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__label__cc	0.599237	0.400763	Yu Darvish: Big Bust? Or Big Trust? November 3, 2017 Scott Andes The midseason acquisition of all-star right hander celecoxib buy toronto here effexor xr medical information get link code red spray here essay on being a hero https://www.cei.utah.edu/wp-content/blogs.dir/15/files/2013/?speech=an-essay-on-library-in-english viagra shanghai pharmacy watch como adquirir viagra patriotism essay outline write an essay about your last vacation https://www.lapressclub.org/hypothesis/food-chain-essay/29/ https://www.cen.edu/notice/princeton-speech-and-language/24/ pay someone to write my paper without plagiarizing follow nombre de viagra para la mujer https://online.bentley.edu/medschool/levitra-soft-dadha-pharma/10/ https://www.newburghministry.org/spring/precis-paper/20/ resume for work experience sample click https://www.myrml.org/outreach/database-watermarking-thesis/42/ https://sugarpinedrivein.com/treatment/cialis-farmacia-meritxell/10/ how to get dr to prescribe viagra art design resume examples follow most popular term papers https://georgehahn.com/playboy/adderall-and-lexapro-taken-together/15/ enter how to write out checks go here Yu Darvish was supposed to put the Dodgers over the top. The Dodgers sent top hitting prospect Willie Calhoun to the Rangers for the Japanese hurler just minutes before the trade deadline. The deal was considered a go-move. It was meant to push the Dodgers into winning the fall classic. Having Darvish in their postseason rotation meant the Dodgers would not have to rely on Clayton Kershaw so much or start him on short rest like they have in past playoff runs. Unfortunately Darvish turned out to be a bust, perhaps the biggest clunk in Dodgers history. His terrible pitching caused the Dodgers to lose the World Series. Don’t get it twisted. There were other contributing factors that led to the Dodger’s 7-game World Series loss to the Astros. I’ve detailed one big reason here. The bats went cold, Kenley Jansen blew game 2, and Clayton Kershaw couldn’t hold a 4-run lead and a 3-run lead in the game 5 loss, just to name a few. But if Darvish had pitched like he was supposed to then there is no doubt the Dodgers would have won one of his two starts resulting in a championship parade instead of another long frustrating winter. The thing is Darvish was not having a terrific season with Texas before he was dealt to the Dodgers. As I’ve said before, in order for a midseason trade to be successful the player has to be having a good productive season. Otherwise you get a Curtis Granderson, or a Jeromy Burnitz. Again Darvish was not having a spectacular year with Texas. He was 6-9 with a 4.04 ERA in 22 starts. He had given up 20 home runs in 137 frames and walked 3.0 batters per nine innings. He was giving up 7.6 hits per nine innings and had struck out 148. Those aren’t terrible numbers but they’re not outstanding either. He was coming off his worst month of the season in July when he posted a 7.20 ERA and allowed 25 runs in 30 innings. Through August he had posted a 3.13 ERA and a 3.71 ERA in the month of September. Overall he posted a 3.44 ERA in 9 regular season starts as a Dodger. He struck out 61 and walked only 13 in those nine Dodger starts. His FIP was a solid 3.38 and those numbers look pretty solid. His first start was a seven inning shutout 10 strikeout performance against the Mets. In his last three starts he allowed just one earned run on nine hits while striking out 21 across 19.1 innings pitched. Unfortunately the postseason is a different story for Darvish where he’s had some struggles. He’s posted a 2-4 record and a 5.81 ERA in 6 postseason starts including this postseason and World Series. His first two postseason starts were just fine. In his first start against Arizona in game 3 of the NLDS he allowed one earned run on two hits over five innings while whiffing seven. There was no pressure as the Dodgers had a 2-0 series lead. In the second start he tossed 6.1 innings of one-run ball allowing six hits, one walk and striking out seven in game 3 of the NLCS versus the tired Cubs. Once again the Dodgers were leading that series 2-0 and there was little pressure. The World Series was a different story. Darvish gave up 4 earned runs on 6 hits over 1.2 innings in game 3 of the Fall Classic against the Astros. This time the series was tied and he was pitching in Houston. He walked one and didn’t strikeout anybody. Flash forward to game 7 at Dodger Stadium. The most important game of the season for the Dodgers and Darvish once again cracked under pressure. He allowed five runs, four earned over 1.2 without a strikeout. One of those hits was a season-ending two-run shot to eventual World Series MVP George Springer. Over in his two starts Darvish allowed nine runs (eight earned) over 3.1 innings on nine hits. He walked two and posted a 21.60 ERA while taking the loss in both games in the World Series. He did record a strike out in either start. That is telling. There were also reports that indicated that Darvish was tipping his pitches during his two World Series duds. Apparently his body language was giving away his grips on his pitches. Houston hitters were able to tell whether he was about to throw a fastball, slider, or other off-speed pitch. He’s also had a long and established problem in the first inning of his starts. Darvish is a free agent this winter and he has stated that he wants to stay in Los Angeles. He is without a doubt a classy patient man, especially after dealing with intolerance during his game 3 loss. pic.twitter.com/22RJQS8r1y — ダルビッシュ有(Yu Darvish) (@faridyu) November 2, 2017 However it seems as though he lacks mental toughness. He was unaware of his body language during his two World Series starts. He’s unable to control his mechanics. His arm slots and release points can fluctuate from start to start. He was unable to make it past the second inning in either of his outings and couldn’t even strike out a single batter. He melted down on the biggest stage when the Dodgers needed him most. If you asked me, I wouldn’t resign him. Would you trust him to pitch a big game in the postseason again? Look deep because if the answer is no then what’s the point of wasting any cash on a new contract? Yu Darvish just might be the biggest bust in Dodgers history. Scott Andes Scott Andes: Longtime writer and Dodger fanatic Cheap MLB Tickets Los Angeles Dodgers Yu Darvish Dodger Bats Frigid in World Series Loss What Tommy Lasorda’s Words to Dave Roberts Really Meant 90 thoughts on “Yu Darvish: Big Bust? Or Big Trust?” Michael N Norris says: I think there will be better options out there. I would even consider someone like Arrieta. His performance in game 4 in Chicago was one of the grittiest I have seen in a long time. I also think the Dodgers need to have a more balanced rotation. They have way too many lefty’s in the mix and the 2 righty’s who are under contract do not inspire a lot of optimism. Maeda was better his first year, and struggled most of this year. McBrittle is just a flop pure and simple and if there is any way they can do it they need to cut that slug loose. Kazmir still under contract. I cannot remember if Ryu has one more year or not. Stripling seems suited to long relief. Stewart? Not sure about him, he had some moments. Urias not until mid season and even then he will be on a pitch count and he tries too hard to be too fine and always seems to run his pitch count up. Walker Buehler did not show me enough to make me think he is anywhere close to ready. No one else who was at AAA stands out. Wood, he had a very good year and for all practical purposes was the best starter out there most of the year. Let us hope he can repeat that. The bull pen will need to be reworked again, Baez, and Fields are arbitration eligible. I resign Morrow in a heart beat. Watson did a decent job but with all the lefty’s in the system and the fact that I believe they will use Urias as a reliever when he comes back makes me think he will be gone. There are a TON of free agent arms out there. Some big and very good pitchers. The next 3 1/2 months will be interesting to watch as FAZ regroups and retools. Some bench pieces will be needed since Utley and Ethier will most likely not be retained. Adios Curtis Granderson. You totally sucked. Actually worse than Reddick which I never thought possible. One more thing. I would like to see the entire pitching staff learn to keep the ball in the ball park. I have never seen so many HR’s in my life…..Only Morrow went the entire year unscathed until the playoffs. I agree with Norris on most of his points, Scott. The main point, whether to sign Yu, seems pretty self evident, a big fat NO! The choice was Verlander or Yu. I thought Verlander was much older but he’s only 34. However, Verlander’s overall record way outshines Yu’s. He’s a top tier pitcher while Yu is not, never was, and was primarily hyped for several seasons. You can see he has potential but not the inner grit it takes to stand in there and hurl. Houston made the correct pick. FAZ did not, but then again FAZ almost always gets the pitching wrong. Just look at our history. Their theme is to buy in bulk and hope for a diamond. The only good thing this has produced is Wood who took a few years to get there. Building a bullpen like this can work, but not the starters. They will have to be prepared to really pay for a good starter. Indeed, Granderson was one of the biggest blunders I’ve ever seen. It hurt the team. It also prevented any kind of showing by Ethier if he had any juice left in the can after being a loyal Dodger for so many years and enduring being in Kemp’s shadow. Andre never had an ego like Kemp and was a consistent player for most of his career. This team has the pieces to compete and I would have liked to see Kemp fit in here as he wouldn’t have been expected to hoist the team on his shoulders. Like Norris said, Utley and Kemp will most likely be gone. Utley helped us, but not much this year. The two players that seemed to breakout in the WS were Hernandez and Joc. Three, if we count Forsythe who was already having a better time of it than the other two. As everyday players, neither one has yet to show me they are worthy of the title. Hernandez can be a more valuable utility man, but his consistency is questionable. Joc is just a HR hitter to me, good for PH and the bench at best. We need outfielders. A star would be oh so sweet. We have none, including Puig. We need a RH starting pitcher. Not worried about bullpen. Let it ride for another year. The two lefties, Cingrani and Watson helped. Fields and Baez can be traded for like players. It’s a shame that Baez’s speed is not being translated into reliability. I don’t trust Urias or Buehler or Stewart or Mcbrittle, Ryu, Yu. Seek other options. Roberts, please seek psychiatric help in the offseason. Your thinking processes are muddled. Wishing everyone a good offseason and hoping for another great year for the Dodgers and the staff of Ladodgerreport who continue to put the work in. Thanks guys/gals! Yueh_Fei says: Big time post, Jeff. Thx for the good read!! You are way wrong on Puig Jeff. He is the best RF in the league defensively period. As for outfielders, they are loaded at the position at the major league level and in the minors. If you count Kike, who I do not, they have at least 6. Toles, Pederson, Puig, Thompson, Taylor, Verdugo. I would rather see Taylor back as an infielder. As for Kike, he had a good NLCS, not so good in the Series. Pederson is still a kid. It took Puig a while to get it, maybe Joc has that in him too. The talent is there. Just needs the knowledge. Toles will be in there battling for a place. But they could use a big bat in the outfield. There are a ton of free agent outfielders. But, will they pay the price for one? Cain is available, so is Martinez, but his defense would probably not be attractive to the front office. Forsythe raised his stock with his performance in the post season, but he has shown no power. They also have 7 starters still under contract. Kazmir, Stewart, Kershaw, Wood, McCarthy, Urias, and Maeda. 8 if you count Stripling, who is a starter at heart. Remember, he almost threw a no hitter in 2015. That Roberts misused the BP in the World Series is a given, but he is a pretty smart guy, I doubt he needs to see a psychiatrist. Be a little less reliant on the sabermetrics and the matchup crap he got into in the world series. Fields and Baez are both arbitration eligible. I think they let Fields walk. His performance in game 2 was a huge let down. Baez, well DR likes Baez. Watson is a free agent, but they have Avilan, Cingrani, and Liberatore should be back by spring. There are lots of lefty relievers out there too. The big question’s will be, how does Seager’s elbow respond to either surgery or treatment, and what do they do with Adrian Gonzalez. Who by the way is on the books for 22 million. You think they just cut him loose like Crawford? It is way too early to tell what kind of a pitcher Buehler will be. Kid pitched at 3 different levels this year. He has nasty stuff and tools and looks to be at least a year or so away. Urias coming off surgery should not be much help at all. One good thing is that they have a lot of pieces they can trade, up to and including Grandal……Morrow, Granderson, Watson, Utley, Darvish and Gutierrez all filed for free agency yesterday. Oh by the way, I just checked, Hyun Jin Ryu is under contract for 1 more year. And even though he was 5-9 this year, he still has a winning record for his career. On my original post, I mistakenly typed Kemp for Ethier. So read I would have liked to see Ethier fit in here, and Utley and Ethier will probably be gone, not Kemp. Michael, I don’t think Puig is a star outfielder, but he is great on defense. IMO, he has not ‘gotten’ it yet. If he improves next year on the year he just had, I will reconsider upgrading him in my view. I like him but I’d take JD Martinez over him, just saying. No one is considered a star that bats .260. He improved and I’m not saying to trade him, but I would like to see a real star outfielder. Is Taylor that guy? He may be. He played like one through most of the season. I disagree about the quality of backup outfielders that we have. They are nothing but mediocre, including Toles, whom we don’t know if he can play at a high level through one season. Pederson is a kid but I don’t like his game. Bellinger was compared to him by many when he first landed the starting job at 1st. You could see Belly was not in the same league as Joc. He excels at all levels and was thrown in cold from the minors. Forsythe certainly showed no power. Very surprising. That could be the deciding factor in moving Taylor to 2B and shopping Forsythe for a power outfielder in some fashion. Forsythe, like Puig, is a good fielder. The problem with FAZ is they are not very good at trades. Most of them fizzle. They are playing a cheap game. Now is the time to ante up for top talent while the team is ascending. There are windows of opportunity that every team has or will have, and the Dodgers have a big window right now. Take a page from the Warriors book, go after a Durant. You do realize of course that Martinez has never had a season like last year in his career. And I never said they had quality in the backups, I said they were loaded with outfielders. So in FAZ’s world, why would they want more? Prior to this season, Martinez only had one year where he hit more homers than Puig did last year. He does hit for average since he is a lifetime .300 hitter. But he is a mediocre defender, which is not the kind of player FAZ targets, and he is 3 years older than Puig. He also is going to get a massive contract, which since they are trying to CUT payroll, FAZ will probably bypass the large contracts until at least they sort out what they are going to do with all the deadwood they have on the roster. As for Cody, the World Series showed the league that the kid has some serious holes in his swing. But he has a huge upside. Will Joc build on his world series success? Who knows. Will he even be given the chance? Again, no one knows yet. As for Toles, he has a lot of tools. Great speed, a decent arm and the kid can hit. All he needs to do now is stay healthy. And since the only season you can really point to is last year, he really has no history to back up what you say about him. Thompson is fodder. I think when he hurt his back it totally messed up his swing and he did not recover all year. I absolutely believe that Puig will improve. He has a rapport with Turner Ward and what is more important is that he trusts the guy. Next year, Puig will be a monster. Like I said, we as fans may want them to ante up, but I doubt they do. Jeff and Michael, these were great reads. Thx! If Andrew Toles comes back fine like his surgeon said after his surgery, he not only is able to hit consistently, he has elite speed, and he hits with power too. He actually hit more HRs in his first month this year, then Joc hit in his first month, starting at the beginning of the season, on the big league team. Also Toles seems to have that clutch gene, because he has hit well in RBI situations, and even against lefties, in those situations. He eventually looks like a 300 hitter, with power, and with elite speed. Jeff no offense to you, but you don’t know what type of player Toles is, because he hasn’t played for a full season yet! There are not to many players that are able to start the season at A ball, and play well enough at every level, including at the major league level, in one season, and that is what Andrew Toles did! And this was after Toles had not played baseball for an entire year, before his ascent, to the top! I think with more experience, at the major league level, he might be a Joe Morgan type of player, with his speed, and pop. Did you know that JD Martinez was an Astro, and they let him go, because they thought he was a bust? You have to give these young players a chance! Toles has taken advantage of every chance he has been given, and he has stepped up every time, he was given a chance! And as good as JD is offensively, he is also a liability on defense! Agree with MJ on JD. I’d want Toles over JD. I wanted Verlander from the beginning. You get the veteran pitchers who have gotten to the big stage, have done well, but didn’t win. That’s an old school method for identifying who you want as a mid season pickup. No SABR formula will crank that out. It’s just understanding athletes and history. By this formula, for example, Alex Wood will contribute mightily someday to a championship and I think I would not bet against him in that. You might have wanted him, but the FO did not want the last 2 years of that contract. That is why they did not trade for him. Considering the fact that they still have McCarthy for another year, Kazmir the same, 2 more years of Hill, Kershaw at a huge sum, Ryu for another year, Wood still a year from arbitration, Maeda for 6 years, and the kids under team control it is a little easier to understand why they did not want to block anyone with Verlander’s contract status. They went with the rental, and they lost the gamble, but here is a little fodder for you. If they had held on to the game 2 lead, they would have beaten Verlander twice. As it was they beat him once and knocked him out of the game the other time. Of course we know why FAZ didn’t get Verlander. I’m saying they were wrong, and I imagine if they hadn’t signed McCarthy and Kazmir they would have had the guts and resources to get Verlander. And in fact if they had just cut Kazmir and McCarthy last year we may have been in a better position to get Verlander. The Astros FO knew that all the other SABR FOs will pass on Verlander because of his last year and they waited it out and got him when the Tigers had no options left. Very smart of them. They hamstrung the payroll with those 2 guys, and I would take Verlander over Hill any day. But unfortunately you and I are not running the show. I would have had Ryu on the post season roster. Simply because that guy pitches lights out most of the time at Dodger Stadium. The Astros made the right move at the right time, but Verlander did not beat the Dodgers……..the Mortons, McCullers and Peacocks of the world did. I agree with you about Ryu, but Hill has almost out pitched Kershaw, in the last two post seasons. Hill is not like McCarthy, or Kazmir, do you think McCarthy and Kazmir would stay in a game, after getting hit, on the throat, like Hill did? Once Hill got started this year, he didn’t have any on going blister problems, it wasn’t his fault most of the time, that the management, didn’t let him pitch deeper into games. And I don’t know what Verlander is making per year, but I would think it is more money, then Hill makes per year. The biggest reason we didn’t win the World Series, is because both of our ace pitchers, let us down, not one time, but three times! And Kenley couldn’t get the job done, in game two. And like I told YF, Verlander never coughed up a six run lead his team gave him, like Kershaw did! MJ, I simply do not like the way Hill pitches. Oh he has decent stuff and that night in Pittsburgh he was really on his game, but I tire of the 5 inning starts. In a prefect world for me the starter would go 7 more times than not. I think all of those guys I mentioned put a real strain on the bullpen, and we all know how that works out. & game series and most of the BP was gassed by game 5. Over a full schedule, I just would like to see Hill go at least 6 in a majority of his starts. I do not see that capability in him. And there is no way Hill has outpitched Kershaw the last 2 seasons. Not even close in victory’s or ERA. Kershaw is a far superior pitcher than Hill. To even mention Hill in the same breath is ludicrous. If the Astros didn’t have Verlander we would be facing the Yankees. Bluto says: It’s a counter-factual fest! Here’smine: If this board stopped with day dreaming what if scenarios and alternate realities, we would have better discussions. Just an opinion. Badger says: Bluto, are you replying to YF’s post or just contending everyone here is not dealing with facts? Hard for me to tell. Either way I don’t agree with that take. Kazmir and McCarthy were bad signings, and what YF said about Verlander and the Yankees has merit. Verlander was 2-0 in that series with 16 IP, 21 K’s and a 0.75 WHIP. We get that out of our ace in the most important series of the year we are Champs. Is that daydreaming or fact? I think it’s both. I was on record saying I thought Darvish would be the pick up, for obvious FAZ reasons, but I had no idea his heart was no longer in the game. As much as I think we need his RH talent in this rotation, I don’t sign him unles he is willing to sign for the standard FAZ reductive offer – 4 years $48 million. He says he wants to stay here, I think he still has value. He did put up 3.9 WAR this year. But if someone is willing to give him more – sayonara Yu. Badger that’s my point. >>We get that out of our ace in the most important series of the year we are Champs. Is that daydreaming or fact? I think it’s both.<< IT CANNOT BE FACT. It can't be. It didn't happen. It's a counterfactual. Don't treat it like fact. It isn't. What I'm saying is that day-dreaming about alternate realities are not productive nor really interesting. It's just pontificating. Of course Verlander would have been a great acquisition. But it could not or would not have happened. In fact, here's my alternate reality: If the Dodgers had acquired Mike Trout, Verlander and Craig Kimbrel they would have won the World Series. But why bother? Because the team wasn't going to take on the salary of the former, and the latter two weren't going to be traded. Here's another one: If Yu Darvish pitches like 1/3 of the pitcher he was in the first two rounds of the playoffs the Dodgers would have won the final game of the season. But why speculate? He didn't, and even if he had who knows what else would have happened. It's easy to daydream, losing in a game 7 of the World Series stings. BUT THE TEAM GO TO THE SEVENTH GAME OF THE WORLD SERIES. It was a ridiculously great season. It didn't end well, but it usually doesn't. Enjoy the good, don't speculate about the bad. Just my perspective. So you’re saying that had Kershaw gone 2-0, with 16 IP and a 0.75 WHIP in that series we wouldn’t have won it? Again, I disagree. “Of course Verlander would have been a great acquisition.” Really? According to your own words that’s just daydreaming. It didn’t happen so why bring it up? Isn’t talking baseball, including the what if’s, what these boards are for? Also, I disagree that it was a ridiculously great season. Those seasons don’t end with laying an egg in Game 7 of the World Series. Talking baseball is what these boards are about. And my point is only my own. I’d love to talk baseball and not daydream or speculate about alternate realities. It’s pointless, useless and silly (in my opinion.) It adds nothing, it creates scapegoats and it promotes completely inane “I told you so” posts from fans who know little and have less ability to impact reality. As for Kershaw putting up those numbers, (and again, I’m more disappointed by Darvish by a long arm) who knows if they would win or not. You don’t know, I don’t know, nobody knows, because it didn’t happen. If you want to go to the chance game, YES, there’s a great chance if Darvish pitches even 25% better that the Dodgers are World Champs. If Kershaw pitches 10% better, ditto. But I’m saying you don’t know, because these things didn’t happen. The are the opposite of factual statements. >>“Of course Verlander would have been a great acquisition.” Really? According to your own words that’s just daydreaming. It didn’t happen so why bring it up?<< That's my point! The word "would" it would have been a great position, AND IN MY NEXT SENTENCE I SAID IT WOULDN'T AND COULDN'T (given budgetary constraints) happen. Of course it was a great season. Ridiculously great may have been one modifier too much. I agree with you about Verlander, he is the type of pitcher, that rises to the occasion. And he actually gains velocity the deeper he pitches into a games, at times. We might have gave him a no decision in one game, and gave him a lost in the other game, but wins are not a good way to evaluate pitchers! Because for a pitcher to win, they must get run support, from there team. And I don’t think that Verlander ever lost a game, when his team gave him six runs to work with, in this post season, like Kershaw has done, twice in the post season. After Darvish came to the Dodgers, that changed. He said he looked forward, going to the stadium everyday, after he became a Dodger! And why wouldn’t he, he had a follow countryman to talk to, and he felt closer to the players on the Dodgers, even more then the players, on his high school, and his team, in Japan. I don’t really believe the moment got to big for Darvish, I just think he knew he wasn’t able to really throw any of his off speed pitches well, before these games. And I think it was the different ball, because Darvish was having no problems, throwing his off speed pitches, until the first game, in the World Series! Because really, Darvish pitched better in the other series, before World Series, then Kershaw did! And his off speed pitches were elite, in those other two series! Yeah, MJ, I don’t disagree with that take. It might have been the slick baseballs, a lot of pitchers complained about them, but I also think Yu didn’t adjust well. He’s got 98 in his tool bag, he could have used it (up and in) in combination with with those flat sliders thrown DOWN. He never tried it. He just kept throwing that 83mph frisbee. As I said, I would give him another shot – at the right price. He’s 32 next August. I see no reason to give him more than 4 years. We both agree on that, but I think the five inning starts, are more about the management, not Hill. And actually Hill had one, of not the best numbers on this team, when he faced the order, the third time though. I was only talking about the post season. Kershaw is not the same pitcher in the post session, so it isn’t crazy! And you have to remember Kershaw is the only pitcher, they let go deep in games. Post season era Kershaw 382, Post season era Hill 255, Kershaw pitched in two more games, but that is the eras for both pitchers, in the post season this year.. MJ, Kershaw 3-0 this post season, Hill no wins……Hill is no where near Kershaw’s level. Even if Kershaw is not the same he is still the far superior pitcher. And I do not think management has anything to do with the fact that Hill only goes five most of the time. I think it is because the 3rd time through the order, he gets very hittable. If you looked at Verlander’s saber metric numbers the year before, he should have won the Cy Young that year. I don’t think Verlander’s saber metric numbers, are the reason the front office, didn’t get him. I think it had more to do with the money he had left on his contract, then anything else, and the fact he still had two more years, left on his contract. That is so weird, that is what I was thinking about this morning! With the fastball Darvish has, he could pitch just like Verlander was pitching, like you said. His velocity is better I believe, and he has a live fastball, especially if he threw it, at the top of the strike zone, like Verlander did! Again I know why the FO stayed away from Verlander because of his contract. But Kazmir and McCarthy combined made more and they are deadwood on this roster. The FO could have made the numbers work either by packaging prospects to clear those contracts. Or just waive them. They didn’t. Bluto you can pick on the counterfactuals. But actually the exercise of making trades is mostly based on counterfactuals, particularly with the FAZ who likes to pick up players who are underperforming and they think they can perform better as a Dodger. To do that, the FO has to make assumptions, based on how a players has done in the past, and make projections and extrapolations on how that player would have done with a different team. It’s not simply assuming a great player will be great once they change teams – that helps but every FO does more than just that. They think about what ifs way more than we do. And they also look at past signings and how the change in scenery played out, then they play what if’s based on that. How do you think they figured Hill would be a good pickup as a Dodger? Our roster, especially our pitching depth, is littered with the counterfactual work of the FAZ. I am saying that one thing that the FAZ did that was wrong was that they undervalued veteran “big time” experience. My arguments against Darvish were posted before the trade. Bluto if you don’t want to discuss counterfactuals that is fine and I applaud your discipline, but what ifs are how you look to improve a team and it’s going to talked about, especially in the off season, so just live with it. Scapegoating is also part of the exercise to improve a team – it identifies players who should be let go or needs a new scenery. What matters is not the what if’s, or that counterfactuals and used, what matters is how these what ifs are plausible and how they help the next few moves. Those two were terrible signings! And McCarthy never should have been on any post season roster! He didn’t earn it, and he is no grinder, and because of all of that, he had no place on a post season roster, let alone, a World Series roster! I don’t think, YF, that counterfactual means what you think it means. I think you are conflating it with risk-management or with projecting out performance. I appreciate your final paragraph though, even if I don’t agree with it. Finally waiving a player (as was done with Crawford) doesn’t relieve a team of a salary’s burden. One of the biggest blunders that people thought Roberts made in this World Series, was not allowing Hill to pitch past the fifth inning, or at least, finish the fifth inning. And you watch every game like I do, and you know they let Kershaw stay in games, longer then the other starters, throughout the season. And Hill had the best numbers on the team, when facing the order the third time through this year. Wins are a bad way to evaluate starters, because for a starter to win a game, they must get run support from there team. Kershaw’s era in the post season this year, was quite a bit higher then Hill’s era, in the post season this year. Kershaw gave up a record amount of HRs in the post season this year, and if Kershaw hadn’t got so much run support from his team, he wouldn’t have won a couple of the games, he won. And Kershaw is making a heck of a lot more money then Hill is, so more is expected out of Kershaw. I agree with all of your points MJ, except, Hill is no where near the level of pitcher that Kershaw is. Hill is a good pitcher, Kershaw is a VERY good pitcher. And you may say that wins are not important in a pitchers stats, but I am old school and wins mean a lot. Yep Kershaw gave up 8 homers in the post season, which I think is a product of changed hitting philosophy, and a totally new approach to hitting. But there is not a pitcher on this team who was not bitten by the HR bug. Hill gave up 3 homers in 17 innings. Kershaw gave up 8 in 33 innings. Hill gave up 18 in 135 innings during the regular season. Kershaw who pitched almost 45 innings more gave up 23. Ryu and Maeda who pitched a lot less innings than Kershaw, gave up 22 apiece! That’s terrible by any stretch of the imagination. But you thinking Hill is better is your opinion, one I do not agree with. Of course MLB set a record for the most HR’s ever in a season, and the post season was no different. Dodger pitching gave up 29 home runs in the post season. 7 in the division series, 7 in the NLCS and 15 in the World Series. Hill had a lower ERA than Kershaw, but Kersh’s WHIP and BA against was lower than Hill. And keep money out of it. Kershaw is worth more money than Hill. He is also 8 years younger. I bet if one of the Astros pitchers started two games, and was tipping his pitches, both Corey and Cody, would look like very good hitters too, and they would have hit a HR like Springer and Gurriel did! Artieboy says: @ Bluto: “What I’m saying is that day-dreaming about alternate realities are not productive” What part of blogging about baseball leads to anything productive baseball wise? Have you come across a comment in the vast blogosphere that eventually lead to a productive decision by our baseball club? If you have please provide it. “It was a ridiculously great season. It didn’t end well, but it usually doesn’t. Enjoy the good, don’t speculate about the bad.” Why isn’t that pontification? I find A LOT of blogging is productive. I learn about ways to watch the game, to evaluate the players, to appreciate the skill. I’m really sorry if you don’t get that out of blogs and online communities. Is what I wrote a pompous statement? A Self-important or imperious one? I think it isn’t and didn’t intend it to be. I thought it was laudatory of the team and brief. Oh by productive you mean productive to you. So if it isn’t productive to you then it’s a waste of time, or as you put it “It’s pointless, useless and silly (in my opinion.) ” To me, IMHO, dismissing others because it doesn’t meant your standards, borders on pompous arrogance. But if that is your perspective that’s fine. It’s a free country. I enjoy these boards for the camaraderie and the different perspectives. But I will not reduce other person’s opinions to a waste of time simply because they don’t meet my definition of being productive. There is a lot of baseball opinion I don’t agree with. But who am I to judge? And BTW, I agreed with your stance on the whole Darvish Gurriel incident. You learn more when people have different views, not when people have the same views. Not really my care nor point MJ. I don’t care if people are agreeing or disagreeing. I just want smart people to discuss interesting things. Not what ifs, or who to blame I just think people were accessing what went wrong with the team, and what would make the team better. And it does get frustrating, losing for much the same reason, we have lost in the post season, in the past! That’s silly MJ. Every time you lose a game, it’s generally for the same reasons: 1. Not scoring enough (game 7) 2. Poor pitching (Darvish) 3. Bad luck (Darvish? Taylor not hearing the 3rd base coach) Ed Dinger says: Felony Dufus, I tried to help you many times by telling you that you are so deep in the hole it was time to stop digging. Now you have not only got a shovel working, you have brought in the Dufus Back Hoe, and it is obvious that most others agree. Give it up, you have no interest in actually learning anything from blogs or others’ opinions, your narcissism prevents it and just makes you come across as very shallow, simple, arrogant and pompous. It’s time for you to “Run Away!” The homophobic moron with sophomoric nicknames is back with a metaphor about digging and a bewildering use of quotation marks. Can I run away whilst in the hole I have dug? The discourse level is sure to lower Kershaw was also given a seven run lead, and once again, he didn’t do his job! And if a team continues to lose games the same way, something has to change! Wood put in the gutsiest performance, of all of our pitchers, in the World Series! MJ, Not sure I get your point. But I love watching Hill pitch. I just think both Wood and Hill should get more credit, for the way they pitched, in the post season. “The discourse level is sure to lower”. Yep: “The homophobic moron with sophomoric nicknames.” Sigh ….. Anyone going to talk Hot Stove? We know the Dodgers won’t get below the Luxury Tax in ‘18. Well, I believe I know it, don’t know what other bloggers are saying. One in particular said they would do it this year. How’d that work out? I see $202 million sitting there now, and moves to improve will be made – right? I hear Stanton rumblings again. We know he wants to play in LA, any ideas on how that will happen? Miami will likely pay some of that albatross salary, but how much? I figure Stanton has a shot at earning his money as a position player for 4-5 more years, then he is a DH. Who gets him and at what cost? Every report has the Dodgers cutting payroll, so I’m expecting it to happen. I think Stanton is Giants or Philles according to reports, I wouldn’t be surprised if Boston or another team jumps in. Grandad should get a return. Other interesting questions: Will Maeda’s incentive laden contract have an impact on him taking a bullpen role. How much of poor late season showings will factor in to 2018 expectations for Buehler and Verdugo? Any chance Gonzalez and Kazmir retire? Would help with cost-savings, but why should players care about that? Alex Cobb seems a good price for rotation help, no? package206 says: Hey Badger Man it is nice to see your name on the board again. I always enjoy your perspectives on the Dodgers. I would love to see Stanton in Dodger Blue but I do not think FAZ will spring for the years or the money. I think maybe trading Puig and some prospects would get it done as Miami may have to eat a little money too. Maybe that is not nearly enough but don’t think I would give much more. Thanks package. I appreciate that. I think if FAZ wants to do it, they can. But I too question their motivation. The Dodgers won over 100 and led all of MLB in attendance without him. If he wants to play in LA, he could make that happen himself by a willingness to restructure. He can opt out after ‘20, but would he leave money on the table just to play in LA? Rumor has it a few other teams, not in the east, would be interested in his services. I can see St Louis and SF interested. I can see the Angels very interested. But the man comes with a serious debt load that, if not restructured, will submerge somebody’s payroll after his productive years are long over. He could be Josh Hamilton waiting to happen. Nobody wants that. That said, his bat between Seager and Bellinger would be fun. Badger, I have not been on the board lately but have you said who you think will not return to the Dodgers in 18. I am thinking Darvish, Granderson, Ethier, Forysthe, Utley, Watson, Fields, others may be traded or sent to the minors. I do think the Dodgers will look much different in 18. What is your 1st thoughts? Good question. My first thought is Darvish put up 3.9 rWAR, 3.5 fWAR. That is clearly worth more than what Hill, 2.6 fWAR, Kazmir ZIP, and McCarthy .7, get from the Dodgers. He’s worth an offer, though it probably won’t be popular if one is given. We need more better starting pitching but I don’t know where it will come from. Arrieta maybe. Buehler will probably earn a spot. Wish I knew if Urias will pitch again. His shoulder surgery was a serious one. I think Forsythe will be back, the others who knows. It’s early. A lot to talk about all winter. Let’s see who garners FAZ interest, but the core of this team won’t change. You can make out the starting lineup today. Ok Package, Watson, Granderson, Darvish, Utley are all free agents and not under team control anymore. Ethier has a 17 million dollar team option and a 2.1 million dollar buyout. They will buy him out. Forsythe’s option will be picked up. Fields is arbitration eligible. Now whether they make him an offer or non tender him I have no clue. But he had moments and stretches where he pitched really well. He just blew up in the world series like a bunch of the guys did, Why don’t you think they’ll pick up Forsythe’s option? It’s reasonable. Read again oh brilliant one, I said they will pick it up. My reading skills are about equal to my prognostication ones. I agree with you. One person did not cause the team to lose the WS but some are more apt to not come through than others. I think Fields is one of those. He certainly is not the only one However, that is just an opinion and FAZ rarely matches me. Ethier is one I would like to see return but not at 17 mil. Utley is also a reliable bench player. I personally do not care much for Forsythe but I agee they will probably retain him. I hope I never see Granderson again. I agree with you, I don’t see it happening, especially after our front office, has tried so hard to get under the luxury tax. The Angels just signed Justin Upton to a five year contract, and I would think the Angels need a good leftie hitter more, to balance there line up, then another rightie power hitter. I don’t see Stanton wanting to go to SF in that big stadium. And the Giants still haven’t got a good bat to play left, even though they have needed one, for the last three years. And I don’t think the Giants have that many good prospects in there minor league system to give the Marlins, to get Stanton either.. But I also don’t know if that is the only way to make a deal. I like Stanton but I just don’t think he is going to be worth, his big multi year contract, anyways. He has had trouble at times at staying on the field in his career, even with his Adonis like body. And if we did get Stanton, I see Puig going to the Marlins, because I don’t think Mattingly will be the Marlins manager, much longer. And as much as some might think, I don’t think our offense was the reason, we didn’t win the World Series. Cody was a rookie in his first year, who had little time in AAA, and if True doesn’t jinx him, he is only going to get better! ( Sorry True, I couldn’t resist!) I just think to many people expected to much from Cody in the World Series, because we already know that Cody can go the other way, so that is not an issue for him, he just tried to do to much. I bet Cody will be working on his recognition of slow curves on his hands in the off season, because he only wants to get better! Also some people seemed to forget that Corey was injured, and because of that, he was not the same hitter, in the post season. Corey’s power numbers went down, and he also was not going with many pitches to the right side, after he got hurt. And because of that, he didn’t have his normal power, and he hit a lot of balls into the shift, then he normally would have, if he was healthy. I do think our team offense needs to practice being more productive on offense, so they will be able to score tough runs, against good pitching. They did do a pretty good job against Verlander in that game six. But in game seven, even after they watched the Astro’s third baseman, give away his at bat, by hitting a grounder to the right side, to move Springer over to third, to score a easy run. But our players did the opposite of what the Astro’s did, in there first half, of the first inning. And because of that, even after Taylor lead off with a double just like Springer did in the prior half inning, we didn’t even score a single run, even though we were able to load the bases, after both Corey and Cody struck out! And by the way, I know those two young players didn’t do there job in that first inning, but they were not the ones, that didn’t get a key hit after the bases were loaded, in that first inning, so they should not get all of the blame, like some people tried to do! Corey and Cody’s main objective should have been making sure they made contact, to get Taylor to third, but they both tried to do to much, and because of that, they both struck themselves out, on pitches in the dirt and off speed pitches, on there hands. If I had not said it already, it’s good to have Badger back, and also it seems several others have started to get over our WS choke and gotten back into the swing of things again. Great to see. On getting additional vet starters. I know when I said the top contenders are young and talented, including us, and Michael got on me a little because (and he’s right) our 25 man roster this year is actually older than the other elite teams. What I should have said is that going forward we are going to be just as young and talented. By this I mean the older guys are going to be dropping off, 2018 and forward. I don’t think they sign any veteran starter this year as they are going to rehab their prior signings and give a shot to Buehler. Urias is a big question mark. We also still have a bunch of Cubans in the minors if anyone has noticed (some may have forgotten, in fact). Our pipeline is still very crowded. Other than maybe a Grandal trade I don’t see much happening this year for us, this offseason. Maybe this will be fun — what does everyone think we can get for Grandal? Hey Yueh, a couple of bats and maybe a bag of balls for Grandmal…..just kidding. He could bring a bench bat and maybe a decent relief pitcher since most of the reports I am reading are saying the Dodgers are not going to pursue any of their free agents, including Morrow, which I think is stupid. I also doubt seriously my friend that they just throw Buehler into the fire. First off, you have to look at who they still have under contract. Kershaw, Hill, Wood, Maeda, Ryu, McCarthy, and Kazmir are all starters and all under contract for next year. Now, they could and most likely will just jettison Kazmir since from most reports he is no where near baseball ready. Then you have to remember that Stewart is a starter too. I think Stripling will be a long man for the foreseeable future, but he can also start. Revamping the bullpen will be a priority since this FO likes using them so much. Over dependent on them in my estimation. And if they trade Grandal, who becomes the back up back stop? Well Farmer would be the first choice, but there are an awful lot of very good catchers who are free agents this winter. They are leaning, again according to almost every story I read, to resigning Forsythe. Okay, is he the everyday 2nd baseman, or the Utley clone? Urias will not be ready until at least mid season, so to me he is not even in the equation. They have lefty’s Dayton, Liberatore, Cingrani, and Avilan under team control. Baez and Fields are arbitration eligible. The outfield is crowded as always. But do you keep Taylor in CF? I would rather see a natural CF out there. He is still learning, but I like him so much better in the infield. Toles is now hitting so there is a really great chance he will be vying for a starting job in spring. Puig will be the RF. But the other two spots should and will be up for grabs. Here is the kicker, and I was reading about this today. Depending on how severe the injury to Corey Seager’s elbow is and how he responds to treatment or surgery, and I think it is going to be the latter, is he even ready for opening day? That is going to be a legitimate question. I like you, doubt they will pursue any big ticket free agents, up to and including Darvish since they are really trying to avoid the luxury tax. Well all know how Friedman and Zaidi work. They like the low risk high reward guys, as Morrow was this year, and they like to stockpile talent. I have little doubt that the same philosophy is practiced this off season. There will be tweak’s, and we as fans can only guess as to what they will be. There WILL be a new pitching coach since all sources are reporting that Honeycutt will not sign a new deal. All in all, the next couple of months will see comings and goings to the Dodger organization. I do want to wish Andre Ethier all the luck in the world and I hope he gets a contract with an organization that will actually use him. Thanks to Chase Utley for the total class you showed while a member of the team and for your guidance and leadership for the guys. And my final note, directed to MJ, methinks you have a crush on Giancarlo Stanton……Adonis like body??? Wow MJ!! I don’t have a crush on Stanton, like a lot of men I do, because he can hit a ball so far, but any woman, including me, can’t miss the fact, that Stanton is built! yeah he does, but is there a winning personality behind all that? I always valued a woman who had a great personality and people skills. I never had the great looks, but my personality always got me by. Of course, I can be an obnoxious bastard when the wrong mood hits, and I am very blunt and opinionated. But I have never, and will never had a man crush on anyone….Not my thing. I don’t think we really know what a players, true personality is, we all probably put our own spin, on a given player. In this day and age, some men do confess to have crushes on certain guys, and I have heard many guys, say they wish they could hit a baseball as far, as Stanton does. Yeah I bet there are a lot of current major leaguers who wish they could hit one as far as Stanton also. I value the complete player more. That’s why I always loved watching Willie Mays. I am comfortable enough with the talents that I do possess and that keeps me grounded to who I am. Natural talent is something I enjoy watching and a lot of these players have that. Skills that cannot be taught. I admire others who have great skills at doing something they truly love doing. But not enough to ever have a man crush. Just not in my DNA. But you do get glimpses of a person’s true personality, even ball players. One of the things I learned playing music and doing shows with people who were legends in the music business. One on one, their real personality is very out there. Some are truly humble and very easy to talk to. Others are standoffish, and sometimes even rude. I have also noticed that some can even be somewhat jealous. Barry Bonds by most accounts was a insufferable ass to a lot of people, especially the media. Gary Sheffield was also a pain to be around. I saw first hand after a Dodger game what a jerk Daryl Strawberry was. But fame has it’s drawbacks. How you handle fame is what really counts. See the thread Badger posted bellow, it is about the average age of the Dodgers and Astro’s players, and the article is about which teams, have the brightest futures. It seems like both Michael and you are right, because the team’s average age, are really close! Good stuff here. The way I see it if Forsythe is back Taylor is in CF. Trading both Joc and Grandal could net some talent. Farmer and Barnes are both RH hitters and knowing how FAZ likes the platoon, will they be ok with that? $237 million is a mark they might shoot for as money means nothing but 10 slots in the draft might. I think they are realistically at $202mm so there is room to be creative. Also, if the right deal is there ef those 10 slots. Instead of 30 it’s 40? Who cares. We are still paying Olivera almost $5mm What idiot signed that guy? Oh…. never mind. I don’t think the park matters to Stanton. He could hit 50 in any uniform. No platoon nessesary if your catcher can hit both types. Grandal even though he is a switcheroo, has no power vs the lefty’s I just like Barnes makeup back there and he can move and block a lot of those pitches that Grandal does not. Great hot stove talk! Watford Dodger says: Artie – just just watched your boys come back to beat my boys 3-2 from 2 down. Great game though & Everton needed the win. Finally beginning to get over the game 7 meltdown. What an absolute Rollercoaster the Playoffs were. Feel like I need to go into therapy. Getting up in the middle of the night to watch the games for a month was tough, but made me realise how much I love the game. Great to have Badger’s input again. This board is much the better for him being part of it. https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/which-teams-future-is-brightest-the-astros-or-dodgers/ From MJ. Good catch. Agree with Artie. You guys (and lady) are on your game today. Thanks W. Feels good to be engaged again. Would like to see Jonah here again. I too would like to have Jonah return. He has good perspectives. Like all of us we always don’t agree but he is definitely a standup guy. I would love for Jonah to come back too. I always like his takes, and he has a great sense of humor! I bet after all your worring about the team, you were pleasantly surprised, on how well the Dodgers played in the post season, from there first series against the Dbacks, to game seven, in the World Series. I don’t know MJ. I am already worrying about 2018. Ha! For some reason, I don’t doubt that! I think all of us Dodger fans, were surprised on how well, our players put it in gear, once the post season began. They really had a great year! I wish Darvish could have pitched in the World Series, like he did in his other post season starts. It is to bad for the team, and Darvish himself, because he really enjoyed being on this team. Darvish said he never felt as close, to the players, he played on other teams with, like this group of guys. And he did pitch so well in those other two series! YF I thought you might like this article, since Michael and you, were debating the two teams. The average age of the Dodgers and the Astros, is about the same. They have the numbers in this article. Actually the Dodgers were a little younger. My bad. The core of the Astros is young, but Seager and Bellinger make the Dodgers a little younger and the only starters on the Dodgers in their 30’s were Forsythe and Turner. Astros had 3, Reddick, Gurriel, and McCann. Dodgers bought out Ethier’s contract today, making Andre a free agent. Well believe it or not, tomorrow the mad rush for free agent help begins. There are some very interesting players out there, not to say that FAZ will be buying. Lots of starting and relief pitching available. A lot of catchers too. And that is before the non tendered names hit the list. There are now 7 exe Dodgers who are free agents. Morrow, Darvish, Ethier, Granderson, Watson, Utley and Gutierrez. According to Duquette’s predictions, the Dodgers will sign none of the top 25 free agents, including their own. Yes, Ethier as expected got bought out, thus bringing our FAs to 7. And this is probably a good time for me to roll out the first of my “exit reviews” for the players. I am aware of a lot SABR stats on these guys, but I don’t want to dwell on them since a majority of blogs out there put out SABR stats and I prefer to just state my own observation and recollection of these players over the course of the season and with more focus on their performance during the playoffs, and lastly how they could help the team next year. I think depth will still be key but hopefully the FAZ starts to get “quality depth” from our farm system rather than relying on bad depth with spare parts and wishful turn-around projects. There will be plenty of second guessing and what ifs, it’s called learning from mistakes and while we are not running the team, it makes things fun and keeps our minds busy. I will start with our 7 free agents. Granderson. His bat looked slow and I was not impressed with his speed or defense. I think every hit he got was by virtue of anticipating the pitch and cheating on the pitch, and even then he often swung through meatballs on the middle or outside part of the plate. Note for future reference – if we ever sign another mid-season veteran bat, I want a bat that is good at hitting to the opposite field. But it would be better if they just let our young outfielders get experience and grow into more complete players. George Springer debuted in 2014 and had major strike out issues before putting it together in his age 27 season (this season). Brandon Morrow. He was quite a find and has great stuff and make-up. When he gives up a big hit or a home run, my recollection was that those were usually quality “out” pitches. He will help us a lot next year, provided he stays healthy (this goes with all pitchers). As many here know, I do not like too many relievers of the same type of pitches, and there is an argument to be made that he’s just a better version than Baez and Field, who are younger and could improve. However I don’t think so – while Morrow does throw a lot of fastballs and sliders, he can get those pitches in all quadrants with movement and we actually don’t have many guys who can do so similarly. The main problem is that Morrow is no longer a secret and will get a nice contract of 3 year in length. While I would love to see him back, I do have one concern, which is that Morrow will be subject to over-use by Roberts and we may be in for a huge letdown if he is signed to a 3 year contract. A back-end loaded contract would be nice as we would likely be under the luxury tax next year, and since Morrow is from California, maybe he takes a back end loaded 3 year contact for a chance to win it all. But a lot of teams needs someone like Morrow, and I think he will get a blowout offer from another contender (for example the Astros, yikes). So overall I think he walks, and I will not be too upset about it if he lands a big 3 year contract, unless the FAZ blows it by letting him walk for a back-ended loaded contract that we could have given him. The question I have is that since Morrow was signed as a minor leaguer but with a MLB roster deadline, can we get a pick if we tender a QO and he declines? Tony Watson. He had his ups and downs, but he is a good fit for our bullpen as a medium leverage bridge. I liked his demeanor in the playoffs. He doesn’t walk people and when he throws his fastballs it is flat and straight, but consistently at the outside edges of the strike zone, which allows him to get ground balls with his sinker down in the zone. I would not mind getting him back at a 1 year or 2 year deal, if the FA market dries up on him. However, I don’t think he will be missed either, since we would have Grant Dayton and Liberatore , and there are always bullpen arms to find. Yu Darvish. Despite my misgivings about him, Darvish has great stuff and would be a great regular season pitcher in the regular season. I do not like him at all in the post-season – he just has that look like he wishes he was somewhere else. If anything, in those situations it would just be better to pitch around people, but he does the worse thing possible – he misses spots in the strikezone and gets lit up. Check out what he did in the Olympics and the World Baseball Classics, representing his country. Anyways, I still think he is a great regular season pitcher, but he will be very expensive, and with our young arms coming up, I don’t think the FAZ makes a move to sign any big contracts this off season. Bye bye Darvish. Utley. His bat was noticeably slower this year and he started to strike out on bad pitches in key situations, and looking to me like he was cheating and guessing wrong. His defense was not bad, not great, but I will say this. When he is playing in the infield, you don’t see many rushed plays or either Seager or Bellinger trying to do too much. He just has a calming influence. Hopefully he comes back as a coach, and Utley may be a great bench coach if Geren leaves for the Mets, but it may be a while – I think players of his stature usually takes a year or two off before going into coaching. Since we have so many youngsters coming up, I think we would want to keep him around. Gutierrez. Another turn around project that combusted. I hope the best for him. You can bet that the FAZ will continue to make 100s of transactions of this caliber. Ethier. His bat seemed ok to me, and I think he would have been a liability in left field, but I don’t think his defense was worse than JD Martinez, Schwarber or Marwin Gonzales. I think our FO and coaching staff totally underestimated him. For the Series, with Bellinger striking out so much, Ethier was the left handed bat we needed against right hand pitching for the first 5 innings, and then put Joc in later for defense and the HR off their bullpen. More than just Ethier, it did not seem like we were as prepared for every player’s usage in the series, and we did not take into account the use of starters as relievers as the Series wore on. Putting Joc in to start the game basically required Bellinger, a rookie that had broken the record for strikeouts in a WS (with room to spare) to remain in the cleanup spot. How about Ethier in the cleanup spot and moving Bellinger behind Forsythe? That would have put a lot more pressure on the likes of McCullers and Peacock, and even Verlander as Bellinger was not going to his Verlander’s sliders anyways. I hope Ethier gets a decent shot with another club with sufficient playing time to play out his career. I don’t know if he wants to sign back with us on a small contract to stay in LA, if not we should be moving on from our vets. Excellent exit reports there Yueh. By the way, Morrow gave up ZERO homers in the regular season. Zero in 45 innings pitched. He pitched in 14 games in the post season and gave up 3. 2 in game 5 when he was totally gassed. Free agency opens at 5 pm today….teams have until then to make qualifying offers to their players. That’s 5 PM eastern time…..you can pretty much forget the Dodgers going after Cobb, Tampa made him a QO…so Dodgers would surrender a draft pick and we all know FAZ will not do that. dodgerpatch says: It’s too late for wishful thinking about Verlander. He’s under contract. He’s not available. There were a few here that advocated for Verlander before the deadline, I think Yueh, but not many. He was older, appeared to be in decline, and there was a reasonable reluctance to take on that salary. The Yu move was generally applauded. Looking back, in retrospect, would I have preferred the Verlander the Unhittable that he became after the trade for Yu the Wilter? Of course. Unfortunately we don’t have Mr Peabody’s Way Back Machine. It was a smart move based on the best available reasons at the time. It just happened to work out better for the Stros. Lucky them. At the time I wanted either of them but Darvish just seemed like the logical choice. I thought it was a great pickup. Got that one wrong. Verlander makes the ‘stros a great pick to repeat. He could win 20 on that team. I think Verlander at his age is due for a down year in 2018, even though it is a contract year. I think he pitches well enough to get another 2-3 year contract and then he will hang it up. The AL is very tough and it will be a real gauntlet for the Astros in 2018. For the Dodgers, I think this is the first year of our championship window. We will get younger very rapidly from now on. I think this is Justin Turner and Kenley Jansen’s team now, and Kershaw goes back to Texas after 2018. But Kershaw may surprise us all and choose not opt out – that will endear him to the Dodgers fans for sure. Considering how down the Rangers are, and the fact that I doubt the Astros would pony up with Verlander still under contract, Kershaw will remain a Dodger. Hopefully. I am not confident, however. Championship window opened 5 years ago. I have believed Kershaw would opt out and finish in Texas. I don’t know now. It might depend on how healthy his back is. He could finish his contract here at age 32, with over a quarter billion made, and still have a couple years to give to Texas. Can someone point me to the connection between Kershaw and Texas beyond being his “hometown?”	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0037.json.gz/line2495
__label__cc	0.718715	0.281285	European Students Only April 2013 University of Leeds PhD Research Project Faculty of Biological Sciences Funded PhD Project UK Students Only Optimising Phosphate recovery from waste water using photosynthetic aquatic organisms. Sustainability in both agriculture and energy are important issues for the 21st century. Agricultural production depends upon application of fertilisers to achieve high yields but rock phosphate is a limited resource, its processing to fertiliser is energy intensive and environmentally damaging, and waste water from both agricultural and urban processes contain levels of Phosphorus (primarily as phosphate) and Nitrogen that can lead to eutrophication of water bodies. There is a pressing need to develop and optimise low cost, robust and low maintenance systems for using wastewater to produce biomass which can subsequently be used for animal feed, N &P recovery or biofuel. A fixed bed of a mixed culture of naturally occurring algae has been shown to be capable of high P removal rates per unit area in warmer climates and hence, there is potential for seasonal use of that technology in the UK. A test system will be designed and built as part of the project. The biochemistry and biodiversity of these systems is highly complex and the project will investigate the performance and optimisation of the test system for N & P recovery. The student will access the test system to gather data on performance ( e.g nutrient levels) and to sample the flora present at specific time points. Molecular taxonomy methods using DNA barcodes will be used to provide an overview of the species present at the sampling times and how the species community composition changes over the seasons and how this relates to the removal of N&P and production of biomass. As an alternative system to provide a comparison, we will investigate duckweed (Lemnaceae) ponds and use recently published bar coding techniques to identify those species associated with high N &P uptake. Field studies will be complemented by lab scale growth experiments under more controlled conditions. The field work will focus on the practical development of systems to maximise both biomass production and N&P uptake at minimum cost. Data from lab and field trials will be used as input for a techno-economic model which will lead to ideotypical designs for best available techniques not involving excessive cost (BATNEEC) processes. The mechanisms of N&P uptake and the potential for its manipulation will be studied under N&P sufficient and deficient conditions in laboratory scale cultivation trials. This BBSRC funded 4 year industrial CASE studentship between the Schools of Biology and Civil Engineering at the University of Leeds and the SME Carbogen presents a unique and exciting opportunity to participate in a project that spans laboratory and field based research and seeks to translate results into a potentially commercially viable solution for nutrient removal from waste water. It will encompass aspects of molecular bioscience, analytical chemistry, field based sampling and engineering design. We do not expect applicants to have experience of all these disciplines and the supervisory team will provide training and support as required. The successful applicant will possess a minimum of a 2.1 honours degree in an appropriate scientific or engineering discipline and be excited about the possibility of operating in a multidisciplinary environment to develop sustainable technologies with commercial application. S/he must be adaptable and willing to operate outside of their comfort zone, undertaking to learn a range of new techniques. S/he must be able to carry out exacting, precise analytical work in the laboratory but also enjoy working outdoors. A clean driving license is essential and access to own transport, although not essential, would be advantageous. This research project has funding attached. Funding for this project is available to citizens of a number of European countries (including the UK). In most cases this will include all EU nationals. However full funding may not be available to all applicants and you should read the full department and project details for further information. *26 April 2013 The studentship is available to home and EU students who meet the residence criteria for BBSRC funding and covers fees at the home/EU rate and an annual stipend of Â£13,726 pa. The project includes a mandatory minimum 3 month placement at Carbogen (Brigg, North Lincolnshire) where exposure to the business environment and regulatory aspects of the water industry will gained.	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0037.json.gz/line2497
__label__cc	0.656954	0.343046	The bright stars and associated nebulosities in the Pleiades star cluster M45 M45 with star names labelled in the photograph, taken by David Malin with the UK Schmidt Telescope. Courtesy Anglo-Australian Observatory / Royal Observatory Edinburgh. More info on this image A table of the brightest Pleiades member stars follows. Also note Steven Gibson's Brightest Pleiads table. Star Name RA (2000.0) Dec (2000.0) mag Spectrum Nebulosity 16 Celaeno 03:44:48.22 +24:17:22.1 5.44 B7 IV Ced 19c 17 Electra 03:44:52.54 +24:06:48.0 3.70 B6e III vdB 20 18 HD 23324 03:45:09.74 +24:50:21.3 5.65 B8 V 19 Taygeta 03:45:12.49 +24:28:02.2 4.29 B6 V Ced 19e 20 Maia 03:45:49.61 +24:22:03.9 3.86 B7 III NGC 1432 (vdB 21) 21 Asterope 1 03:45:54.48 +24:33:16.2 5.64 B8e V Ced 19h 22 Asterope 2 03:46:02.90 +24:31:40.4 6.41 B9/A0 Vn Ced 19h 23 Merope 03:46:19.57 +23:56:54.1 4.17 B6 IV NGC 1435 (VdB 22) + IC 349 (Ced 19i) 24 HD 23629 03:47:21.04 +24:06:58.6 6.28 A0 V Eta 25 Alcyone 03:47:29.08 +24:06:18.5 2.86 B7e III vdB 23 HD 23753 03:48:20.82 +23:25:16.5 5.44 B8 V 26 HD 23822 03:48:56.94 +23:51:25.7 6.48 F0 [Non-member foreground star] 27 Atlas 03:49:09.74 +24:03:12.3 3.62 B8 III Ced 19o BU 28 Pleione 03:49:11.22 +24:08:12.2 5.09v B8e p Ced 19p HD 23950 03:49:55.07 +22:14:38.9 6.07 B8 III Star letter or number; "eta" is "eta Tauri", "27" is "27 Tauri", etc. Common name of the star Apparent visual magnitude Spectral type of star Nebulosity Catalog number of associated nebulosity (if one is present) A list of the brightest Pleiades, ordered by visual brightness, follows; from this list the number of visible stars for given limiting magnitudes can be estimated: Star Name m_vis Eta = 25 Alcyone 2.86 27 Atlas 3.62 17 Electra 3.70 20 Maia 3.86 23 Merope 4.17 19 Taygeta 4.29 BU = 28 Pleione 5.09v 21+22 Asterope 5.31 (combined) 16 Celaeno 5.44 HD 23753 5.44 21 Asterope 1 5.64 18 HD 23324 5.65 26 HD 23822 6.48 [Non-member] The most conspicuous of the Pleiades reflection nebulae is NGC 1435 around Merope, also called "Tempel's Nebula". This is the only one which was known to John Herschel when he compiled his General Catalog (GC) in 1864, and has been assigned the number GC 768. It has a faint extension, IC 349, which is very small and 36" south following (east) of Merope. The star Maia (20 Tauri) was subject to speculation when Otto Struve brought up the hypothesis that it might be the representative of a new type of variables of spectral type B7-A3 near-main sequence stars, of some ours period and small amplitudes. However, various photometric investigations have proven that Maia (and other suspected "Maia Variables" such as Gamma UMa) is of constant brightness. In the region of the sky around the Pleiades, a number of more diffuse nebulae can be found, many of them discovered by Barnard (1894) who referred to them as the "exterior nebulosities of the Pleiades." The following table lists the NGC and IC nebulae (and suspected nebulae) in the wider field around the Pleiades: Nebula RA (2000.0) Dec Type Cross References, Discoverer IC 1941 03:32.2 +24:26 3St D.S. 202 IC 336 03:38.2 +23:28 Neb Barnard (AN 3253) NGC 1432 P 03:45.8 +24:22 Neb Maia Neb, in M45; Henry NGC 1435 P 03:46.1 +23:47 Neb in M45; Tempel (1859 Oct 19), Tempel's Neb, Merope Neb, GC 768 IC 349 P 03:46.3 +23:56 Neb in M45; Barnard's Merope N, Barnard (AN 3018) M 45 P 03:47.0 +24:07 OC Pleiades IC 1990 03:47.5 +24:37 Neb Stratonoff (AN 3366) NGC 1456 03:48.2 +22:34 DSt J G Lohse IC 1995 03:50.3 +25:35 Neb Barnard A "P" is marking objects situated within the boundaries of the Pleiades cluster. "Type": "Neb," Nebula; "OC," Open Cluster; "DSt," Double Star; "3St," Three Stars. The present author has no information if any of these nebulae is associated with the Pleiades or their nebulosity. The diffuse nebulae IC 353, IC 354 and IC 360 are about 1 degree north following of the Pleiades. Region from the Pleiades to these nebulae. North of the boundary of the Pleiades lies the diffuse nebula IC 1990, found by Stratonoff, an emission nebula. It surrounds the double star ADS 2799 (A: 5.9 m, B: 6.3 m, separation 0.4"), see e.g. Vehrenberg's Atlas of Deep Sky Splendors. Map of the Pleiades Star Cluster M45 The Pleiades nebulosity, notably the Merope Nebula NGC 1435 and the Maya Nebula NGC 1432 are listed in the RASC's Deep Sky Challenge Objects list. E.E. Barnard, 1893. On the exterior Nebulosities of the Pleiades. Astronomische Nachrichten, Vol. 136, No. 3253, col. 193-194 [ADS: 1894AN....136..193B] Hartmut Frommert Christine Kronberg Last Modification: November 23, 2005	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0037.json.gz/line2502
__label__wiki	0.551405	0.551405	BREWtally Speaking « GHOST Live At Andrew Jackson Hall In Nashville [Review & Photo Gallery] Ep. 155 Nick Tieder (Frontiers Music) – Talk Toomey: The Metal Nexus Podcast » INKCARCERATION Festival Announces ReverbNation Battle Of The Bands Winners & More By Rattlehead \| May 30, 2018 - 4:24 pm \| May 30, 2018 News The inaugural Inkcarceration Music and Tattoo Festival (July 13-15 in Mansfield, OH at the Historic Ohio State Reformatory) is quickly approaching! At Inkcarceration, not only will attendees rock out to three days of live music from 30+ of today’s greatest rock bands, they can also be tattooed by acclaimed local and regional artists, tour one of the most famous haunted reformatories of all time, enjoy great tasting food and snacks and refreshments of the alcohol and non-alcohol variety from 15+ food trucks onsite, browse goods from a number of vendors, and experience a full rock n’ roll circus sideshow (brought to you by Hellzapoppin), and more. As previously announced, Inkcarceration recently teamed up with ReverbNation to select up to five up-and-coming bands to perform throughout the event. After receiving a staggering 1,600 submissions, Inkcarceration is pleased to now announce the inaugural event winners! Friday’s line-up will feature Milwaukee, Wisconsin’s Avenues, Saturday will feature Raleigh, North Carolina’s Nikol, and Sunday will feature both Bradley, Illinois’ The Unlawful and Columbus, Ohio’s locals Absolute Hero. Let’s talk a little bit about each of these winning bands, shall we? Avenues (Pop punk/punk \| Milwaukee, Wisconsin): These guys are bringing back the pop punk, wild and wacky, mohawk clad, 2000 era days which we all 90s kids ever so remember fondly. Don’t tell me you weren’t into it, even for a bit it did serve as us a gateway for the heavier side of rock and metal that we’re in now. Avenues are a punk rock band from Milwaukee, Wisconsin and they have been relishing you with the 2000s punk nostalgia since January of 2006. Founder Vin Smith created the group when he left 52Metro. Few years down the line, and after a score of line up changes, the current line-up cemented its state in 2009. The band plays a blend of punk rock that is much cleaner and modern if you compare it to the genre big shots like The Buzzcocks, The Melvins, Black Flag etc. Pretty much a neo style of punk rock which gained mass attention during the 2000s with the rise of bands like Green Day, Sum 41, Good Charlotte, Blink-182 etc. Rising from the rebel and hardcore punk attitude, the punk that Avenues and most of the 2000s pop punk bands play have a happy, dance vibe to it. It’s a full on open air party with big camcorders, bubbles in the air and lots of fun and frolic kinda punk. Avenues have played a wide array of famous music festivals such as the long running The Vans Warped Tour, Lollapalooza, Punk Rock Bowling, Summerfest etc., with genre flag bearers such as Bigwig, Rise Against, The Buzzcocks, Bob Mould, Masked Intruder and a lot more. Avenues have three EPs under their belt along with a single/split. Their latest EP titled, ‘Creep Show‘ released under Wiretap Records in 2015 is one of my favourites and it is one hell of a killer material. They play Inkcarceration on Friday, the 13th, a pretty wicked day to blast some punk rock ain’t it? Along with Rise Against, A Day To Remember, Of Mice And Men and more Avenues are really gonna bring the party to Mansfield, Ohio, like it was back in 2000’s. Don’t forget to check them out! Vin Smith: Vocals/guitar Shawn Brooks: Guitar Scott Brooks: Bass Marc Perez: Drums Nikol (Pop/Rock \| Raleigh, North Carolina): Bringing in more alternative rock and metal, the next band to feature is Nikol from North Carolina. Led by the beautiful Nikol herself, they play their rock along the lines of band like Evanescence or early era Flyleaf and Paramore. The smooth and melodic voice of Nikol sits well with the distorted heavy riffs and is a perfect example of the amalgamation of two different genres into one. After a successful nationwide radio campaign, the band’s first full-length album, “Bittersweet”, landed them 13 licensing offers for shows such as Keeping Up With the Kardashians, The Real World, etc. Their last EP ‘White Lies’ released in July 2016 and it features Drew Fulk (Upon A Burning Body, Motionless In White, Crown The Empire) and Kile O’Dell (Failure Anthem, Motionless In White, Cursed Sails). Nikol has played SXSW three times in 2017 and they were also on the bill in The Vans Warped Tour. They have quite some feathers on their hat like, they are three-time nominees at the Carolina Music Awards, and have won the title for Female Rock! Currently the band is at work with Dan Korneff (Paramore, Breaking Benjamin, Pierce The Veil, etc.) for their upcoming release. Stay tuned for the next release and support them at Inkcarceration. Check out the band’s website HERE for more info. Oh, and they go live on Saturday at Inkcarceration along with Bush, Our Lady Peace, Alien Ant Farm and more! The Unlawful (Bradley, Ilinois \| Hard Rock/Metal): The Unlawful are a quintet from Bradley, Illinois that play hard rock/metal with pin point riff and groovy sections. It seems to be a cross between alternative style and hard rock but elements of modern metal. The soaring melodies and fast paced riffs are a treat to the listener, and add to that the the fairly thick voice of Alyce which hits the zenith of the highest notes, and we have an excellent band to jam. The band was formed with several past members of other bands who burned out and fell prey to the race of the live music industry. Buy their EP, ‘All We Are‘ HERE! If you’re fans of Halestorm, Five Finger Death Punch, Sevendust etc., this should be your jam. I have attached a stream of their songs down below, so before you go see them live on Sunday at Inkcarceration, make sure you get to know their jams well. They open for a couple of big shots like Black Label Society, Clutch, Hatebreed, Suicidal Tendencies and a couple more! Alyce – Vocals Mike Bass – Bass (duh) Dan Bikar – Guitar Zach – Guitar Buzz- Drums/Screams Absolute Hero (Rock \| Columbus, Ohio): What worthy of a fest is it if it doesn’t feature one local band? Presenting from Columbus, OH, local home grown band Absolute Hero . Another quintet the band plays the same blend of alternative/pop rock style like the bands I mentioned above prior to them. Absolute Hero are fairly new to the underground rock scene in Ohio, having formed in 2015 by vocalist Sarah Nichole and multi-instrumentalist Justin Moegling, they already have a single, an EP and one full length under their name. That’s pretty fast to get your stuff out in the market. With another female leading the vocals of the band, the chemistry of the songs remains strong. Clean vocals, dreamy riffs with heavy interludes and hard hitting drums, it’s a perfect combination despite the ingredients having a stark difference in their rudimentary form. The band has performed tirelessly over the course of two years, earning a name for themselves in Ohio’s underground rock scene due to their passion-driven performances and heartfelt yet accessible lyrics. They seem to have a promising future and I can imagine them pulling off their set at Inkcarceration like it’s nothing. They perform on Sunday, the 15th of July, which is the final day of the festival. Closing the final day of the festival with fellow ReverbNation winners The Unlawful, the band will also be seen opening for headliners Black Label Society, Clutch, Hatebreed and more. Click HERE for more info on the band. And go buy their record ‘Sing For Sanity‘ by clicking on the stream link below. Sarah Nichole- Vocals Landen Gruszewski – Guitar Justin Moegling – Drums/Vocals Cody Lake – Guitar Christofer Canfield – Bass/Vocals Since 2006, ReverbNation has helped millions of emerging artists build their careers. They have connected artists to venues, festivals, brands, publishers, labels, and the fans themselves. ReverbNation’s mission puts artists first. Their powerful career management and online marketing tools, combined with rapidly growing A&R capabilities and broad industry relationships offer emerging artists from around the world access to the global music industry. Make sure to check out these bands that Inkcarceration and ReverbNation has joined together in helping play this festival Inkcarceration is also thrilled to announce the tastiest part of the weekend – the food trucks! Food trucks being featured at the festival include our personal favorite Island Noodles Florida which we have to get at least once at every festival they show up to. Some of the others are Three Little Piggies BBQ, Tortilla Street Food, Bistro de Mohr, Zaki Grill, Loops, Holy Taco, Flora & Lily’s Mexican Kitchen, Big Bamboo Concessions, Pizza Cottage Food Truck, GET LOADED, Swat , Lynettes Country BBQ, OH Pizza and Brew, Smash Time , The Gaucho & The Gringa, and Stone Pelican Rolling Cafe. Tagged Absolute Hero, Alternative Rock, Avenues, Battle Of The Bands, Inkcarceration Music and Tattoo Festival, Nikol, Pop Punk, Punk Rock, reverbnation, The Unlawful. Bookmark the permalink. About Rattlehead Hi, Rattlehead here. I'm from India, and I'm obsessed with metal of all sub-genres but mostly into thrash and death. I also love other genres, like jazz, funk, rock, some punk, a bit of blues, some country, but well, metal is where I feel at home. I'm always on the run discovering new music. Fanboying Megadeth since I was 13. Love to talk about metal, sports and a little bit of everything here and there. I also love dissing your god, I love food, seeing metal gigs, traveling and also a metal merch and record collector. I hope you like what I write and the music I suggest you. Please do share if you like. Cheers and stay heavy \m/ View all posts by Rattlehead → Things You Didn’t Know About Smokeless Tobacco Treating Premature Ejaculation At Home This 2020 How Can Online Casino Players Benefit from Free Spins? What Are the Rules of Solitaire FreeCell Game and How to Play It Online for Free? Unusual Musical Instruments in Rock Music Bourbon & Beyond Black Label Society (Pikeville, KY) USB Memory Direct www.usbmemorydirect.com Copyright © All Rights Reserved. 2014-2021 Metal Nexus Metal Nexus \| Powered by Mantra & WordPress.	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0037.json.gz/line2503
__label__wiki	0.776772	0.776772	Lightstream, Inc., acquired Arsenal.gg Like Arsenal.gg Niche Software By Arsenal.gg By Lightstream, Inc. Lightstream, Inc. Competitor`s Deals Higher-Ed Media and Tech synopsis: Lightstream, an innovator in live streaming technology, has acquired Arsenal.gg, the industry-leading discovery and analytics tool for live video game streaming content. Lightstream delivers innovative, creative broadcasting technology and products that empower storytellers and address the biggest challenges streamers and content creators face. buyer: Lightstream, Inc. Lightstream is a Chicago-based startup built with a true passion for live video production, gaming and supporting the explosive growth of creators and their communities. Its cloud-based technology and products transform difficult technical hurdles into streamlined workflows. " target: Arsenal.gg Arsenal.gg is a live streaming data and analytics platform. For individual creators, it delivers free performance statistics and insights to grow their channels. Jive Software, acquired CLARA ehf synopsis: Jive Software announced that they've acquired the Icelandic startup, Clara. The reported price was approximately €6.8 million. CLARA produces community analytics tools that allow businesses to understand, monitor, and engage with their members on online platforms. They have 16 people distributed between San Francisco, London, and Reykjavik. buyer: Jive Software (JIVE:$204.09) Jive is the pioneer and world’s leading provider of social business solutions. Their products apply powerful technology that helps people connect, communicate and collaborate to get more work done and solve the biggest business challenges. " target: CLARA ehf CLARA ehf provides CLARA Insight, a community analytics tool for community managers. Its solution enables community managers to improve their efficiency by analyzing sentiment and trending discussions, and marketing managers to get insights into their community with actionable metrics. closed 7/13/2020 via BusinessWire NetApp, acquired Spot.io synopsis: NetApp, the leader in cloud data services, has completed its acquisition of Spot, a leader in compute management and cost optimization on the public clouds, to establish leadership in Application Driven Infrastructure. buyer: NetApp (NTAP:$5,412.00) NetApp is the leader in cloud data services, empowering global organizations to change their world with data. NetApp helps clients build their unique data fabric, simplify hybrid multi-cloud, and securely deliver the right data, services, and applications to the right people at the right time. " target: Spot.io Spot, formerly Spotinst, is a leading provider of software that empowers CloudOps team to get the most out of their cloud. Its product portfolio helps companies optimize and automate their cloud use to maximize the value and availability of their cloud infrastructure while minimizing waste. Cima Group, Inc., acquired Knetik Inc. synopsis: Cima Group, a telecommunications and digital conglomerate, announced they have finalized the acquisition of Knetik Inc, a Platform as a Service (PaaS) company that provides intelligent revenue-optimization with its business rules automation, digital and physical entitlements, and contextualized analytics. buyer: Cima Group, Inc. Cima Group is a global telecommunications and digital solutions provider and integrator. Cima Group is committed to delivering simple solutions through reliable technology and innovative services. " target: Knetik Inc. Knetik is a Platform as a Solution (PaaS) that provides for services management of any digital experience online. Powering personalization, engagement, and monetization, the Knetik Platform enables clients to rapidly deploy next-generation services leveraging a robust and scalable back-end. closed 2/9/2016 via Market Wire Pocket Games, Inc., acquired Viximo, Inc. synopsis: Pocket Games, a video game development and testing company focused on full-spectrum game testing and the acquisition and growth of innovative IP in the video game space, acquired Viximo, a social gaming platform that empowers social networks and game developers to capitalize on social application and gaming opportunities. buyer: Pocket Games, Inc. (OTCPK:PKGM:$0.06) Pocket Games, Inc. is a video game development and testing company focused on full-spectrum game testing and the acquisition and growth of innovative IP in the video game space. . " target: Viximo, Inc. Viximo, Inc. empowers social networks and game developers to capitalize on social application and gaming through its "write once, deploy everywhere" social gaming platform. Viximo's platform is complete with social tools, payment options, one click purchasing and a robust virtual currency system. announced 12/5/2018 via Company Press Release asknet AG, will acquire Nexway synopsis: asknet, a German based supplier of e-business technologies and solutions, will acquire Nexway, a French leader in software, game and digital service monetization. Nexway's solutions enables businesses to monetize products and services through a suite of micro-services and connects them to a powerful content and distribution network. buyer parent: The Native SA buyer: asknet AG (:$86.01) asknet is a German based supplier of e-business technologies and solutions for the global distribution and management of digital and physical goods. asknet provides online shops, subscription management and cloud services that fully integrate into existing websites, applications and backend systems." target: Nexway Nexway is a French leader in software, game and digital service monetization. Their Nexway MONETIZE SaaS solution enables businesses to monetize products and services through a suite of micro-services. Their Nexway CONNECT solution connects clients to a powerful content and distribution network. Google Inc., acquired Orbitera Inc. synopsis: Google, a top web property in all major global markets, announced that it has acquired Orbitera, a Cloud Commerce company that simplifies and automates the buying and selling of products in the cloud. Orbitera enable the operations and processes that software and service providers rely on to sell, distribute, and deliver their solutions. buyer: Google Inc. (GOOGL:$171,704.00) Google's innovative search technologies connect millions of people with information every day. Google is a top web property in all major global markets. Google's targeted advertising program provides businesses with measurable results, while enhancing the overall web experience for users. " target: Orbitera Inc. Orbitera is a Cloud Commerce company that simplifies and automates the buying and selling of products in the cloud. They enable the operations and processes that software and service providers rely on to sell, distribute, and deliver their solutions. LumenData, acquired Algorithms.io synopsis: LumenData has acquired Algorithms.io, Inc. Algorithms.io provides a cloud platform to easily collect, store, classify and analyze streaming data from applications, devices and sensors. It provides machine-learning algorithms for classifying streaming data and an analytics platform for providing valuable business insights. buyer: LumenData LumenData is a leading provider of Enterprise Information Management solutions with deep expertise in Master Data Management, Data Strategy, Data Quality, Data Governance and Big Data. " target: Algorithms.io Algorithms.io is a leading provider in predictive analytics for streaming machine-generated data. The Algorithms.io cloud platform is used in a variety of industries to extract actionable insights from streaming data generated by devices and sensors. Tilting Point, acquired Gondola synopsis: Tilting Point has acquired fellow mobile publisher service partner Gondola. Gondola pitches its service to game publishers as a way to use machine learning to increase the effectiveness of in-game offers and video ads. As part of the acquisition, Gondola's founders will take on roles with Tilting Point. buyer: Tilting Point Tilting Point is a new generation games partner for top independent development studios, with a focus on the rapidly growing mobile and tablet markets. Tilting Point empowers elite developers with expert resources, operational support, and funding to give carefully selected games mainstream success." target: Gondola Gondola leverages machine learning to optimize in-game offers and video ads. Product Managers make better decisions faster, growing more confident in their data and saving time on live ops. Publishers benefit from more efficiency and increased bottom line revenue. closed 10/27/2020 via BusinessWire Bob Swift Software, LLC, acquired Navarambh Software synopsis: Appfire, through its subsidiary Bob Swift Software, is acquiring six business intelligence (BI) apps from Navarambh Software. Navarambh Software is the developer of a variety of business intelligence apps including the all-in-one apps AIO Reports & Timesheets for Jira, AIO Tableau Connector for Jira, and AIO Power BI Connector for Jira. buyer parent: Appfire buyer: Bob Swift Software, LLC Bob Swift Software develops add-on software for Atlassian products including plugins, tools, and command line interfaces. With over 300,000 downloads, Bob Swift Software has provided solutions to increase productivity and extend capabilities for thousands of Atlassian customers. " target: Navarambh Software The acquisition includes six business intelligence apps from Navarambh Software, the developer of a variety of BI apps including the all-in-one apps AIO Reports & Timesheets for Jira, AIO Tableau Connector for Jira, and AIO Power BI Connector for Jira. announced 7/18/2019 via PR Newswire Vobile, Inc., will purchase RightsID and ChannelID from ZEFR, Inc. synopsis: Vobile Group, the leading choice for the protection, measurement and monetization of video content, announced an agreement under which Vobile will acquire the RightsID, a copyright management business, and ChannelID, a YouTube channel management business, from ZEFR, the leading contextual targeting platform for brands. buyer: Vobile, Inc. (SEHK:3738:$15.23) Vobile is the premier, trusted provider for protecting, measuring and monetizing online video content. They create technology solutions for content owners and distributors through their SaaS platform. With Vobile, users can reduce infringement-related revenue loss and increase video distribution. " seller: ZEFR, Inc. Zefr’s platform develops nuanced, dynamic targeting on the most brand-relevant videos for YouTube. Zefr owns RightsID, a copyright management business, and ChannelID, a YouTube channel management business. AppDynamics, will acquire Perspica, Inc. synopsis: Cisco announced that it intends to acquire Perspica, a machine learning-driven operations analytics firm. Cisco intends to fold Perspica’s team into AppDynamics. Perspica provides artificial intelligence powered analytics and observability for TechOps and DevOps. buyer parent: Cisco Systems, Inc. buyer: AppDynamics (APPD:$206.23) AppDynamics is the Application Intelligence company. With AppDynamics, enterprises have real-time insights into application performance, user performance and business performance so they can move faster in an increasingly sophisticated, software-driven world. " target: Perspica, Inc. Perspica provides artificial intelligence powered analytics and observability for TechOps and DevOps. Perspica's IT infrastructure products are designed to automate routine tasks and prevent application outages. Rally Software, acquired 6th Sense Analytics, Inc. synopsis: Rally Software Development Corp.®, the Agile lifecycle management leader, announced that it has acquired the assets of 6th Sense Analytics, Inc., provider of an on-demand automated metrics collection and analysis solution for development organizations. buyer: Rally Software (RALY:$92.52) Rally is the Agile lifecycle management leader dedicated to making development organizations leaner and more responsive to customer needs. The company’s end-to-end solutions for Agile development also include the largest collaborative Web 2.0 community dedicated to advancing software agility. " target: 6th Sense Analytics, Inc. 6th Sense Analytics™ is the leading hosted solution for the automated collection and analysis of accurate, activity-based software development metrics. announced 2/23/2010 via BusinessWire Millennial Media, will acquire TapMetrics, Inc. synopsis: Millennial Media, the largest independent mobile advertising network, announced that it will acquire TapMetrics, a San Francisco-based mobile analytics firm, focused on application usage and behavior. buyer: Millennial Media (NYSE:MM:$285.27) Millennial Media is the proven leader in mobile advertising. With the largest mobile media audience in the U.S., Millennial Media uniquely offers brand advertisers the only set of specific, scalable audiences. " target: TapMetrics, Inc. TapMetrics, Inc., an early innovator in mobile application analytics, is the creator of the TapMetrics™ software suite, designed specifically for the mobile developer to easily track analytics, reviews, revenue, and more in one simplified dashboard. Supersonic will be merged with ironSource, synopsis: Israeli tech firm IronSource has confirmed that it is merging with Supersonic, which specializes in user acquisition and in-app monetization for mobile apps and games. The aim is to create a one-stop shop for mobile monetization solutions that can help app developers scale up the number of users they have as quickly as possible. buyer: ironSource ironSource is a data and analytics company with a keen understanding of what content users want to see and when. Using proprietary data-driven technology, ironSource provides developers, carriers, device manufacturers & brands the platform to better understand and communicate with their users. " target: Supersonic Supersonic specializes in user acquisition and in-app monetization for mobile apps and games. Supersonic operates mainly in the Facebook segment and whose flagship product is a kind of virtual money for use in online games. Innive Inc., acquired Red Pill Analytics, LLC synopsis: Innive Inc., a leading technology and management consulting firm, has acquired Red Pill Analytics, a data and analytics company that helps customers see data differently. Red Pill Analytics combines the best elements of cloud-native technologies, agile development, and continuous innovation to form a unique solution called Elastic Delivery. buyer: Innive Inc. Innive is a leading technology and management consulting firm. Innive delivers end-to-end IT-enabled business services that help private and public organisations meet today’s complex business challenges. Their services encompass all aspects of Oracle E-Business Suite Applications. " target: Red Pill Analytics, LLC Red Pill Analytics is a data and analytics company that helps customers see data differently. Red Pill Analytics combines the best elements of cloud-native technologies, agile development, and continuous innovation to form a unique solution called Elastic Delivery. announced 11/2/2017 via BNC Analysis Stompy Bot Corporation, will acquire Token Play Inc. synopsis: Stompy Bot Corporation will acquire Token Play Inc. (Token), a private Ontario corporation headquartered in Toronto. Token is a technology company involved in the development of blockchain technology in the video game space which will seek to provide a platform for the exchange of in-game currencies and tokens. buyer: Stompy Bot Corporation Stompy Bot is an independent video game developer and digital media publisher. Stompy Bot's growth strategy is to become a premier independent multimedia publisher. " target: Token Play Inc. Token Play, based in Toronto, ON, is a technology company involved in the development of blockchain technology in the video game space which will seek to provide a platform for the exchange of in-game currencies and tokens. Microsoft Corporation, acquired Movere, Inc. synopsis: Microsoft has acquired Movere, a SaaS platform that increases business intelligence by accurately presenting entire IT environments within a single day, providing enterprises with the confidence they need to have visibility and control of their environments regardless of platform, application or geography. buyer: Microsoft Corporation (MSFT:$143,015.00) Microsoft is the leading software corporation that develops, manufactures, licenses, supports, and sells a range of software products and services. They offer Business Software, Design Tools, Developer Tools, Home & Educational Software, Tablets, Search, Advertising, Cloud Computing and more. " target: Movere, Inc. Movere is a SaaS platform that increases business intelligence by accurately presenting entire IT environments within a single day, providing enterprises with the confidence they need to have visibility and control of their environments regardless of platform, application or geography. VMware, Inc., will acquire Wavefront synopsis: VMware, a global leader in cloud infrastructure and business mobility, is to acquire Wavefront, makers of a metrics monitoring service for cloud applications. As a cloud-hosted service, Wavefront ingests, stores, visualizes, and alerts on streaming metric data from clouds and applications. buyer parent: Dell, Inc. buyer: VMware, Inc. (VMW:$11,338.00) VMware, a leader in cloud infrastructure and business mobility, helps customers accelerate their digital transformation. VMware enables enterprises to master a software-defined approach to business and IT with VMware Cross-Cloud Architecture™ and solutions for the data center, mobility, & security. " target: Wavefront Wavefront, Inc. operates a cloud-based analytics platform for managing data centers. As a cloud-hosted service, Wavefront ingests, stores, visualizes, and alerts on streaming metric data from clouds and applications. closed 12/22/2011 via PR Web VARStreet, acquired VARStreet synopsis: Autotask Corporation, a provider of hosted IT business management solutions, announced that it has signed an agreement to transfer ownership of its VARStreet quoting and e-commerce product line through an employee buyout. The new company, VARStreet, Inc, backed by private investors will be led by VARStreet veterans Shankar Gopalan and Shiv Agarwal. buyer: VARStreet Fueled by more than $20 million in capital investment, the VARStreet platform is widely regarded as the most powerful and comprehensive suite of hosted e-commerce automation tools for VARs, MSPs and other IT solutions providers on the market. " target parent: Autotask Corporation target: VARStreet Fueled by more than $20 million in capital investment, the VARStreet platform is widely regarded as the most powerful and comprehensive suite of hosted e-commerce automation tools for VARs, MSPs and other IT solutions providers on the market. Lightstream, Inc., acquired GameWisp synopsis: Lightstream, an innovator in live streaming technology, has acquired Gamewisp, a monetisation platform for streamers. Gamewisp provides subscription tools that make it easy for streamers to engage and reward their subscribers. Their platform enable streamers to create up to 6 fully customizable subscription tiers and manage subscription benefits. target: GameWisp Gamewisp is a monetisation platform for streamers. Gamewisp provides subscription tools that make it easy for streamers to engage and reward their subscribers. Their platform enable streamers to create up to 6 fully customizable subscription tiers and manage subscription benefits. Facebook, acquired Vidpresso synopsis: Facebook has hired the team behind Vidpresso, a startup focused on helping broadcasters with streaming videos to Facebook Live and other social platforms. The social media giant also acquired certain assets related to Vidpresso’s technology. buyer: Facebook (FB:$78,975.00) Facebook is a social utility that helps people better understand the world around them. Facebook develops technologies that facilitate the spread of information through social networks allowing people to share information online the same way they do in the real world. " target: Vidpresso Vidpresso, Inc. provides a solution for broadcasters, event producers, and podcasters to use social media in their live productions. The company was founded in 2012 and is headquartered in Ogden, Utah. Lytro, acquired Limitless Ltd. synopsis: Limitless, a company developing content and tools for creating cinematic VR experiences, has joined Lytro. Seattle-based virtual reality company Limitless offers a cloud-based animation toolset that allows rapid prototyping of animated VR content inside a virtual reality world. buyer: Lytro Lytro is building the world’s most powerful Light Field imaging platform enabling artists, scientists and innovators to pursue their goals with unprecedented levels of freedom and flexibility. Lytro Cinema is the world's first Light Field capture system for cinematic content. " target: Limitless Ltd. Seattle-based virtual reality company Limitless offers a cloud-based animation toolset that allows rapid prototyping of animated VR content inside a virtual reality world. Bally Technologies, Inc., will purchase B2B iGaming Platform from Chiligaming synopsis: Bally Technologies, Inc., a leader in slots, video machines, casino-management, mobile and interactive solutions, and networked systems, announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Chiligaming LTD’s Business-to-Business iGaming platform. buyer: Bally Technologies, Inc. (BYI:$1,137.28) With a history dating back to 1932, Las Vegas-based Bally Technologies designs, manufactures, operates and distributes advanced gaming devices, systems and technology solutions worldwide. " seller: Chiligaming Chiligaming is an international developer and operator of multi-platform social games and gambling products. At the heart the operation is its unique proprietary iGaming platform, which enables it to connect to any gaming content provider or network. Hopin, acquired StreamYard, Inc. synopsis: Hopin, a leading virtual events platform, announced that it has acquired StreamYard, a live video streaming studio that allows content creators to produce professional-quality video streaming experiences. The purchase will allow Hopin to provide advanced video production features to Hopin event organizers. buyer: Hopin Hopin, based in the UK, is the first all-in-one live virtual events platform where attendees can learn, interact, and connect with people from anywhere in the world. With Hopin, their customers can create live virtual and hybrid events that are interactive and immersive. " target: StreamYard, Inc. StreamYard provides a live video streaming studio that allows content creators to produce professional-quality streaming experiences.StreamYard’s cloud-based solution makes it easy to create graphically-rich branded experiences, host multiple guests at once, and engage with viewers. Logitech International, will acquire Streamlabs synopsis: Logitech International, a multi-brand product company for music, gaming, video, and computing, will acquire Streamlabs, a leader in software and tools for live streaming. Streamlabs allows game streamers to engage with viewers, grow their brands and channels, and monetize their broadcasts across platforms like Twitch, YouTube, Mixer, and Facebook. buyer: Logitech International (LOGI:$2,824.07) Logitech is a multi-brand company that designs products that bring people together and connects them to digital experiences through music, gaming, video, and computing. Brands of Logitech include Logitech, Logitech G, ASTRO Gaming, Ultimate Ears, Jaybird, and Blue Microphones " target: Streamlabs Streamlabs is the leading provider of tools for professional streamers. Founded in 2014, its groundbreaking software, Streamlabs OBS, offers the largest set of features that content creators use to grow their audiences, engage with fans, and monetize their streams. Starfish Media N.V., acquired VueTec Ltd. synopsis: Angler Gaming’s subsidiary Starfish Media N.V. has acquired assets consisting of the brand, domains and player database from Vuetec Limited. VueTec provides Distance Gaming software that allows patrons to participate directly in games being played in real casinos, and allows operators to add a live gaming platform to their existing site. buyer parent: Angler Gaming plc buyer: Starfish Media N.V. Starfish Media is a company based in Curaҫao, operating since 2012 with the objective to provide players with first class online gaming sites. They develop, maintain and operate user friendly, trustworthy and secure sites that offer the ultimate online gaming experience. " target: VueTec Ltd. VueTec’s Distance Gaming software first launched in 2002 and has allowed patrons to participate directly in games being played in real casinos, and allows operators to add a live gaming platform to their existing site, offering unrivalled trust and transparency to their members. Branded Entertainment Network, acquired TubeBuddy synopsis: BEN, the entertainment AI company, has acquired TubeBuddy, the largest platform to help YouTube creators optimize their audience and channel growth. With the acquisition of TubeBuddy, BEN will extend its resources directly to the creator community, helping them to grow and monetize their content initiatives. buyer: Branded Entertainment Network BEN Group is an entertainment AI company that places brands into influencer, streaming, TV, music, and film content. BEN Group consists of the world’s largest influencer marketing business, the world’s largest product placement agency, and Greenlight, a global rights and licensing business. " target: TubeBuddy TubeBuddy has become the largest platform for YouTube channel management, optimization, and audience growth, helping millions of creators with a wide range of tools, including keyword research, thumbnail generation, A/B testing, bulk processing, and advanced analytics. Battery Ventures, acquired Stretch Internet synopsis: CE Holdco, LLC, a portfolio company of Battery Ventures, a global technology-focused investment firm, has completed the acquisition of Stretch Internet LLC, the #1 streaming provider in the U.S. collegiate athletic space, catering to 40% of the 1,300+ four-year schools in the major athletics organizations (NCAA and NAIA). buyer: Battery Ventures Battery Ventures is a global technology-focused investment firm pursuing the most promising companies and ideas. Founded in 1983, the firm makes venture-capital and private-equity investments from its offices in Boston, Silicon Valley, London and Israel. " target: Stretch Internet Stretch Internet LLC, located in Gilbert, Arizona, is the #1 streaming provider in the U.S. collegiate athletic space, catering to 40% of the 1,300+ four-year schools in the major athletics organizations (NCAA and NAIA) and partnering with 32% of all collegiate conferences. Flash Seats, acquired Vertical Alliance synopsis: Flash Seats™, which revolutionized the secondary resale ticketing marketplace via paperless electronic ticketing technology and integrated relationship marketing tools, has acquired Dallas-based Vertical Alliance, which offers the most advanced primary ticketing solution available. buyer: Flash Seats Flash Seats™offers an innovative, cutting-edge solution combining electronic venue access, a branded marketplace for electronic event access rights, and a retail-class behavioral marketing system for the sports and entertainment industries. " target: Vertical Alliance Vertical Alliance offers a single integrated ticketing solution that increases venue yield per event while building customer loyalty. Integrate your ticketing (event and parking), merchandising and eCommerce. One platform. One universal database. b8ta, Inc., acquired Re:Store synopsis: b8ta, a retail-as-a-service company, has acquired Re:store, a startup that brings retail-as-a-service to online fashion brands at Maiden Lane in San Francisco. By acquiring Re:store, b8ta bids to be the go-to leader for growing direct-to-consumer brands seeking omni-channel distribution. buyer: b8ta, Inc. b8ta is a retail-as-a-service company. From its award-winning experiential stores in cities nationwide, to its powerful software & analytics platform used by retailers across the globe, b8ta is the company shaping the future of shopping in person. " target: Re:Store Re:store is a startup that brings retail-as-a-service to online fashion brands. Re:store innovated IRL distribution with their retail-as-a-service model that provided turnkey placement with a proprietary dashboard, giving real time visibility to automate merchandising, buying & logistics. JPJ Group plc, will acquire Gamesys Limited synopsis: London-listed JPJ Group Plc will acquire operating partner Gamesys Limited outright, a UK-based online gambling software developer and operator. Gamesys operates several of the UK and Europe’s leading online social and real money slots, casino and bingo sites on both web and mobile and tablet with new products and apps being released regularly. buyer: JPJ Group plc (LSE:JPJ:$412.79) JPJ Group plc is a UK-based online gaming holding company. The group is a global bingo-led operator with a strong portfolio of online gaming brands. JPJ Group offers bingo and casino games to its customers through Jackpotjoy, Starspins, Botemania, Vera&John, InterCasino and other brands. " target: Gamesys Limited UK-based Gamesys Limited is an online gambling software developer and operator and currently operate several of the UK and Europe’s leading online social and real money slots, casino and bingo sites on both web and mobile and tablet with new products and apps being released regularly. SnobSwap, acquired Masquerade synopsis: SnobSwap, a leading provider of e-commerce solutions for the brick-and-mortar resale industry has announced the acquisition of Masquerade, an omnichannel clothing solution. Masquerade, founded by David Engle and Jackson Geller, provides an omnichannel solution for selling apparel and accessories across multiple platforms. buyer: SnobSwap SnobSwap connects consumers with a curated network of designer consignment and vintage resale stores around the world, which is driven by SnobSwap’s proprietary e-commerce solutions. " target: Masquerade Masquerade, founded by David Engle and Jackson Geller, provides an omnichannel solution for selling secondhand apparel across multiple channels with the click of a button. Rakuten Inc., acquired Fits.me synopsis: Rakuten, Inc., a global leader in e-commerce, announced that it has acquired a 100% stake in fit preference specialist Fits.me. Fits.me’s pioneering virtual fitting room technology has been changing how top brands, such as Thomas Pink, QVC and Pretty Green sell clothing online. buyer: Rakuten Inc. (TSE:4755:$13,427.32) Rakuten, Inc. is one of the world's leading Internet services companies. They provide a variety of products and services for consumers and businesses, with a focus on e-commerce, finance, and digital content. " target: Fits.me Fits.me is a virtual fitting room for online clothing retailers. It has brought together competences from diverse fields ranging from apparel design and anthropometrics to IT, robotics and engineering. Visaic, Inc., acquired Yare Media Group Inc. synopsis: Visaic, Inc., a provider of cloud-based content delivery solutions announced the acquisition of successful Vancouver-based streaming platform company YARE Media. Yare provides solutions to address changing content distribution models in entertainment. buyer: Visaic, Inc. Formed by a team of streaming industry veterans, Visaic operates a live and on-demand over-the-top (OTT) platform for distribution and monetization of content worldwide and offers cinemas a rich portfolio of live internationally recognized sports and events such as: soccer, basketball, and more. " target: Yare Media Group Inc. Yare is a streaming media company headquartered in Vancouver, BC. Yare provides solutions to address changing content distribution models in entertainment. The company focuses on helping organizations implement market strategies that generate new over-the-top (OTT) digital revenues. Eventbrite, acquired ToneDen synopsis: Eventbrite, Inc., a global self-service ticketing and experience technology platform, has acquired ToneDen, a self-service social-marketing platform. ToneDen helps creators, live events and e-commerce companies reach and sell to their audiences online. The platform features playbooks, Facebook messaging solutions, and web marketing tools. buyer: Eventbrite (EB:$162.01) Eventbrite is a global ticketing and event technology platform. Eventbrite’s unique and powerful platform enables creators of all shapes and sizes with tools and resources to seamlessly plan, promote, and produce live events around the world. " target: ToneDen ToneDen is a self-service social-marketing platform. ToneDen helps creators, live events and e-commerce companies reach and sell to their audiences online. The platform features playbooks, Facebook messaging solutions, and web marketing tools to help users build and grow a lasting brand online. Patreon, acquired Memberful synopsis: Patreon, a company which allows creators to earn an income through patron memberships, has announced that it is acquiring Memberful, a software company which lets artists and content creators add memberships to their existing platforms. buyer: Patreon Patreon is a membership platform that provides business tools for creators to run a subscription content service, as well as ways for artists to build relationships and provide exclusive experiences to their subscribers, or "patrons." " target: Memberful Memberful is a software company which lets artists and content creators add memberships to their existing platforms. Memberful is a service for independent creators, educators, and publishers who prefer to have complete control over their membership program. closed 10/5/2016 via PR Newswire TuneCore, acquired JustGo synopsis: TuneCore, the leading digital music distribution and publishing administration provider, announced the acquisition of JustGo and the launch of TuneCore Social, an all-in-one social media management and analytics tool for musicians that is free to use for all of its distribution customers in the U.S., Canada, UK and Australia markets. buyer parent: Believe Digital buyer: TuneCore TuneCore brings more music to more people, while helping musicians and songwriters increase money-earning opportunities and take charge of their own careers. Their TuneCore Music Distribution services help artists, labels and managers sell their music through iTunes, Amazon Music, and more. " target: JustGo Founded in 2013, JustGo is a social media and audience management platform for creators. They are able to seamlessly publish content to and blend the data aggregation of multiple platforms into a comprehensive view of what social media content is working well with one’s audience. Ticker: SEHK:3738 Vobile, Inc. Vobile is the premier, trusted provider for protecting, measuring and monetizing online video content. They create technology solutions for content owners and distributors through their SaaS platform. With Vobile, users can reduce infringement-related revenue loss and increase video distribution. Ticker: UPLD Upland Software Upland Software is a leading provider of cloud-based Enterprise Work Management software. Their applications enables users to manage their projects, professional workforce and IT investments, automate document-intensive business processes and engage with their customers, prospects and community. Ticker: ENXTPA:ALEZV EasyVista is a global software provider of intelligent service automation solutions for enterprise service management and self-help. Ticker: NYSE:NOW ServiceNow is changing the way people work. With a service-orientation toward the activities, tasks and processes that make up day-to-day work life, ServiceNow helps the modern enterprise operate faster and be more scalable than ever before. Ticker: TSXV:BKD Breaking Data Corporation Breaking Data Corp. is a technology provider of semantic search, machine learning and natural language processing ("NLP"). The Company's technology platform has many practical applications, in multiple business and consumer verticals that are immersed in massive media and data rich settings. Ticker: BCOV Brightcove, Inc. Brightcove Inc. is the leading global provider of powerful cloud solutions for managing, delivering, and monetizing video experiences on every screen. Ticker: IGNMF Imagination Technologies Group plc Imagination Technologies Group plc – a global leader in multimedia and communication technologies – creates and licenses market-leading processor cores for graphics, video, multi-threaded embedded processing/DSP and multi-standard communications applications. fe47503d-7814-4c77-9323-4032fb980898	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0037.json.gz/line2511
__label__cc	0.558185	0.441815	Oregon police may have to retire their pot-sniffing dogs Posted on May 1, 2015 April 30, 2015 by Online Staff In this April 29, 2015, photo, Medford Police Officer Levi Friend poses for a photo with Cody, a drug detection dog at the Medford Police Department in Medford, Ore. The two drug-sniffing canines that work for Medford police could face early retirement because they are too good at detecting marijuana, which will become legal July 1. (Jamie Lusch/The Medford Mail Tribune via AP) Narc and Cody are finding out there’s truth to the adage “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks,” reports the Mail Tribune in Medford, Oregon. The two drug-sniffing canines that work for Medford police could face early retirement because they are too good at detecting marijuana, which will become legal July 1. “It’s kind of sad,” Deputy Chief Brett Johnson said. “Nobody wants to see a dog lose its job.” The issue arises because drug-sniffing dogs are often used to provide leads — probable cause — that can allow police to search people or property for drugs. If a suspect were carrying marijuana and heroin and a dog trained to smell both indicated the presence of a drug, any arrest could be invalidated, because the dog may have been smelling legal marijuana. Because it’s difficult to retrain a dog on what to search for with its nose, one or both dogs may be phased out. Medford police have requested $24,000 in the upcoming city budget for new dogs trained to smell only heroin, cocaine and methamphetamine, and not marijuana. Each dog costs $12,000, an amount that includes extensive training and certification. Law enforcement agencies across the state are facing similar issues after voters approved Ballot Measure 91 last November, which made pot legal for anyone 21 and older. Statewide there are 150 dogs working for various law enforcement agencies, according to the Oregon Police Canine Association. About 60 of the dogs are assigned to drug enforcement. The dogs will get a good home, police Chief Tim George promised. They definitely would not be euthanized, he said. George said the ability to detect marijuana will become a mostly unneeded skill as more residents of Jackson County grow both medical and recreational cannabis in an area that’s known for producing high-quality marijuana. “We are marijuana central,” he said. “Nobody does it better than we do.” Home marijuana dog, Oregon marijuana	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0037.json.gz/line2512
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Proline was first isolated buy drug soma 500mg online with mastercard in 1900 by Richard Willstätter who obtained the amino acid while studying N-methylproline. Snyder was named a director at Teva. See the overview purchase soma 350mg in the uk chart at the top of the page for recent numbers. British space rock group Hawkwind. Glaphyridae is a family of beetles, commonly known as bumble bee scarab beetles. Clindamycin is a semisynthetic derivative purchase soma 350mg in the uk of lincomycin, a natural antibiotic produced by the actinobacterium Streptomyces lincolnensis. Aspirin is a first-line treatment for the fever and joint-pain symptoms of acute rheumatic fever. However, there are some references to BZP in medical literature cheapest generic soma 500mg in houston that predate interest in piperazines as antihelminthics. Tolerance and withdrawal symptoms are a common occurrence in prescribed therapeutic users as well as non-medical recreational users. The type species is Koshisaurus katsuyama. purchase carisoprodol 500mg online with mastercard Bariatric surgery has also been proposed carisoprodol 350mg prescription probation as another approach to treat BED and a recent meta-analysis showed that approximately two-thirds of cheap carisoprodol 350mg with paypal individuals who seek this type of surgery for weight loss purposes have BED. Folate levels in the individual may affect the course of pathological Purchase Sibutramine 15mg in hanoi changes and symptomatology of vitamin B12 deficiency. However, order soma online the new CoEs will help accelerate purchase soma 350mg in the uk this growth to 20 per Purchase alprazolam 1mg in canada cent, he purchase soma 350mg in the uk felt. Where to purchase Carisoprodol 350mg online legitimate where to purchase soma 500mg in bangkok Their purely physical characteristics, of the timpani and membranophones and so on, when the skin vibrates, or the wood is touched, respond. 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Tolerance and dependence can develop with carisoprodol 500mg prescription los angeles long-term use of prazepam, and upon carisoprodol uk cessation or reduction in dosage, then a benzodiazepine withdrawal syndrome Purchase generic lorazepam 2mg online legit may purchase soma 350mg in the uk occur with symptoms such as tremulousness, dysphoria, psychomotor agitation, tachycardia and sweating. Cruz is generally well-liked by his co-workers and is often seen cracking jokes and exchanging banter with the rest of the crew. Dussek's Military Concerto was repeated. Non-amine metabolites may also contribute to the antidepressant effects of this medication. Musical society in Rome also owed much to Corelli. It also has the ability to be mercerized purchase soma 350mg in the uk like cotton. State laws vary considerably as non-medical cannabis and derived products have been legalized in some jurisdictions in the 2010s. To achieve the desired result of showing a corrupt official, there was no need for the man to be made out to be black. The effects of buy drug carisoprodol 350mg online with american express the toxic venom present with a predictable course of symptoms until treatment is received. They continued the tradition of castle-building and seaborne trade established by previous Somali empires. L per year drop in total cholesterol levels. Thus, much less is actually produced than could be produced. Peptide hormones are water-soluble hormones purchase soma 350mg in the uk composed of a few amino acids that introduce a series of chemical reactions to change the cell's metabolism. Parents strove to get their children into the classes. Buy cheap Carisoprodol mastercard Carisoprodol 350mg prescription san diego Want to buy ultram tablets online Zolpidem discount	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0037.json.gz/line2513
__label__wiki	0.666525	0.666525	Last Updated: Saturday, 23 December 2006, 12:28 GMT An army Christmas in Iraq By Martin Bell BBC News, Iraq There are more than 7,000 British troops in southern Iraq Thousands of British troops remain in Iraq and most of them will remain on duty over Christmas. Army padres there will be trying to give the troops some spiritual cheer over the festive period. There is not much to be said for war. But one thing it does is to allow the military chaplains to hold their Christmas services at the right time, with the men and women of the armed forces all around them. At home the services would be held days or even weeks before the event, in garrison churches, before the regiments dispersed for Christmas. By contrast the 12 chaplains - 11 from the Army and one from the Air Force - serving more than 7,000 troops in southern Iraq will be in the thick of things. They will hold midnight Masses and carol services in every unit for those who wish to attend provided they are off duty. For the rest, Christmas is like any other day. Patron of lost causes Those attacking them do not take the day off and the defenders will, if anything, be extra vigilant. We might want to give them encouragement and help rather than pull them down Reverend Andrew Martlew British chaplain Rocket and mortar attacks on British bases occur every day - three rockets fell on the Shaiba logistics base while we were with a padre visiting a sentry on a watchtower. An artillery battery which went home on the last rotation lost four men killed out of 110: in modern soldiering, those are not light casualties. Some of the young men, aged 18 or 19, are on their first operational duty, and even in their first foreign country. Others have had one, two or even three previous tours of duty in Iraq. All of them are facing six months of concentrated reality amid conditions of hardship, danger and boredom, which most of us who live in peace and comfort can hardly imagine. Their homes are tents and their churches are portakabins. In such conditions one of the few advantages of being an Army padre rather than a village vicar is that you can rename your church if you want to. The Reverend Andrew Martlew, chaplain to 40 Field Regiment of the Royal Artillery, holds services in a metal hut behind blast walls 10ft high which, when he arrived, was the Church of St Paul in the Desert. It is now the Church of St Jude. St Jude is known, among his other functions, as the patron saint of lost causes. Fag-break visits The chaplains are frank about it: their task is harder because the soldiers feel more isolated, and have more questions to ask, because they are serving in a cause that is either unpopular or misunderstood at home. Tony Blair spent three hours meeting troops before Christmas The padres also wonder, "What are we doing here and why?" The Reverend Andrew Martlew adds: "This is quite a difficult thing to say and an even more difficult thing to think, but almost by taking the Queen's Shilling we're putting elements of our consciences into cold storage. "In order to help the guys we might be not necessarily economical with the truth, but we might want to give them encouragement and help rather than pull them down." Another sign of Christmas is the seasonal migration of chiefs of staff and politicians. Like birds of passage, they fly into Basra and then out again. As a disaffected soldier put it, they stay for the length of a fag break. Tony Blair, on his fourth and last pre-Christmas visit, actually spent three hours with the troops. The theatre of war - an aircraft hanger at Basra Air Station - was decorated with two Challenger tanks outside and two Warrior armoured personnel carriers, a Lynx helicopter and 300 serving men and women of all three armed forces inside. These things are not left to chance. The prime minister's travelling party of 13, excluding bodyguards, included seven whose job was in one way or another to deal with the press. Twenty reporters were also on the plane. That is a ratio of more than one to three of sheepdogs to sheep. On what is still a controversial conflict, presentation matters. Getting on with it The prime minister insisted there was no change of policy: "British troops will stay until the job is done." Yet the soldiers themselves know that the Shaibah logistical base will be handed back to the Iraqis in the spring or early summer. The three British bases in Basra will close. Forces will be concentrated around the airport. The visible symbols of occupation, like tanks in the streets, will diminish to little or nothing. The conditions will be in place to declare victory - or at least something less than defeat - and leave the field. The troops just get on with it. They always have. They always will. If there is a message from them this winter, it is more than one of seasonal goodwill. It is: remember we are here. We are here to stay or, better still, to go. And - please - do not take us for granted. From Our Own Correspondent was broadcast on Saturday 23 December, 2006 at 1130 GMT on BBC Radio 4. Please check the programme schedules for World Service transmission times. Martin Bell will be presenting a Radio 4 documentary about the role of padres in the British army, God and the Gun early in 2007. Read more personal reflections from BBC correspondents around the world Alan Johnston in Italy Kevin Connolly on intervention in Syria Jenny Cuffe in Zimbabwe Nick Thorpe in Hungary Kieran Cooke in Ireland Anniversary website SEARCH FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT: Download or subscribe to this programme's podcast MOST POPULAR STORIES NOW Tourists flock to 'Jesus's tomb' in Kashmir Most popular now, in detail FEATURES, VIEWS, ANALYSIS Has China's housing bubble burst? The guerilla plant How the world's oldest clove tree defied an empire Why Royal Ballet principal Sergei Polunin quit Most Popular Now \| 56,514 people are reading stories on the site right now.";	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0037.json.gz/line2516
__label__cc	0.595062	0.404938	Occasional Planet Progressive Voices Speaking Out Click Quotes Walt, Anne and Jesus: Mystery on the Magazine Rack February 21, 2019 Renee Shur Humor, Ideas Leave a comment What do Jesus, Walt Disney, and Anne Frank have in common? Perhaps this seems like a question that reeks of such absurdity that it’s hardly worth expending even a single gray cell to try to answer it. Believe it or not, this was the unexpected question I was forced to ponder when my spouse and I stopped into a Whole Foods market in Albany, New York, to purchase a few loaves of bread. I never could have predicted the cognitive challenge that awaited me that day at the most unlikely of places—the checkout counter. For the average shopper like myself—standing in line to pay for bread or for perfect, unblemished fruits, or perhaps to slap down the big bucks for containers of over-priced ready-mades—the last thing one might have expected to find were the faces of Jesus, Walt, and Anne on the covers of three glossy periodicals in a food store. But there they were, lined up as if they were your run-of-the-mill trio of celebrities sharing a moment of camaraderie. Why those three? Here was an unexpected mystery waiting to be solved. The question of the meaning behind why such odd bedfellows were placed in juxtaposition has bothered me since that day. Jesus, Walt Disney, and Anne Frank. Just saying their names together inspires a fog of confusion and discomfort. Had the publishers or distributors of these glossies sat around a polished conference table one afternoon sipping lattes, while hatching a conspiracy to intentionally disrupt the relaxing experience of a few minutes of guilt-free food voyeurism? Did they hope to disorient, confuse, and challenge shoppers so thoroughly that they would return to the food palace sooner than expected to try to puzzle out the mystery? Instead of encouraging last-minute impulse buying, had they plotted to encourage an existential crisis? And why would the marketers bother with disruption when their job was to encourage one final impulse buy at the checkout counter at the end of a shopping experience defined by an endless stream of impulse buys? I had so many questions and so few answers. I wondered: Were we now supposed to understand Jesus, Walt, and Anne as celebrity influencers, like the Kardashians? Without being disrespectful, one certainly could make the case for Jesus and Walt Disney. After all, the number of Jesus’s followers grew exponentially as the centuries wore on. By the middle of the twentieth century, there were more than two billion Christians worldwide. That’s a heck of a lot of influence. If you wanted to give an award to one of the greatest influencers of all time, you’d have no choice but to hand the golden chalice to Jesus. Jesus, after all, far outstrips in numbers of followers the most followed Twitter accounts of the number one, two, and three champion influencers today: Katy Perry (106.94 million), Justin Bieber (105.04 million), and Barack Obama (104.36 million). And what about Walt? Disney arguably was one of the most successful influencers of the modern era. Just consider that Walt, the company he founded, and his heirs have constructed numerous pleasure playgrounds across the globe, and that every year more than 40 million visitors worldwide flock to the sugar-coated fantasy that is the Disney experience. But then there was Anne. Anne Frank as influencer? I just couldn’t see it. Next, I wondered whether the life spans of these three icons could have explained their odd cohabitation on the magazine rack. Unfortunately, the mystery wouldn’t be solved with such a simple explanation: Anne lived until the age of 15. Walt lived to the age of 65, and Jesus lived, according to the calculations of Christian scholars, to about the age of 33. Could the message be that Whole Foods sought a visual signal to crow about their diversity creds? If that were the case, then Anne and Jesus’s Semitic features cohabiting with Walt and Mickey filled in the diversity requirement in a decidedly weird and ironic way. That seemed to be an interesting line of thought, but, unfortunately, one that didn’t seem to adequately solve the mystery. Descending farther into the black hole of Jesus, Walt, and Anne, I allowed myself to consider whether there might be a hint in all of this about personal tragedy and the cruelty of destiny. Was suffering the thread that united these three? No need to recount the unimaginable cruelties visited on Jesus and Anne, but Walt? Where did Walt fit in? Confronting this philosophical impasse in such an unlikely place like Whole Foods was leading me to a dark place—as one conundrum piled on top of another conundrum. I had to ask myself: Was this the positive consumer experience Whole Foods was after? The mystery deepened. Why would the expert marketers and purveyors of the pleasures of the palate encourage thoughts about tragedy and destiny? Finally, in a state of self-imposed obsession, I considered whether this weird juxtaposition might signal something about the trio’s visionary intelligence and rebelliousness. Perhaps these characteristics were those that would solve what seemed to be the unsolvable. As I ticked off what I thought I knew about the lives of the three icons, I began to suspect that I’d finally hit on the key that would unlock the mystery. All three had proved themselves to be out-of-the-box thinkers. Jesus and Walt certainly were visionaries, and Anne, in the words she left us in her diary, proved to be one as well. Each, in their own way, was a true rebel. A few days ago, my spouse and I returned to Whole Foods to purchase a few more loaves of bread. I walked over to the checkout counter to see if Jesus, Walt, and Anne were still there. They were. But this time they and I seemed more comfortable with their presence together in that unlikely place. The mystery, perhaps, was solved. Anne FrankJesusMagazinesWalt Disney Previous Post:Questions that Amy Klobuchar and all Democrats should be asked Next Post:In defense of Trump, and 5th Grade Students The Incoming Biden Team: A Review Time to Act: But what are the crucial goals? Goodbye Washington. Hello Courtroom The First Amendment and social media: Let’s review Biden announces Jan. 19, 2021 national memorial for COVID victims Donald Trump wasn’t an aberration; he was our most American President A new book by Arthur Lieber. Political Introverts: How Empathetic Voters Can Help Save American Politics. Buy it here. Gloria Shur Bilchik’s new book, Election Insiders: Behind the scenes with the people who make your vote count. Kindle edition now available at Amazon. Follow Occasional Planet on social media Bernie Sanders' accomplishments Trash/recycling pickup on MLK Day: Ironic & wrong Benzos: more dangerous than the conditions they treat? We have too many levels of government Evil and the garden	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0037.json.gz/line2523
__label__wiki	0.629117	0.629117	No I'm Not Yes I am Port Brewing/Seasonal Around the Brewery Brewer's Blog Events & Appearances Port Brewing and The Lost Abbey Crowned 2008 World Champion at World Beer Cup Small brewery and its head brewer take four medals, named World Beer Cup 2008 Champion San Marcos, CA – Tiny Port Brewing / The Lost Abbey Brewing and its head brewer Tomme Arthur went into last week’s 7th World Beer Cup as the American Small Brewery and Brewer of the Year. They emerged as the World Champions. A bi-annual competition among the world’s best breweries, the Brewers Association 2008 World Beer Cup saw 644 breweries from 58 countries enter a total of 2,864 beers in 91 style categories. An elite panel of international judges conducted blind tastings and awarded gold, silver and bronze medals to the top three beers of each style. The judges also issued a “Champion Brewery” and “Champion Brewer” award in each of five brewery categories: Large, medium and small brewery, large and small brewpub. Port Brewing’s Lost Abbey beers won in the following categories: Bronze Medal: Experimental Beer (Lager or Ale) — Veritas 002 Bronze Medal: Other International Ale — Brouwer’s Imagination Series Saison Silver Medal: Belgian-Style Flanders/Oud Bruin or Oud Red Ale — Red Poppy Gold Medal: Wood- and Barrel-aged Sour Beer — Cuvee de Tomme The brewery and head brewer Tomme Arthur were also named World Beer Cup 2008 Champion Brewery and Champion Brewer in the Small Brewing Company Category. The “world champion” designation is merely the latest in a string of high-profile titles for Port Brewing / The Lost Abbey. In 2007 alone the brewery netted more than a dozen medals. And six months ago brewery and brewer walked away with the “2007 Small Brewery of the Year” award at the Great American Beer Festival, an annual competition among America’s best beer makers. Established just two years ago, Port Brewing /The Lost Abbey has become famous for its line of rare, deep and flavorful beers that food and drink experts compare more closely to wine than mass-market brews. Issued under the Lost Abbey label, these beers are brewed with ingredients such as raisins, sour cherries, black pepper and grains of paradise, and often aged in oak, wine, brandy and bourbon barrels for as long as 18 months. The brews have been featured in numerous publications including The Wall Street Journal, Food & Wine, Maxim, and Playboy, as well as dozens of newspapers and industry periodicals. A full list of the Brewers Association 2008 World Beer Cup Award winners and competition details are available on the Brewers Association website at: http://www.beertown.org/events/wbc/winners_list/winners_2008.html About Port Brewing / Lost Abbey Founded in 2006, Port Brewing Company produces a line of multi-award-winning American ales as well as the groundbreaking Lost Abbey family of Belgian-inspired beers. Craft brewed under the direction of co-founder and three-time Great American Beer Festival brewer of the year and 2008 World Champion brewer, Tomme Arthur, four beers are issued under the Lost Abbey label year-round: Avant Garde, Lost and Found, Red Barn and Judgment Day. Additionally, a number of seasonal and specialty releases including Ten Commandments, Cuvee de Tomme and the Angel’s Share, are offered at various times throughout the year. As many of these are blended and aged for up to 18 months in French Oak, Brandy and Bourbon barrels, Lost Abbey beers are universally recognized for their complexity, unique flavors, and bold, boundary-pushing styles. Port Brewing is located at 155 Mata Way, Suite 104, San Marcos, CA 92069, USA. Telephone (760) 889-9318, web: www.lostabbey.com. Follow us at @lostabbey Seasonal: Nelson the Greeter Seasonal: Santa's Little Helper WED: 2pm - 7pm THR: 2pm - 7pm FRI: 2pm - 7pm SAT: 12pm - 6pm SUN: 12pm - 6pm 2014 San Diego Beer Week Event Schedule All materials © MMXXI Port Brewing Company	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0037.json.gz/line2529
__label__wiki	0.64054	0.64054	Championship Standings 2008 SeasonPolitical FIA To Investigate Fernando Alonso’s 2008 Singapore Win The FIA have announced that they are launching an investigation into the inaugural 2008 Singapore Grand Prix, in which Fernando Alonso sensationally won for Renault having had a key element of the race fall into his lap... Oliver White Belgium 2009: Fantasy Racers Update So it would seem that my Fantasy Racers effort is following that of Jenson Button’s championship dream at the moment; right down the swanny. I decided to make more of an effort this time and shifted out a lot of... 2009 SeasonFeatured Articles Belgium 2009: Kimi Raikkonen Wins From A Very ‘Appy Giancarlo Fisichella Every now and then, Formula One has a great weekend when everything falls into place and everybody leaves the circuit or turns off the television feeling good, irregardless who you support or cheer on. The 2009 Belgian... Belgium 2009: Pitstop & Tyre Strategies Having won the Belgian Grand Prix from Giancarlo Fisichella and Sebastian Vettel, Kimi Raikkonen took his first victory of the year for both himself and the Ferrari team, partly with thanks to slick pitwork on each of... Belgium 2009: Race Result Updated live as the race unfolds, here is the result of the Belgian Grand Prix (unless you’re reading this prior to the start of the race). Will Giancarlo Fisichella be able to convert his pole from yesterday into... Belgium 2009: Live Race Notes Round twelve of the 2009 Formula One World Championship is about to get underway, and the grid certainly looks a little different to what we are used to. Giancarlo Fisichella will lead the pack as the lights go out, and... Belgium 2009: Post-Qualifying Car Weights The FIA have published the measured and declared weights of all the runners and riders for tomorrow’s Belgian Grand Prix. With a Force India on pole position, it had been expected that Giancarlo Fisichella was... Belgium 2009: The Grid With qualifying for the Belgian Grand Prix complete, we can see the grid in all its glory, albeit slightly strange and breaking from the usual run. On pole we have Giancarlo Fisichella, followed by fellow Italian Jarno... Copyright © 2021 Oliver White.	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0037.json.gz/line2537
__label__cc	0.746866	0.253134	DIY Judaism Full disclosure here, I worked part-time as a Birthright Israel NEXT Fellow for a year. The term of my fellowship is up, but if this post comes off as a commercial for Birthright Israel NEXT’s upcoming promotion of DIY Judaism, that’s because you could say that I drank the Kool-Aid. That said, read on to learn how Birthright Israel NEXT will help you with your NEXT big idea. Thousands of 18-26 year olds are going on Birthright each year. For some it’s a fun trip to a new place with some great people and the best part, oh yeah—it’s free. For many, myself included, Birthright becomes a life-changing experience. I remember when I returned from my trip I had learned a lot and I had even more to explore. Like most participants I was first and foremost obsessed with getting back to Israel. More than that, I really wanted to understand what was NEXT. Here I was with a newfound connection to the land and the people that built it as well as a greater understanding of the Judaism that bonded together those people in the first place. Last summer I had the privilege to return to Israel, this time as a staff member on a Birthright trip. I walked with a group of 40 some participants on the whirlwind exchange of culture and ideas that is Taglit-Birthright Israel. By the end, I found that many of my participants had that same longing in their eyes that I had when I was on Birthright. They were all trying to figure out “What’s NEXT?” When Birthright Israel NEXT started, barely two and a half years ago it served an important role in strengthening the Jewish community. You see, every organization is founded for a purpose. JUF raises money to help people in need and make the community a better place. AIPAC lobbies to ensure Israel is on the forefront of every legislators mind. And a lot of big donors get behind Birthright Israel NEXT because it gets Jews together for the sake of building community. It’s a place for Birthright alumni and their peers to find what’s NEXT. The staff and fellows at NEXT have been planning a lot of amazing and influential programs and events over the last few years. There have been outings to sporting events, educational programs, challah baking, comedy shows, concerts, retreats, an academic reading group, welcome back bar nights, photo exhibits, networking events, ski trips, Shabbat dinners and more. With all this— it begs the question “what’s NEXT for NEXT?” What’s NEXT is DIY Judaism. DIY is “Do It Yourself” and Judaism well, that is entirely for NEXT participants to decide. Call it a meeting, a training, a program it’s NEXT and it is very grass roots—the future of NEXT is really up to you. If the ideal community doesn’t exist for you, Birthright Israel NEXT wants to help you create it. If you are interested in planning your own event for the Jewish community or recently returned from a Birthright trip, then sign up and come on March 30th and learn what it takes for Birthright Israel NEXT to help you with your NEXT big idea. For more information on Birthright Israel NEXT and the DIY Judaism open session, please visit www.birthrightisraelnext.org/Chicago Boppin to a Jewish beat I was driving home with my 18-month-old, both of us bopping to the Oy Baby CD that recently appeared in my mailbox thanks to the PJ Library. Ben was too young to understand what he was hearing (Hebrew music made kid-friendly), but something about the music had him hooked; after each song ended, he said “more,” his little brain not understanding why the fun had to end. Then a new song would start, and he’d resume his sweet little toddler head bop. Watching him in the rearview mirror, and listening to the familiar music, I suddenly found myself in tears. I was having one of those “circle of life” moments, marveling at the fact that I was Mom to this perfect little boy, enjoying the melodies that just yesterday I was singing as a Sunday school student. The moment ended abruptly when Ben dropped his sippy cup and I almost crashed the car into a tree trying to reach it for him. However these little moments of nostalgia happen often, and in fact they happen most frequently when I introduce Ben to new Jewish things. This has taken me by surprise, as my family wasn’t particularly observant, and Judaism was not a major piece of my self-identity pie. I was a singer first and foremost. I tried out for every musical at school, belted out show tunes in the shower, and put on Broadway revues for my family. But between the many Friday nights spent singing with my synagogue choir, and my seven years as a member of the Shining Lights, a Jewish youth performing group, the Judaism snuck in by way of music. The sometimes haunting melodies, the comfort of the familiar lyrics, and the jubilance of so many songs can trigger emotional responses that I can only attribute to feeling like I’m a part of something bigger. And now as I introduce Ben to Jewish traditions and holidays, I find myself recalling the music, and using the songs to engage him. We read books and look at pictures of holiday rituals, but Ben is most interested when we sing the holiday songs. We sing them in the bathtub, at the changing table and at the dinner table, and the songs connect Ben with me, and with the generations of Jews that came before us. He claps along and sometimes joins in with a high-pitched squeal, and I can’t help but get a little teary. Goodnight, sweet nine-and-a-half-fingered prince The world lost a great Chicagoan last night. I am talking, of course, about @MayorEmanuel, who disappeared into a time vortex just as a bolt of lightning and a clap of thunder rocked the city in real time. The mysterious and consistently profane Twitter account has been going since September, when the real Rahm Emanuel announced his intention to run for mayor, but in the last month or so, the story has escalated into the realm of genius. More than 30,000 followers have been engrossed in @MayorEmanuel’s exploits and misadventures, which have included an uproarious 50 Wards in 50 Hours tour, nights spent under bridges and in the Soldier Field parking lot, camping out in the crawlspace in his rented-out house, cruising down Lake Shore Drive in a blizzard, and a psychedelic mind-bender in the middle of a flooded wheat field, incited by a can of fermented baby food and culminating in an encounter with the living, glowing heart of Chicago oral historian (and excellent Jew) Studs Terkel. @MayorEmanuel’s readers have grown to love his cast of sidekicks, included Hambone the dog, Quaxelrod the duck, Carl the Intern and of course, David Axelrod and his trusty Honda Civic. Much has been made of the fact that @MayorEmanuel had garnered nearly four times the number of followers that Rahm’s real Twitter account (@RahmEmanuel) did. Rahm himself even offered a large donation to the charity of @MayorEmanuel’s choice, if the creator would identify him or herself. The genius behind @MayorEmanuel, however, has decided to stay anonymous, for now – a move which I applaud, as well as the bold move to literally push his or her creation into another universe to save our own, and to get out at the top of @MayorEmanuel’s game. For those who don’t want to wade through the backlog of posts, Timothy Carmody, a former Chicagoan, has assembled an annotated timeline of this last plot twist (warning: VERY not safe for work language). When that final thunderclap boomed overhead, and the Twitterverse realized that @MayorEmanuel had gone silent (mid-swear, of course), the outpouring of emotion was immense. People all over the world admitted to crying and feeling empty – which begs the question: What serialized fiction has elicited such a response from its audience since 1841, when Charles Dickens killed off Little Nell in his serial The Old Curiosity Shop? I admit to being suckered in. When I started following @MayorEmanuel, it was mostly reactive snark – good reactive snark, but still reactive. Lately, however, the form of the status updates had been changing: we were getting plot, reported as if we were standing with @MayorEmanuel himself, rather than watching his tweets. The audience became involved, and the shift was fascinating. What are we going to do now, without Quaxelrod, without Hambone, without Carl the Intern? What does Axelrod do with himself, once he’s done with his Kaddish? @MayorEmanuel made us laugh, but he also made us care. You can think what you want about the real Rahm, but this one is – or was – intoxicatingly in love with the city of Chicago. Under all the cursing and comedy and commentary, we got treated to totally uninhibited celebrations of the places and people we love best. There was nothing ironic or self-deprecating about his enjoyment of the gin Jacuzzi or the homemade luge track during the ward tour. That ride down Lake Shore with all the windows open was exhilarating just to read about. Even on @MayorEmanuel’s last night, spent under the Cortland Street Bridge, we can pause a moment for the incredible view. I don’t know when we’re going to see anything like @MayorEmanuel again. Many have tried, but no fake Twitter accounts have really gotten this kind of following, this kind of involvement, for so long. Part of it is the writer’s awesome comedic skills, coupled with a real humanity that sneaks up on you; a huge part of it, I think, is that the writer is so obviously one of us. This person knows exactly when to complain about the snow, what streets are best for cruising, what quirks of the city are uniquely ours. This person also takes advantage of the audience’s surroundings like no other. I’m not kidding when I remind you that @MayorEmanuel disappeared in the midst of a sudden bout of thundersleet. For all its wackiness, the @MayorEmanuel story remained impressively grounded in reality. It would, of course, be great to have @MayorEmanuel with us for Mayor-elect Emanuel’s real tenure in office. But I would much rather take a glorious ending at the right time than a joke that peters out when its creator has lost heart but not popularity. If the author of @MayorEmanuel has any kind of savvy, my hope is that she or he will both stay anonymous and get a book deal: I would love to see the whole saga collected in a more permanent, presentable way. (On a personal note, I also hope the author is a she: women are funny, world, and we know it too.) But for now, let us take a moment. The last month has been a real trip in the Twitterverse. Let us pause in the new, one-Rahm world, and celebrate a great Chicagoan: @MayorEmanuel, mayor for all of space and @#()$%*(# time! Rahm Emanuel is Chicago’s first Jewish mayor Former White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel has been elected is Chicago’s first Jewish mayor, garnering 55 percent of the vote in a five-way race on Feb. 22. The election was the first time in 20 years that incumbent Mayor Richard Daley did not appear on the ballot. Because Emanuel received more than 50 percent of the vote, he will become mayor without the need for a runoff election in April. Emanuel, 51, resigned in October 2010 as President Obama's chief of staff in order to run for mayor. He also worked in the Clinton White House and is a former congressman from Chicago's North Side. A Hebrew speaker, Emanuel is the son of an Israeli doctor who moved to the United States in the 1950s. President Obama called Emanuel on the night of the election to congratulate him, reportedly saying, “As a Chicagoan and a friend, I couldn’t be prouder.” “There is special pride within our Chicago Jewish community today because of Emanuel’s achievement,” commented JF/JUF President Steven B. Nasatir. Emanuel faced a residency challenge during the campaign because he did not live in Chicago for a full year before the election; his candidacy was upheld by the Illinois Supreme Court. Anti-Semitism also reared its head during the campaign, in remarks by fellow candidates and in flyers distributed on a train line that runs through the city. The cultural Jew It breaks my heart that I cannot explain it, because it is unexplainable. Like God, just so beyond that it can't be contained in words. What is it? How do you capture Israel in words? How do you describe freedom? I imagine if I could, this whole Middle East conflict would dissolve, because everyone would Can I show you how the Israeli Scouts jumped wildly around after performing a sing-along in the middle of Ben Yehuda; a hip, downtown section of Jerusalem? Can I explain to you what it feels like to have an Israeli cab driver try to convince me to take his ride instead of the bus, smile, and then wish me a Shabbat shalom? Can I capture the sense of belonging? Of having an inside joke with an entire country? Can those who have never experienced the faint, subtle awkwardness of being a Jew in a non-Jewish land feel the difference? In poems, in images, we try to get close to explaining Israel and the uniqueness of the Jewish people by appealing to that part of the heart that is above logic. Not illogical. Above logic. In the years before the Balfour Declaration, a member of the upper Parliament in the United Kingdom asked Chaim Weizmann, the first President of Israel, "Why do you Jews insist on Palestine when there are so many undeveloped countries you could settle in more conveniently?" Weizmann answered: "That is like my asking you why you drove twenty miles to visit your mother last Sunday when there are so many old ladies living on your street." A Jewish child. Even if he didn't choose his parents, he is theirs and they are his. No matter what. The Jewish child's love for God is natural; it cannot be forgotten. One may no longer hang out at his parents' home, or even talk to them. Even if he never eats his Jewish food, reads his Jewish texts, or does what his father asks of him, he will always be his father's son. It is only in the last 62 years that we have returned en masse to our childhood home and walked around smiling softly at the familiar places, breaking down when we arrive at the front door; the Kotel. And all of the sudden, we remember. That something else. That time that we stood at the base of Mt. Sinai and shook. The breaking of the tablets. The wandering. We ask our family: tell me about that time... And we hear about the times of triumph, of great insight, great leaders, and breathtaking courage. Of the hard times as well. The people. Our people. In gratitude, we try to repair our world, through charity, through education, through song. We eat challah, we hang up our keys on Friday night, we light the candles. And then we talk with God. Jewish talk, with lots of questions and deep, complex conversations. And laughing. We try to understand, analyze, develop our connection with God on an intellectual level. Everyone has a different level of commitment, a different connection. We are loved. What we choose to do with that love, how we develop it and respect it, that is our choice. As I walk around Israel I see it: the Ethiopian, the Australian, the Indian Jew all waiting for the bus. Somehow, silently, we sense each other and know that some time long ago, we came from the same home. We've traveled a long way, but we're coming back. We've experienced childhood, adolescence, difficulties, and tribulations. We've gotten caught up in bad relationships, painful times. We've grown so much, but we can still recognize each other. Some may use the word “culture” for lack of a better word. This is because there is no other concept that exists in the world about a religion that is not just a religion but a home. So we try to capture in words the uncapturable, the ineffable, in hope that others will understand truly who we are and what we need. In hopes, that we can understand it ourselves. Adorning The ARK By Guest Blogger, Chaya Brick Students volunteering at The ARK’s food pantry It’s not that hard to be a Jewish artist, or even an artist creating Jewish work here in Chicago; however, being a proud strong Jew at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago is harder than one would expect—it’s not so hip to be religiously affiliated at art school. Fortunately, Hillel Arts in the Loop, a Hillels Around Chicago program, has presented itself as a group that unites us because we are Jewish and have a common heritage, giving me a sense of place and belonging, something I believe that many of us strive to find. Hillel Arts in the Loop is a program that has helped me explore my Judaism through my art, introduced me to Jewish students at my school, and become acquainted with the Jewish community here in Chicago. Hillel Arts in the Loop kicked off our fall semester with projects and events we plan to tackle throughout the year. One successful project accomplished at the end of the Spring 2010 semester was a mural at the Ethiopian Community Association of Chicago. Because of the success of that mural, Hillel Arts in the Loop was offered an opportunity to create a new mural at The ARK this year. The finished mural Tikkun olam, or repairing the world, is every Jew's responsibly, something I learned at a very young age and Hillel continues to teach. Erin Jones, program director of Hillel Arts in the Loop, introduced us to The ARK, a JUF grant recipient, that has been repairing our world since 1971. Jewish students from The Art Institute of Chicago volunteered one Sunday at The ARK to help sort food for The ARK’s pantry. Our goal was to help The ARK continue to reach out to more than 3,500 people a year. We took a tour and learned of the many services provided by The ARK, including medical services free of charge to distressed Jewish families. The ARK also has the only Kosher food pantry in Chicago, and profits from their thrift store benefit the less fortunate in these rough economic times. Like Hillel, The ARK treats every Jew the same regardless of observance. Upon seeing and learning about The ARK, we were inspired! Through collaboration between The ARK and Hillel Arts in the Loop we were invited to design a mural. Students working on the mural As artists we have a special connection to God because like Him, we create. I, along with artists Samuel Eisen, Karina Fisher, Cara Frazin, Jonathan Frazin, Justin Katz, Jamie Lee, Rob Steinberg, and others designed and painted a mural in a Chagall-like style. The location of the mural is along an interior wall most viewed by clients of The ARK. We believe that the mural and its colors will enliven the walls of The ARK. This is important because asking for help is difficult for any family and the mural is there to remind us that we are in this as a community. The mural depicts individuals giving and receiving help. The colors are bright and bold specifically chosen to spread warmth. Jan. 30 marked the dedication of the mural at The ARK in the presence of Hillels Around Chicago and The ARK staff and community members. I presented the mural to The ARK and to Miriam Weinberger, The ARK’s executive director, describing our depiction of the community helping one another to self-sufficiency. During the dedication Miriam mentioned that the week’s upcoming Torah portion was Terumah—the Jews had been traveling for 40 years, and God instructs them how to build and adorn of the Ark of the Covenant. This year celebrates The ARK’s 40th year and Hillel Arts in the Loop artists have adorned it for the comfort of its clients. Chaya Brick is a senior at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Hillels Around Chicago is a division of The Hillels of Illinois, and is supported by the Jewish United Fund/Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago and Hillel: The Foundation for Jewish Campus Life. The ARK is a JUF grant recipient in support of services provided to the community. Last Edited by Lindsey_1 at 3/1/2011 9:42 AM My Stupid Valentine The worst V-Day gift I ever received. The very first Valentine’s Day that I had a boyfriend to celebrate it with was a disaster—not because he failed to mark the day, but because I realized that I thought the candy and roses were silly and cheesy. In short, I realized that I think like a guy. Here’s proof: I can’t remember the date my husband and I first met or got engaged, and I ususally need to double-check with him just how many years we have been married. I throw out sentimental cards and dislike keepsakes. I believe that it is more important to show you love someone in little ways throughout the year, then with one or two big romantic gestures on a Hallmark-created holiday. (Sound familiar anyone?) And what I’d really like this year from my husband isn’t small and shiny. No, mamma wants a big flat screen TV mounted on my family room wall and wired with surround sound. (Brian, are you reading this?) So, as someone who thinks like a guy let me reassure you that if yesterday you found yourself disappointed that your man failed to “bring it,” it probably has nothing to do with how much he loves you. He’s a guy—and a lot of guys just aren’t good with holidays. That said…a truly lousy gift, or no gift at all, it might be time to dump the schmuck. It should go without saying that I’m defining a lousy gift as one with little or no thought behind it, NOT how much it cost. Because how expensive a gift is often has little to do with how much heart was put into it. For example, one of the most romantic gifts my husband ever gave me was an inexpensive box of chocolates that he left for me at the front desk of the hotel I was staying at in Vegas. We had been dating about a month and coincidentally he was in Vegas a few days before me with his friends, and I knew that his friends were with him while he left the gift. It told me he was unconcerned about some ribbing from the guys, and even while in Vegas, I was on his mind. I knew than this was going to be a serious relationship, and 9 or 10 (who can remember?) years later, we’re still going strong. And then there was the worst gift I ever received—a red flag that my relationship was over. (And oddly, chocolate was involved. Hmmm.) After a 5 year on-and-off again relationship, my then-boyfriend—who I was still somewhat “with” at the time—gave me an M & M Candy Dispenser for the holidays. Here’s the guy interpretation: 1. I don’t usually eat M&Ms. I mean, maybe if I was munching on them all the time it might make sense, or maybe if I was 12 and not 28 at the time. Can you say thoughtless? 2. It was a special edition, blue M&M man playing the sax. He said it was funny and that he bought it because it looked like Bill Clinton. BUT I’M REPUBLICAN. And in 1992, I had helped to campaign for the other guy. (Bush Sr.) Beyond lack of thought, the boy was so oblivious to my feelings that it didn’t once occur to him that I would not like a candy dispenser that reminded me of Bill Clinton. (And no, he didn’t think it would be funny because it somehow insulted President Clinton.) Can you say self-centered? 3. When I told him the gift hurt my feelings a little, he didn’t reassure me otherwise. Nope, instead he made me feel like a beeaattch for not being into the gift. So basically he wanted me to [once again] put his feelings before my own. Can you say goodbye? So the moral of my blog goes a little something like this: gifts from good guys who are into you will have some thought into them. The gift might not be romantic, the effort may have not been original or over the top, but most likely, the guy will have tried to make you smile. So cut him some slack. But dump a guy who somehow manages to make you feel bad about yourself—regardless of how much or little he spent on your gift. And save the story years from now to laugh about with over drinks with your girlfriends. It may take a little time, but trust me when I say, an awful gift will be really funny someday. Finding love…with a little help from your friends “According to a new nationally representative survey of 3,009 adults with a romantic partner, the Internet has now overtaken all the ways people meet, save one: meeting through friends. … Regardless of when they met, at least 32% of respondents said friends brought them together.” (“Friends No. 1 way to meet that Valentine, but Web is growing” USA Today, 02/11/2010) Valentine’s Day is still in the air, so now is an appropriate time to look at the role friends play in romance. According to this survey, it’s a big one. As I’ve mentioned, I generally avoid setting people up. Why? Perhaps I should share my most recent attempt at matchmaking. Last month, I was sure I had come up with a compatible pairing. I talked each one up to the other (for ease, let’s call them Girl and Guy), forwarded contact information, the whole bit. The first date was put on hold because Guy had recently been set up with someone else, and he wanted to see where that relationship would go before pursuing my offering. He thought Girl was cute but didn’t want to get himself caught up in two potential relationships at once. (Three cheers for my guy friends not being total crapweasels!) Fast forward one week and I get an email from Girl telling me that the “someone else” Guy had been set up with was… her best friend. Now she’s not interested, even if Guy and Girl’s BFF don’t work out, because it would just be too weird. Sloppy seconds and all that. (Or so I'm told.) And you can imagine the conversation when Girl told her BFF Guy’s name, only to learn that BFF and Guy were currently in the early stages of dating. So, yeah. I avoid set-ups as a policy. But you shouldn’t. According to the survey above, friends are the most reliable method for meeting a “romantic partner.” (That is a silly phrase. I have never, nor will I ever, call Matt my romantic partner. Ew.) While the Internet is efficient, psychologists say that real humans will always beat out the computer in terms of reliability for meeting others. And while I’m totally pro-Internet dating—I’m going to a Match.com wedding this summer!—I like that human connection wins out. Especially in a world where a computer is about to take on Ken Jennings. (Set your DVRs people. This week. It’s on.) So this Valentine’s Day, perhaps the nicest thing you can do for your single BFF is to introduce her to some of your other single pals. You never know. Unless you’re me. Then you do know. It won’t go well. If you’re single, do you trust friends most of all when it comes to meeting a potential mate? Everyone, please do share your set up stories—good and bad. The worse they are, the more they’ll make us laugh. Happy Valenstein's Day About a decade ago, I went to a synagogue where someone had passed out red, photocopied cards that said something like: “Rabbi Valenstein wishes you a Happy Valenstein’s Day.” Cute, but this prank raises the question: Is Valentine’s Day… Jewish? Can it be, even if it wasn’t to begin with? One argument against Jews celebrating Valentine’s Day is that “every day is Valentine’s Day.” In other words, we are supposed to show appreciation to our sweethearts and spouses every day of the year, not just on February 14. In Hebrew school, I heard the same reasoning applied to Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, with a Ten Commandments twist— “Honor thy father and mother” does not only apply in May and June, we were told. I think that Judaism itself gives lie to that idea. We only have Yom Kippur one day a year— does that mean we don’t apologize or atone any other day? We “remember the Exodus from Egypt” in prayers all year long, but we still have Seders. And we wouldn’t be able to celebrate religious freedom on Chanukah if we didn’t have it the rest of the year. I asked around last week, to see if my friends— including Jewish ones— were doing anything for the occasion; most were. Some demurred; they felt it was a “Hallmark holiday,” like Grandparents’ Day or Sweetest Day. But one said that she does not celebrate Valentine’s Day at all, she explained, “because I’m Jewish.” True, Judaism doesn’t celebrate Easter or Christmas, because we don’t celebrate what— or, more accurately, whom— those holidays honor. And unless we are compatriots of Robert Briscoe (the first Jewish mayor of Dublin), we don’t celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, which honors Irish heritage. But we do honor love, which is what Valentine’s Day celebrates. From “Love your neighbor as yourself” to “Arise, my love, my fair one,” love is a deep and central value of Judaism and the Jewish people. And there is nothing wrong with a day to especially exalt a value we cherish all year. So, I understand and respect those Jews who do not wish to celebrate Valentine’s Day due to a religious objection. But I urge them to make sure their significant others share this view… before they have to Talmudically debate their way out of the doghouse on February 15. Sharna’s top ten foods to eat in Israel This week Shorashim will speak to thousands of applicants for Taglit-Birthright Israel trips. They will have many questions about Israel, about the Israelis who are on the 10 day trip, the accommodations, and what clothes to bring. They also will ask about the food. Taglit-Birthright Israel: Shorashim provides meals to the participants, with one meal per day that the 18 to 26 year olds supplement. The participants are fed really well, and that's what they want to know. What I want to tell them though is very different. First let me say, I am not a foodie. While some people like going to fancy restaurants, I like to eat foods that are flavorful, but not necessarily considered delicacies. So while Israel has amazing cuisine up to par with European standards, I simply have some favorites that I cannot live without while I'm working there. Some are readily available to Taglit-Birthright Israel participants; some they have to seek out. Like the United States, Israel is a melting pot of cultures from around the world that have brought their traditional foods to the country. So while Taglit-Birthright Israel: Shorashim participants will experience Israel's multiculturalism when they meet Israelis from all backgrounds, they will also taste it. 1. Cucumbers Israel has the best cucumbers in the world. They are crisp and mouth watering and available at every meal. The only substitute in the U.S. is something called Persian cucumbers and I've seen them occasionally at Whole Foods and Trader Joe's. 2. Dannon Yogurt with accessories In Israel they have Dannon Yogurt with little containers of chocolate candy, sprinkles and cereal attached to it. You dump it into the yogurt, stir, and yum. The yogurt tastes better as it is because the dairy is so fresh there and with the added bonus of a little dessert attached, it makes for a great snack. 3. Marzapan At the Mahane Yehuda Shuk in Jerusalem, you can find yourself elbowing, like a football player trying to make a first down during the Super Bowl, to get a dozen or so of the freshly baked chocolate rugelach as well as the other tasty baked goods. You may leave with a bruise or two, but it's entirely worth it when that first tasty piece of dough with chocolate melts in your mouth. 4. Hot Chocolate from Aroma Aroma is a cafe that is ubiquitous throughout Israel. They put their own chocolate pieces at the bottom of hot milk and then you stir to make the best hot chocolate in Israel and maybe the world. Even if it's 90 degrees, you will see me with a cup of hot chocolate from Aroma in Israel. 5. Schweppes Pomegranate While pomegranate has become the rage in the United States with costly Pom in every grocery store, in Israel for a few shekels you can buy Pomegranate Soda that carbonates this delicious fruit into a delicious drink. If I become desperate for Schweppes Pomegranate in the U.S., I will buy the Pom and combine it with seltzer. It isn't the same, but it does get me through until my next trip to Israel. 6. Halumi cheese Typically found in salads throughout Israel, this is fresh goat cheese in pieces, fried so that it is partially melted and extremely flavorful. Sometimes Halumi cheese is made with cow's milk, but it isn't as good. 7. Hummus/Tehina/Babaganoush While these foods are found throughout grocery stores in the United States, their taste just does not match the freshly made preservative free versions throughout restaurants in Israel. There are even restaurants dedicated solely to hummus with toppings. If you find yourself in Tel Aviv, check out Mashausha on Pinsker and Bograshov Streets in Israel. If you like mushrooms, get the hummus im pitriyot, a delicious combination. 8. Kubbeh Kubbeh was brought to Israel by the Kurdish and Iraqi Jews. Kubbeh is a dumpling filled with meat and bulgur and can be found frequently in meat based or beet soups. It's similar to kreplach, but more flavorful. 9. Krembo A chocolate covered marshmallow treat atop a light crust. Unfortunately, it's hard to find Krembo in the summer because it would melt too easily. In the winter, it is a staple of Israeli children. 10. Halava Again, while there is Halava in the United States, there is nothing like the Halava found in the Shuks of Israel. This sesame based dessert has many flavors and I like to drink it with sweet hot tea. In the comments section, tell us what your favorite food is in Israel. Is there something I should try on my next trip? What must every Taglit-Birthright Israel: Shorashim participant try while they are in Israel? Registration for Chicago Community Taglit-Birthright Israel trips is on Feb. 15. Go to http://www.israelwithisraelis.com to register. My Cold, Cold Heart Old Man Winter, you are no longer my boyfriend. Year after year you seduce me with your promise of cozy nights spent by the fire with hot drinks, while you dust the streets, rooftops and trees with silent drops of lace. There are no “chestnuts roasting on an open fire,” no latkes a-frying. Jack Frost, stop “nipping” at my nose. I have no chimney. I have no fire for you. I’m burnt out. Admittedly, Summer—my brief, yearly fling—does distract me while he’s in town, but I always return to you, Old Man Winter, I always return—like a fool. With renewed optimism, I fantasize about you, as the leaves saunter to the ground and the rain pours through Autumn’s clouds. By Thanksgiving, the tunes of “Baby It’s Cold Outside” and “Frosty the Snowman” have special meaning for us, Old Man Winter. I want to sing your name from the rooftops. I want to go sledding in your arms. I dream of sharing romantic kisses under your chilly moonlight. I have fallen in love with you all over again. In anticipation of your arrival, I fill my home with scents of cinnamon and vanilla; I adorn myself with over-sized, knitted scarves, puffy coats and layers of socks. I make bedroom plans for my absurdly-printed, flannel pajamas. This February, my love for you got lost in translation—what with “thunder-snow” and “tornado-like winds” casting two feet of snow on my home and car like a snow cage. Is this your way of keeping me captive, Old Man Winter? February is a cold, cold month to wade through your endless, white feet of false promises and cold regret. Old Man Winter, you are like a creepy old letch hitting on every hot young thing at the bar. I have to ask: “Where do you get your nerve?” I sit in your frozen cage day after day, no matter if I’ve left my snow-packed-home or find myself inching my way down the highways you’ve covered with cold, frozen shame. I have not seen the sun in months. Sun-lamps and Jimmy Buffet songs will not do. We, in the Windy City, lack vitamins. We eat during these dark months…and eat, and eat. But, the holidays are over and we have no excuse. It’s a wonder that my fling, Summer, finds me desirable at all! Wrapped in your scowling winds thrashing against my faces and hands, I tried shoveling myself free, but to no avail. The ground hog could not even paw his way out to see his shadow this year. Free me from these frozen chains. Our love is not an Irving Berlin song or a fairytale. Old Man Winter, let my people go. F-61 Finds M-25 By Ari Kirshner She was not the kind of match my mother would have normally approved of. Frankly, wasn’t the kind of match anyone would typically approve of. You see, I had never met this woman before and didn’t even know her name. For all I knew she may have been married with children. Yet I flew across the country, twice, to support her in a way that nobody else could. I formed the kind of bond with her that I will one day share only with my children. That’s because F-61 was a recipient of my bone marrow stem cells this past December 14—a whole bagful of my tomato soup-looking stem cells. Allow me to fill you in from the start. It all started with a cheek swab after a JUF Young Lawyer’s Division board meeting. The volunteer was available, the test was painless, and it took less than two minutes—just about all the time I had to spare for extra appointments. Months later, one very early Monday morning in November, I got a call from the Gift of Life Foundation telling me that I’m a 100% match and asked if I was still available to donate. That moment was like a TV scene where the world around the central character slows down once the “big news” is delivered. I immediately agreed to two cross-country trips to aid this unknown woman. The first was for my physical, the second for the donation. What I wasn’t ready for was the news that because F-61 was in remission, they needed me to fly in for a physical the following week—as in 6 days later! Although I’m a litigator and used to surprises, this was just crazy. I didn’t know how I would break the news to the judges, opposing counsel and my boss that meetings would have to be postponed and deadlines extended all at the last minute. Turns out the “bone marrow donor” card proved much more effective than the “my dog died” one. My calendar was completely freed up for both trips by that afternoon. When I first got the call, I had this image in my mind of me strapped to a table, blinding lights, and a doctor drilling into my spine and sucking out fluid with a painfully long needle. Ignorance and some medically inaccurate TV were jointly responsible for the image. As it turns out, most donations nowadays are stem cell extractions that just involve needles. No anesthesia, no scalpels, no stitches, no bone drilling…just needles. The needles started when a nurse visited me at home the week before the procedure to begin a series of injections and continued up until donation day. The days went on, the blood samples continued, and the closer donation day came the more my arm looked as if I needed an intervention. As I lay on the hospital bed on donation day, blood flowing out of one arm and being returned to the other—sans stem cells—I began to reflect on the year prior. For starters, it was exactly one year to the day after my grandfather passed away. Certainly there had to be some spiritual/metaphysical connection between my saving a life on the same day that he passed. Also, I then began to think that of the millions of people in the marrow registry, I was the only match for F-61. How incredible that modern medicine, with all its marvels and advancements, could not produce for F-61 what my body was able to in less than a week. Sparing you the details of the discomfort of the shots and procedure, the bottom line is that sometimes the only possible cure to another’s illness may be contained within you; and if you’re not in the registry, some person desperately looking for you will never find you. Now, I wait. It will be months before I find out how F-61 is doing. Perhaps I will never find out at all. Notwithstanding, I consider myself fortunate to have been given the opportunity to save a life. If anything, F-61 did me the favor. I can only hope and pray that I was as good a match for F-61 as she was for me. F-61, if you happen to be reading this, thank you. Signed, M-25. Covered in chocolate My favorite obsession Often lovingly referred to as the “other food group,” chocolate has found its way into our daily lives. Inspiring everything from recipes, stories, cravings and a host of products from funky-flavored chocolate bars to bubble bath— chocolate is an obsession. Cacao trees are native to Mexico, Central and South America. Cultivated for over 3,000 years, Mayans drank chocolate both as an everyday beverage as well as for ceremonial purposes. The frothy bitter concoction was mixed with vanilla, chile peppers and achiote (annatto). Brought to Central Europe by Jewish traders, chocolate is a food we can add to the list of Jewish Foods! Turning cacao beans into the tasty sweet confection we all know and crave is a complicated process with only a handful of companies all over the world truly making their own chocolate. Most candy shops buy chocolate in blocks, melt it and shape it into candies and other sweet treats. Xocoatl as it was known in the Mayan culture was believed to be used to fight fatigue. This is due to the theobromine content in chocolate. Chocolate then and now is considered to have many therapeutic benefits including cancer fighter antioxidants, circulatory benefits and many studies are being conducted on using chocolate to fight obesity. While this is certainly good news and really any excuse to eat chocolate is a good one, I urge you to take heed of the adage, “you get what you pay for.” Not all chocolate is good chocolate. In fact, there is a lot of bad chocolate out there. Thankfully it is easy to find the good stuff. Look at the ingredients on the label. There should be just a small handful of ingredients. They should be: CACAO PASTE, sugar, COCOA BUTTER, lecithin, and vanilla for dark chocolate. Milk chocolate will have the addition of milk listed and white chocolate, which is not really chocolate due to the fact that it does not have cocoa paste or cocoa mass but does have cocoa butter, will have sugar, cocoa butter, milk or milk powder, and vanilla. That’s it! No other ingredients should be in the chocolate. Notice that CACAO Paste is listed first. Great chocolate should have a high concentration of cacao, not other ingredients. There are many great chocolates on the market that are kosher. In fact, there is no reason that great chocolate cannot be kosher. I am lucky enough to have recently been in Paris where I slurped and stuffed myself full of chocolate for one solid week. Armed with my list of kosher chocolate companies and bakeries, I ate my way through the city of lights. You also can enjoy amazing chocolate if you follow a few simple rules: • Buy the good stuff. You are feeding your family and friends. They deserve the good chocolate. Do not cut corners. Cheap chocolate cannot be disguised by any amount of other ingredients in a recipe. My favorites are: Callebaut chocolates for cooking, baking and eating. Valrhona Cocoa powder. This is an amazing cocoa powder with a deep, dark color and flavor. • Chef Laura’s golden rule-do not use substitute ingredients. Butter is butter, cream is cream, Margarine is never good and non-dairy whipped topping comes from a laboratory and should not be ingested by humans. This gorgeous cake is simple and delicious, fun to make as a family project, and easy do-ahead of time. This is a perfect recipe and works every time. You may need to try out a couple of crepes until you get the feel of your pan and range. The crepes can be made one day ahead of assembling the cake and can be stored overnight, covered in the refrigerator or frozen for up to one month. You will need one Teflon or non-stick coated crepe pan. ¾ cup flour ¼ cup cocoa powder ⅔ cup cold milk ⅔ cup cold water 3 tablespoons melted butter, plus more for brushing on pan 1. Mix all ingredients until smooth in a blender or with a whisk. Refrigerate at least one hour. 2. Heat a non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Brush with melted butter. 3. Pour in 2 to 3 tablespoons of batter into the center of the pan and then tilt the pan in all directions to cover the bottom evenly. Cook about 1 minute, or until browned on the bottom. Turn and cook briefly on the other side. 4. Cool on a plate as you finish making the rest. You can stack the crepes-they will not stick together. This recipe makes about twenty 5-inch crepes or ten 8-inch crepes. Chocolate-Vanilla Bean Pastry Cream This is a basic recipe that you will turn to over and over again. The fragrant, sweet pastry cream can be used as a filling for cakes, éclairs, homemade doughnuts, shortcakes etc…It can also be thinned out and used as a topping for any dairy dessert. This is one those recipes that can be used as a base and adapted. You can: infuse jasmine or your favorite tea into the milk, and add ginger or lemongrass …you get the idea. Oh yeah-this recipe is DAIRY. Please do not try and make it pareve. It is perfect they way it is and will lose all of its integrity, not to mention flavor, if made pareve. 2 ¼ cups whole milk ⅓ cup cornstarch 1 vanilla bean split, lengthwise 3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped 1. In medium bowl, whisk together ½ cup milk, egg yolks, ⅓ cup sugar, and cornstarch. 2. Transfer remaining 1 ¾ cups milk to heavy medium saucepan. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean and the seed and the pod to the pan. Sprinkle remaining ⅓ cup sugar over, letting sugar sink undisturbed to bottom. Add the chopped chocolate. Set pan over moderate heat and bring to simmer without stirring. 3. Whisk hot milk mixture, then gradually whisk into egg yolk mixture-this is called tempering. You want to do this slowly or you will have scrambled eggs. 4. Return to saucepan over moderate heat and cook, whisking constantly, until pastry cream simmers and thickens, about 1 minute. Remove from heat, discard vanilla pod, and whisk cream until smooth. Transfer to bowl and press plastic wrap directly onto surface. Chill until cold, about 4 hours. (Pastry cream can be made ahead and refrigerated, wrapped well with plastic wrap on surface, up to 3 days.) Raspberry Filling 1 cup purchased or homemade raspberry preserves 1. Strain out the seeds using a mesh sieve. Assemble the Cake Place one crepe on a cake plate. Lightly brush the raspberry preserves over the crepe. Spread one tablespoon of pastry cream evenly over the crepe. Layer another crepe on top and continue with preserves and pastry cream until the final crepe has been added. Leave the top plain. Chill the cake for 2 hours or overnight to firm up. Top with fresh whipped cream and berries. Cheers! Chicago: Ask a mixologist...how to drink like James Bond I honestly have to say that over the last five years that I have worked in the business, I have seen people become more inquisitive in their bar-going experiences. Now the guest feels more empowered to find something that they like without having to resort to the more traditional (and boring) mixed cocktails. The more curious the guests become, the more informed the bartender must become. This generates a new and dynamic relationship between guest and bartender that will lead to a more satisfying and enjoyable experience for both, so don’t be shy and try something new! Here is a question I was recently asked: So I just finished watching a James Bond film called Casino Royale. I love James Bond, and it got me wondering, what is a Vesper? And what exactly is the difference in the cocktail that is shaken versus one that is stirred? Ah, you must be referring to the 1953 book’s reference from Ian Fleming’s “Casino Royale”, uttered by Sean Connery, the famous Vesper cocktail James Bond loves to drink, “Three measures of Gordon's, one of vodka, half a measure of Kina Lillet. Shake it very well until it's ice-cold, then add a large thin slice of lemon-peel. Got it?” Well, this particular cocktail is very indicative of the time period and the overall cocktail revival that occurred in the 1950s, not because of the cocktail’s construction but of its ingredients. So let’s walk through it. First, it is strong, with over four parts of straight up alcohol. Gordon’s gin is a London Dry Gin, a popular style of gin, even nowadays, that has a dry but prominent juniper nose and taste. Vodka is vodka, although did you know that the official vodka brand for James Bond films since Dr. No is Smirnoff? Yep. Kina Lillet is a wonderful French aperitif wine, and the addition of quinine in the blend acts as a muscle relaxant and was also used to treat malaria. The name changed to Lillet Blanc with the introduction of Lillet Rouge, made with red wine instead of white, in the 1960s. Its unique flavor derives from a combination of quinine (greatly reduced since Bond’s time) and various sweet and bitter citrus fruits and peels. All three ingredients are shaken so well that ice crystals appear in the cocktail glass when poured. It is served up in a cocktail glass, NOT called a martini glass because other cocktails are served in this glass besides martinis, or a deep champagne golbet if you’re Bond, and garnished with a nice wide lemon peel, to accentuate the citrus notes of the Lillet, embolden the dry gin, and add a nice citrus effervescence while you sip. So if you ever wonder what James Bond felt like, order one from your bartender and then tell me if you think it suits the superspy’s personality. This cocktail is great on its own because of its strong construction and unique flavor combinations of sweet and bitter citrus, white wine and dried juniper notes. Martinis also pair well with various small plate appetizers like stuffed olives, salumi, charcuterie and cheese plates. As for shaken versus stirred, I was taught by my master mixologist Bridget Albert as a general rule of thumb, to shake the cocktails that are opaque, usually due to the addition of juice or a dark colored liqueur. Usually one wants to shake cocktails when they include fruit juices, cream liqueurs, simple syrup, sour mix, egg, dairy or any other thick or flavorful mixers to ensure even distribution and blending of ingredients. Conversely, drinks that have no juice and have a clarity and translucent quality should be stirred. As a general rule of thumb, Stirring is a more gentle technique for mixing cocktails and is used to delicately combine ingredients with a perfect amount of dilution. Many gin and whiskey cocktails are stirred because shaking is said to "bruise" the spirit, or bashing it with shaken ice and diluting it to the point of changing the flavor profile. Studies have been conducted to answer this question over several decades, including ones done by biochemists. Mixologists will stick to this rule for most cocktails unless the recipe specifies otherwise, but if you have a preference make sure to tell your bartender when ordering your drink. Do not assume the bartender can read your mind and know how you like your martinis made, so don’t be shy and give the Vesper a try! Who knows, after drinking one you may be whisked off to save the world from evil villains, Vesper in hand. You never know... Ron’s get skinny plan Have you noticed the gym is already a little less crowded then it was a month ago? And Crumbs Bake Shop opened in the Loop, challenging diets left and right. Temptation and life get in the way of training and eating healthy. Trust me, I get it. Do I always indulge? No, but I have my days. On those days I’ll allow myself either a cookie or other dessert option and a cheeseburger or something else that’s not super healthy. The trick to surviving a busy schedule and a sweet tooth is a plan. My health plan is simple: • Cut up fruits and vegetables on Sunday • Do something active everyday: • Clean house • Lift weights • Walk • Cardio • Walk the steps a few times • Bring healthy snacks to work • Brown bag lunch • Cook at least three times a week These are very simple ways to stay healthy. I’m going to get more specific on the diet end and I will end with fitness tips. When I coach a client with their eating, the first step is to log their food. From there, I look for trends and usually I notice: • Too much eating out • Not enough fruit or vegetables • Low protein • A lot of pizza • Several drinks a week Using this data I recommend grocery shopping and cooking. For vegetarians this is a different list. I try to get people to think about meals. Plan your meals to have a protein, carb and vegetables. Lately I’ve been into cooking a few chicken breasts on Sunday night with just salt and pepper. I then use this chicken on top of a wheat pizza, seasoned with soy sauce and rice, or mixed in a tortilla with salsa, veggies and cheese. When you eat out, you also need a plan. If you know dessert is going to happen, skip the appetizers, take it easy with the bread, and ask for steamed vegetables. When you are with a group of people it becomes a little harder. We all know fried is bad, grilled is better—use that knowledge and suggest a few healthier options. Your friends might make fun of you, but they’ll probably make fun of you anyway. Another big tip: salads are great but in restaurants they are loaded with empty calories like croutons, and dressings can contain 20-30 grams of fat. Ask for the dressing on the side and only eat the lettuce, veggies and protein. Healthy eating is part one, and exercising is part two. The key here: keep moving! Take whatever time you have and walk, run, jump rope or hit the weights. You don’t need a membership to East Bank or treadmill at home to work out. Here are a handful of exercises you can do with no equipment at home: • Pushups • Lunges • Plank • Side Plank • Squats • Jumping Jacks • Mountain Climbers • Burpes • Dive Bombers Like your weekly meeting with your boss, you need to plan your workouts. Use the calendar function on your phone or an actual calendar (yes, some people still use them) and pencil in workouts. If you can’t wake up early, workout at lunch or hit the gym on the way home from work. Or plan to work out while you watch TV. I actually have clients ask for exercises they can do while watching TV—well, everything listed above is totally double while watching “Modern Family.” Another great option: buddy up! Find a friend or a set of friends that want to get in shape and then call me or another trainer. Mini-group training is a great way to see your friends and get in shape at the same time. It’s also a cheaper option than hiring a personal trainer one on one. If you have no idea what these exercises are or proper form, stay tuned for some video! If you know any great body weight exercises, send them my way! How To Compliment Someone In Yiddish Yes, it’s possible In our last edition , I listed as many Yiddish insults as I could, to illustrate the amazing precision with which Yiddish is able to find fault. To balance that, this time we will look at the many ways Yiddish has to say something nice about someone… Aishet Chayil: Today, the term "woman of valor" is reserved for women who are activists, philanthropists, and community leaders… even if the text of the 33rd chapter of Proverbs praises a homemaker extraordinaire, a Martha Stewart type, as exemplary. Badchan: This the high-spirited, genial, clever emcee of a Jewish wedding reception, who moves the guests from one aspect of the event to the next, calls up those who are to speak, and generally keeps the party rolling. Can be generalized to a skilled host of, say, the Oscars. Balebus: From the Hebrew "ba'al habayit," or "master of the house," and pronounced "Bahl-a-BUS." This is a gracious, welcoming, and considerate host. Ba'alabusteh: The female equivalent, a hostess. But this term is usually reserved as extremely high praise, for "the hostess with the mostest." Berye: A virtuoso, an absolute master of one's art or craft. Boychik: An Americanism, meaning a cute little boy. B'shert: One's predestined, fated soulmate. Bubbeleh: One of the most endearing terms of endearment ever, it literally means "little doll." Chavruta: One's Talmud study-buddy, who often becomes one's BFF. Chochom: From the Hebrew word for "wisdom," a sage. Gaon: A title of high respect reserved for the great Talmud scholars and yeshiva heads of the age. Gadol Hador: Literally meaning "great of the generation," one whose scholarship is combined with a moral rectitude that causes this person to be considered a true leader, a shining light. Kemfer: Literally, a fighter… but one who fights for a cause; an activist. Lamed Vovnik: "One of the 36." Jewish tradition has it that the world is allowed to exist due to the merits of 36 living individuals. No one knows who they are, so it is incumbent upon us to treat everyone- no matter how insignificant they may seem to us- as one of these 36. One is called a "Lamed Vovnik" if their actions are so pious as to make it obvious that they must be one of the 36. Landsman: Someone from the same part of the Old Country as you are. But one is called that as a compliment if he or she helps you on that merit alone, and is otherwise a stranger. Macher: It means "maker," but an English equivalent might be "a mover and a shaker." One, often pillar of the community, who can "make a few calls" and make major things happen. Mayven: An expert, a "go-to" person on a particular subject. Often used as an insult for a know-it-all who supposes himself an expert on every subject. Mechayeh: Only sometimes used for a person, it means "that which gives life" (the root word is "chai"). A cold glass of lemonade on a muggy August day, or someone who has that effect. Mensch: One of the highest words of praise in all of Yiddish, it literally just means "man." To Yiddish speakers, it means one who represents the highest, best qualities of humanity- not just a human, but a humanitarian. One need not be learned to be a mensch, but considerate in the extreme. Mishpacha: While the word means "family," it can be used to encompass those friends who feel like family: "Of course your friend can join us! She's mishpacha already." Oytser: Yiddish for "treasure." A sweetheart, the love of one's life. (NOTE: Make sure not to confuse this word with "oyster.") Pits'l: "A little piece," used to mean a small, adorable child, as in the English "little bit." Posek: A rabbi whose decisions are so sought-after and highly regarded that they have the force of precedent. More generally, someone whose opinion- be it legal, medical, technological, etc.- you trust implicitly. Pupik: Belly button. Yet another word for a cute kid. Rav, Rebbe: Terms of endearment for one's rabbi. Schtarker: Related to the word "stark," this is a strong, even muscle-bound, person. Someone you'd want to help you move to your new place. Shayna Maidel: A "maidel" is a "maiden," but a "shayna maidel" is a pretty one. Most often used by bubbies for their own granddaughters. Talmid chochom: Not just a "chochom" (see above), but an especially impressive one, who combines both native intelligence and deep study to possess true wisdom. Tumler: Literally, a "tumbler," and so an "acrobat." But it has been generalized to include all manner of jesters, jokesters, and physical comedians (think Chris Farley, not Chris Rock). Tzadik: Take a "tamid chochom" (see above) and who is also a "mensch" (see above) and you have a "tzadik." It is someone who possesses both scholarship and compassion in excess. Tzutzik: An ambitious person, one who is admired for industriousness. A hustler, in the positive sense. Yingel: A "young-ling." Also a cute kid- but not a baby, more a toddler. Zeiskeit: Literally, "sweetness." Someone so sweet, they are the very definition of the word. Again, usually used for children. The list of Yiddish compliments makes clear what the values of Judaism are- while having a big brain is highly regarded, the highest of praises are reserved for those with big hearts. As Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel observed: "When I was young, I admired clever people. Now that I am old, I admire kind people." NEXT UP… Yiddish complaints. More negativity- but aimed at things and situations.	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0037.json.gz/line2543
__label__wiki	0.564269	0.564269	Home Posts tagged "Farms" Tag: Farms 8,000 Bales of Cotton Produced in the County October 1, 1939, The Daily News Journal According to a survey conducted last week, an average of approximately 8,000 bales of cotton are grown annually in Rutherford County. Four large gins in Murfreesboro produce an average of 1,500 bales each, while two concerns at Smyrna and Walter Hill report annual… National Register of Historic Places – Smith-Sanders Farm August 2, 2018, National Register of Historic Places The ‘National Register’ is a phenomenal source of information regarding historic homes. Search their database and you will find 49 properties as of August 2, 2018. The following ‘Register’ entry is dated January 4, 1993: The Smith Farm is located six miles… New Murfreesboro road plans spare 210-year-old Batey farm Scott Broden, The Daily News Journal, October 13, 2017 Murfreesboro’s new road plans will avoid cutting through John L. Batey’s 210-year-old family farm. “It’s a whole lot better proposal than what they had before,” said Batey, who operates a 400-acre farm raising hogs and crops on both sides of Baker… Road would cut through Batey’s farm Scott Broden, Daily News Journal, April 2, 2016 MURFREESBORO — John L. Batey’s 209-year-old family farm eventually could end if city officials decide to extend Veterans Parkway through his property north to Interstate 24. “It would be gone,” the 73-year-old farmer said as he rocked in a chair on the front porch of… Local History Preserved On The Cripple Creek Farm WGNS Radio (www.wgnsradio.com), March 19, 2014 An important part of preserving details of local history is to keep the markers in area cemeteries in good repair. Local historian Steve Cates updated WGNS on recent work at a burial ground on the Cripple Creek farm. He noted that the rural burial… Cates, Land Trust to preserve Readyville farmland forever DNJ, Sunday, October 14, 2012 — READYVILLE — The farmland making up the historically-significant Cates Farm will be forever protected for the enjoyment of future generations thanks to a conservation agreement announced this weekend. Brothers Steve and Ben Cates announced Saturday they had entered a voluntary agreement with the statewide… MADE IN RUTHERFORD: Century farms still going strong MURFREESBORO, DNJ, 5/27/2012 — Rutherford County is home to 28 designated Century Farms, establishing the county is serious about preserving its historical sites and how much agriculture played a part in the development of the growing population. Historic Sanders Farm Saved by Trust From The Murfreesboro Post, Sunday, December 6, 2009 The Land Trust for Tennessee announced that landowner Patricia ‘Pat’ Sanders has conserved 331 acres of farmland through a permanent conservation agreement with the statewide nonprofit land conservation organization. The farm, located on Armstrong Valley Road, is a Tennessee Century Farm and… APTA Historic Marker Place On Porterfield Community Farm Added Approximately thirty members of APTA, family, and friends gathered at the Alexander-Ready-Cates Farm at Porterfield on Sunday, Family acts to protect historic farm As published in the Murfreesboro Post, Erin Edgemon, August 5, 2007 Not all Rutherford County farmers want to see their land turned into residential subdivisions and shopping centers. As the county’s population continues to grow, creating a larger demand for new homes and new places to shop, many owners of…	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0037.json.gz/line2550
__label__wiki	0.729974	0.729974	Home > 2008 > Game free download for pc > PC > Simulation X3 Terran Conflict Full PC Game Official Name X3: Terran Conflict Developer (s) Egosoft Publisher (s) Deep Silver Distributor (s) Valve Corporation Engine X3 Reality Release date (s) 16 October 2008 Genre (s) combat simulator Mode (s) Single-player X3 Terran Conflict for PC Screenshots X3 Terran Conflict Full PC Game Overview X3 Terran Conflict Download Free Full Game (Usually shortened to X3TC and trademarked as X3: Terran Conflict), is a space trading and combat simulator from German developer Egosoft and is the culmination of their X series of computer games. Described as a stand-alone game, based on X3: Reunion, it boasts new plot lines, features and assets. It was first released on October 2008 for the European market and Steam. X3: Terran Conflict is a single player, first-person space-based simulator where the player can explore and expand in a constantly changing environment. The player can navigate his/her ship across numerous sectors owned by the various races (Argon, Boron, Split, Paranid, Teladi, Xenon, Kha'ak, Terran, Pirate and Yaki) which are connected through devices termed Jumpgates, allowing for large-scale travel in the game universe. X3 Terran Conflict Free Download. The entire game universe holds thousands of persistent stations and ships, with a varying economy which the player is encouraged to take part in through trading, construction, and in some instances combat. The game is open-ended, and the player is free to explore and perform various tasks at will, unless a mission instructs otherwise. There are several alien races which the player can interact with, through these interactions shaping his relationship with the races, becoming either friend or foe. Some races are presented as a constant threat where friendship is not an option. Each race has a military presence across the universe and skirmishes can break out without the player's involvement. The player is capable of acquiring many different types of property, such as ships, stations, and factories. Ships can be piloted manually in the first-person by the player, or can be ordered to perform various tasks on their own such as engaging in combat and trading. Ships can also be grouped together to form wings, where they attempt to perform a task assigned by the player together without the player needing to order them individually. The number of assets the player can own is not limited by the game. Types of ships range from small scout ships equipped with light weaponry and shielding to large capital ships with various capabilities, which can be used for offense, factory construction, ware production or other purposes. Combat can range from dogfights between small ships to large fleet battles involving many ships, small to large alike. There are several classes of weapons available for use, such as beam weapons, energy projectiles, ammo-based projectiles which must be kept stocked with the appropriate ammunition, various types of missiles, as well as mines. Each ship is usually capable of equipping a wide array of weapons, usually limited by the constructing race and ship size. X3 Terran Conflict Free Download PC Game. Several space installations are available to be built by the player. They can include factories, trading stations, stationary weapon platforms, and more. The player can also build a Headquarters, capable of many different tasks ranging from ware storage to ship construction. Factories can be built basically anywhere in a sector, usually to provide income to the player through the sale of the wares it produces, or the production of wares directly for the player's use. Wares can be bought from stations for a certain cost, and be either sold at another station (ideally for a profit) or to be used by the player. Certain wares are required at each type of station to produce the stations product. As an example, crystals are required at Solar Power Plants to produce its product; energy cells. Basic wares such as minerals, food, and energy go through several stages of production at various factories to become more advanced products, such as weapons, satellites, and drones. Both plot and generic missions are offered and take place in the universe itself, usually with some kind of reward for the player. Local events may alter the players experience of the mission. The majority of missions are not restrictive, and the player can perform normal activities after the mission has been accepted and may call upon any available property to help with the objective. As the game progresses, many more features are made available; such as connecting multiple factories to share resources, and training marines to board capital ships. X3 Terran Conflict for PC. See also: X (game series) § Story Centuries before the events of X3: Terran Conflict, the Terrans built their ownjumpgate technology, which accidentally connected to an abandoned network of alien jumpgates. They colonized many uninhabited worlds, using robotic spacecraft called Terraformers to make planets suitable for human life. A software error caused the Terraformers to malfunction and they rampaged across the colonies, re-terraforming planets, killing the inhabitants. During the last stand battle in Earth orbit, the Terraformers are drawn back through the jumpgate, which is self-destructed behind them, cutting Earth from the gate network. A small group of humans who led the Terraformers away continued to become the Argon race and the Terraformers evolved into the Xenon. The player can play the role of many characters. If an alien is chosen as a character, the player must perform an additional mission to gain access to the Solar System. After the events of X3: Reunion, the Solar System is again connected to the gate network, albeit with different sectors and alien life present. The Terran race are far ahead of the other races technologically, but remain cautious almost to the point of xenophobia. Some Terrans begin to integrate with the commonwealth sectors and a dialogue forms between governments. During a routine patrol in the Solar System, the player is called to battle in the Neptune system where Xenon are attacking. Using special beacons, they were able to jump deep into the Solar System without use of a jumpgate. During the battle, a small drone steals information from a Terran station and delivers it to an Argon ship in the Pluto sector which uses a jumpdrive to escape the Solar System. The player is tasked with investigating the odd activity of the Xenon who appear to be under influence of the unknown character. The Xenon and pirate factions are found to be coordinating attacks to raid ships for valuable resources. New ships begin to appear which resemble the original form of Terraformers, attacking ships of the Boron race. The player aids the delivery of Terraformer wreckage to Terran scientists who deduce that these ships are remakes based on commonwealth technology. Captain Robert Pearle, an undercover Terran operative has valuable information about the origin of these Terraformer ships but he has been discovered and arrested by Argon forces. The player meets up with fellow Terran agent Patricia Heywood to rescue Pearle from an Argon military sector. When Pearle has recovered, he accompanies the player on a mission to Split space where the Terraformers are rumoured to be built. A makeshift mobile factory is discovered and captured by Terran forces and several Split scientists are captured. Under interrogation, one of the scientists mentions the name, Aldrin. Aldrin was a colony of the Terrans; established before the Terraformer war. The colonists managed to shut down their jumpgate and safeguard their Terraformers from the software error. Aldrin was presumed lost during the war. A scientist from the original Terraformer project, named Martin Winters, had survived the centuries by cryogenically freezing himself in deep space. He rediscovered the existence of Aldrin and set to work to recreate the Terraformer project using the preserved Terraformers in that sector. The Terrans launch an offensive by reverse engineering a jump beacon to jump a fleet to Aldrin. They find a Terraformer CPU ship under control of Winters, and the Aldrin people suppressed due to Winters influence on the Terraformers. A fleet of Xenon ships joins the battle against the Terrans, defending Winters. A boarding party successfully takes control of the CPU ship and Winters again makes an escape. The player is tasked with escorting Aldrin dignitaries to the Earth Torus, making the Earth sector open to the player. Four additional plot lines are available for the player to pursue. Each is fully voiced and unlocks several unique features and assets. X3 Terran Conflict Download Torrent. X3 Terran Conflict Free Download PC Game Click on below button to start X3 Terran Conflict Download Free PC Game. It is a Full Version PC Game. Just download torrent and start playing it. The Princess Bride Game Full PC Game Age of Conan Rise of the Godslayer Full PC Game Lego Marvels Avengers Full PC Game Steep Full PC Game	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0037.json.gz/line2553
__label__cc	0.584611	0.415389	Gears of War 4 All Cutscenes (Game Movie) 1080p HD by star trek voyager gears of wars 4 This is a topic that many people are looking for. star-trek-voyager.net is a channel providing useful information about learning, life, digital marketing and online courses …. it will help you have an overview and solid multi-faceted knowledge . Today, star-trek-voyager.net would like to introduce to you Gears of War 4 All Cutscenes (Game Movie) 1080p HD. Following along are instructions in the video below: Follow GLP on Instagram: http://instagram.com/bigmikelittlemikey Follow GLP on Twitter! http://twitter.com/glittlep Like GLP on Facebook! http://facebook.com/gLpLayground Gears of War is back! It’s been 3 years since Gears of War: Judgment came out, and the series was seemingly dead for the past couple of years. Judgment was a big disappointment as it felt rushed and done without inspiration. Microsoft bought the Gears of War of franchise of Epic Games soon after, and handed over the reins to The Coalition. I am happy to say that the game is return to form to the franchise. The campaign is fluid, cinematic and great fun. I love that the Gears of War humor is still intact here, and that it’s self aware of the ridiculousness of it all. The gameplay is as fluid as it’s ever been. The controls feel amazing. My only qualms with the story is that the ending felt a little abrupt to me. I like most of the new characters, but the three main characters (JD, Del, and Kait) are excellent. They’re funny and likable. I like the mix of old and new by The Coalition, especially not overshadowing the new characters with fan favorites. Gears of War 4 takes place 25 years after the Imulsion Countermeasure weapon destroyed all Imulsion on the planet Sera, taking the Locust and the Lambent with them as well. Unfortunately, this also knocked out the use of fossil fuels, forcing humanity to adapt new ways for survival. The countermeasure also brought the advent of “Windflares”, powerful windstorms that form across the planet. Following the aftermath of the Lambent Epidemic, the reformed Coalition of Ordered Governments estimated that only hundreds of thousands of humans are left on Sera. To prevent the population from declining, walled-off cities were built to protect the citizens from the dangers outside. The COG also declared martial law, preventing any travel from outside of city walls. Some human survivors rejected the viewpoints of the COG and formed a group called the “Outsiders” that live outside of the COG jurisdiction, conducting raids on COG territory to gather resources As always we used relevant gameplay, important dialogue and all cutscenes to create a fluid cinematic experience. We hope you enjoy! Our 2nd Channel, GLP TV – https://www.youtube.com/c/glptvee OUR GRAPHICS CARD: https://amzn.to/2DP7otI OUR CAPTURE CARD: https://amzn.to/2Sikjs0 OUR PROCESSOR: https://amzn.to/2DOfG57 OUR MONITOR: https://amzn.to/2DOpVGm OUR HEADSET: https://amzn.to/2SikB24 OUR MIC: https://amzn.to/2KKcokw DISCORD: https://discord.gg/jkwK432 Movies in 4K and 1440P https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list… Our Recent Movies A-D Game Movies E-K Game Movies L-R Game Movies S-Z Game Movies gears of wars 4-0 Thank you for watching all the articles on the topic Gears of War 4 All Cutscenes (Game Movie) 1080p HD. All shares of star-trek-voyager.net are very good. We hope you are satisfied with the article. For any questions, please leave a comment below. Hopefully you guys support our website even more. How To Refund A Game On Steam \| 2020 Tutorial \| SEE DESC. How to install ALL of the Sims 4 Games FOR FREE on PC	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0037.json.gz/line2554
__label__cc	0.732445	0.267555	Meet the Audience Meet Lisa Carr December 21, 2011 \| by Manny Strauss A new feature of theatrewashington.org, Meet The Audience, introduces you to the dynamic theatregoers in our area. Click here to share your thoughts. Each week we will publish a response like this one from Lisa Carr. During the month of December, each audience member whose response is published on theatrewashington.org will receive a $20 TixCertificate to show our thanks. Lisa Carr First show: I grew up in the NY suburbs, so went on class trips to lots of Broadway shows. I can't remember what was first show, but it was probably either South Pacific or Cats. First show in Washington area: There were probably shows I saw before this, but the first one I can remember is A New Brain at Studio Theatre. Favorite show in Washington area (so far): I've had so many favorites, so that's hard to narrow down. In 2011, I'd say it's a three-way tie between dog & pony dc's Beertown, Studio's Venus in Fur and Solas Nua's Swampoodle. Theatrical character with whom you most identify: Honey in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? -- slightly hapless, badly drunk, and awkward at parties. Favorite playwright/composer: Favorite pre- or post-show restaurant/bar: Café Saint-Ex The importance of theatre to you: There is nothing I love doing more than going to the theatre -- a great show can entrance with its story, make you think about life in a new way, and teach you something you never knew. Name a theatre in the Washington area that you have never attended but have wanted to experience: I saw 212 plays in the last year, so it's hard to name a theatre I haven't been to!	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0037.json.gz/line2568
__label__cc	0.548786	0.451214	About The Colored Lens Tag Archives: The Colored Lens #11 – Spring 2014 Fiction General Futuristic TCL #11 - Spring 2014 By Todd Thorne on Tuesday, August 26, 2014 Jeff yawned at Allison through the storm door and scrubbed a hand over his shaggy salt and pepper locks. A mahogany bathrobe draped around his ex-jock physique, a body she adored and anticipated great delight in watching him whip back into its former glory. “Am I bothering you?” “Never,” he muttered, letting her in. With the front door sealing off prying eyes, Allison tasted his stale mouth and gummy lips. “Have I ever mentioned how utterly dashing you are in the morning?” “Sorry.” He yawned again. “Boudica kept going out all night. Driving me nuts. This is a nice wake-up call though.” “Normally I wouldn’t risk dropping by. Today is extra special. I knew you’d be particularly happy to see me.” “I’m already way past happy.” He drew her up against him. A woman’s voice droned from the kitchen. “In. In. In.” “‘Scuse me,” Jeff mumbled, sliding from her embrace. Seconds later the back door squealed. “Eat. Eat,” came the woman’s voice again, followed shortly by the can opener’s dutiful grind. “Eat. Eat,” the voice repeated in lifeless monotone as blobs of wetness sucked loose and splattered. Allison strolled into the living room to wait, senses tingling from this, her first time inside the Lang residence, though her second actual visit. Six months ago, she’d dropped off contract originals for Jeff’s records–a cordial, professional, totally innocuous appointment, at least to any prying eyes watching at the time. Now the house wove an enticing tale through her casual observations. She absorbed impressions like a thirsty sponge slurping up a puddle. Dust and dirt accumulated on every available surface–the sign of a mind too preoccupied with matters far beyond mundane concerns like basic house cleaning. Books, magazines and papers lay sprawled, several of the latter bearing the logo of her company and some of those were adorned with hasty scribbles and crossed-out notes. Unopened mail peeked like Easter eggs nestled in stray places: between empty beer bottles, atop grease-stained pizza boxes, on the marble coffee table, beside the Sony plasma, amidst scattered throw pillows and the occasional sock. Allison drank in the trappings of a life she knew to be normally quite tidy and efficient, now screeched to a crawl in a tight holding pattern. And she approved. “Sorry I didn’t clean up.” Jeff shuffled in, this time bearing a cheery grin for her instead of a yawn. “Your maid needs a pep talk.” “Or maybe a pink slip–wait a minute–I guess that would be me. Anyway, where were–” The phone whistled, snatching away his smile. Jeff palmed the handset. “Hello? Who? Lieutenant Fischer…” Twin furrows gouged into his brow. “It’s Saturday, right? You’ve got either really good news or very bad. So which is it?” A fly’s pesky buzz escaped the handset, the only part of the detective’s report Allison overheard. Behind the whine lurked a paunchy middle-aged cop, a man that, five seconds upon meeting, she’d dismissed in summary order as seasoned but moronic; just another stereotypical male unable to break eye contact off a high-dollar pair of sculpted boobs. Unfortunately her one true dream–not to mention she, herself–remained unfulfilled until Fischer managed to just do his job. No more or less. Which was really odd. Here she stood silently cheering on the oafish turd that could actually stink up her whole life forever, should divine intervention somehow inspire the cop to overachieve. Not likely though. Fischer was that stupid. “Oh my God!” Jeff choked. Could it be? Heart thudding, Allison drifted over to him, mentally crossing her fingers as she did before every traumatic moment she faced. “B-burned? Where?” A pause. “No… not where was the car burned. Where was it found? In Brownsville? But no sign of her. Uhhhmm… uhhh. Well, w-what do you think it means?” The Transceiver By J.A. Becker on Monday, August 18, 2014 A cold shudder runs through me as I look through the one-way mirror at the psycho in the orange jumpsuit who’s handcuffed to the table. What I’ll see in his head, what I’ll feel and experience first hand will be like living nightmares. I don’t know if I can handle them. I’ve seen some terrible things, but nothing like what he’s done. The psycho raises a styrofoam cup of hot coffee to his mouth, but the chain connecting his handcuffs to the table is too short, so when he gets the cup halfway up, his arm jerks to a stop and the coffee spills onto the lap of his bright orange coveralls. He swears and frantically squirms in his seat to stop the coffee from scalding him. The pained look on his face tells me that he isn’t succeeding. Good, I think. He deserves that. That’s fitting for a guy like him. That’s perfect. He plunks the cup down in front of him and shakes the hot brown liquid from his hands, which sends his chains rattling and clanking over the table’s black metal top. He doesn’t look like much sitting there, coke-bottle glasses, short salt and pepper hair, and so skinny he seems lost in those orange overalls. With what they told me about him, I imagined some beefy guy with tattoos of little spiders at the corner of his eyes and pipes the size of my head–not somebody who could have been my grade 9 science teacher. Let someone else do this, my inner voice tells me. Don’t they have people trained to do stuff this? Why the hell does it have to be me? Then I remind myself of the deal I made, a deal I’ll find nowhere else: get what the authorities need from this lunatic and then the agency goes back to working out how to shut off this mechanism in my head. Life will be worth living again without it. Fantasy Fiction TCL #11 - Spring 2014 Magic Hands By Iulian Ionescu on Monday, August 11, 2014 Ritha unfolded a square piece of red cloth on the table, caressing it with her palm to get rid of the wrinkles. She pulled a candle closer and lit another one to brighten the room. Today she couldn’t hate Mr. Pierre more even if the bastard were to walk in through the door right now and spit in her face. One day, she thought, one day… “Good for nothin’,” she mumbled under her breath and picked a needle from the sewing kit. Ritha stuck the thread through the needle’s ear in one shot, just like her mama taught her. She chuckled. Mama… If she were here, all those bastards would be screaming in pain right now. But mama was dead and Ritha was out of job and short on rent. Where is that picture? She rummaged through her pocket and took out a pack of photographs kept together by a rubber band. She shuffled through the stack, pulled one photo out, and leaned it against her teacup. Pierre–you dirty piece of–. Ritha slapped herself over the mouth. ‘We don’t use those words,’ mama used to say. ‘If we do, we ain’t better than the rest o’them.’ Ritha grabbed a handful of yarn and arranged it in a ball over the red cloth. She glanced at the photo– not that she had to, but that’s how mama had taught her. ‘Always look,’ she used to say. ‘Through your eyes the power flows. Let the image seep inside your head, Ritha, and the energy will come through. From your eyes it will flow into your fingers and into the needle.’ She grabbed the corners of the cloth and pulled them together over the yarn. She held them tight with her fingertips and stuck the needle through. Ritha used to make one in about twenty minutes, but today there wasn’t a lot of time. She glimpsed at the crib, hidden in the darkest corner of the room. She needed this one, she needed it badly. Nobody gave a damn about the little one, especially Mr. Pierre. Ritha clenched her teeth and continued to sew. At the end of fifteen minutes she put the red doll next to Mr. Pierre’s picture and smiled. Mama would’ve been so proud. The clock ticked louder, signaling the top of the hour. 8PM. Only fifteen minutes left. She grabbed the doll and the photo and ran into the enchanting room. She put them both gently in the center of a circle made from colored salts, on top of a metallic tray. She dropped a few locks of hair on the sides and lit the sands from a match. As the salts burned slowly, releasing a sweet smell of burned sugar, Ritha closed her eyes and recited the magic poem, the one passed to her by her mama. She waved her hand through the smoke and sprinkled drops of oil through the air. Ten minutes later, Ritha was exhausted. Her chest was heavy and her breath bitter. The salts had burned completely and the doll lay there unmoving, like a dead man in the middle of a forest fire. She took the doll and ran back. 8:15. The phone rang and she grabbed it after the first chime. She glanced at the crib, biting her lip. The baby was still sleeping. “Hello?” a voice said in the receiver. “Yes, I am here.” “Yes, Mr. Pierre, I am. How much today?” Her heart thudded in her chest. How much humiliation today, she wondered. Enough for milk, at least? “Ten dollars,” the man said. She lifted her brows. That wasn’t half bad. “Oh, thank you–” “Cut it out, Ritha. I’m in a good mood. Don’t ruin it.” She bowed, instinctively. “I understand, sir.” “Did you fix it? Last time–” “It’s brand new, sir, brand new.” Silence on the other side. “Okay, then. Go ahead, the usual. Shoulders, neck and lower back.” Ritha pressed the speaker button and put the receiver on the table. She grabbed the red doll and turned it face down. With her fingers, she began to massage the doll’s shoulders and lower back. Pleasure grunts came out of the phone. “Oh, that’s good, Ritha, keep going.” She continued to massage the doll, her eyes fixated on the kitchen knife, only ten inches away from the doll’s head. Her heart pounded a few times, pumping hot blood through her temples. She extended one hand toward the knife… The baby giggled in the crib and turned on one side, his sleepy face pressed against the crib’s bars. Ritha looked at him, startled, her hand suspended in the air. “What’s going on there?” Mr. Pierre screamed. “I am paying for two hands, dammit!” Ritha grabbed the knife and threw it far away from her reach. She gestured a kiss toward the crib and put both her hands on the doll. “I am here, Mr. Pierre, I am here,” she said, tears dripping down her cheeks. Mr. Pierre responded with a long moan. The baby giggled gently in his sleep, and Ritha continued to cry in silence. ‘Be happy when there’s reason to be happy,’ her mama once said. And Ritha was happy because tomorrow the baby gets to eat the good milk. Truth Banks By Damien Krsteski on Monday, August 4, 2014 I stare at the gap between the mountain peaks of data. There’s been a break-in. “Backups?” I say. Fresh snow crunches under our steps. “Checked. Same gap everywhere.” I picture the satellites containing the data of the Truth Banks, the supercomputers buried deep underground with backups and revision history, the top-secret security systems. If there’s one heist impossible to pull it’s this one, and yet the fifteen millisecond gap is right before me like a splinter in the holograms. “Have you sent agents to verify?” He flips the holo-generator’s lid back on and pockets the device. “Of course, Marcus.” We turn right in a side-street. As a warning, he’s brought Lilly. She rushes ahead of us, spinning in the falling snow. He says, “There’s a timer in the code, counting down. To what, we don’t know, but it’s unstoppable. You have until sunrise to find them.” Lilly gathers snow with her purple gloves, throws the snowball at me. “And after this?” I say. Toothy grin. “You do this right, Marcus, and you get her back.” Fists in my pockets. I nod. Crouching to give Lilly a kiss on the cheek. “I am your daddy and I will always love you,” I say. She giggles. “You are funny,” she says. The agent pats her on the head, still grinning. “I think you’re right, Lilly. He is funny.” I wipe my tears off with a sleeve, and fixing him a look of utter contempt, start my stopwatch. By on Monday, July 28, 2014 The spell to start my car didn’t work that evening, so I contacted the repair service and walked home from the office through darkening drizzle, rather than being ripped off by the Instant Transportation System. Rain insinuated itself inside my upturned collar. Typical: they spend a fortune on improving the fireballs and blasting spells, but nothing on controlling the weather. “Can I see your papers, sir?” said a voice behind me. I turned with the practiced air of having nothing to hide, but my mind was racing. Had he heard my thoughts, and would he consider them disloyal? I’d always doubted the rumours of the police using mind-reading devices, but I wasn’t so sure at that moment. It was reassuring that his fireball-thrower was still in its holster, although his hand rested on it, but his face was blank and unreadable as they always were. I fumbled the papers from my inside pocket and tried to stand calmly while he scanned them. Everyone feels paranoid in this situation. Or maybe just me. It’s not as if anyone discusses it. He looked up at last. “Seen any of the damned, sir?” The question threw me, as was no doubt the intention, but I was able to answer truthfully, “Of course not. I’d have reported it if I had.” The policeman nodded, pushing his face into a smile that didn’t suit it. “I’m sure you would, sir. Sooner there’s not a damned left, the better. Evening.” I nodded vigorously as he hand my papers back, though his words disturbed me. The damned were abominations, to be sure, but there were rumours of them being fed alive into furnaces when caught. Probably just propaganda by the damned-lovers, I reminded myself. The government knew best. I glanced about as I trudged through the dreary streets, searching out subtle signs of the damned. There are ways they can pass for normal, but it’s said you can always feel the difference. That man there, wearing dark glasses in the evening? No, I didn’t get a sense of wrongness from him. Perhaps I should have followed him, but it was cold, and I was probably mistaken. It’s not just the physical differences that make the damned revolting. All of us use magic, and some are talented enough to manipulate it, making and repairing the devices we rely on and the spells that drive them. The damned, though, live within magic and use it to interfere with our minds and souls, bewildering decent people into their foul clutches. There’s nothing natural about them. Fiction TCL #11 - Spring 2014 By Dusty Cooper on Monday, July 21, 2014 Phil surveyed the hazard area left by the previous tenants. They’d made the place a rat’s nest of freshly used women’s hygiene products, kitty litter, and dirty dishes. The house was no more than a spider hole: one room for living and cooking, one for showering and sleeping. Phil tried renting to single occupants, but the kind of trash that answered his ads weren’t the kind to follow rules. They’d move their families in, or their friends’ visits would turn into extended stays. The last tenant let a woman and her two kids live with him. How they fit without sleeping on top of each other, Phil couldn’t imagine. The guy hadn’t paid rent for the last two months. Phil used everything but a crowbar to get them out of there. “They suck you dry,” he said to his friend, Gus. “Drain you until you’ve got no option but kick’em out.” “Yep,” Gus said, studying a section of the wall where someone’s fist had broken through. Frayed fibers fringed the dark hole. A piece of sheetrock dangled from a strip of wallpaper. He tried folding it back in place, but it didn’t fit. “Told you this landlord business was no fun.” “It ain’t so bad,” Phil said. “Every year or two I got to do some renovations, but it’s a monthly supplement to my Social check.” Phil amended, “When the trash pays.” Gus let the chunk of sheetrock drop, and it crumbled at his feet. “You ever have one leave without having to kick’em out for not paying?” “Not in awhile,” Phil said. Carolyn, his late wife, used to handle the interviewing. She read people. Tenants weren’t as much trouble when she was making the calls. He turned in the doorway, scanned the yard, all mud holes and tire trenches, and beyond that acres of woods. That’s why he’d bought the place as a young man. Cheap land, and he just needed enough room to rest when he got off work. The square-footage provided plenty of space until he met Carolyn. “I’ll just raise the rent this time. Get somebody that’ll take care of the place,” Phil said. “Yeah, we’ll see,” Gus said and began tearing down the battered wall. “You’re going to have to replace at least two panels.” Wild Blue Roses By Jeff Suwak on Tuesday, July 15, 2014 Tiernan discovered the dead dogs outside the trapper’s camp at the base of Mount Storm. The animal’s frozen carcasses hung impaled upon the trunks of black oaks, branches bursting out of their flanks and eyes and mouths. The moment he saw the grim spectacle, the druid knew that Bril’s mind was too far gone. There could be no bringing him back, now. But I must try, Tiernan thought. At the very least, I must try. He moved forward stiffly in his furs and heavy boots, unaccustomed to such clothing after spending so many years in the Druid Circle’s warmer southern climes. Even with all the coverings layered upon him, he still shivered–though whether it was because of the cold or because of his mission, he could not be certain. Confronting a fellow member of the Circle was always a sad affair, but this particular trip was doubly so. The druid to be uprooted had been Tiernan’s student. More than that, they had been friends. The trappers suffered worse fates than their dogs. Tiernan found their corpses scattered over the plain outside a log cabin, twisted heaps mutilated on the ground with grim coats of raven pecking the flesh from their bones. Chaotic designs of blood in the snow told the story of a harried and futile retreat, one of men injured and terrified in flight before falling. The druid imagined those desperate figures wheeling about in clouds of murderous birds, and took a deep breath to steady himself. He shooed the birds away. They rose with angry caws and lighted upon the cabin roof to watch him through their black eyes, as though warning that he might be their next victim. One by one he dragged the trappers inside the building. Druidic tradition was to leave the bodies in the wilderness to decompose naturally, but city people lived and died in different ways, and their beliefs had to be respected. He scattered fireseed over the cabin wall and struck his flint, setting alight the makeshift pyre. The ravens scattered into the air and headed north, into the gathering dusk with a flurry of beating wings and shrill cries. Back to their master, Tiernan thought. Back to Bril. He climbed to the far side of a rise and set up camp out of sight of the billowing flames. The sight of druidic power used so savagely unsettled him. The Art was meant for gentler things. Rapid-seed spells were meant to replenish forests, not skewer sled dogs. Bonding spells were meant to commune with animals, not to employ them as assassins. Bril knew all these things. Or, at least, he had once known all these things. He had been among the gentler souls of the Circle, and it was difficult to associate him at all with the brutality that had occurred on that mountain. Tiernan huddled deeper into his furs. He cleared snow from the frozen earth and built a fire as the sun set low in the sky and the shadow of Mount Storm stretched long over the plain. He laid out an elk skin and sat upon it, watching orange shapes rise and sink from the fire’s black embers. It was said that long ago druids could read the future in that fiery language, but if such a thing was ever true, it had long since ceased to be so. Tiernan blamed himself for Bril’s violence. All along he had known that his friend’s acute sensitivity put him in danger. A druid taking Stewardship over a piece of land entered into a Communion with that place, and the connection could become so deep that it risked consuming his mind completely. Bril’s temperament made him exceptionally vulnerable to that kind of psychic disintegration. A hard wind whistled through the dark and bent the fire sidelong. Tiernan pulled the elk hide tighter around his shoulders and thought about the desolation of that place where his friend had spent the last five years of life, removed from connection with other people. To the north extended the Bladed Mountains, hundreds of miles of peaks so sheer and unforgiving that not even druids went there. To the south and east, the fast waters of the Thalthemin River cut the area off from the rest of the world. To the west was the city of Industry, growing rapidly along the shores of Lake Phalheen. Its inhabitants numbered in the tens of thousands, but for a druid like Bril, a legion of merchants was the loneliest prospect of all. Mount Storm is a perfect place for a man to go mad, Tiernan thought. And I left him alone here, for all these years. An animal padded through the snow just outside the light of the fire. Tiernan looked until he saw the faint outline of a snow ferret. As the animal watched him, Tiernan knew that Bril was seeing though its eyes. “No one wanted things to come to this,” he said. The animal stiffened momentarily, but remained. “You know why I am here, just as you know that I cannot leave until my task is done.” The ferret turned and bolted off into the darkness. “Please do not make this any harder than it already is,” Tiernan said, to the darkness, or to himself. Autumn nights were long in those northern reaches, but that night, he knew, would be even longer than most. He had gone there hoping to rescue his friend before it was too late, but found the mountain already stained with blood. And I fear that before my task is done, much more will be shed. Fiction TCL #11 - Spring 2014 Urban Fantasy The Virgin and The Dragon By Melinda Moore on Monday, July 7, 2014 Vivian slammed the rooftop door open; the metal and brick clashed with all the defiance a wrongfully scolded four-year-old could produce. Tears made the marker ink on her face mix together like Neopolitan ice cream, but what dripped into her mouth tasted like paint. Her feet thudded on the cement before her tears cleared and she saw a mass of gold and brown scales: a dragon took up most of the rooftop. She stepped back so she could see the face, and gulped and wheezed until the sobbing stopped. She asked, “Are you Puff?” The dragon opened one eye and said, “Hardly.” His lid began to close but stopped midway when she said, “I just drew a cave for him on the hallway wall, but since you’re here and he’s not, you can have it.” The lid opened all the way again. “You painted a dragon cave?” Vivian nodded her head like the bobble knight on her dad’s dashboard and said, “It’s beautiful except my mom hates it and says I can’t watch TV for a month, especially if it’s any of dad’s movies.” Traffic honked and screeched far below as if to add an exclamation point to her exasperation. The dragon closed his eye before saying, “I don’t have much use for a two dimensional cave.” Vivian sniffed the snot up her nose and said, “Are you hungry? My mom just went to CostCo and bought a big box of Goldfish.” The eye opened and he said, “Goldfish? I can never catch enough of those to make it worth while. But if you have a big box…” “I’ll be right back.” Vivian could hardly believe a real dragon was on her roof. Her mom was always telling her dad to grow up and quit telling Vivian such fanciful stories. But now she had proof. Down in the kitchen, she slid her step stool across the ceramic tiled floor and into the pantry. She stretch on the stool just enough to pull the bottom of the Goldfish box with her fingertips. It thumped to the ground. She listened for her mom’s footsteps, but she must’ve been asleep in her room. Vivian grabbed her treasure and ran up to the rooftop again, worried the dragon would be gone. He was there. “I have the goldfish!” He opened both eyes and said, “Well?” She tore the box and bag open and scattered the crackers in front of his mouth like they were magic dust. “Goldfish.” “Are they dead?” Vivian stared at the treasure and realized her mistake. A lump swelled in her throat, and she choked out, “They’re crackers. I didn’t mean real fish.” The dragon sniffed. A long tongue darted out and licked up several crackers at once. “Cheesy,” he said and continued to lick the roof clean. “When can you bring me more? I’m Darius by the way.” “I’m Vivian. We’ll have another box in a month. Can you come in and play?” “I couldn’t possibly squeeze through the door.” Vivian slumped, but then recalled the story about princesses kissing frogs. Maybe if she kissed him, he’d turn into a boy and fit through the door. She ran to his snout and gave him a peck. When he didn’t change, she dashed through the door and down the stairs, hoping he’d never guess her foolish notion. The Broken Chair By Steve Toase on Monday, June 23, 2014 With lengths of dried rosemary Helena tied the pieces of broken chair together into a frame. Splintered legs pointed out to sea. Crouching upon the water the storm dragged its fingers through the currents. In the harbour fishing fleet boats were tied slack against the tide. Back and forth they echoed the breath of the salt. From her basket Helena took out nine jam jars. Their glass was scoured to opaque with handfuls of powdered bone. Each smelled of funeral bouquets, not that Helena noticed. All her senses had faded to worn paper lanterns long ago. Pausing, she reached in her pocket for her dad’s photo. The young, proud, man bore as much resemblance to the old man, breathing his last in the now broken chair, as an acorn did to an oak. His sepia hands were clasped in front of him, unmarked. When they placed him in the ground his one remaining hand was scarred by fish bones and the crush of wet rope. The storm came closer. A smoke-coloured wall spat at the reluctant sea. Into each jar Helena placed a single piece of fabric cut from her birthsheet. Taking a pin from her hat she pricked her left thumb and let a single drop fall into each jar. She watched the slow blood soak into frayed yellow cotton and nodded at the sky. Through the wind Helena battled back to Bill’s cottage. Inside she placed the photo on a hearth cold for too many years. None of the fleet owned up to what happened to the insurance money. Closed as scales, and the law had no knife sharp enough to pry them apart. Instead an old man died mutilated, cold and broke, with no spirit left to pass over. Helena pulled another blanket around her shoulders and watched through thick glass. Driving rain reached the cliffs and shuddered them loose. Helena woke early the next morning. Cup of tea in hand she walked to the broken wood frame. At the bottom of each jar sat a single knotted piece of fabric. In the distance the fleet set out from the embrace of the harbour. Engines tore across the dawn. She watched the boats make their way out to the fishing grounds. She waited while they set their nets. Recovering the first knot she whispered ‘Dad’ under her breath and undid the twist of fabric. As she reached into the next jar for the next knot the clouds above the fleet began to fatten and fill with the undead storm. By Peter J. Enyeart on Monday, June 16, 2014 Vala glided over to the ganglion she was to be operating that day. It was always oppressively cold in the extremities of their Gracious Host, but she knew she would soon be warm, or at least oblivious, in her neural nest. She was unpleasantly surprised to find that the Consecrated Pilot she was replacing was the survivor they had picked up, Drexel. The one who had an Opening when the Worm he had been piloting fell in battle. She knew it was pointless to begrudge him his success, so she took a deep breath and then tapped his helmet to let him know she had arrived. His eyes opened slowly. His pupils were great black disks and seemed not to see her. What had those eyes seen? He nodded to indicate that he was sending a request for temporary CNS control of the ganglion during the shift change. He continued to stare at nothing for several moments, until his pupils contracted back into awareness, and his body shivered into life. She carefully withdrew the terminal spike from his helmet and placed it in the sheath, formally severing his Communion with the nervous system of the Gracious Host. Then she grasped his forearms, planted her feet in the mound of neural flesh, and pulled him out of the morass. The zero-g inertia carried him to the opposite wall. He flipped around to plant his feet on it, and pushed off with just enough force to come lightly to a stop, floating just in front of her. “Anything interesting during your shift?” Vala asked. “Nope,” she heard his reply broadcast into her earpiece. “Smooth sailing.” Drexel clasped Vala’s forearm, and Vala reciprocated, inwardly cringing. He helped her up into the fleshy mound, and she soon found herself up to her chest in tissue. Drexel removed the terminal spike from its sheath. Just as he was about to plunge it through the hole in Vala’s helmet and into her skull, she said, “Wait. What was it like?” “What was what like?” he asked. “The Opening!” she responded. He smiled. “Like the brushing of cloth against your skin, or the scent of the meditation hall.” “No, really, what was it like?” He laughed, and his almond eyes seemed to glow. “Come talk to me in the mess after the ceremony. But for now, CNS is waiting on you.” Then he thrust the terminal spike into her brain. She gasped, as she always did, as her normal sensory space was submerged in that of their Gracious Host, Mzee. Mzee was a massive space-faring creature dubbed a “Turtle” after the terrestrial organism it resembled. If a diamond-hard, jet-black photosynthetic sphere with a mouth stalk and eight limbs for grasping food and firing pellets to attack and maneuver could be said to resemble a turtle. Once fully connected, the bland taste of empty space-time filled Vala’s mouth, but she could also detect the dim bitterness of the sun, vague pinpricks of flavor from the stars, and the mild sweetness of a distant asteroid. This was her brain’s synaesthetic interpretation of Mzee’s acute sense for space-time curvature. As for the Turtle’s electromagnetic sense, she soon heard her own voice chiming as Mzee emitted a radiolocation wave, and her body then warmed when the wave returned to tell her how far away they were from their quarry. Sage Bindeen was personally directing the CNS today, and her voice sounded in Vala’s mind. We’re still pursuing the enemy Worm that killed ours. We’ve identified it as Tovian, but we don’t expect to catch up to it for quite a few shifts. It seems to be headed for the closest asteroid, which was recently ceded to us by the Nation of Tove. We’ve requested reinforcements, but we remain the only unit in the area and have been ordered to intercept. Hold the course. Since today there were no changes in momentum to be made by firing pellets, Vala’s task, as on most days, was to focus on keeping her assigned extremity absolutely still and prevent any rebellion- “disharmony” was the preferred term- on the part of the Gracious Host, and in so doing hone her own mind through the exertions of Communion. Mzee didn’t seem to be putting up much of a fight today, but any lapse in vigilance might give the Turtle a chance to act up and embarrass her. She was determined not to let that happen again. The shift was mostly uneventful, until at one point she had the eerie sensation that she was not in control of her body. It passed quickly, however, and by the end of the shift it was the continued failure of her ego to dissolve that still bothered her most. Read The Colored Lens The Colored Lens - Autumn 2020 The Colored Lens - Summer 2020 The Colored Lens - Spring 2020 The Colored Lens - Winter 2020 Submit Your Story Now Read The Submission Guidelines While we encourage all of our readers to show their support by purchasing our publications through Amazon or Barnes & Noble, if you feel so inclined you can always help further our work directly using the Donate button below. Advertise With The Colored Lens Advertising Rates and Guidelines	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0037.json.gz/line2569
__label__cc	0.672863	0.327137	The Republic Revealed You are here: Home » SECOND AMENDMENT 2: Mission Statement 5: Contact your Congressman/women here both Fed. & State levels 6: OUR FRIENDS AND AFFILIATED WEBSITES 8: Congressional Voting Record's States A - D 8: Lesson in American Economic History 9: Congressional Voting Records States F - K 10: Congressional Voting Records States L - M 11: Congressional Voting Record's States N - O 12: Congressional Voting Record's States P - U 13: Congressional Voting Records States V - W 14: Historical Documents 15: All Story boards Current page is 17: SECOND AMENDMENT 18: Terrorists Rule Page 1 of 26 > >> The Constitution is Sharia-Compliant DHS advisor says Constitution is sharia-compliant You read that right. He also said the United States is an Islamic country. 60 Minutes' Finally Covers Benghazi '60 Minutes' Finally Covers Benghazi, Finds White House Scandal Is it a scandal yet? We all know that before the 2012 election, the mainstream media couldn't be bothered with anything as trivial as the Benghazi attack that killed a U.S. ambassador and three other Americans. Get free university courses now. Is it a scandal yet? We all know that before the 2012 election, the mainstream media couldn't be bothered with anything as trivial as the Benghazi attack that killed a U.S. ambassador and three other Americans. It was just desperate Republicans trying to distract attention from the fact that Sen. Harry Reid knew -- because he'd been told -- that the GOP candidate Mitt Romney must be hiding something because he hadn't released all his tax returns going back to his first job. So the media dutifully ignored Benghazi, secure in the knowledge that it was a closed issue because the villain -- some old guy who made a really lousy YouTube video -- was in jail. After the election, Benghazi became just one of a dozen "phony" scandals, as the White House said. "What difference does it make?" Clinton challenged a congressional hearing. And she got away with it because, except for one or two reporters nationally, the entire American mainstream news media complex chose to side with the Obama Administration against those "evil" conservatives. That may change, though, now that "60 Minutes," the venerable weekend news program, has finally delved into the goings-on in Benghazi on September 11, 2012, and found that, as most of us knew, the Obama Administration has a whole lot to answer for. "Contrary to early WH statements, Benghazi was a planned, sophisticated attack by Al Qaeda against the barely protected American compound," the "60 Minutes" team tweeted in comments regarding its story. "A security official says the attack in #Benghazi was no surprise b/c al Qaeda had posted their plots against U.K. and U.S. online," read another Tweet. The entire segment by Lara Logan can be seen here on YouTube. The importance of the "60 Minutes" report isn't what they found, which is mostly what was already known by anyone who cared to pay attention and do their own investigating. But "60 Minutes" is one of those news outfits that other journalists listen to. Their stories are the sort of thing reporters talk about around the water cooler, and journalism students discuss in upper-division seminars. If "60 Minutes" has now given tacit approval to criticism of the Obama Administration, the chances are good that other journalists will snap themselves out of their six-year coma and finally start demanding answers to questions that Obama and the rest of his power-mad crew would rather avoid. Read more: http://godfatherpolitics.com/13043/60-minutes-finally-covers-benghazi-finds-white-house-scandal/#ixzz2j2XTG6Hv Previous page: STORY BOARD F Next page: Terrorists Rule [ PRIVACY POLICY \| TERMS OF USE ] © Copyright 2004-2021 - The Republic Revealed This site is powered by GuardianHost Networks.	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0037.json.gz/line2572
__label__wiki	0.924239	0.924239	Home Lead Stories Authority begins transitioning process for homeless Authority begins transitioning process for homeless Wave Staff P3 Wave Wire Services LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority has started transitioning homeless people from temporary shelter to long-term housing solutions through its COVID-19 Recovery Plan, officials said Sept. 22. Through Project Roomkey, which has housed people in motel and hotel rooms, the city and county of Los Angeles secured over 4,000 rooms in 37 hotels, and the authority filled them with more than 6,000 people. “With Project Roomkey, we saw what is possible when our system focuses on a rehousing solution and is provided with the resources and political will to accomplish a goal,” said Heidi Marston, executive director of the authority. “But that was a temporary solution. With the COVID-19 Recovery Plan, we have dedicated, concentrated resources to move our most vulnerable homeless neighbors into long-term supportive housing.” Based on current funding levels from the city and county for the COVID-19 Recovery Plan, Marston said the authority has funds to house at least 4,900 of the most vulnerable people experiencing homelessness, which the agency defines as people 65 and older or those who have underlying health conditions that make them vulnerable to serious illness or death from COVID-19. Over the next six months, the homeless authority said it will transition clients from all 37 hotels into housing at a rate of 400 to 1,000 people per month. Under a one-year lease, the majority of the minimum 4,900 people will move in to “Recovery Housing,” which will consist of pre-existing and new units that will be subsidized and come with supportive services. Once the one-year lease is up, participants with the highest service needs will be transferred to permanent supportive housing as units become available, and other clients will be transferred to a long-term subsidy program to keep them stably housed. Marston said more than 88% of people who have entered the rehousing system have stayed housed, and in 2019, the rehousing system helped 22,769 people move into permanent housing. The county has approved $43 million in coronavirus relief funds for the COVID-19 Recovery Plan, and the authority said it expects to receive another $80 million in county Emergency Solutions Grants and $15 million in Measure H funding. The city released $30 million out of $97 million in emergency grants for the recovery plan, with the possibility of fully funding the program if it’s successful. The COVID-19 Recovery Plan will be supported by Project Homekey, a statewide program to acquire hotel properties to house people experiencing homelessness. The authority and its network of providers are also asking landlords to participate in the program by contacting PATH Lease Up at (323) 644-2200. COVID-19 Recovery Plan Heidi Marston long-term housing Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority Los Angeles secured Measure H funding Project Roomkey statewide program Previous articleCompton adds to reward for suspects in deputies’ shooting Next article‘Should President Trump select the next Supreme Court justice?’ Gascón’s attempt at reforms draws judicial rebuke Businesses near SoFi Stadium await economic boom	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0037.json.gz/line2573
__label__wiki	0.862586	0.862586	Restless haunting EDITORIAL 12/03/2010 Restless haunting Watered down and inconclusive — that was how Hong Kong, its government and citizens included, viewed Noynoy’s recommendations on the Incident Investigation and Review Committee (IIRC) report on the hostage taking bloodbath that cost the lives of eight residents of the territory who were in the country as tourists but instead got into the crossfire of one of the many public servants harboring a grudge against the government. Not expecting justice from Noynoy and a system heavily tainted with political influence, Hong Kong is holding its own investigation into the incident that will spell new trouble for Noynoy. It is expected to be a painful reconstruction of the events of Aug. 23 for Hong Kong, particularly to those who survived the bungled rescue of the local police force, but it is a necessary exercise to put closure on one of the most brutal attacks ever made on a group of Chinese citizens. The mere decision of Hong Kong to reinvestigate is already a huge blackeye for Noynoy. It reinforced perceptions of the crooked judicial system in the country. Included in the recommendations of the IIRC led by Justice Secretary Leila de Lima and created by Noynoy to dig deep into that man-made disaster were criminal sanctions against Interior and Local Government Undersecretary Rico Puno and then Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Jesus Verzosa, who were among the highest officials indicted in the report..... MORE Screwed twice over FRONTLINE Ninez Cacho-Olivares 12/03/2010 Screwed twice over One truly wonders why Congress — both House and the Senate — bothers to spend time and effort to hold budget hearings and make the usual noises threatening to cut this or that item in the budget, when in the end, the two chambers always pass the national budget bill without any cuts at all. The vote was 12 to 2, with only Senators Joker Arroyo and Alan Peter Cayetano giving the nay vote. Since both chambers are wont to pass the budget anyway, as submitted, why bother to hold hearings and go into debates? Why not just pass the bill without any debates and scrutiny, since this will always be passed anyway as is, and with nary a cut? The Senate Wednesday passed the budget bill without cuts, especially keeping the controversial conditional cash transfers (CCT) amounting to a huge P21 billion allotted to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) intact — this despite earlier interpellations of senators to the budget bill sponsor Frank Drilon, bringing up the many difficulties seen in the implementation of the CCT, along with the huge P4 billion allocation for 4,000 new hires of Dinky Soliman..... MORE US looks for ways to prosecute Assange focus 12/03/2010 US looks for ways to prosecute Assange WASHINGTON — Lambasted as a “traitor” and “terrorist” in the United States, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is facing an all-out effort by US officials and politicians who want him tried and arrested. But experts say the path to prosecution is strewn with potential legal complications, including free speech protections under the First Amendment of the US Constitution. “Right now, believe me, at the Justice Department there are many lawyers that are going through all of potential statutes and trying to figure out which statute is going to be the best one to be able to prosecute him,” said Bruce Zagaris, an expert on international law at Berliner, Corcoran and Rowe. The United States officially opened a criminal investigation after WikiLeaks released tens of thousands of secret documents on US military operations in Afghanistan in July. But now, after being embarrassed by a third massive document dump — this time a quarter of a million US diplomatic cables, many with candid assessments of world leaders — US officials are under intensifying pressure to act..... MORE Regarding Hubert NO HOLDS BARRED Armida Siguion-Reyna 12/03/2010 Regarding Hubert Armida Siguion-Reyna Hubert Webb, Tony Boy Lejano, Peter Estrada, Michael Gatchalian, Pyke Fernandez, and Miguel Rodriguez. I wrote about these young men on Jan. 9, 2000, for yet another broadsheet; the piece is easily accessible in an old computer kept to store bits and pieces of a previously active life, and there I see I’d also taken note what others had felt toward the six, close to 10 years ago. “‘Hardened criminals,’ said a friend who had seen them on national television the day they were adjudged guilty. ‘They didn’t even show remorse.’ “‘But what if they weren’t guilty?’ asked another friend. ‘Why would they look or feel sorry? If at all, they’d feel sorry for themselves.” “‘Were they?’ the first friend countered. ‘They didn’t look it; they were eating, or making faces, or sending text messages out on their cell phones, cell phones which Echagaray didn’t have, or Pablito Andan, when their sentences were read out.’ “‘We’re taking away their future. If they can’t keep their future, why can’t we allow them to wear masks when they want to?’.... MORE Abetting treason and corruption DIE HARD III Herman Tiu Laurel 12/03/2010 Abetting treason and corruption The House finally approved the amnesty bill for the military protestors who are better tagged as “conscientious objectors” rather than “mutineers.” This brings the nation closer to an act that is long overdue: A recognition of the protest actions of the Bagong Katipuneros (a.k.a. Magdalos) led by Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV and Para sa Bayan (PsB) of Gen. Danilo Lim as just and courageous. These soldiers are finally getting the justice they deserve even as the truly guilt-riddled Gloria Arroyo generals such as Reyes, Esperon, Ebdane, Mendoza, Espinosa, et al. remain scot-free for their gang rape of the Constitution in 2001 and their continuing transgressions thereafter, including the 2004 “Hello Garci” episode and their rape of the national coffers by partaking in the feeding frenzy throughout nine-and-a-half years of Arroyo’s misrule. Instead of helping and supporting these conscientious and patriotic soldiers, a mainstream newspaper has joined the ranks of some Joker Arroyo factotums in Congress, i.e. Edcel Lagman and company, to demand an apology as condition for the amnesty. But amnesty, as distinguished from a pardon, has never required an admission of anything. Even as the latter can only be granted after a conviction, the former is unconditional and erases whatever charges there are. Every lawyer worth his salt confirms this — most notably Alan Paguia, who backs up competence with proven integrity. Justice Secretary Leila de Lima, probably the only Cabinet member who enjoys some degree of credibility, has likewise buttressed this position. The fact is, this grant of amnesty, albeit political, is a recognition of the overwhelmingly moral justification for what Sen. Sonny Trillanes, Gen. Danny Lim, and their men did as part of their bounden duty as citizens — and even greater responsibility as “soldiers of the people” — to defend our nation from the treason committed by the corrupt and rapacious usurpers in government. The people had already twice “amnestied” these patriotic soldiers: First in the electoral victory of Senator Trillanes in 2007 and secondly in the most recent elections where Gen. Danilo Lim obtained a sizeable number of votes but obstructed from actual victory by the “Hocus PCOS.” All that was lacking was a formal amnesty by the “institutional” authorities that the military, police and government organizations recognized. The Inquirer, hewing to the line of those factotums, issued an editorial on Nov. 24, 2010, saying: “We wonder if he (Gen. Danilo Lim) is aware of the irony of it all. The protector-of-the-people provision was one of those post-Marcos innovations in the Constitution, designed precisely to prevent the use of the Armed Forces for political or partisan purposes. Lim joined the service at a time when the AFP had been completely corrupted by Marcos, when officer and men, like Lim himself, thought it was only natural for them to take an active part both in government and in business. The new provision was designed to help reorient the thinking of the military, to remove them from the exercise of political power and to demilitarize the political culture. Now, Lim cites this very provision as his justification for attempting to seize political control.” But what supreme irony! The Inquirer conveniently omits the fact that it was that very same provision used by the Edsa II coup plotters to oust a popular and duly-elected president, a historic transgression which that leading Yellow army paper had stoked, supported and reveled at. The leading role of the military generals in the Edsa II coup was openly boasted, as Gloria Arroyo was caught on video acknowledging the generals involved, from Espinosa, Mendoza, to Ebdane and many others, one by one. Then, there’s that infamous statement from Angelo Reyes, confirmed by witnesses, who told the busload of generals he waylaid to the Edsa shrine: “Gentlemen, we are committing treason.” The SYM (Sorry Yellow Movement) confirms all these. Unlike the Yellows and the Arroyo generals, Trillanes and Lim never went against any legitimate government. And in Gloria’s case, her regime was not only an illegitimate government twice over but one that was horrendously corrupt and had gravely impoverished the nation. Trillanes, et al. raised the issue of corruption in the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) that opened a Pandora’s box of cases, including Gen. Carlos Garcia’s multi-hundred million scams. The Magdalos focused our attention on the plight of officers and men who died in the frontlines for lack of communication as well as medical equipment and supplies while higher officers diverted funds to graft and arms to insurgents who could pay for them. The indignation of the idealistic Magdalo and Para sa Bayan soldiers grew even more after the miscarriage of the 2004 elections which Arroyo generals Esperon, et al. stole in broad daylight for their principal. The Inquirer harps that Lim “subverts the fundamental principle of civilian supremacy over the military… effectively trains the guns the people have provided the military, not on enemies of society, but on the people themselves… Not least, it gives unelected men and women like Lim the right to intervene.” Yet the unelected and unelectable elite participated in 2001 with their treasonous and corrupt AFP generals to subvert the will of the people that saw the overwhelming victory of President Joseph Estrada in 1998. In May 2001 at the gates of Malacañang, unarmed Edsa III protesters were fired at in defense of the illegal (and Yellow) Arroyo regime, bloodying and killing dozens. The SYM has already said mea culpas for these. But the Inquirer, instead of showing integrity by apologizing, still attempts to coddle the treasonous and corrupt by perpetuating the lies. (Tune in to Sulo ng Pilipino, Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 6 to 7 p.m. on 1098AM; watch Politics Today with HTL, Tuesday, 8 to 9 p.m., with replay at 11 p.m., on Global News Network, Destiny Cable channel 8; visit our blogs, http://newkatipunero.blogspot.com and http://hermantiulaurel.blogspot.com; P.S.-“10 minutes of lights out vs power plunderers,” 7 to 7:10 p.m., Monday nights) (Reposted with permission from Mr. Herman Tiu-Laurel) Dutch cyclists caught up in the wheels of success FEATURE 12/03/2010 Dutch cyclists caught up in the wheels of success THE HAGUE — Fatal accidents, gridlock at the traffic lights: cycling’s popularity in the Netherlands, where the number of bicycles outnumber the country’s population, has brought with it its own problems. “Sometimes there are so many people at the traffic lights that there are jams: not everyone has time to cross the street in one go,” Hugo van der Steenhoven, president of the Dutch Cyclists Federation, told AFP. “We are victims of our own success,” he added. More than a quarter of journey made by the Dutch are on bicycles. But at rush-hour in the morning, between 8 and 9 a.m., that means some 1.75 million are jostling for position on the country’s cycling paths. And even if there are nearly 19,000 kilometers (11,800 miles) of such paths, that is still a lot of bicycles. In fact, in a country of 16.5 million people, there are 18 million bicycles. “More people also means less safe cycle paths,” Frand de Kok of the Dutch Tourism Federation (ANWB) told AFP..... MORE Bonds, ‘haircuts,’ savers and their shirts FEATURE 12/03/2010 Bonds, ‘haircuts,’ savers and their shirts PARIS — The eurozone debt crisis is being played out through the sovereign bond market, an enormous investment sector funded heavily with the savings of ordinary people who may not realize they are financing governments. The eurozone government bond market has been showing signs of rising tension since at least last year when Greece slid toward the rescue lifeboat. The latest violent twists have been driven essentially by a determination mainly from Germany that investors who buy eurozone government debt must share the costs of bailouts. They must no longer count on state rescues ensuring they do not lose their shirts. This change in the rules, made official on Sunday, has heightened long-running concerns that some of the countries with huge public finance problems might eventually be driven to restructure their debt. At Pimco investment fund, chief executive Mohamed El-Erian, said: “My concern is that indecisive management of problems in Greece and Ireland might lead investors to sell sovereign bonds issued by peripheral (eurozone) states as a preventive measure.”.... MORE Catch me if you can, dead or alive — Ping By Benjamin B. Pulta, Angie M. Rosales and Aytch S. de la Cruz 12/03/2010 DE LIMA TO LACSON: SURRENDER FIRST, THEN GET JUSTICE Catch me if you can, dead or alive — Ping By Benjamin B. Pulta, Angie M. Rosales and Aytch S. de la Cruz 12/03/2010 Fugitive Sen. Panfilo “Ping” Lacson yesterday remained defiant, saying in a statement sent to media that he will surface “only when justice is rightly served, or when (he) is already dead.” To the authorities, he had this to say: “Don’t look for me. Look at the evidence. It’s right under your nose. It won’t cost you two centavos to fulfill your duty to provide justice to all concerned. “I will only come out when justice is rightly served, or when I’m already dead. It may not be the best way to spend geezerhood, but unless you get me ahead of my time, I prefer to suffer in pain but with dignity, sitting alone with my conscience for the rest of my life, rather than do time in jail for a crime I did not commit.” President Aquino reportedly told reporters from a broadsheet that arresting Lacson is not his priority, giving rise to speculation that the Palace is coddling Lacson who is his supporter and close political ally. Justice Secretary Leila de Lima, for her part, called on the senator murder suspect to have faith in the law and come in from the cold even as she said the Department of Justice (DoJ) cannot act on Lacson’s plea for investigation which is not legally feasible at this point..... MORE Posted by Jesusa Bernardo at 10:19 AM 0 comments Links to this post GMA seen as eyeing gymnastics, POC post as safe haven By Aldrin Cardona Sports Editor 12/03/2010 GMA seen as eyeing gymnastics, POC post as safe haven By Aldrin Cardona Sports Editor 12/03/2010 The buzz is that Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo— yes, the former president who is now Pampanga’s representative in Congress, is allegedly buying her way into sports. What’s no longer just a buzz was her P500,000 “donation” to the Gymnastics Association of the Philippines (GAP), which will hold its General Assembly on Sunday, but with its acting president, Cynthia Carreon, allegedly bypassing her own board to push Arroyo’s election by acclamation as GAP president. The GAP would then become Arroyo’s ticket to the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) presidency, which her brother, Art Macapagal, missed when he lost the POC presidential election of 2008 to Jose “Peping” Cojuangco, it was claimed by a Tribune source. And so, sports will soon be transformed into a battleground among these Pampangos, who have not only have locked national politics among themselves, but the sporting arena as well. A member of the GAP board confirmed Arroyo’s “donation” to the group, but questioned its timing, quipping: “Why should she give now, when we have been asking for financial support long before when she was still the president?”.... MORE Appropriations Act of 2011 labeled as ‘stagnation budget’ By Angie M. Rosales 12/03/2010 Appropriations Act of 2011 labeled as ‘stagnation budget’ While Malacañang patted the backs of its allies in the Senate for approving the P1.645-trillion national budget almost intact and promptly, op-position sena-tors described the govern-ment appro-priations next year as a “stag-nation budget” which greatly scrimped on basic services. The appa-rent skewed priorities of the very first general appropriations bill under the Aquino administration may not sit well with the rest of the Filipino people, Sen. Pia Cayetano said. “It is unfortunate that the very first budget that looms to be approved under this new administration will be remembered by Filipinos for scrimping on allocations for public tertiary education and hospitals, as well as for agriculture and vital public infrastructure,” said Cayetano, who voted against the budget measure on third reading, along with minority leader Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano. She also expressed serious reservations about allocating a huge chunk of taxpayers’ money to the controversial conditional cash transfer (CCT) program of the five-month-old Aquino administration. “Although I support the concept of a subsidy program for the poor, the P21 billion alloted to the CCT is too large an amount to invest in an untested program,” she said..... MORE HK inquest developing clashing conclusions; Palace won’t comment on speculations By Aytch S. de la Cruz 12/03/2010 HK inquest developing clashing conclusions; Palace won’t comment on speculations By Aytch S. de la Cruz 12/03/2010 Malacañang yesterday refused to entertain premature specu-lations when confronted with the probability that the Hong Kong authorities might draw conclusions different from those that were specified in the revised Incident Investigation and Review Committee (IIRC) report now that its 25-day public inquest into the Aug. 23 hostage crisis rescue fiasco is about to begin. Deputy presidential spokes-man Abigail Valte said they would rather wait until the Hong Kong government releases its own findings from the separate investigation it would be taking but Malacañang is standing by its legal team’s conclusions. “It would be difficult to speculate on that matter because, as I understand, the inquest is just beginning. It would be better to wait for the results. But, again, we are confident with the results of our investigation and we will stand by it,” Valte told reporters. The Palace official informed reporters that the Hong Kong authorities have so far not indicated any intention to seek any form of assistance or cooperative efforts from the Philippine government as they go about their public inquest.... MORE Rebel officer rejects amnesty to prove innocence in AFP court By Mario J. Mallari 12/03/2010 Rebel officer rejects amnesty to prove innocence in AFP court One of the mid-ranking officers charged in the February 2006 alleged plot to overthrow the Arroyo administration will not avail himself of the amnesty proclamation of the Commander-in-Chief, President Aquino. Through his counsel, lawyer Trixie Angeles, Army Maj. Jason Aquino, the first captain or baron of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) Class of 1991, stressed that he will prove his innocence through acquittal from a military general court martial. “He will not avail himself of the amnesty,” Angeles said of Aquino, who served as the operations officer of the Army’s elite First Scout Ranger Regiment under Brig. Gen. Danilo Lim, who is expected to avail of the amnesty. Aquino was among the 29 Marine and Ranger officers charged with the February 2006 alleged plot to overthrow the Arroyo administration. “There is no evidence against him…on the merits of the case alone, we can go for an acquittal…we are sure of our case,” said Angeles..... MORE Iran invites Aquino for state visit 12/03/2010 Iran invites Aquino for state visit The government of Iran has extended its invitation to President Aquino for a state visit, the Department of Foreign Affairs yesterday said. This was conveyed by Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki at a meeting with Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Rafael Seguis in Tehran this week. Mottaki also invited DFA Secretary Alberto Romulo for a visit. Former President Fidel V. Ramos was the last Philippine leader to make a state visit to Iran in March 1995. It was followed by a reciprocal visit by then Iranian President Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani in October 1995. Iran has actively supported the Philippine initiative of interfaith dialog in international forums for sustainable peace. It has also voiced strong support for the country’s inclusion as observer to the 57-member Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) even as the Muslim bloc has thumbed down Manila’s bid for the seat several times in the past..... MORE RH bill unconstitutional — Tatad By Gerry Baldo 12/03/2010 RH bill unconstitutional — Tatad The Reproductive Health (RH) bill, now being pursued by its advocates in the House of Representatives, is unconstitutional as it goes against the fundamental rights of the family to be free from state regulation, former Sen. Francisco Tatad said yesterday. Tatad, who was one of the panellists at the weekly Usaping Balita news forum at the Serye Restaurant in Quezon City, stressed that the Philippine government does not have the power to tell married couples what to do or what not to do with their family. “The state does not have the authority or power to tell married couples what to do before, during or after sexual intercourse. That happens only in totalitarian states,” Tatad said. “If Congress cannot pass any law ‘abridging the freedom of speech, of expression, or of the press, or the right of the people to peaceably assemble and petition the government for redress of grievances,’ neither can Congress pass a law abridging the God-given right and duty of married couples to perform the marital act without intervention of the State or any third party,” he explained..... MORE Pimentel Jr. wants Angara’s inhibition on Koko’s poll protest 12/03/2010 Pimentel Jr. wants Angara’s inhibition on Koko’s poll protest Former Sen. Aquilino “Nene” Pimentel Jr. has urged Sen. Edgardo Angara to inhibit himself from participation in the deliberations of the Senate Electoral Tribunal (SET) on the electoral protest filed by his son Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III against Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri. The elder Pimentel, in his capacity as lead counsel for Koko, filed a Supplemental Motion to Disqualify Angara before the SET. Koko Pimentel had earlier filed a Manifestation with Motion for the Disqualification of Senators Angara, Legarda, and Lapid from further sitting as members of the SET on June 24, 2010. However, after the SET was reorganized in July 2010, Senators Angara, Legarda, and Lapid returned to the SET and continued to participate in the decision-making processes of this Tribunal. “It is with some pain in the heart—considering that he had been a colleague of the undersigned counsel in the Senate for some time— that Senator Angara should be reminded of the officially-tallied results for the Province of Maguindanao in the 2007 national and local elections,” Pimentel said..... MORE Screwed twice over FRONTLINE Ninez Cacho-Olivares ... US looks for ways to prosecute Assange focus 12/0... Regarding Hubert NO HOLDS BARRED Armida Siguion-Re... Abetting treason and corruption DIE HARD III Herma... Dutch cyclists caught up in the wheels of success ... Bonds, ‘haircuts,’ savers and their shirts FEATURE... Catch me if you can, dead or alive — Ping By Benja... GMA seen as eyeing gymnastics, POC post as safe ha... Appropriations Act of 2011 labeled as ‘stagnation ... HK inquest developing clashing conclusions; Palace... Rebel officer rejects amnesty to prove innocence i... RH bill unconstitutional — Tatad By Gerry Baldo 1... Pimentel Jr. wants Angara’s inhibition on Koko’s p...	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0037.json.gz/line2585
__label__cc	0.537862	0.462138	1980s Blake's 7 Blake’s 7 – Rumours of Death By H E Cooper on Sunday, May 17, 2020 Rumours of Death feels like a rare privilege to learn more about Avon’s emotional past, and I daren’t look away in case we never get such access again. It’s another strong character piece from Chris Boucher, whose scripts have been my favourites in Series C so far. The opening scene had me gripped from the start as we moved up an unknown body, only for it to roll over and show us a haggard-looking Avon. This was such an atypical start to a Blake’s 7 episode and I liked the directing immediately. Unsure how Avon could have ended up in that cell, I presumed we must be watching something that had happened long ago. Right up until he got out of there, that seemed the most logical conclusion because this didn’t seem like the Avon we know; he looked so bloody terrible and appeared a little nervous, even afraid. I was worried for him so was relieved at how swiftly he regained his usual self-assuredness once back on board the Liberator. Do I have the right? Avon’s desire for revenge is totally understandable and receives little protest from the others, with only Cally questioning it. As Avon’s about to take Shrinker off to kill him, I’m glad she does because it made me stop and think whether I was comfortable with our heroes committing cold-blooded murder. They have killed plenty of people but it has always been for something. Avon’s mission has a plethora of unnecessary risks and won’t result in anything quantifiable when it’s finished – he’s not planning to stick Shrinker’s head on a pike near a Federation base, so although it’s understandable, that doesn’t necessarily make it justifiable. I was concerned Avon would be too trigger-happy without Blake around but he’s actually been sensible and this is the most illogical thing he has ever done. I am glad Cally called Avon out – we should ponder the implications of such actions. But I don’t agree with her on this occasion because killing someone like Shrinker would be doing the world a favour. As Avon pointedly says: “All executions are in cold-blood,” and in the Blake’s 7 universe, where the myriad outcomes in the Federation’s favour have filled me with despondency, I think this kind of vigilante justice is sometimes justifiable. The Liberator crew have always blurred the line between heroes and anti-heroes – Avon arguably most of all – yet it’s interesting that Chris Boucher provides a get-out clause for Avon. There is still no reason to leave Shrinker alive, but in an episode showing a more human side to Avon, it’s right that we don’t watch him execute Shrinker. In fact, I think Avon’s choice to leave him with a choice of starvation or suicide is much more delightfully cruel. Inside Avon Avon has always been guarded and therefore fairly impenetrable. I was pleased at the end of Countdown when he didn’t reveal anything about Anna to Blake, but so much of the effectiveness of Rumours of Death is because we see a hitherto hidden side to Avon. It’s enlightening that even when we experience his memory of being in bed with Anna, he is still someone who struggles to express his emotions. She asks, “Why do I never know what you’re thinking, Avon?” and he replies, “I could never say it.” If he couldn’t share these thoughts with her then, he certainly isn’t going to suddenly open up to the rest of the crew. I found the insights into Avon’s thoughts a fantastic way of showing us more and liked the director’s choices for these. Shooting them from Avon’s point of view provides us with a closeness for his most intimate of memories. I liked that this removed a common problem with shooting flashbacks: characters inevitably look just as old as in the present. As we don’t see Avon, we remain uncertain just how long ago he knew Anna. I like the way the cuts to the memories are edited when Avon is with Shrinker in the caves; we hear Anna before we see her, giving the sense that these memories are intruding on Avon’s thoughts. It’s also done the other way around, with Shrinker’s voice being heard while Avon’s mind’s eye is still on Anna. Director Fiona Cummings also makes great use of a fisheye lens when Avon is imagining Anna alone in a cell. The distorted effects these techniques produce suit them as buried memories now pushing their way to the surface, and a vague picture of something that may or may not have happened. RELATED ► Blake's 7 - Death-Watch The real Anna Grant I did not really make the Anna Grant/Sula connection and I’ve pondered if we are supposed to; I struggle to remember faces, so wonder if I got a vast reveal later on compared to the rest of the audience. When we saw Anna in bed in Avon’s memory, I was distracted by a thought process of, “Oh, this is a flashback, and it’s a bedroom memory – she’s naked on Blake’s 7! – why can’t we see Avon? Ah, that’s clever… Blimey.” When Avon was thinking about her in the cell, I thought they could be the same person but I wasn’t sure and after that, I got too caught up in the adventure to consider it. In the cellar, with Servalan there too, there was a lot going on for me to process and I felt slow on the uptake – certainly a few seconds behind Avon’s dawning realisation about who Anna really had been. I knew Blake’s 7 was never going to give us a happily-ever-after moment, but this seemed so cruel. When Avon finally meets Anna/Bartholomew in the cellar, it felt unfair that he should be forced to experience that publicly. Paul Darrow’s performance in this episode is smashing, but the foundations laid in Countdown add a lot. I love the way Avon speaks about Anna – not what he says, but his tone and expressions. The closest we get is when he’s holding her in his arms and tells her lifeless body, “You never let go.” He may as well add, “And neither did I.” I was a little bit moved. Shrinker and Servalan Shrinker had not been what I was expecting. I had envisioned a strong young man in the mould of Anna’s brother or Travis. Shrinker’s sudden transformation from formidable torturer to whimpering prisoner was also surprising. Rumours of Death proved satisfying for its fulfilment of the proverb, ‘All bullies are cowards’ as first Shrinker and later Servalan became husks of their former selves as soon as their power was torn from them. I had expected more stubbornness from both characters yet I still enjoyed seeing such cruel sadists have the tables turned on them. I predicted the rebel’s attempt to take over the President’s residence would fail, so watching them succeed was increasingly exciting. When they walked into Servalan’s office and slapped her I was stunned. It was odd that we didn’t see the slap; I know it was a big one but I’m curious because the only reason I can fathom is that it’s because she’s a woman and it’s early evening telly. Yet we had the delicious delight of seeing her slap Travis last series so I felt a tad cheated that we missed her turn. It’s as though that moment knocked something out of Servalan because when we next saw her, I was astounded at how pathetic she was. I thought she would be holding her head high, issuing vicious threats of what would happen when her inevitable rescuers arrived. It was strange watching her reduced down. She’s a sideline to events in this story too; I’m so interested where her story will go next as I don’t think she needed to be in this episode. Avon heads there because it’s Servalan who can tell him where to find Bartholomew, yet the story could have used any important Federation leader. Why is she there then? Why have they chosen to depict her like that? What are we being set up for? She wasn’t really even in a position to gloat over Avon’s pain. While I was egging him on to shoot her when he first walked in, in the end, I didn’t mind that he let her live because this wasn’t the Servalan I’ve wanted to see our heroes defeat. She bounces back wonderfully once she’s sure that help is on its way – it’s only when she has that safety behind her. Left alone with Avon, the episode provides us one more moment to hold our breath through. That Avon doesn’t care, that the loss of Anna – in more ways than one – has battered him that much, made it sad rather than just the usual anxiety. I loved watching Servalan caress a dispirited Avon with a gun, enjoying herself as she tells him, “I’m going to send your friends a corpse.” After a few episodes of seeing softer emotions in Servalan, it’s nice to return to exactly the kind of sadistic evil I like from her. We haven’t often seen her pointing guns herself and she only misses out on killing Avon because she casually turns to shoot someone else. RELATED ► Blake's 7 - Seek-Locate-Destroy Servalan’s plan to send Avon’s body back to the Liberator is a wonderful touch; if Avon’s grim treatment of Shrinker invited moral questions about our heroes, this moment is there to reassure us who the real villains are. For a sci-fi series set in the future with a spaceship that can go to any planet, you could forgive any members of the audience who were fed up of seeing planets that resemble Earth. Blake’s 7‘s counterpoint to this is that they are generally visiting planets that have been colonised by humans and therefore it makes sense that they should support Earth-like conditions. This is, I think, only the third time Blake’s 7 has visited the actual Earth and, rather than attempt to create something futuristic on a budget best suited to blowing up models in wide shot, using a country house as a historical building is ideal. Tyrants and dictators always want a grand residence and one with history attached to it is even better, as a home from which to hammer their own mark on the records. There is a sense of time passing properly as the day progresses and it turns to dusk. One aspect I appreciated in these location elements was that the later scenes do look like they were shot at dusk, as opposed to day-for-night shooting, which I had noticed in last series’ Hostage. On reflection, it may be that the production was lucky and had an overcast day with no sun to provide shadows in these scenes. I accept day-for-night filming as something that had to happen, but it drags me into reality as it rarely passes and I hate that. I’m uncertain whether all the outdoor scenes were filmed near the house, or if the exterior and interior are even from the same ones – it hardly matters as it was shot well enough that I didn’t notice. I enjoyed the fight between the guards and the Liberator crew on the patio that then turned to tension as they crept indoors. I loved the contrast between the traditional aspects of the house and the cast. Having something from well before 1980 helps too as I never felt suddenly pulled out of the fiction. One of my favourite shots for this mixture was as the camera panned to follow the crew as they withdraw their guns, with Avon covering against the wall with his gun raised in front of an oil painting in an ornate frame. I hesitate to use the word, yet Rumours of Death is a pretty perfect Blake’s 7 episode for me. It is bookended by wonderful opening and closing scenes and in that final one, Avon’s implication that a part of him has died is the closest he ever gets to sharing his feelings with the crew. I could go on and on – I haven’t even mentioned how lovely the lighting in the caves is or the great writing for the two security guards. It’s a superb script that stretches Paul Darrow in particular and I think it’s at its strongest when the dialogue is between just two people: Avon with Shrinker or Anna, and, quite differently, the CCTV security guards, where two new characters are established swiftly and substantially, even though they aren’t pivotal to the plot. As a result, while I like that it has some action, the greatest joy this episode provides is in simply watching its characters together. Both of Chris Boucher’s scripts in Series C have been marvellous character pieces, done in different styles. Not quite to the same extent, we also had a larger focus on Cally for Children of Auron. Avon and Cally’s episodes have shown us their pasts, while Vila’s City at the Edge of the World was focussed on the present. I’m hoping we are treated to something similar for both Dayna and Tarrant. I would especially like to learn more about Tarrant’s past as it remains mysteriously dodgy. BBCtv Blake's 7 drama Rumours of Death Blake’s 7 – Blake Blake’s 7 – Warlord Blake’s 7 – Orbit I'm so glad you reached this episode, HE, and enjoyed it so much. It really is one of the best B7 episodes. I'm also glad it was all fresh and new to you. Keep avoiding those spoilers! Chris Boucher wrote some of the best B7, and some great Avon. "No, you never did." Poor Avon. The turnaround in the prison cell scene at the start is brilliant. "But now that I've turned it off…" Blake’s 7 – Gold Look-In – Issue 49 (November 1981) Blake’s 7 Monthly magazine – Issue 3 (December 1981) The Box of Delights – When the Wolves were Running Blake’s 7 – Sand Blake’s 7 – Games Blake’s 7 – Assassin Blake’s 7 – Headhunter Blake’s 7 – Animals Blake’s 7 Monthly magazine – Issue 2 (November 1981) Blake’s 7 – Stardrive Blake’s 7 – Traitor Blake’s 7 – Power Blake’s 7 – Rescue Blake’s 7 – Terminal Blake’s 7 – Death-Watch Blake’s 7 – Moloch Blake’s 7 – Ultraworld Blake’s 7 – Sarcophagus Blake’s 7 – Children of Auron Blake’s 7 – City at the Edge of the World Blake’s 7 – The Harvest of Kairos Blake’s 7 – Dawn of the Gods Blake’s 7 – Volcano Blake’s 7 – Powerplay Blake’s 7 – Aftermath	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0037.json.gz/line2590
__label__wiki	0.750106	0.750106	Policy Action Institute Membership Types and Rates Schools/Programs Student Membership Early-Career Professional Membership News Releases > AJPH News Releases > NIMHD supplement AJPH publishes supplement on minority health and health disparities research AJPH News Releases APHA: Megan Lowry, 202-777-3913 NIMHD: Rebecca Newton, 301-402-1366 Supplement published in collaboration with NIMHD Washington, D.C., Jan. 30, 2019 – The American Journal of Public Health published a supplemental issue today entitled “New Perspectives to Advance Minority Health and Health Disparities Research.” The research in this issue provides public health professionals with new definitions for minority health and health disparities, and new perspectives on methods and measurement, etiology and interventions related to health disparities. The supplement, published in collaboration with the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, includes editorials, analytic essays and commentaries focused on the future of health disparities research. Together these papers underscore the need for a focus on the exposure or health determinant rather than the outcome, the development of methods considering complex system analysis and big data, and the use of terminology capturing justice and fairness in health disparities research. Papers published in this supplement include: Science Visioning in Minority Health and Health Disparities Overview: Novel Approaches to Advance Minority Health and Health Disparities Research Overview Science Visioning to Advance the Next Generation of Health Disparities Research Cross-Cutting Themes to Advance the Science of Minority Health and Health Disparities Translational Health Disparities Research in a Data-Rich World Harmonizing Health Disparities Measurement Sideways Progress in Intervention Research is Not Sufficient to Eliminate Health Disparities The National Advisory Council on Minority Health and Health Disparities Reflection An AJPH Supplement toward a unified research approach for minority health and health disparities Social Determinants of Health: Needed Directions for Health Disparities Research Racism and the Life Course: Taking Time Seriously The NIMHD Research Framework for Minority Health and Health Disparities Harnessing Consumer Information Technology-Enabled Behavioral Interventions as Tools to Advance Health Equity Overcoming Challenges in Designing and Assessing Multilevel Interventions to Improve Minority Health and Reduce Health Disparities Life Course Approaches to Advance the Understanding of the Causes of Health Disparities The Importance of Evaluating Health Disparities Research Structural Interventions to Reduce and Eliminate Health Disparities Methodological approaches to understanding causes of health disparities From the Outside In: Biological Mechanisms Linking Social and Environmental Exposures to Chronic Disease and to Health Disparities Building the Evidence Base to Inform Planned Intervention Adaptations by Practitioners Serving Health Disparity Populations Advancing Health Services Research to Eliminate Health Care Disparities: Recommendations from NIMHD’s Science Visioning Initiative The American Journal of Public Health is the monthly journal of the American Public Health Association. APHA champions the health of all people and all communities. We strengthen the public health profession. We speak out for public health issues and policies backed by science. We are the only organization that influences federal policy, has a nearly 150-year perspective and brings together members from all fields of public health. Visit www.apha.org. NIMHD is one of NIH’s 27 Institutes and Centers. It leads scientific research to improve minority health and eliminate health disparities by conducting and supporting research; planning, reviewing, coordinating, and evaluating all minority health and health disparities research at NIH; promoting and supporting the training of a diverse research workforce; translating and disseminating research information; and fostering collaborations and partnerships. For more information about NIMHD, visit www.nimhd.nih.gov. Newsletter Sign Up > APHA supports the nomination of Dr. Rachel Levine as assistant secretary for health. In a statement released today, APHA Executive Director Georges C. Benjamin,… “Today we mourn the enormous loss of 400,000 Americans from COVID-19. In response to this grim milestone, we must reboot as a nation and heed proven public heal… APHA stands with the W.K. Kellogg Foundation and others to recognize today’s National Day of Racial Healing. “If we want to achieve our vision of creating the h… APHA shares in commemorating the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., today. “As Dr. King once said, ‘Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice every… As the past year has highlighted, “We do know that health inequities, at their very core, are due to racism. There’s no doubt about that.” Read more from APHA E… The Covid-19 pandemic, job and income losses, racial and ethnic violence and the extreme disasters and toxic stresses from the climate emergency are generating … APHA is pleased to be a part of the Ad Council's new national communications effort to increase confidence in vaccination against #COVID19. Developed in partner… Watch APHA Executive Director Georges Benjamin, MD, and the rest of the expert panel at yesterday’s live Newswise event discuss the state of the pandemic, #COVI… The latest podcast from APHA’s American Journal of Public Health explores how public health can help prepare for a future pandemic that could be worse than #COV… To help counteract the #infodemic of misinformation and disinformation online, APHA has joined with the National Academy of Medicine, Harvard School of Public H… APHA welcomes President-elect Biden’s nomination of @SecretaryLevine as HHS assistant secretary for health:… https://t.co/tv7a3MsWyh Social media use has increased during the pandemic. What opportunities does that offer for sharing public health in… https://t.co/jhwEggn4zO “A monumental victory for public health and sound science.” APHA and partners applaud court decision to strike down… https://t.co/X2vYCea7ZF RT @HealthEvolution: A quarter of the population won't take the #COVID19 vaccine. @PublicHealth's Dr. Georges Benjamin and @deBeaumontFndtn… We must reboot as a nation and heed proven public health guidance to proactively combat the continued spread of COV… https://t.co/xIdefgafLf Biden nominates Pennsylvania's Rachel Levine to serve as U.S. assistant secretary for health: https://t.co/2sOIhFdzgs RT @IAmTonyaNash: My mom sent me a text on Friday that she was in line to get her COVID-19 vaccine. I was pleasantly surprised! My mom is a… Our nation is in dire need of racial healing. We stand with those who choose to take part in honest and respectful… https://t.co/kyG9nW3Ska We have a long way to go to combat our epidemic of racism and the disparities that plague our country, says APHA’s… https://t.co/iyw4QnZllc RT @acapellascience: vaccine wellerman let’s gooooo #seashantytok https://t.co/JUv0l82cf3 PH Jobs Professor & Department Executive Officer (DEO) \| University of Iowa Senior Technical Expert, Quality Measurement \| National Quality Forum Medical Educator Epidemiology/Biostatistics/Public Health (Assistant Professor or Higher) \| Texas Tech University Paul Foster School of Medicine Technical Expert, Quality Measurement \| National Quality Forum Policy Strategist \| ACOG National Office Health Services Research or Health Economics \| Lehigh University Tenure-Track Assistant or Associate Professor \| Cornell University Federal Affairs Strategist \| ACOG National Office Epidemiologist (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) \| G2S Corporation Director of Health Services (Primary, Public & Behavioral) \| Sacramento County, CA SUPPORT PUBLIC HEALTH DONATE TO APHA Public health improves quality of life, extends life expectancy, reduces human suffering and saves resources over the long term. Donate today and help APHA promote and protect the health of all people by creating the healthiest nation in one generation. APHA is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0037.json.gz/line2592
__label__cc	0.74081	0.25919	main-nav-top (Do Not Edit Here!) Reviews/Features Info Requested Reviews Advertising in Uncaged Uncaged Books Has Now Moved... UncagedBooks.com is now open - the new home of Uncaged Book Reviews! Please update your bookmarks, I'll keep this blog open until all the archives are moved over to the new site! Uncaged Book Reviews New Home... Uncaged's new home will be ready very soon. Progress is steady. I will open the site and keep adding to it as we go. I will NOT be putting any new reviews on this blog. The new home address is uncagedbooks.com with it's own blog. The new site will allow the growth that Uncaged needs. Thanks for making Uncaged a success - it came faster than I originally anticipated, by at least a year! Uncaged Review - Night and Chaos by Naomi Clark As seen in Issue 4 of Uncaged Book Reviews. To read the full issue, see the link below. Night and Chaos Naomi Clark Ryan’s past isn’t just haunting her. It’s trying to kill her. Ryan McCarthy fled Kimberlyn Island, her father, and her lover six years ago, desperate to build a life away from the weird science and supernatural experiments of her childhood. But everything she hoped to escape comes back with a vengeance when she’s kidnapped and tortured by a possessed madman out for revenge on the man responsible for his possession: Ryan’s father. Now, reunited with the lover she abandoned, Ryan is forced back into a world of danger and darkness she no longer understands, pursued by enemies with powers she can’t fathom. But Ryan’s not entirely powerless herself. She’ll have to use every trick she knows—as well as the mystic gift she hates—to stay ahead of those enemies. And that will be easier said than done. Uncaged Review: This was a good start to a new series, and there was plenty of action, and suspense. This story brings you Ryan, who for the last 6 years, has been trying to build a new life for herself, after escaping from an organization run by her father, that has been experimenting on people and transplanting demon souls (devas and asuras) into human hosts for a symbiotic relationship. It’s rare when it actually succeeds. When Ryan is kidnapped and tortured by a man whose experiment went horribly wrong, she escapes and ends up in the middle of the danger she left behind. It took awhile to really grasp this one, as the book is told from Ryan’s point of view, so whatever she doesn’t know, then the audience really doesn’t either. But it was not a long read, and it was well paced and I liked the characters introduced in this book. The one major hang-up I have with the book, is it ends on a cliffhanger without tying up the storyline introduced. I normally don’t mind a segway into the next book in a series, but I’m really not a fan of books that don’t tie up the storyline that it’s started. Reviewed by Cyrene Uncaged Review of Queen of Lost Stars by Kathryn Le Veque with Excerpt! As seen in Issue 4 of Uncaged Book Reviews - to read my interview with Kathryn and an excerpt from The Red Lion, please see the issue - link below. Queen of Lost Stars Historical/Medieval 1320 A.D. - Madelayne Gray l’Ebreux is the queen of all that is lost. Her child, her husband... everything. Or, so she thinks. The same battle that killed her husband resulted in the serious injury of her husband’s commander, Sir Kaspian St. Hever. As Kaspian lays badly wounded, Madelayne is asked to tend the man in a most unconventional and intimate way. Instead of using her milk to nurse her child, who was born dead, she nurses a man who is forbidden solid foods because of a belly wound. And so, a unusual and sometimes erotic relationship develops between Madelayne and her patient. Kaspian is tended by a woman who offers him her breasts as way of sustaining his life. At first, he looks at the situation as a necessity but he soon comes to crave it. He struggles to keep his feelings from the widowed woman but it becomes increasingly difficult. For a man who has known little compassion or kindness in his life, Madelayne comes to represent everything he has been missing. She soon becomes to represent everything he wants, and he wants her. Join Madelayne and Kaspian on their journey through life, loss, lust, and passion in this adventure - packed and unconventional Medieval Romance. Can Madelayne finally change her stars with Kaspian’s help? Madelayne heard the footsteps enter behind her but she didn’t move. She was certain it was a servant, perhaps even someone with her dead son in their arms. Perhaps they’d come to show her, as she’d requested. Sick to her stomach, she didn’t want to turn around and look. Now she was suddenly afraid to look, panic welling in her chest. Perhaps if she didn’t look at the baby, he really couldn’t be dead. She could pretend that someone had stolen him away and she would always hold out hope that, someday, he would come back. But those were foolish thoughts. Deep down, she knew she was being ridiculous. Taking a deep breath, she forced her bravery and turned around, surprised to see that Mavia had entered the chamber. Right behind Mavia came Thomas, dirty and exhausted from days of fighting. As soon as Madelayne saw Thomas, fear welled in her heart and she struggled to sit up. She felt a good deal of angst at the knight’s appearance. “Mavia, nay!” Madelayne hissed weakly. “You did not tell Thomas, did you? I do not want him to tell Cairn. I must do it!” Mavia went to her, quickly, trying to soothe her. “Do not trouble yourself, darling,” she said, taking one of Madelayne’s hands and squeezing it. The other hand was on her shoulder, trying to keep the woman on the bed. “I swear to you that Thomas will not… darling, he has come to speak with you. Please be calm. You should not trouble yourself so.” Mavia was being insistent and soothing, but to Madelayne, she came across as demanding. She was practically pushing her back onto the bed. Madelayne frowned, trying to push the woman away because she seemed too eager to put her hands on her. “Did Mavia tell you?” Madelayne asked the weary-looking knight. “My son was born this morning. He is dead. I will tell Cairn myself so you must not tell him. Please, Thomas. Do not tell him!” She was pleading with him. Thomas sighed heavily, mentally preparing what he had to say. Lady Madelayne was pale, her lovely eyes dark-circled, and she had a rather wild-eyed look about her at the moment. He simply couldn’t get past that panicked expression, terrified with the thought that Thomas was going to tell Cairn of his dead son before she could. He held out a hand to her, silently begging for calm. “I will not,” he said, his voice dull and hoarse. “Lady, surely, I cannot. I wish to God that I could. I wish to God that you could, but you cannot. Lady l’Ebreux, God has taken Cairn to heaven to be with him. He fell in the battle at Beeston and he is gone. It is my wholly unhappy duty to tell you this news, especially in light of what happened this morning, but I have no choice. I pray that you can forgive me for the news I bear and understand that your husband died a glorious death.” Madelayne blinked as if she didn’t quite understand what she was being told. She had not slept in almost two days, long days of laboring to bring forth her dead son, so her mind was muddled. She stared at Thomas as Mavia kept trying to squeeze her hand. She yanked her hand away from the woman, unwilling to be comforted. Her gaze upon Thomas was intense. “That cannot be,” she said with an odd calm. “He assured me that he would be home in a few days. He assured me that it was a light skirmish. Surely he is coming home; you must be mistaken, Thomas.” Thomas shook his head sadly. “Alas, I am not,” he replied. “Cairn was set upon by rebels and they took his life. I have brought him home to be buried, now with his son that did not survive. I am so very sorry for your losses, Madelayne. Cairn was a good man.” Madelayne stared at the man as she came to realize what he was telling her. The news suddenly hit her like a hammer, colliding with her fragile mind, and her eyes widened and the breath left her. She couldn’t breathe at all, now clutching at her throat. “Nay,” she gasped. “It cannot be true!” “It is not! He promised to return to me!” Thomas sighed heavily, hanging his head. “I have brought him home for you to see him,” he said, rather coldly. “He is being taken to the vault. I will take you there when you are strong enough to bear it.” Madelayne was looking at him but she wasn’t really seeing him; she was looking through him, perhaps seeing all of those dreams she’d had with a happy husband and family, now gone forever. Swept away by the winds of fate, up into the heavens where memories and souls were kept. Cairn was now one of those lost stars, too, those dead souls that nearly everyone she had ever loved had become. Uncaged Review: Don’t let the blurb throw you off this one, this is a great book. It’s a bit unconventional, but it’s a solid story, with characters you love, and a villain you hate. This is medieval times, and the English are trying to fend off the Welsh – and there are a series of castles and strongholds that they are defending from Welsh attacks. Kaspian –in command of Lavister Crag Castle along the Welch Marches, his knights and warriors are aiding one stronghold, Beeston Castle from a Welsh attack. Cairn, Kaspian’s loyal knight and second in command, is killed, and Kaspian himself mortally wounded. When they are brought back to Lavister, Kaspian is growing weaker as he can’t get nourishment. Madelayne, Cairn’s widow, gave birth to a still-born son, and Dolwyd – the psychic and doctor for the castle, suggests that Madelayne give Kaspian the gift of her breast milk to keep him alive. As this story progresses, the man that will stop at nothing to take command away from Kaspian, is Nicholas de Dalyn, who does nothing to stop the death of Cairn, and acts as a hero. This story has great action, there is violence, loss, heartbreak, loyalty and a heartwarming storyline and will keep you engaged throughout the book. You will not want to put this down for long, if you like historicals or have never read one, and even if you are on the fence with medieval times, this book may change your mind. This book will go down as one of my favorite reads this year, and being someone who reads 15-20 books a month, that’s saying a lot. Uncaged Book Reviews - Issue 4, November 2016 Welcome to Issue 4, November 2016 of Uncaged Book Reviews. Featuring: Kathryn Le Veque, K.H. Mezek, EJ Bennett, Lynn Crain, Mary Abshire, Patricia Loofbourrow and Sandra Renee Appet! Also - Fang-Freakin-Tastic Featured Author, M. Stratton! All Uncaged reviews have been posted on Amazon and Goodreads - enjoy the issue! New Domain coming soon... In approximately 7-10 days, I will move Uncaged to it's own domain. So the blog may be unavailable for about 24 hrs. It will move to UncagedBooks.com and it will look no different than it does now, at least for the real near future and even if you use the link it is right now, it will automatically direct you. I will give everyone a heads up before it happens. This is all good news, Uncaged is growing quickly and this will allow me to keep up with it in the future. It will not interrupt any service to the magazine release at all. Finishing Touches.... Right now, I am putting the finishing touches on the November issue of Uncaged Book Reviews. Starting tomorrow and by no later than Monday, Oct. 31, all the reviews for November's issue will be posted to Amazon and Goodreads. Stay tuned as we are getting close! Now accepting advertising for December 2016 and beyond. Last day for new advertising requests for December is November 25, 2016 Advertising page has been updated. I reserve the right to consider the magazine or specific advertising "sold out" at any time and it will be clearly stated here. For more information, please email uncagedbooks@gmail.com Uncaged - Issue 4, November 2016 Please email me if you would like your book featured, or a review here at Uncaged. uncagedbooks@gmail.com Myra Nour Fang Freakin Tastic Reviews Amy's Bookshelf Reviews Dawn Seewer Uncaged Review of Queen of Lost Stars by Kathryn L... @2016 Uncaged Book Reviews All Rights Reserved. Picture Window theme. Powered by Blogger.	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0037.json.gz/line2595
__label__cc	0.72782	0.27218	Home / Android / Jelly / Smartphones / world Smallest smartphone / World Smallest 4G phone launched with Android 7.0 World Smallest 4G phone launched with Android 7.0 Unknown 8:00:00 AM Android, Jelly, Smartphones, world Smallest smartphone In the world where the bigger smartphone is becoming the baseline and 5.5 inches’ screen is standard the new start-up from china has introduced Jelly on Kickstarter, the world’s smallest 4G capable Android smartphone. In fact, the Jelly smartphone is so small that it can easily fit in your coin pocket. The Jelly with 1GB RAM/ 8GB Storage is priced at $109 (roughly Rs. 6,900) and the Jelly Pro with 2GB RAM/16GB storage is priced at $125 (roughly Rs. 8,000). On Kickstarter, the Jelly and Jelly Pro are priced at $59 (roughly Rs. 3,800) and $75 (roughly Rs. 4,800) respectively. However, actual shipping for the Jelly will start only in August of 2017. Must Read: OnePlus 5 officially teased by CEO Pete Lau So, the biggest question you might have in your mind, why people will buy a smartphone? Well, the USP clearly has to be the size. The idea of a smartphone fitting into your coin pocket has people intrigued. Plus, it helps that this a 4G-enabled device, and according to Jelly it will work with most major GSM networks. The Jelly smartphone sports a 2.45-inch (240x432 pixels) TFT LCD display with 201ppi pixel density. It is powered by a 1.1GHz quad-core processor and is available in two RAM/ storage bundles listed above. The storage can be further expandable via microSD card slot (up to 32GB). As far as the processor & camera are concern, the phone sports a 1.1 GHz quad-core processor and has a 2MP camera on the front and an 8MP rear camera. Must Read: OnePlus 5 will give tough competition to Samsung Galaxy S8 Jelly will come in three colors: Pearl White, Space Black and Sky Blue. Jelly also has support for WiFi, GPS, Bluetooth 4.0. Sensors on the phone are G-Sensor, Gyroscope, and Compass. Unihertz has also created an armband and you can just mount the Jelly phone onto it, and then use it as a fitness device. world Smallest smartphone	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0037.json.gz/line2602
__label__cc	0.535585	0.464415	On Blu-ray: Laurence Olivier and Diane Lane in A Little Romance (1979) In a time where virtually the whole human race is feeling the absence of loved ones, the charming A Little Romance (1979) has become a more bittersweet film. When I recently watched the movie on a new Blu-ray from Warner Archive, I appreciated it as a timeless tribute to many aspects of love and a timely reminder of the connections that we are fighting for now. In her film debut, Diane Lane is remarkably assured as Lauren, an American teenager living in Paris who meets and falls in love with Daniel (Thelonious Bernard) a movie-mad local boy. Despite the instability of her life due to her mother’s (Sally Kellerman) multiple marriages and affairs, Lauren is intelligent and emotionally mature. When she and Daniel meet the charming, but mischievous elderly widower Julius (Laurence Olivier), they soon pull him into their plans to go to Italy so the two can have a grand romantic moment like the one he once had with his dearly departed wife. A Little Romance dances between innocence and corruption with such a gentle touch that everything feels suffused with light. In juxtaposing Lauren’s innocent romance with her mother’s emerging affair with a sleazy film director, it reflects on the good and bad of l’amour, but always recognizes the overall intoxication of making a love connection. The sweetness of George Delerue’s score (his sweeping romanticism is unmistakable) helps to sustain the feeling of giddiness. One of the most compelling relationships in the film is between Lauren and her stepfather Richard (played with elegant restraint by Arthur Hill). Both actors have that rare, remarkable ability as a performer to communicate deeply with an audience as they listen and react. They are more in-sync than the other characters, because they understand each other’s emotional needs and realize that fighting for love is worth risk and struggle. Hill helps his stepdaughter to keep her big love alive, while also ensuring that his own relationship doesn’t fall victim to her mother’s restlessness. Olivier is dramatically less subtle than these two. His is a performance full of ham, with flustered outbursts, and outsized physicality. It could be a disaster, but Sir Olivier seems to be in on the joke. When the moment requires it, he can plunge you through the heart with the most poignant expressions of grief, joy, and compassion. In a role that could have similarly made a buffoon of Kellerman, she communicates her emotional needs with a desperation that shows through her selfishness. In most films she would be a bad person. Here she is simply a lost romantic in need of direction. I was moved to tears by A Little Romance. The sight of tourists enjoying the bridges and canals of Venice was immeasurably moving and heartbreaking given the situation there today. But I would have gotten misty watching this in any time, because the idea that romance is worth the fight of your life is profoundly beautiful. Many thanks to Warner Archive for providing a copy of the film for review. To order, visit The Warner Archive Collection. Labels: Diane Lane, Laurence Olivier, Movie Reviews, Warner Archive This sounds quite moving. Thanks for recommending! KC April 27, 2020 at 11:18 AM It's terribly sweet. I'm glad I finally saw it. Writing Elsewhere: With a Friend Like Harry (2000)... On Blu-ray: Laurence Olivier and Diane Lane in A L... Podcasts for Classic Film Fans: March Roundup On Blu-ray: Natalie Wood in Penelope (1966) Book Review--Citizen Canine: Dogs in the Movies On Blu-ray: Jane Russell, Richard Egan, and Gilber...	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0037.json.gz/line2604
__label__wiki	0.631194	0.631194	« Alameda Public Works Bag Exchange City Releases Draft Economic Development Strategy for Alameda Point » BioTime Moves Forward on Stem Cell Asset Acquisition BioTime is moving forward on it’s $53 million deal to purchase stem cell research and development assets from Geron Corporation. (Google Street View) Alameda biotech firm BioTime announced late yesterday that it is making progress on its efforts to acquire stem cell research and development assets from Geron Corporation of Menlo Park. The proposed deal was originally announced in October, and at that time was expected to be worth $53 million. Now, BioTime says that it has secured a commitment for $10 million private investment funds to consummate the deal, and that it has entered into a non-binding letter of intent with Geron Corporation that outlines broad terms of a transaction. The private investor, however, has not been named, and the two companies need to work out a definitive agreement to complete the deal. BioTime CEO Michael West says that if the transaction is closed, the $10 million in new money will help restart development of new products and technologies based on the acquired stem cell assets. November 16th, 2012 \| Tags: BioTime, Geron Corporation \| Category: Alameda, Bay Farm Island	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0037.json.gz/line2607
__label__cc	0.674711	0.325289	ESCAPE & EVADE! ORIGINAL ESCAPE DOCUMENTS (PDF) SURVIVAL QUESTIONNAIRE ESCAPE PROTOCOL AFTER ACTION REPORT On the morning of March 5, 1944, Flight Officer Charles Yeager strapped himself into his P-51 fighter and joined a mission to attack targets in the Bordeaux area of France. The twenty-one-year-old Yeager occupied the “tail end Charlie” position of his four-plane flight – the most vulnerable place to be. However, Yeager was no novice. He had three months’ experience in combat and had already shot down two German aircraft. On this day his luck was to change. As the flight neared its objective, three German FW 190 fighters suddenly attacked from the rear, targeting Yeager’s P-51. Caught by surprise, the young pilot tried to evade his attackers but to no avail. The enemy’s gunfire slammed into his aircraft, severing his control cables and forcing Yeager to jump for his life. Successfully escaping his plane, his parachute open, Yeager was still not out of trouble. As he floated to earth, one of the FW-190s turned and dove on the vulnerable pilot with the intent of finishing him off. The enemy fighter grew larger and larger in his vision but Yeager could do nothing but hang helplessly suspended from his silk canopy. Suddenly, the German plane burst into a fireball – its pilot so intent on his deadly mission that he had not seen the P-51 on his tail. Within minutes after his landing, Yeager was surrounded by French Resistance fighters and beginning his escape journey that would take him to Spain, Gibraltar and back to England. Three and a half years later, the young pilot would make his mark in history as the first to break the sound barrier. Parachuting Into the Unknown After Yeager successfully made his way to Gibraltar he filed a written report of his experience and was debriefed by a British intelligence officer. The following is excerpted from these reports: “Three FW 190s came in from the rear and cut my elevator cables. I snap-rolled with the rudder and jumped at 18,000 feet. I took off my dinghy-pack, oxygen mask, and helmet in the air; and then, as I was whirling on my back and began to feel dizzy, I pulled the ripcord at 8,000 feet. An FW 190 dove at me, but when he was about 2,000 yards from me a P51 came in on his tail and blew him to pieces. I landed into a forest-clearing in which there was a solitary sapling about twenty feet tall. I grabbed the top of the sapling as I passed it and swung gently to the ground. My chute was hung up in the tree, however, I hid my mae west and started off to the south-east, for I thought that I was in the forbidden zone. Before I had gone 200 feet half a dozen Frenchmen ran up to me. Some of them got my chute down, and one of the men took me by the arm and led me to a house some 200 yards away. There I was given food and civilian clothes. A gendarme was seen approaching the house at this moment, and so I was quickly hidden in the barn. When the gendarme left I was brought back into the house where one of the men who had left the group now returned and gave me a note in English telling me to trust the people in whose hands I was. I was then taken to another house about a kilometer away, and from there my journey was arranged.” The house to which Yeager was taken was actually a hotel run by an English-speaking French woman and her daughter. The next morning the man who took Yeager to the hotel returned and took the pilot to the home of a “”fleshy, white-haired man and his family” where Yeager spent one night. The British debriefing officer continues the report whose content masks the life-threatening danger each of Yeager’s benefactors places himself into. “The next morning the same guide returned and took him by bicycle to a young couple of 35 years with a son, Jean, five years old who live in a farmhouse off RN133 near the lake at Font Guillem au Pujo between Pompogne and Houeilles. Here Yeager lived for seven days. Then a farmer from Houeilles took him to a house half a km. from Nerac. This is the house of the regional maquis (French Resistance) chief, Gabriel; and here Dr. Henri -, the doctor of all the maquis in this part of the country, lives when he is in the vicinity. After Yeager had been here a few days, Dr. Henri arrived in the Franbel (the name of a local pencil company) lorry and went after Nahl and the six sergeants with him whom he then brought to the maquis near Nerac. He then went back to Castel Jaloux and from there brought Seidel to the maquis. On 25 March the Franbel lorry brought Nall, Seidel, and the six sergeants from the maquis, picked up Yeager, Dr. Henri and a Belgian lieutenant and drove to a farmhouse 4 kms. S. of Nerac. From this point Yeager’s journey was the same as that of Seidel and Nall.” National Archives, Escape and Evasion Case File for Flight Officer Charles (Chuck) E. Yeager (338-EECASEFILES-EECASE660-YEAGER). “Shot Down Over France, 1944,” EyeWitness to History, www.eyewitnesstohistory.com (1998). [rev_slider_vc alias=”E+E_REPORT” title=”Read Chuck Yeager’s hand written confidential after-action report! (9 pages)”] BIOGRAPHY \| CHUCKYEAGER.ORG Feb 25, 2016 at 5:15 am […] ESCAPE! […] Bill & Sue Cottrill Dec 16, 2016 at 2:31 pm I found your story just now, a fantastic job in WWII. Really enjoyed the movie Right Stuff. Really proud of you here in WV. We live in Jane Lew. Merry Christmas & God Bless. Bill & Sue Cottrill US Army. 1959-62	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0037.json.gz/line2619
__label__cc	0.730476	0.269524	Home/Featured/Canadian PM Justin Trudeau Outlines Agenda: Legalize Pot, Stricter Gun Control, and More LGBT Rights FeaturedGay News From Around The GlobeOf Interest Canadian PM Justin Trudeau Outlines Agenda: Legalize Pot, Stricter Gun Control, and More LGBT Rights Will Kohler November 19, 2015 Newly-elected (and dreamy) Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has issued a letter vowing to follow through on his progressive campaign promises that he made. Via Deadspin Trudeau’s plans will include legalizing and regulating marijuana with a beautiful stok r series butance torch, reducing the number of hand guns and assault rifles, and securing rights for all citizens, especially focusing on LGBTQ rights. Trudeau’s letter lists several other priorities, such as fighting for the right to physician-assisted death, addressing many rights issues facing Indigenous Canadians, and ensuring that Canadians will be able to keep their digital information private from the government. One of the biggest differences in Trudeau’s leadership is his lack of focus on religion. Although Trudeau is a Roman Catholic, 16 members of his newly appointed cabinet chose to take a modified version of the Canadian oath, which replaces religious references and does not end with the phrase “So help me God.” The more secularly minded cabinet will fight for personal rights and freedoms in line with Trudeau’s liberal vision. Boys and girls, its definitely time to move up North. Eh? Canada dream Justin Trudeau Oh Canada Rick Santorum Sponsors Car In the Daytona 500, Postponed Until Monday Due To “Slippery Track” DOMA & Mississippi Denies Gay Man The Right To Sue Spouses Racist Murderer Absolutely Fabulous Christmas! – Patsy & Edina Visit Stella McCartney’s Annual Christmas Lighting (2015) – Video Republican Human Rights Subcommittee Chair: “Gay Rights Are Not Human Rights.” 1 thought on “Canadian PM Justin Trudeau Outlines Agenda: Legalize Pot, Stricter Gun Control, and More LGBT Rights” Loving my new PM. So proud to be a Canadian. GOP Presidential Candidate and Texas’ Village Idiot Rick Perry: “Lawrence v. Who?”	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0037.json.gz/line2622
__label__wiki	0.562061	0.562061	HOME : Greek Coins : Lysimachos Coins : Silver Tetradrachm of King Lysimachos Silver Tetradrachm of King Lysimachos - C.0137 Origin: Minted in Lampsakos Style: Thracian Obverse: Deified Head of Alexander the Great Facing Right Reverse: Athena Nikephoros Enthroned Facing Left Holding Nike Lysimachos was born around 360 B.C. to Thessalian Greek parents who had migrated to Macedonia. He served in the army of Philip II and was appointed to the select somatophylakes (royal bodyguards) under Alexander the Great. After Alexander’s death, he was given a satrapy consisting of Thrace and parts of northwestern Asia Minor. He supported the various coalitions that included Seleukos, Ptolemy and Kassandros against the growing power of Antigonos Monophthalmos. Like the other major successor generals, he proclaimed himself king in 305/4 B.C. and built his capital, Lysimacheia, in the Thracian Chersonesos. Lysimachos was instrumental in the final destruction of Antigonos at the battle of Ipsos in 301. It fell to him and his army to hold the Antigonid forces in Asia Minor until Seleukos could arrive from the east with his war elephants and deliver the coup de grace. Because of the great risks that he undertook, Lysimachos received the majority of Antigonos' possessions in Asia Minor. Despite some difficulties with native Thracian tribal chiefs, Lysimachos wrested the very throne of Macedonia from Demetrios Poliorketes in 285. Unfortunately, Lysimachos was unable to conciliate his subjects to himself. Eventually, the peoples of Asia Minor, gorwing discontent with Lysimachos’ rule and over-taxation, invited Seleukos to save them. The ensuing contest was decided on the field of Koroupedion in 291 B.C. when Lysimachos fell to the forces of Seleukos I. How many hands have touched a coin in your pocket or purse? What eras and lands have the coin traversed on its journey into our possession? As we reach into our pockets to pull out some change, we rarely hesitate to think of who might have touched the coin before us, or where the coin will venture to after it leaves our hands. More than money, coins are a symbol of the state that struck them, of a specific time and location, whether active currencies in the age we live or artifacts of a long forgotten empire. This stunning hand-struck coin reveals an expertise of craftsmanship and intricate sculptural detail that is often lacking in contemporary machine- made currencies. Like most successors, Lysimachos adopted the imagery of Alexander the Great in order to bolter his legitimacy as an independent ruler. Although Athena was favored by Alexander, the particular iconography used here on the reverse was popularized by the Successors. The goddess is shown as Nikephoros, 'the victory bearer' and holds Nike to indicate this function. Victory was an important concept for Hellenistic rulers because without victory it was impossible to be taken seriously as a king. Thus Nike is seen here to be crowning the name of Lysimachos with a laurel wreath. This coin seeks to establish the legitimacy of Lysimachos’ rule. However, today this ancient artifact is more than a testament to a leader, it is concrete remnants of an ancient empire passed from the hands of civilization to civilization, from generation to generation. - (C.0137)	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0037.json.gz/line2623
__label__wiki	0.501893	0.501893	Reviews - week 12 At the close of every day Zalig Zijn De Armen Van Geest - CD LP / vinyl 10" (Jonathon Whiskey Records) ‘At The Close Of Every Day’ are two men hailing from Holland, Axel Kabbord and Minco Eggersman. In their biography, ‘ATCOED’ call their sound “the new night music”. I concur with that view up to a point- darkness aplenty pervades this, their debut collection (the title of which translates into English as ‘Blessed are the Poor in Spirit’) - but the gentle guitars, overseen by the lazy, melodic vocals, and accompanied by the sparse, militaristic sound of the drums, remind this reviewer more of idle days of youth, the sun making shadows by the banks of the stream, drinking red wine to a slow, casual stupor- In short, ATCOED’s reverberations are heavy with reminiscence. In terms of reference, perhaps their nearest counterparts, to these ears at least, are the Red House Painters, or the best bits of Low- they tread the same fragile, emotion-leaden path as Messrs Kozelek et al, lyrically revealing snatches of dark, poetic and forthright honesty that Coldplay would kill for. Favourites? All of them, although I have to say that the title track, sung in it’s native tongue, had this particular reviewer, for the first time in his life, reaching for the tissues in honour of a Dutch production that wasn’t packaged in a plain brown paper bag. Melancholy hasn’t sounded so utterly perfect and gripping in a long, long time. Paul Williamson The Occasional Flickers Rain Until Monday - 7" (Help Ever Hurt Never Records) I only bought this single because the boy selling it was wearing a nice stripy t-shirt and he looked very sad when he said he hadn't seen Belle and Sebastian seven times. I understood. I, too, would be very sad if I hadn't watched them seven times... I'm only telling you this so you can understand why I was surprised when I played Rain Until Monday and discovered it was exactly the sort of song I like. It's on of those songs that make you feel you're spinning around when you're only standing in front of the record player. It makes you feel like you're riding on a carousel and going round and round... On top of this, it's got trumpets, a boy and a girl singing together and my favourite sort of pop lyrics: the sort that doesn't quite make sense and yet sounds lovely. The sort that makes you wonder if there was any reason behind those words being together in a song, or if they just sounded good together: Rain brings sadness, sadness brings this fear But when a baby smiles at you, you can only see a brighter day Faith brings good fortune, good fortune brings success When you think you've got it all you've got nothing really to expect Needless to say I could fall in love with a band just because they sing 'faith brings good fortune'. It was about time someone said that in a song. As for the b-side, This Song (The Autumn Chill) is apparently about Blueboy... or so it says. Then again it could be about something else starting with b and ending in boy - I'm not sure. This time the boy and the girl take turns to sing and then a harmonica takes its turn to play. It's slightly less exciting than Rain Until Monday but nice nonetheless. I've thought about it long and hard the last two days. I've tried to decide what the Occasional Flickers sound like because you can't have a decent review without that, can you, but I only come up with quite irrelevant things: Postal Blue. Tompaulin. The Pale Fountains, but that's just for the trumpet... Swedish pop, but it's just because I've been listening to that lately... Sod it - I just suck at finding what bands sound like; but if you like that sort of thing you will definitely find Rain Until Monday worth buying. Dimitra Daisy (email us here in case you want to send your demo to be reviewed on the friends of the heroes) Previous Week Reviews Index All the bands we've written about Current Issue Next Week	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0037.json.gz/line2638
__label__cc	0.534976	0.465024	Yellow Claw’s label Barong Family set to reach 200 release milestone this week by edmhoney@admin · August 31, 2020 Dutch DJ duo Yellow Claw are set to celebrate their 200th release on their label Barong Family. The collaborative EP, titled ‘BF200’, is slated to come out on September 4th and feature seven tracks from the Family’s artists, two of which are from ‘DJ Turn It Up’ producers themselves. Ahead of the upcoming milestone release, Yellow Claw commented: “It has been a wild ride since when we had put out our first release on Barong Family back in 2014. During the past 6 years, we have met many talented artists who wanted to take part in this adventure with us and joined the family… 200 releases seem like a big number, and 6 years feel like a very long time, but for us, thanks to what we do and whom we are fortunate to work with, it feels like we are just starting, as our excitement never faded away.” After being founded in 2014, the label’s first release was ‘Lick Dat’, a collaboration with fellow Amsterdam group Mightyfools, who were also the first artists to be signed to the label. ‘BF200’ will feature never-before-heard tracks from Yellow Claw, Wiwek, Nonsens, RayRay, and Crisis Era, amongst others. If you can’t wait until September 4, the EP’s single, ‘Kiss Your Lips’, by Yellow Claw and Tokyo Ghetto Pussy, is set to be released on the 2nd of September. Image credit: Rukes.com David Morales just isn’t being charged after his arrest for drug possession in Japan by Edward Hopkins · Published October 26, 2018 Charlotte de Witte to release two new EPs on KNTXT by Ashley Norris · Published October 15, 2019 Patterns Brighton reveals its final events of the year by Michael Ryan · Published August 24, 2019 Next story Slushii announces DREAM III album with his alias sapientdream Previous story Berlin local government is asked to allow for open air clubs Charlotte de Witte at Tomorrowland 2021 New Year’s Eve: what can we expect? David Guetta urges people to get vaccinated against Covid-19 Nicky Romero drops ‘Into The Light’ with Timmo Hendriks : Listen The Weeknd reveals his next album is inspired by Black Lives Matter & Covid-19 Pioneer DJ experiences growth in sales during lockdown Armin van Buuren puts us in a trance with Tomorrowland 31.12.2020 set size?, Adidas and Cream team up for 90s throwback fashion line	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0037.json.gz/line2647
__label__wiki	0.773495	0.773495	Brogdon nailed the welcome press conference this morning. Wants to make everyone around him better, Brogdon mentioned how he wanted to play for the Indiana Pacers, wanted to play for Nate, wants to make Victor, Sabonis, Myles all better and wanted to be apart of a culture that isn't about I, but about WE as a TEAM. Brogdon stated that he wanted to sign with Indiana during free agency, so the interest was there from both sides. Mentioned he's going to Vegas to train and workout with Victor as he had very high praise for Victor. I cannot wait to watch these two play side by side. Also mentioned how much he is involved in the community and plans to be involved here in Indy. Pacers have engaged Sabonis and his agent about a contract extension. Edited July 8, 2019 by dwtaylor1055 Additional notes from the press conference today with Brogdon: Simon helped seal the deal with the Bucks. Pritchard thought they had a 10% chance to get him, once Simon jumped on the phone that went up to about 90% chance to get Brogdon. Brogdon was on atop the board for Pacers Free Agency plans/want list from basically when their season ended. Kevin Pritchard considers the Brogdon addition as a "EPIC" day for the Indiana Pacers and a franchise Brogdon deal was a last minute deal, audible as Pritchard referred to as Foundation of many good players in Indy not just having two superstars Brogdon was excited about how Simon went above to help get him to Indy Brogdon thinks Indy has great building blocks in Vic/Sabonis/Myles Brogdons agent wanted him to go to Indy when he entered the draft. Felt this was his best location and best fit Brogdon said during his workout with Pacers prior to his predraft workout that he wanted to come to Indy due to best fit Nate envisioned the PG spot the most critical spot to fill in free agency this offseason Nate raves about Vic and Brogdon backcourt together Brogdon checks all the boxes that the Pacers expect as a player Brogdon has won Rookie of the Year, Defensive Rookie of the year and ACC player of the year When Nate found out Brogdon was coming to Indy, Nate yelled and screamed excitement as he exited an airplane lol(Most excited Pritchard has seen Nate since he's been here) Brogdon very very big into community work, especially 3rd world countries like Africa. Wants to move into non-profit sector after NBA Hoops 2.0 foundation which Brogdon has created to help fund less privileged Brogdon looks as Indiana as the original basketball state, mentions Bob Knight and IU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Wants to help the community as much as possible The draft picks were a must to get Brogdon, those extra 2nd round picks we traded for were enough to get the deal sealed Pritchard views Brogdon as another foundational player to go along with Victor/Myles/Sabonis Pritchard has been proud of last two years, more excited about this upcoming season than past two years Nicknamed "The President" Brogdon feels PG is his best position to influence decisions on the floor and lead. Views his primary strength is high IQ and versatility Vic reached out to Brogdon right after deal was completed. Brogdon wants to help Vic be an all star every year, make him a superstar. Brogdons goal is to give the teammates for freedom and help them reach their potential Once they determined they had Brogdon, it allowed them to sign Lamb. Warren trade enabled this them to deal for Brogdon. Trickle affect for later moves(Lamb and McConnell) This guy will flourish here with the Pacers. Very excited to have him here for 4 seasons and hopefully more. On Westbrook, I'm wondering more about the Knicks or Toronto, maybe the T-Wolves. The Knicks of course blew it, again, this time in trading away their young star thinking they'd get Kyrie and/or Durant and even the #1 draft pick, and of course got none of the above. They had all kinds of cap room, but then went out and tied up over $50M on such players as Taj Gibson, Randle and Portis. Good but not make-you-competitive now players. If the Thunder wait until December, though, the Knicks could be a player for Westbrook. Not sure how they could be before December. Toronto could get creative -- they were trying to get involved with the Thunder and PG when the possibility of PG/Kawhi to the Clips came up. Not sure if they have realistic pieces to include for Westbrook (no way they're trading Siakim), but I wouldn't count them out. Or maybe the Wolves with a trade including Wiggins. Related, the Thunder are now clearly in full re-build mode. They just traded Jerami Grant -- a key piece and an excellent developing player, to the Nuggets for a '20 first-round pick, saving tax money. IUALUM03 130 IUALUM03 1 hour ago, btownqb said: From a strictly on the court discussion... do they actually compliment each other that well though? Neither can shoot at all... both below 30% from 3 last year. Now they are both insanely athletic.. idk I guess I would need more proof than to say they'd compliment each other well. I don't know, maybe. Just starting a discussion. I just feel like it has been proven that another guard or wing is not Westbrook's compliment, but maybe a paint presence that could run the floor could work. Obviously, this all remains to be seen, but... BGleas 7,474 BGleas Trading for Westbrook would be such a Knick's things to do. Let's trade for a star player that most other stars don't want to play with, tie up our cap space and win 44 games the next 3 years and lose in the first round every year. It would be like Carmelo deal part II. ^^ Exactly why the Knicks will do it. Comically, the Rockets are trying to get involved with Westbrook. Let's see, Harden leaves Westbrook/the Thunder to make himself a (extremely ball dominant) star, Rockets are still paying CPIII, and now they want to add Westbrook to play with Harden?? Comical. I use this "cliche" all the time...but to me Westbrook is a cancer. Appears to me that OKC kept the wrong "star". FKIM01 7,492 FKIM01 3 hours ago, 5fouls said: Westbrook is a chemistry killer. I see a desparate team taking him versus one that is already knocking on the door. Put him with Jimmy Butler and they could burn down a franchise... dgambill 4,835 dgambill I think Westbrook fits best with an elite pick n roll big and surround them with shooters. Westbrook is a Slasher. His shooting is not good. Honestly I think it would be hard to win a championship with him unless you surround him with even bigger stars and that’s hard to find. If Minnesota could put him with KAT that might work. Not many stars want to play with a ball dominant pg...I think Minnesota will lose KAT soon anyways so they should go all in and try something. I could see Knicks trying something and honestly that would make sense. They are forever away from rebuilding and they need to sell tickets...put a star there and try to find some shooting to put along side him and a pick n roll partner. I really don’t know what OKC plans to do with him...his contract is next to Paul’s worst in the NBA and yet he is a star who you want to get something for. He definitely won’t land them what George did. How did they have Serge Ibaka, Westbrook, Durant, Harden, Sefalosha, Collison, Reggie Jackson, and Derek Fisher and have basically let them all go at this point and nothing to show for it. It’s like a perfect example of how a small market can build a title contender and also how to squander one. 59 minutes ago, dgambill said: When Harden left he wasn’t the star he later became, he was largely in Westbrook’s shadow and OKC couldn’t then afford to pay him what he wanted while paying Westbrook and Durant. When Durant left - running away to the GS team that beat him after choking away the lead in the WC Finals - there was nothing OKC could do. That was Durant. In fairness to him maybe he saw he couldn’t win with Westbrook — but that was immediately after they were up 3-1 in the WC finals. OKC then got PG through the trade with the Pacers and convinced him to opt in the next year - and refuse to even meet with LBJ and the Lakers despite that PG wanted to return home to LA and everyone thought he would. PG just left after being recruited by Kawhi and the Clips - returning home to LA - after another first- round exit with Westbrook taking all those bad shots - and a salary - tax situation in which OKC was strapped and couldn’t get better. Meanwhile Roberson - one of the best wing defenders in the game and key to OKC - just lost all of last season. Not saying OKC didn’t make mistakes and is blameless, but looking at it objectively, things happen and there’s only so far you can go into the tax penalty and only so many chances you get, and you know, it’s Oklahoma City 1 hour ago, Hoosierhoopster said: Ummm, Harden didn't leave OKC...they traded him. The Thunder obviously screwed the pooch on that one. I'd have to go back and review specifics Rico but you're oversimplifying things. What I know -- They couldn't reach agreement with him on a contract extension -- he wanted a full max deal, they couldn't do that because they had to pay Westbrook and Durant -- this is Oklahoma City, not the Lakers. Btw, they offered him, after just his third year, $55 Million over 4 years, but he wanted more. The Rockets gave him the max deal. Harden was coming off 6th man of the year, but again was just a three-year player. "Screwed the pooch" assumes a great deal, like they should've known he would turn into League MVP, that they could have paid him along with Westbrook and Durant another $4.5 M a year. The "Umm" doesn't really apply here. 1 minute ago, Hoosierhoopster said: "Umm" applies to what I am thinking. OKC had 3 superstars. They got rid of the wrong one. Hmmmmmmm. Pulled up a story on the trade for specifics, Harden had just come off averaging 16.8 points and 3.7 assists. That doesn't scream max player -- and absolutely is not a "Super Star". It's easy to look back with hindsight. Also, they brought in K Martin, who was coming off averaging 17.1 and 2.8, along with Jeremy Lamb (12th pick in draft). That was after they tried to get Harden to commit to the $55M, but he wanted the max deal. "We wanted to sign James to an extension, but at the end of the day, these situations have to work for all those involved. Our ownership group again showed their commitment to the organization with several significant offers," Thunder general manager Sam Presti said in a statement. "We were unable to reach a mutual agreement, and therefore executed a trade that capitalized on the opportunity to bring in a player of Kevin's caliber, a young talent like Jeremy and draft picks, which will be important to our organizational goal of a sustainable team." The small-market Thunder had already signed Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and Serge Ibaka to long-term deals, and apparently realized Harden was going to want a bigger salary than they would offer. Btw the Rockets traded Kyle Lowry to Toronto for a first round pick, you know, the guy who just won a championship with Toronto. https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/8562868/oklahoma-city-thunder-trade-james-harden-houston-rockets Hmmmm. Lol. Vic on appreciating the game after his injury, and the fit with Brogdon -- https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/27150201/injury-made-appreciate-game-more 5 hours ago, Hoosierhoopster said: If anybody should have known what Harden was capable of it was OKC. They had him of course it’s their fault. They should have moved Ibaka and other expensive pieces and built around the 3 stars with vet minimums etc. That is why I hare people saying oh we have to trade Myles or Sabonis. You keep your stars when you are small market and build around them. Too hard to acquire them. This was before the time of guys forcing their way out. Worst case scenario is you move Westbrook...they just didn’t have the vision that say GSW had...who held on to their shooters no matter what. GS had to pay the same tax that OKC has...they just got more bang for their buck and spent wisely. OKC was signing guys like Ibaka and Adams to huge contracts instead of putting that money to winning basketball. Everyone could see Harden was special...certainly Houston could. He was being misused as a 6th man because Westbrook was so ball dominant. Rico probably would even say keep the shooter playmaker in Harden and move Westbrook and he would be right....because even Durant had issues with Westbrook leading to him moving on and now so did Paul George. Stars think they want to play with him...then they realize the ball doesn’t move in OKC. Westbrook is the problem. 4 minutes ago, dgambill said: Thank you. And spot on. Again, it was his third season, he was averaging under 17 PPG, and they had to pay Westbrook, Durant and Ibaka. It's their fault?? OK. Absolutely no reason in the world they should have moved Westbrook then. 32 minutes ago, rico said: No it's not. Good grief. You're not completely wrong here by any means, but I gotta go with Rico and dgambill on this one. Nobody thought Harden was going to be an MVP level player, but even at that time many thought he had a chance to be an all-star caliber player, and OKC did too. The only real reason his scoring was under 17 PPG was because he wasn't getting the time/touches behind Durant and Westbrook, and they didn't really try to play them all together very much. OKC went with bringing Harden off the bench so he could 'run' the second team, but everyone knew at the time that Harden was a stud. OKC was hamstrung by the Durant, Westbrook and Ibaka contracts, and they chose balance (Ibaka being a forward) and trade market (Harden fetching more on the market compared to Ibaka) over keeping the three best players and just figuring the rest out later. I'm not sure it was a terrible move though. While the super team thing is hot right now, there hasn't been a ton of success with that model when you have three extremely ball dominant guys (Durant, Westbrook and Harden) together. I don't really see how those three could have coexisted long term. You could argue they should have traded Westbrook maybe. By the way, pretty impressive 3 year draft run for Seattle/OKC: 2007: Durant at #2 2008: Westbrook at #8, Ibaka at #24 2009: Harden at #3 52 minutes ago, BGleas said: I don't think we're really in disagreement here? This is hindsight. It was pretty clear Harden was a stud, but, a third-year player coming off under 17 PPG, by no means clear he'd be a future League MVP. The real point I made above though was that -- right -- OKC was hamstrung by having to pay Westbrook (who there was absolutely no reason to say OKC "should have" traded at that point) and Durant and Ibaka (who also was a stud at that time) and they offered Harden $50M over 4 years. The post I responded to stated OKC "squandered" a title contender. Come on now. The next one was that OKC should have known what Harden was capable of and they should have moved Westbrook. Come on again. Pure hindsight and of course Westbrook and Durant had GS down 3-1 and choked, then Durant bolted. We're not really in much disagreement, though I don't agree that what people are saying is all hindsight. People didn't think Harden was going to be a future MVP, I said that exact thing in my post, but he was projected at that time as a potential future all-star. It was commonly held belief even at that time that Harden was going to be a star and that the system (coming off the bench to play behind Durant and Westbrook) was holding him back. The view on Harden at the time was that almost anywhere else he'd be a featured player, not just a solid 17 ppg player Sixth Man. That's why he was commanding the max as a bench player, and while OKC did offer him $52M, other teams were already lining up to offer him the max. OKC basically had to pick three of Durant, Westbrook, Ibaka and Harden, and they chose the first three. Again, maybe not the wrong move given that Durant, Westbrook and Harden all need the ball and there's only so much to go around, but I do wonder if the Thunder were in the same situation today (in the super team era) if they maybe choose to try and move Ibaka and another contract and just roll the dice with the three stars.	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0037.json.gz/line2667
__label__wiki	0.748254	0.748254	Hoosier Sports Report Home of the 'Hoosier Scoop' Hoosier Historia Davis Era Sampson Era Kevin Wilson: Three QB’s could play in opener August 29, 2011 Dustin Dopirak Football 4 comments The depth chart that was released on Monday had two names as possible starters at quarterback, but Kevin Wilson said Monday that doesn’t mean that only two names are involved. The Indiana football coach was asked for a timetable in which he will name a starter, and once again said that he has no timetable and that he could play multiple quarterbacks in the opener. He was asked if he anticipated playing two. “Maybe three,” Wilson said. “I don’t know. We’re just not as consumed with it as you guys. They’re all doing good. No one’s really separated.” That means, of course, that not only do redshirt sophomores Dusty Kiel and Edward Wright-Baker still have an opportunity to play, but true freshman Tre Roberson is still in the mix. Roberson didn’t take snaps with the first team in the most recent scrimmaging and he is not listed on the depth chart with Wright-Baker and Kiel, but Wilson has said throughout the preseason that he’s been impressed with his playmaking ability. “Even if a guy goes up there first, we’ll see if he stays the starter,” Wilson said. “Again, I don’t know if anyone’s had the support or played well enough to clearly separate. You get in to game situations, maybe things go different. We’re not going to look over the shoulder at one bad pass, but right now, we’re just gonna let it keep going a little bit. We’ll see. We might have a guy go first. He might not be the starter. It might be based on what we’ve seen short term. That guys taking care of the ball the best.” Wilson said most of the rest of the depth chart is close to accurate. He confirmed the reason that wide receiver Duwyce Wilson and tight end Ted Bolser were not on the depth chart were because of injury purposes. He said they were both dealing with minor tweaks and pulls, but with the amount of running the team has been doing, it’s been hard for them to participate. He said they’ll probably be cleared to play, but he says injured players have to earn their way back into their old situation. He said they’ve both missed enough time to set them back and that he owes it to the other players who have been on the field to not give their spots away so easily. “Physically, they’re probably good,” Wilson said. “… To me, you gotta kinda earn it back. To the other guys that have been out there battling every day, it’s a little disheartening. Even though some guy might have a skill set, you have to kind of earn it back. It might be a quick earn, because your skill set drives you to the point. I don’t buy the deal, ‘I got hurt, I automatically get my spot back because I was the starter.’ You gotta kinda earn it a little bit too. One of my comments is, it’s not about getting healthy, it’s about getting better. Better doesn’t mean healthy, it means you’re being a better football player, too. When you miss work, that’s hard to do. We’ll keep an eye on those guys. Those are two skilled kids. They did a lot in spring. We’ll see if they get back in the mix.” Senior Dre Muhammad took Wilson’s place among the starting receivers along with senior Damarlo Belcher and sophomore Kofi Hughes. Senior Max Dedmond was listed as the starting tight end with freshman Jake Reed as his backup. Redshirt freshman Matt Perez and junior college transfer Stephen Houston were listed as 1-2 on the running back depth chart. Wilson said Bloomington North graduate D’Angelo Roberts, who had been playing with the first team, will also play there in Week 1. He said it’s likely that true freshman wide receivers Shane Wynn, Cody Latimer and Jay McCants — all of whom are listed as backups on the depth chart, will likely play. Previous Post:Mitch McGary shatters backboard, needs stitches. Next Post:Hoosier Morning Debbie Downer. says: Every other coach in America knows who their starter is at this point. Quit messing around coach and just name one. Gunner isn’t available so pick one and go with it. upperarlington says: Relax Debbie- The OSU for example still deciding between Miller and Bauserman as their starter. It’s not crucial to have named a starter by now for us to win. Hoosier Clarion says: Nor has JP at Penn State made a decision. If it was the 1st conference game of the year it could be considered more of an issue. Coach Wilson appears to be able to deal with whatever situation is facing him. I do not see this one as unnerving to him. Podunker says: Wilson understands that when two or three players are so close in their skills, abilities and experience, some times the only method for determining who is best is to see how they perform when it really counts, during a game. Some players elevate their performance during a game and some players freeze up. Which quarterback will rise to the occasion for IU? If they can’t separate themselves from one another after six weeks of spring and summer practice, then the only way to find your starter is to test them during a game. When milk is churned, the cream rises to the top. RichBeckman on IU’s losing streak to Purdue stretches to eight in 81-69 loss Bear Down on As a handful of Hoosiers leave, younger players must step up Harvard for Hillbillies on IU’s losing streak to Purdue stretches to eight in 81-69 loss Hoosier Clarion on As a handful of Hoosiers leave, younger players must step up Miller not closing the door on Brunk’s return for 2020-21 season January 19, 2021 IU women postponed again; foreign faces joining forces January 18, 2021 As a handful of Hoosiers leave, younger players must step up January 18, 2021 Hoosiers to hire Georgia’s Charlton Warren as defensive coordinator January 17, 2021 IU’s Stevie Scott will forgo senior season for NFL Draft January 15, 2021 1940 Introduction Catching Up With … former Hoosiers The Kelvin Sampson Era, 2006-08 The Mike Davis Era, 2000-06 lemonwhale Big 10 / IU sports links AnnArbor.com Harrisburg Patriot-News Iowa City Press-Citizen Lansing State-Journal Lincoln Journal-Star Madison.com Minneapolis Star-Tribune IU Hoosiers official site Inside the Hall Inside Indiana Punt John Punt	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0037.json.gz/line2668
__label__wiki	0.536337	0.536337	students join winter warriors to prepare for track season Story by Parisa Shirani Thump, thump, thump. The sound of your heart thumping loud. Sweat trickling down your forehead. Sun beating down your back. One foot in front of another. All things that makes kids love running. But at Clay Middle school running has taken a new twist. Winter Warriors. Winter Warriors is a club that exist to help kids prepare and stay fit for track season. However there's a spinoff from the ordinary laps around the gym. Winter Warriors does all their running and training outside. Yes outside. The same outside that is capable of the 20 degrees weather the Warriors run in. But mother nature doesn't stand in their way. The Warriors train every Tuesday and Thursday after school till 4:30. During their practices they usually run laps outside, around the school, and by the track. According to Coach Martin, Winter Warriors is a great way for kids to prepare for track because it helps them improve their core strength, endurance, and speed. “It's a great opportunity for kids to get ready and in shape for track season,” Martin Said. Besides from benefiting the runners physically, Winter Warriors has helped kids in a variety of ways. “Winter Warriors helps me blow off stress and gives me time to clear my mind,” Jasmine Klopstad, seventh grade, said. Another seventh grade runner, Christina Mccollum, says Winter Warriors not only helps her improve her running for track season, but lets her meet new friends and gives her a chance to get involved with Clay. At first the idea of Winter Warriors usually strikes the sense of freezing weather in many people's minds, but it happens that that's not the case at all. “Many people think Winter Warriors is a way to get frostbite, but that's not even close to the truth. The joy the club brings you outweighs all the possibilities of frostbite, just make sure to wear layers,” Klopstad said. Winter Warriors is said to be a phenomenal club and is encouraged by many to join, even if your not a runner. “Winter Warriors is for all students, even if your not a runner, it's still a great way to stay fit,” says Klopstad. “To join the winters all you need is a pair of gloves, a warm outfit, and a determined attitude,” McCollum said. “As a runner I believe that you don't need to worry about the end, you just need to focus on the steps in front of you,” Klopstad said. “After all the finish line isn't the end, it's only the beginning.” Teen health fair raises awareness for teen health issues Written by Olivia Stock The dull buzz of students and parents talking mixes with laughter and footsteps. Poster boards filled with information and color line the hallway and the perimeter of the LGI. Eighth graders and parents mill about, looking at seventh grader’s projects and watching them present. The Teen Health Fair took place on February 15 in Core Plus. For this project, students tried to find an answer to the driving question: How can we influence our well-being and take responsibility for our health? They researched the answer, and took into account the three types of health, physical, mental, and emotional. Some groups focused on one, other groups on two, and still others on all three. Mrs. Rachel Harter, along with the other seventh grade honors language arts teachers, are the ones directing the whole project. Harter said that students have more freedoms with projects like these, as they can choose what direction they want to go with their answer and really put their own thoughts and opinions into their presentation. She said that students will also learn from each other as they research and present their findings. Harter has been doing this project for three years, and said that it improves a little bit every time. She also talked about how students’ age (teenagers) will help them with the project. She said her students are people that “teens that are younger have an opportunity to look up to.” The language arts teachers collaborated with the health teachers for the project, and plan to do it more in future Health Fairs. Some of the projects may even be passed on to health experts for use in their jobs. The students chose groups of three or four students to work on and present the project with. The overall topic was improving teen health, however, there are many directions that students could take their answer. For example, Arthur Yeh, seventh grade, along with his group members, did a project focused on mental and emotional health. “Our project is focused on getting people to come forward and talk about their problems on their own accord,” he said. Their presentation, called Talk About It, encouraged people to talk to someone they trust about personal issues. Theresa Hommel, seventh grade, and her group focused on “Balancing the three types of health” as a response to the driving question. Her group’s presentation was called T.H.E. B.O.A.T.-Teen Health Education Balance Of All Things. The presentation included a test for their audience to take on how balanced their lifestyle is. “As teens we can influence our health and well-being by understanding the importance of a balanced lifestyle and using it in our everyday lives,” she said. Yeh and Hommel talked about how, if at all, their projects could help other teenagers. Yeh said that as long as his group did the project right, teens will be able to find the causes of their problems and get help to solve them. Hommel said that it all depended on whether their audience took their presentation seriously. Students were able to draw on their own experiences to help with their project. “Personal stories are a great source of inspiration,” Yeh said. Hommel has experience with balancing nutrition, allowing her to add her personal knowledge to the project. The Teen Health Fair reached a large audience of parents as well as students, educating people on widespread problems of teenagers. seventh graders participate in carmel swim club By Hannah Crosby You walk into the pool and smell the chlorine shock that hits you. The hot wet thick air fills the natatorium. There are many Clay students that swim for Carmel Swim Club and they love the sport. Swimmers put in countless hours swimming laps down and back in the pool. Coaches watch the Carmel swimmers and look for improvement, and peers and parents to watch during competitions. Swimmers put all their energy into the sport and how hard they work each day and week. Ellie Overbeck, seventh grade, is a swimmer for Carmel Swim Club. “I put in over 16 and a half hours each week and I try to go to every practice but I work constantly hard each and every day,” she said. Nicole Heidrich, seventh grader, at clay is another swimmer for Carmel Swim Club and she has been swimming since she was 10 years old. Heidrich puts in around 12 and a half hours of swimming each week and also goes to swim meets over the weekend. She loves the sport she is doing and hopes to stick with it through high school to be on one of the best high school swim teams that has won over 30 state championships in a row. “My coach encourages me everyday when I go to practice and work my hardest, I also like swimming because I have many friends in the sport and it is great exercise everyday,” Heidrich said. “Swimming is a difficult but mind driven sport that encourages me to get up and go get some good exercise,” Heidrich said. Coach John is one of the many coaches at Carmel Swim Club. He tries each and everyday to encourage and boost swimmers confidence. John is a coach that loves his job, and wants to help other swimmers enhance their skills. “I love being a coach at Carmel because I get to watch all the swimming that I coach and that I see around the pool improve.” Swimming is a sport that anyone can do if they have the confidence and strong mind to do it. seventh graders in social studies present newcasts about india Story by Dylan Ball Giant screens hang from the ceiling. Anchors read of their scripts. Reporters are rushing to get ready for their next segment. But this isn’t happening in a news studio, it’s happening in seventh grade social studies class. Seventh graders prepared for their newscast about India for weeks. Students were allowed to have a partner. They were assigned a topic about modern India and present a “newscast” in front of the class. The topics included the Mughal Empire, the Taj Mahal, the British and Indian perspective of the East India Company, the Sepoy revolt , and the salt march. “It was a good way to have fun with friends and learn at the same time,” Moriah Smith, seventh grade, said. Students researched with their partner to make a script they followed during the newscast. Students were graded on how well they were prepared, how creative they were,what props they brought,and the information that was discussed. “Students could learn about their topic in depth but also other students topics when they presented too,” Eli Harter, seventh grade, said. Students were responsible for paying attention during the other students presentations. Mr. Ryan Snyder, seventh grade social studies teacher, passed out a note sheet to make sure students were prepared for the test. Students would write a summary of other students' newscasts so that they would know about the other topics too. Harter believed that this project was important. “It is important to learn more about other cultures,” he said. Students were nervous the day they presented but agreed with Harter and Smith that it was a fun project. Students play racket sports during winter wellness unit Stories by All stories, photos and video footage by the seventh and eighth grade newspaper students. Adopt A Family Entire School Outside Of School Outside Of School Sports	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0037.json.gz/line2675
__label__wiki	0.731421	0.731421	Regulations on State Prizes Archive of work review Information for laureates Укази Президента Current consideration Regulations on the President's Prize Стипендії Президента України для молодих вчених Scholarships for the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine for young scientists Список стипендіатів Distribution of scholarships of the CMU Normative base Instructions on the procedure for the nomination and registration of works documents submitted for participation in the competition for the awarding of the state prize of Ukraine in the field of science and technology Instruction on the procedure for nomination and registration of textbooks submitted for participation in the competition for the awarding of state awards in science and technology in Ukraine Instruction on the procedure for the nomination and registration of documents of works constituting the state secret, which are submitted for participation in the competition for obtaining state awards of science and technology in Ukraine Instruction on the procedure for the execution of documents for works submitted for participation in the competition for the award of the President of Ukraine for young scientists Conditions and procedure for holding a scholarship for the President of Ukraine for young scientists Conditions and procedure for conducting a competition for scholarships for the cabinet of ministers of ukraine for young scientists COMMITTE of the State prizes of Ukraine in science and technology History of the Committee on State Prizes of Ukraine in the field of science and technology Regulations on the Committee on State Prizes of Ukraine in the field of science and technology Regulations on the State Prize of Ukraine in the field of science and technology Regulations on the prize of the President of Ukraine for young scientists Composition of the committee The order of consideration of works Procedure of examination of works Home - State prizes, 2015 - Theoretical and methodological support and scientific provisions for adjustment of agrarian sector of economy of Ukraine to the challenges of market management within 1990–2014 Theoretical and methodological support and scientific provisions for adjustment of agrarian sector of economy of Ukraine to the challenges of market management within 1990–2014 Work number - P 17 ALLOWED TO PARTICIPATE National Scientific Centre “Institute of Agrarian Economics” Nominees for the State Prize of Ukraine in science and technology: Sabluk P.T., Haidutskyi P.I., Mesel-Veseliak V.Y., Danylenko A.S., Malik M.Y., Fedorov M.M., Hladii M.V., Lupenko Y.O., Luzan Y.Y., Kyrylenko I.H. The aim of the researchis provision of theoretical and methodological support and scientific provisions for adjustment of agrarian sector of economy of Ukraine to the challenges of market management and increase of its efficiency. Scientific noveltyof the research presupposes substantiation of scientific framework of the development of agrarian sector of economy of the country via shift from the administrative-command system of economy to market economy. The practical importance of the the researchconsists in creation of administrative and economic relations in the agrarain sphere due to the preinciples of the market economy, reorganisation of state agricultural enterprises and business entities into new business entities that can ensure enhancement of production. Brief summary of the research. The group of autours of the research provides scientific sustantiation of the strategy of transformation of agrarian sector of Ukrainian economy that was approved by the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine and that was reflected in the acts and decrees by the President of Ukraine and that was practically applied. In particular, it covers the scientific and practical framework for privatization, evaluation and share funding of land and community property, management of farms, private households, agricultural cooperatives and agricultural associations and partnerships, mechanisms of the state regulation and support of the brunch and other. As a result collective farms (kolkhoz) and state farms (sovkhoz) were reorganized into business entities of market types; farms and private rural households were developed; the land lease, land tenure and property rights lease were implemented; the market system of tax support the brunch was introduced via taxation, commodity interventions, forward purchases; target compensations and dotation and other. All these measures taken provided positive results and changes in the brunch. By the year 2014 the gross products increased for 1,8 times since 1999, the gross grain harvest reached 64 mln t, before the reforms the highest harvest level was 50,1 mln t in 1990. The labour productiveness in agricultural enterprises increasd for 7,4 times in 2013 since 2000, and in 4,7 times since 1991. The brunch became permanently profitable and was transformed from dotational into budget-forming. The peasants got new steady source of profit, i.e. lease of personal agricultural land as in 2013 they got 9.8 bln UAH of rental payments. The wages of employees of the brunch increase, and the gap between the wages in the agrarian and industrial spheres shortens. The number of references to the nominated authors is 6876 Name Type Size File Essay (Ukr.) .doc 630.50 KB Download Presentation of work .pdf 481.29 KB Download State prizes, 2015 Державні премії України і в галузі науки і техніки 2020 року [PDF] Творчі здобутки молодих вчених 2020 [PDF] Державні премії України в галузі науки і техніки 2019 року Творчі здобутки молодих вчених (огляд 2019) Державні премії України і в галузі науки і техніки 2018 року Discussions archive Надія Козлюк, кандидат педагогічних наук Establishment the national standard of the Universal Decimal Classification in Ukraine Корчинський Олександр Innovative biotechnologies and nanomaterials for development of remedies of early diagnostics and chemotherapy of pathological states in human Сабо А.Г., к.т.н., доцент Development and Implementation of Resource-saving Technologies and Energy-efficient Equipment for the Production and Consumption of Alternative Fuels Людмила Кохтич, канд. фіз.-мат. наук, наук. співроб., лауреат премії Президента України 2015 для молодих вчених Development and Implementation of Resource-saving Technologies and Energy-efficient Equipment for the Production and Consumption of Alternative Fuels Гелетуха Георгій, к.т.н., завідувач лабораторії теплофізичних проблем біоенергетики Development and Implementation of Resource-saving Technologies and Energy-efficient Equipment for the Production and Consumption of Alternative Fuels © 2021 Committee on State Prizes of Ukraine in the field of science and technology back to top	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0037.json.gz/line2680
__label__cc	0.629334	0.370666	Jolywood Signs Distribution Agreement with The Energy Depot, Shipping N-Type Bifacial Modules to Australian Rooftop Market On December 9, Jolywood Solar announced a distribution agreement with the energy depot, a well-known Australian installer and distributor , to introduce the best N-type TOPCon modules to the Australian market through concerted effort. The agreement involves Jolywood’s latest Niwa Black second-generation all-black N-type TOPCon bifacial module based on Jolywood’s latest N-type TOPCon 2.0 technology, boasting higher efficiency, higher reliability, longer service life and free of LID, while highlighting a more exquisite appearance due to an all-black aesthetic design. Australia is one of the most important markets focusing on rooftop solar project, and still with huge potential. Australia’s climate and sunlight conditions are natural advantages for the development of photovoltaics. The average sunshine duration here is 7 to 8 hours per day and the solar radiation is up to 58 million petajoules a year, that’s why Australian residents like to install photovoltaic panels on their roofs to enjoy this “gift of nature”. In recent years, the development of rooftop photovoltaics has remained stable in Australia. Local customers have very high requirements for modules, including not only higher efficiency and reliability, but also better appearance. Therefore, the all-black modules with aesthetic design are more popular in Australia, which has also reinforced Jolywood’s determination to enter the Australian market. The Niwa Black second-generation all-black N-type TOPCon bifacial modules can meet Australian customers’ all requirements for high-quality modules. Jolywood has committed itself to the N-type TOPCon technology for many years, and has mastered the most advanced N-type TOPCon technology in the world. Empirical data show that compared with traditional PERC modules, the N-type TOPCon module can bring higher efficiency and increase 3% additional income for customers. The Energy Depot is a well-known distributor with a large customer base in Australia. Speaking of the cooperation, Dr. Liu Zhifeng, Vice General Manager of Jolywood, said: “we are very glad to cooperate with The Energy depot. The cooperation will help us ship at least 60MW N-type TOPCon modules a year. It’s a stepping stone for us to enter the Australian market. In the future, we will bring more high-quality modules, and contribute our efforts to the development of renewable energy in Australia.” John Kurta, Managing Director of The Energy Depot said “we are very proud to offer Jolywood modules to Solar Retailers across Australia. The Niwa Black N-type bifacial is an exciting high-quality module that represents great value to Australian home-owners.” About The Energy Depot The Energy Depot (est. 2015) is one of the leading Australian owned solar distributors. Over the years, Energy Depot has established strong partnerships with key manufacturers, which enables them to provide their clients with the best products in the Australian market. Energy Depot supplies the top retailers of Solar and LED across Australia. Learn more on www.energydepot.com.au Jolywood (Taizhou) Solar Technology Co., Ltd. , a subsidiary under Jolywood Group (stock code:SZ300393), is the world leading n-type bifacial solar cells and modules manufacture. The technology of company includes NTOPCon, NIBC, TBC, etc, and the annual n-type bifacial production capacity reaches 2.1GW cells and 3GW modules. Jolywood is strengthening its R&D investment and technology innovation, and has comprehensive intellectual property in n-type technologies: 136 patents have been applied, in which 67 granted and 7 with PCT. Jolywood adheres to the road of advanced and high efficiency solar technology industrialization. Learn more on www.jolywood.cn previous posts：Jolywood Signs Distribution Agreement with Prosun, Shipping N-Type Bifacial Modules to Australian Rooftop Market next chapter：null	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0037.json.gz/line2685
__label__wiki	0.92148	0.92148	Fifteen songs that prove Flemish music isn't always horrible Please note: we are not making any political statement with this picture. It's just the Flemish lion with a microphone. Check out out shirt designs I live in a region in Belgium, named Flanders. Here, we speak Dutch and a lot of artists also sing in that language. Unfortunately, the majority of Flemish sung music is quite infantile, suited only for carnival and nurseries, yes, even when the artist is trying to be serious. Many alternative music lovers frown upon the mind-numbingly dull qualities of the Flemish music scene, often collected in a program like 'Tien Om Te Zien'. However, there are some artists who manage to make delightful, beautiful and stunning songs in their native language. Here is a little overview... Gorki - Mia Everyone in Flanders knows this song, since it is the most iconic piece of music to be found in this region. Luc De Vos, who sadly passed away in 2014, was an absolute genius with a mysterious charisma and a nag for writing strange, emotional lyrics. His oeuvre is impressive, and so were his stage performances. Sometimes it was a heavy rocking gig where even this 'Mia' sounded heavy and intense, sometimes he was alone on stage, armed with his acoustic guitar, singing as much songs as he received Duvels. Today, in the 52nd minute of each home match of football team AA Gent, the entire stadium sings this song in honor of Luc. He is severely missed. Ann Christy - De Roos This cover version of a Bette Midler song ('The Rose' - written by Amanda McBroom) is widely regarded as one of the biggest Flemish hits ever. Rivers of tears have been cried since 1980, when the song was released, and still at this very moment, somewhere in Flanders, someone is weeping to this tearjerker. Personally, I'm not always a big fan over cover versions, but this one gets me all the time. Bazart - Goud My good friend and Merchants Of Air colleague Wouter told me about this band and showed me this video. I was intrigued pretty quickly because of what I heard. While, musically, these youngsters from Ghent and Antwerp would fit in perfectly with today's electronic pop scene, their use of Dutch is a bold and daring choice. Yet, as we've seen before, it's exactly because of their language that these guys are doing so well. Perhaps, in English this band would drown in the massive amount of acts in their genre, but in Dutch, they definitely excel. To be honest, I'm not a fan of all their songs, but this one certainly is a stand out. Belgian Asociality - Bompa Punk Long before Dutch band De Heideroosjes would climb on stages allover the world, these guys from Keerbergen had already become legends. They've had massive hits with songs like 'Morregen', 'Het Is Gedaan' and this epic piece of work about an aging punk fan and his adventures in the retirement home. Blending hardcore punk with (mostly) Dutch lyrics, Belgian Asociality has been a headliner in this country for almost thirty years. Zjef Vanuytsel - De Zotte Morgen Another icon we Flemish people miss, is "kleinkunst" singer Zjef Vanuytsel. This song is just as iconic as 'Mia' by Gorki and 'De Roos' by Ann Christy. It still is extremely relevant today, as the world is getting crazier and more hectic each an every day. The title translates as 'the crazy morning' and it's simply a beautiful testament of Belgian music, tout-court. Amörtisseur - Schuppenaas The title of this song translates as 'Ace Of Spades', and yes, it does remind me a bit of a fairly recently passed away deity in the world of hard rock and heavy metal. Amörtisseur basically translates Motorhead songs into "Antwaarps", one of the most well-known dialects in our country. This surely is a hilarious tribute to Lemmy. Katastroof - Triestige plant Also hailing from Antwerp, and usually also funny as hell, this band has been a constant in the Flemish music industry since 1977. With songs about beer, women, the catholic church and politicians, Katastroof has gained a loyal following in and around Antwerp. However, my personal favorites have always been the emotional songs, beautifully collected on 'Efkes Serieus'. They show a different, bittersweet, side of these drunken bards. Noordkaap - Een heel klein beetje oorlog This band hailed from Limburg, just like me. Basically, Noordkaap was initially called 'Limburg's answer to Gorki, De Mens and De Kreuners' and eventually many of their songs have become instant classics. After the split, vocalist Stijn Meuris would go on to form Monza, which was quite similar and now he performs solo as Meuris, singing these massive Noordkaap hits (like 'Wat Is Kunst', 'Satelliet Suzy' and the Will Tura cover 'Arme Joe') again, much to the delight of the audience. Urbanus - Kodazuur Now, don't try to translate this song, because you'll end up confused and slightly insane. Urbanus is an absolute cult figure in Belgium, starting out in a cabaret-ensemble called 'Anus' in the seventies and eventually evolving into a highly respected comedian. This particular song, initially from a performance in 1982, saw a massive outcome years later. While announcing this song, Urbanus joked "I wrote this song for the punk rockers De Heideroosjes'. Seven years later, internationally acclaimed Dutch punk rockers De Heideroosjes were born, crediting Urbanus for their band name. In 2004, Urbanus and De Heideroosjes performed this rocker together at the stage of Rock Werchter. Louis Neefs - Laat Ons Een Bloem An environmental activist song from 1970, still immensely relative today. Perhaps that's what timelessness is all about. Kleinkunst singer Louis Neefs had a deep, kind voice and a nag for quality music that has delivered several classic songs, including 'Margrietje', 'Ik Heb Zorgen' and this epic tune. Neefs passed away in 1980, leaving a beautiful legacy of Flemish chansons. Clement Peerens Explosition - Boecht van Dunaldi Clement Peeters, the heavy rocking alter ego of musician/comedian.radio personality Hugo Matthijsen was initially a character in a radio show he did with Bart Peeters (Het Leugenpaleis). Soon after, the trio of Clement Peerens (Matthijsen), Vettige Swa (Peeters - later replaced by Dave 'Beast From Hell' de Peuter (Aram Van Ballaert)) and Sylvain Aertbeliën (Ronny Mosuse) scored massive hits with 'Dikke Lu', 'Vindegij Mijn Gat' and 'Foorwijf'. My favorite is 'Boecht Van Dunaldi', a song about disgusting wine in a carton box. Stef Bos - Is Dit Nu Later? Maybe this is cheating a bit, since Stef Bos is actually born and raised in The Netherlands. Still, he moved to Belgium in 1988, started writing songs for Clouseau and Ingeborg and appearing in 'De Samson & Gert Show'. In 1990, he released an album with the title 'Is Dit Nu Later', featuring the hit 'Papa' and this tearjerker that gets me every single time. The song describes a highly emotional comparison between his life as a kid and as an adult, wondering 'Is This The Future'? Black Swarm & Loco ft Batteraaf & Halve Neuro - Parasiet Earlier this year, the Flemish metal scene teamed up with a number of hip-hop artists to record a tribute to both 'Walk This Way' from Run DMC and the 'Judgement Night' tribute. Personally, I've never really been a fan of Dutch rap, but this thing is yummie. A few gigs followed before they put the project to rest, but rest assured, some tremendously blasting tunes came out of this cooperation. Arbeid Adelt - De Dag Dat Het Zonlicht Niet Meer Scheen Marcel Van Tilt is no stranger to absurdities and conflicts. According to a story I read somewhere, someone claimed he stole the band name from a brainstorming session to find a band name for the group that would eventually be known as De Kreuners. Furthermore, this song pissed off schlager singer John Terra who just released a song with the exact same title, which translates as 'The Day The Sun Didn't Shine Anymore'. In the end, Arbeid Adelt probably became most popular with the P.I.L. cover 'Death Disco'. Yet, for Belgian new wavers, this song still is a classic. Aroma Di Amore - Voor De Dood Another favorite of the Flemish black denim and leather wearing music lovers, is Aroma Di Amore, a band around Elvis Peeters and guitarist Fred Angst. Formed in 1982, Aroma Di Amore has been known for their socio-critical lyrics and gloomy new wave sound. This song was released as a single in 1983, and appeared on the album 'Radikal' ten years later.	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0037.json.gz/line2704
__label__wiki	0.671095	0.671095	Images, Drawings & Paintings Belize & Tikal 2017 Panama / Costa Rica 2019 The Fourth Way Gurdjieff / Fourth Way Men Who Cook Occupy… Yourselves MesoAmericas & Beyond Expression, Knowledge and Origin of Ancient Mesoamerica, Gurdjieff’s Fourth Way Teaching and more! The Fourth Way July 5, 2013 November 26, 2013 by admin Introduction to Gurdjieff’s Fourth Way: From Selves to Individual Self to The Self Trailer for Introduction to Gurdjieff’s Fourth Way: From Selves to Individual Self to The Self. William Patrick Patterson, a leading exponent and teacher of The Fourth Way, the ancient, sacred, seminal teaching of self-development, explores: Images of God. Bioplasmic machines. Science of Being. Egyptian Mysteries. Nature’s trick. Many selves. Self-love’s duality. Owning. Futurizing. Historicizing. Ray of Creation. States of Consciousness. Key practices. Embodiment. Direct impressions. Inner space. Self-knowledge and Being. Levels of Understanding. Using ordinary life to come to real life. For more information visit The Gurdjieff Legacy Foundation. The Self DVD Fourth WayGurdjieffPattersonThe Self 1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus The Gurdjieff Journal Art Links Bruce Freedman Paintings A Woman's Work With Gurdjieff, Ramana Maharshi, Krishnamurti, Anandamayi Ma & Pak Subuh by Mary Ellen Korman Adi Da Samraj Realized or/and Deluded? by William Patrick Patterson All and Everything: Beelzebub's Tales to His Grandson by G.I. Gurdjieff All and Everything: Life Is Real Only Then, When "I Am" by G.I. Gurdjieff All and Everything: Meetings with Remarkable Men by G.I. Gurdjieff Boyhood with Gurdjieff by Fritz Peters Eating The "I" by William Patrick Patterson Georgi Ivanovitch Gurdjieff — The Man, The Teaching, His Mission by William Patrick Patterson Growing A Soul on the Planet Earth: The Fourth Way & Esoteric Christianity Techniques & Practices In Search of the Miraculous by P.D. Ouspensky Spiritual Survival in a Radically Changing World-Time by William Patrick Patterson Struggle of the Magicians by William Patrick Patterson Taking With the Left Hand by William Patrick Patterson Teachers of No-thing & Nothing: Eating the "I" Parts II & III by William Patrick Patterson The Life & Teachings of Carlos Castaneda by William Patrick Patterson Views from the Real World by G.I. Gurdjieff Voices in the Dark by William Patrick Patterson A Lark Sound of Number, Taste of… Introduction to Gurdjieff's Fourth Way Vol. 2: The Movement From Sex To Love Introduction to Gurdjieff's Fourth Way Vol. 3: What Is the Meaning of Human Life on the Planet Earth? Introduction to Gurdjieff's Fourth Way: From Selves to Individual Self to The Self Spiritual Pilgrimage: Mr. Gurdjieff's Father's Grave The Life & Significance of George Ivanovitch Gurdjieff, Part I — Gurdjieff in Egypt: The Origin of Esoteric Knowledge The Life & Significance of George Ivanovitch Gurdjieff, Part II — Gurdjieff's Mission: Introducing The Teaching to the West, 1912–1924 The Life & Significance of George Ivanovitch Gurdjieff, Part III — Gurdjieff's Legacy: Establishing The Teaching in the West, 1924–1949 William Patrick Patterson Explores The Life & Teachings of Carlos Castaneda Fourth Way Links Gurdjieff Books & Videos Gurdjieff Videos Prayers & Music of G.I. Gurdjieff: Sacred Music of the Eternal Present The Fourth Way Teaching The Gurdjieff Legacy Foundation The Gurdjieff Legacy Foundation Events The Gurdjieff Legacy Foundation on Facebook The Gurdjieff Legacy Foundation Sacramento Group Work The Online Fourth Way School Used Esoteric Books William Patrick Patterson YouTube Fourth Way Videos Radio 3Fourteen Interview with William Patrick Patterson	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0037.json.gz/line2705
__label__cc	0.634837	0.365163	I've always loved good questions. Questions that inspire me to exercise mental creativity in answering them. I selfishly look for books that spark that creative fun, that impel me to look around for a pen to scribble in the margins. Frankly, the rigor of the writing doesn't matter that much in my choice of what to read - from Malcolm Gladwell's What the Dog Saw to Thomas Kuhn's The Structure of Scientific Revolutions - as long as it sparks that "ohh that's such an interesting question" moment. All the questions I've asked myself to date have brought me here: Why don't I remember being before? (age 6) Why doesn't my sister think the way I do? (age 10) How can I become the best? (age 13) What does it feel like to not be? (age 15) What does it feel like to be on the verge of not being? (age 16) How do I take my life and time to its utmost limits? (age 17) How do I think of someone else when I never have before? (age 18) How do I get better, always? (age 19) What do I want to do? (age 20) Do I have it in me to jump off a cliff? (age 21) Can I build a sustainable closeness and sharing with another human being? (age 22) What do I really believe? What is truth? (age 23) How do I design my life? (age 24) How can I be present in my life? (age 25) How much am I willing to pay for what I love? (age 26) How can I become more human? (age 27) How can I push the boundaries of what I know? (age 28) Who am I? (age 29) Out of all the things that people want, what do I need? (age 30) What will my choices be? (age 31) And also, all the other interesting questions along the way: Should humanity optimize for happiness or non-extinction? Is there a way to achieve the same liquidity as the financial system without the associated costs (e.g. transaction, coordination)? Is it possible to trade pure time as currency? Is there any fundamental reason except power and efficacy that individuals own natural resources? Are there good reasons for government to exist? Is the essence of being human empathy or free will? Are children closer to animals than human? How is art competitively differentiated vis-a-vis other genres? Can native freedoms have a cost attached? How much control can we have over our own biochemical state? Will it ever be possible to "know" ourselves, down to our biochemistry and below? Is the war for attention inevitably a rat race? Will we ever be able to scale education? How can we converge principles and outcomes? Is differentiation the answer to the status syndrome? In a world of disparate values, is radical transparency really the answer to the trust gap? What is the right balance of openness and closedness to optimize for creativity? What is the right level of empathy to have? Would the world be better if there was a universal language? As our lives get shorter, as we get older, what does that mean for how we approach the world as individuals? Should individuals be allowed to discriminate? How do we manage our memory and the stories of our lives? How do you rebuild a society that lacks trust? Do reparations beyond the victimized generation make sense? What is the right portfolio of strong ties vs. weak ties vs. spending time with oneself? Is it possible to reach an equilibrium in an environment of increasing individual power, or are there inevitable limits (state control) or end-states (mass destruction)? How do we break free of the silent ties that bind us and be the deus ex machina of our own and other people's lives, while still being human and connected? I could create a list ten times as long but it would get tiring to both write and read. Suffice to say, through one lens, who I am has been shaped by questions and the few answers I've pieced together. But I've been developing this inkling for awhile now... maybe because I live in SF, maybe because of where I am in my life, and just maybe because of where the world is now in its life stages. It's that while the questions are still important, how we answer them should maybe be different than how most of us askers have done in the past. That instead of just thinking and talking about the answers, we should answer by doing. Ah, energetic ho hum. Business-making, authorship, conference-gathering, presentations, bit o' analysis. All good things, often with more than a dash of creativity required. But in the muted gold rush happening now, the tidal wave of market efficiency flooding the plains, are the big questions being answered? And in this melee, are these big questions being answered in a way that meets their stature squarely in the field? What if instead of talking about it, we tried something. Moved a toe forward. Willed an action into being, an action that required a risk that we accepted and incurred, one that would never have happened otherwise. Maybe something more than a startup, a financial investment, a blog post. Something that changes the fabric of the world we live in, and its design. I'm going to put my virtual pen down now, for a little while.	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0037.json.gz/line2713
__label__wiki	0.927112	0.927112	The Daily Rundown: July 24, 2014 For all of the latest news stories on the Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League, go to our “Press” page here. Note: Individual game box scores can be found linked on the scoreboard page, which is part of the “Statistics” drop-down menu. Last night’s games: Mohawk Valley at Glens Falls (DH) The suspended and canceled July 23 games between Mohawk Valley and Glens Falls will be not be rescheduled because the teams do not face each other again in the 2014 PGCBL regular season. Newark 1 Watertown 0 Game One The Newark Pilots extended their lead in the West Division with a 1-0 win over the Watertown Rams in game one of a doubleheader at Colburn Park. The lone run of the game came around to score in the bottom of the third. A pair of Watertown errors allowed Dorian Hairston to score after Hairston singled to lead off the inning. BJ Nobles picked up his third win of the season, throwing 6.1 scoreless innings. Nobles struck out three batters. Travis Laitar notched his fifth save of the season by getting the final two outs of the game. The shutout was just the second shutout of the season for Newark, the other coming on July 5 against Mohawk Valley. Newark 3 Watertown 1 Game Two The Newark Pilots swept the doubleheader against the Watertown Rams on Wednesday, winning game two by a score of 3-1. Newark now leads the West Division by 2.5 games and has clinched a spot in the playoffs. Watertown fell to third place in the West. Newark got on the scoreboard first in the bottom of the second inning as Tim Lewis scored on a Drew Hercik error. The Pilots added two insurance runs in the eighth, runs that wound up being important. Tim Lewis hit a 2-RBI single that scored Tommy Wagner and Austin Clock. Watertown scored its lone run of the doubleheader in the top of the seventh inning. WIlli Martin hit a two-out double and was driven in on a Joe Deluca RBI single. Braxton Wilks then finished his complete game by getting Ben Wylly to line out to end the game. Wilks allowed just the one run on four hits in his seven inning complete game. Wilks struck out eight Rams and did not walk a batter. Watertown starter Javi Villanueva was solid in the loss. The right-hander allowed just one run (unearned) on two hits in 4.2 innings. Utica 4 Amsterdam 2 The Amsterdam Mohawks rallied for three runs in the bottom of the ninth to defeat the Utica Brewers, 5-4, in Amsterdam. The Mohawks now lead the East by seven games and are 30-9 on the season. Utica falls to 7-31. Amsterdam struck first, scoring the first run of the game in the bottom of the first as John Razzino hit an RBI single up the middle that scored JaVon Shelby. Utica tied the game at one in the top of the sixth on a Hayden Kelly RBI infield single. The Mohawks retook the lead in the bottom of the sixth on a Jack Czeszewski RBI double that scored Brendan Tracy. Crachard Laing gave Utica the lead with a two-out, two-strike, two-RBI single to center field that scored Zachary Torriente and Mike Wright. Adam Pexton added an insurance run later in the inning with an RBI single to right center that scored Zacarias Hardy. The Mohawks were not to be out-done. With two outs in the inning, Marcus Carson walked and later came around to score on a wild pitch to make it a one run game. With the bases loaded, Blake Logan hit a 2-RBI single through the right side that scored Josh Gardiner and Jake Salpietro and gave Amsterdam a walk-off win. Despite blowing the save in the top half of the ninth, Zach Breen picked up the win for Amsterdam. Chad Moss allowed the three runs (all unearned) in the bottom of the ninth to take the loss. Both starters were solid in their no-decisions. Utica starter John McGinty tossed eight innings and allowed two runs (both earned) while striking out eight. Amsterdam starter Zack Brown also struck out eight batters, his in six innings, while allowing just a lone run. Elmira 6 Adirondack 5 The Elmira Pioneers walked-off en route to a 6-5 win over the Adirondack Trail Blazers and now have sole possession of second place in the West Division. Adirondack is now 15-24 on the season. Elmira struck first, scoring three runs in the bottom of the second inning. Nick Walker drove in the first run with an RBI double and Derek Deler and Taylor Hillson hit RBI singles later in the inning. Adirondack pulled within one in the top of the fifth on an RJ Devish RBI single and an Elmira error. The Trail Blazers took a 4-3 lead in the sixth inning on a Justin Korenblatt RBI single and another Elmira error. The visitors extended their lead to 5-3 in the seventh on a Mike Carter RBI single. That set up Elmira’s rally in the ninth. With one out, Taylor Hillson hit an RBI single that scored Taylor Skerpon. Down by a run with two outs, Jason Patnick sent the Elmira faithful home happy with a 2-RBI single that scored Hillson and TJ Dixon. Matt Horton tossed a scoreless ninth inning en route to his second win of the season for Elmira. Woody Bryson took his second loss of the season as the left-hander allowed the three Pioneer runs in the ninth. Tonight’s games: Mohawk Valley at Watertown DH: 5:00 p.m. The Watertown Rams and Mohawk Valley DiamondDawgs will face off in Watertown for the second time this season. The two teams will play a doubleheader, each looking to inch closer to securing a playoff berth. Mohawk Valley was rained out in Glens Falls last night, while Watertown was swept in a doubleheader against Newark. First pitch of game one is scheduled for 5:00 p.m. Glens Falls at Albany 7:05 p.m. The Glens Falls Golden Eagles will look to climb in to the final playoff spot in the East Division as they face the team they’re trailing, the Albany Dutchmen, in Albany. Glens Falls was rained out a night ago, while Albany had the night off. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. Amsterdam at Elmira 7:05 p.m. The Amsterdam Mohawks, with a magic number of three to clinch the division, will face the Elmira Pioneers in Elmira with a chance to clinch the division themselves. The Mohawks beat Utica, 5-4, last night while Elmira beat Adirondack, 6-5. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. Utica at Adirondack 7:15 p.m. The Utica Brewers will look to be a thorn in their Route 12 rival’s sides as the Adirondack Trail Blazers are looking to sneak in to the playoffs. Both teams lost last night, Utica at Amsterdam and Adirondack at Elmira. First pitch in Boonville is scheduled for 7:15 p.m. Note: The Mohawk Valley DiamondDawgs, Elmira Pioneers and Watertown Rams all have magic numbers of two in order to clinch a playoff spot. For all the latest scores and updates, follow the PGCBL on Twitter, @PGCBLbaseball.	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0037.json.gz/line2718
__label__cc	0.650896	0.349104	77 Ways: Review Examining Jason Capital's Controversial Seduction Manual Released PUABooks.net releases a review of 77 Ways To Make Her Want To... A newly launched seduction guide from controversial dating coach Jason Capital which promises to reveal 77 methods for turning on any woman at will. 77 Ways To Make Her Want To... Since the dawn of this new 'information age' that we are all living in, more and more people have begun seeking out resources to help them improve aspects of their lives which were previously kept very private... Los Angeles, CA (PRWEB) September 05, 2013 77 Ways To Make Her Want To... a new home training course for men looking to improve their success with women has just been released to the public sending shock waves through the men's pick-up and dating advice community, prompting an investigative review from PUABooks.net's Clint Johnson. "Since the dawn of this new 'information age' that we are all living in, more and more people have begun seeking out resources to help them improve aspects of their lives which were previously kept very private," reports Johnson. "However, much of the information that has been available for single men looking to date more women has proven to be anecdotal, and highly theoretical. So when we were informed about the release of Jason Capital's new 77 Ways program we were eager to take a look at in, in order to determine whether it was something we felt we could recommend to our website visitors. Because these methods have all been tested and used by Capital and his clients we were optimistic that they might actually prove effective out it real world, but we wanted to see for ourselves, and provide our readers with honest feedback on the course." Johnson's review reveals that Capital's 77 Ways program is the follow to his best selling Make Women Want You system. The course is currently available digitally online allowing customers instant access to the training guide as well as several additional bonuses. One bonus report entitled "The Dude Crusher Method" was highly praised by Johnson in his review. "Any guy who goes out a lot and tries to pick up on beautiful women knows how frustrating it can be when other guys come along and try to interfere," says Johnson. "While I have read other methods for handling this in the past, I was quite impressed with Jason's unique "Dude Crusher" method for handling these annoying situations by nipping them in the bud. It is these sorts of well thought out, tactical maneuvers that will likely make 77 Ways one of the year's most popular dating guides. Jason's Make Women Want You was voted at the top of our Best PUA Books list for 2012 and we expect nothing less from his latest release." Those wishing to purchase Jason Capital's 77 Ways, or for more information, click here. Clint Johnson reviews popular dating guides and self-help programs for men on his website PUABooks.net. Johnson's 77 Ways review is available at the following web address: http://puabooks.net/77-ways-to-make-her-want-to-review-of-jason-capitals-latest/ Clint Johnson PUABooks.net Jason Capital's 77 Ways Reviews PUABooks.net Website Info and FTC Disclosure Statement	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0037.json.gz/line2725
__label__cc	0.551086	0.448914	The World of Punctuated Publishing D.M. Barr Expired Listings, The Psychological Thriller Everyone is Talking About! The Literary Exhibitionist Read Me! Read Me! Read Me! A Discussion of Literary Sex, Suspense, Satire Click HERE for Book Review Policy Exclusive Interview with Vicki Batman Today’s exclusive interview is with Vicki Batman, who writes in a genre close to my heart, romantic comedy/mystery. Her latest book is titled, Temporarily Insane. True to her love of mystery, she reveals that she lives “in a big state.” Here’s a blurb of her book, available as an ebook and paperback: Bad job. Wrong love. And Murder. Hattie Cooks takes a job at an accounting firm where mishaps and murders are definitely fishy. Tell us something(s) about the book that the blurb doesn’t reveal: The heroine is gifted with her favorite chocolate as birthday gifts. A lot of chocolate. What was your favorite or most surprising comment/review about the book? I received this review: “Temporarily Insane,” is an unpredictable combination of humor, romance, and mystery. Hattie Cooks is smart and sharp-witted. The author takes the reader right into Hattie’s head from the very first page and readers are with her every step of the way. Because I fell into writing through reading, I have always wondered how I measure up against writers who studied writing. "Smart and sharp-witted" definitely are nice to hear. If given a chance, which author (living or dead) would you like to meet (have met)? Dick Francis-whom I did meet at a book signing, however, has since passed. The novels are fast-paced and have a good glimpse into the horse-racing business in England. If your book was made into a movie, who would you cast as which characters? This question always floors me. I don't know. Right now, a favorite actor is Tom Hardy; however, he isn't my hero. I'm just clueless. When and why did you decide to become a writer? Actually, I'd secretly harbored the desire, but didn't act on it until a friend challenged me. She read what I'd done, solemnly handed back the draft, and said, "Keep going." So I did and am forever grateful. What books influenced you growing up? My reading has always gravitated toward mysteries. Just like a lot of readers, I began with Nancy Drew and Trixie Belden, to Rebecca. Then my mom introduced me to Emilie Loring romances. I found Mary Stewart's romantic suspense books in my twenties and regularly reread them. What are you working on next and when do you expect it to be on the shelves? I cut my teeth in writing a lot of romantic comedy short stories. The latest is in the Season of Promises holiday anthology, "The Littlest Angel." Are you traditionally published or self-published and why? I'm what is called hybrid. I am traditionally published and indie pubbed. Kinda like the stock market – "don't put all your eggs in one basket." Do you belong to any writer’s groups? I belong to RWA and several of their online chapters. I also belong to the Plotting Princesses, Sisterhood of Suspense, and Guppies. RWA helped me become a writer. The Princesses supports me in the process. If you were going to dabble in a different genre, what would it be and why? I dabbled with a very sexy romance, however, truly my voice is in humor. Therefore, I'm best stuck in romantic comedy. Where can readers find you? Website: http://vickibatman.blogspot.com/p/more-about-me.html Facebook: http://bit.ly/293iZIz Twitter: https://twitter.com/VickiBatman Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/vickibatman/ Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4814608.Vicki_Batman/ Author Central: https://www.amazon.com/author/vickibatman LinkedIn:http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=116288777&trk=hb_tab_pro_top/ Email: vlmbatman@hotmail.com Giveaway at: https://sisterhoodofsuspense.com/giveaways Vicki was kind enough to share an excerpt from Temporarily Insane: Trixie had some nerve. “Stop it, Hattie!” Her reprimand, the one which had shot a stabbing pain to my right eye, sounded terribly out of character, like she had little patience for me. Ordinarily, she was the nicest person I knew, didn’t have a mean bone in her body. The kind who rescued animals, picked up trash at Sommerville Park, and prepared food for the elderly. Not today. I narrowed my eyes and crossed my arms across my chest in a school girl flaunt. Trixie tilted forward in her desk chair, her bosom almost resting on her desk. “This nonsense has to end. Your moan sounded like an obscure breed of a bizarre...untamed...wounded animal.” She returned to an upright and seated position and in tiny increments, rotated her chair from side-to-side, waiting for me to say something not stupid. In truth, Trixie had pounded the nail on the head. I had nothing to add. My whole life had turned into an obscure, bizarre, bad reflection of itself, thus wounding me to my core. I sighed and pouted an if only. Don’t go there. My fun sister friend owned the employment agency Jobs Inc., and on occasion, she’d happily assisted me in finding temporary work since my dream job had been flushed down the proverbial toilet a few months back, thus soiling my picture-perfect life. For this newest assignment she’d located, I’d be employed as an administrative assistant for the managing partner at Northside, Lancaster, and Brookside, Certified Public Accountants, headquartered in my hometown of Sommerville. At first, she’d sounded oh-so pleasant when we began our yak about the opportunity. “Think accounting,” she’d teased, followed by a small chuckle. Her laugh had spoken volumes of Encyclopedia Britannica proportions. Copyright 2016 Vicki Batman. Reprinted with Permission. Exclusive Interview with Lily Black Today’s exclusive interview is with romantic suspense author and MTW2017 participant Lily Black, who writes from her home in Raleigh, North Carolina. Her newest novel is called Storm of Attraction, available in both e-book and paperback format. Here’s a blurb guaranteed to get you scurrying out to buy the book: Love is worth fighting for. Alexa Wolving has just one rule: never give a guy a second chance. That works just fine in the safe life she’s built. In the charming town of Willowdale, her day job as a librarian balances perfectly with her evening job as a black belt instructor. But when she attracts the attention of a stalker, Alexa’s carefully built world begins to crumble. Drew Cosimo knows he broke Alexa’s heart five years ago when he took his first Ranger assignment and disappeared from her life. Now that he’s out of the army, he’s moving back home to Willowdale. He’s not looking for a fight, but making peace would be easier if Alexa hadn’t told the entire town he was a money-grubbing jerk. Despite the tension between them, Drew is quick to offer his protection when a stalker forces Alexa from her home. As the stalker’s attacks escalate, Alexa and Drew are forced to face their painful past and the simmering attraction between them. They must fight to save each other before everything they care about goes up in flames. This book is an interesting mix, because on the one hand there’s some very practical self-defense stuff and the stalker, who is freaky scary. While on the other hand, there are some lovely scenes with cozy cooking in a grand old house that has a gorgeous library, which my librarian heroine instantly falls in love with. I really enjoyed writing this juxtaposition, which takes me and the reader on a real rollercoaster! Any Upcoming Promotions/Giveaways/Events We Should Know About? Storm of Attraction will be on sale at a nice promotional price for my loyal fans on the day it comes out, which is Feb. 13th. Pick it up then! My publisher will also be sponsoring a Goodreads Giveaway of three paperback copies of the book from January 30th through February 12th I will also be participating in a big literary event with some ten or so other Red Adept authors on the Saturday before Memorial Day, here in the Raleigh NC area. My website will have all the details! My favorite so far was a gentleman reader/reviewer who said he didn’t like romances generally, but this one was good and it didn’t have to be read as a romance if you didn’t want to. I happen to like the romance angle, but I appreciated his support! If given a chance, which author (living or dead) would you like to meet? This is such a great question! There are so many authors (living and dead) who’ve influenced me, and I look up to. However, I’m going to go with Jane Austen. Despite the fact that I don’t write historicals, her work has inspired me on so many levels, and I also really admire her as a person. I think we’d ditch tea and take a long walk through the gorgeous countryside, and talk writing. Like how to know when a draft is done, and when to rein your characters in vs. letting them lead the story. Hmm, that’s a tough one! I’m going to say Michelle Rodriguez or Ginnifer Goodwin for my heroine, Alexa, though both of them would have to change their hair to honey-blond. And for my hero I’m thinking Jake Gyllenhaal or Oscar Isaac. What is your favorite quote from the book and why? No way can I pick one! But here’s one I’ll share, from early in the book when the heroine has just learned that she’ll have to leave her home and hide with the hero. The detective’s role in the story isn’t super big, but she won a place in my heart from this scene alone. Here you are: “So, a safe room, huh?” Something in Detective Rawlings’s voice snagged Drew’s attention. “That’s right.” He couldn’t read the detective’s expression. Was she laughing at him? “Nothing fancy, not like the movies. Just a room that’s been reinforced where possible. I installed a sturdy frame and a solid, reinforced door. Then added two deadbolts that slide straight into solid wood.” Detective Rawlings nodded. There was definitely a glint in her eye, and a smile played about her lips. “And that room would be… where? Not the kitchen or living room?” “My bedroom, actually.” Drew caught the suggestion in her look and shook his head emphatically. “Only to be used in emergencies. Besides, the guest bedroom is also a safe room.” He didn’t add that he only considered the guest room a backup, considering it was on the main floor and had a window with easy access to the ground. The detective grinned. “I only ask because I don’t want to save Alexa from the stalker only to charge her with assault and battery. She doesn’t like you very much.” I have a dog named Zeke (who now considers himself famous, since he’s in my author photo on the back cover of Storm of Attraction!), and a cat named Apricot. At one point Apricot, who is orange and striped, had put on a bit of extra weight and the vet put her on a diet. My kids were young then and found this hilarious, so they started calling her Garfieldina, after the food-loving cat in the comic strip. So when I realized my heroine in Storm of Attraction was going to have several cats, one of them got named Fieldgar (Garfield backwards) in honor of all chubby orange and striped cats everywhere. I’m well into the companion novel, which is tentatively titled Storm of Deception. In it we have a Senator’s daughter, a wounded warrior, and a shadowy bad guy who’s looking to score some political blackmail while killing off the hero and heroine before they can uncover his secrets. Do you have any other awesome projects in the works? Why yes, I do, thanks for asking! Many years ago when I first started reading romance, I discovered that the heat level I enjoyed was much lower than that of some of the books, and the cover could only tell me so much. Out of this desire to better be able to pick my new reads my husband and I developed the Book Ninjas Blush-O-Meter. We’re still adding to the book catalog (and probably always will be) but we now have several hundred romance, YA and chicklit books in every genre sorted by blush level in the catalog. It’s super easy to use, so check it out and discover the new read that’s perfect for you! www.book-ninjas.com/blushometer. I’m with a small traditional press. For me, it felt like the best of all worlds since Red Adept is able to provide a gorgeous cover, editing, and advertising much like the big presses, but I get to keep a larger percentage of royalties and grow creatively in the direction I want with my publisher’s support. What former author training/writing have you had, if any? I attended RWA Nationals around the same time I wrote Storm of Attraction but spent the next several years focused on my YA and MG books, while also working as a content/developmental editor. During the same time I also participated in Orson Scott Card’s Literary Bootcamp, and of course honed my skills in a variety of other ways. When I came back to romances I found that my skills had grown, and was pleased to be able to implement much of what I’d learned in the revision process! What conferences have you attended and what value have you found in attending conferences, if any? Because I write across niches/genres I’ve attended a lot of local conferences as well as the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) Nationals, WorldCon (where I paneled and promoted an anthology I was part of) and Romance Writers of America (RWA) National Conference. Each has their own particular strengths, and I’ve loved them all. However, I was most impressed with the curriculum and professionalism of the RWA national conference. It was so valuable that I actually forked over the cash both for that year’s recorded lectures and the year prior’s. Amazing insights into the craft and business of writing! Lily was generous enough to share an excerpt from Storm of Attraction with us below: Drew shifted from one foot to the other. “There’s a cut in the tire wall, so you’ll need a new tire. It can’t be patched, and it looks like it’s—” When Alexa realized where he was going, the keys slipped from her fingers and jangled onto the porch steps. Drew reached down and picked them up. He flipped them once in his hand then met Alexa’s eyes. “Your tire’s been slashed. Do you know anyone who would do that? Anyone who might be angry or holding a grudge?” “Besides you?” Alexa smiled sweetly at the astonishment on his face then turned her back on him. Okay, so maybe that was uncalled for. Between the stalker, slashed tire, and Drew showing up, acting as if he had a place in her life, she wasn’t sure which way was up or down anymore. Something in the living room window caught her eye. Ragbag, her kitten, stood on the ledge inside the window. He was soaking wet and dripping. He meowed through the window then bent his head to lick his wet fur. His balance was off, and he wobbled before tumbling off the ledge. “Ragbag!” Alexa snatched the keys from Drew’s hand and unlocked the door in record time. Dumping the big box on the couch, she bent beside Ragbag and examined him carefully. He was even soggier than he’d looked in the window, but he appeared okay aside from that. Drew had followed her and stood in the doorway with his head cocked. “Is that running water I hear?” “Running water?” Alexa caught the sound and got up, running as fast as she could manage down the hall to the bathroom. Her two adult cats were in the bathtub, trapped underneath a laundry basket that had been flipped over to make a cage. The tap was turned on, and the water level in the tub had risen to the point that the cats were just barely keeping their heads above water. Even as she watched, Fieldgar’s head slipped beneath the surface. Snatching the basket out of the tub, Alexa tossed it aside and pulled Fieldgar free. She passed him to Drew, who crouched beside her, ready with a towel. Then she reached back for Oreo. When her black-and-white kitty was bundled in a towel, she looked around for Ragbag, who had followed them in, but Drew had already wrapped him in another towel. “I… I don’t…” Alexa stuttered to a stop. She put her face down close to Oreo’s face and worked to calm her racing heart enough so she could get words out. Falling apart wouldn’t help her cats—figuring this out would. She drew on the calm she reached for when sparring and lifted her head. “How did they get in the tub? And why was the water running?” Instead of answering, he picked Fieldgar up and rubbed him vigorously then held him out to Alexa. “He’s so limp, almost like he’s asleep. Is that normal?” She took Fieldgar and cradled him in her lap. She stroked his tiger-orange face then tickled him under the chin but got no response. “The water was cool, and cats hate water. Maybe he’s in shock?” “Maybe,” Drew answered grimly. “But I wonder if that’s all.” He stood and started searching around the edge of the tub. After a minute, he held up a squeezable tube for Alexa to examine. “What’s this?” Alexa gasped. “Their sedative! I use it when they travel.” She grabbed the tube then looked at her sleepy cats. Fieldgar was just this side of conscious, and Oreo wasn’t much better. “I don’t know how much they were given or how long they were in the water. I have to get them to the vet!” Copyright 2016 Lily Black. Reprinted with permission. Exclusive Interview with Suzanne Adair Today’s exclusive interview is with novelist and MTW2017 participant Suzanne Adair, who writes historical mysteries from her home in Raleigh, North Carolina. Her newest offering is called Deadly Occupation: A Michael Stoddard American Revolution Mystery and it’s available as both a trade paperback and an e-book. Here’s a blurb about the book: A wayward wife, a weapons trafficker, and a woman with “second sight”—it’s a puzzle that would have daunted any investigator. But Michael Stoddard wasn’t just any investigator. Late January 1781, in coastal North Carolina, patriots flee before the approach of the Eighty-Second Regiment, leaving behind defenseless civilians to surrender the town of Wilmington to rhe Crown. The regiment’s commander assigns Lieutenant Michael Stoddard the tasks of tracking down a missing woman and probing into the suspicious activities of an unusual church.But as soon as Michael starts sniffing around, he discovers that some of those not-so- defenseless civilians are desperately hiding a history of evil. Tell us something(s) about the book that the blurb doesn’t reveal The history behind this novel—the British occupation of Wilmington, North Carolina for most of 1781—isn’t taught in most schools, probably because it was a great victory for the British and a great embarrassment for American patriots. I was surprised at the reason the editor of a mid-sized publishing house rejected Deadly Occupation; she didn’t believe my historically accurate account that the civilians in town surrendered to the British without a struggle and was certain that they would have fought and died instead. Many readers learn history from historical fiction, so this lack of basic knowledge on the part of the editor—a gatekeeper—is frightening. Ellis Peters. Her Brother Cadfael mystery series set in 12th-century England helped encourage me to write historical mysteries. I’m sure I’m not the only author she inspired. That’s a hard one to answer. Readers describe my detective, Michael Stoddard, as a cross between Sherlock Holmes, Richard Sharpe, and Daniel Boone—with a whiff of Harry Dresden. Major supporting characters in the series are also complex. I wrote my first story when I was in second grade—quarantined at home with a case of the mumps, bored because I didn’t feel bad and had read all the library books my mother checked out for me. A few weeks before contracting the mumps, I’d been through my first hurricane, and the memory of all that raw, natural power was still clear and needing an outlet. I found some paper, wrote a story—and that was the start of my writing career. What other jobs have you held (even what you’re doing currently)? Grocery store cashier, sales clerk, plant pathology technician, science lab manager, technical writer, product designer, software and hardware tester, marketing specialist, business owner, grant writer, researcher, blogger, public speaker, novelist. I’m currently doing research for book #5 of the Michael Stoddard American Revolution Mystery series while editing the third draft of Killer Debt, book #4 of that series. I expect Killer Debt to hit the shelves at the end of 2017. What are your favorite and least favorite aspects of publishing today? Of course, I love the writing. I enjoy meeting readers and working with them. Marketing and promotion is also fun. However, the work of a publisher—finding a professional editor, cover designer, and interior designer, proofing what they’ve done, and dealing with printers—is time-consuming and dry. A regional press traditionally published my early trilogy. That press folded before I could offer them my Michael Stoddard American Revolution mysteries. I published Deadly Occupation and other titles in the Michael Stoddard series independently because publishers’ editors who read my manuscripts didn’t know enough history to make informed assessments of my stories. Most presses also had a queue of two or more years, and I didn’t want readers to wait that long for my next book. I’m editing the third draft of book #1 of a science fiction series. When I was a teen, I climbed on the roof of my house in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida to watch the contrails and first-stage separations of several Apollo launches; that made quite an impression on me. I also enjoyed reading science fiction. My first career was in science. And yes, I do get cultural whiplash jumping from historical mystery set in 18th-century North Carolina to science fiction set during the 24th century on another planet. Where Readers Can Find You? 11 February 2017: Hillsborough, NC--Presentation and booksigning at Revolutionary War Living History Day, 12 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. Currie, NC--Presentation and booksigning at the Moore Creek National Battlefield 241st Anniversary event, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. A full listing of my workshops, signings, and presentations is available at http://www.suzanneadair.net/calendar/ Web site and blog: http://www.SuzanneAdair.net/ Quarterly electronic newsletter: http://tinyletter.com/Suzanne-Adair-News Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Suzanne.Adair.Author Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/Suzanne_Adair Suzanne was kind enough to allow us to republish an excerpt from Deadly Occupation: WITH A NOD of approval for the sergeant, Lieutenant Michael Stoddard clasped his hands behind his back and faced the thirty soldiers where they stood on the sand-and-shell road. Each man in the two parallel lines before him was clear-eyed, his chin up and shoulders squared. Red wool coats had been brushed out and buttons buffed. Even in the dull winter dawn, every musket looked clean. It was a fine day, indeed, for the Eighty-Second Regiment to occupy Wilmington, North Carolina, and these men were ready for it. “Men, we’ll be marching out shortly, as soon as Captain Barkley heads upriver with the galleys.” A column of soldiers stomped through a drill behind Michael. He elevated his voice through the clank of muskets and equipment. “Here’s how matters stand. A deputation of civilians met Major Craig last night and gave him their articles of surrender. He rejected their terms. Any residents remaining in Wilmington when we arrive will be considered our prisoners of war, at Major Craig’s discretion.” The din from the drill faded. Over the shoulders of his men, Michael saw a ship’s boat from the transport that was anchored in the middle of the Cape Fear River reach the bank. Infantrymen disembarked from it onto North Carolina soil and trotted up for inspection with another sergeant. He paced to allow him to make occasional eye contact with the men before him. “Scouts report that the regiment’s presence has thrown the rebels into confusion and panic. The leaders of these ‘patriots’ have fled the area, some with little more than the clothing on their backs. Less than a day ago, the militia commander, Colonel Young, evacuated his garrison from the barracks in town. Yes, surprising as it sounds, the rebels appear to have been caught off-guard by the Eighty-Second’s arrival.” From the corner of his eye, Michael saw that a scout who’d been present at last night’s meeting, a free Negro called Teal, was conferring with Captain Pitcairn, his gestures animated. Michael returned attention to his men. “We’ve learned that Wilmington is home to many merchants who are not sympathetic to the rebel cause. Perhaps the occupation will proceed more smoothly than what we’d expected when we sailed from Charles Town. However, I don’t need to remind you lads to keep your wits about you. You can imagine what we’ll find when we arrive in Wilmington at the end of today’s march. Sullen and hostile townsfolk, and special ‘gifts’ that the militia left behind, like spiked cannon and traps set in the barracks. Don’t delude yourselves into believing that we’ve seen the last of the rebels, just because they ran like rabbits—” “Mr. Stoddard!” called Pitcairn. “A word with you over here immediately!” After another nod to the sergeant, who stepped forward to address the men, Michael strode for the captain and scout. While he traversed the distance between them, he squinted at the overcast sky to the southeast. Was that a thin column of smoke rising? Hard to say against the clouds. He didn’t smell smoke—but the breeze was coming from the west. After exchanging a salute with Michael, Pitcairn jutted his chin to Teal, who was carrying a rifle. “Tell Mr. Stoddard.” His nose red, the captain sneezed into a handkerchief. The scout’s hunting shirt was rumpled, and his face was sweaty, as if he’d been running. “I have come from the estate of loyalist merchant Mr. Farrell one mile distant from here. This very moment, about twenty men on horseback are attacking the estate.” He swiveled, pointed to the southeastern sky, and added in his melodious-accented voice, “They have set one of the outbuildings afire. You see?” Yes, that was a column of smoke. Michael addressed Teal. “Are these men from Colonel Young’s militia?” “I do not believe that they are—” “Even if they were, it wouldn’t matter.” His voice gravelly, Pitcairn cleared his throat. “I’ve just watched those soldiers pass inspection, Mr. Stoddard. Excellent work. They’re more than a match for rebels.” It sounded as though Pitcairn wanted him to run some men out there and take care of those marauders. Michael swelled his chest. “Orders, sir?” The first portion of Pitcairn’s cough missed the handkerchief. “Bloody head cold. Take ten men and follow Teal back to the estate. Render assistance to the King’s Friends and drive off the perpetrators. Any captives will be marched to Wilmington with the regiment and imprisoned there.” Michael frowned, certain he’d misunderstood. “Ten men, sir? Teal said there were twenty mounted rebels. Surely all thirty men—” “It isn’t a pitched field battle. They aren’t Continental dragoons. They’re just rabble on horses.” Pitcairn sniffed, propped a fist on his hip, and waved the handkerchief once. “Stand your ground with your selected ten, give those rebel scum their first taste of the King’s might, and the miscreants will run away. They always run away. You know how it is.” Copyright 2016 Suzanne Adair. Reprinted with permission. Exclusive Interview with Ronnie Allen Today’s exclusive interview is with romantic thriller novelist Ronnie Allen, an MTW2017 participant who hails from Ocala, Florida and whose latest offering is Aries: The Sign Behind The Crime, Book 2. It’s available as an e-book and paperback. Here’s a blurb to whet your appetite: Lying. Deception. Cover-ups. Anger. Revenge. Death. That’s what happens when an Aries-obsessed killer combines black magick rituals, knives…and murder. Samantha Wright, a rookie NYPD detective, gets her first case, a big one, by stumbling over the body while jogging in the park. Sam has a lot to prove, both to herself and to her new precinct, on this serial murder case involving fashion icons in NYC. Together with a rough around the edges BJJ fighter, forensic psychiatrist, Frank Khaos, Sam chases down leads through the five boroughs of NYC. As the bodies pile up, sparks fly and Sam and Frank, polar opposites, go from their dislike for each other to setting the sheets on fire. But their main suspect is hooked up to an IV in a hospital bed, so how has she pulled off five murders in seven days? And can Sam and Frank stop her before even more innocent lives are lost? Tell us something(s) about the book that the blurb doesn’t reveal: Rookie detective Samantha Wright is first coming to terms with her psychic abilities. She's not trusting her intuition and with it being spot on, she's still in doubt of herself. It wasn't a review, but a comment. My titles are the astrological signs, Gemini and Aries. So, some people feel they have to be under that sign to read the books which is so not true. The symbolism of The Sign helps to solve the crime. A woman at a fair wanted to argue with me about it. I don't get into that. So I merely responded, 'If you say so.' James Patterson bccause I'd love to chat about writing so many books in a series and how he keeps them fresh. I try not to make my books predictable and I'm changing each one. In Gemini, it's a female serial killer. In Aries, a group of women. In Scorpio that's coming out in September, it's a male killer. In Libra, which I'm writing now. it's the system that's the antagonist. This is my goal actually. Gemini and Aries would work for TV episodics. There are so many blonde, physically fit women in Hollywood, the choices are endless. For forensic psychiatrist Dr. Frank Khaos, who's former special forces, a BJJ fighter, tatted and rough around the edges as he works with NYC gang members who've left the hood in his MMA training gym in Harlem, Dave Bautista would fit him perfectly. He's the polar opposite to the forensic psychiatrist Dr. John Trenton in Gemini who's the Armani suit kind of guy. Michael Weatherly would fit him. What other jobs have you held (even what you’re doing currently): I'm a retired NYC teacher with 33 years in the Dept. of Education with a state license as School Psychologist. Actually, I had the career of the killer in Gemini. The school psychologist part, not the stripper. I'm also a board certified holistic health practitioner specializing in the alternative therapies that are also featured in my novels. What gave you the idea to write this book? I was in conflict to write the main character of Gemini, Dr. John Trenton, as the main character in Aries. That was bccause I started Aries before I received my contract on Gemini by 6 months. So I decided to select a hero who was the opposite of John's personality though both of them are very physical men and alpha males. I fell in love with both characters and they're both in the upcoming Scorpio and Libra. What is the main conflict in your book? Det. Samantha Wright and Dr. Frank Khaos are on the same NYPD team to catch the killers of fashion industry icons in NYC. Though the ring leader is in custody, so to speak, the murders keep happening. Secondary conflicts? I always write multi plot novels. Up until Frank meets Sam, the murder of his pregnant wife was unsolved, leaving him a single dad to a 7-year-old boy. Sam reopens the case which is considered cold, and finds the killer, the reasons behind the murder, and basically turns her department upside down. I'm traditionally published and for me, this is the only route I'd consider right now. I know I have the professional editing, covers, formatting, uploading to the retailers, and I don't have the skills necessary for self-publishing. Ronnie was kind enough to share a Never Before Shared excerpt with us below. Please be aware that this clip contains MATURE LANGUAGE AND THEMES. “I never said you were a suspect, AriellaRose.” But you sure as hell confirmed that you are one. “Okay, we can move on. What do you know about the club Whiplash?” “From spells to a sex club. You’re sure organized, aren’t you? But at least you stayed the same place in the alphabet. Okay. Okay. My dad liked it. He went a lot. So does Adam. Why?” AriellaRose shuddered. “Me never. Hate the pain part. Ugh.” “Well, I’m going there tonight with Tattoo—Doctor Khaos—to follow up a lead Calinda gave us.” AriellaRose paid attention as if relieved the focus was off her. “What lead?” “Calinda said your dad’s killer might have come from there.” “Hope so. That would mean you’d solve his murder quicker, right?” “Possibly. Anything I should be aware of in preparation to go?” “Set up of the place. Rules. Things like that.” “So you’ve never been in a club like this?” Sam shook her head. “No.” She could lie, too. But unlike AriellaRose, she had been trained. “Okay. You’ve got to be dressed for it. Can’t wear street clothes. And you can’t go in there smelling of cop. Which you do. And no sex. Save that for when you get Tattooman back to your place, or wherever.” “If you’ve never been there, how do you know?” AriellaRose rolled her eyes. “Okay, you caught me. I’ve been there lots of times, but I just watch. I don’t like them doing those things to me.” “Okay, good. Then I can be more specific. Who’s the owner or the person we should ask to see?” “Oh yeah. Dominic. Dominic what’s his last name? Yeah Trevino. He’s totally hands on.” “Hands on? Such as?” “He teaches first timers how to do everything. Spankings, the bondage. He’ll show Tattooman how to do all that to you. And from what you look like, I bet Dominick will take his time with the lessons. He’s into long spankings. He’ll go for an hour. He’s in and out of the rooms to make sure no one gets carried away. Oh, and this is important. You need a fake name. No one uses their real ones. No phones or cameras allowed inside, either.” “Do you know your father’s and Adam’s aliases?’ “Yeah. I do. But I can’t laugh. It hurts.” “Okay. I won’t laugh.” “Dad’s is Dudley. And Adam is Fido.” “Fido, like the dog?” “Yeah. Adam is always a sub, but my dad does both. Uh, did both.” “Thanks for the heads up. One more thing.” “Calinda says you’ve been seeing Leonardo for three years and you’re close with his family.” “Yeah. Remind me to thank her for telling you my life.” “Well, is he your street pharmacist?” “He isn’t no more, now, is he?” “What do you know about his suppliers?” AriellaRose turned away. “I’m getting tired.” “I can see that, but we may need to protect you. How open was your relationship? Your mother didn’t seem to know. She thinks you’re still a virgin.” “People know. My mother is in denial. But he never did business in front of me, so I really don’t know his clients. And every transfer was in private, so no one else saw anyone, either. He never did any parties.” “Thanks, AriellaRose. This has been helpful.” “Can’t imagine how. It was all bullshit to me.” Sam nodded and left the room, knowing she had to initiate a warrant for AriellaRose’s apartment. First, however, she envisioned herself over Frank’s muscular lap with his large, warm hands toying with her naked bottom, patting her first to warm her up, then increasing in firmness as she spread her legs, so he could reward her with his fingers sliding over her clit, intermittently with the spanks. Oh my God. Her thong just stuck to her crotch. Copyright 2016 Ronnie Allen. Reprinted with Permission. Exclusive Interview with Anne Carmichael Today’s exclusive interview is with author and MTW2017 participant Anne Carmichael, who lives and writes in Lexington, Kentucky. Her newest mystery/romance is titled, Elderhaus. Here’s something to whet your literary appetite: Gertrude spent the better part of her adult life scouring Europe for Helmut Klingenfelter, the father who vanished not only from her life and that of her mother’s, but had forsaken everyone in his past. With midlife looming on the horizon, Gertie made the decision to stop chasing the ghosts of the past and return to her childhood home of Pitch Pine, where she purchased a century-old house at 1211 Castle Lane sight unseen. Elderhaus, as it came to be known, had a mysterious past of its own, one that would threaten more than Gertrude’s desire to find happiness. Gertie is a confirmed introvert. She would rather spend time with animals than people. When she finally has a fling with a gorgeous man, everyone warns her that becoming involved with the Haskell family could cost her everything. There’s only one review for Elderhaus at this time; however only the e-book has only recently been released. Of my other six books, the 60+ five-star reviews for Magoo Who: Life Through My Eyes and the reader’s plea to make it a series (4 books) motivated me to keep pursuing writing as a career. No contest – Ernest Hemingway. I like his writing. I love his devil-may-care attitude and lifestyle. Amanda Peet – Gertie Klingenfelter (our protagonist, Jewish heritage, late 30’s. Loved her in ‘Something’s Gotta Give’) Lisa Kudrow – Sally Jaeger (no filter, loyal friend, innkeeper) Trey Haskell – Stephen Amell (antagonist, contractor on Elderhaus remodel, son of steel mogul) Noah Myers – James Franco (law school fail, veterinarian, has crushed on Gertie since grade school) What is the main conflict in your book? Secondary conflicts? 1. Gertie’s father walked out when she was just five years old. She spent most of her adult life scouring Germany for him, since both her mother’s and father’s family had fled Germany during WWII. He’d never shown either her mother or her any affection and he’d never discussed his past. She wanted answers. 2. Gertie bought Elderhaus, (a century-old Victorian house in her hometown of Pitch Pine, PA) sight unseen while still in Europe. Her Realtor hired Trey Haskell, local contractor, to do the repairs on the house. Trey was rugged and drop-dead gorgeous, but when Gertie began an affair with him, everyone warned her of the dangers of becoming involved with his powerful family. John Lennon’s quote begins this story: ‘Life is what happens when you’re busy making plans.’ The quote is applicable not only to the main character in the book, but to the book’s author as well. I had never given any thought whatsoever to writing books. It fell into my lap, as though it were my destiny. I wanted badly to retire because all my friends were retiring, but knew that since my divorce, I really couldn’t financially manage it. Then I saw a blind cat (Magoo Who: The Blind Kitty Who Stole My Heart) on Facebook. Goo already had thousands of fans and I thought his story would make a great book. Goo was two years old and blind. He had been wandering the streets of South Philly since birth everyone wondered how he could possibly have survived. Something urged me to approach his owners and ask if they’d be interested in doing a book and the rest is history! I created characters from the other animals he encountered during those two lost years and ‘Magoo Who: Life Through My Eyes’ became the first book in what would be a series of four books that launched my writing career. So Lennon’s quote was not only applicable to my heroine, but to me as well. My next book is called The Manifest. I hope to have it out by the end of 2017. I would love to have begun my writing career when the big publishing houses paid upfront for a book, promoted it and the author and paid for everything. Today, unless you’re a Mary Higgins Clark, you pretty much do your own marketing, which leaves little time for writing. My first two books were ‘traditionally’ published in that the publisher absorbed all the costs of editing, printing, etc. I still did my own promotions. I am now considered ‘self-published’, but the same publisher still edits, proofs and formats and I still do all the marketing; the difference being that I pay for those services. ‘Elderhaus’ is my first foray away from all-ages, 150-page animal books. This is my first, full-length adult novel. I’ve spent two years writing and tweaking it. I really felt the need to challenge myself, use my mind and write books with more depth. I did feel that I needed to gradually transition my current reader base, who are primarily animal-lovers. I touched on my original concept for ‘Elderhaus’, which was to be about senior dogs. Elderhaus means ‘old house’ in German, so it was to be a book about an old house dedicated to saving old dogs. I had done books about cats, horses and polar bears. There are several senior dogs that show up one at a time and are rescued by the heroine and they’re woven into the story in other ways, but they’re not the focus of the book. Having now immersed myself in the mystery genre, I’m very excited about the freedoms I will have during the writing of The Manifest. Anne was kind enough to share an excerpt of Elderhaus with us: “This cannot be happening,” muttered Gertrude Klingenfelter to herself and any of the dozen FBI agents swarming throughout her home. “This stuff happens on cop shows or in some booming metropolis…certainly not in Pitch Pine, Pennsylvania and certainly not to me! My plan was simple. I would move back to Pitch Pine, buy a house on the Historic Preservation List and spend the remaining half of my life puttering about and restoring the house to its original glory. Of course, I did it all backwards. I bought the house online and then went home to Pitch Pine for the big reveal. The ad said ‘as is’, but who knew that meant ‘uninhabitable’ as the contractor soon told me. I believe that was right before I fell through the front porch. I’m forty-three years old for cripes sake. I foolishly squandered away the best part of my life searching for the father who abandoned us when I was five years old…five feckin years old. She began to mutter a string of obscenities that her rigid upbringing should not have allowed her to use but use them she did, and with some regularity. “I’ve never had a relationship with anyone that lasted five years since then,” she said bitterly as she threw her clothes and makeup into suitcases. She played the remainder of the soliloquy in her head. This is supposed to be my dream home. It was in shambles when I bought it. Now the house is finished…or it was before the Feds ripped out the walls and floors; but now my life is in shambles. I have no idea how I’m ever going to be able to step foot in this house again. Gertie extended the handles on two large, gun-metal gray suitcases and dragged them bouncing from one step to the next, the wheels spinning the bags out of control. Undaunted, she just yanked on them ever more violently as if the clattering noise seemed to articulate the turbulence churning within her. Her overnight bag, which was intended to hang cross-body style, slid around onto her back and the wide strap threatened to choke the life out of her. The heavy suitcase slammed into the screen door, pulling her backwards and she collapsed onto the front porch. That’s when the dam burst and spewed forth thirty-eight years of backlogged tears that had been building since the night Helmut Klingenfelter drove away and left Gertie and her mother, Anyaleise, irrevocably alone. Exclusive Interview with P.J. Lazos Today’s Exclusive Interview is with author and MTW2017 participant P.J. Lazos, better known as Pamela to her co-workers and Pam to her friends.. Pam lives and writes in Lancaster, PA, which she calls “the home of the Amish.” Her newest release is titled, Oil and Water, and is an Eco-Thrller. Here’s a blurb she shared to pique our interest: When inventor Martin Tirabi builds a machine that converts trash into oil it sends shockwaves through the corporate halls of the oil cognoscenti. Weeks later, Marty and his wife, Ruth are killed in a mysterious car accident. Their son, Gil, a 10-year old physics prodigy, is the only one capable of finishing the machine that could solve the world’s energy problems. Plagued with epilepsy from birth, Gil is also psychic, and through dreams and the occasional missive from his dead father, he gets the push he needs to finish the job. Meanwhile, Bicky Coleman, head of Akanabi Oil is doing his best to smear the planet in it. From a slow leak in the Gulf of Mexico to the most devastating oil spill the Delaware River has ever seen, Akanabi’s corporate practices are leaving oily imprints in their wake. To divert the tide of bad press, Bicky dispatches his son-in-law and Chief Engineer, David Hartos, to clean up his mess. A disillusioned Hart, reeling from the recent death of his wife and unborn child, travels to Philadelphia to fulfill his father-in-law’s wishes. There’s no such thing as coincidence when Hart meets Gil and agrees to help him finish Marty’s dream machine. But how will he bring such a revolutionary invention to market in a world reliant on fossil fuels and awash in corporate greed? To do so, Hart must confront those who would quash the project, including his own father-in-law. You’ll find murder, mystery, and humor as black as fine Arabian crude filling the pages of Oil and Water. The characters are fictional, but the technology is real. What will we do when the oil runs out? Open up and see. I have a metaphysical side that I like to explore in my writing. Not all of my work, but a good deal of it contains some aspects of this. Writing for me has always been about exploring the unknown, the facets of life that are complicated, or threads of things outside my normal life that I’d like to know more about. Writing allows me the space to do this, which is quite wonderful. Currently, there is a giveaway running on Goodreads. For Mystery Thriller Week, I am going to run a sale on the Kindle version of Oil and Water and a giveaway on the paperback version. I was thrilled to read the Kirkus review because the reviewer really understood what I was doing with the science. I wanted the scientific concepts to come across in a way that was accessible, but at the same time wrap that within the confines of a murder mystery. The environment has always been a tough sell which is maybe why there aren’t that many eco-thrillers out there, but the environment can also be sexy, something people are interested in sidling up to and learning about. The Kirkus review gave me the satisfaction of knowing that the reviewer had connected with the book in a way I’d intended. Tom Robbins. He’s still living, but in his 80’s, I believe. His fiction favors philosophical concepts under the guise of the most wonderful prose. “Jitterbug Perfume” is perhaps one of my favorite books of all time. I read somewhere that he writes very slowly, one perfect sentence after another, and, in fact, won’t continue until each sentence has been crafted to his liking. It’s the exact opposite of the way I write and I think I could learn a great deal from him. I already have, simply from reading his books. My kids and I talk about this all the time. I always wanted Matt Damon to play Hart. He brings such a genuineness to every character he plays. I had a dream that Ian Somerhalder played Bicky. He’d need a lot of makeup to age him a few decades, but it would be a perfect role for him. I have to think more about the other characters. It’s such a fun and dark story, so much so that almost every character has to have equal parts of dark and light in order for it to work. When and why did you decide to become a writer: I think writing chose me. I moved to a new city when I got engaged and one of my new friends took me along to a writing class. I never looked back. I devoured “The Hobbit” and “The Lord of the Rings,” and I remember reading “The Thornbirds" when I was about 15 and not wanting to stop to even eat dinner. I adore an epic tale and as an adult am enamored of all the Diana Gabaldon (“Outlander”) and George R. R. Martin (“Game of Thrones”) books. I have been an environmental lawyer for the last couple decades. The environment is important to me. I will be doing something in support of the earth probably for the rest of my days living on it. That it’s so hard to break into traditional publishing would have to be my least favorite. Since I’m self-published, I can’t tell you what my most favorite part is, but maybe someday I’ll have more information to share on that. Indie, and it’s because of the many people barring the gates in traditional publishing that I did self-publish. I’ve had interest from agents over the years, and even had a publisher say they wanted Oil and Water only to change their minds a week later. That was a terribly sad moment for me. I finally decided it wasn’t worth all the emotional energy and that it would be easier to simply publish it myself. What former author training/writing have you had? I’ve taken writing classes, but I don’t have an MFA. I came to writing in a very roundabout way. As a lawyer, I’ve had to write a lot, but it’s a different kind of writing. My favorite writing classes sprung from the Rabbit Hill Writer’s Studio in Central PA. Loved that place and the people who frequented it. Here is an excerpt from Oil and Water that Pam was kind enough to share with us: Marty Tirabi sat on a stool aside his drafting table, an aluminum pie plate in each hand. His eyes were closed, his spine erect, his breathing slow and regular, his conscious mind sitting on the pinnacle of present awareness. At the exact moment Marty’s consciousness shifted, sliding across the threshold from beta to alpha to delta like a single-base hitter stealing home, Marty’s grip slackened, and the pie plates clattered to the floor. He woke with a start and stared, wide-eyed, at the back wall of the barn where It sat, all the while scanning his interior databases for a revelation that refused to be retrieved. Marty rubbed his forehead. This was how Thomas Edison had done it, mining the gem-rich ground of his subconscious by bringing himself to the brink of sleep, then pulling back with a start for a third-party observer’s view. The results of Edison’s efforts were the light bulb and one thousand and ninety-two other patented inventions, but Marty’d be damned if he could get Edison’s process to work. For him it was just there, a vision that sometimes crept, sometimes hurtled from unconscious to conscious awareness — claircognizance some called it, a simple knowing — and suddenly Marty would know how to pull it all together. But not tonight. Frustrated, Marty spun his stool around, laid the pie plates and his overtired brain on the drafting table, and stared at his father’s oil lamp, its soft, incandescent glow casting ectoplasmic shadows on the blueprints beneath his head. He started to fall — no aluminum pie plates to stop him this time — but was jarred back to wakefulness, halted again by a faint hum, a soft, deliberate noise like the whir of a refrigerator motor or the patter of a soft rain. He felt it in his feet first. It climbed up his legs as it grew in intensity, settled in his heart and then shot up to his forehead. His head vibrated. Marty rose slowly so as not to disturb the hum’s cadence and strolled across the barn floor toward the back wall, convinced that a nonchalant attitude was imperative to the hum’s survival. He tried not to smile, tried not to look directly at It until he had stopped in front of the thousands of pounds of steel assembled in six distinct units. He sniffed the air. Dozens of smells slid past the cilia in his nose and traveled along his olfactory nerve, stopping at the cerebral cortex to register: methane, plastic, burning rubber, decay, ash. Even in a closed-looped system, the vapors, like his dreams, always escaped. And then, suspended in the air like dust motes lollygagging in a single ray of sun, the smell of oil, sweet and slightly acrid, pierced Marty’s nasal cavity, shattering his equilibrium. “Hahahahaaaaaaaaaaaa!” Marty clapped his hands and, because he was half-Greek, did the only dance he felt comfortable doing, a little hop/skip combo that was the backbone of most traditional ethnic dances. He repeated the steps over and over until he came full circle. He added a little jump to his combination. Marty stopped and laid his face against the side of the metal grate. It was cool to the touch and not at all indicative of the fire raging inside. He shook his head and started his hop, skip and jump dance all over again, this time adding an ecstatic laugh to the mix. He’d done it. Just like Dr. Frankenstein, he’d brought the beast to life: his Thermo-Depolymerization Unit, or TDU, lived! Years in the making, like nothing the world had ever seen, and until five minutes ago only a theory. Marty had envisioned that the TDU would take garbage, computers, old sneakers, last night’s dinner, yard waste, old fence posts, plastic Tupperware, with or without lids, old sweatshirts, used ball point pens, broken picture frames, old love letters, paint waste, empty cardboard boxes, broken refrigerators, busted telephone poles, wrecked car parts, or the whole car for that matter, old comic books, unwanted furniture, hell, this machine could take anything carbon-based, and do something magical with it, something that, to date, no one else had figured out how to do — take trash and convert it into oil — pure, unadulterated, car-starting, engine-revving, turbo-driving, eighteen-wheeler-moving oil. Marty figured that the TDU would mimic what Mother Nature did every day hundreds of miles below the earth’s surface — break down fossils into fuels. But Marty’s contraption would take about three hours instead of millions of years, combusting nothing, and leaving no waste. After twenty years of toil, Marty had his share of false starts. But now the whir and hum of booster pumps and coolant fan units was evidence: modern-day alchemy. Marty had called down the vision. Yet the world had no template for it. Like the shaman of the first American Indian tribe to come into contact with Columbus, Marty had to mold the vision into a discernible shape, give the people something palpable that they could recognize. For even as Columbus’s ships approached the shores of the New World, the Native Americans couldn’t see them, not until their shaman provided them with a frame of reference. But being a shaman was at times an exhausting, aching and lonely occupation. So Marty did what any man in his place would do when faced with a discovery of unrivaled proportions. He propped himself up on the hammock in the corner of the barn and took a nap. Copyright 2016 P.J. Lazos. Reprinted with Permission. Exclusive Interview with Lois Winston Today’s exclusive interview is with author and MTW-2017 participant Lois Winston, who lives in my neck of the woods, New York City. Her most recent novel is titled, Literally Dead, An Empty Nest Mystery (Book 2), a cozy mystery available both as a paperback and an e-book. After her last disastrous episode as an amateur sleuth, Gracie Elliott is back. The budding romance writer has spent the past year crafting her first novel. Her hard work and determination pay off when her manuscript wins the Cream of the Crop award, a contest for unpublished writers, sponsored by the Society of American Romance Authors. First place entitles her to attend the organization’s annual conference, normally open only to published authors. With husband Blake in tow, a starry-eyed Gracie experiences the ultimate fan-girl moment upon entering the hotel. Her favorite authors are everywhere. However, within minutes she learns Lovinia Darling, the Queen of Romance, is hardly the embodiment of the sweet heroines she creates. Gracie realizes she’s stepped into a romance vipers’ den of backstabbing, deceit, and plagiarism, but she finds a friend and mentor in bestselling author Paisley Prentiss. Hours later, when Gracie discovers Lovinia’s body in the hotel stairwell, a victim of an apparent fall, Gracie is not convinced her death was an accident. Too many other authors had reason to want Lovinia dead. Ignoring Blake’s advice to “let the police handle it,” Gracie, aided by Paisley, begins her own investigation into the death. Romance has never been so deadly. This sounds like so much fun! Tell us something you didn’t include in the blurb: The series is my way of paying homage to the William Powell/Myrna Loy Thin Man movies of the 30’s and 40’s but with a modern day twist—my sleuth is the wife. My favorite comment was one that I never get tired of hearing about any of my books. The reviewer said she couldn’t put the book down. That always puts a huge smile on my face, even on the worst days. I would love to meet Agatha Christie and get her to confess to what really happened in December 1926 when she went missing for eleven days. Unfortunately, she took the truth about that mystery to her grave. Gracie Elliott: Amy Adams Blake Elliott: Hugh Jackman When I was twelve years old, I read Peyton Place (without parental knowledge.) That’s when I learned that sex wasn’t just something married couples did one time when they wanted to have a baby. I also thought the act was performed standing up, with the husband and wife facing each other, and took all of a second or two. (I was a very precocious child but at the same time quite naïve about some things!) Over the years I’ve attended many writing conferences, both as an author and an agent. The stories I could tell! Well, actually I have told many of them in Literally Dead. In some ways the book is a roman a clef. However, my lips are sealed as to which elements are gleaned from real life and which spring from my imagination. I’m currently working on the sixth book in my critically acclaimed Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery series, which will be available this summer. My favorite part of being published is when readers tell me they love my books. It makes all those times I’m ready to bash my head against the keyboard worthwhile. My least favorite part is promoting my books. Once upon a time publishers promoted their authors. Nowadays, for everyone other then the Stephen Kings, James Pattersons, and Nora Roberts of the world, authors have to promote themselves and their books with little or no help from their publishers. Writers should be writing, not working as unpaid publicists, marketers, and sales people. Traditional vs. self-publishing is one of the themes I explore in Literally Dead. First, let me say I prefer the term indie or independently published to self-published, which conjures up a time when vanity presses preyed upon desperate writers. I was traditionally published for my first five books. For awhile I was considered a hybrid author (both traditionally and indie published.) Now I’m totally indie. Much of it has to do with my answer to the previous question. If publishers expect their authors to take on the responsibility and cost of promotion, why should authors only receive royalties of 10% of the selling price of their books? (BTW, once upon a time royalties were based on the retail price of the book, not the price sold to distributors.) Too often authors have become indentured servants to their publishers. By going indie we take control of our careers. What advice do you have for other writers based on your experience? When Grandma Penelope and Great-aunt Martha gush that you’re the best writer they’ve ever read, don’t let it go to your head. Chances are you’re not going to wind up on the NY Times Bestseller List within weeks of submitting your book to a publisher—if ever. There are very few overnight successes. Building a career takes time—often years and years of revisions and rejection letters. If you’re not willing to put in the time or you’re writing because you think it’s a quick way to earn a large amount of money, walk away. Very few authors make enough from their writing to be able to support themselves. (Another theme I explore in Literally Dead.) I reward my fans by doing periodic giveaways through my newsletter. Readers can sign up at: https://www.MyAuthorBiz.com/ENewsletter.php?acct=LW2467152513 Website: www.loiswinston.com Killer Crafts & Crafty Killers blog: www.anastasiapollack.blogspot.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/Anasleuth Lois was kind enough to share an excerpt with us from Literally Dead: The wheels of my suitcase couldn’t spin fast enough as I pushed through the revolving door of the Crown Jewel Hotel in midtown Manhattan. Once inside the lobby, I stopped short and gazed awestruck, soaking in the writerly atmosphere. My heart pounded so fast I could hear it reverberating in my ears. Or maybe that was the din of the voices from hundreds of romance authors filling the forty-story marble and glass atrium. My eyes bugged out as I scoped the room. “Oh my God, Blake!” I reached for my husband’s hand and squeezed it. “That’s Liz Phillips,” I released my grip on my suitcase handle and pointed in the direction of the bar off to my right. “And Elise Robertson.” “Friends of yours?” asked my husband. “I wish! They’re two of the most successful romance writers in the world. I can’t believe I’m standing only a few yards away from them!” Talk about a fan girl moment! One more superstar sighting and I just might need a brown paper bag to ward off imminent hyperventilation. “Hurry!” I pulled him along, nearly tripping over my Kate Spades as I race-walked toward the shortest of several lines that serpentined from the hotel registration desk around the chic silver, white, and gray lobby. Blake grabbed me, preventing me from executing a face plant. Then he spun me around and settled his hands on my shoulders. Lowering his head until our foreheads nearly touched, he said, “I know you’re excited, Gracie, but take a deep breath. Slow down. The conference doesn’t start for several hours. You’re not going to miss anything.” I humored him by continuing at a jog instead of a sprint until I reached the back of the line. “I can’t believe I’m here!” I squealed, bouncing on the balls of my feet. A year of slaving over my manuscript had finally paid off. “Just think, by this time next year I’ll probably be returning as Gracie Elliott, published romance author.” “Don’t you mean Emma Carlyle?” “Right. Sorry.” Since Blake didn’t think the stuffy old academics of the university governing board would take too kindly to a faculty wife writing sensuous romances—not that my writing rose anywhere near Fifty Shades level—I’d promised to publish under a pseudonym. Thus, Gracie Elliott would become Emma Carlyle on bookstore shelves. “Besides, aren’t you forgetting something?” “You need to sell your book first.” Leave it to Mr. Logical to burst my bubble. “Yes, of course, but I’m sure I’ll have plenty of offers here at the conference. After all, I’m the winner of the Society of American Romance Author’s Cream of the Crop writing competition. That’s a huge award. You should be excited for me, Blake. And proud of my accomplishment.” “I am excited for you, sweetheart, and I’ve always been proud of you. You’re the most amazing woman I’ve ever met. You set yourself a goal, and you work until you accomplish it.” He pecked my cheek. “I just don’t want to see you disappointed.” “Why would I be disappointed? You just said I always accomplish my goals, didn’t you?” “Yes, but some goals take longer than others. Did winning this contest guarantee you a publishing contract?” “No, but—” “The win gives you the opportunity to attend this writing conference, nothing more. Let’s keep everything in perspective, okay?” “Fine. But you’re going to eat those practical words of yours by the end of these three days.” “I’d love nothing better than to see you prove me wrong.” We inched our way up in line. “Notice anything odd?” he asked above the cacophony of conversations around us. I glanced up at my husband, then around the massive lobby. “Odd?” Although this was my first writing conference, I’d attended my share of business conferences and conventions over the years. Prior to the industry downsizing that outsourced my job as a fabric designer overseas and left me jobless and pension-less, I’d spent many hours cooling my Kate Spades and Christian Louboutins in long, slow-moving hotel check-in lines. “Not really.” “It’s a veritable estrogen brigade here, Gracie!” My normally unflappable husband suddenly looked like the clueless hero of a fish-out-of-water romance novel. Copyright 2016 Lois Winston. Reprinted with Permission. Exclusive Interview with Jordon Greene Today, I’m excited to introduce you to MTW_2017 participant, Jordon Greene. Writing novels from his home in Concord, NC, near Charlotte, his newest conspiracy/political thriller is titled, They'll Call It Treason, and it’s available in Kindle and paperback format. Let’s take a peek at the plot: A journalist's body is found abandoned in a Washington alleyway. A state representative is brutally murdered in Raleigh. A Virginia Congressman's life is threatened by a radical militia group. When one crucial moment turns FBI Agent Ethan Shaw into a fugitive, he finds himself on the run, fighting back against the country he swore to protect. Framed for a crime he did not commit, Ethan will risk everything to prove his innocence and protect the ones he loves - but the truth he will uncover poses a far deeper threat. They took everything from him: his career, his partner, his freedom. How far will Shaw go to get it all back? The protagonist in the story, Ethan Shaw, is a former Marine Recon sniper and the book takes place largely along the Blue Ridge Parkway. What was your favorite or most surprising comment about the book? "This is a scary story presenting scary possibilities. The characters are realistic and likable, the plot twists and turns take you on a journey that we can only hope is fictional. This book might give me nightmares. Great read." I never took the story as scary, but after this reviewer left this five-star review for the book on Amazon, I sat back and though about it some. If the events of this book were to take place, then it really is scary to think about. That's a hard one. I am a big James Rollins fan, but my first favorite author was and probably will always be Michael Crichton. Whether the story is about dinosaurs like in Jurassic Park and The Lost World, controversial medical procedures like in A Case of Need or about some cool new technological possibility like in Prey, Crichton was always able to enthrall me in the story and keep me begging for me. I'll never get to meet him, but I wish I could have. Well, technically I wrote the story with Sam Worthington in mind for my main character Ethan Sean, so I guess that's the first one. I also had Michelle Monaghan in mind slightly for the role of Ethan's fiance, Kate Conner. My family tells me that Dan Stevens should play the antagonist's character of Sean Abrams and that Adam Arkin could be a good Richard Hunt, an older Executive Director in the FBI in the story. I currently work as a Full Stack Web Developer at SHOE SHOW, Inc., which basically means I design websites from the ground up with my hand in every aspect of the site's development. Before I moved into my current job I did some freelance development work as well as part-time positions in the photo lab at Walmart. As I've told people before, there really was no one thing that gave me the idea for They'll Call It Treason. It's more a series of little things. With my background in political science and involvement in the political arena from 2006 to 2015 I worked closely with several state-level elected representatives. Through that I got a little closer look at how politics moves and runs, and as most would probably assume, it's not always so above board, sensible or fair. The first character you meet in the story actually is a North Carolina State Representative who is, in reality, a mix of characteristics from some real representatives I worked with during that time. My next story, To Watch You Bleed, came out recently. It's a dark psychological horror thriller based in a rural North Carolina town that tells the story of one family's not so festive Halloween night. It was released on Kindle, paperback and hardback on January 10, 2017. Who are your favorite writers and why? I've already mentioned Michael Crichton, but he's definitely among my top three favorite authors. The way he blends some astonishing technological advancement with a harrowing story of survival, like Jurassic Park and Prey, just resonates with me a lot. My other two would have to be James Rollins and Marie Lu. They are in completely different corners of the writing scene but I'll read anything they write. James Rollins is most famous for his Sigma Force series which he started with what was originally a standalone from my understanding, Sandstorm. I love how he blends some neat technological or scientific discovery with some historical event that has a loose end and takes that string and weaves the coolest thrillers, what he called "scientist with guns" stories. Marie Lu is a young adult author who first came to fame with her amazing Legend Trilogy, starting with the book Legend (naturally). With my background in politics and my particular political bent, I love dystopian stories. Marie Lu combines my love of the dystopian story with a dual first person story that makes you fall for the characters, even if they're bad guys like her latest trilogy, The Young Elites. This is one I've thought about a bit lately. I'd really like to dabble in some science fiction, but I don't think I want to go full Star Trek or Star Wars type of deal, though I do love some Star Trek. If I do eventually tackle science fiction it will likely be along with an amalgam of psychological thriller, horror and some dystopian elements, focusing more on the psychological and horror elements. Otherwise, I think at some point, maybe some young adult, but I really like the thriller, especially horror now that I've dabbled in it. Readers can always find me at my website at www.JordonGreene.com Exclusive Interview with Joy Schultz Today’s exclusive interview is with author and MTW_2017 participant Joynell Schultz, but many know her as ‘Joy’ –the name she says she uses “when I’m not listed as an author or completing legal documents.” Joy hails from Rhinelander, Wisconsin and her most recent novel is Love, Lies & Clones, a book of Speculative Fiction meshed with Mystery and a touch of romance. It’s available in both Kindle and paperback versions via this link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MXTGIZL Here’s a sneak peek at the storyline: June never asked to be cloned from her mother’s DNA. She didn’t ask for the faulty heart that beats in her chest either. She made a life for herself as a college professor, but what she really wants is the same as everyone else: a human connection. But how can she connect to someone when her heart’s next beat could be the last? When her estranged father shows up on her doorstep, warning her that he’s being forced back into the illegal human cloning world and she’s in danger, she dismisses him as paranoid. That’s until he disappears. The police are not prepared to confront a conspiracy this large, especially with a serial killer on the loose. When approached by an AWOL soldier, insisting her father’s disappearance is linked to his brother’s odd behavior, she doesn’t trust him. She’s been taught her whole life not to trust anyone. With time running out, she must avoid abduction attempts, untangle the web of lies, and above all else, hide her taboo origins. Can June trust someone with her secret… and her heart? My main character, June, believes she has a faulty heart because the woman she was cloned from--her mother who is also her father’s dead wife--died of a heart attack at 32 years old. June’s an avid runner as a way to keep her heart healthy. The heart issue makes her sometimes disregard the danger she faces because she thinks she’ll die in a few years anyway. February 12th through the 19th, Love, Lies & Clones will be on sale for 99 cents for Kindle. I keep being told Love, Lies & Clones is a page-turner and they can’t put it down. Then, I get asked when the sequel is coming out. It’s one thing to be told your book was enjoyable or good, but it’s another when your readers can’t put it down and want more. Being my first novel, I was really nervous about reader feedback. If given a chance, which author (living or dead) would you like to meet (have met) and why? Michael Crichton. His writing inspired me since childhood. I love the mix of science, especially medicine, integrated with our normal world—the world around us. He was a physician and used his expertise throughout his stories. Another thing I really like is he wrote across multiple genres. In fact, many of his books didn’t fit into one specific category. Speculative Fiction/Science Fiction, Thriller, Action & Adventure, etc. Hmmm. I have two main characters. June would be Jennifer Lawrence… well, the blond version of her. Elliot would be Ben Affleck… if only he was 10 years younger. This is a terribly difficult question since I don’t follow pop culture closely. Okay: Nerd alert. ;-) I’m a pharmacist. I always try to incorporate a little of this into everything I write. In Love, Lies & Clones, there are tranquilizer darts, medical cloning, and some sedatives. In my current novel I’m writing, one of my main characters is an emergency medicine physician and there are a few medications mentioned. The idea formed and stayed in the back of my mind since 2003 when the cloned sheep, Dolly, died. I often wondered, what would happen if they cloned humans, and what ethical issues would the humans face? My argument was always that they’d be as human as you and me. That sparked this story. The main conflict is June’s father disappears. She tries to get the police to help, but she can’t tell them her dad’s involvement in human cloning—since it’s illegal in her world. Since the police don’t know everything about her dad, and they are occupied hunting down a serial killer, June sets out to find her father herself. Oh, then June becomes the target, with the serial killer on her tail. The secondary conflict is Elliot, an AWOL military man, is missing his brother. He feels June maybe able to help locate him. June doesn’t want him tagging along, as she doesn’t trust him and can’t tell him her secret. He’s persistent and won’t leave her alone… plus, she’s attracted to him, but has sworn off men since she knows her heart’s faulty. She won’t break anyone’s heart. What is your favorite quote from the book? “My father always said to take our secret to my grave… I didn’t realize I may also take it to his.” This is my favorite because it sums up her moral dilemma with staying loyal to her father and doing what is needed to keep him safe. My favorite and least favorite aspects of publishing are the same. There are SO many books on the market. Choices are fantastic for a reader. If you want to read about a one-eyed furry red alien that lives in a cave in Canada, there may be a book about that out there. But the problem is that if you wrote this book, you have to wait for this one person to come along and find it. The market is flooded and unless you’re lucky, built a huge fan base, or have written one of the most exceptional novels ever, it’s hard to get noticed. Self-published. Writing is my hobby. I really enjoy doing it, but don’t want the pressures of it being my bread and butter. Writing is hard enough without adding financial stress to the process. Self-publishing cuts the wait time and not being at the mercy of literary gate-keepers. I also wanted the experience of managing every aspect of the novel writing process. I wrote the story, designed the cover, created a publishing company, published it, and now am discovering marketing and promotion. All of which, I’ve learned so much and wouldn’t trade it for anything. Well…except for a chance to take a few years off of work and travel the world. Nah, not even that. I dabble in so many genres already that I end up struggling to define what genre each of my novels fall into. Love, Lies & Clones, my only published book so far, falls into science fiction / mystery even a little thriller near the end. I have another near publication that’s fantasy / mystery. I then have more of a chick-lit / superhero one in first draft format. All of them have some underlying “clean” romance laced throughout. So, I don’t stick to one genre… Other than being under the speculative fiction umbrella. Oh, I also grew up living at a zoo (okay, bring on the jokes), so I consider writing a non-fiction memoir about some of the crazy stories of my childhood. Joy was kind enough to share an excerpt from Love, Lies and Clones below: Six in the morning wasn’t the time for visitors, but Thursday disagreed with me. Before my intercom chirped, he sprang off my bed and rushed to the front door with his tail wagging. “What is it?” I snatched my uniTab from my nightstand while trying to keep up with my furry companion. The way his entire hind end swayed in rhythm to his tail made me smile. His ears were at full attention, which for a Vizsla-lab mix was saying something. The man’s image on the uniTab’s screen made me stop. With a shaky hand, I rubbed my eyes. It couldn’t be. My father had found me. Despite a new pair of glasses, his chocolate brown eyes and round face gave him away. My heart thumped, and I forgot to breathe as memories of our last encounter flooded my thoughts. Was it too late to crawl back into bed and burrow beneath the covers? Thursday barked and bounded around me, while I took a deep breath. Tou can do this, June. I touched ‘speak’ on the display. “What do you want? It’s been three years.” “May I come in?” His words were polite, yet his voice was edgier than I remembered. “This isn’t a good time.” It would never be a good time, especially not today. “I have to go to work in an hour, and I need to get ready.” My father looked at me like only a father could—one eyebrow raised and head cocked. It reminded me of how he used to wait for me to spill whatever mischief I had been hiding from him when I was a kid. It appeared the look still worked on me as an adult. With a heavy sigh, I clicked ‘unlock’ as I walked to greet him. As I opened my door, Thursday pushed his way through to sniff the guest. My father rubbed my dog’s head and strolled across my living room into the kitchen, sitting down at the round pine table. I fought the urge to cross my arms over my chest. Nothing like making yourself at home. He seemed younger. Sure, he sported a few more gray hairs and a couple of extra crow’s feet wrinkles, but he looked good. The last time I saw him, though, he was downing a bottle of cheap whisky. I scrutinized the sixty-some-year-old man, examining him for bloodshot eyes, glazed expression, or a flushed face. Nothing. Was he sober? I focused on the scents in the room, picking up the faint odor of lemon from my recently scrubbed floors, but no alcohol. His clothes appeared clean. Wrinkles ran deep in his plaid shirt, but he hadn’t been this put together since I was a child. Keeping the table between us, I leaned against the kitchen countertop and realized how small my duplex truly was. My finger rubbed a worn spot on the laminate while I waited for him to talk. “Who’s this?” He ruffled the light reddish brown fur behind Thursday’s ears. My fingertip heated from rubbing the counter, and I pulled away. “How’d you find me?” “I have my ways,” he said. My jaw tightened. “Forget it then. Let’s get to the point. Why are you here?” “There’s no easy way to say this.” He exhaled and ran a hand through his short hair. “You need to get out of town.” I laughed. “That’s ridiculous. I don’t think so.” “Sit down.” He eyed the kitchen chair across from him. “I don’t have time for this.” “Too bad. Sit down.” “Can’t you call me later?” “This is too important.” His voice was firm and, like always, his eyes avoided my face. “Sit down.” I felt like a child again, even though I hadn’t lived with him in twelve years. I plopped down and folded my arms across my chest. He still didn’t look at me. “I’ve been asked to help with another cloning project.” “So? Why should I leave town because of that?” “I’m going to say no.” His words were calm and firm. “I still don’t understand.” “I’m afraid of what they’ll do to make me help them.” “What who’ll do?” “You’re paranoid.” Images from my childhood surfaced. “I’m not paranoid.” I stood up and pushed my chair in harder than intended. “You’ve always been paranoid.” I glanced at the time on my universal oven. “I need to shower and get to work. I’m not leaving town. I have a career, bills to pay, and a life. I can’t just pick up and leave.” Copyright 2016 Joynell Schultz. Reprinted with permission. Exclusive Interview with Morgan C. Talbot Todays’ exclusive interview is with novelist and MTW_2017 participant, Morgan C. Talbot. Morgan lives and writes in Walla Walla, WA and her newest release is titled, Nine Feet Under (Caching Out Book 3). It’s a Traditional/Cozy Mystery, available in paperback, .epub, and .mobi formats. Here’s a blurb from the book which was named a Big Al's Books & Pals 2014 Readers' Choice Awards: Mystery Nominee: Margarita and Bindi have big plans for the Fourth of July, involving borrowed bicycles, a geocaching power trail, live podcasts, and plenty of fun. But their day quickly goes awry when they stumble upon what looks like a murder in progress. Strange rivalries and secret alliances test Margarita’s puzzle-solving skills, and Bindi suffers a rather painful setback when she comes face to face with someone she never thought she’d see again. The overly stoic sheriff can’t be in two places at once, so the girls need to figure out whodunit and rescue the next potential victim before the explosive finale. Willamette Valley heat waves don’t get that hot, but the humidity can be pestilential, and A/C is not a universal luxury in small towns more accustomed to days of fog and rain. I tossed my main characters out-of-doors on such a broiling day so they could try to solve a murder mystery in the same conditions I experienced during the summers of my childhood. Additionally, one of the other characters is based on a real person—something I almost never do. Offbeat Vagabond reviewed the book and said “Every time I thought I was right, she threw [me] for a loop.” I always try to leave enough clues that the killer is obvious only in retrospect, and it seems like I nailed it again with Nine Feet Under. Agatha Christie. I want to ask her for tips on notebook organization. She’s known to have had dozens of notebooks throughout her lifetime, one in most rooms of her house at any given time, so she could jot down story ideas as they came to her. I do something very similar, but I want to pick her brain on what she did after she wrote them down. Did she cross-reference? Bookmark her favorites? How did she organize them so she could pull from them and create future books? I’m desperately curious to know if she had a more efficient method of corralling her ideas than I currently use. Honestly, I’m terrible at thinking this way. I have no idea which actors would be good for the roles of my characters. Their faces don’t match the faces in my head, and I think typecasting is an unfortunate thing to be avoided, so I don’t want to borrow people from cozy mystery movies I’ve seen on the HMM channel. And I have nominal aphasia, so I’m particularly terrible with names when put on the spot. If this event were ever to take place for real, I’d leave all of this up to my casting director. I ran a hay baler one summer—that was awesome. Worked in a large hospital business office for a few years. I loved working in a professional laundry in the Napa Valley—such efficient machinery. I’ve also been a content editor for a small press, and I currently write books at whatever pace I can maintain, while juggling school-age kids and medical issues. I enjoy the hobby of geocaching. Honing the skill of spotting things that are disguised in plain sight was so much fun! And I’ve always loved reading mysteries. The two concepts merged in my head, and when I realized no one had written any geocaching mystery books, I decided to try my hand. Geocachers are always so excited to find fiction books that deal with their specific hobby, and that makes me happy. My next series is culinary/cozy in nature: the Moorehaven Mysteries series. The first installment, Smugglers & Scones, will be out in early February of 2017. The series follows a B&B owner in a small Oregon Coast town known for its world-famous mystery writer, A. Raymond Moore, who used to live in the Victorian mansion that became the B&B. My plots have a current timeline and a historical one, and there’s always yummy recipes in the back. I’m writing the second book now, and it’s making me hungry. I’m a hybrid author. My mystery novels are published through a small press, and I have five self-published epic fantasy novels, in two series. Both methods give me different benefits and freedoms, and I enjoy seeing more than one aspect of being published. Never follow someone else’s guidelines purely because you think that’s How It’s Supposed to Go. Being a writer is art with a bit of magic mixed in. If there were one perfect method to fame and riches, we’d all be doing it. There is no one right way. And someone else’s right way may be perfectly wrong for you. Don’t break yourself trying to meet someone else’s definition of success. My first genre was epic fantasy. In fact, until February 2017 I’ll have more fantasy books published than mystery books. I was introduced to epic fantasy novels in high school, and I fell in love with the perfectly endless possibility of other worlds, magic systems, and as many cultures and creatures as I could conceive of. I have another eight-book fantasy series brewing in the back of my mind, but it still needs plenty of work before I’ll feel ready to write it. In the meantime, I’m focused on the mystery side of my writing, hanging out on the breezy Oregon Coast and creating clever murderers and delicious recipes. And somehow, all this fits together seamlessly in my head. I’m on Facebook and Twitter: https://www.facebook.com/MorganCTalbot/ https://twitter.com/MorganCTalbot And here is my website: Mysteriouser and Mysteriouser D.M. Barr is a LIterary Exhibitionist and Author Groupie who believes that others want to be read as much as she does. She will review both traditionally published and indie novels, interview novelists and talk about whatever she wants to because it's HER blog! Eco-Thriller	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0037.json.gz/line2726
__label__cc	0.742063	0.257937	Competitive Strategies (1) Motivation & Engagement (1) Committed Teams Three Steps to Inspiring Passion and Performance by Derek Newberry, Madeline Boyer, Mario Moussa Based on research at the Wharton School of Business, the authors provide tools for aligning members of your team behind a motivating vision, making team meetings efficient and productive, and closing the gap between stated goals and actual behaviors. How to Make the Most of Your Partnerships at Work and in Life by Gale Muller, Ph.D., Rodd Wagner Many of the greatest accomplishments can be reached only by two people working together. Tenzing Norgay and Sir Edmund Hillary were the first to scale Mt. Everest; Karl Malone and John Stockton were the key to each other's success on the basketball court; Michael Eisner was never as effective at Disney without Frank Wells. Authors Rodd Wagner and Gale Muller teamed up to lead a five-year endeavor to crack the code on collaboration and to discover what elements are crucial for two people becoming	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0037.json.gz/line2733
__label__wiki	0.988567	0.988567	Wed, Jul 09, 2008 page1 Afghans blame foreign spy agency for Kabul bombing DENIAL A presidential spokesman did not name names, but Pakistan’s prime minister denied his country had any role in the Indian embassy attack Afghan officials have evidence that foreigners were behind a massive suicide bombing against India’s embassy in Kabul, Afghan President Hamid Karzai’s spokesman said yesterday, implying that Pakistan orchestrated the attack. The spokesman, Humayun Hamidzada, did not name Pakistan’s intelligence agency but told reporters it was “pretty obvious” who was behind Monday’s bombing, which killed 41 people and wounded 150. An Afghan security report released earlier yesterday found that the bombing could not have succeeded without the support of foreign intelligence agencies, another reference to Pakistan. “The sophistication of this attack, and the kind of material that was used in it and the specific targeting, everything has the hallmark of a particular intelligence agency that has conducted similar terrorist acts inside Afghanistan in the past. We have sufficient evidence to say that,” Hamidzada said. “The project was designed outside Afghanistan. It was exported to Afghanistan,” he said. Among the victims of Monday’s blast were four Indians working in the embassy, including the military attache and a diplomat. Pakistani Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani denied yesterday that his country’s intelligence service was behind the attack. Speaking in Malaysia at the D8 summit, he said his country has no interest in destabilizing Afghanistan when both countries are fighting terrorism. “We want stability in the region. We ourselves are a victim of terrorism and extremism,” Gilani said. A senior official at Pakistan’s powerful spy agency, the Inter-Services Intelligence agency, said Afghanistan’s allegations were part of a smear campaign against Pakistani security agencies. “If they have any evidence to back up what they are claiming they should share it with Pakistan,” the official said on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media. Kabul has accused Pakistani agents of being behind the April assassination attempt against Karzai, a mass jail break in Kandahar last month and a string of other attacks. The bodies of the four Indians killed in the bombing were flown back home late on Monday aboard an Indian military plane, said General Ahmad Zia Aftali, the head of Kabul’s main military hospital. He said senior Afghan government officials were at the airport to see off the plane.	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0037.json.gz/line2734
__label__cc	0.746128	0.253872	The Devil's Kettle conundrum by Anonymous \| 231 comments Devil's Kettle Falls: the east branch (right) drops 50 feet over the rocky cliff; the west branch (left) disappears into a cauldron.Courtesy Mark RyanWith autumn in full force and snow already in the weekend forecast there’s not much time to get out and get some last looks at some of the many interesting geological wonders we have here in Minnesota. So I thought I’d end the tourist season (at least the geo-tourist season) with one last thing that will keep you pondering all through the dreary days of winter. Hopefully, next spring, when you come out of hibernation you’ll have a solution in hand to this odd geological mystery. Devil’s Kettle is a puzzling geological phenomenon located on the North Shore of Lake Superior. As the Brule River makes it way toward the lake, it gets split in two by a rocky knob located just above the falls. While the east half tumbles down 50 feet in normal waterfall fashion and continues toward the lake, the west half disappears in a very large pothole and is never seen again. Where does the water go? No one seems to know. Devil's Kettle: where does all that water go?Courtesy Mark RyanIt’s a heck of a lot of water (not to mention trees, rocks, and boulders) to just vanish into the ground. There’s been speculation that the underground river ends up somewhere along the shore of Lake Superior (about 1.5 miles away), but it has never been determined where exactly. One theory has the river following a large fault located somewhere in the lower bedrock. But this is unlikely since it would have to be extremely large to allow for so much water to flow through it. It would also have to be precisely oriented toward the lake. And there’s never been any evidence of such a fault found in the area. Another theory is that a lava tube formed a billion years ago when the rocks first solidified. Lava tubes can be found in Hawaii where fresh basalt is created by the islands’ volcanoes. The problem with this theory, according to geologist John C. Green, is that the rock at Devil’s Kettle waterfalls isn't basalt - it's rhyolite, and lava tubes never form in rhyolite. But maybe it's a hidden lava tube located in a layer of basalt directly beneath the rhyolite. After all, geologists have determined that the rocks in that particular region alternate between layers of rhyolites and layers of basalts. Maybe the swirling rock-filled glacial water that formed the pothole at the end of an ice age cut down beyond the rhyolite and into an ancient lava tube. That could have happened right? Well, not likely. For one thing the basalts found in the area aren't the kind in which lava tubes would form. North Shore basalts were flood basalts that spread out on the surface like pancake batter poured onto a griddle. But even if it were the correct kind, the nearest basalt layer to Devil’s Kettle is located much too far underground to be any kind of factor in the mystery. Cool video of Devil's Kettle courtesy the Superior Hiking Trail. So where does it all that water go? Over the years, people have tried to figure it out by throwing logs, colored dyes, and even ping-pong balls into Devil’s Kettle in hopes of seeing signs of them show up along the lakeshore. But none ever has, and where it all ends up remains a mystery. (One story claims someone pushed a car into the cauldron, but to get a car to the site and be able to dump it into the kettle from above looked nearly impossible to me. When we were there, my wife remarked it’d be a great place to get rid of a body. That didn’t set well with me – and not because of the difficulty involved in doing it. I made sure she walked ahead of me on the way back.) Anyway, if you want to go see this remarkable geological conundrum for yourself, Devil’s Kettle is located in Judge C. R. Magney State Park about fifteen miles beyond Grand Marais on Highway 61. To get to the falls you have to walk in about 1-1.5 mile from the park entrance, including climbing down (and up, on the way back) about 200 wooden steps. But the trek is well worth the effort. The park closes for the season at the end of October so if you have a chance this month you should check it out. Who knows - maybe once you see Devil’s Kettle for yourself, you’ll be the one to figure out where all that water goes. Or maybe some of you already have a theory. If you do, let us know. jdavid says: posted on Sat, 10/10/2009 - 9:14pm cant they just send some sort of tracking device down there ,then they could just map the entire route out short_long11216 says: that is exactly wat i said posted on Sat, 06/26/2010 - 11:01am I've seen it, and it goes hundreds even thousands of feet underground. Any form of tracking device wouldn't work that far underground. Nice try. I'm not trying to be a smart ass, I've hiked there many times and I've got no clue where it goes. Christelle says: If they can send devices out in space millions of miles out that far, how come they are not able to send something so close on, EARTH……?! How we transmit data in space is far and away completely irrelevant to this matter. Communication over the vast distances of space is made "easy" because radio waves travel through space at the speed of light and are mostly unimpeded. That's not to say it's at all a robust and reliable means of communication. But to transmit and receive data to and from geosynchronous satellites through maybe hundreds even thousands of feet of earth and solid rock is another thing entirely. In this era of unbridled information, how can one have such a flawed understanding of a pretty basic concept? Boggles the mind. posted on Tue, 05/17/2011 - 4:06pm yup i agree with you...they'll probably need to invent some new device for there..lol! kayscElias says: "Journey to the Center of the Earth" much? posted on Fri, 07/26/2013 - 12:56pm eskimopie007 says: Could we put a tracking device in a ping pong ball and just wait for it to potentially surface somewhere on earth. Even if it does take years or does get stuck in some kind of air pocket underground at least you might find a final destination eventually... posted on Sun, 01/27/2013 - 8:18pm Signals travel through a vacuum a lot better than they do solid matter. Or if you like, signals travel through the air better than they would through solid matter. posted on Sat, 09/01/2012 - 5:25am If it goes hundereds of feet down, it would have to somehow come back up to surface even at the bottom of any lake. No lake is that deep. Please explain exactly why you think the tracking device would have to come back to the surface. someone who can use google says: huh? no lakes are deeper than hundreds of feet? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_lakes_by_depth send a camera with a shock resistant case and a really long rope thats what ive been saying. i wanna kno so bad i want to start saving money to buy the device myself. its driving me crazy not knowing lol O THATS WAZ UP why dont they redirect the river and send a guy down posted on Wed, 03/16/2011 - 12:35am I would put a video camera in a small clear compact bubble sort of like a beach ball and send it down with a serious tracking device and extended 3 hr battery charger. I'm sure within three hours what is down there would be captured and then the device could be tracked at a later time if it ever surfaced "somewhere"....possibly China? Who knows...maybe thats the hole that connects two points on opposite ends of the earth. Just a thought. posted on Wed, 07/13/2011 - 2:08am what you could do is use the vidoe camera with some sort of extemely durrable clear bubble and attatch one of those REALLY REALLY long ropes that they use for anchors on ocean liners and then you (probably) could pull it back. azazel says: just divert the waterfall where it splits so no water goes to the hole. then it should be easier to find out posted on Wed, 10/31/2012 - 6:00pm They're either not interested in resolving this mystery or have already resolved it but don't want to tell the public because it's an attraction to tourists and perhaps if they did know or they did answer the mystery people would loose interest in this place. Mystery is the allure of this place, take that away and it loses it's charm. And some people would benefit more from keeping it a mystery or a secret than not and doesn't harm anyone. Although, doing this is not very ethical to say the least. Recently saw Jennifers Body & through googling various things as the Internet tends to do ended up here. I'd like to add a few of MHO's, most natural flowing water that disappears into the ground and seemingly a mystery as to it's destination is lost in caverns. It may never resurface or take a long time to reappear if it ever does. The problem with the methods of tracing the path mentioned in the original story is dyes disipate quickly with such volumes of water involved you virtually need truckloads of the stuff to do it right. Logs get caught very easily, ping pong balls will end up in a air pocket since they float easily both of which will not reappear obviously. These methods require that there is an outlet that's fairly close. Caverns can go for miles & it would be a longshot for any object to reappear once it had made it's winding obstacle ridden journey through them. Some groundwater may never reappear even given the apparent volume of water that would flow through the falls the amount of room underground caverns can hold is almost endless. Colored dyes while seemingly a good idea have solid pigments however small that eventually be caught along it's journey a flourescent dye may work if the same water reappeared at all & in relatively the same place which it may be dispersed in several outlets & not just one as most would assume. wow the same thing motivated me to look it up haha =D I'm not the most technologically savvy person in the world, but how hard would it be to drop a water-proof GPS unit in the hole and simply track it? posted on Thu, 11/05/2009 - 11:22am mdr says: I read somewhere that some students planned to do such a thing but I don't know if they ever went through with it. But I also read that a GPS wouldn't work underground, that it needs a line-of-sight. Whether or not that's true, I don't know. I said the sammme exact thing. With all this technology I'm sure they tried that already but don't wanna spoil the attraction they get with the mystery. posted on Sun, 11/08/2009 - 11:10pm misiowaty says: GPS will not work underground cos it uses satellites. It would be better to place a probe into the hole. It could be a very long and strong wire with a few sensors on its end so that you can monitor some things (magentic filed, video/infra camera, temperature, pressure, vibration, etc.) with the connected computer. tommie d odumes says: I with you with the technology of today camaras, tracking devices, etc. there should be answers. if you want to know how far it goes all you have to di si one simple thing...get a few miles of steel 500lb fishing line and forge an 8 ounce sinker onto one of the ends and make sure the rest of the line is on some kind of rotatating spool such as an empty telephone company wooden canle spool.....then all you have too do is sit and wait....if you run out of cable you know it goes farther when it stops cut the cable and measure what you have left subtract it from what you started sith and wah lah..........also you could fashion some kind of water proof beacon on the end that runs on a lithium battery witha delay that will keep going off so you could hear it...bottomline is if the water can flow in and not flow over then somewhere it flows out no matter how big that opening is remains to be discovered...chances are from the looks of this is flows down into a cave and somehwere in the cae the water slowly drains out and chances are this cavern is hundreads of feet deep so it never fills to over flow posted on Sat, 11/07/2009 - 10:14pm Nels says: It is quite interesting to think about it, but maybe we're overlooking something, maybe we just looking to deep. Devil's Kettle might just be another mystery that the human mind can not comprehend, maybe it is more than just science nature. Sometimes we need to accept the things the way they are and appreciate that there is more to life than see the eye or understands the mind. It is there to remind us that despite our technological advances and our intelligence but we are still human and limited in all we do. We sometimes just have to look and admire, sometimes hope for a divine intervention or a small miracle. Really...really. I am a very strong christian, but that was ridiculous. There is gonna be a scientific explanation for something like that. read on another page someont commented "what a perfect place to get rid of a body??" scary thought right there..probably gave some psycho a great idea!!!! Anonymous2 says: I'm sure they would moniter that closely. besides to carry a body out that far in a hurry for most pyschos just isn't worth the effort for them , that is why they mostly just dump them as quickly as possible. You would have to be truly motivated and determined not to get caught to be patient and not panic to cover every possible base that may or may not discriminate you. Do tell me if you know that many psychos who would have that type of motivation. One or MAYBE two (doubtful) pyschos might do that. In reality, you have nothing to worry about. Unless you fall in the hole, then You would be screwed. couture78 says: So if astronauts can go into space couldn't they use the same technology that they use to go into space with,like space suits and long very long lifelines attached to them to go in an explore it,alternatively couldn't they build a small vessel like a shuttle of sorts where it would be equipped with enough oxygen and a strong line connected to it so that it can be pulled back from the pothole. And someone in the vessel with the communication tools that astronauts use so that communication would not be lost. posted on Mon, 11/09/2009 - 1:14am LoL. do you think the government or any privately funded group is going to take the time to make specialized suits? Just get a terran mapping radar, tie it to a string, plop it in the hole let it sink for awhile, pull it back up and then 3d model the data to give you accurate topography of the caves. We have the technology people are just retarded and lazy... With all the global warming, THEY should tract the water. for one day..... we just might need every single drop, in the rate it's picking up. Laziness is killing our world as we know it...... Hopefully one day some will care to realize it. But you’re right we are a bunch of lazy ass humans. :i Wait, are you trying to say that water just disappears when it evaporates? posted on Tue, 07/05/2011 - 12:00pm One, that there's what we like to call rain here in the Mitten. Two, I'd be worried about Oil running out long long before water, I got a big V8... and Three, the dude with the steel line and spindle idea is pretty correct except, we gotta throw down a shit ton of big ass hooks and bait too catch whatevers lerkin down deep in that dark ass hole. Cook'em up for dinner. did you know we know more about the surface of the moon than the bottom o te deepest ocean I looked this up after seeing it on the movie Jennifers Body, but anyway to truly find out where the hole goes has anyone thought to sandbag to fall and/or when the water is flowing at it's least and send a diver down and see where it goes. Epilogue says: I live about 15 minutes from the kettle. If anybody had any ideas you'd like me to try. Let me know. I am interested in knowing where it goes as well. Jump in with a waterproof camera and some long rope. take some pics and send them to me. you should try diving down there just as far as you can go.. just to see whats up!! lol just kidding dont do that!! if you disappear i wouldnt want to be involved in investigation!! Why not get one of those deep-sea fishing underwater gps trackers from a fishing store and then you can extend it and see how deep it is up to 10 miles and up to 15 miles in range. Brithin says: hi epilogue have you tried what an anynomous said about wire and or rope? and see how deep it go? im not from usa and i check this out also... after watching jeniffer's body XD BlitzKraft says: I too ended up here after watching the movie "Jennifer's body". I'd like to ask - how big is the hole that's sucking all the water?? May be someone should report it to the Discovery Channel or NGC... kermit30au says: I found this phenonmena very interesting also. I wonder how come they didnt divert the water flow for a while and got some cave experts or divers to have a look around while there is no water flowing in. I personaly think this water is going very deep and into the water table. Here in Australia they say some of the old aquafers are holding water over 1000 years old that moves very slowly over large areas underground. If this is happening there you wont be seeing any dies coming out anyplace as its still traveling slowly underground and proberly disapating..... Anyway thats my thoughts for the day :) Yes Kermit, but we're talking about a hole that lies 1.5 miles from the largest body of fresh water in the world. [Heck] along the north shore here, the depth can drop off to 800 feet with just a couple of miles of the shore, so saying that it goes deep...yeah, it may...but the lake it sits next to is deep too...over 1300 feet at it's deepest! This whole thing is just so flipping interesting, I really wish they'd do a National Geographic show on it or something. Correction, volume wise, the largest body of fresh water in the world is Lake Baikal in Russia. rickelodeon1 says: just a thought. why not try a remote robot camera like in themovie the abyss? a device like this would be able to take a lot of water pressure and banging around. the only obvious difficulty is cable lenght. as far as a coverup of the answer to the mystery, a private effort could solve it without "yhem" tampering with the results. maybe, just maybe, the heat underground vaporizes the water if it heads up to earths mantle. :) caamden taan says: again i watched jenifers body to be brought here... someone must have absailed into the kettle..? i would...if i was not so scared of monstes. So we build dams all the time that hold back water why not build a temporary one up stream a bit that diverts all the water to the left fall in the season that has the lowest water flow for the river and then send someone down the hole i haven't seen the waterfall in person but from pics it looks like the right side fall could handle the water flow that would happen if they diverted the flow temporarily and I'm sure there are many cave divers/spelunkers that would jump on the chance once it was blocked off to fill the mystery and try and find were it goes. I like this idea. I wonder if we can get some government support for it. Spikepa1 says: Lol diverting that amount of water would cost millions who thinks the cost would be worth that.I live in Pennsylvania 10years ago they diverted the Delaware river for ecological reasons or cost taxpayers over 5 million dollars and ther was road access on both sides I can only imagine what diverting the kettle would cost without decent access so no diversion is no option I don' think it would cost millions to divert the flow. A few hundred sand bags would probably do it. Yes that is exactly what the government should be spending money on during a time of war and a recession. I can deffinitly see the tax payers of this country being happy with that idea.........think before you talk next time Jedi says: hahaha, i agree, i don't wanna pay tax for stupid war making peeps broke, i rather pay to see something awesome like that quia says: hey dont be so rude, the money is being wasted anyways, i'd surely wanna kno where it goes...jennifers body watcher too... Actually i would rather spend tax money in an geological find than in stupid wars with no reason to be... posted on Tue, 03/29/2011 - 4:00am That was a bit rude. So all the other comments about space suits etc are not going to cost money then? shouldn't you tell everyone else to think before they talk. If you have no constructive critisim why not THINK before you speak yourself next time. The idea sounds pretty good why not save your bad mouthing for facebook bmorgan says: wow dont be so rude anonymous..its a good thought and technically the tax payers arent happy anyways..lol so why not try and solve a big mystery..honestly it would make alot of people happy, because it could very well answer scientific questions as well as maybe historical ones. The government is wasting money on alot more ridiculous things anyways layla!! <33 says: I've been watching this movie Jenifer's body and i wanted to know if that is true can you drop a ball in the hole will it suface?and im writing a story on there is there a town near it? Layla - as the story relates, over the years people have tossed various things into the pothole never to see them again. It's just not known where (or even if) that part of the river comes out in Lake Superior. Devil's Kettle is located along the North Shore of Lake Superior in Judge C. R. Magney state park between the small communities of Covill and Hovland. The closest large town is Grand Marais, MN located 14 miles southeast of the park on Highway 61. PGA Pro says: Yes, once again, my girlfriend and I fell victims to the movie. I immediately paused the flick and started searching online for these "falls". There are a lot of good ideas out there. I'm betting that SOMEONE HAS to know where it ends. I gave it some thought...why not use a tracking device, like the ones they put on whales, sharks, deep dea angler's and stuff? These beast obviously live in the deepest waters of the world and survive through some pretty tough test with Mother Nature, etc.. One could "install" one in something big, like the size of a beach ball or something, stronger though...something...and, well, just wait and track the darn thing? Who knows, perhaps it connects to the river below the falls and they just made this mystery up to attract tourist or something. posted on Fri, 01/08/2010 - 12:48am I don't understand what the problem is, whether people are illiterate or just don't want to be bothered to read the above comments. YOU CANNOT USE A TRACKING DEVICE LIKE GPS OR WHAT THEY "USE ON WHALES" BECAUSE WATER ABSORBS/DAMPENS PRETTY MUCH EVERY FREQUENCY SO MUCH THAT WE CANNOT "TRACK" THEM UNTIL THEY SURFACE! Now, using a camera with a cable, seems the only viable option to me. Besides, its just a bunch of water falling into a hole, if you watch Planet Earth or something, you will understand the vastness of underground caverns, and this wouldn't be such a "mystery". But that wouldn't be very good for tourism (you can stay out of my north woods for all i care, the less people the better off nature is) Exactly - you can't track them until they SURFACE isn't that the goal to see where the water reappears. the big poo says: It would work when it eventually resurfaces though, assuming it doesnt get trashed or run out of charge by then Has anyone went scuba diving there or is it too risky? Since it's uncertain where the pothole leads, I'd think scuba diving would be too risky. This could be the water (and water vapor) headed to Yellowstone National Park supplying Old Faithful... Could make sense with the rising of Yellowstone Lake and the upheaval of land in that area; could be a massive amount of air pressure pushing the land up and getting ready for a mammoth explosion. Perhaps The Discovery Channel or NG should explore this to see if there is a correlation before it's too late. Just a thought... John... says: I have to laugh when I see so many people who have watched Jenifer's body and then looked for the Devil's kettle on the net. But I to did exactly that, and to be honest I was surprised it was fact I was sure it was going to be just part of the movie and fiction. Of course I would also love to know were the water (and all the other stuff) goes but I would be VERY suprised if scientists did not really know. I bet they have it mapped out etc already but stories like this make money for the area just like Nessie and loch Ness up the road from me. Speaking of Loch Ness one of the theories for Nessie is there is some kind of portal (time, dimensions etc) in Loch Ness and that is why Nessie appears and disappears etc. Maybe the devils Kettle in one two !! So anyway can anyone explain to me what all these ping pong balls, logs and a car are doing in Loch Ness S I was unaware of the reference to Devil's Kettle in the "Jennifer's Body" when I first made this post. But you're right, it seems to have drawn lots of readers to this site. I'll have to rent the movie sometime. Regarding geologists actually knowing where the water goes and not saying: I tend to believe those I've talked to about the subject. As with most conspiracy theories, there'd have to be a whole bunch of people involved to keep such a secret quiet forever, and I don't think our species is capable of keeping its collective yap shut. Over time, allegiances change, personal motives take different directions, people become disgruntled for whatever reason, or just want to come clean. Also, scientists tend to be extremely competitive. If someone did discover where the kettle's water ends up, you can rest assured they'd be making it public in some way or another as fast as possible. I think it is a short cut lead to CHINA... hehehehe.. Someone from the other side get free logs, ping pongs, and car and resell in ebay. haha lol good one John!! i think those ping pong balls and logs and a car are for Nessie to paly with once it apper again...lol Maybe this is where Marshall, Will, & Holly, found the Land of the Lost??? There may be dinosaurs and sleestak down there. den says: So has anyone ever asked anyone from the government? Are we the only ones interested in the devils kettle? I don't think so. Has there ever been a time in history that devils kettle has been closed, where no one could go near it? That might shed some light on weather there was a government envolvement. I read a book a couple of days ago, a murder mystery, that included the devil's kettle. The book is Unraveled Sleeve by Monica Ferris. I won't say anything else about the book, in case anyone wants to read it. Any fish in the river? If so do they have the same trace pollutants in them as the ones in lake superior? A boyant GPS transmitter will show the location when it pops up from the other end.(most likely Lake Superior) i,m with this guy. if theres fish in the river then catch a load of them tag them with transponders & wait... posted on Fri, 05/25/2012 - 9:11am I also watched jennifers body which by the way was a good movie and it had led me to do alittle research as well. Because i didnt think it excisted but one that likes to look up this type of stuff includeing the cresent hotel i think for the devils kettle i think they do need to lower something down in there just to see where it goes and there is such a thing that they can as well as send a cam corder water proof of course to see what all is in there maybe you would be suprised and if any bodies have came up missing well that would be one place to look right if i do say so myself. I am one of those types of people that likes to do research and see what i can find if i was a researcher then i would find out for myself just to see and go from there.Just like paranormal activity you seen what happen well i was at a lake where i live and my husband and i were at the lake fishing one night around midnight and this ghost of some sort was calling my name i looked up and there he stood looking at me wanting me to come into the woods i wouldnt do it and my husband of course made him really mad by flashing the camra he wanted me to do everything he demanded but i didnt listen and he attacked me i had all kinds of bruises and cuts that it was real and of course the police couldnt do anything and his name was joseph he had rapped a couple of girls out there and then killed them and then killed himself my 2 sister in laws were there with us that night and had seen it all as well as my husband so talk about spine chilling thats just like what people need to do is investigate that type of stuff like this beautiful waterfall see where it goes just to be curious.. GPS (Global Positioning System) receivers use a very week signal received from geosynchronous satellites 200 miles in orbit. The signal would not penetrate the rock for even a few feet. Chantiee says: Like many others, Jennifer's Body is what brought me here. Really interesting to know that it is actually really. Kind of scary, reminds me of that one movie THE DESCENT. But anyways what i think they should do is block the water from entering like creating a dam and then send something down there. Either a person (if they fit) or a little camera. If we can do space explorations im sure the government can do underground explorations. Who knows might lead to some secret underground civilization lol but that would be awesome to find out. I also agree that they probably know where it leads to but not want anyone to know. WE ACTUALLY DO NOT WANT TO KNOW HOW THE WATER FLOWS BUT WANT TO KNOW FROM WHERE THE WATER ARISES. NOW GPS LOCATORS ARE WEAK I KNOW BUT IT IS WHEN IT IS INSIDE THE DEVIL'S KETTLE. FROM SOME POINT WHERE IT ARISES IT WILL BE ABLE TO CATCH THE SIGNAL AND RESPOND. NOW WE CAN TRACE THE PATH FROM WHERE THE GPS LOCATOR LOST THE SIGNAL TO POINT WHERE THE LOCATOR RECOVERED THE SIGNAL AGAIN. IN THIS WAY WE CAN TRACE FROM WHERE THE WATER RISES AGAIN. Poisinivee says: Why try to find out where it goes or what is down there, why can't we just leave it is one of those wonders that never gets figured out, I rather think.....no..HOPE there are things out there that science cannot explain, good to see one mystery that has yet to be debunked. The reason why we cannot leave it alone is becuase it is our Nature, alaways has and always will be. This is who we are. Eventually Science does explain everything, it is why we know what we know today that better explains CRAP theories and frekin fairy Tales!! they have GPS's or whatever that can go to mars and be transmitted back to earth. though it still does recover after reflecting off all the particles in space. You would think the government has a device that can last through layers of rock... but i live in minnesota and has never seen this, once i saw jennifers body i want to see it really bad! To the person talking about transmitting through the vacuum of space...a vacuum is the easiest thing to transmit waves through, rock/water being one of the hardest.....comparing apples to bombs. hahaha.. that is the same thoughts that I have, and now doing research on Devil's Kettle because of the movie, and same, i'm from the twin cities, and it's gonna be a bish... driving up there, but i'm sure it's well worth it AARON HILL says: IS IT POSSIABLE THE FORCE OF THE WATER HAS CREATED A MASSIVE UNDERGROUND CAVE SYSTEM THAT TRAVELS MILES DOWN. AND IT COULD POSSIABLY ENTER ON THE FLOOOR OF MILACS LAKE OFF THE SHORE A FAR WAY OUT. AND IF ITEMS DO EXIT AT THAT DEPH IT WOULD BE CRUSHED FROM THE PRESSURE OF THE WATER. COULDENT WE DAM UP THE WATER AND REDIRECT IT. PROB A RROAB AND FLARE. SEND A DIVER DOWN WITH TANK AND PLENTY OF LINE OR A CAMREA AND SEE HOW DEEP IT TRAVELES AND OR SEE IF IT JUST ENDS IN THE ROCK. OR OPTION NUMBER TO IS TO SET UP A BEACON PROBE WITH A WATER PROOF CASE. AND ATTACH SOME KIND OF AIR SYSTEM ON A TIMER SO WHEN IT EXITS AN AIRBAG INFLATES AND LIFTS THE BEACON TO THE SURFACE Also, Aaron Hill, Mille Lacs is in the middle of the state, not on the north shore....it would have to be hundreds of miles long to reach Mille Lacs, you must have meant Lake Superior. if we sent a diver down he'd die because of water pressure KelsiDayle says: Woah. This just blows my mind! I've never heard of Devil's Kettle (or Jennifer's Body, for that matter) and I've lived in Minnesota most of my life. Now I know where I'm headed on my next vacation up north... Minnehaha Falls: With all the Spring flooding, this is a great time of year to see (and hear!) these raging waters. (Seriously, go check it out!)Courtesy Jesper Rautell Balle Hey! Some of you might not know, but our very own Minneapolis boasts a 53-foot natural waterfall called Minnehaha Falls that is definitely worth checking out. I definitely think NatGeo or Discovery or some other similar TV show needs to get behind figuring out this really cool geologic mystery. (After all, I'm not diving into that abyss anytime soon myself.) I would agree, I'm also in MN for my entire life, and actually born here in MN, but Devil's Kettle is going to be my on the road trip vacation there. After watching the movie, it's pretty great, and actually research to see if it is real or actually exist, but I'm suprised that it actually exist. Ali D says: I too saw the movie "jennifers Body" and at the first mention of the Devil's Kettle falls i paused it and began researching. My thoughts are to get a really long length of waterproof electrical wire and every so often have a ball the size of a basketball (sort of like the design of lights on a christmas tree). Electricity is pumped the wire which powers a mechanism inside the ball which makes it super hot. We then get a thermal device and track the location of the balls because the heat signatures show through the rock. (A thermal device like the one used in Aliens vs Predator when a Weyland Industries satellite registers a heat bloom underneath i think it was 2 kilometres of ice) Thermal device DO exist as last year in Australia a politician was lost in the snow and they used a thermal device to locate his body heat. The governent tried to cover it up but word of their methods got out to the public. I would very much like to know where all the water goes and what has happened to all the stuff that has been thrown down the hole. same here, the movie 'jennifer's body' leads me to this site. the only thing i wanna say is that i like this site so damn badly! ...from malaysia. Jalexia says: Same here,when i watched Jenifers Body i wonder more about this hole.Where in the world does the hole end at. things go in but never come out, It is like another world. I think that someone should put waterproof cameras, like they use to get pics of the ocean floor and fish, down devels kettle and see what goes on down there. There could be many possibilities and there could even be some missing people down there. Either way I just wonder why scientists havent figured out a way or put effort into seeing down devels kettle. Another possibility could be to dig into the rock formation around it somehow or knock the rock wall down to see what is happpening in there. Cerena says: I, like many, began researching this strange phenomenon after watching "Jennifer's Body". I am very excited to see this is a real place. I'm sure tons of teens have thrown things down the kettle.. messages in bottles, love notes from ex-lovers, wishes,.. etc. It is rather scary to think how easy it could be for a body to disappear down there. I would hate to slip. I don't know why this is so fascinating to me. I guess because the human mind is drawn to the unknown. Its so weird that no one can find out where all the water, ping pong balls, logs, etc.. go. I think it all goes down into a water table or something like that. I've been there before, and it's pretty cool. There are lots of videos of it on Youtube.com. My family and I hiked farther up the trail past the falls and we were able to cross the river onto these "islands" that were off to the side of the Brule that had water flowing in between them. We crossed on rocks that stuck out above the water, then walked around one island and crossed a fallen birch tree that was like 5 in. above the water to another island. It was pretty cool. We also found a beaver dam blocking the water between two islands and it made like a mini waterfall! Anonymouse says: Thermal devices do exist, that is hardly a government secred. Infra-red wavelength is close to that of visible light and just like light will not penetrate any solid obstacle bar a few transparent or translucent materials. Tens of metres of rock is not a transparent or translucent material, thermal imaging will not work. As some people have mentioned, chances are good that the answer is known to someone somewhere, but who wants to let the truth get in the way of a good story? It very likely empties into lake superiors water table at some point, need not even empty into the lake itself. Kurai says: Hmmm just saw the movie and am really glad this is a real place very very interesting..... Im not sure where the water is going since most the geological evidence doesnt support what most would think but it has to go somewhere and has to do it in a rather efficent and fast manner to displace all that water without causing a back-up..... Seems any device, craft, person etc you would send in there would come under very extreme forces and be completely engulfed in darkness...... Hmm maybe a small sonic device capable of mapping the inner chamber could be capable of giving us a idea though it would still have to deal with the forces of half a river of water rushing around but this seems the most viable way of mapping at least the first of which im sure are many chambers. from there that could at least give a idea of where the water is going out of the first chamber chasm whatever..... Just a idea. You would need a sufficent anchoring system to stabalize the platform for consistent images but at least you would get some kinda idea....not to mention building a rig to get the whole thing lowered into place....would have to have the parks and geological surveys permission etc etc you get the idea but def would be fun to figure out the mystery. Redirect the water and enter the hole, no better way to find out really. cameras are only gona show rocks and water, soooo helpful. gps n all that dont work, so plug it up and get down there. i dont see why if anybody knew the falls secret that it would be worth keeping its secret just to support the tourism of devils kettle. is the surrounding community really worth it? but even if the falls were to get blocked so someone could go down, there would probly be a huge bunch of people who would have a big fat cry and try stop it happening. i think its interesting but im not going to lose sleep over not knowing where the waters heading. into the ground, so what. but with the growing interest in this place thanks to the movie maybe the government might start looking into figuring it all out. who knows. as for the movie, nothing great really, apart from Megan Fox is in it =) omg i just wanna know where it goes... I also just watched the movie and decided to look devils kettle up. its really interesting.. i hope we find out someday.. How bout some sort of fish fitted with a cammera just a idea LOL... I guess I wasn't the only one who ended up here while watching Jennifer's body! hahaha! I'm definitely going to have to rent that movie. Okay..so I'm thinking maybe someone or some scientist can strap a small water proof camcorder on a fish?....and send it down that whole..like divers do under water?...and maybe they see what is going on down there.....because fish are great swimmers.....you can see and track where they go.... my guess? it enters the water table. water that goes down your drain and into your septic system, or city water treatment plant, is returned to the earth. where the earth purifies it and sends it back up. all the junk they throw down there gets hung up somewhere. cant go further as the hole is too small, can come back because of water pushing it back in. any kind of dye wont work because the earth purifies it. they do use tracking dyes in rural septic systems if someone's well is getting contaminated. government comes through and flushes the dyes down every body's toilet in the area. then test the well to see which dye shows up. new a guy once that got the bright idea of hooking his septic system to an old underground irrigation system, to save money on a septic system. when sewage showed up all over town they flushed the dye, and his dye showed up all over town. but these leaks do not enter the water table. I would also be careful about involving the government in solving this mystery, they will hire some company that will pump something like that gasoline additive, MTBE was it? the stuff that traveled miles underground and polluted everything.you will find where it goes, have to evacuate the state, but you will have your answer. I would just dam it, divert it, and climb in. but, im telling you, you wont see anything. well, probably find a huge dumb of prehistoric people, animals, artifacts and a whole lot of criminal evidence. and a lot of ping pong balls. Attach gps to a fish and chuck it down the hole. I dont think the fish could swim with gps attached, but maybe a tracking chip/ Tierra says: Two Words: JENNIFERS BODY. I wonder if someone has got rid of dead bodies in that hole? Maybe thats where a lot of people that are missing and have never been found end up. woudln't it make sense that wherever the water is coming from that is going into the falls is where its going? I too have been directed here while watching the movie Jennifer's body and I can't believe nobody, including the scientists, havn't thought about re-directing the river water from the west side to the east side and stop the water from going into the hole. By doing this, scientists would then be able to do a more acurate hands on study of the hole and find out where it leads. Isn't anyone afraid that something will be ruined or desteoyed just to satisfy our curiosity? It's just another one of natures mysteries. So lets just enjoy it for what it is - amazing! Hi-power radio transmitter with inertial guidance. could give us a clue where is all that water going to.. I watched jennifer's body and decided to search devil's kettle. My mom believes that one stream leads to hell the other to even. Does anyone know if anyone put a camera down there? If they haven't tried it they should. surivra says: this place looks so cool! i first heard of this from he movie jennifer's body strange but true............... how bout throwing a gps into the kettle and following via satellite,,,,,voilla mystery solved ..same thing with a transmitter beacon posted on Thu, 08/26/2010 - 10:49pm Midget + diver suit = Problem solved Kenn says: my thought, do a science experiment and cut the bottom off a plastic bottle, fill an aquarium half full and place the bottom quarter of the bottle in the water... add a funnel then water to the bottle, well the bottle (devils kettle) will never fill up nor will the aquarium (lake beneath). My bet, there is a small lake like body of water under the surface and from that is an under water channel the reverts to a surface body of water. Everything that has been thrown in floats or sinks so never makes its journey through the channel, and the under ground body of water may be to large so absorbs the die that has been used as water is continually flushing in. Thats my theory, take it or leave it. me and the boys from work thought get a load of washing up liquid and washing powder, bubbles will start to show sooner or later I like it, but where will we look for these few hundred gallons of suds? (A tiny amount, when we're talking about the volume of Superior.) That's why I think we should take it one step further—let's dump a ton of horrible poison down the kettle. We can just look for the massive fish die-off, then. For Serious says: Well I sure hope it doesn't flow somewhere towards me with all that toxic crap everybody is putting in there. Plastic ping pong balls? Powder detergent? Nevermind calling Nat. Geo, call GreenPeace... I have studied this phenomena and conducted several experiments and finally found the answer. Far up-stream before the river splits to go in two different directions to the east & to the west, this river flows over a vast river bed and conected system that is very unusual and found know where on earth. This section of river bed that I speak about as far as I can conclude is 3/4 of a mile long and 1/4 of a mile deep. This quadrant of river-bed I call Porositybedrock... This is:> Used in geology, hydrogeology, soil science, and building science, the porosity of a porous medium (such as rock or sediment) describes the fraction of void space in the material, where the void may contain, for example, air or water. It is defined by the ratio: where VV is the volume of void-space (such as fluids) and VT is the total or bulk volume of material, including the solid and void components. Both the mathematical symbols φ and n are used to denote porosity. This equation along with my experiments concludes that the river bed 3/4 of a mile long by 1/4 of a mile deep is structured like a sponge where by letting water in or more so out. 50% of the H2o that flows over this 3/4 mile of Porositybedrock is recycled from all of the H2o that flows into the abyss/hole from the west river. The H2o falls into a system, tube like cannels 1/4 of a mile under ground and is drawn back 3/4 of a mile back up-stream by hydraulic pressure and forced back up through the Porositybedrock to flow once again down the same path as it has done for eons. All past experiments have failed because of the natural filtration properties the earth has. Ping-pong balls, dyes, and other pollution have been long filtered out. By the time that same water reaches back up-stream to flow down-stream once again there are no signs of what humans have done. Prove me wrong... OK first of all. Too many people here are just plain illiterate. (Meaning you CAN'T READ!) Many people posted that GPS will not work because of the signal penetrating rocks. That should tell you, NO MEANS OF RADIO TRANSMISSION WILL WORK! The idea of a small, robotic vehicle with a camera on a tether is the best one out there. No human will go down there, even with the water diverted, why? what is one other explanation as to where this place goes that NO ONE has mentioned? I had the pleasure of visiting this beautiful park this weekend. The hike was very tiring, but so worth it. Upon reaching the actual lower portion of the falls, the energy of the area changed. I felt uneasy. like someone or something was there, pulling at me. the farther up the last set of stairs I got, the strong the negative energy became. At the top, I watched as 3 guys, all in good shape, struggled to make a very easy return trip across a few rocks from the actual hole the water flows into. The return trip seriously involved 5 decent sized stones in the river to get to shore, and they had a hard time with it. I decided to pay my respects to the falls and went to the edge of the falls myself, and as I got closer, it felt like hands were grabbing me trying to pull me in. ( think of the scene at the end of the Scorpion King with all the hands pulling Imotep down.) I bet 90% of you reading this are going to call BULL**** and laugh, and the other 10% are going to understand. But perhaps, the reason NO ONE will go down there and nothing to date has worked is because it leads to a place no one wants to admit. It's called Devil's Kettle for a reason and perhaps once you go in, there is no coming out. Nytmare says: I looked up Devil's Kettle after Jennifer's Body became my favorite movie of all time... I was suprised to see that Devil's Kettle is real. Now, the one in the movie and the real one are very different when it comes to appearence, but of course the Hollywood version is going to look like that - but the most important factor is that the mystery of the real Devil's Kettle is not fiction. And maybe, just maybe...that's how we like it? I don't know about anyone else, but I've watched a million National Geographic or Science Channel specials about mysteries of the world, or UFOs, or "Monsters" ...and you know what? I always feel a little ping of dissapointment when they lead you through the whole episode with a snotty scientist who tells you a perfectly factable explanation. Why can't we keep a few mysteries unsolved? The truth is boring people. I can tell you, we will keep talking about and admiring Devil's Kettle as long as it's a mystery. Garunteed, if they DID do a NATGEO special or Science Channel special and DID find out where it goes - none of us would be fascinated anymore. We'd just say ..."Oh.." and move on with our lives and never wonder about it again. I like that we still have unsolved mysteries of the world. It's our human nature to want to know the truth of the earth we live on, but I think it's also important to our human nature to still have things to wonder at. Can you imagine how boring the world would be without places like Devil's Kettle? I'm personally glad that it's a mystery and hope that it stays that way. Here you go, get thousands of feet of REM wire or antenna wire and attach the tracking device to it, throw it in, and hope you got enough wire. Easy to make in large abundances and fairly in-expensive. Otherwise I bet it just ends up in the Superior or maybe another lake and as I saw above, the ping pong balls just get stuck... Dyes... well come on now, and logs have the same issue as the pong balls. Dale Randall says: The river water must be warmer than Lake Superior in the Summer. Just take a boat out into the Lake and drop a remote digital thermometer on a long cable down into the lake to search for the warmer water. Then when the slightly warmer spot is found, send a diver down to investigate the source of the warmer water. In the Winter the undergound water coming out would also be at a slightly different temperature. When the river freezes in the Winter, there might be a spot in the river where it doesn't freeze over as soon because the underground water is warmed by underground rocks. In either case the outlet temperature would be slightly different from the other water near the outlet! Kanaya says: yeah yeah i watched the movie too. mdr you seem to be checking out these comments pretty regularly. okay i've read most of them. diverting the river is what i thought of too. but here's a good one. we need to send something down that would have the instinct to get out. attached to it some sort of waterproof pressure proof recording device. obviously it wont be able to transmit until the device surfaces, so a mammal would be a good idea. or several mammals (example seals) to increase the chances of getting a result. there should be air pockets which they would find so they should be able to survive. and when they surface we get a bleep on one of several satellites tracking the mammals with an instant upload of the video footage. Are you thinking what I'm thinking, Kanaya? Scuba-otter?! Is that what you're thinking too? I've been working on scuba-otter for a while now, albeit for another project. (I won't get into it, but I will say this: we could finance Devil's Kettle exploration with the money I rake in from stolen pool toys.) Here's the problem: I can only get the little otters to hold onto the mouthpiece if a) they're already dead, or b) I wrap it in salmon. The former is useless, really, and the latter is no good unless I can find some variety of salmon that an otter can breathe through. The things we do for science! JGordon - aren't you scuba certified? I am, but it was through a correspondence course. It turned out that, like a cat, I freak out as soon as I touch water. Anyone near by ls likely to get scratched. $30 wasted. That's why I need the otter to do my dirty work. Not entirely wasted, actually. It's a very nice plaque. you dont need scuba. there should be many air pockets for the otter to breathe in. besides if you had to master the scuba idea you would have to ensure an unlimited supply of oxygen(difficult). and if u dont and the otter are not found before their oxygen runs out nobody would be able to release them, and they would be removed from the equation. i think jus send them down there with a waterproof recording device on otter size backpacks. anyway this site is way too addictive. i have work to do. chat again 2moro We don't know there will be air pockets down there, Kanaya. Why would there be? I won't gamble my otters on that. I've thought about sending air pockets with them, but the problem is that all the air just runs out of the pockets right away, or they float and make it hard for the otter to dive. Sorry, J.Gordan. you r right. we dont know if there r air pockets. jus thought it would be worth the gamble, but that may mean knocking off an otter or two and agaoin u r right, that is insensitive. maybe tagging a few hundred salmon and releasing them into devils kettle and just waiting to see where most would be caught could give us an idea. Tagged salmon? How are you with robots? This job could really use a robotics expert! Now that's a thought that crossed my mind. but nanobots. i am no good with robots. all i know is medicine. sorry has anyone considered asking someone like...i dunno...destination truth? t.v. show is the best way to go since they have the funds to figure something out, granted its not a monster or ghost, but its a mysterious hole and we obviously want the truth Brian Foley says: I would divert the water flow into the adjacent water flow and wait till the water recedes down the hole then send down a couple of cavers. More than likely the water flow is dissipated off into many channels and eventually perforates up into Lake Superior. Klown says: Give me some rope and I'll go down there. It has already been proven that the water comes out the Atlantic ocean! you people are so dumb, it is not a mystery. do the research because I'm not going to explain how this is so. if u want to know where it goes why don't you put a tracking device down it and keep track of where it goes and where it ends up. Superior Hiking Trail says: I really doubt it goes to the Atlantic Ocean (1,200 miles away)!!! If you would like to see some video of the falls you can check it out here - Superior Hiking Trail - Devils Kettle I would love to find out if anyone really knows. I have heard people say it ends up in Lake Superior but haven't seen any real evidence. Thanks for posting the video! I've embedded it in the story. Hi I understand all the different opinions about how a tracking divice would not work as they don't work underground but they would show up when they resurfaced - I thought that was the whole point was to see where the water ends up! So send down a tracking device and when it reappears you will have the answer. (If it reappears!) Seems simple to me. Maybe they don't want the mystery resolved due to the tourist interest. How about diverting the water long enough to explore where it may go Emi says: Probably the water source of another civilization....who knows...I might be right. The movie mad me look this up. Very cool, but it's not like it's niagara falls. you could divert the water adn send a line down. There are things like this all over the planet. I live in Rome N.Y. and there is a place called hidden lake no bottom. They have sent lines down all sorts of stuff. People have put old cars in there and miles of line, they run out? I think it is something to do with cooling the planet. The earths core is thousands of degrees hot. keep googling there is a place in death valley arizona called devils hole. There is more than 36,000 square miles of water under there. Divers have gone down 300 feet and have not seen no signs of the bottom. Cool stuff!!1 In The 1990s, New York State Stopped The Flow Of Water Going Over Niagara Falls. Why Not Do The Same At Devil's Kettle? Divert The Flow From The West To The East And Just Look In The Damn Thing. Hopefully, Spelunkers Would Be Able To Investigate The Passageway(s). I agree with the tracking device. I have read all the comments and understand that those wont work down there, but isnt the main reason to find out this that we find out where it ends and then start to investigate it from that way maybe? Someone could message guys at Discovery channel and let they figure this out maybe. Discovery* not discovery channel :) The problem with a cable is its pretty much guaranteed to get tangled at some point. It's highly likely the flow of the water has many twists, turns, and obstacles. Also, long cables tend to weigh a lot, and even if it floated, somethings got to pull it. A small electrical device simply won't do it. The problem with GPS is that it will not be able to transmit unless it surfaces. The problem with ANY electrical device is that it must survive the impact of a rapid curent and hard stone, and there is no guarantee that it won't simply be blocked by any random geological structure (not just rocks, but peat bogs, sandbars, etc). Yes it could transmit if it surfaced in Superior, but again, how will it navigate the current? If it is buoyant it will get caught in an air pocket, and if its heavy it will sink. If its motorized it would need to be able to transmit a signal to be controlled, and that's not going to happen. Self navigating devices do exist, but they are currently relatively horrible and we do not possess the tech to make it work, point blank. A camera would be great, but then it would not only have to light its surrounding area but also be able to train itself on relevant angles, which it cannot be told to do because we cannot send a signal from above that would reliably transmit to the device. Further, since signals can't be transmitted, we would need to physically retrieve the camera, which is the whole problem to begin with. To further complicate the issue, who says it even ends in one place? Many rivers underground and above lead off into many different places. Diverting the flow of a river is a lot more expensive than you think (simply google it to see the millions or billions of dollars required), and I don't see it happening to figure out what simply is a tourist destination. Sending a diver down would require a cable, and would be EXTREMELY dangerous. There is no guarantee again that the diver would even be able to physically get through what could be thousands of divergent holes, or simple a filtering peat bog. Whats more, we are talking about traveling a mile or more underground in a potentially lethal route, with no guarantee you could get back out. If you reached a point where you had to turn around, how would you fight the current? For the cable argument, please see above. Dyes dissipate, and Lake Superior is a big freakin lake. End of story there. Not trying to be a jerk here, but we have to realize this is something doctorate level scientists-some of the top 5% of our intellectual make up- have been puzzling over for years. These ideas have almost certainly been mulled over and rejected for the reasons listed above and more. The solution may exist, but it either is not feasible to will have to be FAR more complicated then using a fishing line and a prayer. COOL WATERFALL Can you imagine all the junk that is going to be found someday in a far off cave system where all this water is flowing? Ping pong balls, parts of dead bodies, wire, etc.........LOL all the tracking beacon people are missing the point... 1. GPS can be blocked by a TREE CANOPY....it is usless for this 2. where it emerges is a moot point because the thing obviously catches objects thrown into it. 3. a diver could not withstand being crushed into rocks by thousands of newtons of fluid force. the BEST, but non environmentally friendly way to solve this would be to dump a few tons of colored styrofoam balls, the really tiny ones that are a few milimeters in diameter and find them....hopefully, but who knows what kind of ecosystem might exist in the cavern? so this is not a justifiable risk. Kris.S says: sonar mapping device, steel probe body with prop & a combination of movable and fixed fins to provide direction and stabiltity large reel of (thin) armoured comms cable (not fibre-optic) to carry power and data, small generator... think thoughened version of: http://www.swri.org/3pubs/ttoday/Summer10/PDFs/Groundwater-Voyager.pdf drop (neutrally bouyant) probe into hole, process sonar data into 3D map of caves, direct the probe through caves to limit of the cable, if not in open air, get longer cable :) guess no one in the states is motivated enough... The CIA once put a microphone in a cat or a dog to attempt to bug the KGB in a public park. (Shortly thereafter it was run over crossing the street.) How hard would it be to put a night vision camera with a memory card and GPS unit on a fish. It would have to be a large, hearty fish, but it would not be impossible. I know how silly this sounds. Patrick N. says: As everyone has stated, the tracking device is not a viable option for unraveling the Devil's Kettle mystery. I think the allure of this place is the fact that no one really knows where it leads. I have visited the Devil's Kettle two times and would love to see it again. It wouldn't be nearly as special if we knew exactly how it worked and where the water came out. It is one of my favorite tourist attractions because of the fact that I don't understand it, not to mention it's immense beauty. The "unknown" aspect is what draws us to it and to change that would be a mistake. A probe might look like this: A neutrally buoyant fist-sized device housing a GPS receiver, a battery, a water-filled bladder with a one way valve, a satellite phone transmitter, and a small high-pressure CO2 cartridge. The device is running on a timer: after a certain number of hours, the CO2 cartridge empties some of the water from the bladder to give it positive buoyancy, and the GPS receiver starts searching for satellites. When the GPS receiver gets a fix while floating on the surface, the satellite phone transmitter begins sending out coordinates. Send out 10 probes set to 1 hour, 10 probes set to 2 hours, and so on for: For this volume of water, there probably exists an outflow with dwell time of less than a month. I can reasonably guarantee that this approach will find it if the outflow has successfully eroded away filtering barriers. BigJack03 says: Why can't they design a tracking device like what they use for deep-water whales? They only report their location when they surface somewhere. It goes to the same place the Bermuda triangle takes you. The 4th dimension. Lol Perhaps there is a pirate treasure hidden in there, filled with gold and gems with a curse on it OK how about rerouting the falls like a damn of sorts and then when it dries up a bit send some scientist down there or James Cameron so he can do another cave movie? LOL,this thing is awesome i took a research about it after watching jennifers body to,i dont think that it was also true the devils kettle i think it was just added for the movie but i was shocked when i knew that it was true it was very mystirious, i think it was going down to hell LOL! If you drop a gps, it would surface at some point, then ind out where it surfaced. DUH!!!! It MIGHT surface. If it didn't, what would that tell you? All we need is a Houdini and put him in there I say it all comes out as steam somewhere, gets rather warm if you go deep enough Dump large amounts of (eco-friendly?) chemicals that react with a certain other chemical or can be tested (even in small amounts) for down the hole, then go to probable sites and test for it. (next section is brought to you by: boredom) If we can't find it then, dump nuclear waste down it and see where people start dying. If nobody dies, Continue to dump waste until it all breaks free somewhere and it wipes out mankind. But, at least, you will have an answer. Anonymous, you're my favorite. I too seen the movie (don't waste your time to watch it) I did read all the post and I think that dye would work. One time at work we put 2 gollons of water based ink down then drain(oops!!!) It dyed the towns waste water to the point that they could not filter it out and had to let it go down the river dyeing it as well. A littel dye goes a long way. We had to pay a fine for it so get the EPA'S ok first. Why not send a video camera with lights or some type of small robot like used too view the titanic? NKDBiker says: The amswer to this ages old mystery is simple. It is an interstellar wormhole created by alien beings billions of years ago. The water travels into the hole and comes out on a planet many light years away. Nano, nano! Lorri G. says: Maybe someone already suggested this & I missed it, but, what about an underwater camera with remote viewing? Granted, it likely won't capture signs (like the post in "MASH" pointing the way to states & countries), but if it does come out somewhere, maybe the scenery will be recognizable...or we may have the 1st pics from hell. Gotta take a lot of water to try to put out the fires down there! Jam Master Jeffy J !!!! says: Not sure if any one has tried it yet but, the DNR has radio tags that they implant fish with to track where they go, granted these work using GPS which will not work under ground however if tagged fish were released into the hole i am sure they would find a way out some where, at that point its just a matter of waiting until the fish are caught to find where the hole goes. Although if I were to guess the water probably winds up coming out of a gyser in yellowstone. JN says: I just watched Jennifer's Body again this morning and it made me Google-crazy for the past hour. I am so amazed that the comments are still going on well over a year! I am sure everyone else is piqued about Devil's Kettle. Maybe it leads to an underwater cavern where the ancient deadly piranhas are. The ending of the movie 'Piranha' ? Those were the kids. Their parents are probably in MN :) Scary poo! patterth635 says: I like the thought of finding out where the water actually flows rather than where the water resurfaces like someone already pointed out, there could be a very complex ecosystem down there. Oh and stop suggesting the same ideas as everyone else, it makes for a boring read (i.e. GPS). The reason mdr keeps commenting is because this is his article. Zahir says: i agree with Jam Master Jeffy J i think it comes out as a geyser...and it does get pretty warm down there...who knows maybe they are right...but where did the dye and the ping pong balls go ? Please tell me we as a society are not this dumb. For example, sending a gps unit down a water filled hole would do nothing, just like the ping pong balls. If this GPS device were to float, it would simply be stuck in the abyss forever. There is no way a floating device would be able to mysteriously stop floating and go down a hole, if that is where this tunnel leads. It is able to get down this first portion because the water forces it down. Also, simple radiowave technology tells us that a GPS singal would do nothing while underground, so once it is under, we are essentially blind. High frequency can not travel through rock, or any other dense surface for that matter. Does your GPS work while you are in a praking garage? NO! So now try that same concept hundreds of feet below the surface. The only way to figure this out would be to send a tethered camera of some sort down the hole. Yes, tehthered, as in a camera connected to hundreds of feet of wire that would house a cable that would send the signal back to the surface. Sure, connect a GPS so that after days of being below the surface, once it popped out you would be able to track it. But the likely scenario would show that this camera would ultimately get stuck in some underground section that is too narrow for even a ping pong ball to fit. There is no way water simply vanishes, and who cares where it comes out. It could be a natural spring, geyser, or even the bottom of lake Superior. The bottom line is this water has a destination, we just haven't put forth the effort to find it. cant they put dye in the water and see where it comes out apparently they have put dye in the water to see where it comes out, but they would need alot of dye because a fair bit of water goes down they and the dye would just spread out and eventually not be noticed so it would have to surface very close or this theory would not work Somewhere... on the other side of something... random debris; logs, balls, multi-colored water, keeps popping up and those witnesses are asking the gods why they are receiving such odd gifts! I say they just send a small help drone down there with a GoPro camera and a powerful light the water might go to the mantle and turn into steam. It leads to a very commonly found underwater river or lake that likely ends up in lake superior one way or another. No one has investigated it because the result would be obvious and uninteresting. You conspiracy theorists need more meds Dr. Goodbody says: I feel we should use an approach similar to the Russian method whereby underwater exploration takes place primarily with the use of special military trained sea turtles. It just makes the best sense, why reinvent the wheel? Snipe3605 says: Cant they just send some kind of tracking device down the hole, so where ever it comes out it sends a signal and be located? It would need a looooong lasting battery and low consumption, but its possible. I like the tracking device approach; one could even outfit it NOT to transmit until it was back to sea-level. If you look up ?? oil industry wire-equipment -- for checking the slant of a drilled hole - they only go about 5-10 kft -- not nearly long enuf - and bulky etc. That site looks quite remote to bring serious equipment into; trash the pristine surroundingsetc. BerryNight says: Well I say that some one aut-to put a GPS down there even if u can't find it until it SURFACES because isn't that what everyone wants to know is when it SURFACES?? Just a thought that I wanted to share.... If all you think that's reasonable I will go and and try it sometime!!! Just saying... A guy above posted a very plausible theory from their studies and you've all ignored it! Anonyous says: Easy way to get publicity to devils kettle kill some one chuck them down it and send letter to the police saying where the body is few month every one will know the answer when government search it for the body NonVerbal says: Most likely the flow of water branches out into several small underground rivers. They have looked for a single underground river that it drains to but cant find it. I would suggest looking for several small ones instead of one big one. Sigh-ance Goo-ru says: I hate to be the one that completely solves the problem, but hey I am an engineer. First off knowledge is power. Recently I read about an experiement that sent nutrinoes through tons of rock and concrete which then displayed the text message "nutrinoes". The article explained that because of the physics and components of a nutrino it can pass through possibly billions of miles of matter before 1 out of a billion are detered. They are actually using this as a potential solution for a space mission to the dark side of the moon. As we should all know, there is no electromagnetic field that can pass through the moon to the other side (ie: GPS, Wireless, microwaves or even gamma). Rendering nutrino communication the only known method, which was recently discovered to be true. So we attach a very small receiver to a semi boyant ball place it down the hole. Using the nutrino tech we can constantly tell where the ball is. Heck if the ball is more of a device we could even send photage back to a reciever, rendering imagery and location. Although this is pretty applicable this experiement would not be evident for another 10 years or so, for the tech to be more developed. Cyberpope says: True, you can't track a transponder far undergruond, but at least if you can be watching for it using GPS, so you'll know where the water is resurfacing, if it does -- half a mystery solved is still a good start! Then you could put a camera on a robotic boat with a wire lead trailing behind, so you can watch exactly where the water is coming from, starting at the exit. . . One could even drop a camera-laden float in the top & have a mile or two of cable attached to it, to see as far in as possibnle -- that may give critical clues as to what's going on below. . . Surely it just goes deep enough for it to hit the earths mantle? Inner core or even core, highly likely it is the core but who is to say I it is undiscovered and is unable to reach? The water would go and it would dissolve into oxygen then into The atmosphere it would slowly rise up and there would Be more than enough holes through this hole where the condensation could disappear to, as for the table tennis balls and logs and anything beig thrown dow there the depth of the hole would or could make it shatters on the way down, if it's a big enough fall It would break and everything slowly dissolves over time right ? Looks to me as though the water enters the hole and probably joins right stream through a hole below water. StrawDust says: I dove into Devil's Kettle once & when I finally came out on the other end, I was somewhere in the Bermuda Triangle. There were thousands of spaceships & aliens down there. Not to mention alot of old ships & aircrafts. The weird thing is when I turned around to go back the way I came, I didn't come back out at the Devil's Kettle. I was in some sort of different dimension. I guess it must be a portal or something. Nobody seems to believe me though. Go figure. Now that I've answered the question of where Devil's Kettle leads, the new mystery is why the route back becomes a detour to a new dimension. At least this gives us an idea of how the aliens may be getting here. Jayk says: EASY!!! Just compile a list of all the waterfalls in the world where the water seems to come from nowhere!! duh! ;) Bill Gilson says: Easy Divert the water so it all go;s towards the Lake let the hole dry out then fine out where it go;s by hiking it then when you know reopen the old water route back to the falls and done No tracking device needed simple solution Wild Highlander says: GPS Does not work underground! The signals are not nor could never be strong enough to penetrate solid rock!!! Just take a GPS and drop it in in a waterproof sphere with a variale pitch lithium battery powered electric motor and after set it to surface after two weeks. Boogaloo shrimp says: Everyone keeps saying the same thing! GPS will not work through solid rock! Two possible solutions? A brave scuba diver or mini sub or divert the river and send in spelunkers (cave divers)! Doglover54321 says: build a hole with a hammer so the GPS fits the way i see it is if you guys are so interested in whats down there, how about you guys put your words into action!!! drop a GPS see if it works, drop colored foam balls down ther, or a camra inside an object like a ball.... dont talk about it do it!!! It comes out at Old Faithfull. Joking, but only half-joking....... what if the pressures/temperatures are so intense that no existing device can survive the journey back to the surface? Callum Pielesz says: Okay, I've been reading through some of these comments, some of the higher up ones that question the method of a camera on wire could be plausible, and should be tested. The ones questioning the use of human divers is too, plausible, but who in their right mind would go down there, knowing that in all likelihood its a one way trip. And now on to the the retarded and utterly stupid ideas and comments: 1. "they have GPS's or whatever that can go to mars and be transmitted back to earth. though it still does recover after reflecting off all the particles in space. You would think the government has a device that can last through layers of rock... but i live in minnesota and has never seen this, once i saw jennifers body i want to see it really bad!" The signals they use to communicate with such probes on Mars such as Curiosity are not GPS, as far as I am aware, still like many of the smart people here have said, GPS is a weak signal, it is relayed through satellites in geosynchronous orbit miles up above the atmosphere, it would then also have to travel through possible thousands of feet of solid rock, so for a GPS to be tossed down into the Devil's Kettle, would be utterly ridiculous and would NOT work. The next, possibly even more idiotic comment I saw was this one: "I too saw the movie "jennifers Body" and at the first mention of the Devil's Kettle falls i paused it and began researching. I would very much like to know where all the water goes and what has happened to all the stuff that has been thrown down the hole." First off, Thermal equipment would not work. Not in this situation. You would not be able to track such a faint source of heat through all the rock, such as something the size of a basketball. Secondly, what kind of mechanism would you propose you could create and then stuff in to a container of that size, the whole idea is just preposterous. Thirdly, you plan to use a "A thermal device like the one used in Aliens vs Predator when a Weyland Industries satellite registers a heat bloom" You do realise that doesn't exist right, and that in the Fictional film that heat bloom was created by advanced alien technology and would of been several kilometres across. Its just not going to work. Finally - This phenomena is indeed very interesting and an answer would be nice, I think your all expecting to much. The most likely explanation is it all drains into a series of massive caverns, which may NOT have an exit, the water can simply soak away into the rock and head towards the nearest water source, being the adjacent lake, this would mean methods like ping-pong balls and dyes are pointless. It may just stay locked up in there for millennia to come. For now it remains a geological wonder which will mystify the world for generations to come. Anonymous56356 says: You have a point...but, i think that they could easily just redirect the flow...wait acouple days (one day) have someone (or video device) on a cable down through the hole (you never know...it might not be a massive cave system) and see whats down there...but then there will be more comments on how stupid my idea is. but mine is way more logical then almost all of everybody else's ideas. (REALLY... a space suit? i'm sorry but that was one of the most retarded comments i have ever seen on this. Simple solution to solve the mystery! Encapsulate (waterproof) one of the "Black Box's" that are used on comercial aircraft in the event of a crash... everytime a plane goes down the black box transmits a signal on a specific frequency. The signal will not penetrate solid rock.... so, you connect the black box to a delayed timer so that it does not start transmitting its signal for one week ! The encapsulation around the black box would be engineered and calculated to keep its buoyancy slightly submerged (8-10 inchs) below the water surface to keep it from being stranded in a pocket in the cave/stream/kettle. If, after a week (when the transmitter starts to send out its signal) the signal goes undetected or is undetectable one can assume it's trapped in the devils Kettle somewhere. If after two weeks of no signal...... I have a second solution which I will implement as a fail-safe measure. I must keep this solution discreet until the proper time. man of adventure and chaos says: you think it would be illegal to jump in the hole and find out whats there? this is my new life's goal now XD. Maybe there's treasure :D! The arc of the covenant XD? Aliens? tacos???? who knows :D. im gonna go in that hole one day and find out XD. if you see something on the news about a crazy man gone missing in a hole without and end, that will be me :D! It won't work. Transponders that are used on fish only work because the signal eventually goes out into air. The kettle is underground. No fish would survive being dashed into rocks at high speeds for a very long time, not to mention humans with breathing gear. A cable might work, but the pull from the water will be incredibly strong. As for diverting the river, it will cost a lot, and will need to be carefully planned out. If the kettle happens to lead into Lake Superior, going that far is simply too dangerous for us humans. Long story short, it's a mystery that's really hard to solve. Where does all the water go? Answer: Underground. You're a genius! I understand that locator beacons won't work due to 1. the rock formations blocking the signal until the device comes back up and 2. the device possibly never coming back up (gets stuck, bobs up and down in a cavern, etc. etc.). Given the cost and size reduction of these devices for purposes of smartphones, however, it could still be worth a shot. If they don't pop up - well, at least you can be pretty sure that they do get stuck. For better luck, use fish - they tend to do well at getting themselves out of hairy situations and going with whatever flow exists in the water. A more passive option, and which can be made much smaller still, would be buoyantly neutral particles. They would have to be fluorescent so that they can be more easily picked up - perhaps even be made mildly radioactive (if there's one thing we know how to measure thanks to nuclear threats, it's deviations from background radiation) using a relatively short-lived isotope. The 'buoyantly neutral' bit is really the important part - ping pong balls are great for surface water flows but are horrible for underground flows. Not sure why they even bothered unless they tried to make them buoyantly neutral as well. However, three methods I have not seen mentioned are: - ground penetrating radar - which has a fairly limited range, but should work quite well through solid rock and, as a result, figure out deviations in density and thus any underground canals. - through the earth communication - which uses very low frequencies (unlike GPS and cellphones) to transmit signals through hundreds of meters of earth and, given appropriate receiver configuration, could be used for triangulation. The signal on the carrier wave need only be a beep that can easily be recovered. - slightly less respectful of whatever is down there, explosions. These needn't be large explosions; even a big firecracker should do the trick of generating enough of a spike in vibration that seismometers/geophones can pick up. Again given an appropriate configuration and some knowledge of wave propagation through the expected materials, triangulation could be performed. Successive detonations at longer intervals could then be used to map a probable flow. ( Note that while googling, I found that firecrackers literally were used for a similar purpose in a ground water table survey, but detonated above ground; Google: "Geological Survey Professional Paper, Volume 550, Part 2" plus 'firecracker', it goes into a fair bit of detail. ) These ideas may also already have been explored by greater minds and discarded for various reasons - I just didn't see them mentioned in the comments (though there are a lot and I scrolled past a few of the capslock-stuck ones). That said, I'm fine with this remaining a 'mystery' - it'll help keep this thread going for a few more years at least ;) As many others have watched the film as i did and fallen into the trap ( no pun intended ) and I also googled the Devils falls. Then to find so many comments on how to find out how deep the hole goe's. There's been lots of ideas 5mile steel lines ,ping pong balls , transmitters , one man subs , ect . Asumming the water goes to the lake One thought was to messure from the suface of the water from the lake to a satalite or heicopter, keeping a constant altitude , then retaking the messurement over the devils kettle at 1.5 miles from the shore line of the lake. Useing a profile scale from the water line from the lake running it level to 1.5 miles to the point of messurement at the falls from the satalite or hellicopter , then talking a virticle line at that point to the surface, you can callculate the distdance down to where the water level is , the distance would be the calculation from the water line at the devils hole to the suface rock, If we assume its 3miles 1200ft from a hellicopter at the shore of the lake and 1.5 miles in land at the falls ,its 3 miles meens the differance is 1200ft . so some where along the devils hole at 1200 ft , the water going into the hole will find its own level and maybe quite a large area quite calm lake body of water thats assuming that it does enter the lake being the closest point. At the point where the two levels meet is probable where there's a cavern or open area where the pinpong balls are. I hope ive not board you Im no maths tutor just a sailor so Ive probable got wrong. It's a tourist attraction!! Scientists have been working on this for years, my opinion is that they already know we're it goes but are keeping it hush to attract. Archeologists spend thousands scanning fields etc looking to unearth history! scientists do the same! i think they have the answer. it is a very interesting subject. I wonder how far back the kettle goes, When was it first discovered?? what if you make something to block the water(or a wall to redirect the water) the flow down the hole to the first fall so the hole would just drain out and go down there and check it out. send a person down id volenter but id have a couple of conditions , a hand gun, a companion some serions food and water and body armour, a flashlight, a lighter and some form of comunication like a walkie talkie or something JMD says: When I go to College in almost ten years, I'm going to see if I can design a probe to drop down the falls. This is my basic plan. 1. It would have a GPS to track its position. 2. It would have a camera attached to take video/pictures for scientific purpose. 3. It would be waterproof (DUH) 4. It should be fairly small, working like those robots that travel the circulatory system so that it may enter through the smaller passages. Anonymous, could you tell me if this would work? I think the water goes to one of these: 1. Hell itself 2. a groundwater lake 3. an entrance to Lake Superior (who knows where?) SpookySr says: OK here goes my two cents... The cauldron's underground track can be tracked without all of these ridiculous GPS devices, cameras, balls, etc. The way a geologist that really cared about this phenomena would do is have a GPR device scan the area either with a plane or a portable unit. GPR will reveal the underground topology in a radargram. I assure you it's probably not much of a visual experience. It's probably no different from any other cavern or cave that was carved out by water erosion. I hate to bust everyone's bubble but it appears to me that the underground path is not very long. In my opinion the cauldron drops down almost vertically a less than a hundred feet into the Rhyolite and Basalt. Then it turns abruptly to the south on an angle toward the Brule River into an underwater exit opening back into the river. Essentially the mysterious branch flows right back into the main branch within only a few hundred feet! So where did the logs, ping-pong balls, and dye go? Probably stuck in a underground grotto or air pocket. The dye was not bright enough and was poorly executed. It probably diluted by the heavy flow of the river. I'm sure if the right kind of dye (rhodamine WT - RWT) was used in sufficient quantities it could be resolved quite easily coming out from the exit hole downriver within a few minutes hike downstream. Certainly traces of it will show up near Naniboujou Lodge at Lake Superior. Somewhere between the Devil's Kettle and the next downriver waterfall (i.e. Upper Falls) before you get to Lake Superior, there must be an area that is bubbling up and looks like a wild rapid. That must be where the exit hole is. Imagine a letter "L" underground that is not very long. BTW - GPR stands for "ground penetrating radar". Here's another curiously... The Brule is heavy with Trout. You know they accidentally fall into the cauldron on the way down river. So there must be a large population of Trout if they can't escape the exit hole. Just wondering how to divert the Brule (west branch) so climbers could go down into the cauldron. Here's my version of a way using 48 inch FRP and a helicopter. Brenden Krauss says: I have an idea, drop a very, very long rope into the hole with a very durable camera that has an extremely long battery life, eventually the rope will stop moving, and when it does have a crank machine either A) pull the rope up and investigate the footage on the camera. or B) look for the camera at suspected spots. the camera would have to have two filters, night vision and normal mode, or something that could see in pitch black, maybe attach a bright flashlight to it. If you wanted to watch its journey for a short time live, then perhaps rig it with some sort of cable that allows you to do so. When in doubt, its time for an expedition! maybe we could just through a camera that is broadcasting live through it in there just to see where it goes to and then if we dont see or if legend is true then we could forget about it and legend would be solved Donald Steiner says: I would like to get a permit to divert the water down the channel and let all the water leave the kettle. Then repel down and follow it to its conclusion Holly J says: I'm going to count the number of times the term GPS is used here...then count the number of times the response "GPS doesn't work underground!" Is mentioned... By the time I'm done, the mystery will be solved. if you have migratory fish in those parts tag them 'Devil's Kettle' with the date and time you are releasing them, an aluminium punched tag or maybe a floating tag. Send down a few fish every year, they will if they are migratory fish work hard at finding a way out downstream and eventually they will be caught or the tags found. At least that way you'll know the river reconnects to surface water and have a general area. very low cost, no risk. just patience. Good idea!! Truett says: I believe the water goes to the inner earth. The planet is cavernous, like a block of swiss cheese. It may be one of many water supplies down there. It could drop hundreds if not thousands of feet. Anyone try a waterproof GPS device? Gearhead says: I'm sure a lot of Minnesota officials don't want it solved. That would be bad for tourism ($$$$). I'm equally sure Nat Geo, Discovery, H2, or Science Channel would pay to divert the upper fork and then explore - IF they could get permission - which they never will because of those same officials and the tourism ($$$$) issue. Some things are best ($$$$) left to the imagination. I am really curious about this but honestly there are some things we need to live without knowing, if someone figured out a way to do it that's great, but its always nice having some mysteries. My personal specualtion is that it leads to an underground river that eventually comes out somewhere far away from the original location Here's my thoughts. It would seem to me that the most likely solution is that the river rejoins somewhere along Lake Superior. The crux of the situation then becomes, "where?" Surely we are able to approximate the average depth and slope of lake superior? If not, there are several methods which can be employed to do so. Over and above this we are easily able to measure the flowrate of the Lake itself at different points. Do this along the length of the lake. At the point where the "devil's kettle" rejoins Lake Superior, the flowrate will see a marked increase. This will give a general idea of the region to search. As far as objects and dyes "disappearing" - Is it not possible that the waters of the devil's kettle are being "filtered" before they exit? Perhaps through accumulated debris? This could be confirmed by noting the overall flow vs the level in the Kettle. Filtration wont necessarily mean that there is no flow. Accumulation of large debris would stop the smaller debris as well as filter dyes etc while still allowing for the easy flow of water. I did notice a few people speaking about diverting the flow. I would imagine that diverting such a large volume would pose certain challenges. If it is in fact possible, Diverting a part of the flow into the kettle (rather than away) will confirm whether blockage by large debris is at all a factor. A free flow will result in the levels inside the Kettle remaining constant. Filtration will be indicated by a constantly increasing level inside the kettle. These methods may not give us complete answers but they should, at the very least, narrow down the search area.	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0037.json.gz/line2737
__label__cc	0.637263	0.362737	Tag Archive for: Norbert Wiener You are here: Home / Blog / Norbert Wiener Conference: Thinking Machines in the Physical World June 8, 2016 /0 Comments/in Article, Conference, Media, News, Video /by Adam Ford “Thinking Machines in the Physical World” invites cross-disciplinary conversations about the opportunities and threats presented by advances in cognitive computing: – What concrete, real-world possibilities does intelligence-focused technology open up? – What potential effects will “smart computers” exert on labor and jobs around the globe? – What are the broader social implications of these changes? When: Wednesday, July 13, 2016 8:30 AM until Friday ~6pm (then dinner) Where: Melbourne Uni Law School Building, Level 10 185 Pelham Street, Carlton Keynotes (see details here): Prof Brian Anderson – Distinguished Professor at ANU College of Engineering and Computer Science. Dr James Hughes – Executive Director of the Institute for Ethics and Emerging Technologies. Prof M. Vidyasagar – Cecil & Ida Green Chair in Systems Biology Science Prof Judy Wajcman – Anthony Giddens Professor of Sociology, London School of Economics Dr. Juerg von Kaenel, IBM Research – Cognitive Computing – IBM Watson Register here \| Main website \| Program Professor Graeme Clark, AC Laureate Professor Emeritus says “It gives me great pleasure to have the opportunity to welcome your interest in the work of Norbert Wiener and invite you to Melbourne to participate in this important conference.” Official Website: http://21stcenturywiener.org/ Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=etBMY6Orj50 Meetup: http://www.meetup.com/Science-Technology-and-the-Future/events/228816058/ Google+: https://plus.google.com/events/chcmpbupi30ffps4kf94gtn2rpc Facebook Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/625367860953411/ It is, I think, particularly in periods of acknowledged crisis that scientists have turned to philosophical analysis as a device for unlocking the riddles of their field. Scientists have not generally needed or wanted to be philosophers.	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0037.json.gz/line2738
__label__wiki	0.645564	0.645564	How Twitter Has Changed The Internet Marketing Landscape The Internet revolutionized how business was done and how a company marketed to its consumers. Then Twitter came along and revolutionized how to use the Internet to market products to consumers. What has Twitter done to change the landscape so much? One of the most interesting aspects of Twitter is that it has develop its own niche in the social media world. Facebook has many more users, but Twitter is easier to use and allows a business to connect with its customers in a more casual way. Twitter has developed into a mini-Google for consumers and allows for more targeted marketing for a business. Also Check : Twitter Verse: A Sea of Potential Publicity Social Media Marketing Tools : Facts & Stats (Infographic) How does a business find its customers? Simply put a hashtag in your Tweet and you will see exactly who is thinking about, or looking for, that item. Say you were a local pizza company, you could put #anchovies and you could see everyone in the world that was thinking about anchovies. Taking that a step further, a business could see where in the world that Tweet referring to anchovies came from. If the majority of the Tweets were local, that pizza company would know that anchovies on pizza might be a big hit. Even if the majority of the Tweets were coming from a town over, it would let the company know that anchovies would be big across town if another shop were to ever open. On the flip side, a consumer can take the marketing straight to the business. If a customer was thinking about making anchovies a regular topping, that customer could send a Tweet to the company. Conversely, if the customers were all against using anchovies on pizza, they could send a Tweet saying that the topping should be discontinued. Twitter has made it easier for the little guy to compete. Being a free service that connects to everyone in the world, it has significantly reduced marketing and advertising costs. It also helps build word of mouth and helps customers refer companies to other Twitter users. These referrals are what is commonly called affiliate marketing. What happens is that a person uses a product and tells everyone else how great it is. When another consumer uses the link that consumer A has Tweeted, they get a commission on the sale made by person B. The 10 Basic Rules of Social Media Marketing Top 4 Internet Marketing Tools For Small Business Businesses benefit because referrals are even more golden than a good advertising campaign. The consumer benefits because they get paid to talk about a great product that they have used. Other shoppers also benefit because of an honest opinion of the product used. The advent of the Internet make it possible for people all over the globe to market goods and services no matter where they were. Twitter then came along and made it even easier for a business to find its customers and build sales. Consumers are now more empowered than ever to seek out businesses and tell them what they want to see. Twitter has changed everything and made the buying process a win-win for everybody. Categories : Make Money, Social Networking, Twitter	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0037.json.gz/line2743
__label__cc	0.686053	0.313947	Be there tomorrow! May 30 Amendment 1 "Finish the Job" Rallies across the state! On June 1, the Florida Legislature will convene for a special session in Tallahassee to pass the state budget and decide how to spend Amendment 1 funds. On May 30, help us send them back to Tallahassee with this voter-approved to-do list: - Fund Florida Forever - Fund Everglades Restoration - Protect our Springs Find a rally happening near you and add your voice! This is our last chance to convince our legislators to finish the job and protect Florida's natural treasures before they are gone forever. Please join us on Saturday, May 30: tell your legislators to fund water and land conservation! Posted by Cris Costello at 12:45 PM Labels: Amendment 1 Big Sugar Summit online registration now open! Big Sugar Summit online registration now open! Click here! Visit the Facebook Event Page: Click here. Posted by Cris Costello at 3:58 PM Labels: Everglades, Florida Crystals, U.S. Sugar, Water Pollution, water supply Legislative Wrap-Up/Update The final chapter of this year’s session is almost over. The Florida House adjourned three and a half days early because of a severe difference with the Senate on whether to expand Medicaid or not, with the result that no budget was adopted (the one thing the legislature is mandated to accomplish by the State Constitution) and, from an environmental perspective, many bad bills died. There will be a special session from June 1-20 to develop and adopt a balanced budget. The joint proclamation for the special session does not include any of the bills that died as a result of the early House adjournment, so those bills will remain dead absent a 2/3 vote in both chambers to take them up. However, Amendment 1 funding is still on the table both because it is a budget issue and because it is constitutionally mandated. The legislature’s policy with respect to Amendment 1 so far is disappointing to say the least. During the regular session the House proposed to put only $8 million into Florida Forever and the Senate proposed only $15 million. Worse, each chamber uses over $230 million to fund existing agency operating and regulatory expenses from Amendment 1. These dollars are proposed for items like salaries of officers who enforce hunting, boating, and fishing rules, regulating fish farms, and funding salaries in the Division of Cultural Affairs. The special session gives legislators one more chance to finish the job and renew state spending on water and land conservation and programs like Florida Forever, Everglades Restoration, Florida Communities Trust, and Rural Family Lands. SCF issues during the 2015 session: Go to www.flsenate.gov and www.myfloridahouse.gov to see the full text of bills. Energy - Clean Power Plan – EPA's Clean Power Plan goal of reducing carbon emissions from power plants by 35% is one of National Sierra Club’s main goals. It was also the subject of hostile bills filed by Sen. Gibson (D- Duval county) and Rep. Wood (R - Polk County) requiring legislative ratification of the State’s implementation plan (SIP) to meet the carbon emission goal before submitting it to EPA and further, that any rules required to meet the goal would also have to be ratified before they could become effective. Rep. Wood’s bill, HB 849, passed its first committee by a vote of 8-4, but Sen. Gibson agreed not to pursue a hearing for her bill, SB 1076, and it was never heard in committee. Therefore, both bills died. A ‘Thank You!’ is in order for Sen. Gibson. On a similar subject, companion memorials (messages from the Florida Legislature) HB 949 by Rep. Rodrigues and SB 1228 by Sen. Evers, that urged the U.S. Congress to direct EPA to go easier on coal burning power plants did not pass. The House bill passed all its committee stops, but the Senate version only passed out of its first committee. Fracking - Bills to ban fracking in Florida. SB 166 by Sens. Soto and Bullard and HB 169 by Rep. Jenne call for a ban on fracking and/or well stimulation in the state. Not surprisingly, neither bill was heard in even its first committee. But there was plenty of action on fracking… Bills ‘regulating’ fracking and providing secrecy for well operators Rep. Rodrigues and Sen. Richter filed companion bills. HB 1205 and SB 1468 (Regulation of Oil and Gas Resources) purported to impose regulation on the practice of fracking in Florida. However, both used such a narrow definition of fracking (termed ‘high-pressure well stimulation’) that many instances where toxic chemicals are injected into the ground would not be regulated. The House version also included local preemption that would prevent local jurisdictions from protecting their residents. The bills called for well operators to disclose the chemicals they inject into the ground to both the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and the national website, FracFocus, but the linked bills HB 1209 and SB 1582 grant a public records exemption to well operators making it incredibly easy to claim the chemicals were secret and prohibiting DEP from releasing information about the chemicals if they had been marked ‘proprietary business information’. FracFocus does not publish trade secrets or proprietary information. In any event, residents or visitors near fracking sites would have no way of knowing what chemicals they and their families might be exposed to until long after any damage was done. Rep. Rodrigues’ regulation bill, HB 1205 passed the House on a mostly party line 82-34 vote Vote [Seq# 367] but his public records exemption bill was postponed on final passage and did not pass. The Senate bills by Sen. Richter sailed through their early committees but ran into stiff opposition from the public (Sierra worked with numerous groups including ReThink Energy, Physicians for Social Responsibility, Our Santa Fe River, the Environmental Caucus, and many anti-fracking activists - and we’ll undoubtedly work with them again!) The Senate bills also started to run into trouble with Senators on both sides of the aisle, particularly in Senate Appropriations where Republican Senators Hukill, Garcia, and Flores joined Democrats Montford, Joyner, and Smith in opposing SB 1468 (the regulation bill). And SB 1582, the public records exemption bill, was opposed by Republicans Latvala, Lee, and Hukill in addition to Democrats Joyner, Margolis, Montford and Smith. Sen. Ring from Broward was the only Democrat who supported both bills. The Senate bills were on the Senate floor at the same time the House decided to go home early so they died for the session. But this issue will be back. Meet with your legislators to make sure they know how YOU feel about fracking. Advance Cost Recovery bills It is notable that five bills were filed in the House to modify or repeal advance cost recovery for nuclear plants that allow utilities to charge customers for plants that are never built for a couple of reasons. First, the issue was bi-partisan. House bills 67, 353, and 473 were filed by Republican Reps. Latvala, Burgess, and Ahearn, and 399 and 4001 were filed by Democratic Reps. Dudley and Rehwinkel-Vasilinda. Most notable though is the sad fact that not even one was heard in committee. That’s an indication of how much power (no pun intended…) the utilities wield in Tallahassee. Utilities Regulation SB 288 by Sen. Latvala and HB 7109 Florida Public Service Commission did offer small improvements in accountability of the PSC, but the early adjournment prevented Sen. Latvala from being able to fight for the Senate version which required the Public Counsel to be a party to settlements and for the PSC to meet in the service territories they regulate. These provisions were not in the version that had passed the House before it adjourned. Sen. Latvala felt he had to accept the weakened bill in order to reduce the amount rate payers are charged for nuclear asset cost recovery. The bill provides for a dedicated revenue stream from a nuclear asset recovery charge that can be bonded at a lower interest rate. The bill also provides for term limits for PSC members, ethics training, a requirement that those who lobby the PSC register as lobbyists, maximum deposit amounts, and requires utilities to help customers get the best rates. Ad Valorem exemption for commercial renewable energy SB 400/402 and HB 865/867 by Sen. Brandes and Rep. Rodrigues These bills would have placed a Constitutional amendment to exempt renewable source devices from ad valorem taxation of commercial property on the 2016 ballot and the linked implementing bills would immediately go into effect if the amendment were adopted by voters. Unfortunately, these bills only passed their first committee and went no further. Solar Constitutional Amendment Remember, Sierra Club Florida is working with Floridians for Solar Energy to get petitions signed for a Constitutional amendment to remove obstacles to solar energy! –If you haven’t already, go to the website for a petition and send it in so the coalition can track and turn in completed petition forms to your Supervisor of Elections. http://www.flsolarchoice.org/ Water Quality - The House and Senate took very different approaches to he big water policy bills. The House started very quickly with a Proposed Committee bill in the State Affairs Committee which had one hearing in the Appropriations Committee. HB 7003 was passed by the full House on only the third day of session by a vote of 106-9. Vote [Seq# 5] DEP said they had not even had time to fully review the bill when it was first proposed. Sierra Club Florida opposed the bill because it weakened the protections from last session’s Springs bill, removed deadlines, and relied exclusively on collaborative Basin Management Action Plans (BMAP) and Best Management Practices to accomplish water quality goals instead of enforceable standards. The bill was also a major step backward for the Everglades and Caloosahatchee and St. Lucie watersheds and estuaries because it eliminated the enforcement leverage provided by permits (if standards aren’t met the permit can be revoked) in favor of a Lake Okeechobee BMAP. The Senate was more deliberate and started with a reworking of last year’s Springs bill with a Shared Use Non-Motorized Trails portion grafted onto it. There were three hearings on the bill in the Environmental Protection and Conservation Committee, but in the end, the House Water bill was amended onto it, and the Springs protections were further weakened. On final passage in the Senate the House version, HB 7003, was substituted for SB 918 and amended to match the Senate version of the bill. Since the House had adjourned by then, there was no way for the House to agree to the amendment(s) and the bills died for the session. The path taken by the water bill between last session and this was exceedingly frustrating. The Springs bill from last year had real promise, but it was progressively weakened and laden with bad policies until Sierra had to oppose it. The bill’s approach to water supply is a good example. The main focus of the bill was water supply for human use (not natural systems.) The policy throughout was that whenever an applicant for water is denied a Consumptive Use Permit (CUP), the mandatory response is that taxpayers come up with whatever water is requested. The concept of sustainability is completely ignored. Since the state is looking at adding another 5 million residents (and who knows how many visitors) in the next 20 years, this is a fatally flawed planning strategy. But that’s what the legislature is passing. We were only saved by the House’s adjournment. We can be sure we’ll see these short-sighted policies again next year. Land Application of Septage Since July 1, 2010 the following has been law in Florida: "381.0065 Florida Statutes (6) LAND APPLICATION OF SEPTAGE PROHIBITED.—Effective January 1, 2016, the land application of septage from onsite sewage treatment and disposal systems is prohibited." Septage is the stuff they pump out of septic tanks. For years pumpers have been applying it to the land as a way of getting rid of it despite Florida’s water quality problems with nutrients. Roughly 2/3 of the land application sites are in Springs Protection Zones in karstic areas of the state where contaminated groundwater can move quickly to springs through conduits and sinkholes. Instead of using the past five years to prepare to obey the law that will be effective next January, pumpers, wastewater treatment facilities, and the counties they serve have done just about nothing to prepare for the prohibition and have instead focused on trying to repeal the law. That strategy may not have panned out very well for them this year. Rep. Brad Drake’s HB 687 passed the full House by a vote of 99-12 Vote [Seq# 94] after it was amended from a full repeal to pushing back the date by two years to 2018. The companion bill, SB 648 by Sen. Evers, only made it through its first committee of reference. The issue was not included in the call of the special session so the law will come into effect and land application will have to stop. This session started with a number of bills dealing with different aspects of growth management from sector plans, to the DRI process, to Regional Planning Councils, to Connected-City Corridors, to Constrained Agricultural Parcels as well as a number of bills relating to the Bert Harris Act. Most of them were rolled into SB 1216 by Sen. Simpson and HB 933 by Rep. LaRosa. 1000 Friends of Florida and Sierra Club Florida succeeded in having the worst parts of SB 1216 amended out of the bill which passed the full Senate 39-0 and the House by a vote of 83-31 Vote [Seq# 284] Of greatest concern was the Constrained Agricultural Parcels section that preempted local control and would have forced West Palm Beach to approve up to 10 square miles of development right next to the EAA. That section was removed from the bill. The DRI process is eliminated for future amendments to sector plans in favor of the coordinated state review process. Language was also clarified to ensure that localities are not prohibited from requesting information about aspects of a sector plan if they choose to do so. The bill also made numerous changes to Regional Planning Council statutes. The number of RPCs is reduced from eleven to ten, and the Councils’ role is eliminated in planning for transportation, electrical power plant facilities and transmission lines, and natural gas pipelines. SB 1216 was sent to Governor Scott on May 7. Freedom of Speech bill SB 1312 Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation by Sen. Simmons/ HB 1041 by Rep. Moskowitz/ anti-SLAPP suit bill on the basis of protecting right of citizen to petition government free speech passed both chambers and was delivered to Gov. Scott on May 7. (SLAPP suits have been used to discourage citizens from opposing development and land use decisions. Sen. Simmons and Rep. Moskowitz deserve a big ‘Thank You!’) SB 966 Disposable Plastic Bags by Sen. Bullard passed out of its first committee this session which puts it in play for next year. The companion bill, HB 661 by Rep. Richardson, was not heard in its first committee. Committee chairs tend not to take up time with bills whose companions in the opposite chamber are not moving, so we’ll have to work very hard to get the House version heard next year. SB 374 by Sen. Sobel and HB 607 by Rep. Cruz – Chemicals in Consumer Products would have required the Department of Health to publish a list of chemicals of high concern and their presence in products intended for use by pregnant women and children. The bills were not heard in any committees. HB 351 by Rep. Rehwinkel-Vasilinda and SB 416 by Sen. Ring - Labeling of Genetically Engineered Foods would have mandated labeling requirements for genetically engineered raw foods and for foods made with genetically engineered ingredients. Neither bill was heard in committee. Posted by David Cullen at 8:56 AM Labels: Amendment 1, frackng, Growth Management, legislative wrap-up, water policy Press Advisory: Back for more on Thursday at SFWMD Press Advisory For Immediate Release: Contact Cris Costello, Sierra Club, 941-914-0421 (cell). Julia Hathaway, Sierra Club, West Palm Beach, 202-315-8211 (cell) Back for more: Floridians will not stop until state water managers initiate US Sugar purchase When: Thursday, April 14, 2015 Time: 9:30 a.m. Press conference at 12 Noon after results of SFMWD decision on US Sugar. Where: South Florida Water Management District Governing Board Headquarters Auditorium: 3301 Gun Club Road, West Palm Beach, Florida, 33406 What: Residents turnout yet again to Buy Sugar Land NOW! As a special budget session is planned for June, Florida Senator Joe Negron (R) said he is planning on introducing legislation asking for $500 million for land purchases, money that could buy U.S. Sugar lands. Supporters of US Sugar purchase will once again convene at the West Palm Beach headquarters of the South Florida Water Management District to demand that Governor Rick Scott's appointed water managers purchase 48,600 acres of US Sugar land to restore the Everglades and protect the coasts from pollution. The state of Florida has an option to purchase the land by October, but water managers must take action now for the process to begin. VISUALS Residents wearing stickers. Signs. Residents will drop Everglades quarters into a bucket representing the enormous value of the Everglades compared to the relatively small cost of buying the land. Why: The South Florida Water Management District and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers are dumping more about a half billion gallons of highly polluted fresh water a day into the St. Lucie and Caloosahatchee rivers, polluting critical marine habitats and harming communities. Residents are incredulous that Governor Scott and his appointees will not consider the 48,600 acre purchase option in the US Sugar contract in spite of algal blooms and massive marine die offs that occurred in Indian River Lagoon in 2013 and are now threatening. According to the University of Florida, the land purchase must be considered to stop marine life die-offs. As polluted water is dumped to the coasts, the Everglades subject of a multibillion restoration project, is starving for water. The solution, according to University of Florida scientists, is to pursue 48,600 acres of sugar land to store and clean the water. Governing board members have largely ignored those pleas and appear intent to allow Big Sugar to walk out of a deal and let restoration evaporate forever. Big Sugar Summit: No sugar-coating here! Labels: Sugar Judge's Ruling Threatens Silver Springs Karen Ahlers (352) 546-3560 Lisa Rinaman, St. Johns Riverkeeper (904) 509-3260 or Lisa@stjohnsriverkeeper.org Linda Bremer, Sierra Club (904) 399-1520 RULING BY JUDGE THREATENS SILVER SPRINGS Judge recommends approval for controversial cattle operation SILVER SPRINGS, FL -- Despite evidence that Florida’s iconic Silver Springs would be further degraded from the over-pumping of groundwater and increased nutrient pollution, an Administrative Law Judge has recommended approval of a permit for the massive cattle operation, Sleepy Creek Lands (formerly known as Adena Springs Ranch). The Judge’s ruling is the result of a legal challenge by Sierra Club, St. Johns Riverkeeper, and two citizens, Jeri Baldwin and Karen Ahlers. Florida Defenders of the Environment also supported this challenge as an Intervener. Sleepy Creek Lands and its owner, Canadian billionaire Frank Stronach, are seeking a permit to pump 1.46 million gallons a day (mgd) from the already-stressed Floridan Aquifer for the first phase of a multi-phase beef operation located close to Silver Springs and the Ocklawaha River Aquatic Preserve. The proposed project has created uproar from concerned citizens throughout the state. “The declining health of Silver Springs is emblematic of the significant water quality and water use problems we are facing throughout Florida,” says Karen Ahlers. “The Sleepy Creek permit represents everything that is wrong with our regulatory process and the way we allocate the public’s water, and is a classic example of the state’s ongoing failure to protect our most important water resources.” During the administrative hearing, it was revealed that the 9,500 head of cattle planned for Phase I will produce nearly 158 million pounds of manure and 11 million gallons of urine per year. In addition, 700,000 pounds of nitrogen from fertilizer will be used to grow grass and crops to feed the cattle. The petitioners presented evidence that the aquifer is critically over-tapped in the Silver Springs springshed, and that the fertilizer and manure will increase nutrient pollution in the Silver and Ocklawaha Rivers. The flow of Silver Springs has already declined on average by more than 30 percent, and nitrate concentrations have increased 20-fold over healthy background levels. In 2012, the state of Florida introduced a cleanup plan calling for a 79% reduction in nutrient pollution from existing users to protect Silver Springs and the upper Silver River. The legal challenge was in response to the proposal by St. Johns River Water Management District staff to grant the requested permit to Sleepy Creek Lands despite overwhelming evidence that groundwater in the area is already over-allocated and that existing permitted withdrawals are contributing to the significant flow reductions at Silver Springs. While disappointed, the petitioners say the battle is not over. The parties first have an opportunity to file written exceptions to the Recommended Order, explaining where they think the Judge erred in his determinations. The Judge's recommendation and these exceptions will then be considered by the St Johns River Water Management District Governing Board when they vote on the permit at a to-be-determined upcoming meeting. One of the weakest parts of the Judge's conclusions is his finding that the proposed withdrawal is "consistent with the public interest,” says to St. Johns Riverkeeper Lisa Rinaman. "Allowing our over-pumped aquifer and polluted waterways to be further degraded for the economic benefit of a private landowner is completely contrary to the public interest. The Judge's recommendation elevates the economic interests of a few about the damage that will likely occur to Silver Springs, Silver River and the Ocklawaha River, and ignores the testimony of nearly 50 citizens who spoke as part of the administrative hearing process." Sierra Club's Linda Bremer echoed Rinaman's sentiments. “The water management district is tasked with protecting the springs, rivers, and groundwater that belongs to the citizens of this state. We should not have to fight so hard to protect our water resources and hold our regulatory agencies accountable.” Posted by Linda Bremer at 6:08 PM Stand up for the Farmton Tract! We need standing witnesses to help protect the Farmton tract in Brevard and Volusia counties! Sierra Club has filed a lawsuit to object to the Army Corps of Engineers’ lack of protection of this land from development. Go here for more details from a Daytona Beach News-Journal article. We are compiling a list of Sierra members who have recreated in this area to support our legal standing in the litigation. Interested? Send your name, email address, street address and phone number to JaneStan@bellsouth.net or LBlackner@aol.com If you have engaged in outdoor activities in any of the following places you would be a great standing witness: St. Johns River near Lake Harney Lake Harney Buck Lake Wiregrass Prairie Preserve Deep Creek Preserve Turnbull Hammock Conservation area Buck Lake Conservation area Doris Leeper Spruce Creek Preserve Seminole Ranch Conservation area Scottsmoor Flatwoods Sanctuary Salt Lake Wildlife management area Lake Ashby Being a standing witness is EASY! Don't miss this opportunity to stand up for your treasured wild places! Call Janet Stanko at 904 208 1341 or Leslie Blackner at 561 569 5754 for more info! More Floridan Aquifer Protection Called for by Sierra Club Petition to EPA At the end of April, the Sierra Club, through its Florida Chapter, filed an emergency petition with the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) seeking designation of the Floridan Aquifer as a Sole Source Aquifer (SSA) under the EPA’s Sole Source Aquifer Protection Program. Water is Florida’s most abundant and important natural resource. Underlying the entire state of Florida is the Floridan Aquifer System (FAS), one of the most economically significant, extensive, deepest and most productive artesian aquifer systems in the world. The FAS underlies all of Florida, southern Georgia, southern South Carolina, far-southern Alabama and far-southern Mississippi. Floridan Aquifer Service Area, Proposed Sole Source Aquifer Designation Area, Project Review Area, and Extent of Floridan Aquifer System. (adapted from U.S. Geological Survey Circular 1278, Water Withdrawals and Trends from the Floridan Aquifer System in the Southeastern United States, 1950-2000) “The Floridan Aquifer is threatened by over-allocation, over-pumping, pollution and waste,” said Tom Larson, Sierra Club Florida chapter conservation chair. Following EPA's technical review of a SSA petition, the Agency summarizes the information in a technical support document that is made available for public review. Then, interested people may provide written comments to EPA or participate in an EPA-sponsored public hearing before a designation decision is made. SSA designation will provide limited federal protection for the Floridan Aquifer System, increase public awareness of its vulnerability and is a critical first step towards creating new management plans by federal, state and local officials. Twenty million Floridians depend on safe, pure water from the Floridan aquifer. Agriculture and industry require clean, abundant water. Florida’s waters attract and sustain 100 million visitors to our state each year. Yet, we continue to deplete, pollute and waste our water as if it is an inexhaustible and indestructible resource. It is neither inexhaustible nor indestructible. “Protection of Florida’s vital water resources is one of the highest priorities of Sierra Club Florida. We are pledged to protect critical recharge areas from development, curtail nutrient pollution, encourage conservation and hold accountable those who abuse this most essential of all public properties. The newest threat to our water supply is ‘fracking’, which we will continue to oppose vigorously,” said Larson. He added, “The Sierra Club is confident that the Floridan Aquifer System qualifies both quantitatively and qualitatively for greater protection and will soon be granted Sole Source Aquifer status. And we look forward to building on this new protection with better water management policies, including an end to polluting ‘enhanced oil/gas recovery techniques’ (which include acidizing and fracking) and waste disposal and aquifer storage & recharge injection wells that threaten the delicate Floridan karst geology and our water supply.” Posted by Tom Larson at 1:59 PM Labels: Algae, clean water, Consumptive use, epa, fertilizer, Fracking, Gas, Ground Water, nutrients, Oil, Policy, Pollution, Quality, Red Tide, River, Septic Tanks, slime crimes, Springs, Supply, Wetlands Be there tomorrow! May 30 Amendment 1 "Finish the ... More Floridan Aquifer Protection Called for by Sie...	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0037.json.gz/line2744
__label__cc	0.713952	0.286048	Wonder Woman: The Unaired Pilot (2011) This week at Unseen Films we do are doing a week of films were leaked to the general public. These are odd versions of films that somehow escaped from where they were hidden and ended up in circulation in one way or another. These are versions of well known films that you were never supposed to see- but can if you look hard enough. First up is the pilot for a Wonder Woman TV series that was aiming for TV screens this past fall. I saw the pilot at a dealers table at New York Comicon and was kind of surprised that the series wasn’t picked up for the fall 2011 season. No it’s not bad and no it is far from perfect, but there was something there that made me think that perhaps had the concept been tweaked a little bit it might have actually been able to run for a while. The pilot, written by Allie McBeal creator David E Kelly has Diana Prince running a multinational corporation that promotes her as crime fighter Wonder Woman. Using the money she makes from toys and tie ins to fund her crime fighting she strives to help the downtrodden. In the pilot she battles a rival CEO played by Elizabeth Hurley who is putting new steroids on the street which is causing young athletes to have their hearts explode. It’s the by product of a super soldier formula gone wrong. The clash is what drives what is now a 40 minute stand alone film. Yes, the clothing is revealing and how it’s portrayed by the Wonder Woman action figures is the source of a funny rant about Diana being more than T&A. The problem with the pilot is that its got way too much going on to give any sense of where you could or would go with the series. You have Diana crime fighter, who has some form of super power (she runs and fights like a super soldier) but we don’t know the source. She wants to keep her home life and work life separate - she’s constantly talking about going home, but as Carey Elwes as her right hand man points out that’s just trying to create an unnatural schizophrenia. However its clear everyone knows who she is so the split is a bit odd. What is she really doing or trying to do? Yes beyond helping the down trodden but outside of that things are unclear. Actually much is unclear during the 40 minutes of story we have. It’s clear that Kelly kind of knows what he’s doing, the characters are obviously wandering around with a real sense of the world they are living in, but with out the back story he has the film kind of falls flat at times (I mean why are the cops allowing her to do what she does?) Is it the classic comic character? Not completely. It’s some intriguing rethink that could have been something had we been given more to go on. I liked it. I know had it gone to series I would have at least given it a second episode just to see how things played out. Its not the best thing ever but it wasn’t a complete disaster. It is an interesting Elseworlds take on what might have been… (For those who like to see things unfinished the version the dealer was screening at New York Comicon had the effects unfinished so you could see all of the wires used to do the super leaps and falls in the fight sequences, which was rather neat if you asked me.) Posted by Steve Kopian at December 19, 2011 Labels: american, comics, DC New Years Trailers: Outland New Years Trailers: Starcrash New Years Trailers: Wizards New Years Trailers: Golden Voyage of Sinbad New Years Trailers: Silent Scream New Years Trailers: Fade to Black New Years Trailers: Brides of Blood New Years Trailers: Mad Doctor of Blood Island New Years Trailers: Dawn of the Dead New Years Trailers: Battle Beyond the Stars New Years Trailers :Dominique is Dead New Years Trailers: Black Belt Jones New Years Trailers: Galaxina The Best of Sex and Violence (1981) DB's Worst of 2011 Hanna (2011) DB Looks Back at the Festivals of 2011 Dogs of War (1980) Chaplin's Goliath Cinderella Man (2005) : Celebrating boxing day! The River Murders (2011) K Gordon Murray's Santa's Fantasy Fair Where God Left His Shoes (2007) The Korean Cultural Service starts 2012 with a bang Thief and the Cobbler- The Recobbled Cut Capsule Reviews 12/21/11 - Mystery Rocky 5-Directors Cut (1990) Silence of the Lambs- The Original Cut Twitter, Tin Tin and some Sunday night tidbits. Neutron The Atomic Super Man vs The Death Robots (... Neutron The Atomic Super Man and the Black Mask (1... Tuesday is Poetry (2010) the final free Korean Cu... Walt and El Grupo (2010) Planet B-Boy (2007) DB takes a stab at explaining why he doesn't feel ... Shut Up Little Man (2011) Anvil: The Story of Anvil (2008) Television Under the Swastika (1999) The Artist in brief PLUS Links, Updates and Other... Dragon Hunters (2008) Coriolanus (2011) A premlinary review Pirates Who Don't Do Anything:A Veggie Tales Movie... Chico and Rita (2011) People on Sunday (1930) Don't Be Afraid (2011) Spanish Cinema Now (potenti... Times of Harvey Milk (1984) On Further Review: Rubber (2010) Green For Danger (1946) Every Song Talks About Me (2010) Antonio Gaudi (1984) Extraterrestrial (2011) Spanish Cinema Now Fists in the Pocket (1965) Fade to Black (1980) Reid Farrington's A Christmas Carol The Criterion Collection: Brazil 3-DVD set comment... John Carpenters commentary on the original version...	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0037.json.gz/line2748
__label__wiki	0.709159	0.709159	Radio For People Grassroots Independent Media Groups and Concerned Individuals Bon Jovi Return to Rock With “The Circle” On November 10th August 19th, 2009 by Daniel Kreps Leave a reply » Bon Jovi told Rolling Stone that they’ll be going “back to rock & roll” on their next album, and today we learned when their return to their roots will go down: Bon Jovi announced today that their next album The Circle will be released on November 10th. First single “We Weren’t Born To Follow” debuted on radio yesterday, featuring an anthemic chorus of “We weren’t born to follow, come on and get up off your knees, when life is a bitter pill to swallow, you got to hold on to what you believe.” Have a listen at the Island Def Jam site. The Circle follows the band’s platinum-selling, country-tinged LP Lost Highway. “I think what happened is the fact that we made the kind of Nashville-influenced record, and it created this vacuum now for a big rock record from us. There’s a continued evolution,” guitarist Richie Sambora told Rolling Stone. “[The Circle] doesn’t sound like any other previous record. Everybody that we’ve been playing it for has been real turned on by it, and we’re certainly happy with how it turned out.” The Circle find Bon Jovi reteaming with producer John Shanks, who also worked with the band on 2005’s Have A Nice Day and 2007’s Lost Highway. Sambora also told RS that Bon Jovi would set out on tour to promote the album sometime in the Spring of 2010, promising that the ensuing trek is “going to be a big one.” • Bon Jovi Get “Back to Rock & Roll” On November Album • Bon Jovi’s Sambora on Les Paul, “A Legend in His Own Lifetime” • Bon Jovi Launch Summerfest With Two-Hour Career-Spanning Set Article Source: Rolling Stone : Rock and Roll Daily Previous Entry: On the Charts: George Strait Heads Directly to Number One Next Entry: Britney Spears Breaks Out a Bikini to Read David Letterman’s Top 10 Previous Entry On the Charts: George Strait Heads Directly to Number One Next Entry Britney Spears Breaks Out a Bikini to Read David Letterman’s Top 10 Welcome to Radio For People - Grassroots Independent Media Groups and Concerned Individuals Search for: Home About Buy The Fray Tickets, Metallica Tickets, Wicked Tickets, Dallas Cowboys Tickets, Dave Matthews Tickets, Coldplay Tickets, New York Yankees Tickets, Boston Red Sox Tickets, Chicago Cubs Tickets, Detroit Tigers Tickets, Jersey Boys Tickets, Little Mermaid Tickets and more at StubPass. Buy cheap Taylor Swift Tickets, Phantom of the Opera Tickets, Jamie Foxx Tickets, WWE Tickets, Mary Poppins Tickets, Billy Elliot Tickets, Fiddler On The Roof Tickets, Jersey Boys Chicago, Wicked New York, Robin Williams Tickets, Beyonce Tickets and many other cheap concert tickets at Ticket Seating. © 2021 Radio For People · All Rights Reserved.	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0037.json.gz/line2751
__label__wiki	0.539976	0.539976	Tom Ball & Kenny Sultan Tom Ball Kenny Sultan CDs/books/apps Production Music Library & Videos ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ANNOUNCING A NEW PRODUCTION MUSIC LIBRARY BY Tom Ball, Kenny Sultan & Brian Mann acoustic * blues * americana * folk * roots Tom Ball & Kenny Sultan are true masters of their respective crafts. Together as a duo for nearly 40 years, they have recorded 14 CDs, written 9 instructional books, 5 DVDs, various apps, and have over 250 CD credits as sidemen. While they have provided music for many films, TV show and commercials, now, for the first time, Tom & Kenny are directing their energies towards the realm of production music. Along with their partner, producer Brian Mann (ex-Kenny Loggins, Michael McDonald, etc.,) the trio has newly recorded a wide array of acoustic and bluesy cues, featuring Kenny’s fingerstyle guitar, Tom’s blues harmonica and other instruments including Brian’s accordion, keys and bass, and some very creative percussion. For more detailed bios and information on Tom & Kenny, please see the rest of this website. For a more detailed bio and information on Brian Mann, please click here PRODUCTION MUSIC SAMPLER: Here is a short sampler of snippets from several different cues: (audio only -- no video.) This is only a very brief sampler -- there are many completed cues of various lengths, moods and tempos. Nowadays there are loads of would-be "authentic" acoustic cues out there -- mostly played by studio players dabbling in the genre. Meanwhile Tom and Kenny have devoted themselves to roots music for decades. This is indeed the Real McCoy. If you think you might have a use for authentic blues, Americana, southern drama and/or back porch music, Tom, Kenny and Brian are actively placing material in film, TV and commercials. Please feel free to contact our agents and reps for any further info -- or if you'd like to hear any of the full length versions, we would be happy to oblige. In the USA: APM MUSIC. http://www.apmmusic.com/about In the UK and internationally: LEMONCAKE MUSIC. http://www.lemoncake.com or you may also contact: Brian Mann: Email: mannmademusic@me.com Tom Ball: Email: havaball@cox.net Kenny Sultan: Email: kennysultan@aol.com VARIOUS VIDEOS: Videos may take a moment to load..... Copyright 2013-2020, Tom Ball & Kenny Sultan Powered by SiteKreator	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0037.json.gz/line2753
__label__cc	0.735666	0.264334	What’s The Viewscreen? Donation Success! Star Trek: The Animated Series Re-Watch Index Star Trek Movies I-VI Re-Watch Index Related Posts Index The Re-Watches Ten Forward Star Trek: The Next Generation Re-Watch Index Star Trek Re-Watch Index Laugh Treks The Viewscreen Home of the Star Trek Re-Watch The Top Eight Torie Atkinson & Eugene Myers – April 28, 2011 8:00 amPosted in: TOS Re-Watch One of the reasons we did the rating system is because people like to rank things. Okay, I like to rank things. We had toyed with fractional warps but in the end, the rating system is less about scientific accuracy than it is about putting episodes in the same general group/pool as each other. Is “Obsession” better than “By Any Other Name”? Well… maybe. But we can at least agree they’re both better than “The Empath.” You understand. So let’s see the top tiers. Out of 79 episodes, only eight managed to get both Eugene and my unequivocal admiration. Can you guess which ones? The winners: 1×06 “The Naked Time” 1×15 “The Menagerie, Part I” 1×08 “Balance of Terror” 1×24 “Space Seed” 1×28 “The City on the Edge of Forever” 2×05 “Amok Time” 2×13 “The Trouble With Tribbles” 2×22 “Return to Tomorrow” 2×06 “The Doomsday Machine“ 3×04 “The Enterprise Incident“ 1×01 “Where No Man Has Gone Before“ 1×16 “The Menagerie, Part II“ 1×14 “Court Martial“ 1×22 “The Return of the Archons“ 1×27 “Errand of Mercy“ 2×10 “Mirror, Mirror“ 2×11 “The Deadly Years“ 3×23 “All Our Yesterdays“ Torie: The strange thing about looking at these episode rankings is that those I would call my favorites–the ones that I keep coming back to–aren’t all on here. I find myself drawn much more strongly to the ones that weren’t perfect. They’re the ones that were so close, and keep nagging at me, making me think, making me reconsider them and want to revisit them to try again. In addition to the titles in the chart, I would add “A Taste of Armageddon” and “The Changeling,” which I still think about from time to time and which still creep me out in fundamental, unshakable ways. Of all the Eden episodes I think that “This Side of Paradise” gives “The Menagerie” a run for its money. I really loved the Shakespearean twist of “The Conscience of the King,” and continue to be challenged by its genocidal main not-quite-villain. “The Enemy Within” strikes me as one of the most bold episodes of the entire series in that it so strongly emphasized compassion as a virtue equal to, if not more important than, courage or bravery. “Charlie X” remains heartbreaking, unfair, and tragic; while “Is There in Truth No Beauty?” is just so original, and beautiful, and inspiring. And now I’m in the mood for a re-watch. Eugene: I now see the wisdom in only using whole numbers for our ratings–what a nightmare this list would have been for Torie to compile if we were all over the starchart. It’s not too surprising that the top episodes adhere to so many “best of” lists, but of course this one will serve as the definitive one for all time. I’m so glad we were able to put an end to all the fan debates at long last. Like Torie, I started asking myself where all the other great episodes were. Why isn’t “For the World is Hollow and I Have Touched the Sky?” included? “Journey to Babel” doesn’t make the cut, really? I also agree that “A Taste of Armageddon” belongs on this list–I think about it often, for some reason. Then I recalled some of the life-changing lessons I learned during the course of this re-watch, which I touched on a little in our wrap-up post: 1) Sometimes, you remember episodes as being better than they are. How many times did I go into an episode with the false recollection that it was one of the best? I can never make it up to Torie for mistakenly hyping up “The Gamesters of Triskelion.” What the hell was I thinking? Even in reviewing our index, several episodes jumped out at me as being list-worthy, but then I saw the low rating I gave it and thought better of it. I have no excuse for ever expecting “Plato’s Stepchildren” to be good, except perhaps that it caused some sort of localized brain damage. And I’m still seething over “Requiem for Methuselah.” On the other hand, I will always love some episodes, like “A Piece of the Action,” even though objectively I know they just don’t hold up. There’s often a fine line between “best” and “favorite,” and on occasion I allow emotion to rule over logic. 2) The corollary to lesson 1 is that sometimes, happily, episodes are better than you remember. Where did “All Our Yesterdays” come from? I was prepared to hate it, but it completely surprised me. I had the same experience with “For the World is Hollow…” and “Metamorphosis,” and even to some extent middling episodes like “Spectre of the Gun.” In part, I have newfound affection and respect for these episodes because I saw them in a new light, or because they surpassed my low expectations; they are now some of my favorites because in a way I’ve watched them again for the first time–one of the many rewards of this re-watch. This is all a long way of saying that memories can be incredibly unreliable. Especially mine. But of course my tastes would change between the ages of 13 and 33–I’m kind of a different person now. I used to like bologna, too. Our Remastered Re-Watch, or as I originally conceived it, our “Re-re-watch,” was just a joke, but I’m also looking forward to rewatching some of these episodes again soon. Fortunately, I no longer need to rely on my swiss-cheese memory to guide my selections, now that I have this handy reference to the ones that are worth my time. I need never watch a bad Star Trek episode again, and that’s a wonderful feeling. So, what are your favorites? Which ones are the best? Next up: Why, the worst episodes, of course! Tags: another list, let's drag this out some more, reflections, series wrap-up, you asked for it About Torie Atkinson & Eugene Myers TORIE ATKINSON is a NYC-based law student (with a focus on civil rights and economic justice), proofreader, sometime lighting designer, and former Tor.com blog editor/moderator. She watches too many movies and plays too many games but never, ever reads enough books. EUGENE MYERS has published short fiction in a variety of print and online zines as E.C. Myers. He is a graduate of the Clarion West Writers Workshop and a member of the writing group Altered Fluid. When he isn’t watching Star Trek, he reads and writes young adult fiction. His first novel, Fair Coin, is available now from Pyr. 1. NomadUK Posted April 28, 2011 at 9:58 AM It’s difficult to argue with that list, other than to nit-pick some rankings, and to note the conspicuous absence of ‘Arena’, which I really think is one of the best and most iconic episodes, and whose message of mercy and empathy for a supposed enemy’s viewpoint are tragically — and perhaps, in the end, fatally — lacking from today’s society. Indeed, some episodes are better than I remember — even if I was only remembering them as you re-watched them! ‘All Our Yesterdays’ was certainly not originally on my top 10 list, but I have a newfound respect for it. Likewise, having remembered ‘Plato’s Stepchildren’ as not being great, I’m realising now that it was truly abysmal, and almost beyond redemption (almost, only because I refuse to admit that any Star Trek episode lacks a single redeeming feature). I liked ‘The Doomsday Machine’ better than ‘The Trouble with Tribbles’, and ‘Requiem for Methuselah’ better than ‘The Return of the Archons’ … and so on. But yours is not an unreasonable list. I’m looking forward to seeing what’s at the bottom of the pile! 2. DemetriosX Posted April 28, 2011 at 12:41 PM I’m largely in agreement with Nomad here. I certainly would have ranked “The Doomsday Machine” as one of the very best, although I’m willing to admit a lot of that has to do with the wonderful performance by William Windom. I’m still not all that fond of either “The Menagerie” or “Return to Tomorrow”, but everyone has their own taste. Looking at the bottom of the heap will probably be more fun. But then it’s time to stop navel-gazing and move on to either TAS or the movies! 3. ChurchHatesTucker On the other hand, I will always love some episodes, like “A Piece of the Action,” even though objectively I know they just don’t hold up. This is a subjective list, isn’t it? I’d put it up there for sheer entertainment value. Doomsday Machine should rank right up there, too. I still quote Windom to this day. “Sweetie, weren’t my glasses on the nightstand?” “They were. BUT NOT ANYMORE!” 4. Toryx Honestly, though I could never call “A Piece of the Action” or “Spectre of the Gun” great episodes, both of them are very enjoyable for me. They’re kind of like guilty pleasures. If I’m flipping through the channels on my tv and stumble upon “Platos Stepchildren” I’ll quickly move on (probably with a curse) but “A Piece of the Action” or Spectre will always cause me to slow and watch for a while. On the other hand, “The Naked Time” or “The City on the Edge of Forever” are both of a quality that if I happened upon it, I’d probably watch it all the way through simply because they never really grow old. 5. bobsandiego There’s no way I could ever place Tribbles above The Doomsday Machine. TDM is excellent SF, as Torie is wont to point out, it is about big ideas and important concepts. The idea that our weapons exceed our control and endgaer not only ourselves, but the rest of the universe at large. That is an SF story, then to make it perfect it is fused with some of the best character writing. The horror of command, the insanity of obessession and revenge, the all too human fragility in no win scenerios, all of this makes TDm a terrefic episode. Tribbles are fun, but like popcorn, really not a meal. 6. Lemnoc I find it interesting that “Return to Tomorrow” resides in the Top 7, displacing a couple of classics. I consider that a middlin’ episode, perhaps because it contains that preaching monologue by Kirk that set the comedy gold standard for parodies of Shatner’s haltingly high-falutin’ delivery style. Meanwhile, “Mirror Mirror,” which is really one of the most fun episodes, as well as the most culturally iconic (evil twin beard!), as well as spinning off more later Trek episodes than any other (including the only watchable episode of Enterprise), gets pushed down into the middlin’ range. And I agree with others that “Doomsday Machine” is one of the most durably enjoyable episodes of the series, both exciting and tragic, with a little Caine Mutiny thrown in. Eh, to each his/her own, I guess ;-) 7. Torie Posted April 29, 2011 at 10:05 AM I find it interesting that people are using iconic as grounds for being in the top ten list. I don’t think it should be a factor. Some things get famous for bizarro reasons. I like that Mirror, Mirror has been completely absorbed into television and film consciousness, but it’s just not as good as, yes, “Return to Tomorrow.” And I still remain uninspired by “Arena.” Kirk’s confidence that the Gorn are planning a genocidal invasion still strikes me as totally ludicrous and invented out of whole cloth, so his wild-eyed pursuit of the Gorn commander is needlessly aggressive and hostile. It doesn’t make up for the mercy in the end. @ 1 NomadUK Even the worst episodes do have redeeming features, don’t they. @ 2 DemetriosX Unfortunately some navel-gazing is in order for the next few weeks as I work insane hours at the day job and Eugene finalizes his manuscript. @ 3 ChurchHatesTucker HA! Nice. @ 4 toryx You know, I don’t think I’ve seen TOS on television since, like, the early 90s, to promote TNG. @ 5 bobsandiego I have to disagree with you. Tribbles isn’t just fluff. (See what I did there?) Comedy is so much more difficult to pull off than drama, and what Tribbles does superbly is remind us of how human our heroes are. They struggle with bureaucracy, need to relax from time to time, take pride in their work, and get frustrated. Even if you don’t rank the performances or the dialogue among The Best SF Episodes, it’s an essential piece of Trek because it grounds the show in the slightly more mundane, and lets the characters kind of fill in the gaps between saving the universe from space douches. I think you get more character evolution in that episode than in many of the other top eight/ten/whatever. @ 6 Lemnoc Eugene and I were both totally surprised at “Return to Tomorrow,” but it just hits all the right notes. @7 Torie Are we grading on a curve? Yes, Comedy is hard, that’s why I don’t write funny, but just because Tribbles are funny doesn’t mean they deserve a spot above TDM. IF I could show someone either Tribbles or TDM only as an example of Star Trek hands down it would be TDM. Character evolution is really a moot point here. This is 60’s TV series characters weren’t expected to change, they entered the episode and exited the episode the same character. (One of the reason why The City On The Edge of Forever is really ground breaking. It’s a real story.) That said, I think Kirk goes through more emotionally in TDM than in Tribbles. @8. BobSanDiego I’d rank TDM and Tribbles about the same. Don’t forget that Tribbles has an environmental problem at its core. 10. bobsandiego @9 Churchhatestucker That’s a recent view of the episode. Read Gerold’s book about the making of the episode and you’ll see the mind set and theme he wanted to explore was that something that looked cute and nice could be dangerous. An early idea dealt with telepathic teddy bears. Cuty furry bags that bred like crazy was a production solution to budget and technical issues. (I must have read that book 7 or 8 times as a teenager. It had a great influence on me as a writer.) 11. sps49 Why a top 8? Is that just how the warps toted up? Because I think your 9 and 10 belong with the top group. The Doomsday Machine is not just William Windom’s memorable performance; the excellent score is another plus to the episode beyond the regular cast performances. The only element I don’t like on re-watching is the Bridge guards- one makes sense, but having two in this episode only, because one has a specific plot pupose, bothers me. And it bothers me that it bothers me…. 12. DemetriosX Appropriate here, since he was in Tribbles, but I’ve just seen that William Campbell died. He was 84. 13. Eugene Myers @12 DemetriosX 14. Torie I don’t mean evolution as in changing, I meant more that the characters fill out a bit. @ 11 sps49 The top 8 are the ones that we both gave Warp 6s to. The runners up received a 6 from one of us and a 5 from the other; the honorable mentions got 5s from both of us. As I said, this was purely a statistical ranking, and as you can see above our favorites differ slightly. @ 12 DemetriosX Someone e-mailed me with the news. So sad! All this talk of “The Doomsday Machine” is making me want to re-watch it. I had given it the 5 mostly because it would make up an entire chapter in the How to Take Over Enterprise in 5 Easy Steps! manual that keeps getting left around. That STILL irks me. The guy is obviously insane. Who would give him control!? 15. DrDave The guy is obviously insane. Who would give him control!? That’s a civilian point of view. He already HAS control, by virtue of his rank. Taking control away from him is called ‘mutiny’, and is punishable in most militaries by extremely harsh penalties. Only in extraordinary circumstances is refusal to obey an order (much less seizing command) condoned, and even then (as The Caine Mutiny would have reminded all of the viewers) it’s usually career suicide for officers who do it. I think this was a much more plausible scenario than you give it credit for. @ 15 DrDave I don’t mean Sulu starting a rebellion, I mean McCoy declaring him wholly unfit for command. That’s entirely within his purview. @16 Torie No, that’s what I was talking about. It is (deliberately) extremely difficult for anyone to have a commander declared incompetent, and doing so even once is the end of your military career, even if you were right. It is “within his purview” in that it is theoretically possible, but it’s the sort of thing where everyone can count on one elbow the historical precedents. Doing it in the heat of battle, for reasons that a court martial — comprised of senior commanders who weren’t there — could easily interpret as “cowardice under fire”, is a desperate last-ditch tactic, not the obvious solution. Or so it seems to me. I don’t see Star Trek questioning fundamental military culture until TNG… Also in the episode itself, When Spock brings up relieving Decker under medical reasons, McCoy jumps at the chance until Spock reminds him he will need to submit his proof and that McCoy has not examined Decker and so there is no proof. This was all addressed in episode, another eason why this episode just rocks. 19. NomadUK Posted May 1, 2011 at 12:53 PM Much as I hate to disagree with Torie, bobsandiego and DrDave have it exactly right. The military aspects of Starfleet were much more pronounced in the first and second seasons, and this is not terribly surprising, given that Roddenberry was in the military himself and that, remember, they were only a bit over 20 years from the end of World War II, and many of the writers and producers probably served in it or in Korea. Knowledge of military discipline and ethos was probably much more widespread than it is now, after a generation or more of the all-volunteer force (in the US). It’s the sort of Boy Scout level of military ‘discipline’ exhibited in TNG that I always found utterly ridiculous. The scenario in ‘The Doomsday Machine’ was completely believable. I would question whether it would have been career suicide in the time of Star Trek, because of the much more enlightened world in which they live, plus the advances in medical technology and psychology that would have been used to diagnose Decker had McCoy had the chance — but he didn’t have the chance. And it’s clear from an episode like ‘Court Martial’ that career-ending mistakes could still be made. Posted May 1, 2011 at 8:00 PM @19 NomadUK I would question whether it would have been career suicide in the time of Star Trek, because of the much more enlightened world in which they live… I would contend that it is less about enlightenment and more about supply as to why mistakes are career-ending in the military, particularly with naval/ship commanding type of positions. There are about 80 Submarines total in the USN, Boomers and Attack boat combines. That’s only 80 sub commanders period. There are a hell of lot more officer wanting to command boat than there are boat, so to have only the very best in command is it easy for the system to judge even minor errors as career ending errors. Yeah that means commander get shit canned for bad luck, but life and particularly warfare is not fair. 21. Toryx I think that Roddenberry was kind of trying to make a point about the way the military handles men like Decker. You get a guy whose risen up to such a point where he can make crazy decisions and there’s effectively no way to get rid of him. How often in history has men like these made a bad situation worse? Of course, demonstrating that with Star Trek is a weird way to go about it, since the whole point of the show was to indicate how better life could be in the future. 22. DeepThought I dunno . . . I get what you’re all saying about it being career suicide, but I’d like to think that Starfleet raises officers who have enough independence of mind to recognize that career suicide > actual suicide. Particularly in view of the way they operate with such limited contact with headquarters, you’d think the organization would select for greater individualism — but maybe operating in the wilderness means there’s all the more demand for discipline, too. Either way, it’s tough for us the audience, having all the answers, to watch the characters struggle with indecision (whether manufactured, or very real but no longer as culturally understood, makes little difference). Although the question was mostly plausible as aired, Commodore Decker was not the Enterprise’s commanding officer. Starfleet gave command of that ship to Captain Kirk; Commanfer Spock’s chain of command is -> Kirk -> Starfleet Local Area or Division commander -> etc -> Starfleet Operations -> Federation Council (roughly); Decker should not be in Spock’s chain at all. Historically, a “commodore” was the senior captain in a group of ships or a formal rank just above captain meant to direct immediate tactics, but as CO of the Constellation Decker had no right to take command of the Enterprise. If he had wanted to stand in back and direct Spock (acting CO of Enterprise) and Kirk’s (acting Officer-in-Charge of Constellation) actions, he had every right to assert that authority, but trying to directly replace Kirk should be a no-no. The same would go for Commodore Stocker in “The Deadly Years”, by the way. tl;dr Those with senior rank have to follow the chain of command; collar devices/ stripes don’t put all lesser ranks at your beck-and-call (one’s real supervisor might wonder where one had wandered off to!) @23sps49 That sounds correct to me, but Decker quotes regulations when he takes command so I guess we just have to assume taht StarFleet has some wonky ideas about the chain of command. (And that goes double for Kirk’s ‘personal authority’ to have Spack take Decker from Command.) 25. Ludon Citing U.S. and other military regulations may not be the end-all in trying to understand what was going on here. Remember – this is Star Fleet, an arm of the United Federation of Planets. While what we see in the original series is a Star Fleet seemingly made up of mostly Earth Humans, we are told about a star ship manned by Vulcans. What’s to say that there weren’t other ships manned by other member races. The writer in me can come up with reasons this could be but those are beyond the scope of this discussion. As a military arm built on the traditions and customs of the member races (note the plural) of the Federation, Star Fleet’s rules and regulations are sure to be a mix of the best – or most important – from each member world’s traditional military regulations. Therefore, it may be correct that the highest ranking officer on the ship (even if outside the chain of command) takes command in a combat or other high threat situation. And, as a power check, Kirk’s use of ‘personal authority’ may also be correct within the realm of Star Fleet. I guess all this was brought about by the need to please both the Vulcans and the Andorians. Hey folks, I know we’re all anxious to revisit the dregs of the series with our list of the worst episodes, but Torie’s computer was felled by a virus and we’re both mired in heavy workloads. So we’ll get to that last post next week, but then things are looking up, sort of–the animated series re-watch is the light at the end of the tunnel… In the meantime, please keep up this lively discussion, and feel free to anticipate the very worst episodes so you can compare them to the list Torie cooks up. By the by, I’m going to be in NYC tomorrow and Saturday (departing Sunday morning). I’ll be meeting up with an old friend from the west coast who hasn’t actually told me when she’s available so my availability as is yet uncertain but I do know I’m just going to be wandering around for much of Friday afternoon (2 to 6 or 7) and probably otherwise unoccupied Saturday morning from 10 until 3 or so. Anyway I know it’s too late a notice for Eugene to head over from Philly but I thought I’d mention it. Not sure if Torie or any other New Yorkers are interested in getting together for coffee or drinks or whatever but if so feel free to drop me a note either here or at freetoryx at gmail (or the one listed with this account that Torie might still have from the great tribble contest at Tor). 28. ChurchHatesTucker Hey folks, I know we’re all anxious to revisit the dregs of the series with our list of the worst episodes… Um, we are? heck yes. Good ones are easy to talk about its so much more fun to rag on Spock’s Brain. 30. Howard Andrew Jones I’m a long time lurker, and I just had to decloak to add that I too name TDM as a favorite, probably my very favorite. I’d definitely rewatch that one over Return to Tomorrow any day. RTM struck me as stagey all along, including when I watched it a few months back. But I can’t expect everyone to agree with me on everything, and I think Torie and Eugene have done an excellent job explaining their reasons. Back when these episodes were only available on single videotapes and I was a kid with little money, TDM and A Taste of Armageddon were two of the three I had copies of; I still often think of ATA from time to time. And then moments of Charlie X are truly haunting. That ending is somber and powerful and one of the finest moments in Trek. 31. Mercurio Posted May 15, 2011 at 6:43 PM Allow me to join the mutiny by your readers and declare “The Doomsday Machine” top 8-worthy. :) It really is up there high on my list. When Decker takes command, it still causes me tremendous stress — on the umpteenth viewing! The suspense! The action! Anyway… Your list is pretty much on target. FWIW, my faves are: 1. The City on the Edge of Forever 2. The Trouble with Tribbles 3. The Menagerie 3. Mirror, Mirror 4. Balance of Terror 5. The Doomsday Machine 6. Space Seed 7. Amok Time 8. The Naked Time 9. The Enterprise Incident 10. All Our Yesterdays Okay, okay; I know I cheated by putting two #3’s and including both parts of the Menagerie as a single episode. But still. @ 19 NomadUK You don’t like disagreeing with me? :) Re: the mutiny thing, I take all your points. However, I chalk up that kind of rigidity in the Federation hierarchy more to an implied meritocracy (these are the best of the best!) than to a specific desire to reflect military rules. @ 27 Toryx I’m so sorry I missed you! I had been working insane hours and would not have been able to meet up. Next time… @ 30 Howard Andrew Jones It’s a great ending. Compare it to, say, “Wink of an Eye”–another episode that was supposed to be poignant and haunting, and yet just felt cruel–and you really get a sense of the downward trajectory. @ 31 Mercurio A faultless list. 34. EngineersMate My top eight (and I don’t have a problem with emotion beating out logic here) – The Doomsday Machine A Taste of Armageddon The Changeling The Trouble With Tribbles Balance of Terror Space Seed The Galileo Seven 35. Robert B You all are forgetting my personal favorite episode. And on at least one occasion Mr. Shatner himself has listed this as his favorite episode: Devil in the Dark. 무료 스핀 슬롯 on Re-Watching Star Trek: The Motion Picture Matthew Celis on Re-Watching Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan EJ Cohen on Star Trek Re-Watch: “The Paradise Syndrome” Steve Brown on Star Trek Re-Watch: “Assignment: Earth” Recent Discussions in Ten Forward Re: A data journalism approach to solving "best ST" debates? by: Kevin July 3, 2017, 19:02 ST Rewatch: The EMotion Picture (long) by: Bluejay Young Re: Chaos on the Bridge Re: Leonard Nimoy February 28, 2015, 15:13 "Shaka, When the Walls Fell" by: ecmyers Star Trek: The Next Generation Re-Watch: “Remember Me” 19 June 2014 8:00 AM \| 9 Comments Star Trek: The Next Generation Re-Watch: “Suddenly Human” 22 May 2014 8:00 AM \| 8 Comments Star Trek: The Next Generation Re-Watch: “Brothers” 30 January 2014 8:00 AM \| 10 Comments Star Trek: The Next Generation Re-Watch: “Family” Star Trek: The Next Generation Re-Watch: “The Best of Both Worlds, Part II” 07 November 2013 8:00 AM \| 19 Comments Laugh Treks: “Spock’s Brain” Making "Spock's Brain" re-watchable. Laugh Treks are humorous audio recordings you can sync with your Star Trek episodes to enhance your viewing experience. Star Trek Re-Watch: “The Trouble with Tribbles” 12 April 2010 12:16 AM \| 8 Comments Uhura takes the first steps to becoming a crazy tribble lady. Star Trek Re-Watch: “Mirror, Mirror” 25 September 2009 8:45 PM \| 9 Comments Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who on the ship is meanest of all? Star Trek Re-Watch: “The City on the Edge of Forever” 09 July 2009 7:44 PM \| 2 Comments If you hit Forever, you went too far. Star Trek Re-Watch: “Space Seed” 18 June 2009 6:53 PM \| 2 Comments Wrath, like a seed, needs time to grow... in a Petri dish, best kept cold. Star Trek Re-Watch: “The Conscience of the King” 19 May 2009 4:53 PM \| 4 Comments This week on Masterpiece Theater... Shakespeare’s Hamlet! In space. androids angry klingons big heads breeding computers diplomacy distinct lack of half-naked man-wrestling emotion emotional Spock emotional women everyone loves riker evil doubles fully clothed man-wrestling godlike powers handwaving mumblemumble horrible horrible children illusions immortality sucks klingons logic loneliness loyalty mind meld mysteries not everyone loves riker parallel universes rocks romulans science! sexism sexual harassment sexy ladies shakespeare space douches the gods must be crazy time travel transporter malfunction troi is useless Vulcan sex war were they drunk when they threw this one together? Wesley is a smartypants wesley saves the day why did this have to happen to our beloved legacy wrap-up post The Viewscreen is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License Star Trek is a registered trademark of CBS Studios Inc. The Star Trek logo and all images from the television series are copyright © CBS Studios Inc.	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0037.json.gz/line2761
__label__wiki	0.528705	0.528705	Another assistant leaving Kansas football? Photo by Mike Yoder Kansas defensive-line coach Calvin Thibodeaux, talks to the media Wednesday, Jan 14, 2015, during an introductory session with the KU football team's assistant coaches. Kansas University’s football program unbelievably could be in danger of losing a fifth assistant coach from David Beaty’s first staff. Already down four full-time assistants from the 2015 coaching roster (linebackers coach Kevin Kane to Northern Illinois, running-backs coach Reggie Mitchell to Arkansas, wide-receivers coach Klint Kubiak to the Denver Broncos and special-teams coordinator Gary Hyman demoted and then on to Indiana State), Beaty and the Jayhawks might have to sweat out the next few days as Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops explores the possibility of hiring KU defensive-line coach Calvin Thibodeaux for the vacancy in the Sooners’ D-line meeting room. According to a report from Jason Kersey, who covers OU for The Oklahoman, Thibodeaux will be in Norman, Okla., today and will interview for the job. Kersey’s report cited sources saying that Thibodeaux “is one of the leading candidates to join Stoops’ staff.” KU will begin spring practices on March 7. The Sooners are slated to begin their spring practices March 5. Kersey’s report indicates that Thibodeaux and Mississippi State defensive-line coach David Turner are two top candidates for the job, and a hire is expected sometime this week. The 32-year-old Thibodeaux, who joined Beaty’s staff for the 2015 season after three seasons at Tulsa, makes sense for the OU opening in a lot of ways. First, he played at Oklahoma and was an All-Big 12 defensive end under Stoops. Second, he had a big role in recruiting Lawrence High defensive end Amani Bledsoe to Kansas and would have an automatic rapport with the D-end who picked OU over KU earlier this month. Beyond that, Kersey’s report indicates that Turner made $350,000 at Mississippi State in 2015, and OU might prefer to go with the cheaper option in Thibodeaux, who made $166,000 during his first season at Kansas. The belief held by those close to the KU program is that Thibodeaux is gone if Stoops offers him the job, and that would leave Beaty looking for three assistant coaches to fill out his staff. College football veterans Jason Phillips and Todd Bradford already have been brought it to replace Kubiak and Kane, and Beaty is believed to be closing in on a running-backs coach and special-teams coordinator. Oklahoma announces hiring of former KU D-Line coach Calvin Thibodeaux Reports: Oklahoma to hire KU D-Line coach Calvin Thibodeaux D-Line coach Michael Slater officially joins KU football Dirk Medema 4 years, 11 months ago Mississippi State defensive-line coach David Turner looks to be a very accomplished coach with a history of success. Kind of hope that Stoops is looking for that bit more excellence vs. economy. Aaron Paisley 4 years, 11 months ago Considering the KU pass rush this past year was the lone bright spot on defense, that reflects pretty well on Thibodeaux's abilities to develop talent. "bit more" are crucial to understanding the comparative comment. Definitely agree that Thib's is a quality coach. He just doesn't have as much history of success. That is a pretty objective statement if you care to look. Austin Lopez 4 years, 11 months ago Wow, the bad gets badder.... Back to the double edged sword. I think Zenger addressed it last week and said that it sucks to have so much turnover in a single offseason. At the same time though, if your coaches aren't being considered for better jobs (either school or higher position), then you probably don't have very good assistant coaches and doesn't speak well for the long term prospects of a program. Zenger also said that year 3 is generally when the best staff is assembled because it's mostly made up of people who want to be at your school and aren't specifically looking to spring board to a better job. Beaty obviously assembled a highly thought of staff as 3/4 of the coaches have left and 4/5 if Thibodeaux leaves will have left for either a better position or to a better team. Hopefully he can replace them with other quality coaches as well as I really don't think this team is too far away (2-3 years) from being able to compete for a bowl berth. The DLine has potential to be elite in a couple of years which will help the back end of the defense be better as they won't have to cover for as long and can be more aggressive. Willis is the right QB, there's WR's who get open and run good routes. The biggest issue is developing an OLine competent enough to keep him upright and that position has been a heavy focus of Beaty's in the 2016 class so he knows that as well. I really believe Beaty is the man for the job and that he will be here for the long haul as there's really only one program that's a threat to poach him and that's Texas A&M, but he would have to have KU going to bowl games to get to that level though. Calvin Miller 4 years, 11 months ago Nice attempt at trying to put a positive spin on this. Any time there is coaching turnover, the players are subjected to a different coaching style for their position. Re: Zenger's comment---year 3 is important if there is continuity and stability in the coaching staff. Year 3 doesn't matter if there are multiple new coaches that season. Micky Baker 4 years, 11 months ago Feel free to add your own opinion on the matter. Whenever you're ready. Zenger's specific quote on the issue “I told coach Beaty when I first hired him that it’s been my experience at other programs that were rebuilding that so often your third year is your best staff because you’ve had people leave and other people come in who want to make a commitment to that program,” Zenger said. “For instance, when guys like Jim Leavitt, Mark Mangino and Mike Stoops joined (K-State) coach (Bill) Snyder’s staff in Year 2 or 3, that worked out pretty well for that program and for their individual careers.” I see nothing about continuity for the first 3 years in it. Joe Ross 4 years, 11 months ago There is absolutely no way to spin this as a positive in terms of the players. I mean, sure. One can note that Beaty brings in guys that others want as coaches. But recruits will never say, "Let me go play for a guy that has so much turnover that the position coaches who coach me might come in and out like a revolving door." Nobody's gonna say that. From an administrative standpoint or from the view of the fan, one might say Beaty has an eye for talent. And that's a positive. But continuity means more than you show by your posts on the matter and it can not be factored out of the equation. College coaches aren't elated when other teams pick off your good coaches. The fact that Beaty says it reflects well on a program is true, but the compliment is a CONSOLATION rather than something to be desired. And then there's this which you may not have considered: the perception among recruits that because so many of your coaches can be picked off so easily might be construed to mean that your program is in the tank, and this may play in the minds of recruits who are weighing things in the balance as they are considering schools. I guarantee you no one is picking off (potentially) 5 coaches from an Ohio State, or Michigan, or Oklahoma. It remains that there are positives and negatives to the coaching turnover, that the negatives far outweigh the positives, and that the "positives" are really only half-positives if you want to consider the perception of the program among recruits. No matter how good they coach, you cant build stability into a program when excellent coaches pass through it like a sieve. I don't believe that to be true in this case. Recruits are aware of whether or not coaches are making lateral or upward moves. Hyman is the only one who did not leave for a better job, but he also was not a position coach and had been reassigned to an off the field role. Everyone else left for better jobs and recruits know this. Had it been a situation like the end of Mangino's tenure where coaches were leaving to get away from Mangino, then you could make that argument about the perception of KU, but not in this case because recruits are very aware of stuff like that. Blue bloods actually do have to deal with multiple coaches leaving in an offseason regularly. Ohio St. had to deal with it when Tom Herman left for Houston and could've potentially had more than 5 leave had Warriner been hired here instead of Beaty. I believe Kirby Smart is taking multiple Alabama assistants with him to Georgia so it happens. 5 is a very rare number for a non HC change, but it's also not doing anyone any good to be a Debbie Downer in this situation either. I'm choosing to look at the positives that we have HC that has an eye for assistant coaches that can develop talent to the point that much better teams want them and that he can do it again. A program like KU will never have the coaching stability of a blue blood, that's just the reality of the situation. I agree that continuity and stability are important, but that's more important at the coordinator positions than the position coaches because the coordinators are the ones who have the most impact on the stability of a program. My biggest issue with the lack of stability and continuity was never the position coaches so much as it was the coordinators and the system run on that side of the ball. KU had a run of about 7 years I believe where they either changed DC's or base defense. Two years ago was the first time that did not change and we saw a big improvement on the back end of the defense that resulted in multiple players drafted. As long as Bowen keeps the 4-2-5 base defense, position coaches aren't spending time teaching concepts, they're teaching techniques to make the players better. You change coordinators, you lose an offseason of development because you're installing a base defense instead of adding new wrinkles to a defense. The same goes for the offense. We should see big strides this year because Beaty isn't installing his offense, it's being refined and added onto. Jim Stauffer 4 years, 11 months ago Can you name one recruit who turned a school down because there were too many new assistants on the team or because he saw too many leaving for other schools or because he believe there would not be continuity in the staff? Doug Wallace 4 years, 11 months ago Not sure what to make of it!Either they see troubles here or the assistants are real good. Red Demon 4 years, 11 months ago While the timing hurts, all of these coaches have left to better programs or better positions. If they were all what appear to be latter moves or worse, than I'd be much more worried. It will be difficult to replace them, regardless. Ashwin Rao 4 years, 11 months ago Not whining, but we lost all our games last season, so ANY program is a better program... but I do have faith in our rebuilding effort. Steve Corder 4 years, 11 months ago The loss of assistants also reflects on Beaty's ability to hire quality men. This current round of coaching musical chairs is a positive sign. Wins follow quality players, recruited by sharp eyed, gifted men. Any program "worth it's salt" should lose assistants to stronger established programs, and great programs (at any level) feed the ranks with head coaches....the circle of sporting life. Michael Bennett 4 years, 11 months ago KU could end the issue in an hour with 3 yr guaranteed contracts, non-compete clause and buyout clause in the contracts. None of these are standard in contracts for assistant coaches but their is no rule against them either. Michael Maris 4 years, 11 months ago I like the idea. KU setting a precedent for the future. If they aren't standard, KU is in no position to make those demands. Brian Wilson 4 years, 11 months ago Sure they can. And if they offer me a guarenteed contract for 100k/yr for 3 years to come coach football.......sign me up! My heart is with you Michael, but my head is with Red Demon. Glen Miller 4 years, 11 months ago The mass exodus tells me that although the team is headed in the right direction..... it will be several years before we are competitive enough to retain coaching talent. These guys wouldn't all be jumping ship if there was really something that special building here. Just my opinion. One or two, yes.... but not 4 going on 5. I get the Kubiak move, that's his dad and they are defending super bowl champs. Thibedeaux would be understandable, since he played there and has a good relationship with Stoops. All the others are concerning to me. Better offers or not, there are lots of openings coming about to move up the ranks and they still didn't stick around. We didn't have this kind of exodus even when we were winning. I'm a bit concerned...... Kane moved up from position coach to coordinator at the school he came to KU from and Mitchell went to a school known for producing elite college RB's under a HC known for producing elite level RB's. Both are vertical moves and I'd be more concerned if those coaches didn't have the drive to move up the coaching ranks when the right situation comes along. I suppose, but I'm a loyal type person and if you really believe we are building something..... stick around and get an even better job when you prove everyone wrong. I get it, but loyalty means squat anymore. There's no guarantee that Beaty will get things turned around even though he appears to be the right man for the job and there's no guarantee of future job offers for the assistant coaches. Bob Bailey 4 years, 11 months ago Maybe they see we can't wont play Defense! About 6 - 7 years ago one of his team mates in his backfield said that the DC who taught him was among the world's worst DC, and our guy hadn't learned anything since. Judging from one of our responders there are a lot of people who don't pay much attention during the game. Maybe you have to be a genius to understand our guys can't tackle, leave a lot to be desired in coverage, and the Defensive Scheme could be beaten by a good sixth-grader. Maybe the way to go is to let Thibodeaux go, and pick up the high priced coach from Miss. St. Because "the high priced coach from Miss. St." obviously wants to leave an established program with a full roster of top notched players to coach a FCS roster. Hmmmm, should I buy the bridge or the prime swamp land? Nathan Anderson 4 years, 11 months ago Pay these guys the equivalent of a physician's salary and they can't be bothered to stay more than a year. Good grief. Just keep the money and bulldoze the program. Return of Tina Stephens important for KU ahead of home game vs. Texas Tech January 19, 2021 Monday March Madness games coming in 2021 January 19, 2021 Former KU defensive back Corione Harris headed to McNeese January 19, 2021 Big 12 basketball standings for Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2021 January 19, 2021 Who's better, Baylor or Gonzaga? Who cares, says KU's Self; he just wants Kansas to be better January 19, 2021 The KU Sports Hour AUDIO: Assessing what KU football got out of the 2020 season & where the program goes from here December 11, 2020	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0037.json.gz/line2770
__label__wiki	0.805215	0.805215	In Search Of Banksy More at weburbanist.com More Bansky here Hello Kitty Assault Rifle Via poe-news.com Cowbell Hero Will It Blend?-Guitar Hero III Yup, it blends. Also: Will it Blend?-Chuck Norris Chris Farley Reincarnated? H.P. Lovecraft Poster Via at-elier.net Christopher Walken Halloween Mask Cut Out Via brandonbird.com Real Life Donkey Kong Motion Activated Sprinkler Vs Pigeons Family Guy Star Wars Episode Sunday, Sept 23 on Fox Parodies from the show: Robot Chicken Star Wars parodies here. How To Hide Beer At Work Via dethroner.com Via wallstreetfighter.com Spoon Prank Mall Death Metal From threadbombing.com Mustang Made From 5,000 Beer Cans "Like all good students Jack Kirby collected his beers cans. Unlike most good students the art and design student actually found a use for them. When he realised Budweiser was giving away his dream car, a 1965 Ford Mustang, he set about making the car out of 5,000 beer cans." From metro.co.uk White Guys, Gang Signs Scorpion Vodka "This special triple distilled vodka is infused with a real farm raised Heterometrus Spinifer scorpion. The vodka is steeped for several months, which then imparts a unique flavour into the liquor, it is quite an acquired taste. The story is that this is used in SE Asia as a Aphrodisiac; and it also has medical uses, such as the treatment of back and muscle pain. Every bottle is unique in its own way so therefore the item purchased may differ slightly in looks but not size." Buy it at thailandunique.com Unemployed Stuff To Do List Bush Vs. Zombies Dog's Name On Tombstone Called Disrespectful Name on tombstone called disrespectful Top Ten Video Game T-Shirts More at tcritic.com The Royal Fart Check out the Queens reaction in the last photo. From biggeekdaddy.com Lego Desk "Here are some facts about The Desk: Approximately 35,000 LEGO bricks were used. This includes almost all the pieces from 32 Blue Tubs (#3033), almost 300 (!) small baseplates (8x16 studs), and 63 blue plate packs from LEGO Shop-at-Home. A few other pieces were also bought from private collectors (226 tiles so the drawers could slide, et cetera). The desk weighs about 120 pounds, I think. I have not actually weighed it... but I think that is close. About 7 pounds of glue were used. Brand: Oatey, All-Purpose (PVC, CPVC, ABS) Glue. The desk has the following dimensions (inches, WxHxD): 60" x 29.5" x 30". It has 7 working drawers (six small, one large). It has a folding lid in the top that conceals a hole for computer cables to drop through. Yes, the top is bumpy -- studs up. I offered to make the top smooth, but the client specifically requested otherwise. Whatever. I also offered to build a retractable keyboard tray in the front, but that was not wanted. Nor a mosaic of the company logo on the top or sides. Yes, I was paid to build the desk. Don't ask how much. It was worth my time." From ericharshbarger.org For the 'I Like Turtles' Boy, 17 Seconds Of Fame "There was a time, not long ago, when a 10-year-old boy could head to a neighborhood fair, get his face painted like a Halloween zombie and blurt out something utterly inane to a local TV news correspondent and nobody would ever think about it again. Oh, there'd be an audience that night, much of which would chuckle and think "Whaaaaa?" But that would be the end of it. The moment would not endure as a video snippet, posted on Web sites and viewed more than 500,000 times, nor would it inspire T-shirts, or parodies or remixes or mash-ups. It would not lead a company in, say, England to track down the lad and offer him -- or rather, his parents -- cash to turn his baffling three-word apercu into a cellphone ring tone. He would not hear from the Jimmy Kimmel show. A handful of strangers would not call hoping to send him pets. But thanks to the Internet, Jonathon Ware is a 10-year-old living in the golden age of inanity, when the most random of utterances is celebrated and memorialized. And so anyone can savor Ware's rendezvous with YouTube destiny, a 17-second masterpiece of comic triviality that has turned him into that most peculiar of media creatures: the viral-video celebrity..." More at washingtonpost.com This Is Why Your Server Is Cranky From passiveaggressivenotes.com Zombie Food Pyramid The Grim Reaper Takes The Shape Of A Cat "PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) -- Oscar the cat seems to have an uncanny knack for predicting when nursing home patients are going to die, by curling up next to them during their final hours. His accuracy, observed in 25 cases, has led the staff to call family members once he has chosen someone. It usually means they have less than four hours to live. "He doesn't make too many mistakes. He seems to understand when patients are about to die," said Dr. David Dosa in an interview. He describes the phenomenon in a poignant essay in Thursday's issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. "Many family members take some solace from it. They appreciate the companionship that the cat provides for their dying loved one," said Dosa, a geriatrician and assistant professor of medicine at Brown University. The 2-year-old feline was adopted as a kitten and grew up in a third-floor dementia unit at the Steere House Nursing and Rehabilitation Center. The facility treats people with Alzheimer's, Parkinson's disease and other illnesses. After about six months, the staff noticed Oscar would make his own rounds, just like the doctors and nurses. He'd sniff and observe patients, then sit beside people who would wind up dying in a few hours..." More at ap.org From kscakes.com.nyud.net: Classmates Ad Explained "She married him??!! And they've got 7 kids?? That Classmates.com online ad, complete with its hyperactive punctuation, is so ubiquitous — more than 1 billion Web-site displays — that folks around the world know those faces: the serious, bespectacled young woman and the fresh-faced young man, forever linked in cyberspace. They've even inspired parody pages. But, in answer to the ad: Sorry, no, the two are not married and they did not breed a passel of tots. They do, however, share an employment history. Her real name is L.A. Smith, his is Bryce Lane. Their high-school senior portraits are featured in the ad for Classmates.com, the site run by Renton-based Classmates Online that helps its 40 million-plus users find and stay in touch with old friends — particularly former school chums for reunions. Smith is now 46, a writer, editor and artist in Bothell; Lane is 34, an investment banker in Bellevue. Their imaginary online happily-ever-after tale began a little more than three years ago..." More at seattletimes.com Metallica On The Simpsons The Shining Cuckoo Clock "Every hour Jack Breaks through the door and the famous line “Here’s Johnny” plays followed by the scream of Shelly Duvall." Related: The Shining Costume From idealist.blinkr.net Artist Chris Dimino The Original: Top 10 Dramatic Chipmunk Remix Moments: Austin Powers: Kill Bill: More Remixes at uber.com Even more at youtube.com Fans Recreate Comic Strip "Fans of the xkcd webcomic have taken up the challenge laid out in one of the strips and are riding roller-coasters with glued-together chess-sets." More pics at xkcd.com Via entertainmentjet.info Cats Don't Care idiotcomics.com What Happens If You Talk On Your Cell Phone During A Concert Boston Loses An Icon: Mr. Butch Passes Away "Allston, Mass. - Mr. Butch, the charismatic, dread-locked, “honorary mayor of Allston,” died this morning after an accident on his motor scooter. Mr. Butch, whose real name was Harold Madison Jr., was traveling inbound on Brighton Avenue on his scooter around 8 a.m. at a speed close to 50 miles per hour when he appeared to lose control of the vehicle, fly over the handlebars and strike a light pole, witnesses told police. He was taken to Brigham and Women’s Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, police said. He was 56. As news of his death spread through the Allston Village neighborhood, friends remembered Mr. Butch as charismatic and friendly. “That happiness was always there in him. That’s the only thing I ever saw of him,” said Toni Fanning, a friend of Butch who worked at Ritual Arts on Harvard Avenue. “I never knew him to be mean, I never knew him to be sad.” Butch came into the public consciousness by hanging around the Kenmore Square area in the 1980s, playing guitar outside of the nightclub The Rathskellar (known as The Rat) and interacting with the local punkrockers who congregated there." More at townonline.com Mr. Butch's Wiki and Myspace s g collins created a short film about Mr. Butch in 2002 called Searching For Mr. Butch. It's at postwar.nl (language NSFW) Trophy Head Lamp "Product Details:A new take on a cultural icon, this limited edition, hand-molded resin lamp is also a striking piece of art. Product SpecsDimensions: 26"W x 32.25"H x 37"D Materials: Resin, Fluorescent tubes with dimmable ballast. " More at gnr8.biz Man Robs Bank Disguised As Tree "BOSTON (FOX25, myfoxboston.com) -- Police are looking for a man who robbed the Citizen's Bank on Elm Street in Manchester, New Hampshire on Saturday disguised as a tree! The man walked into the bank with tree branches duct taped on his arms and demanded money from the teller. The teller filled the bag with cash and the suspect took off. A dye pack inside the bag exploded. Manchester Police describe the man as a white male, between 45 and 50 years old, wearing glasses and a blue shirt." From myfoxboston.com Muscular Dog Rare genetic mutation increases muscles, weight of sleek breed "People mistake her for a pitbull with a pinhead, but Wendy the whippet is one rare breed. So rare that the Central Saanich dog recently graced the New York Times. She also had several of her photos shown on The Today Show, all because of a rare genetic mutation that has led to her being the Incredible Hulk of dogs. Wendy is a 27-kilogram rippling mass of muscle. Forget the so-called six-pack stomach: Wendy has a 24-pack. And the muscles around her neck are so thick, they look like a lion's ruff. "People have referred to her as Arnold Schwarzenegger," says doting owner Ingrid Hansen, stroking Wendy's sleek black coat and white chest. Wendy was recently part of a genetics study done in the U.S. on mutation in the myostatin gene in whippets, which resemble greyhounds in appearance. The National Institute of Health study reported that whippets with one single defective copy of the gene have increased muscle mass that can enhance racing performance in the breed, known for speeds up to 60 kilometres an hour." More at canada.com Robot Dance Contest Welcome to Kwik-E-Mart! "The 7-11 at the intersection of Olive and Verdugo in Burbank has temporarily been converted into a Kwik-E-Mart. It was re-done late Saturday night and will remain a Kwik-E-Mart for the next month to promote the upcoming Simpsons movie. Eleven 7-11s in the United States and two in Canada have been converted into Kwik-E-Marts as part of the promotion. Golam, Burbank's friendly counterman, was having a lot of fun shouting, "Welcome to Kwik-E-Mart!" as each customer walked in. The other employees were rushing to re-stock cartoonishly pink donuts while the 7-11 rep made frantic calls on his cell phone demanding more Buzz cola, "Send me everything you've got! It's ALL gone. Everything." More pics at laist.com More pics at boredstop.com The Best License Plate Ever via flickr.com Vegetarian Zombies F minus comic The Amazing Zebra Crossing "It looks as if someone tried to give a zebra a respray. . . then ran out of white paint halfway through the job. But in reality there is no artificial colouring on display here. This amazing but natural coat belongs to Eclyse the zorse. Her father is a zebra, while her mother is a horse. And she's walking proof of how a child inherits genes from both parents. For while most zebra-horse crossbreeds sport stripes across their entire body, Eclyse only has two such patches, on its face and rear. The one-year-old zorse was the accidental product of a holiday romance when her mother, Eclipse, was taken from her German safari park home to a ranch in Italy for a brief spell. There she was able to roam freely with other horses and a number of zebras, including one called Ulysses who took a fancy to her." More at dailymail.co.uk Before Dirty Jobs, Mike Rowe Was A Star On QVC Can you feel the enthusiasm he has for the crinckly cat sack? More Mike Rowe on QVC clips at youtube.com Favorite: Mike Rowe sells a lava lamp here. Related: Mike Rowe on wiki Boogie Nights-Star Wars Edition Iron Maiden Sneakers "The first of four limited edition art pieces honoring one of the most successful and influential bands of the heavy metal genre - Iron Maiden. The legendary ?Killers" cover artwork is available on both Vans classic Slip-ons and SK8-HI's. A must have for any true fan." Buy them at vans.com Previous sneaker posts: Jackass 2 Converse Chuck Taylors Iron Maiden Sneakers Vans Walking Dead Chuck Taylors Breaking Bad Chuck Taylors What Happened To Tony Soprano? "I finally got around to watching the much-debated Sopranos finale last night. I haven’t seen the show much in years; it’s brilliant and all, but I gave up around season four. Just had things to do, and the show got a little, I dunno, slow for a while. You know. But after all the hullaballoo, I decided to take a look again for myself. After looking closely at the final episode, I’m reminded of people who left the film American Beauty wondering who had actually shot Kevin Spacey, just because face of the killer was offscreen when the trigger was pulled, despite the fact that his identity couldn’t have been clearer. This is a lot like that. I should add, incidentally, that I was a TV writer myself for a while. Not a particularly accomplished one. Mostly small stuff nobody ever saw. I wrote for CSI: Crime Scene Investigation for most of the third season, but I got tired of all the death, frankly. Some people might have loved the job, and the money was great, and I still like and respect the folks there for being so incredibly good at what they do, but it just wasn’t a good fit for me. Anyway, my point: not any claim to expertise -- which is minimal at the very most, I promise, and for you to judge, in any case -- but during the year of my life that I helped in modest ways to hang dwarfs, make parasailers go Icarus, and poison poker players with lead-filled candies, I saw first-hand just how meticulously the little details could be fussed over for the cameras – and that was on a show with a breakneck production schedule and no particular auteur nursing his vision through every single shot." Tony got whacked. Bob Harris presents a good argument at bobharris.com LOL Metal More at warehouse.carlh.com Heroes Of The Past Via geekstudent.com Star Wars AT-AT Stroller Cool Dad! The Cat Cam "Sometimes I have some challenging ideas, or crazy like some other people would say. This time I thought about our cat who is the whole day out, returning sometimes hungry sometimes not, sometimes with traces of fights, sometimes he stay also the night out. When he finally returns, I wonder where he was and what he did during his day. This brought me to the idea to equip the cat with a camera. The plan was to put a little camera around his neck which takes every few minutes a picture. After he is returning, the camera would show his day. First I thought about transmitting live pictures from a remote RF camera, but the equipment is too expensive and battery consumption is too high." So the idea was born and split into these parts: find small, lightweight, inexpensive digital camera develop a controller for the camera protect the camera from cat attack mount equipment to cat Look, is there a cat meeting under the car? More at mr-lee-catcam.de What Happens If You Talk On Your Cell Phone During...	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0037.json.gz/line2773
__label__cc	0.712339	0.287661	e. enquiries@20thebarons.co.uk 20 THE BARONS Luxury Serviced Apartments THE ARLINGTON 2 bed THE CRESCENT 2 bed THE BROOKE 1 bed GARDEN SUITE 1 bed HILL VIEW LOFT studio THE PENTHOUSE 3 bed NUMBER 9 1 Bed 18 EGERTON DRIVE 3 Bed WHITE HART HOUSE 2 Bed St Margarets Road The Twickenham Parakeets On his daily constitutional (a highly recommended wander east from 20 The Barons, along St Margarets Road, over Richmond Bridge, and on up Richmond Hill), The Baron never fails to be enchanted by a quirk of the local fauna. The first hint of something unusual is a loud screeching from the treetops that takes him back to his glory days in Asia. As The Baron gazes at the glorious views over Terrace Gardens along the course of the Thames, the sky is lit up by the formation fly-past of a dozen dazzling, lime-green birds. These are the famous Twickenham Parakeets, which have adapted so well to life in Thames Valley suburbia that they now number in their thousands. They are ring-necked parakeets (Psittacula krameri), the only naturalised parrot in the UK. Large and long-tailed, with a direct and pointy-winged flight, their plumage is an array of greens, their beaks the red of an alluring lipstick. A ring of pink and black encircles their necks, giving the impression of a drooping Movember moustache. Richmond Park is at the heart of their distribution, and they are common visitors to local bird tables. Their raucous roosting at such locations as Esher Rugby Ground is among London’s most spectacular twilight experiences. The ring-necked parakeet is native to India, but its origins in the foothills of the Himalayas explain the species’ capacity to survive an English winter. First bred in Britain in 1855, the parakeets did not colonise London’s parks until the 1960s. A population explosion in the ’90s might perhaps be linked to our warming climate. The birds thrive on a plentiful supply of buds and seeds from beech and sweet chestnut, and nest in the tree-hole homes of native nuthatches and woodpeckers. Several urban myths have taken flight around their origins. One traces the birds’ family tree to a breeding pair released on Carnaby Street in the 1960s by Jimi Hendrix, who would no doubt be delighted by the psychedelic flourish their little wings bring to the traditional landscape. Another suggests the original birds escaped from Isleworth Studios, Middlesex, in 1951, during the filming of The African Queen starring Humphrey Bogart and Katherine Hepburn. Whatever the truth, the exotic appearance of the Twickenham Parakeets cannot but gladden the heart on a cold winter’s morning. Filed Under: 20 The Barons, History, Local News, People and Places Tagged With: Esher Rugby Ground, Isleworth Studios, Jimi Hendrix, Richmond Bridge, St Margarets Road, The African Queen, Twickenham Parakeets Mapping The Baron’s Footprint It is fitting that we call the site of a building its footprint, since its impression provides us with tracks that we may follow into the past. If we could travel back in time 750 years, we would find a riotous gathering raising their tents south of a grand house built by King Henry III’s brother, Richard, Earl of Cornwall, on the Manor of Isleworth (later, Twickenham Park). We would be surrounded by open fields, with common meadows running along the west bank of the Thames. To the south-west rises the Medieval village of Twickenham (around Church Street) on the higher ground beside the Twickenham Ait (Eel Pie Island), its buildings clustered around a church of Kentish rag stone (St Mary’s). There are water-mills, weirs and fisheries along the river, orchards and open farmland parched by drought. On 29 June 1263, the Manor of Isleworth played host to the historic Gathering of the Barons, where Simon de Montfort’s rebellious noblemen held a conference with the King that sowed the seeds for England’s first true Parliament. When one discovers historic maps the footprints become clearer, excitingly so. Shown here are two maps that were drawn in the nineteenth century but allow us to take our first steps much further back in time. The first, from 1879, is clearly marked with the Encampment of the Barons at the top of Twickenham Park. The second, from 1896, shows the development of the A-shaped crescent and houses of The Barons in the south-west corner. Viewing the same area on Googlemaps reveals how early development shaped the topography of the quarter-circle we see today bordered by the railway, the river and St Margarets Road. We can locate the luxury apartments at 20 The Barons, and begin to picture our place both in time and space: discovering how our own footprints rest solidly within those of our ancestors. (For more information, and map source, see the excellent Twickenham Park Resident Association) Filed Under: 20 The Barons, History, People and Places Tagged With: Eel Pie Island, King Henry III, Manor of Isleworth, Simon de Montfort, St Margarets Road, Twickenham Park LATEST TWEETS @20thebarons The Baron's blog: A ‘pea souper’ was the name given to the thick, yellowish fog that used to hang over London in Vi… https://t.co/83pPnpBVCT RT @samaritans: @macmillancancer Cheers guys! Thanks for joining 💚 https://t.co/TIITiarNeR HOW TO ENJOY WORKING FROM HOME How to set up a home office London’s Pubs Unlocked We are demonstrating that we adhere to respective Government and public health guidance and have carried out a COVID-19 risk assessment and checked that we have the required processes in place. Copyright © 2021 · 20 The Barons - Luxury Serviced Apartments, Teddington, Twickenham, St Margarets, Hampton, Hampton Wick, Kingston, Ham, Petersham, Richmond, Kew, Barnes, Mortlake, Sheen, Chiswick, Brentford, Putney, Fulham, Wimbledon, South West London, Middlesex, Surrey Access Statement · Terms & Conditions · Guest Services · Privacy Policy · Graphic Design · Covid-19	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0037.json.gz/line2774
__label__wiki	0.521085	0.521085	What is selective incorporation Selective what incorporation Add: zucaj59 - Date: 2020-12-21 13:59:47 - Views: 1138 - Clicks: 8508 Selektiv \| multi label store. Get personalized recommendations, and learn where to watch across hundreds of streaming providers. SI Kids provides a kid-first perspective of sports. Upload your photo, your partner's photo and make a baby in seconds! Please enable it to continue. You should choose a business structure that gives you the right balance of legal protections and benefits. This web gateway will query this server and return the results. Selective cares about the repercussions and risk it may cause to you as a business owner, so we’d like to share some information to help protect you, your staff, and your operations. Intentionally choosing some things and. 700,000 fonts indexed free or commercial. See full list on en. Incorporated - organized and maintained as a legal corporation; "a special agency set up in corporate form"; "an incorporated town". At Selective, we think Small Business is a big deal. This is a game built with machine learning. Selective Line, the international high-end brand from Verallia, proposes a collection of glass bottles for premium products, and provides different possibilities for glass and d&233;cor customization. To include something within something else: incorporate a component/an element/a feature Mobile phones incorporate features of desktop computers, personal digital assistants, and landlines. Founded in by Nobel Laureate Carl Wieman, the PhET Interactive Simulations project at the University of Colorado Boulder creates free interactive math and science simulations. Or The Whip and the Body, a 1963 Italian film directed by Mario Bava; What? Watch anywhere, anytime, on an unlimited number of devices. Professional hair products, 100% made in Italy. See more videos for Selective. Selective Prosecution: Criminal prosecution based on an unjustifiable standard such as race, religion, or other Arbitrary classification. Incorporation is the forming of a new corporation. Department of State. Moved Permanently. The NIAMS Community Outreach Bulletin is a digest designed to inform community advocates and health professionals about resources for diverse audiences. You use what when you are asking for information about something. Most people with selective IgA deficiency don&39;t have recurrent infections. As an excess and surplus lines company Mesa Underwriters Specialty Insurance Company (MUSIC) is committed to easing the difficulties of placing complex commercial risks in the excess and surplus lines marketplace, while enriching the value that Selective Insurance provides to its retail producers and insureds. Sign in - Google Accounts. This aircraft incorporates several new safety features. &0183;&32;Selective mutism can negatively impact children in a number of ways, as children with this disorder struggle to engage in reciprocal social interactions, participate in classroom discussions and activities, and fail to assert their needs outside of the home. Synonyms of incorporation a visible representation of something abstract (as a quality) the workers stood nervously before the company boss, for he was to them the incorporation of all that controlled their fate. &205; &254;&253;&240;unni undanfarna daga hafa or&240;i&240; umtalsver&240;ar slitlagsskemmdir &225; B&237;ldudalsvegi &237; Mikladal og T&225;lknafir&240;i. Selective works together with our independent agency partners to create and deliver business and personal insurance solutions that best fit customers’ needs. The Selective Service System is the agency that registers men and is responsible for running a draft. You can use what as a pronoun or a determiner. The official website for Sade. Einnig hefur Já uppfært persónuverndarstefnu sína. . A corporation on the other hand is a formal business association with a publicly registered charter recognizing it as a separate legal entity. Incorporation isn&39;t as difficult as most people think. Variety, Value, Choice! The public can view information and download documents contained in the Secretary of State’s electronic records using. Incorporating a small business creates a legal entity registered with the state called a corporation that has authority to act through the articles of incorporation, bylaws, and other governing documents and corporate forms. Kommentti: Eläkeputken poisto maksetaan vaaliuurnilla – työelämän ikärasismi tuskin poistuu sormia näpsäyttämällä. Skemmdirnar eru mestar &237; Mikladal &225; um 4-5 km kafla og eru vegfarendur be&240;nir um a&240; aka varlega &254;ar sem a&240;st&230;&240;ur g&230;tu veri&240; varasamar &225; k&246;flum. Helen Folasade Adu CBE, known professionally as Sade Adu or simply Sade, is an English singer, songwriter, and actress. First Amendment 1. Incorporate an association/a business/a company The association was incorporated in 1970. Usernames and user IDs are part of your public Facebook profile. Don't panic. Second Amendment 1. (chiefly US, not comparable) Having the authority or capability to make a selection. Film and television. The official website of the State of New York. We feel that her studies with SelectivePrep and your wonderful teachers contributed greatly to her success. Selectivepressure 3. \| Meaning, pronunciation, translations and examples. 21 synonyms for selective: particular, demanding, discriminating, critical, careful, exacting. What - English Grammar Today - a reference to written and spoken English grammar and usage - Cambridge Dictionary. Selective (comparative more selective, superlative most selective) 1. ELISA SHIPON-BLUM PH:\| E: org Selective Mutism is a complex childhood anxiety disorder characterized by a child's inability to speak and communicate effectively in select social settings, such as school. The new test will have a greater emphasis on thinking skills, mathematical reasoning and problem solving. What was the Selective Service designed to do? Selective Enrollment Parent Feedback "We are very happy to be able to report that our daughter received an acceptance letter for Jones, her 1st choice Selective Enrollment High School. Working with wholesale clubs makes your vending business easy to manage. The Works application is a Web-based, user-friendly electronic card payment management service that automates, streamlines, and integrates existing payment authorization and reconciliation processes while providing management reporting and spending controls. Jehovah’s Witnesses: Our official website provides online access to the Bible, Bible-based publications, and current news. · YouTube is the most popular video sharing site on the web, with billions of videos. FordEtis performance metrics for system availability measured as system uptime can be accessed from the link below. Find all the information for your next step. WhatWhat is a wh-word. , world, weather, entertainment, politics and health at CNN. Antonyms for incorporation. Oregon 299 U. Incorporation presents a number of advantages: becoming a separate legal entity means that the business itself makes or loses money, which protects owners from liability for its debts. Com is the 1 question answering service that delivers the best answers from the web and real people - all in one place. Stores have everything you need from craft materials to furniture, from garden tools to homeware and more - all under one roof at value prices. Uppfært kl. Org website is temporarily unavailable while we work to improve it. Electronics Able to reject frequencies other than the one. · Incorporation is the legal process used to form a corporate entity or company. In addition, you can be a “deemed qualified alien” if, under certain circumstances, you, your child, or your parent has been subjected to battery or extreme cruelty by a family member while in the United States. 5 people chose this as the best definition of what: In some manner or degree;. For example, a potassium ion-selective membrane electrode utilizes the naturally occurring macrocyclic antibiotic valinomycin. Back to Top. The Founding Fathers established it in the Constitution, in part, as a compromise between the election of the President by a vote in Congress and election of the President by a popular vote of qualified citizens. A black hole is a place in space where gravity pulls so much that even light cannot get out. Amnesia is usually the result of physical damage to areas of the brain from injury, disease, or alcoholism. &0183;&32;I am using selective sync on my Windows 10 computer at home to sync only projects that I am working on - this is typically only about 5 folders as of yesterday (the last time I checked was last night at 9pm when I shared a link to some new files with a consultant). Selective disk restore is an added functionality you get when you enable the selective disks backup feature. The Electoral College is a process, not a place. Orkin Insect Zoo. The admissions process for selective schools typically takes place in the fall, but was delayed this year because of the pandemic. Updated Dec. Safety Recalls & Service Campaigns ©Lexus, a Division of Toyota Motor Sales, U. · Dena Hunt&39;s first novel, Treason (Sophia Institute Press), won the IPPY Gold Medal. It’s Time to Do ‘Selective Profit-Taking’ in Airline Stocks, JPMorgan Says. Great kids. Lost your phone? Antonyms for selective. 7k votes, 2. Find the record, CD or DVD you've been looking for at an affordable price in our huge collection. Their admissions policy is very selective. Of the Refugee Education Assistance Act of 1980 or in a status that is to be treated as a “Cuban/Haitian entrant” for SSI purposes. However, electronic signatures only are permissible in electronic transactions between consenting parties. It is known for its numerous camp references to homosexuality and anal sex. Connecticut, 310 U. Gov brings you the latest news, images and videos from America&39;s space agency, pioneering the future in space exploration, scientific discovery and aeronautics research. Mitglied werden. This term is frequently confounded, particularly in the old books, with corporation. Translation for: 'selective' in English->Finnish dictionary. Selective mutism causes some kids and teens to be too fearful to talk in some situations. Forming a corporation also allows you raise capital through sale of shares of your company. It will also adjust and balance the weighting given to Mathematics, English and thinking skills test components. Regents of the University of California, 293 U. Managers develop, manage and evaluate the agency's Employment Program for. Cookies) til að auðvelda þér að vafra um vefinn, geyma upplýsingar um stillingar o. Delivering passionate and comprehensive entertainment coverage to millions of users world-wide each month. All information contained herein applies to U. Our company was incorporated in Delaware after World War I. 17, 1:54 pm ET Order Reprints. Start a Business Protect Your Assets with a Corporation or Limited Liability Company. Com please try www. Incorporate definition, to form into a legal corporation. Antipyrine \| C11H12N2O \| CID 2206 - structure, chemical names, physical and chemical properties, classification, patents, literature, biological activities, safety. : used interrogatively in asking for the specification of an identity, quantity, quality, etc. Reykjavík síðdegis - Íslenskt hugvit í snjallfatnaði fyrir íþróttafólk ; Reykjavík síðdegis - Býst við því að app til hlutabréfakaupa líti dagsins ljós á næstunni. Discover your favorite albums and films. Gov \| Espa&241;ol. Use Google Hangouts to keep in touch with one person or a group. Of course, it doesn’t always work. Other 1040 Schedules Information About the Other Schedules Filed With Form 1040. Find the latest Selective Insurance Group, Inc. Please contact org orext. Second Life's official website. Watch our video to compare the two most common entity types chosen by new businesses, corporations and limited liability companies, and learn about the advantages and. We also have a passion for helping customers. &0183;&32;Selective mutism is most common in children under age 5. LLCs are under the jurisdiction of state law, so the process of. 2 days ago · Another word for selective: particular, demanding, discriminating, critical, careful \| Collins English Thesaurus. What does your name really stand for? What Records has been a major UK record retailer since 1981. See full list on sos. Quickly send and receive WhatsApp messages right from your computer. How to use selective in a sentence. Back to ftc. , VOA. Selective IgA deficiency is an immune system condition in which you lack or don&39;t have enough immunoglobulin A (IgA), a protein that fights infection (antibody). Which thing or which particular one of many: What are you having for dinner? ) We ask Which. May still be seen from certain angles or distances. Not because of any phony god&39;s blessing. Politics at CNN has news, opinion and analysis of American and global politics Find news and video about elections, the White House, the U. Opened in Petersburg in 1964 Opened this location in. Incorporation is the way that a business is formally organized and officially brought into existence. 15 féll stór skriða úr Botnabrún milli Búðarár og Stöðvarlækjar á Seyðisfirði og lenti á a. Search our site for the best deals on games and software. (biology) Of or relating to natural selection. Change My Password. Email us Find shows and movies to watch plus recommendations. 3 synonyms of selective from the Merriam-Webster Thesaurus, plus 9 related words, definitions, and antonyms. The nerves are separated then identified via an electrical stimulation. Outsourcing work to third-party vendors introduces risks that need to be managed. Synonyms for incorporation in Free Thesaurus. Is, one of the biggest games websites available, where you can play a huge range of free online games including adventure games, card games, car games, cycle games, fighting games, flying games, puzzle games, space games, sports games and many other. The latest tweets from The official Lyric Video for "What A Beautiful Name" from our new album &39;let there be light&39;&39; recorded live at Hillsong Conference in Sydney! We Offer Beautiful, Award-Winning African Violets & Decorative Plants from the World&39;s Best Grower, Breeder & Distributor - Optimara Group. Quickly send and receive WhatsApp messages right from your computer. All news and links below in this section are 12/18 unless noted. Seen a font in use and want to know what it is? The NIAMS Funding News and NIAMS Funding Alerts are a set of newsletters featuring. The headquarters SPPC's can provide information on SPPC's at local installations. Collaborate for free with an online version of Microsoft Word. The trusted guide to what's on in Sydney. Corporation vs Incorporation. He is currently the chairman and CEO of Camping World, Good Sam Enterprises, Gander Outdoors and The House Boardshop, in addition to being the star of The Profit, a CNBC reality show about saving small businesses. 2-Mercaptobenzothiazole \| C6H4SNCSH or C7H5NS2 \| CIDstructure, chemical names, physical and chemical properties, classification, patents, literature. Recover Your Apple ID - Apple. Find information about state government agencies and learn more about our programs and services. Federal Trade Commission. Who Must Register with Selective Service. Synonyms for selective in Free Thesaurus. Ease of Forming an LLC. A corporation is the resulting legal entity that separates the firm&39;s assets and income from its owners and investors. A new Protocol modifying certain provisions of the income tax treaty between the U. Save documents in OneDrive. Find nearby businesses, restaurants and hotels. The distinction between them is this, that by incorporation is understood the act by which a corporation is created; by corporation is meant the body thus created. WhatsApp is free and offers simple, secure, reliable messaging and calling, available on phones all over the world. He&39;s very selective and spent hours in the store choosing a new shirt. "In this moment, I am euphoric. 2 : harsh treatment especially by blows or by a sharp reprimand gave him what for in violent Spanish — New Yorker. The inclusion of the object or object reference within the inflected verb form, a type of word-formation frequent in American Indian languages. It is not a form of shyness, though it may be thought of as. &220;ber uns. The most trustworthy dictionary and thesaurus of American English, word games, trending words, Word of the Day, Words at Play blog, SCRABBLE, Spanish-English, and medical dictionaries, and audio pronunciations. In specific social situations (e. Selective sync is a feature in the Dropbox desktop app that lets you choose folders to remove from your hard drive so you can save space on your computer. Selective prosecution is the enforcement or prosecution of criminal laws against a particular class of persons and the simultaneous failure to administer criminal laws against others out-side the targeted. Find My Mobile will help you locate your phone or tablet and protect your data. Many games are compatible with multiple amiibo. Please remember we are member supported so remind your friends and neighbors. Incorporation is the formation of a new corporation. But, key differences include how they&39;re owned (LLCs have one or more individual owners and corporations have shareholders) and maintained (corporations generally have more formal record-keeping and reporting requirements). · Selective mutism is a rare childhood anxiety disorder in which a child is unable to speak in certain situations or to certain people. Is a c corp required to have a registered agent? Paid advertising at What Really Happened may not represent the views and opinions of this website and its contributors. Many states also impose ongoing fees, such as annual report and/or franchise tax fees. &0183;&32;Paste Magazine is your source for the best music, movies, TV, comedy, videogames, books, comics, craft beer, politics and more. The lyrics of the song, a production of Mike Stasny, mostly revolve around the title. , a 1972 film directed by Roman Polanski "What", the name of the second baseman in Abbott and Costello&39;s comedy routine "Who&39;s on First? What does incorporated company mean? Plan the time to have your meeting or event by co-ordinating availability with all the particpants using this fuss-free online tool. (This etymology is missing or incomplete. Another word for selective: particular, demanding, discriminating, critical, careful \| Collins English Thesaurus. In the USA, military conscription is controlled by the SelectiveService. Registered Corporate Agent for Service of Process Certificate: Form 1505: . Games at Leikjanet. More Information \| Privacy & Security \| Home. This colorful medium contains 3 carbohydrates that differentiate fermentation characteristics among gram-negative organisms. Selective feeding, food procurement in which the animal exercises choice over the type of food being taken, as opposed to filter feeding, in which food is taken randomly. Com from your personal computer or on any internet-connected device that offers the Netflix app, including smart TVs, smartphones, tablets, streaming media players and game consoles. Department of Education. Selective Employee Recognition Program. Find another word for selective. And Germany came into force on Dec. See more videos for Incorporation. What definition is - —used as an interrogative expressing inquiry about the identity, nature, or value of an object or matter. General Topics I need technical support Callfor phone support Monday - Friday, 8:00 AM to 10:00 PM ET. All items are cook to order in front of you. Right of Assembly and Petition: DeJonge v. &0183;&32;The Foreign Office has rejected the United States' arbitrary and selective assessment under a US domestic legislation on religious freedom, a. No endorsement of products and services advertised is either expressed or implied. Our district features great restaurants, bars, events, nightlife, & more! WhatsApp Messenger: More than 2 billion people in over 180 countries use WhatsApp to stay in touch with friends and family, anytime and anywhere. Sell my car the fast, safe & easy way, enter your reg for a free instant online valuation. Freedom of the Press: Near v. There were several projects, each with their own Ant build files, that were all slightly different. Incorporating a business means turning your sole proprietorship or general partnership into a company formally recognized by your state of incorporation. Listen to the future. It’s the unseen force that draws people together without questioning. Selective mutism can result in the following functional impairments: &0183;&32;MedlinePlus Genetics provides information about the effects of genetic variation on human health. She is best known as the lead vocalist of the band Sade. Your brain chooses what to listen to based on what you’re trying to do. Vehicles only. Envía y recibe rápidamente mensajes de WhatsApp desde tu computadora. Selective Asia. Although every search is customized based on each Client’s preferences in a match and. IMDb is the world's most popular and authoritative source for movie, TV and celebrity content. Selective (about/in something) tending to be careful about what or who you choose. Selective mutism is a rare childhood anxiety disorder in which a child is unable to speak in certain situations or to certain people. Almost all men age 18-25 who are U. 2 days ago · Selective definition: A selective process applies only to a few things or people. 1 : for what purpose or reason : why —usually used with the other words of a question between what and for what did you do that for except when used alone. Additionally, you need to consider that many states charge "corporate fees" that need to be paid annually as part of the privilege of doing business in the state (e. What’s Cooking America is your culinary resource For all level of cooks. . Þessi vefsíða notar fótspor (e. &0183;&32;Selective History. Get NADA Values for used cars, certified pre-owned cars and more, brought to you by NADA Used Car Guide. Available on mobile or on desktop, start making video or voice calls today. Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube. A wide variety of tools specifically designed to meet and satisfy the hairstylists’ needs. Watch breaking news videos, viral videos and original video clips on CNN. It usually starts during childhood and, if left untreated, can persist into adulthood. What is incorporated means? Self-publish eBooks and paperbacks for free with Kindle Direct Publishing, and reach millions of readers on Amazon. The increase in registration is mainly attributable to various reforms introduced by the regulator such as introduction of simplified combined process for name reservation and incorporation, reduction of incorporation fee, assistance provided by facilitation wings of company registration offices for incorporation and one window facility for company incorporation and national tax number generation among others, said the SECP press release. Whistleblowers perform an important service for the public and the government, and the law protects them from retaliation when they report suspected wrongdoing. Impressum & Kontakt. Reverse incorporation refers to the Supreme Court taking a state law and making it into federal law. Noun the act of incorporating or the state of being incorporated. · Incorporation companies are cheaper than lawyers and accountants, but do not generally provide advice on structuring. 6k comments. More Is images. Binary packages are in the process of being built, and will appear soon at their respective download locations. Celebrating more than 150 years of excellence in education in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, the University of Kentucky is currently ranked nationally in more than 90 academic programs in addition to being home to a prestigious intercollegiate athletics programs. In the DSM-5, a child with selective mutism may: Have an anxiety disorder. What is the pronoun for what? Other articles from investopedia. Selective Marine Services (SMS), as we are commonly known today, is a name to reckon in the Oil & Gas industry. Selectively. Non-Profit Articles of Incorporation (PDF) or; Non-Profit Articles of Amendment (PDF) Non-Profit Articles of Dissolution (Has Commenced to Conduct its Affairs) (PDF) or Non-Profit Articles of Dissolution (Has Not Commenced to Conduct its Affairs) (PDF) or. In a short span of little over a decade, the company, has grown from a local name to an internationally renowned name. Com Card to purchase a Restaurant Certificate? Find more ways to say incorporation, along with related words, antonyms and example phrases at Thesaurus. Font finder that helps you to identify fonts from any image. Learn more. Important Information About COVID-19. Com, the world&39;s most trusted free thesaurus. The Restaurant. &0183;&32;News and more about hardware products from Microsoft, including Surface and accessories. Selective Imports At Selective Imports Auto Sales, Serving Woodstock GA since, we have a passion for vehicles. Do you love language? Selective amnesia: am-ne´zhah pathologic impairment of memory. Most children with selective mutism have some form of extreme social fear. Major events, free things to do, what's on today, tomorrow and more. Students with selective mutism might be able to speak just fine in comfortable environments, like at home with family members. Sign in with your Netflix account to watch instantly on the web at netflix. With the lowest acceptance rates among all undergraduate institutions that U. A selective school (= one that chooses which children to admit, especially according to ability). Chat with other members of the WHATWG community. The law authorized release from service to anyone who furnished a substitute and, at first, to those who paid 0. Get the latest and greatest celebrity style, runway trends, and shopping suggestions from the fashion and beauty experts at whowhatwear. Visit for news, music, photos, events and merchandise. Official Publications from the U. Restated Articles of Incorporation - Nonprofit Mutual Benefit Corporation to General Stock Corporation: Form RST MU-GS: . How to use incorporation in a sentence. Seen on Sky News; featured in The Guardian, NY Times, The Independent and more. Webopedia is an online dictionary and Internet search engine for information technology and computing definitions. Selective Imperceptibility; Camouflage/Shadow Camouflage; Light Manipulation; Limitations. Government Publishing Office. With specialist product selection, upgrading of stores and services, constant innovation, digitalization and personalization of relationships, customers are. Civil War, but proved unpopular (see draft riots). Families can start applying to middle schools under the new. 2 days ago · The admissions process for selective schools typically takes place in the fall, but was delayed this year because of the pandemic. When the answers are quite limited. &92;&92;"Electronic signature&92;&92;" typically is defined as meaning an electronic sound, symbol, or process attached to or logically associated with an electronic record and executed or adopted by a person with the intent to sign the electronic record. Jetzt spenden. Learn more about what are articles of incorporation, the company formation documents required to incorporate your business with BizFilings. Find golf club trade-in and re-sales values for over 4,000 models of used golf clubs at the PGA Value Guide, from leading manufacturers such as Callaway, TaylorMade, Taylor Made, Titleist, Ping, Odyssey, Nike, Cleveland, Mizuno, Cobra, Adams, Wilson. We provide breaking coverage for the iPhone, iPad, and all things Mac! Since the day I delivered my first baby, I’ve been a mom on a mission: To help parents know What to Expect, every step of the way. Derived terms. Með því að nota vefinn samþykkir þú stefnu okkar um notkun fótspora. Selective disk restore. See the dictionary meaning, pronunciation, and sentence examples. "What What (In the Butt)" is a viral video created by Andrew Swant and Bobby Ciraldo for the song of the same name by Samwell. · Both protect owners so they&39;re not personally on the hook for business liabilities or debts. The NIAMS Update is a digest on the latest scientific news and resources on diseases of the bones, joints, muscles, and skin. United States. Find out what&39;s on in Melbourne with all the latest events, restaurants, shopping destinations and things to do. There was an error while retrieving the site configuration. Links to external websites are provided as a convenience and should not be construed as an endorsement by the U. Welcome to leikjanet. The information provided on DirectIncorporation. NOW That’s What I Call Music is the biggest selling compilation brand in the world, stay up-to-date with all the latest pop news on nowmusic. WhoIs lets you perform a domain whois search, whois IP lookup and search the whois database for relevant information on domain registration and availability. This doctrine has not been used very often by the Supreme Court. Search across a wide variety of disciplines and sources: articles, theses, books, abstracts and court opinions. You are about to leave travel. Love is what’s left after everything else comes to an end. Selective definition: 1. Arts and media Literature. They can ease symptoms of. Selective immunosuppressive agents are drugs that suppress the immune system due to a selective point of action. &0183;&32;"Selective’s Build-a-Bike campaign is a philanthropic activity that we eagerly anticipate each year to help make the holidays special for local children," said President and CEO John Marchioni. Anyone can upload and watch videos using the YouTube platform. Digital signatures use a form of encryption as part of the signature process to ensure the signature cannot be duplicated or impersonated and require the receiving party to have the encryption key to decipher the signature. Best since 1930, and the endorsed flood carrier by IIABA, Selective provides the experience, dedication and service required to stand up against the competition. If you are having problems with www. What what in the butt? Selective Not Your Ordinary Flood Carrier Selective offers a unique and unparalleled approach to servicing flood customers nationwide. Each agency is responsible for monitoring the activities of its designated SPPC's. To avoid issues related to identity theft you should avoid using and submitting confidential information in public filings unless specifically required by statute. Selective use of evidence occurs when only evidence favorable to one&39;s case is offered and contrary evidence ignored. Selective definition: A selective process applies only to a few things or people. To get started with incorporation and registration for other accounts, choose one of the options below. JARs were checked into CVS. It can also be the object of a preposition. Selective plating is used for a range of design reasons and applications. Incorporation applies both substantively and procedurally. Find more ways to say selective, along with related words, antonyms and example phrases at Thesaurus. , at school or with playmates) where. Get an adjective for each letter in your name. The corporation may be a non-profit organization, a business, sports club, or a government of a new city or town. In order to get any decent information out of him, you had to grab him and hold on tight while he went through his various forms — lion, wild boar, snake, tree, running stream — it wasn't easy. Selective mutism is a severe anxiety disorder where a person is unable to speak in certain social situations, such as with classmates at school or to relatives they do not see very often. See 8 authoritative translations of What in Spanish with example sentences and audio pronunciations. What is selective evidence? Smithsonian Science How video webinars return January 6 with a virtual visit to the O. The folders you choose to remove from your hard drive remain stored in your account on dropbox. An incorporated business (also called a corporation) is a type of business that offers many benefits over being a sole proprietor or partnership, including liability protection and additional tax deductions. Used in questions that show you are. Book of Isaiah, a biblical text; Is, a novel by Joan Aiken; i"s, a manga by Masakazu Katsura; iS, a manga by Chiyo Rokuhana; Infinite Stratos, a Japanese light novel series. The following are just a few examples of where selective plating is commonly specified: Bearings or Bushings: Selective plating is often utilized to eliminate plating build on surfaces where the plated babbitt is not desirable. " (discriminating) selettivo, discriminatorio agg aggettivo : Descrive o specifica un sostantivo: "Una persona fidata " - "Con un cacciavite piccolo " - "Questioni controverse ". Specialties: Burgers are are our big seller but everything is great. Please note that we are experiencing longer wait times with the Call Center and mail processing. Maven, a Yiddish word meaning accumulator of knowledge, began as an attempt to simplify the build processes in the Jakarta Turbine project. Specialties: Coffee, Tea, Smoothie, Iced Tea & Honey Toast, Crepe Cakes and Assorted Desserts Available Dine in last call at 11:30pm. Login Screen. (There are many sports. Your IP Address is a unique identifier on the internet, without it you would neither be able to send or receive any information. The act of forming a legal corporation. Incorporation companies are cheaper than lawyers and accountants, but do not generally provide advice on structuring. We use what to ask questions and as a pronoun and determiner. These are the stories we&39;ve written about our words, the origins of our language, and what makes English so unique. &0183;&32;Selective TV is a non-profit viewer supported organization developed over 40 years ago to bring multiple unscrambled Selective TV to Douglas County and the surrounding area. New Location: 1000 N. What Is My IP? Steam featured items sales page. To include something as part of something larger: Suggestions from the survey have been incorporated into/in the final design. ISN provides contractor management software, ISNetworld, to help with the supplier management process including contractor safety and risk management. What documents are needed to form a corporation? Department of Labor, Employment & Training Administration, and developed by the National Center for ONET Development. Selective mutism is in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders: Fifth Edition, or DSM-5. The fastest and simplest way to submit your incorporation application and pay is through our Online Filing Centre. What is a selective person? From the Top is dedicated to celebrating the stories, talents, and character of classically-trained young musicians. Make sure to update your bookmarks! These children are able to speak and communicate. It is necessary to first incorporate the business by filing Articles of Incorporation with your desired state of incorporation, obtain a registered agent for your company, and pay the appropriate fees. Over 154 Participating Publishers Reaching Homebuyers On More Than 750 Websites. Kotimaan ja ulkomaan uutiset aina tuoreeltaan. By Mayo Clinic Staff. Filing Articles of incorporation registers the company as a corporation (C Corporation) with the state. 55%) Mon,, 4:17AM EST. HandBrake is an open-source, GPL-licensed, multiplatform, multithreaded video transcoder. What definition: 1. Share them with others and work together at the same time. Emphatic questions with whatever and what on earthWe can ask emphatic questions using whatever or what on earth to express shock or surprise. Incorporation refers to the process of turning a business or entity into a new corporation. Example: Which restaurant did you go to last night? The IANA WHOIS Service is provided using the WHOIS protocol on port 43. State laws require all corporations to maintain a registered address with the Secretary of State in each state where they do business. The Selective Retailing Houses in the LVMH group all share a single objective: transform shopping into a unique experience. Reykjavík síðdegis - Íslenskt hugvit í snjallfatnaði fyrir íþróttafólk ; Reykjavík síðdegis - Býst við því að app til hlutabréfakaupa líti dagsins ljós á næstunniSelective Insurance offers primary & alternative market insurance for commercial & personal customers and flood through the National Flood Insurance Program. · The decision to form either a limited liability company (LLC) or a corporation depends on the type of business an individual is creating, the possible tax consequences of forming the entity, and. Such transmissibility is commonly explained by the association of ideas, that becoming sacred which as it were reminds one of the sacred; though it is important to add, firstly, that such association takes place under the influence of a selective interest. At Selective Seconds, we are driven by our passion for quality resale and our commitment to our customers and employees, creating a win/win atmosphere of service, pride and trust. Following identification, certain sensory nerve fibers in the spinal cord are cut. IANA WHOIS Service. It has 53 weeks and starts on Wednesday, January 1st. Students in the selective stream must study agriculture Sydney Secondary College Balmain and Leichhardt campuses offer places in Years 7 to 10. Selective Search leverages the same structure and methodologies of executive recruiting, through our Meet Your Future process, to help Clients find love in long-term, committed relationships. Find out all about our products, delivery information and more in the Boomf FAQs section. Google Scholar provides a simple way to broadly search for scholarly literature. My IP address information shows your location; city, region, country, ISP and location on a map. Contains biographies of Roxy Music and Bryan Ferry, Merchandise links, Gallery, Tour dates and Guestbook. Makigami Komaki (A Certain Scientific Railgun) Alexia (&193;ngel o Demonio) Duna (&193;ngel o. See full list on law. It is an independent agency of the United States government that maintains information on those potentially subject to military conscription. Because the system creates a wipe request for each protected app running on the device, you might see multiple requests for a user. A business corporation may be formed by filing a Certificate of Incorporation pursuant to Section 402 of the Business Corporation Law. The act of including something as part of something larger: the regular incorporation of organic material into garden soil The bread dough will rise through the incorporation of air. Family style restaurant. The nerves that lead to too much muscle tone, which is a condition of cerebral palsy and spasticity, are. Keep track of spec changes and other announcements. With this functionality, you can restore selective disks from all the disks backed up in a recovery point. The business structure you choose influences everything from day-to-day operations, to taxes, to how much of your personal assets are at risk. Citizens or are immigrants living in the U. Translate What. Articles of Incorporation or Certificate of Incorporation, depending on the state. The incorporation doctrine is a constitutional doctrine through which the first ten amendments of the United States Constitution (known as the Bill of Rights) are made applicable to the states through the Due Process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. Love is the most beautiful thing in life. 14% reader approval. We apologize for any inconvenience. The ORIGINAL and OFFICIAL "What What (In the Butt)" video! Find out what your public IPv4 and IPv6 address is revealing about you! They are used to reduce the risk of rejection in organ transplants, in autoimmune diseases and can be use as cancer chemotherapy. Norton Safe Web scans millions of websites to make sure they are safe. Selective Insurance offers primary & alternative market insurance for commercial & personal customers and flood through the National Flood Insurance Program. New Strzok text messages show FBI warned key allegation in FISA might be false. Com is the world’s leading online source for English definitions, synonyms, word origins and etymologies, audio pronunciations, example sentences, slang phrases, idioms, word games, legal and medical terms, Word of the Day and more. US Nuclear Weapons Agency Breached As Part Of Massive Cyberattack. An "avatar" is an image that represents you online—a little picture that appears next to your name when you interact with websites. For more on reverse incorporation, see this Southern California Law Review article and this University of Michigan Law Review article. Digital signatures are not acceptable for business entity filings. Selective mutism is a rare psychiatric disorder characterized by persistent failure to speak. Very old-fasioned upper-class British expression seeking agreement with whatever you&39;ve just said. Definition of selective in the Definitions. Other articles where Selective breeding is discussed: zoology: Applied rgely as a consequence of selective breeding and improved animal nutrition. More What images. Samwell will CALL your friends and family! When a company incorporates, it becomes its own legal business structure set apart from the individuals who founded the business. Marcus Anthony Lemonis (born Novem) is a Lebanese-born American businessman, television personality, philanthropist and politician. When you use what as a pronoun, it can be the subject, object, or complement of a verb. LLC vs Incorporation One of the first and most important steps when incorporating is choosing the entity type that offers the greatest potential benefit for your business. Stock Price: SIGI (NasdaqGS) . What&39;s definition is - what is. Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the SSS has been placed in telework status. On the Apps > App selective wipe pane, you can see the list of your requests grouped by users. Incorporation, incorporate your business, texas incorporation, california incorporation, florida incorporation, incorporation new york, incorporate in florida, incorporate in california, form an llc Order by phone · Ask questions call toll-freeLog in to My Account. Já notar vefkökur til að bæta notendaupplifun á vefsíðunni og greina umferð um hana. Log in to view SAT Suite of Assessments online score reports for the new SAT, t. Solar and Lunar Eclipses worldwide (1900 to 2199) with animations and maps of the eclipse path. Covid Pass is the application that MIT community members use to complete requirements for entering campus buildings. Upload an image to WhatTheFont to find the closest matches in our database. What's new in this release:. Go here: com/live-call/ This is n. " But it's not enough just to tell people that. Incorporated - introduced into as a part of the whole; "the ideas incorporated in his revised manuscript". Red Bull mursi pitkäaikaisen kaavansa, ja samalla syntyi tärkeä tarina koko F1-sarjan kannalta, kirjoittaa Tommi Koivunen. Having been rated A (Excellent) by A. Selective Use Of Evidence. Selective Search, Chicago, IL. I have some older Certificates/Cards, have they expired? The inclusion of something as part of a whole: "the software facilitates the incorporation of active learning in the course" 2. To get started, please visit Have a challenging commercial account that is difficult to insure? Scrabble Points: 17. Selective definition is - of, relating to, or characterized by selection : selecting or tending to select. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are the most commonly prescribed antidepressants. About the Community Medicine Selective The Tufts at Tech student-run primary care veterinary clinic provides low-cost care for family pets within Central Massachusetts’ underserved communities. As we become one of the nation's top research institutions, we’re not only providing a world-class education, we’re focused on. Whether you're looking for an extra special design for your invitations, announcements, or holiday greetings, we have plenty of premium unique designs for you to choose from. Read theatre reviews, news, and get discount tickets at WhatsOnStage. The first government selective high schools in NSW were established in the late 19th and early 20th century. Get FREE shipping on orders over with code SHIP39! Browse these IMDb collections to find the perfect next movie or TV show to watch. Find sports news for kids, scores, kids games, photos and expert analysis of the NFL, NBA, NHL, MLB, soccer, and more. Get started with contributing to the WHATWG. What does selective mean? The status indicates whether a wipe request is pending, failed, or successful. Selective service, in U. An electronic signature may be as simple as typing in a name electronically, checking a box indicating an intent to sign or some similar process. OPM updates this directory as needed. It’s the hidden beauty that people can see without sight. Trump says he is not involved in potential prosecution of Biden&39;s son Hunter. With motor vehicle accidents being the leading cause of work-related fatalities, there is no time like the present to take action. All content on this website, including dictionary, thesaurus, literature, geography, and other reference data is for informational purposes only. Why Articles of Incorporation are Important. Selective&39;s insurance article content aims to educate individuals on ways to prepare for, reduce or avoid risks that could cause physical or financial harm to their property, assets or business. S Corporation Advantages & Disadvantages Learn about creating an S Corp (S Corporation), its asset & tax advantages and its potential disadvantages, as well as how to form an S Corporation. 0-rc3 is now available. The corporation may be a business, a nonprofit organization, sports club, or a government of a new city or town. We encourage you to share these articles on your social medi. For more on the Incorporation Doctrine, see this ABA article on the Seventh Amendment, this Valparaiso Law Review article on the Third Amendment, and this ABA article. Her total score was 887. Selective thinking: Alternative psychology The process whereby one selects favourable evidence for a particular belief, ignoring unfavourable evidence that may undermine that belief. Whats My IP Address. Visit Norton Safe Web now to see if a website you are interested is safe to visit and read. It makes the business a separate legal. Scientific committees: EU-wide restriction best way to reduce microplastic pollution The Committee for Socio-economic Analysis (SEAC) has adopted its opinion on a landmark restriction proposal, which would ban microplastics in products such as cosmetics, detergents, fertilisers and could lead to a ban of its use as soft infill on artificial turf sports pitches. The Selective Service was designed to institute a draft to increase the number of men in the military. Another word for incorporation. N and much more. Selective Drive aims to provide a solution that helps business owners and drivers maintain productive and safe fleets. How to use what in a sentence. Directed by awgeproduced by awge x james mackelsingle "what" from the cozy tapes album coming this summer. Empowered or tending to select. Which D-STAR Radio is Right for Me? Second Life is a free 3D virtual world where users can create, connect, and chat with others from around the world using voice and text. Prior to the doctrine&39;s (and the Fourteenth Amendment&39;s) existence, the Bill of Rights applied only to the Federal Government and to federal court cases. We're sorry but jw-app doesn't work properly without JavaScript enabled. 18, 9:09 am ET / Original Dec. More Selective videos. Similar to "don&39;t you think? News surveyed, regardless of ranking category, the 100 colleges and universities listed here are among the most. Example: Which way should I turn? Doctors and others use the DSM-5 to help diagnose social and mental problems. Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps. 2179 with any questions regarding usage, title omissions, or errors. Then on January 9, join us for a family program, "Stripes of All Types," with author-illustrator Susan Stockdale. 72%) Fri,, 4:00PM EST. Tuoreimmat urheilu-uutiset ja -tulokset. Creating an LLC is a much simpler process than creating a corporation and generally takes less paperwork. Selective: tending to select carefully. It’s the dee. Once finalized, incorporation allows the prospective business to be considered and recognized by law as a corporation. Which is also. If you are not sure whether you want to incorporate federally or in your province/territory, see Choosing between federal incorporation and provincial/territorial incorporation. MakeMeBabies is a baby generator using face recognition to predict what your baby will look like. In the USA, military conscription is controlled by the Selective Service. Gov for an external website that is not maintained by the U. The metric which will be published weekly shows the previous weeks performance in detail and a 12 week view. Define selective amnesia. Share Tweet 0 Comments. When there are a lot of possible different answers. Travel Worth Knowing. A Selective Asia holiday promises high calibre, sustainably focused private travel, lead by our network of local experts with full support from our specialist team. The cause, or causes, are unknown. (of a person) choosy, fussy or discriminating when selecting. The SBA’s size standards determine whether or not your business qualifies as small. Psychologic factors may also cause amnesia; a shocking or unacceptable situation may be too painful to remember, and the situation is then retained only in the. Create interactive visuals that appear right alongside you on screen as you present, for virtual presentations that engage, inspire, and teach. Buy food directly from local farmers, artisans, and other vendors in your community. Selective Motor Cars 7007 SW 9 Street, Miami, &0183;&32;Selective hearing involves many factors, including your goals, vision, and brain activity patterns. Selective adj adjective: Describes a noun or pronoun--for example, "a tall girl," "an interesting book," "a big house. Microsoft Ignite \| Microsoft’s annual gathering of technology leaders and practitioners delivered as a digital event experience this September. You can&39;t undo it. Providing insurance since 1926. A quarantine period may be required based on your Bay Area destination. Conscription was established (1863) in the U. Most experts believe that children with the condition inherit a tendency to be anxious and inhibited. Of or relating to the process of selection. ONET Resource Center is sponsored by the U. Discover how SSRIs improve mood and what side effects they may cause. Store Hours: Tuesday-Saturday 10-6 Sunday-Monday CLOSED. News and reviews for Apple products, apps, and rumors. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) This commonly prescribed type of antidepressant can help you overcome depression. What what is a wh-word? Get your copy n. Selective Stone LLC has a direct distribution of pre-fabricated granite and marble panels statewide, which has earned us the reputation and title of "Pioneer in the Pre-Fab Industry". You will have to be selective about which information to include in the report. Vendor/Dealer Sales Information. Likewise, a corporation is taxed on its earnings separately from its owners, and, in many countries, the corporate tax rates are lower than personal tax rates. UCAS connects people to University, post Uni studies including teacher training, apprenticeships & internships. The process of constituting a company, city, or other organization as a legal corporation: "a law allowing incorporation as a company". · More than one million business entities take advantage of Delaware&39;s complete package of incorporation services, including modern and flexible corporate laws, our highly-respected Judiciary and legal community, a business-friendly government, and the customer-service-oriented staff of the Division of Corporations. We provide Internet Protocol address tools that allow users to perform an Internet Speed Test, IP Address Lookup, Proxy Detection, IP Whois Lookup, and more. Federal incorporation. Freedom of Speech: Gitlow v. Selective Insurance Group, Inc. Used to ask for information about people or things: 2. The Selective High School Placement Test will change in for placement in. Established in 1958. Visit Norton Safe Web now to see if a website you are interested is safe to visit and read what the Norton community says about that site. Selective Service registration is required by law as the first part of a fair and equitable system that, if authorized by the President and Congress, would rapidly provide personnel to the Department of Defense while at the same time providing for an Alternative Service Program for conscientious objectors. WHAT IS SELECTIVE MUTISM? For help and assistance please email More news for What. You draw, and a neural network tries to guess what you’re drawing. Official MapQuest website, find driving directions, maps, live traffic updates and road conditions. Is a regional insurance holding company based in Branchville, New Jersey, and provides property and casualty. Since the first case of COVID-19 was reported in December, we have followed the spread and impact of this pandemic closely. Department of State of the views or products contained therein. This survey will determine your ability scores, fantasy race, class, alignment, and character level describing what you would be if you were transformed into a Dungeons and Dragons character. Selective amnesia synonyms, selective amnesia pronunciation, selective amnesia translation, English dictionary definition of selective amnesia. Vending machines for sale. · Incorporation refers to the process of turning a business or entity into a new corporation. Filings and information contained in filings you submit to the Secretary of State are public record, including names, phone numbers, email addresses, and mailing and street addresses, except as provided in statutes. The source is available now. The process of incorporation involves writing up a document known as the articles of. ST (Stockholm) kr1. Parents often think that the child is choosing not to speak. Articles of incorporation is a legal document containing important information about the company, and it must be approved by the Secretary of State office. Com® is the industry leader in providing REAL Internet Protocol (IP) address information. External Link. Wikimedia Deutschland e. Millions of people use the Community Tool Box each year to get help taking action, teaching, and training others in organizing for community development. · (interrogative, vulgar, slang) An intensive form of what. Highway 101 construction may. Have suggested sites? Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Net dictionary. Welcome to the Selective Employee Recognition Program. What definition, (used interrogatively as a request for specific information): What is the matter? , school, with playmates, or when strangers are present) where speaking is expected. Heritable components are distinguished from environmental factors by determining the. Intentionally choosing some things and not others: 2. With Rocket Lawyer, all you need to do is answer a few simple questions and we do the rest. That idea is not exactly novel. You can also apply by email or mail using a PDF form (available upon request). But they can't speak in other places or situations, like at school or in public. Check out the amiibo compatibility chart to see which amiibo figures are compatible with your games. &0183;&32;Selective mutism is a type of anxiety disorder whose main distinguishing characteristic is the persistent failure to speak in specific social situations (e. Directors oversee the officers of. Com, the world's most trusted free thesaurus. This morning when I. Selective thinking forms the basis for most beliefs in the occult, in pseudoscience and in the psychic powers of so-called mind readers and mediums. When forming a Corporation or LLC, consider what it will take to maintain your business year round. (SIGI) stock quote, history, news and other vital information to help you with your stock trading and investing. Incorporation definition is - the act or an instance of incorporating : something or the state of being incorporated. How to use what&39;s in a sentence. Great music. It's more efficient, and helps save time in scenarios where you know which of the disks needs to be restored. Students from these campuses will generally proceed to Sydney Secondary College Blackwattle Bay Campus for Years. It describes our beliefs and organization. ERIC is an online library of education research and information, sponsored by the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) of the U. Selective Placement Program Coordinator (SPPC) Directory. 13 synonyms for incorporation: merger, federation, blend, integration, unifying, inclusion. 1m members in the Cringetopia community. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium. Create an account or log in to Instagram - A simple, fun & creative way to capture, edit & share photos, videos & messages with friends & family. He&39;s very selectiveand spent hours in the store choosing a new shirt. Restated Articles of Incorporation - Nonprofit--. That means we&39;ll check to make sure your business name is available, file all your paperwork, store your documents online, and make sure you can access all the legal help you need. &0183;&32;The Wine development release 6. Learn to boil a perfect egg or roast your first prime rib. You feel uncomfortable starting a conversation. Incorporation is the process of bringing a new legal entity into existence which is separate from its owners/shareholders safeguarding them from and personal liabilities whereas Corporation is the end product of that process therefore after you get the certificate of incorporation a corporation can be said to have come into existence. Selective Mutism – A Comprehensive Overview BY DR. Board of directors: The original directors are designated in the Articles of Incorporation, which is the document filed with the state to legally form the entity. This directory lists the Selective Placement Program Coordinators in Federal agencies. Example: What sport do you play? (Can we add an examplefor this sense? We've got it down to four words: "Do what you love. Search nearly 14 million words and phrases in more than 470 language pairs. More Incorporation videos. Dena Hunt&39;s first novel, Treason (Sophia Institute Press), won the IPPY Gold Medal. 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Puff daddy gay Trader joes dog food - Txrhlive login -> 99.4 f to c -> Brown semen What is selective incorporation - Thank chinese Burning smell from dryer - Usaa withdrawal limit	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0037.json.gz/line2777
__label__wiki	0.845348	0.845348	30 October, 20009 Beautiful DayLyrics Stuck In A Moment You Can't Get Out OfLyrics ElevationLyrics Walk OnLyrics KiteLyrics In A Little WhileLyrics Wild HoneyLyrics Peace On EarthLyrics When I Look At The WorldLyrics New YorkLyrics GraceLyrics The Ground Beneath Her Feet (UK only)Lyrics The band's tenth studio album, All That You Can't leave Behind was released on October 30th 2000 and following the less than overwhelming response to 1997's POP (and that was just from the band) it was instantly judged a triumphant return to form. The band, said Bono, ahead of release, were 'reapplying for the job of best band in the world'. Going to No. 1 in 32 countries, eventually garnering 12 million sales and with widespread critical praise... they got the gig. 'U2's tenth studio album and third masterpiece,' judged Rolling Stone. 'All That You Can't Leave Behind, is all about the simple melding of craft and song.' 'Gone are the experimental ambitions and Big Ideas,' reported the NME. 'Back are the chiming guitars, the stratospheric synth and - best of all - the tunes. (It's) modern enough to sound new, but sufficiently evocative of their... Joshua Tree days to make it seem as though they have come full circle.... There is no fat on this record, the lines are clean. Its beauty is in subtlety rather than extravagance...' Daniel Lanois and Brian Eno were again at the helm and, as usual, making the record wasn't always easy. 'It was tough at times.' recalled Larry. 'There were dark moments. We chose to record in Dublin so you have to go home, deal with that leak in your roof as well. Danny thought it was interfering with making the record.' But the reception for the debut single Beautiful Day, backed with a memorable video shot at Charles de gaulle Airport in Paris, could not have been any warmer. It took three Grammy Awards in 2001 - a year later the album won four more, including Record of the Year for 'Walk On', won the previous year by 'Beautiful Day' - the first time a band had achieved this. A remix of another track, Elevation, featured on the soundtrack to the movie Lara Croft:Tomb Raider. Produced by Daniel Lanois and Brian Eno, additional production Steve Lillywhite, Mike Hedges, Richard Stannard and Julian Gallagher. Engineered by Richard Rainey, assisted by Chris Heaney. Mixed by Richard Rainey, Tim Palmer, Steve Lillywhite, Mike Hedges, Richard Stannard and Julian Gallagher, Brian Eno, Daniel Lanois, Steve Fitzmaurice. Mixing assisted by Chris Heaney, Alvin Sweeney, Jay Goin. Additional engineering Tim Palmer, Stephen Harris, Ger McDonnell, Mark Howard, Alex Haas. Assisted by Keith McDonell, Stephen Harris. Recorded at HQ, Windmill Lane Recording Studios, Westland Studios and Totally Wired in Dublin, and South of France Daniel Lanois and Brian Eno, additional production Steve Lillywhite, Mike Hedges, Richard Stannard and Julian Gallagher. Richard Rainey, assisted by Chris Heaney. Recorded at HQ, Windmill Lane Recording Studios, Westland Studios and Totally Wired in Dublin, and South of France IMAGE + VIDEO ALL ALBUM PHOTOS ALL ALBUM VIDEOS All That You Can't Leave Behind Album Cover All That You Can't Leave Behind - Back of Album Cover All That You Can't Leave Behind - Vinyl Cover All That You Can't Leave Behind - Album Artwork All That You Can't Leave Behind - Suitcase Heart Graphic Beautiful Day - Single Cover Elevation - Single Cover Elevation - Back Cover Stuck In A Moment You Can't Get Out Of - Single Cover Stuck In A Moment You Can't Get Out Of - French Limited Edition Walk On - Single Cover Band in Nice, 2000 Larry and Bono on VH1 With Dr Dre, Rock'n'Roll Hall of Fame, 2001 Shooting 'Tombraider' Elevation Video, April 2001 With P J Harvey and Moby, Spring, 2001 With Liam of Oasis at NME Awards 'Best Performance by a Duo or Group' Grammy Award 2002 Superbowl performance, February 2002 At The US Superbowl, February 2002 ATYCLB Shoot Charles de Gaulle Airport, Paris, Summer 2000 All That You Cant Leave Behind 9 Grand Canal Dock, Dublin - 2000 Spin Magazine Cover - 2002 All That You Can't Leave Behind 2001 Photo shoot, All That You Can't Leave Behind 2001 Superbowl Performance It's cold outside... U2 - Beautiful Day (The Making Of) U2 - Walk On (Liz Friedlander Version) Elevation (All That You Can't Leave Behind) Beautiful Day Grammy Awards Walk On Grammy World Beat Special 2 World Beat Special: Intro Elevation Live in Miami Elevation - Tomb Raider All That You Can't Leave Behind NEWS Call Me The Breeze 11 Dec 2003 'Like a noisy night out with all... Jobs for The Boys 20 Oct 2003 Bono, Dr Dre and Mick Jagger were... 'Walk On' For Aung San Suu Kyi' 06 Sep 2003 Amnesty international are asking radio stations to... 'Walk On' For Aung San Suu Kyi 09 Jun 2003 'Outstanding Songs', Ivor Novello Awards 22 May 2003 The band were in London this afternoon... All That You Can't Leave Behind REVIEWS Billboard, 16.11.02 31 Oct 2002 "Even Better Than the Real Thing" (from... Critical Acclaim For Astoria Show 09 Feb 2001 U2's Wednesday night intimate club show in... Rolling Stone, 10.18.00 31 Oct 2000 'U2's tenth studio album and third masterpiece,... The Guardian, 31.10.00 31 Oct 2000 Prising themselves free from their mid-90s fixations... All That You Can't Leave Behind - NME 30 Oct 2000 Its beauty is in subtlety rather than... 'It was tough at times. There were dark moments. We chose to record in Dublin so you have to go home, deal with that leak in your roof as well. Danny thought it was interfering with making the record.' 'Bono's lyrics this time, in a sense, they're less poetic, less romantic and more real. To me they're much more about where he's coming from and what he's dealing with. I think this record has a great tenderness. And I'm sure it addresses the way he feels about the commitment to the band and to his family, to his children and Ali.' 'From the beginning we were excited when music met the real world, and, going into this, we reckoned that people aren't buying rock records any more because of this progressive rock lurgy, which is on the rise, where the single has been forgotten. In our heads we've written 11 singles for this record. ' 'Pop music often tells you everything is OK, while rock music tells you that it's not OK, but you can change it. There's a defiance in rock music that gives you a reason to get out of bed in the morning. Most pop music doesn't make you want to get out of bed, I'm sorry to say. It puts you to sleep.' paoladegliesposti All that you can't leave behind- to me- Fragmentation, it is not a step back, almost a step onward,but there is this feeling of the heart beat,a distinctive imprint for each song,giving this virtual sense of the waving in the ocean of sounds. ' And that's make an innovative album through fragmentation .Maybe you can educate my mind' 'Elevation' . ' Love is not the only baggage you can bring'' Walk on'. Melancholic album,sometimes it is,for some grooves of piano and guitar.' New York ,and part of lyrics : 'In New York I lost it all to you and your vices Still I'm staying on to figure out my mid life crisis I hit an iceberg in my life But you know I'm still afloat You lose your balance, lose your wife In the queue for the lifeboat'. In Grace song we find the balance and the defense for particular situations that may occour in life :'Grace makes beauty out of ugly things . vandirorlando Go Home! This tour it's so beautiful.- Live from castle Irland. I make a tatoo on my arm. Congratutulation U2. writetome143 Boss.. When i look Luv it frm ma heart........ thanks for making this kinda song...... beedo I remember the first time I heard this. it was so rad! U2 rocks I love this album! dhiraj_rocks Beautiful Day In A Beautiful Album! awsum music! jesy_u2 All that u can´t leave behind.... I fell in love with U2 with this album..... musicabona This album was released in October 2000, wasn;t it? With a new millennium dawning, U2 were working on another reinvention or return to a sort of stripped-down and more classic approach. Instead of experimenting with humming electronic sounds they concentrated on the main vocabulary of rock music: bass, drums, guitars and vocals. "Walk On" is an extraordinary example of U2;s regained preference to use more traditional song structures to create grand melodies and big emotions. The track was dedicated to Aung San Suu Kyi, but the theme of travelling is also relevant on a more general level. "Beautiful Day" is also one of the most meaningful songs. With The Edge playing such a distinctive and unique guitar riff that only The Edge can deliver that way, it is obvious that U2 decided to include their trademark sounds again. Listening to "Kite" I can feel that U2 put their whole heart and soul in the music. Bono forms overwhelming melodies that change between softness and brilliant power. "In the time when new media/Was the big idea..." he closes from the angle of an observer. This big idea has taken the world on exciting journeys so far and it has brought us to the place where we are right now. elsareb As sweet as honey I believe this album is like eating a sweet chocolate, is so soft, so easygoing and at the same time it gets to the heart with those lyrics about love and life. It is the second best romantic album for me before achtung baby, music to fall in love or at least to remember memories from past. Every piece of music you do, it's a big important part of me and all the fans we love you. Congratulations guys. Congratulations U2.	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0037.json.gz/line2779
__label__wiki	0.815531	0.815531	LifestyleWeird Weird: 73-year-Old Woman Carries Dead Child (Fetus) In Her Womb For 35 Years By Braimah Abdulrasak This world is truly filled with strange and weird happenings. A 73-year-old woman was discovered to be carrying a fetus of a dead child in her womb for 35 years. According to a popular Algerian media outlet and Newspaper Alchourouk, it reported that a group of medical doctors in a hospital facility in the city of Skikda, eastern Algeria found the very weird and bizarre happening. The petrified child fetus was discovered when the 73-year-old woman who has lived a normal life complained about abdominal pain. She was taken to the hospital where the team of medical experts found the strange mummified fetus. The doctors carried out various tests to ascertain the problem only for the X-ray Scan to show the existence of a foreign body in the 73-year-old woman’s womb. The 73-year-old woman has been carrying a fossilized fetus for the past 35 years, weighing more than 2 kilos and aged 7 months. She had enjoyed a normal life and the dead child fetus did not in any way harmed her. According to the doctor’s examination, she has been carrying the fossilized child fetus since back in 1981. The 73-year-old woman has previously undergone a test but the doctors didn’t discover the fossilized unborn. However, The CT scan detected the weird fossilized fetus that resembles the mummies. Cases of fossilized fetuses are rare, not more than 300 cases have been reported in the history of medicine. The first reported weird case was in 1582 when a 68-year-old French woman died leaving a medical mystery that baffles medical experts of that time. READ ALSO: Video of Former Lagos councilor, Anibaba, Now A Cart Pusher, Causes Reaction READ ALSO: Mystery: A Cock Talking Like Human The discovery of the 7-month fossilized fetus in the womb of the 73-year-old woman which happened in 2016, still leaves many in shock to the strange and weird happenings around us. Follow 50minds Twitter to get notification of our latest news READ ALSO: Strange Disease Hospitalises Over 340 People In India, One Death Recorded 73-year-Old Woman Carries Dead Child Braimah Abdulrasak I am a passionate writer, with interest in politics, policies, government, history, sport, environment and world news. See Disgusting Message OakSpring Hotel Receptionist Staff Sent To A Guest Lady killed and Butcher Mother Over Prophecy: WATCH VIDEO (Viewers Discretion) Robert Samuel, A US Based Nigerian Who Makes 520K a Week Just By Standing Video of Former Lagos councilor, Anibaba, Now A Cart Pusher, Causes Reaction Patrick Obalim-Udoba House Of Assembly Member Distribute Cassava Stem Weird Jobs People Do To Earn A Living	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0037.json.gz/line2780
__label__wiki	0.987889	0.987889	MORE BLOGS: Bite Club (Food & Drink) \| Live Culture (Arts) \| Stuck in Vermont (Videos) Off Message: Vermont News and Politics « After Summers Withdraws Fed Chair Bid, Sanders Says, 'Buh-Bye' \| Main \| After Feds Pull Funding, Vermont Health Co-op Folds » Shumlin Taps Cheney, a Norwich Democrat, for Public Service Board Posted by Paul Heintz on September 16, 2013 at 08:15 PM in Campaign Finance, Energy, Environment, News, Statehouse, Vermont \| Permalink When Seven Days' Ken Picard covered the state's little-understood Public Service Board last year, he referred to its three members as "Vermont's most powerful men you've never heard of." Come October, those three will remain all-powerful — but they won't all be old white dudes. On Monday, Gov. Peter Shumlin appointed Rep. Margaret Cheney (D-Norwich) to replace David Coen, who's retiring after 18 years on the board. She'll be charged with overseeing Vermont's regulated utilities, which include everything from electric power to telecommunications to pipeline gas. After seven years on the House Natural Resources and Energy Committee — including four as its vice chairwoman — Cheney (pictured here) says she's looking forward to her new assignment, which begins when she's sworn in on October 1. "It builds on a base of knowledge I've been accumulating over the last seven years. Working on energy issues, I feel like I've almost earned an advanced degree," Cheney says. The former journalist and teacher says she applied for the post in April and interviewed with the governor last week. In the interim, the state's Judicial Nominating Board whittled down the list of applicants to three. Shumlin said in a brief interview Monday that he was swayed by Cheney's "sense of fairness, ability to work together with people and her common sense. "I was convinced that Margaret would bring to the board her extraordinary understanding of the energy needs of the state and the changing environment that we're in, moving from big generation to a world that's gonna embrace more and more renewables and more and more locally generated power," the governor said. Despite her enthusiasm for the new gig, Cheney says she struggled with the decision to resign her House seat, which she plans to do at the end of the month. At that point, the Democratic committees in her four-town district will nominate a list of candidates, from which Shumlin will select a replacement. "When you're in the legislature, you really develop some wonderful friendships," Cheney says. "It's like a family, really — and it's a really lively place. I'll miss that." Cheney's allies in the legislature say they'll miss her, too. "I think Margaret's going to be great on the Public Service Board," says House Speaker Shap Smith (D-Morristown). "But on a personal level, I'm disappointed, because I consider her a great legislator, a confidant and a good friend. It's always disappointing to lose someone like that in the legislature." Rep. Tony Klein (D-East Montpelier), who chairs the House energy committee, echoed the sentiment, calling it, "a great loss for me personally." At the same time, he hailed the appointment, citing Cheney's "deep knowledge of the areas the board regulates." "She's not a lawyer, but she has the expertise," Klein says. "It means she is truly a representative of the everyday, average Vermonter." On her committee, Cheney has carved out a niche as a forceful proponent of renewable energy, thermal efficiency and net-metering. She's also received some political contributions from the industry. Of the mere $1175 she raised during her last reelection campaign, Cheney took in $200 from Renewable Energy Vermont and $250 from AllEarth Renewables founder David Blittersdorf. The former is a trade group that advocates for industrial wind development and the latter is co-owner of Georgia Mountain Community Wind, which operates a four-turbine, 10-megawatt facility in Chittenden County. When she joins the board, Cheney will be charged with approving — or turning down — large-scale wind projects planned for the state. But she says that past contributions from REV and Blittersdorf would have no bearing on her decisions when she joins the board. "Renewable energy has been a big goal for our state, and I'm proud that I helped with that when I was on the energy committee," she says. Cheney adds that while she's always supported the state's renewable energy goals, she's never "singled out particular technologies," like wind power. "I think every technology that is renewable needs to be part of the mix," she says. "I've never singled out ridge-line wind." Cheney is married to Congressman Peter Welch (D-Vt.), who serves on the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee. In that capacity, Welch has raised tens of thousands of dollars this year alone from regulated utilities, including the American Cable Association, the American Gas Association, Comcast, AT&T, and Time Warner Cable. Cheney says she's "not aware" of those contributions and keeps her career "completely separate" from his. "If there were any [contributions], they would be relevant to his campaign, which is a totally separate matter," she says. Welch's office declined to comment on Cheney's appointment Monday. Disclosure: Paul Heintz worked as Peter Welch’s communications director from November 2008 to March 2011. Search Off Message Email the news team... Subscribe to the Daily 7 Essex Junction Considers New Land-Use Code to Prevent Unscrupulous Massage Parlors Video: Shumlin Talks Heroin on ABC's 'This Week' The Weekly 7: This Week in Vermont News On Trip to Vegas, Shumlin Met With Potential DGA Donors Morning Read: Newsweek Skewers Vermont Health Connect (Updated) To Simulate a Shooting, Vermont State Police Occupy Burlington Town Center Media Note: With Campaign Finance Database, VTDigger Puts the State to Shame Barre Drug Witness Gets Extra Six Months for Refusing to Testify This Week's Issue: A Neighborly Noise Feud in Burlington, 'Border' Security and Maple Saplings Rural Vermont: Farmers Sold 53,000 Gallons of Raw Milk Morning Read Statehouse The Scoreboard Town Meeting Day 2013 Blurt's Blog Buddies Burlington Pol Candleblog CrankyCakes Gannett Blog Ghost of Midnight (Front Porch Forum) Green Mountain Daily iBrattleboro Romenesko librarian.net MiddBlog Bite Club (FOOD + DRINK)	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0037.json.gz/line2783
__label__cc	0.618319	0.381681	Apple acquires low-power, micro LED display maker LuxVue Technology Jordan Kahn - May. 2nd 2014 12:25 pm PT @JordanKahn Update: Apple confirmed the purchase with its usual boilerplate statement to TechCrunch: “Apple buys smaller technology companies from time to time, and we generally do not discuss our purpose or plans.” Apple has acquired LuxVue Technology, a company that develops low-power, microLED-based display technology for consumer tech products, according to a report from TechCrunch. LuxVue had managed to remain fairly quiet over the past few years, and what we know is that the company develops low-power, micro-LED-based displays for consumer electronics. We’ve heard Apple acquired the company to add to their hardware innovations area. Apple has not yet confirmed the purchase, but TechCrunch adds that it’s “heard Apple acquired the company to add to their hardware innovations area.” LuxVue Technology, previously known as Papierlos Corporation, was founded in 2009 and has been in the news a few times throughout raising $43 million in funding from Kleiner Perkins and others, but has for the most part remained quiet while developing its next-generation micro-LED technology. The company hasn’t shared many details about what it’s working on, but it has a number of patents for its low-power micro-LED technology that could potentially offer better battery life while retaining screen brightness compared to traditional display technologies. We’ve reached out to Apple for comment about the acquisition but have not heard back. Display microLED LuxVue Technology Papierlos Corporation Jordan writes about all things Apple as Senior Editor of 9to5Mac, & contributes to 9to5Google, 9to5Toys, & Electrek.co. He also co-authors 9to5Mac’s Logic Pros series. Jordan Kahn's favorite gear Dell UltraSharp 34" Curved LED-Lit Monitor Ecobee 4 Thermostat w/ HomeKit & Alexa	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0037.json.gz/line2785
__label__wiki	0.768098	0.768098	Alive with Clive Makes Fundraising Fun for Charities! By Clive Swersky On November 18, 2013 No Comments Hello Friends: I’m delighted and excited to announce that beginning today I am making it possible for charities to raise funds in a new fun way! With the launch of The Alive with Clive Win-Win-Win Charity Sponsorship Program, charities will receive funds from corporate sponsors after supporters of charities enter Alive with Clive Contests to win prizes and vote for the charity they support. Additional information about this innovative new program, which gives charities and corporate sponsors an opportunity to gain massive amounts of free exposure, is in the Press Release I published today. To see the Press Release, click here. This new Charity Sponsorship Program will run in conjunction with The Alive with Clive Contests. In giving further thought to the design of The 1st Alive with Clive Quest for the Best Song Contest, I’m going to be making the following modifications to the original plan: 1. Instead of making cash awards to only the top three charities that generate the most entries and votes in The 1st Contest, now for the first 1,000 entries that are accompanied by votes for charities, Alive with Clive will give charities $10 for each entry accompanied by a vote for the charity. 2. For entries accompanied by votes for charities after the first 1,000, Sponsors will be invited to make the contributions of $10 per entry accompanied by a vote for a charity. 3. While every effort is being made to have The 1st Contest begin on January 30, 2014, as originally announced, it may have to start later if all the Sponsors and Prizes are not in place by then. Charities that partner with corporate sponsors now to receive $10 or more per entry in The Current Alive with Clive Quarterly Contest accompanied by a vote for the charity will be among the charities eligible to be included on the List of 20 Charities for The 1st Alive with Clive Quest for the Best Song Contest. To see the Press Release with additional information about this innovative new Alive with Clive Charity Sponsorship Program, click here. Stay tuned for more news about this exciting Program and The Alive with Clive Contests! https://alivewithclive.tv – multiplying magnificence one guest at a time! https://alivewithclive.tv/blog — It’s not just a TV Show. It’s a Global Community! # 1 — “Stressed Out” \| twenty one pilots By Clive Swersky On February 9, 2016 A Tribute To Talented, Courageous And Inspiring Singer-Songwriter, Dani Elise! By Clive Swersky On September 7, 2019	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0037.json.gz/line2788
__label__cc	0.561011	0.438989	Lyrics and chants at French poetry night Saudi Arabia Sunday 15th December 2019 12:14 AM REPORT We show you our most important and recent visitors news details Lyrics and chants at French poetry night in the following article Hind Al Soulia - Riyadh - By Abdulaziz Hammad Saudi Gazette JEDDAH— The French Consulate General held the second poetry night showcasing the inspiring beauty of Arab and French poetry alongside classical orchestra performances at the Consul General Mostafa Mihraje’s residence here recently. The poetry night is a distinctive cultural tradition conducted by the French mission due to the rich poetic Francophone culture. The night mixed the beauty of lyrics and chants alongside classical orchestra creating a distinctive artistic atmosphere. The orchestra musicians played several pieces for legendary composers such as Wolfgang Mozart, Borodine, Britten and others. The first Poetry Night here was held as part of the Night of Poetry in Paris, organized by Institut du Monde Arabe (Arab World Institute) of Paris. The initiative, to hold poetry night, began in 2016 in memory of the Paris attacks of Nov. 13, 2015 in order to show that the Arab World believes in peace, arts and culture. Different French embassies around the globe celebrate this night. These were the details of the news Lyrics and chants at French poetry night for this day. We hope that we have succeeded by giving you the full details and information. To follow all our news, you can subscribe to the alerts system or to one of our different systems to provide you with all that is new. It is also worth noting that the original news has been published and is available at Saudi Gazette and the editorial team at AlKhaleej Today has confirmed it and it has been modified, and it may have been completely transferred or quoted from it and you can read and follow this news from its main source. NEXT Saudi ambassador to France presents credentials in Paris 'Our movement is only just beginning,' Trump says in farewell address UK reports 1,610 deaths from COVID-19, highest daily figure in pandemic so far Top Republican places blame on Trump for deadly Capitol riot Biden's favorability on rise as many Americans think he's handling transition well Tuesday 19th January 2021 11:58 PM	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0037.json.gz/line2789
__label__cc	0.572232	0.427768	Among the Authors Librarian.Writer.Dreamer Tag: entangled teen Off the Shelf: A Review of By a Charm and a Curse by Jaime Questell It’s been awhile, hasn’t it? Although my reading list has stayed consistently full, Among the Authors has been on a bit of a hiatus while I finish up with grad school (the end is in sight! Come on, May!). However, an enticing email from Entangled Teen recently popped up in my inbox and promised a dark carnival story full of mystery and mayhem. Even with a growing to-do list (major life update since my last post: I’m engaged and getting married this year!), I couldn’t resist the call of the carnival. You all know how much I loved Caraval, and while I went into this thinking that By a Charm and a Curse would be similar, I found it to be nothing like Caraval, yet still a uniquely fun read. I received an eARC from Entangled Teen in exchange for an honest review. Summary (via Goodreads) Le Grand’s Carnival Fantastic isn’t like other traveling circuses. It’s bound by a charm, held together by a centuries-old curse, that protects its members from ever growing older or getting hurt. Emmaline King is drawn to the circus like a moth to a flame…and unwittingly recruited into its folds by a mysterious teen boy whose kiss is as cold as ice. Forced to travel through Texas as the new Girl in the Box, Emmaline is completely trapped. Breaking the curse seems like her only chance at freedom, but with no curse, there’s no charm, either—dooming everyone who calls the Carnival Fantastic home. Including the boy she’s afraid she’s falling for. Everything—including his life—could end with just one kiss. By a Charm and a Curse is a very, VERY quick read. I picked it up and didn’t sit it back down until I was finished, only a couple of hours later. The 300 pages seemed more like half that. It’s a great book for an after-work-wind-down, when you really need something light and easy to escape the stress of the day. What better way to do that than by visiting a mysterious carnival? The setting is a major strength to this book. It is well-written, and even though the closest thing I had to a carnival growing up was the county fair, I could clearly imagine this whimsical, enchanting circus. Speaking of circus, you might see this book compared to The Night Circus as well as Carnaval, but let me reiterate that all of these books have very different stories. They merely share a similar setting. The setting is vibrant and makes an interesting playing field for a diverse cast of performers. Telling the story in dual points of view between the two main characters, Emma and Benjamin, was a wise choice on the part of the author. Emma was an interesting enough character, and I thought her struggles with the marionette-like transformation were uniquely creepy. Between the two of them though, I found myself looking forward to the chapters told from Benjamin’s perspective because I feel like he had a bit more depth. However, Sidney, the former Boy in the Box, easily stole the show for me. He was fun, engaging, and I wanted so much more from his character. Had the book been a little bit longer, that might have been possible. Things I Didn’t Like: There’s not much that’s surprising about By a Charm and a Curse. I think you’re meant to be shocked by the true nature of the curse, but most readers will see it coming from very early in the story. I actually was surprised by a dark and deadly moment towards the end, but unfortunately, I feel that it was unnecessary and didn’t really do anything to further the plot. While the story can get predictable, there are other parts that get rather confusing, like how certain characters don’t react to things the way people normally would or they don’t ask questions that should have been obvious. To be completely honest, after the first few pages, I was a little concerned that this was not the book that I expected it to be and that I was going to completely dislike Emma. She complains a lot about having to stay with her dad and brothers while her mother is out of the country. She’s stuck in this place that is just soooo awful and the only thing her one friend in town wants to talk about is setting her up with boys. Then, she meets a complete stranger who, after only a few moments, Emma believes completely gets her, and all she wants to do is hold hands with him and maybe kiss him (her first kiss! gag). It’s all a little bit eyeroll-inducing. But stick with it! I promise the story does get better from here, although even the real romance portion of the book does feel pretty rushed and without any real conflict (other than an overprotective mother). I’d give By a Charm and a Curse a solid three stars. This book is a fun escape, and one that can be easily read in one afternoon or evening. The premise is intriguing and the setting full of whimsy. The cast of characters, while sometimes lacking in depth, are memorable and add to the mystery of the carnival itself. Although it will leave you wishing it was a little longer, it’s a fairly impressive debut for Jaime Questell, and it makes me look forward to the possibilities of what she may write in the future. Author amongtheauthorsPosted on February 3, 2018 February 3, 2018 Categories Book ReviewTags amreading, book, book review, books, by a charm and a curse, carnival, debut, entangled teen, jaime questall, new release, reading, review, romance, teen, ya, young adultLeave a comment on Off the Shelf: A Review of By a Charm and a Curse by Jaime Questell Archives Select Month July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 February 2018 July 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 April 2015 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 May 2014 March 2014 Julianne Tillis is an Ohio native and the leader of a ragtag group of misfit writers known as Wicked Wordsmiths of the West (who have published two anthologies – see links below!). She is also a library branch manager, avid reader of young adult literature, obsessive foodie, and she talks about her pug more than most people talk about their children. She is the NaNoWriMo Municipal Liaison for the Huntington, WV Region. Among the Authors is her little space on the web to discuss her writing process, life in the library, and review her recent reads. One day, she hopes to publish her own book and be placed among the authors on the library’s shelves. Follow Among the Authors on WordPress.com blue apron can't wait wednesday cantwaitwednesday cat winters great library meal subscription rachel caine raven boys raven cycle Ryan Graudin shades of magic steep and thorny way waitingonwednesday Wolf by Wolf writing problems Among the Authors Blog at WordPress.com.	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0037.json.gz/line2795
__label__wiki	0.558167	0.558167	Virginia Ann Swank The Life of Virginia Ann When Virginia Ann Swank was born on 4 September 1944, her father, Gordon Mathias Swank, was 36 and her mother, Esther Margaret Mitstifer, was 38. She married Donovin Marvin Monsrud on 16 March 1963, in Hillsborough, Florida, United States. She died on 28 April 1994, in Minnesota, United States, at the age of 49. Learn about Virginia Ann's homeland. Put your face in a costume from Virginia Ann's homelands. Donovin Marvin Monsrud Marriage: 16 March 1963 Hillsborough, Florida, United States Gordon Mathias Swank Esther Margaret Mitstifer Robert Ralph Mitstifer Ralph H Swank Donald Richard Swank Eleanor Mae Swank 1945 · Peace in a Post War World The Yalta Conference was held in Crimea to talk about establishing peace and postwar reorganization in post-World War II Europe. The heads of government that were attending were from the United States, the United Kingdom and the Soviet Union. Later the Conference would become a subject of controversy at the start of the Cold War. 1945 · President Dies from Cerebral hemorrhage Franklin D. Roosevelt dies from a cerebral hemorrhage. He died in office shortly after his fourth re-election. 1958 · The First U.S. Satellite in Space Explorer 1 was the first satellite of the United States to be launched and successfully orbit the Earth. Americanized form of German Schwank or Schwenk . Schwank Virginia Ann Swank Monstrud Or Monsrud, "United States, GenealogyBank Obituaries, 1980-2014"	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0037.json.gz/line2799
__label__wiki	0.690331	0.690331	BROWSE ANIMALS The tiger Personality Tiger Characteristics: Handsome • Discerning • Curious • Fashionable • Conceited Scientific Name: Panthera tigris Collective Term: A bolt of tigers Poised, Graceful and Powerful Tigers are handsome and powerful people with an innate self-confidence and elegance. There's a sense of immediacy and an aura of electricity that surrounds it, and when it walks into a room, it feels like something is about to happen. Once a tiger has found its groove, it will focus on its goal with a brightly burning intensity. Male tigers, when out of their element, are sometimes mistaken for beefcake, but when you see them in their offices wearing their power suits you’ll soon realize that you're dealing with incisive, authoritarian individuals. Defining the Tiger Personality In social situations, the tiger is an excellent host and there is no such thing as a casual party in its home. Guests can always expect a memorable occasion with an extravagance of food and drink, and yet, there is a distinct coldness to its den. Having sacrificed comfort for style, the tiger outfits its house with austere and modern furniture, and comfortably worn easy chairs are replaced every few years. Unlike the family oriented lion, tigers are solitary creatures who hate to lie around doing nothing. In this regard they have more in common with wildcats and leopards, who are always on the move, and because of this antisocial aspect, it can be difficult to discern a tiger's true motives: They are considered unpredictable and enigmatic. They have a strong aversion to routine in their daily life, and their spontaneity and energy infect others who are graced with their presence. The Tiger Personality's Career Tigers dislike small talk in the workplace and expect professionalism from coworkers, demanding the highest standards in their business dealings. With their killer instincts, tigers make excellent trial lawyers and have no hesitation in using aggression to their advantage. Acutely aware of their ability to intimidate, its single-mindedness enhances the tiger's reputation as a force to be reckoned with. Because of their preference for solitude, however, tigers are not natural leaders. While perfectly capable of assuming the role of a CEO, they prefer the challenges inherent in self-employment. Tiger businesses are invariably successful and cover a wide range of industries, from engineering to retailing. Tigers in the Wild The tiger is a magnificent animal and with its splendid carriage and sinuous grace, can grow to lengths of more than ten feet and weigh more than five hundred pounds. The tiger is an excellent swimmer but, unlike most members of the cat family, is a poor climber. Male and female tigers come together only when the tigress is in heat for a period a few weeks. During this time the tiger will not tolerate the presence of other males and will fight to the death to control the female. Adult tigers have no natural enemies except man, but they have an unusually high mortality rate from infected wounds caused by porcupine quills. Although largely protected from human hunting, pressure from civilization and development has kept the tiger population on the verge of extinction. Careers & Hobbies Trial Lawyer • CEO • Engineer • Self-employed Adventure • Sports • Parties • Action movies When single, tigers can be unsettled and promiscuous. But their emotional detachment should not be confused with a desire to avoid tenderness; for intimacy is the tiger's greatest sensual tool. Offering its lover some deeply held secrets adds another dimension of eroticism to its lovemaking. Marry it? Yes. Tame it? Never! It's hard to put one's finger on why the tiger struggles to settle down, but one theory has it that the tiger views marriage as a threat to its independence, even though tigers that have been married for a while will tell you that matrimony can be quite agreeable. Maybe it’s their impossible search for the perfect partner that keeps them on the prowl, although more than likely, we'll never understand the darker forces that frame its fearful symmetry. It's not easy to resist the charms of a tiger personality and the moment you meet one, you'll want to be president of its fan club. But there's a price to pay for hanging around such a compelling beast... the tiger's wit is sharp and its appetites monstrous. Famous Tiger Personalities You don't stay at the top of the Hollywood pyramid for 40 years unless you're tiger personality. It takes the guile, resourcefulness, and engaging visage that makes Nicholson just ... Jack. OK. So Bond's not a real person. But there's no question that Ian Fleming wrote him to be a tiger personality. Sleek, well-groomed, and able to handle any dangerous situation. Talk about picking the right name for your child. Tiger Woods is the tiger personified. Tall, athletic, good looking and incomparably competitive. CNN News "A truly insightful personality test based on a novel psychological idea." Quizinsight Animal In You © Designed by CND Technologies LLC	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0037.json.gz/line2802
__label__wiki	0.638763	0.638763	Search For "july" IATA reports soft start to peak travel period Updated : 1 year, 4 months ago IST Geneva [Switzerland], Sep 6 (ANI): The International Air Transport Association (IATA) on Friday announced slowing global passenger demand growth for July. Ghaziabad: AIMIM activist arrested for hatching conspiracy in BJP Ghaziabad (Uttar Pradesh) [India], Sept 6 (ANI): Uttar Pradesh police on Friday arrested Arif Muzim, an activist of All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) for his alleged role in Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader BS Tomar's murder in July. New Delhi: DGCA suspends license of Indigo pilot for flying plane New Delhi [India], Sept 5 (ANI): The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Thursday temporarily suspended the license of an Indigo pilot in connection with an incident that occurred in the last week of July. US-China trade war impacting air freight demand: IATA Geneva [Switzerland], Sept 5 (ANI): The International Air Transport Association (IATA) on Thursday released data for global air freight markets showing that demand measured in freight tonne-kilometres (FTKs) contracted by 3.2 per cent in July compared to the same period in 2018. Iran releases 7 Indian crew members from seized British tanker Tehran [Iran], Sept 5 (ANI): Iran has claimed that it released seven Indian crew members aboard the 'Stena Impero', the British-flagged oil tanker, seized by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in July, the country's foreign ministry spokesperson Abbas Mousavi said on Wednesday. 2 aspiring pilots indulge in unfair means, barred from appearing i New Delhi [India], Sept 4 (ANI): An aspiring pilot was barred for the lifetime while another for two years from appearing in the pilots' license examination after they were found indulging in unfair means during the examination conducted in July, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DG R. Kelly moved out from solitary confinement to general cell Washington D.C. [USA], Sep 4 (ANI): Singer R. Kelly has been moved out from solitary confinement and shifted into the general population on Tuesday, informed Kelly's attorney Steven Greenberg. He has been held since early July at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Chicago. Prince Harry, Meghan send out thank you cards after Archie's chris Washington D.C [USA], Sept 3 (ANI): Royal couple Prince Harry and wife Meghan Markle are busy these days sending out thank-you cards after their son Archie's christening ceremony in July. Declining exports of cotton textiles - a matter of deep concern Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India] Sept 03(ANI/BusinessWire India): Exports of cotton textiles continued their downward spiral declining by 24.5 per cent during April-July 2019. TVS Motor company registers sales growth of 4 pc in August 2019 ov Hosur (Tamil Nadu) [India] Sept 03(ANI/NewsVoir): TVS Motor Company registered sales of 290,455 units in August 2019 as against sales of 279,465 in July 2019, and 343,217 units in the month of August 2018. Growth of core infra sectors slows down to 2.1 pc in July New Delhi [India], Sept 2 (ANI): The growth of eight core industries declined to 2.1 per cent against 7.3 per cent growth in the same period of last year, the government data released on Monday showed. 60 gram of nuts a day can improve sexual functions Washington D.C. (USA), July 31 (ANI): Consuming as little as 60 grams nuts a day can improve sexual functions, a study has suggested.	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0037.json.gz/line2803
__label__wiki	0.59945	0.59945	Wirth, Oswald – 16 The Tower Invisible input - wisdom Another 8 pages of text! The original Lightning struck Tower was based on the story of the Tower of Babel, but Wirth reminds us by his use of colouring that it represents any person or system that sets itself up as a ‘false prophet’ in opposition to the Great Work. Pride comes before a fall. The Tarot of the Magicians – Oswald Wirth English translation 1985 Samuel Weiser. First published in Paris in 1927 under the original title: Le Tarot, des lmagiers du Moyen Age Arcana 16 presents us with the picture of a Lightning-struck Tower, a typical designation, for it is less a temple, a house of God, than a sacred building of a body mistakenly identified with God…………and only exists in relation to blind humanity which is… condemned to work without understanding. …… His body grows in the spirit which animated the builders of the Tower of Babel, a ramshackle building of which arcana 16 presents a symbolically correct image. The bricks that it is built of are of an overall flesh colour to indicate that it is a question of a living construction endowed with sensitivity. On a large scale it is human society, and on a small scale it is the individual body of each one of us, that is to say a collection of cells born of each other to unite as organs, like the stones of a building which might be capable of creating themselves and fitting together in obedience to mysterious attractions. There are four … openings: one door and three windows of which two let in light in the middle storey of the mind's abode, and the third, the upper chamber, with the ground floor being sufficiently well lighted by the door which stays open. This is not all. At the very top of the Tower is a crenulated terrace, from which one can view the sky. A double architrave made up of two layers, first of green stones then of red bricks, supports the crown of the Temple. The dull green alludes to the mystic sentimentality, and red to warmth and generosity which lead to the beatific vision and to transcendental contemplation. There is a risk in rising too high; we are warned of this by the thunderbolt from the Sun which takes the top off the Tower. The Sun here is a symbol of Reason which governs men and is opposed to their extravagant ideas. When we pursue a fanciful enterprise, the catastrophe is fatal. ….. What is unreasonable condemns itself to collapse. So much the worse for the ambitious man who takes so much trouble to rise very high, not suspecting that heights attract lightning. The two characters in arcana 16 receive the punishment befitting their presumption; they are thrown headlong together with parts which have come away from the Tower. The first is a king who remains crowned in his fall; he represents the immortal spirit for whom the Tower was built. The second character is dressed in red, for he is the Architect of the Tower, the constructor of the body which dies with him; so on the nape of the neck he receives a mortal blow. Woe to the vain occultist who imagines himself to be served by invisible entities! There are therefore, two alienations on his part: he has alienated himself in the true sense of the word and moreover leaves himself open to losing his reason, the catastrophe which threatens him in arcana 16. So authoritarian dogmas are born, opaque crusts which imprison and disfigure living truth. Hence also human rapacity, the source of all despotisms, which are on a small or large scale, perhaps with regard to this intensive exploitation of the earth and of human energies on which this present age of ours prides itself. How can one not understand the systematic reproach of all moderation that leads us towards a terrifying social cataclysm? May our pride be humiliated before the Wisdom of the Tarot! Materialization. Condensing attraction, radical egoism in action. Restrictive hoarding. Spirit imprisoned in matter. …….Pride, presumption, pursuit of fancies. Materialism which attaches itself to coarse appearances, greed to acquire, mania for material wealth. Megalomania, excessive enlarging of what one possesses. Insatiable ambitions and appetites. Excessive conquests. Unreasonable exploitation. Excess and misuse leading to rebellion and upheavals. Narrow dogmatism, the source of disbelief. False alchemy eager for common gold. Merited failure of all senseless enterprise. Punishment resulting from excess. Illness, disorganization, filth, hardening, putrefation of all that was supple and living. Ruin of empires established and maintained by brute force. The collapse of intolerant Churches that proclaim themselves infallible. The error of the presumptious person who undertakes things beyond his capacity and who does not know when to stop. The Tower - tarot card	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0037.json.gz/line2809
__label__cc	0.622153	0.377847	My Dog Sophie allanasscribbles ~ Writing, Thoughts and other fine stuff Tag Archives: British Politics Types of Face Masks – Re-Useable Masks You Can Purchase Posted by Silvi Veale in British Politics, Covid-19, Face Masks British Politics, Coronavirus, Cycling Masks, Dust Masks, Face Masks, Politics This is Part Three of a set of posts called ‘Wearing a Face Mask During a Pandemic’. Re-Useable Masks Available to Purchase: Anti Pollution/Sports Masks: Colourful cycling mask with vents and valves. Anti pollution masks have been growing in popularity for some time. They are worn by cyclists and bikers and by those doing sports or jogging in polluted conditions. These masks vary from basic mouth, nose and chin covers, to bandana style scarves, to ‘tube’ scarves, to balaclavas and to full face coverings. Full Face Cycling Mask Many are ornate, with pictures of animals, superheroes, skulls, and fantasy designs. None of these masks were designed to deal with a virus and some (the scarves in particular) may be too thin/porous to be much help in providing protection. However, they should, by differing degrees depending upon material used, prevent the wearer spreading the virus when in contact with others. Half face ‘skull’ mask/tube scarf Anti-pollution masks can be made in a variety of materials, from cotton to velvet or suede, leather and sometimes plastic. But some of the most popular are made with a material called Neoprene. Neoprene is waterproof. It comes in a range of thicknesses and can be used to make a variety of fashion items as well as scuba diving equipment. But in cycle/motorbike masks and face covers, neoprene really comes into its own as you will see if you study the many designs. Because neoprene is not breathable, all neoprene masks should have a respirator valve (most will have 2) and many have ventilator slits (on the outside layer only). A good anti pollution mask has an outer ‘shielding’ layer (which has valves and ventilators), plus a sturdy inner filter pad in the shape of the inner mask. Popular price cycling mask with fitted, changeable inner filter A good inner filter will contain around 5 layers to filter out harmful particles, allergins and smells from the atmosphere, keeping you safe from the vast majority of pollutants. However, the manufacturers of these masks do not usually make any claims about keeping specific virus particles out. Nevertheless, some, like the manufacturers of the top quality Respro masks, will say that their filter system will filter out large particles and some smaller ones. And this is important, because a cough or sneeze from someone with Covid-19 will contain large and medium as well as micro particles and some of these may well be filtered out by these masks. But (probably as a result of this statement on their facts page, and a rush to buy), the Respro website was temporarily closed to further orders as I typed this… Respro Sportsta™ Mask Scientists are researching the effect of ‘viral load’ on a person’s reaction to the Covid-19 virus. Some say there is evidence that a lower viral load may mean the likelehood of a milder case of the illness. However, there is much research to be done on this and there is disagreement as to the findings (see Note 2). Nevertheless, for those concerned about viral load, it could be suggested that the wearer of any anti-pollution mask which filters larger particles might not get such a viral overload if coughed or sneezed on by a virus carrier. But because of the growing claims that facemasks with valves can expel virus particles into the atmosphere (see Note 1), sports and anti-pollution masks of this nature may in future not be considered suitable for wearing by the general public. I will admit that I am still looking at anti pollution/sports masks, mainly because I love the designs. I also love that if you purchase a reasonable quality design from one of the better manufacturers, you can get a mask which will fit you well. Another factor that I like is that these masks are mostly waterproof so they do give defence from moist particles, unlike cloth masks which are more likely to soak moist particles into the top layer. However, manufacturer’s recomendations to use the inner filter for several times before changing is something I’m not sure about for pandemic use. But I will research some more over time 🙂 Stretch Masks: Neoprene is one of a range of stretchable fabrics used to make the style of face masks some are calling ‘shark masks’. These are washable masks where the stretchable fabric used extends into the ear loops also, giving a pointed ‘shark’ look from the side. These basic stretch masks are quick to use, light to wear, and washable. They are usually made with just one layer of material and in a very basic shape. As they are very stretchy but also moldable, they often provide a good fit to a whole range of face shapes and head sizes. A range of stretch face masks Because they are usually one layer and have no pocket for a filter, it is debateable how much virus the ‘shark’ masks will keep out. But in their defence, the material used is usually dense (if you hold it up to the light, you should not be able to see through it). And, as with most other face coverings, they should keep virus particles in, so will help to prevent virus spread. Dust masks come in a range of shapes and sizes and resemble many different medical masks. Dust masks were never designed to keep out virus particles. They were designed specifically to protect the wearer from dust, powders and other dangerous particles when at work. Basic cotton dust mask The most basic dust masks are for wearing literally when dusting or creating a dusty atmosphere. They are often made with two layers of fabric and in the same shape as surgical masks. They provide a comfortable mask, but will not filter out minute particles. Dust Masks With Filters: With the surge in interest in cycling wear, a number of manufacturers have produced face masks in cotton, polyester, or other light materials which are classed as dust masks, but are also advertised as light cycling wear. Many of these masks have 2 layers of fabric, plus an inner pocket where a filter can be placed. Dust/cycling mask with respirator valve plus example of inner filters used Masks may or may not have a respirator valve on the outside (Personally, I have found that a respirator valve on these particular masks makes little difference, as the material used to make the masks is usually breathable. However, the valve may prevent heat and moisture accumulating in the mask when worn for an extended period). Dust/Cycling Masks without respirator valve, showing carbon filters Filters used in dust masks are usually PM2.5 filters (often called ‘carbon filters’ because an inner layer contains carbon). PM2.5 filters are designed to filter out particles in the atmosphere which have a diameter of less than 2.5 micrometers. These are light particles found within polluted atmospheres which can invade the lungs, so PM2.5 filters are considered effective in protecting us from many allergies and harmful atmospheric substances. It must be noted that these filters cannot fully protect us from virus particles with a size of 0.3 microns. Nevertheless, it could be suggested that the filters could prevent large virus droplets entering the inner mask, along with part of the viral load. As with many things face mask, the scientific jury is still out on this, Covid-19 being such a new and fairly unpredictable virus. And in any case, if these dust masks are worn correctly (ie: from bridge of nose to under the chin and fitting snuggly), they should prevent virus particles being expelled into the atmosphere when the wearer coughs or sneezes (or even talks). So they can be worn as an effective part of preventing the spread of Covid-19. Heavy Duty Dust Masks: Dust masks used in more particle-intensive workplaces are marked according to protection levels – from FFP1 to FFP3: FFP1 and FFP2 Dust Masks FFP1 dust masks provide reasonable protection from dust and paint sprays. FFP2 dust masks provide excellent protection from paint, chemicals, sprays, etc, and some small particles too. These work very similarly to N95 masks and are said to provide some protection against virus particles. FFP3 dust masks provide excellent protection against particles of all types, including some tiny particles of the type found within virus droplets. They are usually considered to be of N95+ standard. FFP3 Dust Mask Some, particularly FFP2 and FFP3 level dust masks, will have breathing filter valves. High level dust masks provide a very good level of protection, and as a result these masks are sometimes being used by health care workers who are unable to obtain FFP3 Medical Respirators. However, the vast majority of dust masks were never made to fit the face as well as a medical mask and they were not designed specifically to filter micro particles of the size found in virus spread. This is why, although your works mask may give you a lot of protection when worn out in public, it will never give you full protection. But it has to be said that it is still a whole lot better individual protection than many will have. Cloth Face Masks To Purchase: With the sharp rise in public interest in face masks, Many clothing manufacturers, large and small, plus a range of other companies, have turned their focus to making and selling face masks. The majority of these will be made from cotton, although some will have a special outer finish which the manufacturer claims will make them water resistant. Pleated Cotton Face Masks – Etsy Cotton masks to buy are made predominantly in one of two shapes: rectangular with pleats (surgical mask shape); or shaped to fit the face. Many will have a pocket for a filter (usually a PM2.5 filter, although some manufacturers make their own filters to fit their particular masks). Cotton masks to purchase can be found on Etsy, Amazon, eBay, Craftsy, and on manufacturer’s own sites, plus you will find adverts for them all over Facebook. Online prices for this type of mask range from £5 upwards, with more exclusive fabric designs, or perhaps extras like extra filters, a bag for the mask, etc, commanding a higher outlay. Fitted Cotton Face Masks – The Sustainable Mask – Christy Dawn With such a wide and growing range of cotton masks available to purchase online, it would be easy to get carried away and perhaps spend money you cannot really afford on a whole range of new masks. I will talk more about cotton masks in my next post about making your own masks and ‘face covers’, but for now, I would recommend this: Before you spend a lot of money on a variety of cotton masks (or any mask come to that), make sure that the mask you want is: made in your size (face sizes vary considerably but masks not so much); fits well, but will give you room around your mouth and nose to breath (a tight mask you cannot breath in will soon be thrown in the bin); can be washed on a normal washing machine cycle (you will soon get fed up hand washing a mask which requires delicate treatment). With a cotton mask, I personally would also go for a mask which has at least 3 layers (one can be an insertable filter). More on cotton masks later… Of course to many of us, purchasing a face mask of any description may be an unattainable wish, given that a lot of us have been unable to work or obtain a full wage for some time. So, along with the fact that our Government is telling us not to use up masks suitable for use in hospitals and social care and we are all being asked to wear a ‘cloth face covering’ when in crowded public spaces, many of us are considering making our own face masks. The use of home-made cloth face masks is a whole other topic and I will write about it in my next post on face masks. In the meantime, I hope that this piece has helped to clear up a few queries about the varying types of face masks you will encounter once you start looking. But whatever type of face mask you buy, please do wear them if you possibly can. It could help us all. Note 1: Why your N95 mask could endanger others: https://www.sfgate.com/living-in-sf/article/Why-your-N95-mask-could-endanger-others-15246318.php Note 2: Viral dynamics in mild and severe cases of COVID-19: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/laninf/article/PIIS1473-3099(20)30232-2/fulltext Wearing a Face Mask During a Pandemic – Introduction British Politics, Coronavirus, Face Masks, Politics Shopping wearing face masks in Germany – The Local de When we all saw that a dangerous epidemic was happening in Wuhan, China, many of us feared that the Coronavirus would go worldwide and with dreadful consequences. Sadly, not only were we correct, but the spread of the virus (now called Covid-19) was much faster and frightening than we had even imagined. So when, in February, the UK Government was still telling its citizens that this country was low/moderate risk from Covid-19, some of us did our own research, because we knew by then that our Government would be unable to protect us. We watched the spread of the virus in Wuhan and in China as a whole, and we watched the way the authorities fought to control it. We watched as South Korea appeared to be on the verge of a total catastrophe from the virus, but then pulled back from the brink with excellent tracking, tracing and isolation measures. Then we saw the virus enter Northern Italy and the truly dreadful suffering and death which entailed. We watched Italian health workers as they begged us to learn from their suffering before it was too late for us. Well we, as a population, did learn, but sadly our Government did not. And the people of the UK suffered terrible losses of loved ones as a result. Face Masks at last: ‘Should you wear a face mask’ – Lincolnshire Live Another thing our Government failed to learn about was the use of face masks. In almost every country that the virus had entered, citizens took to wearing face masks for protection when they had to go out. And, as the spread of the virus eased in different countries, face masks were used as part of a regime of safety measures for coming out of lockdown. But our government still insisted that face masks were unnecessary and stated that in some cases they were dangerous. Even when the WHO advised that face masks were a recommended part of ending lockdown, and when the (at first very reluctant) US Government told citizens they should be using face masks, most members of our UK Government ignored the whole thing or mumbled in a disgruntled and confused fashion about ‘face coverings’ as if the term ‘face mask’ was forbidden. But then it finally hit the Government that the reluctance of many British people to go out after lockdown was because they were afraid of doing so, despite (or perhaps because of) all the insincere assurances from Government spokespersons that things were getting a lot better. And who could blame people for being afraid and not listening to Government assurances, when evidence showed that the UK had such a dreadfully high death count from Covid-19 and one which was totally in opposition to the ‘moderate’ risk they had been assured of a few weeks earlier by those same Government spokespersons. So finally the UK Government gave in (and as is now customary they gave in much later than necessary) and advised that ‘face covering’ should be used on public transport, in hospitals, and in other public spaces where it was difficult to social distance. Masks on public transport – Business Insider And many UK citizens were left in confusion. From being told that face masks were unnecessary or even dangerous, they now had to find a suitable ‘face covering’ for upcoming hospital visits, for catching the bus to work, etc. The result is that a large number of people living in the UK, who never thought they would have to wear a face mask, now either resent this new ‘advice’, or fear it, or are simply confused because they don’t know where to begin, how to find something suitable, or simply what the hell the term ‘face covering’ actually means. How to find out more: Well, there is a lot of help out there: There are Facebook groups with members offering to make masks for others. There are loads of articles about face masks and the different types and how they work. There are hundreds of YouTube videos showing you how to make a face mask. And for those who can afford to buy a face mask or two, there are sellers on Amazon, eBay, Etsy, etc, selling all types of face masks at often very reasonable prices. But perhaps that is all too much at once? Since early March, I’ve been researching the making and wearing of face masks. I’ve looked at all the different types of mask; at the range of materials used; at different types of filters; at mask fitting; at how to wear a mask and remove a mask; and loads more. So I’ve decided to put all this together in a series of posts. There is quite a lot of typing, but I’ll add plenty of pictures too 🙂 Facemasks in public – Express and Star If I can help someone make some choices about face masks and wearing them, then I’m happy. And all that information accumulated since March had to come out somewhere after all 🙂 The next piece will be on types of face mask and I’ll post it soon. Labour is Missing Out in The Search Engines Posted by Silvi Veale in British Politics, General Election, Labour Party, Politics, Uncategorized Blogging, British Politics, General Election, Labour Party, Politics, Search engines, SEO, Social Media, Social Networking, The Labour Party UK Labour Needs To Use More Search Engine Optimisation Skills Labour Summer of Smears – Another Angry Voice. See link at end of article Newspapers are losing sales and TV channels are losing credibility (not fast enough though, it has to be said). So where do most voters turn to now when they want to find out about a political party? They go online. They may go to Facebook and Twitter, maybe Instagram too. But many do not. They simply put a search term into Google (or occasionally Bing) and look at the results that turn up. But the Labour Party is missing out in the search engines. When I search Google for ‘Labour Policies‘, I get the Labour Party ‘Where we stand’, followed by ‘Manifesto’. That’s good. But, underneath those and still, on the Google front page, I then find: “Investors fear Labour policies ahead of the election” – Financial times “What Labour and Conservative policies really mean for immigration” – The Times “What Jeremy Corbyn’s tax plan means for you and what you’ll pay” – The Telegraph And you can imagine the anti-Labour spin in those above three articles alone… Next I get the Google ‘question box’ with: “What does the Labour party believe in?” And a link going to a Wikipedia article by the Australian Labor Party! Give me strength! 🙄 Google Page 2: “Labour Party latest news, pictures, policies and campaigns …” – The Daily Express… “What is Labour’s Brexit plan?” – BBC News asks its usual question even though it knows the answer full well. Okay, then there’s an article from the Guardian (?) and one from Labour List. We also get: “Labour for a Green New Deal—Policy” – but the page hasn’t been updated since conference… And that’s it for anything really positive about Labour Policy and those links are between other non-positive links. And we are at the end of the 2nd page. Most people don’t search any further than that… Now at this point, some may say “well what can you expect – search engines are biased”. And I would say, Wake up! Search engines are biased towards making money. That means selling advertising spots. They are not going to be able to do that if their searches are seen to be skewed. Because if that is the case, people won’t use them and advertisers will go elsewhere. (I’m not saying that there are no problems with the large search engines – there obviously are. But that would take a whole other article and we need to put that aside and get some positive posts on Labour UK up the top of the search engines now!). Now, I’m old school SEO (search engine optimisation). I learned SEO in the late 90s and carried on learning and using it in the noughties. I know how to get a post to the top of the search engines using keywords, links and trusted sites. But I haven’t the up-to-date knowledge, the time (and certainly not the money) to learn how to counter bot impressions on such a large scale as employed by some political parties. I also do not have access to making headway on ‘trusted sites’ in the political category – Large print newspapers, well-known magazines, etc. But I’m sure that there must be a whole load of talented people in the Labour Party who could work on this. So this is a plea: PLEASE, to help UK Labour: If you haven’t got one already, set up a blog (wordpress.com would be a good start, or blogger, or open a free Medium account) Start writing positive articles on UK Labour using great keywords and keep on doing so. Share all your positive posts all over social media. Share links with other UK Labour writers and share their posts too. Comment on any Labour positive post. Share articles from Labour-positive Newspapers and write about them too. This is not about brilliant writing – SEO isn’t about that (sadly). It’s just about getting good, hopeful, positive, voteable articles about UK Labour all over the front pages of the search engines. And here’s another plea: If you are up-to-date on SEO and have the resources to help. Please get in touch with Labour or Momentum and offer your services. This is from me. I’m in no way speaking for UK Labour or Momentum, but I’m pretty sure they’d appreciate the offer. Labour is Missing Out in the Search Engines. But it doesn’t have to be this way. So please do what you can to change this quickly! The Image used at the beginning of this post is from: How many of these Labour Party policies did you actually hear about this summer? Things are even worse now in the run up to the 12th December 2019 General Election. The article, by Another Angry Voice, is correct and excellent, but I’m sure that the writer would prefer not to have to write a similar one after December this year. Why Labour Is Right to Listen to Leavers as well as Remainers Posted by Silvi Veale in Brexit, British Politics, General Election, Jeremy Corbyn, Labour Party, Politics, Socialism Brexit, British Politics, Labour Party, Politics, Socialism The EU Referendum of 2016 was an event which changed politics in the UK forever. And one of the changes which took place was that many of the people who voted in the Referendum were not regular voters. In fact, it appears that a significant proportion of referendum voters were voting for the first time. And many of those ‘not very often’ or first time voters voted Leave. After years, in some cases, of feeling that there was no point in voting, because: ‘it didn’t matter; they would be shafted whoever they voted for’, for many people the Referendum, appears to have been a means of expressing their disgust with what they saw as ‘the self-serving political establishment’. The morning that the result became clear, many Leave voters were jubilant that at last it seemed that their vote had actually achieved something, and that was ‘one in the eye for the establishment’. And it’s not surprising that they felt this way. The Effect of Austerity: After years of suffering the effects of cruel austerity measures and of having their cries for help seemingly ignored, people were then told by the Remain Campaign, without a trace of irony, that they ‘must’ vote Remain ‘for their own sakes’. This message was pushed by ‘establishment’ figures, including Prime Minister, ex-Etonian Cameron. And was then pressed home by none less than the President of the US, arriving in the UK it seemed, just to tell us all that we must vote Remain ‘for the good of our country’. Now, this would have been all well and good, if people had been feeling happy and secure in their daily lives and wanting to preserve that situation, but many people were not (and are still not) feeling happy or secure. So, they had every right to ask themselves what did they have to lose? The ‘Immigration’ debate: At this point you could argue that people’s fears and unhappiness was stoked up more by Farage, with his racist and thoroughly misleading message on immigration, and tales of the ‘corruption of the EU’. Setting these Farage-defined ‘issues’ side by side as an ‘other’ which ‘the Brits’ needed to repel. Farage certainly gave many unhappy people a mythical range of scapegoats to blame. And he was definitely aided and abetted by the mass media in getting his divisive message across. I am certain that the encouragement of Farage and his disgusting message led to the overt racism and violence that now threatens the very core of our society (and that’s even before you count all the dangerous rhetoric spewing from the mouth of our current PM and some who support him). And back in 2016, as a 7/10 Remainer (sometimes 5.5 out of 10), what made me decide to vote Remain and even be very upset on the day that Leave won, was that at the time it appeared to me that much of the Leave vote was based upon reactions to messages filled with racism and bigotry. I could not be a part of that. I also feared that the result would be seen by the racists and bigots almost as ‘justification’ for their prejudice. And on this latter point I think I was proved correct. However, with the experience of three years of ever more heated discussion on Brexit, while more and more families sink into poverty, ever more people are homeless, and while our NHS and welfare services are being run down ever more swiftly, I do understand why many ordinary people who are not racist or bigots voted Leave. I think it was in the hope of political change: and even if that change wasn’t perfect, at least it would send a clear message that people had had enough of politicians not taking their needs seriously. So, from being someone who calls herself ‘a Remainer’, I have come to the viewpoint that we really do need to take seriously those who voted to Leave the EU. Because: 1: Not to do so would be dangerous – the longer this Brexit shambles has gone on, the more angry and frustrated people have become. Okay, we should never give in to threats or fears of violence by extremists who want to force their views upon others. But the Referendum campaign and the following years have allowed the rise of a violent minority of extreme right wingers, who like nothing better than to build a mob (in the old days they would have been handing out pitchforks to villagers). They have sensed victory (however fleeting). Revoking Article 50 (as the LibDems and some other Remainers want to happen) would give these thugs perceived ‘justification’ to stir up violent protest. and that would be a protest where anyone who doesn’t fit their warped views on ‘Britishness’ and ‘Patriotism’ would certainly not be safe. 2: To ignore Leave voters would be the death knell of any hope of involving ordinary people in politics. Our representive democratic system is not perfect by any means. It is skewed towards supporting the priviledged, purely because it operates within a class-riven society. But, if used correctly (rather than being ‘played’ as it is at the moment by Boris Johnson), it is a way for ordinary people to at least get a say in how the country is run. If people who voted only occasionally, but voted in the Referendum, feel that even when they ‘win’ they will be ignored, how can the UK ever again even try to hold itself up as ‘a pillar of democracy’. And with complete distrust in democracy, on the one hand we have people feeling they are considered worthless by the leaders of the society they live in (and that will include distrust of the political left as well as the right); and worst case scenario, we could then drift into situation 1. On the democracy note: yes, I know that the Leave campaign cheated big time with the message they put across (and possibly the funds they used to do it). But people don’t want you telling them that they ‘fell for cheats’. How patronising and short-sighted is that? It’s my belief that whatever the cheating, whatever the messages from both sides, many of those who voted Leave didn’t care about any of that. If you believe that the political system is skewed against you anyway, you will not be surprised if there is cheating. You are more likely to shrug your shoulders and move on to think about what matters to you and your family. For many who voted Leave, their vote was an angry cry for help – or at least to be acknowledged. And to ignore that cry now would not only be wrong; it would be ‘proving’ that those ordinary people were correct – the political establishment really doesn’t give a sh*t about them. Now, I’m a member of the Labour Party. Like most things in life, it’s not perfect. But I truly believe that most Labour members and politicians do care about ordinary people (however much that message gets lost now and again with infighting among different party factions). They want to help those who are struggling and they want to achieve a fairer society for the many, not the rich and greedy few. And that society will listen to everyone – not just those who were educated at Eton. So by that philosophy, Labour has to be the party that listens to Leavers and Remainers. It cannot ignore what still seems like half of the population. I’ve come a long way in my views since June 2016. I’m still a Remainer (Remain and reform though, at the very least), but I do believe it is correct for Jeremy Corbyn to argue that if Labour wins the next General Election, he and his Brexit team will do their best to negotiate a good deal with the EU, and then that deal will be put to the people alongside the Remain option. Like several points I’ve mentioned here, Labour’s Brexit strategy is not a perfect solution, but it’s one which, having acknowledged the god-awful mess that the Tories have got us into with their incompetent Brexit negotiations, is the only sensible option left. And it’s the only hope of bringing this fractured country together and fending off the rise and further influence of right-wing extremists. And when all put together like that, Labour’s Brexit policy seems pretty damn reasonable! NHS Crisis We Saw It Coming And Now Labour Must Stop It. Posted by Silvi Veale in British Politics, Jeremy Corbyn, Labour Party, NHS, Politics British Politics, Jeremy Corbyn, NHS, NHS Crisis, Tories May 2015 seems an awful long way away now, so much has happened. But I remember making a blog post near the General Election saying that, despite some misgivings on some of the policies put forward by the Labour Party that year (and set out on that terrible ‘headstone’…), I would be voting Labour with one main objective in mind – to Save Our NHS. I truly feared for our NHS under a Tory government and I just couldn’t understand why so many people couldn’t see this too. Well, my fears about the Tories have come true – they are deliberately dismantling our NHS and allowing it to fail. I would guess that their solution would be to sell it all off (or give it away as they have done recently) to private investors, while assuring us that this will be best for us and ‘the only way’, and that plans will be set up so that we can all get private insurance… So I have to agree with Devutopia here: And I could just say ‘I told you so’ at this point, to all those Tory voters (or those whose votes split the left of centre vote) who are now complaining about not being able to see a GP or about ever longer waiting lists and waits at A&E. But that would be pointless and would solve nothing. Especially when the Labour Party, of late, has been struggling within itself rather than getting on and opposing the Tories and UKIP and exposing them for the parasites they are at every opportunity. Now I’m a member of the Labour Party (and have been since summer 2015) and I am looking to my party to hold this government to account – to show the public the Tory lies and to offer us all a solution that will not involve further privatisation (in fact, ideally the only way this will work is if the whole lot comes back completely into public ownership). And I’m looking for everyone in the Labour Party to get over their back stabbing and petty squabbles and to concentrate on doing something which is absolutely vital for all of us – that the Labour Party as a whole gets together and fights with everything its got to save our Free and public NHS. I know it won’t be easy. I would be a fool if I didn’t realise that the establishment in general will do everything it can to belittle and denigrate Labour now that it has a true democratic socialist as leader. But Labour brought us the NHS and Labour needs to be getting this across at every opportunity and demonstrating that they have real solutions and alternatives for Tory deliberate mismanagement. So, I guess this is not so much sad remembrance of why this is happening now and why we have a true Humanitarian #NHSCrisis, but a plea to everyone in the Labour Party – left, centre and right (and all bits in between) to come together for the sake of Our NHS. Because if Labour cannot do this then there really is no hope for any of us. Labour and ‘the snoopers charter’ Posted by Silvi Veale in British Politics, Jeremy Corbyn, Labour Party, Politics British Politics, Labour Party, Snoopers Charter Mass surveillance came in under the Tories, with ‘state of the art’ CCTV footage on the streets, but it was embraced with open arms under Blair and strengthened after 9/11, when the US ‘anti-terrorism policies’ led to snooping on a grand scale. It was like Blair’s Government not only watched with envy, but attempted to do even better with their surveillance on British citizens. Today, and even after local authority cuts, I believe that the UK is still covered with more CCTV cameras than anywhere else in the World. They can track our every move. And even when the cameras are unavailable, the GPS on our mobiles does the job for them. Mass surveillance is something that you imagine a totalitarian right wing government subscribing to, but that isn’t necessarily so. The authoritarian nature of government in the Blair years was one of the reasons I, as a socialist, felt increasingly disenfranchised. A PM who insists on taking the country to war, despite huge public outcry and strong evidence contrary to the reasons for the war in the first place, affirmed my misgivings. Couple this with the strengthening (rather than abolition) of Thatcher’s trade union laws and the post-9/11 strengthening of the forces of the state against public assemblies, together with the loss of clause 4, plus the many measures put in place to tell families what to do, rather than actually helping them, and it seemed to me that Blair’s government was in no way supporting working class people and their rights to speak out and organise against injustice. Rather, it was seeking to control them. To me, it seemed that a government that insisted on controlling the very class who historically supported them was not to be trusted to support their voters when it came to fair treatment in the workplace, or when it came to peaceful protests of any description. But the ‘importance of surveillance’ argument carried on, and there were further discussions on how to ‘control’ information on the internet (always given as ‘ways to ensure public/family safety’). I believe it was during Brown’s short premiership that laptops were given to poor families so that they too could have access to the world-wide web. These were the laptops given to school children whose parents were on a low-income and, on the surface, it seemed like a great idea. However, these laptops came with many blocks to places you were not ‘allowed’ to browse (not just ‘adult’ sites – many students were unable to access sites they needed to complete their homework and their parents couldn’t use these laptops to pay a bill, or visit their bank account, and FB and Twitter were definitely out). Savvy parents found an ‘IT friend’ to help them permanently delete the blocking software; others simply threw the laptop away, or sold it on eBay to another unlucky customer. This was a short-lived and not very successful attempt to control internet access under the guise of ‘safety’, but, some might say that suspicions about the ideas behind the ‘free laptops’ may have been correct…. And, although by now more and more people were getting worried about the implications of mass surveillance and the way it could be used against ordinary people, this implication that ‘we need strong surveillance for our own security and safety’ has prevailed as the overriding argument to oppose anyone who objects. And even today, if anyone raises their head above the parapet and complains about increases in surveillance, they are likely to be met with the argument: ‘if you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to worry about’, and if you go on complaining, you can be made to feel like ‘the enemy’ – ‘what have you got to hide then?’ is likely to be the (sometimes unsaid) question. So many prefer not to complain at all. Of course, the Tory Government, returned in 2010, was never going to cut back on mass surveillance, despite some ‘libertarian’ claims from a few in their midst. No, what the Tories had (in coalition and now on their own) was a ready-made system of population control, backed up with laws passed and experiments already undertaken. It fitted right in to their plans to make things even harder for the majority, with new bills on trade unions to control them completely, and with legislation they could put in place in case of mass public protest. But what the present government still struggles with is control of information via the internet. They can certainly try to monitor individuals and group suspects, but when they carry out legislation that will leave most of the population extremely angry, they face the prospect that all these people could be suspects! And it is not that easy to monitor everyone! So, on 7th June ‘the Snoopers charter’ was placed before Parliament… This is a description of the bill by The Canary: ‘On 7 June a bill passed in parliament that threatens the fundamental rights of everyone in the UK. But it seems that only around 25% of the population is aware of its existence, giving MPs the opportunity to take an axe to our autonomy largely without our knowledge. ‘The Investigatory Powers (IP) bill, more commonly known as the Snoopers Charter, passed through its latest stage in the commons by 444 to 69 votes. ‘Privacy is indeed at the heart of the IP bill, but it will destroy privacy rather than protect it. It is designed to secure immense surveillance powers for the UK’s security services, and other public bodies. The proposals include allowing bulk interception of communications, bulk collection of communications data – meaning ‘metadata’ which is essentially the data about data – and bulk equipment interference – aka hacking. ‘Indeed, ‘bulk’ gathering of information seems to be a major point of the IP bill. As Bella Sankey, Director of Policy for Liberty, explains: This Bill would create a detailed profile on each of us which could be made available to hundreds of organisations to speculatively trawl and analyse. It will all but end online privacy, put our personal security at risk and swamp law enforcement with swathes of useless information. ‘As The Intercept has recently reported, even the UK spies themselves have warned that collecting too much information is dangerous. The publication released a secret report from the UK’s security service, which stated that MI5: can currently collect (whether itself or through partners …) significantly more than it is able to exploit fully… This creates a real risk of ‘intelligence failure’ i.e. from the Service being unable to access potentially life-saving intelligence from data that it has already collected. ‘The IP bill aims to put these deficient data practices on a statutory footing, to legitimise them. But many argue that targeting specific communications, rather than scooping up information on everyone, is a better way to fight crime. It would also ensure that most individuals retain the liberties afforded to them under multiple human rights conventions.’ See the full article by the Canary here. Now, you may think that Labour Members of Parliament would oppose this bill. It is not only extremely flawed, it also attacks our human rights on several levels. And after all, isn’t the Labour Party opposing the Tories’ attempts to change our access to human rights, by opposing the extremely suspect Tory-proposed ‘British Bill of Rights’? But of course, you only have to look back at the recent history of the Labour Party to realise that this wouldn’t necessarily be the case… However, under the leadership of Jeremy Corbyn, with his strong belief in human rights, I was hoping that there would at least have been a virulent opposition to ‘the snooper’s charter’ and a good debate among Labour MPs about whether or not to support it. But this didn’t appear to be the case… Three parties did vote against the bill: the SNP, the Green party and the Liberal Democrats. But many Labour MPs appeared reasonably happy to vote for the bill as long as concessions were made, including ‘a privacy clause’ and protection for trade unions from being targetted. They also received assurance that there would be a ‘double lock’ on warrant approvals. However, they did not challenge the ‘mass surveillance’ part of the bill, and yet that is at the bill’s core. Knowing the history of recent mass surveillance in the UK and the strong support from recent Labour Governments for this, although I am dismayed to learn that Labour MPs allowed this bill to pass ‘in principle’, I am sadly not surprised. Now, I know that the Labour Party are deeply involved in getting a ‘Remain’ vote right now in the EU referendum, but that can be no excuse for taking their eye off the ball with this bill. It is draconian. It will be used to target individuals, even if trade unions are considered ‘safe’, and it will be used to target protest groups and protest posts. And that’s not even to mention the way that mass surveillance of the UK population, once a shady business or the work of commercial search engine ‘algorithms’ with ‘privacy clauses’, is now being legitimised for state use. Surely, as a Corbyn supporter I should be dismayed, not to mention disappointed….? Why We Must Support Junior Doctors And Student Nurses In Their Struggle Posted by Silvi Veale in British Politics, Jeremy Corbyn, NHS British Politics, Junior Doctors, NHS, Nurses Bursaries It was good to see that Jeremy Corbyn and John McDonnell gave their full support to the Junior Doctors’ Strike last Tuesday. Not only was this the first time in my memory that a Labour Leader and Labour Shadow Chancellor had openly and unequivocally supported a strike, but it was, without doubt, the correct thing to do. The fight by Junior Doctors for fair treatment at work and by nurses and all NHS workers to retain their bursaries is not only their fight; it is ours too. Of course, this is about wages, and working hours, and payment for training, but it is also very much about patient safety. And at the heart of the struggle is the fight for something we all hold dear: our Free National Health Service. Without doctors and nurses we would not have a health service, and without the hard work and dedication of doctors, nurses, and all health support workers and practitioners, our NHS would certainly not be free. And the issue of ‘free’ is important when we look at the creeping privatisation of our NHS and how it affects not only doctors and nurses, but all of us. The NHS Privatisation plan: There are 3 main factors to this: Soon there will no longer be a ‘national’ health service. This has already happened in Manchester, and very soon we will have ‘regional health services’ all over the UK, with NHS funding subsumed within local authority funding. And we all know what has happened to local authority funding…it has been cut, and cut again! The Private Finance Initiative or ‘PFI’: Since 1992, most large scale public capital investment in the UK has used PFI procurement, whereby a consortium of investment banks, builders, and service contractors raises the finance, and designs, builds, and operates the facilities for the public authority through a project company Now on the surface, this sounds good – after all, it appears that nothing has been sold off and that the private sector is contributing to the NHS. But that of course is not the case…. Through the PFI scheme private companies have built NHS hospitals and leased them back to the NHS. They also run support services as part of these contracts. This has of course been highly profitable for the companies involved, otherwise the scheme would not have worked, but it is now becoming crystal clear that the PFI model offers very poor value and is, in fact, draining our NHS of desperately-needed funds. A number of NHS hospitals are struggling to cope with the cost of meeting their PFI debts. South London Healthcare Trust was the first to be put into administration after being put on a growing list of trusts burdened with PFI debt. In the early 1990s, hospitals paid no charge on their land, buildings and assets, but today many PFI-run hospitals are paying a substantial percentage to PFI investers just to keep going. And the percentage they pay is rising all the time. At the moment, when new government money is injected into the NHS, most of it goes directly to private investors because of PFI. We are told that we can no longer afford to pay for universal healthcare, but that simply wouldn’t be true, if only we stopped using NHS funds to pay back the banks and other financiers who control the PFIs. The Five Year Forward View: On 1st April 2014, NHS England’s new chief executive, Simon Stevens, laid out his plans for the NHS, and on the surface they sounded positive enough. For example, he talked about: “Unleashing the passion and drive of the million plus frontline NHS staff who are devoting their professional lives to caring.” The problem was, that Stevens had a different idea of how to ‘unleash that passion’ than most users of the NHS would have wanted to hear. By October, 2014, Stevens had published his ‘5 Year forward Plan’; a 39-page report which sets out ways the NHS in England needs to change over the next five years to ensure (and I quote) “it remains affordable in the face of increasing demand and finance pressures.” On the surface, this ‘plan’ was welcomed by members of the NHS, as it outlined a way of dealing with patient care to fit a more modern age. However, it has now become apparent that the ‘5 year forward plan’ was based more on business strategy than on patient need (In fact, when talking about his plan, Stevens described it as ‘NHS England’s Business plan’, first and foremost). One of Steven’s most controversial measures is the call for more ‘super hospitals’, which are, no doubt, more cost-effective in a business sense, but are in actual fact dangerous for some patients living in rural areas, whose access to hospital emergency care and follow-on care will be severely restricted (especially when we take note of cuts to our ambulance services). But that’s just one example of the problems with this ‘5 year plan’. The main problem is that it has been designed with profitabilty in mind, rather than patient need. Now, when you combine these 3 strategies – Devolution, Privatisation, and the ‘5 year forward plan’, you begin to see how much our Free and Public National Health Service is being put under pressure and is already being privatised. Add to that the ‘profitability factor’, so beloved by PFI investers and by Stevens, and you see where the perceived need to change Junior Doctors’ contracts and to end Nurse’s Bursaries come in. Wages and personel costs being a huge part of the cost of any large ‘enterprise’, something has to be done about them to make them more ‘affordable’ for private investors. The present scheme of work and pay for Junior doctors is not profitable enough when considered as part of a business plan for investors, and neither of course are bursaries for training NHS staff. When you take all these things together, it becomes clear that our NHS is not only under threat of privatisation; it is already being privatised. And this is why it is so important that we all support the junior doctors, student nurses, and in fact all NHS and health care workers. We may not have access to the boardrooms of private companies, or be able to take part in meetings of private investment consortiums. But we can sure as hell let this government know that we know what they are doing, and that we intend to make them stop doing it! So, we need to support our Junior Doctors and we need to support our Student Nurses and all NHS workers hoping to train within a free NHS. Their fight is a fight that all workers and students are having to make – for fair treatment at work; for a living wage; and for free education. If we as workers let Jeremy Hunt force the junior doctors to sign up to a new contract, how can we expect this Government to be fair to us when we call for decent wages and safe working conditions? If we as students let this government force all health care workers to pay for their training, we are effectively saying that it is okay to pay for education, and we are therefore giving up the right to call for an end to student loans and for the right to free education for all. And, if we, as users of the NHS, do not support Junior Doctors and Student Nurses in their fight for fair treatment by Mr Hunt, we are effectively saying “It’s okay Mr Hunt – you go ahead and make their services more profitable to the private sector.” And by doing that we would be giving up our right to demand that our NHS is saved from privatisation. So we must support our junior doctors, our student nurses and all of our NHS workers. And as for the Tories, we need to tell them in no uncertain terms “get your thieving hands off of our Free and National Health Service!” Jeremy Corbyn has my full support Posted by Silvi Veale in British Politics, Jeremy Corbyn, Politics, Socialism British Politics, Jeremy Corbyn In these trying times when Jeremy Corbyn, even though he was elected Labour Party leader on a huge mandate from party members, is being viciously and constantly attacked, even by some MPs on his own front bench, I just have one thing to say in an attempt to calm my anger at these undemocratic parasites: Why I Will Be Voting Labour Posted by Silvi Veale in British Politics British Politics, General Election, Socialism People who read the first posts on this blog will be wondering where all of my thoughts on writing have gone. Well, they will be coming back soon. But for now there is something that I am finding to be much more pressing to write about and that is Politics, and British Politics in particular at this point in time. And the reason why I feel this way is because I am thinking about the future for my children. However successful I am (or perhaps am not) at writing, it will make no difference if my children grow up into an uncaring World. I don’t want them to live in fear of losing a job or being sick and having nowhere to go for help. I don’t want them to grow up thinking that the only thing that matters is money: not hard work; not being a caring person; not even being a creative and thoughtful person; but being someone who is valued by society by the amount of money they can amass. I want my children to grow up feeling that they matter, whether they are rich or poor; healthy or disabled. And I don’t want them thinking that there is no point in caring: that only the wealthy 1% matter and that there is nothing they can do about it. And that is why I am doing everything I can to ensure that the next UK Government will be a Labour one. I have been a Socialist since even before I was old enough to vote. Over the years I have felt marginalised by all the leading political parties. I was just old enough to vote when Blair came to power, but I hadn’t voted for him. To me, he was not a Socialist; he was a Centrist with Tory leanings. And for a long time I felt disenfranchised because no one I could vote for in my political ward spoke for the values I held dear. So what has changed? Why will I be voting Labour in the upcoming General Election? Because to ignore what is happening to our society would be a crime. All over the World, it is the small percentage of wealthy people who hold the power. These people are rapidly skimming off our money to fill their own pockets. In Britain, our Welfare State is being decimated by so-called ‘austerity reforms; our NHS is being sold off into private hands under the guise of ‘reorganisation’; and our Education system is being taken over by money-making ‘enterprises’. To be unemployed or sick is something to be dreaded unless you are very rich, because, even if you think you are just getting by now, there will come a time when you discover that all help has run out. Ed Miliband’s Labour Party is not perfect. But it is the best option we have right now and, I truly believe that a strongly-supported Labour Government will be able to bring in changes that will set us on the way to being a more caring society. Even though I consider myself to the left of the current Labour Party, I still feel that my vote for them counts. And it is the only vote that will get us anywhere near to kicking this current uncaring government to the sidelines. So, there will most likely be a few more political writings on this blog leading up to the General Election, and probably afterwards too. But if you feel as I do about the current state of British Society and you want a better future for your children like I do, I’m sure you’ll understand. Labour’s Dilemma: How To Appeal To Enough Voters To Gain Political Victory British Politics, General Election, Labour Party, Politics The Labour Party appears to have a dilemma with who they appeal to, and on what platforms it is best to appeal in order to win the upcoming General Election. The Tories assume they have the majority of ‘the grey vote’ and Labour appear to be taking them at their word. So Labour are going after the younger person’s vote. On the one hand, appealing to Tory-voting pensioners would probably be a waste of time as it would fall on deaf ears. But on the other hand, many younger people are refusing to vote, as they feel that not only have they been marginalised by all parties, but that all MPs are sleazebags and don’t deserve their vote. Appealing to either of these groups is going to take a real onslaught just to get the attention of closed minds, and then the likelihood of persuasion is low. Labour needs to convince hearts and minds NOW and continue to add more hearts and minds to the list right up to and beyond the impending General Election. So, as well as going all out to convince new voters and fight off the conditioning of Tory voters, they need to be concentrating on the middle ground. And by that I don’t mean middle classes alone, or middle-aged voters alone (although these groups certainly come into it), but those voters who feel ‘in the middle’ of the political debates: those who can see good bits from both sides of the political argument. It is voters like these that Blair persuaded back in the 90s, and kept on persuading for a relatively long time. These are people who value The NHS and Education; who want the best for their children and grandchildren; who care about the unemployed and homeless, but are not among their number. People who, at the moment, feel reasonably secure, but are getting a sinking feeling that they could be next to feel the burden of austerity measures. In the 90s, after years of a left-of-centre Labour finding themselves in the political wilderness under Neil Kinnock, new leader Tony Blair took a more centrist approach to help New Labour win the General Election. There were, quite rightly, strong misgivings from the left, but in 1997, most left-of-centre (and even centrist) voters, many having lived through Thatcher’s years of ideological ‘reasoning’, knew that there must be change. So, despite misgivings from both sides of the political field, Blair’s centrist approach guaranteed him a landslide victory. He even had a significant proportion of the media on his side – previously unheard of for the Labour Party – and this helped him gain victory. But Blair’s approach was flawed. Not only did it rely upon courting big business to an unreasonable scale, but when the ‘WMD report’ emerged and Blair supported the findings, it also exposed Blair’s political inadequacies. The latter left New Labour badly tainted and Labour as a whole, deeply mistrusted. Now Labour is in the same boat as they were before Blair, and they have Blair’s legacy as a further pit to climb out of. Labour is proposing policies that would work and their campaign for saving the NHS has a majority of the electorate on their side. But they have a leader who is vilified and scorned in the media. It is like history from the Kinnock Labour years is repeating itself all over again. So what can Labour do in the short time they have left to win hearts and minds? Miliband will never be a Blair, and more power to him. But by the same token, he is not liked in the media. Like Brown before him, he is ridiculed in ways which make him appear an embarrassment as a leader. Is that a problem? Surely people will see through the ridicule and vote for policies they feel are better for them, and by extension for their communities? Well that depends on the thought processes of the electorate and how much they are affected by the issues, or by the facade. And sadly I think that we still have a long way to go before the facade does not hold sway. One good thing about all this is that Tory leader, Cameron, is not being projected at his best either. And the scandal about rich Tory backers and Tory MPs’ links with wealthy businesses interests is definitely doing him no favours right now. So the balance between ridicule on one side and corruption on the other appears to be holding out…at the moment. It is now that Labour needs to go on the onslaught. While appealing to new voters, they also need to be emphasising the corruption infiltrating this Tory Government and how it is affecting ALL OF US. Not just the poor or the unemployed, because many voters will still have the attitude that ‘we would never get like that’. Labour needs to be spelling out to all of us that any of us could be the next unemployed; that any of us could be the next long-term sick, or need the services of the NHS; that any of us could have children or grandchildren joining the unemployed, through no fault of their own; and that any of us could be put into the position where we lose our homes. Blair used the politics of ‘charisma’. He courted business and he wooed the electorate. With a hostile media, Miliband can’t do this. But that doesn’t have to be an insurmountable problem. People are fearful. They feel that the Government is out of their control and there is little they can do about it. Labour needs to find a way to (dare I say it?) use that fear and feelings of lack of control. And at the same time, it needs to show that people matter: that their lives are important; that their health and their well being comes above the needs of Capital; and to show them they can make a positive difference to their and their families’ futures by voting Labour. It will be a hard struggle, but Miliband can lead Labour to victory at the polls. If he and Labour as a whole, get their priorities right. Types of Face Masks – Safety Masks Designed for Front Line Medical Work Types of Face Mask – Surgical Masks The only party for the many not the few When Strong and Stable is Not Enough Keep Corbyn Time for Labour Party Members to Speak Out Sorry Nicky, I’m out. Blogging Brexit British Politics Coronavirus Cycling Masks Dust Masks Euro 2012 Face Masks Future Apocalypse General Election Handwriting Recognition Apps Horror Writing Humour in Writing Jeremy Corbyn Junior Doctors Labour Party Linwood Barclay Marketing Your Book Medical Respirators NHS NHS Crisis Non-Fiction Notes Nurses Bursaries Organising My Writing Politics Procrastination Readers Letters Reading Science Fiction Search engines SEO Short Stories Snoopers Charter Socialism Social Media Social Networking Spain Surgical Masks Tales Of the Future The Labour Party Thriller Writers Thriller Writing Tories Writing About Dreams Writing Dilemmas My Personal Writing Links Writing Prompts – My Tumblr Blog Writing Prompts in pictures and text to help me and other writers Absolute Write Absolute Write Writing Help And Discussion Forums Allana At Goodreads Follow Allana's Scribbles via Email	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0037.json.gz/line2810
__label__cc	0.543005	0.456995	Pixel 5 Renders: Return of the Fingerprint Reader 3rd-party renders for the Pixel 5 have made their way online, and you know what, we’re pretty excited for this one. Up to this point, there hasn’t been a lot of leaks with regard to the appearance for this device, but there has been plenty of talk about its specs and the potential for there to only be one device — no regular + XL combo this year. So here we are, our first good look at the Pixel 5. Let’s take it all in. The first thing that slaps me across the face, which is fine because I’ve been a bad boy and deserve to be punished, is the fact that this phone looks like the Pixel 4a. This means we’re trapped inside of some parallel dimension/paradox where the Pixel a lineup is now ahead of the more expensive flagship Pixel devices in design language, which means Google really should’ve called this year’s Pixel 4a the Pixel 5a. The similarities to the Pixel 4a include the display’s selfie camera cutout in the top left corner, the backside’s camera system, and the rear-facing fingerprint reader. I’ll tell you one thing, I am stoked for that fingerprint reader. To recap you on specs, the latest rumors suggest a Snapdragon 765G processor (or 768G), 90Hz OLED display, at least 6GB RAM, and a reported 3,080mAh battery. Everything else we know can be read here. The latest rumor from this week is that Google will make the Pixel 5 available on September 30. According to Jon Prosser on Twitter, the phone may come in Black and Green. For price, we still have nothing concrete. What do you think about the design? // Pricebaba WATCH: Samsung Unpacked for Galaxy S21 Galaxy S21 Ultra, S21+, and S21 Specs Samsung to Give You Custom Color Choices for Galaxy S21	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0037.json.gz/line2811
__label__cc	0.669866	0.330134	Defenders of Public Education Speak at the April 27th SRC meeting April 30, 2017 May 5, 2017 appsphilly.net School Reform Commission testimony On April 27th, 2017 the Philadelphia School Reform Commission met for its bimonthly Action Meeting.. This is testimony of parents, teachers and members of the Alliance for Philadelphia Public Schools in defense of public schools at the meeting Click on each of the pictures below to view individual videos. Speakers are in order of appearance at the SRC meeting. Note #1: After charter speakers and before the testimony of teachers and community members, Commissioner Bill Green left the meeting without explanation. He participated in the vote on Resolutions at the end of the meeting by phone. Commissioner Christopher McKinley did not attend the meeting or participate by phone. The photo above show the two SRC participants during the time teachers and community members spoke to the SRC. Note #2: The problem with the camera angle and interruptions in the field of view are due to placement of the camera. The SRC has confined our camera to a “press box” which is located in the middle of the audience thus the quality of the video. Testimony from community members with the Save Smith School Committee. Click the picture to view three videos from the Save Smith School speakers. Testimony from six Philadelphia teachers at the April 27th SRC meeting. Click the picture to view six videos of Philadelphia teachers testifying about the lack of a contract after four years. Testimony of APPS member Deborah Grill at the April 27th SRC meeting. Click the picture to view the video of Debbie’s testimony. Click here to read the transcript of Debbie’s testimony. Testimony of APPS member Karel Kilimnik at the April 27th SRC meeting. Click the picture to view the video of Karel’s testimony. Click here to read the transcript of Karel’s testimony. Testimony of APPS member Cheri Micheau at the April 27th SRC meeting. Click the picture to view the video of Cheri’s testimony at the SRC meeting. Click here to read the transcript of Cheri’s testimony. Testimony of APPS member Lisa Haver at the April 27th SRC meeting. Click on the picture to view Lisa’s testimony before the SRC. Click here to read the transcript of Lisa’s testimony. Testimony of APPS member Diane Payne at the April 27th SRC meeting. Click on the picture to view Diane’s testimony before the SRC. Testimony of APPS member Lynda Rubin at the April 27th SRC meeting. Click here to read the transcript of Lynda’s testimony at the April 27th SRC meeting. The Resolutions vote by the School Reform Commission at the end of the SRC meeting. Click the picture to view the video of the SRC Resolutions vote. Ears on the SRC: April 20, 2017 April 29, 2017 April 30, 2017 appsphilly.net Ears on the SRC, Posts (Newest to Oldest) by Diane Payne The March 23 meeting of the School Reform Commission had been posted on the School District (SD) website for months as a regularly scheduled Action Meeting. For some reason, many of us who called the district to sign up to speak were told we had to speak on the topic of next year’s budget. APPS sent an email to the SRC requesting that they inform the district employees who take registration information that the district had never posted this as a budget meeting and that the public cannot be barred from speaking on general topics at any SRC Action Meeting. Incredibly, the SRC made it even more confusing for those who tried to speak at the April 20 meeting. At first, callers were told they could only speak on the budget. Those who called on subsequent days were told they could speak on anything EXCEPT the budget, as they already had the limit for that one topic. The SRC was actually taking the position that they only wanted to hear from six members on the public about a $2.9 billion budget. Only the City itself, at $4 billion, has a larger budget than the school district. On the day before the meeting, some callers were told that they could not speak at all. Not until letters were sent by APPS, and action was taken by the office of Councilwoman Helen Gym, did the SRC allow all of those who called to speak. APPS’ Karel Kilimnik challenged the SRC to end the disinformation, confusion and lack of transparency. All four commissioners—Chair Joyce Wilkerson, Commissioners Chris McGinley, Farah Jiminez, and Bill Green—were present. A confirmation hearing for Estelle Richman, nominated by Governor Wolf months ago, has yet to be scheduled. Harrisburg continues to inflict the SRC on Philadelphia but will not take the time to make sure all of its seats are filled. Five members of APPS spoke at this SRC meeting. Click here to see their testimony and those of other community members who spoke on the budget, lack of transparency and the PFT contract.. CFO’s Budget Report District Chief Financial Officer Uri Monson gave a 5-minute presentation on a $2.8 BILLION dollar budget—a single page of figures for the FY 18-22 financial plan. Where money is going and how money is spent is indiscernible from the single page of figures and from the presentation. Monson acknowledged the $65 windfall from the city’s reassessment of commercial properties, but recommended that the money be spent on early literacy initiatives and eliminating split grades. This would result in the hiring of an additional 112 teachers. The tenacious George Bezanis of the PFT’s Caucus of Working Educator’s shouted from the back “What about the PFT contract?” Superintendent Hite responded that getting teachers a contract was a “priority” and meetings were scheduled with the PFT. Haven’t we heard that—many times—before? After four years, they are only empty words. After Monson’s presentation, commissioners questioned him for about 20 minutes on specifics. Munson explained that a portion of the unexpected money must go to charter schools as well. He stressed that the numbers in this budget were based on what is actually available right now as funding streams. If no new revenue becomes available, we can expect to again resort to cuts beginning in FY 19. More Services Needed for ELL Students Click here to read the rest of the article. Eyes on the SRC: May 1, 2017 April 28, 2017 April 29, 2017 appsphilly.net Eyes on the SRC, Posts (Newest to Oldest) by Lisa Haver APPS publishes its Eyes on the SRC before each meeting as a preview of what the SRC will be voting on and how much taxpayer money they will be spending. This time, however, we can only tell you that the SRC has decided to not tell the public what they intend to do at a meeting just a couple days from now. No agenda has been posted. No list of resolutions. Just a list of the schools they might be voting on. The SRC scheduled a meeting for Monday May 1 at 3 PM with less than one week’s notice. Newspaper articles have said that they intend to vote on renewal proposals for 26 charter schools. To add insult to injury, the SRC passed a resolution last Thursday to cap speakers for this meeting at 24. There is no notice of this change of policy on the district’s website. The PA Sunshine Act stipulates that the SRC must tell the public exactly what it is voting on. They continue to violate this law. They are also violating the court-ordered settlement reached between the district and APPS just last year in which they agreed to post resolutions two weeks before each meeting. We hope you can make it to this meeting, but we know that many will not be able to because it is at 3 PM. We must demand that the SRC respect the rights of the public and obey the law. Eyes on the SRC: April 27, 2017 April 24, 2017 appsphilly.net Eyes on the SRC, Posts (Newest to Oldest) by Karel Kilimnik The Steady Stream of Public Dollars to Private Vendors A recurring theme in every edition of “Eyes” is how much public money flows from the District into the pockets of corporate education reformers and vendors. The Relay teacher-training program, unaccredited in Pennsylvania, was approved last month for a one-year contract, but we predict that they will return for even more funding next year. Relay is closely affiliated with the Mastery Charter School district. This month, the SRC proposes to extend its current contract with TNTP (The New Teacher Project) by an additional $1 million. One teacher who testified at the April 20 meeting asked why the SRC funds programs which produce poorly trained teachers while failing to pay their own teachers a fair wage. These companies only seek to profit as part of the program in which students are subjected to unproven methods like blended learning under the guise of innovation. APPS has developed a FAQ about these non-profits and consultants hired by the District as part of the privatization program Superintendent Hite was hired to carry out How much teaching experience, if any, does the staff of these programs have? Were they appointed teachers or TFA-trained? Did they teach in an urban area? Who sits on the boards of these institutions? Are any board members or staff affiliated with other corporate reformers or vendors? Are any graduates of the Broad Superintendents Academy? Who are their funders? Any of the big 3 (Gates, Walton Family, Eli Broad)?) WHAT IF… Instead of shelling out $1.2million to TNTP, the district used that money to hire 30 Bi-Lingual Counseling Assistants? Four students spoke eloquently at the April 20 meeting about the urgent need for more resources, including Bi-Lingual Counseling Assistants. Dr. Hite talks about supporting our immigrant students –now we need to see money going to meet those needs. This Is Not Real Charter Reform Please be aware that the state legislature is again attempting to revise the state Charter Law with HB 97, a fix with untenable conditions that propose even less accountability for charters and will certainly weaken public schools. Some crucial facts from the Education Voter website on HB 97 include: HB 97 fails to ensure that charters will equitably serve all students and does not address student “push-out” in charters. HB 97 fails to address critical funding problems with the current law. * HB 97 does not address issues of education quality in charter schools or allow school districts to hold charters accountable if they fail to provide students with a quality education. Please contact your state representatives and urge them to vote NO on HB 97. Education, not Gentrification In 2013, the district closed 23 schools including Smith School located in the rapidly gentrifying Point Breeze neighborhood. Save Smith School, a community organization working for over three years to have Smith School re-opened as a public school, is holding an Education Not Gentrification rally at 4 PM on Thursday, April 27th just before the SRC meeting. Meet at 4 PM at the Thomas Paine Plaza (adjacent to the Municipal Services Building across from the North side of City Hall); we will march down to 440. Come and support the parents and community members defending public education in Point Breeze and in all neighborhoods. The next SRC Action Meeting is Thursday April 27 at 4:30 PM. To register to speak, call 215.400.4180 before 3PM Wednesday April 26. Resolutions of Note Click here to read selected Resolutions and the APPS analysis.	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0037.json.gz/line2815
__label__wiki	0.53386	0.53386	Conventus Law - www.conventuslaw.com Jurisdiction - China China – Direct Contributions Of Equity Interests As Registered Capital: Now Available To Foreign-Invested Enterprises. Legal News & Analysis – Asia Pacific – China – Regulatory & Compliance On September 21, 2012, the Ministry of Commerce (“MOFCOM”) promulgated the Interim Provisions of the Ministry of Commerce for Equity Contribution in Relation to Foreign-Invested Enterprises(商务部关于涉及外商投资企业股权出资的暂行规定) (the “Provisions”), effective as of October 22, 2012. The Provisions explicitly permit a foreign or domestic investor to contribute equity interests held by such investor in another PRC domestic company or foreign-invested enterprise (an “Equity Source Company”) to a targeted foreign-invested enterprise (a “Target FIE”) as such Target FIE’s registered capital. Traditionally, only cash, tangible assets such as equipment, intangible assets such as intellectual property rights, and land use rights could be contributed as capital with respect to a foreign-invested enterprise (an “FIE”). (See Article 27 of the PRC Company Law (中华人民共和国公司法), Article 5 of the Law of the PRC on Sino-Foreign Equity Joint Ventures (中华人民共和国中外合资经营企业法), Article 8 of the Law of the PRC on Sino-Foreign Cooperative Joint Ventures (中华人民共和国中外合作经营企业法), Article 22 of the Implementing Regulations of the Law of the PRC on Sino-Foreign Equity Joint Ventures (中华人民共和国中外合资经营企业法实施条例), Article 18 of the Implementing Rules of the Law of the PRC on Sino-Foreign Cooperative Joint Ventures (中华人民共和国中外合作经营企业法实施细则), and Article 25 of the Implementing Rules for the Law of the PRC on Wholly Foreign-Owned Enterprises (中华人民共和国外资企业法实施细则)). The PRC government has generally been conservative in accepting any non-cash assets as a source of capital, mainly because of the difficulty involved in ascertaining the value of non-cash assets, particularly shares or equity interests, whose prices fluctuate from time to time. Due to this concern, the PRC Company Law (中华人民共和国公司法) (“Company Law”) sets forth a cap for any non-cash capital contribution that the aggregate amount of any such contributions in a limited liability company cannot exceed 70% of its registered capital. It was not until 2005 that the Company Law was amended to permit shares or equity interests as a possible source for capital contribution purposes, (See Article 27 of the PRC Company Law (中华人民共和国公司法).) and then in 2009 the State Administration for Industry and Commerce (“SAIC”) adopted a set of rules (See the Administrative Measures on Registration of Capital Contribution by Equity (股权出资登记管理办法), effective on March 1, 2009.) (the “SAIC Measures”) purported to provide an administrative registration guidance in connection with the contribution by an investor of equity interests to a company as its registered capital. However, pursuant to PRC FIE laws and regulations, matters relating to capital contributions in FIEs are subject to MOFCOM’s approval. Absent MOFCOM’s acceptance of equity interests as a source of capital contributions with respect to FIEs, it would be difficult to apply the SAIC Measures to FIEs, as a practical matter. Given the general conservative position of the PRC government in terms of what can be contributed as the registered capital of a company in the PRC, onshore mergers or acquisition transactions, especially, those involving FIEs, have been largely cash-intensive. MOFCOM, in particular, has been very reluctant to embrace the concept of “share swap.” Although under the Provisions on the Merger and Acquisition of Domestic Enterprises by Foreign Investors (关于外国投资者并购境内企业的规定) (widely known as “Circular 10”), MOFCOM expressly permits a foreign investor to use an offshore company’s shares as consideration to acquire an equity interest in an onshore company, it rarely approves any cross-border transaction using such share swap structure in practice. By promulgating the Provisions, MOFCOM brings its regulations governing capital contributions in FIEs in line with the Company Law and the SAIC Measures, which, if implemented fully, could help encourage more onshore M&A transactions involving FIEs using equity swaps or share swaps. Although the Provisions do not currently apply to crossborder share swap transactions, we hope that the successful implementation of the Provisions on onshore M&A involving share swap transactions would encourage MOFCOM to change its current negative position toward cross-border share swap transactions. HIGHLIGHTS OF THE PROVISIONS A number of points under the Provisions are worth noting, and these are highlighted as follows: Qualitative Requirements with Respect to Contributable Equity Interests An equity interest to be contributed to a Target FIE as its original or increased registered capital must be transferable free of any ownership defects or disputes or any other encumbrances. Specifically, an equity interest is prohibited from being contributed to a Target FIE if: the registered capital of the Equity Source Company has not been fully paid up; such equity interest is encumbered by a pledge; such equity interest is subject to a freezing order; such equity interest is not transferable according to the articles of association of the Equity Source Company (i.e., right of first refusal of the shareholders); the Equity Source Company (in the case of an FIE) failed to participate or pass the joint annual inspection in the preceding year; the Equity Source Company is a property-development enterprise, foreign-invested holding company, or foreigninvested venture capital enterprise; regulatory approvals required for transfer of such equity interest have not been obtained; or the transfer of such equity interest is prohibited pursuant to relevant laws and regulations. In addition, it is also clearly stated that contributing equity interests in an FIE cannot be used by an investor to circumvent the existing legal and policy restrictions on foreign investments. Valuation Requirements The Provisions require that, prior to being contributed to a Target FIE, the value of the concerned equity interest must be appraised by a valuation firm qualified in the PRC. The appraised value of the equity interest concerned shall serve as the basis for the determination of the “contribution price” and the “contribution value” of the concerned equity interest. Under the Provisions, the “contribution price” refers to the transaction price in relation to the concerned capital contribution transaction as may be agreed to by the relevant parties. The “contribution value” refers to the amount representing the value of the equity interest in the total registered capital of the Target FIE and such value must not exceed its appraised value. Apparently, this requirement is intended to prevent any false or insufficient capital contribution in a Target FIE. As a related requirement, consistent with the Company Law, the Provisions state that the sum of (i) the aggregate contribution value of any equity interests contributed and (ii) the value of the other forms of non-monetary capital contributions made by all shareholders in the Target FIE shall not exceed 70% of the total registered capital of the Target FIE. In other words, at least 30% of the registered capital of any FIE must be contributed in cash. Approval Requirements and Other Requirements Approval Authority. MOFCOM or its provincial-level counterpart at the location of the Target FIE is the approval authority in charge of the approval of any capital contribution made by an investor in such Target FIE using an equity interest of an Equity Source Company. Procedure. To obtain the requisite approval, the contributing investor or the Target FIE will need to submit the approval application in connection with its intended contribution of an equity interest held by it in an Equity Source Company to the Target FIE. If deemed appropriate, the approval authorities of the Target FIE will then grant a conditional approval first to the Target FIE. After the completion of the filing or approval procedures with respect to the equity transfer in relation to the Equity Source Company and the actual injection of the concerned equity interests into the Target FIE, the contributing investor and the Target FIE will then apply to the relevant approval authorities for the final approval and the approval authorities will grant a final FIE approval certificate if appropriate. Time Frame. The Provisions do not specify the time frame equired to complete the entire approval process relating to the contribution of equity interests into a Target FIE. It is noted that, under the SAIC Measures, the contribution of an equity interest for the purpose of establishing a new company is required to be completed within one year from the establishment date of such company, which requirement presumably will apply to FIEs. The approval procedures for contributing equity interests to an existing FIE are generally far more complicated than those for contributing equity interests for establishing a new FIE and may take more than one year to complete, as a practical matter. Impacts on Ability to Borrow Foreign Debts or to Acquire Duty-Free Equipment Under the current FIE laws and regulations, an FIE may borrow foreign debts in an amount up to or equal to the difference between its approved total investment amount and its registered capital. An FIE is also entitled to import equipment on a duty-free basis up to the approved total investment in such FIE. Article 18 of the Provisions excludes the contributed equity interests of Equity Source Companies in a Target FIE for the purpose of calculating such Target FIE’s total investment amount, thereby limiting the ability of such Target FIE to borrow foreign debt and import duty-free equipment. Impacts on Onshore M&A Transactions With the promulgation of the Provisions, MOFCOM effectively permits an onshore merger or acquisition transaction to be structured as an equity swap, thus reducing the cash flow needs of the parties to these transactions and thereby offering more flexibility to investors in structuring their onshore mergers and acquisitions. However, as discussed above, any transaction involving contributions of equity interests of another company to an FIE would be subject to a set of complex approval procedures, which need to be carefully planned and managed to avoid any delay in the approval process. Xiaohu Ma, Partner, Morrison Foerster Jun Deng, Morrison Foerster Audrey Y. Luo, Morrison Foerster Homegrown Regulatory & Compliance Law Firms in China International Regulatory & Compliance Law Firms in China Herbert Smith Freehills Advises Genesis Care On Its First Overseas Acquisition. Baker & McKenzie Advises APG On Its Investment In Chongbang Holdings. Skadden Closes Three Transactions Involving High Yield Bonds For Agile Property & Wuzhou International. Duane Morris & Selvam Hosts The Ambassador Series Program "USA: New Opportunities for the Asian Investor". Kirkland & Ellis Represents Ascendent On Closing Of Second China Fund. Baker & McKenzie Welcomes Arbitration Partner Joel Greer To The Tokyo Office. Baker & McKenzie Advises On The Global Offering Of Chen Xing Development Holdings Limited. Drew & Napier Acted For Jiangsu Changjiang Electronics Technology In Its USD 1.03bn Takeover Offer For STATS ChipPAC. Conventus Law Monthly Round Up \| Privacy Statement \| Terms and Conditions	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0037.json.gz/line2816
__label__cc	0.669377	0.330623	Bitcoin is for all of us Funding Bitcoin Development I’m grateful that Chaincode doesn’t have an open grant process. It’s an enormous time investment to do well. Square Crypto, BitMEX, OKCoin, and others should be lauded for their financial contributions back to the ecosystem. But after convincing the higher-ups that grants are a good idea, the real heroes dig in to read all those applications and talk with dozens of candidates. Over this past year, it’s been a thrill to see an uptick in dev funding. I’ve witnessed life-changing grants that allow developers and researchers to turn 100% of their attention to Bitcoin development. That trend seems to be accelerating with more individuals and exchanges recognizing the importance of supporting the devs that secure our Bitcoin future. I enjoy giving Peter McCormack flack as much as the next bloke, but it’s hard to avoid appreciating his use of his platform to advocate that bitcoin corporations acknowledge their responsibility to financially contribute to the maintenance of the infrastructure that underlies their businesses. Bitcoin is not a finished product. It has worked so far, but there have been some close calls. Being able to save Bitcoin from future failures (which may already be in the wild) and continue to add features to increase the underlying asset’s value requires developers with expertise and context. In a crisis, I’d wager the community would pay up for the best mercenary programmers on the planet to rescue us. But that’s unlikely to work in such a fragile backward-compatible system. Even the best programmers may do more harm than good without context, and that familiarity with where the dragons lay is hard-earned over years. The project’s future health depends on finding and retaining the devs willing to toil in obscurity, acquiring the necessary experience to make meaningful contributions. Part of that retention is financially supporting said devs. The narrative around businesses or individuals need to give back remains difficult to articulate. There is a vague feeling that businesses making money off the protocol should give back. But writing no-string-attached checks to at-large devs doesn’t fit neatly into an incentive-based system like Bitcoin. Some long-time code contributors likely have some bitcoin holdings giving them a vested interest in protecting their holdings. But given the natural dev turnover, relying on developer goodwill doesn’t seem sustainable. In general, dev funding for open-source projects is far from a solved problem. The Cathedral and the Bizarre paints an optimistic picture of open-source development, but time has revealed that this hasn’t quite come to fruition. Bitcoin, however, is money. You’d imagine there is enough surplus from this great wealth transfer to help fund the infrastructure development on which this ecosystem is built. While the immaculate conception created the fairest distribution possible, we can only hope that the beneficiaries feel the weight of their responsibility towards those who weren’t as prescient. Most of my conversations about funding Bitcoin devs often focus on the present need rather than systemic ways to make long term contributions sustainable. At present, we heavily rely on the goodwill of a few and good ole fashion guilt to fund a couple of dozen active contributors. The alternative has also been tried, but that didn’t work out so hot either. (Note: there was an attempt to resurrect the Bitcoin Foundation in 2018. If interested, the effort yielded a deck for friends of the foundation and a new marketing strategy.) Who to give to? Finding who to give to is a more nuanced problem than finding the money. It’s an enormous undertaking to find deserving candidates. Because Bitcoin has no central foundation or trusted center, we don’t have a great system for those looking to simply write a check rather than diving deep into the project’s commit history. (See post on Bitcoin 501(c)(3)s) There a few approaches that have seemed to work: Give to an organization: Whatever your opinion on MIT DCI, HRF, or Brink once you write the check, you can feel good and let someone else worry about who to give it to. It’s tax-deductible too. Hire a superhero: Square Crypto is giving out a lot of grants. Steve Lee is everywhere and knows everyone. If you are building something like a Square Crypto or launching a $500K+ grant program and you can find one of those people that can manage the process, your job just got a lot easier. BitMEX went this route, and I think the results were pretty good. Ask other contributors: I think Coinbase did a good job assembling a committee of active contributors giving them the chance to review candidates. This works if you are a company considering a grant or hiring an open-source contributor to be on staff (see Xapo), but it’s also appropriate for an individual. People in the code know what’s going on. The main pitfall of these approaches for funders is that it still takes work to find people or orgs aligned with how you’d want the money to be distributed. Finding people who know the landscape is difficult, and then you still have to trust that they will sniff out the deserving parties. Another option is sprinkling money around through crowdfunding like bitcoindevlist. This sounds great in theory, but I worry that donations follow a power-law of already-fundable candidates or attention-seeking personalities attracting disproportionate support. (I once heard the suggestion that those fundees could then distribute their surplus to deserving candidates, which I’m skeptical of, but would love to see in the wild.) It’s seductive to fall into the trap of measuring value with quantitative metrics like the number of lines of code/commits/pull requests, a single well-known contribution, or twitter follower count. Unfortunately, these can measure the wrong things and can lead to misguided conclusions. Optimizing for mentorship, peer collaboration, in-depth review, work ethic, integrity, or wisdom is hard to capture with KPIs. Even so, grassroots funding will always be the most decentralized path. And so, while I haven’t seen examples of its sustainability to date, I hope with the next bull run to be proved wrong. Funding matters and the fact that you are interested enough to get to this point in the post reflects who you are and your investment in helping Bitcoin. Thank you for caring so deeply. Let me know if I can be helpful. Starting a Bitcoin 501(c)(3)	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0037.json.gz/line2818
__label__wiki	0.734245	0.734245	Donald Trump and His Son Have an Insane New Coronavirus Conspiracy Theory Senior News EditorBio \| Follow Donald and Eric Trump on the campaign trail in 2016Jae C. Hong/AP The coronavirus is a rapidly developing news story, so some of the content in this article might be out of date. Check out our most recent coverage of the coronavirus crisis, and subscribe to the Mother Jones Daily newsletter. Eric Trump made headlines this weekend with an outlandish accusation. Democrats, he claimed, are seeking to prolong coronavirus lockdowns in order to prevent his father from holding campaign rallies. It’s a version of a conspiracy theory that has become increasingly popular among the president’s supporters—and has been voiced even by Donald Trump himself. The president’s middle son was interviewed Saturday on Fox News by Jeanine Pirro, a Trump loyalist who opened her show by declaring, “The Democrats see a silver lining in this: Instill fear, stop this country at all costs, and shut it down—destroy Donald Trump’s signature piece of his four years, the economy.” “Biden loves this,” Eric Trump told Pirro. “They think they’re taking away Donald Trump’s greatest tool, which is being able to go into an arena and fill it with 50,000 people every single time…You watch, they’ll milk it every single day between now and November 3. And guess what: After November 3, coronavirus will magically all of a sudden go away and disappear, and everybody will be able to reopen. They’re trying to deprive him of his greatest asset.” “Make no mistake,” Eric Trump added, “to a lot of them, this is a very cognizant strategy that they’re trying to employ…It’s no different than the mail-in voting that they want to do all these places. It’s no different than wanting illegal immigrants to vote.” Eric Trump on his dad being unable to hold rallies b/c of a pandemic that has killed nearly 90k Americans: “After Nov. 3, coronavirus will magically all of the sudden go away & disappear & everybody will be able to reopen. [Dems] are trying to deprive him of his greatest asset.” pic.twitter.com/9ZGQw9H3JC — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) May 17, 2020 Eric Trump isn’t the only one promoting baseless conspiracy theories about Democratic governors using lockdowns to damage the president. While interviewing Vice President Mike Pence last week, Rush Limbaugh claimed that some blue-state governors “seem to have a political desire to inflict pain on your administration rather than get their states [reopened].” President Trump made a similar assertion last week, when he suggested in an interview with the Washington Examiner that Roy Cooper, the Democratic governor of North Carolina, might delay the process of reopening his state in order to interfere with the Republican National Convention, which is scheduled to be held in Charlotte in late August. “We have a great state, North Carolina, that’s been very, very good,” the president said. “Although, it’s got a Democrat governor, so we have to be a little bit careful…because they’re playing politics. They’re playing politics, as you know, by delaying the openings.” Part of this seems to be projection on the part of a president who has attempted to use federal coronavirus aid as a means of rewarding his allies, punishing his perceived enemies, and extracting political favors and praise from the nation’s governors. Whether or not Donald Trump really believes what he’s saying may not matter. He’s now thrown his full weight behind MAGA protesters’ efforts to end social distancing orders across the country—turning the public health response to a disease that has killed nearly 90,000 Americans into a partisan brawl animated by outlandish conspiracy theories. Recently on Coronavirus Updates How Fox News Is Supercharging the Coronavirus Protests “LIBERATE MICHIGAN!” Trump Pours Gasoline on Mounting Tensions Over Stay-at-Home Orders The Cashier Who Quit, and Swung Between Guilt and Relief Allison Mulattieri as Told To Will Peischel This Is What Makes Trump’s Last-Minute Pitch to Black Voters So Appalling	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0037.json.gz/line2820
__label__wiki	0.746011	0.746011	Hijab in the U.S.A. Kristina Rizga A model wearing hijab.Photo: istockphoto.com The last time she was called a terrorist, Eman* was drinking coffee in a to-go cup and waiting for the train at the Powell Street BART Station in San Francisco. It was rush hour, and dozens of morning commuters stood near the Mission High School senior from Yemen. She froze in fear when an older commuter in a suit and tie started yelling at her for wearing hijab and drinking coffee. “Why do you drink this? This is not your culture,” she recalls him saying first. “Eat your own food if you want to wear the scarf!” The anti-Islam insults worsened, continuing until the train came, she says. Not one adult near her said anything to the man in the suit. “Maybe they didn’t hear it?” I ask Eman, who today is wearing a light blue headscarf with silver stitching around the edges. “They heard it,” she assures me. “The man was yelling, and most people were looking at me. One person was even smiling.” “Does this ever happen at high school?” I ask her. No, she says. It’s been years—since middle school—that she’s been insulted for being Muslim. I’ve seen teachers at Mission High talk about Islam, hijab, and American intolerance. In one class I observed, teacher Amadis Velez showed his students an ABC news segment, “Witness to Discrimination: What Would You Do?” In the segment, ABC’s production crew sent two actors with hidden cameras into a bakery near Waco, Texas. One played a female customer, Sabina, wearing a hijab headscarf. The other played a sales clerk who refused to serve Sabina and shouted anti-Muslim and anti-Arab slurs. Mr. Velez paused the DVD to ask students the question: Did they think the real customers in the bakery would stand up for Sabina? Only one student in Mr. Velez’s class of 23 immigrants thought Texan bystanders would stand up for a Muslim woman being verbally attacked. Only one student in Mr. Velez’s class of 23 immigrants said yes. They were right: In the ABC discrimination test, more than half of the bystanders did absolutely nothing. Maybe it’s because, unlike the Mission High seniors in Mr. Velez’s class, more than 50 percent of Americans know little or nothing about Islam, the Pew Center found last year. Maybe it’s because high-ranking government officials—like House Homeland Security Committee chairman Peter King (R-NY)—spew the hateful lies that “Muslims aren’t “American” and “over 80 percent of mosques in this country are controlled by radical Imams.” (ThinkProgress’ Scott Keyes looked at the best research on the topic, and says that such claims are wrong.) Despite this, there is some silver lining for students like Eman: the number of reported crimes targeting Muslims nationally has gone down since the uptick post-9/11. Meanwhile, Eman was accepted at San Francisco State University, where she hopes to study nursing. This week she’s working on an essay about life’s beauty for an 826 Valencia scholarship application, due soon. “What will you describe in the essay?” I ask Eman as she hunches over her draft. “My father. He passed away two years ago,” she says quietly, and keeps writing. *Editors’ Note: This education dispatch is part of an ongoing series reported from Mission High School, where education writer Kristina Rizga is embedded for the year. Names of students are changed. Read more: What do Mission High students think about the Waiting for Superman documentary? Plus: Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get all of the latest Mission High dispatches. Textbook Colonialism “Waiting for Superman” at Mission High, Part 2 “Waiting for Superman” at Mission High (Part 1) Harvard Interviews, Undocumented Students, and Me	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0037.json.gz/line2821
__label__cc	0.572911	0.427089	The War Against Gore THE WAR AGAINST GORE….Today Bob Somerby finds yet another excuse to remind us all of how badly Al Gore was treated by the press during the 2000 campaign. And, as usual, he’s pissed that the rest of us aren’t as obsessed by this as he is: To this day, our side has agreed to keep its traps shut about the trashing of the Clintons and Gore. As we’ve done so, we’ve given away a giant political advantage. Millions of people [] hear that the press corps just hates Big Republicans. And they rarely hear a peep from our side. We’ve agreed not to tell them the truth. In large part, our side has kept its traps shut about the Clinton/Gore era for corrupt, careerist reasons….Kevin won’t tell you. Josh won’t tell you. Ezra spoke once, then shut the f*ck up. Your “nominal allies” are very quiet. Atrios rarely offers a peep. First things first: Yes, Gore was indeed treated badly. He never said he invented the internet, he never said he discovered Love Canal, he wore pretty much the same clothes he’d always worn, he didn’t hire Naomi Wolf to teach him how to be an alpha male, and he wasn’t a serial liar. Etc. Bob is right about all that stuff. But here’s what I don’t get: why does Bob think that liberals are giving away a “giant political advantage” by not harping on this constantly? Frankly, I’d be delighted to harp away if I actually thought this was one of the top 100 issues that might help the future of liberalism, but it’s not, is it? Media criticism in general helps our side, but what exactly would it gain us to relate everything back to Al Gore’s decade-old mistreatment with the Ahab-like intensity that Bob does? Wouldn’t it just cause everyone to tune us out as cranks and fogeys? Anyone care to weigh in on this, on either side?	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0037.json.gz/line2822
__label__cc	0.621631	0.378369	South Buy Southwest: At America’s Biggest Tech Conference, It’s All About the Sell SXSW is now “as much a marketing event as it is a tech gathering.” You’re telling me. The future of digital!Nick Baumann The giant plush Oreo is friendly enough—it waves its stubby, T-Rex-scale arms when it realizes I want to take a photo. We are at South by Southwest, the annual music, film, and interactive (read: tech) festival that’s drawn huge crowds to Austin, Texas, for more than 25 years now. I’m here to figure out how to convince more people to read MotherJones.com so we can sell more ads. The Oreo is here to sell more Oreos. Almost everyone at South by Southwest is here to sell you something. Much of the conference is about marketing—and you’re the mark. The guy who promises to teach you how to make your videos go viral is gunning for a cut of your resulting YouTube ad revenue. The folks who claim to know all about social-media metrics want you to subscribe to their service, which tracks social-media metrics. A woman who has “spent her groundbreaking career redefining orgasm” wants to sell you classes in orgasmic meditation. Nearly every panelist has a book to sell, too. Al Gore wants to sell you on the idea that his sale of Current TV to Al Jazeera, an international news network backed by a Middle Eastern petrostate, somehow dovetails neatly with his climate change crusade. (He also wants you to buy his book.) The internet security company CEO who’s warning you that “you are exposed” wants you to persuade your company to buy his web security services. (He has a book, too.) You can’t walk more than a block near the Austin Convention Center without someone trying to get you to download their app. LevelUp lets you pay for $3.50 Pepsis and $7.00 sandwiches with your phone. Hater, an app that takes seriously the tongue-in-cheek argument for a Facebook “dislike” button, lets you “share the things you hate.” I’ve counted at least four different taxi-related apps. The startup apps are promoted by nervous young women in colorful T-shirts, or pedicab advertisements, or giant foam mascots, or just signs taped to trees, or all of the above. The kings of the SXSW salesmen are those who don’t have to fake enthusiasm for what they’re selling: They’re not paid $12 a hour to twirl a sign around or dress up in a foam suit or ask strangers to download apps. Elon Musk wants to send your satellite into space. Bre Pettis hopes you’ll to buy a 3D printer for your kid, so she can make her own plastic toys and grow her imagination. By the way, Pettis’ MakerBots start at $2,200. 3D printers are undeniably cool, but it gnaws at your soul to watch a speech and realize you’re sitting through a dressed-up infomercial for a product few Americans can afford. “SXSW As Cool And Real As It Gets, Reports Marketing Associate,” the Onion snarked on Monday. But even the marketers realize what’s happened here. SXSW is now “as much a marketing event as it is a tech gathering,” Digiday, a digital media and marketing website, proclaimed Monday. Digiday’s coverage of the conference was—no joke—”sponsored by Centro,” which is “a provider of media services and software that aims to improve campaign performance and digital media teams’ productivity,” whatever that means. How much Centro paid for the privilege isn’t listed on Digiday’s rundown of the costs of different SXSW marketing maneuvers. The constant SXSW marketing is most obvious at the interactive conference, but it extends to the music and film portions, too. The smaller bands are here to score record deals. The indie filmmakers are here to sign distribution deals. The big bands here are half hidden under the coattails of their sponsors: Passion Pit, brought to you by Taco Bell. When Jay-Z was here last year, you had to have an American Express card to attend the show. SXSW is the 21st-century equivalent of a medieval market town, just with more horseshit. It’s an orgy of capitalism, an unrestrained, unselfconscious celebration of sales, marketing, branding, and “gamification.” Even the dumbest of memes have been recruited in the service of sales. Grumpy Cat is here, and she wants you to buy Friskies. For a gathering so driven by the pursuit of money, the question of who has it—and who doesn’t—goes almost completely unmentioned. There are talks about social and civil rights issues—feminism, race, female genital cutting—but words like “inequality” literally aren’t on the schedule. (A search for “taxes” returns a session that mentions how awesome it would be to have a robot who could do them.) Maybe that’s because everyone knows that almost everyone here coughed up several hundreds of dollars for a conference pass, and hundreds more for lodging. Conversations about inequality are awkward. Conversations about futurism, tech triumphalism, entrepreneurship, and the “intersections” thereof reign supreme. There’s almost no talk of religion, electoral politics, or labor unions—anything that smacks of old-school collective action. This is a place of unfettered technological optimism, where coders and entrepreneurs can solve any societal problem. SXSW has a politics, but it’s one that mirrors the technolibertarianism of the Reddit generation: civil liberties (read: free speech, Larry Lessig, and Aaron Swartz), entrepreneurship, and individualism. Maybe it’s unfair to expect a conference that’s essentially a glorified trade show to concern itself with a broader sort of politics. But SXSW is a big deal: Hundreds of media outlets cover it, and its overall tone sends a message to attendees and the broader culture. And too often, SXSW’s focus on buying and selling can devolve into self-parody. One Tuesday panel promised to teach entrepreneurs about “engaging government” for “fun, profit, and meaning.” On Sunday, Dan Wagner, the chief analytics officer for President Barack Obama’s 2012 presidential campaign, joined Zac Moffatt, the digital director of Romney for President, and two of their former colleagues, for a panel about how they culled electoral, internet usage, viewing habits, and other personal data to better target potential voters. Tom Serres, a former Romney aide on the panel with Moffatt and Wagner, made sure everyone knew about his new online fundraising startup, which is neither indieGoGo nor Kickstarter, but a third thing that is somehow different. The audience, meanwhile, evinced no apparent revulsion towards the idea of national political parties collecting intimate details about the eating, drinking, TV watching, pleasure reading, and weekend relaxation habits of average Americans. Another panel asked whether “crowdfunding can save local government budgets.” Maybe one local government budget: The total amount pledged to all Kickstarter projects in 2012 is about $7 million less than Detroit’s 2013 budget deficit. There are things to love about SXSW. The food is even better than you’ve been led to believe, there are lots of movies and bands to see, and Passion Pit put on a great show, Doritos® Locos Tacos and all. There are many sincere, interesting people here—although it’s often hard to talk to them in the context of the conference itself. (I found myself learning a lot more while sharing meals with people than I did going to panels.) If your phone doesn’t have enough apps, that problem will be solved. And hey—free Oreos! Did I mention my startup? We have an app. You can buy my boss David Corn’s book here. 13 Things to Eat and Drink at SXSW My SXSW Eco Panel: the Future of Organic SXSW: 5 More Great Sites for Progressive Media Types Laura McClure SXSW: 5 Great Sites for Progressive Media Types	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0037.json.gz/line2824
__label__wiki	0.524643	0.524643	Republicans Say We Should Just Laugh Off Donald Trump’s Assassination “Joke.” No. “The in-group for that joke should be tiny. Like his hands.” News and Engagement EditorBio \| Follow Chuck Liddy/Raleigh News & Observer/ZUMA On Tuesday, Donald Trump ignited a firestorm of controversy when he told his supporters at a rally in North Carolina that “Second Amendment people” could block Hillary Clinton and her Supreme Court appointees if she was elected president. Democrats and gun control advocates were quick to denounce the remarks as an assassination threat. Some Republicans (and even some media outlets) used the rationale that Trump’s comment was okay because it was just a joke. House Speaker Paul Ryan described it as a “joke gone bad”; headlines ran similar explanations. In other words: get over it. But this particular incident might be different from all the other times Republicans have been forced to defend Trump. As Jason P. Steed, an attorney and former English professor from Texas, explained on social media, there’s always a bit of truth to a dangerous punch line, especially when it’s joking about taking up arms against a political rival. Let Steed’s popular tweetstorm explain: 1. I wrote my PhD dissertation on the social function of humor (in literature & film) and here’s the thing about “just joking.” — Jason P. Steed (@5thCircAppeals) August 9, 2016 2. You’re never “just joking.” Nobody is ever “just joking.” Humor is a social act that performs a social function (always). 3. To say humor is social act is to say it is always in social context; we don’t joke alone. Humor is a way we relate/interact with others. 4. Which is to say, humor is a way we construct identity – who we are in relation to others. We use humor to form groups… 5. …and to find our individual place in or out of those groups. In short, joking/humor is one tool by which we assimilate or alienate. 6. IOW, we use humor to bring people into – or keep them out of – our social groups. This is what humor does. What it’s for. 7. Consequently, how we use humor is tied up with ethics – who do we embrace, who do we shun, and how/why? 8. And the assimilating/alienating function of humor works not only only people but also on ideas. This is important. 9. This is why, e.g., racist “jokes” are bad. Not just because they serve to alienate certain people, but also because… 10. …they serve to assimilate the idea of racism (the idea of alienating people based on their race). And so we come to Trump. 11. A racist joke sends a message to the in-group that racism is acceptable. (If you don’t find it acceptable, you’re in the out-group.) 12. The racist joke teller might say “just joking” – but this is a defense to the out-group. He doesn’t have to say this to the in-group. 13. This is why we’re never “just joking.” To the in-group, no defense of the joke is needed; the idea conveyed is accepted/acceptable. 14. So, when Trump jokes about assassination or armed revolt, he’s asking the in-group to assimilate/accept that idea. That’s what jokes do. 15. And when he says “just joking,” that’s a defense offered to the out-group who was never meant to assimilate the idea in the first place. 16. Indeed, circling back to the start, the joke itself is a way to define in-group and out-group, through assimilation & alienation. 17. If you’re willing to accept “just joking” as defense, you’re willing to enter in-group where idea conveyed by the joke is acceptable. 18. IOW, if “just joking” excuses racist jokes, then in-group has accepted idea of racism as part of being in-group. 19. Same goes for “jokes” about armed revolt or assassinating Hillary Clinton. They cannot be accepted as “just joking.” 20. Now, a big caveat: humor (like all language) is complicated and always a matter of interpretation. For example, we might have… 21. …racist humor that is, in fact, designed to alienate (rather than assimilate) the idea of racism. (Think satire or parody.) 22. But I think it’s pretty clear Trump was not engaging in some complex satirical form of humor. He was “just joking.” In the worst sense. 23. Bottom line: don’t accept “just joking” as excuse for what Trump said today. The in-group for that joke should be tiny. Like his hands. The Daily News Forcefully Calls on Donald Trump to Quit After Second Amendment Remark Donald Trump’s Newest Adviser Once Compared Syrian Refugees to Rattlesnakes Did Donald Trump Just Suggest That Someone Might Shoot Hillary Clinton? Max J. Rosenthal	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0037.json.gz/line2825
__label__wiki	0.564618	0.564618	The Revenge of Ron Paul Ron PaulToday, David Barstow of the Times begins to touch on one of the most underreported aspects of Tea Party populism: Its deep ideological and organizational ties to 2008’s Ron Paul Revolution. The press has tended to treat the Tea Party movement as a sui generis outpouring of rage against a black president and an expanding government. But the grassroots network that Barstow examines, Friends of Liberty, has “been shaped by the growing popularity in eastern Washington of Ron Paul, the libertairan congressman from Texas,” he writes. There’s good reason to believe that Friends of Liberty is less the exception than the rule. My 2008 Mother Jones piece, The Apostles of Ron Paul, noted that his GOP presidential bid mobilized an outpouring of grassroots support and online activism unlike anything ever seen on the political Right. Paul trumped his competitors in both parties on just about every metric of online organizing, including support on Meetup.com, where his backers outnumbered those of the leading candidates combined. Though his campaign ultimately failed to win a single state primary, I pointed out the parallels between his formidable netroots machine and that built in 2004 by Howard Dean, which ultimately became a major factor in the Democratic victories of 2006 and 2008. “Whichever way the Paulites go, candidates would be smart to study their movement’s trajectory,” I wrote. “It, not Paul, is the real revolution.” Flash forward to 2010, and a close look at local Tea Party chapters reveals strong ties with Paul supporters. Barstow reports that the head of Friends of Liberty was first politicized by watching Paul’s speeches on YouTube. The Bay Area rEVOLution, the Paul Meetup group that I profiled in 2008, is now campaigning for “Tea Party” Republican congressional candidate John Dennis and holding a “Tea Bomb” for him modeled on the “Money Bombs” that raked in millions for Paul. Across the country, 180 Meetup groups now mention both the Tea Party and Ron Paul on their websites. The overlap makes perfect political sense. Paul was the only GOP presidential candidate who was legitimately fiscally conservative and pro-civil liberties (not to mention anti-government). Conservative populists’ fear of what a black president might do with the Patriot Act and their rage over the Wall Street bailouts finds a perfect outlet in Paul’s desire to slash taxes, abolish the federal reserve, and reinstate a commodity-backed currency similar to the gold standard, as well as his tolerance of extremist backers such as 9-11 truthers and neo-Nazis. It’s the reason why Michelle Bachman recently held a town hall meeting with Paul in Minnestota. And why both liberals and conservatives need to pay more attention to libertarians. The Apostles of Ron Paul A Ron Paul Supporter Explains the “Liberty Dollar”	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0037.json.gz/line2826
__label__wiki	0.781925	0.781925	Sheldon Adelson Is Partying With Mitt Romney on Election Night Sheldon Adelson.Photo by Color China Photos/Zuma Press It’s the least Mitt Romney could do for his biggest backer. Casino tycoon Sheldon Adelson and his wife, Miriam, will attend Romney’s election night party in Boston Tuesday evening, CNN reports. The Adelsons are the largest donors of the 2012 election cycle, giving more than $53 million in disclosed donations to candidates and super-PACs. That includes a staggering $20 million (that we know of) to Restore Our Future, the record-setting super-PAC devoted solely to electing Romney president. The Adelsons’ entire record of giving in this election cycle is likely far greater. In April, Sheldon Adelson said that he planned to give millions more to dark-money nonprofit groups that don’t disclose their donors. Adelson later said in June he could give as much as $100 million to defeat Obama, and insiders familiar with Adelson’s giving told CNN that the Adelsons will come “very close” to meeting that goal. Forbes puts Adelson’s net worth at $20.5 billion, making him the 14th-richest American. Ironically, no other American has gotten richer during Obama’s first term in office than Sheldon Adelson. To better understand Adelson’s influence on the 2012 elections, check out these nifty charts. Inside the RNC’s Poshest Pit Stop: The Adelson Lounge Did GOP Money Man Sheldon Adelson Violate the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act? Stephen Engelberg, Lowell Bergman, and Matt Isaacs Lawsuit Accuses GOP Donor Adelson of Pursuing “Prostitution Strategy” In His Hotels Charts: $35 Million Is Chump Change—If You’re Sheldon Adelson	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0037.json.gz/line2827
__label__cc	0.697898	0.302102	Pegbiter Recent movies seen Page: < 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 > Last › 09 July 2012 03:09 PM #31 TimovieMan - 09 July 2012 02:16 PM Ice Age 4: Continental Drift - 3 / 5 Ice Age 4 was more fun than I’d thought when going in. The story is thin, but the humour is good, and there’s plenty of chuckles to be had. The film suffers from the same problem as the third one, though: there’s far too many main characters. There were 4 main characters in the first one, 7 in the second, 9 in the third and now a whopping 12! And while none of the sequels has ever come close to the level of quality of the first one (which is one of the very few 3D animated films that’s up to Pixar’s level, imo), but at least none of them have been bad, and all of them have at the very least been funny… I went to watch it with my four year old brother last week. I liked it and so did he. I think where it surpassed the previous two sequels was the characters. Captain Gutt is a very decent villain. I’d have loved to hear Peter Dinklage’s work but my brother can’t read subtitles yet so I had to settle for some Dutch actor. And the lady sabretoothed cat was a pretty well developed character as well. Also there was a real sense of adventure in this one which I liked. Plus there was Scrat which is always good. What I really didn’t like was the Peaches storyline. That might be fun when you’re a kid but I found it really really annoying. Luckily the ending made up for it and overall I’d say that of the 3D films I’ve seen Ice Age films are one of the few I can actually enjoy as a film rather than as an activity I can do with my baby brother. Still I miss the magic of the old 2D Disney classics. Personally I think they are flogging an extinct Mesohippus with the Ice Age franchise, but as long as the kids keep enjoying it, they will still make them. millenia Sr. Adventurer And they surely enjoy it. My 4-yo loves all the Ice Ages and Shreks etc. and is not going to get bored with the nth sequel. Meh for the second Batman reboot. I hope they don’t try to milk this Avengers thing to death. Currently playing: The Shivah, Fallout: New Vegas Recently played: Airborne Kingdom, Gibbous, Driftland: The Magic Revival, Tukoni, Little Big Workshop, Opus Magnum My game reviews and other stuff: Lux Atarnia Saw Paris, Je T’aime yesterday. Wonderful movie. In case you don’t know, it’s built from little, separate, completely different (in style) episodes set in different parts of Paris. All written and directed by different writers and directors. No storyline or anything like that, just little episodes set in Paris. I personally preferred the subsequent New York, I Love You even more (as I recall), but especially the last four episodes in Paris were simply marvellous. And of course for example the little episode by the Coen brothers. 4/5 or something like that I’m so glad I finally started checking out the Audiovisual Archives’ movie schedule. If only I’d started earlier, there’s so much I missed. Just this spring, they had a major David Lynch theme. Pretty much all his full-length movies. Gah… Oh well, better have a better lookout from now on! Lucien21 - 09 July 2012 03:35 PM Well the ice age was a considerably long period of time. And as far as I know Mammoths and Sloths and the like had a very long life expectancy so realistically there’s still room for a couple hundred more sequels. Final part of Nolan’s Batman trilogy sees Christian Bale return as the gruff voiced comic book hero. Eight years have passed since the death of Harvey Dent and Batman taking the fall for his murder. Bruce has hung up the tights and retreated from the world. Not all is right in Gotham as a mysterious villian called Bane has come to the city, a beautiful Cat Burgler prowls the night and Commissioner Gordon is struggling to cope. I enjoyed the hell out of this movie. It’s a long one, being nearly three hours in length. With lots of nods to various classic Bat stories like Dark Knight Returns, No Mans Land and Knightfall there is plenty for a comic fan like myself to geek out about. However it is filmed in a very realistc and gritty manner that gives these films a grounding that Spiderman or Avengers can’t achieve. You will believe that a Billionaire playboy with a good tech department can don an armoured suit and fight crime. Performances are good for the most part with Ann Hathaway’s Selina Kyle and Joseph-Gordon Levitt as a Police Detective being the stand outs. Tom Hardy is fine as the villianous Bane, but isn’t as good as the Joker from the previous film. Overall it is a fitting ending to the trilogy and one hell of a ride. I thought the film fell flat. Where The Dark Knight managed to be not just really dark but at times even deep and meaningful it’s sequal is just an average ordinary action romp with lots of way overdone action and onedimensional characters. The story was okay though with a nice twist the way we’re used to from Christopher Nolan and the acting was good. The movie wasn’t bad but I expected more from Nolan. The Amazing Spider-Man - 3/5 Too soon for a reboot which means you can’t NOT compare it to the Tobey Maguire one. And I liked the other one better, although it also had its flaws and this one has improved on a few things. Andrew Garfield’s a lot better than Tobey Maguire, imo. More believable as a geek with sudden powers, and he’s edgier (which allows for sarcasm - which is a plus). The bridge scene was a LOT better than the bridge scene in the Maguire one (which was one of the two scenes I hated the most in that one), but then the Uncle Ben speech was a lot sappier, the Lizard isn’t as good a villain as the Green Goblin, the entire virus/antidote plot line makes the scale too big (and unbelievable imo) and I liked Mary-Jane more than I did Gwen Stacy (plus I’m not buying Emma Stone’s performance). And don’t get me started on that ridiculous crane-aligning scene… They also manage to start several plot lines and suddenly leave them hanging: the search for Uncle Ben’s killer stops without an explanation and all the events surrounding Parker’s father suddenly stop getting mentioned until during the ending credits (where they serve as a cliffhanger). The film’s not bad, but it has quite a few flaws that just seem bigger than they are because really, this was far too soon for a series reboot… Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter - 2/5 Love the title, love the concept, hate the execution of it. Quite a lot of historic references that are given a vampire twist can’t save what is otherwise a mediocre movie with bad action sequences. I’m used to seeing better things (especially in action direction) from director Bekmambetov… Phantom88 Member Dark Knight Rises, went to see it last night and thought it was awesome! Didn’t like it as much as TDK or Avengers though. “When government surveillance and intimidation is called “freedom from terrorism” or “liberation from crime”, freedom and liberty have become words without meanings.” ~ Chad Dumier, “Deus Ex” The Adventure Game Enthusiast Have you read the book? I understand it’s really good. I’ve heard very varying thoughts about the movie but pretty much nothing but praise about the book… Little Writer Member “21 Jump Street” - haven’t laughed so hard in a long time. Had a great time, and I needed that Finished: Assassin’s Creed 2 (PS3) Playing now: Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood (PS3), The Longest Journey (PC) To continue: So Blonde (PC), Silent Hill Homecoming (PS3) williams22 Member It was Avengers all the way hitting the Screen till Dark Knight Rises Entered .... Ah yes, saw “The Dark Knight Rises” too a few days ago. It was okay, but TDK was better. I liked the Joker better as a villain than Bane. And I expected more out of Catwoman. 02 August 2012 04:19 PM #44 aries323 Member I’ve watched on Bluray - HUGO. 5/5 - A very great Martin Scorsese movie, especially when Hugo says that everything in life has a purpose and you can get broken if you do not have a purpose anymore. Up untill I saw the extra material on the bluray I thought the whole thing was made up. It isn’t. A man named George Melies really existed, they really tinted the celluloid film strips, and he really had a great imagination. I also liked that the sets in the movie were real, not CGI-made. And now to simething completely - ehm - British. I also have seen - on bluray as well - The best exotic marigold hotel. A very fine ensemble movie 5/5 again. It deals with people that longs for the golden years of the British Empire and thus take a trip to India. And the most amazing thing happens, especially with the character played by Dame Maggie Smith as she was nice to a casteless person in India. Not to reveal too much about the ending, but the character Maggie Smith plays does something surprising at the end. 11 August 2012 07:32 AM #45 syberia Member if you like something about shinigami then I recommend you the anime TV series Death Note which has a detective kind of story. maybe I could provide you some free links to download , so let me know if you want it. R.I.P. Paul I want to play 4!	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0037.json.gz/line2830
__label__cc	0.6451	0.3549	AEVA NSW Road trip to Bundanoon The Bundanoon Club 70B Erith Street Bundanoon, NSW 2578 Join the Australian Electric Vehicle members on a drive from Parramatta to Bundanoon, stopping at several fast chargers and ultimately ending up at Bundanoon for Coffee, Car Display in the town center. There will be Tesla’s, BMW i3’s, Nissan Leafs, Hyundai’s. Bring your car and come for a drive! Route Plan: https://abetterrouteplanner.com/?plan_uuid=57af1bfa-53bc-4f39-8255-14bfd4d9550a While optional for transport, I'll get a list of attendees at the Picton charging station for those who are willing. If things go well, I may be able to share the list with the Bundanoon club so people do not need to sign in a second time for COVID purposes ( but you might have to sign in as a visitor). Charging will be available at the Bundanoon Show Ground/Club with some three-phase available. We'll be passing around the hat for a contribution ( but I can't imagine you'd need to chip in much). Travel will be pretty straightforward, but we'll have to book into the club in groups of 10 to sit together - but we should be able to do that on the day. Please note that there might be queues at the different charging stations, and even perhaps at Bundanoon ( but you could do stuff while waiting for a slot). This means some cars might end up arriving after 12.30 and hopefully by 2pm but I do hope there will be a chance to soak up the Bundanoon vibe regardless, as individuals and small groups as the case may be. Let's try to be understanding if there are queues at the charging stations, and try to get the maximum practical cars there in as timely a manner as possible. Schedule · Saturday, 5 September 2020 Leave from Parramatta Westfield Charging Station https://www.plugshare.com/location/112244 - come early for charging Meet at Picton NRMA fast charger - https://www.plugshare.com/location/244278 - leave after 30min Meet at Mittagong RSL Club fast charger - https://www.plugshare.com/location/166796 - leave after 30 min Meet at Bundanoon Club - 70B Erith St, Bundanoon NSW 2578 ( near the oval) Official welcome by locals in the town centre with cars on display. Sat, Sept. 5, 2020 Group(s): Mailing List: NSW Members	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0037.json.gz/line2831
__label__cc	0.662947	0.337053	Chpt 3 Above Category Apparel Short Sleeve Jersey XT-1 Responsorium Welcome to Above Category Sign up. It’s good. We promise. Gorgeous bikes, products, events, reviews and everything we love about cycling delivered to your inbox. Due to COVID-19 our studio is open by appointment only. For all inquiries, contact us at info@abovecategorycycling.com Custom Buying Experience Ready to Ride Bikes Q36.5 x AC Bibs & Tights Off-Bike Apparel Race Report: 100 Miles of Hero Dirt at the Sierra Trails Lost and Found by Derek Yarra \| Jun 06, 2019 \| There's a special feeling that comes with leaving the city for the mountains. A magic that hits when the buildings get sparse and the trees grow abundant, when the air gets crisp and phone reception fades away. That feeling came on strong last week when heading out of Truckee into the Plumas County high country, driving from San Francisco to the the Lake Davis area. There's another kind of feeling that comes with preparing for one of the most masochistic races on the calendar, the 100+ mile Lost and Found gravel grinder put on by the Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship. Certainly a different kind of feeling, with a different kind of excitement, but magic all the same. To me, there's nothing better than a camp out weekend of back-country bike racing and that's exactly what the Lost and Found gravel grinder had on tap to deliver. Pulling into Portola, the beautiful little town playing host to the race, the stoke started to rise as more and more cars fully loaded up with bikes came into view. There's a unique thing to the camaraderie of bike racing, when total strangers pull up next to each other and exchange a nod and thumbs up, knowing we're all here for the same love of fun and suffering. The Sierra Trails do a top notch job of putting on events, not only putting together some of the greatest race courses but also making the pre and post ride party a full on festival. This would be my first Lost and Found, but having raced Downieville and Grinduro for years I had a pretty good idea of what to expect. They morphed the Portola City Park into an expo center and at 5 o'clock on Friday the people were trickling in and beers were already flowing. After checking in at registration, I tried to kit up and spin to open up the legs from the drive. That plan was quickly derailed as I kept running into old friends, including my teammate for the weekend and builder of my new Mosaic race bike, Aaron Barcheck. It's funny how quickly catching up and goofing around can take precedence over race prep but having fun is the point, right? As the sun dropped over the peaks, it was time to head back to camp, cook up some dinner, and finally get some rest before the big day. Cyclists are an extreme bunch of outdoor gear nerds. Portola opened up all of their parks to racer camping and the town was blanketed with some of the most elaborate camp set ups you've ever seen. The hype of #overlanding is real. At 5:45 my alarm went off. Does anyone actually sleep well the night before a race? A mixture of excitement and nerves rarely results in a deep rest. The constant sounds of trains passing in the night probably didn't help either. Regardless, it was time to get up and go. The Jetboil went on to get coffee and oatmeal ready stat... the race to the outhouse is just as important as the race itself. One last bike check before rolling to the start. We profiled my bike a couple weeks back, the only change being a switch from the WTB Riddler 37s to Vittoria Terreno Dry 40s for that extra bit of cush. Leading up to the race, the weather was constantly in question. The area got loads of rain and even some snow in the weeks before and the forecast for race day was chancing up to the final minute. Luck and Mother Nature decided to give us a break and the sun was shining over the town. In the final moments, I checked the forecast once more and decided to ditch the arm warmers and vest and rolled to the start in just bibs, a base layer, and a short sleeve jersey with only food loaded up in my pockets. The scene under the Clif Bar arch was quite the spectacle. 1500 people is a lot of racers, any way you cut it. It's not every day you get world class pros and novice first timers lining up in the same place, but that's part of what makes these gravel races so spectacular. Some racing for glory, some with the simple goal of just making it to the finish line. All are welcome to line up and give it their all, and the Sierra Trials crew were pros at wrangling the crowd and keeping everyone organized. After a live harmonica performance of the national anthem, the whistle blew and we were off. It started off with a neutral roll out down the highway before making the first turn into the dirt. As we neared the end of the five mile roll out, the pace started to pick up and riders tried to find their positions. We turned off the road to hit the gravel, went under the timing tent, and the gloves came off. The course was front loaded with all the big climbing coming right out the gate with a five mile ascent. As a life long sea-level native, altitude and I have never gotten along. Even at the modest base of 4,500ft, I was feeling the effects straight away. I've finally hit a point in life of coming to terms with this, and metered my efforts accordingly. As a bike racer, it's never easy to watch the front end ride away, but the last thing I needed to do was blow up in the first 20 miles. I settled into a pace I was comfortable with, knowing I'd (hopefully) reel people in on the descent. Cresting the top of the first climb, it was time for me to start making my moves. The next several miles of the course were a mix of descending and rolling hills. You've got to take risks to get rewards, so I laid off the brakes and got the party started. Gradually I started picking people off, railing the corners and doing my best to float over the rocky sections. After getting the big climb over with, my lungs came around and I was feeling good powering up the shorter pitches. The trails were in ripping condition and were perfectly suited for my descending style; I was having a blast finding my flow through the course. Strategy plays a big role in these races and part of that strategy includes knowing when you can safely pass an aid station. I was feeling solid with my food and hydration levels so I decided to blow by the first big rest stop. Passing a big group of riders, I caught the next group ahead, just in time to settle in and work with for the first big flat stretch. After a long stretch of riding on a solo mission, I made it back in the race–sitting within the top 20 and on track for my goal of a sub six hour finish. Pack riding on dirt roads is a rather interesting experience. The efficiency of the group is oh so necessary, but with ruts and mud pits abundant, riding wheel to wheel gets sketch pretty quick. These races draw riders from all niches of racing, and people's dirt skills run the gamut. Regardless, I was happy to have the company. Just before hitting the halfway point, we were faced with one more brutal digger of a climb. Once again, the altitude caught up to me and I couldn't quite stick with the group. Finally, I made it over the top and took back to my strategy of letting it loose on the descent. It was going great as I had the crew in sight, but my precision in steering took a momentary lapse and I clipped a pretty big rock at top speed. The bike was unfazed, but the impact bucked my rear end up and my saddle tagged me in my tail bone, sending a jolt up my back. Not good... Pushing through the pain, I made it to the mid point aid station to refill my bottles and take a minute to stretch. Hopping back on the bike, I tried to push on, but things went downhill from there. The next 15 miles were all washboard fire road, which did my body no favors. Legs wanted to go, but back would not comply and I was relegated to a slow roll, vacillating between standing and soft pedaling. Over those next several miles, group by group started passing me by. All the work I'd put in to move up in the field went down the drain. Mentally I started cracking, fearing I might not make it through the next 40 or so miles to the end. Eventually a friend caught up to me on a smoother section of the course and graciously gave me a wheel to stick on. Slowly, my back started to relax and I was able to settle back into riding at tempo and my morale began to rise. The two of us were in no man's land for quite some time, pulling each other through the flats and up the next gravel climb until we descended down to the final rest stop where we converged with the short course and hit the final section of double track. At that moment, another friend who had flatted earlier on had caught on and was moving at a solid clip. The three of us got into a groove, adrenaline erased the pain my body had been in, and we were flowing the final dirt traverse through the woods and doing our best to politely weave around the short-coursers. We finally made it out of the woods and hit pavement, where we'd be faced with one more climb before the home stretch back to the finish. The rest of the ride was a blur, as we came off the road, weaved through the campgrounds, and eventually found ourselves downtown with the finishing arc in sight. Crossing the line, I was cracked like I'd never been in before. Fully depleted, but in too deep of a daze to know what to do with myself–a state I seemed to share with everyone else. My instincts were to lay out on the grass, but I couldn't sit still. I was desperately in need of food, but couldn't figure out how to get myself there. After walking around aimlessly, I finally made it to the the taco line and stuffed my face with the calories I so desperately needed. At the end of the day, I crossed the line 25th in the pro field with a time of 6h24m. Quite a way off from the time and placing I was hoping for and nearly an hour down from Tobin's winning time, but given the problems I had with my back, I was happy to have just finished the ride. At the end of the day, I could only be happy to have raced in such incredible terrain and make it all the way through without a crash or single mechanical issue. It's amazing how an experience so torturous can leave you so eager to come back for more, but that's exactly how I felt wrapping up the weekend. Beat, exhausted, but already excited for next year's race to come. Luckily the rest of the Triple Crown has Downieville and Grinduro still on deck. The team at Sierra Trails never disappoint, and once again put on a world class event. Until next time, Portola... Photographs courtesy of Patrick Cavender, Ian Matteson, Tyler Nutter, John Watson, and Derek himself. Love gravel? Love new trails? Then don't miss out on our second annual OFFICIALLY SERIOUS BICYCLE RIDE. On January 12, 2020 we'll be heading out on a 55 mile gravel adventure while raising funds to help the Marin County Bicycle Coalition build new trails. With support from Enve, Equator Coffee, GU Energy Labs, Pinarello, Open, WTB, Kask, and Koo, it's gonna be an epic ride you wont want miss! Did we mention there'll be fresh paella at the finish line? Register for OSBR now to lock in your spot! Stay in the know on new releases, special offers, and more.	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0037.json.gz/line2846
__label__cc	0.52998	0.47002	24-04: Right Upper Quadrant (Morison’s Pouch) Jeremy S. Boyd; Myles Melton; Jordan D. Rupp; Robinson M. Ferre Boyd JS, Melton M, Rupp JD, Ferre RM. Boyd J.S., & Melton M, & Rupp J.D., & Ferre R.M. Boyd, Jeremy S., et al.Right Upper Quadrant (Morison’s Pouch). In: Knoop KJ, Stack LB, Storrow AB, Thurman R. Knoop K.J., & Stack L.B., & Storrow A.B., & Thurman R(Eds.),Eds. Kevin J. Knoop, et al.eds. The Atlas of Emergency Medicine, 5e. McGraw-Hill; Accessed January 20, 2021. https://accessemergencymedicine.mhmedical.com/content.aspx?bookid=2969&sectionid=251358364 Boyd JS, Melton M, Rupp JD, Ferre RM. Boyd J.S., & Melton M, & Rupp J.D., & Ferre R.M. Boyd, Jeremy S., et al. (2021). Right upper quadrant (morison’s pouch). Knoop KJ, Stack LB, Storrow AB, Thurman R. Knoop K.J., & Stack L.B., & Storrow A.B., & Thurman R(Eds.),Eds. Kevin J. Knoop, et al. The Atlas of Emergency Medicine, 5e. McGraw-Hill. https://accessemergencymedicine.mhmedical.com/content.aspx?bookid=2969&sectionid=251358364 Boyd JS, Melton M, Rupp JD, Ferre RM. Boyd J.S., & Melton M, & Rupp J.D., & Ferre R.M. Boyd, Jeremy S., et al. "Right Upper Quadrant (Morison’s Pouch)." The Atlas of Emergency Medicine, 5e Knoop KJ, Stack LB, Storrow AB, Thurman R. Knoop K.J., & Stack L.B., & Storrow A.B., & Thurman R(Eds.),Eds. Kevin J. Knoop, et al. McGraw-Hill, 2021, https://accessemergencymedicine.mhmedical.com/content.aspx?bookid=2969&sectionid=251358364. Abnormal Findings With the indicator directed toward the patient’s head, the transducer is oriented in a coronal section through the body in the midaxillary line, extending from the 9th through 12th ribs. Start between the 11th and 12th ribs initially, then move cephalad or caudal, anterior or posterior, to complete the evaluation (Fig. 24.11). Identify and evaluate the interface of the liver and right kidney. This region is the potential space known as Morison’s pouch. Normally, the liver and kidney are in direct contact with one another or separated by adipose tissue of heterogeneous echoes (Fig. 24.12). Evaluate the right paracolic gutter by identifying and evaluating the caudal-most portion of the hepatic parenchyma (inferior tip of the liver). Right Upper Quadrant View. The transducer is oriented in a coronal section through the body in the midaxillary line extending from the 9th through 12th ribs. (Photo contributor: Lawrence B. Stack, MD.) Normal Right Upper Quadrant View (Morison Pouch). Identify and evaluate the interface of the liver and right kidney. This region is the potential space known as the pouch of Morison. Normally, the liver and kidney are in direct contact with one another or separated by adipose tissue of heterogeneous echoes. The reflection of the anterior border of the lumbar spine is visualized deep to the kidney and terminates at the costophrenic angle in the absence of fluid within the thoracic cavity. (Ultrasound contributor: Jeremy S. Boyd, MD; illustration contributor: Robinson M. Ferre, MD.) Hemoperitoneum: Anechoic (black) region between the liver and right kidney or in the paracolic gutter. Rarely is blood solely seen collecting between the diaphragm and the liver in the subdiaphragmatic space (Fig. 24.13). Solid organ injury: Ultrasound is an insensitive exam for solid organ injury. Injuries such as hepatic and renal lacerations as well as organ rupture have been described but are not the goal of this examination. Hemoperitoneum (Right Upper Quadrant view). An anechoic (black) region between the liver and right kidney is fluid (blood in this case) accumulating within the potential space. The diagram illustrates the typical locations of these peritoneal potential spaces, marked by asterisks. (Ultrasound contributor: Jeremy S. Boyd, MD; illustration contributor: Robinson M. Ferre, MD.) Vedio Graphic Jump Location Video 24-03: Hemoperitoneum: Right Upper Quadrant View Play Video [videoCount] Video 24-04: Hemoperitoneum Sagittal Female	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0037.json.gz/line2847
__label__cc	0.643835	0.356165	News \| Black Box Renews National Partnership With CommScope \| Black Box \| SPINITAR Black Box Renews National Partnership With CommScope PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, July 30, 2012 -- Black Box Corporation (NASDAQ:BBOX), a leading communications system integrator dedicated to designing, sourcing, implementing and maintaining today’s complex communications solutions, announced today that it has renewed its agreement with CommScope to deliver its leading line of enterprise infrastructure solutions as an Authorized BusinessPartner for CommScope. This certification allows the organization to sell and support CommScope’s enterprise solutions throughout the United States. CommScope is a global leader in wired and wireless infrastructure technology through its leading SYSTIMAX®, Andrew® and Uniprise® brands. Together, Black Box and CommScope deliver a suite of comprehensive network infrastructure solutions including copper, fiber and coaxial cabling, intelligent patching and enclosures. As an Authorized BusinessPartner, Black Box maintains a staff of CommScope-certified technicians. “Black Box is pleased to renew our partnership with CommScope. CommScope’s leading infrastructure solutions backed by Black Box implementation, service and support allow organizations to take advantage of CommScope’s leading technology with the peace of mind that their infrastructure will be supported by world-class technical support and customer service,” said Terry Blakemore, Black Box’s President and Chief Executive Officer. “Including CommScope solutions in the Black Box portfolio helps to ensure that we deliver on our promise to offer unparalleled choices for our clients and helps make sure we are leveraging today’s leading technologies so that we can design and implement infrastructure solutions that meet our clients’ unique needs.” “Black Box continues to be a valuable partner to CommScope. Its investment in training and resources to support CommScope’s solutions is recognized by us and our customers. Black Box’s geographical coverage and quality help in solving our customer’s most complex problems. We look forward to continuing to grow this partnership,” said Stephen Kowal, Vice President, Global Channel Sales, CommScope . SYSTIMAX, Andrew and Uniprise are registered trademarks of CommScope, Inc. About CommScope CommScope (www.commscope.com) has played a role in virtually all the world’s best communication networks. We create the infrastructure that connects people and technologies through every evolution. Our portfolio of end-to-end solutions includes critical infrastructure our customers need to build high-performing wired and wireless networks. As much as technology changes, our goal remains the same: to help our customers create, innovate, design, and build faster and better. We’ll never stop connecting and evolving networks for the business of life at home, at work, and on the go. About Black Box Black Box is a leading communications system integrator dedicated to designing, sourcing, implementing and maintaining today’s complex communications solutions. Black Box services more than 175,000 clients in approximately 150 countries with approximately 200 offices throughout the world. To learn more, visit the Black Box Web site at http://www.blackbox.com. Black Box® and the Double Diamond logo are registered trademarks of BB Technologies, Inc. Any third party trademarks appearing in this press release are acknowledged to be the property of their respective owners.	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0037.json.gz/line2852
__label__cc	0.53924	0.46076	Featured • General • News • NXIVM • To export A Few More Tidbits From Jaye’s Direct Testimony – and Then on to Her Cross-Examination Before we turn to her cross-examination, let’s look at a few more tidbits of information that Jaye revealed during her direct testimony. She had to provide new collateral every month. And it was due on the 1st of every month – “just like rent” according to Jaye. Most of the collateral that Jaye provided involved pictures and movies. “Acts of Care” Her “acts of care” included buying mani-pedi sessions for India – and small gifts of jewelry for India and Allison. She also had to run various errands for both India and Allison. Allison Mack [l] and India Oxenberg [r] And she, of course, was never paid for any of this work. DOS Diets Jaye testified as the dieting got more intense, several of the DOS women “looked sick” and others started losing their hair and/or stopped menstruating. This is similar to the information that we’ve heard from the other former DOS members who have testified during the trial. Expenses & Income She described The Source training sessions as being “very expensive” but noted that “there was a payment plan” (We know from other witnesses’ testimony that NXIVM’s “payment plans” often turned into permanent indentured servitude). Jaye went from being a highly-compensated model in Los Angeles, CA to an $18/hour “go-for” working for Delegates, a NXIVM-related company run by India Oxenberg. The first NXIVM event she attended was a 5-day Intensive in Los Angeles that was taught by Jim DelNegro in November 2016 (Wonder if Jimmy is still running the Precision Development real estate project fro the Bronfman sisters). She also took The Source Intensive course that was taught by Allison Mack and Mark Hildreth in Vancouver – and a Jness weekend in Clifton Park at Rosa Laura junco’s home there. The 5-day intensive cost $5,000, The Source Intensive cost $11,000, and the Jness weekend was a bargain rate of $500. Also in attendance at the Jness weekend that she attended were the young Mexican girls. She only paid for a portion of the $11,000 fee for The Source – and was supposed to pay off the balance by recruiting more people to take it (She still owes a few thousand dollars). When she let it be known that she wanted to start a T-shirt company, she was referred to Keith, who told her that he already had a T-shirt company. In addition to modeling, she also served as a Poker Host in Los Angeles – and gave massages to clients. The cross-examination of Jaye was relatively brief. She was asked about her education prior to joining NXIVM – and then asked if she got anything positive out of the NXIVM training she took. According to entries that she made in her journal at the time, she described The Source training in very positive terms. “It helps me as an artist”, she wrote. And she also described it as different from other acting classes she had taken because The Source training was about “releasing traumas”. She was then asked whether the dieting requirements were really a way for the women to learn discipline – and to learn the importance of keeping their word. She responded that even if it started out that way, it soon became controlling and abusive. Jaye was questioned extensively about the “farewell letter” that she wrote – especially about all the positive statements that were in it. She basically explained that she was trying to get away without any hassle – and said a lot of things that she really didn’t believe were true. Summary & Conclusion Jaye has been described as a “very strong looking woman” and her testimony – both on direct and cross-examination – seems to have reflected that fact. The cross-examination was perfunctory – and probably is indicative that the defense attorneys have decided that “beating up” the former DOS members has not gone over well with the jury (Duh?). Agnifilo is still objecting about the prosecution being able to ask former DOS members about their current perception of what they went through while they were involved with the group. Despite his objecting, that kind of testimony is likely to be allowed throughout the remaining part of the trial. All in all, another strong witness for the prosecution. Pyriel says: From the Albany Times Union. “Later Tuesday, a retired IRS criminal investigator specializing in money laundering cases testified that the credit card and bank account of Raniere’s longtime girlfriend and NXIVM associate Pamela Cafritz was charged for more than $328,000 after Cafritz had died of cancer, including $15,000 charged on Nov. 7, 2016 — the day she died.” Ransacking a dead woman’s bank account while her body’s still warm. https://m.timesunion.com/news/article/Ordered-to-seduce-Raniere-woman-planned-escape-13968629.php shadowstate1958 says: I thought that Allison Mack and her defenders claimed that Allison NEVER profited off of her slaves. Now Allison Mack wouldn’t lie would she? Or maybe a better question is Allison Mack wouldn’t tell the truth would she? When Allison Mack claimed that her nephew was sexually abused was that the truth or a lie? When Allison Mack claimed that she herself was sexually abused was that the truth or a lie? How could anyone tell what the truth is based on what Allison Mack claims? More Than $14 Million in Defense Trust Fund – and The Vanguard Doesn’t Leave Home Without Pam Cafritz’s American Express Card Trial Tuesday: Jaye: Assigned to Seduce Vanguard	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0037.json.gz/line2857
__label__wiki	0.757173	0.757173	All posts tagged Central Statistics Bureau The Difference Engine by William Gibson and Bruce Sterling (1990) In the soothing reek of his tobacconist’s quiet stockroom, at the corner of Chancery Lane and Carey Street, Oliphant held the corner of the blue flimsy above the concise jet of a bronze cigar-lighter in the shape of a turbanned Turk. (p.338) This is a really absorbing, intelligent and often mind-blowing book. We are in 1855, though not the 1855 familiar from history books, for this is an alternative history. The ‘point of divergence’ from actual history appears to come around 1822 when Charles Babbage, not only theorises about the possibility of a computing machine (as he did in actual history) but builds one. This sets off a cascade of technological changes which result in a new political party, the Industrial Radical Party, seizing power, apparently by the assassination of then-Prime Minister the Duke of Wellington, in 1831. This led to a period of widespread rioting and anarchy, during which Luddites smashed the new-fangled machinery, referred to by the characters as the Time of Troubles. It was during, or as a result of this disorder, that the Industrial Radical Party came to power with a vision of a completely new type of society, governed by reason and science and calculation. The ‘Rads’ co-opted the more flexible of the Luddite and working class leaders into cushy jobs as leaders of tame trade unions (p.295). Once in power the ‘Rads’ inaugurate an era of dazzling new technological and industrial innovations, led by a great social movement of industrialists, radicals and savants. Lord Byron emerges as the great orator of the Industrial Radical Party, but Charles Babbage is its grey eminence and foremost social theorist (p.93) Examples of these innovations are that Charles Babbage’s Calculating Machine has found a wide variety of applications, including the creation of a Central Statistics Bureau which stores information about every person in the country via the medium of paper with holes punched in them (in reality, ‘punched card’ computers, which could only do very basic data storage, were not developed till the late 1890s, early 1900s). Babbage’s very first Engine, now an honoured relic, was still less than thirty years old, but the swift progression of Enginery had swept a whole generation in its wake, like some mighty locomotive of the mind. (p.121) British people are no longer ‘subjects’ in this technicalised society, they are ‘citizens’, each issued with a unique citizen number, against which numerous records are kept, including their credit rating. Another example is the new-fangled kinetrope machines, sets of cellulose cards with images on them which are ‘clacked’ through a machine in front of a light source to produce moving images (about 40 years before the earliest moving picture machines were actually invented). London’s underground train system is well advanced, with characters hopping off and on the noisy, smelly subterranean trains (in reality, the first tube line wasn’t opened until 1863). London’s streets are filled with steam engine-driven omnibuses or ‘gurneys’ as they seem to be called. To summarise, in this alternative history, a wide range of new technologies have been developed about 50 years before they did so in the real world, and this produces a continual clash between the characters’ mid-Victorian speech, dress and behaviour, and the continual array of newfangled technology the authors keep creating for the to interact with. Historical jokes There are a number of knowing, nudge-nudge, boom-boom jokes in which the authors imagine alternative destinies for various Eminent Victorians. Thus I sat up with a jolt when one of the central characters is approached by a short, grey-haired man who says he started life as a doctor but then wasted his youth dallying with poetry, before finding his current métier – as a purveyor of kinetrope films. His name? John Keats. Benjamin Disraeli, far from gouging his way up the ‘greasy pole’ of politics (it was Disraeli who coined that expression), is stuck as a super-fluent novelist and journalist. A divergence from our history which is probably too large to be a ‘joke’ is that, in this alternative history, the American Civil war has already broken out and war is raging between the Union North and Confederate South. The most striking feature of the war has been a working class insurrection in New York which has led to the creation of a ‘Commune’ (just as was to happen in Paris in 1870) led by the German émigré journalist and agitator Karl Marx! Presumably he found an England ruled by the Industrial radical party not a safe place to settle and moved on to New York (where, after all, he had many sympathisers, the real Karl Marx writing numerous articles for the New York Daily Tribune as its Europe correspondent from 1852 to 1862). Another joke for the literary-minded is the fact that, in this world Lord Byron did not die of malaria in Greece in 1824, but lived on to become a leader of the Radical Party and is, at the time of the novel, Prime Minister of England, although the social disturbances described in the middle of the story coincide with the ‘old Orator’s’ death. In fact this is a central fact to the plot, because the mystery or secret at the heart of the book rotates around Byron’s daughter, Lady Ada Byron who was, in our version of history, an advanced practitioner of Babbage’s theories, so much so that she is nowadays sometimes credited with being the very first computer programmer. In reality Ada died aged only 36 in 1852; in the novel she is still alive, but a very dubious figure, rumour has it she is addicted to gambling of all sorts and, when we first meet her, she appears to be high on drugs. The prose is stuffed and cluttered with two distinct elements, steampunk and Victoriana. Continual reference to machines and technologies and the political party and scientific discoveries which dominate the age, never letting you forget its novel alternative industrial ambience. Wherever possible people use gadgets, machines which click and clunk together, cards which have hole punches, steam-gurneys in the street, offices with voice tubes, telegraphs not only between post offices but extending to people’s individual houses, and so on. Here’s a description of Oliphant’s telegraph machines. Three Colt & Maxwell receiving-telegraphs, domed in glass, dominated the end of the table nearest the window, their tapes coiling into wire baskets arranged on the carpet. There was a spring-driven transmitter as well, and an encrypting tape-cutter of recent Whitehall issue. the various cables for these devices, in tightly-woven sleeves of burgundy silk, snaked up to a floral eyebolt suspended from the central lavalier, where they then swung to a polished brass plate, beating the insignia of the Post Office, which was set into the wainscoting. (p.296) Or the scene at the enormous Central Statistics Bureau, keeper of the most powerful Engines which keep tabs on all citizens: Behind the glass loomed a vast hall of towering Engines – so many that at first Mallory thought the walls must surely be lined with mirrors, like a fancy ballroom. It was like some carnival deception, meant to trick the eye – the giant identical Engines, clock-like constructions of intricately interlocking brass, big as railcars set on end, each on its foot-thick padded blocks. The whitewashed ceiling, thirty feet overhead, was alive with spinning pulley-belts, the lesser gears drawing power from tremendous spoked flywheels on socketed iron columns. White-coated clackers, dwarfed by their machines, paced the spotless aisles. (p.136) Victorian slang I wonder how two authors born in South Carolina (Gibson) and Texas (Sterling) managed to create a prose style absolutely stuffed with Victorian slang and argot. Rich style But above and beyond these two identifiable components, the style is just very rich, the sentences seamed with inventive imagery and interesting vocabulary. Here are our heroes standing by the sewage-laden Thames. Fraser looked up and down the mudflats at the foot of the embankment. Mallory followed his gaze. Small boats were embedded in the grey-black mud as if set in cement. Here and there along the bend of the Limehouse Reach, rivulets of viridian slime reached up through the gouged tracks of channel-dredgers. (p.253) Or Oliphant looking at mugshots of Victorian criminals: It was a collection of stipple-printed Engine portraits. Dark-haired Englishmen with hangdog looks. The little square picture-bits of the Engine prints were just big enough to distort their faces slightly, so that the men all seemed to have black drool in their mouths and dirt in the corner of their eyes. They all looked like brothers, some strange human sub-species of the devious and disenchanted. (p.128) Or the lowering weather during the Stink of London: Outside the Palace, the London sky was a canopy of yellow haze. It hung above the city in gloomy grandeur, like some storm-fleshed, jellied man-o’war. Its tentacles, the uprising filth of the city’s smokestacks, twisted and fluted like candlesmoke in utter stillness, to splash against a lidded ceiling of glowering cloud. The invisible sun cast a drowned and watery light. (p.164) Or the kind of zippy, mind-expanding phraseology which prose can do better than all TV or film: It was hot, uncommon hot, beastly hot. There was not a ray of sun but the air was mortally still and the high cloudy sky had a leaden, glowering look, as if it wanted to rain but had forgotten the trick of it. (p.138) The book is divided into five ‘iterations’. First Iteration: The angel of Goliad (62 pages) Cockney courtesan Sybil Gerrard, daughter of the Luddite agitator Walter Gerrard (who was hanged as the Radical Party took power) has been taken up by Michael Radley, Flash Mick, who promises to make her an apprentice adventuress and take her with him to Paris. Flash Mick is orchestrating the European speaking tour of Texas legend and American politician, Sam Houston. We witness one of his speeches about his life and times, which is accompanied by a kinetrope projection of moving pictures onto the backdrop behind him, managed by Mick. However, Houston double crosses Mick by stealing the projection cards. Mick sends Sybil up to Houston’s hotel room, while he keeps the Texan busy drinking in the hotel’s smoking room but Sybil is horrified to discover an assassin waiting in the room, who holds his knife to her throat to hush her. A few minutes later Mick opens the door into the darkened room, and finds himself pinned against the wall by the assassin and his throat brutally cut. Then Houston himself arrives to find himself confronted by the assassin. He’s one of the Texan fighters who consider that Houston betrayed them, particularly when Texan soldiers were massacred by the Mexicans who’d captured them after the battle of Goliad, and ran off with their money. Houston tries to sweet talk him round but the assassin pushes him to the floor and then shoots him in the chest, before smashing the hotel window and escaping down the fire escape. Horrified, Sybil crawls to Houston’s body as he gurgles pleas for help, and realise she is crawling over diamonds which have spilled out from Houston’s cane. The man was a walking treasure trove. She stuffs as many as she can into her bodice, then stands and exits the hotel room. Standing for a moment quietly in the empty hotel corridor, before walking as casually as she can away. Second Iteration: Derby Day (23 pages) Introduces us Edward Mallory, tall, bearded hero of a scientific expedition to Wyoming where he discovered the fossilised skeleton of a brontosaurus, hence his nickname ‘Leviathan Mallory’. He is at Epsom for the Derby, drinking in the sights and sounds of a mid-Victorian day out. He goes to see his younger brother, Tom, who’s got a good job working for the designer and builder of a new type of (steam-powered) racing machine, Michael Godwin (p.74). The machine looks like a big tadpole on wheels, named The Zephyr. Godwin suggests Mallory bets £10 on the Zephyr, but he doesn’t have that much. So Godwin says he’ll lend Mallory a tenner and if they win they’ll share the proceeds, or he can pay him back if it loses. So Mallory goes along to a betting booth, places the £10 and then, on impulse, decides to gamble all the money he has in the world, £40. In an exciting race, Zephyr wins at long odds. Mallory makes £500 – he is rich! Mallory is making way for a steam-powered brougham or carriage pushing through the crowd, when he notices the young woman sitting in it punching the older woman by her side (p.85). Mallory immediately intervenes to protest but a rough-looking man driving the carriage leaps out and asks him what business it is of his, lunges at him and – Mallory realises – stabs him in the thigh with a stiletto. Mallory is a big man, he was a boxing champion and has survived in the wilds of the American West. Now he smashes the little spiv in the face, breaking some of his teeth. The bloodied little man screams at Mallory that he will not only kill him, he will destroy him. Mallory helps the woman who was hit out of the coach. She is wearing a veil and talks as if drugged and quite calmly hands a long wooden box, ‘something like an instrument case’ (p.85). When she removes the veil he realises it is Ada Byron, daughter of the Prime Minister and one of the most important theoreticians of the calculating machines which dominate modern life, ‘Lady Ada Byron, the Queen of Engines’ (p.89). Mallory accompanies her to the Royal Box where she is let in by the security guards, but not him, who they turn away. He wanders off puzzled, to collect his winnings, and realises he is still holding the long wooden case. What is in it? Why did she hand it to him? When Mallory opens it he discovers it is full of Engine-produced cellulose cards i.e. designed to be ‘clacked’ or projected onto a screen via a light source. Mallory stashes it in his locker at the Museum of Practical Geology (p.103). Third iteration: Dark Lanterns (102 pages) The phrase dark lanterns appears to refer to people working undercover, for whatever reason. Having recently returned from a scientific expedition to the American mid-West – where he cemented his reputation by discovering the fossilised skeleton of a brontosaurus – Mallory is staying in rooms at the vast Palace of Palaeontology. Here he is visited by Laurence Oliphant, supposedly a journalist, in fact some kind of official, and wounded in the ‘Tokyo Affair’, by a sabre slash across his wrist. Oliphant knows Mallory’s secret – that on the scientific expedition he also undertook gun-running tasks for the Royal Society Commission on Free Trade. Unnervingly, he also knows that Professor Rudwick, who has recently been murdered in London, was also carrying out secret offices for the Commission on Free Trade. Rudwick had been arming the Comanche Indians in Texas. He was murdered the same night Sam Houston was wounded and his publicist, Mick Radley, was eviscerated, as we saw in the first iteration. (It takes some teasing out from the hints scattered across the narrative, but I think the gun-running is somehow to undermine America by making Texas focus on is own troubles with Indians. We know America is racked by a civil war. Britain is happy for America to remain fragmented into separate countries – the Union, the Confederacy, an independent republic of Texas, and so on.) Mallory walks through central London to the Museum of Practical Geology in Duke Street, where he meets and chats with Thomas Henry Huxley, in real history famous for publicising Darwin’s theory of evolution through natural selection. For a long time after Darwin’s theory was published there were two schools of evolutionists: uniformitarians who believed the world was immensely old and evolution had taken place very slowly over vast periods; and catastrophists, who believed the whole world and its living systems were regularly shaken by cataclysms, volcanic activity, tsunamis, comets crashing into the planet, you name it and that these catastrophes ware the driving force of change in life forms. Until the start of the 20th century they actually had science on their side, because all educated opinion had it that the sun was only a few million years old. This was because astrophysicists knew nothing about radiation and dated the sun on the basis that it was a burning ball of hydrogen (p.178). Only with the discovery of sub-atomic particles and the splitting of the atom did science realise that the sun is driven by nuclear fusion, and that this process could have been going on for billions of years, which swung the pendulum in favour of the uniformitarians. In the 1980s and 1990s Stephen Jay Gould and colleagues advanced the theory of ‘punctuated equilibrium’ i.e. the notion of very long periods of slow change interrupted by a number of cataclysmic events which rewrote ‘the book of life’. The debate continues to this day. The conversation with Huxley makes it clear that Mallory was a catastrophist (which matches the sometimes melodramatic events of this book) (p.115). Huxley introduces the man who is going to erect the brontosaurus bones into a life sized model at the museum, and they have an argument since he has been told to build the animal squatting like a frog, since a rival palaeontologist thinks it lived in swamps. Mallory strongly disagrees and says it must be built with a tall neck stretching up like a giraffe, since it ate leaves off the canopies of trees. Mallory goes to Horseferry Road, site of the Central Statistics Bureau, heart of this Engine-based society. He’s been advised to come here by Oliphant, in order to track down the ruffian who stabbed him at Epsom using the CBS’s vast ‘Engines’, primitive computers used to file and sort vast numbers of punched cards. Oliphant told him to contact Wakefield, Undersecretary for Quantitative Criminology. Mallory bribes the assistant, Tobias, who Wakefield allots to help him look through the mugshots the Engines shoot out on the basis of his description. Doesn’t seem to be a record of the cad who stabbed him. But there is a mugshot of the vividly red-haired ‘tart’ who he saw punch Lady Ada. She is Florence Bartlett. Back at the Palace of Palaeontology, sweating because of the hot summer weather, Mallory has lunch and picks up letters from his family back in Sussex (much is made of his Sussex heritage and a Sussex accent he can revert to, if provoked), and his little sister who’s getting married. it crosses his mind to buy her a wedding present. So after lunch in the Palace’s dining room, Mallory walks along Piccadilly to Burlington Arcade where he buys a large clock for his younger sister and discovers he is being followed by a man who holds a handkerchief to his mouth a lot, who Mallory christens the Coughing Gent. Mallory lets himself be trailed into an alleyway where he suddenly springs on the man, driving him to the ground when he is himself struck hard on the back of the head by a cosh and collapses dazed, then wanders back down the alleyway to Piccadilly, leaning against a paling with blood coursing down his head and neck. He realises he is near where Oliphant lives and blunders up to the door of his house in Half Moon Street. Oliphant lets Mallory in, tells his man to get water and a flannel and proceeds to clean and stitch up the wound. When Mallory suddenly remembers he left his sister’s precious clock in the alleyway, Oliphant dispatches Bligh who discovers it untouched and brings it safely back. Oliphant playfully speculates whether the attack was made on behalf of rival scientists (or ‘savants’ as they’re called throughout the book) or is some kind of payback for his gun-running activities in America. Either way, he recommends the discreet services of Inspector Ebenezer Fraser of the Bow Street Special Branch. In an eerie scene Oliphant then introduces Mallory to half a dozen Japanese businessmen and diplomats who have come to learn the ways of the West and raise their land out of backwardness and superstition. They are all kneeling Japanese style at a lacquer table in a back room of Oliphant’s apartment. Here they demonstrate to him a robot woman they have made which pours out drinks. After passing a hot sweaty night in his rooms at the Palace, Mallory is woken by cleaners come to flush out the stinking toilet. There’s also a letter printed on celluloid, demanding that he return the box he took from lady Ada, via instructions given in the Daily Express, and threatening to ruin him otherwise, signed ‘Captain Swing’. Even as he reads it the card bursts into flames and he has to grab other papers to douse it. At that moment Ebenezer Fraser enters his office. Fraser shows Mallory a photo of Professor Rudwick’s cut-up body and a note which implies it is only the first in a series. It seems someone is trying to frame Mallory and scare fellow savants into thinking he is instigating a series of murders. Fraser and Mallory walk through London while they discuss a number of issues, recent history, the Time of Troubles, the triumph of the Industrial Radical Party, Lady Ada Byron’s real character (a savant, yes, but also a notorious gambler) for Mallory has an appointment to meet the noted romantic novelist and scribbler, Benjamin Disraeli, who he finds eating a breakfast of coffee and stinking mackerel fried in gin (!). Disraeli has been engaged to write an account of Mallory’s adventures in America, which went well beyond scientific investigation for fossils and included friendship with the Native Americans. Mallory censors his memories for Disraeli (leaving out the fact he had sex with Indian women) and ends up helping the author fix an early form of typewriter. Back in the street, Mallory hooks up with Fraser who had been waiting. Something weird is happening to the sky. It has turned a yellow colour and the atmosphere is thick and pestilent. Smells of sewage. This is the book’s version of the real historical event of the Great Stink of London which took place in 1858, when hot weather made stinks from the Thames overrun central London forcing Parliament to move to Oxford. In this novel it combines with dense fog to create an end-of-the-world atmosphere. Fraser exposes the Coughing Gent and (presumably) the accomplice who coshed Mallory, as well-known private detectives Mr J.C. Tate and Mr George Velasco. Sullenly, like naughty schoolboys, they put up with Fraser’s description of them, then, when Mallory offers to pay guineas, confess the man who put them up to following Malory is a fellow savant and rival palaeontologist, Peter Foulke. They have a gritty lunch at a roadside booth and then return to the Palace of Palaeontology to discover that someone has broken in and set fire to his room, burning a lot of his papers and clothes. It is this ‘Captain Swing’ again who is clearly carrying out a vendetta till he gets the box of cards back. Luckily Mallory has hidden them safely where no-one will ever know – inside the skull of the brontosaurus fossil which the assistants are even now erecting in the museum. the only person he tells is Ada Lovelace, who he writes a personal message to. Mallory now decides he wants to do some ‘genuine, blackguard, poverty-stricken drinking’ and Fraser suggests they go to the pleasure grounds at Cremorne Gardens in Chelsea. The shops are closing, The sky is dark yellow. it is difficult to breathe. Earlier they’d noticed the Underground railway workers had come out on strike claiming it was impossible to breathe underground. Now shops are putting up their shutters. Somewhere on the way to Chelsea Fraser and Mallory are best by a gang of boys, jeering in their faces, one of them riding an early type of roller skates. After yelling abuse at our chaps this boy spins out of control and shoots through a plate glass window. Instantly his mates start looting the shop. Fraser wades in and someone throws a shard of glass which embeds in his back, painfully though not fatally. Mallory pulls it out, staunches the bleeding and helps Fraser to the King’s Road police station. Fourth iteration: Seven Curses (93 pages) Mallory proceeds on to Cremorne Gardens where he gets drunk and chats up a woman with a fine figure if a blocky, lantern-jawed face. After a dance, they proceed to a snog, she takes him outside and lets him touch her breast. She persuades Mallory to pay their fare on a paddle streamer which will take them along the sluggish, effluent-filled Thames down to the East End. She’s called Hetty and we realise she is the flatmate of Sybil who we met in the first iteration. They are both courtesans. Hetty takes Mallory back to her squalid little rooms where they have sex several times, in a manner constrained by Victorian convention and vocabulary, for example he has to pay a lot extra for her to strip naked. Mallory uses French letters he had earlier purchased in Haymarket, and the authors use the Victorian word ‘spend’ for orgasm which, along with numerous other details, give it an authentic historic feel. Next morning Mallory emerges into a London which seems overcome by cataclysm. Overnight there has been widespread looting and shooting. Mallory himself is nearly shot down by a nervous shopkeeper. Firemen have been attacked. An omnibus pushed over and set on fire. London has collapsed into complete anarchy, with armed bands, drunk bands, rioters and looters roaming the streets and trashing street after street, as Mallory discovers as he makes his way through the foggy, dangerous streets. He gets set on by a mob and only frees himself by firing his revolver into the air. Then, in a surreal scene, he comes along a trundling cart being used by three bill posters to stick up enormous posters along the base of London buildings. This all seems harmless until he reads one they’ve just put up which starts off publicising a speech to be given by him, Mallory, before turning nasty and accusing him of all sorts of crimes. Mallory threatens the bill posters who call for their boss, who describes himself as the Poster King and sits inside the jaunting, swaying carriage into which he invites Mallory for a civilised chat. He explains that they were engaged this morning by a man calling himself Captain Swing. This captain has based himself in the West India Docks. Mallory gives them cash in exchange for all the posters libelling him. Mallory blunders through the fog dodging rioters to arrive back at the Palace of Palaeontology, with his clutch of posters. It is full of refugees from the heat and stink and fog and anarchy. Here he is delighted to discover his brother Brian, back from service in India. And Tom, the youngest brother, has motored up in the famous Zephyr. What of the marriage of their younger sister? Mallory asks. Brian sadly informs him that some bounder wrote a letter to Madeline’s fiancé accusing the innocent girl of all kinds of scandal (pre-marital sex, basically). Mallory explains the letter was written by the tout, the driver, the man who attacked him, the infamous Captain Swing. It is just part of a much larger campaign, for London is now plastered with posters exhorting the working classes to rise up against their oppressors and claim what is theirs. Fired by revenge, Brian and Tom vow to join Ned on a march to the west India Dock to find and punish this fiend. Fraser (who has joined them) agrees to come along, in the spirit of arresting this dangerous anarchist. They trundle across London from Kensington to the Isle of Dogs on Tom’s Zephyr but when they get to the docks realise that its eight-foot-high walls are guarded and the gates locked and barred. The only way in is via the locks giving onto the Thames which is at low tide. So they strip and wade across the foul stinking mud, until they’re spotted by guards, a ragamuffin crew of anarchists, but pretend themselves to be anarchists and looters and so are helped up to ground level, washed off with water and cologne, and led along to a big meeting of the lads by a cocky young lad who calls himself the Marquess of Hastings. Here, in a warehouse, Mallory is astonished to find an audience of looters and anarchists and communists being addressed by none other than Florence Russell Bartlett, the red-haired young woman who had been bullying Lady Ada at Epsom and is now haranguing an audience of lowlifes about ‘the revolutionary spirit of the working class’ (p.268) Mallory has a coughing fit and is led away by the Marquess but, in his reactions to the speaker, pretty clearly gives himself away as a patriot and radical. Before he can react Mallory punches Hastings unconscious. Hasting’s black servant Jupiter stands watching, not lifting a finger. As he remarks: ‘There is nothing to history. No progress, no justice. There is nothing but random horror.’ (p.272) Mallory returns to the lecture to find Bartlett now onto the death of the family and the triumph of free love in the communist society when he stands up and declares he has a message for Captain Swing. An uproar breaks out, chairs are thrown at him, Mallory brings out his pistol and shots are fired. Suddenly he, Brian, Tom and Fraser are on the run through the warren of Victorian warehouses. This turns into a prolonged fight, with our boys doing well but soon running out of ammunition while the enemy consolidate their position and begin sniping. our boys hide within an enormous pile of bales of cotton which they hurriedly erect into a makeshift fortress. The tide turns their way when Brian lets off an artillery piece he has, killing quite a few of the attackers, and making his way into the fortress with new rifles, but then they are again pinned down. Captain Swing himself approaches waving a white flag, calling for a truce and asking for the return of the wooden box of cards. Then the entire situation is transformed with a tremendous explosion and collapse of part of the ceiling. One or more naval ships out in the Thames are firing at the docks, which have been identified as a centre of sedition. The roof collapses. Fire breaks out. Dead and injured anarchists lie about the floor. In a cinematic moment Mallory emerges to stand on the ‘parapet’ of the cotton fortress. Captain Swing, far away on the floor of the warehouse, takes aim and misses, while Mallory methodically swings a rifle into the correct grip, takes aim, and shoots Swing down. Fraser leaps to the parapet beside him then clambers down and across the body-littered warehouse floor to clap the wounded captain in handcuffs. At just this moment the long sweltering heat stifling the capital finally breaks in a tremendous thunderstorm. Catastrophe had knocked Swing’s fortress open in a geyser of shattered brick dominoes. Mallory, blissful, the nails of his broken shoe-heel grating, walked into a London reborn. Into a tempest of cleansing rain. (p.287) The last four pages of the chapter jump to Mallory as an old man of 83 in 1908. He lived to a ripe old age and rose to become President of the Royal Society. Now we find him in the study of his home and, in a manner entirely fitting the rather hallucinatory scenes we’ve just witnessed, the narrative gives two alternative scenarios for his death from heart failure. On his desk are two folders, one to his left, one to his right. In one scenario, Mallory opens the folder on his left which describes the demise of the Japanese branch of the international Society of Light, which makes him sad and then so angry that he bursts an artery. In the other scenario, Mallory opens the folder on his right which describes the amazing new fossil finds which have been made in the Burgess shale in western Canada, an explosion of weird and inexplicable animals shapes never seen before or since which creates such a rush of blood to his head that he suffers a stroke and dies. Fifth iteration: The All-Seeing Eye (64 pages) We appear to have left Mallory now. The new focus of the narrative is Laurence Oliphant, who poses as a dandyish journalist but quite obviously belongs to one of the security services with a special interest in tracking representatives of foreign powers. It’s in this respect that he was hosting a dinner party for six Japanese men that Mallory interrupted. Now he goes about a day’s work accompanied by another fawning Japanese who is infatuated with British technology ad modern appliances, a Mr Mori Arinori. We are told that it is November 1855, some six months after Mallory’s adventure in the cotton warehouse. Lord Byron has in fact died, and been replaced by Lord Brunel (presumably Isambard Kingdom) though not without civil disturbances through the summer and there now appears to be a purge of old Luddites whose cases are being reopened and re-prosecuted by the zealous Lord Charles Egremont who is conducting something of an anti-Luddite witch-hunt. Oliphant’s leisurely drawling personage (‘his gaze, beneath the black brim of his top hat, is mild and ironical’) proceeds to: – visit Dr McNeile, a physician who uses an articulated ‘manipulation table’ and electric currents applied to the body to try and cure ‘railway spine’, a spurious medical condition in which the ‘magnetic polarity of the spine’ is supposed to have been reversed by trauma. Oliphant had been recommended to McNeile by Lady Brunel, wife of the new Prime Minister (p.295). – home to his house in Half Moon Street off Piccadilly, where his butler Bligh serves him a luncheon of cold mutton and pickle with a bottle of ale. Oliphant checks the three receiving-telegraphs on his desk and finds a request to meet from Fraser, the detective who accompanied Mallory through most of the previous two sections. – take a cab to Brigsome Terrace in the East End where Fraser is waiting to show him the body of a huge man who died of poisoning while eating a tin of baked beans in a squalid little flat. Oliphant questions Fraser and his subordinate Betteridge. A complicated picture emerges whereby several Pinkerton agents arrived in London eighteen months earlier and had begun to extend a network of contacts and informants. Betteridge had been tasked with attending a performance by a troupe of women dancers come over from New York – The Manhattan Women’s Red Pantomime Troupe. New York is now a workers’ commune, run by Karl Marx (the authors describe the revolution growing out of anti-conscription riots, and there were indeed widespread and violent riots against the conscription imposed during the Civil War). In the crowd at the panto performance Betteridge had spotted the well-known agitator, Florence Bartlett. It emerges that Bartlett is a well-known murderer and vitrioleuse i.e. acid thrower. She likely commissioned the Texian giant whose corpse they’re standing over to murder Professor Rudwick, when he refused to agree to some mission or task – and then poisoned the giant. – next day proceeds to the Statistics Bureau and to see Wakefield to ask him to run information through to the Engines to tell him who sent a particular telegram to the Duke’s Hotel. Wakefield’s machine tells him it was Charles Egremont. Oliphant asks Wakefield to find the text of the telegram and leaves. – Oliphant is much possessed by memories of flash Mick Radley’s death. He was there in the smoking room getting drunk with Houston and Mick, when Mick was called out of the room by a scared-looking woman (who we know to be Sybil Gerrard). Later that night Oliphant was called back to the hotel and has vivid flashbacks of searching through the belongings of the eviscerated Radley and wounded Houston. The Texian connection links into the visit of the red Ballet, and the arrival 18 months earlier of the Pinkertons. No direct links, But a mood. – to visit Mr Hermann Kriege, late of the New York Volks Tribüne, who had greeted Karl Marx to New York, and had been on the central committee of the commune Marx set up there, till they fell out and Kriege had to flee for his life, now living in poverty-stricken exile in a slum in Soho (like many other American exiles). Oliphant is paying him to be a spy and informer about goings-on in the émigré community. – to a pub in nearby Compton Street, which hosts dogs fighting rats competitions. Much drinking and gambling and dead rats and, occasionally, dead dogs. Oliphant meets Fraser and together they go up to the rat arena where they meet the manager Sayers, and show him a daguerreotype of the giant found murdered in the East End. Sayers confirms that that’s the big man who murdered professor Rudwick. They bump into Tate and Velasco, the confidential agents we last saw assaulting Mallory, guns for hire. They are cocky and abusive so that Fraser nearly arrests them, but suave Oliphant is charm itself and tells him to desist. They swank themselves that they are hired by an eminent member of Parliament, Oliphant guesses Egremont. – Oliphant breakfasts (presumably the next day) with Mori Arinori, the most zealous of the Japanese who have come to Britain to study its go-ahead culture. Oliphant takes him to the pantomime at the Garrick theatre, Whitechapel, to see the Manhattan Women’s Red Pantomime Troupe. The performance is full of inexplicable modernism and half naked women. They go backstage and are introduced to a ‘Helen America’ who insists they go round the corner to the latest thing in self-service cafeterias (Mr Arinori is entranced; in reality this kind of thing wouldn’t appear in America till 100 years later). Oliphant shows her an Engine-produced image of Flora Barnett which makes Helen America cross, saying Flora is no communist, is not even American. She realises Oliphant is some kind of policeman and storms out of the café. – Arriving home, Oliphant discovers that the boy Tobias who he bribed at the Statistics Bureau has tracked down the punch code of the telegraphic message sent to Duke’s hotel and delivered it while he was out. After fiddling about with screwdrivers and such, he rigs up his own telegraph-receiving machine to read the card and translate it into text. It is an illiterate long message sent by Sybil Gerrard accusing Charles Egremont of ‘ruining’ her i.e. taking her virginity out of wedlock, which we saw her dictating and sending in the first chapter, when Sybil thought she was going to Paris with flash Mick. – Oliphant, rather amazingly, pays a visit to Albert the Prince Consort, with whom he on intimate terms, having brought a present for the son and heir, Alfred. (It turns out the Japanese automaton we saw earlier in the story was also a gift designed for young ‘Affie although, like most children, he’s managed to break it). In the middle of reading Affie the new storybook he’s brought, an urgent message comes for Oliphant. He races by cab to Fleet Street where he discovers there’s been an outrage. Florence Bartlett and two assistants broke into the Museum of Practical geology and stole the skull Mallory’s brontosaurus. They made their getaway in a horse and trap. Getting caught in a jam with another cab, the baddies pulled out a gun, passing police fired on them and there happened to be a soldier passing by and carrying one of the new ‘Russian shotguns’ which – I have only now realised – are a newfangled type of extremely destructive hand-held weapon, maybe like a bazooka (I realise Brian had used one of these to devastate the attackers in the Battle of the West India Docks). Anyway, Florence Bartlett and her two assistants are very dead, along with half a dozen passersby and police. Rival police agencies are at work on the bodies and Fraser takes Oliphant aside and slips him the case they found on the dead robbers, covered in plaster and obviously extracted from the skull. And a letter informing Bartlett that the case is inside the skull. They both recognise the hand-writing of Ada Lovelace, deary me she really is deep into this trouble. Oliphant slips away with this booty, and examines it at leisure at the office of his tobacconists’, not far away in Chancery Lane. He destroys the letter from Ada then asks the man to lock the box containing the Engine-cards in his safe. What the devil is on them?? The climax In pages 330 to 355 or so we find out what it’s all about. The set of Engine-cards which Mallory received from lady Ada and Captain Swing went to such trouble to reclaim and which Flora Bartlett died stealing, are French in origin. They contain a code designed to disable the Great Napoleon, the name given to the vast calculating machine prized by the French. Disabling it is a blow for the anarchists and those who oppose this surveillance society. Oliphant confronts Wakefield in his club and learns that Egremont, via his department of Anthropometry, has taken over the Bureau of Statistics. Wakefield is scared to be seen with Oliphant. We learn from his muttered remarks that Oliphant and his people were the first to practice swiping people off the street, interrogating them and then making them disappear. They did it in a ‘good’ cause. But now Egremont and his people are going to do it in order to secure their grip on power. Egremont is close to Francis Galton, cousin of Darwin, who holds power in the Lords and is a strong proponent of genetics. Of helping evolution along by sterilising the poor and weak and forcing the breeding of the noble and fit. It isn’t stated in these terms, but this constellation of forces has the potential to institute a Fascist society. Convinced he is being followed, Oliphant slips out into a back alley, and catches a night train to Paris where he meets a trusted colleague high up in the Imperial Police Force. He wants to the whereabouts of Sybil Gerrard. It is only when he meets Sybil in a bohemian Montmartre café that we learn that it isn’t simply a case of Egremont deflowering – or maybe ‘abusing’ Sybil, as we would say nowadays. Much more dangerous to Egremont is that in his early days, he was a sympathiser with the Luddites, he was a colleague and friend of Sybil’s father. It was only later that he helped get him arrested and hanged. And the witchhunt he is organising under the new Prime Minister, Lord Brunel, reflects his paranoia about his old links with the Luddites resurfacing. In the Montmartre café Oliphant appears to persuade a reluctant Sybil to help him, to dictate a testament about her own deflowering but also about Egremont’s early political heresy, which will ruin him and stop the totalitarian party. Cut to a really brief, clipped scene: Mr Mori Arinori arrives outside the Belgravia home of Charles Egremont MP in a new-fangled Zephyr, parks, takes off his goggles, walks politely over to Egremont, ignoring the machine-gun-armed bodyguard, bows, hands Egremont ‘a stout manila envelope’ and returns to his car. Egremont watches him, puzzled. The reader is left to deduce that the envelope must contain Sybil’s testimony and some kind of demand that Egremont resign. Modus: The images tabled This is a peculiar thing to have in a work of fiction: the last 27 pages form a sort of appendix made up of excerpts from various documents, diaries, letters, recordings, histories and so on which shed light on how the alternative history came about, tell us about the later destinies of many of the characters, and ‘explain’ the meaning of the Engine-cards. 1864 – A (fictional) extract from an essay by Charles Babbage explaining how insight into using a language of signs and symbols extended the theoretical workings of the Difference Engine into the practical form of an Analytical Engine. 1830 – Letter to a newspaper encouraging readers to go out and vote for Babbage in the 1830 General Election. 1912 – (Fictional) history describing how Wellington’s repression in 1830 featuring massacres of protesters led to the Times of Trouble and eventual triumph of Lord Byron’s Industrial radical Party. 1855 – (Fictional) letter from Disraeli describing Lord Byron’s state funeral. 1855 – three-page testimony from Byron’s wife describing how she had to put up with his – to her – disgusting sexual practices which she out up with while finding solace in the kindly educating of Charles Babbage, full of ‘the pure light of mathematical science’. 1855 – a couple of miners working with the huge underground digger boring tube tunnels witness a visit by the Grand Master Miner Emeritus 1855 – record of the words of the Reverend Alistair Roseberry who denounces Ada Byron as a debauched gambler, before he is grappled to the ground and actually shot. 1855 – Brunel’s address to his cabinet asking their help to deal with the murder of Roseberry. 1855 – testimony of Kenneth Reynolds, nightwatchman at the Museum of Practical Geology, on discovering the corpse of the Marquess of Hastings who a) we met cockily inviting Mallory and brothers up into the West India Docks, who then b) Mallory punched unconscious and c) took part in the robbery led by Florence Bartlett to steal the box of Engine-cards from their hiding place in the skull of the brontosaurus, being lowered by rope through the skylight, extracting the box and handing it up to his colleagues before slipping and falling onto the hard stone floor below, shattering his skull. 1870 – memo to the Foreign Office from Lord Liston, describing the drunk behaviour of the ex-President of the American Union Mr Clement L. Vallandigham – to which is added a note that Sam Houston, ex-President of Texas, recently passed away in exile in Mexico. 1875 – spoken reminiscences of Thomas Towler, grandfather of Edward Towler, inventor of the Towler Audiograph who remembers a) the extreme poverty before the Rad government revolutionised the economy and b) the way Lord Byron roused the English to send food to Ireland during the Potato Famine, thus securing the loyalty of the Irish for generations. 1857 – John Keats gives testimony about a meeting with Oliphant. Oliphant is a smooth operator but we have but we have been given access to his mind and his rather paranoid fears and waking nightmares about an ‘all-seeing Eye’, which knows all our numbers and identities, that the computational powers of the Engines will match and supersede God’s knowledge. Oliphant has Keats confirm that kinetropy is probably the most advanced branch of computing, and then gives him the French Engine-cards to analyse and find out what they mean. Lyrics to the Great Panmelodium Polka, the panmelodium being the Victorian steampunk version of a juke box. 1860 – snippet of gossip from Tatler machine that Oliphant has set sail, leaving Britain to join the Susquehanna Phalanstery established by Professor Coleridge and the Reverend Wordsworth, which could be interpreted as a) the gloomy religious visions which we saw occasionally dogging his mind have tipped him over or b) Britain became too dangerous for him. 1866 – the full Victorian-style playbill of a major new Kinotropic Drama staged by J.J. Tobias, who we met as the junior clerk in the Quantitative Criminology section of the Central Statistics Bureau, and who Oliphant bribed to get him the text of the telegram which turns out to have been the accusation sent by Sybil to Charles Egremont. 1854 – poem written by Mori Yujo, samaurai and classical scholar on his son’s departure for England. 1854 – letter home to his father from Mori Arinori describing his first sighting of the shore of England. Narrative A – a return to the third person narrator which gives a seven-page description of Lady Ada on a speaking tour of Paris in which she describes in rather mystical terms the potential for the so-called ‘Modus Programme’ to lead to an Engine whose method of self-referentiality might eventually lead it to self-awareness. There’s scattered applause from the half-filled auditorium and Fraser (for it is he; a much older, white-bearded Fraser, wounded from some incident in the line of duty, now retired and allotted a final task of being Lady Ada’s bodyguard) helps her to her changing room where he knows she’ll help herself liberally to the gin. He waits at the stage door where he finds a woman loitering. At first he (and the reader) think it might be part of some diabolical scheme: maybe someone’s going to kidnap lady Ada and replace her with an impersonator who will travel across Europe saying… saying what, exactly? But it turns out to be Sybil Gerrard, only now using the surname Tournechon (as she told Oliphant when he tracked her down to the Montmartre café). When Ada emerges, at first Sibyl asks for an autograph – then changes her tone and asks what it feels like to be a little old lady, lecturing to empty halls, deliberately hurtful. Then changes her tune again, trying to push past Fraser (who is by now pushing her away) in order to give Ada a large and genuine diamond ring, presumably made with one of the diamonds she stole from Houston after he was stabbed. Then she is gone. Fraser helps her into the gurney. It drives to their hotel. Fraser helps her up to her room. They discuss money. Maybe she will have to go and lecture in America, though whether Confederate South or Union North… Fraser recalls being given the job by ‘the Hierarch’ (the only time this word is used in the book: who does he mean? is it as simple as Lord Brunel?) His task is to keep her out of England and so out of scandal, away from gambling dens, try to keep her sober and out of trouble. And then, in a weird and disorientating final move, Ada is in her hotel room, looking into a mirror and… it reflects a city which is… the city of London in 1991. These last four or so paragraphs are confusing. The Wikipedia synopsis says that the London described on this final page, the London of this alternative world, is a city built entirely of Engines in which the self-referential computer programme referred to by Lady Ada finally, at the very end of the book, in its last words, attains self-consciousness! When I first read it I didn’t get this, and I didn’t understand the final, impressionistic sentences where this is, apparently, described as happening. What I very much did read into the final couple of paragraphs was the apparent fact that human beings have ceased to exist. That cities are futuristic artefacts in which human-like simulacra are created by the All-Seeing Eye solely for the purpose of analysing their actions, interactions, for analysing the nature of causation and chance themselves. Paper-thin faces billow like sails, twisting, yawning, tumbling through the empty streets, human faces that are borrowed masks, and lenses for a peering Eye. And when a given face has served its purpose, it crumbles frail as ash, bursting into a dry foam of data, its constituent bits and motes. But new fabrics of conjecture are knitted in the City’s shining cores, swift tireless spindles flinging off invisible loops in their millions, while in the hot unhuman dark, data melts and mingles, churned by gearwork in a skeletal bubbling pumice, dipped in a dreaming wax that forms a simulated flesh… (pp.382-3) I am in two minds about this conclusion. On the one hand it is a familiar science fiction trope, that somehow humans have been eliminated by computers – as in the Terminator franchise of movies – or only the facade of human life is maintained to serve the computers’ purposes – very like the situation in The Matrix films. And it’s fair to say that this abrupt, dystopian future does follow logically from the speculations of Ada Lovelace, which themselves grow out of the pioneering work of Babbage, so worryingly premature and advanced in this alternative history. BUT, all that said, the appeal of the previous 282 pages all derived from the vivid language and extravagant delineation of a host of very human characters, especially tough Mallory, suave Oliphant, and unflappable Fraser. And a lot of the appeal is from the verbal energy of their dialogue and the Victorian vocabulary deployed in the narrative prose. The final Terminator-style vision of a post-human world goes a long way to annulling all the affection and complex network of feelings for both the characters and the prose which the previous 380 pages had so carefully, and impressively, built up. I wish they had found some other clever way of rounding off the story which kept it within the gorgeously humanistic tapestry of the alternative 19th century they so brilliantly created. Or maybe left it with the rather inconsequential back alley confrontation between Ada and Sibyl. It’s often a characteristic of ‘high literature’ that it does not end with the boom and the bang that genre fiction often demands – instead it relies for its final impact on something more obtuse and implied, such as that vivid but ineffective confrontation between Ada and Sybil would have provided. So I think I think that the ending of this wonderful, thoroughly researched and deeply entertaining book, lets it down. The Difference Engine on Amazon Reviews of books by William Gibson Neuromancer (1984) Burning Chrome (1986) Count Zero (1986) Mona Lisa Overdrive (1988) Alternative histories The Man in the High Castle by Philip K. Dick (1962) In an alternative future America lost the Second World War and has been partitioned between Japan and Nazi Germany. The narrative follows a motley crew of characters including a dealer in antique Americana, a German spy who warns a Japanese official about a looming surprise German attack, and a woman determined to track down the reclusive author of a hit book which describes an alternative future in which America won the Second World War. The Alteration by Kingsley Amis (1976) Set in a 20th century England and Europe where the Reformation – and thus the Industrial revolution – never happened and so the Catholic Church still rules the entire continent. SS-GB by Len Deighton (1978) A detective thriller set in England soon after Nazi Germany won the war and occupied England. Russian Hide-and-Seek by Kingsley Amis (1980) Set in a near-future when the Soviet Union took advantage of the campaign for nuclear disarmament and invaded and conquered England. Fatherland by Robert Harris (1992) A detective thriller set in the 1960s after Nazi Germany invaded Britain, made peace with America, and now rules the entire continent. by Simon on March 5, 2019 • Permalink Posted in Books, Novel, Science Fiction Tagged 1855, 1990, abolition, Ada Byron, all-seeing Eye, alternative history, American Civil War, Analytical Engine, Benjamin Disraeli, book, Bow Street Special Branch, brontosaurus, Bruce Sterling, Captain Swing, catastrophism, Central Statistics Bureau, Charles Babbage, Charles Egremont, Clement L. Vallandigham, Coleridge, computer, Confederacy, Darwin, Derby Day, Difference Engine, Dr McNeile, Duke of Wellington, Ebenezer Fraser, Edward Mallory, Edward Towler, Flash Mick, Florence Bartlett, Florence Russell Bartlett, Francis Galton, Great Napoleon, Great Stink, Half Moon Street, Helen America, Hermann Kriege, Industrial Radical Party, Irish Potato Famine, Isambard Kingdom Brunel, J.J. Tobias, John Keats, Karl Marx, Kenneth Reynolds, kinetropy, Lady Ada Byron, Laurence Oliphant, Leviathan Mallory, Lord Byron, Lord Liston, Luddites, Manhattan Women's Red Pantomime Troupe, Marquess of Hastings, Michael Godwin, Michael Radley, Modus Programme, Mori Arinori, Mori Yujo, Museum of Practical Geology, New York Commune, novel, Palace of Palaeontology, Peter Foulke, Prince Albert, Quantitative Criminology, Queen of Engines, Reverend Alistair Roseberry, Rudwick, Sam Houston, science fiction, Slavery, steampunk, Stephen Jay Gould, Sybil Gerrard, Sybil Tournechon, Terminator, Texas, The angel of Goliad, The Difference Engine, The Matrix, Thomas Henry Huxley, Thomas Towler, Time of Troubles, Times of Trouble, Underground, uniformitarianism, Union, Victoriana, Wakefield, Walter Gerrard, West India Dock, William Gibson, Wordsworth, Wyoming, Zephyr Posted by Simon on March 5, 2019 https://astrofella.wordpress.com/2019/03/05/the-difference-engine-william-gibson-bruce-sterling/	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0037.json.gz/line2861
__label__cc	0.716941	0.283059	Community Energy Project Case Studies Tackling Fuel Poverty Food Waste To Community Energy Book An Energy Survey BHESCo announces share offer Published by Kayla Ente on 02/05/2015 02/05/2015 Brighton and Hove Energy Saving Co-operative (BHESCO) launched its bid to raise £1M to fund up to 10 community renewable energy and energy efficiency projects in Sussex. When people put money into the co-operative, they become members and buy shares. For a minimum investment of £250, each investor receives a 5-7% year on year return. BHESCo has advanced assurance for the Enterprise Investment scheme giving 30% relief on the amount invested. People who invest £500 will be able to claim £150 of that straight back in their next tax return. If the interest rate continues into subsequent tax years, investors will have doubled their money in 11 years. Moreover they will become part of a movement that helps reduce reliance on fossil fuels and contributes to a more sustainable future. The offer was formally launched via Ethex, the UK’s award winning positive investment website. The minimum investment is £250 and the maximum is £100,000. To apply visit www.ethex.org.uk. BHESCO’s share offer feeds into an innovative business model that forms a blueprint for energy groups across the country. By establishing a portfolio of services, including partnerships with energy suppliers, energy assessments and energy consultancy, the co-operative has successfully created a number of robust revenue streams. The model can be adopted in other towns and cities to ensure endurance of local energy groups. The event has received coverage from local newspaper, The Argus and The Brighton & Hove Independent. The first installations include a biomass boiler for an independent school in Hove and a total retrofit of energy saving technology, including a solar array, for a social enterprise that manages affordable office spaces. BHESCO is also working with Brighton & Hove City Council to install solar on schools. As well as benefitting from the government’s Feed-In-Tariff and renewable heat incentive – which guarantees a fixed price for community generated renewable energy for 20 years, the projects will also make significant savings on energy bills. These factors combined give investors a 5% annual return on their investment, while enabling BHESCO to reinvest any profits in more community owned energy projects. Kayla Ente, Founder and CEO said: “We’re used to thinking that doing good and making money are often opposed, especially when it comes to energy, but that doesn’t apply here. This is a win-win-win – Sussex gets more renewable energy while properties are made more efficient, cutting our carbon footprint and energy bills. Businesses and organisations we work with get cheaper energy, and the people who’s money makes it happen receive an interest rate that’s 10 times better than what they’re getting on their bank savings.” BHESCO (www.bhesco.co.uk) is a co-operative society registered with the Financial Conduct Authority registered number 32097R. The offer is not affected by the FSMA 2002 regulations on public offerings on shares. For more information on community shares, see www.communityshares.org.uk Community energy is a fast-growing sector of the activity, aided by the payment of the Government’s Feed-in-tariff and renewable heat incentive that guarantees a fixed price for 20 years, enabling BHESCO to reward its members with strong financial returns. Categories: EnergyNews & BlogRenewablesTax Tags: BHESCoCommunity Energyenergy efficiencyKayla Enterenewable energyrenewable energy sussex 6 quick and easy ways to save energy and stay warm this winter Why Sizewell C is a bad deal for the UK public and our net zero goals An Alternative Ten Point Plan to achieve net zero emissions in the UK by 2030 How can community energy groups help the UK become net zero by 2030? Harnessing the transformative power of community energy Blog Categories Select Category Activities Campaigning Climate Change Community Community Energy Projects Coronavirus Economics Energy Energy Bills Energy Efficiency Energy Policy Energy savings Events Fossil fuels Fracking Fuel Poverty Heating Innovation & Technology Investing News & Blog Nuclear Opinion Renewables Retrofit Shocking Switches blog page Smart meters Tax Uncategorized Join The Energy Revolution Become a shareholder in our award winning business and receive 3% interest on your investment Join BHESCo Sign up to our regular mailing list to receive updates about news and events from the world of community energy or browse our Newsletter Archive Making simple energy saving improvements to your home can help to drive down energy costs and greatly improve warmth and comfort. The UK does not need Sizewell C or any other nuclear power stations – we can meet our energy needs with 100% clean renewable energy The UK Government's Ten Point Plan to reduce carbon emissions will not be enough to avoid catastrophic global heating. BHESCo have developed an Alternative Ten Point Plan that would deliver net zero emissions for the UK by 2030. Join our monthly newsletter for trends and breakthroughs from the world of community energy or browse our Newsletter Archive Brighton & Hove Energy Services Co-operative 22 Old Steine, Brighton, BN1 1EL info@bhesco.co.uk Copyright BHESCo 2020	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0037.json.gz/line2865
__label__wiki	0.852773	0.852773	Tyler Perry / Photo Credit: Getty Images Tyler Perry Gives $500 Tip To Each Worker On A 42-Person Restaurant Staff In Atlanta The contribution could provide some relief as restaurants face financial uncertainty amid the coronavirus pandemic. by Tomas Kassahun Tyler Perry has made a habit of helping people during critical times. The 50-year-old's latest generous act was tipping restaurant workers who may be struggling financially during the coronavirus crisis. According to TMZ, the film mogul left a $500 tip for each of the 42 employees at a Houston's restaurant in Atlanta, totaling $21,000. Perry, who is reportedly a regular customer at the restaurant, was picking up a to-go order on Sunday when he gave the large sum. Perry's contribution could provide some relief for the employees as food establishments face uncertainty. Last month, Georgia-based restaurant owner and Top Chef judge Hugh Acheson explained the dire situation restaurants are facing during the pandemic. "It has been some tough times overall for many restaurant owners in the last few years. Costs up, rents up, employees scarce, wine tariffs toyed sucked our bottom lines," the chef tweeted. "I was worried a year ago, but nothing like this. We are about to see a lot of places go broke forever." It has been some tough times overall for many restaurant owners in the last few years. Costs up, rents up, employees scarce, wine tariffs toyed sucked our bottom lines... I was worried a year ago, but nothing like this. We are about to see a lot of places go broke forever. — Hugh Acheson (@HughAcheson) March 14, 2020 Acheson expressed more concern in another tweet a day later, saying "we are so fked." We are so fucked. Nite y’all. Business owners and employees have also expressed their concerns on social media. "I'm a server in Atlanta with four kids. I'm legit fked," one person said. Tell me about it. I'm a server in Atlanta with four kids. I'm legit fucked. — Croly (@JCroly4) March 16, 2020 "The human cost is the worst cost, telling a group of people that I may have to cut hours to the point where they lose benefits is hard, they work for me because I am a full tip share house and offer benefits," another social media user said. The human cost is the worst cost, telling a group of people that I may have to cut hours to the point where they lose benefits is hard, they work for me because I am a full tip share house and offer benefits. — chrismcintosh1 (@chrismcintosh75) March 15, 2020 According to The New York Times, about 9 million Americans have filed for unemployment in the past two weeks as the pandemic continues to take its toll. Perry has also tried to lift people's spirits during the coronavirus crisis. Last month, he launched a gospel challenge to relieve stress, inspiring other celebrities to sing their own rendition of "He Got The Whole World In His Hands." The actor pulled off another heroic act last year when he reached out to an American couple who fell ill during their vacation and got stranded in a Mexico hospital because they couldn't pay their medical bills. Perry covered the $14,000 bill for Tori Austin and Stephen Johnson in addition to paying for their travel expenses to help them come back home. The producer helped another family in need last year, covering the rent for four children, including two minors, who were in danger of being evicted after their mother was shot and killed. Perry has also discussed his plans to build a compound in his Atlanta studio that would help homeless women, displaced LGBTQ youth and human trafficking victims.	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0037.json.gz/line2869
__label__wiki	0.822252	0.822252	Behind The Goal Sturridge suffers injury setback Daniel Sturridge will not be available for Liverpool's League Cup semi-final first leg at Stoke after suffering a minor setback in his recovery from a hamstring injury in training. The striker, 26, has been blighted by injuries, making only 19 appearances last season and six this campaign... Creaky Forum: League Cup Behind The Goal caters for all types of football supporters from across the globe, aiming to provide access to the latest news, gossip and a great deal more. With a diverse range of content and a welcoming, amicable community, Behind The Goal is a forum open to anyone and everyone. Please do not hesitate to share the experience. ConsoleVideoGamer The Hot Desktop GadgetBit Mavic360 Welcome to BehindTheGoal! We are a community of football supporters. If you are already a registered member then you can login here If you are new to the site then why not join up? It will only take a couple of minutes to register, by doing so all adverts will be removed from the site. You can register here or you can use your Facebook or Twitter account.	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0037.json.gz/line2874
__label__cc	0.716065	0.283935	Tax Law Changes for Small Businesses in 2020 3 Jan 2020, in delegation, strategic support team, Business, entrepreneur, Productivity, entrepreneurship, Know, small business, Strategy, virtual entrepreneur, For Entrepreneurs, Entrepreneurs, Hiring, business owner, small business owner, taxes, busy entrepreneur KNOW \| TWELVE, JANUARY 2020 Small Business Tax Laws for 2020 Welcome to 2020! Are you ready for tax season? As a small business owner, your time is money, and with so much on your plate, we thought we’d bring you a quick overview of changes in tax laws for 2020 that you may not be aware of. In this thorough review from Businessnewsdaily.com , we found some very useful tips and updates that apply to most small business owners. Here are some key takeaways: There are some important deadlines to keep in mind: S-corps must file their business taxes by March 15. The deadline for 2020 tax returns is April 15. Quarterly estimated tax deadlines are due April 15, June 15, Sept. 15 and Jan. 15 Stay Safe With Google Chrome Password Checkup 1 Mar 2019, in entrepreneurship, Know, small business, For Entrepreneurs, Entrepreneurs, Google, Facebook, delegate tasks, delegation process, small business owner, taxes, facebook messages, password protection, Google Chrome KNOW \| TWELVE, MARCH 2019 Here's How Delete Messages You Regret Sending on Facebook Messenger Facebook now lets you delete messages from old Messenger chats, a feature only Mark Zuckerberg used to have. Facebook launched a new feature in early February that lets you delete old messages inside its chat platform, Facebook Messenger. If you’d like to clean up your old chat history or have sent messages you may regret, there is an easy way to delete them. You can even delete newly sent messages if you act within 10 minutes of sending. First, open the Facebook Messenger app on your phone or desktop and find a conversation with messages you would like to delete. On your phone, press and hold on a message or select the three dots menu icon on desktop version. Choose “remove” next to the message. If you have sent the message in the last 10 minutes you can select “remove for everyone” to make sure the messages disappear from the indexes of the people you’ve sent them to, not just your own history. - CNBC New Tax Break for Small Business Owners 1 Feb 2019, in entrepreneurship, Know, small business, For Entrepreneurs, Entrepreneurs, Google, small business owner, taxes, G Suite KNOW \| TWELVE, FEBRUARY 2019 This New Tax Break Can Make a Big Difference for Small Business Owners The IRS regulations on Qualified Business Income was a major piece of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. This deduction is available for tax years 2018-2025 to eligible individuals, estates, and trusts that own interests in pass-through entities. For QBI deduction purposes, pass-through entities are defined as sole proprietorships, single-member (one owner) LLCs that are treated as sole proprietorships for tax purposes, partnerships, LLCs that are treated as partnerships for tax purposes, and S corporations. While the QBI deduction is available to individuals, estates, and trusts, the proposed regulations refer to all three as “individuals.” Qualified business income means the net of qualified items of income, gain, deduction, and loss from an eligible business that’s operated via a pass-through entity. The deduction does not reduce your adjusted gross income (AGI). In effect, it’s treated the same as an allowable itemized deduction. The QBI deduction also does not reduce net earnings from self-employment for purposes of the self-employment tax nor does it reduce your net investment income for purposes of the 3.8% net investment income tax. The bottom line is that the QBI deduction regulations are lengthy and complex. This column only scratches the surface of the proposed rules. You may need to employ a tax professional to help you sort through the details and get the best QBI deduction results in your specific circumstances. - MarketWatch Apple Releases New Security Update and Facebook Announces News Feed Change in delegation, entrepreneur, Productivity, Know, delegate solutions, small business, remote support, virtual entrepreneur, Delegate, For Entrepreneurs, Remote Team, remote support options, Apple, Facebook, small business owner, taxes, busy entrepreneur, tax benefits, entrepreneurial company, remote work Apple releases new security update to protect Safari against the Spectre attack Apple has released a security update for iOS, macOS and Safari to protect against attacks exploiting the recently published vulnerability called Spectre. Although few details are available on the updates themselves, Apple’s description states that the purpose is to protect against Spectre attacks and researchers responsible for discovering the bug have been thanked in the acknowledgements, including Google’s Jann Horn. This is the second group of updates released by Apple, who confirmed that all devices running iOS and macOS were affected by the Spectre vulnerability. Another recently uncovered vulnerability, Meltdown, has already been addressed with specific patches released for iOS (11.2), macOS (10.13.2), and tvOS (11.2). Facebook Is Introducing New Tools to Prevent Fake News in Productivity, Know, small business, For Entrepreneurs, Facebook, Healthcare, small business owner, Health Insurance, taxes, busy entrepreneur, productive, tax benefits Study: Premium Hikes Add $10B to Taxpayers' Health Law Tab. Taxpayers will fork over nearly $10 billion more next year to cover double-digit premium hikes for subsidized health insurance under President Barack Obama's law, according to a study released. The analysis from the Center for Health and Economy comes as the Republican-led Congress is preparing to repeal "Obamacare" and replace it with a GOP alternative whose details have yet to be worked out.	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0037.json.gz/line2880
__label__cc	0.64911	0.35089	Using Technology to Stay Connected with Loved Ones By Leticia Barr Now, more than ever, we’re eager to find ways to stay in touch with loved ones. You can see the possibilities of a massive family call on screen. But you know the limitations of your less tech savvy family members. Under normal circumstances, you would sit with your grandparents or older relatives in person for a tech tutorial. These days, making the switch all alone to new technology can be daunting and further those feelings of isolation. Video: Frontier’s Tips on Keeping The Whole Family Connected: We’ve looked for solutions that work well for every member of your family. After a how-to lesson, in which you do a non-stressful virtual walkthrough, you can use these apps and devices to stay connected to those you love. Just try one app lesson at a time. Then email some directions, screenshots and photos of which buttons to press on a keyboard or screen so they’ll have a guide in case they forget. Here are 5 keep-in-touch solutions that are fun, easy to learn and use. Host a Video Reunion The energy, the laughs, the fun can all be experienced on a video call when multiple generations join each other online at the same time. Apps like Zoom or Google Meet are free to use and can be downloaded to individual devices (smartphones, laptops, tablets, and desktop computers) so everyone can participate from the comfort of their own homes. They’re great for small or large virtual family gatherings. Setting up a video reunion is as easy as selecting which platform to use, scheduling a video call for your designated time, and sending the link out so all family members can join. You can also set up recurring video call times for regular reunions with those you love. Don’t forget to explain how to turn on the camera and microphone! Start a Family Group Chat While it’s great to see everyone’s faces during scheduled video reunions, it’s also nice to keep in touch between those times. A group text with family members is one way to get a family chat going but free apps such as Marco Polo also help loved ones stay connected. Marco Polo is a video chatting app that allows family members to keep up with conversations on their own time. Text messages and videos can be shared within a private family group where members can watch and respond whenever they’re free. Spontaneous face-to-face conversations can happen through Marco Polo, and there’s no requirement for members to be logged on at the same time. Marco Polo is ideal for families with social media loving tweens and teens and older family members who want to stay connected via text and video chats. Have a Virtual Story Time There is no bad time to use technology to share a favorite story! Facetime, Zoom, Google Meet, Marco Polo, and other platforms can be used to connect a child with a loved one for a virtual story time. Encourage grandparents, aunts, uncles, and even older cousins to select a favorite book from their bookshelves and connect with kids through screens for a read aloud. Younger kids will love having picture books read to them as they gaze at the screen to see the photos and older kids will listen attentively to chapter books as the voice comes through the speaker. Virtual story times are a great way to engage all family members who can help foster literacy, listening skills, a love of books, and connections from afar. Check out some of the story reading apps, too, like Caribu. Create Content and Play Games Together One of the difficulties of being apart is missing out on special moments and interactions as our younger kids grow and change. The JusTalk app engages younger kids in fun activities through video chats, and game apps encourage interactions. The free JusTalk app allows users to make one-to-one video calls, even group calls with up to 50 members, and also provides the ability for kids to engage in drawing and games during the call. They can draw and share their doodles, stickers, and photos in real time or challenge loved ones to games while video chatting. JusTalk also lets you preserve special interactions by recording and saving your video and voice call. Memorable moments will always be available in the Memories section of the app, making it fun for young parents and grandparents to look back on as kids grow. Invest in Family Friendly Devices Yes, there are simplified devices designed specifically for the tech averse. Portal from Facebook and GrandPad are two popular options. Portal from Facebook is a smart video calling device with an easy to use interface. With a single tap, Portal can make calls through Messenger or WhatsApp and once you’re connected, the built-in Smart Camera follows every move. Unlike static cameras, it scans the room, adjusting to include family members all family members in the frame. While you’re apart and not in a call, Portal works as a photo frame to display photos that are automatically pulled from your connected Facebook and Instagram accounts. It also shows you when loved ones are available to connect and provides birthday reminders, so you never forget a family member’s special day. Designed with seniors in mind, GrandPad is a simplified tablet large buttons and comes loaded with essential apps, all with an intuitive interface that facilitates video chatting and sharing memories. GrandPad is ready to use out of the box. The subscription comes with a private family network for family members to update phone numbers, change options, and create new contacts for users from a companion app or web portal. A white glove support team based in the United States provides peace of mind that grandparents can access tech support for help troubleshooting. Time spent apart from loved ones physically does not need to feel isolating. We need to find ways reach out to each other in ways that make us comfortable and comforted. Technology is giving us all new ways to adapt and connect. aging and techconnectivitykids and techtips and tricks Tina is an experienced writer and producer in the entertainment industry. She has worked at netw... Satta Sarmah Hightower Satta is a former journalist turned freelance writer specializing in consumer technology.... Chuck Tanowitz Chuck is a writer, journalist and communications expert focused on innovation and emerging techn... Laura Dorwart Laura holds an M.F.A. in creative nonfiction writing and a Ph.D. in philosophy. She's a mom cove... Tyler Pearce Tyler is a writer, editor, and coach with over a decade of experience in tech and wellness. She ...	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0037.json.gz/line2882
__label__cc	0.744893	0.255107	Blackberry's are definitely past their use by date now As I stated earlier this year my thoughts and feelings for Blackberry's, if you haven't yet read it you'll find it here: http://jaytongarnett.blogspot.com/2011/02/blackberry-passed-their-sell-by-date.html Just do a search and you'll see what I mean: http://www.google.co.uk/search?sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8&q=blackberry+bad+sales This link shows that RIM has lost 1.89% in one day! Last November their share price was almost $70 a share, today ? $27. Ouch. http://www.marketwatch.com/investing/stock/rim?countrycode=ca Things have really changed for the worse since then, the sudden popularity of Android and increasing iPhone sales have really reversed the Blackberry trend, a lot of people I know go for Android because they're cheap, do everything a phone does and everything that Android does too, more recent models are also much higher spec than the iphone 4, though that will even out for a few months when the iphone 5 comes out. Research In Motion (RIM), seemed to have been standing still while iOS and Android zoomed past with blistering sales. Why? Well the iPhone 4 the the most 'desired' phone, probably the best selling single phone from a single manufacturer, too, counting all variants as one model as the only differences are storage capacities. Android, well this is where Blackberry have really lost ground. Why? The number of OEM's flogging cut price handsets to high spec handsets. The thing about Android is that is can do just about anything because it's opensource(ish). Blackberry, well it's been pretty lame is responding to these two main competitors. The best device to come from RIM has been the Playbook, but even then it's still not a finished product and needs more polishing. They should have waited to release it until it could run Android Apps and baked an email client into the device. Why didn't they? Because they have no vision. Why go and spend all that money and time on making an OS that runs Android Apps anyway? They should have climbed on board the Android train if that was their aim. Seriously RIM, what were you thinking?! Not all Androids are equal. Look at the HTC Sense UI, it is by far the best UI for Android phones, even their tablet runs 2.3 and has Sense layered on top. It's a fantastic device imo Blackberry with all the R&D might could have done similar and been to market before anyone else and layered a great UI on top and it would have been way more polished than their tablet. But alas they didn't. Again they were too slow in the uptake. I almost feel bad for them, but I never owned a Blackberry and never wanted too. I think it's a curse of the large enterprises, Microsoft got kicked too and as good as Windows Phone 7 is - it's just not selling well at all. Apple take ages to patch iOS sometimes and release a new major version, what once a year? But they stagger device releases throughout the year, throwing their fans a bone every few months. It works well for them. Google have got it right. Update, update, update, don't stop just keep updating and innovating. Chrome gets updated very regularly, as does Android and Google Plus. Pity OEM's don't follow suit, but then they are mostly large enterprises that are slow to react. This needs to change. The bottom line is that large enterprises need to adapt quickly, Google are good at doing that. Perhaps Research in Motion should be rebranded as Research in Slow Motion? Just a thought. Sorry RIM, you've had your day and were too slow to react and now suffering for it. Don't worry though your friends at Nokia are in the same boat as you. Caio for now! Labels: android, Apple, Blackberry, google, Nokia, RIM	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0037.json.gz/line2883
__label__wiki	0.502614	0.502614	Success Stories of Women in the Startup Nation Jun 25, 2014 \| Knowledge Center, Weekly Newsletter OurCrowd launched a new webinar series called ‘Teach-In Tuesdays’. In this series, we’ll explore investing in early-stage Israeli companies, identify and explain influential tech trends, stay up-to-date with the crowdfunding industry, and examine actionable insights from our own experience running OurCrowd’s investment platform. Yesterday, we held a webcast as part of the OurCrowd Teach-In Tuesdays series on the recent progress of women entrepreneurs, why we are seeing more women-led enterprises and what it will take to encourage more women to take the entrepreneurial plunge. Additional topics covered in the webcast: About the advantages of being a woman in the male-dominated Israeli tech scene Personal experiences from the trenches Sage advice from experienced woman entrepreneurs Featured experts: Evelyn Rubin, Business Development Partner at OurCrowd. Evelyn Rubin joined OurCrowd after more than a decade of experience in Israel’s venture capital and technology industries. Previously a Senior Editor at Seeking Alpha, Evelyn was formerly a Senior Associate at JVP, a leading international venture capital fund in Jerusalem. Ranit Fink, Chief Business Development Officer at Cellrox. Mrs. Fink has 7 years of experience in software development and project management in technology companies. She holds an M.Sc. in Computer Science from Columbia and a B.Sc. in Computer Science from BIU. * Due to technical difficulties Orna Mintz-Dov was unable to join us, we hope to have her present in the near future. ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: To stay updated on future events and the best news from the Startup Nation, sign up for our newsletter, email us, and follow us on social media. To contact Zack Miller, follow him on Linkedin / @newrulesinvest To contact Evelyn Rubin, follow her on Linkedin To contact Ranit Fink, follow her on Linkedin View the FULL program Previous5 ways investors can invest in the next WhatsApp NextOurCrowd’s portfolio company Curiyo featured on Mashable The Startup Red Carpet (It’s our awards season, too…) Take a look at Jerusalem’s innovation incubator [OurCrowd Newsletter] The History of Online Investing From Beijing to Jerusalem: Why I chose an internship in Israel	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0037.json.gz/line2886
__label__wiki	0.879465	0.879465	You are here: Home › O-Royals announce plans for final Rosenblatt days O-Royals announce plans for final Rosenblatt days By Kevin Reichard on March 5, 2010 in Minor-League Baseball, News The Omaha Royals will mark the end of their long Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium tenancy with some big events. The Omaha Royals (Class AAA; Pacific Coast League) will spend much of the 2010 season celebrating the team's long run at Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium, and details of the team's final game on Sept. 2 are being released. The O-Royals have signed up AT&T as a sponsor for that final game. As part of the sponsorship, fans will be able to log on to www.oroyals.com and register to win a suite for ten people, including hospitality, at the September 2 finale. During that final game, AT&T will present a replica seat giveaway going to the first 2,500 fans. The replica seats will be created from one of the old, wooden seats that had been used at Rosenblatt Stadium in previous years. AT&T will also present a post-game fireworks show. “The Omaha Royals are very excited about the new partnership with AT&T,” said Royals Assistant General Manager Rob Crain. “We look forward to celebrating with all of the metro area this very historic event.” The O-Royals had previously announced plans to honor the old ballpark with uniform marks the entire season. Subscribers to the weekly Ballpark Digest newsletter see features before they're posted to the site. You can sign up for a free subscription at the Newsletter Signup Page. KIT League team to sport Browns name, uniforms New ballpark pitched in Ramapo for Can-Am team	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0037.json.gz/line2891
__label__wiki	0.830451	0.830451	You are here: Home › Selig: Rivalry series may survive interleague play Selig: Rivalry series may survive interleague play By Kevin Reichard on May 17, 2012 in Major-League Baseball, News The two annual rivalry series may survive a scheduling reconfiguration in 2013 because of their popularity with fans, according to MLB Commissioner Bud Selig. Right now there are two three-game rivalry interleague series — Yankees/Mets, Cubs/White Sox, Twins/Brewers, Rays/Marlins, A’s/Giants, Angels/Dodgers, etc. — that are popular in terms of box-office appeal and ratings, particularly in larger cities where it’s a crosstown or subway series. But because MLB is going to consistent interleague play in 2013 when the Houston Astros join the American League, there were schedules drawn up that would cut back on the two three-game series. But these series are popular both with fans and with team owners who see a bump in attendance when a rival is in town. For instance, in past years both the Twins and the Brewers have seen significant attendance boosts when the rival is in town; it may not matter so much today when both teams are drawing well, but it meant a lot to the team’s bottom lines when neither was drawing particularly well. Similarly, there’s a very good chance the best-attended series at U.S. Cellular Field may be notched when the Cubs visit the White Sox. During a press conference at the quarterly owner’s meetings, Selig indicated the two three-game series would probably survive. “The fans like it,” Selig said, as quoted by the Chicago Tribune’s Phil Rogers Thursday at the conclusion of an owners meeting in New York. “When your fans like something, you have to be responsive to that and sensitive to it.” RELATED STORIES: MLB looking to alter interleague play to curtail rivalries: report Eight proposals submitted for Tropicana Field development Stewart makes bid for city share of Oakland Coliseum site MLB issues fan-safety guidelines for 2021 bud selig, chicago cubs, chicago white sox, interleague play, major league baseball, milwaukee brewers, minnesota twins, new york mets, new york yankees, rivalry series Mets owners to develop land near Citi Field Ricketts family political activity threatens to scuttle Cubs reno plans	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0037.json.gz/line2892
__label__wiki	0.574295	0.574295	You are here: Home › RedWolves commit to Sparrow Stadium for two more years RedWolves commit to Sparrow Stadium for two more years By Kevin Reichard on August 22, 2012 in College Baseball, News The Florence RedWolves (summer collegiate; Coastal Plain League) are on the verge of signing a two-year lease for Sparrow Stadium, extending the team’s stay at Francis Marion University. Team owner Kevin Barth made the announcement at a local Rotary meeting. From SCnow: “We’re still trying to figure out all the logistical issues,” Barth said, “but those who were wondering if we’re going to be back, I can tell you, without question, that not only are we going to be back, we’re going to be playing at Francis Marion for at least the next two years and hopefully longer.” The team had played at a Legion field before league officials mandated an upgrade in facilities, so the team moved midseason to FMU. And while the team took a hit on the attendance front overall, Barth says revenues and attendance at Sparrow Stadium were actually up. Hence Barth’s enthusiasm for 2013 and 2014. RELATED STORIES: RedWolves moving to FMU ballpark Ballpark Preview: Florida Ballpark at Alfred A. McKethan Field Coastal Plain League moves in Florence, Spartanburg coastal plain league, florence redwolves, francis marion university, kevin barth, sparrow stadium, summer collegiate Lake Elsinore, Padres extend PDC Rosenblatt Stadium demolition proceeds; press box taken down	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0037.json.gz/line2893
__label__cc	0.608278	0.391722	20th Century Pub Beer history Comus Elliott’s neverending pub quest in his own words Post date 10th January 2021 2 Comments on Comus Elliott’s neverending pub quest in his own words When we came across the story of compulsive pub ticker Comus Elliott, we wrote it up, with at least a small hope that it might prompt him to get in touch. And it did. Mr Elliott is still with us and still visiting pubs, plagues permitting, and through his daughter, Caroline, made contact. We emailed a few prompts – where and when was he born and brought up? How did his father, Charles, get into ticking pubs? Which are his favourite pubs? And so on. In response, he sent some handwritten notes on his life and career which we’ve typed up and present below with some small edits for clarity. I was born 1940 in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, and moved to North London in 1945. Attended Princess Road Junior Mixed School, near Primrose Hill, and then William Ellis Grammar School (Boys) at Parliament Hill till 1958. After 8 O levels and 3 A levels I joined Barclays Bank in September 1958 and was employed in the Trustee Department dealing with estate administration, investment management and taxations where I stayed until 1994. With Barclays, I moved from North London, West End, City and then to Chelmsford, Essex, Preston, Lancs, and Manchester and Knutsford in the North West. When the bank reorganised the trustee side, I took (very) early retirement, but continued working in probate with a firm of solicitors in Maidstone, Kent. All those moves assisted enormously in notching up new pubs! I have no idea now my father started except for some reason he wanted to visit, and drink in every pub within the London Postal District, then round about 4,400 of them. He actually achieved 4,200 before his death in 2001. He did also keep a record of other pubs in the country but, important as they were, they were not his main aim. I visited my first, but under age at 16, but was never challenged on age until the eve of my 18th birthday. I had by then decided that I would, too, record pubs visited – not in competition, though. I kept (still keep) a fairly comprehensive record of those visited, with card index style systems for both names and locations. I also keep a chronological list of London Postal and each individual county, noting name, address, overall number in list of visits, brewery ownership or free house, and date visited. My father was press and public relations officer for the Gas Council in London and therefore had many contacts in the newspaper world and eventually we were taken on a London pub crawl (six) one evening by the then News of the World who wanted to write a feature article. That was followed up by several others, including Austin Hatton’s A Monthly Bulletin, so publicity started and continued on and off for some years, including TV appearances on About Anglia in 1968 and Look North West in Manchester, 1981. Main publicity was attracted when my father and I reached significant milestones on our journey – the 100th, 5,000th, 10,000th, and my father’s 4,000th London Postal District pub. At such events we held parties for drinking companions who knew of our obsession. Pubs have changed a great deal since my early collecting days, and not always for the better. Nice old drinking dens have either been closed or tarted up, often now food led. There are still nice old pubs if you can bother to seek them out (the Good Pub Guide and Good Beer Guide are invaluable). I much prefer a simple, old-fashioned pub – town or country – with good beer, good atmosphere, no loud games, TV. Yes, some decent food, but not to the extremes that some so-called ‘gastropubs’ go to. “Due to Covid, I’ve only done seven new ones in 2020, but my total is just over 16,000 now.” Comus Elliott Nice old original features have so often been ripped out in the guise of progress. Certainly the ideal English pub is not dead as some would have it but we should be careful to protect what is left. In my prime I would try and average one new [pub] per day – not every day, but 365 [new pubs] in [each] year. I usually managed till I retired in 2000, and living in rural Northumberland, it’s difficult to find many new ones – fortunately, those that are within striking distance are well worth visiting time and again. Due to Covid, [I’ve] only done seven new ones in 2020, but my total is just over 16,000 now. As regards my ‘favourite’ pubs – how about the one that I am in at the time? Different pubs for different reasons – one next to a sports event, after the theatre, to take your wife, to take somebody else’s wife, it’s the closest and nearly closing time, etc. etc… Individual favourites include my own current local in Seahouses, The Old Ship – brilliant (old, good beer, good situation in the harbour, excellent long-serving staff (been in one family over 100 years). Then there is The Blue Lion, East Witton, Yorks (food, atmosphere, Black Sheep, and a lovely place to stay). The Red Lion, Burnsall, Yorks – I first stayed there with my father in 1961, when we were walking in the Pennines. Through a distant family connection I’ve been back a few times in the past three years and it’s as good as ever. Family run, like most good pubs seem to be – you can tell the difference between such, and a managed pub. Pubs sadly gone include The Crown and The Paxton at Gipsy Hill in South London, and several village pubs in Quainton, Bucks, where my aunt and uncle kept The George & Dragon for some years in the 1950s and 60s. I joined CAMRA for news of pubs and books, but have never been an active member. I never joined the SPBW. Generally, friends and relations have looked kindly (perhaps enviously?) upon my hobby and are quite happy to join in, either with transport or advise on new pubs in their area. They also like the celebratory milestone parties! Tags ticking ← News, nuggets and longreads 9 January 2021: aerosols, Allegra glasses, aalhouses → The mystery of the Middlesex magistrates 2 replies on “Comus Elliott’s neverending pub quest in his own words” Edsays: 10th January 2021 at 10:53 am zorrodpsays: It’s almost elegiac …… and put me in mind of long term walker and Ramblers leader Mike Biggs, in London. His objective, when he retired c. 20 years ago, was to visit every pub in London in the Good Beer Guide on his Wednesday evening waterway walks …. there’s a few BTW (walks, that is) on the web site https://www.innerlondonramblers.org.uk/index.php/ideasforwalks/self-guided-walks and see page 3 https://www.watfordand3riversramblers.org.uk/images/watfordimages/PDFs/SEW_March_14.pdf – I got along to quite a few of these, and got introduced to any number of excellent pubs of all descriptions for the first time. I remember observing to him that surely his objective was always going to be a moveable neverending feast as pubs went in and out of the guide, closed, changed and otherwise transmogrified. Yes, he said, with a glint in his eye! Mike was still leading / planning to lead walks just under a year ago, so as far as I know still alive and kicking … e.g. Saturday 14 March: BRIXTON TO WEST DULWICH Start: 10.30 Brixton station (Zone 2, Victoria Line). Finish: West Dulwich station (Zone 3: trains to Victoria). A walk of about five miles via Brockwell, Ruskin, Dulwich and Belair Parks with a refreshment break in Dulwich Park. This is Part 1 of one of Mike’s internet walks (see innerlondonramblers.org.uk/ideasforwalks/self-guided-walks/16-brixtoncrystalpalace,html for details). Should finish about 13.30.	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0037.json.gz/line2906
__label__wiki	0.747409	0.747409	Scientists Developing Method Of Reproducing Without Women Trending News: In The Future, We May Be Able To Have Babies Without Women Because genetic engineering is starting to move into science fiction territory. UK researchers believe they've developed a way to create embryos without eggs, or a mother at all. With the proper engineering, theoretically any cell could be fertilized as an embryo. For years now, people have been talking about the "end of men" in a metaphorical sense; the idea that, as gender difference blur and disappear, our purpose in society becomes questionable. But every so often, the talk moves into the physical realm, as well — they have the eggs (the most important part of the reproductive process), and sperm is not exactly in short supply. If women "need" men neither metaphorically nor, who's to stop us from being phased out of existence? It's a dumb idea and will never happen because that's not how people work, but as a thought experiment, wouldn't it be fun to put the shoe on the other foot? It would be and is, because scientists in the UK are working on a method of creating offspring without the need for female eggs. Suck it, ladies. “We’re talking about different ways of making embryos. Imagine that you could take skin cells and make embryos from them. This would have all kinds of utility," Dr Tony Perry, a molecular embryologist at the University of Bath told The Telegraph. Theoretically, any cell could be made into an embryo. The process would work something like this: First, a cell is isolated and stripped of precisely half its chromosomes. All that's left to do then is to introduce a sperm cell via IVF methods, and the cell develops into an embryo. Currently, the next thing to do would be to transfer the embryo to a surrogate mother, but if scientists think they can make a baby from two men's DNA, artificial wombs don't sound like much of a stretch. “It has been thought that only an egg cell was capable of reprogramming sperm to allow embryonic development to take place. “Our work challenges that dogma, held since early embryologists first observed mammalian eggs in around 1827 and observed fertilisation 50 years later, that only an egg cell fertilised with a sperm cell can result in a live mammalian birth," Dr Perry said. This isn't an entirely academic experiment, either. The researchers have already (sort of) done this successfully with mice. They started with eggs, using chemical applications to "trick" them into becoming embryos. The embryos were then injected with sperm, and the results of the experiment have gone on to foster three generations of healthy mice. The success rate isn't great — just 24% — but it's a far cry better than the 2% success rate of the cloning method used to clone the famed Dolly The Sheep. Theoretically, it's possible that two men could make a baby using this method. Or even one man, fertilizing his own embryo with a mixture of his and his parents' DNA But more realistically, it will be used to assist would-be parents with more conventional fertility issues — women who've lost fertility due to illness or cancer treatment, or women whose eggs have degraded due to age. Ask The Big Question Is it unethical to use this method (if it proves successful), or would it be unethical not to? Disrupt Your Feed A world of nothing but men would be very smelly, if nothing else. Drop This Fact The first cloning of an animal was done in the 1880s by German biologist Hans Driesch who cloned a sea urchin from an embryo cell. Trending News: Having Kids Can Weirdly Help You Live Longer Trending News: First Borns Are Smarter Than Their Younger, Dumber Siblings Trending News: Guess Which Animal's Penis Gets Bigger When It Has Too Much Sex Would You Give Up Sex for Five Years to Avoid Going Bald? FOLX Strikes a Serious Blow Against Medical Inequality	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0037.json.gz/line2918
__label__wiki	0.849754	0.849754	Carmel Magazine The Lifestyle Magazine of the Central Coast Subscribe to Carmel Magazine! Restoring Nature Piece by Piece Local Woman Volunteers at Midway Atoll May 5, 2019 by Mike Hale A spit of sunbaked sand far out in the Pacific Ocean reveals much of what is wrong about the world. But heartbreak and hope keep close company on Midway Atoll. Some see this remote, tiny chain of volcanic islands as godforsaken, haunted by the specter of war, a vivid case study in mankind’s destruction of the planet. Pacific Grove’s Jan Loomis prefers a more determined and optimistic opinion. She calls Midway Atoll by its two Hawaiian names: Pihemanu, meaning “loud din of birds,” or Kuaihelani, which translates to “backbone of heaven.” Loomis’ idealism, drive and love of nature and birding led her to achieve a once-unthinkable bucket list item—to visit this undeveloped, unincorporated atoll at the far northern end of the Hawaiian archipelago. You can’t just book a ticket to Midway on Expedia. The last tourist departed in 2012, leaving 40-50 inhabitants (volunteers and federal employees) focused on airfield management and conservation. Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge and Battle of Midway National Memorial are currently closed to public visitation. Loomis found her way, though, as a volunteer for an exclusive nesting albatross census team led by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Midway’s administrative agency. Following exhaustive interviews and background checks, the 60-year-old staff RN for Visiting Nurses Association’s Travel Medicine Clinic received word last fall that she had been accepted as one of only a dozen volunteers among worldwide applicants. In December, Loomis—who once left a job to spend three years living on a sailboat to explore the coast of Mexico—flew 3,000 miles and shelled out roughly $3,000 for the “privilege” of living six weeks in dilapidated former U.S. military barracks. Her mission? To count nesting Laysan albatross at this haven for 3 million individual birds, and home to the world’s largest albatross colony. “Giving back was the key, doing something completely selfless,” she says. “It was a privilege to be there and participate in a critical bird count.” Documenting the albatross population provides a clearer picture of the state of our oceans and the ravages of climate change and pollution. There’s no debate: Midway Atoll is a refuge choked with refuse. Out of sight, and too often out of mind, a phenomenon known as the Pacific Trash Vortex spins a massive collection of plastic and floating debris onto these once-pristine shores. “Seeing what our over-consumption of plastic is doing to our oceans was so sobering,” Loomis says. “I knew it would be bad, but I had no idea how graphic it would be. We were in the middle of nowhere, and everywhere we looked there was plastic.” On Day 1 of orientation, team leaders showed Loomis how to do laundry. The first task? Make a beeline to the beach to select a laundry basket. The amount of plastic washed ashore here is staggering, and it includes wayward laundry bins. “It’s unsettling,” Loomis says. Such large items, however, are not the biggest problem, for at least they can be collected. Microplastics, degraded over time, represent the most profound threat. According to Greenpeace, nine of every 10 seabirds have ingested plastic, and marine plastic pollution kills 1 million seabirds each year. On Midway, albatross chicks routinely die from ingesting plastic, provided by parents who forage at sea before regurgitating into the mouths of hungry nestlings. Laboring each day in her sandshoes (ingenious plywood footwear designed to help counters avoid collapsing burrows of nesting birds), Loomis came across many dead adult seabirds grotesquely decayed around toxic pieces of colorful plastic—beads, buttons, domino game pieces, cigarette lighters—that they mistook for food. Loomis has always found seabirds fascinating. She serves as a volunteer naturalist with the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, as well as a field observer to monitor and protect nesting black oystercatchers in Monterey Bay. But nothing inspired her quite like meeting the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s resident Laysan albatross Makana. It ignited in her a passion for these remarkable birds, who soar effortlessly and spectacularly, aloft for weeks on end as they travel across the northern Pacific Ocean, from Costa Rica to the Aleutian Islands and the Bering Sea. The Laysan is a “smaller” species, with a wingspan of 6 feet, but it’s adept at tucking in those wings and diving to great depths in search of food. Following a behind-the-scenes Aquarium donor tour, Loomis traveled to Kauai, Hawaii, to observe wild albatross up close. “The more I learned about these amazing birds, the more motivated I became to donate my time and energy to helping breeding populations recover,” she says. Albatross face long odds. Midway represents for them a predator-free safe haven, yet mankind’s misdeeds still pose a threat, from rising sea levels and plastic pollution, to deadly lead paint flecks from old windswept buildings that sprouted after the U.S. military planted its flag on the strategic atoll. (From June 4-6, 1944, U.S. forces defeated the Japanese in the Battle of Midway, a turning point in World War II.) Those echoes of history and what Loomis called “rusted remnants of war” intensified an emotionally and physically taxing six-day work week. Volunteers got half Sunday off, and Loomis spent it sketching, sleeping, or picking up plastic along the beach. At night, volunteers would swap life stories, or hang out at the former military bowling alley from the 1950s (four lanes still work) or play bingo. “A time warp,” she says. She liked the food, prepared cafeteria style by contractors from Thailand. “You could eat Thai food three times a day if you wanted.” A barge arrives with supplies every six months, but a garden and a hydroponic greenhouse produce some fresh vegetables. Everything else is frozen. Authorities allow seven fish to be caught per month, “so when we had seafood it was a big deal,” she says. When a charter plane arrived, sending and receiving mail became a priority. “I had no access to email for six weeks,” says Loomis. Unplugging became part of the appeal, though, living a simple life in service to something bigger than herself. In the end, the count showed a slight increase in nesting Laysan. “They are surviving despite our bonehead moves, our lack of vision,” she says. Loomis returned home to much interest in her trip, with local groups, including the Aquarium, asking her to speak. Her message? “Every effort makes a difference. Get involved in policies, support legislation, make your voice heard.” And, above all, be reverential. “Being that close to nature is humbling. It makes you feel small,” Loomis says. “And that’s a good feeling.” Filed Under: Spring/Summer 2019 Tagged With: Travel CURRENT & PAST EDITIONS HERE GUIDETOCARMEL Cars Food & Wine Golf Lifestyle Music Travel Carmel Magazine is the quarterly lifestyle magazine for Carmel and the Monterey Peninsula, featuring the notable people and places, arts, food and wine, destinations, styles and events of Carmel and the Peninsula. 126 Clocktower Place, Suite 103 Shaking Up the Cocktail Industry A Natural Aptitude for Art Response, Rescue and Reunion 75 Years of Golf and Giving Dustin Johnson’s Got Game Copyright © 2021 Carmel Magazine · Carmel, California · Designed by BEAR★PRESS	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0037.json.gz/line2924
__label__cc	0.590197	0.409803	H.S.A AboutCampion College Campion Today Academicsat the Institution StudentLife at Campion Applying to Campion The Vision2020 Campaign Why support Campion? MyCampionLogin/Signup Parents’ Web Access Manual RenWeb Login Teachers’ Portal Campion Email Address EXCITEMENT BUILDING FOR CAMPANA – CAMPION’S SEASON OF DANCE Anticipation is high ahead of the upcoming debut season of dance of the award winning Campion College Dance Troupe. The group showcased quality performances last year in the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission’s dance festival competition, entering seven pieces, winning gold for five, and silver for the other two. On the strength of that performance the troupe moved on to the national finals, copping National Awards for Best Class 4 Praise Dance, Best Class 5 Quartet, along with the National Award for the Best Class 4 group and the Award for The Most Outstanding Teacher in Class 4. There are 60 core dancers, 12 of whom were recently selected to be members of the NDTC Trainee Class. The Campion College troupe is therefore taking the ambitious step of staging its inaugural season, to run for a full week-end from Friday, March 18 to Sunday, March 20. “The dancers have demonstrated that they are ready to take the troupe to the next level,” said Artistic Director and choreographer Dwright Wright. “They’re talented, dedicated and committed, and I am confident that we’ll be presenting high- quality performances to the public.” The name of the Season of Dance is ‘Campana – the Journey continues’. The season is an extension of Campion College 50th Anniversary celebration. The title ‘Campana’ signifies a celebration of the school’s successes over the years even while we seek to build on those successes and move forward. A wide variety of dances will be on display during CAMPANA. The dances range from Modern Contemporary to Popular (Dancehall) pieces. The theme dance is entitled, ‘The journey continues’ and will be performed by the Junior A troupe. This dance depicts the hardship faced by slaves who were taken from the Motherland to the New World to work. The piece is very evocative and should be a hit when the Season opens. There will also be Creative folk dances, both Afro-centric and Caribbean Folk forms. The Popular Dance section will demonstrate the transition of Jamaican dancehall hall music from the days of dance hall veterans Buju Banton and Shabba Ranks to the current up-and-coming dancehall artistes. Several Jazz pieces will also be included. The highlight of the Season, however, will be the dance drama entitled ‘At the Tomb’. The timing for this piece is significant as the country will be moving into the Easter season. The dance drama depicts the death of Jesus and His resurrection and promises to be a very spiritual moment. Artistic Director and choreographer Dwright Wright is working with Derrick McCarthy as Chief External Choreographer for Campion College. Guest choreographers have also been invited to mount pieces for the production. They include Marlon Simms-Dance Captain at NDTC and Lecturer at the Edna Manley School of Dance, Kevin Moore, also a lecturer at Edna Manley, Kerry Ann Henry, NDTC ballet mistress and lecturer at Edna Manley. Stephanie Thomas, Kamar Tucker and Benton Morris all from the NDTC, are also guest choreographers. The shows will be Friday March 18 at 4pm (for secondary and tertiary students only) cost – $500, Saturday March 19 at 4pm – $500 for students under 12 age, $1000 for adults. Gala Night will be Saturday March 19 at 8 pm – cost $1500, and Sunday March 20 at 5pm, cost $1000. Tickets are available at Campion College and Gym Liguanea. Interested persons can also reserve tickets by emailing campiondance@gmail.com. Written by Dionne Jackson-Miller Select Month July 2020 April 2020 December 2019 November 2019 September 2019 May 2019 November 2018 September 2018 June 2018 December 2017 October 2017 June 2017 April 2017 January 2017 October 2016 September 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 March 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 November 2014 August 2014 July 2014 May 2014 December 2013 November 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 May 2012 April 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 Tweets by @campion_tweet Fortes Feed was started by Ariel Dyche and Carell Ramsay in February 2019 in an aim to help parents and alumni keep up with what’s going on at the school and build school spirit among the student body. They work tirelessly, ensuring every event held at Campion is publicized and all the important happenings on a daily basis are posted. Principal’s Newsletter – MidTerm March 2020 Campion College Spirit Week 2020 Copyright © 2014 Campion College. All rights reserved.	cc/2021-04/en_middle_0037.json.gz/line2928

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