast by the dying fire. Walking over to the table, Eugene slammed down a cup of infamous Beltway mead and took a seat opposite his silent guest. "What are you doing here?" The other man waited for the last guest to leave before waving his hand dismissively. "What, the great dragon slayer, Eugene Buenford, can't spare a seat in his tavern for an old friend?" "We had a deal, Orson. I can't send you any more money. I have overhead costs; things need to be repaired around here. You haven't contacted me in years! To just show up like--" "I came for the dragon's head, Eugene. I need it to repay a...debt." The innkeeper took a swig of his drink, not taking his eyes off his guest. "No. That head's what got this place going. It's what brings people in. We had a deal." Orson slammed his fist on the table so suddenly Eugene flinched. "I killed the dragon. I saved this town. I was your best friend who gave up that glory so you could have a proud father and a promising betrothal. Don't talk to me about deals. " "Why? Why, after all this time? You'd expose me as a fraud?" "No. I'm asking you to expose yourself. I need you to vouch for me, that I did this deed, in front of the Black Mages' Conclave in Rosschurn. " "Haden help me...what kind of trouble are you in, Orson?" Eugene ran a hand through his silvering hair. "That would be the end of me." "Or me, friend. It is no less than my life on the line." Orson leaned back and the shadows left his face. Beneath the hood of his dark cloak, two eyes ringed with pain sought Eugene's reply. The innkeeper took a deep breath and hefted his mug to his lips, but before he could finish the brew, the door to the room flew open and Bernice toppled onto the floor. "Lord, " she wailed, her face smeared with dirt and soot, "it's almost at our door! It's already killed the Brunswicks and the Collyfields. Haden have mercy! We'll be wiped off the maps!" "Speak up, woman. Now's not the time to be cryptic," Eugene reprimanded sternly. "What's coming? What's at the door?" "Rock trolls, Buenford, for goodness' sake!" she screamed at him. "Get off yer fat behind and get to your sword! Something's chased them down from the mountains." Back on her feet, Bernice turned on her heel and fled up the stairs, yelling unintelligible words as she went. Eugene caught Orson's gaze across the booth. "I'll make a new deal with you, " he offered. "Stand with me one more time. Raise your sword with me. If we live, I'll take the journey to the Black Mages' Conclave." Relief washed over Orson's features, and he nodded. Both men stood and clasped forearms. Recessed lanterns, set within old barn wood walls, were part of what gave The Dragonshead Inn its charm, but most visitors leaving the establishment were more impressed by the trophy mounted on the wall behind the bar. Though the years had taken a toll on its textures and colors, and cobwebs had found purchase in some of the hard-to-reach features, the massive dragon head was an impressive sight. Some guests, however, found the innkeeper himself more remarkable, and Eugene was ever-modest about his lifetime of heroic efforts along the Beltway. "Tis true; the Dragonshead was named after the dragon," he said every evening as the regulars filed in around the bar. "But the trolls were something else entirely!" No one ever asked about the worn, black cloak draped beneath the monster's head, also gathering dust. If At First. . . Evelyn saw him enter the restaurant from the table where she sat and somehow knew it was her next first date. There had been six since she started dating again after a five year hiatus following college to concentrate on her career as a market analyst. None had led to a second. She hoped number seven might be different but hadn't been able to dispel her fear he wouldn't. He wore tan Dockers, a pastel green shirt, brown loafers, and brown socks with yellow stripes. She wondered if this was the way he normally dressed, or if he was showing off for her. She imagined him in a gym wearing shorts and a muscle shirt and felt a twinge deep within her. She inhaled a deep breath and blew it out. Her initial trepidation lingered. He smiled and spoke to the hostess. The young woman in a short dress and cowboy boots pointed in Evelyn's direction and led him to the table for two. Evelyn smoothed her skirt, mostly to wipe her sweaty palms. After first date number three led nowhere, she took another break from dating to lose thirty pounds and have plastic surgery to tighten loose skin on her face, throat, and belly. She also started a three-times-a-week workout regimen. She stared at her iPhone, acting like she hadn't seen him yet. When he arrived at the table, she smiled and leaned forward to shake his hand--and provide him a better view of her breasts. He introduced himself as Franklin. She looked him over and decided the name was an alias, just like in those crime novels she liked. Not that that bothered her, since her name wasn't Evelyn. The local paper classifieds weren't picky about names. Besides having been overweight and plain-looking, Evelyn wasn't much of a conversationalist. She spent time at home practicing with her cat, but it wasn't the same. She stumbled along, letting Franklin do most of the talking, until she'd finished her second glass of Riesling. Then she relaxed and let herself go a little. She felt the rest of the date went well and hoped Franklin did, too. He appeared to be enjoying himself. She declined dessert, but said he should feel free to have something. "I'll pass, too. Gotta watch the old waistline," he said and asked the waitress for the check. Outside, Evelyn felt uncomfortable, not sure what to do next. She clutched the strap of her purse, cleared her throat, and asked if he would like to have dinner again. He lowered his eyes for a few seconds, as if in prayer, and said he didn't think so. "You're nice, and all, but not what I'm looking for." Evelyn felt her heart sink and her stomach knot, just like every other date. He asked if he could walk her to her car. She thanked him for offering, and the two headed toward the garage on the corner of 8th and Grand. As they approached her car, Evelyn listened for the sounds of other people. Not hearing anything, she bent over, lifted the hand holding her purse to her stomach, and groaned. Franklin didn't see her reach into her purse, nor did he see the utility knife in her hand when she rose. He barely felt the blade slash his carotid after she spun him so his blood wouldn't spatter her dress. He didn't feel his blood flow onto the concrete floor, nor smell the odor when his bowels emptied. Evelyn watched first date number seven die, rage covering her face. She knelt next to his body, hiked up her dress, and rubbed the three scars on her right inner thigh she thought of as notches. "All you had to do was say yes to a second date, you slimeball." She wiped the knife on a cloth napkin she'd put in her purse at the restaurant and tossed the bloody material under the car to her right. She placed the point of the blade on her thigh next to the scar closest to her knee and sliced a fourth, shallow two-inch gash. Blood pooled on her skin and dripped to the floor mixing with date number seven's. She pulled an ace bandage from her purse and wrapped it around her leg. Evelyn crossed herself before standing, then headed toward the entrance at the opposite end of the building. She wasn't concerned about video surveillance. According to a recent article in the online version of the local newspaper, this place was the oldest parking facility in the city and had yet to be retrofitted with cameras. She dropped the knife in a trash barrel and headed north to the lot where her rental car was parked. She didn't care about leaving prints or DNA. She wasn't in any police database. She only cared about finding first date number eight--and catching her 9:30 flight. Two Way Tie: Second Place By Ryan Harris I could hear her purring--echoing through the woods. She was stalking me in the infinite blackness of night. The great feline probably knew how fast my heart was racing, could hear it careening around in my chest. I clung to my crudely made punji stick. In a way, I pitied the big cat. Kay, a Bengal tiger, was raised by Gen-Mod Genetics for entertainment. Her IQ was higher than my own but her sole purpose in life was a bi-annual hunting game. Every six months a lottery of lifers entered a drawing for a second shot at life on the outside. If Kay was killed, the person could walk free. I'd been trying for six years before I was chosen. The odds were usually stacked in Kay's favor. Branches were just out of reach to climb and the underbrush was thick in the Indian forest. She was toying with me. Her canines could have been inches from me and I wouldn't have known it. Moving from tree to tree and protecting my back was my best defense. A light rain, nearly a mist, began falling and masked the sounds of her movement. A micro camera implant recorded sights and sounds. The world was watching but I didn't care. What mattered was Kay, the darkness, survival. Like mad, I ran for a river I passed during the day. What little moonlight there was, it glimmered softly off the sluggish Banas. I plunged into the river and swam for the other side. Kay's lethality would be diminished in the river and she knew it. Staying in the river was not an option because she would just wait me out. I sat for a moment to catch my breath, though it didn't last long. Kay plunged into the moonlit water and light rippled at the surface. My impromptu plan had paid off. I had forced Kay to give away her position but she was still coming for me and Bengal tigers are excellent swimmers. I stumbled and fell as I got up. Beating her to the river bank was crucial. I'd never been so scared in my life. Death was always a fear of mine, but dying slowly in prison was worse. Barely able to see her shape, I jumped at her from the bank. My punji stick was directed in front of me. My weapon landed a hit and she roared in pain. I wasn't sure where the stick had stabbed her and my hopes weren't lofty quite yet. I'd broken my ankle on a rock. A colossal paw caught my shoulder, tearing flesh away. She ran into a thicket five yards from the river to regroup. I scrambled for my weapon, wanting to cry out in pain. I noticed the rain had stopped so I listened for Kay. The Earth shuffled by the thicket and Kay pounced to finish me off. It was only a second but it felt like slow motion. I threw up a forearm, which she bit into, but with little force. She convulsed and eventually fell limp. I slid from under her and saw that she'd been impaled by my weapon. I fell to the ground in relief. The hunt was over and my second chance at life could begin. 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__label__cc	0.663034	0.336966	Indoor Flea Market & Bloody Mary Bash, plus psychedelic synth pop from Portugal arrives at T.T’s tomorrow In Indie Music, Show Previews Portugal's The Gift The Gift (from Portugal) 10:35pm, The Clox 9:40pm, Rockin’ Flea Market & Bloody Mary Bash at T.T. the Bear’s 11-4pm At first I thought this was just a very strange band name, but no, T.T.’s is having a flea market tomorrow. Being T.T.’s, it’s not just your standard flea market – it’s combined with a ‘Bloody Mary Bash.’ It promises cool vintage items & clothes, knick knacks, books, vinyl, arts & crafts, and other stuff. Plus a DJ, face-painting and photo booth, and yes of course, Bloody Marys and also Mimosas and spiked cider. In other words, a perfect event for an autumn Sunday. You’ll probably need to go home and take a nap before coming back to welcome Portugal’s The Gift, who bring their psychedelic synth pop back to the states to celebrate their latest release. The most popular alternative band in Portugal, they’ve been together since 1994, toured in the U.S. with The Flaming Lips back in 2003, and have just released their new album Explode. Made for You by The Gift Official Joining The Gift will be New York’s (by way of Kazakhstan) The Clox. The Clox independently released their debut album, Ready to Starve, late last year, and are working on their follow-up, Civilian, due for release erly 2012. Jules Verne by theclox The Gift: official site \| facebook \| twitter The Clox: official site \| facebook \| twitter CivilianExplodeIndoor Flea Market and Bloody Mary BashT.T. The Bear's PlaceThe CloxThe Gift The Mystical Art and Talent Show at the Mystical Swedenborg Chapel ~ tomorrow night Introducing Yellow Ostrich ~ w/Ra Ra Riot and Delicate Steve at the Paradise Thursday night	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line552
__label__wiki	0.855157	0.855157	http://facebook.com/livexperiencebruce2012 https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzGqQ8KnfPfQ_xFrwEOTHsQ 樂器不是音樂, 只是一個工具懂得樂器不等於懂得音樂，懂得音樂就可以懂得所有樂器人們普遍追求速度，車愈來愈快，電腦愈來愈快；若音樂也一樣追求速度，那麼速度最快的音樂，就只是滴一滴水的音樂，就是沒意義的音樂 EXPERIENCE 經驗樂團 전기문학 2016－Now AUM Official Youtube Channel Bruce Pun Youtube Channel Bruce Pun (Pun Chi Man) graduated from the Music Education of Macao Polytechnic Institute, the same period, he studied drum and percussion with the Beyond 's drummer Yip Sai Wing who is the most famous band in Hong kong. He studied jazz guitar in the CMA Music School in Hong Kong and learned many instrument in Macao Conservatory; such as saxophone, classical guitar, pi pa- and other musical instruments. He had cooperation with many musicians and composers, including Jun Kung , Soler's Dino, The band 'Eastern Red(Vincent Cheng) , Cactus, Li Huifen, etc. In the years. 2001,he won the the Macau Youth Music Competition recorder ensemble first prize and the 2004 Macau Youth Music Competition Classical Guitar first Prize with Honor. 2004 he went to France 's 'Ecole normale de musique de paris' to study classical guitar ,he has composed many kind of music,and regularly performing jazz with Toast Club in Paris,In 2006, he was invited by the French Plume Noire Publication, he composed the guitar and cello duo piece ' Pas de Desire' for the closing ceremony of the salon and premier perform on the same day. In early 2007 he arranged the soundtrack 'Arabia Karaok' for the video works for the multimedia artist Alice Kwok 's video works who is stay in Paris also. In the same year,He composed 6 solo guitar pieces for 6 picture ink picture which was draw by the Ink painter Hong Wai, who is stay in Paris. Bruce Pun gave his first personal concert in the opening of the picture exhibition. 2009, in Paris, he participate in the the VILLA LOBOS centenary concert, in the same year, He got the Diploma in classical guitar virtuoso. 2009, 2010, 2011 he joined the band Experience and played in MACAU HUSH marathon rock music festival. In 2011, Bruce Pun invitation of the Macao Arts Festival,in the Arts Festival,he performed the guitar suite which he was composed in Paris for the painter Hong Wai in 2007. He is classical guitar professor in the Macao Conservatory. Right after he return to his home town, he was first invited by the Macao Art festival and performed his composition < Bi Wu - Guitar Suite > which he was performed in PARIS in 2007. In the year of 2011, He started to work with the drama society, and the first milestone was acted as the music director of the drama <SI CHUN Good Woman>. In 2012 ,he was invited by the Macao Arts Festival's silent film 'Nosferatu' and composed back ground music for the live performance, the same year the song "Perhaps", "children's songs" were included in the iBAND2 album and '6 / 7 hints' album Bruce Pun also took part in most of the arrangement for the album '6 / 7 hints'. 2013, he was the third time invited by the Macao Art festival and performed with the Macao composer Nyo Kong kie for the Concert < Tomb 's event >, after his return to classical music. He was invited by the 1st Macao World Music Festival ( la fete de la musique) and act as the band leader of his band - EXPERIENCE. and with great feed back for the outstanding performance while they are performing on a truck in the town center of Macao. Bruce is the music director of the upcoming drama "Dead Wall", which is presented by Macau OX ware house. His Band EXPERIENCE new album "NOW PEACE" released in 2013 fall winter. 2014 Bruce Pun new song "My Fado" published in the album "the sound of Macau". He was invited by the "2014 Summer Music Festival" as opening performer; In July, co-starred with the member of KPOP group "2PM" - HWANG CHANSUNG in the Chinese TV show "If Love". In August, his composition <MY FADO> got the most popular song of TDM's 2014 Music award, Bruce is the music director of the Drama "Medicine". In November, Bruce's band EXPERIENCE crossover HK famous rock band - TAI CHI at Macau Cultural Centre. Afterwards, their new album "EXPERIENCE of EXPERIENCE" launched in HUSH 10th anniversary. 2014 and 2015, composed the movie soundtrack for "Caged" and "In Memory Of Her", which selected in "Macau International Film & Video Festival" and "Local View Power". 2015, invited to composed the movie soundtracks of "colorful love" which casted by Ms. Hawaii Wong, a famous HK movie star. The theme song "You are beautiful" is sung by the band EXPERIENCE led by Bruce. The album "EXPERIENCE OF EXPERIENCE" released in March 2015 issued at Taiwan, also offered in itunes and kkbox. Afterwards, Bruce was invited to perform for the opening ceremony of Macau Design Center. The new song "FLU" recorded in the album "Macau Sound 3" and issued at August. The Portuguese Magazine "REVISTA MACAU" interviewed his band "EXPERIENCE", published in September. They composed a song《至愛》for Associação dos Familiares Encarregados dos Deficientes Mentais de Macau. For shows, music compositions, or other requests, please contact us at: AumRecord@gmail.com 2015 AUM Pulishing Co. Ltd. © All Right Reserved.	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line557
__label__wiki	0.731107	0.731107	Manchester City News Manchester United News Real Madrid News Atletico De Kolkata News Delhi Dynamos News FC Goa News Mumbai City FC News Transfer Gossips Fabinho Admits Frustration Over His Failed Move By Naveen Kelvin \| November 1, 2017 \| 0 Reuters / Kai Pfaffenbach For much of the summer, the name that kept featuring in the transfer speculation was that of Fabinho. It was open knowledge that Man Utd and PSG were adamantly trying to secure his signature, amongst other top names in Europe. But Monaco held out on all offers for him, not wanting to lose out on the 24-year old, after having already seen the likes of Kylian Mbappe, Bernardo Silva, Tiemoue Bakayoko and Benjamin Mendy making big moves over the course of the summer. However, in a recent interview with Nice Matin, the defensive midfielder has revealed: “During the window, it was difficult because I was not sure if I would be staying. I was closer to leaving than staying. Playing in that context was not good. My head was elsewhere.” He also talked about the toll that all the speculation and offers were taking on him: “Unconsciously, I was not giving my maximum. I was not trying to give a bad image, I could never do that. I was frustrated at the end of the window but I have turned the page.” When United’s interest eventually died out after they signed Nemanja Matic from Chelsea, PSG emerged as another tempting destination. In fact, till the very last moment, the Parisian club was desperate to rope in the Brazilian as part of Mbappe’s sensational move, but the reigning Ligue 1 champions were headstrong in their intent of not parting ways with him. Fabinho added: “I could not forget about what the club had promised me. I was sure I was right and I thought about fighting for it. But I discussed it with my friends, my family, my agent; it was not an easy decision. The image it would have given was not me. Even if it was the only solution, I did not want to clash with the club.” Despite this transfer saga, his form hasn’t suffered one bit this season. With 14 appearances under his belt already, the talented player has cemented his spot as a regular, and is currently tied under contract till 2019. Keep up to date with the biggest transfer news from the Premier League, La Liga, Serie A and a lot more Written by Naveen Kelvin A writer trying to craft the poetry within football. Purpose in life is to Make Good Art. ← Manchester United 2-0 Benfica: Five Talking PointsHow A Failed Swap Deal Stopped Ronaldo From Joining Juventus → What Solskjaer Said About ‘New Striker’ Signing After Rashford’s Injury Roy Keane On Martial: ‘He Is Not Good Enough For United’ Twitter Reacts To Fred’s Dominating Midfield Performance vs Liverpool Twitter Reacts To Haaland’s Hat-trick On Dortmund Debut What Fans Are Saying About Bruno Fernandes’ Performance vs Benfica Copyright © 2019. BLAME SPORTS MEDIA PRIVATE LIMITED	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line561
__label__cc	0.547137	0.452863	LIME Asset Management's Funds Tied up in Overseas Real Estate Project Financing Tied up in Financing for Cambodia Resort Development More than 110 billion won out of LIME Asset Management’s 1.6 trillion won PEF investment that has yet to be redeemed has been found to be tied up in real estate project financing in Cambodia. RAUM Investment, a company closely related to LIME Asset Management, made an investment in a Cambodian resor Money \| Yoon Young-sil \| January 20, 2020, 12:01 The Highest Rating in Vietnam's Banking Sector Shinhan Bank Vietnam announced on Jan. 16 that S&P granted a long-term credit rating of BB.At present, Vietnamese banks’ credit ratings range from BB- to B+ and Shinhan Bank Vietnam has the highest S&P credit rating in the banking sector of the country, whose sovereign credit rating is also BB. The Foreign Investors Increasing Investment in KOSPI Firms 39% of KOSPI Market Owned by Foreigners The Korea Financial Investment Association announced on Jan. 16 that foreign investors accounted for 38.9 percent of the aggregate value of the KOSPI stock market on Jan. 14, 585.98 trillion won out of 1,506.53 trillion won to be specific. The ratio is the highest since Aug. 8, 2006, when it reached KB Financial Group and 3 PEFs Vying for Prudential Life Insurance 4-way Race for Prudential Life KB Financial Group and three private equity funds (PEF) have participated in the preliminary tender for the financially-sound Prudential Life Insurance, which is estimated to be worth about two trillion won (US$1.72 billion).Woori Financial Group has not joined the preliminary tender, but it can for Through Investment in Korean Startup Global cryptocurrency exchange Binance announced on Jan. 16 that it has invested in Korean startup BXB to enter the Korean cryptocurrency market.BXB is a startup that issues stablecoins. A stablecoin is a new class of cryptocurrency backed by a reserve asset to offer price stability."We are currentl Up 16.1% from Previous Year The Korea Securities Depository (KSD) announced on Jan. 15 that the annual fund profit dividends increased by 16.1 percent to 21,177.3 billion won last year.Specifically, public fund dividends increased 4.51 percent to 3,519.6 billion won and private fund dividends increased 18.7 percent to 17,657.7 Listed Companies Expressing Concerns Ahead of Shareholder Meetings New Regulations Take Effect Next Month Listed companies are expressing concerns over the recently revised enforcement decrees of the Commercial Act and the Capital Markets Act, which are scheduled to take effect next month.According to the former decree, the term of an outside director in a listed company cannot exceed six years and it i 17 KOSDAQ Firms Faces Delisting Due to Poor Earnings Investors Beware Korean companies went through many difficulties in 2019. As the 2019 earnings announcement season approaches, much attention is being paid to whether companies designated as issues for administration will be delisted.Companies that recorded operating losses over the last five business years are subj Overseas Investment Funds Reach 184 Tril. Won, Accounting for 30% of Total Funds Private Equity Funds Attracting Wealthy People Overseas investment funds, which invest in overseas stocks, bonds and real estate, have surpassed 180 trillion won (about US$155 billion), accounting for about 30 percent of all investment funds. Private equity-type overseas investment funds mainly targeting wealthy people have grown rapidly.The amo FSS Sanctions 4 Foreign Banks for Violation of Bidding Regulations Punished for Fixing Bidding Prices The Financial Supervisory Service (FSS) announced on Jan. 13 that it has imposed sanctions on the Seoul branches of BNP Paribas Bank, Deutsche Bank, J.P. Morgan Chase Bank and Hong Kong & Shanghai Bank for their violation of laws and regulations related to forward exchange, currency swap and foreign Operations Normalized after Theft Upbit, a South Korean cryptocurrency exchange that suffered a theft of 58 billion won (about US$50 million) in Ethereum at the end of November 2019, has resumed its Ethereum deposit and withdrawal services.Upbit resumed its deposit and withdrawal services on Ethereum on Jan. 13, following the normal Long-term Investment in Government Bonds Increases Last Year Government Bond Turnover Ratio Falls The Korea Financial Investment Association announced on Jan. 12 that the annual turnover ratio of government bonds in the over-the-counter bond market fell 27 percentage points to 312.64 percent in 2019. It is lower than the 403.8 percent level recorded during the global financial crisis of 2008.The South Koreans’ Credit Card Payment Related to Japan Drops in H2 Last Year A Result of Japan Boycott South Koreans’ offline credit card payment in Japan and credit card payment in Japanese online shopping malls totaled 355.47 billion won in the second half of last year. The amount fell 30.4 percent from the same period of the previous year in the wake of their boycott of Japanese products that star Shinhan Financial Group and KKR Raise Alternative Investment Fund A Tailor-made Fund for Shinhan Shinhan Financial Group and Kohlberg Kravis Roberts (KKR) raised a fund of US$200 million for better global alternative investment. Established in 1976, KKR managed various assets worth a total of US$194.7 billion as of December 2018 and is currently running 21 offices in 16 countries located in fou Overseas Investment Funds Attract Large Amount of Floating Capital Due to Domestic Stock Market Slump The size of foreign investment funds available in South Korea increased from 135.94 trillion won to 183.69 trillion won in 2019 alone and more than doubled in three years. The net asset value of the funds was more than 190.87 trillion won at the end of last year.Such a rapid growth has to do with la Money \| Yoon Young-sil \| January 9, 2020, 13:10 Financial Authorities Monitoring Financial Market Regarding Iran Risks Financial Uncertainties Increase The financial authorities of South Korea announced on Jan. 8 that the Financial Services Commission and the Financial Supervisory Service are running a market monitoring team with regard to financial uncertainties related to the conflict between the United States and Iran.According to the financial To Attain 'Beyond 1.5+' Lee Dae-hoon, president of NH Nonghyup Bank, started his first on-site management in 2020 with a video call with the heads of the bank’s global offices on Jan. 3.The video call connected Lee simultaneously with employees of the bank’s offices in New York of the United States, Hanoi of Vietnam and Be Korean Easy Payment Service Providers Rushing to Overseas Markets No Money Exchange Needed During Overseas Trips As the South Korean market for easy payment services has grown close to three times in two years, the service providers are now moving to expand their businesses to overseas markets.They are planning to enable travelers to use their easy payment services without exchanging money, especially in Asian Mirae Asset Stands Out in Foreign Stock Fund Market Largest Fund Provider in Korea Domestic stock funds posted an average return of 9.07 percent in 2019, when the average return of foreign stock funds amounted to 25.8 percent and the Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) rose 7.67 percent.Last year, Mirae Asset Global Investments stood out in the foreign stock fund market. The Three-year Treasury Bond Sale Oversubscribed Bond Market Bullish As Middle East Risks Rise The Ministry of Economy and Finance conducted a public tender for three-year treasury bonds on Jan. 6 and the bonds worth a total of 2.2 trillion won were sold at a weighted average rate of 1.26 percent. Bidders came up with 6.48 trillion won.The bidding finished at one basis point higher than the b	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line566
__label__wiki	0.835055	0.835055	What now? What next? Insights into Australia's tertiary education sector What ASQA should do differently - insights from Judith Bowler and Kerri Buttery November 14, 2019 Episode 13 Nov 14, 2019 Episode 13 Claire Field Pragmatic and cost-effective ideas on how to improve ASQA's regulatory model Apple Podcasts Spotify Google Podcasts Stitcher Overcast Pocket Cast Castro Castbox Podchaser RSS Feed In this episode Claire speaks with two more VET experts on the simple changes ASQA could make to improve its regulatory approach. The conversation was recorded just before ASQA released its consultation paper on its new fee structure in a full-cost recovery environment. Judith Bowler heads up RTO Advance (http://rtoadvance.com.au) and Kerri Buttery leads VETNexus (https://vetnexus.com.au) If you haven't seen the ASQA consultation paper it's available on their website https://www.asqa.gov.au/about/fees-and-charges/provide-feedback-proposed-asqa-fees-and-charges-2020-21 and you have until 9 December to provide your feedback. A few of the suggestions made by Kerri and Judith echo the regulatory approaches and tools previously in use at the National Audit and Registration Agency. If you're interested in finding out more see: https://www.clairefield.com.au/the-nara-model/ Finally a thank you to the sponsors of the show CareerFAQs (https://www.careerfaqs.com.au) All content © 2020 What now? What next? Insights into Australia's tertiary education sector.	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line567
__label__cc	0.614493	0.385507	Village / County Departments Council Schedule Village Ordinances Engineer > Village Engineer / Zoning Inspector County Engineer Cardington Volunteer Fire Department Income Tax Facts Mayor > Cardington Police Department Pool > Pool Membership & Info Recreation Board > Recreation Board Information Village Employment Opportunities > Police Officer Application Forms / Permits Utility Signup A picturesque - friendly place to live and work Cardington, a tranquil village of 2,000 residents, is intersected at its one stop light square by two highways, State Route 529 and U S Highway 42. Paralleling Main Street (Highway 42) is the Whetstone River where in 1824 two businessmen, Peleg Bunker and Horton Howard, developed the carding mill business at the end of Fourth Street on the river - a business for fulling and dressing cloth - and thus was born the name “Cardington”. Business has been the back bone of the village throughout its almost two hundred year history, from a Handle factory, fireworks, the Peck Furniture Factory, a cabinet shop, etc. among the dozens functioning from the village. With easy access for shipping and receiving on the highway and the railroad garnered by the village in 1854, it was a hub of employment. With those manufacturing concerns came grocery stores, clothing stores, shoe stores, drug stores, doctors, lawyers and dentists to meet the needs of its citizens. The townspeople showed their grittiness when following tragedies, they regrouped and rebuilt. Tragic railroad accidents, blizzards and floods, were overcome by residents as they moved forward. The June 13, 1981 tornado which tore a path through the village’s Main Street leveling century old buildings, the most calami-tous event to strike the village, brought residents to a standstill but only for a few hours. Soon after clean-up, the Tree Committee was busy replacing the 800 trees destroyed, and a Beautification Committee was organized and was soon planting flowers and greenery throughout the village. The village council and economic director began plans for business development and the Cardington Industrial Park was established. This is now the location for Cardington Yutaka Technologies. A focal point since the village was founded has always been the school with loyalty shown through the public support of school levies and events at the K-12 school. The village, with a first class volunteer fire department, EMS Squad and police department and a dedicated village council, offers a tranquil and friendly environment and the Friends of Cardington, an energetic organization of residents and business people, is sparking new interest with their Christmas in Cardington, Memorial Day parade and events, the Street Fair and the Halloween party, all combined to make Cardington one great place to live and work. Written by: Evelyn Long	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line569
__label__cc	0.696477	0.303523	GARDEN TOURS OF ITALY Home Beautiful Australia Gardenia Italy Garden and Home South Africa Haute Space Marie Claire Maison Italy Dachterrassen Germany D di Repubblica Italy January 1, 2019 / Garden Design / Travel THE GARDEN TOUR OF NAPLES, SICILY AND SARDINIA. Are you planning to visit Italy in May but you want to see something different? Would you like to visit some unique gardens guided by an expert? Would you like a local guide that shows you places that only Italians know? If your answer is ‘YES!’ you should join me for the garden tour of Naples, Sicily and Sardinia. I am thrilled with this opportunity that the travel agency Opulent Journeys has given to me: indeed I am not only happy to share what I know about gardens, but I am also excited to show you where I grew up and all my favourite places. Designed for a group of maximum 25 people, this trip won’t be only about gardens, monuments and plants, but I would like you to experience the true Italian atmosphere. The tour will start in Napoli, and from there we will visit the Royal Palace of Caserta, UNESCO heritage listed site and one of the largest palaces of the world. I don’t want to spoil the surprise, but maybe you remember this incredible place from the TV series Monty Don’s Italian Gardens, broadcasted by BBC. From Napoli we will fly to Palermo, in Sicily, where my family comes from. I lived for two and a half years after I graduated in Sardinia and before I moved to Milan. Palermo is a charming city because of its unique mix of Baroque, Norman-Arab and Liberty architecture. It is also fun, noisy, coloured, and full of contrasts. In Palermo I am working on a couple of surprises. Firstly, I would like to introduce you to a real Princess: Vittoria Alliata di Villafranca. Writer and Italian translator of J.R.R. Tolkien, she lives in a majestic Villa built in the XVIII century where we will have lunch with her. Villa Valguarnera After a special visit at the Palermo Botanic Gardens guided by its director, I would like you to introduce you to a special friend of mine: Massimiliano Marafon Pecoraro. He is a Researcher at the Department of Historic and Artistic Studies at the University of Palermo. In particular he will share with us everything he knows about two breathtaking monuments: Palazzo Alliata di Pietratagliata a medieval palazzo in the historical centre of the city, and the Palazzina Cinese built in the XIX century and designed in the style of Chinoiserie. The botanic garden in Palermo Palazzo Alliata di Pietratagliata Palazzina Cinese After leaving Palermo we will stop in Agrigento. A thousand words are not enough to describe the beauty of the Temple Valley: one of the largest archaeological sites of the world where Greek temples are nestled in a profusion of olive and almond trees. Agrigento has something else to offer, a true ‘jewel’: the Kolymbetra garden. In the ancient Greek culture, gardens were a place for cultivation more than for leisure, usually sited out of the city. Next to the Temple Valley, we will explore this garden probably designed by the Greeks in the IV century B.C., where citrus trees grow next to spontaneous plants. The Temple Valley The Kolymbetra garden Next stops are Ragusa, Modica and Siracusa. Maybe you’ve heard about them because of the TV show ‘Inspector Montalbano’, broadcasted here in Australia by SBS. If you haven’t, no sweat: we will have a walk through the historical centre of these beautiful Baroque cities that are a UNESCO Heritage listed site. The inspector Montalbano in Ragusa The last destination of our Sicilian tour will be the iconic Taormina, with its Greek-Roman amphitheatre that overlooks Mount Etna. Here you will also discover how the English gardener Florence Trevelyan, ended up in the city in 1884 and realised one of the most outstanding gardens of the city. The Greek theater in Taormina The Trevelyan garden From Catania we will fly to Sardinia, where I was born. Differently from Sicily, Sardinia is still wild and untouched, but not less charming. In Cagliari I will introduce you to a friend, Maurizio Usai: he is a talented Landscape Architect that maybe you remember because of this article I wrote for Garden Drum some time ago – Sa Pedro Arrubia: Maurizio Usai’s Garden. Sa Pedra Arrubia Maurizio has designed gardens in Italy, Spain and in the UK, translating the English tradition of the mixed border in the Mediterranean environment. He’s also a rose expert: he will show us his private garden and share with us some of his best tips for growing a lush garden in a dry climate. Travelling to the North we will have a stop at the pre historic site of Barumini: “During the late 2nd millennium B.C. in the Bronze Age, a special type of defensive structure known as nuraghi (for which no parallel exists anywhere else in the world) developed on the island of Sardinia. The complex consists of circular defensive towers in the form of truncated cones built of dressed stone, with corbel-vaulted internal: The complex at Barumini, which was extended and reinforced in the first half of the 1st millennium under Carthaginian pressure, is the finest and most complete example of this remarkable form of prehistoric architecture.” (Citation from UNESCO.org) After Barumini we will stop in Bosa, a small village on the North West coast for a glass of wine and a good rest. The route that leads from Bosa to Alghero is stunning: a breathtaking landscape, the sea and the lush Mediterranean vegetation are the ingredients of this magic. After a bit of shopping in Alghero, famous for jewels and coral, I will take you to the outstanding Grotte di Nettuno (Neptune’s Grotto), a stalactite cave near the town. Grotte di Nettuno Another thing that I desperately want to share with you is Stintino, were I spent most of my summer holidays from 1983, and the natural paradise of the Asinara Island, a National Park known for its untouched landscape and its albino donkeys. Asinara Island We will catch up again with Maurizio in the Eastern part of Sardinia. In Tempio he will show us another beautiful garden he designed, i Fontanili. He will also lead us for a private and exclusive tour of the garden of Villa Certosa in Porto Cervo, former residence of Silvio Berlusconi and one of the most outstanding contemporary Italian Gardens. I Fontanili I hope that in Olbia, where the tour finishes, you will feel like you have experienced one of the most exciting travels of your life. For more information and booking, get in touch please with Opulent Journey by clicking here. Carlo Gabriele Gardens, Garden Tours of Italy carlogabriele carlogabrielegardens	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line576
__label__cc	0.638382	0.361618	Eaton News Home › News › Eaton Leads the Way for Safer Evacuation Systems at IFSEC & Firex 2015 Eaton Leads the Way for Safer Evacuation Systems at IFSEC & Firex 2015 SLOUGH, Protecting people and preserving business with a complete range of proven life safety solutions that are compliant, reliable and user-friendly SLOUGH… Power management company Eaton will provide advice on evacuation technology and best practice during IFSEC / FIREX 2015 as part of a drive to help improve safety standards in commercial buildings. Visitors to the show, which runs from 16 to 18 June at London ExCeL, will have an opportunity to experience Eaton’s comprehensive range of life safety solutions installed into simulations of real life applications. The company’s key focus is to help building owners and managers understand the strategies and systems that must be in place to promote safe evacuation in the event of an emergency. Visitors to stand G180-200 will be shown the latest technology that can support regulatory compliance and protection of people, property and business operations against the potentially catastrophic impact of a life-safety emergency. John Robb, segment manager, commercial buildings EMEA for Eaton, said: “Businesses have a moral and legal obligation to ensure life safety, which not only means having the right systems in place but also ensuring they are properly maintained so that, if the worst happens, they switch into action. It is a complicated area of concern, but as an organisation with vast expertise across many areas of safety, we can help businesses understand their obligations and meet them in a way that is cost-effective and tailored to the way a building is structured and used. We work as a partner to make sure that the right solutions are installed and maintained so that people, property and business continuity are protected.” New products on show will include the CGLine+, an intelligent and cost-effective monitoring system for emergency lighting that runs regular tests to ensure they are in full working order, as required by law. Also on display will be a market-leading range of conventional and addressable visual alarm devices (VADs) that comply with the recently-introduced EN54-23 standard. The new VADs will be among a range of fire notification devices connected to both addressable and conventional control panels offered by Eaton. These solutions will help professionals select the solution that best serves their budget, building size and operational considerations, as well as regulatory requirements that can differ between countries and global regions. Alongside fire detection and notification systems will be mass notification solutions, including Eaton’s Emergency Evacuation System, a distributed public address & voice alarm (PAVA) system designed for the fast evacuation of a building. Mains and emergency lighting will also be on the stand and visitors will have the opportunity to view Eaton’s Micropoint 2 high output, a recessed IP20 LED emergency luminairedesigned to provide a higher light level to specific locations and high risk task areas.Additionally, power management technologies along with access control and intrusion detection, also make a vital contribution to the safety of buildings and will be available to see on the Eaton stand. Eaton will also be showcasing its new two-wire fire system, ‘BiWire Ultra’, whichdelivers significant savings in both cable and installation costs as it allows detection and alarm circuits to share the same cable. The evolution of new technologies and changing regulatory requirements globally have presented business owners, facilities managers, specifiers, consultants, installers and system integrators with a new set of challenges to overcome in choosing how best to ensure life-safety in both new and existing buildings. Experts from Eaton will be on hand to discuss the development of tailored solutions. Drawing from its vast experience and insight into the life safety market, Eaton now offers an array of systems and devices that can be configured to meet specific needs across varied industries and applications. The combination of detection, notification and control is at the core of Eaton’s life safety offering, and all are designed with ease of installation, maintenance and daily usage as high priorities. Being scalable, modular and backwards-compatible, components can be configured within complete solutions that optimise safety, as well as energy efficiency and regulatory compliance. Highlighting the importance of ongoing technical support, experts will be available and equipped with tools, resources and sample equipment to discuss individual challenges, the potential of a safer future and demonstrate the versatility of Eaton’s approach. In addition, fast and efficient detection and notification of fire can dramatically reduce the impact upon business operations. Visitors to the stand will also be able learn about Eaton’s capabilities in power distribution and back-up power solutions that help protect assets, supporting business continuity. Eaton’s electrical business is a global leader with expertise in power distribution and circuit protection; backup power protection; control and automation; lighting and security; structural solutions and wiring devices; solutions for harsh and hazardous environments; and engineering services. Eaton is positioned through its global solutions to answer today’s most critical electrical power management challenges. Eaton is a power management company with 2014 sales of $22.6 billion. Eaton provides energy-efficient solutions that help our customers effectively manage electrical, hydraulic and mechanical power more efficiently, safely and sustainably. Eaton has approximately 102,000 employees and sells products to customers in more than 175 countries. For more information, visit www.eaton.com. Reader enquiries:Mari Radford, Tel: +44 (0) 1633 628504, Email: GBCWM-VisitorEnquiries@Eaton.com Further press information: Please contact Nick Henderson, Technical Publicity, Tel: +44 (0)1582 390980, Email: nhenderson@technical-group.com Colour separations:Please contact Christina Blake. Email: cblake@technical-group.com About Cooper Safety CEAG Emergency Lighting Fulleon Alarm Signalling Devices Life Safety Italy Life Safety Products Benelux Life Safety Products France Life Safety Products Portugal Life Safety and Mass Notification Systems Life and Safety Products Greece, Cyprus and Malta Raxton Products Redapt Products Life Safety Notification Menvier Nugelec Raxton SAFEPATH Connect to Eaton Eaton's B-Line Business Eaton's Bussmann Business Eaton's Crouse-Hinds Business Eaton's Lighting Business Eaton's Power Systems Business Eaton's Safety Business Eaton's Wiring Devices Business Communications & Data Programs and Portals Experience Centers	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line579
__label__wiki	0.503279	0.503279	You are here : Home Carambolim loses its ‘botto’ to urbanisation Panaji: The wonder tree that produced India's second biggest cashew nut, locally called the "botto", has disappeared from its hillside location in Carambolim some time back, even as the cashew industry raises doubts about the future of the centuries-old Portuguese-gifted crop. The 10-gram cashew nut, which the tree produces, along with its luscious yellow apple (Goa's biggest), and two other varieties of nuts from Ganjem in Ponda, and Quepem, were recently released commercially by the Indian council of agricultural research (ICAR), Old Goa. The tree stood in a cashew farm in north east Carambolim, but the site has since been stripped off trees and plots have been demarcated for a housing project. "The mother tree producing the jumbo-sized cashew nut has disappeared from the site," an ICAR scientist said. But, the good news is that the germ plasm of the Carambolim "botto" tree has been conserved for posterity. After 13 years of laboratory trials on grafts produced from the same tree ICAR reproduced the tree variety which produces nuts that fit the international premium grade in cashew nuts. This can help farmers produce quality nuts for processing and tapping market demand. "Conservation of the local germ plasm is very important to protect biodiversity of Goa and Western Ghats, which is a biodiversity hotspot. ICAR has prepared grafts of this tree and preserved it at a gene bank in our Old Goa farm," director, ICAR Eknath Chakurkar said. Captains of the cashew industry are aware about the cumulative threat of rapid development and urbanization in Goa. "The cashew plantation area is fast depleting due to requirement of housing and urbanisation. Moreover, stem borer disease and other factors also affect the crop," president, Goa cashew processors association (GCPA), Madhav Sahakari said. A sizeable 40% of the cashew plantation area is owned by the forest department. "The department only hands harvesting rights every season, but needs to increase the crop with high yielding varieties and better farming methods," adviser, GCPA, A Kamath said. While stakeholders are apprehensive about the dwindling production, they suggest identification of new areas to increase crop area. "The government should set up a special area for cashew development and involve stakeholders to boost this crop that sustains the economy with just a few months of activity," Kamath said. Source: The Times of India	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line580
__label__wiki	0.786842	0.786842	Latest news related to Royal Caribbean Cruise Line and articles submitted by crew members. Find out insight stories from the other side of the Royal Caribbean cruise ships, told by the crew. Royal Caribbean Bartender Among Top 16 in Bacardi Global Finals Representing Royal Caribbean International at the Bacardi Legacy Bartender of the Year Finals 2018 in Mexico City, Shekhar Grover from New Delhi, India has reached the top 16 best bartenders in the world. CEO Ditches The Gen Xers in Favor of 85% of Millennials An astonishing 5,768,496 passengers traveled on Royal Caribbean cruise ships in 2017. But now the CEO wants to take the world's second-largest cruise line operator in a much younger direction, taking direction from Millennials for the brands latest plans. Freedom of the Seas departure delayed after false bomb alert Yesterday's Boarding on the cruise ship Freedom of the Seas has been delayed at Port Everglades Pier 29 for two hours due to a security alert. According to the media report, the terminal went on lockdown after a K9 bomb-sniffing dog thought he smelled something suspicious in what was on a pallet which needed to be loaded on the ship. The suspicious pallet was offloaded on the pier by a truck bringing supplies to the Freedom of the Seas in Port Everglades, Ft. Lauderdale. Royal Caribbean cancels Radiance of the Seas cruise due to propulsion issues Radiance of the Seas 11-Night New Zealand Cruise departing from Sydney, Australia on April 6, will be canceled due to propulsion problems. Royal Caribbean International has released announcement saying that the cruise ship needs to undergo repairs on the Azipod propulsion system, which impacts the ships’ speed and ability to deliver future scheduled cruises. Symphony of the Seas is now the world's largest cruise ship The world's largest cruise ship, Symphony of the Seas, was delivered to Royal Caribbean at the STX France shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, France. The latest Royal Caribbean International ship took three years to complete and enlisted the work of 4,700 shipbuilders and crew. Symphony of the Seas takes the title world’s largest cruise ship of her sister ship of the Oasis Class, Harmony of the Seas. For Crew Only: How to send your packages from the cruise ship without leaving the port Ever wanted to send a package to your loved ones back home, but didn’t have time or didn’t know how to do it? The friendly staff from the Company “For Crew Only” have an easy solution for this. You just need to pack the gifts you want to send back home, send them a message, and they will come to pick up your package at the port. It is that easy! So how does it work? Top 8 Richest People in the Cruise Industry 2018 There's rich. And then there's world's richest people rich. Using the data from the Forbes Billionaires chart 2018, we put together a list of the 8 richest people in the cruise industry. Forbes updates its data regularly, and our list is based on the latest data available for March 15, 2018. Royal Caribbean Co-Founder Gjert Wilhelmsen Has Passed Away The Co-Founder of Royal Caribbean and Shipowner, Gjert Wilhelmsen passed away on February 28, 2018, at the age of 91. Together with his brother Arne and two more Norwegian shipping companies they founded Royal Caribbean Cruise Line in 1969. Royal Caribbean new “All Access Crew Life Tour.” Are you ready for this? Ladies and gentleman, young and old, for the first time in the world for the low price of $79 per guest you can now marvel at a behind the scenes tour of the illusive crew members life on board Royal Caribbean cruise ships. Yes, you heard it right, guests can now book a new tour named "All Access Crew Life Tour" on selected sailings. Starboard to launch exclusive shops on 3 new cruise ships in 2018 The premier retailer in the cruise industry, Starboard Cruise will start several important cruise ship retail openings on three new ships this year. Starboard Cruise will operate shops on three key vessels in 2018, Royal Caribbean Symphony of the Seas and Carnival Horizon set to sail in April, and Celebrity Edge is due to float out in December this year. 4 Women sentenced for using Freedom of the Seas to smuggle cocaine Royal Caribbean Announced Harmony of the Seas Godmother Adventure of the Seas will exit dry dock without complete renovation Cruise Ship Schedules For The Caribbean Ports 2017 DNCE Friendsgiving Concert on Harmony of the Seas	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line582
__label__wiki	0.653463	0.653463	The Chapel of Eternal Love Return to The Chapel of Eternal Love Reader Book Reviews Read book reviews from fans of The Chapel of Eternal Love. Curious? Get your copy. BUY NOW PROFESSIONAL BOOK REVIEWS – CLICK HERE by San Diego - California on The Chapel of Eternal Love A fitting finale to its prequel, Return to The Chapel of Eternal Love, pulls readers into a whirlwind of relationships filled with everything from sheer marital bliss to familial turmoil. A perfect blend of romance and reality, it truly redefines, "happily ever after." by Las Vegas, Nevada on The Chapel of Eternal Love Return to the Chapel of Eternal Love is such a delightful book. Twenty three chapters of emotional energy. It is a sequel to Stephen Murray's, The Chapel of Eternal Love. The individual stories captivated my interest instantly. I giggled, laughed, and cried. I enjoyed reading about the individual love stories of the couples. Rosemary was so caring and giving to all the couples that came to the chapel. And the addition of her dog Buster made the story even better. Enjoyable reads The Chapel of Eternal Love and its sequel Return to the Chapel of Eternal Love were so much fun to read. An entertaining slice of life in Las Vegas. The couples were varied and each of the relationships was unique. It was easy to slide into their lives and hope for the best for each couple…just like being there. The dog, Buster, is a real winner, so real and adorable. by Bayville, New York on The Chapel of Eternal Love A Great Read about America at the Altar The last chapter of Stephen Murray’s wonderful book The Chapel of Eternal Love: Wedding Stories from Las Vegas is entitled “A Day in the Life of a Wedding Chapel.” And what a day! Through the various nuptials in this collection, Murray offers no less than a fascinating cross-section of American culture. He achieves this ambitious vision through subtle, incredibly compact storytelling.Along with an easy humor, Murray demonstrates a poignant empathy for his characters. Whether he captures the psychology of Linh, the Vietnamese immigrant in search of her father who decades ago had been an American soldier in Saigon, or the gentle counsel of chapel director Rosemary, Murray evokes individual perspectives with deftness and economy. The breadth of vision here is impressive from Harley-riding loners to septuagenarian second-timers to an Iraq-war veteran’s correspondence with an anti-war attorney to the young lovers confronted with an unexpected pregnancy to the glamorous model and the photographer to the kindly counselor and the prostitute (not to mention a crazy Elvis-impersonator wedding – hey, the book is set in Vegas). Given such diversity, Murray can juxtapose the hilarious interreligious romance of the Jewish Becky and the Italian Giovanni up against the heartbreaking tale of betrayal suffered by Rosa, an illegal immigrant from Guatemala.From story to story, The Chapel of Eternal Love is constantly engaging and revealing. Grasping loneliness with nuance, Murray presents a book that is Exhibit A about how much a single personal connection can make huge difference. On one level, the book is about identity, maintaining the one that originally defines an individual, but then discovering through another what allows that identity to flourish.Indeed, The Chapel of Eternal Love gets a reader thinking, but, as importantly, it provides so many pleasures that one can’t help but get as swept up in the romance of the book as much as the motivations that propel Murray’s characters to the altar. Return to the Chapel of Eternal Love- Stephen Murray Delivers Stephen Murray delivers what the reader has been waiting for in his sequel, Return to the Chapel of Eternal Love. Five years have passed since we "attended" the weddings of the couples all married on a particular day. We again are allowed a look into their lives as Rosemary prepares to retire. She doesn't know that a fabulous reunion of the couples is also being planned at her surprise farewell party. Again we are instantly drawn into the lives of the couples, Rosemary and the darling Buster. Stephen Murray delights us with the follow up stories, as we take a nostalgic trip with the characters who feel more like our friends! by San Diego, California on The Chapel of Eternal Love The Chapel of Eternal Love - Endearing. The Chapel of Eternal Love is an endearing "ride-along" with a diverse group of couples who have unique lives and love stories. The Fairy God Mother at the heart of the Chapel is Rosemary, the wedding organizer, with her adorable dachshund, Buster. Rosemary possesses an instant rapport with each of the couples whose weddings she oversees at the Chapel. Although she works her magic without a wand, she seems to hone in on exactly what is needed to make the wedding day a lovely experience the couples will always treasure. Stephen Murray has the ability to bring his characters to life and as such, the reader feels privileged to "be" at their weddings. Each chapter instantly brings the reader into the lives of these people as we find ourselves wishing them all the best on their special day. by Las Vegas, Nevada. on The Chapel of Eternal Love Calling All Romantics! The Chapel of Eternal Love:Simply charming! A quick read -- only about 175 pages. A "day in the life" of a Wedding Chapel Administrator. The people she meets and helps. I was delighted that Mr. Murray wrote a sequel! I found myself caring about the characters! I highly recommend for any romantic!Return To The Chapel of Eternal Love:This is the sequel to The Chapel of Eternal Love. I am so happy that Mr. Murray wrote the sequel! I found myself caring about the characters in the first book! This was a quick read for me! Being the incurable romantic that I am, I was delighted. Hey Mr. Murray -- any chance there will be a 3-quel? The Chapel of Eternal Love: Wedding Stories from Las Vegas is an exquisitely written collection of unique tales, each one engaging and inspiring in its own way. This book restores hope of the possibility of finding true love to even the greatest of cynics... by Florida. on The Chapel of Eternal Love Stephen Murray has me hooked on several characters in the first book. I love how Stephen was able to keep my attention throughout the book ( which is very difficult for me ). I totally loved this book and cannot wait to start my second of the series.I am so looking forward to having Mr. Murray on my show May 18, 2017 at 2:00 PM EST. © 2020 The Chapel of Eternal Love	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line584
__label__wiki	0.583938	0.583938	In January 1965 my parents up and moved from Sioux City to Houston* and took me with them. It was a difficult time, having to adjust to a new school and a new neighborhood in the middle of the eighth grade. To this day, hearing Petula Clark's "Downtown" will trigger a flashback of that time's adolescent anxiety and unhappiness. But there was a great distraction in Houston that winter and spring. The fabulous Harris County Domed Stadium was about to open. The Astrodome was the biggest thing in town, on many levels. I acquired a thick souvenir guidebook and leafed through it hour upon hour. I learned that the roof was constructed using a system of interlocking steel triangles called lamella trusses, and that there was room under said roof for an 18 story building (canonically, the nearby Shamrock Hilton). I learned that there were no fewer than six restaurants in the building, and was properly impressed by pictures of the ritzy skybox suites. I learned about the 40,000 plus "theater style" seats. I read about the "acoustic nightmare" solved by the ingenious public address system, and the hundreds of holes drilled into the bottom of each and every theater-style seat to help alleviate the situation. I learned about the private Xanadu Judge Hofheinz built for himself high above the right field mezzanine, and about the x thousand moveable field level seats and the y horsepower motors that drove them on tracks into football configuration in only z hours. I read about the doomed Bermuda hybrid selected for the field, and the soon-to-be-infamous three by five foot translucent panels in the ceiling. It's trendy now to trash this revolutionary and beautiful ballpark, but as someone once said, you can tell the pioneers by the arrows in their backs. It's unfair to lump the Astrodome with the bland, multipurpose stadiums built concurrently in National League cities St. Louis, Pittsburg, Philadelphia, and Cincinnati. A roof and air conditioning were necessities in Houston; there was simply no way to have Wrigley Field-style baseball on the Texas Gulf Coast. Parking was never an issue at the Eighth Wonder of the World. There was room for a stadium full of people, each arriving in their own Winnebago. You could walk a quarter mile from the building in any direction and still be in the parking lot. Now finding your car after the game in hundreds of landmark-free acres of cars, that was an issue. The main air conditioning unit loomed on the left as you walked up the ramp of the East entrance. The splashing waterfall type, it was massive. And it worked. Over the years, the Dome was always cool. If anything, too cool. The Pavilion was the Astrodome’s bleacher section. For many years, it cost $1.50 to sit in the Pavilion and watch a major league game. This was a damn good deal, although I once saw an NBA doubleheader at Hofheinz Pavilion for 75¢ and an empty potato chip bag. You couldn’t leave the Pavilion without holding a ticket stub for a more expensive seat (basically, any seat that wasn’t in the Pavilion). Older gentlemen in blue Astrodome blazers stood at the left and right field gates checking each person that tried to escape. But I discovered you could sneak out by crawling under a toilet stall wall, emerging in a stall in an mirror-imaged bathroom on the Mezzanine side of the fence. A couple of years later they blocked this exit with two by fours and hurricane fencing. By then I had too much dignity to crawl under a toilet stall partition anyway. Before games, Dad liked to feed us at the Domeskeller, a buffet-style eatery under the Pavilion seats. My father is a fan of all things German, although there was nothing especially charming about the concrete-themed Domeskeller. You’d get your food from a steam table and then sit at picnic tables placed against the outfield wall. You could see out onto the field through wire fencing. I once met the Jet Pack man down there behind the center field wall and got to look closely at his machine. Initially, people were excited about Astroturf. It was state of the art. It was supernaturally green. It didn't require mowing. It had zippers. There hadn't been untold thousands of head, knee and ankle injuries on the stuff yet. In fact, we were told that Astroturf would actually reduce football injuries. They installed Monsanto's brain child the second year, 1966, as a response to the grass dying. The grass died because they had to paint over the translucent roof panels so that outfielders could follow fly balls during day games. They apparently had some Astroturf left over and used it as carpeting here and there in the stadium. At a game in early 1966 I actually hacked off a foot square chunk near an elevator in the Domeskeller area (someone had the idea before me, because it was already cut up). I figured I would practice kicking field goals off it. I also made off with a shoebox-sized box of Houston Apollos pocket schedules that year, maybe at the same game. Charlie Palmquist, Teen Vandal. The Dome is owned by the citizens of Harris County. They built the thing, amazingly, for a little over $40 million. Nowadays, $40 million spent on a big league stadium might get most of the hole dug. The Houston Sports Association, the owners of the Astros, signed a 40 year lease for just under $1 million a year. Nowadays, $1 million a year will get you a third string catcher. You could walk all the way to the top of the Dome over a spidery network of ramps and stairs that began near a skybox on the third base side. Knock on wood, being allowed to make this trek during a game would have been a good Make a Wish Foundation request—had young Charlie been stricken with a disease more serious than myopia. The so-called gondola, a large lighting truss that could be lowered for special events, was usually empty but once in a while they'd put a fearless cameraman up there. It was more than 200 feet from the gondola to the second base dirt. For those too impatient to wait for a ballgame there were Astrodome Tours. In the 60s, no relative's stay in Houston was complete without a visit to the Dome. You'd cruise into that huge empty parking lot and join a few dozen cars at the west entrance. Tours were a couple of bucks and started every hour. A perky guide with a microphone and portable PA walked you completely around the stadium, moving up and down through the various levels, pausing occasionally to let us rest in a "theater style" seat and just take in the purple, orange, yellow, green, and red wonder of it all. I should have applied for a job as guide--I certainly had the knowledge. National League Baseball was the Dome's centerpiece, its reason for existence. During summers when I was home from college, and later, during my first couple of years working for the Air Pollution Control Department my friend Scott Starks and I often went to the ball game. Always to approximately the same seats, in the far right field Pavilion. There we'd watch the game over Jose Cruz's shoulder, along with the rest of the right field gang, including Earl (“The Chief”) and his cronies, and Linda and Steve and their two kids. More on Cruz’s Crew in a minute. A stuntman once planned a pre-game attraction in which he would drop in a special barrel from the Gondola into a small tank of water near second base. He didn't make it. A bad release, wind currents, quantum effects, or simple bad luck pushed the barrel slightly off line. The barrel hit the edge of the tank and the stuntman died. That must have put quite a damper on that night's game. I'm glad I wasn't there. Ali vs. the Karate Guy After one otherwise routine game (or was it before?), workers dragged closed circuit screens onto the field, and Scott and I were treated to a live exhibition between Muhammad Ali and a karate champion. What a joke! The karate guy spent most of the fight crabbing around on his back trying to kick Ali in the shins. I lost a lot of respect for karate watching this pathetic show. It was pretty clear that the hand moves of a boxer were superior to the hand moves of a karate expert. This guy didn't want any part of Ali. Rotating Herb on a Stool For hour upon languid hour, between the start of batting practice and the "batter up" call at 7:35 PM, the PA system would play catchy and interchangeable Herb Alpert hits such as "Spanish Flea," "A Taste of Honey," and "Tijuana Taxi." The music was accompanied on the scoreboard by the slowly rotating image of a trumpeter on a stool. Speaking of Astrodome music, the Judge's daughter, Dene Hofheinz Mann, got plenty of airtime in the sixties on the Dome's giant PA. I could make a joke here involving the phrase "acoustic nightmare," but her Astrodome song wasn't bad, especially the snappy chorus. The lyrics are from memory and if someone knows them all, please email me. Got the weather beat Ironically, right about the time Alanis Morissette was coming into this world a few minutes behind twin brother Wade, I first became aware of O Canada, the Canadian national anthem. They’d play it before Expos games. Scott and I eventually learned all the words and would sing along and laugh hysterically; what was so funny, I can't remember. It's actually a pretty good tune, as national anthems go. Once between innings I looked up at the main scoreboard over my right shoulder and read a news bulletin that Richard Nixon had resigned the Presidency of the United States. Everyone knew it was coming, so I wasn't shocked. But it did generate a buzz from the crowd—the sound of ten thousand conversations starting at once. One night Scott and I read in lights that the US had pulled everyone out of Saigon, that it had fallen to the North Vietnamese. Another odd murmur ensued. In the most famous single game ever played in the Dome, in 1968 Elvin "Big E" Hayes led the University of Houston to a close victory over Lew Alcindor's UCLA team. [For the sports impaired, I'm talking about basketball here.] I wasn't actually at the game, but I was listening intently to a Zenith table radio in my parent's kitchen three miles away. Go Cougs! Talk about civic pride. I went with Dad and Grandpa Palmquist to the very first regular season game played at the Dome, in April 1965. My first view of the field as we moved down the aisle to our seats was unforgettable: a visual feast of color, complexity, and titanic scale. Of course, it was sold out. We were in the red seats (field boxes) down the right field line. Final score: Phillies 2, Astros 0. Richie Allen accounted for all the scoring with a two run homer. Unknown rookie Joe Morgan played second; Sonny Jackson, current Giants coach, was a rookie shortstop. To send the crowd away happy, they set the scoreboard off at the end of the game even though we didn't win and certainly didn't hit any homeruns. A final note: In those days many people smoked, and it was pretty hazy in there by the end of the game. I wonder if some anxious phone calls went out to the Carrier people. Later that first year Dad took pal Alex Smith and me to a big Dodger game—Koufax vs. Dierker. In those days, Koufax was almost unhittable and just about every one of his road games was a sellout. Dierker beat him that day, 2-zip, before a SRO crowd. Larry went on to become an announcer for the locals and has been the manager for the last few seasons. Now you chuckin' in there, Larry! The Sorry Atlanta Braves In my mid 1970s, heavy baseball-watching period, Atlanta was a terrible team. They had no pitching and a uniquely sloppy defense. The Astros seldom had trouble beating these guys. I bet we won 80% of our home games against Atlanta in this period. They were a far cry from today's Braves. Frozen Ropes, Coming and Going In terms of hitting the ball hard consistently, nobody came close to Roberto Clemente. The Pirates were a good hitting team generally and it seemed like Clemente drove the ball almost every at bat. If he got a home run, it was of the line drive variety. He also had an amazing throwing arm. I got a good look at how hard he could throw the ball sitting out there in the right field Pavilion. Most Booed Opposing Player Without a doubt, cocky Pete Rose. The crowd loved to boo him and he reciprocated by liking it. Most booed opposing manager: again, without a doubt, the Dodger's Tommy Lasorda. He didn't like the booing as much, though. People drank beer at the games and concessionaire Araserve didn't hit a home run with traditionalists when they sent out vendors with trays of tepid beer in soggy cups covered with saran wrap, unlike the fresh pours from iced bottles provided by authentic beer men in traditional ballparks. Still, Houstonians made do. In later years one had the option of a "bucket of beer," a tub the size of a Costco cereal box. Once during a special promotion the beer was 5¢ a cup. For several years, if a homerun happened at just the right time on a Foamer Friday, the beer was free. Once night in the Pavilion some guys to my left were drinking and getting rowdy. They had at least one Bucket in the group. Eventually, a kid on a date sitting in front of the rowdies turned around to complain to them about the language, or getting his chair kicked or something. Words were exchanged, and then suddenly, splash! The guy with the date was hit with a full cup of beer, right in the face. He was wet and sputtering! Moral: Don’t hassle drunk people at games, even when you are in the right. As I mentioned, the far right field Pavilion crowd—the Chief and his cronies, Linda, Steve, and Linda and Steve’s kids—called themselves Cruz’s Crew. Jose Cruz played right field, so he was the one player I got to see up close. (I knew Linda's name because she almost always wore a softball shirt with her name on the back.) They liked Scott and me, although we didn’t go out there quite as regularly as the crew. I suppose we were honorary members of Cruz’s Crew. Scott said the Chief, real name Earl, was a probably a professional man, perhaps a barber. This rang true. Earl was an entertainer: When the other team went to a relief pitcher, the scoreboard would show a cartoon of a dejected hurler walking sadly to the showers. But when he turned the water on, it wasn't water! Some explosive substance worked its way through the pipes and blew up in the poor pitcher's face. The Chief would loudly narrate this cartoon to the amusement of everyone in the section. "Look out! That's not water! That's not water!" he would cackle as everyone laughed. Of course, everyone was already in a good mood at that point because if they were playing that tape, the Astros had a rally going. [I happened to hear the Mission Impossible theme the other night and remembered that this was the music played during the "to the showers" cartoon. It may have even been called "Pitching Impossible."] Remember the infamous UH/Tulsa game? Does 100 – 6 ring a bell? That was University of Houston football, Astrodome style. The Cougars were explosively fast, possibly because UH was quicker than the schools of the more prestigious Southwest Conference to fully embrace black athletes. Triple option right, last second pitch, and a whippet-quick halfback makes an Astroturf cut and goes 63 yards for a touchdown. Still, Bill Yeoman should have been ashamed of himself, and probably was, for running up the score like that. The Now-Defunct Houston Oilers occupy many million neurons worth of tangy Charlie Anderson memories, but this is an Astrodome page and I won't dwell on them here. I didn't go to many Oiler games at the Dome until well after the glory days of Bum Phillips/Earl Campbell/Love ya Blue. Tickets were too expensive and too hard to get, I suppose, and by then I had gotten married and moved to the other side of town. Much later, 1985 or 1986, I had season tickets for the Oilers. I remember walking to the Dome from my office at Macintosh developer Vicon Systems, off Kirby Drive just south of 610. Once I saw an actual Derrick Doll, in costume, heading in from the parking lot.* To my knowledge, no one has ever experimented with cheerleaders at baseball games. Why is that? The 1986 All Star game was a typical Astrodome contest—final score: 3-2. Astro pitcher Mike Scott was in his heyday and the most exciting part of the game was when he came in and started to strike people out. One Junior Circuit hitter fanned, and then another. The crowd was on its feet ready to scream at the final strike on a third batter, but instead of striking out, the joker jacked the ball into the left field stands. Boy, that quieted the crowd in a hurry. Houston’s mayor, Kathy Whitmire, sat below me in the field boxes down the third base line. The Astros never made it to the World Series. But they came close in 1980 when they lost a heartbreaking five game series to Philadelphia. I was at game five. An Astro triple play was overruled, we lost a 2-0 8th inning lead, and Pete Rose stole the game. Ouch. Finishing fifth was a lot less painful. Baseball was in a scoring funk during my Astrodome years; great pitchers like Koufax, Bob Gibson, Tom Seaver, Steve Carlton, and Ferguson Jenkins had hitters on their heels. Lord knows, the Astrodome did nothing to reverse the trend. It was a big park with cool, dense air and the ball didn't carry. People still hit the occasional home run, but it wasn’t like today. At any given game you’d be lucky to see one hit by either team. As Scott once pointed out, a symbol for this punchless era was weak hitting shortstop Roger Metzger making his patented smooth turn back into the extra-long first base dugout after one of his routine 6-3 ground-outs. Suffice it to say, Trout was no A-Rod at the plate. The Astrodome’s outfield design lent itself to disputed home runs. The outfield walls were surmounted with a sturdy railing, and then rows of seats. Balls would whack the railing or an empty chair and turf bounce halfway back to the infield. They painted yellow lines to clarify things. Hit above the line, it was a home run, no matter how far back it bounced. I'm sorry, yellow line or no yellow line, there's something unsatisfying about a homerun that bounces off a fence back to the third baseman. Management eventually rectified this problem by building an inner fence. When the grounds crew came out before and during the game to drag the infield, they were dressed in orange jump suits and white space helmets. Some genius probably got a raise for thinking this up. The Astros always had pretty good pitching, right from the beginning. Names like Turk Farrell, Bob Bruce, Larry Dierker, Mike Cuellar, and the star-crossed Don Wilson and James Rodney Richard come to mind. Later, hurlers like Phil Niekro, Mike Scott, and Nolan Ryan continued the tradition. I bet the Astros have had as many team no hitters and shutouts since 1962 as anybody. Ladies and Gentlemen, Charlie Anderson I made it on the famous field exactly once—at the end of a 10K fun run in 1985. The finish line was just at the edge of the tunnel. It felt great to be out there, even though the only people in the seats were a few hundred sunburned joggers nursing water bottles. Once before a game they trotted out some professional golfers. They were good, I remember thinking. They stood near the center field wall and aimed at home plate. Every shot was pretty much dead on. One of the guys was "Champagne" Tony Lima. They rode around the perimeter of the field in golf carts so everyone got a good look. The Foul Ball Myth In all the games I attended I never caught a foul ball or home run or was even especially close to one. Where Scott and I sat in the Pavilion, only a few guys could reach. Had we played Pittsburg every night, Willie Stargell would undoubtedly have gotten one back to us from time to time. The Quick Getaway My parent's house on Ardmore, and later my apartment near the Medical Center were just minutes from the Astrodome. Combining this proximity with my Dome parking lot moxie, I would sometimes get home from games (in which I was in my seat for the last out) before the post game show had ended! That's within 15 minutes, people! You can't sniff the parking lot exit at most stadiums within 15 minutes of leaving your seat. Corned Beef on White with Mayo In the 1960s, before I discovered beer, my favorite food item at the Pavilion concession stand was the corned beef sandwich. A black lady would make you one for a dollar, fixed anyway you liked it, just as long you liked it with mayo and some pickle slices on white bread. As the twig is bent, etc., this is still how I like my corned beef sandwiches. The voices of the original Astros radio broadcasters I can call up at will in my imagination. Great job, guys: Harry Kallas, and especially Loel Passe and Gene Elston. A tip of the orange or navy cap to long-time flagship station KPRC 950 and the "Dean of National Legue Engineers," Bob Green. “That ball is in Astro Orbit.” “Hot ziggity dog and sassafras tea!” “Now you chuckin' in there Astros. He breezed him one time!” “Schlitz...brewed in Milwaukee, Longview, and other great cities.” Coda: August 18, 2001—Alex and I visit The Ballpark at Union Station. With the roof closed for a Saturday afternoon game, the Astros easily handled the Pirates 3-zip before a near sellout crowd to move into first place in the NL Central. The Dome's replacement is a beautiful downtown ballpark filled with amenities, charming quirks, and real grass. I feel a little like a traitor but I have to admit, "Ten Run" Field has the Astrodome beat. Thousands of kids are developing great memories of their own watching the now powerful Astros pummel hapless visitors to the tune of Ozzy's Crazy Train. Later we cruised by the Astrodome, now dwarfed by a massive football stadium going up just to the west. Time marches on, and brother, you better keep marching right along with it. Interestingly, Sioux City is almost due north of Houston. Not including Nazis and other WW II-related unpleasantness. If the World Wide Web is so great, how come I could find only two Derrick Doll pictures? **The Friday Foamer was established around 1974. A big orange box was placed beneath the clock in both left and right fields. It was illuminated on even numbered minutes when the Astros were at bat. If an Astro hit a homer when the light was on, it was free beer the rest of the night. There was a limit of one beer per person per visit to the concession stand. The free beer stopped flowing in the 8th inning. Of course, the Astros never hit any home runs in the Dome, so a modification was added around 1976. A batter from the visiting team was designated. It was usually a star of some sort and was publicized by Gene and Loel. Regardless of which team was at bat, the big orange box was illuminated on every even numbered minute. If the designated batter fanned when the light was on, it was free beer the rest of the night. Foamer Information courtesy Dr. Scott Starks More Dome and Astros information at Ballparks.com Astros Connection Gene Elston Forum Columbia University Astros Home Page	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line585
__label__cc	0.571885	0.428115	Clergy and Human Rights Delegation Call for American Based, Nonlethal Technologies, to Stop Selling Teargas to Hong Kong Police Christian Defense Coalition WASHINGTON, Jan. 8, 2020 /Christian Newswire/ -- The group will hold a protest and news conference outside of Nonlethal Technologies on Thursday, January 9, at 12:00 PM. The location is 9419 Rt 286 Hwy West, Homer City, PA 15748. Here is a national news story on Nonlethal Technologies. https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/rosalindadams/tear-gas-hong-kong-made-in-usa Three members of the delegation were in Hong Kong for 5 days and were subjected to constant tear gas attacks and police assaults while they were involved in peaceful and prayerful events for freedom and democracy. Below is a picture of Rev. Patrick Mahoney after he was blinded for several minutes from a tear gas attack in Hong Kong. The group is currently working with members of Congress to prevent the sale of tear gas to the Hong Kong police. See article below: https://mcgovern.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=398401 After the news conference, the group will attempt to meet with the owners of Nonlethal Technologies and demand they stop the sale of tear gas to Hong Kong. Dr. William Devlin, President of REDEEM and a member of the delegation, states; "We are here today at Nonlethal Technologies to lovingly approach them and encourage them to stop selling tear gas to the Hong Kong police. Nonlethal Technologies products are being used on peaceful people who only want freedom, democracy, human rights and liberty for Hong Kong. We gently appeal to the leadership of this company to stop the sale of their products to the draconian and brutal Hong Kong riot police regime." Rev. Kris Keating President of Bright Mercy, who was also in Hong Kong, comments: "Endorsing and enabling the current abusive use of tear gas by the Hong Kong police is not in the best interest of the American people. Having witnessed and experienced violent and over-zealous police tactics to suppress peaceful demonstration in Hong Kong, I feel compelled to speak out against practices that allow for American companies to profit from the export and sale of tear gas to that nation. "As a United States citizen, I am proud of our country's legacy of inspiring and encouraging freedom. Nonlethal Technologies has a moral and patriotic obligation to cease any practices that facilitate the Chinese government's attempts to inhibit liberty and free expression in Hong Kong." Rev. Patrick Mahoney, Director of the Christian Defense Coalition, adds; "We join with member of Congress and all people of good will in demanding Nonlethal Technologies stop selling tear gas to Hong Kong which is being used indiscriminately on citizens involved in peaceful protests. "With over 18,000 rounds of tear gas fired, Nonlethal Technologies is creating a massive humanitarian and environmental crisis in Hong Kong. We will work passionately with Congress to ensure 'The PROTECT Hong Kong Act' passes and American companies will no longer be allowed to export technology to Hong Kong that will harm innocent lives." For more information or interviews Call Rev. Patrick Mahoney at 540.538.4741 Rev. Patrick Mahoney at: 540.538.4741 SOURCE Christian Defense Coalition CONTACT: Rev. Patrick Mahoney, 540-538-4741	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line588
__label__cc	0.562159	0.437841	The Matrix 4 (2021) - Page 11 - Nolan Fans Nolan Fans Forums Entertainment Movies & TV The Matrix 4 (2021) All non-Nolan related film, tv, and streaming discussions. Joined: November 2012 'Mindhunter' Star Jonathan Groff Reportedly Joins The Cast Of 'The Matrix 4' According to Collider, Jonathan Groff, who is best known for playing FBI Agent Holden Ford in the acclaimed David Fincher Netflix series, “Mindhunter,” is now the latest actor to sign up for a role in the upcoming “Matrix 4.” But is he going from one Agent role to another? That’s yet to be revealed. The report claims that Groff’s role is being kept under wraps, but considering his role on “Mindhunter,” he’d make a mighty fine Agent that could stand toe-to-toe with the sci-fi franchise’s previous actor Hugo Weaving. Maybe director Lana Wachowski has something a bit more inventive up her sleeve for this fourth installment? But hey, adding Groff is a solid choice, no matter what role he plays. https://theplaylist.net/jonathan-groff ... um=twitter December 9th, 2019, 5:39 pm omg yes he's amazing m4st4 Absolutely amazing in Mindhunter. December 10th, 2019, 6:30 am Indeed. He's also wonderful in HBO's Looking, where he's the lead. I loved that show and the TV film they made was a touching end for the story. Release date: May 21s, 2021 Vader182 Location: The White City Contact Vader182 this is the same date as John Wick 4 keanu vs keanu im sure one will move but this is delicious -Vader lol ikr Also the film is a lot closer than I thought it would be. I hoped for a 2021 release but figured it was going to be 2022. Vader182 wrote: ↑ I hope they don't. I want to see this happen. see them both break records lol Max Riemelt (Sense8, Freier Fall, Die Welle) joins the cast January 10th, 2020, 6:18 am Return to “Movies & TV”	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line589
__label__cc	0.710374	0.289626	Privacy Policy For Deaf Edge We recognize that your privacy is important. This document outlines the types of personal information we receive and collect when you use Deaf Edge.com, as well as some of the steps we take to safeguard information. We hope this will help you make an informed decision about sharing personal information with us. Deaf Edge.com strives to maintain the highest standards of decency, fairness and integrity in all our operations. Likewise, we are dedicated to protecting our customers', consumers' and online visitors' privacy on our website. Deaf Edge.com collects personally identifiable information from the visitors to our website only on a voluntary basis. Personal information collected on a voluntary basis may include name, postal address, email address, company name and telephone number. We may use cookies to help you personalize your online experience. Cookies are identifiers that are transferred to your computer's hard drive through your Web browser to enable our systems to recognize your browser. The purpose of a cookie is to tell the Web server that you have returned to a specific page. For example, if you personalize the sites pages, or register with any of our site's services, a cookie enables Deaf Edge.com to recall your specific information on subsequent visits. If Deaf Edge.com is sold, the information we have obtained from you through your voluntary participation in our site may transfer to the new owner as a part of the sale in order that the service being provided to you may continue. In that event, you will receive notice through our website of that change in control and practices, and we will make reasonable efforts to ensure that the purchaser honors any opt-out requests you might make of us. We provide this privacy policy as a statement to you of our commitment to protect your personal information. If you have submitted personal information through our website and would like that information deleted from our records or would like to update or correct that information, please click on this link and/or use our Contact Us page. Deaf Edge.com reserves the right to make changes in this policy. If there is a material change in our privacy practices, we will indicate on our site that our privacy practices have changed and provide a link to the new privacy policy. We encourage you to periodically review this policy so that you will know what information we collect and how we use it. Search Feature The search box on this web site ("Search Box") is powered by Google Inc ("Google"). You acknowledge and agree that Google's privacy policy (located at www.google.com/privacy.html) shall apply to your use of the Search Box and by using the Search Box you consent to Google using your personal data in accordance with its privacy policy. If you do not agree to (website/company name's) Privacy Policy as posted here on this website, please do not use this site or any services offered by this site. Return To Deaf Edge Home From This Privacy Policy Home Learn To Sign What's New Printables Sign Language Hearing Loss Homepage \| Printables \| What's New Copyright 2010-2012; All Rights Reserved	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line599
__label__wiki	0.892533	0.892533	NVIDIA project SHIELD [CES 2013] NVIDIA announces Project SHIELD, a gaming portable for open platforms, designed for gamers who yearn to play when, where and how they want. Created with the philosophy that gaming should be open and flexible, Project SHIELD flawlessly plays both Android and PC titles. As a pure Android device, it gives access to any game on Google Play. And as a wireless receiver and controller, it can stream games from a PC powered by NVIDIA GeForce GTX GPUs, accessing titles on its STEAM game library from anywhere in the home. "Project SHIELD was created by NVIDIA engineers who love to game and imagined a new way to play," said Jen-Hsun Huang, co-founder and chief executive officer at NVIDIA. "We were inspired by a vision that the rise of mobile and cloud technologies will free us from our boxes, letting us game anywhere, on any screen. We imagined a device that would do for games what the iPod and Kindle have done for music and books, letting us play in a cool new way. We hope other gamers love SHIELD as much as we do." Project SHIELD combines the advanced processing power of NVIDIA Tegra 4, breakthrough game-speed Wi-Fi technology and stunning HD video and audio built into a console-grade controller. It can be used to play on its own integrated screen or on a big screen, and on the couch or on the go. BUY · SAVE TECH · GAMING	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line603
__label__wiki	0.961415	0.961415	Australia, US alone on Syria air strikes after British change of heart Justice Minister Michael Keenan. Photo: Alex Ellinghausen The Turnbull government has expressed veiled disappointment that Britain will not join Australia in expanding air strikes into Syria, leaving the RAAF and the US Air Force as the only contributors. Justice Minister Michael Keenan said on Wednesday that the decision was a matter for Britain but added twice that Australia would like to have the “broadest possible coalition” to help in the fight against the Islamic State terror group. He was commenting on the decision by British Prime Minister David Cameron on Tuesday to shelve plans for a parliamentary vote on expanding air strikes to Syria amid concerns by Downing Street that the government could not muster enough MPs to back the expansion. “Obviously we’re keen to see the broadest possible coalition participating in those strikes on ISIL,” Mr Keenan said, using an alternative name for the Islamic State. “That issue of air strikes in Syria from the British perspective is clearly contentious domestically for Britain. It’s clearly a matter for them and their parliamentary processes about the way they see fighting ISIL going forward. “But clearly from Australia’s perspective, we’re keen to have the broadest possible coalition participating with us in degrading and destroying ISIL.” Defence Minister Marise Payne was in Kuala Lumpur attending the ASEAN Defence Ministers Meeting and could not be reached for comment. Downing Street’s change of heart came as a British parliamentary committee recommended against expanding air strikes into Syria in the absence of a clearer strategy for the broader civil war in the country. The foreign affairs select committee, chaired by one of Mr Cameron’s own Tory MPs, found that while an expansion would be welcomed by coalition partners, it would have only a “marginal effect” on the overall campaign. “We believe that there should be no extension of British military action into Syria unless there is a coherent international strategy that has a realistic chance of defeating ISIL and of ending the civil war in Syria,” the MPs concluded. Australia is the second largest contributor to the fight against the Islamic State after the US. Britain has eight Tornado fight planes operating over Iraq, which have carried out about 300 air strikes compared with 434 strike missions by the RAAF’s six Hornet and Super Hornet aircraft as of about one month ago. The Hornets had carried out nine missions over Syria as of October 2 and launched strikes against two targets. The RAAF’s KC-30 air-to-air refueller had carried out five missions over Syria and its Wedgetail early warning and control aircraft one mission. Canada had carried out a handful of strikes in Syria but its new government has decided against continuing those missions. The US recently announced it will deploy up to 50 special forces soldiers to train and advise Syrian rebels and will step up special operations raids against high-value ISIL targets in both Syria and Iraq – widely seen as an escalation by the Obama administration. Fairfax Media understands Australia will not make any such expansion, reflecting a view in Canberra that the Australian Defence Force is already pulling its weight. Former Labor premiers back GST rise, putting pressure on Bill Shorten Former NSW Premier Kristina Keneally has given conditional support to increasing the GST. Photo: Daniel MunozLiberal MPs push back on tax reformComment: A sure bet Turnbull will raise the GST A trio of respected former Labor premiers has put political pressure on Bill Shorten, backing a GST rise from 10 to 15 per cent subject to certain conditions. In comments that could create a headache for the Opposition Leader and will be welcomed by the Turnbull government, former NSW premier Kristina Keneally, Queensland’s Peter Beattie and Western Australia’s Geoff Gallop have all outlined the conditions under which the tax change could be implemented as part of a reform package. The Turnbull government is modelling a rise in the GST as part of a tax reform package. But two other former NSW Labor premiers, Bob Carr and Nathan Rees, backed Mr Shorten and federal Labor’s stance, with the party so far staking out a “no change” position on the consumption tax. That stance has set up a clear contest with the Coalition government and placed the issue at the centre of political debate in recent weeks, and ahead of next year’s federal election. Malcolm Turnbull has thus far promised any prospective tax changes would not disadvantage the most vulnerable Australians as he and Treasurer Scott Morrison have left open a raft of tax reform options on the table. Mr Beattie, who won four elections for Queensland Labor and was at the table as Premier when John Howard introduced the GST, said he had been adamant at the time the rate should not rise. But 15 years later, he told Fairfax Media that Australia’s tax system needed major structural change that spurred innovation and productivity growth. “This extra five per cent has to go to health and education, I will have trouble supporting an increase beyond 10 per cent unless it goes to service delivery for the states,” he said. “It should also be linked to competition reform and be innovative, it has to be a total package that includes ways to stimulate the economy.” To that end, Mr Beattie suggested business tax breaks should be in the mix, rather than personal income tax cuts which “we all know bracket creep will pull back”. Ms Keneally urged federal Labor to engage in a constructive manner in debate about reform of the federation and the tax system and that “the GST is obviously part of that mix, though Labor shouldn’t give in to a simplistic view that increasing consumption tax fixes everything”. “My support for a rise in the GST is conditional on three things. Fixing a flawed federation, dealing with incredibly generous tax concessions provided to the most well-off and ensuring we don’t ask those who can least afford to pay to bear a disproportionately higher tax burden,” she said. And Mr Gallop, who led Western Australia for five years, said: ” NormalfalsefalseEN-AUJAX-NONE /* Style Definitions /table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:”Table Normal”; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-parent:””; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;}NormalfalsefalseEN-AUJAX-NONE / Style Definitions /table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:”Table Normal”; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-parent:””; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;}NormalfalsefalseEN-AUJAX-NONE / Style Definitions /table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:”Table Normal”; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-parent:””; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;}NormalfalsefalseEN-AUJAX-NONE / Style Definitions /table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:”Table Normal”; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-parent:””; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;}NormalfalsefalseEN-AUJAX-NONE / Style Definitions */table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:”Table Normal”; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-parent:””; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;}This story Administrator ready to work first appeared on 苏州美甲美睫培训学校. HSC 2015: 77,000 students celebrate pens down for the HSC Dulwich High School students Lucy Howroyd and Thomas Carman with their art. Photo: Edwina PicklesEat, sleep, party. Those are the top three priorities for 77,000 NSW HSC students, the last of whom finished their final HSC exam on Wednesday. “That was the most stressful year of my life,” said 18-year-old Lucy Howroyd. The student from Dulwich High School of Visual Arts could barely wipe the smile off her face as the clock ticked down on her school career. “I couldn’t stop staring at the ceiling wondering what is next,” she said. Her classmate, Grace Davidson-Lynch, did not leave much time for contemplation. “I’m just thinking about tomorrow, sleeping in and no more study.” More than 9000 of Grace and Lucy’s fellow visual arts students were the last group to put their pens down for the HSC at 3.30pm on Wednesday. Some were already looking ahead to a life outside the school gates beyond the work of Cezanne or Reg Mombassa. “Hopefully I’ll scrape my way into a sociology degree,” said 18-year-old Caitlin Boyce. For a “liberated” Thomas Carman, kickboxing is the dream. “Fighting is a form of art,” he said, while his classmate Jacky Chen hopes art will influence his career in architecture. Their creative major works through sculpture, painting and film in subjects like menstruation, terrorism and chinese culture will be left behind, as they leave the shelter of school one last time. “This is a huge moment in the lives of these students, who are marking the end of 13 years of schooling and starting a new and exciting chapter in their lives,” said NSW Education Minister Adrian Piccoli. “Students have spent the past 18 days of exams demonstrating their skills and knowledge and now it’s time for a well-earned break.” And as the party starts, the nervous wait begins. HSC students will receive their results on December 16. Weather station to benefit growers Weather station to benefit growers Under the wheather: The West Midlands Group will establish a weather station and soil moisture probe before the next growing season. TweetFacebook THE WEST Midlands Group (WMG) is one of fourteen grower groups selected to host an automatic weather station and soil moisture probe as part of a project to develop new technology to benefit the Western Australian (WA) grains industry. Real time weather information generated from the technology will benefit growers from the west midlands area. This information will empower growers with decision making tools to manage risks and boost the profitability of their grain production business. WMG will assist with providing direction on how to use this information more effectively. In total, more than 1,000 growers will be engaged in the project throughout the WA wheatbelt. The funding for the technology was made possible by the eConnected Grainbelt Royalties for Regions project, which is part of the Seizing the Opportunity in Agriculture initiative led by the Department of Agriculture and Food WA. The weather station and soil moisture probe will be installed before the start of the 2016 growing season at the WMG main trial site at Brennan’s property on the corner of North West Rd and the Dandaragan Moora Rd. Aggressive New Zealand will perish against speed demons in first Test, warns Steve Smith Steve Smith has warned New Zealand’s batsmen they will meet a swift demise if they fight fire with fire against Mitchell Starc and Mitchell Johnson in the first Test. Australia will unleash a pair of left-arm speed demons, who teammates say are breaking the 150km/h barrier, on one of the fastest wickets in world cricket. But the Black Caps are not deviating from the attacking style that has lifted Kiwi cricket out of the doldrums. Starc’s trail of destruction this year, particularly in the 50-over game, has not gone unnoticed by visiting captain Brendon McCullum, who rates the quick as one of the most feared bowlers in the game. Smith endured a torrid net session at the Gabba on Tuesday where Starc troubled one of the world’s premier batsmen with his swing and pace. “It’s certainly been hard work facing him in the nets,” the Australian captain said. “He’s presenting a pretty similar seam, some balls were swinging back late, some were going across, that’s extremely hard to face when they’re coming down at 150 km/h as well. “If he can do that out here this week we can expect a lot of the same results he’s been having over the last couple of weeks.” The Black Caps were lauded by Sir Richard Hadlee for their high-risk brand of play but Smith claimed their World Cup capitulations with the bat against Australia gave the hosts a mental edge. “The two games we played in the World Cup, we got 10 wickets twice, for 150 and 180,” Smith said. “We know how they play, a lot of them will come out and play their shots, which will play into our hands nicely.” Starc is the world’s No.1 one-day international bowler but is yet to transfer that to the five-day game, but Smith has no doubt he can also be a force in Test cricket. “With Mitchell, one thing I’ve been most impressed with is when the ball’s not doing anything he’s found a way to make sure he’s getting the ball across the right-hander and building a bit of pressure – that’s going to be a real key for us if it’s not swinging,” Smith said. “If it is, what he’s been doing really well is swinging the ball late, at pace and hitting the stumps.” The Black Caps are expecting Australia to use Starc, whose bouncer/yorker combination has been near unplayable recently, as a strike weapon against incoming batsmen. “Where he sits in world cricket, he’s probably one of the most feared bowlers,” McCullum said. “But if you want to win in Australia … you don’t expect people to hand it to you. “You’ve got to expect to play against good players and some of the best players in the world and you have to find a way to counter that. “I’m pretty confident our guys will play well and if we are beaten then we’ll make it bloody tough for them to do so.” Hadlee, his country’s finest player and a New Zealand Cricket board member, said the Black Caps were exciting to watch under McCullum’s leadership. “It’s attacking, aggressive, proactive, particularly from McCullum, the way he sets fields and changes his bowlers,” Hadlee said. “At times [it’s] high risk but with that risk are great rewards.” Michelle Payne’s win may be the greatest victory by a female jockey anywhere Triumphant: Michelle Payne has scored the biggest win of any female jockey in any race anywhere in the world. Triumphant: Michelle Payne has scored the biggest win of any female jockey in any race anywhere in the world. Michelle Payne before the Kyneton Cup. Photo: Joe Armao Triumphant: Michelle Payne has scored the biggest win of any female jockey in any race anywhere in the world. As far as female jockeys go, Michelle Payne is in rare air indeed after her stunning Melbourne Cup triumph aboard 100-1 shot Prince of Penzance in Tuesday’s race. Several women riders, here and overseas, have piloted big race winners, and a few have scored in group 1 events – the pinnacle of the sport. But in each racing jurisdiction there are a handful of major events, all with group 1 status, that transcend the ordinary classification. They are the races that are not just signature events in one country but prove irresistible to owners, trainers and riders from all over the world. Races such as Britain’s Epsom Derby, the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in France, the Kentucky Derby in the US, the Japan Cup and Melbourne Cup all hold that sort of cachet; they are the biggest of the big, the racing equivalent of tennis’ four grand slam tournaments, golf’s four majors, football’s Champions League. For female jockeys, even those at the top of their profession, it’s hard enough to get a ride in these races, never mind win them. And it’s arguable that now Payne has scored the biggest win of any female jockey in any race anywhere in the world. The only one that might come close is the victory by Julie Krone on Colonial Affair in the 1993 Belmont Stakes, the final leg of the US Triple Crown, but most fans would surely agree that Payne’s triumph trumps that as the race she won had a deeper field and much more exotic competition in the saddle. The racing world has broadened its horizons considerably in the past 25 years and winning the big prizes is now much tougher as the international dimension has increased. It’s not just horses from top European and Japanese stables that Payne had to see off on Tuesday, but the cream of the international riding crop. She was up against jockeys born in Italy (Frankie Dettori, who rode the runner-up, Max Dynamite), New Zealand (Michael Walker, partner of third placed Criterion), and Jim Cassidy, Irishmen Jamie Spencer and Colm O’Donohue, South African-born Chad Schofield, Frenchman Gerald Mosse, Norwegian-born William Buick, Brazilian Joao Moreira and Englishman Ryan Moore. She will always be remembered for her exploits on Prince of Penzance. But will she be the mould-breaker that some hope she is, or will the male jockeys reassert their dominance and continue to pick up the plum rides? There have been some breakthroughs earlier that have not been capitalised on. While females in the US, such as Rosie Napravnik, who has won Kentucky Oaks and Breeders’ Cup races, and Chantal Sutherland, who has captured a slew of big US prizes, have had great opportunities, female jockeys in Australia have not been given those chances. Payne won the Thousand Guineas on Yosei and the Toorak Handicap on Allez Wonder, both group 1 races. Kathy O’Hara in Sydney has scored at the highest level on Ofcourseican in the Coolmore Classic, a feat equalled earlier this year by Linda Meech, who won the same race on Plucky Belle. Clare Lindop in South Australia became only the second woman to win a group 1 race in Australia – and the first Australian born to do so – when she took the Adelaide Cup on Exalted Time in 2006. New Zealand rider Maree Lyndon had scored in the same race aboard Lord Reims in 1987. Lindop and Jamie Kah have won jockey premierships in South Australia, while Kate Mallyon has won the last two apprentice titles in Victoria. Lindop does get some big race rides but she also suffers the fate that Payne talked about on Tuesday, that of getting “jocked off” in favour of a man when the big events come round by owners who don’t trust female riders enough. She was the regular partner of Caulfield Cup winner Southern Speed earlier in her career, but when it was time for the big tests interstate male jockeys climbed on board, with Craig Williams steering the horse to victory in the Caulfield Cup. Still, until Payne’s amazing triumph Lindop had perhaps the biggest claim to female fame at Flemington when she pulled off another remarkable upset by winning the Victoria Derby on 100-1 shot Rebel Raider in 2008. That win came a year after Nikita Beriman had landed another huge upset in the Emirates Stakes, another group 1 test, on the 100-1 shot Tears I Cry. All of these women riders have proved that when given the right horse they can do the business. That the prejudice against them still exists can be seen by the starting prices of the three big winners who have scored for the women riders at Flemington: all went off at 100-1. When Payne and her sisters in the saddle get rides that are strongly fancied, then maybe her call for female riders to be given the same opportunity as male will have been heeded. Victorian quick James Pattinson confident despite being rested James Pattinson is confident he will play all remaining Sheffield Shield games despite being rested on Cricket Australia’s advice for this week’s game against New South Wales. Pattinson said he was the only quick bowler to bowl all of his allotted 10 overs in each Matador Cup game this summer and then backed that up with a Sheffield Shield match. Pattinson and high-performance manager Tim McCaskill said it was part of the deliberate and painstaking rehabilitation program, since Pattinson’s second back stress fracture, that his load be carefully managed. “It was always part of the plan for me to miss this one,” Pattinson said. “Coming back into cricket I had a good run of eight Matador Cup matches – and I was the only fast bowler to bowl 10 overs in each game – and then straight into the shield so it was always the plan to miss the second one. “I would have loved to play but Cricket Australia felt it was best to manage the load. Looking big picture it is the right thing to do, we have three Shield games after this and I will be clear to play those.” Victorian chairman of selectors Andrew Lynch said it was important to manage Pattinson carefully and so he will miss the NSW game starting in Sydney on Friday. Pattinson will be back for the Shield match from November 14 against WA at the MCG. “James’ bowling workloads are at a level that require him to rest from this match,” Lynch said. Pattinson revealed his reconstructed bowling action has lost none of its venom with a sharp spell in the second innings of the Shield win over Queensland last week in which he knocked over Test recalls Joe Burns and Usman Khawaja. “He was bowling the absolute house down,” said teammate Peter Handscomb. “He was bowling fast, he was swinging it and it was awesome to see. “It’s just something where we want to make sure he gets through the entire season for us first. Then by getting through the season, it puts his hand up to play for Australia.” Last month Victorian coach David Saker said national selectors would be mad to rush Pattinson back into the Test side and urged caution. The Australian sport science team has evidently done that by having the quick bowler rested for this game. “If he can get through two or three Shield games, two things will happen; he will be confident in his body, plus his action will be a bit more grooved and he probably will be ready by then,” Saker said. Australian coach Darren Lehmann rebuked Saker at the time for his comments saying the Victorian coach should worry about the Victorian team. “We won’t rush him back in if he’s not right. He’s got to be ready to play,” Lehmann said. This Saturday: The Rebuilding of James Pattinson Spring racing: equal opportunity boss slams sexism in racing Michelle Payne before her ride on Akzar at the Kyneton Cup. Photo: Joe ArmaoVictoria’s Equal Opportunity and Human Rights commissioner is calling on the horseracing industry to review sexism in the sport she suspects is “deep seated”, and highlighted by pioneering Melbourne Cup winner Michelle Payne. Kate Jenkins, overseeing an investigation into sexism within Victoria’s police force as head of the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission, has applauded Payne for bravely raising discrimination she still encounters in what the rider termed a “chauvinistic sport”. “She [Payne] has described, I think, a phenomenon of gender inequality that exists across our entire community,” said Jenkins, also convener of the Victorian Male Champions of Change group established this year and recent appointee to Carlton Football Club’s board. “My hope would be that this is something that spotlights racing, and lets racing take leadership in the sporting world to do something differently.” In the television broadcast of the 155-year-old, world-famous horse race, Payne spoke immediately after her unprecedented victory of the doubters. She said “some of the owners” of winning horse Prince Of Penzance “were keen to kick me off” and, in triumph, said such detractors could “get stuffed”. Jenkins told Fairfax Media the fact Payne broached such a thorny topic in her first interview “was reflective of a woman with lifetime experience of discrimination and chauvinism in a sport”. “Then she really recognised her supporters – who were men – who had really encouraged her,” Jenkins said. “So she was really clear recognising that they had really backed her … but the interesting thing that she did, that is often not done, is she that she then said – and named – people who had been in opposition to her because she is a woman.” Payne’s comments are resonating so strongly, Jenkins said, because they are not only true, but brave. “It’s hard to speak out, particularly when you’re a woman … against a tide that’s saying ‘no, we don’t discriminate, you’re getting equal opportunities, it’s just that you’re not as capable for whatever reason’.” Jenkins surmised Payne spoke as she did because “she’s obviously a very resilient, supported person who has got there despite some of the barriers”. The VEOHRC boss suspects Payne may have felt especially uninhibited because of “the true power that she had in that moment”. “Ultimately she had won the Melbourne Cup,” Jenkins said. “In the world of business you don’t get to win a Melbourne Cup and turn around and say: ‘see, I proved you wrong’. But sport gives that unique opportunity to say that despite all of your negative views about women I’ve proven you wrong.” Jenkins said Payne risks incurring backlash for putting the spotlight on a topic many find uncomfortable. “I don’t know how it will be viewed within the racing industry. But based on other industries and organisations that I’ve worked with on gender inequality there are quite mixed views on whether it’s an issue, and if it’s an issue whether it should be exposed for public examination. “The backlash often, I think, reflects the very sexism that is the problem. The idea of ‘why are you making a big fuss?’ “But where the leadership is keen for change, and can see the problems, that’s when action actually happens.” The general manager of the Australian Jockeys Association, Des O’Keeffe, who has worked in racing for more than three decades, applauded Payne for bringing attention to the topic. “I’d say to any owner or trainer out there who still has that ingrained perception [of female jockeys being inferior to male jockeys]: ‘open your eyes, look a bit deeper than you might have in the past and see how incredibly well any number of women are doing in this sport, highlighted by a ride yesterday where Michelle just completely nailed it in the most competitive two-mile race in the world’. “There’s no doubt they [doubters] are out there. Michelle had that feeling and I know that’s not an uncommon feeling.” While O’Keeffe acknowledged ongoing discrimination of female jockeys, he said horseracing had been no worse in the past than politics or the media in Australia. “Horseracing is doing better than the former PM’s front bench and it’s doing better than AM radio,” O’Keeffe said. “And it is probably doing better than a lot of other professional sports.” Female jockeys were first allowed to ride in Australia in 1979. Four women ridden in the Melbourne Cup since. “To have had only four women jockeys since then just really demonstrates to me that there must be deep-seated sexism in the industry,” Jenkins said. New cinemas to reopen at Gold Coast’s Pacific Fair The cinemas are about to reopen at Pacific Fair at Broadbeach. Photo: Pacific Fair Broadbeach The transformation of Pacific Fair is expected to be done by mid-2016. Photo: Pacific Fair revamp underway Pacific Fair cinemas are set to reopen on Thursday, the latest stage in the $670 million reimagination of the Broadbeach shopping complex. Three of the 11 cinemas opening on Thursday will be the top-flight Gold Class cinemas, with state-of-the-art sound. Another of the revamped cinemas has a 22-metre high digital screen, while the remaining seven cinemas have been modernised. Pacific Fair at Broadbeach will on November 12 reopen its new eating and dining area called The Patio, and a series of new retailers. Centre manager Annabelle Green said the transformation of Pacific Fair, expected to be complete in mid-2016, was an important refurbishment for the shopping complex. “Our local community and visitors are set to descend on Pacific Fair in the lead-up to Christmas and the summer holidays,” Ms Green said. “The upcoming openings of Events Cinemas, The Patio and the other new retailers will provide the enhanced shopping experience we know the Pacific Fair shopper is looking for,” she said. Pacific Fair Shopping Centre is part of a $2.8 billion suite of shopping centres managed by superannuation funds giant AMP Capital. Pacific Fair sits by the southern end of the Gold Coast light rail line at Broadbeach. Construction work already done shows the first panel of the new “super roof” has been built along the curved edge of the resort area. The stairs leading from the new casual dining area and the bridge across the resort area are in place awaiting their final treatments early in 2016. A new fresh food market opened in June 2015. Kayaking day for the family BRING your paddling arms toMoree’s family fun Kayaking dayon November 15. CottonInfo in conjunctionwith Gwydir Valley IrrigationAssociation, National Landcareand Local Land Services NorthWest are holding this family funday for free. CottonInfo natural resourcestechnical specialist, StaceyVogel, said that the events areheld to educate people. “We want people to learnabout riverine health and whatthey can do to keep their localrivers systems and wetlandshealthy,” she said. Two oncologistswill be joining paddlers onthe day. One will be discussing theriver system and the bugs thatdwell in it, the other will be discussingturtles and mammalsthis will also include a show andtell session. The kayakswill set off atTareelaroi and will go for anhour and a half with a break formorning tea and a barbecue willbe provided at the end. “Children under the age of 16need to be accompanied by anadult, the event is open for allages that have a basic level offitness and no prior kayakingexperience is needed. “Professional instructors willbe readily available on the day. “We have run a lot of theseevents. “People have always said thatthey have been a lot of fun andvery informative but a practicallearning experience.” Registration needs to becompleted by tomorrow, thereare limited spots available.To register call Stacey Vogelon 0428 266 712 or Alice Devlinon 0427 207 167.	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line606
__label__cc	0.70024	0.29976	3 ways to invest in education May 15, 2017 11:18 \| By contributed I am writing today about what I have learned about the Tanzanian education system. Although there has been improvement with the education in Tanzania, often children are not receiving good quality schooling. One of the main reasons for this is little investment. Tanzania is the largest East African country geographically and by population, and the second largest by its economy, yet it only uses 1.4% of its Gross Domestic Product on education, less than half of the percentage of every other East African country (Citizen 2014). Education is one of the basic rights for children. My research has shown that the Tanzanian teacher’s situation, training, and teaching methods is one of the most critical issues. Teachers have limited education, and many have only finished Form 4 (11th grade). After that, there are only around 2 years of teacher training, which means the teachers usually have limited education. On top of that, teachers have a low salary, despite the fact that they work 52 hours a week instead of the usual 40 hours. Often they cannot send their own children to secondary because of this. The teaching methods are in need of improvement as well. Teachers usually teach lessons based on the examinations rather than on other, important skills. Also, students are taught to memorize answers to questions, instead of understanding why the questions should be answered that way, which is unfortunate as often children do not fully understand the concepts of the subjects they are learning. But we must remember this is not the teacher’s fault. They are not to blame for any of these issues, or the many other problems with their situation, training, and teaching methods. Many organizations, as well as the government, are working to improve the Tanzanian education system, including the Tanzania Teachers Union (TTU), HakiElimu, and the Teacher Education Department of the Ministry of Education. However, Tanzanian education could still use some improvement, and any action that will help will contribute to Tanzania becoming a well educated country. Here are a few ways you can help improve Tanzanian education. The government – Invest more in education. By doing this, the improvement of the education in Tanzania will accelerate, and, because of a more educated community, poverty will decrease. Parents – Be involved in your child’s education. Education is one of the most important parts of your child’s life, and will shape their future. Make sure your child is receiving the best education possible, and help your children in their studies to the full extent of your abilities. Anyone willing to help – Take action with a local community or school. Support an organization. Do research on some of the main issues on Tanzanian education, and inspire others to help your cause. Every action taken will be able to help, and, no matter how small your effort, you will become part of the group of people who have helped to improve Tanzanian education. Munir Kudrati-Plummer, Grade 5 student International School of Tanganyika Stand up for education May 5, 2017 10:20 \| By contributed Children need an education! No matter what age, race, height, or anything, we should all be taught! I am a 5th grade student at the International School of Tanganyika. For our end of the year project, this Final Exhibition, I chose to focus on Children’s Rights to education as that is a problem here. I would like you to help me spread the word about children’s education in Tanzania. Although the right to education is recognized here, not all children have a good one. For example, students at rural schools don’t have as many learning opportunities as students at a school such as IST. When I visited a school in Bagamoyo, students told me that they only learn math, reading, English, and Kiswahili. Here at IST, we have other classes such as art, PE, music, and Unit of Inquiry, which are challenging yet fun. Students also told me they wished for more facilities such as a science lab, a sports equipment storage room, a canteen, and a pool. I feel like schools should be a place to relax and have fun, like at IST. Learning shouldn’t be pressurizing, or boring or anything like that. Maybe you can’t help schools directly, but people around Tanzania can also help by making donations, volunteering at schools, and even understanding how schools can be so different here. If many people in Tanzania stand up for education, I believe that many more children will have a chance to be in a good school. Celina Izar-Thompson Educated girls know their rights I am a grade 5 student at the International School of Tanganyika. A few weeks ago I started a important project called the Final X, this project is a significant part of grade 5 since it helps us transition from elementary schooling to secondary schooling. I have decided to enquire into children’s right to education , with my 2 other group mates, I specifically was learning about girls right to education. I have found interesting facts and figures and would like to share it with the Dar community so they are inspired to try and help those who need support. In many poverty-stricken countries girls are forced to get married and take care of the household instead of going to school. According to “Girls Not Brides.Org”, “Tanzania has the one of the highest child marriage prevalence rate compared to the world.” This means child marriage is very common in Tanzania. This upsets me and I hope Tanzania will hold rankings for stuff like “Most Beautiful Country, Most Clean Country” instead of highest highest child marriage prevalence rate compared to the world. There are many reasons for child marriage but the most common are girls being seen as financial burdens, cultural and traditional and gender-based inequality. In Tanzania girls are traded for cows, a documentary called “Bride-Trade” stated a non-educated girl will be traded for up to 10 cows but an educated girl worth only 5-7 cows. This because an educated girl knows her rights and will demand to go back to school and stop the marriage. Many girls and boys live in unimaginable poverty, and have no time and/or no money to go to school. Instead they have many other responsibilities such as collecting water, tending to animals and caring for younger siblings. Other times, children must work and earn only a few coins a day, barely enough to support their families. According to “GirlsNotBrides.org” poverty and education are connected. If a girl is educated she will gain the basic skills and opportunities to lift her family out of poverty. Other families will see this and take the same approach, this cycle will slowly lift thousands of people out of poverty. By educating this generation and generations to come we can end the cycle of poverty once and for all. In Tanzania poverty seems common (from observing villages and rural areas), so by having more girls in school we can lift more families out of poverty. People don’t understand how important educating girls is to the community. There are endless advantages to educating a girl as well as educating boys. A big advantage is educated girls can contribute to communities by becoming lawyers, doctors, teachers and much more and earn more money to support their families. Another advantage is educated woman has a chance to lift her and her family out of poverty. The final advantage is educating more women can end child marriage completely because girls know they have the right to a education and should not be forced to get married. If every girl in the world had a basic schooling, our whole world would benefit from it. In conclusion, there are many advantages to educating a girl child. In the future girls can contribute to society because they have the schooling and resources to become teachers, lawyers, doctors and more. Educated women can lift their families out of poverty by encouraging her village or town to overcome the poverty. Finally, educating girls on their basic human rights, to education and the right to refuse marriage, can end child marriage. These are just three of the many advantages of educating a girl. Khushi Devani Thanks for concerned, helpful police December 6, 2016 15:33 \| By contributed Once again this weekend I got to see the concerned and helpful side of Tanzanian police. As I was leaving church yesterday, my motorcycle broke down in a busy intersection. Because I was en route to a meeting and all three of the fundis/mechanics I know were traveling over the weekend, my only option was to leave my bike with the police at the checkpoint there (admittedly with a bit of fear and trepidation). However, when I returned an hour later, they had found a fundi and my bike was fixed and ready to go. Everyone around/involved was friendly, kind, and helpful. -Abigail Snyder The winner and the loser September 7, 2016 14:34 \| By contributed To the huge nation’s mood relief, the much anticipated ‘Day of Defiance’ got called off. Phew, I can’t recall when was the last time my anxiety level was such high. Not even during the elections time. Back in October, never did police hold any exercises in public ahead of rallies, did they? But now that our adrenaline rush is at a normal rate, perhaps it’s high time we sit back and reflect. First of, It was quite astonishing to read some tweets dismissing Chadema as ‘a bunch of cowards!’ Some went even far and suggest that the only true opposition champ in East Africa is Uganda’s Kizza Besigye! I mean, with all those tensions hovering around some still dared Ukuta to be held? Ukuta may have been canceled, but If anything, the movement widely exposed the current’s government attitude towards opposition and country’s prospects for democracy at large Think about this: Over 250 Chadema supporters and leaders arrested, two radio stations shut down and police exercising in public, all of these because of political rallies? How unnecessary On the other hand, if there is one lesson that Chadema, and the opposition at large, has learnt is that; times have changed. Gone are the days when the opposition would easily be invited over to the state house and chat their quarrels over a cup of chai with the head of state This is the new guide, one with no sympathetic ear for any sort of political negotiations and compromises, it appears. And what does that mean to the opposition? Simple; its time they changed their strategy of doing politics. Chadema may have told their followers that they’ve ‘just postponed’ the rallies, but its highly unlikely that they’ll ever get to organize those rallies next month as they’ve promised. Now you ask ‘Who is the winner and who is the loser’? Well you decide. -M Makotta This can be your legacy November 11, 2015 20:50 \| By contributed Your Excellency the President of Tanzania, congratulations on your election to the Presidency. We write today as concerned citizens of Tanzania to bring to your attention an issue that causes us great concern: the drastic decline in Tanzania’s elephant population due to poaching for the illegal ivory trade. Fifty years ago, there were up to 300,000 elephants in Tanzania. In 2009, there were 109,000. Today, there are only an estimated 43,000 elephants left – a dramatic loss of 60% in only 5 years (TAWIRI official census results 2014). We mourn the loss of these thousands of elephants, each of whom had family and friends, and who in their lifetimes formed long-lasting memories, celebrated the births of new calves, and grieved deaths of companions. We mourn, too, the losses that these thousands of carcasses represent to our country and to our people. Elephants form an integral part of Tanzania’s natural and cultural heritage. They feature in our stories and our art, reflecting that people and elephants have co-existed for thousands of years. The ecosystems of East Africa have co-evolved with elephants – they shaped the savannahs and the woodlands, and many of their paths became our roads. To lose our elephants would be to lose a cherished facet of our national and historical identity. The elephant poaching crisis also threatens one of our country’s biggest money-makers: the tourism industry. Over 1 million people visit Tanzania’s protected areas every year, contributing to an industry that employs hundreds of thousands of people and constitutes 14% of our nation’s economy (WTTC 2015). One does not have to love elephants to recognize that the poaching crisis is a grave threat to the economic potential of our country. We recognize the progress that has been made to address the elephant poaching crisis. The formulation of a national anti-poaching strategy, the work of the Task Force of the National and Transnational Serious Crimes Investigation Unit (NTSCIU), and increasing the resources for our wildlife authorities are important steps. Yet this poaching crisis will continue if we fail to address the ultimate driver of the poaching crisis: the trade in ivory. Despite the scale of the poaching crisis, the problem has clear solutions which only the Tanzanian government can implement. We call on the government of Tanzania: 1. To arrest and prosecute the major ivory traders operating in the country, regardless of their nationality, status or position. By prosecuting the major ivory traders, we remove locally the incentives and means to poach elephants. The prosecution of traders will break down poaching networks, and deter others from becoming involved in poaching and the illegal ivory trade. 2. To use Tanzania’s long-standing friendship with China to close the Chinese ivory markets. Up to 90% of Tanzania’s ivory goes to China, where a legal domestic trade in ivory acts as a cover for the illegal ivory trade that is the ultimate driver of the elephant poaching crisis. We must urge the government to convince China to follow up on its promise to close all its ivory markets now, and thereby win long-term security for our country’s elephants. As the leading consumer of ivory, a ban in China would lead to the rapid collapse of the ivory trade in the rest of the world. 3. To publicly destroy Tanzania’s ivory stockpile – the largest in the world. Bound by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), Tanzania cannot currently sell its ivory stockpile. In 2014, Tanzania signed up to the Elephant Protection Initiative, placing a moratorium on selling ivory for 10 years. However while the stockpile exists, it provides encouragement to illegal ivory traders that trade will resume. The sale of ivory stockpiles is incompatible with a global ivory trade ban, and past sales of ivory stockpiles have driven the illegal ivory trade. Destroying the stockpile sends a strong message to elephant poachers, ivory traders, and consumers that ivory has no monetary value, and that the poaching of elephants is an unacceptable crime. Tanzania’s stockpile is expensive to maintain and secure – to store this ivory indefinitely is a drain on the national budget. Many African countries have shown their commitment by destroying stockpiles. They were widely applauded for doing so, and destruction of the stockpiles catalyzed donor support for conservation and anti-poaching. Many more conservation dollars can be won through wildlife tourism – a revenue source that is growing, sustainable, and beneficial to many Tanzanian citizens in the long-term – than through the one-off sale of the nation’s ivory stockpile, which would only fuel more poaching and accelerate the extinction of elephants in Tanzania. Our country has been a leader in elephant conservation before. In 1989, Tanzania led the effort to ban the global ivory trade – when we took action to end the killing of elephants, the rest of the world followed. We must renew our commitment to this promise made on the global stage over twenty years ago by bringing all ivory trade to an end. Tanzania’s record on elephant conservation not only matters to our international reputation, it also matters to the citizens of Tanzania. Over 50,000 people support the “OKOA Tembo wa Tanzania” campaign on Facebook, and it is on behalf of the citizens of Tanzania that we reach out to you, Your Excellency, and ask that you save our elephants. To bring peace to Tanzania’s elephants and her protected areas, and to secure a thriving wildlife tourism industry that benefits all Tanzanians – this can be your legacy. Benson Kibonde Manager, Selous Game Reserve Prof. J.R. Kideghesho Department of Wildlife Conservation, Sokoine University of Agriculture Prof. B.M. Mutayoba Faculy of Veterinary Medicine, Sokoine University of Agriculture Prof. C. Nahonyo Department of Zoology and Wildlife Conservation, University of Dar es Salaam Vanessa Mdee WildAid Ambassador Millard Ayo Journalist, Clouds Media Group Dr. Dennis K. Ikanda Director TAWIRI–KPR Centre Ponjoli Joram Natural Resources Project Officer, Delegation of the European Union Charles Hillary Journalist, Azam Media Noah Mpunga Director, WCS Southern Highlands Conservation Program Vedasto Msungu Environmental Journalist, ITV and Radio ONE Wallace Maugo Editor, The Guardian Florence Majani Assistant Editor, Mwananchi Communications Imani Kajula CEO, EAG Group Wasiwasi Mwabulambo Program Manager, Azam Media David Kabambo Director, Peace in Nature Lasway Romane Lecturer, Chuo cha Taifa cha Utalii Josiah Mshuda Director, DONET Monica Lumambo Chairperson, KINET Damien Kosei Secretary, BAENET Dativa Kimolo Chairperson, DACENET Said Mjui Tutor, Mtamako Beda Kihindo Education Officer, TALGWU Pierre Nyakwaka Planning Officer, Jiendeleze Trust George Mtemahani CEO, Sun Sweet Solar Arafat Mtui Project Manager, Udzungwa Ecological Monitoring Center Pima Nyenga Director, Association Mazingira Lameck Mkuburo Elephant Researcher, Southern Tanzania Elephant Program Jenipha Mboya Researcher, Southern Tanzania Elephant Program Shubert Mwarabu Activist, Me Against Poaching	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line612
__label__cc	0.61558	0.38442	calories in okra okra nutrition facts protein in okra carbs in okra fat in okra sugar in okra potassium in okra saturated fat in okra cholesterol in okra magnesium in okra iron in okra fiber in okra calcium in okra zinc in okra vitamin a in okra vitamin c in okra vitamin d in okra vitamin k in okra vitamin b12 in okra vitamin b6 in okra folic acid in okra riboflavin in okra phosphorus in okra niacin in okra thiamine in okra Home / Nutrition / Sodium / okra Amount of Sodium in Okra Welcome to the nutritional sodium content in 6 different types of okra, ranging from 241 mg to 3 mg per 100g. The basic type of okra is Okra, raw, where the amount of sodium in 100g is 7 mg. 7 mg of sodium per 100g, from Okra, raw corresponds to 0% of the sodium RDA. For a typical serving size of 1 cup (or 100 g) the amount of Sodium is 7 mg. This corresponds to an RDA percentage of 0%. Top five okra products high in sodium Below is a summary list for the top five okra items ranked by the amount or level of sodium in 100g. 1. Okra, cooked, boiled, drained, with salt : 241mg (15%RDA) 2. Okra, frozen, cooked, boiled, drained, with salt : 239mg (15%RDA) 3. Okra, raw : 7mg (0%RDA) 4. Okra, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt : 6mg (0%RDA) 5. Okra, frozen, unprepared : 3mg (0%RDA) Following on from the five top okra items or products containing sodium we have a more comprehensive break down of Okra, raw, and the highest item containing sodium which is Okra, cooked, boiled, drained, with salt. We also give a comparison of average values, median values and lowest values along with a comparison with other food groups and assess the effects of storage and preparation on the 6 types of okra. At the bottom of the page is the full list for the 6 different types of okra based on the content in different servings in grams and oz (and other serving sizes), providing a comprehensive analysis of the sodium content in okra. Okra, raw - Nutritional Content and Chart The full nutrition content, RDA percentages and levels for Okra, raw should be considered along with the sodium content. This food profile is part of our list of food and drinks under the general group Vegetables and Vegetable Products.Other important and sodium related nutrients are Potassium, Calories, Protein, Fat and Carbohydrate. For this 100g serving in your diet, the amount of Potassium is 299 mg (6% RDA), the amount of Calories is 33 kcal (2% RDA), the amount of Protein is 1.93 g (3% RDA), the amount of Fat is 0.19 g and the amount of Carbohydrate is 7.45 g (6% RDA). The nutritional content and facts for 100g, which includes Potassium, Calories, Protein, Fat and Carbohydrate is shown in the RDA chart below as percentages of the recommended daily allowance along with the sodium levels in okra. Our proprietary nutritional density score gives a nutritional value out of 100 based on 9 different vitamins, minerals and macro nutrients. Okra, raw has a nutritional value score of 31 out of 100. 100 calories of okra, raw is a serving size of 3.03 g, and the amount of Sodium is 21.21 mg (0% RDA). Other important and related nutrients and macronutrients such as Protein, in 100 Calories are as follows; Potassium 906.06 mg (18.18% RDA), Protein 5.85 g (9.09% RDA), Fat 0.58 g (0% RDA), Carbohydrate 22.58 g (18.18% RDA). This is shown in the sodium RDA percentage chart below, based on 100 Calories, along with the other important nutrients and macro nutrients. For the food Okra, raw the typical serving size is 1 cup (or 100 g) which contains 7 mg of Sodium. In terms of the gram weight and total content for this serving the Potassium content is 299 mg, the Calories content is 33 kcal, the Protein content is 1.93 g, the Fat content is 0.19 g and the Carbohydrate content is 7.45 g. The percentages are shown below in the sodium chart, for the typical serving of sodium and the related and important nutritional values. Macronutrients in Okra, raw The amount of protein, fat and carbs from this food described above is measured in grams per 100g and grams in a typical serving size (in this case 1 cup or 100 g), although it is also useful to give the number of calories from protein, fat and carbohydrate which are the most important macronutrients. For this serving in your diet here are the macronutrient calories. From protein the number of calories is 4.7 (kcal).The number of calories from Fat is 1.6 (kcal).The total calories from carbohydrate is 26.6 (kcal). Milligrams of sodium in okra (per 100g) This list of 6 types of okra, is brought to you by www.dietandfitnesstoday.com and ranges from Okra, cooked, boiled, drained, with salt through to Okra, frozen, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt where all food items are ranked by the content or amount per 100g. The nutritional sodium content can be scaled by the amount in grams, oz or typical serving sizes. Simply click on a food item or beverage from the list at the bottom of the page to give a full dietary nutritional breakdown to answer the question how much sodium in okra. The list below gives the total sodium content in the 6 items from the general description 'okra' each of which show the sodium amount as well as Potassium, Calories, Protein, Fat and Carbohydrate. Below, is the top 6 food items shown in the sodium chart. This gives a quick and easy dietary comparison for the different items, where each item is listed at the bottom of the page with a nutritional summary. The corresponding nutritional value for okra based on our density score out of 100 (ranked by the amount of sodium per 100g) is shown in the below nutritional density chart. The corresponding Calories for okra ranked by the amount of sodium per 100g is shown below in the okra calories chart. The level of sodium can be affected by the method of storage for example canned or frozen and also by the method of preparation for example either raw, cooked or fried. The total number of frozen food items is 3. The highest amount of sodium from the 3 frozen items is in Okra, frozen, cooked, boiled, drained, with salt where the sodium content is 239 mg per 100g. The total food items which are raw is 1 item. The highest amount of sodium from the 1 raw items is in Okra, raw where the content is 7 mg per 100g. The number of food items which are cooked are 4 items. The highest amount of sodium from the 4 cooked items is in Okra, cooked, boiled, drained, with salt where the amount is 241 mg per 100g. Comparing raw and cooked okra shows that cooking can change the levels of sodium by 234 mg in a 100g serving. Average Content for okra The average (or more correctly the arithmetic mean) amount of sodium contained in 100g of okra, based on the list below of 6 different items under the general description of okra, is 83.17 mg of sodium. This average value corresponds to 5.2 % of the recommended dietary allowance (or RDA) in your diet. The averages for the different nutrients are as follows; the average amount of Potassium is 191.33 mg, the average amount of Calories is 28.33 kcal, the average amount of Protein is 1.77 g, the average amount of Fat is 0.22 g and the average amount of Carbohydrate is g. The median value of Sodium is found in Okra, raw which in 100g contains 7 mg of Sodium. For this serving the amount of Potassium is 299 mg, the amount of Calories is 33 kcal, the amount of Protein is 1.93 g, the amount of Fat is 0.19 g and the amount of Carbohydrate is 7.45 g. Using the list below for the 6 different okra nutrition entries in our database, the highest amount of sodium is found in Okra, cooked, boiled, drained, with salt which contains 241 mg of sodium per 100g. The associated percentage of RDA is 15 %. For this 100g serving the Potassium content is 135 mg, the Calories content is 22 kcal, the Protein content is 1.87 g, the Fat content is 0.21 g, the Carbohydrate content is 4.51 g. The lowest amount of sodium in 100g is in Okra, frozen, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt which contains 3 mg. This gives as percentage of the recommended daily allowance 0 % of the RDA. For this 100g serving the amount of Potassium is 184 mg, the amount of Calories is 29 kcal, the amount of Protein is 1.63 g, the amount of Fat is 0.24 g, the amount of Carbohydrate is 6.41 g. The difference between the highest and lowest values gives a sodium range of 238 mg per 100g. The range for the other nutrients are as follows; 49 mg for Potassium, 7 kcal for Calories, 0.24 g for Protein, 0.03 g for Fat, 0 g for Carbohydrate. Please remember that the above gives an accurate value in 100g for high sodium foods in your diet. For example 100g of Okra, raw contains 7 mg of sodium. However, there are other factors to consider when you are assessing your nutritional requirements. You should also take into account portion sizes when you are considering the sodium nutritional content. The food with the highest sodium content per typical serving is Okra, frozen, cooked, boiled, drained, with salt which contains 609.45 mg in 1 package (10 oz) yields (or 255 g). The percentage of the recommended daily value for this serving is 38 %. For this serving the Potassium content is 469.2 mg, the Calories content is 86.7 kcal, the Protein content is 4.16 g, the Fat content is 0.61 g and the Carbohydrate content is 16.35 g. From the list below you can find a full nutrition facts breakdown for all foods containing sodium which can be scaled for different servings and quantities. We have also sorted our complete nutritional information and vitamin database of over 7000 foods, to give a list of foods rich in sodium. Okra List, sodium Content per 100g 1. Okra, cooked, boiled, drained, with salt - Sodium 241 mg (15%) 135 mg (3%) 22 kcal (1%) 4.51 g (3%) 0.21 g (0%) 1.87 g (3%) Typical Serving size of .5 cup slices (or 80g): 192.8 mg (12%) 108 mg (2%) 17.6 kcal (1%) 3.61 g (3%) 0.17 g (0%) 1.5 g (3%) Other serving sizes 8 pods (3 long) (or 85g): 204.85 mg (13%) 114.75 mg (2%) 18.7 kcal (1%) 3.83 g (3%) 0.18 g (0%) 1.59 g (3%) 2. Okra, frozen, cooked, boiled, drained, with salt - Sodium Typical Serving size of 1 package (10 oz) yields (or 255g): 609.45 mg (38%) 469.2 mg (10%) 86.7 kcal (4%) 16.35 g (13%) 0.61 g (1%) 4.16 g (7%) Other serving sizes .5 cup slices (or 92g): 219.88 mg (14%) 169.28 mg (4%) 31.28 kcal (2%) 5.9 g (5%) 0.22 g (0%) 1.5 g (3%) 3. Okra, raw - Sodium 7 mg (0%) 299 mg (6%) 33 kcal (2%) 7.45 g (6%) 0.19 g (0%) 1.93 g (3%) 6.65 mg (0%) 284.05 mg (6%) 31.35 kcal (2%) 7.08 g (5%) 0.18 g (0%) 1.83 g (3%) 4. Okra, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt - Sodium 4.8 mg (0%) 108 mg (2%) 17.6 kcal (1%) 3.61 g (3%) 0.17 g (0%) 1.5 g (3%) 5.1 mg (0%) 114.75 mg (2%) 18.7 kcal (1%) 3.83 g (3%) 0.18 g (0%) 1.59 g (3%) 5. Okra, frozen, unprepared - Sodium Typical Serving size of 1 package (10 oz) (or 284g): 8.52 mg (1%) 599.24 mg (13%) 85.2 kcal (4%) 18.83 g (14%) 0.71 g (1%) 4.8 g (9%) Other serving sizes 1 package (3 lb) (or 1361g): 40.83 mg (3%) 2871.71 mg (61%) 408.3 kcal (20%) 90.23 g (69%) 3.4 g (5%) 23 g (41%) 6. Okra, frozen, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt - Sodium 7.65 mg (0%) 469.2 mg (10%) 73.95 kcal (4%) 16.35 g (13%) 0.61 g (1%) 4.16 g (7%)	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line614
__label__cc	0.570039	0.429961	Tea Spotting – Cameron Highlands, Ipoh, and Kuala Kangsar Bodhidharma felt his eyelids drooping and his body tilting forward as sleep encroached yet again onto his meditation. He stiffened his back and resolved his will. “You must go beyond all words into the deepest truth there is. You must continue beyond selfhood and otherness into the realm where black and white fade away.” For seven years he had sat in this cave, a stone’s throw from the Shaolin Temple which had refused him entry. He had decided that this spot was as good as any other for the contemplation needed. But this damned sleep kept interrupting his quest, calling him to lie down and take a rest. He caught himself slumping forward again, this time his forehead nearly knocked into the unyielding stone before he caught himself and returned upright. “Something must be done!” he roared inwardly to himself and made his decision. He reached up and with each thumb and forefinger gripped the eyelids that had been failing him for the past seven years. As felt his bushy beard on his forearms and the soft flesh of his fingertips, he gave a merciless tug. The lids came off in his vice-like grip and he threw them to the ground, able to now continue with his meditation unhindered. Two years later, the Shaolin monks came to the cave to see if Bodhidharma still practiced there. They discovered no sign of the founder of the Zen lineage of Buddhism, except for two peculiar plants growing side by side on the ground near the wall of the cave. The leaves were a luscious green and their smooth curves were reminiscent of eyelids. These were the first tea plants. Or so the legends tell us! Bodhidharma’s eyelids (the tea leaves) were to be the fuel for generations of Chan (Chinese Zen) monks' meditation - helping them to stay awake during their practice. In actuality, tea has been around in China since at least the 10th century B.C., though it would take thousands of years before its commercial cultivation would find its way to Malaysia, the next stop on our world tour. After flying from Kolkata to Kuala Lumpur (we’ll blog about this city later, but FYI everything we'll do in Malaysia is on the eastern peninsula above, we didn't have time for the western part), Neda and I took the winding road up to the biggest hill station in the country – the Cameron Highlands. Developed in the 1930’s as a way for the British to escape the scorching lowland heat, an entrepreneur named J.A. Russell realized that it was also an ideal environment for growing tea. He bought a tract of land in the area and named his plantation Boh (Malaysian for “high”). Having missed the tea plantations in Darjeeling due to the cold weather there, Neda and I were excited to visit Boh and see the cultivation of one of our favorite beverages. Enjoying the lush greenery on the way to the summit of Gunung Jasar Our first day in Cameron, we met up with a Polish blueberry farmer turned off-season backpacker named Mat. He gave us some tips on a hike he had just done in the area and invited us to join him on a longer trek up to the tallest peak in the highlands, Gunung Brinchang. (Logistical Note: Mr. Yen in the Cameronian Inn gave Mat and us great tips on the hiking in the region and has drawn accurate and up to date maps as well). Our first trek, up to the top of Gunung Jasar, was presided over with blue skies and clear views of the village below as well as the cottage where Jim Thompson, the former CIA agent who helped revitalize the Thai silk business, was last seen before disappearing in these highlands one sunny day in 1967. The afternoon found us sampling the teas of the region while digging into homemade scones with strawberry jam and apple pie with a dollop of fresh cream. We felt quite aristocratic! hitchhiking! The next day we set off early with Mat for our trek up Gunung Brinchang. The trek started from the next town over so we began the journey by hitchhiking on the back of a pick-up truck into town. This time around the sky was already darkening and droplets of rain foreshadowed the hike to come! But rather than detract from the experience, the weather added to it. The climb through the lush jungle as the rain splattered on the leaves was as atmospheric as it gets. Despite the mud and wetness, we were in high spirits as we emerged at the top, with a view only of the settled mist of the clouds we had entered as we climbed. Down a ways from the peak we walked on the more sterile boardwalk of the “mossy forest,” a tourist attraction that cleanly takes tourists through the views we had just seen but without the muddy shoes. Still, it made for some nice photos! On the way up Gunung Brinchang with Mat! The road down the mountain led to the part of the trip Neda and I were anticipating the most. The tea! As we hitchhiked for the 2nd time down to the tea plantation, we admired the sprawling hills lined with the ordered plantings of the bright green tea. Finally, we arrived at the Boh visitor center, where after our long morning, the Palas Supreme whole leaf tea tasted just sublime. Neda swore it gave her a euphoric buzz, which the folks at Boh had long ago marketed when they said their tea had “uuummmph”! A walk through the tea processing plant also showed us how tea is picked, rolled to release its juices, oxidized (to turn it from green to black), and then dried for packaging. We left the plantation and after a short walk, took one last trip as hitchhikers back to Tanah Rata, the town where we started. This is like a really easy "Where's Waldo" It was a successful trip up to the highlands and we enjoyed Mat’s company so much that we decided to go together to Ipoh, a nearby city that one of the guys who picked us up while hitchhiking lived in. He invited us there to show us some of the local cuisine. For this part of the adventure we added another traveler to our group, Kim from Seattle. Here's a picture of Kim and us with some fresh squeezed cucumber juice that looks sort of like a witches brew. Anyway, off we went to Ipoh to see what awaited! Well, it wasn’t exactly what we expected, that’s for sure. Our local contact never called us back, but that didn’t stop us from finding fun. First, we took a local bus out to the Malaysian Royal town of Kuala Kangsar, where we enjoyed the beautiful combination of British and Moorish architecture at Masjid Ubudiah (see right). That’s also where I got some delicious Nasi Lamak, a Malaysian dish of coconut rice with peanuts and a chicken leg in a sumptuous sauce. But once we arrived back in Ipoh, I was still hankering for the local dish of Ipoh sar hor fun (flat rice noodles cooked in chicken and prawn broth with chicken shreds, prawns and spring onions). It took us a bit out of the way to find it, but in doing so we stumbled upon a group of Indian Christians who were caroling in preparation for Christmas. Their Santa Claus had some sweet moves and a mean rhythm to accompany the tambourines and enthusiastically costumed kids. They even succeeded in getting Jeff into the action. You probably never expected to see a Buddhist-Jew dancing with an Indian Santa Claus while singing Christmas Carols, huh? See the video here! Santa getting down with the carolers! After a year full of adventures galore, we are approaching the end of 2012. Neda and I are going to head off to a Couchsurfing potluck in Panang in a few minutes to hang out with travelers from all over the world to celebrate Christmas Eve under the sweltering Malaysian heat! We wish you and yours all the best this holiday season and thank you for following along on our blog. Your comments and e-mails have been wonderful gifts to us all year long! Merry Christmas and a belated Happy Hanukkah! Jeff & Neda with the Indian version of Mary, Joseph, and two angels and wise men apiece! See all the pics of the Cameron Highlands, Ipoh, and Kuala Kangsar here! http://flic.kr/s/aHsjDhnM3u	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line623
__label__wiki	0.838441	0.838441	SDCC ’17: DCEU FLASH Movie Becoming FLASHPOINT July 22, 2017 Rich Drees Movie News Warner Brothers has been having a hard time getting a creative team to come together for a movie featuring their speedster superhero The Flash. But just now at the San Diego Comic Con, the studio has unveiled a change of plans, announcing that the project’s new title is The Flash: Flashpoint. The Flashpoint story was loosely adapted twice before – Once for Warners’ line of animated direct-to-video films in 2013 and very loosely over portions of The Flash TV Series’s second and third season. Flashpoint is a 2011 DC Comics miniseries that saw the Flash going back in time to prevent his mother’s murder and discovering that one small change had the unintended ripple effect of changing much of the modern world. That leaves the Flash with the moral dilemma of allowing his mother to live in this nightmare world, or restoring things to the way they were at the expense of his mother’s life. The series was written by Geoff Johns, who now serves as DC Entertainment’s President and Chief Creative officer. Previously, Phil Lord and Chris mIller had supplied a story treatment that writer Seth Grahame-Smith had developed into a full screenplay. There is no word yet as to who will be writing this new iteration. The project is also without a director and firm release date. The Flash: Flashpoint About Rich Drees 6337 Articles A film fan since he first saw that Rebel Blockade Runner fleeing the massive Imperial Star Destroyer at the tender age of 8 and a veteran freelance journalist with twenty years experience writing about film and pop culture. Comics And Film Warners Still Working On FLASH And JUSTICE LEAGUE Films DCEU Rumors: Vaughn For MAN OF STEEL 2? FLASH Delayed? Lord And Miller Confirmed To Write THE FLASH Treatment FilmBuffOnline All original material © 2001- 2020. All other material copyright of their respective rights holder. Rich Drees William Gatevackes	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line624
__label__cc	0.509011	0.490989	Tuesday, 8:09am Veronika Burian and TypeTogether How we learned to stop worrying about pirates and love type on the Web Veronika Burian and José Scaglione launched their independent type foundry TypeTogether in 2006. Eye’s Simon Esterson asked Burian about her experiences with Typekit and her views on online typography in general. Eye: Does Typekit work for you? As a smaller foundry is the exposure it gives you an added bonus? Many people are worried about the security of the fonts… Veronika Burian: We were one of the early foundries that Typekit asked to come on board and we haven't regretted it at all. The Typekit team has been very approachable and keen on getting our feedback and suggestions on the service. They wanted to make sure we were happy with the security of the fonts, and the representation of our foundry on their website. However, nothing is perfect and we are surprised that Typekit, so far, only supports Western European character sets. This is a serious limitation for some of our clients from Central Europe. Nevertheless the Typekit service is a very good opportunity to enter the newly emerging webfont market without any major risks or investment. We believe it to be a volume business: the individual royalty is not very much, but it accumulates with numbers and there are many many potential users out there. Many of them, such as Web designers, are people we didn’t have access to before, so the technology opens new markets. Regarding security, we think it’s impossible to avoid font piracy 100 per cent. This doesn’t mean that we want to make the pirates’ lives easy, but we don’t see ourselves as the font police, nor do we have the means. The important issue is to prevent unintentional use of illegal fonts and to educate users about the value of typefaces. Eye: How do you see the future for font design and reselling: less print designers buying fonts but more Web design users? VB: The sale and rent of webfonts will surely increase. We are only at the beginning and it’s not only about the internet. The market of any kind of digital device, including smart phones and similar products, will expand. However, this does not necessarily mean a decrease in print fonts. Printed matter won’t die out. Eye: Are you planning to (or do you already) use other formats or business models for selling webfonts? VB: We believe this newly emerged business model of renting a font, instead of selling a license, is rather revolutionary and we were very excited about it from the start. The whole idea of being able to expand the typographic palette on the Web is fantastic. It allows for more variety and interesting designs, but the rendering technology on various browsers still has to catch up. It is frustrating to see how much a typeface changes, and usually not for the better, depending on which platform and browser it is viewed. We are in the process of engineering our fonts for the Web, but it requires funds that many small foundries don’t have. That’s a bit of a dilemma, particularly when it comes to text typefaces, at least at the moment. The other viable webfonts licensing model that some distributors are offering is a more traditional approach. It offers an actual webfont license, usually linked to a specific URL and for a limited time. The font security seems to be similar and some designers might prefer this scheme. Since we, as a small independent foundry, are not interested and we don’t have the structure to sell webfonts ourselves, we have signed up with both models. See also ‘End of default’ in Eye 75. Eye 75 is a typography special issue, featuring illustrative type and lettering, calligraphy, type on the Web, a profile of Anthony Burrill and Mark Thomson’s Reputations interview with Peter Biľak. You can read a selection of pages on Eye Before You Buy on Issuu. Student subscriptions are half price, bit.ly/EyeStudentOffer. Eye magazine is available from all good design bookshops and at the online Eye shop, where you can order subscriptions, single issues and back issues. Books received #41 Harmonic voices Typographic hints for the next generation Walking in a nuclear winter land Awards madness Brand madness Type Tuesday January (2) January (3) February (3) March (3) April (2) May (7) June (4) July (4) August (3) September (3) October (3) November (4) December (1) January (4) February (4) March (3) April (3) May (4) June (2) July (4) August (5) September (3) October (3) November (4) December (3) January (4) February (3) March (2) April (4) May (4) June (4) July (3) August (3) September (5) October (4) November (5) December (4) January (5) February (3) March (5) April (5) May (5) June (6) July (2) August (6) September (5) October (6) November (3) December (6) January (3) February (7) March (9) April (4) May (5) June (7) July (5) August (7) September (5) October (3) November (4) December (7) January (6) February (7) March (7) April (8) May (9) June (3) July (6) August (3) September (7) October (5) November (4) December (5) January (13) February (11) March (10) April (11) May (10) June (10) July (14) August (9) September (9) October (13) November (6) December (8) January (20) February (18) March (19) April (17) May (23) June (14) July (16) August (14) September (9) October (17) November (14) December (11) January (15) February (17) March (17) April (19) May (19) June (20) July (21) August (24) September (23) October (24) November (22) December (16) January (22) February (16) March (19) April (19) May (15) June (17) July (18) August (16) September (15) October (18) November (19) December (18) January (13) February (10) March (12) April (23) May (14) June (14) July (22) August (18) September (21) October (29) November (25) December (20) July (6) August (11) September (17) October (20) November (12) December (17) On the cover of Eye 80 Andmoreagain Beatrice Warde lecture The mag of the blog	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line631
__label__wiki	0.619971	0.619971	Giant in the Playground Forums > Gaming > Roleplaying Games > What WotC thinks of those who don't agree with 4E View Full Version : What WotC thinks of those who don't agree with 4E Xion_Anistu-san Just wanted to say I am completely disgusted by the latest cartoon on the Wizards.com site regarding people who don't like 4E. I refer to this: Red Dragon Interview (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/toon/20080910a) Equating those of us who don't like 4E to trolls is quite a stretch. And then to see what happens to said troll, it just goes to show what they really think of people who don't agree with them. We, the same people who bought all their 3.0 and then 3.5 materials for years as the prices of their books went up and up as the content got less and less (i.e. less print and more color/ art). The millions of fans and players who faithfuly play the product they made that put food on their tables and houses over their heads. The first insult--4E-- was bad enough, but to come out with this ... that is too much for me. After seeing this, I would tend to agree with a T-shirt that appalled one of the staff from GenCon that said "4E killed Gary Gygax!" I hope 4E tanks and Hasbro has to sell D&D off to someone else. The Hasbro financials don't lie; it's not doing well. Then they can sack everyone who was instrumental in pushing 4E (Bill Slavicseck, I'm looking at you!) and get back to fixing the issues with 3.5 and giving us good, solid and supported content once again. Until then, I'm sticking with 3.5 and I will never buy a new D&D book as long as WotC owns it. AstralFire Ugh. Not this AGAIN. From another board: ...That video 'insults' 4E players more than it does 3E, with the annoying sycophantic kobold, FFS. The 3E grognard shows up for about 15 seconds comparatively. I personally thought it was somewhat amusing. WotC's actually making fun of themselves too, as the money-grubbing dragon that doesn't care for its fans. When you insult everyone all around, including yourself, it's rarely meant to mock so much as tell everyone involved to stop taking themselves so seriously and lighten up a bit. I like a company that can laugh at its own image. I thought it was funny. Every party is portrayed negatively during that whole little skit. Lighten up guys. They had the trolls, the devotees, the company being fat and lazy... Come on... Really, do you need to be so up-tight and use this as just another excuse to get mad at the company? And honestly, just because they insulted themselves in there, it doesn't make it any different, because they're just being juvenile. Yes, it does. It removes malicious intent entirely, unless you're suggesting that the company as a whole is self-loathing and thus the video represents their views on everyone honestly. Whine about it not being funny, sure; it was hardly the height of humor. But don't start taking umbrage where none was intended. TL;DR Summary: Don't take umbrage where none was intended, good grief. Starsinger I think you're being over sensitive. The Troll is saying things like "ZOMFG MONEY GRAB!" "GNO GNOMES IN 4E!!11" "Y U IS NEED MINIS" I'm fairly certain people with actual, intelligent reasons to dislike 4e are not included in the puntastic Troll comparison. Spiryt It looks that those guys are really getting infantile :smallbiggrin: Or (more probably) it's just marketing - make 4ed kids feel superior, and sell more. Seriously, taking this serious isn't healthy. It's just video, and doesn't mean that they don't care about critique. I'm sure the 4E players feel SO superior being portrayed as sycophant kobolds. Hasbro/WotC must think they're the best things ever, showing themselves as a randomly defecating, greedy, lazy dragon. I swear the way people react to publishers make me feel like I'm in the middle of a video game forum hearing the Micro$oft Xbots, Nintendrone, and Sony Failstation wars all over again. AmberVael You know, I don't think it is so much making fun of everyone equally so much as it is just kinda lame. That's the real problem with it- I can forgive someone insulting my most dear beliefs if they do it in a hilarious manner (even if it isn't really true- but it's even funnier when it is), but the entire video was just kinda "bleh" to me, so the parts that mocked my views just came off as insulting and nothing more, even if they WERE making a parody of everyone. I'd feel insulted if I were ANYONE depicted in it. Moral is- if you do satire, make it funny. Eldritch_Ent I hope 4E tanks and Hasbro has to sell D&D off to someone else. It's a cartoon making fun of everyone. I mean, come on. Do you honestly put yourself in with the troll? Namely, the group that is either A- Trying to purpousefully stir up flame wars and the like in a "CRY MORE" fashion, or B- Dismisses 4E over incredibly flimsy pretexts and rages about how they hate DnD and it should die? If you're in group A, then GTFO. If you're in group B, congrats, they have you pegged squarely with that one. If you don't consider yourself in either group, then why are you taking it so personally? In the end, I'll just agree with everyone else that this cartoon makes fun of everyone and you shouldn't take it seriously. I belong with the torched PC's myself. :smalltongue: XP! XP! XP! XP! XP! its_all_ogre really if anyone actually feels massively offended by this how do you survive on the internet You're not, though. Or at least, I'd hope you're not. Lambast it for being unfunny all you want, but there's simply no sense in taking offense when they're satirizing themselves at the same time. I didn't see myself as any of the groups in the video, possibly because I am not WotC, I have an open mind to 4E and I like 3E. Or maybe I was the kobold just for keeping an open mind. I've mocked myself worse than that, sure, I'll pretend to play sycophant in a satire. I don't care! It's a flash cartoon with no malicious intent! Artanis Oh FFS, not this again. We went through this with the Tiefling and Gnome interview. IT. IS. SUPPOSED. TO. BE. FUNNY. If you don't think it's funny, then fine. That doesn't mean they're attacking you. It's like somebody watching The King of Queens and shouting "OMG THEY'RE INSULTING FAT PEOPLE CALLING FAT PEOPLE STUPID! I'LL NEVER WATCH THE NETWORK AGAIN AND I HOPE IT TANKS!" What, WotC thinks that those who don't agree with 4e have a sense of humor? Lambast it for being unfunny all you want, but there's simply no sense in taking offense when they're satirizing themselves at the same time. I don't give it much weight- I know it is a parody, I know they didn't mean to insult anyone with it, not really. But at the same time, it's like someone just saying something that totally hits you wrong, even when you know what they're trying to say. You dismiss it- but it still feels irritating, you know? Tsotha-lanti I think some people need to develop a natural armor bonus. TheThan Ok lets look at this: Clearly there’re a lot of symbolism here. The dragon: Eats orphans Thinks its superior to everyone else Doesn’t care about those smaller than it A lot like, WOTC huh The Forum Troll Lives on the Internet Have several specific complaints about 4E Gets crapped on my the dragon Notice how that video has a lot more to say about themselves, as a company and people than they do about others. thegurullamen I agree with AstralFire, we should all take umbrage here because WotC thinks they're better than us. DM Raven This thread seems a bit pointless... Zeta Kai I'm a diehard 3.X fan & anti-4E as anyone, but I was not insulted by this cartoon. It's cute, it's kinda funny, & it's well animated (Adam Philips, you rock, good sir). d00d, SRSLY, it's just a cartoon, & it rips on WotC & their rabid fanbase more than anyone else. To only see the troll & get offended about that is taking things out of context & missing a large chunk of the point. I agree with the OP one a number of issues, but this just isn't one of them. I'll agree that the video was incredibly lame. It swings and misses at being funny. shadow_archmagi I KNOW! Its terribly offensive, just going about assuming I have a sense of humor, or thinking that I won't CARE what a massive faceless corporation says about a vague group of people who may or may not include me!? The sheer indignit- Wait? Whats that? Mac posted another commercial implying windows users are middle aged accountants!? I'LL HAVE THEIR THROATS! BY WHICH I MEAN POST ANGRY WORDS ON AN OBSCURE MESSAGE BOARD! Family Guy's Carter Pewterschmidt: Haaaaaah Every side of every debate has a few idiot trolls on it. 4e is no exception and there's no problem with wizards poking some fun at them. Seriously, that troll was on the screen for about 15 seconds while the dragon and its sycophantic idolizers were mocked for nearly the entire video. If this really offended you than you need to toughen up. You'll run into much worse in the world than someone poking fun at the internet debate about a role playing game. Tengu_temp I think people notice the troll the most because it's the funniest element of the animation. Apart from what, what (almost) everyone said - this cartoon is not supposed to offend anyone. On a side note... Wizards' cartoons could really use subtitles. It's hard to understand what characters are saying sometimes. I really don't see where that particular complaint is coming from. I could see "its incredibly stupid", but it basically insults everybody while being incredibly stupid. It’s not that I can’t take a little criticism or a joke. It’s that this video was obnoxious and rude (and not that funny to begin with). It says that ALL gamers that aren’t giving WOTC high praise for 4E are forum trolls that deserve to be crapped on. That offends forum trolls everywhere. Not to mention the gamers who don’t wish to make the switch. It shows what WOTC really thinks about those who don’t blindly buy their stuff. They may try to disguise it as comedy in a cartoon, but it doesn’t really change the fact that they don’t like people who don’t buy their products. Despite the fact that most of these people (more than likely) have spend several hundred dollars on their previous edition. Wizards of the coast has shown very little in the way of maturity. It’s like if Microsoft made an announcement that everyone who didn’t use/like windows are big fat doodoo heads. The difference between this cartoon and a Mac commercial is that the Macintosh is trying to convince people that their product is cooler, more laid back and hipper (more hip?) than Microsoft’s product. In other words, they’re trying to boost sale. This cartoon is just an angry backlash attack at those vocal people who don’t like/won’t buy 4.0. Sure it probably stems from forum trolls, but it is still an out right attack on their own customers. And that those that are, are mindless sycophants that... get crapped on and like it. Yes, this is obviously how they really feel about EVERYONE. Highly successful companies know that the way to continue their success is to attack everyone in the entire world including themselves. That offends forum trolls everywhere. Not to mention the gamers who don’t wish to make the switch. It shows what WOTC really thinks about those who don’t blindly buy their stuff. They may try to disguise it as comedy in a cartoon, but it doesn’t really change the fact that they don’t like people who don’t buy their products. No. Those "WotC reveals itself more than it does its critics?" thing? That was kind of intentional on their part, you didn't hit some big funny ironic insight. Did you think they had themselves as a dragon that ate babies accidentally? They were mocking themselves. Really, you're reading what you want to see in it. No more, no less. lol cry more. EvilElitest is it just me or the people who say they like 4E saying it isn't important and the people who don't like 4E acting offended? haven't watched it yet to determine its content, just making a comment It's just you. Zeta Kai doesn't like 4E and I am very slightly positive towards it. I don't even remember the name of a single power in 4E, all I know is that I have a namesake feat. Haven't had the time to really get into it. AslanCross This is exactly why I found it funny. (For the record I like both 3.5 and 4E) You sort of missed it. The person that got crapped on turned into a mindless sycophant (he was a human at first, then turned into a lizard dude). Indicating that once you try their crap, you’ll never want to try something else. According to the cartoon they think even their worst products are of such great quality and so much better than their competition; they can produce crap material and people will blindly buy it. Even though it looks like their heads are so far into the clouds that they can’t see any. As for the orphanage part, that was more than likely the artist’s/animator’s opinion getting mixed in the cartoon. As nothing else in the cartoon would indicate that they are making fun of themselves. No I was not that angered or offended by it. I’m just interpreting it. Oracle_Hunter Heh, you missed that one. The paladin was polishing his cart when the dragon crapped on it (alluding to the "I just washed that!" sort of comedy). The Kobold sycophant had been eaten by the dragon, but not fully digested. That's why he jumps up and shouts "I'm the chosen one!" and runs off - he alone had survived being eaten and digested by his God. :smalltongue: If you watch that and you -honestly- think that that's supposed to be their honest-to-God view of themselves, then wow. You know, except for the just mentioned part. Or how the reporter is getting sacrificed to the evil dragon. Kizara I am disgusted by/anti-4e. I found the video a bit hard to follow and only a bit funny, but hardly offensive. I would be more offended if I was a strong wotc-board posting diehard fan I think. I am having trouble trying to determine exactly what the point of this video actually was... That said, I can see how some could make the stretch that WotC assumes ALL the people who dislike 4e are "trolls". Same thing here. Well not disgusted by, and I didn't find it funny at all. This goes into the incredibly stupid category. And the third edition thing was Wotc saying that they failed horribly making it, that and they mocked themselves as greedy money lovers. mayonase Can't we all just agree that the Mindflayer video was hilarious and move on? No, it’s not what I honestly think. However I would imagine that there are at least a few people at WOTC who feel that way about their products. Face it, a lot of people don’t like being told no one likes their product (or that their product stinks). Especially if said product is something you’ve spent a lot of time and hard work on. Combine this with way too much arrogance and you end up with the conclusion I have previously drawn. As far as the interviewer, well that was a kinda funny (would have been better if he picked his teeth with the pole). As far as the paladin, I thought he was just a peasant myself. After watching it again, I did see the guy’s legs sticking out after getting crapped on. Which deflates my previous argument. The sycophantic kobolds, the lazy dragon and pile of gold, gems, etc. could be seen as funny (although lame) and over looked as symbolism rather easily. In all honesty, I didn't get that connection until this thread. But, don't take umbrage where none was intended? With all the symbolism available to them, how does the 'gracious master' deal with the leetspeak? They used a troll getting poohed on. I just find it funny that the same people who wrote letters to a political blogger about his negative depiction of D&D players would come up with this kind of thing, self-depricating or not. Posting this on the Wizards forums would have sparked a flame war, why do you think I posted this here? I was under the understanding that folks on these forums were a lot more open-minded to accept an opinion and some venting. Bear in mind, accepting an opinion and agreeing with it is not the same thing. Touche. :smallsmile: OK gotta run for a date. See you all next week. The sycophantic kobolds, the lazy dragon and pile of gold, gems, etc. could be seen as funny (although lame) and over looked as symbolism rather easily. In all honesty, I didn't get that connection until this thread But, don't take umbrage where none was intended? With all the symbolism available to them, how does the 'gracious master' deal with the leetspeak? They used a troll getting poohed on. Which is also a negative image of themselves, which can hardly be unintentional as blatant as it is. I just find it funny that the same people who wrote letters to a political blogger about his negative depiction of D&D players would come up with this kind of thing, self-depricating or not. I will agree the political blogger thing was ridiculous. Sorry, but I really don't care for extreme views in general. You're entitled to your opinion, but if you express it, I am entitled to counter it and attempt to moderate it. Renegade Paladin http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v350/RenegadePaladin/InternetBusiness.jpg :smallsigh: Does the red dragon's scandal of defecating on someone represent anything or is it just lame comedy? Crapping on 3E players with the release of 4E. That's what they mean by 'last year's scandal.' Well, they... er... defecated all over we their customers with 4e, and before that by apparently firing all their editors in the last year of 3e products. Does that count? :smallamused: Dode When you take your hobby more seriously then the people who's livelihoods depend on it, you might have a problem. I don't really care for 4E, so I don't play it. Problem solved. Trizap I think its clear what their response is. I don't like it all. its not even funny. its offensive to 3E people. I'm a 3E person. My opinion? It wasn't quite as funny as "Tiefling and the Gnome." Still, I liked the sycophants. I feel a strange kinship with those creatures ... Zeful They won't, the D&D name is too big and recognisable to sell. If 4e tanks then they miost likely mothball it. So if you don't like 4e (I liked the stuff they said they were doing but didn't do) then you hope for a brief success before 5e. The Glyphstone That was funny. I liked it....and I haven't even played 4E yet, so I don't have any strong opinions. Oslecamo You do realize tWotc has been insulting their customers for many years now. Heck, just check the magicthegathering site. First it was just some joke here and there, but now they go around shouting freely: "We don't really give a **** about our customers, as long as they keep buying our products! Hay for us! Now go out there and buy some more of our shiny stuff!" Wich just shows how powerfull they've become. White Wolf, on the other hand, likes to insult the people who don't play their game, wich may explain why they remain more in the obscurity. Not all of us agree with you. Get some thicker skin. Get some thinner skin. You seem to have become immune to words. That's no good. Want to unpack that statement a bit? Fiendish_Dire_Moose Wow, someone didn't like it. Look, with the portrayal of the troll hating 4e if you noticed how he was typing then you'd have logically come out to find it wasn't a jab at all the nay sayers. Just the nay saying extremists who boil down to internet trolls. The entire cartoon, to me atleast, was nothing more than sattire on themselves as well as the D&D community, nothing more than a big joke. Or did you get offended at the gnome's, "I'm a monster, RAWR!" as well? I second this motion. Link please? Gavin Sage Yawn, yawn, serious business, yawn. That's diversionary tactics about maybe two levels above the ones WOTC used. I'm hardly raving foam mad over the cartoon, but I do think being insulted is justifiable. See here's the thing, if I thought there wasn't malicious intent behind displaying 4e objectors as trolls I could laugh. Taking the specific objections and dumbing them down and then having them being spewed by a troll though is essentially refusing to treat the arguments as legitimate and then dismissing them as internet trash. That's not trying to be funny, thats being one-uping while pretending to be funny which is a difference. I'm not terribly worked up since I happen to think WotC knew exactly the reactions 4e would get to begin with and decided as a corporation to not care because they were trying to expand the brand not play to its base. Link'd! (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/toon/20080401a) Here's the link (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/drarch/toon) to all of the other animations, too. They're pretty funny, actually :smallbiggrin: First I have to say. I was deeply, deeply offended at how the dragon crapped on the kobolds, representing that WotC craps on it's loyal customer base. Now, I don't think they didn't care that they weren't giving the player base what it wanted (which was apparently more useless supplements) because it wanted to expand the brand, they were already doing that (with aforementioned books). I think they didn't care what some of their players thought in the interest of making a better game. I am not argueing that they did, infact, make a better game. I'm saying that they took some risk to do what they thought was best for a dieing game. And yes, dieing. 4e is much, much easier on newcomers, where 3e was... Well, I was a newcomer to 3e. I hated the experience. 3e itself was good but... Meh, I actually thought the dragon one was the funniest. The mindflayer wasn't bad though. Well, the mindflayer had his moments. I particularly liked the Dwarf (though the troll noting "I know HTML" was also pretty good). And don't tell me you didn't smirk when the Gnome said "I'm a monster, rawr!" :smallbiggrin: You know, out of everything about that video, you know what I disliked the most? It wasn't the mocking of the 4E haters. It wasn't the portrayal of 4E as crap. It wasn't how they made themselves a giant dragon who was greedy. It wasn't even how the 4E fans were sycophants. It was the voices of the sycophants. I mean dear god, I could barely understand a word they were saying. It was all too shrill for me, I guess. I have a terribly difficult time with accents or anything of the kind, and I found myself twiddling the volume knob up and down on my speaker trying to find a place where I could understand them and not be deafened by it. They might have been funnier if I wasn't straining to figure out what was being said. I liked the tiefling having a superior European accent, it made me smile. I also liked the gnome saying that and then getting eaten by the cube after. Overall, I found the dragon one the most honest and least 'marketing ploy' of them all. Of course its a stunt, but I appreciated the tongue-in-cheek self-mocking of the whole thing. I appreciate it when people/organizations have a sense of humor about themselves. horseboy Eh, mind flayer was the funniest of them, but that's really not saying much. It's like they've got old sit-com writers doing these things. The Beholder interview was pretty good, and the Mind Flayer interview had the most jokes. But Tiefling and the Gnome had the best moments. "So I called my mom and I was like, 'Guess what?' And she was like 'What?' And I was like, 'I'M A MONSTER! RAWWWR!'" "I looked dis bugbear right in da eye and was like, 'Bring it, Scruffy.'" "Look! They gave me a minion! Say hello, Francis! Who's my minion? Who's my minion? YOU ARE!" Eldmor Despite the public reaction, I've always found these 4e cartoons funny. The troll's rant and the kobold cheer were defining for me. :smallbiggrin: Capfalcon Honestly, I liked the gnome better, but the kobolds are a very close second. Seriously, you can't really top, "Rawr, I'm a monster!" The adventurers were pretty funny, though. "XP,XP,XP,XP,XP!" Their final scream should have been "OMG! WTF! BBQ!" :smallbiggrin: Dragor I found it hilarious. Maybe I'm just easy to please? Wizard mocked everyone and everything- even themselves- in the vid. Hate was distributed in even amounts. It's tongue in cheek. turkishproverb For now. After splats who knows. Anyway, I'd actually be happiest if they kept 4E as D&D, provided The released a 3XE based Advanced Dungeons and Dragons 4E. Edit: As to the video, well the Troll was depicted worse than the rest, if only by a little. probably programmer bias of a fashion. Thurbane I'm a staunch 3.5 supporter, and I didn't find the cartoon particularly offensive. I did find it amusing (and somewhat accurate) that WotC sees itself as a huge, avaricious beast that craps all over it's fan base. :smallbiggrin: Vortling Every time they come out with one of these videos I keep wondering what WotC is thinking. The comedy in all of them is just so clinical and poorly delivered that I wonder how the writer keeps his job. Then I'm always wondering why they think putting them out is a good idea. I mean look at the pointless discussion it's caused here. JaxGaret I read the first page of this thread, didn't see this mentioned, and I think it merits saying: What the troll was writing was, get this - TROLLING. No Gnomes in 4e? You can play a Gnome PC. Have to use miniatures? Not necessary, but highly recommended, just like earlier editions. Just a moneygrab? Not only do those of us who like 4e think the new edition is well worth the investment, and therefore not a moneygrab, but the majority of 4e bashers are bashing 4e because they prefer 3e - which had its own "moneygrab" in the form of 3.5. So all of the things the Troll was posting were actual trolling posts. They weren't representing "people who don't like 4e". They were representing TROLLS on internet forums. The only people who should be offended in any way by this video are anti-4e trolls, 4e fanboys, or elitist WotC employees. I think my snark suppression unit just exploded Certainly a small explosion going from the post. Yes, but it can give the impression that WotC is calling all of the people who dislike 4e "trolls"...marginalizing their opinions. While I think the cartoon is stupid for many reasons, being offended isn't one of them. I can understand how somebody could be, though. Diamondeye I was more offended at the amount of time it took to watch it for practically no amusement value, than any message it may have contained. tbh it did come across as a bash on the people who complained about 4e, as the troll posts were the most common doubts and complaints about 4e that i've heard online and in person. I'd probably be in the 'oh it was nothing' crowd but i've heard a few things on similar lines from WoTC guys on 4e Forgotten Realms stuff, pretty much flat out stating the good old WoTC policy of 'we know best'. Zaphrasz It is actually pretty funny. Not the troll in particular, but the constant echoing of "we love you!" I am a 3.5 guy. I think fourth edition was unnecessary, and includes mechanics that I dislike. I didn't think the troll portion was funny, but neither will I consider it terribly offensive. It was kind of irritating to be dismissed and straw maned like that, but it isn't something I will lose sleep over. Some common doubts: "I do not like that it appears to put more emphasis on minis. It seems like somewhat of a ploy to get us to buy their minis, and while there are obvious, easy ways to avoid buying minis, it can still be a pain to keep track of them during hectic combat." "it requires minis? OMG U CANT BE SURIUZ!!!111" Those don't sound particularly similar to me. Only if you misinterpret it. It was kind of irritating to be dismissed and straw maned like that, but it isn't something I will lose sleep over. Except that you weren't dismissed or straw manned. As I stated before, the troll was only a representation of actual trolls, not just people who don't like 4e. Also, what Artanis just said. They were also, as pointed out by others, wrong. Shhalahr Windrider Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't this troll the sole representation of those who dislike 4e? I think it's a valid concern that this would make it into a broad generalization that all who dislike 4e are simply trolls. Correct me if I'm wrong , but wasn't this troll the sole representation of those who dislike 4e? The sycophantic fanboy Kobolds were also the sole representation of those who like 4e. I think it's a valid concern that this would make it into a broad generalization that all who dislike 4e are simply trolls. So it follows by your logic that it's also a valid concern that this would make it into a broad generalization that all who like 4e are simply sycophantic fanboys? And that this would make it into a broad generalization that WotC is simply an all-greedy all-defecating all-consuming entity? By the same thought process, of course. Could you please explain how the portrayal of a being or beings that are meant to represent a large group is not meant to create a generalization of said group based upon the portrayal of said being(s)? Mind you, I do not find much of value in the cartoons I've seen so far, and as such, I do not watch them. So my concerns about overly broad generalizations are based upon one episode that may be missing some broader series-wide context. So take it as you will. Waspinator The minis complaint I don't entirely understand. Personally, I don't buy minis or grids, but that's just because it's really easy to use a printer, some glue or tape, and some coins (used as weights) to make your own cheap minis and map grids. And they really do help keep track of where people are in a room in a hectic fight. Well, there's two ways to look at this. 1, like everything else the Troll said this is a lie. 2, cheap minis are still minis, and D&d should be a prop free game with nothing but the GM's soothing/grating voice and your d20 to distract you from the immersion. :smalltongue: So, yours is the only correct interpretation? Funny thing about interpretations, there are oftimes as many of them as there are interpreters... Are you playing devil's advocate here, or do you honestly feel that my interpretation is incorrect? Suffice it to say false generalizations can be read into anything, with the proper mindset. So you're saying that any portrayal of a being or beings must be a generalization of said group based upon the portrayal of said beings? Forgive me for saying so, but that's a ridiculous claim. People can't portray anything without it being a generalization? I'm not even talking about this specific situation. Back to the topic at hand: like I said before, what they were portraying was an anti-4e troll, which is a separate category of persons than those who don't like 4e. The two don't even need to coincide; some trolls just like to troll. I haven't watched the series of cartoons either, as I find them similarly valueless and devoid of humor. Mainly devil's avocado...there are few absolutes in the world of interpretation, or opinion, however... Well, I do feel that my interpretation is in all likelihood the intent of the persons who created it. Am I absolutely certain of this? No. But I am reasonably certain. Only when said beings are meant to be representative of the group as a whole rather than individuals. It seems to me that this was the case in this particular cartoon. The troll was not introduced as "one particular troll" but as the sole representation of the people that do not like 4e. Forgive me for saying so, but that's a ridiculous claim. People can't portray anything without it being a generalization? I never claimed that. I do my best to realize when a character is meant to be an individual and when it is meant to be representative of something more. I'd say an introduction that explicitly labels someone as a group representative rather than an individual puts that someone in the latter group. The troll was not introduced as "one particular troll" but as the sole representation of the people that do not like 4e. Oh, right, I saw how they flashed the words "THIS IS WHAT WE THINK OF EVERYONE WHO DOESN'T LIKE 4E" on the screen before they showed the troll. No, there was no "introduction". They showed a troll, who was trolling. That's a representation of a troll, nothing more, nothing less. Trolls trolling about 4e =/= people who don't like 4e. Starbuck_II If all who dislike 4E talk with Caps like a noob than they deserve it. I'm sorry, people that can't write intelligently deserve to be instructed in how bad they write. Otherwise, those "trolls" will repeat that writing style indefinitely. RebelRogue I'm marvelling at how little it appearantly takes to offend people these days! :smalleek: Weiser_Cain I just assume most if not all corporations couldn't care less about their "fans" beyond their money. You were aiming for then, who, and poorly with that post. It does seem odd that whenever anybody makes a post about how people who can't write shouldn't the amount of errors dramatically increases. There are inevitably going to be quite a few in this post too. Hehehe I sort of knew this was coming. Of course, but there are (at least) two approaches to getting the moula off your clients: * Build customer loyalty and treat your customers with respect to keep them coming back for more. * Treat them with utter indifference (or disdain), milk them for all they're worth, and assume they'll keep coming back for more, just because you're the biggest fish in the bowl. ...I think WotC slides more toward the second option... Thrud Yeah, recently I have been feeling the same way. I think it is Hasbro's influence, personally. I often wonder how Richard Garfield feels about what happened to his company now that he is gone. I don't think he would like it today. Mattarias, King. :smallbiggrin: Oh gods. Thank you for bringing that to my attention. Needed a good laugh. HAH. It's called parody. If you can't laugh at yourself and your ideals every once in a while.. Well, you might need a vacation. :smallwink: Love the kobold. he's most definitely sneaking into one of my games sometime. :smallbiggrin: Or satire. Close enough. Bah, bad and poorly can be used in each others place only well and good can't be. I'll admit I put an a instead of e in my word. It's called parody*. Oh yeah, I forget to mention this. Thanks, Mattarias.	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line634
__label__cc	0.744506	0.255494	The Travelers' Hostel company was founded more than 13 years ago. Here you can read its brief history, concepts and some of future plans. We also added a table showing which hostels were opened Travelers’ Hostel was founded by in. Petr Jetliner in the summer of the year 1990. The first hostel was opened only 7 months after the Velvet Revolution of the Czech Republic and the Fall of the Berlin Wall, when the borders of the Czech Republic were opened to millions of foreign travellers for the first time in 40 years. Jelinek's idea was to provide reasonably priced accommodation in the center of the city. All of the Prague Travellers’ Hostels are within walking distance to the most interesting sights of Prague. Since the first hostel (”Krizovnicka”) opened by the Charles Bridge in 1990, the total capacity of the Travellers’ Hostels has risen to 600 beds in 7 different hostels. The services available have also increased, to include such amenities as an online reservation service, internet access, parking, hostel bars, garden pubs and BBQ's, bike rental, laundry service, and transport between Prague and the beautiful South Bohemian city of Cesky Krumlov (where one of the Travellers’ Hostels is located). We are also planning to open a boat hostel "Amelia", which will have another 40 beds and will be docked on the Vltava river, with lovely views of Prague Castle and the Old Town. The staff of Travellers Hostels is made up of friendly, young, English speaking Czechs who are always happy to provide our guests with a wide range of information to ensure that their stay in Prague is as enjoyable as possible. following table shows how were our hostels opened as time went along 1990 Krizovnicka 1993 Island 1994 Ujezd, Mikulandska, Opletalova 1995 Ujezd, Mikulandska, Opletalova, Island 1996 Ujezd, Island, Mikulandska, Krizovnicka 1997 Ujezd, Island, Mikulandska, Dlouha (autumn) 1998 Ujezd, Island, Krizovnicka, Mikulandska, Dlouha 1999 Ujezd, Island, Krizovnicka, Ruzova, Husova, Dlouha 2002 Ujezd, Island, Husova, Dlouha, Josefska 2003 Ujezd, Island, Husova, Josefska, Dlouha, Janska (in Brno) 2004 Ujezd, Island, Husova, Josefska, Dlouha, Janska 2006 Ujezd, Island, Husova, Dlouha, Janska	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line648
__label__wiki	0.580616	0.580616	iofilm Adobe Premiere Elements 8 and Photoshop Elements 8 Review Submitted by Robert Alstead on Sat, 12/19/2009 - 01:19 Back in October, Adobe brought out its latest versions of Premiere Elements for video editing and Photoshop Elements for image editing. Although these programs are often described as “entry level” editors or lite versions of their professional level big brothers, Photoshop CS4 and Premiere Pro CS4, both editors still pack a powerful array of editing features. Photoshop and Premiere Elements regularly walk away with critics' awards and plaudits for Best Consumer Editing software, but these are really programs aimed at the serious amateur or a tech-minded, small business user. I'd be wary of recommending them for beginners. This latest edition of Premiere Elements, version 8, aims to build on what was already an impressive tool kit in version 7 with its well-planned editing interface, a pile of special effects, transitions, good keyframe controls, and nifty features such as stop motion capture and Smartsound soundtrack creation, all at a much lower price than the pro versions. Time to organise The most obvious change in APE 8 is that there is now a separate media organizer app for managing both videos and photos. You can still manage and import footage from within APE itself but if you just want to sort stuff out, like tagging, naming, giving media a rating out of five, then the Organizer is the place to do it. Toggling between a calendar view and a media browser view you can use a slider to peruse your files as thumbnails and quickly zoom in on an individual, or a handful of files at once, filtering images and clips by tag or by media type. Having selected the clips you can drag and drop files straight into the Photoshop or Premiere Elements Editor. I'm glad to see that the calendar timeline feature is still in the Organizer: switch this on while in media view (control L) for a chronological bar chart across the top of the screen indicating number of files by date. If you're like me, you'll discover images that you forgot you ever took. As in the previous version, you can also still quickly batch process images for slideshows and the web in different resolutions and file types – a nice feature for firing images off to friends and family. Where the program falls down is in promising too much. Having mostly got the fundamentals of editing stuff down APE 8 tries to go further by adding lots of automated features that sound good but in practice fall short. How Smart? The word “smart” crops up a lot in the new APE. Unfortunately, I haven't found these are the great time-savers they are heralded to be. In fact, I've learned to be careful when using any feature with the word “Smart” in front of it. Within the Elements Organizer itself you can do some quick and dirty edits with the Auto Smart Fix and Auto Red Eye features. Like much of the smart features these are hit and miss – for example, in a night photo Smart fix didn't like the deep blacks and overcompensated by creating a lower contrast, lighter image that was full of too much grain for my liking. Arguably that's a subjective matter, but the inaccuracies were more clear cut in the new People Recognition feature where APE tries to learn what peoples' faces in photographs look like but ends up missing people and finding faces where there aren't any. It's also a slow process, requiring you to type in a name for a person again and again. It's much easier just to highlight a group of photos in PRE and drag the tag onto the images, particularly since portrait photographs can be difficult for even the human eye to judge. For example, the face recognition feature didn't find out-of-focus faces and mistook foliage and a shop front for a human face. Auto-Analyze this Underpinning these smart features in Premiere Elements 8 is an engine that scans and analyses individual media called the Auto-Analyzer. By default, it runs in the background logging your media clips according to whether they are in focus, they are high quality, the shot is long or close, how many faces are in shot, and so on. APE then uses these “smart tags” to automatically “fix” or edit your footage when you drop it on the timeline. In my experience, the autofix works best with audio mixing, where the soundtrack is automatically lowered whenever dialogue kicks in. The visual side is not convincing. Like my night photograph I mentioned earlier the quality of the automated results is a subjective affair and the usefulness of the feature is bound to vary from project to project. But with footage of a fast-moving bicycle polo tournament the program seemed confused and the autofixes it came up with involved zooming in and out unnecessarily on already fast-moving action and suggesting I delete some of my favourite shots. I can see the tags being more accurate in a less dynamic, more controlled situation. And you can adjust the amount of changes that the Auto-Analyzer recommends. You also don't have to accept its suggestions. The Auto-Analyzer is also key to APE's “Instant Movie” feature where you select a series of clips, click an instant movie template for the editing style (“Extreme Sports”, “Wedding”, etc.) and leave APE to do the work. These are kind of fun the first time you use them, but the edit decisions are all over the place (the Auto-Analyzer is not strong on telling stories yet). Again you can adjust the speed of the cuts and the intensity of transitions and effects. You can also choose to perform the edits on specific clips rather than the whole movie, so you might just have a section of your video where you use the canned pizzazz of Instant Movie and edit your clip manually around it. One of the new automated features which I was looking forward to trying was the Motion Tracker where you draw a box around an object on the screen and then attach a graphic or text to your chosen object so that it follows it around the screen. Adobe provides some fun clipart graphics – some of which are automated – like birds and butterflies flying. However, I frequently had problems locking in on the object that I wanted to track. Fortunately, you can accomplish the same effect by entering keyframes by hand. Slow on the uptake The shortcomings of these “smart” features (some of which, incidentally, are featured in Adobe's Premiere Elements 8 video tutorials) wouldn't be such an issue if APE 8 wasn't so slow and, in my experience, less stabile than the previous version. The 3 Ghz processor and 2 GB of memory of my test computer, is well within the Premiere Elements “system requirements” for DV editing. For Windows XP, which I was using, this is a 2 Ghz processor and 512 MB RAM (HD editing requires significantly more resources). APE 8 takes around three minutes on my system just to open and load after the initial Welcome screen and it crashed frequently. It was less sluggish when I turned Auto-Analyzer off. But this is not good and judging from the comments I've read while trying to resolve these issues there's quite a few people experiencing simliar sluggishness. I've never had these problems running Adobe Premiere Pro with Pro's media “organizer” Adobe Bridge on the same test computer. Adobe has posted advice on troubleshooting freezes and errors and the Adobe Forums are full of tips for handling digital video playback playback problems and such like. But I'm inclined to agree with prolific Adobe Forums poster Steve Grisetti that you need a powerful system to run this program comfortably. Grisetti writes: "I wouldn't try to run this program on anything less than a dual-core processor with 4 gigs of RAM and at least 30 gigs of free, defragmented hard drive space. Don't try to edit AVCHD on anything less than a quad core machine." Both Premiere Elements and Photoshop Elements remain excellent editing tools and the addition of video support in the Organizer is welcome. However, the smart tool features are too hit and miss to be worthwhile. There's not sufficient improvements over previous versions to warrant an immediate upgrade. Above all, these are resource-hungry applications so newcomers to Elements, particularly Premiere Elements, should check that your computer is up to snuff before buying version 8. Adobe Premiere Elements 8 System Requirements 2GHz processor with SSE2 support; 3GHz processor required for HDV or Blu-ray; dual-core processor required for AVCHD Microsoft® Windows® XP with Service Pack 2, Windows Media Center, Windows Vista®, or Windows 7 For Windows XP: 512MB of RAM (2GB required for HD editing, including HDV, AVCHD, or Blu-ray) For Windows Vista and Windows 7: 1GB of RAM (2GB required for HD editing, including HDV, AVCHD, or Blu-ray) 4.5GB of available hard-disk space Color monitor with 16-bit color video card 1,024x768 monitor resolution at 96dpi or less Microsoft DirectX 9 or 10 compatible sound and display driver DVD-ROM drive (compatible DVD burner required to burn DVDs; compatible Blu-ray burner required to burn Blu-ray discs) DV/i.LINK/FireWire/IEEE 1394 interface to connect a Digital 8 DV or HDV camcorder, or a USB2 interface to connect a DV-via-USB compatible DV camcorder (other video devices supported via the Media Downloader) QuickTime 7 software Adobe Premiere Elements supported import/export formats include: ASF (import only), AVI, AVCHD (import only), SWF (import only), Blu-ray Disc (export only), DV, DVD, Dolby® Digital Stereo, H.264, HDV, JPEG, PNG (import only), PSD (import only), MOD and TOD (JVC Everio, import only), MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG-4, MP3, WAV, QuickTime, Windows Media, WMA (import only), and 3GP. Import/export of some formats, including AVCHD, DVD, Blu-ray, MPEG-2, MPEG-4, and H.264, may require activation or download of components via an Internet connection. Activation or download is fast, easy, and free. Import/export of 3GP, 3GP2, MOV, MPEG-4, and QuickTime requires QuickTime software. Tested devices Adobe Premiere Elements homepage Search iofilm Search film web	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line655
__label__wiki	0.842354	0.842354	Home \| About \| Blog \| Contact Home About Guest Editorials Advertise Blog Site Map Links Contact Subscribe RSS Subscribe Email Home » General Mother Mosque of America woven into fabric of life in Cedar Rapids admin 18 January 2012 General 9 Comments Email This Post CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA // The oldest standing mosque in the US is not an imposing building. It lies in a quiet residential neighbourhood just north of downtown Cedar Rapids. The wooden building with its little green dome is on the National Registrar of Historic Places. But what is considered the Mother Mosque of America, built in 1934, is more than a historical curiosity: it is testament to the vitality of one of the oldest Muslim communities in the US, one rooted in Iowa’s second-largest city, which has a population of about 127,000. With American Muslims under more scrutiny since the September 11 attacks, perhaps the mosque’s real significance today is not its history but its location, said Albert Aossey, co-founder of the Midwest Islamic Association. “Most people don’t think of Muslims in the heartland. But this is where they first came looking for a better life.” Abbas Habhab blazed the trail. The young man from Kfarhouna, then Greater Syria, in 1888, became the first documented Muslim in Iowa, and over the next seven years he brought his three brothers, Musa, Yousef and Ali. Lured by the promise of land – under the Homestead Act of 1862, new immigrants could secure 160 acres of land for a nominal fee if they fulfilled certain requirements for five years, including growing crops and building dwellings – the brothers started as farm hands, peddlers and at whatever else work they could find. They worked hard and long, said Paul Habhab, 41, Musa’s grandson. They were “hard men”, he said. Two generations later, Mr Habhab is managing director of Islamic Services of America (Isa), which was founded by his father, also Paul, in 1975. Isa is one of a handful of American companies that provides internationally recognised halal certification for the food, pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries, a US$2.3 billion (Dh8.4bn) global industry. Together with another Cedar Rapids company, Midamar – which was founded by Albert Aossey’s younger brother, Bill, and is America’s largest distributor of halal food – Isa has given the Muslim community in Cedar Rapids a global reach that belies its humble beginnings. “It’s a typical American story,” said Mr Habhab, who estimated the size of the community at 2,500. “My grandfather shovelled coal for a dime a day. He worked hard and that’s why we are where we are today.” Evidence of the Muslim-Arab connection is dotted around Cedar Rapids. Apart from the city’s three mosques, there is the inevitable Aladdin restaurant, specialising in Mediterranean food. There are retail outlets with names such as Kamal’s Rug Store. As a measure of the degree to which the Muslim community is woven into the fabric of life here, the Midwest Islamic Association’s name appears on a plaque that notes the otherwise Christian-church dominated list of partners to the Ecumenical Community Center, a faith-based charity in the centre of the city. Albert Aossey, 73, keeps an office there. He and his two brothers, Joe and Bill, founded the Midwest Islamic Association as a non-profit organisation in the 1970s in part to oversee the renovation of the Mother Mosque in 1978, when it had fallen into disrepair. Their efforts ensured that the Mother Mosque avoided the fate of the first mosque to be built in the US, in 1929 in North Dakota, which was torn down in the 1970s. “It’s a very significant building to Muslim Americans,” Mr Aossey said. “It’s part of our history.” Mr Aossey’s father, Yahya, was also originally from what is now southern Lebanon. In 1907, at the age of 16, Yahya came to Iowa. He spent his first months with a German family who renamed him William. Speaking no English, William realised only later that the language he had begun to learn from them was German. He moved to Cedar Rapids in the 1920s where he opened his own general store. In 1934, he helped build the Mother Mosque with a handful of others. In 1948, William Aossey donated 10 acres he had acquired over the years for a Muslim graveyard – the National Muslim Cemetery – the first of its kind in America. It was dedicated in part to fill a growing national as well as a local need, and in part in recognition of those who had died fighting for the US in the Second World War. “Not bad for a man who never learnt … to read or write,” said Mr Aossey after a short prayer over his father’s grave, which, like all the others in the cemetery, faces toward Mecca. Four of Mr Habhab’s uncles fought in the 1939-45 conflict. His father fought in Korea. And Mr Habhab bristles at the media attention the American Muslim community has received after the September 11 attacks. Ten years after the twin towers came down, many Americans continue to view Islam and Muslims with suspicion. In September, a Brookings Institution/Public Religion Research Institute poll, found that 47 per cent of people in the survey believe Muslim values are at odds with American values. And almost one in three said they believed American Muslims want to impose Sharia in the US. Overt controversy about Islam has largely bypassed Cedar Rapids. There was no public attack, no mosque was defaced and there was no rally against Muslims after September 11, 2001, said Lyle Muller, editor of The Gazette, Iowa’s second-largest daily newspaper. This, he added, was in large part because the Muslim community is part of the “fabric of the city”. “You have [Muslim] business people and folks in your area that are interacting with you as Cedar Rapidians and Iowans, and that’s how they are viewed.” But Mr Muller also acknowledged that it hasn’t all been smooth sailing. Last year, plans for a Muslim Youth Camp at Coralville Lake south of Cedar Rapids had to be abandoned after both local and national opposition to the idea. And Mr Habhab said there continued to be “deep ignorance” about Islam in spite of the heavy media coverage after the September 11 outrages, but concedes that those attacks also forced American Muslims – of whom many used to be what he called “part-time Muslims” – to explore their own faith. “Suddenly all we saw on TV was martyrdom, suicide missions, 73 virgins, Shiite, Sunni. And a lot of part-time Muslims were like, ‘Huh? This is what I believe?'” The result, he said, was an inward exploration that actually increased people’s attachment to their faith. That has given rise to a reassertion of a Muslim identity among American Muslims. Where his grandfather Musa became Moses at Ellis Island, the port of call for new immigrants in the 19th century, Mr Habhab’s children – Jameela, Raya and Tarek – are closing a circle with their names. “They used to anglicise their names to fit in, like all communities did,” Mr Habhab said. “Now, there’s a sense of returning to our roots.” okarmi@thenational.ae Original post: Mother Mosque of America woven into fabric of life in Cedar Rapids Posted on 18 January 2012 in General \| 9 Comments Tags: American Muslims, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Islam, Islamophobia, Midwest Islamic Association, Mother mosque of America, September 11, Syria That is a great story. If these Muslims were to take their religion and open a mosque in the middle east and from that Mosque teach their view of Islam would they be accepted or dennounced by Muslim Clerics in the region as being tainted by western values? //criley401 la illai il allah //Yasin Turner via Facebook The first Islamic center in US is based in upstate NY ,and it was formed by Albanian community … //Almir Redzematovic via Facebook Sounds like a cool establishment. How long has it been up? //Connor Ian Kenneth O'Donnell via Facebook I like how it looks like one of those small-town American churches //Harrison H Elfrink via Facebook Kinda looks like a resturant. Pretty normal looking building. I see nothing wrong with it //Edward Randolph via Facebook Wouldn’t be a thing wrong with it even if it had minarets. //Jerilyn Lessley via Facebook Criley, please go on vacation to the middle east! you have totally the wrong idea man! //Salim Criley There are a lot of mosques in the middle east lol thats where they originate from. And plenty of good sheikhs are out there denouncing the bad things extremists do. I happen to kno 3 from one mosque. Maybe he means one specifically for fighting AGAINST extremism? Idk he confuses me //Elle ‘Hate Crime’: Taxi Cab Driver Survives Brutal Attack British Muslims Face Worst Job Discrimination of Any Minority Group Brigitte Gabriel: ‘No Chance’ Of Muslim Americans ‘Blending In’ To U.S. ISIS says Islam justifies slavery – what does Islamic law say? Shots fired at mosque in Southern California Shaima Alawadi: Iraqi Muslim Woman Severely Beaten in California Home Dies - 304 comments Why Islamophobes Hate Ron Paul - 142 comments Belgian politician risks Muslim backlash after using teenage daughter dressed in burka and bikini for campaign against Islam - 140 comments Singling Out Islam: Newt Gingrich's Pandering Attacks - 134 comments Gingrich Says It Should ‘Bother’ Obama That People Think He’s Muslim - 131 comments US Marines Pose with Nazi Symbol: To Them All Afghans are “Sand N*****s” - 129 comments NYPD document: Gather intel info at Shiite mosques - 126 comments How many states, besides Oklahoma, ban Islamic law? - 122 comments Warren J. Blumenfeld: Islamophobia Has No Place in the United States of America - 109 comments Angry, Paranoid and Sporting a Fu Manchu: A Triumphant Terry Jones Does Dearborn - 104 comments American Team Wears Hijab to Support Captain - 17 emails Egypt’s Muslims attend Coptic Christmas mass, serving as “human shields” - 14 emails The U.S. Supreme Court and Islam - 13 emails Right-Wingers Would Be Shocked to Learn That Islam Has Been Part of American History Since Its Founding - 12 emails Muslim Immigrant Seeks Stay of Execution for His Attacker, a Convicted Anti-Muslim Murderer - 11 emails Pamela Geller’s Racist Comments: Oslo Victims Weren’t “Pure Norwegians,” Just “Middle Eastern” or “Mixed” - 10 emails Salon.com: Our Founding Fathers included Islam - 10 emails Cracked.com: 5 Ridiculous Things you Probably Believe About Islam - 9 emails CNN Special: “Unwelcome: The Muslim Next Door” - 8 emails Bin Laden’s theology a radical break with traditional Islam - 8 emails 9/11 America American Muslims anti-Islam Anti-Muslim Barack Obama CAIR Christian Christianity EDL FBI Florida Fox News France Geert Wilders Ground Zero Ground Zero Mosque Hate Hijab Huffington Post Islam Islamic Law Islamophobia Israel Jews Jihad Loonwatch loonwatch.com Mosque Muslim Muslims New York Pamela Geller Politics News Quran racism Religion News Right Wing Robert Spencer Sharia Shariah Tennessee Terrorism UK USA Islamophobia-Watch.com IslamophobiaToday Loonwatch.com RightWingWatch The American Muslim WhatIfTheyWereMuslim FAIR (Fairness & Accuracy in Reporting) Americans Against Islamophobia The Web's Comprehensive Islamophobia Newspaper: Islamophobia Today \| Entries (RSS) \| Comments (RSS) \| All Rights Reserved © Copyright 2010,11. IslamophobiaToday.com	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line656
__label__wiki	0.682105	0.682105	MainAll NewsInside IsraelElectric Company Would 'Cut Off PA Tomorrow' Electric Company Would 'Cut Off PA Tomorrow' IEC Director Yiftah Ron-Tal discusses damage of 'Arab Spring' to Israeli electricity, 'revolution' of Tamar natural gas fields. Yoni Kempinski, Ari Yashar, 22/04/14 22:01 Yiftah Ron-Tal Maj.-Gen. (res.) Yiftah Ron-Tal, Director of the Israel Electric Company (IEC), spoke Thursday at the Ramle Conference on financial policy, where he addressed the Palestinian Authority (PA) electricity debts of 1.4 billion shekels (nearly half a billion dollars). "If it were up to me, I would cut off their electricity tomorrow," commented Ron-Tal. "Any private company would have cut off their electricity a long time ago. We're demanding the PA to pay every last penny." In early March, the IEC issued a final warning to the PA to pay its debts within three days or get disconnected, a threat that was not carried out due to the publicly-owned nature of the company. The PA habitually fails to pay its electricity debts to Israel, despite receiving money specifically for electricity from various international donors and receiving a discounted rate from Israel. The PA announced in late March it had reached a staggering $4.8 billion in debt, with a 2014 budgetary deficit of $1.5 billion. Damage from the "Arab Spring" Discussing IEC policy, Ron-Tal noted "part of the welfare policy characteristics that I really agree with are lowering the cost-of-living that influences every aspect (of life). In the coming year we'll lower the costs of electricity." Ron-Tal's plans to lower costs apparently hang on the switch over to natural gas as a source of electricity production. "For many years we used expensive pollutant materials, and not any less problematic, materials that were bought from non-Jews. The state of Israel is shifting to produce electricity through gas. Power stations have been placed to produce electricity from gas," noted Ron-Tal. The IEC director added that the unrest spreading in the Arab countries since 2011 in what was termed the "Arab Spring" influenced Israel by cutting of the supply of natural gas. As a result, Israel produced electricity from diesel fuel. "We need to understand that one unit of diesel fuel costs five times more than a unit of gas. Since then, we've spent 100 million shekels (around $29 million) a day, and that's the reason for the awful financial situation of the electricity company," remarked Ron-Tal. Tamar gas field to the rescue Due to the switch to diesel fuel, Ron-Tal acknowledged that in 2012 IEC had reached its most serious crisis, both financially and in terms of electricity production. Last March the tides began to turn however, as the Tamar offshore natural gas field came online. "A year ago we started getting gas from the Tamar reserves. As opposed to previous reserves, this one will provide from 20 years. We have Israeli gas in the sea that is starting to arrive to the shores of the state of Israel in unlimited quantities," appraised Ron-Tal. The IEC director called the production of Israeli gas from the field a "revolution" that would allow electricity prices to drop, and grant Israel the ability to produce its own electricity. He noted "we are reaching the situation where the gas is completely ours." Tags:PA, IEC, electricity, Israel Electric Company, Yiftah Ron-Tal	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line658
__label__wiki	0.946496	0.946496	'Big Little Lies Update': Which Woman Prevailed By Karen L. Querubin , Feb 20, 2017 11:29 AM EST "Big Little Lies" is an American-comedy drama based on a book created by Liane Moriarty. The series is said to have seven episodes and stars famous actresses including Reese Witherspoon as Madeline Martha Mackenzie, Nicole Kidman as Celeste Wright, Shailene Woodley as Jane Chapman, Zoë Kravitz as Bonnie Carlson, Laura Dern as Renata Klein; and many more. The series made its way to screens on Sunday, February 19 with an episode entitled "Somebody's Dead." The Moms And Their Characters The series "Big Little Lies" revolves around the so-called feud of the moms in small town Monterey, California and the three main characters played by Reese Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman and Shailene Woodley becomes the main suspects after an unknown character gets killed. In the premiere episode of the series, viewers were able to get a glimpse of how these unique characters were portrayed. Madeline Mackenzie played by actress, Resse Witherspoon is a character that just stays true to herself no matter what with so many one liners that just hits you. Celeste Wright played by statuesque actress, Nicole Kidman is quiet, tenuous and mysterious although she loves to post things on her social media account to make it appear like she's living a perfect life. Lastly, Jane Chapman played by Shailene Woodley, new mom in town who seems to have a lot going on inside her yet still kept her cool specially after her son, Ziggy was accused of assaulting and choking his classmate. Which Mom Is On The Vertex According to great reviews from viewers, the character played by Reese claims the top spot. Madeline Mackenzie, character played wonderfully by Reese immediately befriended Shailene's character in Big Little Lie's as well as her one liners just caught the viewer's eye. The character was also comapared to "Elle Woods" which is considered as Reese's best role ever. Some reviews also predicted that Reese Withersppon might be bagging an Oscar nomination for her role in the series. TAG Big Little Lies, Reese Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman, Shailene Woodley, Ziggy, homicide, hbo HBO Original ‘Big Little Lies’ TV Show Spoilers: Trailer with Reese Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman, And Shailene Woodley Release Date: HBO hasn’t given the series a particular air date yet but said the show will debut in 2017. 'House Of Cards' Season 5 Updates: Frank’s Rumored Death To Lead The Show Into Spinoff; Doug To Save Frank From Death? The latest "House of Cards" season 5 rumors suggest that the series would end with the upcoming season. Yet there might be a spinoff which will be starred by Robin Wright's Claire Underwood. Also, with the talks saying Frank will meet his demise on the fifth season, reports have it that his loyal servant, Doug Stamper, might be the president's rescue from death. ‘Passengers’ Latest Update: Most Ambitious Sci-Fi Space Movie Starring Chris Pratt And Jennifer Lawrence To Premiere Dec. 2016 “Passengers,” a new movie, is coming soon and this could be the next big event. This is entirely possible since it stars Jennifer Lawrence and Chris Pratt. 'Game Of Thrones' Season 7 Spoilers: Sansa Stark Shows She Can Rule Westeros And Be Better At It Sansa Stark might just be the most qualified person to rule Westeros. Actress Sophie Turner even confirms that Sansa is bound to grow. HBO Takes 'Game Of Thrones' And 'Westworld' To SDCC 2017, Panel Details Released HBO is bringing the cast and crew of "Game of Thrones" and "Westworld" to this year's Comic-Con in San Diego. 'Game Of Thrones' Season 7 Spoilers: Kit Harington Teases Jon Snow's 'Seismic Shift', Warns Winter Isn't Coming? Kit Harington has revealed that Jon Snow is in for a big change in the new season of "Game of Thrones". Sign Up for the ITECHPOST Newsletter Get the Most Popular iTechPost Stories in a Weekly Newsletter © 2020 ITECHPOST, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. MORE IN ITECHPOST These Are 5 of the Most Wanted IT Jobs in 2020 These are the most wanted IT jobs in 2020, considering different factors such as: education, salary and job outlook. How Do Personal Emergency Response Systems Work? Personal emergency response systems, known as PERS for short, are systems that help people to raise the alarm and get immediate help when a medical or personal emergency occurs. They are ideal for older people and anyone with a mobility issue or an injury or illness that can cause falls. Game Developers’ Different Roles in the Studio Learn about the different professionals involved in developing video games. Becoming a game developer is one of the coolest jobs around and your 14-year-old self, perched on the edge of your bed as you play PlayStation, will thank you for making such an awesome career move. Michael Wiener of Albuquerque New Mexico Shares Fun Facts About the History of USA License Plates Motor vehicle license plates are physical, historical records of motor vehicle history and license plate collecting attracts fans of history, motor vehicles, and classic design. In this article, license plate expert Michael Wiener of Albuquerque New Mexico shares fun facts about license plates in the United States.	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line659
__label__cc	0.611375	0.388625	Residence title University applicant No qualified vocational training Qualified vocational training University graduate Resercher Permenent stay student - applicant university Residence title as a student who applies for a place at university I am a student and want to apply for a university place in Germany (residence title as applicant for a place at university according to § 16 Ia, II 1 AufenthG). You are interested in studying in Germany, but are not yet admitted to a state university or college or officially recognised university or college. Then you are an applicant for a place at university. Applicants for a place at university can be granted a residence permit for a maximum of nine months. Required is - to be presumably qualified to study at university and - to prove this by appropriate (original) documents. If you have foreign educational certificates, that do not allow you to study at university directly, you can pass an assessment exam (so called Feststellungsprüfung) and thereby receive a subject-specific university entrance qualification. For further details please contact the university, you wish to apply to. Academic studies, language courses to prepare for academic studies or measures (e.g. the attendance of a Studienkolleg) can qualify you for a residence title according to § 16 I 1 AufenthG.	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line669
__label__wiki	0.622563	0.622563	United & Chelsea have the easiest of fixtures this gameweek. As the red devils welcome Hull to Old Trafford who are on a 5 game winless streak, the league leaders travel to Sunderland, who have conceded 12 goals in their last 5 matches. Southampton-City & Spurs-Everton are the big matches of the week although the latter is less likely to end up in a goal fest. Paul Dummet(4.3) of Newcastle is a hot commodity on the FPL transfer market. The magpies' recent surge of form has seen them keep 4 clean sheets & win 5 in the last five matches. Being a regular in an in-form team sure helps. Stoke City's Bojan Krkic(4.9) seems to have finally settled in at Stoke. The former Barca man scored a goal against Spurs & assisted one against Burnley, getting a total of 15 points in the last two gameweeks. 4.9 rated Harry Kane is likely to start again this gameweek for Spurs against Everton due to the poor form of both the big name Spurs forwards. With an excellent goals per minutes ratio in all competitions, the in-form Spurs youngster is good value for money. Avoid players from Hull & Sunderland owing to their difficult fixtures. Defenders from Spurs is also a risky business as the Lilywhites haven't kept a clean sheet since their 1-0 win against Southampton. Same can be said of Aston Villa & Leicester whose form guide appears to be a bright shade of red. Silva, Kolarov, Dzeko, Rojo, Rafael, Blind, Sturridge, Koscielny, Ozil, Wilshere & Arteta are the big names to remain out due to injury . Shaw, Falcao, Chadli, Balotelli, Rose are all doubtful. Kyle Naughton is suspended till 3 Dec but first choice Kyle Walker is not likely to be rushed into first team action after remaining out for a long period. Rickie Lambert: The Liverpool forward scored a goal against Palace early in the match & was on the scoresheet again in their midweek Champions League fixture. With Sturridge out with long term injury & Balotelli struggling in front of the goal, expect the former Southampton player to start against the Potters this gameweek. Diego Costa: The Chelsea forward is back in form. The second highest goalscorer in the league scored two goals in the last two matches for the Blues & is likely to score more this gameweek against Sunderland, especially considering the return of fellow Spaniard Fabregas from injury. Keep an eye on the next few fixtures of the players in your team. If you have a good number of players from a club who face tough tasks in the upcoming gameweeks, it would be wise to sub or transfer them off gradually, in the present case, Southampton.	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line671
__label__cc	0.618726	0.381274	February News 2013 (Issue #2) Issue 2, February 08, 2013 MH/DS Redesign Round 2 Transition Fund Debate Begins Voter ID & Sex Offender Bills Back For More Debate 50+ Groups Urge Legislative Action on Medicaid Expansion RSVP Now for Advocating Change Day 2013 Grassroots Advocacy Center Makes Advocacy Easy All Advocacy is Local: Go to a Public Forum Bills of Interest When legislators redesigned the Mental Health and Disability Services (MH/DS) system last year, they knew they left alot undone. They set up a Transition Fund to help counties maintain services while the system is redesigned, but they didn't fund it. They created a new equalization formula to get money to the counties that don't raise enough money locally, but they didn't fund it. They required counties to regionalize, but they won't know what the regions will look like for two more months. Over the last two weeks, several bills were introduced to start checking off that "to-do" list: HF 98 fixes a problem that 45 counties were faced with after the Legislature adopted the new "Per Capita Equalization Formula" last session. Beginning July 1, 2014, counties are allowed to spend $47.28 per person living in their county on non-Medicaid mental health and disability services. Counties raising less than this amount from their local property taxes will receive state dollars to make up the difference. Counties raising more than $47.28/person must lower their property taxes and won't get any state money. Not all of the 45 counties in this position will need extra money, but some will. This bill allows those counties to continue to collect more than $47.28/person if they need it (but they still won't receive state dollars). Two Clinton County legislators sponsored this bill, Rep. Mary Wolfe (a Democrat) and Rep. Steve Olson (a Republican). The bill is now in the House Ways & Means Committee. HF 97 would require the newly formed MH/DS regions to pay for services delivered to children, as long as their diagnosis is covered under the regional management plan and a qualified professional associated with the child's school makes that diagnosis. Because the state is currently required to pay for services to children, and the regions are required to pay for services to adults, this would be a new requirement that would require additional dollars over and above what the Legislature has discussed to date. There are a few counties that provide outpatient, school-based services to children, but continuation of this is unknown under redesign as children are not a part of the "targeted population." Rep. Pat Murphy, a Democrat from Dubuque, sponsored this bill. It is currently in the House Human Resources Committee, assigned to a subcommittee of Rep. Linda Miller (Chair), Rep. Lisa Heddens, and Rep. Kevin Koester. HF 117 distributes the full $20 million in transition funds as recommended by two MH/DS Redesign interim work groups (Transition Committee and Fiscal Viability Committee) and the MH/DS Commission. This funds all 32 counties that applied for transition funds, as well as others that are experiencing short-term funding problems. The bill also requires counties to establish a payment plan to pay their Medicaid bills over a defined period of time (no deadline set). This bill is an alternative to HF 160 below, and is sponsored by 30 House Democrats (lead sponsor is Rep. Lisa Heddens of Ames). It is currently in the House Human Resources Committee, assigned to a subcommittee of Rep. Greg Forristall (Chair), Rep. Dave Heaton, and Rep. Mark Smith. HF 160 distributes $11.6 million in transition funs to 26 counties, and requires all counties (whether receiving money from the transition fund or not) to pay their Medicaid bills by the end of next year. Read more about this bill, which will be debated by the full House next week, in the next article. HF 161 makes the new regional MH/DS system responsible for paying for non-Medicaid services to both adults and children. There is no additional funding in this bill to help regions pay for these additional services. Rep. Mark Smith of Marshalltown sponsored the bill, which s currently in the House Human Resources Committee and assigned to a subcommittee of Rep. Linda Miller (Chair), Rep. Lisa Heddens, and Rep. Kevin Koester. If you see something that you like in these bills (or something you don't like) - contact your legislators. If you want to do more, contact the members of the subcommittee and committee. Click here to use our Grassroots Action Center to email your legislator. You have probably heard alot recently about the "transition" from the old (county-based) to the new (regional) mental health and disability services system. We are currently halfway through the "transition year" - the year when counties have only their local property tax dollars to pay for non-Medicaid services and the several months of Medicaid bills that were received after July 1, 2012. For some counties, the transition year isn't a problem. They will have plenty of money to get through this year, and will start off on good footing next year. Others have just enough to get through this year, but won't have any money in the bank at the end of the year. Still others say they can't make it through this year without cuts to services. So the Legislature created a Transition Fund to help those counties that need assistance to make it through the transition. The trouble is, people have different thoughts on "need." Some counties say they need enough to get through the first quarter of the year, until property taxes are paid in October. Legislators say that counties can just move money around and borrow from other funds until their property taxes come in. Either way, the Transition Fund was created to help 1) stabilize county services at current levels; and 2) start counties off on the right foot toward regionalizing. While there has been a lot of talk about it, the Transition Fund debate has begun, and it got heated at the Capitol this week as legislators disagreed about the amount of money needed to help counties maintain services as the state begins to regionalize its non-Medicaid mental health and disability services system. Last year, legislators reserved $20 million in federal funds for the Transition Fund, but didn't appropriate it because they wanted to see how much money was really needed by counties. DHS made three recommendations, but none used all of the $20 million. Here are the amounts that the various groups recommended for the Transition Fund: Transition Committee $20 million 32 counties Fiscal Viability Committee $20 million 32 counties MH/DS Commission $20 million 32 counties DHS (Option 1) $11.6 million 26 counties DHS (Option 2) & Governor $3.8 million 11 counties DHS (Option 3) $1.5 million 3 counties The House Appropriations Committee took up (and eventually passed) House FIle 160, which would distribute $11.6 million to the following 26 counties to help maintain services as the system is redesigned: Adair ($140,478) Adams ($150,742) Calhoun ($27,386) Clarke ($22,347) Delaware ($89,618) Dickinson ($56,565) Guthrie ($122,708) Jackson ($508,580) Linn ($2.2 million) Lyon ($158,780) Madison ($311,109) Marion ($366,429) Monona ($136,657) Osceola ($247,991) Plymouth ($217,140) Poweshiek ($12,667) Sac ($372,522) Scott ($2.4 million) Sioux ($1,817) Story ($752,700) Taylor ($318,252) Union ($597,792) Warren ($1.4 million) Wayne ($53,237) The six counties that do not receive funding in HF 160 are Clay, Clinton, Des Moines, Muscatine, Polk, and Ringgold. During the debate, it became very clear that there was a difference of opinion about why the transition fund was created, how much was to be put in the fund, and who should get it. “Some counties will have to make changes because they do more….some counties will have to cut back on services in order to get equalization for all,” said Rep. Dave Heaton of Mt. Pleasant. "Some counties are already doing too much." Many advocates expressed concern last year when the redesign bill passed that "equalization" would mean bringing all counties down to a common level (rather than raising them up to an equal level). Rep. Lisa Heddens of Story County, who is a parent of a child with an intellectual disability, offered an amendment to increase transition funding to $20 million. It failed on a party-line vote (Republicans voting against, Democrats voting for). "This is a very personal issue for me as well…I feel for these families. I hear their stories. They cry to me and they tell me what they are going to lose. Who are we focusing on?" said Rep. Heddens. "This bill is well-intentioned, but I don't think it goes as far as it needs to. I have concerns with the dollars identified and I do believe there will be cuts in services. I would hate to start a regional syste already in a deficit situation.” Rep. Tyler Olson of Cedar Rapids also defended the $20 million amendment. "Most importantly, this (amendment) makes sure that hundreds and thousands of Iowans continue to receive the mental health services they need. There were a number of counties that applied for funds that were left out of this bill, and (the amendment) goes a long way to make sure the people in those counties continue to receive the services they need. I look at this amendment as the ability to continue services…without it we will see counties cutting services." Even with the additional dollars, the 26 counties receiving transition funds will still have no money left in the bank at the end of the year. So they and many other counties may have trouble getting bills paid and services delivered between July 1, 2013 (when the new fiscal year starts) and October 1, 2013 (when property taxes start coming in). Legislators acknowledged this was a problem during debate, but said counties could borrow from other funds (as long as they pay it back before the end of the year). The bill also requires counties receiving transition funds to repay all of their Medicaid bills before June 30, 2013. All other counties are required to repay their Medicaid bills by June 30, 2014. However, transition funds cannot be used to pay for Medicaid bills, so counties will have to find "other money" to pay for them. And counties not receiving transition funds have no idea where they will get the money (because funding for the "equalization formula" has not yet been appropriated). Legislators expect to debate House File 160 sometime early next week. When the bill comes up for discussion, we will put a note on our Facebook page, so make sure you have "liked" us and you'll get a notice. You can also listen and watch live debate from your computers at www.legis.iowa.gov. The Iowa Legislature tabled discussion on two contraversial issues last year, but they are back again this year. Voters would be required to show a valid driver's license or state-issued ID in order to vote if the Legislature passes SSB 1012, HSB 23, or SF 85. Voter rights advocates say minorities and individuals with disabilities are less likely to have drivers licenses and IDs, adding barriers to voting. Secretary of State Matt Schultz says showing an ID makes sure non-citizens are not voting. The Democratic-controlled Senate has refused to take up these bills in the past, so don't look for much action this year. A bill being discussed in the Iowa House of Representatives would require nursing homes, residential care facilities, and assisted living programs to check the sex offender registry before admitting a person to their facility, and to notify residents, their families, and local law enforcement when they accept someone who is required to register as a sex offender. Iowa has more than 5,000 registered sex offenders, and about half of them are lifetime registrants (their names never come off the sex offender registry). What to do with aging sex offenders is a big issue, and one that Rep. Joel Fry, Rep. Bruce Hunter, and Rep. Mark Lofgren are trying to tackle with HF 53. Despite dozens of meetings last year, legislators were unable to come to agreement on what to do with these individuals, and how to guarantee the safety of other residents and employees of the facilities. HF 53 passed out of subcommittee this week, and is set to go before the full House Human Resources Committee in the next week or two. The bill also creates two work groups - one to study the workforce needs; and another to find a place for sex offenders not accepted in private facilities. If you see something that you like in these bills (or something you don't like) - contact your legislators. If you want to do more, contact the members of the committee. Click here to use our Grassroots Action Center to email your legislator. More than 50 organizations came together last week to urge the Iowa Legislature to take action and expand the state's Medicaid program as allowed under the Affordable Care Act. Federal health care reform gives states the option to cover more people using their Medicaid programs. Iowans earning up to 138% of the federal poverty level would be able to receive Medicaid services. Right now, you must have a disability, be elderly, or have a child in the home and earn less than 133% of the federal poverty level in order to qualify for Medicaid services. As an incentive to help states expand their Medicaid programs, the federal government will pay 100% of the costs for three years, then slowly lower the match rate until the federal government pays 90% and the state pays 10%. (Current Medicaid match in Iowa is roughly 40% state, 60% federal). Governor Terry Branstad has said he will not consider a Medicaid expansion, because the federal government is not a dependable partner financially, and because Medicaid has done little to improve the health status of Iowans (so he would like to see signficant changes in how Medicaid delivers services, so that it focuses on outcomes as well as access). The following groups have come out in support of a Medicaid expansion: American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network AFSCME Iowa Council 61 Alzheimer's Association of Greater Iowa AMOS (A Mid-Iowa Organizing Strategy) Brain Injury Alliance of Iowa CAFE Iowa CAN CHAIN (Community HVI/Hepatitis Advocates of Iowa Network) Community Health Charities Iowa Communications Workers of America Iowa State Council Easter Seals Iowa Epilepsy Foundation of Iowa Every Child Counts (Child and Family Policy Center Initiative) HCI Care Services (formerly Hospice of Central Iowa) Family Planning Council of Iowa Hospice & Palliative Care Association of Iowa Iowa Alliance for Retired Americans Iowa Alliance in Home Care Iowa Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church Iowa Association of Area Agencies on Aging Iowa Care Givers Association Iowa Citizen Action Network (ICAN) Iowa Community Action Association Iowa Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO Iowa Hospital Association Iowa Human Needs Advocates Iowa Medical Society Iowa Mental Health Planning Council Iowa Nurses Association Iowa Occupational Therapy Association Iowa Olmstead Consumer Task Force Iowa Public Health Association Iowa Primary Care Association Iowa Psychological Association Iowa Statewide Independent Living Council League of Women Voters of Iowa Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, Iowa Chapter Mercy Health Network NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) Greater Des Moines National Association of Social Workers, Iowa Chapter National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Upper Midwest Chapter Polk County Planned Parenthood of the Heartland Progressive Action for the Common Good Progress Iowa Results (The Power to End Poverty) South Central Iowa Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO Visiting Nurse Services of Iowa Two bills have been introduced to expand Medicaid - House File 83 and Senate File 71. The first subcommittee meeting on Senate File 71 will be on Monday, February 11 at 10 a.m. in Room 22 at the State Capitol. Sen. Pam Jochum is chairing the subcommittee, which also includes Sen. Jack Hatch of Des Moines and Sen. Nancy Boettger of Harlan. Learn more about Medicaid Expansion in ID Action's upcoming "Perspectives in Policy." Let your legislators know what you think about expanding Medicaid using our Grassroots Action Center. The Iowa Developmental Disabilities Council, ID Action and Polk County Health Services invite you to participate in Advocating for Change Day 2013. Advocating for Change Day is a day specifically for Iowans affected by disability to become skilled at communicating with their legislators and other elected state officials. As a participant you will have the opportunity to learn how to develop and deliver an effective message, visit with available legislators and other elected officials and lobbyists, and watch the legislative process from the galleries (when the Senate and/or House are in session). The event is free, and a free lunch will be available for all registered participants. Fill out the online form to get registered for the event. Register to attend by March 13, 2013 to guarantee your free lunch. You can register up to 30 people per form. If you need to register more please contact ID Action atcontactus@idaction.org or 866-432-2846. infoNET has added a new tool to your advocacy toolbox - the Grassroots Advocacy Center. You do not need to know the names of your legislators, the Governor, or the people that represent you in the US Congress. If you know your address, our Grassroots Advocacy Center will match you to your elected officials, and automatically find their emails for you. All you need to do is write your message and hit "send." It's just that easy. So try it out - click here to get started. If you need more help in crafting your message, make sure you check our new infoNET website for more information (www.infonetiowa.org) and ID Action's new Advocacy University website (www.advocacyuniversity.org). You will find lots of useful information and videos other advocates have made to help you get started. Local advocacy is the best advocacy. Your legislators come home to their legislative districts on Fridays-Sundays during the legislative district, and many hold open public forums during that time. They call them by many names - public forums, town hall meetings, listening posts, Eggs & Issues, Pizza & Politics, legislative breakfasts, legislative forums. But they all give legislators a chance to talk to the people they represent, answer their questions, and hear their concerns. They are great and highly effective ways to advocate. To find a forum near you, click here. For tips on going to a forum, click here. You can find bills of interest to Iowans affected by disability here. We update our bill list daily, adding new bills and changing them as they move through the process. Check back often as this changes daily.	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line672
__label__cc	0.660344	0.339656	Movie Review: Broken City (2013) Runtime: 1 hour, 48 minutes Rated: R (for pervasive language, some sexual content, and violence) Director: Allen Hughes Writer: Brian Tucker Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Russell Crowe, Catherine Zeta-Jones Ex-cop “Billy Taggard” (Mark Wahlberg) has seen better days. He’s been doing private eye work since being bumped off of the police force after a controversial shooting seven years earlier. In the present, he has his struggling business with the help of a young and determined “Katy Bradshaw” (Alona Tal), but his girlfriend “Natalie Barrow” (Natalie Martinez) is who really keeps him going if anyone can be said to. And yet, his lack of any shared interests with her is something we notice before he does. When asked by “Mayor Hostetler” (Russell Crowe) to find out whom his wife (Catherine Zeta-Jones) is sleeping with, Billy is anxious to collect on what seems an easy assignment. But when Billy finds himself in the crosshairs of a murder, the issues of the Mayor’s integrity and his future come into sharp focus. At the cost of his own wellbeing, Billy must decide how far he will go to uncover the truth in what is rightly called a broken city. Allen “The Book of Eli” Hughes’ film has all the makings of classic noir. Its performers set aside the necessary devotion to make it work. And everyone does a fairly good job, including Jeffrey Wright as Commissioner Carl Fairbanks and Kyle Chandler as Paul Andrews, Cathleen Hostetler’s suspected lover. But Crowe’s Hostetler very lightly exhibits that he often has a harder time with bad guy roles than good guy roles. Wahlberg, as usual, fosters that “fighting Irish kid” demeanor in another role his personality suits very well. His character’s complexity is strong enough to cause us to be drawn to him. His depth is more broad than most of his costars. I liked Wahlberg’s temperamental determination and I liked the speed at which the story moves forward. The plot, although mundane, is built in such a way that it doesn’t play games with the audience or seek to manipulate our emotions. In hindsight, maybe that was part of the problem as the only big surprise is at the end. The speed bump on the road to this movie’s (only marginal) success is its plainness. What it doesn’t have is any aspect of character or story that takes it out of the humdrum “corrupt city official needs to be brought down” theme. That doesn’t hurt it much. It does, however, let us leave the theater feeling we have watched a completely average movie in every way, one that could have done way worse, but one that isn’t memorable enough to stay with us for long. 2013 allen hughes brian tucker broken city catherine zeta-jones Mark Wahlberg movie review russell crow Labels: 2013 allen hughes brian tucker broken city catherine zeta-jones Mark Wahlberg movie review russell crow	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line676
__label__cc	0.533273	0.466727	Jokes of the day for Tuesday, 09 November 2010 Funny jokes, funny photo and funny video collected from the internet on Tuesday, 09 November 2010 Those with amputated feet have... Those with amputated feet have no soles. Joke \| Source: Pun Gents - Daily Jokes, One-liners, Groaners, Puns of the day :: Puns on Demand :: Punshine Girls and Boys! Three men were sitting on a pa... Three men were sitting on a park bench. The one in the middle was reading a newspaper; the others were pretending to fish. They baited imaginary hooks, cast lines, and reeled in their catch. A passing policeman stopped to watch the spectacle and asked the man in the middle if he new the other two. “Oh yes” he said. “They ‘re my friends.” “In that case,” warned the officer, “you’d better get them out of here!” “Yes, sir” the man replied, and he began rowing furiously #joke #policeman Joke \| Source: A joke a day - Free Jokes of the Day Clean Funny Jokes via Email, Humor and Entertainment Funny video of the day - Funny video of the day Tuesday, 09 November 2010 Funny video of the day Tuesday, 09 November 2010 - link to page video is posted initially. The Texas Department of Safety is cracking down on speeders heading into Dallas. For the first offense, they give you 2 Dallas Cowboy tickets. If you get stopped a second time, they make you use them. Q.What do you call 47 millionaires around a TV watching the Super Bowl? A..The Dallas Cowboys Q.What do the Dallas Cowboys and Billy Graham have in common? A.They both can make 70,000 people stand up and yell "Jesus Christ". Q.How do you keep a Dallas Cowboy out of your yard? A.Put up a goal post. Q.What do you call a Dallas Cowboy with a Super Bowl ring? A.Old Q.What's the difference between the Dallas Cowboys and a dollar bill? A.You can still get four quarters out of a dollar bill. Q.How many Dallas Cowboys does it take to win a Super Bowl? A.Nobody remembers. Q.What do the Cowboys and possums have in common? A.Both play dead at home and get killed on the road! Joke \| Source: jokes warehouse - Animal jokes, Blonde jokes, doctor jokes, drunk jokes and jokes of the day All About Adam Wandering dejectedly in The Garden of Eden, Eve told God, "I'm lonely I'm tired of eating apples by myself." "Okay," God said, "I'll create a man for you." Eve said, "A man! What's that?" "He's a creature with aggressive tendencies and an enormous ego. He won't listen very well, he'll get lost easily, but never stop to ask for directions. However, he is big and strong, he can open jars and hunt animals. And he'll be fun in bed." "Sounds great!" said Eve. "Oh, and one more thing," God said. "He will want to believe that I made HIM first." Funny Photo of the day - GETS YA PREGS GETS YA PREGS \| Source : Very Demotivational - Posters That Demotivate Us A beggar walked up to a well-d... A beggar walked up to a well-dressed woman shopping on Rodeo Drive and said, "I haven't eaten anything in four days." She looked at him and said, "God, I wish I had your willpower." Blind man and his dog... A blind man was out walking with his seeing-eye dog when suddenly the animal paused and wet the man's leg. Bending down, the blind man stretched out his hand and patted the dog's head. Having watched what happened, a bystander said, "Why are you patting him? That dog just peed on your leg!" "I know," said the blind man, "but I gotta find his head before I can kick his butt." Find number abc If 72315 + 131c1 = c5b9a find number abc. Multiple solutions may exist. Marketing Translations Cracking an international market is a goal of most growing corporations. It shouldn't be that hard, yet even the big multi-nationals run into trouble because of language and cultural differences. For example, observe the following examples below. The name Coca-Cola in China was first rendered as Ke-kou-ke-la. Unfortunately, the Coke company did not discover until after thousands of signs had been printed that the phrase means "bite the wax tadpole" or "female horse stuffed with wax" depending on the dialect. Coke then researched 40,000 Chinese characters and found a close phonetic equivalent, "ko-kou-ko-le," which can be loosely translated as "happiness in the mouth." In Taiwan, the translation of the Pepsi slogan "Come alive with the Pepsi Generation" came out as "Pepsi will bring your ancestors back from the dead." Also in Chinese, the Kentucky Fried Chicken slogan "finger-lickin' good" came out as "eat your fingers off." The American slogan for Salem cigarettes, "Salem - Feeling Free," got translated in the Japanese market into "When smoking Salem, you feel so refreshed that your mind seems to be free and empty." When General Motors introduced the Chevy Nova in South America, it was apparently unaware that "no va" means "it won't go." After the company figured out why it wasn't selling any cars, it renamed the car in its Spanish markets to the Caribe. When Parker Pen marketed a ballpoint pen in Mexico, its ads were supposed to say "It won't leak in your pocket and embarrass you." However, the company mistakenly thought the spanish word "embarazar" meant embarrass. Instead the ads said that "It wont leak in your pocket and make you pregnant." An American t-shirt maker in Miami printed shirts for the spanish market which promoted the Pope's visit. Instead of the desired "I Saw the Pope" in Spanish, the shirts proclaimed "I Saw the Potato." Colgate introduced a toothpaste in France called Cue, the name of a notorious porno magazine. In Italy, a campaign for Schweppes Tonic Water translated the name into Schweppes Toilet Water. Blonde Game A blonde is on a plane sleeping when the guy next to her says, "Let's play a game." She looks at him and tells him the she doesn't want to and she just wants to sleep, but he keeps bugging her until she agrees. He tells her that he will ask her a question and if she can't answer, she owes him $5.00, then she asks him a question and if he can't answer, he owes her $50.00. So he asks, "Who was the last person to sign the Declaration of Independence?" She quietly hands over a $5 bill. She asks, "What goes up a hill with 4 legs and down with 5? He has no idea so he gives up and gives her $50. The blonde turns back around and goes back to sleep. Not 2 seconds later, he wakes her back up and asks, "What was the answer?" Quietly, she reaches into her purse and gives the guy a $5.00 bill. Louis Katz: Hippie Roommate I made the mistake of moving in with a hippie. Hippie roommate -- horrible mistake. Apparently, when they say peace and love, what they really mean is filthy and annoying. A man was driving along the highway, and saw a rabbit hopping across the middle of the road. He swerved to avoid hitting the rabbit, but unfortunately the rabbit jumped in front of the car and was hit. The driver, being a sensitive man as well as an animal lover, pulled over to the side of the road and got out to see what had become of the rabbit. Much to his dismay, the rabbit was dead. The driver felt so awful he began to cry. A woman driving down the highway saw the man crying on the side of the road and pulled over. She stepped out of her car and asked the man what was wrong. "I feel terrible," he explained. "I accidently hit this rabbit and killed it." The woman told the man not to worry. She knew what to do. She went to her car trunk and pulled out a spray can. She walked over to the limp, dead rabbit, and sprayed the contents of the can onto the rabbit. Miraculously, the rabbit came to life, jumped up, waved its paw at the two humans and hopped down the road. 50 feet away the rabbit stopped, turned around, waved at the two again, hopped down the road another 50 feet, turned, waved, and hopped another 50 feet. The man was astonished. He couldn't figure out what substance could be in the woman's spray can! He ran over to the woman and demanded, " What was in your spray can? What did you spray onto that rabbit?" The woman turned the can around so that the man could read the label. It said: "'Hare Spray' Restores Life to Dead Hare. Adds Permanent Wave." Joke \| Old joke from joke of the day archives - Check out other old jokes Thursday, 09 September 2010 A man was walking down the bea... A man was walking down the beach when he noticed a cave. He walked in and looked around only to discover a magic lamp buried in the sand. He rubbed it and a genie came out and said, " You may have 3 wishes but whatever u wish for all the lawyers in the world will get double." The man agreed and said, " i want a million dollers." He got that and the lawyers got 2 million. Next he said, " i want a ferrari." So he got one and all the lawyers got 2. Next, being his last wish, he took a minute and thought about it carefully. Finnally he said," Well i've allways wanted to give a kidney." Joke \| Old joke from joke of the day archives - Check out other old jokes Monday, 30 November 2009 An Englishman wanted to become... An Englishman wanted to become an Irishman, so he visited a doctor to find out how to go about this. "Well" said the doctor, "this is a very delicate operation and there is a lot that can go wrong. I will have to remove half your brain". "That's OK" said the Englishman. "I've always wanted to be Irish and I'm prepared to take the risk". The operation went ahead but the Englishman woke to find a look of horror on the face of the doctor. "I'm so terribly sorry!!" the doctor said. "Instead of removing half the brain, I've taken the whole brain out". The patient replied, "No worries, mate!!" #joke #doctor Joke \| Old joke from joke of the day archives - Check out other old jokes Saturday, 02 May 2009 Three sons left home, went out... Three sons left home, went out on their own and prospered. They discussed the gifts they were able to give their elderly mother. The first said: "I built a big house for our mother." The second said: "I sent her a Mercedes with a driver." The third said: "You remember how our mother enjoys reading the Bible. Now she can't see very well. So I sent her a remarkable parrot that recites the entire Bible. It took elders in the church 12 years to teach him. Mama just has to name the chapter and verse and the parrot recites it." Soon thereafter, their mother sent out her letters of thanks. "William," she said, "the house you built is so huge. I live only in one room, but I have to clean the whole house. "Arnold," she said, "I am too old to travel. I stay most of the time at home so I rarely use the Mercedes. And that driver is so rude! He's a pain!" "But David," she said, "the chicken was delicious!" At a party, a guy approached a... At a party, a guy approached a girl and whispered something in her ear. "You filthy pervert!!" she shrieked. "What makes you think I'd let you do a thing like that to me?" Then her eyes narrowed and she said, "Unless you're the son-of-a-bitch that stole my diary!" Joke \| Old joke from joke of the day archives - Check out other old jokes Sunday, 09 November 2008 Is There a Doctor in the House? The wife of a Las Vegas doctor telephoned a local casino and asked to have her husband paged. "Sorry, Madam," came the reply, "but the house does not make doctor calls." #joke #short #doctor To My Bank In view of what seems to be happening internationally with banks at the moment, I was wondering if you could advise me. If one of my checks is returned marked “insufficient funds,” how do I know whether that refers to me or to you? Lord of the Manor The Lord of the manor returned from his grouse hunt quite a bit earlier than expected. He entered the master bedroom to change, and found her Ladyship making passionate love to Sir Archibald Carpley. The irate Lord stood stiffly and loudly berated his wife for her infidelity. With thunder in his voice, he reminded her that he had taken her from a miserable existence on a local run-down farm, given her a fine home, provided her with servants, expensive clothes and jewels, and almost anything she desired. By this time the woman was crying inconsolably, his Lordship then turned his wrath on his supposed friend: "And as for you Reggie -- you might at least stop while I'm talking !"	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line678
__label__wiki	0.673385	0.673385	Goodnight Naturals Blog Unless nations act, air pollution deaths will double by 2050, study concludes. December 10, 2015 News Articlesadmin By Puneet Kollipara 16 September 2015 The annual death toll from outdoor air pollution could double to 6.6 million globally by 2050 without new antipollution measures, a new study suggests. But policymakers seeking to reduce the death toll will need to clamp down on a wide array of potentially hard to control pollution sources—including household furnaces and agricultural activities—that are expected to play a growing role, researchers report today in Nature. The study marks a solid step toward clarifying exactly how major sources of air pollution contribute to premature death around the world, says Aaron Cohen, an epidemiologist at the Health Effects Institute, a nonprofit research organization in Boston, who wasn’t involved in the study. That information will prove useful to policymakers, he suggests. Existing estimates have been hampered by gaps in air pollution data, particularly in the developing world, and a lack of knowledge about how specific air pollution sources contribute to the risk of disease and death. To get a clearer picture, researchers led by Jos Lelieveld of the Germany-based Max Planck Institute decided to take a global look at outdoor air pollution, which the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates is responsible for almost 3.5 million premature deaths annually. (WHO estimates indoor air pollution accounts for an additional 3.5 million.) Using a computer model that fused air pollution and atmospheric chemistry data, they estimated what annual average levels of ozone (a key smog ingredient) and fine particulates smaller than 2.5 microns (PM2.5) were in 2010 within 100-km-by-100-km grid squares across the world. Then they forecast what the levels of both pollutants would be in 2050, assuming policymakers implemented no new controls. Next, the researchers estimated how many premature deaths the pollution caused in each square. To do that, they used a set of equations—recently updated based on the most recent epidemiological research—describing how exposure to air pollution affects a person’s risk of dying from various diseases. These “exposure response relationship” equations enabled the researchers to calculate how fine particles and smog would affect the risk of a range of diseases, including heart attacks, strokes, lung cancer, and pulmonary disorders. In a final step, they estimated the fraction of deaths in each square attributable to a specific pollution source, including automobiles, power plants, in-home energy generation, and farm activities such as burning crop residues. Overall, the researchers concluded that, in 2010, 3.3 million people died prematurely from outdoor PM2.5 and ozone pollution. That number echoes recent WHO estimates. But the more troubling finding, the researchers say, is that the annual death toll would rise to 6.6 million by 2050 without new controls. The deadliest outdoor pollution source—accounting for 31%, or about 1 million, of premature deaths in 2010—is residential energy use, such as furnaces. And the bulk of these deaths would occur in Asian countries such as India and China, the researchers concluded, where households often use soot-emitting stoves and furnaces powered by wood. These emissions could be tricky to clamp down on; for instance, persuading residents of India to adopt cleaner technologies has proven difficult, Lelieveld says, in no small part because of cultural and family traditions. The second deadliest source of pollution in 2010 was agriculture, accounting for about 20%, or more than 600,000, of the premature deaths in 2010, the researchers say. “I was surprised” by that result, Lelieveld said. “What you tend to think is that [air pollution comes from] mostly traffic, and maybe industry.” But agricultural activities such as animal husbandry and fertilizer use generate ammonia, which can be converted to fine particles in the air, he explained. Agriculture is the leading source of outdoor pollution–related premature mortality in the eastern United States, Europe, and in countries such as Russia, Japan, and Turkey, the researchers found. Other pollution sources, including the power sector, industry, biomass burning, and vehicle traffic, each made smaller contributions to the death total, the study concluded. Lelieveld cautions that the findings depend on a number of assumptions. One is that all forms of PM2.5 have the same toxicity. But the particles can differ in chemical composition, he notes, and thus could differ in toxicity, based on location or source type. For instance, a limited body of research suggests that carbon-rich particles from residential energy and biomass are more toxic than particles from agriculture and other sources, Lelieveld says. If that’s true—though Cohen argues that this is still an area of unsettled science—the fraction of outdoor pollution–related deaths from residential energy and biomass burning could be higher than the study found, whereas the fraction from the other sources would go down, the researchers say. The mortality numbers also depend to some degree on the accuracy of assumptions about how exposure to different levels of pollution affects disease risk. For example, in the case of deaths due to cardiovascular disease related to PM 2.5 exposure, research now suggests that adding even small amounts of pollution to relatively clean air boosts disease risks more than adding the same amount of pollution to relatively dirty air. The researchers incorporated that research in modeling how PM2.5 levels related to risk of death. That carries a big policy implication, Cohen says: It not only “makes both public health and economic sense to clean up dirty places,” but also means there could be significant health benefits from reducing air pollution even in areas that already have relatively tight controls. “Even in countries with good air quality such as Australia, there is still a health gain to be made by reducing fine particle pollution,” noted health researchers Christine Cowie and Bin Jalaludin the University of New South Wales, Kensington, in Australia, in a statement released by the Science Media Centre. Cohen notes a limitation to the study. The authors assumed that death rates from cardiovascular disease would be constant over time, he says, even though populations in countries like China and India are steadily aging—potentially boosting such death rates. To offset that demographic impact, China and India may have to make even deeper pollution cuts in order to cut death rates, Cohen and other researchers noted earlier this year in a study published in Environmental Science & Technology. Still, Cohen lauds the new work. “It’s important,” he says, “because actions taken to improve air quality, and to improve public health, have to focus on [controlling emissions from] major sources of air pollution.” ← What your sleep position says about you 10 Reasons Why People Who Like Sleeping Naked Are Healthier People → Events, News, Blog Events, News, & Blog GoodNight Naturals Get happy in #Bamboo #bedding. BedVoyage! GO GREEN in your bed by sleeping on eco-luxury bamboo! #bamboo #eco #healthy #FREE shipping offer!https://www.goodnightnaturals.com/eco_bamboo_sheets.html ... See MoreSee Less GoodNight Naturals updated their cover photo. ... See MoreSee Less BedVoyage! GO GREEN in your bed by sleeping on eco-luxury bamboo! #bamboo #eco #healthy Beat the heat sleeping on bamboo sheets! www.goodnightnaturals.com/eco_bamboo_sheets.html #Freeshipping #bamboo #coolSummernights #healthy #sleep ... See MoreSee Less Prince Charles talks up the benefits of wool in Japan Here’s why sleep deprivation is toxic and will eventually kill you Dr Michelle Dickinson: Why you need a good night’s sleep. Fire Retardants Found in Furniture and Gym Mats Implicated in Infertility Is it Time to Trade In Your Toxic Mattress for a Latex Mattress?	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line684
__label__wiki	0.739109	0.739109	Choose your destination ... 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Under 17 years old Child 1 Age 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 Love it? plus 1 it! Email it! Most travellers to Paris arrive at Charles de Gaulle Airport, Orly Airport or Beauvais-Tillé Airport, and there are a number of convenient ways to travel into the city centre of Paris from each one. From Charles de Gaulle Airport (CGD) Located 25km to the north-east of Paris and also known as Roissy Airport, Charles de Gaulle Airport is the largest in France and the seventh-busiest in the world, serving more than 65 million passengers a year. Rail: One of the quickest and cheapest ways to travel into the centre of Paris is by the RER B (blue) train line that has station stops at both Terminal 2 and Terminal 3 of the airport. (Note Terminal 2 has seven sub-terminals, but all sub-terminals can be accessed by foot or via the free N1, N2 and N3 shuttle buses). If you arrive in Terminal 1, take the free shuttle train to Terminal 3, which is the easiest station to catch the RER B from. You can buy train tickets from one of the blue ticket machines (not the yellow machines, which sell TGV tickets only) or from a train station employee in a booth. Tickets cost 9.25€ one-way and the journey takes up to 50 minutes. Make sure you take the RER B line heading in the direction of Robinson, Antony or St-Rémy-lès-Chevreuse and the train will stop in central Paris stations such as Gare du Nord. Trains run from Charles de Gaulle Airport to Paris between 04:46 and 23:56 Monday to Sunday. Bus: The Roissybus is one of the most popular buses to take from Charles de Gaulle Airport to the centre of Paris. The bus leaves from all three terminals and runs from 06:00 to 23:00 every day. They run every 15 minutes until 20:45, and then every 20 minutes until 23:00. Tickets cost 9.25€ one-way (you can buy them on the bus, so make sure you have some euros with you) and the journey takes up to an hour, terminating in the Opéra area. A cheaper option is to travel by local bus numbers 350 or 351, which run through the suburbs of Paris and stop frequently. Departing from Terminals 1 and 2 every 20 minutes (or every half an hour during the weekend) between about 06:00 and 22:30, the journey can take up to two hours, depending on the time of day. As the most economical option, the fare costs 5.70€ one way and you can buy tickets on-board. The 350 terminates at Gare de l’Est and the 351 terminates at the Nation terminus between the 11th and 12th arrondissements. If you’re arriving at night, night buses N140 and N143 run seven days a week and depart from all three terminals. Bus N140 runs hourly to Paris between 01:00 and 03:00, while the N143 runs from midnight until 04:30 at half-hourly intervals. Both buses terminate at Gare de l’Est and one way tickets cost 5.70€, available to buy on-board the bus. Taxi: There are taxi ranks at all three terminals and you can spot legitimate taxis by the yellow lights on the roof. A fare to Paris city centre costs approximately 50.00€, rising by another 10.00€ at peak or overnight times (typically between 17:00 and 07:00). The journey can take more than an hour at busy times. Airport Transfer with a Private Car Service : A very comfortable way to get to the city center of Paris from the Paris Airports is in a private airport transfer. Pre-book your ride before you go and a chauffeur driver will be waiting for you inside the arrivals hall with a name shield. You will ride in a premium vehicle on the way to your apartment, where you will be able to relax and know you will be dropped off at the correct address. There is no need to wait in line for a taxi, and it is about the same price as a taxi in Paris. Our recommended company for this service in Paris is myDriver Airport Transfer Paris. Coach: For those who prefer slightly more comfortable road travel, Air France runs the Air France Coach service. Passengers of any airline can travel by this method. The Line 2 coach departs from Terminals 1 and 2 to the Arc de Triomphe, with departures every half an hour between 05:45 and 23:00. The Line 4 coach also departs from Terminals 1 and 2, operating between 06:00 and 22:00, terminating at Gare de Lyon. While there are ticket machines to buy tickets from the airport, you can save money by purchasing tickets online in advance. Online tickets cost 15.50€ per adult one-way, or 13.00€ per person if you’re travelling in a group of four or more. Buying a return ticket in advance is also more cost effective, at 26.00€ per adult. Super Shuttle: You also have the option to take the Super Shuttle, a private or shared shuttle that takes you to the centre of Paris. The tariffs vary according to the number of passengers and the destination. You can book your shuttle online in advance or at the airport. The journey takes between 1h and 1h30 depending on your destination. Book your transfer from the airport online From Orly Airport (ORY) Orly Airport is a smaller international airport approximately 13km south of Paris, which sees approximately 30 million travellers a year. Rail: One of the most time-effective ways to travel into Paris from Orly Airport is by the RER. The closest RER station is at Antony, accessed from the South or West terminals by the airport’s driverless light rail transit line, the Orlyval. The combined fare for the Orlyval and RER is 11.30€ one-way and tickets can be bought from ticket booths before departure. The Orlyval departs every few minutes between 06:00 and 23:00 and the journey takes 10 minutes. From Antony RER station, take the B (blue) line going in the direction of Mitry-Claye or Charles de Gaulle Airport. The journey takes about eight minutes into central Paris. It’s also possible to travel to central Paris by the RER C line, which is cheaper and takes only slightly longer than the RER B/Orlyval route. Shuttle trains connect both airport terminals to Pont de Rungis-Aéroport d'Orly RER station between 05:00 and 23:30 every 20 minutes, with a journey time of 10 minutes. The fare is significantly cheaper than the Orlyval at just 2.50€ per person. From Pont de Rungis station, take the RER C (yellow) line towards Pontoise or Montigny Beauchamp. The RER C route into central Paris takes approximately 25 minutes and costs 3.90€ one-way. Bus: The Orlybus is one of the most popular bus travel options from Orly Airport to the centre of Paris. The bus departs from both terminals every 10 to 20 minutes between around 06:00 to 23:00. The transfer time into Place Denfert-Rochereau in the centre of Paris takes just 30 minutes and costs 7.20€ one-way; tickets are available to buy on-board. Local bus numbers 183 and 285 provide even cheaper links into central Paris locations. The 183 bus departs from the South Terminal every 30 minutes, terminating in Porte de Choisy after a 45-minute journey. The fare costs just 1.90€ one-way and tickets can be bought on-board. The 285 bus also departs from the South Terminal and the journey to the Villejuif and Louis Aragon areas of Paris takes just 15 minutes. This fare also costs 1.90€ one-way and the service runs every 10 to 20 minutes Monday to Saturday, with a half-hourly service on Sundays. Both buses operate between approximately 05:00 and 01:00 Monday to Sunday. Coach: Air France’s Air Coach Service also runs a line from Orly Airport into central Paris. Line 1 departs from both terminals and terminates at the Arc de Triomphe, via Gare Montparnasse and Invalides. The coach service operates between 06:00 and 23:40, with coaches departing every 30 minutes. The journey takes an average of 45 minutes. As with the Charles de Gaulle Airport lines, it’s cheaper to buy tickets in advance online first; a one-way adult ticket bought online costs 11.00€ and a return costs 18.00€. Those travelling in groups of four or more people can get a one-way fare for 9.00€ each. Taxi: There are taxi ranks at both terminals and a fare to Paris city centre costs between 40€ and 50€, depending on which part of the city you want to get to. As with anywhere in Paris, fares rise by another 10€ or more at peak or overnight times (typically between 17:00 and 07:00). The journey takes approximately 40 minutes; longer in heavy traffic. From Beauvais-Tillé Airport (BVA) This small international airport, located 80km from Paris, mostly welcomes low-cost airlines such as Ryanair and Wizz Air. This airport receives around 3.6 million passengers per year. Train: The TER train (Regional Express Train) is one of the most popular means of travel from Beauvais Airport. You can take a shuttle at the airport which will take you to Beauvais train station (less than 5km from the airport) for 4€. You could also take a taxi to the station which costs 13€ during the day and 16€ at night. You then need to take the train to Gare du Nord in the centre of Paris for around 14€. The journey takes between 1h10 and 1h20. You can buy your tickets directly at the ticket office or using the blue ticket machines. You also have the option of buying your ticket online on the SNCF website where you can also check the fares. Aérobus: The most practical and fastest option is to take the aérobus which takes you from the airport to Porte Maillot in the west of Paris. These buses are lined up and are easy to spot when you leave either one of the terminals. You can buy your ticket online in advance or at one of the aérobus machines just outside the terminals. The buses leave around 20/25 minutes after each plane lands. To do the opposite journey from Paris to Beauvais-Tillé Airport, you need to take a bus 3h15 minutes before your departure from Porte-Maillot. Taxi: This option is quite pricey bt direct and simple. The journey to the centre of Paris will cost you between 140€ and 160€ during the day and between 160€ and 180€ at night. The journey will take around 1h or 1h30 depending on where you’re going. Explore more of Paris Three days in Paris - discover the soul of the French capital – day 1 Three days in Paris – get the inside scoop – day 2 Three days in Paris – the legendary Parisian icons – day 3 Food in Paris Shopping in Paris: the essentials in the French capital See all Paris articles Please call us if you would like to make a booking or if you have any questions We speak English, French, German, Spanish and Italian Your country not listed? Please call: +34 93 467 3780 GET TO KNOW 'Oh' How our clients rate us GET OFF TO A GREAT START GET MORE FROM 'Oh' On tour with 'Oh' GET TO THE NITTY GRITTY Choose your language ... GowithOh gets a high five from: Where we hang out:	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line685
__label__cc	0.706358	0.293642	MoreSpooker 2015 Horror Movie Challenge: Part 4 Teri / October 28, 2015 October is finally coming to a close as is this year’s Horror Movie Challenge. For previous Horror Movie Challenge posts check out Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3. Initially I wanted to focus more on classic slasher films since I usually tend to avoid them in favor of more psychological horror movies but the internet was down the day I started this week’s set of movies and fell back on my personal collection which is mostly Asian Horror so enjoy this mishmash of some new films and some of my all time favs! Friendly reminder: movies marked with an asterisk () are ones I’ve never seen before or are brand new to me. Unmarked titles are ones I’m rewatching. OCT 21st: Cho Kowai Hanashi A: Yami No Karasu/「超」怖い話Ａ闇の鴉/Cursed (2004) [3/5 Stars] Technically the full title of this film translates as Extremely Scary Story A: Dark Crow so I get why it was released as Cursed for it’s English title. There are stories on haunted houses, haunted people, haunted video tapes, haunted cell phones, but someone in Japan thought hmm we need a movie about a haunted convenience store and I thank them for that thought. This movie tries to shove so many horror cliches in at once and I totally eat it up. Crows flying in to windows. Long haired ghost girls popping up in refrigerators. Mysterious sledgehammer killer chase scene. Weird demented shop owners. Shadows appearing in reflections. Get this you die if your purchase total is something like 666, 999, 333 and so on. It’s stupid and silly and it’s probably my favorite bad Japanese horror film. As an actual film this is probably a 1 or 2 star one but my heart wants to give it 4 stars… so 3 stars! OCT 22nd: The Stuff (1985) [2/5 Stars] Yet another “The insert noun” creature-esque horror flicks from the 80’s. I have some friends who said they remember being super scared of this when they were kids and that it’s a great horror/comedy classic. I can appreciate it for what it was at the time when it came out but it didn’t really do it for me this time around. The acting was a little too bad. I know the dialogue was supposed to be cheesy and over the top but I just kept shaking my head at how stupid the characters were. Had I seen this movie when I was younger it’d probably hold a place in my heart but I didn’t and it doesn’t. However this one liner that a sheriff says after seeing The Stuff emerge from a human corpse is golden, “I kinda like the sight of blood but this is disgusting.” OCT 23rd: Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension (2015)* [2/5 Stars] I believe this is the 6th installment to the Paranormal Activity series. I enjoyed the first film of the Paranormal franchise but stopped anticipating them after the second one. Ghost Dimension was mediocre at best. The scares didn’t really have a punch and relied heavily on jump scares prompted by loud noises/sudden movements. The effects they did for the older camera were pretty cool and the final battle before going into the other dimension was really fun to watch unfold, but not enough to warrant a second viewing. Lets just say that my date was more spooked by some of the trailers before the movie than the actual feature we paid to see. OCT 24th: Lazarus Effect (2015)* [2/5 Stars] I may have gone in to this one with higher expectations than I should have.. mostly because I love a lot of the actors/actresses in the cast. The cast did a great job with what they had but the overall plot was a little weak. I was able to suspend my disbelief for quite a bit but the underlying secret/evil/whatever you want to call it didn’t have as much of a punch as I was hoping and it started to lose my attention about halfway through. I did appreciate effects and sense of dread after Olivia Wilde’s character was resurrected but it fell flat shortly after. Not bad but didn’t have a lasting impact for me. OCT 25th: Mimic (1999)* [3/5 Stars] Guillermo Del Toro keeps sneaking his way in to this challenge and I’m super okay with it. I love creature flicks and this is one I remember seeing trailers for when I was younger but was too scared to see when it first came out. So I’m super happy it popped up while clicking around on Netflix. It threw me off that “Romy” was dealing with bugs for the first 10 mins of the movie or so (damn you, nostalgia!) Besides that this film was really fun to watch and I love when the creatures end up being evolved mistakes that he characters essentially brought upon themselves when they try to play God (similar to Lazarus Effect). The bug design was super creepy with it’s human skull like disguise. Love~ OCT 26th: It Follows (2015) [5/5 Stars] By far one of my new favorite horror films and films in general! The cinematography, as my friend put it, is very “gif-able” and screaming to be made in to angsty tumblr gif sets. She’s right. I’m also in love with the soundtrack which is done by Disasterpeace (who also did the music for indie game FEZ). I want to buy it, but I also don’t want a looming sense of dread while I go about my day. A lot of people compare the demon or “it” to a take on HIV/AIDs or an STD, but that’s if you take it at face value. What if it were more of a sense of being scared of change, the unknown or inevitability of death? I haven’t been so throughly shaken up by a scary movie since seeing Juon back in 2003. While the movie itself isn’t super scary, the concept and my over active imagination gifted me with 3-4 days of sleepless nights after seeing this in theaters back in April. I don’t want to spoil anything so do yourself a favor, and check this movie out asap. OCT 27th: Ju-On/呪怨/Grudge (2002) [5/5 Stars] Ok y’all. This is the movie that started it all. I wasn’t really in to horror until I rented an unsubbed VHS tape of this at the local Japanese marketplace back in 2003. I had no idea what was going on and I was scarred for life. My curiosity and love for psychologically driven horror films blossomed. I was lucky enough to see a screening of Juon in San Francisco and it sounded WAY better on theater speakers than on any TV I’ve watched it on. The thing that intrigued me the most was how this film took away all the common places or scenarios where I thought I’d be safe. NOPE. This ghost, this curse, will follow you and find you. No place is scared. This film also had a Hollywood remake starring Sarah Michelle Gellar which was actually pretty good! Possibly cause the same director was involved in the production. The particular screening I saw on Tuesday had a Q&A with Takashi Shimizu afterwards, and I finally had some questions answered that had been plaguing me for the past 12 years. Maybe a special MoreSpooker post is in order, hmm? Do you have a movie that got you hooked on Horror or a favorite scary movie in general? Comment below or tweet me @teriarchibbles! MoreSpooker is my new column on anything and everything involving creepy, scary horror themed media! More posts will be coming on Wednesdays! Check out and follow us, too! Official Site: http://www.kandykandy.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/itskandykandy Instagram: https://instagram.com/itskandykandy Periscope: @itskandykandy (download it here for mobile – www.periscope.tv) Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/itsKandyKandy Tumblr: http://tumblr.kandykandy.com YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/itskandykandy Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/itskandykandy asian horrorhorrorMoreSpookermovie Kdrama Actors (That Make You Want To Drink) in CF Ads KPOP Snapchat Accounts to Check Out Let’s Revisit Some Classic X-Files Episodes (S01-S03) Copyrights © 2016 KandyKandy.com. \| ADENBLOG © 2016 InfinityThemes. All Rights Reserved.	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line686
__label__wiki	0.610958	0.610958	Home About us Ahead of print Instructions Submission Subscribe Advertise Contact e-Alerts Reader Login Users Online:1352 Citation statistics : Table of Contents 2010\| July-September \| Volume 27 \| Issue 3 Online since October 21, 2010 Cited Viewed PDF Scar endometriosis Zaheer Abbas Ali Khan Pathan, US Dinesh, Ravikala Rao July-September 2010, 27(3):106-108 DOI:10.4103/0970-9371.71877 PMID:21187878 Endometriosis is the presence of functioning endometrium outside the uterus. Endometriosis rarely occurs in the abdominal wall. Majority of abdominal wall endometriosis occur in or adjacent to surgical scars, following caesarean section or hysterectomy. Laparotomy scar endometriosis following salpingectomy for ectopic pregnancy has rarely been reported. We report a case of scar endometriosis following laparotomy for chronic ectopic, and diagnosed by fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC). Excision biopsy confirmed the FNAC diagnosis of scar endometriosis. [ABSTRACT] [FULL TEXT] [PDF] [Mobile Full text] [EPub] [CITATIONS] [PubMed] 10 5,335 262 Squash preparation: A reliable diagnostic tool in the intraoperative diagnosis of central nervous system tumors Sumit Mitra, Mohan Kumar, Vivek Sharma, Debasis Mukhopadhyay July-September 2010, 27(3):81-85 Background : Intraoperative cytology is an important diagnostic modality improving on the accuracy of the frozen sections. It has shown to play an important role especially in the intraoperative diagnosis of central nervous system tumors. Aim: To study the diagnostic accuracy of squash preparation and frozen section (FS) in the intraoperative diagnosis of central nervous system (CNS) tumors. Materials and Methods : This prospective study of 114 patients with CNS tumors was conducted over a period of 18 months (September 2004 to February 2006). The cytological preparations were stained by the quick Papanicolaou method. The squash interpretation and FS diagnosis were later compared with the paraffin section diagnosis. Results : Of the 114 patients, cytological diagnosis was offered in 96 cases. Eighteen nonneoplastic or noncontributory cases were excluded. Using hematoxylin and eosin-stained histopathology sections as the gold standard, the diagnostic accuracy of cytology was 88.5% (85/96) and the accuracy on FS diagnosis was 90.6% (87/96). Among these cases, gliomas formed the largest category of tumors (55.2%). The cytological accuracy in this group was 84.9% (45/53) and the comparative FS figure was 86.8% (46/53). In cases where the smear and the FS diagnosis did not match, the latter opinion was offered. Conclusions : Squash preparation is a reliable, rapid and easy method and can be used as a complement to FS in the intraoperative diagnosis of CNS tumors. Role of scrape cytology in the intraoperative diagnosis of tumor Sachin S Kolte, Rahul N Satarkar Background : Rapid diagnosis of surgically removed specimens has created many controversies and a single completely reliable method has not yet been developed. Histopathology of a paraffin section remains the ultimate gold standard in tissue diagnosis. Frozen section is routinely used by the surgical pathology laboratories for intraoperative diagnosis. The use of either frozen section or cytological examination alone has an acceptable rate (93-97%) of correct diagnosis, with regard to interpretation of benign versus malignant. Aim : To evaluate the utility of scrape cytology for the rapid diagnosis of surgically removed tumors and its utilisation for learning cytopathology. Materials and Methods : 75 surgically removed specimens from various organs and systems were studied. Scrapings were taken from each specimen before formalin fixation and stained by modified rapid Papanicolaou staining. Results : Of the 75 cases studied, 73 could be correctly differentiated into benign and malignant tumors, with an accuracy rate of 97.3%. Conclusions : Intraoperative scrape cytology is useful for intraoperative diagnosis of tumor, where facilities for frozen section are not available. The skill and expertise developed by routinely practicing intraoperative cytology can be applied to the interpretation of fine needle aspirate smears. Thus, apart from its diagnostic role, intraoperative cytology can become a very useful learning tool in the field of cytopathology. 5 3,837 393 Image-guided fine-needle aspiration cytology of ovarian tumors: An assessment of diagnostic efficacy Ghazala Mehdi, Veena Maheshwari, Sheerin Afzal, Hena A Ansari, Maryem Ansari Background : Image-guided fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) of ovarian lumps is being increasingly used for the successful diagnosis of ovarian tumors, although borderline cases may be difficult to diagnose by this method. Aim : To demonstrate the efficacy of image-guided FNAC in diagnosing ovarian tumors (benign and malignant) and to evaluate the usefulness of cytology as a mode of easy and rapid diagnosis of ovarian lumps. Materials and Methods : The study was conducted on 42 female patients. Clinical evaluation and relevant investigations were carried out. Diagnosis was established by FNAC performed under image guidance (ultrasonography/computed tomography). The cytological diagnosis was confirmed by histopathological examination. Results : Cytological diagnosis was rendered on all the 42 ovarian lesions, with a correct diagnosis in 34 cases, resulting in a diagnostic accuracy of 80.9%. Most of the cases with discordant diagnoses were surface epithelial tumors of low malignant potential and required histopathological examination for a final diagnosis. Conclusions : Image-guided FNAC is an inexpensive, rapid and fairly accurate procedure for the diagnosis of ovarian lesions. It provides a safe alternative to the more expensive, time consuming and cumbersome surgical route to diagnosis. Aggressive digital papillary adenocarcinoma diagnosed by fine needle aspiration cytology Jayashree Krishnamurthy, Bindu Patil Aggressive digital papillary adenocarcinoma is a rare variant of eccrine sweat gland malignancy with a propensity for metastases and recurrence. We report a 45-year-old female with aggressive digital papillary adenocarcinoma diagnosed by fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC). The cytological findings were representative of the histological features. The recognition of aggressive digital papillary adenocarcinoma as a distinct clinicopathological eccrine sweat gland neoplasm is important because of the potential for aggressive local growth and distant metastasis. FNAC plays an important role in the preoperative diagnosis and management of these lesions. The cytology of giant solitary trichoepithelioma Jayashree Krishnamurthy, KN Divya July-September 2010, 27(3):99-101 Giant solitary trichoepithelioma (GST) is a rare trichogenic tumor, which may present as a pigmented lesion. An 80-year-old man was diagnosed to have giant solitary trichoepithelioma on fine-needle aspiration cytology. The cytological findings represented the histological features. The recognition of GST is important because of its close resemblance to basal cell carcinoma and other skin adnexal tumors - clinically, cytologically and histologically. Cytodiagnosis of glomus tumor Sumana Mukherjee, Gautam Bandyopadhyay, Sandeep Saha, Manoj Choudhuri Glomus tumors are uncommon, with an estimated incidence of 1.6%. Cytological descriptions of this tumor are few. We report a 15-year-old boy presenting with a painful subungual swelling. Fine needle aspiration cytology showed uniform cells with homogeneous chromatin and scanty cytoplasm. Cytology was reported as "suggestive of glomus tumor". Histopathological examination confirmed the diagnosis. Careful cytomorphological examination supported by appropriate clinical history should suggest the diagnosis of glomus tumor and help in preoperative diagnosis. Cytodiagnosis of chondromyxoid fibroma Vaishali A Walke, Suprita P Nayak, Maitreyee M Munshi, Sudhakar K Bobhate Chondromyxoid fibroma (CMF) is an unusual tumor that predominantly affects long bones of young adults. We present two cases of CMF that were diagnosed on cytology. The specific cytological features included varying combinations of chondroid, myxoid and fibroid elements. These features when correlated with clinico-radiological findings helped to arrive at a correct diagnosis. Thus a definitive diagnosis of CMF can be made on cytology based on which further line of treatment can be planned. Plasmacytoma of tonsil diagnosed by fine-needle aspiration cytology Ramachandra V Bhat, KM Prathima, ML Harendra Kumar, GK Narayana Extramedullary plasmacytoma of tonsil is rare. Even though biopsy is necessary for final diagnosis, fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) can provide useful information in the management of such cases. We report a case of plasmacytoma of tonsil diagnosed by FNAC in a 43-year-old man who presented with a swelling in the right tonsillar area. FNAC smears revealed sheets of plasma cells at various stages of maturation. Subsequent histopathological and immunohistochemical studies confirmed the diagnosis of plasmacytoma. This case is reported for the rarity of site for extramedullary plasmacytoma and to highlight the usefulness of FNAC in lesions of tonsil. Burkitts lymphoma of the small intestine: A cytological diagnosis Ritesh Sachdev [FULL TEXT] [PDF] [Mobile Full text] [EPub] [PubMed] - 3,510 104 © Journal of Cytology \| Indian Academy of Cytologists \| Published by Wolters Kluwer - Medknow	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line692
__label__cc	0.573372	0.426628	Lin-Sanity 7 at 7 Seven JLin takes and tidbits: 1. Jeremy wins the NBA Eastern Conference player of the week and will be on the cover of Sports Illustrated. Believe me, this is just the beginning. Watch for him to be on the cover of Time and many other magazines. 2. Amar'e will be a beast, coming back playing for his "Guardian Angel" big brother who past away, and with Jeremy playing and having fun like he is Magic JohnsLin, there will be no stopping the Knicks. Not even Carmelo can stop them. Kidding, Melo will be fine with JLin. They'll challenge for the NBA Title, with "The New Big Three", JLin, Melo, and Amar'e. 3. Nike inked Jeremy as he first signed with Golden State. They're drooling right now as he'll be marketed in the mold of the old Tiger and Michael Jordan. Expect Nike JLin/Lin-Sanity shoes and apparel soon. 4. The Knicks winning streak is at 5. Look for it to be at 8 when the Mavs visit the Garden Sunday. There is a good chance that the winning streak will be at 11 heading into their showdown at Miami. That Heat Knicks game will be one of the biggest, craziest, regular season games ever! 5. Did you know that Jeremy was a punk in high school and was constantly tossed out of practice? Shows you we can always change and grow up. 6. Spike Lee will be wearing Jeremy Lin's #4 Palo Alto High School Jersey this Sunday vs the Mavs on ABC. 7. Jeremy will be a Hall of Fame player and he will go down as one of the all-time greats. Doesn't that sound crazy? The table below compares him with the best player to ever live, Michael Jordan, as well as two of todays best in Derrick Rose, and Lebron James. Also, lets and go over some background. Jeremy didn't play the point in college, so his learning curve is very steep. He's just getting comfortable at the position. Jeremy also just started hitting the weights real hard in the last year or so. He has made drastic gains in core strength, muscle stability, and explosiveness while working with the experts at Sparta Science. He still has lots of room for improvement athletically. His major strengths will not go away just by teams additional prep work: Heart, will to win, unselfishness, court awareness, court savy, anticipation, quick first step, killer cross, getting into the paint, finishing. His weaknesses are things that can be worked on or improved with experience: Making his left hand as strong as his right. Tightening up his handle overall. Better decision making. Pull up jumpers. Now, here is the data. My buddy pulled the data from basketball-reference.com. Total over first 4 starts of career: Stat J Lin MJ Drose Lebron Points 109 100 69 61 FG % 51.3 48.7 45.8 43.3 FT's 26 23 15 8 Assists 33 18 14 30 Steals 8 6 4 9 Oh, and Happy Va-Lin-tines Day! Posted by JLinfan#1 at 7:00 AM Roboto February 14, 2012 at 7:22 AM Hey man, love your posts and all, but "They'll challenge for the NBA Title, with "The New Big Three", JLin, Melo, and Amar'e." Give some props to Chandler, who has had an amazing season, alright? shinta4ever February 14, 2012 at 12:12 PM Seriously! Chandler was a workhorse during this streak. You can see why the Mavs didn't resign him. no sees the intangibles. Chandler runs the pick, slip screen, etc. every time even if the pass doesn't go his way. He defends the paint like no other. give props to the whole team! novak, shump, jefferies, landry...even TD and BIBBY. you might think i'm crazy, but it's because TD and BIBBY sucked so bad that JLIN got the opportunity to be where he is today...so definitely give props to the WHOLE team! I think i left out balkman, i'll even give props to that dude too since he can play some d and he's got 6 fouls to give. wha-WHATTTT???!!! R_U_Sure_It's_Mine? February 14, 2012 at 8:51 AM Is there any way you can turn this site into a public forum?? It looks like we might have a great community here.... HT February 14, 2012 at 9:19 AM Our boy Jeremy Lin is kinda of low key and grounded. I am very proud of his achievement so far. But he has way to go. Let's be his humble fans too. I agree that we'd better not to call them Big Three. It is really a team work and JLin is a good team player. ninjae February 14, 2012 at 9:31 AM love those stats! "Did you know that Jeremy was a punk in high school and was constantly tossed out of practice?" LOL, I thought the video link was going to be of Jeremy getting kicked out of practice. =) Here's a look back at his last game against the Wolves. This video also includes unconverted passes, defense, and other non-stat plays: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JmOsaF-kw6s He started with another blistering first half, but ran out of gas on the second half (understandably, after going for 38 the night before and having to fly halfway cross country). But despite losing his legs to finish at the rim, Lin had 4 asts, 4 reb, 1 stl in the second half. He got his teammates the ball and allowed them to pick up the scoring. And when the game was tied with 24 seconds remaining, they put the ball in Lin's hand, and Lin delivered. #17 need to blow out that hair and rock the asian fro. come on MY people, you know what i'm talkin about...the "in-between" growing out stage. man...i could REALLY identify with THAT! i just watched video of bill walker hitting 5 3's in a row in practice. wth??? DO IT IN A GAMEEEEE! JK February 14, 2012 at 4:36 PM haha it's a lot easier to do in practice. Jeremy could easily hit 5 in a row in practice and he's shooting something like 3/20 this season. Joe February 14, 2012 at 12:09 PM Doesn't matter, though. The world will always have the past 10 days, and Diepenbrock will always have one particular moment. It happened in the Knicks-Lakers game, early, when Lin and Kobe Bryant were running downcourt together, trailing the play, neither part of the action. Kobe reached out and put his hand on Lin, not a shove but not a tap, either. More than anything, a message. You know, a pecking-order thing. Diepenbrock's voice starts to rise and accelerate as he talks about what came next. "Jeremy swiped his hand away," he says. "It was like, 'Get the [bleep] away from me.' And that moment, man -- that was Jeremy. He's a nice guy, but he's cut-throat." http://espn.go.com/espn/commentary/story/_/id/7574452/jeremy-lin-high-school-coach-surprised-too I found 6 places to get Jeremy Lin jerseys: http://bit.ly/ygqPAj Was wondering if you guys knew any more places that are selling them and what your experience was. Fan031 February 14, 2012 at 1:20 PM Here is a good article in Business Week. It starts with Kobe's comment, “When a player is playing that well, he doesn’t come out of nowhere. It seems like he comes out of nowhere. Go back and take a look and the skill level was probably there from the beginning. It’s just that we didn’t notice it.” —Kobe Bryant on Jeremy Lin http://www.businessweek.com/top-news/the-prophets-of-linsanity-02132012.html :) February 14, 2012 at 2:01 PM Phil Hwang February 14, 2012 at 6:39 PM 3! no freaking way! for the win! Clutch gene! GAME WINNER!!!! Jeremy February 14, 2012 at 6:42 PM Watching tonight's game. Guess J Lin is just a flash in the pan. 27 and 11...but only 2 rebounds? WTF?! Kidding. :-). What on Earth were people missing with this kid? Nuts....they were down, and he brought them back. Should be a lot of embarrassed looks being exchanged between scouts and NBA executives. This was a gut check win! Pure heart! I totally thought they would lose this one but they hung in there. Props Iman for his D on Calderone. jermdawg February 14, 2012 at 6:46 PM This kid is SICK! Jeremy Lin is more clutch from Lebron. Lin Had some problems with free throws. Needs to cut down the turnover. But I'll take that clutch game winner! Lincredible! SKL February 14, 2012 at 6:48 PM I am 40 years old, but OMG! That was amazing. I am on a plane and completely distraught about missing the game, but between Gogo and ESPN, I saw all the points. I am laughing, I am crying. Amazing. Sorry for the in depth analysis. TK February 14, 2012 at 6:53 PM OMG...it's Lin AGAIN. Though with 8 turovers, he leveled the game and hit the WINNIE 3. OMG! KHuang February 14, 2012 at 6:55 PM Dang... Lin got lit up Calderon. He turned the ball over. He couldn't hit his free throws... and he goes for 27 and 11 while hitting the clutch 3... Lin was the best AND worst player on the court! Defeinitly not the worst player. That belongs to Bill Walker jubeininja69 February 14, 2012 at 7:20 PM that's a good example of perseverance. some nights are not going to go your way but it's what you do at the end that counts. game winning three baby. You guys are so right. Lin may have made the most mistakes, but he also made the most positives. I hope Carmelo Anthony returning will relieve playmaking and even ballhandling pressure on Lin. ABCofOregon February 14, 2012 at 7:05 PM Mike, "....I totally trust his decisions...." From garbage time player to the couch handing you the ball and say whatever you decide.....wow! bryce blog February 14, 2012 at 7:24 PM don't wake me up for this dream...oh wait its not a dream its real.. this is simply Linsational. Jhong Hyuck Lim February 14, 2012 at 7:29 PM Let's also give credit to Shumpert. He has made BIG plays especially in the last three games that were crucial. HT February 14, 2012 at 9:04 PM Agree. God orchestrated Shumpert's D, Chandler's rebound and Lin's 3-pointer together to make Knicks win. The teamwork is great and God is awesome. ninjae February 14, 2012 at 7:34 PM OUR GUY CAN BALLLLLLLLLL!!!!! I saw the "Emperor Lin" poster that was at a game a few weeks back and it just clicked with me. If Miami has King James, the New York should have Emperor Lin. R_U_Sure_It's_Mine? February 14, 2012 at 7:54 PM Wow that was amazing, cold blooded!!!! Jeremy Lin is ONLY 23 years old. He will continue to get better. The sky is the limit for him. He is an absolute killer, an assassin, totally fearless and a true LEADER who is ultra clutch. He did have turnovers, but in his post-game he said they threw looks he'd never seen before. He dramatically cut down on turnovers in the 2nd half once he digested what they were doing. This Knicks team is completely different, resilient with Jeremy Lin on the floor. For those who missed the game, they were down 11 to 12 points almost the entire game but kept clawing and fighting. MUCHAS SMOOCHES FROM LANDRY <3! zxcvb February 14, 2012 at 11:05 PM I'm almost glad to see some TOs, haha. Because that means Jeremy can get even BETTER than he is now. Which would make him truly elite. KHuang February 15, 2012 at 6:53 AM Yeah, it's probably a good thing Lin is NOT staying at Fields' place. More importantly, I'd like to see Fields attack the basket more. With three and even four defenders lined up on whataver side of the court Lin is on, the Knicks shooting guards next to Lin can get to the rim in one or two dribbles. NY has the "Linperor" who is now playing like a "LinVP". When Lin was dominating in low minutes before the NJ game, his nickname should have been "The Garbageman". I feel like I'm in "Linbo". So do his teammates and opponents, it seems. Linbo? Jeremy's version of Limbo (a realm where Lin owns everything and everyone) Hans February 14, 2012 at 9:17 PM Well, even here at the blog we used to call him "America's favorite garbage time player!" Now that I know Linsanity is legit, I'm actually feeling sorry for some of these road teams. Take the Wizards and Raptors where half the audience or more is cheering for the opposing team...it's basically a road game/neutral court instead of a home game for them. And the Raptors are playing well and seemed to be in total control until the last 2 minutes. Yeah but Toronto and Washington DC are both very close to NY. The Wizards are a struggling team so not many fans attend the game. Knicks fan take those seats. There is a huge asian population in Toronto and most of them were rooting for Lin tonight. and... isn't it other team's fault for not recruiting Jlin?? i certainly dont feel sorry feel sorry? you saying you don't want other asian fans to come see the jeremy lin show? hater. those teams should be grateful when lin comes to town so their arenas can be full. lin plays for the whole country and all the asians around the world. better get your tickets when the jeremy lin show comes in your town. No, that's not what he' s saying. Every NBA team passed up on Lin except NY. So when those teams lose their home court crowds to Lin fans (Asian and otherwise), it's interesting to see road crowds cheering for Lin. jubeininja69 February 15, 2012 at 12:25 AM oh ok that kind of sorry like pity. i get it now. lol ACHANTDOT February 14, 2012 at 9:21 PM I have been following Jeremy Lin's career since his days in Harvard and today was the first time I got to see him play in person in Toronto. Let me just say how proud I am of his accomplishments to date and happy to see the strong following that he has now. The ACC in Toronto was filled with at least 60% pro-lin fans in the stands. The asian population in Toronto not just in attendance who support Jeremy is mind blowing and thank you for this site for keeping me updated for last 4 years and counting! Chris Beanie February 14, 2012 at 11:01 PM LINSANITY! toronto raptor highlights up from shacmng: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CjPjF5uRPls Still too early for 7. If he maintains this for this season and multiple seasons then I would agree! I just hope he can keep this up! I'm also impressed at how many road Lin fans are NOT Asian. My personal experience has been that the average person is much less affected by negative racial stereotyping than "elites" who look for every excuse to reject anything less than the so called "best". The typical NBA fan sees a lot of himself in Lin, regardless of color. With Lin-sanity reaching the White House and hearts of millions of fans, can we learn a lesson from this rising star who has stormed the NBA world like never before? Jeremy Lin: Against the Odds He Succeeds: http://healthnsports4u.blogspot.com/2012/02/jeremy-lin-against-odds-lin-spirational.html	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line695
__label__cc	0.660648	0.339352	Association between healthy eating index, body mass index, and early childhood caries in schoolchildren of Sakaka, KSA: A case–control study Sudhakar Vundavalli1, Anil Kumar Nagarajappa2, Radhika Doppalapudi2, Adel Saleh Alhabarti1, Ahmed Saad Assaf Aleiadah1, Mazen Nafa H. Alruwili1 1 Department of Preventive Dentistry, College of Dentistry, Jouf University, Sakaka, KSA 2 Department of Oral Medicine and Radiology, College of Dentistry, Jouf University, Sakaka, KSA Date of Submission 19-Mar-2019 Date of Decision 14-Jul-2019 Date of Acceptance 11-Oct-2019 Dr. Sudhakar Vundavalli College of Dentistry, Jouf University, Sakaka DOI: 10.4103/jiaphd.jiaphd_34_19 Background: Early childhood caries (ECC) was observed in children worldwide, and it adversely affects the oral health-related quality of life. ECC is multifactorial, and the concepts of poor nutrition and inappropriate feeding bottle habits as its risk factors could not provide sufficient evidence. Aim: The study aimed to assess the relation between Healthy Eating Index (HEI), body mass index (BMI), and ECC in the age group of 5–6 years children. Materials and Methods: A case–control study was carried out among 350 schoolchildren of Sakaka, KSA. Caries experience was recorded using decayed, missing, and filled teeth (dmft) index (WHO criteria 1997); various anthropometric measures such as weight, BMI, and height were recorded as per the standard guidelines. The Pearson's correlation coefficient and unpaired t-tests were used as bivariate tests; ANOVA with Tukey's post hoc for multivariate analysis. Results: A total of 350 male participants participated in the study, with the age range of 5–6 years and the mean age being 5.4 ± 0.7. The prevalence of ECC in the study population was 87%. The mean dmft values for each BMI category among the underweight, normal, overweight, and obese children were 4.73, 7.8, 9.4, and 10.8, respectively. The mean intake of grains was 1.9, vegetables 0.61, fruits 1.31; milk 1.78, meat/dal 4.8, total fat 9.9, saturated fat 9.9, cholesterol 10 refined carbohydrates 10, and variety 0.17 in children with severe ECC (S-ECC). Overall mean HEI score was significantly higher in children with S-ECC compared to simple ECC low (43.25 ± 3.44 vs. 57.46 ± 4.12), and HEI and dmft values were negatively correlated (−0.932). Conclusion: There is a negative relationship between ECC and HEI scores and positive correlation between BMI scores and ECC. Diet is again proved as a common risk factor for dental caries and obesity. Hence, the Nutritional Education Program is the need of an hour for these children and parents. Keywords: Body mass index, dental caries, dietary habits, early childhood caries, healthy eating index Vundavalli S, Nagarajappa AK, Doppalapudi R, Alhabarti AS, Aleiadah AS, Alruwili MN. Association between healthy eating index, body mass index, and early childhood caries in schoolchildren of Sakaka, KSA: A case–control study. J Indian Assoc Public Health Dent 2019;17:306-12 Vundavalli S, Nagarajappa AK, Doppalapudi R, Alhabarti AS, Aleiadah AS, Alruwili MN. Association between healthy eating index, body mass index, and early childhood caries in schoolchildren of Sakaka, KSA: A case–control study. J Indian Assoc Public Health Dent [serial online] 2019 [cited 2020 Jan 20];17:306-12. Available from: http://www.jiaphd.org/text.asp?2019/17/4/306/272789 Saudi Arabia stands at a better place in terms of health indicators among Gulf cooperation countries, and lifestyle-related health problems were the leading causes of mortality like any developed nations.[1] Good oral health is an integral component of good general health, although enjoying good oral health includes more than just having healthy teeth, many children have inadequate oral and general health because of active and uncontrolled dental caries.[2] Dental caries is the most common oral disease that affects a significant number of the Saudi Arabian population.[3] Dental caries is a multifactorial infectious disease resulting from interactions among a susceptible host, cariogenic bacteria, and cariogenic diet.[4] It affects almost all age groups, but the presence of caries in young children is an important concern than that of elderly people. Early childhood caries can rapidly destroy the primary dentition of toddlers and small children affecting their general health, growth patterns, and quality of life, and if left untreated can lead to pain, acute infection, and premature loss of deciduous teeth, malocclusion, nutritional insufficiencies, and speech problems.[4] The study of dental caries in primary dentition is important not only for the resulting deterioration in the quality of life of young children but also because dental caries in primary dentition is one of the best predictors of caries in the permanent dentition.[5] There are numerous risk factors significantly related to early childhood caries (ECC), the most important are probably certain feeding practices, such as bedtime bottle feeding, “at will” breastfeeding, and frequent intake of sugary snacks and drinks contribute to the development of ECC. Failure to eat breakfast daily and eating fewer than six servings of fruits or vegetables a day were also associated with dental caries in very young children.[5] Diet plays an important role in the causation of caries; various dietary assessment methods such as oral questionnaire (24 h recall) method, food frequency questionnaire, and food diary method were commonly used. The Healthy Eating Index (HEI) is one index of overall diet quality based on the food pyramid where 24 h dietary recall is used, and it is comprised 10 component scores, each ranging from 0 (poor) to 10 (good).[6] Nutrition is one of the basic requirements of any living organism to grow and sustain life.[7] There were minimal data available proving a correlation between HEI and ECC in children. Hence, this study tested the hypothesis that there is no association between HEI, body mass index (BMI), and ECC in Saudi Arabian children. A case–control study was conducted to assess the association between HEI and ECC in school children. Children who are diagnosed with ECC were considered as cases and children without ECC as controls. Settings and participant selection This study was conducted in a school setting in Sakaka, capital of Aljouf province, KSA during the period from January 2018 to March 2018. The study participants were selected through systematic random sampling methods. The age group of the study participants ranged from 5 to 6 years old. Ethical clearance was obtained from the Institutional Review Board before the start of the study, and all the procedures followed are in accordance with the World Medical Association Declaration of Helsinki. The inclusion and exclusion criteria were as follows. 5–6-year-old children who had at least one decayed, missing (due to caries) or filled primary teeth Parents who were willing to give written informed consent for the study. Medically compromised children Children with physical and mental disabilities Uncooperative children/children without parental consent. The sample size was determined by taking the studies done by the previous researchers [7] on the prevalence of ECC which was found to be 37.3%. n = Z2 × p (1 − p)/E2. The size of the sample required was 323 which were rounded off to 350 children. Participants were selected using stratified cluster sampling; initially, Sakaka town is divided geographically into three zones, one school was selected as a cluster through simple random (lottery) method from the list of the schools, and children were selected through systematic random sampling until the desired number was achieved from each school. Training and calibration of investigators The examiner was trained under the guidance of a dietitian to record the HEI. HEI was recorded by the examiner on five participants who were not included in the study. Then, the index was recorded by the dietitian on the same individuals and the interexaminer variability was calculated. The κ = 0.86 was obtained for interobserver agreement. For the collection of data, a specially designed pretested pro forma was used. The pro forma consisted of demographic questions such as age, sex, address, oral hygiene practices, and 24-h dietary recall chart. Measuring healthy eating index The United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) center for nutrition policy and promotion developed the HEI.[6] This index was known for its reliability in assessing dietary quality, which is essential for this study. In this study, HEI was modified as per daily recommended dietary allowance (RDA) of Saudi children. The HEI is composed of ten components, each representing different aspects of a healthful diet: components 1–5 measure the degree to which a person's diet conforms to the USDA's food guide pyramid serving recommendations for the five major food groups (grains, vegetables, fruits, milk, and meat); as expressed in servings per day. The next four components of the HEI assess the degree of adherence to the dietary guidelines recommendations regarding several nutrients [6] (total fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, and sodium), and the final component examines the varieties of foods in a person's diet. Overall, the HEI is a sum of the components with a possible score of 0-–100. Each of the ten dietary components has a scoring range of 0–10.[6] Individuals with an intake at the recommended level received a maximum score of ten points. A score of zero was given when no foods in a particular group were eaten. Intermediate scores were calculated proportionately. High component scores indicate intakes close to recommended ranges or amounts; low component scores indicate less compliance with recommended ranges or amounts. An HEI score over eighty implies a “good” diet, an HEI score between 51 and 80 implies a diet that “needs improvement,” and an HEI score <51 implies a “poor” diet.[6] Scoring is given based on the amount of servings per day; numbers of servings were taken based on the RDA for Saudi Arabian children drawn up by the Ministry of Health (MOH).[8] Since children require fewer calories (1800 kcal for 5–6-year-old children) than adults, the minimum numbers of servings were kept to reflect the Food Guide Pyramid recommendations, and the serving sizes were adjusted. Dietary assessment was made by 24-h recall method where mothers or caregivers were asked to remember and report all the foods and beverages consumed in the past 24 h by the child. Body mass index measurement Height and weight measurements were recorded for all the children who participated in the study. Weight of each child on barefoot with light clothing was measured to the nearest 0.1 kg using a portable glass digital electronic personal weighing scale (Nova BGS-1238) which was calibrated before use. Each child was instructed to stand still, with mass equally distributed between feet, until the scale reading stabilized. The reading was then recorded. Height was measured to the nearest 0.1 cm using a mobile stadiometer. For the calculation of BMI, the following formula was used. The value obtained was then plotted on age- and gender-specific percentile curves given by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and children were categorized into four groups based on their BMI percentiles as follows:[9] Underweight group children with BMI for age <5th percentile Normal group children with BMI for age ≥5th percentile and <85th percentile Overweight group children with BMI for age ≥85th percentile and <95th percentile Obese group children with BMI ≥95th percentile. Dental caries assessment The examination for dental caries was carried out on the dental chair, and the caries were recorded based on the WHO criteria (1997); decayed, missing, and filled teeth (dmft) scores were used to calculate caries experience.[10] For the purpose of this study, ECC cases were defined using the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, criteria that are, the presence of 1 or more decayed (noncavitated or cavitated lesion), missing (due to caries), or filled tooth surfaces in any primary teeth in a child of 72 months age or younger constitutes simple ECC. In children younger than 3-years of age, any sign of smooth-surface caries is indicative of severe ECC (S-ECC). From ages 3 through 5, one or more cavitated, missing teeth (due to caries), or filled smooth surfaces in primary maxillary anterior teeth, or decayed, missing, or filled score of ≥4 (ages 3–<4), ≥5 (ages 4–<5), or ≥6 (ages 5–<6) surfaces constitutes S-ECC.[11] All statistical analysis was performed using the SPSS software (20.0, SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA). Descriptive statistics were done using mean ± standard deviation and proportions with 95% confidence interval. Normality of data was assessed with KS test before performing inferential statistics. The Chi-square test was done for assessing the differences between qualitative variables. Pearson correlation test was used to evaluate the relation between BMI and dmft values and unpaired t-test for comparison between mean HEI scores in two categories of ECC. ANOVA was used for multivariate analysis with Tukey's honestly significant difference as post hoc test. The odds ratio was obtained from multiple binomial logistic regression analyses with ECC as dependent variable and age, brushing frequency, BMI category, and HEI scores as independent variables. Variables with P < 0.5 were included in multinomial model. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. A total of 350 participants with the age range of 5–6 years were included in the study, and the mean age being 5.4 ± 0.7. [Table 1] shows the distribution of children according to age. Table 1: Distribution of children according to age and gender [Table 2] shows the distribution of children based on mean dmft in various BMI for age categories. The mean dmft values for each BMI category among the underweight, normal, overweight, and obese children were 4.73 ± 1.9, 7.8 ± 3.3, 9.4 ± 3.08, and 10.8 ± 4.09, respectively, which was statistically significant (P = 0.000) and post hoc analysis identified mean dmft is significantly higher in obese children compared to other groups [Table 3]. Table 2: Distribution of children based on mean decayed, missing, and filled teeth in various body mass index categories Table 3: Post hoc analysis (Tukey's HSD) The mean intake of grains was 1.9 ± 0.87, vegetables 0.61 ± 0.86, fruits 1.31 ± 3.32; milk 1.78 ± 1.55, meat/dal 4.8 ± 3.5, total fat 9.9 ± 0.23, saturated fat 9.9 ± 0.19, cholesterol 10 ± 0.0, sodium 10 ± 1.1, and variety 0.17 ± 1.05 in children with S-ECC. A statistically significant difference was found between mean intake of grains and meat/dal to the types of ECC (P = 0.001) [Table 4]. Table 4: Distribution of participants based on healthy eating index to early childhood carry The frequency of sugar intake of the children to the early childhood caries was compared, and a statistically significant association was found between the frequency of intake of added sugar to the S-ECC (P = 0.001) [Table 5]. There was no statistically significant difference between brushing frequencies and mean dmft [Table 6]. HEI scores were negatively correlated with dmft scores in the participant children (Pearson correlation = −0.932, P = 0.000] [Graph 1]. Logistic regression analysis showed none of the independent variables was statistically significant in predicting ECC [Table 7]. Table 5: Comparison between the frequencies of sugar intake of the children to the early childhood caries Table 6: Comparison between the frequencies of tooth brushing with mean decayed, missing, and filled teeth Table 7: Multinomial logistic regression The present study was conducted to assess the relation between dietary quality and early childhood caries in 5–6-year-old children. Factors affecting the onset of carious lesions include oral hygiene, diet composition and frequency, socioeconomic status, salivary immunoglobulin, bacterial load, and fluoride intake.[12] ECC can be a particularly virulent form of caries beginning soon after tooth eruption, developing on smooth surfaces progressing rapidly, and having a lasting detrimental impact on the dentition.[4] All untreated dental caries may not be detrimental to the general health; however, it significantly influences the quality of life and dietary intake of children, especially when it is associated with pain and discomfort.[4] In the present study, the final sample comprised 350 children with the age group of 5–6-year-old. According to the WHO, affected eating pattern can rapidly manifest in younger children of 4–6 years of age.[12] Hence, this age group was selected for the study. In the present study, the maximum number of participants was with normal BMI for age which is similar to the study done by Farsi et al.[13] and a study conducted by Bhayat et al. in the Medina region of Saudi Arabia.[14] The current study showed a positive relationship between nutritional status and early childhood caries among the study participants which was dissimilar to the studies done by Liang et al.,[15] Bansal et al.,[16] and Quadri et al.;[17] similar to the studies done by Davidson et al.,[18] Ashour et al.,[19] and Alghamdi and Almahdy [20] which showed a positive relationship between nutritional status and caries. Mitrakul et al. found that in S-ECC, the BMI percentile was not correlated with dmft or the sugar consumption patterns and negatively associated with iron consumption in 3–5-year-old Thai children.[21] As diet plays a major role in the causation of caries, our study investigated the relationship of dietary guidelines in the food pyramid as measured by the HEI to the early childhood caries. The HEI is a measure of diet quality, independent of quantity that can be used to assess compliance with the US dietary guidelines for Americans and monitor changes in dietary patterns.[10] It is also used to examine the relationships between diet and health-related outcomes, and it is a valuable tool for epidemiologic and economic research and can be used to evaluate nutrition interventions programs. This index provides a picture of foods people are eating, the amount of variety in the diet and compliance with specific dietary guidelines recommendations. Currently, there are two commonly used diet scores: the HEI and the Revised Diet Quality Index.[22] Both of these are based on the U.S. dietary guidelines and include both food- and nutrient-based indicators. Although they have been adapted for use in other countries by altering the cutoffs, there has been little adaptation of these indices in other countries. Saudi Arabia is a vast country and is unique in the entire world with diverse culture and food habits.[8] Improper dietary patterns in children are more common in Saudi Arabia. The average Saudi diet mainly consists of cereals and pulses; it remains largely deficient in green leafy vegetables, fruits, milk, and milk products. There is no separate component of sugar in the HEI, but since our study relates to dental caries, we have added sugar as a separate component, and it was found to be significantly associated with ECC. The relationship between sugar and dental caries remains complex because other risk factors such as plaque status, saliva, bacteria level, and host factor also play roles in caries formation. Because of the exposure to fluoride in the modern age (dentifrice), the relationship between sugar consumption and caries is much weaker than it was historically. There are very few studies to link HEI to the ECC, this kind of index is not reported in Saudi Arabia. Hence, we made an attempt to fit this index into the Saudi Arabian scenario based on the dietary guidelines for Saudis given by the MOH.[8] As most of the diet taken by Saudis is custom-made, it is difficult to assess the calorific value of such diet, which might give an exact picture of the diet's influence on caries. In this study, number of servings was compared with the RDA for Saudis drawn up by the MOH,[8] where participant's consumption in certain food groups such as grain group, fat, and sodium group met the recommendation while the consumption of milk, fruits, and vegetables was below the RDA. In the present study, high score for grain, meat/dal was associated with reduced S-ECC, and similar findings were reported by İnan-Eroǧlu et al. in the Turkish population.[23] This might be due to the high fiber and less sugar present in grains which would have been the reason for less caries in the grain group. In addition, meat/dal contains adequate protein and has low cariogenic potential which replaces the fermentation of refined carbohydrate and relatively are protected from dental caries. In the present study, there is no variety component among the study participants which was dissimilar to the study done by Nunn et al.[22] A variety of component gives us the different kinds of food items in a food group consumed in a day by a person, Saudi diet is predominantly meat based and this different kind of varieties are not seen regularly, and the age group of participants was only 5–6 years; hence, no variety component was seen in the study. The overall HEI score was significantly higher in simple ECC (57.4) and lesser in S-ECC (43.2), and the majority of the participant's diet falls in the needs improvement category (HEI score ranging in-between 51 and 80) which is again similar to the findings from the Turkish study.[23] However, the present study had some limitations: Since the data were cross-sectional, causal relationships cannot be established, and the observed association could be due to other unexplored factors (hereditary). Caries detection was carried out visually, without taking radiographs, regarding HEI a perfect score of 10 is given when the minimum recommended number of servings in each food group is consumed, but it may also include children with excess consumption, such as excess fruit juice, and there is no separate component for sweets as there is in the food guide pyramid, which might result in better discrimination between healthy children and those with ECC. 24-h dietary recall approach is that individuals may not report their food consumption accurately for various reasons related to knowledge, memory, and the interview situation. Deriving detailed and accurate information from the parents regarding the eating practices, composition of snacks consumed, and weaning may not be totally reliable. Hence, future research should include obtaining dietary history through 7-day dietary records. There is a negative relationship between ECC and HEI scores and a positive correlation between BMI scores and ECC. Diet is again proved as the common risk for dental caries and obesity; hence, nutritional educational intervention is a need of an hour for both children and parents. We would like to thank the children and their parents who participated in this study. No funding was obtained from any organization or individuals. Key Health Indicators for Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Available from: http://www.moh.gov.sa/en/ministry/statistics/indicator/pages/default.aspx. [Last accessed on 2017 Feb 21]. Mishra BK, Mishra S. Nutritional anthropometry and preschool child feeding practices in working mothers of central Orissa. Home Comm Sci 2007;1:139-44. Farooqi FA, Khabeer A, Moheet IA, Khan SQ, Farooq I, ArRejaie AS, et al. Prevalence of dental caries in primary and permanent teeth and its relation with tooth brushing habits among schoolchildren in Eastern Saudi Arabia. Saudi Med J 2015;36:737-42. Gopal S, Chandrappa V, Kadidal U, Rayala C, Vegesna M. Prevalence and predictors of early childhood caries in 3-to 6-year-old South Indian children – A cross-sectional descriptive study. Oral Health Prev Dent 2016;14:267-73. Tripathi S, Kiran K, Kamala BK. Relationship between obesity and dental caries in children-A preliminary study. J Int Oral Health 2010;2:65-72. Guenther PM, Kirkpatrick SI, Reedy J, Krebs-Smith SM, Buckman DW, Dodd KW, et al. The healthy eating index-2010 is a valid and reliable measure of diet quality according to the 2010 dietary guidelines for Americans. J Nutr 2014;144:399-407. Al-Ansari AA. Prevalence, severity, and secular trends of dental caries among various Saudi populations: A literature review. Saudi J Med Med Sci 2014;2:142-50. [Full text] Ministry of Health Report; 2012. Available from: http//www.moh.gov.sa/en/ministry/statistics/book/documents/1433.pdf. [Last accessed on 2017 Feb 24]. Centre for Disease Control and Prevention. Growth Charts Body Mass Index for age Percentiles, Boys and Girls. Centre for Disease Control and Prevention. Available from: http://www.cdc.gov/bmi/bmimeans.htm. [Last accessed on 2017 Feb 24]. World Health Organization. Oral Health Surveys: Basic methods, 5th ed. Geneva, Switwerland: World Health Organization; 2013. p. 21-5. Aapd Guidelines for Early Childhood Dental Caries. Available from: http//www.aapd.org/media/policies_guidelines/p_eccclassifications.pdf. [Last accessed on 2017 Feb 23]. Mc-Donald RE, Avery DR, Stookey GK. Dental caries in the child and adolescent. In: Mc-Donald RE, Avery DR, Dean JA, editors. Textbook of Dentistry for the Child and Adolescent. 8th ed. New Delhi: Elsevier; 2005. p. 203-35. Farsi DJ, Elkhodary HM, Merdad LA, Farsi NM, Alaki SM, Alamoudi NM, et al. Prevalence of obesity in elementary school children and its association with dental caries. Saudi Med J 2016;37:1387-94. Bhayat A, Ahmad MS, Fadel HT. Association between body mass index, diet and dental caries in grade 6 boys in Medina, Saudi Arabia. East Mediterr Health J 2016;22:687-93. Liang JJ, Zhang ZQ, Chen YJ, Mai JC, Ma J, Yang WH, et al. Dental caries is negatively correlated with body mass index among 7-9 years old children in Guangzhou, China. BMC Public Health 2016;16:638. Bansal K, Goyal M, Dhingra R. Association of severe early childhood caries with iron deficiency anemia. J Indian Soc Pedod Prev Dent 2016;34:36-42. Quadri MF, Hakami BM, Hezam AA, Hakami RY, Saadi FA, Ageeli LM, et al. Relation between dental caries and body mass index-for-age among schoolchildren of Jazan City, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. J Contemp Dent Pract 2017;18:277-82. Davidson K, Schroth RJ, Levi JA, Yaffe AB, Mittermuller BA, Sellers EA. Higher body mass index associated with severe early childhood caries. BMC Pediatr 2016;16:137. Ashour NA, Ashour AA, Basha S. Association between body mass index and dental caries among special care female children in Makkah City. Ann Saudi Med 2018;38:28-35. Alghamdi AA, Almahdy A. Association between dental caries and body mass index in schoolchildren aged between 14 and 16 years in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. J Clin Med Res 2017;9:981-6. Mitrakul K, Arunakul M, Asvanund Y, Laisirireoungrai T, Praneechotiros T, Tevavichulada P, et al. Diet, body mass index and dental caries among thai children AGED 3 to 5 years. Southeast Asian J Trop Med Public Health 2017;48:466-72. Nunn ME, Braunstein NS, Krall Kaye EA, Dietrich T, Garcia RI, Henshaw MM. Healthy eating index is a predictor of early childhood caries. J Dent Res 2009;88:361-6. İnan-Eroǧlu E, Özşin-Özler C, Erçim RE, Büyüktuncer Z, Uzamış-Tekçiçek M, Güçiz-Doǧan B. Is diet quality associated with early childhood caries in preschool children? A descriptive study. Turk J Pediatr 2017;59:537-47. [Table 1], [Table 2], [Table 3], [Table 4], [Table 5], [Table 6], [Table 7] Vundavalli S Nagarajappa AK Doppalapudi R Alhabarti AS Aleiadah AS Alruwili MN dietary habits early childhood caries healthy eating index © Journal of Indian Association of Public Health Dentistry \| Published by Wolters Kluwer - Medknow Online since 18 July, 2014	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line696
__label__cc	0.548694	0.451306	Protection or Free Trade? - Henry George Show all books by: Henry George Protection or Free Trade?, by Henry George. 8.5 x 11 inches, 312 pages, Large Print Edition. Purchase at CreateSpace or Amazon for $24 $14. Reviews: L. Vance, G. Galles, K. De Coster Economist Henry George (1839-1897) was, at the height of his popularity in the 1880s and 1890s, considered the third most famous American, behind Mark Twain and Thomas Edison, and his liberal philosophies on taxation, copyrights, poverty issues, and more continue to influence progressive movements today. Here, in this 1886 book, George examines the pressing issues of free trade and protectionism... issues that continue to thwart and challenge our economies today. How do tariffs impact production and revenue? Do high wages necessitate protectionism? What is lacking in arguments for free trade? What are the strengths and weaknesses of both free trade and protectionism? George answers these questions, and others, in this incisive work.	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line698
__label__cc	0.694929	0.305071	On -isms: Something Positive's Happening By Sean Kleefeld \| Thursday, March 27, 2014 2 comments Towards the end of April, the ReedPop group will be running their C2E2 event in Chicago. I went last year for the first time and was impressed, so I've signed up again for this year. I was going through the list of artists and exhibitors that will be in attendance to make sure I talk to everyone I need to, and I also went through their panel listings. And I have to say that I was impressed. Here's a selection of some of the con's panels... Fri. Apr. 25 Graphic Novels: Super Classroom Tools of Tolerance and Taming Aggression! End Bullying! Responding to Cruelty in our Culture Opening the Clubhouse Doors: Creating More Inclusive Geek Communities Sat. Apr. 26 Creating Community: Hosting Ladies' Night at Your Local Comic Shop Gay Character and Creators Panel Glass Ceilings, Missing Stairs & Gatekeepers: Geeks Still Deal with Sexism Genre Feminism That's a fair chunk of time devoted to inclusion and tolerance. And while the "Gay Character and Creators Panel" seems to go a bit down the "Women in Comics" route, for the most part, they're dealing with a combination of outreach and getting people to understand and act on discrimantory problems we have in the industry. Also, take a look at the "About" menu on their home page... Not only is their Harassment Policy clearly delineated, but there's also a prominent link for "Fans with Special Needs." Not only do they talk about things like wheelchair access and guide dogs, but they even have accommodations for people who require medicines that need to be in cold storage. The idea of a convention having a formal harassment policy has cropped up in the past few years and, while it's not exactly common yet, it's not uncommon either. I think this is the first con where I've seen such explicit mention of special needs fans as well, though. (Admittedly, it has never been something I've actively looked for in the past.) I want to point this out because it's another aspect of inclusion that gets overlooked frequently and, despite not garnering the popular attention that harassment has, ReedPop was still prescient enough to bring it to the fore on their own. So while we still have plenty of issues to address in comics, I find it incredibly encouraging to see shows take more progressive steps like this out of the basic idea of doing the right thing for its own sake than out of any pressures that might come from their constituents. Let's see more of this, please! Related Items On -isms Brett Caton said... Formal harassment policy? Oh good grief, I hope they aren't heading down the 'Elevatorgate' route where asking someone for coffee is a crime. A lot of people hook up at cons, sometimes they even marry! Some Politically Correct Feminist Agenda to crush all flirting and squeeze all the joy from life - ugh. I really hope the cons aren't going down that path. "Genre Feminism .. That's a fair chunk of time devoted to inclusion and tolerance. " Yeah, did they have a section on Nazism as well? Feminis has zip to do with "inclusion and tolerance", it's in the branding. It's a female supremacist movement, to which men, at best, can aspite to being 'allies', and sit underneath the table while their betters eat, hoping, just this once, someone will drop a scrap for them... Feminism is a movement that actively harms men. ComicBookCandy said... I've always been really impressed with C2E2's programming and this year was really fantastic, though I hope they have more panels supporting racial diversity next year. I moderated Creating Community: Hosting Ladies' Night at Your Local Comic Shop, so thank you for spreading the word ahead of time. Here's a video of the panel if you were not able to attend! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HgUfFEMILN0 On Webcomics: Improvement On Fandom: Who Watches the Watchmen's Watchers? On History: The Watterson/Thompson Exhibit On Webcomics: Discarding the Artificial Culture On Fandom: The Aw Yeah Comics Anniversary Bash On -isms: Maybe a Subtler Approach? On History: An Embarrassment of Riches On Webcomics: It's Not Me, It's You My 2014 Event Schedule On Fandom: Weeaboos Are People Too On -isms: Wallis' Annie On History: Blue-Eyed Heroes On Webcomics: Still Up for Grabs! On Fandom: Passing the (Human) Torch On -isms: Normcoring the Superhero Set On History: Get 'Em Out by Friday On Webcomics: Give Yourself Some Credit!	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line701
__label__cc	0.524524	0.475476	http://www.kunstrepublik.de/en/news/s-e-n-e-n/ ZK/U S E N E N New impro-icon for old Senen Market, Jakarta Senen Market is one of the oldest markets in the center of Jakarta. The diversity of tradtional and contemporary products and services is overwhelming. The informal character of the market makes it difficult for authorities to control and regulate the activities. Therefor the municipal market building is no longer maintained. It will eventually fall apart to make space for more ‚contemporary‘ models of commerce. Among the local community the heterogenous qualities of Senen Market are highly popular, but these qualities don’t get through to a broader public. Working with local packaging materials and craftsmanship, KUNSTrePUBLIK create a visual icon presenting the single letters of the market’s name: S E N E N. Abdulrahman Saleh aka Maman (Indonesia) \| ACE HOUSE Collective (Indonesia) \| Agan Harahap (Indonesia) \| Akumassa (Indonesia) \| Anton Ismael (Indonesia) \| ArtLab ruru (Indonesia) & Keg de Souza (Australia) \| Awan Simatupang (Indonesia) \| Babi Badalov (Azerbaijan/France) \| CASCO (the Netherlands) \| Danuri aka Pak Nur (Indonesia) \| Davy Linggar (Indonesia) \| Eko Nugroho (Indonesia)\| Enrico Halim (Indonesia) \| Etienne Turpin (Canada) \| Fintan Magee (Australia) \| Françoise Huguier (France) \| Guntur Wibowo (Indonesia) \| Ho Tzu Nyen (Singapore) \| Icaro Zorbar (Colombia) \| Jatiwangi Art Factory & Trotoart (Indonesia) \| Jimmy Ogonga (Kenya) \| Julia Sarisetiati (Indonesia) \| Kelas Pagi (Indonesia) \| Khaled Jarrar (Palestine) \| KUNSTrePUBLIK (Germany) \| Lifepatch Collaboration (Indonesia) \| Lost Generation (Malaysia) \| Melati Suryodarmo (Indonesia) \| Mella Jaarsma & Nindityo Adipurnomo (Indonesia) \| Mixrice (South Korea) \| Moelyono (Indonesia) \| MR Adytama Pranada (Indonesia) \| Mufti Priyanka aka Amenk (Indonesia)\| Narpati Awangga aka oomleo (Indonesia) \| Paul Mondok (the Philippines) \| Riyan Riyadi aka The Popo (Indonesia) \| Rizky Aditya Nugroho aka Bujangan Urban (Indonesia) \| Ruli Bandhriyo aka Rolly LoveHateLove (Indonesia) \| Saleh Husein (Indonesia) \| Sanggar Anak Akar (Indonesia) \| Sebastian Diaz Morales (Argentine) \| SERRUM & Dinas Artistik Kota (Indonesia) \| TRANZIT (Czech Republic) \| Visual Arts Network of South Africa/VANSA (South Africa) \| Wok the Rock (Indonesia) \| Xu Tan (China) \| Yusuf Ismail (Indonesia) & Labtek Indie (Indonesia) « News Overview	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line703
__label__wiki	0.824777	0.824777	Mormon Tabernacle Choir releases top album set byDeseret News \| Aug. 09, 2012 The Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square has released a multi-disc CD set of three albums titled “Bravo! The #1 Albums.” The collection is made up of three albums that reached No. 1 on the Billboard music charts when they were released: “Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing,” “Men of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir” and “Heavensong.” Arts & Entertainment Music Arts & Entertainment Mormon Report Mormon Tabernacle ChoirMusic,Arts & Entertainment,Mormon Report,Mormon Tabernacle Choir,Arts & Entertainment Salt Lake Temple Renovation: Demolition Begins on South Visitors' Center 9 Inspiring Albums to Help Make Your Sabbath a Delight 10 Famous Guests Who Performed with the Tabernacle Choir at Christmas Jannalee Sandau and Lindsey Williams Tell Us Your Sunday Routine and We'll Tell You Which New CD You Should Listen To	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line704
__label__wiki	0.9032	0.9032	Air Force Air AttachéOfficer 16A4 MOS Provides regional expertise and professional foreign language competency to build effective relationships with our global partners. This international expertise is key to an ability to sustain coalitions, pursue regional stability and security cooperation, and contribute to multi-national operations. Develops Air Force policy positions on regional affairs of national, combined, or joint service interest to include recommendations on treaties and international agreements. Receives, evaluates, and translates information from national and international agencies into tailored Air Force guidance. Assists in developing, coordinating, and implementing National Security Council policies. Determines requirements for military actions to implement national policy objectives. Advises combined, joint, and Air Force operational commanders supporting Force Protection programs, establishing cooperative relationships with Host Nation partners, and supporting the full range of Global Engagement activities, from humanitarian relief operations to coalition building in support of contingency operations and major theater warfare. Liaises with Departments of State and Defense and other governmental agencies involved with international affairs to present and interpret Air Force positions to interdepartmental and international committees and groups affecting negotiations on government-to-government and service-to-service levels. Conducts analytical studies based on regional situations and trends, and prepares studies, reports, and surveys on political implications of proposed actions. Regional Affairs Strategist positions include billets with an international focus at OSD, SAF, Air Staff, Joint Staff, Unified Commands, Combatant Commands, Defense Agencies, MAJCOMs, and NAFs. Tasks are the same as junior Duties 16A1 MOS Air Force Air Attaché 14S MOS Army Air and Missile Defense (AMD) Crewmember 140E MOS Army Air and Missile Defense (AMD) Systems Tactician/Technician 16G1 MOS Air Force Air Force Operations Staff Officer 16GX MOS Air Force Air Force Operations Staff Officer 16R1 MOS Air Force Planning & Programming	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line714
__label__wiki	0.581705	0.581705	'''### %@^'/.,* / New Super Nintendo World video shows what's in the pipeline 6 days ago By Anonymous (not verified) We've been hearing various bits and pieces about upcoming theme park Super Nintendo World for some time - but something I really wasn't expecting was a Galantis and Charli XCX crossover music video, which is exactly what we got earlier this morning. Thanks to a press event in Japan, we've now been treated to another glimpse of the theme park, along with a few more details on what you can expect on a trip there. A lot of mushrooms, I think. Originally announced by Universal Studios back in 2014, Super Nintendo World will house attractions such as a Mario Kart ride and an omnimover-style ride called Yoshi's Adventures. While I doubt the finished product will look exactly like the video when it opens in Japan this summer, it's safe to say there'll be a lot of Marios - at least until the Donkey-Kong themed area opens in 2021 to balance out the ratio. photlhgl	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line716
__label__wiki	0.691255	0.691255	FBI Director James B. Comey listens to a question from a reporter during a media conference in San Francisco, Calif., Feb. 27, 2014. Photo by Ben Margot/AP GOP accidentally does Clinton a favor with James Comey hearing Congressional Republicans had a nice, simple morality tale to tell. The main narrative was a little thin – any story built around email server protocols is going to be dry – but GOP lawmakers had clearly identified protagonists and antagonists. Just as importantly, they’d convinced much of the media that their tale was as important as it was riveting. Today, however, Republicans lost the plot. On Tuesday, FBI Director James Comey announced that while Hillary Clinton’s email server protocols were careless, no sane prosecutor would find her actions worthy of an indictment. House Republicans, who were counting on an indictment to improve the GOP’s election chances, were apoplectic and hastily threw together a hearing, forcing Comey to go to Capitol Hill to explain himself. What Republicans didn’t realize is the degree to which they were doing Clinton and Democrats a favor. NBC News reported on the proceedings: FBI director James Comey stuck to his guns Thursday and defended his decision not to charge Hillary Clinton with a crime for her use of a private email server while serving as secretary of state. Summoned to appear before the Republican-led House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, Comey insisted again that Clinton “did not break the law” and that there was not enough evidence to charge her with a crime. “That’s just the way it is,” Comey said. I honestly have no idea what Republicans thought they were going to achieve with this spectacle. Did GOP lawmakers expect Comey to declare, “Now that you’ve yelled at me for a few hours, I’ve changed my mind and now support criminal charges against Clinton”? Before the hearing Republicans had a series of fairly specific talking points: Clinton lied to the FBI; she created a national security threat; she plays by a different set of rules than everyone else. But instead of simply repeating those talking points, GOP lawmakers invited the FBI director – a lifelong Republican, whom GOP officials have repeatedly praised for his honesty – to testify about how wrong the party’s arguments are. “We have no basis to believe she lied to the FBI,” Comey said. Asked about Clinton benefiting from a different set of rules, he responded, “It’s not true.” Asked about classified emails, Comey said there were only three messages – each of which were not properly marked classified when she received them. In other words, congressional Republicans had the bright idea of holding a hearing with a credible witness who was perfectly happy to explain to them how wrong they are. Making matters worse, GOP lawmakers forgot who the villains and heroes were supposed to be in their story. Republicans were supposed to make Clinton the scoundrel of this narrative, but today, they decided instead to go after the director of the FBI – because he had the audacity to say a Democrat didn’t commit a crime. But what’s to be gained from going after Comey? The Washington Post’s Greg Sargent noted during the Q&A that the hearing “was meant to be about Hillary,” but it instead devolved to the point in which “Comey is angrily defending his integrity against conspiracy theories.” And that helps Republicans, how? As if that weren’t enough, note that on Tuesday, the story looked like Comey vs. Clinton – the FBI director didn’t think the Democratic candidate broke any laws, but he clearly wasn’t pleased with some of her decisions, and he delivered a public rebuke. Now the story is Comey vs. Republicans – GOP lawmakers had some baseless allegations and reckless conspiracy theories, some of which targeted Comey directly, and they asked the FBI director to give testimony knocking down each of their bad arguments. For their part, Democrats suddenly found themselves keeping up with Republican attempts to change the subject – talking about Clinton’s emails is suddenly less important than talking about Comey’s credibility and reliability. When congressional Republicans take stock this evening and reflect on their failed gambit, one wonders whether they’ll appreciate the fact that this Comey hearing was a bad plan, executed poorly. The last time Democrats were this pleased with GOP hearing, it was Clinton’s 11-hour Benghazi Committee testimony – in which Republicans made fools of themselves and their conspiracy theories, and Clinton turned her entire presidential campaign around. It helps sometimes to be blessed with incompetent enemies. The MaddowBlog, Election 2016, Elections, FBI, Hillary Clinton, House Republicans, James Comey and Republicans Paul Ryan, GOP settle on a new... Thursday's Mini-Report, 7.7.16	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line718
__label__cc	0.7407	0.2593	Liz Cleere The Itinerant Writer Competition Wins IWC Members Travel Writing Competitions Submit Competition Details You are here: Home > Blog > Transitions Abroad 2012 Narrative travel writing contest Transitions Abroad 2012 Narrative travel writing contest Published by Liz Cleere on 24/02/2012 \| Leave a response The Himalayan cock fight by Liz Cleere. Third prize At only three years old, they are the tiniest children here. They look at each other, then at the crowd, eyes wide and mouths turned down. In the midst of the children, a referee makes each of them stand up straight with their backs against a measuring stick. From our position it is not clear if they are supposed to be above or below his mark. The children are pushed and prodded back and forth within a three meter diameter circle of dusty earth, until the official decides they will do. There are eight of them, three girls and five boys. Some hold hands quietly while others jump up and down in anticipation of what is to come, but they all remain silent as the grownups fuss around them. “NEXT WILL BE THE COCK FIGHT!” The PA announcer screeches through the distorted sound system. There is not even a murmur from the audience. Jamie and I raise our eyebrows at each other. “Cock fight?” Jamie whispers. “Or was it ‘dog fight’?” I answer. Jamie, my partner, is a vegetarian and I like my steak rare, but I don’t think even I can idly watch animals fighting for sport, no matter how usual it may be in this part of the world. As there is no sign of a revved-up chicken or crazed slavering dog yet, we do what we always do, sit and wait to see what will happen. It is November, and although unseasonably warm for the Himalayan foothills of Kalimpong, the children wear several layers of clothing. The students are all from the youngest class of one of the schools, and they look very smart in red and grey. They cast bewildered glances at each other as the grownups come at them again, this time lifting up the back of their jumpers to fix a length of string—to which a balloon is tied at the other end—onto each waistband. It’s a fiddly process, but the children raise no objection and remain silent as they undergo this indignity. When the last balloon is fixed to the back of the smallest boy the adults exit the circle, leaving a knee-high knot of children in the middle. A whistle blows. Suddenly the biggest boy grabs the balloon of the smallest and prettiest girl, and squeezes it with all his strength until it pops! She races from the circle towards her mummy, seemingly relieved to be out of the ordeal. There is a collective intake of breath from the crowd, then a wave of laughter and recognition ripples round the sports ground. So this is the game, the last one with a balloon wins. Now the other kids have got the idea and they try to grab each other’s balloons. Round and round they turn, and like a circus ring, the next few minutes are taken up with dodging, jumping, hopping, grabbing, pulling, stamping and a great deal of falling over. It is the funniest event we have seen all day. In fact everyone is laughing, except the children. For them it is a deadly serious event and they are all intent on winning. The last girl, who has been good at running away from the boys, finally has her balloon brutally stamped on by the biggest boy and rushes out of the ring in tears. Eventually the big boy wins, but only because the other contender fell over and burst his own balloon. It ends happily with all the children taking a bow amid laughter and applause from the audience. Jamie and I are among the guests of honor at the Schools Inter Sports Competition 2011, sponsored by the Mondo Challenge Foundation. It is being held at the Alpha Nursery, one of six schools in Kalimpong district, West Bengal. Earlier in the day we watched the schools line up and march round the field, accompanied by their own marching bands and flag bearers. Ranging in ages from four to eleven, they marched with heads held high and severe expressions on their faces. Sitting next to us were two elderly Gorkha ex soldiers wearing medals on their lapels. They held pens and paper and made notes as each school marched past. “Is this part of the competition?” I asked Jiwan, the Foundation’s local representative and manager. “Oh yes, they were both Subidars in the Indian army. They know a lot about marching.” A year before the sports day, our friend Amy was a volunteer at the Magno Vale Academy in the mountains near Darjeeling. She spent eight months in tiny cold classrooms, teaching English to children from four to 16 years old. There was often no electricity and she had nothing but a blackboard as a teaching aid. Before returning to the UK she visited us in Cochin and described in detail the poor education and facilities she found in the remote mountain villages of this region of India. We poured over her photographs and learned all about the children, teachers, and families of the area. When Amy returned home to the UK she began finding and raising sponsorship for the school. Amy’s enthusiasm was contagious, and it didn’t take long after she left for us to decide we wanted to help in some way as well. Not being in a position to volunteer, we concluded the best way of making an impact would be to write about the work on our websites and through social media. With just enough time to get to the north-eastern Himalayas before the monsoon began, we set off from the humid heat of Kerala in May, 2011. Before we left the charity’s founder, Anthony Lunch, heard that we were going to visit Amy’s school and press-ganged us into acting as “ambassadors” for the Foundation. Would we care to report back on what we find? We were happy to be of help. We arrived in the beautiful hill station of Darjeeling, and after a plate of Tibetan momos managed a good night’s sleep before heading off the next day to Magno Vale Academy, in neighboring Sukhia Pokhri. Jiwan Rai, drove us over rock-strewn roads that twisted their way above shear passes on one side, and pastel-colored timber and dung houses on the other. Some of the dogs we zoomed past chased his little car and barked furiously. “They were traffic police in a past life,” he told us with a twinkle. The road turned into a dirt track. Jiwan parked in a shallow ditch, and we left the car and walked in single file down a rocky path to the school. When we reached the end, we climbed over a slippery stone wall into the playground (the path and wall were later washed away during the monsoon, closing the school for a week). The building was half completed, with some classrooms having no glass in the window frames, while others had no plaster on the walls. There was a precarious attitude towards electricity, but oblivious to the deprivation, the children (who ranged from four to 16 years) gave us a warm welcome. “Some of them walk for three hours to come here every day,” said Deven Subba, the energetic young headmaster. “They walk up through the fields and forests. There are no roads.” He pointed across the valley. “Most of the children’s parents work in the tea or quinine plantations and can’t read or write.” There are no computers and few televisions at home; the erratic power supply (sometimes there is no electricity for days) means that the children are often in darkness. Deven introduced us to a class of 7-year-olds, all keen to show us their book work. In fact the entire school was eager to meet us, so we made a point of visiting each class. With saucer-eyes, the children drank in everything we said. We played games, swapped stories, listened to them sing, and watched long and intricate dances. We spent the final hour with the top class. There were six pupils, ranging from 14 to 16, who were taking more advanced lessons. We were astonished by their high level of spoken and written English skills, and asked them if they had any questions. In the UK we might have expected questions about the X Factor, Big Brother, or latest football shenanigans, but we were surprised by the topics these teenagers raised. “Do you think Osama bin Laden is really dead?” (The news the previous week had been about the US hit on bin Laden’s fortress in Pakistan.) “Do you believe in the Big Bang theory?” “Has man finished evoluting [sic]?” They challenged our knowledge of current affairs and made us articulate arguments and dust down ideas which neither of us had thought about for a while. It was an interesting hour. (Do you believe aliens have ever visited the earth, and if so what’s your evidence?) We wanted to stay longer, but Jiwan wondered if we would like to see the two other Darjeeling district schools supported by the Foundation? Of course. When it was time to leave we were given a happy send off by both the children and the teachers, all asking when their next volunteer would arrive, they missed Miss Amy. We promised we would ask Anthony to send someone soon. It was the same story at Sacred Heart and RIBS, the other two small village schools in the area: lack of funding, poor facilities, dedicated teachers, and eager children. Everyone wanting to see more volunteers and to interact with people from overseas. “The route to success, and any chance the children might have for improving their lot, comes from learning English,” explained Jiwan. “That is why we put such emphasis on both reading and writing. Once they reach the age of five all their lessons are in English.” The sports field lies on the edge of a high ridge above Barranumber, overlooking the Alpha Nursery School. The fields and jungle drop down into the river valley a kilometer below us. In the distance we can see Sikkim and Nepal. The common language of all the tribes (Lepcha, Limboo, Rai, Tamang, Tenzing, Bhutia and more) who live in the Himalaya is Nepali. The fiercely fought borders drawn on maps by diplomats, kings, and politicians mean nothing to the people of this region. At RIBS primary school in Manebhanjang, Darjeeling district, Pramod the headmaster wondered if we’d like to go to Nepal for lunch? We had just spent the morning talking to his bubbly pupils, aged three to 10, and were ready for a break. So we strolled up the road, nodding to the disinterested border patrol guards, and jumped over a storm drain into Nepal. It hardly felt like moving into another country, but the frisson that goes with flouting the rules turned lunch into a small adventure. Over a few illegally-obtained Nepali beers and nefarious noodles with our new friends, we asked where we should go for the best view of Kanchenjunga, India’s highest peak. “Avoid Tiger Hill,” said Jiwan. “Hundreds of those noisy Indian tourists go there by Jeep every morning.” Instead, they insisted we should try to get to 10,170ft Tonglu, because it offers a slightly closer and clearer view. “It’s also a very pleasant morning’s walk,” said our friend Jiwan over the rim of his beer glass. It didn’t take them long to persuade us that despite our creaky knees and general lack of fitness that we would easily manage a 2-day trek in the Singalila National Park. By the time we arrived back in India they had arranged for Pemba, a recently qualified guide, to accompany us. “After you come back I will introduce you to our schools in Kalimpong and you will stay at my family’s home in Barranumber,” announced Jiwan. So before the promised visit to the other six schools we took a brief trek in the mountains “to get a better of idea of what it is like to live here.” Our guide turned out to be a 21-year-old local student eager to practice his new job and excellent English on us. We were delighted to be his guinea pigs. We soon learned, however, that the Nepali idea of an easy walk is quite different from our own (or perhaps Jiwan’s mischievous sense of humor stretched to sending his friends on grueling tests of stamina). The first day included the steepest part of the trek and took eight hours. It drizzled. It thundered. Lightning crashed all around us. Darjeeling is named the “Land of Thunderbolts” for good reason. It rained during the entire journey. At Tumling, after a toasty night under thick blankets in an unheated mountain hut, Jamie dutifully got up before dawn for a hike up to Tonglu, hoping to catch the sun hitting Kanchenjunga through his lens. Unfortunately this vision lasted only a few seconds before the clouds came lumbering across the horizon, gobbling up the mountain and valley. On our way back we stopped at Chitray (“Bamboo House”) in the drizzle. It was a welcoming pit stop comprised of a collection of timber and bamboo buildings which make up a farm, complete with goats, dogs, and chickens mooching around the yard. The largest building doubles as a family home and walkers’ canteen. We fell into the warm, dimly-lit room, steam pouring off us, where we knocked back masala chai while chomping on biscuits. After a while a young Lama and his entourage of Tibetan monks arrived and were ushered – with great respect and much bowing – into the back room. An old man sitting in the shadows between the kitchen and dining room smiled and raised his glass to us, so we nodded and waved hello back. With Pemba translating, we learned some of his story. He was 80 years old. 58 years previously he was imprisoned in Tibet by the Chinese. He knew he would never get out alive, so after 12 days he escaped, taking his mother and father with him. He didn’t know how many miles they had walked over the mountains, but he reckoned it took two months to get here, where they built their first farm out of local bamboo. He finished his coffee and went off to be blessed by the Lama, then shouted goodbye to us and set off up the hill in the rain. We watched him disappear into the mist, carrying a heavy piece of corrugated iron on his back. “He’s going to mend one of the shacks on his farm,” Pemba told us. There are no signs of evil chickens or pugilistic puppies for the cock/dog fight, so Jamie and I put the announcement down to a misunderstanding on our part. Instead, we watch several hard-fought relays round the outer track. Batons are dropped, runners fall over and there are tears of frustration, but in the end all is forgiven and the teams’ places are entered into a big book on the judge’s table. Each race brings enormous cries of encouragement from the participating schools, and we can’t help noticing that two of them are much larger and better represented than the others. Nobody seems to mind. The six Kalimpong schools were too far from Darjeeling to visit in one day, so we accepted Jiwan’s invitation to stay in his family home in the mountains. Alpha Nursery, the smallest of the six schools, is located in the village of Barranumber, right next to Jiwan’s house. Like most settlements in this region, the village clings to the side of a mountain miles from any passable road. The only way to get there is by uncomfortable 4WD or to trek beside the quinine plantations and through the jungle which surround Kalimpong. This time we equipped ourselves with walking boots, sensible trousers, and waterproofs. I carried bottled water, cans of beer, a few bananas, biscuits, hats, a good book, torch, toilet paper, matches, incense sticks, mosquito coils, spare sheets and the kitchen sink. Jamie carried his camera bag. We were prepared for vertical climbs, knee wrenching drops, and driving rain, but the weather was sunny and dry, and the walk turned out to be a gentle afternoon stroll. We walked in single file, Jiwan in front, me in the middle, and Jamie lagging behind with his camera. The trees and undergrowth beside the trail trilled, clicked, chirped, stridulated, buzzed, fluttered, hissed, and rustled with life. Stopping on a narrow path with views down into the Rangpo Valley, we could just make out the river sparkling below in the afternoon sun. “Next time you come we will make a camp, catch fish and have a picnic on the riverbank together.” As we entered the village we passed a gardenia bush with a scent so heady it obliterated all its competitors. The top noses at Dior couldn’t come up with a more intoxicating fragrance. Houses in the mountains are hand-constructed from wooden frames, using local trees. Latticed bamboo is then fixed between the frames and filled with cow dung. At first glance they are indistinguishable from our wattle and daub buildings at home. The roses, geraniums, and other English herbaceous border flowers arranged outside in pots only adds to the familiarity. Sometimes the exteriors are painted in pastel shades. Inside a kind of slip is painstakingly smoothed over the walls to create an even finish. The roofs are made of corrugated iron or aluminum, but as they are painted over in a terracotta color they blend in well with the woody surroundings. At the Rai family home we drank tea and talked about the village of Barranumber. Containing 90 households, most of its inhabitants work in the quinine plantations for about 2500INR per month (around £32 or US$50), supplementing their incomes by growing crops on the terraced hillside. But, like everywhere else, changes in the world’s climate have reached this small mountain enclave. “One year recently we had hail stones for two hours,” said Premika, Jiwan’s sister, “and the villagers lost all their crops.” They have had some good luck, though, due to a donation from the Mondo Challenge Foundation. This meant they were able to build their own school a few years ago. All the children from the valley now have an education, at least up until the age of 11. In the evening we watched Jiwan’s sister-in-law, Kabita, stoke the hearth in preparation for dinner. Jiwan’s family kitchen is coated in a yellow-ochre smooth cow dung, the low double range appearing to grow out of the floor. Its two open fires gave off plenty of smoke as Kabita’s husband, Santa, cooked the food directly on the flames. In the semi darkness we sat on ankle-high stools to eat fresh momos, noodles, and pork. Santa plied us with “tiger’s milk,” a gently fermented maize left to work its magic in a bucket. We moved on to “tongba” (millet beer) then “rakshi” (pronounced “roxy”), a hot version of schnapps, before falling into bed. During our first trip to the schools it became increasingly apparent how much importance is placed on the children meeting native English speakers. They are fascinated by other cultures and enjoy interacting with visitors. We wondered if it might be possible for Amy’s school to twin with a junior school in the UK. Through social media and direct contact we put out calls for schools in the UK willing to twin with a school in the Himalayas. Jude Savill, an old school friends of Jamie’s and now a schoolteacher at Newport Primary School, was touched by the images and reports we published on our blog, and volunteered her class for the project. They didn’t have much time, but Deven’s young pupils got together a hand-made pack of letters, drawings and photographs for us to take back to the UK before we left West Bengal. One morning in July, just before Newport Primary School broke up for their summer holiday, we took the treasured package into Year Five’s class. These sophisticated children were visibly touched by the photographs and letters, and were glued to the videos we showed them of the children singing and dancing. They were shocked at the “poor” conditions in which their counterparts are taught, and wondered why anyone would bother to walk an hour and a half to school through fields and jungle. Despite the enormous differences in their cultures and lifestyles they found common ground in humor: Jamie’s video of Swapnil wiggling his ears while all his friends giggled, had exactly the same effect on the British children. Among all the letters we received thanking us for coming in to talk to them about Magno Vale Academy, one remark from 9-year-old George particularly resonated. “Can you send us another video of the Indian children? I felt that if I met up with those kids we would get on.” Jiwan and his brother Santa come to sit with us as the day starts to wind down. The speeches, awards ceremony and celebrations will go on for another hour and Jamie and I will take it in turns to shake hands with the proud winners. Afterwards we’ll have a whisky in the village with the shiny faced bigwigs, all of whom will be thrilled with the success of the day. It has brought more people from the villages together in one place than anyone can remember. Back at the sports ground the remaining stragglers will knock back as many HITs (local beer) as they can before the day is finished. Then we’ll drive back to Kalimpong with Jiwan, where we will stay in his family town house. More rough wine and local whisky will be passed round as everyone will help prepare the home-cooked dinner, and we’ll end another visit to this beautiful country. But before all that the PA system bursts into life, “AND NOW THE COCK FIGHT!” This time we know we have heard correctly. Could these dear friends of ours really be intending to have a cock fight on a children’s school sports day? We look round the ground, but there is nothing going on except a group of six barefoot little boys, no more than four feet high and thin as sticks, standing in the gravel circle. Or rather hopping. They each hold one foot high up behind them. Relief washes over us as the little boys start jumping around the circle, mimicking the movement of cockerels. As the crowd eggs them on they begin to bash in to each other. It might not be regarded as safe or particularly desirable for eight year olds to bash each other into oblivion in the UK, but out here, in the mountains, everyone cheers on their favorite player. Posted in Competition Wins Tagged abroad, children, cock, competition, contest, darjeeling, day, fight, gorkhaland, gurkha, narrative, school, sports, transitions, travel, writing [upme_login use_in_sidebar=yes] allairemore on 12 things you should know about Kochi angela on 12 things you should know about Kochi @pmacdonaldtravl on 12 things you should know about Kochi Journey into the past – Local’s guide to Kochi - goMowgli Hop on Hop off Tour Bus on 12 things you should know about Kochi Women in Tea: She Works Hard for the Money - Tea Is My Name on Tea and Terror in Munnar External Links To Liz’s Competition Entries Guardian Travel Writing Competition 2013 Daily Telegraph Travel-Writing Competition 2012 My World First travel writing competition 2012 Mountain Council of Scotland Writing Competition 2011 Bradt/Independent on Sunday Travel-Writing Competition 2011 Leap Local travel writing competition. Winner of WTF? story Walkopedia travel writing competition 10th Glass Woman's Prize Sheldrake Press Wild Escape writing competition Itinerant Writers Club A web based club for aspiring travel writers from all over the world to come together to create, critique and encourage. Features on Wanderlust magazine’s “Top 18 travel blogs you must read” list. Interested in joining? Email me. About Liz Cleere	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line721
__label__wiki	0.73794	0.73794	Home » LTG Slider » Dragon Age: Inquisition Alpha has begun, new screenshots Dragon Age: Inquisition Alpha has begun, new screenshots Egon Kilin May 26, 2014 LTG Slider, NEWS, PC, Playstation 3, Playstation 4, SCREENSHOTS, TRENDING GAME NEWS, Xbox 360, Xbox One Mark Darrah, Executive Producer for Dragon Age: Inquisition announced a couple of days ago that the game has now entered the Alpha testing phase. He also confirmed that DA:I will be present at E3 and while he didn’t say if it will be playable or not, we believe it’s very likely that it will be. We have declared Alpha! A major milestone for Dragon Age! Next up, E3 — Mark Darrah (@BioMarkDarrah) May 25, 2014 For those of you not familiar with the term, the fact that Dragon Age: Inquisition is now in Alpha means that the game now features pretty much all the content that will be available at launch. Or as Creative Director, Mike Laidlaw explains “This means, in short, that pretty much all the stuff to go in the game is in the game. And now? Now we make it alllllll work together.” The game will probably be thoroughly tested from now until E3, and beyond. If you are eager to get you hands on it and tested yourself, I’m afraid we have some bad news. Usually Alpha testing is done only by the developers themselves and people close to the company so there will be no invites for regular players. We’ll have to wait a bit until the Beta test phase kicks in order to experience the awesomeness of the latest title in the Dragon Age series. Bioware’s upcoming fantasy RPG was first announced on May 19, 2011, which means that the game has been in development for more than three years now. We have already been teased with a lot of details regarding the title this year, but the company isn’t done just yet. Lately, a fresh batch of screenshots has been released, which can be viewed below(click to enlarge). The images showcase rooms from the Winter Palace, “an Orlesian structure build on the ruins of ancient elven grounds in Halamshiral”. DA: I is said to be four to five times bigger than Dragon Age: Origins and will have a “saving the world from itself” theme. You will be playing as the leader of the Inquisition this time around, and are joined by a host of companions, including some familiar faces from the previous titles. The game will feature four playable races (Human, Elf, Dwarf, and Qunari) and three classes (Mage, Warrior, and Rogue) to choose from. Dragon Age: Inquisition is running on the Frostbite 3 engine and will be released on October 7th for the Xbox 360, Xbox One, PS3, PS4, and the PC. Stay tuned for more news and updates. Alpha test phase Bioware classes Dragon Age Dragon Age: Inquisition E3 Frostbite 3 new screenshots playable races 2014-05-26 +Egon Kilin Tags Alpha test phase Bioware classes Dragon Age Dragon Age: Inquisition E3 Frostbite 3 new screenshots playable races About Egon Kilin I’m Load The Game’s co-founder and community manager, and whenever I’m not answering questions on social media platforms, I spend my time digging up the latest news and rumors and writing them up. That’s not to say I’m all work and no fun, not at all. If my spare time allows it, I like to engage in some good old fashioned online carnage. If it’s an MMO with swords and lots of PvP, I’m most likely in it. Oh, and if you’re looking to pick a fight in Tekken or Mortal Kombat, I’ll be more than happy to assist! Connect with me by email markjudge (@) loadthegame.com only @@MarkJudgeLTG Previous Hearthstone World Championships will be held at BlizzCon 2014 Next Star Wars: Attack Squadrons Cancelled Mass Effect Andromeda Lacks Season Pass Mass Effect Andromeda Resolutions Mass Effect Andromeda Gameplay Trailer Mass Effect Andromeda is a game many people have been asking questions about. Mass Effect ... PS4 vs Xbox One: Sony keeps widening the gap with each passing month iPhone 6 vs Samsung Galaxy Alpha – Progress vs Stagnation Xbox One vs PS4: Microsoft is turning the tide Apple Watch vs. Moto 360 showdown No Fallout 4 at E3, but game promises complex choices Nick shenko: Maybe good to add email automation?... Rohit Choudhary: Nice strategical post... patrick56345: I like this watch and this very interesting for us. I hope every one are enjoy w... thissiteissotrashtakeitdown: ass... miles345134: This is great achievement for them and they are success today. This is so popula... Xbox One PC Android Microsoft Apple PS4 Release Date sony Google Samsung Price Ubisoft Specs Playstation 4 Nintendo Steam Destiny iPhone 6 Android 5.0 Lollipop Blizzard Update iOS features Motorola Square Enix Subscribe to LTG Newsletter	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line722
__label__cc	0.729428	0.270572	Tag: Descended From the Sun 334 May 29, 2017 July 9, 2017 Goblin writer Kim Eun-sook returns with period drama Mr. Sunshine by girlfriday Pre-production work has begun for the next drama from hit writer Kim Eun-sook, of The Lonely Shining Goblin and Descended From the Sun fame (also Heirs, Secret Garden, and Lovers... Tags: Descended From the Sun, Mr. Sunshine, The Lonely Shining Goblin 57 April 19, 2017 April 19, 2017 Descended From the Sun’s production company announces new drama lineup with JTBC by tipsymocha Ooh, I’m really excited by this news, for a whole bunch of reasons. Studio&New, the drama production arm of NEW (Next Entertainment World), has announced their upcoming drama... Tags: cable programs, Descended From the Sun, drama production 246 January 23, 2017 July 9, 2017 Goblin writer Kim Eun-sook discusses her next project It’s only been a day since her last drama ended, but star writer Kim Eun-sook is already being asked about her next project. I guess there’s no rest... 225 January 18, 2017 October 4, 2017 Top 10 favorite drama bromances javabeans: It seemed only natural to follow up our list of favorite couples with our list of favorite bromances, which are sometimes just as compelling as the love stories—er,... Tags: 1 show to rule them all, A Gentleman's Dignity, Answer Me 1988, Descended From the Sun, Dramabeans Top 10, featured, Heartless City, lists, Sandglass, School 2013, Shut Up: Flower Boy Band, Sungkyunkwan Scandal, The King 2 Hearts, The Lonely Shining Goblin 344 January 4, 2017 October 4, 2017 Top 10 gateway dramas to hook your friends on javabeans: Happy New Year, happy tenth anniversary, happy 2017, happy everything-that-will-be-better-than-2016! girlfriday: Yay, I’ve never been happier for a new year to start! I still can’t believe Dramabeans is... Tags: 1 show to rule them all, Answer Me 1997, Boys Before Flowers, City Hunter, Coffee Prince, Descended From the Sun, Dramabeans Top 10, featured, I Hear Your Voice, lists, My Name Is Kim Sam-soon, Nice Guy, Nine: Nine Time Travels, Sungkyunkwan Scandal 328 December 29, 2016 April 6, 2017 2016 Year in Review, Part 7: Editors’ Picks Another year has come and gone, and while I am more than happy to put 2016 behind us and look forward to greener pastures in 2017 (they'll be greener, won't they?), we... Tags: 1 show to rule them all, Age of Youth, Dear My Friends, Descended From the Sun, Entourage, featured, IU, Jealousy Incarnate, Ji Sung, Jo Jin-woong, Kim Go-eun, Kim Hye-ja, Kwak Dong-yeon, Lee Kwang-soo, Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo, Moonlight Drawn By Clouds, Seo Hyun-jin, Signal, The Good Wife, W–Two Worlds, year in review, year in review 2016 71 December 26, 2016 April 6, 2017 2016 Year in Review, Part 6: Hoobae minions’ first rodeo And now comes reviews from the newest members of our minion army, our Hoobae Minions, who've all pitched in to help make this year our best yet. It's been amazing... 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Tags: 1 show to rule them all, Age of Youth, Bring It On Ghost, Cheese in the Trap, Dear My Friends, Descended From the Sun, Doctors, Drinking Solo, Entertainer, Fantastic, featured, Goodbye Mr. Black, Jealousy Incarnate, Legend of the Blue Sea, Lucky Romance, Marriage Contract, Mirror of the Witch, Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo, Moonlight Drawn By Clouds, Oh Hae-young Again, On the Way to the Airport, Police Unit 38, Romantic Doctor Teacher Kim, Shopping King Louis, Signal, The Good Wife, The Man Living in Our House, Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-ju, W–Two Worlds, year in review, year in review 2016 2016 Year in Review, Part 2: The doctor is in Every December, I'm hit with a simultaneous feeling of anticipation and dread at dusting off our Year in Review series and taking a look back at the year as a... Tags: 1 show to rule them all, 1% of Anything, Age of Youth, Beautiful Gong Shim, Cheese in the Trap, Cinderella and the Four Knights, Come Back, Ajusshi, Dear My Friends, Descended From the Sun, Doctors, Drinking Solo, Entourage, Fantastic, featured, Goodbye Mr. Black, Legend of the Blue Sea, Lucky Romance, Mirror of the Witch, Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo, Moonlight Drawn By Clouds, Neighborhood Hero, Oh Hae-young Again, Romantic Doctor Teacher Kim, Shopping King Louis, Signal, The K2, This Week My Wife Will Have an Affair, Uncontrollably Fond, Wanted, Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-ju, W–Two Worlds, year in review, year in review 2016	cc/2020-05/en_middle_0097.json.gz/line731

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