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Masaan (Fly Away Solo) - Cannes 2015 Review
Nick Evan-Cook
Peter O'Toole: The Human Heart of an Epic
Henry Gatrell
Gigli and the Fan Boys: Why Affleck Should Be Given a Chance
Best Films Never Made #23: Orson Welles' Heart of Darkness
Ellen Dwyer
Scene Stealers: Kenneth Branagh in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
A Beginner's Guide to... Daniel Day-Lewis
A Beginner’s Guide to… Kenneth Branagh
Tagged remake
Dumbo – Review
Disney is showing no signs of slowing down in its effort to remake all of its classic animated films, but it is easy to justify taking a crack at Dumbo. Clocking in at just over an hour long, the 1941 original...
The Changing Face of AI in Anime and its Western Remakes
Liz Gorny
Analysis, Close-Up, Features
"I am who?” Tima, the child robot of Rintaro's Metropolis (2001), asks just before she plunges from the edge of a high-rise tower and Metropolis collapses around her. She is parroting the first words ever...
The Upside – Review
Red flags marked the road to release for The Upside, a remake of 2011 French odd-couple runaway hit Intouchables, with its March 2018 release date scrapped amid the seismic scandal of one-time producer Harvey...
The Green Fog – LFF 2018 Review
Much like Scottie's consuming obsession in Vertigo, its hyperactive cousin, The Green Fog, is a labour of love. Directors Guy Maddin, Evan Johnson and Galen Johnson use San Francisco-based film and television...
Your Week In Film: Democrats, Dunham, Dennison and Deadpool
Stephen O'Nion
1. Maybe Power Rangers would have worked as a PG Power Rangers flopped. It wasn’t a complete surprise, but considering the kitsch factor and the potential for global appeal, it was still a little bit of a...
Your Week In Film: Spider-Man, Nasty Women, Batgirl and more!
1. First Tomb Raider photos reveal no tombs. Sorry Although it's early days, with its release coming in March 2018, Warner Bros. has uploaded a few images of that infamous raider of tombs, Lara Croft. The...
Beauty and the Beast – Review
Christopher Preston
Love is blind. It’s a notion as old as time, a song as old as rhyme, and the beating heart at the centre of the Beauty and the Beast fairytale. Bill Condon’s adoration for Disney’s 1991 classic is as...
Top 10 Films That Deserve A Remake
Analysis, Features, Top 10
Remake? Reboot? Reimagining? Hollywood’s obsession with recycling old properties into modern-day multiplex fodder shows no signs of abating. Many are gutless cash-ins seeking the largest possible audience,...
Oldboy (2013) – Review
Chan-wook Park's Oldboy squints into a broken mirror. It sees not a reflection but a remake; Spike Lee's version of events gurns back - the very definition of a pointless movie. Stripped of the original's...
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Open Source: A Question of Evolution
I met Matt Ridley once, when he was at The Economist, and I wrote a piece for him (I didn't repeat the experience because their fees at the time were extraordinarily ungenerous). He was certainly a pleasant chap in person, but I have rather mixed feelings about his work.
His early book "Genome" is brilliant - a clever promenade through our chromosomes, using the DNA and its features as a framework on which to hang various fascinating facts and figures. His latest work, alas, seems to have gone completely off the rails, as this take-down by George Monbiot indicates.
Despite that, Ridley is still capable of some valuable insights. Here's a section from a recent essay in the Wall Street Journal, called "Humans: Why They Triumphed":
the sophistication of the modern world lies not in individual intelligence or imagination. It is a collective enterprise. Nobody—literally nobody—knows how to make the pencil on my desk (as the economist Leonard Read once pointed out), let alone the computer on which I am writing. The knowledge of how to design, mine, fell, extract, synthesize, combine, manufacture and market these things is fragmented among thousands, sometimes millions of heads. Once human progress started, it was no longer limited by the size of human brains. Intelligence became collective and cumulative.
In the modern world, innovation is a collective enterprise that relies on exchange. As Brian Arthur argues in his book "The Nature of Technology," nearly all technologies are combinations of other technologies and new ideas come from swapping things and thoughts.
This is, of course, a perfect description of the open source methodology: re-using and building on what has gone before, combining the collective intelligence of thousands of hackers around the world through a culture of sharing. Ridley's comment is another indication of why anything else just hasn't made the evolutionary jump.
Labels: collaboration, evolution, genome, open source development, wall street journal
It's a shame that our society is too quick to assign credit of an invention to one or two people instead of accepting that it is (far more often than not) the product of a collaboration and competition between several people - as was the case with the invention of the lightbulb (you could thus think of Edison as an Industrial-era patent troll).
@PV: yes, I think it goes back to this romantic notion of the hero (usually hero rather heroine) inventor. Collectivity has been out of fashion for a while...but is coming back with a vengeance...
It's actually sort of a vicious cycle in that sense - patents supposedly help these mythical solo inventors (without whom the great inventions of the world would never have occurred, supposedly; who must have a monopoly to even compete (how ironic)) continue to invent, while the supposed existence of these mythical solo inventors further justifies calls to expand the scope of patents.
If readers of this blog could also take a look at my blog dasublogbyprashanth.blogspot.com (which deals with many of the same topics as this one) and subscribe to it, I would greatly appreciate it.
PV: good point. Indeed, something rather like that is often mentioned when I suggest abolishing patents...
I figure I should mention the fact one of my friends owns quite a few patents filed when he was in college a few years ago (and granted shortly thereafter) - all based on his research on electrical systems I think (or something like that - he's continuing in that field with his PhD now, and it's all way above my head). Royalties earned from his patents weren't huge, but they were definitely enough to cover his tuition costs. Though I am in full agreement with you that software, genome, and agriculture patents are the worst of their kind and must be abolished, might it be possible that for complex hardware inventions like these, patents could be beneficial (especially if the patent term was lowered to the original 14 years as defined by the US Copyright Act of 1790) for all? This would essentially cover the time period where the inventor would make almost all of his/her money off of the invention (and not much longer than that).
On a slightly related note, check out my post http://dasublogbyprashanth.blogspot.com/2010/06/follow-up-film-industrys-next-avatar.html on Enzo Tedeschi's movie The Tunnel and his revenue and distribution model. He is allowing people to buy individual frames of the movie to support it financially - giving people a personal stake in it - while using things like torrent sites to his advantage instead of clamping down on them reflexively.
@PV: you're right, patents can be remunerative, but the question is whether on balance they are good for society as a whole, not individuals.
Yes, we might introduce shorter terms for patents, but I take the view that the only non-arbitrary term is zero...
tpegbert said...
This excerpt is also a good description of how the free market works and why central planning is always doomed to fail.
@tpegbert: indeed.
Tim Tyler said...
Matt Ridley has written several good books - I expect this latest one will be a positive contribution too.
Botching Bilski
Has Oracle Been a Disaster for Sun's Open Source?
Microsoft Attacks, By and With the Numbers
Let's Make "The Open University" Truly Open
Say "No" to Net Neutrality Nuttiness
Those that Live by the DMCA....
The Copyright Debate's Missing Element
Can the CodePlex Foundation Free itself from Micro...
Copyright Ratchet, Copyright Racket
Globish, Glanglish and Google Translate
Something in the Air: the Open Source Way
Should Retractions be Behind a Paywall?
Open Source Scientific Publishing
German Publishers Want More Monopoly Rights
EU's Standard Failure on Standards
Can You Make Money from Free Stuff?
Red Letter Day for ACTA in EU: Let's Use It
Are Software Patents Patently Dangerous Enough?
Shame on Ofcom, Double Shame on the BBC
Abundance Obsoletes Peer Review, so Drop It
The Economics of Copyright
Why GNU/Linux is Unmatched – and Unmatchable
Why No Billion-Dollar Open Source Companies?
Why the iPhone Cannot Keep up with Android
Grokking Green IT - and why Open Source Helps
Why Sharing Will Be Big Business
What's the Point of Hacktivism?
Please Help Fight EU Search Engine Surveillance
Does the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Get the W...
Why Patents are Like Black Holes
Why "Naked Transparency" Has No Clothes
Open Sourcing Politics
GNU/Linux *Does* Scale – and How
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PBS 6
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About AZPM
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Walking in the footsteps of Sara Plummer Lemmon
The story of a botanist and artist who had a mountain named after her.
by Laura Markowitz TWEET SHARE
Most of Sara Lemmon’s artwork was lost, possibly in the fires that followed the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake. / Photo by Wynne Brown. Original at the University and Jepson Herbaria Archives, University of California, Berkeley.
The Tohono O’odham call the mountain range to the north of Tucson Babad Do’ag, which means Frog Mountain. In the late 1600s, Jesuit missionary Eusebio Kino renamed it the Santa Catalinas. And two hundred years later, the first white woman climbed to the top and the mountains became known by her name – Mount Lemmon.
It’s just after sunrise up here on Mount Lemmon. At an elevation above 9,000 feet, it’s cold! You definitely want a jacket.
“I’m just going over my mental checklist here,” says Wynne Brown, looking through her backpack. “The most important thing is water and I have about a gallon. I have my emergency space blanket.”
Local author Wynne Brown on the Oracle Ridge Trail. Brown is writing a biography of Sara Plummer Lemmon, who is thought to have taken this route to the summit of the Catalinas.
Laura Markowitz
Brown is preparing to hike the Oracle Ridge Trail. The steep, 13-mile trail ends in the outskirts of the town of Oracle. She anticipates treacherous footing as the path descends 3,000 feet. “Let’s see. I have my phone. I have my notebook. I have a pen.”
She’ll need the pen. Brown is the author of several books about the Southwest. Her latest project is a biography of the 19th century botanist and artist for whom Mount Lemmon is named: Sara Plummer Lemmon.
Sara Plummer Lemmon was 33 years old when she left the East coast for health reasons. She went by sea to Panama and took a steamer up the coast to San Francisco. She knew no one in California. / Photo by Wynne Brown. Original at the University and Jepson Herbaria Archives, University of California, Berkeley.
“There’s just something about Sara Lemmon that grabbed me, probably seven years ago,” says Brown. “I’ve read through 1,400 pages of her handwritten letters. I just walk around Tucson with her voice in my ear.”
Today’s expedition is more of a pilgrimage than a hike, because Brown will be walking the same route that’s thought to be the one that Lemmon and her husband, John, took in 1881, to reach the summit.
“Being able to put my feet on the same trail that she walked on,” says Brown, “I mean, what a gift to be able to do this! I never hiked this trail so I’ll be looking at it through new eyes. And I’m going to try to look at it through Sara’s eyes. What would this have been like this many years ago?”
The trail starts just past the Mt. Lemmon fire station. The damage from past fires is evident all around, with charred trees dotting the landscape. There are also wildflowers just beginning to pop – yellow, daisy-like plants and white flowers in the raspberry family, penstemons and lupines. Brown says it would have looked very different when the Lemmons were here. She says John Lemmon’s letters describe maple trees.
Sara Lemmon was born in Maine, and John was from Michigan. They met in California. What brought them to Tucson?
The view from the Oracle Ridge Trail looking north. The landscape would have been much the same as what Sara Lemmon saw on her journey up the mountain, except of course Biosphere II would not have been in the background.
Wynne Brown
“There was a botanical frenzy going on in the 1870s and 80s,” explains Brown. “Everybody wanted to have a species named for them. Everybody was out just clambering up and down the hillsides and combing the streambeds for new ferns and then sending them off to the very few experts to identify."
"So because this area had never been botanized, it was very tempting. It was Sara’s idea to come and spend their honeymoon botanizing the Santa Catalinas.”
This was not your typical honeymoon destination. The train had only arrived in Tucson the year before, and there was the ongoing Apache conflict. Also, the Lemmons were not your typical explorers, says Brown. Both suffered from a host of serious health problems.
“The whole reason Sara was out West was because she couldn’t survive the Eastern climate,” explains Brown. “She kept coming down with pneumonia, bronchitis, something called catarrh, which is basically a build-up of mucus in the throat and the lungs — attractive thought! She realized that she was going to die if they had another Eastern winter.”
Sara moved to California in 1871, on her own (by steamer through Panama, stagecoach across Panama, and then a second steamer up the coast to San Francisco). She moved to Santa Barbara and later met her future husband. John Lemmon had fought for the Union during the Civil War and was captured by the Confederates. Brown says he never fully recovered his health after two years of near-starvation in the Andersonville and Florence prison camps.
The trailhead is just past the Mt. Lemmon fire station, off of Catalina Highway.
“They were both incredibly frail people,” she says.
It is hard to imagine these two rather sickly characters spending three weeks trying to climb the sheer, prickly slopes of the Catalina Mountains. There was no trail. There were impassable ravines. And, like any desert hikers, they had to carry their water. What was their equipment like?
“She wrote to her sister about her outfit,” says Brown. “She wore a deep olive green walking suit made out of broadcloth and corduroy, which had to be incredibly hot. And it was a short dress on top and then it had Turkish trousers on the bottom, and then she was wearing leather leggings, and hobnailed boots, and gloves, and a broad-brimmed hat."
"And then they were also carrying plant presses. They had water. They had some kind of bran mush. They had little rubber cups because sometimes the water was scarce and they’d have to be able squish them into a crack in the rock to get some water.”
Brown says botany wasn’t a very lucrative profession – at least not for the Lemmons.
“They were constantly trying to find ways to make money,” says Brown. “They were collecting plants and then selling the seeds, selling specimens, shipping them all over the world and getting pennies per plant. They found about 300 new species in Arizona.”
Sara Lemmon was “the frugal type,” according to biographer Wynne Brown, and to conserve paper she wrote on both sides of the page and then turned the page sideways and wrote across her own words. Brown has read transcribed, and logged 1,400 of these handwritten missives from Lemmon to her family on the East Coast. / Photo by Wynne Brown. Original at the University and Jepson Herbaria Archives, University of California, Berkeley.
One of their finds was the mountain marigold -- “sometimes called Lemmon’s marigold,” says Brown, “named for him, not her. This was the first place where they found it. They apparently collected seeds from it. That plant from here is the stock that all the nursery plants we now get are from. And we have it in our yard. I planted it last year.”
Not only was she a botanist, but Sara Lemmon was also an accomplished artist. Wynne Brown says Sara hiked with art supplies and she painted hundreds of detailed botanical illustrations, which she published in books that sold for twenty five cents a copy.
Sara Lemmon painted this watercolor of Douglass Ragwort in June 1882, at Fort Huachuca / Photo by Wynne Brown. Original at the University and Jepson Herbaria Archives, University of California, Berkeley.
“When John and Sara were up here, they were finding a lot of new species of plants,” says Brown, “and they referred to them as ‘new glories.’ And I keep finding these treasures about Sara and thinking of them, ‘Oooh! Another new glory!’ ”
For example, Sara Lemmon studied physics and chemistry at Cooper Union in New York. She was the first woman to address the California Academy of Sciences and the second woman to be admitted as a member.
“She also worked as a volunteer, nursing injured Civil War soldiers at Bellevue Hospital,” in New York, says Brown, “and that’s probably where she met Clara Barton” – the nurse who established the Red Cross. They became lifelong friends, according to Brown, and years later, Sara Lemmon helped establish Red Cross chapters in San Francisco and Oakland.
“Sara also established Santa Barbara’s first library. She helped establish the first natural history association in Santa Barbara. A new glory that I just discovered is she founded the first training school for nurses on the West Coast. She once wrote that to her sister that, to her, ‘it’s like death to be idle.’ ”
Brown says Sara Lemmon is a role model for her “because there are times when I might have wanted to quit on something and then I think, ‘I don’t have pneumonia and bronchitis, and I have all these tools, and I have the same curiosity and I try to be as resilient as she was.’ ”
Sara and John Lemmon were both avid botanists and despite their fragile health they had many outdoor adventures in the Southwest and California. / Photo by Wynne Brown. Original at the University and Jepson Herbaria Archives, University of California, Berkeley.
After weeks of trying, Sara and John Lemmon failed to reach the summit from the Tucson side. “They gave up,” says Brown. “They were out of supplies.”
But actually, Sara didn’t give up. She and John heard that a rancher over in Oracle might know of a way up the north side. So they made the 40-mile journey to find Emerson Oliver Stratton, and he agreed to take them to the top. Sara Lemmon finally realized her dream of reaching the summit.
Stratton was distantly related to Pima County Surveyor George Roskruge, and he convinced Roskruge to put Sara’s name on the map to honor her achievement of being the first white woman to make the climb.
“What’s amazing is that Sara and John came back 25 years later to celebrate their silver wedding anniversary by doing this trip from Oracle,” says Brown (who notes that today is her one-year wedding anniversary. Her husband, Dave Peterson, is up ahead, taking pictures, and a friend has also come along on this adventure). When the Lemmons returned, they looked up Emerson Stratton, and the three of them – all in their seventies – once again hiked up to the summit. “And I hope I’m still doing that in my seventies,” says Brown.
She also hopes that Sara Lemmon’s story of grit, perseverance, and living life as a trailblazer will inspire us all.
- By Laura Markowitz, AZPM Contributing Producer
MORE: Agriculture, Animals, Arizona, Arts and Life, Environment, History, People and Places, Tucson
Dr. Mae C. Jemison: "Living Deeply and Looking Up" How Sisterhood Helped Make a Superstar in "Always... Patsy Cline" A century of family history helped create "The Journal of Sedona Schnebly"
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Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Criminology
Oxford Research Encyclopedias Criminology and Criminal Justice
Crime, Media, and Popular Culture
Critical Criminology
Geography of Crime
Prevention/Public Policy
Race, Ethnicity, and Crime
Victimology/Criminal Victimization
Women, Crime, and Justice
Eurogang Program of Re...
The Eurogang Program of Research
Finn-Aage Esbensen and Cheryl L. Maxson
Juvenile Justice, Research Methods
10.1093/acrefore/9780190264079.013.421
The Eurogang Definition of Gang Membership
Development of the Definition: Definers and Descriptors
Developing Measures
Individual-Level Characteristics
Group-Level Characteristics
Eurogang Instruments
City-Level
Expert Survey
Youth Survey
Ethnography Guidelines
Prevention and Intervention Inventory
Substantive Contributions
Challenges to Cross-National Comparative Research and Directions for the Future
The Future of Eurogang
PRINTED FROM the OXFORD RESEARCH ENCYCLOPEDIA, CRIMINOLOGY AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE (oxfordre.com/criminology). (c) Oxford University Press USA, 2019. All Rights Reserved. Personal use only; commercial use is strictly prohibited (for details see Privacy Policy and Legal Notice).
Summary and Keywords
The Eurogang Program of Research is a loosely knit network of researchers and policymakers with an interest in better understanding troublesome youth groups. While the group is guided by a steering committee, that is the extent of the organizational structure. Members of the network volunteer to host the website, maintain the listserv, organize workshops, and engage in research that adopts the Eurogang definition, instruments, and methodologies.
The Eurogang Program has as its primary goal the fostering of multisite, multi-method, comparative research on street gangs. Over the past two decades, this group of more than 200 scholars has convened 17 international workshops in Europe and the United States. The Eurogang Program does not have a steady funding source; however, over the years various network members have written proposals for funding to government agencies, sought support from non-profit organizations and foundations, and requested funding from their universities. Through a series of workshops from 1998 through 2004, the Eurogang group developed common definitional approaches, an integrated research design, and model research instruments. From 2005 through 2017, the group has continued to host substantively-focused workshops that examine research informed by the Eurogang framework. Since its inception, this Eurogang group has spawned several retrospective cross-national studies, articles in professional journals, five edited volumes of scholarship, and a manual that provides a history of the group and its guiding principles as well as information on the development and use of the five Eurogang research instruments (i.e., city-level descriptors, expert survey, youth survey, ethnography guidelines, and prevention/intervention program inventory). The Eurogang Program Manual and instruments are available on the Eurogang website. While much has been accomplished, much remains to be learned.
Keywords: Eurogang, youth gangs, street gangs, comparative research, multi-method, cross-national
Finn-Aage Esbensen
Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice, University of Missouri - St. Louis
Cheryl L. Maxson
School of Social Ecology, University of California Irvine
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Preventing child sexual exploitation
The Ark T Centre is situated in Cowley, Oxford, where 30% of children exist below the poverty line. The infamous Bullfinch grooming case and subsequent set up of The Kingsfisher Response Team is based in the area, and Ark T prioritises working with people who experience difficulties with emotional attachments, issues with trust and authority figures, negative attitudes to education and a vulnerability to adults wishing to manipulate and harm them.
Ark T’s ‘Herspace’ project has an excellent track record in engaging teenage girls at risk of CSE or poor mental health in the arts, boosting self-esteem and emotional resilience to help them avoid exploitation. The project works with up to 12 young women aged between 12 and 18, who have been identified as being at risk of CSE as a result of high-risk factors, including living in the care system, and experiencing interrelated mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression. Specialised creative intervention is particularly powerful for looked-after children and young people and care leavers, helping them make the transition into independent adult living. Ark T’s ambition is to become a leading creative provider in this preventative work.
Core costs funding to help the charity scale up
OCF has brought together funds from a series of different donors to support a significant portion of Ark T’s monthly core costs, enabling them to redesign their vision and define their purpose according to the needs of the community. This is allowing Ark T to pioneer new arts interventions which respond to need, such as Oxford’s first Youth Arts Disability Festival; develop multi-agency partnerships; and build relationships with other funders to improve facilities beyond the life of OCF’s support.
Lessons for OCF
This funding is an illustration of the power of collaborative philanthropy. By bringing multiple OCF donors together around an area of common interest, we have been able to give Ark T stability whilst they put new processes and initiatives in place that will help them continue to grow. We are now building on this co-funding approach by partnering with match-funding platform The Good Exchange.
“OCF funding and support has enabled Ark T to redesign its vision and define its purpose according to the needs of the community. We have been able to design and deliver Oxford’s first Youth Arts Disability Festival, broker commissioning relationships, and leverage in funding to improve our facilities.”
Emmy O’Shaughnessy, Director, Ark T Centre
Arts and community centre that uses creativity to build confidence in vulnerable girls and young women
Young adults in the care system
Empowered young women who have the self-esteem to resist being exploited
A flourishing and inclusive community that embraces everyone
The Story Museum
Located in central Oxford, The Story Museum celebrates stories in all forms and explores their enduring power to teach and delight. Working closely with one of our fundholders, the museum has developed several innovative outreach programmes to engage local school children from areas of multiple disadvantage.
Aesop’s ‘Dance to Health’ initiative is a fall-prevention programme for older people, and a fun and social way for older people to participate in exercise, building up strength and mobility while also supporting mental health and wellbeing.
The Porch Steppin’ Stone
The Porch is a day centre that supports homeless and vulnerably housed single adults tackle the multiple problems that are preventing them from moving towards stable housing and sustainable work.
Archway Foundation
The Archway Foundation helps people in Oxford and Abingdon who feel unwanted, excluded and forgotten, matching them with volunteer befrienders and social networks that give them back a sense of belonging.
Children Heard and Seen
Children Heard and Seen works to mitigate the effects of parental imprisonment on children, and consequently to reduce the likelihood of generational offending, mental health issues and family breakdown.
Full Circle works with schools to set up intergenerational groups that bring together children and older volunteers. They bring older and younger people together on a weekly basis, with the aim of nurturing friendship and understanding between the generations.
Yellow Submarine runs a variety of projects across Oxfordshire for young people with mild or moderate learning disabilities and autism, and provides workplace training in two cafés.
Creative Dementia Arts Network (CDAN)
The Creative Dementia Arts Network (CDAN) helps artists, arts organisations and arts venues to adapt their work for people with dementia and their carers.
Oxfordshire Sexual Abuse and Rape Crisis Centre (OSARCC)
OSARCC is a collective of women committed to supporting survivors of sexual abuse, rape, domestic abuse and harassment.
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Posted on July 12, 2016 by zcarstheme
Filming in a Haunted Asylum
I’m not a believer in the supernatural.
I’m a rational kind of guy. I love writing about ghosts, demons and the possibilities of experiences beyond what we comprehend, but the blunt truth is that I don’t believe in any of it. I’m not a guy to get rattled by dark corridors or abandoned buildings.
With that in mind, I want to tell you a few things about our 2006 shoot for the movie KillerKiller.
We shot in the then long-disused building then known as Warley Hospital. Nowadays, the site is a posh housing development known as The Galleries.
Before it was Warley Hospital, it was known as Brentwood Mental Hospital. Before that, back in 1853 when the building first opened its doors, it was known as Essex County Lunatic Asylum.
Attitudes towards mental illness in 1853 weren’t, of course, quite as enlightened as we’d like to think they are nowadays. “Treatments” included lobotomies and electro-convulsive therapy. Not only that, but ideas of who actually constituted a ‘mentally ill’ person were flexible enough to include an awful lot of people that society would rather just keep out of sight; everyone from unwed mothers to soldiers suffering from PTSD.
So places like Warley ended up having some fairly horrible things happen in them. Over a century and a half, even the recorded incidents make for grim reading. God knows how many worse things went on that nobody will ever know about. If ever there’s going to be a building to store up bad vibes, it’s going to be a place like that.
This wasn’t really something I thought about when I locked down the location, I’m ashamed to say. I was far more concerned about budget; the fee for shooting in the building was pretty huge for a film shooting on such a tiny budget. I was worried about how we were going to afford the location for long enough to get a huge amount of footage in the can. In the end, we did this with a mixture of good planning and dumb luck; we shot with available light rather than lighting set-ups, and the building was so cinematic anyway that the footage ended up looking pretty great now matter how quickly it was shot. We shifted complex ‘kill’ sequences to non-Warley locations where we could take our time a little more and somehow got everything we wanted in the can over a mere three days of filming at the former hospital.
By the end of those three days, however, all those things that I’d never even considered were beginning to get under my skin.
By the end of those three days, quite frankly, I was more than happy to wave Warley goodbye.
Our wonderful photographer Debbie Attwell discovered dozens of torn-off butterfly wings inserted between the bricks in the chapel. We would regularly find scrawled messages or carefully folded pieces of paper with troubling pictures on them tucked away behind radiators or whatever. The phrase ‘I Am Not Alone’ gouged into one of the walls (which can be seen in the first montage of the hospital in the finished film) wasn’t added by an enterprising member of our production crew: it was already there.
And then there was the incident with the footsteps.
Like I said, not a superstitious guy, so I’ll stick to the facts.
We were about to call action on a scene, when we heard footsteps in the next corridor over. These were loud enough that all of the crew heard them, and loud enough for our sound recordist to shake his head as a ‘no go’. They got louder until they stopped abruptly on the other side of the door from the room in which we were filming. Irritated, I probably called out something like “You might as well come through now” and we waited.
My lovely DoP Al Ronald went to investigate when nobody came through. As I’m sure you can guess, there was nobody there.
It sounds so Scooby Doo and hokey. It sounds ridiculous. But that’s what happened.
KillerKiller – A Look Back Behind the Scenes from jinxmedia on Vimeo.
I also became increasingly convinced that I could hear whispering voices in the corridors of the building. This was probably an auditory trick caused by the wind whistling through the cracks, but, goddammit, once I thought I heard panting about a foot away from my ear. Enough to make me spin around like I’d been stung.
I’m not even sure what these are examples of. Weird acoustics in an old building? An over-active imagination triggered by the fact that we were shooting a gory horror movie in a location that had seen an awful lot of unhappiness?
Soon after the film came out, a few enthusiastic souls started suggesting that they could see ‘orbs’ in the final film (specifically in the scene starting 31:43 on the special edition, for those interested), which made me chuckle a little because I’m pretty goddamn sure that those floating orbs are dust kicked up by the chair that gets thrown against the wall in that scene. On the other hand, since I’m the dude swearing blind that I heard footsteps with no source that vanished into nowhere, who the hell am I to judge what others perceive?
After three days I was unreasonably happy to be leaving the most cinematic location I’ve ever filmed in. I still don’t believe in ghosts. I still believe in science over superstition, logic over legend.
But if I never hear a panting sound a foot away from my ear again for as long as I live, that’ll be just fine.
– Pat Higgins
KillerKiller: The Special Edition is available NOW to rent and purchase on VOD. Click through the trailer below.
KillerKiller – The Special Edition (2014) from jinxmedia on Vimeo.
CategoriesBehind the scenes videos, Filming, KillerKiller, Memories Tagsghost stories, history, horror, supernatural, Warley Hospital
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Five years from now essays
Kant and the horseman in the sky essay
Statement of purpose for master in public health for dental student
Opportunities for Aligning Public Health and Healthcare Workforce Development As public health and healthcare become more closely aligned, and hospitals and health departments work together on community health improvement efforts, this has presented an opportunity for identifying competencies that span public health and healthcare to better support development of population health skills that benefit the health workforce as a whole.
If you would like more information about this club, please e-mail Baseball Club, Notre Dame The purpose of CBND is to allow non-varsity athletes the opportunity to continue their competitive, collegiate baseball careers at a level above interhall.
Furthermore, I feel I will be a role model to other Asians who want to advance themselves, and contribute to society. Gaining consensus on essential data content and documentation standards is a necessary prerequisite for high-quality data in the interconnected healthcare system of the future.
If you would like more information about this club, please e-mail ndsaacs or click here for the American Chemical Society website. Refer to the chart below to see if you qualify for the degree program you are interested in. Provide education about water quality and related environmental issues.
Further career and professional development of Club members with an emphasis on the environmental engineering field. Do an amazing internship?
To pursue the sport of gymnastics through skill development in daily practices and through competition with clubs and teams from other universities. Public health professionals may find employment in a wide range of workplaces, including hospitals and clinics, nonprofit organizations, research laboratories, government agencies, and colleges and universities.
American Institute of Chemical Engineers The objectives of our organization in order of importance are as follows: Over 20 kilometers of bicycle path have been created and shuttle buses are provided for the students and faculty.
Since the public health field frequently must do more with less, employee professional development is often viewed as a drain of resources rather than an asset that will benefit the individual employee, the organization, and ultimately, the public health workforce as a whole.
Does the department have a specific focus that gels well with yours? Work collaboratively with the Assistant Provost, University administrators, University deans, University governance committees and University departments concerning library programs and services.
TCND will work toward its goals by coordinating regular practices. Other common roles include epidemiologists, biostatisticians, medical researchers, health educators and administrators, social service managers, emergency management directors and community health workers.
Your accomplishments will almost certainly overlap with your background and qualifications. But thinking of specific examples in advance will make writing the actual statement of purpose much easier! Some would rather draw a mind map or even make voice memos.
Please make sure to plan ahead; December 1 is the last exam date we will accept for admissions for fall This will make you seem both unfocused and boring.Need to write a graduate school statement of purpose, but not sure where to start? Let us guide you through how to write a statement of purpose for grad school!
Global Medical Brigades ND Global Medical Brigades is a secular, international student-operated volunteer organization whose mission is to provide sustained health care to underserved communities throughout the world.
Statement of Purpose (PUBLIC HEALTH) After deciding dental school was not for me, I knew I wanted to continue my science education by enrolling in a graduate school program. I remained uncertain which program would be right for me until the end of my senior year.
Student Brands; Support. A.T. Still University’s (ATSU) online Master of Public Health – Dental Emphasis (MPH-D) degree through the College of Graduate Health Studies (CGHS).
Preparing Your Statement of Purpose Here are some suggestions from the Graduate Recruitment and Diversity Services (GRADS) team at the UC Berkeley School.
Jan 14, · This sounds way too similar to the following statement of purpose example on this website: It's definitely plagiarism. Under "Statements by Americans", Statement F, Public Health Studies--there are direct sentences taken from the sample (especially towards the end).
Dental Student.
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Rent burden strains more than three-quarters of low-income seniors in California, study finds
by Venetia Lai, University of California, Los Angeles
Credit: iStock.com/Willowpix
More than three-quarters of California's low-income seniors are financially burdened by rent, according to a new fact sheet from the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research.
Low-income seniors who rent—numbering more than half a million—can be forced to move far from their established social and medical networks to find rentals they can afford; they may end up in substandard housing; or—at worst—homeless, according to authors of the study.
"Older Californians with limited incomes struggle to pay for shelter, food, medical care and other basic necessities. Escalating rent prices can push them out the door," said D. Imelda Padilla-Frausto, research scientist and co-author of the fact sheet. "If they're lucky, they can land at a relative or friend's home."
Rent that requires more than half a household's pretax income is identified as a "severe burden," while rent that consumes more than 30 percent but less than half is a "moderate burden," according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
According to the study, 55.8 percent of low-income seniors in California shoulder a severe rent burden and 22.6 percent are moderately burdened. California renters of all ages also feel the pinch, but not to the same extreme: 28.7 percent bear a severe rent burden, according to a recent state housing report. The UCLA study uses the most currently available census data, the 2016 American Community Survey.
Regional and county differences
Sacramento-area counties have the highest proportion of severely rent-burdened low-income seniors, 63.7 percent. Combined with the 18.6 percent of low-income seniors who are moderately burdened, that region has the highest regional rent burden, affecting more than 8 in 10 low-income seniors, according to the study. Of the seven regions analyzed, the San Joaquin Valley area and Los Angeles County (counted as a region because of its large population) were close behind, at 80.3 percent and 80 percent, respectively.
Counterintuitively, the high-cost Bay Area region has a slightly lower overall rent burden among low-income seniors, 77.1 percent, because some long-term tenants in the area live in rent-controlled units, which reduces their rents paid, the study reports. Still, 40.9 percent of low-income senior renters in this broad region have a severe rent burden.
The same held true when the authors studied the severe rent burden rate in specific large counties: Sacramento County has a severe rent burden rate that is 25 percent higher than San Francisco County, 68.2 percent to 43.3 percent, respectively. Other county variations: In Los Angeles County (excluding the city of Los Angeles), 61.5 percent of residents have severe rent burdens, compared to 53.7 percent in the city of Los Angeles. The other large counties analyzed in the study—Orange, San Diego, Santa Clara and Alameda—also have high rates of moderate burden and even higher rates of severe rent burden.
"In California, we have a rapidly aging population," said Steven Wallace, associate director of the center and lead author of the study. "The gap between many older adults' fixed incomes and increasing rents is likely to widen to a chasm unless changes occur in rental costs, incomes or both."
UCLA study identifies LA as most unaffordable rental market in the nation
Provided by University of California, Los Angeles
Citation: Rent burden strains more than three-quarters of low-income seniors in California, study finds (2018, August 21) retrieved 15 July 2019 from https://phys.org/news/2018-08-rent-burden-strains-three-quarters-low-income.html
More than three-quarters of a million elderly Californians 'unofficially' poor
Low-income seniors report worse health, more depression and less access to care
How recent economy kept black, white young adults from leaving nest
Can't pay the rent? Kids' health may suffer
Tensions rise over 'Airbnb vote' in San Francisco
New model forecasts anomalous growth patterns for substitutive products and behaviors
Fairtrade benefits rural workers in Africa, but not the poorest of the poor
Government-funded research increasingly fuels innovation
The dark side of personality
Performance improves when the enemy of an enemy is a friend
Education trumps age-structure in terms of providing a demographic dividend
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Oat Grower Manual: Disease Management
There are four diseases of oat that typically affect the crop each season. The two major ones, Stem Rust and Crown Rust, sweep into Manitoba and eastern Saskatchewan each year to the degree in which the weather is favourable.
Moisture and temperature are the drivers of disease and once established in a field, the pathogen will spread from plant to plant. Breeding for resistance to these diseases is time consuming and costly. Furthermore sources of new plant resistance, that is the means by which the oat plants defend themselves, are more difficult to find and implement now. In any crop, there isn’t an endless source of resistance genes waiting to be used. The crown rust fungus for instance continues to evolve and develop new races that are able to overcome genetic resistance. Therefore, resistant varieties become susceptible to crown rust as new races develop.
CROWN RUST (Puccinia coronata)
Crown rust, sometime called “Leaf Rust”, generally is the most widespread and destructive disease of oats in western Canada. Crown rust can reduce yields, lower test weights and groat percentage, and increase lodging through a weakening of the stem.
Crown rust is identified by the pustules on the leaf producing yellow-orange spores that infect leaves primarily. As the crop approaches maturity, a black spore stage (Teliospores or “resting spores”) may also be found on the oat leaves, appearing as a black or dark brown ring around the yellow-orange pustules.
These black spores are the overwintering stage, although in western Canada they generally don’t survive the cold. The name “Crown Rust” comes from the microscopic look of those Teliospores which have a crown like structure on their surface.
Each spring in Canada, spores of this fungal disease and Stem Rust as well are blown in from winter, oat-producing regions in the southern United States.
Seeding early will allow the crop to develop past the most susceptible stage in the areas where the risk of Crown Rust is greater. The Red River Valley is the first area to receive the spores from the south, as shown in the image here, and the Crown Rust infections will gradually spread to the western Prairie depending on the weather.
“Ideal conditions for oat crown rust are mild to warm daytime temperatures, so sunny days at about 20 C to 25 C, and moderate nighttime temperatures around 15 C to 20 C, along with good dews and adequate moisture.” – Albert Tenuta, plant pathologist, Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.
Growing varieties with disease resistance is an effective and economical method of controlling Crown Rust. Refer to the latest oat variety selection guide to select varieties resistant to prevalent races of Crown Rust.
STEM RUST (Puccinia graminis f. sp. avenae)
Stem rust epidemics are infrequent on the Canadian prairies, but they have the potential of being serious in southern Manitoba if oats are planted late and winds occur that blow spores in from the south. Spores of the fungal pathogen Stem Rust, like those of Crown Rust, drift northward seasonally from the U.S. in a weather dependent manner.
Stem rust and crown rust are distinguished fairly easily on the basis of spore color. Stem Rust spores are more red in colour, while Crown Rust spores are a yellow-orange. The coloured and dusty pustules erupt on the plants and release hundreds of thousands of spores to the air which may infect neighbouring plants and produce new pustules in 7 to 10 days. These colourful mid-summer spore types are replaced in August with a mass of black overwintering teliospores. As mentioned earlier, winter temperatures in western Canada are too cold generally for the spores to survive.
Control of stem rust, as with crown rust, can be economically accomplished by using resistant varieties. Refer to the latest selection guide to determine the level of resistance in available varieties to the prevalent races of stem rust. Stem rust resistance in oat varieties is generally more stable than crown rust resistance. Stem Rust resistance at first however, is more difficult to breed into the oat crop.
Also refer to the most recent edition of provincial Crop Protection Guide for details of the registered disease control products with which Stem Rust can be controlled.
Barley yellow dwarf (BYDV) is a virus that can cause significant yield loss in oats in western Canada. As the name implies, the barley yellow dwarf virus also infects barley as well as wheat. It is transmitted from plant to plant by several species of grain aphids. These aphids usually acquire the virus when feeding on infected plants in the southern half of the U.S. and then are carried to northern oat fields in winds and by storm fronts. The disease potential greatly depends on the northward movement of these aphids from southern fields.
Barley yellow dwarf-infected plants normally are first seen along edges of fields. The leaves turn a yellow red to reddish brown. The entire leaf blade may die prematurely. The plants generally are stunted and heads of infected plants often are severely blasted and seed is low in test weight. Oat varieties have some tolerance but there are no resistant varieties. Early planting can be helpful in reducing damage caused by BYDV.
LOOSESMUT (Ustilago avenae) & COVERED SMUT (Ustilago kolleri)
Smuts of oats have not been serious problems in western Canada. As with loose smut of barley, this disease can be controlled with seed treatment.
Most oat varieties are resistant to smut and provide good control of this fungal disease.
Consult crop protection guide for details of the registered seed treatments if desired.
FUNGAL LEAF SPOTS
Leaf spots on oats can be caused by a fungal pathogen known as Septoria avenae blotch. The disease is prevalent in eastern Canada but is of minor importance in western Canada. A crop rotation which puts two years or so between oat crops will help in the reduction of disease organisms for carryover. A number of fungicides are registered for the control of leaf spots. Refer to the most recent edition of provincial Crop Protection Guide for details of the registered products.
Blast of oats occurs when the florets do not develop completely and sterility results. Florets are the developing flower structure on an oat panicle which typically forms two seeds. When Blast is observed, the florets are seen as white, skinny and empty.
Frequently, blast is due to high temperatures and moisture stress occurring at the time of panicle differentiation. As Blast is a stress related condition in oats, diseases may contribute to the problem.
Early planting reduces the likelihood of blast while late seeding and high seeding rates may favour the occurrence of blast.
Fusarium Head Blight is a fungal disease that is known to affect oats as well as other cereals (Bailey et al., 2003). The causal agent can be one or a complex of several Fusarium species, with Fusarium graminearum being the most common. Yield losses may be in the form of poor seed fill, floret sterility or impaired seed germination (Bailey et al. 2003). Fusarium head blight (FHB) is difficult to detect in standing oat crops. The major problem is the presence of mycotoxins on harvested seeds (Tekauz et al., 2004).
Deoxynivalenol or DON is the most common mycotoxin and is a risk to human and animal health, and can result in a lower grading. FHB is of highest concern in Manitoba and Saskatchewan with limited economic importance in Alberta (Tekauz et al. 2008). This disease is most common in the black soil zone, associated with high rainfall. The spread of disease is assisted by rainfall during crop flowering but can also occur via wind and planting of infected seed (Canadian Grain Commission, 2010).
CROP PROTECTION against PLANT DISEASES
The decision to grow a disease resistant variety is a tool for a successful growing season on the farm. Fungicides are also an important tool for the protection of a significant investment during the crop production season. May growers choose to apply a fungicide even on a variety that shows good disease resistance. The two can work together for success, and starting with a disease resistant variety is like a back up plan. Should the weather be such that getting to the field to spray a fungicide is not possible, the oat crop with disease resistance, through the breeding that went into it, will provide a good safeguard to your investment.
A number of fungicides are registered for use on oats. Many growers consider applying fungicide when the yield potential and value of the crop is high, when leaf diseases in the area develop early in the season and also if the long-range weather forecast is for continued moist weather. Refer to the most recent edition of provincial Crop Protection Guide for details of the registered products.
2017 Alberta guide to crop protection:
http://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$Department/deptdocs.nsf/all/agdex32/$FILE/606-1.pdf
2017 Saskatchewan guide to crop protection:
http://www.publications.gov.sk.ca/details.cfm?p=77706
2017 Manitoba guide to crop protection
https://www.gov.mb.ca/agriculture/crops/guides-and-publications/pubs/crop-protection-guide-full.pdf
[Please see the research summary below for an additional look into the value of using fungicides.]
RESEARCH PAPER (2014): Canadian Journal of Plant Science (2014) 94: 911-922
“Are fungicide applications to control crown rust of oat beneficial?”
W.E. May1, N. Ames2, R.B. Irvine3, H.R. Kutcher4, G.P. Lafond1†, and S.J. Shirtliffe5 .
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Indian Head Research Farm
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Richardson Centre for Functional Foods and Nutraceuticals
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Brandon Research Centre
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Melfort
Department of Plant Sciences, University of Saskatchewan
1†Deceased
Crown rust causes significant damage to the Canadian oat crop and the organism continues to evolve. Plant breeding efforts continue in their efforts to try to defend the crop against the disease. “Currently, prophylactic fungicide applications are recommended to oat growers by industry agronomists, even in the absence of symptoms. Our objectives were to determine the influence of seeding date, cultivar and fungicide application on oat yield and quality in Saskatchewan and Manitoba.”
In this study, conducted during 2009 to 2011, 6 locations were used: two in Manitoba and four in Saskatchewan. The locations were: Portage la Prairie, Brandon, Indian Head, Canora, Melfort, and Saskatoon.
AC Morgan, CDC Orrin, CDC Boyer, and Leggett were the varieties of examination. With respect to crown rust resistance they are categorized as very susceptible, susceptible, partially resistant and resistant respectively.
One fungicide was used in the study, the pyraclostrobin compound Headline®.
“These results indicate that prophylactic fungicide applications are unlikely to provide yield improvement when early planting is combined with even a moderately disease-resistant cultivar.”
“The only cultivar that consistently benefited from fungicide application was AC Morgan. Seeding in mid-May with even a moderately crown rust susceptible cultivar eliminated any benefit from fungicide application. In conclusion, it is recommended that growers seed early with a crown-rust resistant cultivar to avoid the need to apply a fungicide on their oat crops.”
Oat Grower Manual (2017)
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MotoLease Finds ‘Sweet Spot’ in Leasing Niche, Exec Says
All Posts, Best Practices, Risk, Sales & Marketing
MotoLease LLC launched an Express Program for financing low-dollar powersports vehicles in early June — despite the associated risk — and has surpassed its expectations within the first two weeks, said Emre Ucer, the company’s managing partner.
“It’s too early to talk numbers, but we have received more applications for the Express Program than we expected in first two weeks,” he told Powersports Finance. “We get around 75 to 100 applications per day.”
The MotoLease Express Program offers lease amounts between $1,500 and $6,000 with payment terms between 24 and 60 months, and no hidden fees.
MotoLease expected a “slower start” because dealers are not familiar with the program or how to market it to the consumer. “Normally, when we come up with a new program it takes around 60 days for dealers to get used to it and make it successful,” he said. “This time, that 60-day window went down to two weeks.”
“There is a huge need for a financing option for low-dollar amount bikes,” Ucer said. “Our dealers asked us for a specific program for a long time, but you need to be careful because there’s a reason why finance companies don’t get into low-dollar bikes, especially in the near-prime or subprime space.”
The typical “sweet spot” for most finance companies — including MotoLease’s standard program — ranges between $8,000 and $12,000, he said. “There’s a reason for it, because you don’t want the customer to default on low-dollar bikes. If you need to recover the vehicle and liquidate it, the percentage of liquidation costs, as a ratio to the availability of the bike, is so high that these low-dollar bikes are not as attractive. If you have to take that vehicle back, you don’t want to be underwater.”
However, notwithstanding the risk, MotoLease launched the program to meet growing consumer demand for low-dollar financing options. Many OEMs are releasing new models in the $5,000 range, and “we wanted to give a leasing option, especially for the customers who wouldn’t qualify for the other options or products,” Ucer added.
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Private tours Edinburgh
Tours of Scotland from Edinburgh , Outlander & Game of Thrones tours
Jamie Fraser Outlander tours featuring Lallybroch
Game of Thrones tours
Mary Queen of Scots tours
Author: Private Tours Edinburgh
Seven unique experiences you can only have in Scotland
Posted on July 11, 2019 July 11, 2019 by Private Tours Edinburgh
As far as underrated holiday destinations go, Scotland is on the list. It’s known around the world for its whisky, tartan and bagpipes but often overlooked by British travellers who opt for the sun-kissed sands of Spain or otherworldly scenery of Iceland.
Thankfully, we’re here to show you just how wonderful this UK beauty spot really is by bringing you the amazing things and unique experiences you can only have in Scotland…
1. Take a tour of the Outlander film locations
Outlander has been filmed exclusively in Scotland and there are a growing number of film locations. Number on eon the list has got to be Lallybroch ( Midhope Castle ) , ancestral home of Jamie Fraser . Take the Jamie Fraser Outlander tour to visit Lallybroch, Fort William and Wentworth Prison . Phone 0131 549 9785 for more details or contact us online . Tours are run daily and prices start at just £150 per tour .
2. Take a tour of the Highlands
The scenery of the Highlands is amazing and a must see for any visitor to Scotland . Our Highlands tour features a visit to Glencoe, Buachaille Etive Mor, Black Mount and Rannoch Moor. This private tour of the Highlands features a drive through the beautiful scenery of Loch Lomond National park , passing Loch Lubhair and Loch Lubnaig and going through Crianlarich and Tyndrum .Phone 0131 549 9785 for more details or contact us online . Tours are run daily and prices start at just £250 per tour .
Scotland tours , Eilean Donan Castle, the Highlands , Scotland , The castle sits on an island in the middle of three lochs
3. Ride the Glenfinnan Viaduct like Harry Potter
Florida and Hertfordshire have the fancy studio tours and rides but Scotland has the real-life Hogwarts Express in the form of the Jacobite Steam Train, one of the greatest railway journeys in the world.
The train, which you can experience during a four-day tour this summer, runs from Fort William to Mallaig, crossing the 21-arched Glenfinnan Viaduct and running through rugged mountains and past stunning lochs.
4. Land on the beach at Barra
The world’s only scheduled beach landing is located right here on this Outer Hebrides island, where you’ll get to tick an incredible flight landing off your bucket list. You’ll land between tides on the beautifully white, sandy beach Traigh Mhor, a runway like no other.
When a take-off or landing isn’t expected, you can stroll this unique airport runway to admire Barra’s Caribbean-esque sands – but be sure to check that the airport sock isn’t flying as this is when public access isn’t permitted.
3. Meet Highland cows
These icons of Scotland are cute, photogenic and very hairy. Highland cows, or coos, are often seen lazing and grazing all over the country.
You’ll spot them in picturesque locations like the Cairngorms National Park, Stirling Castle or during a rail trip through the Highlands. On our Highlands tour we stop outside Callendar to see a couple of huge Highland cows.
4. Spot marine life on the UK’s first whale trail
Scotland’s newly launched Hebridean Whale Trail is a must for wildlife fans, with its 30 unique sites across the west coast where you can look out across the sea and watch for whales and dolphins.
The wildlife spotting trail includes lighthouses in the Isle of Lewis, Isle of Scalpay and the mainland, as well as beaches in the Highlands, the Isle of Harris and Ullapool.
5. Take off from the water with the UK’s only seaplane airline
Now this is one way to see Scotland! Seaplanes might be common in the Maldives but you don’t have to venture to the Indian Ocean to experience one for yourself, as there’s a seaplane airline operating in Loch Lomond.
Loch Lomond Seaplanes will pick you up from the shores of the loch for a tour of the breathtaking national park as you take in the famous mountains, glens and lochs.
Tours of Scotland – Seven unique experiences you can only have in Scotland . Phone 0131 549 9785 for more details or contact us online . Tours are run daily and prices start at just £150 per tour .
Posted in Outlander toursTagged Highlands tour, Jamie fraser, Jamie Fraser Outlander tours, Outlander tours, Tours of Scotland, unique experiences
Outlander success makes film locations upgrade their facilities
Posted on July 8, 2019 by Private Tours Edinburgh
The Outlander effect has been well documented in the last few years. The most popular film locations are now looking to upgrade their facilities to cope with the demand .
Outlander news from Private tours Edinburgh . Phone Edinburgh +44-131 549 9785 for information about Outlander tours and bookings .
Outlander could become “a victim of its own success” due to the huge numbers of fans flocking to historic sites linked to the show.
Research published in March revealed that attractions such as Lallybroch ( Midhope Castle ) and Doune Castle ( Castle Leoch ) in Outlander, which has turned lead actors Sam Heughan and Caitriona Balfe into huge stars, saw visitor numbers soar by an average of 67 per cent since it went into production in 2013.
Jamie Fraser Outlander tours
However VisitScotland said it was now trying to ensure that sites were not “over-promoted” and was encouraging Outlander’s fans to be “respecting” of the nation’s heritage and culture.
Outlander tours phone 07305-294773
The tourism agency said it was aware of fans having to be rescued from “dangerous” Outlander locations which had not appeared in official maps. It revealed it is also working with Transport Scotland and travel companies to try to ensure services are better linked up and reduce the risk of fans being left stranded.
Doune Castle, Linlithgow Palace, Blackness Castle and Craigmillar Castle are among the attractions Historic Environment Scotland (HES) has allowed Outlanderto use. The agency revealed the success of the show had inspired it to “pro-actively” seek new film and TV productions to work with. But it also admitted it was more difficult to close down Outlander locations for other productions because of the risk of having to turn away huge numbers disappointed fans. It has also reported growing problems at sites which have not been used as locations, but have close links to the show, including the Callanish Stones on the Isle of Lewis, the Ring of Brodgar in Orkney, and Clava Cairns near Inverness.
Speaking at XpoNorth, the annual creative industries conference in the Highlands, Audrey Jones, head of filming at HES, said: “We’re having issues with sites that are just so popular now. We’re looking at timed tickets, capacity management and investing in infrastructure to make it more pleasurable for people. If you had come to Doune Castle five years ago there would probably have been hardly anyone else there. You don’t want to be rammed in with a thousand other people. It’s not a nice experience.
“There are obviously people who have never heard of Outlander and don’t understand why this beautiful castle that they came to five years ago is suddenly mobbed. It’s about making sure that they also have a good experience.
“Conservation is our raison d’être. We’re trying to make sure that people don’t trample over sites like Clava Cairns, the Ring of Brodgar and the Callanish Stones.
“We now have rangers and conservation teams going around our sites checking on them and speaking to people, particularly at remote sites, which were always unmanned and where people could wander about at will. There’s now a degree of herding and trampling going on now. We’re having to police it a lot more.
Jones added: “We’ve now started to have drones everywhere. People flying them across properties where Outlander has been filmed to get aerial shots has become a major issue for us. We’ve had to increase our presence at previously unstaffed sites to cope with that and protect them.
“In some ways, Outlander has been a victim of its own success. It now costs us more to close a property down as we have more visitors. It’s a commercial challenge which we obviously try to overcome as we don’t want to be seen as the bad guys.
“It’s also become more and more challenging to afford privacy during filming. When Outlander began filming no-one had really heard about it or knew the actors. Now we have to close sites down because screaming fans are everywhere if they know filming is going on.”
VisitScotland film manager Jenni Steele said: “Moving people around sites and sustainable tourism is really important to us. We want to make sure we’re looking after our heritage and our tourism sites for the future. It’s about making sure everyone is respecting of our culture and heritage, and also making sure there’s a balance between promoting sites without over-promoting them.”
Outlander tours
Posted in Outlander toursTagged Castle Leoch, doune castle, Lallybroch, Midhope Castle
Outlander fans help to restore Preston Mill’s wheel
Posted on June 19, 2019 by Private Tours Edinburgh
Preston Mill stood in for Lallybroch , the Highland home of Jamie Fraser when the Redcoats came calling during the first season of the hit drama Outlander.
The appearance of 200-year-old Preston Mill on TV networks around the world has helped ensure its wheel will keep turning for a few more years at least.
Outlander news from Private tours Edinburgh . Book your Outlander tours to the original film locations , including Lallybroch on +447305294773 .
A crowdfunding appeal sent out by the National Trust for Scotland (NTS) after the iconic building’s waterwheel ground to a halt has been a raging success with donors digging deep to help pay for repairs, which have now got it moving again.
And it was the Outlander connection which help the fundraising effort smash through its £12,000 target, with an American fan of the show matching donations made by others.
A working mill until 1959, the historic Preston Mill in East Linton, East Linton, has a curious Dutch-style, red-tiled conical roof and is an architectural oddity which attracts thousands of tourists each year.
The engineer and millwright Andrew Meikle, who invented the threshing machine, was once a tenant and until September last year its machinery – powered by the River Tyne – was still turning.
It is now used to give tour groups an insight into the gruelling life of a 18th century miller, and is also beloved by painters because of its unusual design.
The mill stood in for a part of Lallybroch Castle in Outlander, in a scene where star Sam Heughan was fixing its wheel when Government troops came looking for Jacobites.
He plunged under the water to hide while time-travelling heroine Claire Fraser, played by Catriona Balfe, talked her way out of trouble.
Other scenes at ‘Lallybroch’, which the series places in Inverness-shire, were actually filmed at Midhope Castle, located between South Queensferry and Linlithgow on the edges of the private Hopetoun Estate.
But real life imitated art when the wheel stopped working last year, with the NTS appealing for help getting it moving again.
Book your Outlander tours to the original film locations , including Lallybroch on +447305294773 .
Posted in Outlander toursTagged Catriona Balfe, Claire Fraser, Jamie fraser, Jamie Fraser tours, Lallybroch, Outlander tours, Preston Mill
NEW Sam Heughan’s movie, Bloodshot, with Vin Diesel, is coming out in 2020
Sam Heughan‘s new movie, Bloodshot, with Vin Diesel, is coming out in 2020
Outlander news from Outlander tours
During an interview with Parade, Heughan shared that the movie with Vin Diesel will be out in 2020. He didn’t give an exact date and that’s not all that surprising. The studio probably hasn’t decided on a date just yet. After all, we’ve only just found out that Caitriona Balfe’s Ford v Ferrari movie will be out in November.
What we do get is a little more information about the role Heughan is playing. This was something kept under wraps during the casting announcement so it’s fun to learn more about the character.
Based on the comic book of the same name, Sam Heughan will play a Navy SEAL, who has been changed with technology after something traumatic happened. This makes him a better soldier, sure, but it also changes part of who the character is. The good thing for Heughan is that it’s completely different to Outlander’s Jamie Fraser and that gives him a new range to his acting abilities.
There are plenty of actions scenes for him by the sounds of things. Heughan admits that he had to train because it is a physical role. At the same time, it sounds like comic book fans will see a slight twist, as he explains it’s an iconic character that plays a new superhero (or maybe a supervillain) in the movie.
Posted in Jamie Fraser toursTagged outlander, Sam Heughan, Vin Diesel
Game of Thrones: Daenerys Targaryen’s fate was revealed in big Stannis Baratheon clue
Posted on June 7, 2019 June 18, 2019 by Private Tours Edinburgh
GAME OF THRONES may have come to an end but new theories and clues are being revealed all the time to justify the ending of the show. As a result, it appears Daenerys Targaryen’s fate was hinted at in a Stannis Baratheon clue.
Game of Thrones news from Private tours Edinburgh . Game of Thrones tours in Scotland – phone 07305-294773 for more details .
In the final season of Game of Thrones, Daenerys (played by Emilia Clarke) turned into the Mad Queen to burn King’s Landing to the ground.
Then, in the final ever episode of the HBO series, she is killed by lover Jon Snow (Kit Harington) in order to stop her fulfilling her prophecy of claiming the Iron Throne.
She had lived her whole life on a mission to reclaim the throne for the Targaryens after it was taken from them when the Mad King Aerys Targaryen.
However, her fate was not meant to be fulfilled and she was killed before ever sitting on the Iron Throne.
Now, one Reddit fan has highlighted how her journey mirrored another character who thought they had a rightful claim to the throne.
Reddit User podteod has compared the two: “I was thinking about Stannis and his purpose in the story, and found that he has many similarities with Daenerys.
“Both were ‘the rightful heirs’ and were motivated by it, and considered the Iron Throne to be their right and duty. Both were linked to the element of fire, Stannis through Melisandre and her religion and Dany through her dragons. They both burned their enemies.
“Both helped Jon against the enemy to the north. Stannis helped against the freefolk and Daenerys against the Dead. Also they were both very influential figures for Jon.
“Both had their closest advisors betray them in favour of Jon Snow (Melisandre and Tyrion/Varys). And they both held Dragonstone as their base of operations.
“They both lost their parents, and two brothers. They were directly involved in the death of the younger ones. (Renly killed by Melisandre, Viserys killed by Drogo while Dany watched).
Game of Thrones: Stannis died chasing the crown like Daenerys
Game of Thrones: Stannis enlisted Melisandre’s magic to get the crown
“Dany brought foreign forces of Dothraki and the Unsullied, and Stannis brought a foreign religion. These things made them look like outsiders to their enemies.
“I think this is not a coincidence, and Stannis’s fate was a warning of what will happen to Daenerys, and that being a rightful heir is not enough to be a good ruler.”
Stannis (Stephen Dillane) believed he was the rightful heir after brother King Robert Baratheon’s (Mark Addy) death.
Instead, Joffrey Baratheon (Jack Gleeson) took the crown despite not actually being Robert’s son.
Stannis’s life and downfall should have served as a lesson to Daenerys that she cannot just expect to rule without any repercussions.
Game of Thrones: Daenerys was killed before she had chance to fulfil her destiny
He was killed by Brienne of Tarth (Gwendoline Christie) in vengeance for his killing of Renly Baratheon (Gethin Anthony).
Despite Renly being his brother he killed him because he wanted the throne for himself and Brienne swore revenge for killing Renly.
Meanwhile, another Reddit clue has suggested why Jon Snow was never meant to be king.
Posted in Game of ThronesTagged Daenerys, Daenerys Targaryen, Game of Thrones, Game of Thrones tours, Targaryen
NEW for 2019 – the Kelpies and castles tour
Posted on May 9, 2019 by Private Tours Edinburgh
Looking for things to do in Edinburgh ? How about taking a tour from Edinburgh of two ancient castles and the Kelpies ?
Our Kelpies and castles tour features a visit to the amazing Kelpies in Falkirk and two ancient Scottish castles in Stirling and Doune .
The Kelpies and castles tours are available daily seven days a week .The tour spends up to an hour at each location .
Normal pickup point is Edinburgh city centre . Five hour private tour around Falkirk for up to four passengers. Tours start at 10 am weekdays . Explore the famous Kelpies in Falkirk .
5 hour private tour group day trip around Falkirk and Stirling
Explore the world famous Kelpies , a unique tribute to the Clydesdale horses that used to pull barges along the canals of Scotland
visit Doune Castle and find out about its five claims to movie fame
visit Stirling Castle , home of Mary Queen of Scots and the Stewart kings of Scotland
Take in unique views of the historic Stirling and Doune Castle
Small private group tour with a maximum of 4 people
The world famous Kelpies
The Kelpies sculptures are the largest works of art in Scotland, and the largest equine sculptures in the world, designed by Andy Scott.
The Kelpies sculptures are the largest equine sculptures in the world and they have become Scotland’s best known cultural landmark with over one million visitors .
The Kelpies are 30 metre high sculptures of Clydesdale horses , a unique tribute to the work horses of Scottish industry and economy, pulling the freight barges and coalships along the canals of Scotland in the nineteenth century . Canals shaped the geographical layout of the Falkirk area. The Kelpies are the centrepiece of the Helix Park in Falkirk .
The Kelpies have become the most famous equine sculptures in the world . But now they have been given another name to make them more attractive to Chinese tourists.
VisitBritain, which markets the UK abroad, has dubbed them ‘Kai Po Ju Ma’ in promotional literature in China – which translates as “glorious armoured giant horses”.
2 Stirling Castle
Stirling Castle is one of Scotland’s most impressive castles due to its imposing position and impressive architecture. The castle was the home of Mary, Queen of Scots and the Stewart kings of Scotland .
Stirling castle tours
From Stirling Castle’s ramparts, visitors can take in views of the Forth Valley and Ben Lomond , as well as two of Scotland’s most important battle sites – Stirling Bridge (1297) and Bannockburn (1314). The castle is at the head of Stirling’s historic old town.Like Edinburgh Castle , Stirling sits on a volcanic rock dominating the city skyline .
Stirling Castle is not only one of Scotland’s grandest and most imposing castles, it was also a real favourite with Scotland’s kings and queens. And their investment in it demonstrated just how much they loved to use it, as well as their desire to ensure it both impressed all who visited it, and represented a statement of their power and wealth. James IV created the Great Hall, the largest medieval banqueting hall ever built in Scotland, and James V’s Royal Palace, with its lavishly decorated Renaissance façades, was a masterpiece of the period.
Major conservation work has been carried out at Stirling Castle over many years to preserve the attraction as a major national and international monument. The refurbishment of the Great Hall was completed ten years ago . A particular feature of the Great Hall is stained glass windows featuring clan crests . A number of banquets and concerts are held in the Hall throughout the year .
Phone 07305-294773 for availability and bookings or contact us online .
Doune Castle – featured in Game of Thrones and Monty Python
Game of Thrones castle tours
Doune Castle is unique in that it actually has five claims to movie fame
Game of Thrones ( Winterfell )
Outlander ( Castle Leoch )
the Outlaw King
Your guide will give details of the history of the castle , information about the Game of Thrones filming plus all the other films made at Doune Castle including Monty Python and the Holy Grail .
Behind the scenes access
Visitors to the castle can get details about Game of Thrones filming in the Great Hall and courtyard of the castle .
Take the audio tour of Doune Castle , narrated by Monty Python’s Terry Jones and Outlander’s Jamie Fraser ( Sam Heughan ) .
Game of Thrones t-shirts
The castle was used as the set for Winterfell in the TV series Game of Thrones (2011–present), an adaptation of the A Song of Ice and Fire series of novels by George R. R. Martin. The castle was also used as “Castle Leoch” in the TV adaption of the Outlander series of novels.
The Great Hall is 20 metres by 8 metres , and 12 metres high to its timber roof, again a 19th-century replacement.The hall has no fireplace, and was presumably heated by a central fire, and ventilated by means of a louvre like the one in the modern roof. No details of the original roof construction are known, however, and the restoration is conjectural.Large windows light the hall, and stairs lead down to the three cellars on ground level.
The hall is accessed from the courtyard via a stair up to a triangular lobby, which in turn links the hall and kitchens by means of two large serving hatches with elliptical arches, unusual for this period.
The kitchen tower, virtually a tower house in its own right, is 17 metres (56 ft) by 8 metres (26 ft). The vaulted kitchen is on the hall level, above a cellar. One of the best-appointed castle kitchens in Scotland of its date, it has an oven and a 5.5-metre (18 ft) wide fireplace. A stair turret, added in 1581 and possibly replacing a timber stair, leads up from the lobby to two storeys of guest rooms. These include the “Royal Apartments”, a suite of two bedrooms plus an audience chamber, suitable for royal visitors.
The Kelpies and Castles tour costs £195 .
Check availability by phoning us now on 07305-294773 or contact us online Toll free number 1-866-233-2644
Posted in Doune Castle, Kelpies toursTagged castle tours, doune castle, Jamie fraser, kelpies, Mary, Monty Python, outlander, Outlander tours, Queen of Scots, Sam Heughan, stirling castle, Terry Jones
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Lallybroch , Fort William and Wentworth Prison
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day tour - Stirling Castle , Doune Castle , Deanston Highland Malt Distillery and Glenturret Distillery
whisky, lochs and castles tour - Stirling Castle,Doune Castle, Deanston distillery , Loch Lubnaig and Loch Lubhair
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Private tours Edinburgh 83 Princes Street Edinburgh EH2 2ER Phone 0131 549 9785 Private and bespoke tours of Outlander film locations , Outlander castles, Game of Thrones , Mary Queen of Scots and photo tours of the Highlands of Scotland . Our private group tours take up to four people to Outlander filming locations. We also offer bespoke private tours with the option of choosing your own itinerary . Scotland tours from Edinburgh can be booked online or by phone on 07305-294773 . Blogarama.com - Follow me on Blogarama
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Myra Kraft Robert Kraft General news Sports Sports team ownership changes Sports business NFL football Professional football Football Human trafficking Smuggling Crime Sports team and league operation Sports industry Media and entertainment industry Business Legal proceedings Law and order
Patriots owner apologizes in Florida prostitution case
- Apr. 11, 2019 08:55 AM EDT
FILE - In this Jan. 20, 2019, file photo, New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft walks on the field before the AFC Championship NFL football game in Kansas City, Mo. Florida prosecutors have offered a plea deal to Kraft and other men charged with paying for illicit sex at a massage parlor. The Palm Beach State Attorney confirmed Tuesday, March 19, 2019, it has offered Kraft and 24 other men charged with soliciting prostitution the standard diversion program offered to first-time offenders. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall, File)
MIAMI (AP) — New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft is apologizing after being charged in a Florida massage parlor prostitution investigation.
"I am truly sorry," Kraft said in a statement Saturday. "I know I have hurt and disappointed my family, my close friends, my co-workers, our fans and many others who rightfully hold me to a higher standard."
The statement was first reported by ESPN.
Kraft said he has "extraordinary respect for women," adding that his morals were shaped by his late wife. Myra Kraft died in 2011.
"Throughout my life, I have always tried to do the right thing. The last thing I would ever want to do is disrespect another human being," he said.
"I expect to be judged not by my words, but by my actions. And through those actions, I hope to regain your confidence and respect," Kraft said.
Kraft pleaded not guilty last month to two counts of misdemeanor solicitation of prostitution.
This week, attorneys for 77-year-old Kraft and other men charged in multiple Florida counties asked a judge to block the release of video recordings that police say show them engaging in sexual acts. The Associated Press is part of a media coalition trying to get the evidence in the case released.
Prosecutors have offered to drop the charges if Kraft and the men enter a diversion program for first-time offenders. That would include an admission they would be found guilty if their case went to trial, a $5,000 fine, 100 hours of community service and attendance in a class on the dangers of prostitution and its connection to human trafficking. They would also have to make a court appearance and be tested for sexually transmitted diseases.
Attorneys representing other defendants told the AP their clients won't accept the offer because it is much tougher than what is offered in other Palm Beach County solicitation cases.
Kraft has an arraignment court hearing scheduled Thursday, though he is not expected to appear in person.
Kraft is one of about 300 men charged between Palm Beach and Orlando as part of a crackdown on illicit massage parlors and human trafficking. Ten parlors have closed and employees have also been charged. Many of the women are originally from China and were forced to live in the spas and not allowed to leave without an escort, according to investigators.
According to police records, Kraft was chauffeured on the evening of Jan. 19 to a Jupiter massage parlor, where officers secretly recorded him engaging in a sex act and then handing over an undetermined amount of cash.
Investigators said Kraft returned 17 hours later. Kraft, who is worth $6 billion, was again videotaped engaging in sex acts before paying with a $100 bill and another bill, police said.
Hours later, he was in Kansas City for the AFC Championship game, where his Patriots defeated the Chiefs. His team then won the Super Bowl in Atlanta, the Patriots' sixth NFL championship under his ownership.
William Burck, one of Kraft's attorneys, told ESPN on Friday that police improperly obtained a search warrant to secretly install cameras inside the Jupiter massage parlor.
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Who could the Jets target from the AAF?
Rookie LB Jenkins leaves practice with calf injury
Aug 22, 2016 | 7:25PM
BGA: The potential debutants -- Part Two (Defense)
Jul 18, 2016 | 2:45PM
BGA - Talking 'bout practice squads
Jul 4, 2016 | 7:41PM
BGA: All good things come to a Hend
BGA: Let off the hook
BGA: The Amazingly Randy
BGA: Jets linebackers cope well without Quinton Coples
Trevor Reilly
Former Jets and other standouts Gang Green could consider after league shuts down
By Bent | Apr 3 | 4:23PM
Feb 17, 2019; San Antonio, TX, USA; Orlando Apollos wide receiver Charles†Johnson (12) runs past San Antonio Commanders linebacker Joel†Lanning (57) during the second half at The Alamodome. Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports (Soobum Im)
Bent, theJetsBlog.com Follow on Twitter
There was bad news for the Alliance of American Football this week, as it was revealed that the fledgling spring league was suspending operations with just two weeks remaining in the regular season. With the future of the league in serious doubt, it will be interesting to see whether any of the standout performers will make it back to the NFL.
With the Jets still on the lookout to bolster their overall depth and create some competition in camp, could they be in the market for any of the players who've been playing in the AAF over the past couple of months? Let's consider who might be sought after.
Tags: Christian Hackenberg, Dylan Donahue, Jalin Marshall, Trevor Reilly, Zac Stacy
New York Jets outside linebacker Jordan Jenkins (Brad Penner/USA Today Sports Images)
New York Jets rookie linebacker Jordan Jenkins left practice with a calf injury, the severity of which was not immediately known.
Jenkins, a third-round draft pick out of Georgia, is considered a front-runner to open the season as a starter at outside linebacker.
He came off the field midway through practice Monday and remained on the sideline the rest of the session. Coach Todd Bowles said he would know more later in the day after talking to the trainers.
Tags: Calvin Pace, Jordan Jenkins, Lorenzo Mauldin, Mike Catapano, Trevor Reilly
By Bent | Jul 18, 2016 | 2:45PM
New York Jets defensive tackle Deon Simon (Tim Fuller/USA Today Sports Images)
Between now and training camp, we've been looking at some of the veteran players on the Jets roster to assess their potential contributions to the team in 2016. Today, we're going to share the first part of a two-part look at the six players still with the team who were part of last year's rookie class but have yet to make their NFL debut. Which, if any, of these players can we expect to make contributions this season?
Part one saw us take a look at the three offensive players that fit into this category; Quarterback Bryce Petty, offensive lineman Jarvis Harrison and fullback Julian Howsare. Here in part two, we'll look at the three defensive players; defensive lineman Deon Simon and linebackers Deion Barnes and Taiwan Jones.
In between now and training camp, we've been looking at some of the veteran players on the Jets roster to assess what kind of contribution we might expect from them in 2016. Today we're going to share the second part of a two-part look at the six players still with the team who were part of last year's rookie class but who have yet to make their NFL debut. Which, if any, of these players can we expect to make contributions this season?
Tags: David Harris, Deion Barnes, Deon Simon, Erin Henderson, Lorenzo Mauldin, Taiwan Jones, Trevor Reilly
By Bent | Jul 4, 2016 | 7:41PM
New York Jets fullback Julian Howsare (Noah K. Murray/USA Today Sports Images)
In between now and training camp, I'm looking at some of the veterans on the Jets roster to assess what kind of contribution we might expect from them in 2016. We're going to shift gears and take a look at the practice squad in terms of who is eligible, how it will likely be made up and what we can learn from who was on there during the 2015 season.
Note: Pro Football Focus exclusively provides some stats from this article.
The basic rules
Tags: Ben Ijalana, Bryce Petty, Calvin Pryor, Dakota Dozier, Deon Simon, Dexter McDougle, Jace Amaro, Jarvis Harrison, Julian Howsare, Mike Catapano, Ronald Martin, T.J. Barnes, Taiwan Jones, Trevor Reilly, Wes Saxton
By Bent | Jan 4, 2016 | 12:55PM
New York Jets inside linebacker David Harris (52) tackles Buffalo Bills running back Karlos Williams (29) as he runs the ball during the first half at Ralph Wilson Stadium. (Timothy T. Ludwig)
Demario Davis and Erin Henderson have been splitting time at the will position recently, but this week it was Henderson who got the majority of the snaps there for the first time. Henderson produced well, with 11 tackles, including one for a loss.
However, David Harris was even more productive, as he had 14 tackles. That's the most he's had since 2009. Harris was also credited with two sacks - both on scrambles - and had a tackle for a loss and a pass break-up.
For Davis, who is now out of contract, he did stuff three runs, although two of those were late in the game when the Bills were trying to run out the clock. I'd imagine the fact that Rex Ryan went after Davis with good success in the previous Bills-Jets game factored into his reduction in playing time.
Tags: Calvin Pace, David Harris, Demario Davis, Erin Henderson, Jamari Lattimore, Lorenzo Mauldin, Mike Catapano, Taiwan Jones, Trevor Reilly
By Bent | Dec 28, 2015 | 2:50PM
(Jim O'Connor)
Much was made over the Patriots' decision to kick off in overtime, but I wonder if their thinking was that if they could force a Jets' punt, there was a decent chance that Ryan Quigley would shank it, setting them up with excellent field position needing just three points to win.
In the end, Quigley didn't need to punt as the Jets drove down and scored the game-winning touchdown. That might be just as well because his last punt in regulation was a poor one, rolling into the end zone for a touchback with no return man back and a chance to pin New England close to their goal line. Again, this had no impact anyway as New England still opted to take a knee.
Quigley did put two punts down to about the 10-yard line earlier on in the game and did bomb a punt with a 53-yard net in the fourth quarter. One of his other punts had just a 33-yard net, though.
Tags: Darrin Walls, Quincy Enunwa, Ryan Quigley, Trevor Reilly
By Bent | Dec 7, 2015 | 2:32PM
New York Jets kicker Randy Bullock (8) kicks a field goal against the New York Giants during the first quarter at MetLife Stadium. (Brad Penner)
While most of the attention will justifiably go towards the coverage breakdown that led to the 80-yard punt return for a touchdown by Dwayne Harris, that was only one of several special teams breakdowns that could have cost the Jets the game.
However, ironically, it proved to be special teams that won the game for the Jets (or, at least, lost it for the Giants) with Randy Bullock's field goal in overtime being followed up by a Josh Brown miss - his first of the season.
On that punt return, the first problem was that Ryan Quigley out-kicked his coverage. Three of Quigley's other four punts went out of bounds - perhaps by design - while the other was just a 30-yard net after another decent return on a kick near the sideline.
Tags: Bilal Powell, Devin Smith, Dexter McDougle, Jamari Lattimore, Jeff Cumberland, Jeremy Kerley, Kellen Davis, Quincy Enunwa, Rontez Miles, Ryan Quigley, Trevor Reilly
BGA: Jets linebackers cope well without Quinton
By Bent | Nov 30, 2015 | 1:55PM
NMiami Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill (17) looks to pass during the second half at MetLife Stadium. The Jets defeated the Dolphins 38-20. (Ed Mulholland)
Having hardly used their edge rushers since early in the season, the Jets ran a load more packages with them in yesterday's game. Ironically, had he still been here, this would have been a gameplan which would have allowed Quinton Coples to finally have a chance for some decent playing time. Then again, this approach might have been specifically installed in an effort to prevent Coples from revealing too much about the Jets gameplan to his new team.
In this game, the Jets ran multiple packages with Lorenzo Mauldin and Mike Catapano as the two pass rushing ends. Both had more pass rush reps yesterday than Coples has in any game this season. As I said last week, it's difficult to know whether to classify Catapano as an end or a linebacker, but here he actually lined up several times as a middle linebacker in passing situations and dropped into coverage several times. That's not something he's ever done before at the NFL level.
Mauldin responded with a sack and a fumble recovery and Catapano had one quarterback hit and a couple of pressures, but actually their pass rushing production was pretty disappointing and there were a lot of plays where Ryan Tannehill had plenty of time. You have to wonder how Coples himself would have produced if given the same assignments.
Tags: Calvin Pace, David Harris, Lorenzo Mauldin, Mike Catapano, Trevor Reilly
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Since the very beginning of Public Lab, we've been aware that we're experimenting with new modes ...
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Low floor, high ceiling for Public Lab research notes
by warren | July 01, 2015 15:41 ... | 78 views | 17 comments | #12027 | 78 views | 17 comments | #12027 01 Jul 15:41
Read more: publiclab.org/n/12027
Since the very beginning of Public Lab, we've been aware that we're experimenting with new modes of production, and that the means of publication and communication we employ are keys to success. We started with a range of different "types" of content on the first Public Lab site, including:
Some of these have been merged -- Places and Tools are now just special wiki pages. Reports were merged into Research notes early on, as they were not well differentiated.
I've been thinking about, and discussing with other Public Labbers, a series of related challenges we face in the Research Note format, and wanted to talk through some of them here in my first post for the newly relaunched Public Lab Blog
One metaphor introduced by Seymour Papert (author of the 1980 book Mindstorms) in the context of educational technologies is the phrase "low floor, high ceiling" -- where a medium with a "low floor" assures a low barrier to entry, but the "high ceiling" simultaneously does not restrict an creator's ability to create complex, powerful works. Mitchel Resnick of the Lifelong Kindergarten group at MIT also argues for "wide walls" in his 2005 paper with Brian Silverman, "Some reflections on designing construction kits for kids" -- which is to say, accommodating a diversity of types of work.
First, let's discuss some of the challenges we've faced with the Research Note format:
Though we've worked hard to make it easy to post a research note, and to lower the technological and cultural barriers to doing so, relatively few of our community of thousands post them. In fact, only around 500 have been posted over five years -- and the rate of publication shown on our stats page is actually down a bit since one year ago.
Even the name "Research notes" -- so carefully chosen both to denote informality and to encourage and recognize anyone's contributions as "research" -- has been cited as intimidating: "Is what I'm doing really research?"
Even our most active members can go weeks or months without posting. Why is this? Is it a problem? Some are busy, sure, but others are actively working on PL projects, but haven't found the time to publish. Have we built up the idea of research notes too much, such that people feel they must be long and carefully crafted? Some folks may "save up" work until they think it's "ready" -- saving time by not pausing their process too often, and waiting until they have something more substantial to share, or they're more assured of the outcome. See, for example, this sampling of four fairly active posters, over the last 52 weeks (the shortest bars indicate a single post):
The research note posting interface has been carefully crafted to emphasize simplicity and clarity. But it's definitely not designed for longer-form work. Some on the organizers list and on Github have argued persuasively for a richer, more powerful editor that is simultaneously easier to use without knowing Markdown, the simple formatting system we use.
Many of the above issues seem to push us in different directions. What I'd like to explore is the possibility of a shorter research note format, perhaps as an alternative in parallel with a longer version.
But first, how do we know what exactly is needed?
How do we know what's needed?
I just want to take a step back here. We've often discussed how to make experiences richer and deeper, because we see the amazing work of our most involved members -- long, articulate posts by @cfastie, @hagitkeysar, and so many others. This is of course a good thing.
But what about everyone who didn't post? I'd like to focus on that hard-to-measure group who we didn't manage to entice into posting something. Basically -- selection bias: we don't have feedback or input from those who aren't participating. If participation were a pyramid, we're only measuring the top, most involved, and I'd like to look at the base -- the lurkers, the observers, and those who we could do better at engaging.
I believe there's a great deal of untapped potential there! Even if we count only the 5-8000 people subscribed to our various websites and lists, that's still over 10x the number of people who've ever posted a research note. And look at the numbers for how many people have posted at least twice, three times, and as many as eight times:
I'd also like to think more about how to better understand that group -- those who aren't posting. I want to think about how to structure a study or survey, for example, that can help us address selection bias and inform the design of our site in a more balanced way. Farm Hack, for example, ran an in-person user study with passers-by (non members) at national organic farming event.
Achieving longer form through serial posting of smaller pieces over time.
Short form posting
In thinking about how to reach people who are not yet posting, the idea of shorter, more regular posting is appealing. Rather than "all at once" posts, authors could share (as an example) just their question or background story in one post, their proposed experiment in another, their field test itself in another, and analysis and closing thoughts in a fourth post.
To be clear, what I'm proposing is not cutting down on content, just breaking it up into multiple pieces, and scaffolding that "shorter posts more often" pattern through our editor, which could remain simpler as a result. In fact, as each individual post would need less formatting, the basic posting form could just be plain, unformatted text, as a default. If people could spend more time inviting others into their work, and less time formatting their posts, that seems like a good thing to me.
One experiment we did which I think we may be drawing the wrong conclusions about is the Question and Answer function, which was a limited experiment to invite people to make short posts where they ask a question. Although the questions posted are a bit untidy and sometimes oddly formatted, if you look at the authorship of these posts, they're ALL first-time posters! As a format, we hadn't really thought of it as a success, but by this measure it certainly is.
In summary, although I definitely want to spend time "raising the ceiling," I think we should "lower the floor" as well, and set a goal for ourselves to increase the number of regular posters (i.e. at least one post per month) tenfold in the next year.
liz commented about 4 years ago
This is great to read! I am also excited about the Question feature, and advocate for a direct link to Asking Questions (and Answering Questions) on front of our website. On a personal note, i would post more notes while events are actually happening if i could email in a photo and a subject line (for the title), and some body text.
warren commented about 4 years ago
Hmm, interesting. Do you feel that's much easier than using the smartphone-friendly posting form?
Did you know you can use "Add to home screen" on most phones to make the posting form into an app-like icon? I understand that it's not "the same" as just emailing in. But do you think it's more of an issue of people not knowing they can do this, or that it's really a fundamentally different interaction, or is this more about your specific smartphone interaction preferences?
If we wrapped just the post function up into an app, we could probably make it an Intent, so that people could "Share to Public Lab.org" from the photos app, for example. But this would only work on Android - Apple doesn't allow it.
Is this a question? Click here to post it to the Questions page.
Great idea - i have just created an icon that goes directly to publiclab.org/post. I will give that a shot for a while and report back. One thing i will keep an eye on is how often (every time? every day?) i have to log in, because logging in on mobile is not so fun, compared to emailing in which presumably would somehow already be connected to my PL account.
Hmm, I don't find that I have to log in that much; perhaps you should open an issue for that, as it should remember you. But yes, that's an extra step it'd be nice to avoid.
patcoyle commented about 4 years ago
Thanks Jeff. As always, thoughtful with an eye for how to broaden participation and make more inclusive. For me, being busy and spread thin is an issue. The shorter mode could help. Pat
mathew commented about 4 years ago
Since our inception, looking at and using Markdown has scared off posters-- and I know this because people have been telling me this for four years, in workshops, and I'm not alone. How many people need to bring this feedback up before its treated seriously as actual feedback from real users who don't post, rather than one "question" among many that push us in "different directions?"
We've mitigated this barrier ( the high floor we ACTUALLY have) somewhat with drop-in image uploading and some style guides, but the intimidation factor of either not feeling able or not feeling able to learn to post "nice looking" research notes of the style that more expert Markdown users post is pretty high.
I would disagree that the issues of using Markdown for longer posts and wiki pages mean that fixing this issue with a WYSIWYG editor pushes us in the direction of longer-form content. I think that is a poor framing of the issue. This is merely the framing captured by Github, because it is the way current users understand the problem. It fails to capture the range of feedback we've actually gotten.
btbonval commented about 4 years ago
I know I'm going to come off cold and inhuman, but we should not ignore mathematics and known trends.
Most natural works, and human works, exist in some kind of network. As a result of the way networks operate, we tend to see Power Law or Parieto Principle all over; it is often summed as the 80-20 rule. 20% of entities in a network contribute to or are responsible for 80% of something in the network, and 80% of entities likewise represent 20% of the measurement. I think we see exactly that pattern with the number of users who contribute great or small quantities of research notes. Using 80-20 language: 20% of the users contribute 80% of the total research notes, and 80% of the users contribute only 20% of the total research notes. I think this is neither bad nor unexpected. If anything, it demonstrates a healthy network, if not a utopian one ;)
Additionally, I think the post count for four active users is very likely to be well modelled by a Poisson distribution. As told by Wikipedia, such a distribution arises from "a given number of events occurring in a fixed interval of time and/or space if these events occur with a known average rate and independently of the time since the last event".
Clarification of the Poisson process is made by way of example: "For instance, an individual keeping track of the amount of mail they receive each day may notice that they receive an average number of 4 letters per day. If receiving any particular piece of mail doesn't affect the arrival times of future pieces of mail, i.e., if pieces of mail from a wide range of sources arrive independently of one another, then a reasonable assumption is that the number of pieces of mail received per day obeys a Poisson distribution."
So there are two things to ask with that respect: 1) assuming a Poisson distribution of posted research notes, can we decide on average post rate for each user (and is that metric meaningful)? 2) assuming a Poisson distribution is true, why are the note posting times independent from each other? Given the narrative of this research note, one would think notes should be related to each other and thus posting times would be related. Perhaps this is true and the posting distribution is not Poisson. It would be interesting to try to model the post distributions to find out.
Hey Mathew - maybe you misunderstand -- I'm not speaking against a WYSIWYG editor - we've clearly agreed on Github that it's a priority, and my understanding is that we're working to dedicate some staff time towards it in the coming year. A shorter note format could definitely be WYSIWYG.
I agree that WYSIWYG doesn't mean longer, and that we should think of length and ease of interface as separate issues. Given that we've made a WYSIWYG editor project a priority, I'm mostly interested in the question of research note length at this point.
I do think the idea of a "plain text only" version of a post is interesting, though, for high frequency (day-to-day) or first-time posters. What do you think of that concept?
For plain text only, we might want to look into something like what TwitLonger does. http://www.twitlonger.com/
Twitter begins as just text with 140 characters. TwitLonger breaks the 140 character limit and supports line breaks, but that's about it. It's just text and links.
Since Twitter is accessible, tons of people already use it. I wonder if we could make a way to generate a research note for a user if they send a TwitLonger link to @ publiclab on twitter? Then research notes could be written using someone's favorite long tweet supporting app.
I don't misunderstand this note, Jeff. It has two sections: a diagnosis of the problem of research note posting, and a proposed remedy-- working on shorter form content strategies. I'm not addressing the question of whether shorter-form content is a good idea right now, I'm addressing the incompleteness of the diagnosis for not taking seriously the idea that Markdown is a user interface issue effecting content posting:
"The research note posting interface has been carefully crafted to emphasize simplicity and clarity. But it's definitely not designed for longer-form work. Some on the organizers list and on Github have argued persuasively for a richer, more powerful editor that is simultaneously easier to use without knowing Markdown, the simple formatting system we use.Many of the above issues seem to push us in different directions. What I'd like to explore is the possibility of a shorter research note format, perhaps as an alternative in parallel with a longer version."
Am I misreading that? it says: 1) the notes are simple and use a simple formatting system right now 2) it isn't designed for long-form work, and we have a persuasive case that WYSIWYG would help that.
Then there's this statement: "But what about everyone who didn't post? I'd like to focus on that hard-to-measure group who we didn't manage to entice into posting something. Basically -- selection bias: we don't have feedback or input from those who aren't participating."
But we DO have some feedback from some people who aren't posting and they've been complaining about Markdown since we started using it four years ago.
After harping on the usability of Markdown for four years, yes, it is now a Github priority on development. But is is actually one? Is it recognized by our Web Team as a priority, as a problem affecting posting? Or is it begrudgingly accepted as something in-demand? if the Web team isn't writing it into their diagnosis of usability issues, I fear it won't be.
It's absolutely a priority -- so much so, that throughout this note, I've treated it as a given that we're implementing it.
Am I misreading that?
Let me try again on what I mean in that paragraph:
we spent lots of effort to strip down the research note form and simplify it
both Markdown and our shorter, smaller form are especially bad at long-form work
we are implementing a WYSIWYG editor to address the Markdown problem
I hope that in all these efforts, we keep ensuring that our interfaces are simple and clear
I think a move towards longer form has value but has to be balanced against the advantages of a shorter form
I'm sorry, I didn't mean to just skip over our nearer-term plans here; I'm just looking ahead to what'll come after that. So when I want us to account for selection bias, I mean with regard to longer vs. shorter notes and other issues we'll be facing after the WYSIWYG project. I hope that addresses your concerns!
DavidMack commented about 4 years ago
Kudos all around for a great site!
I love the Notes and feel guilty I'm in the 80th percentile of lurkers--will have to post something.
Wiki pages are nice but I can't help but think that rather than being the "information super highway" people intended, they are more like "information parking lots" of the internet. There seem to be about 900 wikis? Some have good content but it's hard to find wikis of value unless it's referenced in a Note.
Then what about PLOTS google groups? It's like the legacy Q&A section that I keep forgetting even exists. I think the groups could be reincarnated as a front page Q&A section.
And lastly, another need would be for announcements and events. For example, EPA is holding a live webinar on citizen science air monitoring on July 9th but I don't know how to convey stuff like this.
I am also interested in a plain text question posting option. Would be good to be able to include pictures though, with an upload method that people understand from other common social media or email standards.
klie commented about 4 years ago
This was brought up several times during the Barnraising also. There were so many awesome people there with great ideas and lots to say, yet I haven't seen them on the Wiki. So we are losing them somewhere. Maybe it's not in the process of posting Research Notes; maybe it's in the process of actually just getting to them? What I kept hearing was more along the lines of "I went to the site, I got overwhelmed/intimidated, I left the site"... I'm not sure they are even getting to the text editor part of it.
Lurkers, I see you out there! Feel free to chime in!
pswigert commented about 4 years ago
When the team I worked with at the Berkeley School of Information was working on our thesis project we looked a lot at how to build intrfacws that encourage easy, low effort contributions to bring someone into a community. One thing we built into rhe platform we developed was modularity on projects. Someone could start a project and add content (such as a Mapknitter map, text, other photos/videos) and they would own that project. But anyone else could request access to the project to submit to it. They might kit have much to add, but it would make them feel more connected than just commenting, since it feels more like a real contribution. Our platform was obviously for a different audience/purpose than public lab, but making it easier for people to collaborate and contribute to each other's work is one option.
ajawitz commented almost 4 years ago
User-documentation issues have been THE most challenging problem for just about every grassroots organization I've ever worked with. For projects/campaigns where the primary object was textual/software based, github has always emerged as the best option, even when you factor in the learning curve for non-programmers (and I say this as someone who only recently started identifying as a programmer...). The github format somehow always led to frustration when it came to documenting projects with any kind of physical element however. When my hopes for a "github for hardware" finally did materialize with the likes of Upverter etc... I found the learning curve favored those with professional engineering backgrounds even more than Github does with programmers.
In this context, I found the research note format to be by far the best grassroots, user-documentation platform I have yet used! The key to its success IMHO is in its flexibility. Any single entry can variously serve as a narrative blog post, a Github readme, a step by step tutorial, a journal entry or a discussion forum. On the other hand, I could see how the very flexibility that makes it so useful could also make it difficult to evaluate its effectiveness. I have noticed my posts have been getting less comment activity then a year ago when I could always count on a lively discussion following every new post. Part of this might be related to the separate discussion forums but then again I've noticed activity on almost EVERY listserv-style discussion list I've been involved in has been declining too...
I have no idea if the metrics support this or not, but my point is that the research notes have the ability to evolve in ways that a discussion forum doesn't. So sometimes I'll post a note on something that'll collect dust for months on end and suddenly I'll get an email out of the blue from somebody who saw it and wants to collaborate and the project springs back to life...
In order to ensure the format as a whole continues to evolve, I suggest we take advantage of the power of Markdown!
Speaking as a relative newcomer to the programming world, I like to think I can speak with a certain degree of confidence on what can be considered "accessible" and what is an overly technical interface. So folks will have to trust me when I say MARKDOWN IS NOT OVERLY TECHNICAL!!! Especially, when it is presented in the research note editor! However, so long as we're using it, we might as well take full advantage of its flexibility. This could potentially mean much more than editing from a mobile phone. The cross-platform nature of markdown formatting could be used to fully realize the multi-functional potential the research notes have already demonstrated.
In other words, instead of a note functioning "like a blog" why not allow the content to be reformatted AS A REAL BLOG! I've been experimenting with something along these lines with various markdown-based blogging platforms like GHOST. Unfortunately, hosting requirements proved too much of a headache for me to stick with GHOST. Other platforms like Jekyll, offer a unique solution to the hosting problem by hosting the content in a Github repo via the gh-pages feature. The Ruby-based Jekyll code has always been another barrier for me however, but more recently platforms like hubpress.io have combined the best of both Jekyll and GHOST by providing a node.js framework hosted using gh-pages. Since all the posts would be written in markdown anyway, it would be amazing if we could use some of our research notes as blog posts and vice versa. So if I have a project I would like to share, I would only have to write it once, and the same document could transform into a discussion forum post, blog post, readme file in a code repository etc...
btbonval commented almost 4 years ago
@ajawitz I'm not sure if you have seen the (lengthy) discussion on Markdown in various places, but I can link to at least one part of the longer conversation: https://github.com/publiclab/plots2/issues/151
Very likely we'll be putting a user interface that users can use without knowing or caring how the actual markup text looks. Buttons and that, like word processors that most users are already familiar with. In the backend, we will likely continue storing the markup information as Markdown, which would still support exporting markdown for various other uses. The difference is whether the user must use the markdown directly or use pretty buttons and pretty rendering which hides the Markdown.
There might be a "raw" button that lets advanced users edit the markdown directly if they feel comfortable with it.
I think that's a suitable summary of the current discussion.
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Housing, Husbandry, and Welfare of Beef Cattle
January 1985 - March 1995
Updated by: Information Resources on Beef Cattle Housing, Care and Welfare
389 citations from AGRICOLA
Jensen, D'Anna J.B.
Housing, husbandry, and welfare of beef cattle.
1. Beef cattle--Bibliography. I. Title.
Housing, Husbandry, and Welfare of Dairy Cattle
Updated by: Information Resources on the Care and Welfare of Dairy Cattle, 1996-2002
Housing, husbandry, and welfare of dairy cattle.
1.Dairy cattle--Bibliography. I. Title.
Information Resources on Elephants, 2010
Crawford, Richard L.
Information resources on elephants [electronic resource] / compiled by: Richard L. Crawford.
Beltsville, Md.: U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Agriculture Research Service, National Agricultural Library, Animal Welfare Information Center, [2010]
Call Number: aQL737.P98 C73 2010
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Goodnight Mommy
Ich seh ich seh
In the heat of summer, at an isolated house in the countryside between woods and corn fields, ten-year-old twins await their mother from hospital. She comes back with her head wrapped in bandages after plastic surgery but nothing is the same as before. Stern and distant now, she shuts the family off from the outside world. Starting to doubt that this woman is actually their mother, the boys are determined to find the truth by any means.
Nominated for Best International Film and Best Performance by a Younger Actor (Elias and Lukas Schwarz) from the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films. Winner of the Grand Prize of European Fantasy Film in Silver, the Jose Luis Guarner Critic's Award - Special Mention, and Best Feature Length European Film from Sitges - Catalonian International Film Festival. Nominated for the Venice Horizons Award for Best Film at the Venice Film Festival.
"GOODNIGHT MOMMY is an unusually suspenseful and thought-provoking film." - Pamela Powell, Daily Journal
Severin Fiala, Veronika Franz
Elias Schwarz, Lukas Schwarz, Susanne Wuest
Movies > World Cinema
Global Studies & Languages > European/Baltic Studies
Blue Ruin 92 mins Winner of the FIPRESCI Critics Prize at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival, this energetic indie thriller follows a mysterious drifter who has been sitting on…
Oculus 104 mins It's been ten years since the lives of siblings Tim and Kaylie Russell were shattered and Tim was convicted of murdering their parents. Now released…
The Endless 112 mins Following their Lovecraftian modern cult classic Spring, acclaimed filmmakers Aaron Moorhead and Justin Benson return with this mind-bending thriller that follows two brothers who receive…
The House That Jack Built 153 mins This chilling horror film from acclaimed director Lars von Trier follows the highly intelligent serial killer Jack (Matt Dillon) over a span of 12 years.…
A Ghost Story 93 mins Acclaimed director David Lowery (Ain't Them Bodies Saints) returns with a singular exploration of legacy, loss, and the essential human longing for meaning and connection.…
The Hunt 111 mins Lucas (Mads Mikkelsen) is beloved by his students and fellow teachers at his local kindergarten. After a divorce, made especially painful when his wife moved…
Julia 139 mins A uniquely unnerving, edge-of-your-seat thriller, starring critically acclaimed Academy Award winner Tilda Swinton in a tour-de-force performance. Julia is an alcoholic; unreliable, manipulative and a…
Australian Catholic University•6 months ago
Excellent movie. An original plot, well cast.
Hornsby Library Service•9 months ago
Lots to like about it in the first half, but the second half became very unpleasant and disturbing. What's more the fundamental premise didn't really make sense.
High Tension - Haute tension
Good Manners - As Boas Maneiras
Vendetta Films
Haxan
Janus Films (The Criterion Collection)
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Tag Archives: gay parents better
Lesbians are Not Better Parents a.k.a. Put Down that (Racist, Classist) Study Right Now
Every time some new study (like this or this or this) comes out that praises lesbian parents for being the cream of the crop, we look at each other and groan. Inevitably, this study spawns many posts and articles, which then clog up our Facebook walls with self-righteous shares. Don’t get me wrong. Same-gender couples have a reason to want to prove themselves. There’s a lot of hate out there and, especially when it comes to the fight for marriage equality, the issue of same-gender couples not being acceptable or safe parents comes up over and over. The stereotype about predatory LGBTQ pedophiles is still out there, deeply rooted in some parts of the U.S. and world. We have reason to celebrate being declared not only fit to parent, but better at it.
Cue the music:
OK, I get it. But let’s shine a brighter light on those studies. As the researchers themselves will often assert, the study conclusions are more about the lack of difference between same-gender and different-gender parents than anything else. The success of lesbian parents is less about inherently being better people (Of course, we are, but you know…forget that for a second) and more about the kind of lesbian parents who are studied. For the 2010 study that got a lot of attention, the subjects were studied for 25 years. The study originated in 1986. If you were alive back then, think back to 1986. Remember where queer and trans* rights were in 1986. Or, rather, were not. 1986 is the year that the SCOTUS upheld Georgia’s sodomy laws, which banned oral or anal sex between “homosexuals.” It is the year that Surgeon General published the first government publication on AIDS and safer sex practices for gay men. It is the year after Rock Hudson died of AIDS and the year before ACT UP was founded. Yup, that’s 1986.
On top of this, the 2010 study only looked at a sample of parents who used artificial insemination to have kids. OK, now remember all we know about the cost of insemination procedures. Yeah, some of the parents may have used the turkey baster method, but more likely is that they were recruited for the study because they were inseminated by a fertility specialist. And that costs big bucks. It also means the couples were relatively young because they were able to conceive through insemination.
It also didn’t take into account the many same-gender couple who are raising kids from previous relationships, who got pregnant accidentally or on purpose through sex with a partner, or who are single and LGBTQ. Many of the folks I know who are LGBTQ parents have kids from previous relationships or partners–especially those who came out later in life. I only know a handful who conceived through fertility treatment. Those I do know have done so in the last decade or so, as LGBTQ rights have come a long way, as well as reproductive technology.
So who, in 1986, was able to, with their same-gender lesbian partner, have access to artificial insemination? Middle and upper class lesbians, mainly. Most likely, though I haven’t seen this data, they are probably college-educated and mostly white. The author of the study admits that the studied group was not geographically or socially diverse and suggests future studies try to correct this.
Studies like this are important to prove that queer and trans* parents are just as capable of raising kids as heterosexual couples. This info is necessary to combat the stereotype of the superior “traditional family.” However, writing a headline or status update that basically says that same-gender couples are better parents is not really true. Or at least, that hasn’t been proven. It ignores that these studies are looking at a small and very privileged few.
From the awesome Strong Families Movement–Click on image to check them out!
What it may prove may have more implications for reproductive justice than lesbian and gay rights. It may show that families where pregnancies are planned and wanted have more successful parenting outcomes–even more reason we should support and fund the health care people need (contraception, abortion, fertility care, etc) to plan pregnancy. And even more reason we should support parenting options like adoption–especially for same-gender couples who want kids but can’t get pregnant (by choice or by chance). It may prove that talking openly with your kids about self-identity and issues like sexual orientation and gender identity result in better parenthood outcomes. It may prove that relying less on outdated gender stereotypes results in emotionally healthier kids. Of course, we need different studies to prove these things, but if we want to draw sweeping conclusions, these conclusions make more sense than “Hey Conservatives! Gays are better parents than you!”
Even more troubling than making the sweeping conclusion is what it means when you create a higher standard of parenting for LGBTQI parents. Based on a standard set by very privileged LGB couples. The pressure to be perfect LGBTQI people and couples is already out there–the pressure to be normal, to have healthy relationships, to not make us look bad to the public or each other. But the reality is that our communities experience intimate partner violence at about the same rate as heterosexual couples. You can bet that child abuse, unfortunately, does happen in households with one or more LGBTQI parents. Let’s not sugarcoat the truth in the quest to be seen as valid and capable parents. Let’s not forget that there are many LGBTQI parents who live in poverty, who have children from previous relationships or partners, or who are single parents. Let’s not forget that class and race play a part in how we frame same-sex parenting…and how we make invisible members of our own community.
Posted in Class, Family, Feminist, Inclusion, LGBT, LGBTQ Kids, Parenting, Politics, Privilege Check, Queer, Queer Dad, Queer Mom, Queer Parents, Racial Justice, Reproductive Justice, Single Parent, Social Justice, Uncategorized
Tagged class lgbt, class lgbtq, family, gay families, gay parent study, gay parents, gay parents better, Henry Bos, lesbian families, lesbian parent study, lesbian parents, lesbian parents better, LGBT family, LGBTQ family, lgbtqi family, Nanette Gartrell, Pediatrics, Queer families, queer family, race lgbt, race lgbtq, reproductive justice, same-gender parents, same-sex families, same-sex parent study, same-sex parents, stereotypes
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The Schwartz
Cloud Reportby Jeffrey Schwartz, Executive Editor
Nasdaq Picks Amazon's Public Cloud for Record Storage
Nasdaq is launching a cloud-based system hosted by Amazon Web Services (AWS) designed to let broker-dealers store critical records and meet compliance requirements, it announced this week.
This wouldn't be the first stock market exchange to turn to the cloud -- the New York Stock Exchange launched a community cloud last year -- but Nasdaq's decision will test the limits of using a major public cloud service to host sensitive data.
Specifically, Nasdaq's new offering, called FinQloud, will consist of two systems for broker-dealers: Regulatory Records Retention (R3) is a storage and retrieval system, and Self Service Reporting (SSR) will let firms perform queries and analysis of stored trading records on demand.
Ironically, compliance has been a major showstopper for many firms in the financial services industry as well as other vertical industries where a data security breach or outage could land a company in hot water. But Nasdaq, which for decades has been an early adopter of new technology, appears to believe that a breach or outage is no more likely to happen in the cloud than in its own datacenter.
Eric Noll, executive VP of transaction services for Nasdaq's U.S. and U.K operations, told CNBC on Tuesday that the economics of using the cloud are too compelling to pass up. Broker-dealers running their records management systems in Nasdaq's FinQloud will be able to reduce their costs by 80 percent compared with operating them in their own datacenters, Noll said.
By law, financial services firms are required to save records, including e-mails, for seven years. "In today's complicated market with more and more electronic communications, those storage costs have grown and grown and grown," Noll said. "By partnering with Amazon, what we think we are able to do is offer a lower-cost solution to reduce the cost for broker-dealers for their storage and their retention requirements for the regulators."
As Nasdaq's systems outage in May demonstrated -- during the first hour of trading on the day of Facebook's initial public offering, no less -- an internally run system is subject to the same material failures as those that have occurred in the public cloud. Nasdaq has worked with Amazon for six years and Noll believes FinQloud can generate revenues for the exchange without requiring capital investment or operational costs by utilizing usage-based compute and storage.
Moreover, Noll, in his CNBC interview, expressed confidence that Amazon can ensure data will be kept secure. At the same time, Noll said Nasdaq is also applying its own data encryption.
"There's always going to be concerns about data security," Noll said. "Cyber attacks are a reality of today's modern society -- we're going to have to deal with them. I think there are attacks on standalone units as well as other sources of data out there, but what we're going to be working with Amazon on is not only taking their info security protections, but we're adding layers on it through Nasdaq as well and we will preserve the sanctity of this information for the users of the cloud and with us."
AWS Senior VP Andy Jassy, who was present with Noll during the CNBC interview, said financial services companies have used Amazon's public cloud services for years, and expressed confidence that usage will grow exponentially. Jassy said he sees a day, perhaps 10 to 20 years from now, when AWS generates as much revenue as Amazon's $40 billion online retail business. "AWS has hundreds of thousands of customers at this point in over 190 countries and it's growing very, very dramatically," he said.
Yet many companies are loath to put sensitive and mission-critical data in the cloud. Nasdaq's decision to do so publicly will no doubt be a closely watched public cloud deployment.
Posted by Jeffrey Schwartz on September 27, 2012 at 11:59 AM0 comments
Salesforce.com Plans Expansion into Other Businesses -- Next Year
Salesforce.com CEO Marc Benioff is trying to dispel the notion that his company is a one-trick pony.
At the annual Dreamforce conference in San Francisco last week, Benioff told 90,000 attendees and the thousands more who tuned in to his keynote via a Facebook feed that he plans to expand his company's Software as a Service (SaaS) applications well beyond customer relationship management -- the foundation of Salesforce.com's business.
While this is not the first time Salesforce.com has veered from its charter of offering tools aimed at helping organizations better interact with its customers, it's arguably the broadest extension of its service offerings into lines of business it hadn't previously touched, such as document sharing, marketing automation and human resources.
In a sign that Salesforce.com is looking to stake a claim in these new areas, many of the new services launched last week won't be available until the second half of next year. That's out of character for Salesforce.com, which typically doesn't pre-announce services well before their availability, said R. "Ray" Wang, CEO of Constellation Research.
"Marc did not announce things in general availability other than the marketing apps, which was unusual," Wang said. "They did a lot of forward-marketing, which is not like Salesforce. I think he's afraid other people are going to jump into this market, so he's announcing things in development that are not released as code."
Wang, who attended the Dreamforce conference, said it was telling the number of HR, finance and marketing executives that were at the conference, who upstaged those from IT organizations. That's no coincidence. Citing a projection by Gartner that chief marketing officers will spend more on IT than CIOs by 2017, Benioff said, "Now we're inviting them into the cockpit into this incredible new marketing cloud."
The offering is Salesforce Marketing Cloud, which combines the scanning of social networks, advertising, business measurement and workflow based on technology it acquired from Buddy Media and Radian6. The key audience for Salesforce Marketing Cloud are these CMOs.
Benioff planted the seeds for extending Salesforce.com's reach with its launch two years ago of Chatter, its social media tool best described as a version of Facebook designed for use in an enterprise or extranet type scenario.
As noted by my colleague John K. Waters, Salesforce.com used Dreamforce to jump into the HR field -- or, as it's called these days, the "human capital management" (HCM) field -- with the launch Work.com, a system designed to let managers and HR benchmark and reward the performance of employees in a social context.
Through an expanded partnership with leading HCM SaaS provider Workday, Salesforce.com will provide integration of Work.com with Workday's HCM offerings. Salesforce.com's push into HCM comes as key rivals have moved into this rapidly growing segment. Oracle last year acquired Taleo, SAP picked up SuccessFactors, and IBM just announced it has acquired Kenexa for $1.3 billion.
Another area where Salesforce.com is spreading its wings is document management with a move aimed at offering an alternative to the likes of Box and Dropbox. The company described the new Salesforce Chatterbox service as the "Dropbox for the enterprise." But with so many services such as Dropbox and Box.net out there, is Salesforce a) moving too far adrift? and b) likely to gain a foothold into document sharing?
"Although Box.net has gained lots of attention and many users, it hasn't established a firm hold on the B2B and enterprise markets," said Jeffrey Kaplan, managing director of Thinkstrategies, a consulting firm focused on cloud computing. "And there are no dominant players in the other areas."
Likewise, Kaplan, who also attended Dreamforce, said Salesforce.com will raise its profile in other new functional fields it's entering. "Salesforce.com will bring greater legitimacy to each of these areas, in the same way it has championed the idea of social networking in the enterprise with Chatter," he said.
Perhaps the biggest challenge facing Salesforce.com's ambitions to widen its footprint is the number of companies it has acquired in recent years, said Joshua Greenbaum, principal analyst of Enterprise Applications Consulting.
"Now that they have all these assets, they need to do a better job of integrating them," Greenbaum said. "They need to focus on allowing developers and customers to integrate all this functionality and stop creating silos of functionality that are as problematic as any legacy silo is."
Racemi Launches Server Image Migration Service
Racemi, a company that offers software to move Windows and Linux images from one bare-metal server to another, recently added cloud migrations to its portfolio. The company's new Cloud Path is a software as a service (SaaS) offering that lets administrators move server images to public cloud services.
Admins can use Cloud Path from a Web browser to migrate physical and virtual servers to infrastructure as a service (IaaS) cloud providers. Atlanta-based Racemi claims migrations will cost on average $800 less than performing manual re-imaging of data.
Pricing is determined by a usage-based model and eliminates the need to rely on experienced administrators, who can move server images without requiring templates or scripts. In addition to moving workloads from in-house systems to cloud-based servers, Cloud Path lets customers migrate cloud instances between different supported cloud providers.
Racemi charges $299 per successful migration, which includes an initial 20 GB of free storage. Customers can currently migrate Windows Server 2008 R2, Ret Hat Enterprise Linux and CentOS systems to cloud services provided by Amazon Web Services, GoGrid, Rackspace and Verizon's Terremark. Racemi said it plans to support additional server OSes and cloud service providers over time.
What Makes Windows Server 2012 a 'Cloud OS'
When Microsoft announced the general availability of Windows Server 2012 last week, it described the release as heralding the start of the company's cloud OS era. In a carefully scripted, pre-recorded webcast, Microsoft executives illuminated the cloud characteristics of its new server OS.
Marketing hype aside, the release of Windows Server 2012 culminates a four-year engineering effort to build a common architecture for IT to develop and deploy applications on private, hybrid and public clouds. Microsoft has talked up the combination of Windows Server and System Center as a platform for private and hybrid clouds for some time.
Dubbing Windows Server 2012 a "cloud OS" simply advances Microsoft's messaging and lets IT decision makers compare it to a slew of other cloud infrastructure OSes such as Eucalyptus and open source software distributions delivered by those aligned with OpenStack including Rackspace and Red Hat, as well as VMware's proprietary VM and cloud software portfolio.
With the emergence of so-called "modern apps" -- those designed for various computing and mobile device types -- Microsoft wants developers to build server-side applications in its new .NET Framework 4.5 using Visual Studio 2012 and have the ability to deploy them on Windows Server 2012 in their datacenters or hosted by third-party cloud providers such as Hostway and Rackspace, or in its own Windows Azure public cloud, or any combination.
"We built Windows Server 2012 with the cloud in mind," said Bill Laing corporate VP of Microsoft's server and cloud division, who led the engineering team that developed Windows Server 2012. "It's the deepest and broadest release ever built for companies of all sizes, whether you run a single server connected to the cloud, or a large datacenter."
In the webcast, Laing pointed to four key attributes that makes Windows Server 2012 a cloud OS:
Scalable and elastic: The latest generation of Hyper-V lets a customer scale from one to thousands of virtual machines as workloads dictate. It supports up to 320 logical processors and 4 TB of RAM per server, and Laing said it can virtualize 99 percent of all SQL Server databases. The new OS can run large virtual machines up to 64 virtual processors and 1 terabyte of memory per VM. So far, Laing said it has scaled 8,000 VMs per cluster.
Shared resources: Windows Server 2012 is architected for multi-tenancy, critical to ensure the workloads of a given group, organizational unit or customer don't impact others. Combined with System Center 2012 SP1, Windows Server 2012 enables software defined networking, or SDN, which means "you can easily and dynamically provision isolated virtual networks running on the same physical fabric," explained Jeff Woolsey, a principal program manager for Windows Server and Cloud at Microsoft.
Always-On: A feature called Live Migration provides VM mobility, which facilitates the movement of virtual machines from one physical server to another locally or over a wide area network. This cluster-aware feature is designed to provide continuous availability during patches, upgrades or failures.
Automation and self-service: Users in departments can self-provision compute and storage resources. Windows Server 2012 enables automation with over 2,400 new PowerShell commandlets, designed to eliminate manual tasks and allowing IT to manage massive amounts of servers. Combined with System Center 2012, Windows Server 2012 offers automation via user-defined policies.
Microsoft makes a good case for Windows Server as a cloud OS and it should appeal to its installed base as customers build new apps for the cloud. But customers will determine whether Windows Server 2012, combined with System Center, is a viable option to VMware's cloud stack along with the open source and Amazon Web Services-compatible alternatives.
A Cloud Boom, Despite Security Worries
Security concerns might be the top inhibitor to using public cloud services, but the horses may have already left the barn.
A global survey of 4,000 executives and IT managers found nearly half (49 percent) already use cloud services to store sensitive or confidential information, and another 33 percent plan to do so over the next two years. Only 19 percent said they don't, according to the survey, conducted by research consultancy Ponemon Institute and commissioned by Thales, a Microsoft ISV that provides security and encryption software and services.
The findings piqued my attention given public cloud services are a non-starter for many large organizations, especially those with regulatory or compliance restrictions. However, the Ponemon study canvassed enterprises of all sizes including small and mid-sized organizations, explained Ponemon institute chairman and founder Larry Ponemon.
I pointed Ponemon to the findings by the Open Data Center Alliance (ODCA), in which 40 percent of its membership said security was the key barrier to using public cloud services. "Even organizations that say security is an inhibitor still seem to be using cloud services," Ponemon remarked.
The findings also showed that 44 percent believe cloud providers are responsible for protecting data in the cloud, while 30 percent felt it was their own responsibility and 24 percent reported it should be shared.
"Like anything else, you need to be careful in selecting your business partners," Ponemon said. "A public cloud provider is a business partner and the fact they have access to your data, and possibly confidential and sensitive information is a big deal, and organizations need to see the cloud as a place that can be very insecure and the source of data breaches and security exploits. Not all cloud providers are the same."
When asked about the impact of cloud services on an organization's security posture, 44 percent said it had no change and 39 percent said it decreased. Only 10 percent said it increased, while 7 percent were unsure.
Only a small percentage, 11 percent, said their cloud provider encrypts data for them, while the rest assume responsibility for encryption. Of those 38, percent encrypt data in transit, 35 percent do so before it is transferred to a cloud provider and 16 percent use encryption selectively at the application layer within a cloud environment.
Thirty-six percent of those using encryption handle key management within their organizations, while 22 percent rely on a third party other than the cloud provider. Another 22 percent let the cloud provider manage the keys and 18 percent said it was a combination.
Posted by Jeffrey Schwartz on August 29, 2012 at 11:59 AM0 comments
Rackspace Releases Free Software to Build Private Clouds
Rackspace is now offering free software that lets anyone build private clouds based on the same platform that runs its cloud hosting service.
Alamo, codenamefor the company's Rackspace Private Cloud Software, is now available as a free download. The release, issued this week, marks a key milestone in Rackspace's plan to transition its cloud portfolio from its proprietary infrastructure to OpenStack, the open-source project the company helped launch with NASA two years ago.
Earlier this month, Rackspace completed the conversion of its server compute infrastructure running its public cloud service to OpenStack.
By offering its OpenStack-based software free of charge, Rackspace is betting that it will seed enterprise deployments of private clouds based on its open source solution. In turn, Rackspace is hoping enterprise customers will subscribe to its support services while also using its public cloud infrastructure for cloudbursting, the deployment model a growing number of those running datacenters are employing when they need capacity during peek periods.
Jim Curry, general manager of Cloud Builders, Rackspace's private cloud organization, explained Alamo is geared to those looking to build such clouds to those who don't have backgrounds with OpenStack. "To date most of the market for OpenStack has been people who were experts in it," Curry said. "We wanted to make it so a systems administrator who doesn't know anything about OpenStack and maybe knows a little bit about cloud, can easily get an OpenStack cloud up and running so they can evaluate and determine if it's a good solution on the same day." Curry said the software can be deployed in an hour.
Customers can opt for additional fee-based services, starting with Escalation Support, which starts at $2,500 plus $100 per physical node per month. At the next level, Rackspace will offer proactive support, which will include monitoring, patching and upgrading. Then sometime next year, Curry said Rackspace plans to offer complete management of OpenStack-based private clouds. The company hasn't set pricing for those latter offerings.
The initial Alamo software consists of the standard Essex release of OpenStack Nova compute infrastructure services, the Horizon dashboard, the Nova Multi Scheduler, Keystone authentication and the standard APIs. It also includes the Glance Image Library (a repository of system images), the Ubuntu-based distribution of Linux from Canonical as the host operating system with KVM-based virtualization and Chef Cookbooks from Opscode, which provide various OpenStack-based configuration scenarios.
In addition to supporting the Ubuntu distribution of Linux, Rackpace indents to support Red Hat Enterprise Linux with its OpenStack release, made available for testing this week. That support will come later in the year. A later release will also add support for SWIFT-based object storage, according to Curry.
Asked if Windows Server support is in the works, Mike Aeschliman, Rackspace Cloud Builders head of engineering, said not at this point. "To be honest, I think we will stick with Linux for a while because that's what the market is asking of us," Aeschliman said.
As for Rackspace's outreach to its channel of systems integration partners, Curry said they are aware of Alamo but the company hasn't reached out further yet. "We absolutely want to do that," Curry said. Because Rackspace's Alamo software is "plain-vanilla" OpenStack, the company plans to look to its partners to customize, or fork, it, and contribute it back to the community, Curry said.
Rackspace plan is to leverage its SIs to provide customization services, consulting, application migration and API integration into billing systems he explained. "These are not things we specialize in," he said. "We don't want to be the guys that do that work. We have great partners to do that."
Red Hat Issues OpenStack Preview
Red Hat Software released the Technology Preview of its OpenStack software targeted at service providers and enterprises looking to build infrastructure as a service (IaaS) clouds based on the open source framework.
An early supporter of the two-year-old OpenStack project, Red Hat has kept a low public profile on its commitment to the effort. In its announcement Monday, the company pointed out it was the #3 contributor to the current Essex release of OpenStack.
"Our current productization efforts are focused around hardening an integrated solution of Red Hat Enterprise Linux and OpenStack to deliver an enterprise-ready solution that enables enterprises worldwide to realize infrastructure clouds," said Brian Stevens, RedHat CTO and vice president for worldwide engineering, in a statement.
Red Hat sees IaaS and OpenStack complimenting its Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization software. While the former provides the infrastructure to manage hypervisors in a self-service provisioning cloud model, RHEV targets servers, SANs and provides typical enterprise virtualization functions, the company said in a blog post.
OpenStack is a component of Red Hat's cloud stack. While it addresses, IaaS, Red Hat's cloud portolio also includes Red Hat Enterprise Linux, RHEV, its JBoss application middleware and OpenShift, which provides the company's framework for platform as a service (PaaS).
Red Hat plans to deliver its OpenStack release next year. The Technology Preview is available for download.
Infosys Unveils Cloud Ecosystem Hub
Microsoft systems integrator partner and IT consulting giant Infosys recently launched its Cloud Ecosystem Hub, which is designed to help enterprises build, deploy and manage hybrid clouds.
The Infosys Cloud Ecosystem Hub combines the global company's consulting and development resources with the assets of the over 30 partners currently in the program, including Microsoft, VMware, Amazon Web Services, CA Technologies, Dell, Hitachi Data Systems, HP and IBM.
Enterprises using the Infosys service can implement cloud services up to 40 percent faster with 30 percent cost savings and a 20 percent increase in productivity versus going it alone, according to the company. Infosys said its self-service catalog allows enterprises to procure infrastructure and services to build and manage clouds running within an enterprise, through a cloud provider, while also enabling them to create a hybrid infrastructure.
In what Infosys calls a "smart brokerage" feature of the Cloud Ecosystem Hub, the system can intelligently choose and contrast cloud services from its roster of partners and takes into account various parameters such as quality of service requirements, IT assets, regulatory and compliance restrictions and cost issues, the hub procures the appropriate hardware, software and services.
"Our clients are dealing with complexities of a fragmented cloud environment," said Vishnu Bhat, Infosys VP and global head of cloud, in a statement. "The Infosys Cloud Ecosystem Hub provides organizations a unified gateway to build, manage and govern their hybrid cloud ecosystem. This solution allows clients to fully realize the benefits from the long-standing promise of the cloud."
Interarbor principal Dana Gardner described the offering as a "cloud of clouds." In a blog post he said, "I think Infosys's move also shows that one-size-fits-all public clouds will become behind-the-scenes utilities, and that managing services in a business ecosystem context is where the real value will be in cloud adoption."
Woz Fears the Cloud, But You Don't Have To
Steve Wozniak's statement this past weekend that cloud computing could cause "horrible problems" has gone viral, but with all due respect to the visionary Apple co-founder -- take his fears with a grain of salt.
Wozniak gave the off-the-cuff remark after performing in Mike Daisey's theatrical presentation "The Agony and the Ecstasy of Steve Jobs," which exposes the labor conditions at Foxconn, the key manufacturer of Apple products in China. According to PhysOrg.com, a news service covering science and technology, Wozniak revealed his concern over the growing trend of storing data in cloud-based services in a response to an audience question after the performance, which took place at the Woolly Mammoth theater in Washington, D.C.
"I really worry about everything going to the cloud," Wozniak reportedly told the audience. "I think it's going to be horrendous. I think there are going to be a lot of horrible problems in the next five years."
Sure, there will be plenty of problems with cloud computing just as there are issues with all forms of computing. We've already seen numerous outages that have raised serious concerns.
Wozniak appeared not only worried over the reliability of cloud services, but argued users risk giving up ownership of their data once they store it in the cloud. "With the cloud, you don't own anything. You already signed it away," he said, referring to terms of service users agree to when signing on with some cloud. "I want to feel that I own things," he added.
It seems to me he was referring to social networks like Facebook and photo-sharing services. Facebook raised concerns about data ownership when it changed its terms of service back in 2009, claiming it had rights to your data even after an account is terminated, a move that raised the ire of many critics. While social networks typically run in the cloud, and indeed consumers should be aware of the terms of using such services, that's where the similarities end.
Woz went on to say "a lot of people feel, 'Oh, everything is really on my computer,' but I say the more we transfer everything onto the Web, onto the cloud, the less we're going to have control over it." To that point, it is indeed hard to argue that once data is in the cloud users have less control over it than if it is on their own premises, but in many cases that gap is narrow. Giving up autonomous control is usually a tradeoff worth making for having data readily available and less vulnerable to permanent loss.
Had Wozniak not chosen to use the word "horrendous" while suggesting the cloud would cause "horrible problems," his remarks probably would have gone unnoticed. But when someone of his stature predicts armageddon, it inevitably sparks debate.
Like any emerging technology, cloud computing will go through its fits and starts. But the cloud is not going away. Will Woz one day be able to say "I told you so?" I think not. What do you think? Leave a comment below or e-mail me at jschwartz@rcpmag.com.
Parts of HP's Public Cloud Hit General Availability
After talking up its plans to offer a public cloud service for well over a year, Hewlett-Packard has made the first two components of its HP Cloud generally available.
As of Aug. 1, customers can purchase the HP's Cloud Object Storage and CDN. The company is backing the service with a 99.95 percent service level agreement. If the service can't meet that SLA, HP will offer customers credits.
Compute services and subscriptions to HP's cloud-based MySQL remain in beta and while it is not generally available or backed by an SLA, customers can use them for production workloads, said Marc Padovani, director of product management for HP Cloud Services.
"We are still going though updates and hardening of the service," Padovani said. "Sometime later this year it will be at a point where it meets our levels of quality, availability and durability and we will apply the SLA and bring it to general availability status." Any customer can sign up for the compute services beta but the MySQL testing is somewhat more restrictive, Padovani said. HP will contact customers who sign up for the MySQL service beta and help set them up, he said.
As reported back in May, the HP Cloud Block Storage Service lets customers add storage volumes up to 2TB per volume. In addition to supporting multiple volumes atop of HP Cloud Compute instances, customers can create snapshots of their volumes to create point-in-time copies, allowing them to create new volumes from the snapshots, which can be backed up to HP Object Storage for added redundancy if needed.
The storage service is based on the OpenStack Swift storage system, a move that will ease portability of data to other OpenStack cloud services. For the content delivery network service, HP has created an interface to Akamai's CDN. Padovani said HP intends to contribute the code used to develop the CDN interface layer to the Swift object storage service to the OpenStack group. According to Padovani, "it eliminates the need for someone to have to go through all the integration work we did with Akamai."
VMware May Be Launching Its Own Public Cloud
Another major public cloud could be in the works.
CRN recently reported that VMware plans to build out a public cloud that would compete with Microsoft, Amazon Web Services, Google and Rackspace.
While VMware has said its policy is not to comment on speculation, the report cites multiple unnamed sources who say VMware has acquired significant datacenter facilities in Nevada for what is known as "Project Zephyr." According to the report, VMware has gone this route to light a fire under its hosting partners to build out public cloud services based on vCloud.
The move is surprising to hosting providers that have committed to offering their own public cloud services based on VMware's hypervisor and vCloud platforms. Hosting providers say VMware had given assurances it does not intend to compete with them, setting it apart from the company's arch-rival Microsoft, which is investing heavily in expanding its Windows Azure service.
"They have iterated and re-iterated that they had no plans to go into the cloud and infrastructure as a service themselves," said Aaron Hollobaugh, VP of marketing at Hostway. "It's a big surprise to me, but it's also an inevitable change in their desire to grow within the cloud marketplace because they are not having the traction they want from their service providers."
Hostway is not a VMware partner -- it has aligned itself with Microsoft's cloud platform -- but the hosting provider faces similar competition from Redmond. Nevertheless, Hollobaugh believes Hostway is poised to address customers who require more higher levels of support. If the CRN report is true, his onetime employer, Denver-based Hosting.com, may face similar competition from VMware.
"This rumor has been around for a long time and I don't even know if it's real," said Hosting.com CTO Craig McLellan. "There's been no official communications with me. I think that in general, every technology manufacturer has embraced the channel while at the same time competing with the channel. The real emphasis has to be on working well together if this is in fact the case."
Despite VMware's insistence that it wasn't planning to offer a public cloud service, the company has made some moves in the past that could be construed as steps toward doing so. For example VMware acquired a facility in Washington that the company ultimately used to build a green datacenter, a move that sparked some scuttlebutt that it may be a front to operate a public cloud.
Another move that raised some speculation that VMware may be looking for its own public cloud came that same year in 2009 when the company took a 5 percent stake worth $20 million in Terremark, which was later snapped up by Verizon. Though VMware's stake in Terremark, which not surprisingly uses VMware's vCloud platform, was rather small, some wondered if the company wasn't positioning itself to buy the company outright before Verizon came in.
If in fact VMware decides to launch a public cloud, it makes one wonder if the change in heart comes from parent company EMC, the management changes at VMware and the company's efforts to bolster its cloud infrastructure with the acquisitions of DynamicOps and Nicera.
VMware customers and partners will be anxious to hear the company's public cloud intentions or lack thereof at this month's VM World conference, if not sooner.
How VMware Is Ushering in the Next Phase of the Cloud
VMware's acquisition of software defined networking (SDN) pioneer Nicira caps a string of moves that piece together the company's go-forward mission of automating the datacenter and creating next-generation clouds.
Kicking off what could prove to be key milestones for VMware was its July 2 announcement it is acquiring DynamicOps, a cloud automation provider renowned for its support of multiple virtual environments. Then came last week's shocking news that VMware CEO Paul Maritz, who has led the company through stellar growth during his four-year tenure, is stepping aside to become chief strategist of the company's parent EMC.
Topping off this month's buzz was the Nicira deal, VMware's largest acquisition to date. The amount VMware is paying for Nicira, $1.26 billion, is eye-popping. Though Nicira is a hot software defined networking startup with some highly regarded engineers and executives whose Network Virtualization Platform (NVP) software is used by the likes of AT&T, eBay, Fidelity Investments and Rackspace, it only came to market six months ago.
The premium price tag notwithstanding, the reaction to VMware's move has raised eyebrows as the company shows its determination to not extend further into virtual networking but to lead in it. Cisco's stock on Tuesday dropped nearly 6 percent in reaction to the move. Adding insult to injury was Cisco's announcement that it is laying off 1,300 people on top of the more than 6,000 jobs that were already phased out this year.
Fear by Cisco investors that VMware's move to marginalize its hardware by virtualizing it is "way overblown," said Forrester Research analyst Andre Kindness. "The purchase puts another nail in the Cisco VMware relationship but networking is more than the data center and more than layer 2 and layer 3 switches," Kindness said. VMware has yet to address the Layer 4 to Layer 7 arena."
Kindness said Cisco has been down this road before, first when Juniper Networks entered the carrier routing market and later when it moved into enterprise switching, as well as when Hewlett-Packard acquired 3Com and VMware's launch of vSwitch. But vSwitch itself wasn't enough for VMware to bring forth a strong enough virtual networking story, Kindness noted, hence the Nicira deal.
While vSwitch was a worthy start, VMware was held back by its hardware partners' agendas, Kindness said, noting Cisco, Dell, HP and IBM all released converged solutions which embedded their own virtual networking technologies. And those that don't have the necessary piece-parts are partnering, such as HP's announcement in May that it will use F5 Networks Application Delivery Networking (ADN) to deliver automated policy-based automated networking.
"Basically, the big hardware vendors are developing their software and hardware solutions that would be controlled by their own management solutions," Kindness said. "This would minimize VMware's influence on the management stack and open the door to other hypervisors. Thus VMware needed a solution that would ride over any of the hardware vendors who themselves are fighting over virtual transport protocols between switches, between data centers and between data center and public cloud offerings."
Whether VMware can pave its own path remains to be seen but by acquiring DynamicOps and Nicira in tandem, VMware is taking some bold steps to lead the next phase of cloud and datacenter virtualization by evolving from core server pooling to incorporating the network gear.
Others that have jumped on the SDN bandwagon say VMware's move validates software defined networking as the next big trend in the evolution of the datacenter and cloud computing infrastructure. "This underscores just how phenomenal the surge is that's powering interest in SDN," said Kelly Herrell, CEO of networking software provider Vyatta, in a blog post. "The simple facts are irrefutable: virtualization and cloud have fundamentally altered compute and storage architectures, and networking now must adapt."
Jaron Burbidge, a business development manager for Microsoft New Zealand's Server and Cloud Platform business, pointed out in a blog post that Windows Server 2012 and System Center 2012 SP1 will allow for the creation of SDN-enabled clouds. "In many ways, VMware's acquisition of Nicira is a late acknowledgement of the importance of SDN as a critical enabler for the cloud," Burbidge noted. "However, I think our approach is substantially more mature, delivers end-to-end capability, and provides an open platform for partners to innovate. Most important, our implementation is available broadly for customers to begin deploying today."
At first glance, one might wonder why VMware needed to shell out so much money for Nicira. After all, as noted by Kindness and his Forrester colleague Dave Bartoletti, VMware has already moved down the road of SDN with vSphere, which provides virtual switching capabilities via vShield Network and Security services and support for the VXLAN protocol. "These go a long way to virtualizing networking hardware and put them under the hypervisor domain," Bartoletti said in a blog post, adding VMware's vSphere Storage Appliance and various array integrations simplify and automate the allocation of storage to virtual workloads.
While vSwitch was an appropriate entre for VMware, the company until now has had a reputation for focusing on its own world. "The DynamicOps acquisition changed this conversation," Bartoletti added. "DynamicOps already manages non-VMware hypervisors as well as workloads running on open virtualization platforms in multiple clouds. (Read: heterogeneous VM support.) And now with Nicira, VMware owns a software defined networking solution that was designed for heterogeneous hypervisor and cloud environments."
Moreover, Nicira's NVP is a pure network hypervisor, effectively a thin software layer between the physical network and the virtual machine which enables network virtualization to work with existing physical datacenter network devices, IDC said in a research note.
"The Open vSwitch runs natively in the hypervisor and is managed by Nicira. Nicira is attractive in that it is designed to enable any hypervisor on the same logical network, providing a common network experience across the datacenter. The virtual networks bring flexibility and agility to datacenter designs while enabling isolation to support multi-tenancy," the note said.
"VMware clearly recognized the need for more advanced networking years ago and has been actively working with its networking partners to advance the network functionality in the virtual datacenter. To date, however, the company has not been perceived as a leading voice in the broader networking community. The acquisition underscores the fact that VMware can no longer rely on partners for networking expertise. Networking is a critical pillar in private cloud delivery, and Nicira gets VMware closer to having a full solution."
There are still many open questions. For one, what impact will VMware's move ultimately have on its alliance with Cisco and VCE, the venture the two companies and EMC have to develop converged cloud infrastructure. Just last week VCE named 19-year Cisco veteran Praveen Akkiraju as its CEO.
Another burning question is whether VMware will make a push into the OpenStack consortium. Nicira is a key contributor to the evolving Quantum networking component of OpenStack. Will VMware support other components of OpenStack?
As these and many other questions play out, a clearer picture of where VMware is headed has unfolded. And VMworld is still a month away.
Posted by Jeffrey Schwartz on July 30, 2012 at 11:59 AM0 comments
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What may seem like a quick fix can easily become the quickest way to have to do it again.
By Devon Thorsby, Editor, Real Estate |Dec. 9, 2015, at 9:27 a.m.
Measuring twice is still a thing.
Doing a little home improvement on your own can be a great way to cut costs on a project. But you can find yourself having to do a project over again or in the middle of a dangerous situation if you don’t have a firm grasp of what you’re doing – no matter how many YouTube videos you’ve watched. Home inspection and contracting professionals weigh in on some of the most common do-it-yourself hacks that are a major don’t.
Skipping the permits
Permit regulations vary depending on your location, but they are often required when conducting plumbing, electrical, heating or air work to ensure a home is safe. There will be an extra cost, but it’s worth the price over getting caught doing the work without a permit, or far worse, doing the work wrong. “The permits are there to enforce minimum quality standards,” says Michael Flanagan, heating, ventilation and air conditioning manager for Michael & Son Services in Richmond, Virginia.
Leaving wires exposed
Leaving wires exposed is an obvious no-no, but they also need to be covered properly when they’re hidden. Frank Lesh, the executive director of the American Society of Home Inspectors, says inspectors commonly find exposed wires in suspended ceilings of recently finished basements. “It’s not that someone’s going to touch it, but mice are everywhere … and they start gnawing on the electrical wire and insulation," he points out. "And if there’s no cover on [the wire] … it could rub up against metal and short-circuit.”
Any electrical fix
Attempts at adding circuits or overloading circuits can easily cause you to blow a fuse. Dave Geradine, owner of Expert Home Repairs in Hollywood, Florida, says electrical work is particularly sensitive because a connection could work a number of ways, but its flaws may not be apparent until it’s too late. “If you don’t make your connections properly, you can have … an electrical fire caused by an arcing of the two wires that aren’t tightly connected,” Geradine says.
Closing vents to focus heat on another part of the house
Winter is coming, and parts of your house may feel it more than others. You may be tempted to close the vents in one room to send more warm air to other parts of the house, but Flanagan says that’s a bad idea. “While you can close some vents to force more air to this part of the house and that part of the house, you’re destroying your efficiency and you’re certainly shortening the life of the equipment,” he says.
Squeezing space heaters into tiny spots
Electric space heaters are another way to heat up those colder rooms, but be careful where you put them. Lesh says people often push up space heaters against curtains or place them in other areas where they become a fire hazard. Jury-rigging a space heater to sit above a baby’s crib is a definite don’t. “A truck could go by or an airplane, and this little heater on the shelf could fall into the crib and start a fire,” Lesh says.
Putting new flooring on top of old material
Replacing a floor is a great way to make a room feel new again, but you should always remove old material, such as tile or linoleum, before putting new flooring on top. Otherwise, you could find yourself with an uneven surface, and you’ll have to replace it yet again. “You always want to go down to the bare wood or concrete surface when you do new flooring," Geradine says. If you don’t? "What’s underneath your new flooring fails, [and] then your tile comes up,” he says.
Using the wrong replacement pipe
Finding the right pipe to match a section of plumbing that needs replacement can be tricky and expensive. Aside from leaks, which are possible with ill-fitting pipes, Lesh says you can easily raise a new bunch of issues without even realizing it. For one, replacing a portion of copper or steel pipe for a water heater with a plastic option can spell out danger. “If your electrical system is using the plumbing pipes for grounding, there has to be a circuit there," he explains. "If you replace one of the water pipes with something that’s not conductive like steel or copper ... then you no longer have that ground. And then the house could be ungrounded, so that could be a fire or safety hazard.”
Using standard outlets near a sink or tub
If you don’t already know that water and electricity don’t mix, put the drill down. When remodeling a bathroom or kitchen, be sure to use outlets that include a ground-fault circuit interrupter for any areas near water. In the event an appliance that’s plugged in falls into water, the GFCI will trip the electricity so it cuts off, Lesh says. Otherwise, “if you have a conventional receptacle, then you could get electrocuted.”
Using all-purpose glues or tapes.
Sadly, duct tape is not an effective go-to tool, and most likely neither are those fancy tapes and glues you’ve seen on infomercials. “Those spray-on glues and the tape that stops the leak in the water pipe you see on TV does not work,” Flanagan says. When it comes to taping or gluing something together, there’s typically an adhesive specific to the need that is most effective and least likely to cause problems down the line. For example, Flanagan says heating and air professionals use foil tape.
Fastening a deck to a home with nails
The more people a structure is expected to hold, the bigger the bolt should be to hold the structure in place, especially when adding a new deck onto your home. Lesh says home inspectors frequently see decks attached to homes with nails, when the project requires specific bolts to secure the structure. “Every year a deck collapses because a guy just used a whole bunch of nails to attach it to the house,” he says.
Painting over chipped paint or wallpaper
While you may think a couple coats of paint could have any wall looking brand new, it’s important to make the surface smooth and clean first, particularly if you’re looking to get rid of old wallpaper or chipped paint. “Paint will moisten the wallpaper and then make it bubble. And then you have to cut out all the bubble spots and fill them with joint compound,” Geradine says. Ultimately, you’ll have to remove the wallpaper anyway, and it’s far easier to take off without paint over it.
Replacing pipes in old homes without checking
Many older homes could use a bit of TLC, but be wary of the dangers that could be lurking beneath the surface. There is a chance that old plumbing could contain asbestos, which isn’t something you want to let in the air. “There could be hazardous material in there, and that is nothing to play around with," Lesh says. "You can’t just wear a dust mask and take that stuff off – the fibers are microscopic and you can really, really injure yourself long term if you touch that kind of stuff.” He adds that you should seek a professional with noted experience handling hazardous materials to ensure particles aren’t left in the air to wreak havoc over time.
When in doubt, call a pro.
You can be handy with tools and still need to submit to a professional’s help sometimes. If you’re unsure of the dangers of a project, contacting someone who does know will make it far less likely that you'll turn your home into a death trap. “With the trades – plumbing, heating, air and electrical – there may be five ways to do it right, but there’s a thousand ways to do it wrong,” Flanagan says. “And people tend to find those thousand ways before they find the five ways. So if you’re just not confident and competent in what you’re doing, you should just call a professional.”
See more Personal Finance slideshows:
What It Costs to Outsource Your Most Dreaded Tasks
10 Fun, Frugal Ways to Spend Your Free Time
7 Products to Never Buy in Bulk
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HomeClassic Blogexecutive and law enforcement agents in restarting Nigeria
Restartnaija lecture episodes
Episode 15: Moving Nigerians from necessary liabilities to productive assets
/Chukwunwike Enekwechi
/executive arm of governmentNigerian government
executive and law enforcement agents in restarting Nigeria
When a commander orders a junior officer to shoot an innocent person, who takes the blame? The commander or the junior officer? Can the junior officer refuse to carry out such unjust orders? How much power should the executive and law enforcement agents have in the fulfilment of the people’s agreement?
In the last episode, we used an adapted story of the Leviathan to illustrate the process of forming a progressive state. We noted that the people agree to cooperate with one another for 3 reasons:
To satisfy their individual needs,
To avoid more crisis in the struggle for resources and
To live harmoniously with other people for progress in the society.
They handed the agreement over to the Leviathan, trusted Judiciary, who will interpret, review and utilize the agreement in judging the conducts of the members of the society.
In this episode, we shall discuss the role of the people who are chosen in the people’s agreement to execute and enforce the people’s agreement.
One of the conditions in the people’s agreement was that they would create offices for people who will carry out the people’s agreement. These offices include president, prime minister, governor, local government chairmen, ward councillors, forming the executive arm of government. In other words, the executive and law enforcement agents in a nation.
The executive and law enforcement agents are charged with directing the different services for peace and progress in the society. They coordinate the security, economy, education, healthcare, industry, agriculture and general cooperation of the people. They are also encouraged to appoint other people to assist them in carrying out the functions in the people’s agreement. These are the ministers, commissioners, directors and other public servants in different agencies.
LAW EXECUTING AND ENFORCEMENT BODIES IN NIGERIA
Who are the Nigerian government executives and law enforcement agents? They are fellow Nigerians who have, by choice or scheme, been charged with defending the imposed Nigerian constitution. They all have Nigerian brothers, sisters, children, friends and relatives, who are also affected by the situation of the constitution. Many of them sincerely want to build a progressive and peaceful Nigeria. They want their names to appear glorious and honourable in the Nigerian history books. However, they appear helpless in their sincere efforts to build a just nation on a faulty constitutional foundation. Yet, they are afraid to leave the office either because of the fear of successors attack on their tenure, or addiction to benefits of the office for which they betray their kinsmen under the oyibo government.
What is the level of legitimacy of the Nigerian government and the laws it executes? Legitimacy of government/law means the acceptance of and wilful submission to a government/law by the people. Legitimacy is the quality of a law or government that comes from the free agreement of the people. Though Nigerian executive and law enforcement agencies have been and can still be used for common good, they did not come from the people. The peoples of the different ethnic communities in Nigeria never agreed to be together or to install this form of government/constitution. The Nigerian constitution that created these offices was imposed by the colonial masters and has undergone stages of rebranding. Therefore the Nigerian constitution in itself is illegitimate.
How justifiable is their enforcement of illegitimate laws? Not all illegitimate laws are unjust in themselves. Despite its illegitimacy, the Nigerian constitution still has many just laws that have been used to settle cases in the past. When legitimized by the people’s free consent in a sovereign national conference, the just laws can still be used to guide conducts of Nigerian citizens, while the unjust laws are repudiated. Yet Nigerian law enforcement agencies continue to enforce even the unjust laws in spite of its illegitimacy.
How can the Nigerian constitution be made legitimate? The amalgamation of northern and southern ethnic communities have created a platform for Nigerian ethnic communities to discuss and make a new agreement. An honourable government will convene a supreme national conference where ethnic communities will discuss and agree on the terms and conditions for their partnership and contribution in a new constitution.
How is the operation of the executive and law enforcement agencies fairing? Presently, many members of the executive and law enforcement agencies in Nigeria do not understand the law they enforce nor the principles behind democratic laws. They are yet to appreciate the freedom and individuality of human elements in the society. Hence they employ all forms of intimidation and extra-judicial measures to achieve their own aims.
Despite all the irregularities and injustices arising from the formation of present Nigerian constitution, a people’s constitution will still arise. This will be a new constitution from the people that will respect, defend and sustain the dignity of every Nigerian citizen. Then will the operation of the executive and law enforcement agents assume a human outlook, and necessitate wilful cooperation of the people.
Tags:executive arm of governmentNigerian government
Judiciary in the making of a new nation
Pain and shame as the new form of education in Nigeria
Chukwunwike Enekwechi
Chukwunwike Enekwechi studied political philosophy in his first degree from the University of Ibadan, and has been involved in many social development and enlightenment programs for the past fourteen years. He is an ardent believer in the possibility of Nigeria's intellectual and emotional reformation towards the formation of a new Nigerian society.
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Why do people keep giving me stuff?? Stop It you Bastards! Trawling through my pile of music gifts….
It’s always the way when you start a career in writing about music, that while you will almost certainly get paid fuck all (That is if you get paid at all!), you will find that people, from musicians, to their managers and PR guys, will just happen to message you to “give” you stuff, even if you don’t ask for it. This is what i often call Hey-check-us-out-itis. It’s a fairly standard ailment, along the lines of tooth decay, or gout, and it’s something you inevitably will need to get used to.
Despite doing this for what seems to be like years, I’ve always felt slightly ambivalent when people just give you music “with no strings attached.” This is not to cast aspersions on the people giving you stuff. some of them are indeed very nice people. But I’ve always felt that such an transaction/encounter comes with a certain quid pro quo attached to it, that I find myself in the position of being compelled to say something about the music as a form of thank you, which has always made me feel uneasy (hark at old prolier than thou here!)
Over the past few months though, the amount of records, CDs and digital files have grown into a slightly large pile near the record player and on my desktop. and despite my best efforts, I can’t ignore them any longer, as the compulsion to play and write about them growing stronger by the day.
So with that in mind, Iet’s have a look at some of the stuff that has come my way from the UK in the past couple of months, And before you ask, an Icelandic version will be following in the next week or so…
OK first up are a couple of tracks that were sent to me by the lovely Sophie Cooper, who you may remember (probably not) being featured as part of an Exotik Pylon label review way back when. Well she’s fast becoming a major linchpin in what is the most unlikely cultural hub in the UK. No, no Deptford or Dalston, but Toddmorden in West Yorkshire. A few months ago she sent me a few files for some music that was being released though her work with the bombshop arts collective, something that she said I might be interested in. The files have petrified on my desktop for weeks, but it’s only now that I’ve got around to giving them a proper listen!
The first act is the self titled release from MOSAIC OF TEETH. A motley band of improvisational musicians that include Justin Wiggan (Roadside Picnic), Nicholas Bullen (Napalm Death), Keith Moliné (Two Pale Boys / Pere Ubu), ILIOS (Mohammad/PAN), Anthony Donovan (Murmurists) and Antonio de Braga. According to the blurb, this collaboration came about due to the Eyjafjallajökul eruption in 2010. Wiggans finds himself stranded in Norway for a few days, so he spends his time getting a loads of crappy cassettes from the local fleamarkets. the tapes are then morphed, edited and passed around the cabal who warp and flail at the sounds with febrile glee. the result is a 40 minute sound sculpture mindfuck that sways and tilts all over the place, from poised, polished blocks of sound, to corroded shards of noise rock jazz jams, to bastardised Bond Soundtracks being passed through a grunge filter. After listening to it a few time, I have no idea what’s going on, but that’s all part of the fun of this collaboration – Defamiliarisation and Destabilisation is the name of the game. There are still copies to order, and physical copies come with a phial of volcanic ash! Hope they got a permit for that.
(Alas there’s no soundcloud link available, but you can here an excerpt HERE)
The next up is FUSE 004 by Petrels, the latest in the series of recordings from the FUSE multimedia art space in Bradford. It’s a live recording by noise artist and composer Petrels aka Oliver Barrett. Over tow long form tracks of densely layered harmonic compositions, we hear two components at play. On the one hand you are gently assaulted aurally by overloading, sometimes jarring electronic textures and waveforms, but at the same time they adhere to the core harmonic principles that lay down a lot of raga infused folk musics. the result is music that is both harsh and melodic, stinging walls of pure sound a colour that trigger a painful delirium of the ears. I can only hope that there was a light show that came with it that blew out the eyes as well. If you fancy something that’s along the lines of Fuck Buttons or Oneohtrix Point Never at their harshest, then i think you’d be interested in this.
Now I turn to a bunch of releases from the only and only Andy Cooke from JUNIOR ASPIRIN records in London, a repository label for some frankly weird and disturbing music that should come with a govt warning. Simple story this – I got an e-mail from Andy a few months ago thanking me for using a track from the band The God In Hackney in one of my Nordic Interstitial Thresholds mixes. He then goes. “Would you like me to send you some music?” to which I reply “Sure, why not?” Now what I was expecting was for Andy to send a a CD of 12″ or two. Imagine my shock when a week or so later, I received a rather hefty package (well it was more like a box) from the mail courier. opening it, I see not one, or two, but TEN albums (See the pic at the top), pretty much the entire discography of Junior Aspirin records! I won’t be going into some of the records he gave me, such as the releases from Skill 7 Stamina 12, and The Rebel, but instead point you towards the following 3 groups.
Fist up is Big Legs and their self titled debut album. Two Englishmen stuck in NYC who have decided to make some decidedly off-kilter pop ditties in an attempt to articulate their lives in their adopted hometown. the result is one of wibbly and contorted home studio beats electronics and samples, woodwind sintruments, surrealist spoken word mumblings and vocal cutups that are of a decidedly English monotone bent. The album’s highlight is a cover of ABBA’s “The Winner Takes It All” that descends into a loopy, haunting intermission. Pop music for people who don’t like people.
Next up is Cave Moderne, by The God In Hackney. A four piece that contains Label owner Andy, the album is meant to be a concept album that imagines the Flintstones for real, a contemporary neolithic period where avant pop/rock sounds are performed “with chants, drums, guitars, synths, shells, earth, teeth, bits of tree and crap music apps.” the result is an bricolage album of songs as sound assemblages, held together by dinosaur gut twine and duct tape. Looping and clattering drum rhythms mix with deadpan vocals, churning keyboards drones and broken guitar riffs. An alternative album title for this could have been Prehistoric Modern Life Is Rubbish.
Finally we have Further Conclusions Against an Italian Version (BAT) by the wonderfully named Socrates That Practiçes Music. Another band that contains label owner Andy Cooke and his mate Alex Ellerington, they call their music METAGOTH, which if anything is at least one of the best ideas for a band name I can think of. And like Big Legs, STPM are a band that take a simple base structure/genre of music (in this case goth and post-punk) and smashes it around the room with an English approach to DIY music and songwriting. this sort of approach has a long lineage from The Fall, The Fates, Cleaner From Venus, and The Nightinggales, all the way to Grumbling Fur, Officer! and Daniel Patrick Quinn. A track like “Mrs Hammersmith” for example reminded me a little bit of the early music that the likes of The Young knives were putting out years ago. Despite the obviously avant-pop structures and the woozy use of samples and gothic atmosphere, there is definitely a strong, decidedly grounded, pop sensibility that shines through the tracks. It’s suburban garden/kitchen sink goth music, where the magic comes from performing divining rituals on utility bills and clairvoyance using Tetley tea bags. Recommended.
that’s your lot for now. I’m back off to work!!
Posted by bobcluness on July 31, 2015 in music, Uncategorized
Tags: avant-pop, bomb shop, epxerimental, free shit, junior aspirin records, Mosaic of teeth, music, petrels, socrates that practices music, sophie cooper, the god in hackney, very british sounds, why does this keep happening? stop it!
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Siesta Seen
July 4, 2019 July 4, 2019 by Rachel Brown Hackney, Editor & Publisher
County staff continues work on South Midnight Pass Road public parking lot; Siesta Key Breeze wins more plaudits as staff continues work on potential for longer route; correction offered about North Shell Road parking prohibition petition; Siesta Key Association’s day in court for Big Pass moved up to July 23; and county staff answers question about a public parking space that had vanished
A July 2018 graphic provided the County Commission an update on the status of the property at 6647 S. Midnight Pass Road at that time. Image courtesy Sarasota County
During the County Commission’s June 18 budget workshop, Commissioner Alan Maio asked whatever had become of the county property located at 6647 S. Midnight Pass Road, which the board members previously had eyed as a possible turnaround spot for the Siesta Key Breeze.
As he recalled, Maio said, the board members had considered that site as a potential location for restrooms and perhaps a kiosk with Siesta Key Chamber of Commerce and other community information and brochures.
Rob Lewis, interim director of Sarasota County Area Transit (SCAT), replied that he was not certain, but staff would look into the status of the property, which once housed a training facility for the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office and still has a building that encloses a Public Utilities Department water tank.
In response to a request fromThe Sarasota News Leader,
Kim Francel, the county’s public records coordinator, provided materials in a June 21 email. The documents show that staff has been working on an internal application for a Special Exception to change the portion of the site where the Sheriff’s Office structure stood, with parking spaces, to “public parking only.”
Pre-application materials submitted to the county’s Development Review Committee (DRC) in advance of that group’s May 16 meeting said the 1.83-acre site is zoned Residential Multi-Family (RMF) 1; staff proposes that section of the property retain that zoning designation.
Staff also is seeking to create a public surface parking lot comprising 11,070 square feet, the material said.
The anticipated construction timeline called for the work to begin in July, the document noted, with completion planned in October.
Before the end of 2017, the Sheriff’s Office formally vacated this training center on county property at 6647 S. Midnight Pass Road. File photo
Among DRC member comments about the project, a notation from a SCAT representative explained that the trolley stops at the nearby SCAT stop. “Upon completion of the parking lot, SCAT will move this stop closer/in front of said parking area,” the notation added, referring to the South Midnight Pass Road site.
The amount of impervious area on the parcel is 8,672 square feet, the staff material pointed out. That is proposed to increase to 16,114 square feet. An engineering drawing accompanying the material indicated a mix of concrete and stone would be used to create the parking area.
However, a Zoning Division representative on the DRC explained, “Siesta Key Overlay District does not require paved parking, so alternative surface is permitted.” That notation did point out, though, that the overlay district includes a restriction that puts the maximum impervious lot coverage at 50% in the RMF Zoning District.
Stormwater facilities already are on the property, the document noted, but new facilities would be added.
A county Public Utilities Department building on the property at 6647 S. Midnight Pass Road conceals a water tank. Rachel Hackney photo
The following is a sampling of other comments:
A 10-foot-wide buffer would be required along Midnight Pass Road.
A 20-foot-wide landscaped buffer with a minimum of 20% opacity would be required between the property and Crescent Plaza to the north.
“Parking lots shall contain no more than 15 parking spaces in a row without a [10-foot-wide] landscaped island. Each island shall be curbed and contain a large tree.
“All rows of parking spaces shall terminate in a curbed landscaped island.”
Another DRC member asked about the intended users of the lot, noting that Beach Access 12 is nearby. “Beach visitors? General public? Other?”
In her June 21 email, Francel, the public records coordinator, wrote that the proposed project had not proceeded beyond pre-application status.
And speaking of the trolley …
The Breeze heads west toward Beach Road after making its pass through part of Siesta Village. File photo
County Commission attention also focused on the Siesta Key Breeze open-air trolley as the board members reviewed the Sarasota County Area Transit (SCAT) budget for the next fiscal year.
The Breeze, SCAT Interim Director Rob Lewis said on June 18, “remains one of our, if not the, most popular routes.”
As of that date, he continued, 233,822 people had ridden the trolley during the fiscal year that began on Oct. 1, 2018. “We certainly expect that in four months, we will break last year’s record [of 250,000].”
Lewis added that the trolley’s popularity just continues to grow.
Not only has it led to a reduction in the number of vehicles on Siesta’s roads, Lewis continued, but it also has led to more economic development on both ends of the island, with people using the Breeze to easily access businesses and restaurants.
As he has in the past, Commissioner Alan Maio talked of his fear that, after pushing for the establishment of the trolley, he would see ridership at no more than 3,000 a month. “We’re now … [seeing] 40,000 riders a month. That’s just a phenomenal thing, the trolley.”
The lowest ridership count for any month thus far this fiscal year has been 12,400,” Lewis responded.
Then Chair Charles Hines referenced past comments from Siesta residents and the commissioners themselves about the potential of extending the Breeze’s route to the northern end of the island, as well as finding spots for pullouts, where the trolley could stop to allow vehicles to pass it legally.
Reprising remarks he made to members of the Siesta Key Condominium Council in March, Lewis responded that the problem has been identifying a suitable location for the trolley to turn around on the northern end of Siesta. From the Turtle Beach Park parking lot, he noted, it travels to Morton’s Siesta Market in Siesta Village.
No area on the northern end — except potentially Nora Patterson Bay Island Park — has been found thus far to have enough room to accommodate the turnaround, Lewis added. Yet, the park is not the perfect location, he continued, because of the difficulty in making left turns out of it.
People picnic in Nora Patterson Bay Island Park on a summer afternoon. Rachel Hackney photo
Moreover, Lewis said, if the trolley continued to a park-and-ride spot on the mainland, that would add “time and effort,” as well as expense.
Additionally, he noted, people might be reluctant to use park-and-ride lots because of worries about handling beach gear, such as chairs, on the Breeze.
As for the pullouts: Most of that comes down to a matter of right of way access, Lewis explained, and it would be expensive for the county to try to acquire any of that right of way on the Key. He could not imagine any property owner, he said, “being happy with eminent domain to take right of way.” He suggested such a county initiative would be “a tremendously poor use of … time and our resources.”
Further, he told the board, “There are some parts of Siesta Key that really don’t want a pullout in front of their property. We’ve experienced that in my past lives with the county.”
This is not Lewis’ first time serving as interim SCAT director. He has held a number of other positions with the county, too, through his decades of service on the staff.
Lewis did point out to the commissioners that mobile apps for the trolley are available on both the Android and Apple operating systems. “You can, with a great degree of predictability,” pursue other activities, such as shopping, while being assured of the time when you should be at a SCAT stop to catch the trolley, he pointed out.
A correction
A News Leader article published on June 14 incorrectly stated which public parking spaces on North Shell Road have been proposed for elimination.
The residents who submitted a petition to the Sarasota County Traffic Advisory Council (TAC) are seeking a prohibition of parking on both sides of the road just between the house at 3935 N. Shell Road and the cul-de-sac at Beach Access 1, the News Leaderhas learned.
Vehicles are parked on either side of North Shell Road, with Beach Access 1 at the end of the street. These are spots property owners on the road are seeking to have eliminated. File photo
As one resident wrote the News Leader in an email last week, “These areas have been most problematic with the parking problems (cars blocking residence driveways and preventing vehicles, emergency and others, from turning around in the cul-de-sac).”
The Traffic Advisory Council is scheduled to address the petition during its meeting on Sept. 3.
SKA’s Big Pass hearing moved to July 23
Twelfth Judicial Circuit Court Judge Andrea McHugh has agreed to reschedule a hearing in the Siesta Key Association’s Big Pass case from Aug. 16 to July 23.
Leaders of the nonprofit asked for an earlier date after learning that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) had issued a solicitation for bids for the Lido Key Renourishment Project, and the responses from companies were due by July 2. (The deadline has been extended two weeks. See the related article in this issue.)
The Silvertooth Judicial Center is located on Ringling Boulevard in downtown Sarasota. File photo
Siesta Key Association (SKA) President Catherine Luckner told members during their June 6 meeting that concern had arisen that the USACE and its co-applicant for the state permit for the Lido project — the City of Sarasota — might try to start dredging Big Sarasota Pass before the SKA’s litigation had been concluded. Thus, the nonprofit’s board worked to move up the hearing date.
The SKA has contended that the city has failed to comply with its own policies, as well as Sarasota County regulations, by not conducting a formal process to determine that removal of sand from the pass for placement on about 1.6 miles of South Lido Key Beach is consistent with those policies and regulations.
Last week, Stephanie Erb, judicial assistant to McHugh, notified all parties in the case that the hearing will begin at 1 p.m. on July 23 in Courtroom 6C at the Lynn N. Silvertooth Judicial Center, which is located at 2002 Ringling Blvd. in downtown Sarasota.
Originally, McHugh had planned on most of a day to entertain evidence from the SKA, the city and the Lido Key Residents Association, which was allowed to intervene in the case.
Whither the public parking spot by Oceane?
A truck is parked in the public parking space on Ocean Boulevard, with another vehicle pulled off on the shoulder of the road, in August 2013. File photo
In 2013, staff of what was then the Sarasota County Parks and Recreation Department carved out a tiny public parking space on right of way next to an open parcel on Ocean Boulevard with a close-up view of Lido Key, across Big Pass.
The project began in the spring of that year and was completed by late summer.
The space was delineated by a rope-and-post system. A typical Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources (PRNR) kiosk was posted adjacent to it, as well, to explain the rules for beach access. Anyone using the parking space could amble on down the adjacent road to a spot popular for vista viewing and fishing.
The total investment for the project was about $5,000, then-county spokesman Curt Preisser told the News Leader.
On a side note, Preisser said staff research found that the public right of way was established in the early 1900s.
Then, in the late winter of 2017, a developer and a luxury real estate firm announced plans for the first new condominium development on Siesta since 2009. Called Oceane, it was designed for construction on the Ocean Boulevard property that once afforded expansive views of Big Pass and South Lido to drivers and people using the PRNR pocket parking space. Oceane’s official address is 4740 Ocean Blvd.
After work began on the complex last year, the public parking space disappeared.
This kiosk was installed at the public parking spot across from the Givens Street/Ocean Boulevard intersection. File photo
Although this reporter had noticed the situation, a reader’s inquiry reminded the News Leader finally to ask county staff for an explanation.
Media Relations Specialist Brianne Grant pored over a number of county documents to arrive at that explanation.
Apparently, in 2005, she told the News Leader, the County Commission gave developers the right to use public spaces, like the one on Ocean Boulevard, as the developers work on construction projects.
Based on her understanding of the materials, Grant said, the use of that parking place on Ocean Boulevard actually was part of the construction site work plans that the Oceane project team members submitted to the county in 2016 and for which they won approval from the Building Department.
Grant determined that after Oceane has been completed, the developer — Crossgate Partners LLC, based in Suwanee, Ga. — will have to remove all equipment from the area of the public parking space. She pointed out that the county did not grant Crossgate an easement for any permanent structure on the site of the parking spot.
Based on a review of Realtor websites this week, the News Leaderfound that the expected completion of Oceane is in August.
The most recent construction update on the project website pointed out that the framing and stucco work was to begin on Jan. 21, with the elevator installation set for the first week of February. Needless to say, that post was several months old.
One other piece of news to note from the official Oceane website is the fact that Michael Saunders & Company is listed as the firm to which inquiries about purchases should be directed. Originally, Peter Laughlin, a broker associate with Premier Sotheby’s International Realty, was the point person for anyone with an interest in Oceane. A July 3 check of Laughlin’s Sarasota County listings found no mention of Oceane.
Subsequent July 3 searches on real estate websites found listings for only two of the six condos that Oceane will encompass. One was priced at $4,199,000; the other, at $3,999,000.
One of those websites, SaraSellsSarasota, carries a notice that its listings are updated daily.
Progress on the Oceane condominium complex is evident in April. Rachel Hackney photo
Categories Beaches, Business, Community Activism, Construction, Environmental News, Finance, Legal issues, Neighborhoods, Nonprofit News, Parks and Recreation, Real Estate, Sarasota County, Siesta Key, Siesta Seen, St. Armands Circle, Tourism, TransportationTags Tinypass Post navigation
Detailed information offered to assist visitors and residents planning to attend Sarasota Powerboat Grand Prix Festival events this week
Copyright © 2012-19 – The Sarasota News Leader. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission of the publisher. "The Sarasota News Leader", "Old school journalism. 21st century delivery." and "The Progressive Voice of Southwest Florida" are registered trademarks of New Sheriff Publishing, Inc, Sarasota, FL. The Sarasota News Leader is a publication of New Sheriff Publishing Inc. Member - National Digital Press Association
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The Atheist Academic: Standing Up for Yourself!
Tori Parker — July 27, 2013
Recently, one of my fellow atheist educators asked the following question:
During a faculty meeting, we were doing a positive things session about each other and our principal was quoting scripture, prefaced by, “I hope this doesn’t offend anyone.” I said nothing. How would you have handled it?
This is a tough situation. I’m not the most assertive of people in most situations, but this is one where I may have stood up and said something. The fact that the principal started off by saying that he hoped that the Bible verse wasn’t going to offend anyone shows me that he KNEW it was the wrong thing to do. I bet that he thought that was a kind of disclaimer, and since no one said anything, that everyone was on board.
When I sit and think about the situation, though, I don’t think the principal did anything that was THAT wrong. I assume that it was a group of adults in front of him. Otherwise, it would be wrong to make situations sit and listen to a Bible verse. I also am assuming that the rest of the session had nothing to do with the Bible or religion at all. In that case, I think it’s fine to quote from wherever you’d like to quote from. As an English teacher, I sometimes need to reference the Bible to explain allusions. I simply explain the story that the allusion refers to and help the students see why the author may have made that allusion.
My advice would be to go and speak with the principal, casually, about the session. I might highlight a few parts of the session that I liked and then mention that a Bible verse may not be the best way to unite the entire staff. If the Bible verses continued, or if I felt like he was proselytizing to the staff, then I would be more forceful.
Readers — how would you respond to this question? Have you ever had a similar situation? What did you do?
Tags:atheist,atheist academic,Bible in schools,principal,religion,school of doubt,Skepchick
The Oatmeal's Running Strip and the Morality of Sport
Required Readings, 28 July 2013
On Activism
Critical ThinkingFeaturedPrimary EducationReligionUncategorized
Going Up Against the Good News Club: An Interview with Dan Courtney
It Wasn’t the Best Response Ever
Homework benefits, student loan protest, teacher turnover, Rolling Stone smackdown, and more: Required Readings, 04.05.15
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What is the reasoning behind Gollum not harming the Hobbits in their sleep? [duplicate]
Why didn't Gollum kill Frodo and Sam? 1 answer
The first time Gollum had attempted to kill the Hobbits didn't go as plan, as the Hobbits were aware of his presence and were able to trick him into thinking that they were asleep.
However, Gollum had many other opportunities once he had agreed to take them to Mordor to have killed them in their sleep and take the ring from Frodo. This isn't the case though, and he seems to remain loyal (to an extent) and doesn't really seem to attempt anything until the final film, where he leads them into Shelob's lair.
tolkiens-legendarium the-lord-of-the-rings character-motivation gollum
marked as duplicate by Mithrandir, Edlothiad, Anthony Grist, Gallifreyan, Rand al'Thor♦ Jul 16 '17 at 14:42
'We swears to serve the master of the Precious. We will swear on the Precious. " – user68762 Jul 16 '17 at 13:53
That is true in the sense that he swore to serve the master of the ring. However, at the end of the film when Frodo is being attacked by Gollum and stated that Gollum swore on the precious, Gollum replied with "Smigel Lied". – Zan Jul 16 '17 at 15:08
that's interesting, especially that peter jackson thought it was smeagol who lied. – user68762 Jul 16 '17 at 16:31
He actually did consider attacking them, but quickly changed his mind afterwards (split personalities, if you remember). Here's how the inner debate went in The Passage of the Marshes.
He was held by his promise
'I don't know. I can't help it. Master's got it. Smeagol promised to help the master.'
'Yes, yes, to help the master: the master of the Precious. But if we was master, then we could help ourselfs, yes, and still keep promises.'
'But Smeagol said he would be very very good. Nice hobbit! He took cruel rope off Smeagol's leg. He speaks nicely to me.'
"They'll wake up too quick and kill us"
'No, sweet one. See, my precious: if we has it, then we can escape, even from Him, eh? Perhaps we grows very strong, stronger than Wraiths. Lord Smeagol? Gollum the Great? The Gollum! Eat fish every day, three times a day; fresh from the sea. Most Precious Gollum! Must have it. We wants it, we wants it, we wants it!'
'But there's two of them. They'll wake too quick and kill us,' whined Smeagol in a last effort. 'Not now. Not yet.'
Though treacherous, deceitful and a downright liar, Smeagol didn't dare to "directly" attack Frodo. Why? Because he was held by his promise. Only when he learned Frodo was going to destroy the Ring did he bite Frodo's finger off.
Mat CauthonMat Cauthon
Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged tolkiens-legendarium the-lord-of-the-rings character-motivation gollum or ask your own question.
Why didn't Gollum kill Frodo and Sam?
Would Gollum's clothes turn invisible when he wore The One Ring?
Why did Gollum try to touch the corpses in the Dead Marshes?
Was there a significant difference between Gollum and Smeagol by the time of Lord of the Rings?
Was Gollum evil?
What exactly was the understanding between Gollum and Shelob?
When was Smeagol planning on telling Frodo about Shelob?
Were there any other ways into Mordor?
Why didn't Sauron signal the Orcs that Frodo and Sam were at Mount Doom?
When Frodo was guided by Gollum to the Black Gate, how did he intend to enter Mordor?
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Fantasia Coverage Crime Movies Festival Videos Superhero Movies Musicals How ScreenAnarchy Works
May 10 2019, 3:48 PM
BEING FRANK, starring Jim Gaffigan, Logan Miller & Anna Gunn, gets an official trailer
Sebastian Zavala Kahn
The Film Arcade has released the official trailer for Being Frank, ahead of the planned Father's Day weekend release. Being Frank debuted at SXSW as You Can Choose Your Family, where We Live Entertainment hailed Gaffigan and Miller's "spectacularly heartfelt and honest performances". The narrative directorial debut of Miranda Bailey, Being Frank will open in Los Angeles and New York June 14th, before expanding to select cities June 21st.
Seventeen-year old Philip (Miller) longs to leave his small town for music school in The Big Apple. His dreams are dashed when his overbearing father, Frank (Gaffigan) forbids it. In retaliation to his father's dictatorial parenting, he sneaks away in search of a wild spring break. However, when he crosses state lines, he instead finds a charming lake community where he spots his father with another woman. Turns out, Frank lives in this town and has an entire other family. With this bizarre revelation Philip realizes he can either blow the whistle on his father's deceit or take advantage of the surreal situation.
The film’s cast includes Jim Gaffigan ("The Jim Gaffigan Show"), Logan Miller (Escape Room) , Anna Gunn (HBO's "Deadwood"), Samantha Mathis (Showtime's "Billions"), Alex Karpovsky (HBO's "Girls"), and Danielle Campbell (CW's "The Originals”).
Being Frank is directed by Miranda Bailey, written by Glen Lakin, and produced by Miranda Bailey (Don't Think Twice, Swiss Army Man), Amanda Marshall (Don't Think Twice, Swiss Army Man), and Karen Kehela Sherwood (A Beautiful Mind).
Being Frank will open in Los Angeles and New York June 14th, before expanding to select cities June 21st.
being frankcomedydramaFather's DayGlen Lakinindependent cinemaindieJim GaffiganMiranda BaileynewsposterSebastian ZavalaSXSWtrailer
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Rastan Saga II
Opera House[1]
Original system(s): Arcade boards
Developer(s) of original games: Taito
Sound driver: SMPS Z80
US 1991-06More...[2] $? 11026
This short article is in need of work. You can help Sega Retro by adding to it.
Rastan Saga II (ラスタンサーガII) is a 1988 arcade platformer by Taito and the sequel to Rastan Saga. Opera House ported it to the Sega Mega Drive in 1990. The branding of this port is unusual; the "Rastan Saga" name was never used outside of Japan otherwise, as the first game was called Rastan outside of Japan, and this second was called Nastar or Nastar Warrior (US).
In Japan, Sega released a version of Tetris as a conversion kit for Nastar cabinets for unknown reasons.
Rastania is a land known for its temple, the aptly named Skyscraper. A "wicked group" (who are not identified further) tries to take control of Skyscraper, knowing that succeeding would make them rulers of Rastania. You are a warrior who must stop them before they succeed.
attacks; use the D-pad to aim your attack and hold to repeatedly attack. jumps. appears to do nothing, but the arcade version does have multiple collectable weapons, so might switch weapons when other weapons are acquired (TODO).
Main article: Rastan Saga II/Magazine articles.
Main article: Rastan Saga II/Promotional material.
Joystick (FR) 55 More...[5]
Raze (UK) 57 More...[6]
Sega Mega Drive Advanced Gaming (UK) 48 №5, p94
Sega Power (UK) 60 More...[7]
Sega Pro (UK) 61 №18, p66
Mega Drive, US
File:Rastan Saga II MD US Manual.pdf
↑ http://www.opera-house.co.jp/works.html
↑ GamePro, "June 1991" (US; 1991-xx-xx), page 42
↑ Beep! MegaDrive, "September 1990" (JP; 1990-08-XX), page 23 (25)
↑ Joystick, "Octobre 1990" (FR; 1990-xx-xx), page 122
↑ Raze, "December 1990" (UK; 1990-10-25), page 32
↑ Sega Power, "October 1991" (UK; 1991-09-05), page 54
NEC Retro has more information related to Rastan Saga II.
Retrieved from "http://segaretro.org/index.php?title=Rastan_Saga_II&oldid=517651"
US Mega Drive games
Mega Drive action games
Use romtable template
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Microbes to humans 2015 Nobel Prize
HomeMicrobes to humans 2015 Nobel Prize
Adaptations, Diseases & Disorders, Ecology, Model Organisms, RNA Directed, RNA-mediated epigenetic regulation of gene expression, RNA-mediated gene silencing
3 Scientists Win Nobel Prize in Medicine for Parasite-Fighting Therapies
Excerpt 1)
Success in antimalarial therapy depends on how clever scientists are in using combinations of drugs.
Dr. Omura played down his accomplishments, saying, “I merely borrowed the power of microbes.”
My comment: These two excerpts appear within the context of three paragraphs that clearly link RNA-mediated cell type differentiation in species from microbes to humans. The context attests to what at first may appear to be a political agenda inserted into Western medical practice.
The first appearance of that Westernized political agenda was never removed during my career as a medical laboratory scientist.
“…malaria parasites have developed resistance against Artemisinin in Asia — but not Africa…”
My comment: In species from microbes to humans, RNA-mediated cell type differentiation links nutrient-dependent base pair changes to biodiversity via single amino acid substitutions in the context of the physiology of reproduction, which leads to fixation of beneficial substitutions that stabilize organized genomes.
For example, Dobzhansky (1973) claimed that “…the so-called alpha chains of hemoglobin have identical sequences of amino acids in man and the chimpanzee, but they differ in a single amino acid (out of 141) in the gorilla.”
Recent reports in “Science Magazine” linked this RNA-mediated event from the nutrient-dependent physiology of reproduction in bacteria to humans via what is known about thermodynamic cycles of protein biosynthesis and degradation.
The cycles of cold and heat prevent viral replication which ultimately occurs when viruses try to ecologically adapt to a new cell type via a single amino acid substitution. See: Substitutions Near the Receptor Binding Site Determine Major Antigenic Change During Influenza Virus Evolution
The major antigenic changes of the influenza virus are primarily caused by a single amino acid near the receptor binding site.
Moving forward: These Nobel Laureates have helped to remove any further consideration of mutations and evolution in all living genera by focusing individually and collectively on the conserved molecular mechanisms that link physics, chemistry, and molecular epigenetics to disease prevention and treatment.
Clearly, they are among others who are “Combating Evolution to Fight Disease” But, in this case, they have been doing that since the 60’s and 70’s.
See also: Three share Nobel medicine prize for new tools to kill parasites (Update)
Working in the 1970s, Omura isolated new strains of Streptomyces bacteria and cultured them so that they could be analyzed for their impact against harmful microorganisms, the Nobel committee said.
See also: The Man Who Bottled Evolution and Mutation-Driven Evolution
See for comparison: Antiparasite Drug Developers Win Nobel
My comment: Reports or books that link theories about mutations and evolution to antibiotic resistance and/or all biodiversity should already have been corrected. Two generations of researchers need not have been taught to believe in pseudoscientific nonsense. They might have learned the difference between a mutation and a nutrient-dependent RNA-mediated amino acid substitution.
Instead, de Vries 1904 definition of mutation is still used by neo-Darwinian theorists who don’t know that viruses steal energy that cells require to ensure proper protein folding.
Viruses do not cause de Vries “energy jumps.” The energy jumps are nutrient-dependent. They enable the innate immune system to “jump” to a higher level of control in the context of the physiology of reproduction that transgenerationally protects organized genomes from virus-driven genomic entropy. Simply put, the energy jumps link RNA-mediated events to DNA repair and healthy longevity via protection against virus-driven entropic elasticity that would otherwise lead to genomic entropy much faster than it ultimately does.
September 10, 2015 Exosomes and the RNA-mediated future of medicine (1)
The Exosome Is Recruited to RNA Substrates through Specific Adaptor Proteins Reported […]
February 9, 2016 Will modern human populations adapt to the Zika virus? (0)
Jurassic ‘butterflies’ predated true butterflies by 50 million years Excerpt: The […]
March 9, 2017 The essence of precision medicine: drug targets or healthy longevity? (0)
The molecular epigenetics of healthy longevity Trichome, a Functional Diversity […]
January 9, 2016 Genes, orchid odors, and pheromones from blonds (0)
1) The Genetics of Blond Hair (2014) and 2) Orchids give off human ‘body odor’ to […]
May 10, 2016 Energy-dependent creation and entropy (0)
Theorists tend to use the term de novo when they don't know. If they don't know how […]
Amino AcidCombating Evolutiondisease preventionInfluenzamolecular epigeneticsnutrient-dependentphysiologyprotein biosynthesisreproductionRNA-mediatedthermodynamic cycletreatmentviral replicationvirus
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Amoeba Teen were founded by critically acclaimed songwriting team of Mark Britton and Mike Turner. Armed with a four-track tape recorder and junk shop guitars, the pair began writing together back in the dying embers of the last century. With a rag-tag collection of scratchy demos, they slowly honed their craft, melding together lush harmonies, hooky melodies, the odd sample and overdriven guitars. Hints of power pop can be heard - Teenage Fanclub, Jellyfish and Big Star spring to mind - but Turner’s raucous guitar and reverb soundscapes keeps the vibe punky and a little dirtier. When speaking of a band like Amoeba Teen, as they manifest themselves today, it's difficult not to fall back on clichés like "going from strength to strength", "at the height of their powers", or "firing on all cylinders". It's better, perhaps, to borrow a song title from the group themselves and say that they're coming on stronger: the banner year of 2018 saw an extensive reissue of their back catalog on Kool Kat Musik, their invigorating live set captured audiences at home and on festival stages across the UK, and for 2019 they have, in “Medium Wave” synthesized their live energy and nuanced songcraft into an album that's bracing, immediate, and humming with the energy of its time in a way that fans of peak period Kinks, The Jam and classic power pop across the decades will recognize and adore. Amoeba Teen's arrival in the orbit of the burgeoning Big Stir massive comes at a renaissance moment for both parties, as Medium Wave proves to be a gorgeous summation of the band's recorded and live strengths into a cohesive and affecting work that's certain to catch ears both at home and in the US. Crowded House-like at times.... EXCELLENT!!
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Stay strong, you’re doing a great job mum
Its’ a big job, the best job in the world, but a tough job.
Photo: Kit Wise Photography
Stay Strong Mummy! Yes, you… you’re doing a brilliant job. That’s the message from Kimberley Welman, creator of Stay Strong Mummy blog.
“I don’t think mums can hear it enough,” Kimberley says. “Its’ a big job, the best job in the world, but a tough job. Even a stranger telling you that you are doing a great job is sometimes the pick-me-up we need.”
Kimberley is mother to an almost-three year old girl and one-year old boy/girl twins; her husband runs the family bicycle shop business six days a week.
With the inspiration for a blog, she threw names around seeking something that would stand out for people.
“I wanted it to be a name that encompassed the physical and emotional side of strength,” she said.
And while it might feel like you are on a continuous spin cycle of washing, feeding, changing, running after, Kimberley reminds mums that you are “pouring your heart and soul and energy into your family.”
Life went full circle for Kimberley at the time of her first child’s birth. “I lost my father four months before I gave birth and I come from a tight knit family. I had always imagined having my baby, seeing the look on my partner’s face and then showing my parents their first grandchild.
“But I began to doubt myself because I was still grief stricken at the time of the birth,” she says. “I got through that natural birth with my first and the instant that I held her, the whole circle of life meaning come into play. I thought this isn’t about me anymore; I have to find the strength from somewhere.”
Putting routines into place
“I put mechanics in place for when I need a pick-me-up… relying on my emotional strength… trust the universe, have faith in it, take it day by day,” she says.
“As mums we get caught up in the daily grind, but I’m a huge believer in having a few goals and working on your passion; the time does go really quickly with kids.”
The post-baby body
Kimberley regularly hears from mothers that they are too self-conscious of their post-baby body to exercise in public.
“Our bodies change dramatically during this time, but it is all about mind set,” she says. “After about a month of eating clean and moving my body in short bursts of intensity training, things began to change for me. I found this new me… calmer, more energy and with that came a level of confidence… all from exercise and clean food.
“I didn’t have time to take an hour long run… I just had bursts of exercise maybe 15 minutes a few times a week.
“It’s not about punishing myself, it’s about nourishing, being energetic and keeping up with my three kids.”
Some tips from Kimberley:
Start with a bit of discipline and commitment, after a few weeks this kicks-in—motivation turns into routine and then it becomes a natural part of life;
Have the discipline and motivation to say it is time to spend some time on mummy;
It doesn’t have to be an all or nothing, just a bit of time for your own emotional and physical help. The more I did this, the less fear was surfacing.
Time for your partner
“When the kids were younger it was really hard on us. We’d often be sitting at two a.m. together while I was feeding, and my husband would help me change and burp them. But a look or a gaze or smile would get us through,” she said.
“Now that they’re a bit older, we have the cliché date night but we don’t’ got out—we sit together and have a chat and a glass of wine. It’s the little text message at random times, the communication, that helps.”
As an ambassador for the 2016 Essential Baby & Toddler Show Kimberley recently spend time in Brisbane sharing her message with Brisbane mums.
“It’s such a growing community and mums on my page like to keep in touch and support each other,” she said.
You can join Kimberley’s network on her contacts below:
Catch Kimberley’s blog – here
Or connect on her on Facebook – here
Or on Twitter – here
Phototography by: Kit Wise Photography
Interview by: Helen Goltz for She Brisbane
Kimberley Welman
post baby body
Stay Strong Mummy
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Maria My Love 2012
Description: .Ana (Judy Marte) is a young girl trying to reimagine her life after her mother’s death during the course of one California spring. Filled with resentment over her father’s mistakes, Ana feels disconnected from herself and everyone around her. Swept up by fresh romance (Brian Rieger) and a warm reunion with her half-sister (Lauren Fales), Ana is so taken by the newfound help and love in her life that she sets out to search someone—anyone another than herself—to help. She finds a volunteer project in Maria (Karen Black), a reclusive hoarder who has alienated her own family with her compulsive behavior. As the two become unlikely mates and confidantes, Ana finds herself in an emotionally complex relationship that reveals some uncomfortable truths about herself.
Released: N/A Director: Jasmine McGlade Writers: Lauren Fales (story), Jasmine McGlade (screenplay), Jasmine McGlade (story) Actors: Judy Marte, Karen Black, Brian Rieger, Lauren Fales Genres: Drama
See Maria My love - Trailer on youtube.
See Maria My Love Trailer on youtube.
See Anne-Marie - 2002 [Official Vi on youtube.
See Goodbye Maria, Goodbye My Love on youtube.
See Enrique Iglesias - Escape on youtube.
See DULCE MARIA I LOVE YOU MY LOVE on youtube.
See MARIA - STAND UP FOR LOVE (Des on youtube.
See You are My Love Full Video Son on youtube.
See Cheias de Charme: reveja a abe on youtube.
See Antonio Banderas Beautiful M on youtube.
Maria My Love similar movies given below. Rate each movie or TV Series, add your own reviews and suggest new title as related. See big list of best top movies that are like Maria My Love film.
Maria My Love Similar Movies
Top movies like Maria My Love complete list given below.
Movies Like Maria My Love:
L'eredità Ferramonti
Description: Rome, 1880. Gregorio Ferramonti (Anthony Quinn) has decided to close his bakery, the family business. Then he says his sons Pippo (Gigi Proietti), Mario (Fabio Testi) and Teta that they will have to fend for themselves. But Irene (Dominique Sanda), the wife of Pippo, a beautiful, calculating and ambitious young woman, wants to take over the inheritance. Acting on intelligence, weighing each step and its consequences, she manages to convince the brothers that they gotta prevent at all costs that his father falls in love again to avoid the risk of losing their inheritance.
Description: An Irish-Italian café owner in a seaside city faces a life crisis, as his wife recently died and he's severely in debt. His oldest son tries to help, but has serious issues of his own, while his younger son and daughter are having troubles in school.
Molodaya Gvardiya
Description: The movie is set in the town of Krasnodon in 1942 during the Nazi occupation of Russia. Local teenagers are organizing the underground resistance. The teens manage to outsmart the Nazis in their fight. They blow up the Nazi recruitment offices. Their activity lifts the spirits of the surviving citizens. They organize another school-friends in the groups of five to support the citizens in their struggle for survival. Their courage supports many others to survive.
Leva livet
Description: Vaccuum salesman Evert makes the rounds in a suburban Stockholm apartment building, getting brief glimpses of the different tenants' lives. During the course of the day, he meets an arguing married couple, a lonely older girl and a younger couple preparing an anxious dinner.
Description: Surrounded by a several party officials, Alexei Ivanov, a stakhanovist smelter, is decorated by Stalin. The "Little Father of the Peoples" takes this occasion to invoke threats of war.... One day, fight indeed breaks out. Bombs fall on the field where Alexei finds himself in the company of the schoolmistress Natacha, his fiancée. Alexei joins the Red Units and later becomes a sergeant. Fighting rages and German units advance. Natacha is arrested and deported. But the tide turns decisively with the German conquer at Stalingrad. Actually the major offensive vs Hitler can begin.
¡Vámonos con Pancho Villa!
Description: The 1910 Mexican Revolution is on its method when six brave peasants, known as "Los Leones de San Pablo", decide to join Pancho Villa's units and support end the suffering in their community by assisting in the struggle. Together, they will endure the tragedies and hardships of a civil war.
Description: Rising rock star, TJ Cray, gets the shot of a lifetime, an audition with a A & R man. On the method into the city, a carload of drunks smash into his car, severing his hands. He drops out of the business and becomes a homeless drunk. Cray wakes up to a pulsing beat in an abandoned warehouse, where a "rave" party is in full action. To his rescue comes Anamika, a pc artist, who takes him outside for new air. They become mates and eventually reinvent TJ's career. With the support of friends, they replace his hands with prosthetics and design a metallic cyber looking suit. TJ quickly becomes an overnight sensation, known as Cyberstorm. The finale is a dramatic scenario where TJ has to create crucial decisions about his fresh life.
Конец Санкт-Петербурга
Description: The End of St. Petersburg (Russian: Конец Санкт-Петербурга, translit. Konets Sankt-Peterburga) is a 1927 silent movie directed by Vsevolod Pudovkin and produced by Mezhrabpom. Commissioned to commemorate the tenth anniversary of the October Revolution, The End of St Petersburg was to be Pudovkin's most popular movie and secured his zone as one of the foremost Soviet montage movie directors. The movie forms part of Pudovkin's 'revolutionary trilogy', alongside Mother (1926) and Storm Over Asia (1928).
Flowers of Evil
Description: Paris-Tehran. A rootless love storyline between Gecko, young and free, and Anahita, an Iranian girl in exile - tangled up in History and steeped in Internet, special and spontaneous
Mi Último Round
Description: Hugo becomes captivated with Octavio, a middle-aged local boxing champion, but their relationship is inspected when Hugo finds a fresh job in the city.
The Monster and the Girl
Description: After a young girl is coerced into prostitution and her brother framed for murder by an organized crime syndicate, retribution in the form of an ape visits the mobsters.
Don't Expect Too Much
Description: Dcoumentary about director/artist Nicholas Ray and his time as a University professor
The Adventurers
Description: The wealthy playboy son of an assassinated South American diplomat discovers that his father was really murdered on orders of the corrupt president of the country--a boy who was his father's mate and who, in fact, his father had helped place into power. He returns from living a jet-set life in Europe to lead a revolution vs the government, only to search out that things aren't quite as black and white as he had assumed
Description: Orlando is forced to work like a servant for his brother Oliver, so he goes to victory his fortune in a wrestling contest, where he meets a lady of the court, Rosalind. Rosalind (daughter of the deposed duke) is companion to Celia, niece of the deposed Duke, and when the actual duke banishes Rosalind from the kingdom, she, Celia, the court jester (and incidentally Orlando) all end up in the forest or Arden, where the deposed Duke holds court. Romantic mixups, cross-dressing, love poems nailed to trees, and a lion await them all.
Description: Octavius Caesar (later renamed Augustus Caesar, son of the murdered Julius Caesar), Marc Antony, and Lepidus form the triumvirate, the three rulers of the Roman Empire. Antony, though married to Fulvia, spends his time in Egypt, living a life of decadence and conducting an affair with Queen Cleopatra. In Antony's absence, Caesar and Lepidus worry about Pompey's increasing strength.
Corazon: Ang Unang Aswang
Description: Corazon revolves around the love storyline of a married couple during the times of Japanese rule in the Philippines who's having a difficult time conceiving a child. After joining traditional fertility rites in honor of certain patron saints, their prayers are eventually answered but unexpected circumstances will lead to their baby's death. At which mission the conflict of the storyline will start
Description: Aegeon of Syracuse has come to Ephesus to seek his son, who went in find of his missing twin and mother months ago. Too terrible that Ephesus has just declared fight on Syracuse, and will immediately place to death any Syracusean found within their borders unless a ransome's paid. Meanwhile, the son, Antipholus, and his servant, Dromio (also an identical twin), hold running into strangers who seem to know them...
America Brown
Description: A coming-of-age drama that centers on a young quarterback from West Texas, a priest in Fresh York, and the two girls in their lives.
Cymbeline
Description: Cymbeline, the Lord of Britain, is mad that his daughter Imogen has selected a terrible (but worthy) boy for her husband. So he banishes Posthumus, who goes to war for Rome. Imogen (dressed as a boy) goes in find of her husband, who meanwhile has boasted to his pal Iachimo that Imogen would never betray him. And Iachimo's determined to prove him wrong.
Description: Helena loves Bertram, but he's of noble birth, while she's just a doctor's daughter. But Bertram is at the court of the Lord of France, who is ill, and Helena has a remedy that might cure him and victory her the right to marry Bertram. But does Bertram wish to marry her?
We Were Once a Fairytale
Description: We Were Once a Fairytale is a 2009 short movie directed by Spike Jonze. It stars hip hop musician Kanye West.
An American in China
Description: Aimlessly cruising through his first post-Stanford University summer, 22 year old David Braddock finds himself in China where he meets Mei, an ambitious young woman who urges him to search his life's direction.
Todo lo que tú quieras
Description: Leo is instantly set adrift by his fresh found responsibilities as a single parent, a feeling that is made doubly distressing when Dafne, herself understandably confused and heartbroken by her mother's absence, asks for an "artificial" mother to support her fall asleep at night. It is here that Mañas takes the street less traveled, but to write any more about the plot line he introduces would be unfair to both the viewer and filmmaker alike. Suffice it to tell that Leo's actions are both surprising and potentially dangerous, as they require Leo to subsume his own identity to the mission where he nearly loses it.
Badjao
Description: Hassan, the son of a tribe chief of the Badjao's, a pagan, sea-dwelling Filippino tribe, meets and falls for Bala-amai, the niece of the chief of the Moros, an Islamic, land-dwelling tribe. Although the Hassan is willing to give up his lifestyle for Bala-amai and vice versa, the Moros plot to break up the union of the satisfied couple.
Malombra
Description: Gothic and erotic mystery about a young boy named Marco, who goes to stay with his strange uncle, whose wife (Marco's pretty aunt) died some time ago. His uncle's sister-in-law is the only another person living there. Marco spies on rituals of self-gratification performed each night by a red-headed girl who looks just like his dead aunt! Marco starts to wonder if the girl is now the sister-in-law made up to look like her dead sister, or the dead aunt haunting the zone
Shoujyo
Description: Tomokawa is a tough guy turned bored cop who spends much of his time sating lonely housewives and looking after retarded teen Sukemasa. One day while hanging out at a bar, he is approached by a 15-year-old enjo kosai called Yoko, offering a round of illicit sex in exchange for cash. Though he demurs, their paths cross again and later a relationship of sorts forms. Yoko, it turns out, is Sukemasa's sister; and both are the kids of his old flame Yukie, a grasping, self-centered woman. Moreover, Yoko's grandfather is responsible for the heavy tattoo sprawling across Tomokawa's back. Tomokawa later takes both teens under his wing, protecting them from their heartless mother, and their lecherous stepfather. Soon, Yoko gets a similarly heavy tattoo illustrating her bond with her policeman savior.
Little Flying Dragon
Description: Chi Kuan Chun is the man. He looks in top form as swordsman. Unfortunately, the rest of the film is cute wacky. Kung Fu gorillas, witches, and Chen Kuan Tai singing Italian opera. So tiny child with swirling axe wars evil sorcerer dude, lasereyes, the above mentioned gorilla do you need to know more?
Medeni mesec
Description: 'Honeymoons' shows us that the distance between Eastern and Western Europe is more than a question of kilometers. The movies follows two couples, one is Albania, one in Serbia, who in the midst of wedding celebrations decide to leave their respective countries to realize their dreams in Western Europe. They later search themselves trapped between their countries' past and their future lives together.
Description: A paralyzed girl goes missing after she and her husband travel to India for specialized medical attention.
Description: The movie deals with the tragedy of the girls survivors of the Srebrenica genocide, or rather, the consequences of the horrors they experienced - it is about girls whose sole purpose in life is to locate the bones of their loved ones and give them a decent burial. Fifteen years later, they still wish just one easy thing - the truth. As a contrast, the movie deals with trivialities of modern living, obsessed with various reality shows...
La philosophie dans le boudoir
Description: Loosely adapted from de Sade's enjoy "Philosophy in the Bedroom". Set in the show day, a cult of depraved hedonists cavort at a remote, elegant mansion.
Asu o tsukuru hitobito
Description: Two sisters, one a dancer and the another a script supervisor at a large film studio, become embroiled in union activities when a strike is named in sympathy with striking railroad workers, one of whom boards with the sisters and their parents. The girls' father argues with them about their strike, but finds his views changing when he himself loses his job.
Description: French short adaptation of Herman Melville's classic. The employee of a lawyer is in a mental hospital following a scandal. Some time later, he finds his employer.
You Hurt My Feelings
Description: Kids and nature shine in this melancholy love storyline about Johnny, a male nanny who tries to victory back his girlfriend after she takes up with a boy who looks just like him. The movie tracks the growth of the relationship over four seasons in Fresh England, as Johnny’s emotional issues sabotage his attempts to place together a family like the one he takes care of. A drama with the humor of spring and the sorrow of winter, YOU HURT MY FEELINGS speaks with the honesty of a kid about folks struggling to allow go of darkness and search love.
My Brother's Wife
Description: MY BROTHER'S WIFE, Wishman-heads are back in secure zone with plenty of cutaways to paintings, chairs, and shoes and awkward dubbing. But more than a roughie, this movie is Wishman's take on the 40s movie noir genre, with a doomed love triangle, scheming criminals, hard-boiled dialogue and a number of far-fetched plot twists amidst the typical Wishman trappings.
Hard Guy
Description: Investigators crack down on a gang of nightclub con artists that has been victimizing wealthy bachelors.
Description: A young Russian woman, smuggled into America by human traffickers, and a notorious Egyptian transporter hired to drive her from the Mexican border to Fresh York City, form an unlikely bond that transforms them and threatens to derail the traffickers' plans.
Monsoon Wife
Description: MONSOON WIFE is a love triangle storyline set in the exotic land of Cambodia, where everything seems to be for sale - even the people. MONSOON WIFE is the first movie to be shot entirely on zone in Cambodia since LORD JIM in 1964.
Description: Gory indonesian ver of "Samson & Dalilah", starring Suzanna, the indonesian shout queen and directed by Sisworo Gautama Putra (the psycho who made Jaka Sembung, among others). In fact, this works like a rip off of Jaka Sembung but with Samson instead of Jaka. Gore and cheesyness for everybody!!!
Ernie Kovacs: Between the Laughter
Description: This is a splendid tiny sleeper of a movie. Ernie Kovacs was one of the giants of early television. I think he would be satisfied with the method Jeff Goldbloom captures his wonky personality. Music Anderson also distills that of Edie Adams. There is a very primary heart tugging storyline about the find for Kovacs' two abducted daughters. But at the same time the movie is funny --- Cloris Leachman is a hoot as Kovacs impossible mom --- and has many of the offbeat and innovative qualities of the old Kovacs present itself.
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Katrina meets Popper
National's treatment of Act: Tough Love
Computer part donations sought
Is torture okay?
Mayor of New Orleans suggests thousands may be dea...
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New Orleans turning nasty - shots fired at National Guard helicopter
It happened at the Superdome, where Fox tells us 25,000 people are holed up without proper sanitation.
"We have suspended operations until they gain control of the Superdome," said Richard Zeuschlag, head of Acadian Ambulance, which was handling the evacuation of sick and injured people from the Superdome.
He said that military would not fly out of the Superdome either because of the gunfire and that the National Guard told him that it was sending 100 military police officers to gain control.
Also a rescue helicopter pilot refused to land at a hospital helipad because some people on it were walking around with guns.
CNN says it was a Chinook.
Charming. Even the UN under the command of a Canadian general could do a better job than this. Louisiana has a Homeland Security department (like Civil Defense, but upgraded to deal with for terrorist attacks). What the hell are they doing?
Another question: Where is the (small) LA National Guard? Well its major mechanised infantry component is actually serving in Iraq with the 1st Cavalry Division. In turn the (much bigger) Florida National Guard and those of other neighbouring States were supposed to offer support in case of a natural disaster. I assume they are the troops now arriving in New Orleans.
I'm surprised the US media hasn't picked up on this, as it seems a good way to bash Bush.
UPDATE: Keesler Air Force Base, the home of USAF hurricane-monitoring aircraft in Biloxi, has been flattened.
Lesser_Lumpkin said...
As always you guys in the UK are more informed than us over here in the US. Our media and news is so biased that it is a joke. I actually have to go to the BBC to get semi decent information on what is going on in the world.
The Lumpy
Well, we English have lots of experience with biased media. We know whats what.
Berend de Boer said...
Note that New Orleans has 10 times the crime level of the average US city.
The people still there might well be the people who wanted to lote the city in the first place.
You could be right Berend. The violence (and rapes now!) from supposed refugees in the Superdome has reached ridiculous levels. I think we're going to hear much more about life in New Orleans before the Hurricane.
This isn't behaviour expected from a civil population.
Bernard Woolley said...
And murders, and rape-murders. It just gets worse :(
docjok said...
Intersting thing about the Louisana National Guard is I remember during the first Gulf War they had an F16 squadron on active duty. I saw the footage of the planes, and made the comparison between the obviously great gear that the State of Louisana had vs NZ's airforce (and that was before the stike wing was dismembered). So my impression is that Louisana has a very good National Guard. These things take time, and there is a huge amount of wrecked infrastructure.
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uReport Expands YouTube’s Citizen Journalism Concept
by Rachelle Matherne | Aug 3, 2010
YouTube has signed a deal with a San Francisco news station, ABC7 News (a.k.a. KGO-TV), that allows local citizen journalists to upload their own video reports and photos. The project is called uReport. Videos and photos can be uploaded directly through Google Maps or sent via email in four categories: breaking news, events, weather, and Bay Area scenes.
This is not the first time that local news stations have solicited user-submitted videos, but it does mark the first time YouTube has been an official partner. uReport builds upon YouTube’s citizen journalism concept, CitizenTube.
In addition to topics such as California budget cuts and the Arizona immigration law, ABC7 News gives the following submission ideas:
What’s not working in your city? How long are those bathrooms at the park going to remain closed? Why can’t they stop my street from flooding every time it rains? Who’s responsible? Submit video of what’s broken in your community and we’ll try to get it fixed.
Josh Halliday, media and technology reporter for The Guardian, writes on the paper’s PDA: The Digital Content Blog that “[s]ince the site went live six days ago, users have uploaded footage of emergency services responding to an incident, a brief interview with a local candidate for an election and footage of a protest.”
ABC7 News will feature newsworthy videos on local TV, on its website (ureport.abc7news.com), and on its YouTube channel (youtube.com/abc7news). uReport utilizes the YouTube Direct technology that enables organizations to embed upload functionality of YouTube into their own websites, accepting video content from their own audience. For a list of YouTube-related apps for your mobile device, visit Google Mobile’s YouTube for Mobile page.
Source: “YouTube Extends CitizenTube Concept With Local News Channel Deal,” FastCompany, 07/28/10
Source: “YouTube signs local TV news deal,” The Guardian‘s PDA: The Digital Content Blog, 07/28/10
Source: “YouTube News on Google Maps,” Google Maps Mania, 07/28/10
Image by Mr. T in DC, used under its Creative Commons license.
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The Hillbillies Slots is based on a fun way of describing "backwards" people living out in the woods. Someone might be a hillbilly if they live in a wooden shack and hut raccoon and squirrels for their meals. The Beverly Hillbillies have made this lifestyle popular, and now players can join the Hillbillies and have fun with them. This is an online slot available for download and instant play versions.
Games With Similar Themes
There are a number of games that have similar regional hillbilly themes to this slots game from RTG. Some of these include Moonshine Slot, Hillbillies Cashola Slot, and Beverly Hillbillies Slots. The Beverly Hillbillies Slots was released by IGT. It is a game about the popular American show called the Beverly Hillbillies. This slots game features characters and scenes from the show. Players will see Jed Clampett, Elly, Ellie May, Jethro, and more. This is a five reel game with 25 lines. The wagers start at 0.01 and go up to 5 per line in IGT’s Beverly Hillbillies Slots.
Online Slots Play
The online play for this slots game is straightforward to understand. The game design shows a beautiful setting where the Hillbillies live. There are even little groundhogs that are on either side of the reels as they spin. The background music is someone playing a banjo, and below the reels are the tabs to adjust your play in the game. The game has the Spin tab to move the reels just one spin at a time. Using the Autoplay button will allow the reels to spin up to 1,000 times automatically. There is also the option for Turbo Play, and the Lines will let you choose how many paylines to wager on. The Bet tab is for players to choose the amount to wager.
How Much You Can Wager
This was found to be an online slot which is ideal for new slot players to easily learn. Even experienced players will have fun with it. There are five reels and three rows of symbols. The wagers start at $0.01 and rise to $5 which means the wagers will be from $0.20 to $100 as the max wager on the reels.
More About the Game
There is a lot to be found inside this game. It is a video slot which offers 20 paylines and players will see that they have symbols such as a whole Hillbilly family on the reels. There is the Hillbilly Pa, a Hillbilly Son, and the Hillbilly Daughter. The Son will give the most in multipliers in this game. There are other symbols to be aware of such as smiling pig, a shack house, a big jug of moonshine, the faithful hound dog, and the 9, 10, Jack, Queen, King, and Ace symbols. There are three wilds and three scatters to be found which increases the cahcnes of winning more.
How The Game Pays
The paytable in the help section shows that there is a reward for getting the same symbols on the reels in an active payline. The scatters will pay on any location. Three scatters will give 10x whereas two scatters are worth 2x. The payouts are from left to right on the reels. This is paying slots game which has low, medium and high payouts.
The unique thing about Hillbillies Slots is that a combination of all three substitute symbols can increase the payouts significantly. The lower payouts are with the playing card symbols which range from 9 to Ace. They will give from 100 coins to 125 coins in the base game. The jug of moonshine will pay up to 150 coins for five of a kind. Other symbols such as the shack house will also pay 150 coins, and the pig and dog pay 200 coins and 250 coins, respectively. Keep in mind that in the presence of the wild substitutes, the playing cards will pay from 2,000 coins to 2,500 coins. The jug and house pay 3,000 coins. The pig and dog will pay from 4,000 coins to 5,000 coins with three wilds on the reels.
Progressive Game
The game also has a progressive jackpot which can be won by any player. All wagers will contribute to the jackpot which is given out randomly.
One of the special features to be aware of are the Substitute Feature. There are three substitute or wild symbols in this game. They are all the hillbillies - Pa, Daughter, and Son. It should be known that the Hillbilly Pa will only show up on the first reel. Whereas, the Hillbilly Daughter symbol can be found on the third reel, and the Hillbilly Son on the fifth or last reel. They can be used in place of other symbols on the reels.
The substitute symbols will provide multipliers when they are involved in any winning combination. This includes a 2x multiplier each for the Pa and Daughter, and a 5x multiplier with the appearance of the Son. The multipliers are cumulative if more than one appears. Therefore, it is possible to add up to 20x to winnings because of these substitute wild multipliers.
The scatters symbols are also to be found and these are also the hillbilly family. Each of them and collectively will act as scattered symbols.
There is a Free Games Bonus. There will need to be two of the three scatter symbols for the game to award 8 free spins and the free spins will begin. The free games will have a multiplier of 2x added to winning combinations.
The scatters are responsible for the Hillbilly Bonus. During the bonus game, the three symbols of a Hillbilly Pa on the first reel, a Daughter on the third reel and the Son symbol on the last reel will give a multiplier of 2x and up to 20x.
Have Some Hillbilly Fun
Even though you might not want to become a hillbilly, you can have fun with them. Have some hillbilly fun when you play Hillbillies Slots in Realtime Gaming casinos.
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Photo by Jan Kruger/Getty Images
‘Shellshocked’ Lampard basks in signature win over Man United
By Nicholas MendolaSep 25, 2018, 5:41 PM EDT
Manchester United was stunned, and not in a good way.
Frank Lampard? The opposite kind of surprise after his Derby County went into Old Trafford and knocked Manchester United out of the League Cup in penalties following a 2-2 thriller.
[ MORE: Recap, League Cup wrap ]
“I’m shell shocked,” Lampard said. “What a performance. To go down early at Old Trafford and play as well as they did was superb. We had the personality to take penalties and play the way we did. I am a proud manager.”
United was ahead after three minutes thanks to Juan Mata, but Lampard’s Rams didn’t back down. They had more of the ball, more shots, and a 2-1 lead following goals from Harry Wilson and Jack Marriott.
But Marouane Fellaini scored in stoppage to set up penalty kicks. After 15 makes between the two sides, Phil Jones saw his effort saved and United’s League Cup run end at home.
Lampard said the night is a big one, and can be a significant mile marker for the club.
“I am trying to build a group to be successful and nights like this are incredible. To go against world-class players and play that way, it’s right up there.”
Tags: Derby County, Football League Championship, Frank Lampard, League Cup, Manchester United, Old Trafford, Frank Lampard, Harry Wilson, Juan Mata, Marouane Fellaini, Phil Jones
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Wisecracking mercenary Deadpool battles the evil a
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It has been ten years since The Battle of the Breach and the oceans are still, but restless. Vindicated by the victory at the Breach, the Jaeger program has evolved into the most powerful global defense force in human history. The PPDC now calls upon the best and brightest to rise up and become the […]
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Ghost Mountaineer is a feature film with some hints of horror, based on actual events in Siberia back in Soviet times. A group of Estonian students on a winter hiking trip suddenly find themselves in the middle of bloodcurdling events in a Buryatian village. Olle, a closed off group leader disappointed in his mates, disappears […]
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Three Wishes for Cinderella
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The lifelong friendship between Rafe McCawley and Danny Walker is put to the ultimate test when the two ace fighter pilots become entangled in a love triangle with beautiful Naval nurse Evelyn Johnson. But the rivalry between the friends-turned-foes is immediately put on hold when they find themselves at the center of Japan’s devastating attack […]
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Dark River
After her father dies, a young woman returns to her Yorkshire village for the first time in 15 years to claim the family farm she believes is hers.
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Annabel is a successful businesswoman with a wealthy husband. At a reception in her villa she meets a woman, a member of the catering staff who has been hired for the evening. This woman is none other than her own daughter Chiara, whom she had left over thirty years ago. Chiara was just eight years […]
Plum Kettle, ghost-writer for the editor of one of New York’s hottest fashion magazines, struggles with self-image and sets out on a wildly complicated road to self-acceptance. At the same time, everyone is buzzing over news reports about men, accused of sexual abuse and assault, who are disappearing and meeting untimely, violent deaths.
Everyone deserves a great love story. But for seventeen-year old Simon Spier it’s a little more complicated: he’s yet to tell his family or friends he’s gay and he doesn’t know the identity of the anonymous classmate he’s fallen for online.
After failing to kill stubborn survivor Laurie and taking a bullet or six from former psychiatrist Dr. Sam Loomis, Michael Myers has followed Laurie to the Haddonfield Memorial Hospital, where she’s been admitted for Myers’ attempt on her life. The institution proves to be particularly suited to serial killers, however, as Myers cuts, stabs and […]
In a futuristic world where the polar ice caps have melted and made Earth a liquid planet, a beautiful barmaid rescues a mutant seafarer from a floating island prison. They escape, along with her young charge, Enola, and sail off aboard his ship. But the trio soon becomes the target of a menacing pirate who […]
The Perfect Score
Six high school seniors decide to break into the Princeton Testing Center so they can steal the answers to their upcoming SAT tests and all get perfect scores.
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Auburn Reed is determined to put her challenging past behind her and get her future on track. Now in her mid-twenties and struggling to fund her custody battle for her only son, she stumbles upon the art studio of the talented and charming artist, Owen Gentry. The two wrestle with their developing romance and the […]
The lives of two half-sisters and their drawing master get caught up in a deadly conspiracy revolving around a mentally ill woman dressed all in white.
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Marcus Lemonis, serial entrepreneur and host of CNBC’s The Profit, has invested nearly $50 million dollars in different companies over the course of three seasons. And now, he’s looking for the perfect partner to help him run it all.
Animal Cribs
Antonio Ballatore, his project manager Grace, and his right hand-dog, Chewie the bulldog, along with a team of Catsperts and Barkitects, transform drab, cramped homes and outside areas into functional, high-style spaces for both pets and the people they love. Antonio’s excitement for both design and animals drive him to go the extra mile for […]
This timely and provocative docu-series spotlights the crisis of the the opioid epidemic through the eyes of those most affected: the growers, addicts, cartel bosses and law enforcement hopelessly caught in its web.
A glimpse into the behind the scenes shenanigans that happen at fan conventions when the actors are the craziest ones there.
Marvel’s Cloak & Dagger
Two teenagers from very different backgrounds awaken to newly acquired superpowers which mysteriously link them to one another.
Genre: Action, Action & Adventure, Adventure, Drama, Sci-Fi, Sci-Fi & Fantasy
NARUTO—ナルト—
Genre: Action, Action & Adventure, Adventure, Animation, Comedy, Fantasy, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Thriller
Survivorman 10 Days
Talk Show the Game Show
A hilarious mashup of two beloved television formats that pits comedians and celebrities against each other for the title of “Best Guest of the Night.” Celebrity guests become contestants as they compete in various talk show-inspired challenges and are judged by a comedic panel who awards points and roasts their performances.
Genre: Game-Show
Henry Hugglemonster
Henry Hugglemonster is the story of a mischievous 5-year-old monster named Henry who loves adventures, discoveries, and being with his family. Each day brings new opportunities for Henry to explore his feelings and learn important life lessons about working with others, showing kindness, and getting along with siblings. Henry finds love and support from his […]
Genre: Animation, Fantasy
Country: Ireland, UK, USA
As ruler of the kingdom, Unikitty has busy days full of royal responsibilities. Unikitty is most interested in making sure everyone is happy and ridding the kingdom of negativity, but don’t misunderstand her optimism, she is one kitty not to be crossed. While she may be full of boundless energy and creativity, Unikitty is a […]
Country: Denmark, USA
Appalachian filmmakers join together to produce three horrifying, suspenseful, and strange tales. In “Pretty Girl”, a young woman escapes a maniac kidnapper by fleeing into the Appalachian wilderness. Aided by a group of friendly hikers, she must escape the woods or face her darkest fears. “Man Vs Ghost” is the story of an over-the-top host […]
Dovlatov charts six days in the life of brilliant, ironic writer who saw far beyond the rigid limits of 70s Soviet Russia. Sergei Dovlatov fought to preserve his own talent and decency with poet and writer Joseph Brodsky while watching his artist friends get crushed by the iron-willed state machinery.
Country: Poland, Russia, Serbia
A Model Kidnapping
She was looking to model. She found evil instead.
While struggling to save her father during a Category 5 hurricane, a young woman finds herself trapped inside a flooding house and fighting for her life against Florida’s most savage and feared predators.
Genre: Action, Adventure, Horror, Thriller
Universal Century 0079. Humanity has turned even space itself into a battlefield, and the Principality of Zeon forces advance after wiping out half the world’s population by carrying out the Operation British (colony drop). In response, the Earth Federation Forces mobilize their overwhelming fighting strength to regain the advantage. The complex intrigues of the Zabi […]
Genre: Action, Animation, Drama, Sci-Fi, War
The episode will focus on the young Zeon ace Char Aznable earning his “Red Comet” nom de guerre, as well as the beginnings of the Federation’s “Project V” weapons project that will eventually birth the RX-78-2 Gundam.
Lou and her best friend Chantal plan to get out of their isolated, run-down town and move to a city far, far away. When Chantal’s unstable and possessive ex violates her during a night of partying, the girls decide to exact their revenge on him through a night of vandalism and debauchery.
In a small town, a young, tight-knit group of friends fall in and out of love over the course of one intoxicating, music-filled summer night.
To get a big promotion, Hayley, an advertising executive who specializes in social media and all things hip, must land a toy company that is all about traditional Christmas as an account.
Snatched off the street and held for ransom, a bound and gagged woman uses her limited powers to derail her two masked abductors’ carefully laid plans.
I Love You, Now Die: The Commonwealth v. Michelle Carter
Teen Michelle Carter’s actions shocked a nation – but what really happened behind closed doors? This HBO special showcases the prosecution’s point of view and alternately the defense’s. Which side do you fall on?
I Got the Hook Up 2
After best friends Black and Blue’s restaurant is shut down, Black needs to find some cash — fast. He thinks his luck has turned when Blue’s son, Fatboy, and his best friend, Spyda,, bring him a stash of stolen cellphones, and Black decides to sell them on the streets. There’s only one problem: The boxes […]
After crashing his car, a cop who’s recovering from eye surgery recruits an Uber driver to help him catch a heroin dealer. The mismatched pair soon find themselves in for a wild day of stakeouts and shootouts as they encounter the city’s seedy side.
Genre: Action, Comedy, Crime, Thriller
While trying to survive the worst drought in history, a family of farmers force their youngest brother down a path of destruction; betrayed and left for dead in an unfamiliar land, he must survive, endure and seek the revenge he deserves.
Genre: Crime, Family, Short
Dee Wallace (E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial), who starred in the original Critters as Helen Brown, will sink her teeth into the franchise for a second time in the mysterious role of Aunt Dee. Inspired by the film series from the ’80s and ’90s, Critters follows 20-year-old Drea (Tashiana Washington), who reluctantly takes a job babysitting for […]
Aziz Ansari: Right Now
In a comedy special directed by Spike Jonze, Aziz Ansari shares deep personal insights and hilarious takes on wokeness, family and the social climate.
Schizophrenic housewife, engulfed by terrorizing apparitions, kills off each, unknowing if these demons are merely figments of her hallucinatory imagination or part of reality.
Genre: Drama, Horror, Mystery
Archer 10×6
Teen Titans Go! 5×40
Teen Titans Go! 5×40 - Season 5
Genre: Action, Action & Adventure, Animation, Comedy, Family, Sci-Fi
Love Island 5×41
Love Island 5×41 - Season 5
Genre: Reality, Reality-TV, Romance
Queen Sugar 4×5
Queen Sugar 4×5 - Season 4
Catfish: The TV Show 7×33
Catfish: The TV Show 7×33 - Season 7
BattleBots 4×6
BattleBots 4×6 - Season 4
Genre: Game-Show, Reality
American Dad! 16×13
American Dad! 16×13 - Season 16
Genre: Animation, Comedy
Alone 6×5
Alone 6×5 - Season 6
Genre: Documentary, Reality, Reality-TV
Big Brother 21×8
Big Brother 21×8 - Season 21
Genre: Game-Show, Reality, Reality-TV
The Real Housewives of New York City 11×18
The Real Housewives of New York City 11×18 - Season 11
MasterChef 10×9
MasterChef 10×9 - Season 10
MasterChef Australia 11×54
MasterChef Australia 11×54 - Season 11
Queen of the South 4×6
Queen of the South 4×6 - Season 4
Days of Our Lives 54×204
Days of Our Lives 54×204 - Season 54
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Rie Miyazawa
Hana yori mo naho
In a poor district of Edo lives a young samurai named Soza. He has been sent by his clan to avenge the death of his father. He isn’t an accomplished swordsman however, and he prefers sharing the life of the residents, teaching the kids how to write etc. When he finally finds the man he is looking for, he will have to decide whether he follows the way of the samurai or chooses peace and reconciliation.
Majo no takkyûbin
A young girl named Kiki (Fuka Koshiba) must leave her home for a year to begin training in witchcraft. She leaves on her broom, but first says goodbye to her friends and family. Kiki then begins her new life with her trusted cat Jiji.
Country: China, Japan
Genre: Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy, Mystery
An ecological drama/documentary, filmed throughout the globe. Part thriller, part meditation on the vanishing wonders of the sub-aquatic world.
Country: France, Monaco, Spain, Switzerland, United Arab Emirates, USA
Genre: Documentary, Drama
Too Young To Die!
High school student Daisuke has a crush on classmate Hiromi. On the way to a school trip, the bus with Daisuke has an accident. When Daisuke wakes up, he finds himself in Hell. He asks himself “Why only me? I’m too you young to die and I’ve never experienced a kiss.” Then, Killer K appears in front of the confused Daisuke. Killer K leads the rock band Heruzu from Hell Agricultural High School. To return to the living and confess his feelings to Hiromi, Daisuke’s hell rounds begin under Killer K’s special training.
Genre: Comedy, Music
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Two men come to Gotham City: Bruce Wayne after years abroad feeding his lifelong obsession for justice and Jim Gordon after being too honest a cop with the wrong people elsewhere. After learning painful lessons about the city’s corruption on its streets and police department respectively, this pair learn how to fight back their own way. With that, Gotham’s evildoers from top to bottom are terrorized by the mysterious Batman and the equally heroic Gordon is assigned to catch him by comrades who both hate and fear him themselves. In the ensuing manhunt, both find much in common as the seeds of an unexpected friendship are laid with additional friends and rivals helping to start the legend.
Genre : Action, Animation, Crime, Drama, Thriller
Actors : Alex Rocco, Ben McKenzie, Bryan Cranston, Eliza Dushku, Grey Griffin, Jeff Bennett, Jon Polito, Katee Sackhoff, Roark Critchlow, Sara Ballantine, Steve Blum
Director : Lauren Montgomery, Sam Liu
Keywords: Batman: Ano Um Batman: año uno Batman: Year One Batman: A kezdet kezdete Batman: Rok pierwszy Betmen - Godina prva Бэтмен: Год первый
Follow-up to the 2013 film World War Z. The plot is currently unknown.
Genre: Action, Horror, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Gosurori shokeinin
Yuki lives at home in peace until one day a unit of assassins breaks in and kill her mother. In order to revenge herself Yuki becomes a demon of vengeance by donning gothic lolita clothing, using a parasol as a deadly weapon, and executing the guilty in God’s name.
Genre: Action, Horror
The Watchers: Revelation
An inexplicable archeological find leads Dr. Peter Kenner to conclude that we are not alone, aliens have visited the Earth in the distant past and have now returned. Struggling to reconcile the evidence with his once held religious views, Peter turns to his uncle, Josh Sanders, a retired scientist and a man of strong Christian faith. Meanwhile, Sarah Pennington seeks protection for her young daughter, Kara, believing the extraterrestrials are bent on abducting the gifted nine-year-old as they did Sarah’s husband three years earlier. When the four are brought together by Ethan, a mysterious stranger, Peter and Sarah wrestle with their own beliefs as Josh seeks to convince them of the truth. It becomes clear that Kara has a very special gift-one that can expose the true nature of the extraterrestrials.
Hardened criminal Maggie Hayward’s consistent violence, even in police custody, ends in the execution chamber. However, top-secret US government agent ‘Bob’ arranges a staged death, so Maggie can be elaborately trained as a phantom killer and subdued into obedience. She gets a new cover identity as saleswoman Claudia Anne Doran. She also gets a wonderful house-mate, building super J.P., a broad-minded, gentle photographer. The two fall in love, and that complicates hit jobs. His good influence extends to breeding in her a conscience that places love over business, unlike Bob’s agency.
The Nightmare of My Choice
Genre: Comedy, Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Beyond the Trophy
Two rival gangs in Los Angeles and Las Vegas, led by Gino (Robert Miano) and Cole (Michael Madsen), are vying for control. Danny (Michael Masini), an LAPD undercover police detective, goes deep into gangland to infiltrate one gang to bring down both.
Story of a promising high school basketball star and his relationships with two brothers, one a drug dealer and the other a former basketball star fallen on hard times and now employed as a security guard.
Genre: Crime, Drama, Sport, Thriller
Three young men decide to plan a mock kidnapping, but everything goes wrong because a real bank robbery was already planned by two other guys.
Criminal Activities
Four young men make a risky investment together that puts them in trouble with the mob.
The Black Camel
Movie star Shelah Fane is seeing wealthy Alan Jaynes while filming in Honolulu, Hawaii, but won’t marry him without consulting famed psychic Tanaverro first. Tanaverro confronts her about the unsolved murder of fellow film star Denny Mayo three years earlier, and she decides to reject Jaynes’ proposal. When Shelah is found shot to death in her beach-front pavilion, Charlie Chan of the Honolulu Police investigates.
Genre: Crime, Mystery, Thriller
Street Law
A martial arts-trained lawyer (Jeff Wincott) is forced to fight in illicit matches after he is framed for a crime, is dismissed from his firm, and all his assets are tied up, including his clothing and furniture after he is evicted from his apartment.
Mortal Kombat Annihilation
A group of heroic warriors has only six days to save the planet in “Mortal Kombat Annihilation.” To succeed they must survive the most spectacular series of challenges any human, or god, has ever encountered as they battle an evil warlord bent on taking control of Earth. Sequel to the film “Mortal Kombat,” and based on the popular video game.
Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Thriller
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Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed Has More Than Just Cars
The original Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing was a bit of a surprise, we hadn’t seen Sonic in a racing game with cars since the Sonic Drift games. It was also a pretty good game that received lots of praise from fans, so it makes sense that the spin-off title is getting a sequel. Like the title implies, Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed has vehicles that transform. During a race the vehicle changes into either a car, boat or plane whenever the track needs it to, making it more similar to Diddy Kong Racing than Mario Kart, which certainly isn’t a bad thing.
A trailer showcases this along with better graphics and a stage based on Panzer Dragoon, another stage based on Super Monkey Ball is shown in the screenshots. As for new characters, there’s Vyse from Skies of Arcadia and Gilius Thunderhead from Golden Axe (who was going to be in the first game but got scrapped) joining the roster, with more newcomers to be announced. Scripted events change the course every lap, which you could compare to Motorstorm Apocalypse, though much more colourful. The game’s soundtrack won’t just consist of old tracks, as they are remixed with composer Richard Jacques doing some contributions. There’ll also be a story mode and the annoying commentator is no longer present.
IGN has a preview up with more details along with a video with some of the folks at Sumo Digital talking about the game with more gameplay being shown. The game will be coming to Xbox 360, Playstation 3, Playstation Vita, Nintendo 3DS and PC Digital Download later this year. Screenshots can be found after the jump.
[Via IGN and Sonic Stadium]
nintendo 3DSPCPlayStation 3Playstation VitaSonic & All-Stars Racing TransformedSteamWHY IS SONIC IN A BOAT HE CAN JUST RUN OVER WATERXbox 360
TimmiT
Sonic was never good
Sonic Wins Golden Joystick Award, Generations Site Shows Off Time Eater
Have an Extensive Look at Sonic 1 iOS/Android’s Debug Features
Joint-Exclusive: Sonic 4 Announcement This Week
Reply The Barrel 04/30/2012 at 11:59 am
I can has good sonic racing game?…Again!?!
The concept reminds me of a Hot-wheels game I used to play on my PS1. I loved that game, so needless to say I’m looking forward to this! 😀
Reply andy 04/30/2012 at 12:20 pm
Never understood why Sonic would drive a car…
Reply DTxHero21 04/30/2012 at 1:14 pm
So he can compete fair-and-square with the other racers; if he ran on foot every race, he would win automatically every time. :v:
There’s probably a regulation against people who don’t drive cars in the Official Rulebook of Sonic & Sega All-Star Racing
Reply SegaSonicX73 04/30/2012 at 12:31 pm
Really looking forward to this! I played Sonic Drift 2 alot when it first came out and have wanted a Sonic Racing game since then. Sonic All-Stars Racing was a good game (loved the Death Egg and Metal Sonic DLC). Looking forward to seeing what cool surprises are in store for this game.
Reply JaxTH 04/30/2012 at 12:32 pm
The commentator wasn’t annoying he was awesome! And if you turned him off in the first one things just weren’t the same…
Reply SuperLeboy 05/02/2012 at 6:52 pm
Exsactly!:
Reply Bartman3010 04/30/2012 at 12:42 pm
I want more footage of Vyse.
Reply AndrewRoks1998 04/30/2012 at 1:09 pm
I don’t remember who, but in an interview someone from Sega said it’s just for “style points”. Works for me.
^Sonic driving a car is for style points, silly forgetful me 😛
“Transformed”, eh? Then we seriously better see Vectorman and Altered Beast [hero] inducted as racers, especially Vectorman.
I hope we see more stage variety in general. Seeing the same six stages over and over is a little bit of a letdown, though that’s not to say the stages weren’t fun or graphically beautiful, for they certainly are. The first game had racetracks that were imho FAR MORE enjoyable than most Mario Kart Wii racetracks. I just would prefer this second SaSASR title to incorporate more variety in terms of locales. I may be alone in this view though.
Reply negiWDJr 04/30/2012 at 2:29 pm
I’m really looking forward to this. Also, did anyone cream a little bit when they saw the reflection on Sonic’s car in the 10th picture? I did.
Reply sonictopfan 04/30/2012 at 3:11 pm
Beautiful, too bad Wii and iDevices aren’t getting some!
Reply SMBMadman 04/30/2012 at 4:00 pm
Diddy Kong Racing 2: Sonic Edition? Sweet!
Reply Icee 04/30/2012 at 4:37 pm
Hey. I loved the first one. Played the 360 version & own the Wii version. This sequel is cool. Loved Diddy Kong Racing too. This time I have 2 versions to choose from. And I can’t wait for this.
Reply stan423321 04/30/2012 at 4:43 pm
I’m looking forward to this. Although it needs madder item system than last time. And PC online mode would even render a delay for obvious imaginary reasons worth it.
Reply Scribble007 04/30/2012 at 5:01 pm
If it’s like the first, it should be good. But the whole transforming thing…Sounds unnecessary, especially if it effects handling during the race (that’s more of a deterrent if anything). But I guess when your the add wizard who work the word into the title….
Ah well, just give us more franchise characters from the past please. Vectorman, Segata , Streets, Eternal, Vipers….TJ&E. You’ve got a good catalog Sega, now use it.
Reply TimmiT 04/30/2012 at 6:24 pm
The transforming gimmick is what makes the game different from the original. If it wasn’t there it would mostly just be more of the same.
Reply FallenNocturne 04/30/2012 at 5:28 pm
Would be nice to see NiGHTS and some characters from Phantasy Star in this one. Maybe even Ecco if they can find some way of pulling that one off! If transformation is taking center stage, a flight-based NiGHTS stage would be amazing!
Reply SonikkuForever 04/30/2012 at 5:28 pm
The level in the third picture seems to have a Dreamcast Swirl theme.
Reply Max 04/30/2012 at 5:40 pm
There had better be more Super Monkey Ball characters
Reply JLink0 04/30/2012 at 6:28 pm
I would like to see the return of the classic forms of every one from the Sonic Drift games brought in to the game as DLC.
Reply Bartman3010 04/30/2012 at 6:46 pm
Why does Sonic need a car? He can totally fly with his feet.
To be a fair to the other racers Sonic likes a good challenge remember he took Jet on with extreme gear which he knew nothing about.
Reply MasterEpicPerson 04/30/2012 at 7:17 pm
Personally,I think that Sonic should be running on foot,in a SONIC game,racing with other SONIC characters.Yes,I’m talking about Sonic R.We need a game that is all on foot but STILL A RACING game.I have spoken.
Reply mightyXtreme 04/30/2012 at 9:11 pm
Mario Kart 7 much?
Don’t get me wrong, I loved the first game and was looking forward to this one, but did they really have to do water and sky like Mario Kart did?
Reply Mark Wins 05/01/2012 at 1:20 am
So now it makes plenty of sense for Sonic to be a vehicle… almost.
Reply Sporeboy100 05/01/2012 at 2:46 am
Do we get NiGHTS this time?
Reply Jaeger 05/01/2012 at 7:22 am
I say this very rarely, but SHUT UP AND TAKE MY MONEY!
Reply Knux's Lost Hat 05/01/2012 at 8:16 am
Well, Knuckles’ car got the overhaul it needed. I might actually play as him every once in a while, unless of curse Metal Sonic and Vectorman are present.
Reply Profraine (aka Chao_Fan) 05/01/2012 at 12:39 pm
No announcer? His ham & cheese will be missed.
Reply Doesn't Matter 05/01/2012 at 4:45 pm
It’s probably too much to hope for Sketch Turner, huh? I wish Comix Zone got more love.
Reply hypermetalhero 05/01/2012 at 9:20 pm
Maybe, they could add a stage that would be. A little more unique. Stardust Speedway, anyone?
Reply ZZ 05/01/2012 at 9:51 pm
mightyXtreme, “Sumo’s game had already been conceived before Nintendo’s E3 conference, and the developer watched in horror at the airborne and aquatic sequences in the trailer.”
So technically the never took the idea from Mario Kart according to IGN
Reply BB64 05/03/2012 at 11:16 am
I’m freaking going to buy this when it get’s out, no matter the price. It’s bad that it’s not going to get published on the wii, but at least I can get it for the 3ds.
But, if the guys at sega will announce Nights playable, I’m totally going to buy a ps3 with this game.
Reply Jassbec 05/03/2012 at 5:31 pm
We totally need Ristar and Vectorman as racers.
Reply Icedus 05/03/2012 at 8:24 pm
Hey, this article reminds me why I retired and took up commentary!
Reply sonicstar5 05/13/2012 at 12:00 am
instead of this, i think i would like to see another sonic riders game, but one where you can actually control the character… stupid kinect…
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Official sortitoutsi Data Update Discussion
Ghost player: who the heck is Sultan Tankar?
carlos-fierro 21-03-19 - 08:23
21 Mar 19 - 08:23am
https://sortitoutsi.net/football-manager-2019/player/23471733/sultan-tankar
This guy is aged 25, is uncapped by Saudi Arabia, does not appear on any club website, cannot be found in a google search, is a new addition to the FM19 database, and yet has top division stats (134 CA 142 PA). Who is he? Where has he been? Why has he not featured in FM before?
«This comment has been edited»
mons 21-03-19 - 09:15
By carlos-fierro | On 21 March 2019 - 08:23 AM UTC
A quick Google search takes me to the club's Wikipedia page, which shows him as having joined the club last month and gives this Twitter link as proof. I can't access Twitter at work due to a firewall, but hopefully that answers your query.
Additionally, and with the greatest of respect, I'm not sure the tone of your post is warranted. We're a fan page, we don't add players into the FM database ourselves after all
By mons | On 21 March 2019 - 09:15 AM UTC
Thanks. However, people who use "with the greatest of respect" often show very little. It was a valid question and I never said anything about this site. As a facepack maker I spent an hour of frustration trying to find him.
This player has come out of nowhere and according to what you have found has been transferred down to the Saudi second division from al-Wedha, of the top division - I'm not confident that's the same player. But there's something going on in the FM database - there seem to be a few Gulf state players who have had stat bumps. This one seems the most extreme and, until I can find verifiable proof, doesn't even exist.
Thanks. However, people who use "with the greatest of respect" often show very little. It was a valid question and I never said anything about this site.
This player has come out of nowhere and, as a facepack maker I spent an hour mins of frustration trying to find him.
You posted it in the "Official sortitoutsi Data Update Discussion" forum, and it's got nothing to do with this site's data update pack tbh By your same token, I did not show a lack of respect by answering your question and none was intended, so not sure why you're taking it personally
Besides, a simple Google search got me info on him in a matter of seconds he was at Al-Wehda in 2017/18 and joined Al-Shoulla on 5 February this year
In the twitter link I gave before, there's an image - text is in Arabic but perhaps, if it's big enough, you can use it to generate a face for him
If you have any doubts on the veracity of the official SI data, that's something you should probably post on the official data issues forum. Not much we can do here on this site.
This particular player also appears to be in FIFA with 56 overall ability. He's on 2 Wiki pages (doesn't mean much, true) and is linked to a news item on a club's official feed. My hunch is that he only came to the researcher's attention this year and was added then. I doubt there's a great depth in lower division Saudi FM research tbh...
Yes, I was checking here because largely people tend to reply - it was a question asking if anyone had heard of him. If you want to gatekeep so heavily as to suggest no one can ask a question, well, so be it.
Thanks, I've had a look in the DB editor - he's got a recommended ability of 61 in there. Pretty weird he turns up in the game as top division class!
kingrobbo 21-03-19 - 17:54
21 Mar 19 - 17:54pm
I would take this up with si mate
Use the Forums for requests or questions please
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Editors' ChoiceHuman Genetics
RA-cing Toward Drugs from a Genetics Starting Line
Benjamin F. Voight
Department of Pharmacology and Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA. E-mail: bvoight{at}upenn.edu
Science Translational Medicine 19 Jun 2013:
Department of Pharmacology and Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA. E-mail: bvoight@upenn.edu
For correspondence: bvoight@upenn.edu
For translational scientists, a metaphorical checkered flag has been waved: the myriad genetic loci associated with human diseases. The race is on to unearth disrupted genes, pathways, and mechanisms of action associated with risk-conferring genetic variants, particularly for diseases with few treatment options. A new report by Li et al. describes the translational sprint from an association between rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and a variant at the CD40 gene to high-throughput screening for small-molecule RA therapeutics.
The investigators began with systematic genotyping to fine-map the CD40 association in >20,000 individuals to identify the causal mutation responsible for the association signal. These results were jointly interpreted with additional flow-cytometry experiments so as to reveal a gain-of-function mechanism for a leading variant, in which the allele that predisposes people to RA correlated with higher CD40 expression on the surface of primary human CD19+ B cells. B cells are linked to the pathogenicity of RA, and CD19 expression is the earliest hallmark of the B cell lineage. In a human B cell line (BL2), the elevated CD40 on the surface of these cells increased activation of the inflammatory nuclear factor–κB (NF-κB) pathway, revealing a potential pathogenic mechanism for the disease. The authors then optimized a high-throughput, NF-κB−driven luciferase reporter screen to test the effects of >2200 chemical compounds on CD40 pathway activity. Twenty of the identified candidate compounds—some known and some new—were shown, in secondary screens to be BL2 cell viable, dose-dependent inhibitors of the CD40 pathway at concentrations potentially reasonable for a lead compound. Two known and two new compounds were selected for further testing, which revealed that all four inhibited CD40-mediated NF-κB signaling in primary CD19+ B cells collected from healthy control donors.
More research is needed (such as target identification and animal model) to assess whether these promising compounds will proceed to clinical trials. But the authors have designed a model “race track” that may inspire other researchers to run their best candidate mutations toward the drug-discovery finish line.
G. Li et al. Human genetics in rheumatoid arthritis guides a high-throughput drug screen of the CD40 signaling pathway. PLoS Genet. 9, e1003487 (2013). [Full Text]
You are going to email the following RA-cing Toward Drugs from a Genetics Starting Line
By Benjamin F. Voight
Science Translational Medicine 19 Jun 2013 : 190ec102
Mutations associated with rheumatoid arthritis in humans drive mechanistic insights and drug discovery.
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Lessons on Leadership from Five Legendary Coaches
By Christina CastañedaAs a Spinning® instructor, your coaching skills will be one of the most valuable assets you will grow as part of your journey. Your coaching skills are what will bring you clients, and what will reap the priceless rewards that you receive from helping people reach their fitness goals. Below are tips from five legendary coaches on leadership and what qualities make champions:
Joe Friel | Endurance, Cycling and Triathlete Coach
Cyclists were one of the first groups of athletes that relied heavily on science and strategy for their performance, and Joe Friel was one of the leaders who encouraged this practice as he began his coaching in the ‘80s. As one of the first triathlon coaches in the US and founder of the USA Triathlon’s Coaches Association, Friel is known for “combining the art of science and sport,” a principle that we here at Spinning model through continuing education workshops and the SPINPower® program.
This has been the secret to many athletes’ best races—a sharp focus on the present. The past is gone, and the future will take care of itself.
John Wooden | NCAA Basketball
Wooden is known for several legendary records in basketball: winning ten national championships—seven of them consecutive—over 12 years, an 88-game winning streak, and was named national coach of the year six times.Wooden had a message. Known for his quotes on sportsmanship and success, Wooden spoke legendary messages about values. As a Spinning instructor, values, purpose and intentions are a part of many of your success factors for your riders.Wooden had a plan. Wooden always had a plan, and part of that plan included a ritual of taking two to three hours to draft a plan and transfer them to index cards. It was rare to see him without them. Once you’ve established your intention, it’s important to create a plan. Having a plan for your classes today is much easier than writing index cards. Now there are apps, profiles and playlists ready to help you put this plan into action.
The best competition I have is against myself to become better.
Bill Walsh | NFL
Known for his West Coast Offense, Walsh led the 49ers to three consecutive Super Bowl Championships. He not only developed some of the greatest players in league history, but also fostered a new line of successful coaches including Tony Dungy, Lovie Smith, Mike Holmgren, Mike McCarthy, Mike Shanahan, Mike Tomlin, and Jon Gruden.How does he get the results? From Walsh’s 10 Leadership Lessons, it’s no surprise that lesson number one is about creating a successful culture that is crafted by the leader. According to Walsh, “the culture precedes the positive results,” so every player, or every rider, that comes to your class has to feel that “they have a winning standard before they are winners.”
As the leader, part of the job is to be visible and willing to communicate with everyone.
Vince Lombardi | NFL
Known for his enduring work ethic and uncompromising style, Lombardi led the Green Bay Packers to five NFL Championships, including victories in Super Bowl I and II. Lombardi returned later to coach the Washington Redskins in 1969 leading them to a winning season.Lombardi knew and understood discipline and ran intensive training camps to garner maximum dedication and effort from his team. Being a great coach and leading others to their goals takes discipline with your own practices and modeling it for your riders, and getting them to value the effort to reap the results through their training will create champion riders.
The only place that success comes before work is in the dictionary.
Sir Alex Ferguson | Manchester United, Soccer
Sir Alex Ferguson served as the manager of Manchester United for 26 years until 2013 when he retired. He led Manchester United to 13 Premier League titles, five Emirates Football Association Cups, the 1991 UEFA Cup title and two Club World Cups. He was knighted in 1999.Ferguson possessed a skill that many great leaders learn to master; the art of decision-making. Great leaders, ranging from instructors to CEOs, are faced with difficult decisions, but what set Ferguson apart was the careful and decisive management style that put the best interest of the team first.
No one is bigger than the club.
#Pro Blog
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Home > Football > Manchester City warned off in pursuit of former Chelsea star
Manchester City warned off in pursuit of former Chelsea star
Sunil A Markal, 4 years ago 2 min read 29
German Bundesliga runners-up Vfl Wolfsburg have warned suitors Manchester City off key playmaker Kevin De Bruyne.
The Belgium International has been one of Bundesliga’s finest performers this season, capping off with 15 goals and setting up an incredible 27 times across all competitions. With an assist against Borussia Dortmund last week, the 23-year-old took his tally for 20 to the season in the, equaling the record for the most assists in a Bundesliga season.
Performances as such have garnered the attention of European heavyweights including Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain, but City are thought to be leading the queue. But Die Wölfe’s CEO Klaus Allofs has sent out a warning to his potential admirers that De Bruyne is ‘unsellable.’
‘At the moment, I’d call him unsellable,’ he told German TV show Doppelpass.
Amid the growing interest in the former Chelsea attacking midfielder, Allofs is confident De Bruyne will be a Wolfsburg player next season.
‘I am 100 per cent convinced he will play for us next year.’ he insisted.
The player himself last week was reluctant to commit his future to the Volkswagen Arena, fuelling to the speculation that Dieter Hecking’s side could well have to do without the services of the Drongen born attacker.
“What will happen in the summer I don’t know,” De Bruyne told Eurosport.
“As a player it is so stupid to say that I will stay here and then some big club is coming in and offer Wolfsburg a lot of money that they want and they say you can go or something like that.
“I’m very happy here and I think I will play here next season but I can’t give you a 100 per cent guarantee.”
Manchester City’s ageing squad needs revamp, and with Yaya Toure and James Milner on the way out, a move for De Bruyne could well be on the cards.
De Bruyne joined Chelsea in the winter of 2012 in a £7 million deal, but remained there for the remainder of the season, which was followed by a loan spell to Werder Bremen. And after the Belgian’s first team opportunities were limited under Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea, De Bruyne completed a £18 million switch to Vfl Wolfsburg.
Leave your thoughts in the comments below or discuss with the writer on Twitter: @sunilmarkal17
Image Courtesy: ESPN
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Sunil A Markal
Ardent Manchester United supporter. Scholes is my God, Old Trafford my temple. Football bloody hell !
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You might think living on an island could get a little monotonous. Well tell that to a man who owns his very own rocket powered jet pack fool! (Joli)
Scott O’Conner In Conversation
The Namotu Host, Windsurfer & Skulldragger holds court!
They’ll tell you that no man is an island, but they surely haven’t met Scotty O’Connor. While windsurfing one day back in 1987, the stocky little Aussie washed ashore on a sand cay off the coast of Fiji’s main island, Viti Levu. The island was small, the size of a football field, had two lonely palm trees and its only residents were a knot of sea snakes and a cadre of coconut crabs. But standing there, drinking in the Pacific panorama the idea went off in his head like fireworks. It’s now 24 years since Scotty and his wife, Mandy opened their resort on Namotu Island, but it’s hardly been all solitude and serenity and volleyballs named Wilson. Over those 24 years it’s become a hedonistic outpost, a postage stamp of good times, surf and occasional barroom piracy… and Scotty has been in the centre of most of it. He’s the captain of a ship that doesn’t sail anywhere, and from his sandy little crow’s nest surrounded by the South Pacific on all sides; he’s got a salty, sweeping view of the world.
Previous life… I grew up in Bayview on Sydney’s Northern Beaches. I was in the same class as Tom Carroll so I surfed, windsurfed, and played rugby for the Warringah Rats. Sailing skiffs was my thing though, and I left school at 15 to make sails for $49 a week. Then when I was 18 someone offered me a hundred grand a year to windsurf and suddenly sailing didn’t look quite so great. I was the first Aussie to turn pro and I moved to Hawaii for ten years. Windsurfing was so huge in the 80s. In Europe back then they called windsurfing “surfing”; there was no surfing back then. Guys like Robbie Naish were enormous names. He was the Kelly Slater of windsurfing.
The island… I was shooting a beer commercial here in 87 and we dragged our gear up on the beach here one day and rigged up but didn’t think that much of it. There was a ton of broken coral lying around and two snapped palm trees and that was it. But we kept coming back every winter with our windsurfing crew – Naish, Dave Kalama, Pete Cabrinha, all that crew – because all of us surfed as well. Then in 94 the guy who had the lease on the island told us he was selling it and we thought it would be millions of dollars, but we ended up paying $225,000 for it. What did Kerry Packer say, “You only get one Alan Bond in your lifetime”? Well this guy was our Alan Bond.
Early years… The first thing we realised was that we were a windsurf camp and Tavarua was a surf camp, because they had Restaurants and Cloudbreak, and we’d only ever come here in winter when it blew trades every day. Suddenly we were sitting here on April 1, the day we got the keys to the island, and we’re looking around going, “Geez, it’s not very windy, is it?” So we were scratching our heads wondering what to do with it when we got a call from a longboarding mag in America who wanted to bring a team down and we got a big spread in the mag and you couldn’t buy advertising like it. It was just as longboarding had that resurgence in the 90s and we had a sudden influx. Then we looked at our clientele and they weren’t your feral G-land kind of jungle guys, they were a bit older and better off, so we put in decent burés and a swimming pool.
The Fijians… I have long, sagely conversations with Waqa (pronounced ‘Wonga’, the head boatman and Fijian elder on the island) and he teaches me about how the systems work with the different tribes and the chiefs. But I’m always humbled by the Fijian culture and their way of life. It’s all about respect. A lot of the girls who work here have had babies – Eva has had five – and after three months paid maternity leave they are back working with us because the grandparents look after the kids. There’s no such thing as Fijian day care and it keeps the families incredibly tight. And while most Fijians don’t have a lot, they’re incredibly happy and that happiness is infectious. The Fijians who own the lease are from Malolo Island, but we have crew working here from all over; Suva, Nabila. Lautoka.
Cloudbreak… I think the one thing people forget is that to surf Cloudbreak you really need to be able to surf. And people just think it’s this perfect wave, but it’s not a perfect wave. When it starts getting good is at six-to-eight foot, when it starts to move out on the reef and get pretty serious. Up till then it’s a series of shorter waves that occasionally link together down the line. And it’s very unforgiving. I think the worst thing about it is you can catch the best wave of your life and flick off and the next three are already breaking and you’re going, “Where did the channel go?” As Jon Roseman was saying the other day, it doesn’t matter who you are, once it gets to that size you’re going to get those wash-throughs and everyone has to deal with it and do some laps around the tower.
Restaurants… That wave is a skatepark – so perfect – but it can also get a little shallow and intimidating. The other day I was surfing it and got bounced and I knew I’d lost a heap of skin and Wes Berg, the ironman was there and I paddled over to him and showed him my head and he started digging around in the cut and pulled out a chunk of coral the size of a 10c piece. But the other great thing is that on the Namotu side of the channel across from Restaurants, is Swimming Pools, which is the funnest righthander and a wave everyone can surf.
The best surfing seen out there… Probably Kelly last year. Sorry Mick and Joel and all my good Aussie buddies, but that was something else. Kelly blew everyone’s minds, just the way he fits into the wave and the way he goes into places on the wave no one thinks possible. The best heat I ever saw was Occy and Luke back in 2000, a quarterfinal. They’re both close mates of mine and they were pulling 10s, 9.8s, and I was sitting in the channel on the ski with a beer just losing it.
Pro surfers… I don’t know what we can and can’t say here! In the beginning when Quiksilver showed up with the Indies Trader anchored out here and Greeny and Lawo and Wayne Lynch and Jeff Hakman were all here, only half the crew were in the contest and everyone else was partying. That’s where the island’s reputation started I think, but we’ve had some wild times since then. The Skulldrag initiation (if it’s your first time on the island you’re made to drink a ‘Skulldrag’, essentially every spirit known to mankind mixed together in a glass) generally gets things going, and in the old days a lot of fun was had. We’ve had a few incidents with Hoyo and Hedgey (Nathan Hedge once paddled a racing ski drunk in the early hours three miles from Namotu to Cloudbreak) but the wildest night we’ve had it came from someone you wouldn’t expect… Bede. Everyone on the island has some kind of scar from these occasions.
“Kate Winslet. She was great value. She was awesome; rolled her own ciggies, swore like a sailor.”
Roll call… We’ve had Tom Hanks stay, and the chick from Titanic, what’s her name? Kate Winslet. She was great value. She was awesome; rolled her own ciggies, swore like a sailor, nothing like her characters in the movies. We have the guys who own Google come here a lot, and there are a lot of billionaires you wouldn’t know who come out and stay. As for the favourite surfing sons, obviously Tom Carroll has always been a favourite here, and Occ and I travelled together for six weeks back in 1985 with Cheyne Horan, which was a story in itself. We were products of the ’80s, we did what the 80s told us to. But obviously Mick and Joel were always favourites.
Sketchy… I guess fracturing my skull was pretty heavy. I was surfing big Wilkes and took off late, landed on my head, fractured my skull and opened myself up. I also tore my rotator cuff in my shoulder, which I didn’t even notice at the time because my head was a bit sorer than my arm. I came up and the whitewater was redwater. They stapled me together over on Tavvy then flew me to America to fix my skull. Other heavy situations? We’ve found floating bodies out here with sharks attacking them – missing fishermen – but surfing wise we’ve been quite lucky.
The big day… Mate, I just felt privileged to be there watching it. I remember years ago Conan Hayes towed a big one – before Laird got his one at Teahupoo – and I remember it was the first wave I’d seen ridden that looked like a cartoon. But the big day two years ago, the volume of water and the power on that day was something I’d never seen. It was puling fridge-sized pieces of coral off the reef like pebbles. I’ve never seen anything like it and I don’t think I’ll see anything like it again.
The South Pacific… You respect any ocean in the world, but the South Pacific while we have some perfect sailing conditions we also have these things called tropical cyclones. We had one last year, Cyclone Evan that reached 279 kays an hour. The eye of the storm went straight over the top of us. I was in the bar, which I figured was the safest place to be.
Still kick yourself? Isn’t it every boy’s dream to live on an island? I feel a bit lucky here. I don’t kick myself because although a lot of things have gone my way, I’m here because I’ve worked bloody hard to get here. You know, driving back in some afternoons in my fishing boat, you’ve surfed perfect waves with a handful of great crew that morning, you’ve caught some monster fish and the water is sheet glass and blue and you can see 150 feet down, you kinda figure, this is pretty good. I could be stuck in traffic back home on the Bilgola bends right now. I could be losing my mind in the rat race.
The Short History Of The Seagull
In Stories
We Celebrate The Heroic Women Of 90’s Pro Surfing
Why The Unsponsored Guy Is Surfing’s New Superstar
Previous PostWatch: Tom Carroll & Hector Santamaria Chase Typhoons
Next PostWatch: Eric Geiselman In 'Lark'
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The Lilly Endowment Inc. renews its work with us
We have begun a new three-year period of work with the Lilly Endowment Inc. Our first three-year term was 2016-2018. In 2018, The Lilly Endowment Inc. approached us with an offer to apply for a second three-year term so that we may further invest our gains in the life of our synod. We applied, were accepted, and will now be working with them through 2021.
With this new term comes a new infusion of money for our work, with the requirement that we match the money they give us. Lilly will provide a new grant of $250,000. At the end of Phase I, we were granted permission to rollover the unspent balance. Because $30,000 of that was moved from operational dollars into our MEF, we are required to also match that amount, so the total we need to raise is $280,000 from individual and congregational donations. Given the generosity shown 2016-2018 in raising matching funds, we know we can do this.
Pastor Andrew Hermodson-Olsen has served as the director of the Lilly Project for the last two years, taking over for Pastor Bill Nelsen. Under the new phase of Gifts of Grace, Pastor Dwaine Bruns will join the leadership as a co-director with Pastor Andrew. They will divide the duties and invite others to share in this work.
Bishop Jon Anderson, Synod Minister Kathryn Skoglund, and Director for Evangelical Mission Larry Strenge have been deeply involved in advising and guiding the program from week to week.
We thank Deb Hess, who provided wonderful administrative help for this program but has now ended her work in our synod office. The new administrative assistant is Maggie Berggren.
The Lilly Project was also guided by an Implementation Team which met every other month and offered perspective in shaping the program. We thank those who served on that team. A new team has been formed for the next three-year term of Gifts of Grace.
Grants and Educational opportunities
Many are familiar with the Ministerial Excellence Fund (MEF). That name will stay the same. The MEF has provided financial support to our rostered ministers over the last three years and will continue to do so through its four grants that address educational debt, unexpected medical expenses, and retirement readiness. These grants demonstrate the care we as a synod wish to give to our rostered ministers and reflect a belief that their wellbeing is tied to the health of our congregations and synod.
Another aspect of Gifts of Grace is providing resources for financial literacy, financial health, and stewardship training. By continuing to provide resources for our rostered ministers and leaders to attend stewardship programs, such as the Executive Certificate for Religious Fundraising and Cultivating Generous Congregations, Gifts of Grace supports our rostered ministers in their efforts to ensure the financial health of their congregations, not just in the short term but in the long term as well, through cultural changes in the way generosity is approached and understood.
Here is some of the feedback we have received:
Debt Reduction Grant:
“We are inexpressibly grateful that our synod is willing to share in our burden. This gift has emboldened us in our hope that one day, sooner than later, we will be debt-free. Experiencing this generosity is a bright reminder that our life is not filled with scarcity, but abundance.”
Executive Certificate in Religious Fundraising:
“I gained confidence and comfort in talking directly with people about financial contributions to the congregation as I came to view this as offering members an opportunity to participate in a ministry they care deeply about. I included some of the basic principles from the training in our annual stewardship campaign and saw increases in participation and giving commitments for the year. It has allowed the congregation to focus and reimagine our budget on annual ministry priorities and given members the opportunity to engage in ministry through their generosity.”
Donor Statement:
“The reason we financially support the education debt reduction grant is because it proves that we are a welcoming synod, not just to encourage our present pastors to stay but also future pastors to look within our synod for their next call. We want to set our pastors, who carry educational debt, free to serve with greater joy. By supporting rostered leaders with grants for educational debt, medical emergencies, and pension contributions, we encourage our rostered leaders to speak about the grace of God and invite generosity in their ministries. We also hope this will encourage pastors to stay in our synod and deepen their roots in their contexts of service.
“It is my hope that many of you within the Southwestern Minnesota Synod who also see the need to support our pastors would be encouraged to give to Gifts of Grace and help support our pastors within the
Southwestern Minnesota Synod.”
- Bill and Rev. Marlene Elmstrom
Your gift will be matched 1 to1 by the Lilly Fund until the $280,000 goal is reached,
after which donations will grow & sustain the Gifts of Grace work into the future.
Ways to give:
Mail and make your check(s) payable to SW MN Synod Gifts of Grace and mail to:
SW MN Synod, PO Box 499, Redwood Falls, MN 56283.
Give online (checking / savings / credit card / recurring direct payment-ACH debit) Click here.
Other gifts (estate plan / IRA / stocks / will / trust) To give with other gifts please call 507-637-3904 for assistance.
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← Honest Pay-2-Win
Troubled Witcher, returning to Skyrim →
The Niche is Real
Posted on January 4, 2013 by SynCaine
Massively has linked to a video about 38 Studios. It’s worth watching. In the comments section, there is a link to an article about the entire thing. I’m pretty sure I’ve read it before, and perhaps even linked it here, but still, it’s worth reading (or reading again).
Not that I want to rehash the entire 38 Studios story, but I do want to bring up how much money was spent to almost-create a game that, by their own admission, was not fun to play. We are talking tens of millions of dollars, if not more than 100 million.
Along those same lines, SW:TOR cost north of $300m, and we know what $300m bought us in terms of MMO gaming or genre progression.
And at least according to EAWare, SW:TOR needed to cost 300m+ because hey, that’s just what MMOs cost to produce. Prior to closing, Curt and 38 Studios would have backed that up.
Darkfall 1 cost 10m or so to make (I’d link to the source video but lazy, find it if you doubt it). Now sure, DF1 did not have special celebrity guests mailing in voice acting, or the 100+ devs 38 Studios had doing… something. But even if you hate FFA PvP gaming, it would be hard to argue that the game did not delivered something that people enjoyed, brought some new things to the table (combat), and sustained itself for 3 years until DF2010 came along and… NDA beta in 2012/13 :grumble:
The thinking that MMOs are always expensive and in order to deliver anything you have to spend $100m or aim for the WoW crowd is not only outdated, it’s just wrong. Everyone (literally, everyone) who has aimed at being WoW has failed; either by shutting down or selling TheOneRing/Hotbars/Wings. And yes, plenty of titles that did NOT aim to be WoW have failed as well, but plenty is still better than all, and the financial impact of Dawntide never exiting beta are not on the same level as SW:TOR’s failure causing a studio to gut itself and the docs in charge to ‘retire’.
So as we roll ahead in 2013, I’m expecting/hoping we seem more titles in the 10m range. Titles that don’t feature add-nothing IPs, content designed for ‘everyone’, or the attempt to be WoW but with X (but yes, this will still happen, and the results will be the same). Rather, we’ll see titles that aim to get one thing REALLY right, and attract and retain fans looking for exactly that.
Furthermore, a return to titles that are actual MMOs. Games not designed to be consumed and discarded like far too many ‘MMOs’ today that wonder why no one stuck around after the first few months/weeks. They don’t need to demand 100% of your gaming time, but they do need to offer you limitless entertainment. No more ‘personal’ stories with a final boss. No more zones that you move on from after X hours. No gear tier X that is current for a few months until it’s replaced by Y. All of those things are anti-MMO design, and just because one titles remains profitable DESPITE them, does not mean they work or are needed. (Or make that and do what Anet did, just sell the box and call it a day).
I think Kickstarter is showing that such interest/demand exists. Whether anything of substance comes from Kickstarter is a separate issue, but what is fact right now is that not only are people showing interest, they are showing it in a very real way (with their wallets). This is not Turbine announcing 4m characters created as a metric for success; this is some indie title that has little chance of ever becoming a game getting a million dollars of support thanks entirely to word-of-mouth.
It’s far too early to tell if all of this is some fad and nothing will come of it, or if this is indeed the first step to getting the MMO genre back to what many of us remember it being (and when it was actually working). That said, it’s encouraging to see people attempt it, and even more encouraging to see many others support those efforts. Maybe as we begin 2014, we will be talking about which little MMO we are playing, rather than which dream might actually happen as we uninstall some title we just finished that called itself an MMO.
This entry was posted in Darkfall Online, Guild Wars, Lord of the Rings Online, MMO design, Random, SW:TOR, World of Warcraft. Bookmark the permalink.
11 Responses to The Niche is Real
sid6.7 says:
It’s a good point about not needing to spend that kind of money to create a quality game. I’ve read a lot of interviews with game developers and they almost all strike me as visionaries or creatives who lack strong project management skills.
I think what’s remarkable about MMOs is that they spend YEARS developing the engine and inner workings of a game without any real testing on the gameplay. It’s all about the “eye candy” and not about the overall experience.
Once upon a time, graphics stinked and developers needed to come up with innovative and fun gameplay. Today, they spend millions and millions on artwork and have the game virtually finished before they start working on gameplay. And at that point, it’s fine-tuning at best.
I’m reminded of movies. Every once in a while I catch a film from the 50s or 60s and I am struck by how entertaining I find the STORY. Contrast that with modern films which are often only entertaining because of the flashy action scenes or special effects.
tithian says:
And yet this is what the majority of the audience wants now. Shiny graphics that push that 2,000$ rig that they just got.
When TSW launched, the #1 reason on why people would ‘not bother’ was the animations. On every single DF:UW that has been shown so far, the majority of the comments have been “this looks horrible” or “the animations suck”.
We’re to blame for this trend.
kalex716 says:
Everybody says looks don’t matter, its what is on the inside that counts.
But nobody actually means it.
Kalex716, you show me the best looking game in your opinion ever made, and I’ll find someone who quit it because it quickly got boring.
Looks really don’t matter.
Pingback: spe
Spents says:
Keen has an article stating pretty much the same thing on his website. Hopefully this is a sign of things to come for 2013.
PyrosGG says:
I think a lot of the MMO’s out today don’t really test their target audience before actually moving forward. This was a huge oversight by the Star Wars the Old Republic beta-test, I as well as many others really enjoyed playing the game, but it just did not have enough to sustain us in the long run and we were not able to test that before we paid.
What a lot of people don’t realize is that warcraft was able to test their demographic with the first three games in the warcraft series. Blizzard knew that the customers really liked the storyline they come up with, and they had customers that were willing to try out an MMO if they ever debuted one. This is part of the reason blizzard has had so much success.
Games such as Diablo and warcraft were actually very inexpensive to create the first versions, and because these early cheaper versions did so well, they knew that there was a community and a fan base that they could build off of for MMO’s. This is the strategy that I would like to see more companies use, and I agree with this article 100%.
I would take it a step further and say that one of the things that has always made Blizzard unique in the MMO space is that they brought a lot of THEIR OWN fans to the genre (who were familiar with the Warcraft RTS and Diablo games). That’s EXTREMELY important because it means you don’t have to entirely rely on cannibalizing your marketshare from a competitor.
Arguably, you could say that LOTRO and SWTOR both did the same thing but I think the key difference is that by the point these games launched, the MMO market was well-established and most players who were likely to play an MMO had already played WoW.
In other words, the pool of players was already tainted in that MMOs were not a fresh experience and players had much shorter attention spans and tolerance for mistakes than when WoW launched.
That’s the crux of the problem with launching a game in this post-WoW era.
Ravious says:
I’ve been wanting Chipotle MMO’s to be the main deal for a long time.
” it would be hard to argue that the game did not delivered something that people enjoyed, brought some new things to the table (combat), and sustained itself for 3 years until DF2010 came along”
If it delivered what people wanted, why did it need rebooting? Is a 3 year lifespan the new definition of MMO success?
SynCaine says:
The 2010 expansion ended up growing (and growing), and at some point the decision was made to restart due to the amount of changes AV wanted to make. From around 2010 to 2012, DF1 did not recieve any major updates, yet retained enough players to remain online, and now that DF:UW is in beta, most have returned (beta population is pretty crazy).
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14 Nov 2015 15 Nov 2015 Thomas Dahlborg
How an NFL experiment may lead to improved Patient Safety
Yes, I admit it. I am a New England Patriots fan.
And before you mention Spygate and Deflategate please know that I lived through the Schaefer Stadium and Sullivan Family years, the Rod Rust years, the 2 and 14 seasons, the 46 to 10 debacle of a Super Bowl against the Ditka led Chicago Bears, the “almost” move to St. Louis, and for Oakland Raiders fans who are not thrilled with the “tuck rule” …
… I lived through the Sugar Bear Hamilton “roughing the passer call” against the Oakland Raiders in 1976 which led to a Kenny Stabler touchdown and cost the Patriots a potential trip to the Super Bowl.
1/16/02 print scan for Sports. 12/18/76 U.P.I. file photo. oakland raider quarterback Ken Stabler dives into end zone during game against Patriots at Oakland, Tim Fox of the patriots is 348
Library Tag 01172002 Sports
Yes, I am a New England Patriots fan.
But why do I tell you all this?
Each year the Patriots compete with the New York Jets, Buffalo Bills, and Miami Dolphins for the AFC East Division Title. And I have a strong “rooting” interest in the outcomes of games involving these other three teams.
And why is this important?
To first begin to explain why I was watching the Jets vs Bills game the other night, and then second to set the stage for why a football game is a good reminder that when it comes to patient safety “good enough” is never good enough.
First … the game.
If you too watched the game you would know that the NFL and Nike were debuting what they termed a “Color Rush” promotion. And in doing so you would also notice that aside from each team wearing their respective white helmets, the Jets wore predominantly an all GREEN uniform, and the Bills wore predominantly an all RED uniform.
* An image from Thursday’s Bills-Jets game, as it would appear to the red-green colorblind, altered by Dr. Jay Neitz, an expert in colorblindness. Credit Ben Solomon for The New York Times
And why are uniform colors important?
Because as a member of the subset of the population who are red-green color blind, I could not tell the difference between the two teams and thus could not truly distinguish what was happening on the field, and eventually opted to turn the game off because there was no use in watching something I could not truly follow.
Now what does this have to do with patient safety?
A few years back I had a very interesting discussion on LinkedIn with an extremely passionate hospital administrator and patient safety advocate. During the discussion this caring healthcare leader made the plug for using color coding in hospitals to improve patient safety related to drug interactions.
Being colorblind I made note that we need to be very careful with implementing color coding because there are more people like me that would have difficulty interpreting the colors and their meanings. I then offered perhaps color coding PLUS shapes or other distinguishers (like seen on run charts in Microsoft Excel) could prove more beneficial and improve the safety of our patients while also preventing inadvertent harm due to color misinterpretation.
Long story short, even though I shared that 1 in 12 men are colorblind (8.3%) along with 1 in 200 women (0.5%) and each of these people could have challenges interpreting the meanings of specific colors and color combinations, the response I received was that with such a small percentage of people being colorblind using color coding ONLY would be a good improvement over the current-state and for now good enough.
Good enough?
Needless to say we agreed to disagree.
That all said, even though I did not enjoy watching the game between two Patriot foes the other night, I do want to thank the NFL and NIKE for reminding me of this LinkedIn discussion and providing me with the impetus to again share the message that color coding alone is in fact NOT good enough to improve patient safety.
Our patients are already being harmed within the healthcare system at alarming rates.
For example and specific to adverse drug events in U.S. Hospitals:
And “good enough” is not good enough when it comes to the safety of our patients, our families, our friends, and our communities … we must continuously strive for zero harm.
We must do this.
Go Pats!
Colorblindness
Patient Harm
Adverse Drug Events
healthcare leader
red-green colorblindness
Sugar Bear Hamilton
Tuck Rule
Zero Harm
Previous Honored to be a judge – Patient Voice Institute Impact Award
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Tag: estonia
On April 17, 2018 April 18, 2018 By karentayLeave a comment
I was in DC for a day on 5 March to run a workshop for the World Bank on how to develop “smart cities”.
“Smart cities” is honestly a buzzword and when I get invited to speak, most people expect me to start with cool tech like AR, VR, AI, modeling and simulation, blockchain and the like.
The fact is that cities are complex ecosystems with very established ways of operating. If we want to disrupt them with technology in a way that benefits the masses (i.e. not just the upper middle class), we need dedicated work from the ground-up, coupled with political commitment. The aim is really to create a movement with many champions, not just a few bright sparks which fizzle out shortly.
If anyone is thinking of starting your smart city efforts, here are five tips I have, borne through many conversations and projects with smart city leaders worldwide.
Carve out space for ground-up innovation
When I first joined the public service, tech was really a downstream IT function, the proprietary territory of geeks. The realm of digital possibilities was beyond my imagination: I’d go about making policies, never thinking twice about the inefficiency of the data request and management process. It was just the ways things were done.
In 2014, a small group sprung up which touted new techniques for managing and analyzing data. They were eager to show us new things we could do with our data that we never imagined – natural language processing, k-means clustering, fancy visualizations. We didn’t have to wait 3 months and pay money to get data-sets; these should be available in real-time so we can make decisions on the go.
They made data science accessible. They were happy to experiment with small and large datasets, amorphous and specific problems. The more we worked together, the more I wanted to learn about these new techniques.
Technology, in the form of data science, became a way for me to solve the problems I cared about, such as the allocation of preschool places. It inspired me to take courses in R and Tableau (visualization) and apply these in my day-to-day work.
On reflection, it was so important that the small group of data scientists, user experience designers and machine learning scientists did not just stay in their box. They saw their role as tech evangelists, spreading enthusiasm and skills to the rest of us. They started a ground-up movement to make data science part of our work, and succeeded.
Build your core of “tech commandos”*
*term first used by my colleagues Daniel and Chi Ling here.
This is why, when people ask me what should be the first step in building a smart city, I never fail to raise the issue of building internal capabilities in the Government. In Singapore, we did not start with a large group of data scientists and software programmers. It was a small group of “tech commandos” who went about demonstrating value to the rest of the organization, before scaling up.
Feng Yuan and Mark, founding Directors at the Hive, who I’ve deeply enjoyed working with <image credit: https://www.challenge.gov.sg/print/feature/this-hive’s-got-it>
From my observations, three traits are important in picking “tech commandos”.
First, credibility with the organization (an outsider trying to shake things up often results in an allergic reaction);
Second, a strong HR instinct and the ability to assemble cross-functional teams – this does not mean that he/she must be the best technical executer;
Finally, the commitment to the organization’s long-term capabilities (not just his/her own shining). This does not mean that the person has to be an internal hire. However, there must be a personality fit – we had one “tech commando” who had no public sector experience, but an infectious, humble energy that won people over.
These “tech commandos” are effectively the bridge between the bureaucracy and the budding team of experts. They must be allowed to organize their teams, build a completely different culture as they wish, and buffer their team from the bureaucracy. To deliver early value, they must have high-level backers who are intent on opening up use cases and data for them to demonstrate their skills.
Nurturing a small core of “tech commandos” is always one of the first steps a city needs to take when it aims for digital transformation. Implementing projects is one benefit. Beyond this, their technical expertise is critical in assessing procurement decisions, such as the trade-offs between “building or buying” products and solutions. Great talent delivering social impact also attracts more talent, and so the cycle begins.
Integrate across agency boundaries so that you truly transform the citizen experience
If cities want to radically transform the living experience of their citizens using technology, integration across digital services is often necessary. This necessitates some form of central planning – you cannot have different agencies building their own systems and creating multiple, disconnected touchpoints with citizens.
A great example of a developing country that managed to achieve this is India, with its “JAM Trinity”.
–“J” for Jan Dhan, a free bank account for every citizen;
“A” for Aadhar, a biometrically verified Digital Identity for every citizen;
“M” for mobile, a mobile phone for every citizen.
For every individual, these three are linked. Hence, on your mobile phone, you can verify your identity and make a bank transfer.
The integration across identity-bank account-mobile is what explains widespread adoption of these technologies in India. “Aadhar” the digital identity, was first launched in 2009. However, take-up rate only spiked in 2014, when the Government linked digital identities to bank accounts, and used that to directly transfer subsidies and provide free insurance to people.
Simply put, people start adopting a new way of living life when they see the value and benefit of doing so. In the digital world, integration is necessary.
Image credit: http://blog.microsave.net/jam-using-jan-dhan-bank-accounts-aadhaar-and-mobiles-to-create-new-products-and-services-and-new-ways-of-doing-things/
In my presentation at the World Bank, I laid out five elements of a nationwide technology project, gleaned from lessons across developing and developed countries.* <this section is partially attributable to my colleague Kevin Goh and Tan Chee Hau, who visited India to study the Digital ID system closely>
First, an ambitious, compelling goal. Modi himself championed the JAM trinity as the solution to financial, and hence social and economic exclusion if the poor. With a bank account, ID and mobile, everyone could connect to the formal economy and receive subsidies directly from Government. Almost S$20B of savings was to be yielded by solving tax evasion and the leaky pipe of subsidies due to inefficiency and corruption.
Second, a clear operational strategy. Ask any Indian official and citizen, and they simply understand that “JAM” represents digital transformation. The Government went for end-to-end integration of these components. The huge amount of savings generated from “JAM” justified distributing free services and a massive communications campaign.
Third, a clear governance structure. India designated agencies to set architectural standards for each of their digital identity and payments platforms. Setting standards ensures integration between components of a big system. In Singapore, we enforce standards not just by rules, but also by baking them into our platforms. For example, if developers use our NECTAR platform, they automatically comply with Government standards for development on the cloud, and other engineering best practices.
Fourth, an open ecosystem. One of the most amazing things India did was to create an open, interoperable India Stack to support “JAM”, The India stack consists of API-based platforms which the private sector can build applications upon. For example, if you are a start-up wanting to build a microfinance solution, you can build on their existing architecture for digital identity and mobile payments. You do not need to start from scratch.
Fifth, a massive focus on inclusiveness. When India went about getting every citizen to have JAM, they tried all means of reaching the unbanked: branch banking, mobile banking, online banking – you name it, they had it. They went on a massive campaign to reach the very last mile.
These are the five elements of any successful nation-wide technology project, which truly transforms the lives of citizens.
Setting the stage for public and private collaborations
When we talk about nationwide technology projects, does it mean that the Government has to execute on everything? By no means: some of the most cutting-edge innovation will always come from industry.
However, in developing smart cities, a new paradigm for the Government-private sector relationship is needed. Where in the past a Government simply procures digital infrastructure, products and service from the private sector (an out-sourcing model), what is needed now is more co-creation of possibilities and pilots between the public and private sectors, before deciding what to scale. The rapidly changing nature of technology means we are not quite certain which solution will work at the outset.
In working with private companies, Governments also need to lay out their expectations of an open ecosystem which enables maximal industry participation. This means that centralized platforms must have an open architecture and clear standards for interoperability, enabling other players can build applications upon it. Such a requirement runs against a traditional instinct for large companies to provide “closed ecosystems” which exclude all but those who use their proprietary operating systems.
Governments, start-ups and large corporates looking to build smart cities need to envision a new type of relationship, and build more platforms where trust and co-creation can be established. Some good examples include the Start-up in Residence Program, successfully run by the city of SF, and the Accreditation and Innoleap Programs run by the Singapore Government.
The advantages of developing countries in digital transformation
Friends from developing countries often tell me that “what Singapore does we’ll never be able to do”. They are surprised when I tell them that Singapore actually studies the smart city efforts of “developing” countries extremely closely.
Why has India raced ahead with their JAM trinity? Why does China light the path in e-payment adoption, while the U.S. and Singapore lag behind? Why was Estonia the first to develop a cutting-edge digital identity solution in the 1990s?
Users from developing countries can often more clearly see the value proposition of adopting the new digital solution. In contrast, people living in developed countries are typically wedded to the way things have always been done, such as using proprietary data centers instead of the cloud, paying with credit cards instead of e-payments, and using wired telephones instead of mobile. China is rapidly becoming the next innovation powerhouse because their people are cloud and mobile natives.
The lack of digital baggage is also a huge advantage. Estonia was able to leapfrog to the world’s most cutting-edge digital identity system because when they left Russia in the 1990s, they had zero legacy infrastructure to deal with. Just ask Taavi Kotkar, the ex CIO of Estonia, who told me a few years ago that he had to teach his kids what a “queue” was when he first took them on holiday outside Estonia.
Estonian Digital Identity card (source: https://www.engadget.com/2014/06/29/estonia-digital-id-for-non-residents/)
“What in the world is a smart nation?” ask many of my (non-technical) friends when I first joined this team in the Government. Ultimately, people need to see, touch and feel how technology transforms their life in order to understand why it truly matters. If not, it remains in the realm of “esoteric”.
Building a smart city is ultimately about creating momentum throughout society to deploy tech for public good, not announcing a few superstar projects that fizzle out without momentum. I hope these five tips helped you think about what you need to do to build your own smart city which benefits the most people possible.
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Turkish Cultural Association of Austria Has a Problem with LEGO Jabba’s Palace. What?
April 2nd, 2013 by Conner Flynn
Chairman of the Turkish Cultural Association of Austria, Birol Kilic, thinks the Jabba’s Palace LEGO play set is “culturally insensitive.” Why? He says that it resembles Istanbul’s historic mosque Hagia Sophia. Or any other building with a domed roof, for that matter.
He says that “This does not belong in children’s bedrooms, and the minaret-like tower features machine guns. Children will become insensitive to violence and other cultures.” Maybe he should worry about real world problems instead of worrying about a LEGO set based on a 30-year-old movie.
It all started when his organization was notified of the issue by an outraged Austrian father, whose sister had given the LEGO set to his son last Christmas. The father returned the toy to the store. It could have ended there, but the Turkish Cultural Association petitioned LEGO to drop the play set from its line-up.
Sadly, like so many things these days, political correctness and overzealous idiots are trying to kill the things that we love. Don’t mess with Star Wars. In response to the accusations, LEGO released the following statement:
All LEGO Star Wars™ products are based on the movies of the Star Wars™ saga created by Lucasfilm. Jabba’s Palace appears in Star Wars™ Episode VI and appears in a famous scene on the planet Tatooine. The building is the palace of Jabba – a fictional movie character.
The picture shown above depicts the building from the movie scene. The LEGO designers try to reproduce all buildings, space ships and characters from the movies as close as possible when creating a new LEGO Star Wars™ product.
This is done to allow both young and old Star WarsTM fans to act out the scenes from the movies at home. The LEGO Star Wars™ product Jabba’s palace does not reflect any non-fictional buildings, people, or the mentioned mosque.
The LEGO minifigures shown on the box and found inside the box (Jabba, Salacious Crumb, Bib Fortuna, Gamorreanic Guard, Oola, Han Solo, Princess Leia disguised as Boushh, Chewbacca and B’omarr Monk) are all modeled after fictional characters from the movie.
The LEGO Group regrets that the product has caused the members of the Turkish cultural community to interprete it wrongly, but point out that the design of the product only refers to the fictional content of the Star Wars™ saga.
A few media have reported that the product is being discontinued due to the mentioned criticism. This is, however, not correct.
As a normal process products in the LEGO Star Wars™ assortment usually have a life-cycle of one to three years after which they leave the assortment and may be renewed after some years. The LEGO Star Wars™ product Jabba’s Palace 9516 was planned from the beginning to be in the assortment only until the end of 2013 as new exiting models from the Star Wars universe will follow.
LEGO has no plans to prematurely discontinue the playset, but you can always buy one for your collection, just in case.
[via Nerd Approved]
Giant LEGO Han Solo Minifig Gets Frozen in Carbonite
New LEGO Star Wars Tantive IV Set Is Coming In May
Darth Vader LEGO Transformation Set: Anakin No More
We Bet this Color LEGO Millennium Falcon Can Do the Kessel Run in 11 Parsecs
LEGO Star Wars Porg Set Commemorates Stupid Little Birds
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Heavy rains slows Mumbai down, Airplanes, Trains on a halt
Talib Khan / Rahul Kumar Jha
India, (2/7/2019): At least 55 flights, including 8 international flights and 42 domestic flights, were diverted from the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSIA) in Mumbai after the city witnessed record downpour over the past four days.
The airport’s main runway was shut down after an aircraft overshot the runway during landing on Monday night. Flights to and from Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport were delayed by 35 minutes owing to heavy rain and low visibility said an official.
On Tuesday, there were 13 go-arounds, and cancellations of 18 incoming flights, including four international and 24 departures including four international, said a spokesperson for Mumbai International Airport Ltd (MIAL). CSIA on Tuesday tweeted that the main runway at the airport is not available and the secondary runway has been put in use
Due to heavy rains in Mumbai on Monday, a SpiceJet flight travelling from Jaipur to Mumbai skidded on the main runway during landing at around 11:51 pm. All passengers deboarded the plane safely and the aircraft remains stuck in the runway.
Operations at the Mumbai airport were affected after the incident came to light. 26 international flights and 29 domestic flights were diverted following the incident.
“SpiceJet Boeing 737-800 aircraft operated flight SG 6237 from Jaipur to Mumbai. There was heavy rain in Mumbai and the aircraft, after landing, overshot the runway. Passengers were deplaned normally. There was no injury to either the passengers or the crew,” SpiceJet confirmed in a statement.
Domestic airline carriers took to social media to inform passengers about delays and cancellations of flight
AirplanesHeavy rains slows Mumbai downTrains on a halt
Clash over parking issue takes communal turn in Old Delhi’s Chawri Bazar area
नोएडा में बदमाशों के हौसले हुए बुलंद , बस चालक को मारी गोली
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Latest Site Updates
Video From The July 2004 Show
This is from the era of gentlemen's clubs traveling 200 or more miles from places like Des Moines, Iowa (The Lumberyard) and St Robert, Missouri (Big Louie's) delivering tour busses full of girls to NAP. They usually had a dozen or more beautiful girls on board and they were a great addition to the contest. July 2004 was certainly better for it. The video contains coverage of go-go dancing with girls like #22 a very young Jaded Dawn and #29 Summer from Big Louies. The carnival girl feature show is Natasha Stone before she went to Southern California and became a porn star. The photo section is mostly the winners however, dead center top of the first page is red headed Porn Star Ruby #22 who became famous shooting with Seymore Butts and Shane. Adara Michales served as guest hostess and helped with the trophy presentations. Paradise #7 from the Lumber Yard won Miss Nude Galaxy. Regan Anthony #2(soon to become a porn star) won Entertainer of the year and a girl that I can't remember the name of was the winner of Miss Nude North America.
Tags: nudes a poppin
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4k Video And High Res Photos Shot At Sunday 2015 Nudes A Poppin Last Month By Cojones Part 2 Of 6
Another hot and great day at the 2015 Nudes a Poppin festival... Here's part 2 of what we shot at the Sunday part of the show... For those of you who don't know, Sunday is the main day of the event. So, if you're only able to attend for one day, Sunday is your day!
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Photos Shot By The Nebraska Coeds Crew During August 2004 Nap Show
Photos Shot By The Nebraska Coeds Crew During August 2004 Nap Show If you want to know what it is like as a spectator attending NAP; this update will show you everything that goes on inside and outside of the fence at each and every show. The intrepid crew from NE Coeds covered the event from a spectator's POV. What you will see is lots of naked or half naked girls and guys both inside and outside the fence. The porn star participant in August 2004 was Sunset Thomas and there are a few shots of her looking out of her trailer. Sunset was a Penthouse Pet and she is known as the girl with no navel. Penthouse retouched her stomach for the centerfold and they removed her navel. Oops! We forgot to put it back. Don't believe me find the March 1996 issue and check it out. The boys from NE Coeds also brought a couple of girls of their own to the two day party and the "back at the hotel: shots are pretty revealing.
Like these updates? Just wait until you see what's inside!
Photos From The July 2001 Festival
The most famous celebrity to attend NAP was Gene Simmons. And some say he left his mark all over the place. Look at the t first photo on page 10. And that wasn't the only Butt or Breast that got the Gene Simmons autograph. There was no doubt that Gene enjoyed his stay at NAP. He helped pass out the trophies to the girls. There wasn't a contestant there that would not wanted to get something hard and stiff from him. Check out other updates of the July 2001 for more shots of the trophy presentations. Also included in the update are shots from the wet T-shirt contest in the pit. Most of these girls are just spectators at NAP and they were probably prodded into competition by their boyfriends. It is amazing how just a few girls running naked can encourage more to join in the fun.
Amateur Wet Tshirt Contest From July 2004
This is what happens on Saturday afternoon at NAP. Adjacent to the pool area is an amphitheater that most people refer to as "The Pit". This is where the NAP wet T-Shirt competition takes place. It is coliseum style seating and if you don't mind sitting on old railroad ties and sand; the view is pretty good. It is an intimate setting and the furthest away you could be from the action is probably 20 feet. The contest is open to any female willing to put on a T-Shirt; get wet; dance around and get as naked as they want . In this era the contestant makeup was probably 30% NAP contestants and 70% housewives and girl friends on parade. It doesn't really matter as the crowd cheers for all the girls and, the winners are chosen by the crowd by their cheering. It is a fun time and the level of nudity was always more that you would find at a typical Wet T contest. Here are 400 photos and 36 minutes of video to give you a good idea of what goes on. Enjoy!
Here's the first official update from our Nebraskacoeds Team that was filming on Sunday! They shot using their awesome professional 4k equipment... the quality really comes through! This is the first of 6 parts that I broke down all of the Sunday footage into.
Random Video From The August 2003 Show
The guest stars for the August 2003 show were Humpty Hump and Sunset Thomas. Humpty was a lot of fun and I know he enjoyed the show. He participated throughout the entire afternoon. The owner of the Bunny Ranch; Dennis Hof , was there too. He was dating Sunset Thomas at the time. The video covers the introduction of Humpty Hump and then the "Opening Number" that takes place Noonish! There is always a theme to the opening number and about two dozen hand selected contestants are provided a simple costume and a were told her is what you do. This year the wardrobe consisted of a bath towel; a bucket of sudsy water; and a sponge. Where else but NAP can you find naked girls dancing to the Rubber Ducky song from Sesame Street. Think about that for a minute. The photo update has shots of the contest shot from both the inside the fence and from a spectators perspective around the fence and throughout the park. There are even a few shots of the Wet T contest. It is update dyslexia at its best. The Lumber Yard scored big at NAP. They won the trophy for the club with the most contestants at NAP. One of their dancers, Seneca #26 won Miss Nude North America. In November of 2003 I flew her to Costa Rica for a week long photo shoot on the beaches and beautiful scenery of the country. Seneca's layouts were featured in several magazines. Opportunities like that are some of the perks that the girls can benefit from competing in and by winning big at NAP.
Random Nice Video From The 2004 Show
This is a quickie. Two contestants posing in one of the fountains and then some random shots of what can and does happen outside the fence at NAP. The one interesting event is the spectator shooting photos of the contestant on his Harley. This was probably shot on Saturday. Bring your Harley to NAP and get a naked girl to pose on it. For FREE! That is a great idea.
8 minute(s) of video
July 2002 Nudes A Poppin Photos Shot By Assdragon
Wandering around outside the fence at NAP. I can't tell you much. The first two photos in the update are Brittany Love. She was the hottest feature dancer to grace the stages at gentlemen's clubs all over America. The second photo is Logan Moss sitting on Assdragon's lap. She competed at NAP for many years and eventually became a member of the Ponderosa Sun Club.
Here's the final update of photos and video that we shot at this years nudes a poppin event. Well actually just the last photos and video that we shot on Saturday... Next update that I post from this years event will be from the best day, Sunday! This video is still pretty good though! Some of the girls are still hanging around the pool posing totally nude and spread eagled for anyone with a camera... and then we had a small amateur contest, that was just whipped cream pie eating contest.... good times... enjoy this high quality update!
The Amateur Contest At The August 2004 Show
I love home movies. Some nice person sitting three rows up in the arena sent in his best effort at recording wet female flesh. In the mid 2000's Saturday at NAP was a big time event. It wasn't uncommon to have 1,000 guests in the park. The amateur wet T-shirt contest on Saturday afternoon had more wives and girlfriends competing than the preregistered dancer contestants that would be center stage on Sunday. Real girls; getting real soaking wet in front of an audience with real appreciation for these brave souls. Most first time participants are a little nervous about showing skin to a large group of strangers. But as you will see on the video; the crowd cheered them on and what started out as wet boobies covered with a thin T-shirt became a full nude dance contest. The girls found it was hard for them to keep their clothes on when 300 people were cheering them on to take them off.
Photos From The 2014 Nudes A Poppin Show Shot By Ernie
Ernie had his track shoes on for the Sunday Show. There isn't anything or anybody that he missed getting a few or a lot of photographs of. The guest host, as always, was Ron Jeremy; but the big news was the guest hostess. None other than contract porn star Stormy Daniels. For years she wanted to come back. At the very beginning of her feature dancer career she came to NAP to compete and my recollection is that she did very well. She certainly became a great feature and then became a porn star. It was obvious that the audience loved her too. The line in front of her personal trailer was endless all day. 2014 was a great year for feature shows. Here is a short list of the features that performed. Naomi Knight, Isis Haze, The Puerto Rican Princess, Ruby, Simone Dana Lustrous, Kimberly Johnson, Jaded Dawn, Viva la Muerte, Justice, Malibu Barbie, Fawn Marie and a few more I can't remember had all done some spectacular shows. If you went to clubs to see 15 shows it would cost you a fortune in door fees, drinks and tips to see this many performances. That's why I have always said that Nudes-a-Poppin' is the best place to see the best features and feature shows. When all the smoke, confetti, oil, whipped cream, was cleaned off the main stage it was time to pass out the awards. Lots of girls go home with awards but the big three and the big checks went to.... Simone Dana Lustrous took home the trophy for Nude Entertainer of the Year, Naomi Knight took home yet another trophy as Miss Nude North America and Callie Jane took home the 7 foot trophy as Miss Nude Galaxy.
Great Home Video Shot At The August 2004 Show
I guess the Nebraska Coed Crew got tired of videotaping all the hot chicks in the contest and decided to wander aimlessly outside the fence videoing the REAL girls of Nudes-a-Poppin' It is kind of like the Good, the Bad and the Ugly out there. You never know what is going to show up in the viewfinder. Buyer beware!
another heaping portion of crystal clear footage from this year’s nudes a poppin show! Spent some time while filming this video up on the stage with the girls doing their strip pole contest… then we went over to the pool to watch some of the hot naked chicks wading around! Including some close up shots of the wet pussies as they exit the pool :D Show Less
Amateur Wet Tshirt Contest At The July 2007 Show
This is Nudes-a-Poppin's version of Girls Gone Wild. Real girls on parade. Big ones, small ones, fat ones, and tall ones. Most of these girls will not be competing in the Sunday contests. If fact most of them are visitors to the Ponderosa. It's late on Saturday and lots of beer has been consumed by the visitors to the park and it doesn't take much prodding to convince your wife, girlfriend or your buddies girlfriend to show a little skin in front of an equally intoxicated audience. What starts with a bunch of girls in wet T-shirts ends up as a full nude event. As a visitor to NAP you pay for the show, but the Wet T-Shirt contest is like a free-be if you hang around to late enough on Saturday afternoon. An hour of ringside video and over a thousand photos should keep you occupied. My advice is to pop and been; sit back and enjoy!
Video And Photos From The Begining Of The July 2004 Show
This was the year that girls from the two hottest clubs in the Mid-West descended on Nudes-a-Poppin'. The girls from Missouri represented Club Vogue in Columbia and the Iowa group came from The Lumberyard in Des Moines. These girls work in full nude, hot lap dance clubs. There is nothing shy about these girls. Ask them to do a spread and wham it is in your face. One of the cuties from The Lumberyard was Paradise #7 in the photos. In the movies the pretty blond/brunette hair 'd girl #29 was Summer. There is a lot of coverage of Summer in the event coverage too. I met both of them there and booked them on the spot for magazine and video shoots. If you think they are hot in these photos you should see the video I have on them! Hint...... Paradise is a squirter. Another Lumberyard hottie is the girl with all the tattoos on her chest. Another Des Moines girl making one of her many NAP appearances was Jaded Dawn. The guest hostess was some reality show star that Ron Jeremy was trying to fuck. Also helping out in the hostess department was Adara Michaels from Scandalous. There are a bunch of July 2004 updates in the site. This is just photos and video from the beginning of the 6 hour show. So if you like the girls in this one search out the others.
By the middle of the day at Nudes a Poppin, the girls are getting hot, and some of the performers are needing to take about an hour break in the shade... This video shows some of the girls in the crowd (naked hot girls), and some of the performers finishing their routines and then hanging out naked in the pool (pool rules: no clothes allowed)... Nice and chill...
Magazine Photo Shoot From Saturday Show In July 200
The mid 2000's were they heyday of gentlemen's clubs participating at Nudes-a-Poppin. The Lumber Yard in Des Moines and Club Vogue in Columbia would make the 6 to 8 hour treks in tour busses to bring their girls to compete for the trophies and checks. The clubs would usually arrive on Friday afternoon and get the busses hooked up and get the girls settled in. With early registration on Saturday AM closing at noon the afternoon had become an opportunity for the photographers shoot photos of the girls in large groups; smaller groups and one on one. We could always expect 30 girls to be signed up by Saturday. July 2004 had over 50 girls signed, sealed and delivered ready for photos and video shoots. Yahoo! This is going to be great, and it was. The Saturday shoots are always a no pressure girls having fun type of event. And, girls do love to play with other girls. It just gets better and MORE FUN when they are naked. This update has over 400 photos and 22 minutes that will show you just how much fun they had. If you come to Nudes-a-Poppin' make it a two day event because on Saturday you get to watch all this craziness.
Was a beautiful day for the pole competition today! many many many super hot women willing to show their naked bodies for all to enjoy! Here's part 2 of our Saturday coverage... We shot all of this in Super High Resolution 4k video, as well as super clear photos (big camera with big lenses)!
Every year, we have our best filming crew covering the Nudes a Poppin festival for you guys! Here's their first installment from the saturday event this year... It's a long story about why it has taken so long to start posting these 2015 updates... But low and behold, they've arrived and now they're installed in the site! Enjoy!
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Syntax and word order (a)
Miracles of Human Language: An Introduction to Linguistics
Everywhere, every day, everybody uses language. There is no human society, no matter how small or how isolated, which does not employ a language that is rich and diverse. This course introduces you to linguistics, featuring interviews with well-known linguists and with speakers of many different languages. Join us to explore the miracles of human language! The Miracles of Human Language introduces you to the many-faceted study of languages, which has amazed humans since the beginning of history. Together with speakers of many other languages around the world, as well as with famous linguists such as Noam Chomsky and Adele Goldberg, you will learn to understand and analyse how your native tongue is at the same time similar and different from many other languages. You will learn the basic concepts of linguistics, get to know some of the key features of big and small languages and get insight into what linguists do. This course gives an introduction into the study of languages, the field of linguistics. With the support of the basic linguistic terminology that is offered in the course, you will soon be able to comment both on variety between languages, as well as on a single language’s internal structure. Anyone who wishes to understand how languages work, and how they can give us insight into the human mind is very welcome to join. The course is useful if you want to get a fairly quick introduction into linguistics, for instance because you are considering studying it further, or because you are interested in a neighbouring discipline such as psychology, computer science or anthropology. Furthermore, the course will help you develop analytical skills. If you are curious to understand how language works and how it gives insight into the human mind, this course is definitely for you!
Essay Writing, History, English Language, Chinese Language
Excellent! Really enjoyed and learnt a lot. I did not expect such a great content and professionalism in a free course. I am definitely purchasing for the title.\n\nThanks to all the team! Great job!
Some of the material could be a bit more analytical, and there were a few problems with the quiz questions. Other than that, perfect! Great introduction to linguistics. Thank you for your hard work!
The study of words and sentences: Morphology and Syntax
In this module we will discuss words and sentences. All languages have them; but as I will illustrate, they can be organized in very different ways in different languages. I will furthermore demonstrate what cupcakes have in common with words in a sentence. This module's interview is with one of the most cited and re-knowned linguists alive, Prof. Noam Chomsky! Finally, our 6 language informants will provide us with information about the word order in their languages.
Words and sentences3:17
Morphology9:06
Discussion with Marten and Inge: world of words11:46
Syntax and word order (a)8:09
Syntax and word order (b)5:34
Discussion with Marten and Inge: world of word order8:25
Interview with Prof. Noam Chomsky28:21
Marc van Oostendorp
Prof. Dr
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Hi, well, in the previous video we looked at words,
we have seen that these words have some internal structure and
that this can be a source of variation because the way in which languages put
those pieces together can be very different from one language to the next.
Now we move up one level.
And now the words themselves become the pieces of the puzzle.
And we put them into sentences.
Now one unfortunate thing about the human mouth is that we can not produce more than
one word at a time.
I don't think there's anybody who can do that.
A far as I know, there's nobody.
So we have to put them in some order.
You have to say one word after the other.
And it gives another source of variation,
because you can do, obviously do that in different ways.
Let's take a simple sentence.
Let's take an English sentence like, John eats rice.
That has three parts, actually is has three words.
John, eats and rice, but there, they also correspond to
traditional parts of a sentence, a subject, a verb and an object.
John in this sentence is the subject, we're not going to go very deeply into why
that is but some people say it's because the sentence is about John.
Or other people might say,
this is because John is performing the eating action in the sentence.
John is obviously the person who is really eating.
Other people might say, this is because eats has a form which
changes whenever we change John.
If I change John into I, John eats rice, the eats turns into eat, I eat rice.
Now, rice in the sentence is the object and
that's basically because it's not the subject.
It's the other thing, it's the other nominal thing, it's the other thing
describing some kind of entity in the real world and it's clearly not the subject.
For instance,
it doesn't change when we the verb doesn't change when we change rice.
When I change rice into me, you don't say John eat rice.
You still say John eats rice.
And eats in this sentence is the verb.
It's the, the, the thing which changes.
When the subject changes,
it's the thing denoting the action, which is described by this sentence.
Okay, all of these are rough definitions, but they work.
It means, in a simple sentence, like, John eats rice,
we already have three different things.
These three different things we can order in six possible ways.
Do you believe that?
Can you see it?
Well, it's actually true for anything.
So, its not just true for words, but any three things,
which we have to put in some order, we can put in order in six possible ways.
Take, for instance, these cakes which happen to be here in front of me.
I can put them in six different orders very easily.
Count with me, and be quick.
This is one possible order.
This is my second possible order.
This is my third possible order.
This is my fourth possible order.
This is my fifth possible order.
And this is my sixth possible order.
Do you believe it?
Was I too quick?
Well you, this is a video so you can stop it, you can go back and look at it again.
These are six different possible orders and
there is no other order which you can give to these three cakes.
Now, what's true for cakes is also true for words.
I can put them in six possible orders if I have three of them.
If I have three parts of a sentence, I can put them in six different orders, S,
V, O, subject, verb, object can be put in six possible orders.
And what's fun is all of those orders are attested in human languages.
We find some human language which has one of those orders as the basic order.
Here they are.
SVO is easy, that's English.
John eats rice, we've seen that.
So that had the subject in the first position.
The other way to have the subject in the first position is to have, have SOV.
There's quite a lot of languages which have that as well.
Turkish is a big language which has that,
Korean is another big language which has that particular order.
VSO and VOS are the two orders where the verb comes first,
and again we can find them in, in very different kinds of languages.
For instance, VSO we can find in Tagalog, the official language or
one of the official languages of the Philippines.
VOS we can find in Malagasy, a language of Madagascar.
And finally we can put the object first.
And we can get either OSV or OVS.
And Xavante and Hixkaryana,
two Native American languages are examples of such systems.
Now, very often, we will find sentences which are just longer than three words.
For instance, because these three parts of speech, as we all know, themselves,
can have more structure to them.
For instance a subject is not necessarily just John, it can also be a nice man.
Well, that's already three words.
Let's just pick out two of those, nice and man.
Nice we call an adjective in this case, man we call a noun in this case.
Again, we're going, not going to go into the definition of that,
not into the precise definition of that.
But nouns are entities like describe objects in the real world, let's say.
And adjectives describe qualities of those entities.
So, man is something you can touch, it's something which can move around,
and nice is some quality which some man seem to have.
Okay, well those two nice man, nice and man,
we can again put them in two different orders.
Do we need a demonstration of that?
Well, here you are, two different orders.
So nice man is adjective noun or noun adjective, man nice.
Again we find both of them in languages of the world.
Here are two examples.
They're actually nice because they're from the same language family.
They're both Tebetto Berman languages.
On the one hand we have Apatani, which puts the adjective after the noun.
So we say something like dog, small in this language.
And on the other hand, you have Mising, which puts the adjective in front of
the noun, so you say, small village, just would, like you would in English.
So, that's one example of a combination of two words.
Here's another example, prepositions.
Prepositions dis, describe relations, like, in the house,
in is a preposition, it describes a relation of something to that house.
Or with Mary.
With is a preposition.
It describes some kind of relation one might have.
Again the definition is rather rough, but hopefully it works for you.
Now, preposition, the Latin word of that says pre means in front of,
and in English, actually this preposition is in front of the other thing,
in the house, with Mary, okay?
But, obviously, logically speaking you can also put it on the other side.
Are there any languages which do that?
Well, yes there are.
Here are two examples, both of them spoken in Europe.
Polish has prepositions like English.
You say something like on the table.
On before the table.
And Finnish where you say something like, Lisa with.
With after Lisa.
So Polish has prepositions.
And Finnish has both positions.
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bronwyn July 5, 2017
Talking travel, trends and lifestyle with fashion buyer, Robin Stewart
We sat down over some light tapas and a few drinks. I’d been looking forward to our meet because the catch up was long overdue; I had many questions about those Instagram posts of her travels to various countries to do her job: buy denim and bottoms for The Fix in South Africa. I’m incredibly inspired by people who create paths of success through creativity and hard work. I was eager to tell her story: so here it is!
[Sadly, I have to disappoint you as this post contains no trade secrets!]
So what intrigued me?
I’d known Robin for many years and recall her doing an undergraduate degree in, what she reminded me was, Economics at UCT. I know, how does one go from being an Eco student to buying fashion? Like many of us who finished our undergrads uncertain of the next step, she’d attended an open day where internships were available for the The Foschini Group. Postgraduate studies at CPUT to learn the additional skills of her trade lead her down the path to her current career as a fashion buyer.
Was her degree necessary? She says it taught her valuable skills that she uses today. Buying isn’t just about the clothes; the numbers and market-related knowledge that go with it are a big part of her job.
Is it glamorously adventurous? Well, to an extent, yes. But one needs to understand that the travels are work-based and, while she’s able to sight- see, a large part of her touch downs require many hours of hard work.
I don’t know about you, but the decision of what would sell (or not) would overwhelm me! How does one make decisions that grows a particular brand in a competitive way? That’s what makes what she does so special. We have witnessed the notable rebranding that Fashion Express made when becoming The Fix; a transition, undoubtedly, supported by the store’s buyers. I know that it has become one of my favourite, affordable, stores to pop into.
And the lifestyle? It comes with its challenges. My previous blog spoke about the time it takes to commit to weekly posts; one can only imagine the effect that time away from loved ones can have when your job includes monthly travels. But her passion shines through, so the effort to strike a balance is clear.
With a much-desired domain name and an assistant and junior buyer supporting her, Robin has reminded me that there is no age to success; that our goals as career women are lived as soon as we start believing in (and working towards) them. Education is a valuable key, but it is up to the individual to unlock the doors with them. Passion, interest and dedication has opened up a blended world of creativity within business for Robin; I hope that her story inspires others to walk the paths to their career goals, dreams and success.
About further prospects Robin says: ‘I was recently promoted to to senior buyer, and I am currently studying part-time at the graduate school of business at Stellenbosch university.
I really want to complete my MBA and attend denim school in Amsterdam, and then, hopefully, be a girl boss!’
Follow Robin at @thelookbook_byrobin on Instagram to walk her journey.
Simply,
Wait! You didnt think I’d talk to a fashion buyer and not get the latest scoop on trends, did you? Here are the must-haves for this season:
All item are available at The Fix. Follow their page @thefixza on Instagram for a ‘lookbook’ and more.
Fashion buyer, Featured, Travel, Trends, Work
Previous Post A blog about (my) blogging
Next Post Curls and Confidence
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iDirect X7 on Norwegian cruise ship
Friday, 17 January 2014 | Communications & Cyber Security
MTN Communications reports that Norwegian Cruise Line is pioneering use of the iDirect X7 high-performance satellite modem on one of its ships, the Breakaway.
After six months of tests in its Florida lab, MTN installed the X7 on the cruise ship. It says that the modem enables throughput with speeds up to 100 Mbps.
“Norwegian strives to deliver an unparalleled connectivity experience to passengers and crew,” said Vincent Cirel, senior vice president and CIO, Norwegian Cruise Line.
“We are excited to partner with MTN to leverage the industry’s newest technology. We were thrilled to be the test bed for the X7. It has performed extremely well and will be a cornerstone to support the insatiable demand for the high-throughput internet, TV, voice and app services on our ships.”
Dave Bettinger, CTO, iDirect, also commented that “MTN knew it could turn to Norwegian Cruise Line, an early technology adopter, for validation of X7 performance. This leading cruise operator drives some of the most demanding broadband requirements for ships at sea, pushing MTN’s robust network to the limit.”
“The X7 is the most advanced satellite modem we have ever developed. We were very excited to put it to the ultimate test – on a cruise ship with upwards of 6,000 passengers and crew, with thousands of mobile devices.”
Featuring adaptive modulation techniques, the X7 enhances beam switching through faster network acquisition. It is optimised for MTN’s high-throughput multi spotbeam (HTMS) satellite platform, planned to commence in 2015.
“MTN has a proud history of partnering with industry trailblazers that challenge us to push the boundaries in maritime communications,” said Kevin McCarthy, COO, MTN.
“We are excited that Norwegian and iDirect have joined us in this quest. As our MTN Nexus next-generation hybrid communications ecosystem becomes a reality this year, the X7 will play a critical role.”
“We will start deploying X7 modems on many vessels for partners, such as Norwegian, that share our passion for, and commitment to, transforming communications at sea.”
MTN Nexus is a hybrid C-/Ku-band and broadband wireless network.
iDirect
Nisomar and Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings continue partnership into 2019
in Software, Big Data & IoT
Data-driven maritime services company Nisomar has announced its launch services partnership agreement for the 2018-19 cruise season in Chile with Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings.
Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings extends engine optimisation deal
Wärtsilä and US-based cruise operator Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings (NCLH) have signed a renewal of their existing performance-based service agreement, under which Wärtsilä’s range of digital monitoring services will be deployed to ensure that the engines on board 10 NCLH cruise ships run at optimum performance levels.
Norwegian Cruise Line commits 14 ships to Global Eagle connectivity
Global Eagle Entertainment has signed a multi-year strategic partnership agreement with Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings (NCLH) to provide internet and entertainment services across its Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) brand’s fleet of 14 ships.
Latest iDirect modem pushes GX throughput to 330 Mbps
Inmarsat has announced that it has completed tests of iDirect’s next-generation DVB-S2X technology on its Global Xpress (GX) Ka-band satellite network, achieving a forward channel throughput rate of 330 Mbps in over-the-air trials with a live Inmarsat GX satellite in orbit using iDirect’s latest iQ Series modem.
GEE adds new TV channels for Indian and Filipino crew
Global Eagle Entertainment reports that it has expanded its portfolio of live programming delivered by satellite to cruise ships with the addition of new channels for crew members from India and the Philippines.
Brazilian satcom provider agrees Intelsat deal
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December 6, 2012 by luke_richardson
#339: ParaNorman (2012)
Using M. Night Shyamalan’s The Sixth Sense as a launchpad, co-directors Chris Butler (a storyboard artist on The Corpse Bride & Coraline) and Sam Fell (former Aardman director and the writer here) create the first ever zombie movie for kids. A simple story, wrapped up in transgressive characters and painstaking, beautiful stop-motion animation, it’s ghoulish charm sustains long enough for us to skim over the plot and tonal problems.
Norman (voiced by Kodi Smit-McPhee) is not your average school-kid. He doesn’t spend his time outside playing football, nor is he glued to a computer screen. He loves all things horror-filled, from old Frankenstein adaptations on the telly, to John Carpenter’s signature Halloween theme as his mobile’s ringtone. How he acquired such a penchant for the macabre is unknown, but the fact that he sees chatty ghosts roaming the streets surely can’t help.
Ignored by his parents (Jeff Garlin and the ever sultry-sounding Leslie Mann), tormented at home by his older sister Courtney (Anna Kendrick), and at school by impish bully Alvin (Christopher Mintz-Plasse), he prefers to spend time hanging out on his own/in the company of the dead (including his Grandma, voiced by the brilliantly hoarsy Elaine Stritch). But when Norman starts having apocalyptic visions of his town being destroyed by the local folklore, he is in desperate need for someone to talk to. Only two people believe his story, his eccentric, clairvoyant uncle (John Goodman) and the lonesome, equally bullied school-kid Neil (Tucker Albrizzi).
When his old uncle pops his clogs, it’s left to Norman to protect the town from the ancient curse, and the living dead who start to emerge from their graves. Thankfully, he’s not alone, as Courtney, Alvin, Neil and his dimwitted older brother Mitch (Casey Affleck) join him on his Hammer horror quest.
In a year where we’ve seen garish animations such as Madagascar 3 and Ice Age 4, ParaNorman feels like a breath of fresh air. Refreshingly twee and small-scaled, it shares the same passion for horror genre conventions as Henry Selick’s Coraline, The Corpse Bride and The Nightmare Before Christmas). This carries over to the evocative score which laces the film, from ever-reliable composer Jon Brion (whose previous musicianship has perfected films such as Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and Punch-Drunk Love, to name but two).
Whilst it struggles to find it’s footing in the first forty minutes, as soon as the casket is forced open, Butler & Fell run riot with some great, zany sketch pieces and character depth. They cast typically against character, with the once wholesome, girl next doorsy Anna Kendrick voicing Norman’s bitchy older sister Courtney, and SuperBad‘s Christopher “Fogell” Mintz-Plasse as the school bully. Best of all is Casey Affleck as Neil’s older brother Mitch. It’s a hilarious, fantastically subversive character: an openly gay, dumb jock, the likes of which has never been encapsulate in so-called “children’s movies”.
It’s the universally perfect voice cast and stop-motion finesse that carries ParaNorman, averting us from the several plot-holes and heavy-handed ending. It doesn’t have the poise nor grace of a Pixar movie, meaning that the anti-bullying subtext feels aggrandised and the shifts in tone between horror and humour often leave you somewhere sandwiched in-between.
Let’s not be churlish, ParaNorman is a dark-horse success story. A bold feature from the aspiring Laika Studios, it’s an unmatched, intelligent children’s horror film, where gasps of terror will eventually turn into sighs of love.
IMDb / Trailer / WATCH
This entry was posted in ★★★★☆ (4) and tagged Animation, anna kendrick, bernard hill, Casey Affleck, chris butler, christopher mintz-plasse, coraline, elaine stritch, flushed away, frankenstein, frankenweenie, friday the 13th, george romero, grimes, halloween, hammer horror, hotel Transylvania, ice age 4, jack blessing, jeff garlin, jodelle ferland, john carpenter, john goodman, Jon Brion, Kodi Smit-McPhee, laika, laika studios, Leslie Mann, M. Night Shyamalan, madagascar 3, paranorman, pixar, sam fell, stop-motion animation, tempestt bledsoe, the sixth sense, tristan oliver, tucker albrizzi, zombie animation. Bookmark the permalink.
#338: Argo (2012)
#340: Tabu (2012)
2 thoughts on “#339: ParaNorman (2012)”
Pingback: ParaNorman Review: Something for Everyone | Rorschach Reviews
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Puerto Rico governor: Private sector, nonprofits better positioned than government to help with rebuilding
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Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo Rossello said the private sector and nonprofit organizations are better positioned than the government to lead recovery efforts a year after Hurricane Maria ravaged the island.
“We’re trying to make government smoother, faster," Rossello said in an interview with Hill.TV in Puerto Rico that aired Thursday. "But certainly not-for-profits and the private sector are leaner and they can execute quicker. And they can innovate, and we really want to leverage that opportunity.”
Private sector groups are coordinating to find the best ways for the municipal government and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) to use billions of dollars in federal aid.
“We have constant interaction -- you know, government, private sector, NGOs. So the point is here, how do we maximize those synergies? Who should do what?" Roberto Pando, the healthcare industry's representative to the Puerto Rico Business Emergency Operations Center, said during a panel discussion in Puerto Rico on Sept. 6.
The operations center coordinates reconstruction efforts between the government and the private sector.
The rebuilding efforts have included all walks of life in Puerto Rico, with many putting politics aside, according several leaders interviewed by Hill.TV earlier this month.
“Waking up the next morning after the hurricane no matter how wealthy, poor, or what political party you belong to everybody was impacted at some level," said Annie Mayol, president and chief operating officer of Foundation for Puerto Rico. "For the first time I heard people say, 'Let’s put politics aside to rebuild Puerto Rico.”
The private sector and NGOs -- groups such as Foundation for Puerto Rico and Visit Rico -- were on the front lines of reconstruction efforts.
Visit Rico, an organization that works with farmers, raised more than $500,000 dollars for local farmers and organized groups to come in and clear farms of debris and repair infrastructure.
“What we wanted to give back to the farmers was to show them that they are not alone that a lot of people are counting on getting the farms back together, not only locals but also people from abroad,” said Camille Collazo, executive director of Visit Rico.
On the island, many people said their communities had to organize initial relief efforts instead of waiting for on-the-ground assistance from elsewhere.
“We lost many of our budget, almost every budget that we have, in giving all the efforts to buy things for food, water," said Mayita Melendez, the mayor of Ponce. "We were first responders before government, FEMA come help."
— Alison Spann
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The host of prominent left-leaning YouTube series “ContraPoints” expressed doubt on Tuesday over whether the platform will ever be able to effectively address extremist content.
Democratic strategist: 'Very short-sighted' to ditch ObamaCare in favor of 'Medicare for All'
Democratic strategist Kristen Hawn criticized efforts by some members of her party to ditch the Affordable Care Act in favor of a national government-run health care system known as “Medicare for All.”
Berkeley professor warns deepfake technology being 'weaponized' against women
A professor at the University of California, Berkeley on Tuesday warned that deepfake technology is being used to target women and create nonconsensual pornography.
Rising: July 9, 2019
1 week 1 hour ago
Progressive activist praises Harris as 'hardest-hitting' candidate
Progressive activist Scott Dworkin said Monday that he believes Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) has emerged as the “hardest-hitting” presidential candidate.
Anti-Trump group co-founder says potential Amash presidential bid would be 'wasted effort'
An official at one of the largest anti-Trump grassroots organizations in the country is dismissing a potential presidential bid by newly-independent Rep. Justin Amash (Mich.), saying it would be a waste of time and effort.
Ex-federal prosecutor calls Trump's possible executive order on citizenship question 'an idle threat'
Former federal prosecutor Joseph Moreno cast doubt on Monday over whether the citizenship question will ultimately be included on the 2020 census, saying that President Trump’s potential move to invoke an executive order would immediately be challenged in the court.
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Pelosi urges Dems to 'push' health care message day before midterms
By Jessie Hellmann - 11/05/18 03:10 PM EST
© Anna Moneymaker
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi Nancy PelosiNYT's Friedman repeatedly says 's---hole' in tirade against Trump on CNN GOP lawmaker: Trump's tweets 'obviously not racist' On the USMCA, Pelosi can't take yes for an answer MORE (D-Calif.) urged Democrats to hone in on the issue of health care ahead of the midterm elections Tuesday.
"I write to acknowledge the vital role Congressional Democrats played in protecting the Affordable Care Act and exposing the GOP’s monstrous health care agenda – and I urge all of us to continue to push this message in the next 24 hours," Pelosi wrote in a letter to House Democrats.
"Tomorrow, the American people will decide on the fate of our nation and the future of America’s working families. Health care is the key factor in voters’ decisions."
Democratic congressional candidates have zeroed in on health care and protections for people with pre-existing conditions in their campaigns, putting Republicans on the defensive for attempting to repeal ObamaCare.
Democrats argue Republicans want to take away ObamaCare's protections for people with pre-existing conditions.
Those protections ban insurers from denying coverage to people with pre-existing conditions or charging them more.
Polls have shown health care is a top issue for voters, and FiveThirtyEight puts Democrats' chances of winning back the House at 87.5 percent.
"Two years of inside maneuvering and outside mobilization against Trumpcare and the cruel, special interest Republican agenda on Medicare, Medicaid, prescription drugs and protections for people with pre-existing conditions has made victory possible tomorrow," Pelosi wrote.
Republican candidates, especially those in competitive races, have argued they do support protections for people with pre-existing conditions, pointing to the House GOP's ObamaCare repeal and replace plan that passed last year.
That plan would have required insurance companies cover people with pre-existing conditions, but states would have been allowed to eliminate ObamaCare's requirement that insurance companies charge healthy and sick people the same amount for coverage.
Tags Nancy Pelosi Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act ObamaCare Pre-existing conditions Health care
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Steamworld Heist and the Goldilocks Difficulty
By Matt Sayer • February 21st, 2017
Crafting a compelling challenge isn’t easy. It’s not enough to jack up the enemy’s health meter and damage output and call it a day; sure, I’m probably going to die a whole bunch more going up against these buffed enemies, but that doesn’t mean they’re any more challenging. Having to chip away at a boss for ten minutes straight is a test of patience, not a test of skill, and with so many games to play these days, any that don’t respect my time are going to get the flick.
Recently, I’ve found myself steering clear of more and more ‘difficult’ games for this very reason. I’ve dropped games like Ori and the Blind Forest, where trial-and-error is the only way to progress; Alien: Isolation, where the alien magically knows where you are at all times and Let it Die, where the free-to-play grind demands hours upon hours of dedication that can be stolen away from you by other players when you’re not even playing. I’m not averse to the odd Souls game, since they can always be defeated with cautious, observant play, and I was even looking forward to the release of Nioh, the Samurai-influenced Souls-like with faster, more responsive combat–until, that is, I found out how grueling its boss battles were.
This cheap approach to difficulty points to a bigger problem with the game industry’s priorities. For as much as games tout their breath-taking graphics and their enormous open worlds, enemy AI remains as primitive as ever. Rather than tactics and strategy, virtual foes rely on strength in numbers, often abusing their infinite respawns to punish you for taking your time and force you to charge recklessly forward whether you want to or not. ‘Smart’ enemies are really just cheating, leveraging their Borg-esque omniscience to track you through solid walls and communicate telepathically with each other across impossible distances. In essence, the enemy is no longer playing by the same rules you have to, and that sucks.
Thankfully, not all games are so cheap when it comes to delivering a challenge. I just finished Steamworld Heist, a 2D turn-based strategy game that nails the Goldilocks balance of difficulty: not too hard, but not too soft, either. What sets it apart from so many of its contemporaries is its unflinching focus on skill and strategy over repetition and luck. Unlike many turn-based games, combat isn’t based on dice rolls. You attack by manually lining up and firing your gun, and if you miss your target, you only have yourself to blame; there are no frustrating 90% hit-chance failures here. Nor are there any invisible traps, wonky physics engines, network disconnections, or anything else that can cause you to instantly fail a mission through no fault of your own.
Instead, the challenge comes from the relative fragility of your squad of Steambots. It only takes a few well-placed shots to turn one of your bots into scrap, but the same goes for the enemy. Coupled with the fact that enemies can miss, fall for your ambushes, and even accidentally shoot each other, every encounter feels tense but never overwhelming. So long as you coordinate your team’s movements and make ample use of cover, victory will be yours.
‘Tough but fair’ is a fine line to walk, but Steamworld Heist strides it without so much as a squeaky joint. I only wish more games were as smart with their challenge instead of relying on lazy number inflation and AI omniscience. ‘Difficult’ shouldn’t be shorthand for ‘I want to throw my controller at the screen.’
AI, challenge, Cheating, Difficulty, fair, Steamworld Heist
Commentary, Games
Cheating My Way to the Super Bowl: The Joy of Exploiting Sports Games The Time a Child Made Me Contemplate Suicide Over Xbox Live Eat a Videogame Olive Wins of Omission
When Narrative Plays Second Fiddle
On Preconceived Notions
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HomePosts tagged 'bachelorette'
The Marketing of Beyonce and the Bachelorette
June 10, 2015 June 18, 2015 VeilTailDigitalLady Dynamic Marketing Blog bachelor, bachelorette, beyhive, consumers, marketing, products, retail, social media, television, women
As someone who works in marketing and digital/social world, my view of pop-culture is very analytical. The new season of The Bachelorette (BacheloretteABC) and Beyonce’s upset (Twitter @TheBeyHiveTeam) Beyhive has inspired me to blog. Both of these pop-culture phenomenons share a few similar elements worth exploring.
1) Primarily female fan base
Both shows have primarily female bases that are passionate advocates and ambassador for these two brands. Women, it is well known are obtaining both post secondary degrees as well as the accompanying salaries to facilitate a growing purchasing power. Most big household purchases are made by women, so you want to get in front of this powerful consumer group with both buying power and disposable income.
2) Drama and romance
The public loves drama and romance. Beyonce and Jay-Z as a couple are the pop culture embodiment of the power couple along with the occasional Solange elevator drama. Beyonce leverages that drama for album releases or for their On the Run tour. Similarly, the Bachelorette packs a room full of the nation’s sexiest fitness instructors along with lots of alcohol as a recipe that attracts millions of viewers. The premise of the Bachelorette is to find “everlasting love” for the contestants that has yet to be determined. For those of you who watched the Lifetime show Unreal will get that reference. Smile.
3) Consumer Behavior and social media
The offline world is very similar to the online word because people seek communities to connect with. Both Bey and Bachelorette provide that to the public. Several of the contestants on the Bachelorette were many times fans of the show. Beyonce has created a passionate engaged fan base on social media called the Beyhive. This Beyhive was so engaged that they woke up early for the launch of her new food product line. Bachelorette fans complained loud and passionately about slut shaming during the current season. Feedback from this highly engaged fan base has created a bi-directional communication between the brand and the community.
FYI, Ladies you can follow all those sexy bachelors on social media or LinkedIn.
4) Consumer engagement
Beyonce is the best example of this with millions of fans on various social media channels. As I mentioned before millions of fans woke early for her “special announcement”. She gives the fans that up close and personal connection that keeps them coming back for more via social media. A change in her hair color can blow up twitter. Bachelorette still has an engaged real time audience when other content creators struggles to get eyeballs in Hulu/DVR/Netflix age.
5) Revenue
Here is the bottom-line. Beyonce nor The Bachelorette franchise would spend all this time and energy, if revenue was not being generated. Both are bankable brands that are delivering via fans and in dollars. Beyonce was able to sell an album straight to iTunes. She gets it that girls rule the world!!
How do you feel about these brands and their connection with their consumers/audience?
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Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and Jason Statham's Beverly Hills home is what dreams are made of
April 26, 2018 by HOLA! USA
Rosie Huntington-Whiteley opened up her and Jason Statham’s beautiful Beverly Hills home to Vogue for the latest installment of the 73 Questions series. The supermodel, who filmed the short on her birthday, April 18, was relaxed in a white t-shirt, black pants and minimal makeup as she stood barefoot in the entrance of her home – which is lined with pink roses. During the video, the 31-year-old U.K. native opened up about the best part of living in the 90201 naming: “The sunshine and the easy L.A. lifestyle.”
Rosie opened her and Jason's home up for the Vogue 73 Questions series Photo: YouTube/Vogue
MORE: Rosie and Jason welcome their first child
After living in the United States for seven years, the model noted that her favorite spot is “the beach” and her favorite place to grab a cocktail is “Nobu Malibu at sunset.” When asked if she still lives in the U.K., Jason Statham’s fiancée responded, “In my heart.” In another portion of the series, Rosie showed off the couple’s sitting room, which features minimalist décor set to a backdrop of large picturesque windows that give viewers a glimpse of the backyard. When asked about her favorite scent the Transformers star replied, “My baby,” making reference to her and Jason’s ten-month-old son Jack.
The model and her fiancé have lived in the Beverly Hills home since 2015 Photo: YouTube/Vogue
CELEBRITY HOMES: INSIDE BEN AFFLECK'S $19 MILLION PAD
In true British fashion, Rosie treated her guest to a cup of tea and showed off her open concept kitchen. Rosie then moved the interview to her backyard, which is furnished with a light wooden table and matching patio furniture. Rosie and Jason purchased the $12.3 million home in 2015. In addition to the beautiful rooms the former Victoria’s Secret model showed off during the video, the house includes five bedrooms, eight bathrooms spread throughout 5,600 square feet.
SEE ROSIE'S HOME IN THE VIDEO BELOW
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Download Book Race Car Design in PDF format. You can Read Online Race Car Design here in PDF, EPUB, Mobi or Docx formats
Race Car Design
Author: Derek Seward
Category: Technology & Engineering
Based on the principles of engineering science, physics and mathematics, but assuming only an elementary understanding of these, Race Car Design masterfully explains the theory and practice of the subject. Bringing together key topics, including the chassis frame, tyres, suspension, steering and brakes, this is the first text to cover all the essential elements of race car design in one student-friendly textbook. Race Car Design: - Features a wealth of illustrations, including a full-colour plate section - Demonstrates the important role of computer tools - Uses dozens of clear examples and calculations to illustrate both theory and practical applications - Is written by an experienced author, known for his engaging and accessible style This book is an ideal accompaniment for motorsport engineering students and is the best possible resource for those involved in Formula Student/FSAE. It is also a valuable guide for practising car designers and enthusiasts.
The Art of Race Car Design
Author: Bob Riley,Jonathan Ingram
Publisher: Icon Publishing Limited
After building his first race cars out of southern Louisiana junkyards, Bob Riley quickly established himself as a leading light, if not genius, when it came to race car design. His first major suspension design helped Henry Ford II make good on his vendetta to beat Enzo Ferrari at Le Mans. Riley's first radical Indy car designs with its ingenious center hub mounted suspension resulted in A.J. Foyt's landmark fourth victory at the Indianapolis 500 in 1977. Since then, Riley has continued to be at the heart of the world of motorsports, working with its most famous drivers at the biggest events, including the Daytona 500, where his engineering helped Dale Earnhardt finally win NASCAR's marquee event. Americans love the "genius" angle like everyone else. They love winners. Sports stars are overtaking Hollywood these days in popularity. Racing readers are a small but predictable group and suspect the generation familiar with Bob's exploits at Indy would be keen on a book like this. They're the same age group pumping up the vintage magazine market and the collectible car market.
Designing a Racecar
Author: Aaron Millar
Publisher: Cricket Media
Before the race even begins, engineers and designers have already been hard at work testing each and every part of a racecar.
The Race Car Chassis HP1540
Design, Structures and Materials for Road, Drag and Circle Track Open- andClosed -Wheel Chassis
Author: Forbes Aird
Publisher: Penguin
This invaluable handbook on the structural design and science behind the race car chassis includes sections on materials and structures, structural loads, a brief overview of suspension and chassis design, multi-tube and space frame chassis, joining ferrous metals, stressed skin construction, and joining light alloys.
Stock Car Setup Secrets
Advanced Chassis and Suspension Technology for Asphalt and Dirt Circle Track Racing
Author: Bob Bolles,R. C. Bolles
Now you can have the chassis and suspension technology that is winning races right now. The information in this book is currently being used by top teams in touring late models, all modified divisions, stock clip late models, mini cars, road racing sedans and all other types of stock cars to setup their cars for asphalt and dirt track racing.
The Automobile in American History and Culture
A Reference Guide
Author: Michael L. Berger
Publisher: Greenwood Publishing Group
Presents a collection of bibliographic essays that describe the history, culture, and impact of the automobile and automobile industry in the United States.
Advanced Race Car Chassis Technology HP1562
Winning Chassis Design and Setup for Circle Track and Road Race Cars
Author: Bob Bolles
Updated with nearly 60 percent new material on the latest racing technology, this book details how to design, build, and setup the chassis and suspension for road race and stock cars. Includes chassis dynamics, spring and shock theory, front and rear suspension geometry, real world racing aerodynamics, steering systems, racing chassis software and all you need to know to set you chassis up to win races.
Stock Car Race Shop : Design and Construction of a NASCAR Stock Car
Author: William Burt
The Science of Car Racing
Author: Karen Latchana Kenney
Publisher: Capstone
"Describes the science concepts involved in several types of car racing"--
Cutting Edge Conversations
Aston Martin's Celebrated Chief Race Car Design Engineer
Author: EJ 'Ted' Cutting,Stuart Bailey
Publisher: Andrews UK Limited
EJ ‘Ted’ Cutting was not only Aston Martin’s most successful Chief Race Car Design Engineer, but was also an innovator with influential force on the worldwide automotive industry. Originating from a limited edition hardback version, this eBook was produced in celebration of the 60th anniversary of Aston Martin winning the World Sports Car Championship for Britain with the all-conquering DBR1 designed, engineered and created by Ted himself. Rather than a traditional biography of his life, Ted wanted his book to be rather less scripted and informal; it was therefore initially adapted from a number of recorded conversations between himself and Aston Martin Heritage Trust members Stuart Bailey and Brian Joscelyne - the title being an obvious choice considering this! In addition to the in-depth telling of a legendary period in British motorsport by a man at the centre of it all, the book also sees Ted clarify a number of details which have in the past been incorrectly reported. Unusually it also contains all his published documents and access to a 90 minute video of his unique lecture on ‘Racing Astons’ to further endorse his story. Although the original hardback edition of this book was produced only in a limited run, Ted’s wish was to make the complete book available to a much wider audience, now possible through the internet; as an engineer always working at the cutting edge of technology, he would appreciate the benefits of information sharing in the digital age. As well as being of interest to fans of Aston Martin and of motorsports in general, the book is a compelling read for any student of automotive design and engineering; after all, progress is about standing on the shoulders of giants - and in the field of race car design, few individuals ever reach the colossal heights achieved by Ted Cutting.
The Taming of the Samurai: Honorific Individualism and the Making of Modern Japan
Public Policy of Crime and Criminal Justice (2nd Edition)
Matroid Theory (Dover Books on Mathematics)
In His Silks (Restrained Book 1)
An Introduction to Twistor Theory (London Mathematical Society Student Texts)
Participatory Politics and Citizen Journalism in a Networked Africa: A Connected Continent
101 Coaching Strategies and Techniques (Essential Coaching Skills and Knowledge)
The Greater Belleville, Saint Clair County, Illinois: Illustrated Sequel to Belleville, Illinois, Illustrated (Classic Reprint)
The Hidden Ivies 3rd Edition: 63 of America's Top Liberal Arts Colleges and Universities (Greene's Guides)
The Coming of the Third Reich: How the Nazis Destroyed Democracy and Seized Power in Germany
Winning at Deposition: (Winner of ACLEA's Highest Award for Professional Excellence)
Database Systems: Design, Implementation, and Management (with Premium WebSite Printed Access Card and Essential Textbook Resources Printed Access Card)
Grid Systems in Graphic Design: A Visual Communication Manual for Graphic Designers Typographers and Three Dimensional Designers: A Handbook for ... Typographers and Exhibition Designers
Cuckold 10 Story Bundle: Ten Cuckold Stories Box Set
Buyer II(Passbooks)
Echoes in Death: 44
The Fountas Pinnell Literacy Continuum, Expanded Edition: A Tool for Assessment, Planning, and Teaching, PreK-8
501 Excuses for a Bad Golf Shot (501 Excuses)
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NCLEX-PN Flashcard Book (Nursing Test Prep)
Britain's Holiest Places
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Allen Carr's Easy Way to Stop Smoking: Revised Edition
John Dies at the End
Raptors: Portraits of Birds of Prey
Classic Landforms of the Lake District (Classic Landform Guides)
Tradition of the Law and Law of the Tradition: Law State and Social Control in China: Law State and Social Control in China (Contributions in Criminology and Penology)
To Engineer Is Human: The Role of Failure in Successful Design
Black and Asian Athletes in British Sport and Society: A Sporting Chance?
An Atlas of Interpretative Radiographic Anatomy of the Dog and Cat
Microsoft Word 2013 Introduction Quick Reference Guide (Cheat Sheet of Instructions, Tips Shortcuts - Laminated Card)
Star Wars Crochet Pack
The Gulf Stream: Tiny Plankton Giant Bluefin and the Amazing Story of the Powerful River in the Atlantic
Byzantium: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions)
An Appeal to Reason: A Cool Look at Global Warming
Finn Family Moomintroll: Special Collectors' Edition (Moomins)
This Noble Land: My Vision for America
Essentials of Abnormal Psychology
The Western Medical Tradition: 800 BC to AD 1800: 800 BC-1800 AD
Data Smart: Using Data Science to Transform Information Into Insight
The Heart of Yoga: Developing a Personal Practice
Agile Software Development with Scrum (Series in Agile Software Development)
Facebook Marketing All-in-One For Dummies
Cognitive Assessment for Clinicians
Biology of Disease 2e
The Babylonian Theory of the Planets (Princeton Legacy Library)
Portrait of an Age (Phoenix Press)
A Different Kind of Life
Legal Traditions of the World: Sustainable Diversity in Law
Dead Water (Shetland Book 5)
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How I Met Your Mother Mystery Deepens: Is Robin Marrying A Cylon?
By Michael Ausiello / March 24 2011, 11:46 AM PDT
That noise you hear is the sound of How I Met Your Mother‘s marital mystery plot thickening.
A spokesperson for the CBS comedy confirms that ex-Battlestar Galactica toaster Michael Trucco will guest star in the April 18 episode as Robin’s longtime crush.
The news, first reported by TV Guide magazine, adds another possible couple combination to the sitcom’s season-long wedding conundrum — or does it? As of now, Trucco isn’t slated to appear in any additional episodes beyond the one on April 18 — and that includes the May 16 season finale when the bride and groom are slated to be unmasked.
Casting further doubt on the Robin/Crush knot-tying argument is the fact that Trucco is currently a series regular on the USA drama Fairly Legal.
A much likelier scenario — next to the ever-popular Robin/Barney theory, natch — has Barney walking down the aisle with new crush Nora. Unlike Trucco, Nazanin Boniadi is slated to appear in the May 16 finale.
Which duo do you think HIMYM will marry off at season’s end? Cast your vote in the comments section below!
TAGS: CBS, How I Met Your Mother, Michael Trucco
GET MORE: Casting News, Previews, Spoilers
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American Idol Recap: Filet of Solo
By Michael Slezak / February 12 2015, 6:49 PM PDT
Blood flowed like it was spilling forth from The Shining‘s elevator doors on Thursday night’s installment of American Idol — except there was no need to cover your eyes in horror.
The carnage, as it turns out, was mostly self-induced. “Big Ron” Wilson threw shade at band leader Rickey Minor like he’d bumped his head and woke up channeling Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson in Dreamgirls. That bespectacled chick with the purple hair garbled her words and then went the “America’s the one who lost out!” route after she got sent to the guillotine.
And Carlos Santana’s nephew — while clearly talented — got his come-uppance for bitchily declaring his “Free Fallin'” cover had somehow attained the peak of originality by not sounding like “another blonde girl from Nashville.” (Dude, why don’t you Google Janelle Arthur — and then show some respect for those who paved the way for your own Idol journey, mmmkay?)
But before you begin to wonder “Why’s this recap starting off so cantankerous?!” — FYI, #IWokeUpLikeThis — let me switch gears. The Final Solos round of Season 14 Hollywood Week actually gave the Idoloonie Nation more cause for celebration.
You like White Guys With Guitars? (Not that there’s anything wrong with it.) Season 14 has got ya covered. You dig soulful, fashion-forward fellas? Step up — because there are multiple options. There are also squeezable teen moppets, ethereal divas (with super sexy dads), country chicks, soul sisters and grown-ass men who make J.Lo re-enact facial expressions from The Boy Next Door. And I’m sure I’m missing at least a half-dozen other boxes into which the Season 14 hopefuls would prefer not to be contained.
Sure, the judges could ruin everything next week when they narrow the field from 48 down to 24 — as is often their speciality — but for now, optimism reigns in The House That Launched the Stars of Faking It and Scorpion. (Except for the part where Jess Lamb got cut SANS EXPLANATION!)
So on that note, let me cut straight to the chase and list the eight best things that happened on tonight’s installment of Idol (leaving plenty of room for you to disagree down in the comments):
10. Riley Bria’s “Somewhere in My Car”
9. Loren Lott’s “Skyfall”
8. Mark Andrew’s “Skinny Love”
7. Maddie Walker’s “Don’t Ya”
6. Tyanna Jones’ “Try”
5. Rayvon Owen’s “Try a Little Tenderness”
4. Clark Beckham’s “Try a Little Tenderness”
3. Jax’s “Let It Be”
2. Nick Fradiani’s “Babylon”
1. Quentin Alexander’s “Riptide”
Thanks to HTGAWM recap duty, I didn’t have time to give full performance reviews — I’ll do that on next Monday’s Reality Check. So until then, I pass the mic to you. What did you think of this Thursday’s Idol? Who were your faves? Who’d have gotten your “veto”? Sound off in the comments!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z86o1NEvYFM
TAGS: American Idol, Fox
GET MORE: American Idol, Reality TV, Recaps
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Unplugged Performance To Debut at SEMA With Goal of Becoming The “AMG of Tesla”
Model SPerformanceSEMAUnplugged Performance
In the world of custom-built cars and performance tweaking, it’s impossible to mention german brand Mercedes-Benz without also mentioning AMG, the prestigious tuning house that has turned out some really beautiful and stunning one-off cars, as well as high-end production versions of everyday models.
The SEMA-prepared Model S from Unplugged Performance aims to set the brand up as the AMG of Tesla
A little-known company from Hawthorne California seeks to reproduce the relationship between AMG and Mercedes-Benz by becoming the go-to tuning house for all things Tesla. What’s more, Unplugged Performance is heading to the world-famous 2014 Speciality Equipment Market Association (SEMA) show this week with its all-new Tesla Model S, complete with redesigned front fascia and tailgate package, BBS-branded 21 inch custom wheels, and of course, a completely re-trimmed interior.
The company, which has a lofty goal of becoming the “AMG of Tesla” is sure to emphasise its hard work put into its SEMA show car in its official press release. Aside from the specially redesigned nose cone — something Unplugged Performance will sell you as part of a $4,995+ ‘front fascia kit’ for your own car — the entire interior has been trimmed in Alcantara trim with custom stitching, while custom floor mats made from Rolls Royce carpet and Ferrari leather detailing finishes the look.
While there’s no change on the vehicle’s drivetrain, Unplugged Performance says the show car is fitted with custom prototype suspension components and its own uprated sports brakes, something it says will improve driving dynamics. It also claims the various updated body panels helps aerodynamics, although it isn’t clear if this refers to improving energy efficiency, or track-day grip. Given its aggressive looks and performance-oriented design, we’d assume the latter.
At the moment, Unplugged Performance is just one year old, having officially unveiled its first Tesla product back in spring this year. But, says co-founder Ben Schaffer, the company is hopeful that it is building products that would be suitable for any Tesla store.
“In current form the vehicle illustrates a direction of things to come from Unplugged,” he said in an official press release. “We created this car to shatter any preconceived notions of what a Model S should look like or feel like.”
“We set out to take the high performance nature of the Model S and to elevate it to something much more special,” he continued. “We feel it is important to enhance the already great DNA that resides within every Tesla and so we work with it rather than try to change the car’s already great character. As Unplugged continues its journey towards becoming the ‘AMG of Tesla’, this vehicle is an important step towards a complete car that we feel would be suitable for Tesla showrooms.”
Interestingly, Unplugged Performance claims itself to be the first tuning house in the world exclusively focused on Tesla vehicles, but it’s worth noting that its SEMA car is by far the first customized Tesla Model S we’ve seen, with plenty of other contenders already established and in the marketplace.
Ultimately, that’s the biggest challenge for Unplugged Performance. With so many tuning houses already offering body kits and aftermarket mods for the Tesla Model S, its lofty goals are going to be particularly tough to achieve, especially with powerhouses like Saleen already building and selling performance-built Model S cars.
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My fans
Trial by Jeory
Watching the world of east London politics
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Lutfur Rahman: Abbas wields the knife
September 21, 2010 by trialbyjeory
Well, that’ll teach me to go to the gym: while I’d shut myself away for a couple of hours, Labour’s NEC was doing its own bit of exercise in power.
Apologies if credit is due elsewhere, but I think [UPDATED Weds, Sep 22]Operation Black Vote broke the story that Lutfur Rahman has been suspended as Labour’s candidate for the elected mayor of Tower Hamlets.
Here’s the press release from Labour HQ:
NEWS FROM LONDON LABOUR PARTY
Following a meeting of the Labour Party’s National Executive Committee today, a spokesperson said:
“Having received a number of serious allegations concerning both the eligibility of participating voters and the conduct of Lutfur Rahman, the NEC has decided to investigate the allegations made.
“As a result, administrative action has been taken to remove Lutfur Rahman as a candidate pending the investigation. Nominations for Tower Hamlets mayor close this week and in the circumstances the NEC had no option but to impose another candidate.
“The NEC has voted to select Helal Abbas Uddin as Labour’s candidate.”
Nominations for candidates for mayor close at noon on Friday, which leaves less than 72 hours for further developments. And there will be.
Here’s what has happened. The London Labour party recently received a lawyer’s letter on behalf of one of the losing candidates containing what a Labour source told me was a “lengthy and detailed” list of allegations about the eligibility of party members who voted for Lutfur in the selection process. I understand that one of the question marks is over a family member of Lutfur’s.
Contributions to that dossier were made by a number of the losing candidates. I can also reveal that the lawyer who presented the dossier was instructed by none other than Helal Abbas, the current council leader and the man that the party has now imposed as its candidate.
You’ll recall that Lutfur’s winning margin in the vote earlier this month was massive. In his winning fifth round, he had a margin of 182 over the second placed candidate, John Biggs. For ease of reference, that fifth round result was: Lutfur 433, Biggs 251, Abbas 157. Some of the losing candidates quite frankly did not believe the result and suspected foul play.
So how big “lengthy” exactly was the list in the Abbas dossier? According to my source, “more than 100 voters”. Which is indeed big.
The NEC considered two main things this morning:
1. The dossier and the propriety of Lutfur’s win.
2. Lutfur’s record as council leader from 2008-2010: according to one well placed source, “there were worries about the friends he kept”.
These are incredibly serious allegations and two things are highly likely (and fully expected by Labour HQ):
1. Lutfur will be consulting his lawyers right now. There is a strong chance that this will go to the High Court again.
2. If Lutfur is not a candidate he repeatedly describes as “the great Labour party”, he will run as an independent…or even Respect.
UPDATE – 6pm, Tuesday
Cllr Helal Abbas is not wasting anytime getting his new campaign into gear. He has sent this text to party members this afternoon. He’s holding a rally at 7pm tonight. Wonder if Lutfur will be going.
Dear comrades, we are inviting you to the Tower Hamlets Mayoral Campaigns meeting today the 21st Sept 2010, 7 pm @ Labour party rooms, 349 cambridge heath road, london E2. With very best regardr, Cllr Helal Abbas, Leader of the Concil
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on September 21, 2010 at 5:45 pm lesney factory
Why did the third placed candidate get picked instead? Who decided?
on September 21, 2010 at 5:51 pm trialbyjeory
According to senior Labour source, NEC wanted to avoid accusations of racism. The other main contenders are actually relaxed about the decision.
on September 21, 2010 at 5:55 pm Sy
For the very obvious reason that he’s white and choosing him would’ve left an open goal for Rahman and friends to scream about Islamophobia. It’s bad luck on Bigga but so it goes.
Hm, typo, meant Biggs obviously.
on September 21, 2010 at 6:37 pm Lutfur Rahman dropped from Mayors race pending Police Investigation « Tower Hamlets Watch
[…] Heres Teds piece; Lutfur Rahman: Abbas wields the knife […]
on September 21, 2010 at 8:42 pm Jayson
OMG I am shocked. Shame on the Labour Party – just goes to show that democracy is just a loose word. Lufur should definitely stand as an Independent (no one knows who Abbas is, other than his paid suporters of course) and do a Ken Livingston. I’ll certainly register a protest vote.
…and just another thought: we go around trying to export democracy to other countries and look whats happening in our own back yard.
Shame on you Labour. Shame on you. This is nothing but a victory for racism and bigotry.
on September 21, 2010 at 11:48 pm Stuart Madewell
You obviously understand what’s going on here. Abbas and his mates got the NEC to back him depite the ballot by quwestioning the legitimacy of the vote. Abbas has form in this regard, as he has challenged selections in the past. Many of his alllies are up to their neck in electoral malpractice. Bill Turner’s name has come up regularly. He supported Shiria Khatun in the selection. There are unresolved questions about voters in her house during the locval elections.
None of this is new. Packing membership of the Labour Party goes back decades. The Bengalis are simply learning the tricks that Irish and Jewish Labour activists practicised in the past.
The problem for the old style ‘machine politicians’ like Abbas and Michael is that they can never hold onto their popularity for ever. Their electoral appeal fades when people learn of their misdeeds. Then they loose support and claim thie opponents are using the same tricks they have always used.
What’s happened this time is that they have very powerful allies amongst the leadership contenders.
The real story you should be following is why Rushnara objected to Lutfur and what more is involved in that. If your half the journalist you claim to be you’ll follow that story and find a surprising answer.
Clue: who’s working on EdM campaign?
on September 22, 2010 at 12:57 am Taj Miah
A major point that everyone seems to have missed out is that if there was membership irregularities for which reason Abbas has now been imposed (which there was as everyone knew about those irregularities as THH has been in special measures for the last 10 years), all the candidates participated in this process knowing that and the Labour Party facilitated it, they have to accept the result as they entered that election knowing the flaws.
As mentioned TH labour party has been in special measures for 10+ years due to its membership issues and for the last 3 local elections they imposed all the candidates from London Labour Party. Labour NEC knew this about the membership, thus they should let the results stand.
If they don’t then it clearly shows that the NEC are acting as dictators who didn’t get the result that they wanted and are now using the membership flaws as a way of imposing their choice of candidate.
All of this makes a mockery of the democracy that we seem so proud of that we kill thousands of innocents across the world so we can export this democracy to them.
No new information has come out for them to take the action that they have and effectively dismiss the election result and impose a candidate.
on September 22, 2010 at 1:03 am islander
I don’t know Stuart who’s working on EM’s campaign
on September 22, 2010 at 3:33 am Junko
TH Campaign officer secretary ec member on here gossiping what disgrace. You bring shame on the party and your office resign.
on September 22, 2010 at 9:48 am scandalmonger
I would have thought the fair and open thing to do would have been, if there are allegations against a candidate, to put them to him in an open investigation and give him a chance to respond to the allegations.
If the NEC really did consider “Lutfur’s record as council leader from 2008-2010: according to one well placed source, “there were worries about the friends he kept”.” then that is outrageously anti-democratic. The NEC should not be interfering in members’ decisions, whatever they think of them, unless there is some genuine procedural reason (proven, not based on gossip).
on September 22, 2010 at 10:55 am The EastEnders scriptwriters couldn't make it up
Problem is there is no time to put anyone through an open investigation, give them a chance to respond to allegations and decide whether to keep them as candidate or select/impose somebody else instead. The actual election is on 21st October – a month away.
And that is part of the problem – there seem to be an underlying assumption that the mayoralty is Labour’s (possibly with Respect) and the election is a beauty pageant of individuals.
We’re still fighting about the selection contest at a time when we should be fighting an election contest against at least two other parties, trying to convince the local undecided population why they should vote Labour rather than trying to persuade the local Labour members why they should support either Lutfur or Helal.
on September 22, 2010 at 10:08 am thelocalgovernmentofficer
What does it take to get a comment approved on the OBV blog? Why are they so upset at one BME candidate being replaced by another? I have commented on the importance of the national parties making a stand against extremist entryism in local government, but a day later, my comment is still in moderation.
on September 22, 2010 at 11:04 am scandalmonger
Are you alleging that Lutfur Rahman is an extremist entryist?
Got any evidence?
PS links to Andrew Gilligan’s paranoid nonsense doesn’t count.
PPS mind the libel laws.
on September 22, 2010 at 1:50 pm thelocalgovernmentofficer
Did I allege that? I think the evidence from some of those supporting, and their wider attitude to Labour, is strong, and Respect’s actions speak volumes. I’m not one-sided on this issue – if the BNP stood aside because they thought the Conservative candidate was a sound chap, that would be cause for concern too.
on September 22, 2010 at 3:18 pm scandalmonger
Oh I see, you must have been referring to one of the other candidates with your reference to “the importance of the national parties making a stand against extremist entryism in local government”. I’m sure you can pardon me for leaping to the wrong conclusion.
on September 22, 2010 at 5:35 pm Lutfur: the Miliband connection? « Trial By Jeory
[…] the Miliband connection? Labour party activist Stuart Madewell last night made the following cryptic comment on this blog: […]
on September 23, 2010 at 11:33 am Cllr. Shahed Ali
I absolutely believe that the democratic right of labour party members (this excludes Respect candidates, activists, and members)to select candidates is imperative, and that is why I believe that this course of un-desirable action by the NEC is neccessary upon this occassion, and infact has been long overdue during this mayoral candidate selection process.
The membership of the Labour party should not be open to abuse by the process of ‘farmed members’as I posted on my facebook account on 4 September. Everyone who now makes claims of injusticecs and abuse of democracy should perhaps also take a very close look at the hoards of people who were drafted to Labour CLP HQ on 4 September, and did’nt have a clue where the door was simply because they had never taken any active interest in party politics. We hardly manage to get branch meetings in my ward of Whitechapel Quorate yet, when it comes to the AGM to elect officers, we cannot accommodate the turnout in the room. officers are elected, and then we never see them again until the following AGM – that is the real situation with membership at the moment, and it is nor fair upon genuine members to have to feel demoralised as a result.
The fact that the group of people who call themselves Respect who simply fronted the initial referendum to change to a directly elected mayor could not even identify a candidate from their own party is bonkers. Their devine support for Lutfur Rahman for Mayor further demonstrates why the NEC should have concerns of the direction BG&B constituency is directing towards. Having had a spell in Respect myself, I think it is right for me to state that I know how many of their people operate, and also how many of our Labour councillors and members colluded with Respect in an attempt to oust councillors that did not support Lutfur Rahman in his group leadership contest of 2008. I felt the brunt of this first-hand in my ward of Whitechapel where fortunately, I was born and brought up and happen to have many people who naturally have grown up with me and been involved in community camapaigns along with myself in excess of two decades. I also know that persons who were not genuine in their support of Rushanara Ali, but then were the first to appear at her get-together in congratulating her victory – yes, the very people that campaigned and voted against her!
Cllr. Helal Abbas has always been a Labour man. His track record as a successful leader speaks for itself having been elected leader of the council six times. He has never colluded with Respect against Labour party candidates in the May elections unlike others. His leadership is inclusive of all our diverse communities, truly regardless of race and religion and therefore, it is only right that such a person represents a multi-cultural, multi-faith borough such as Tower Hamlets. We need to all now ensure we come out, campaign and vote to ensure we elect a Labour Mayor. This will also hopefully be the real and true end of Respect, putting their remnants far out into the ocean.
Lutfur Rahman should now accept that the membership which was not fit for purpose to select its own council candidates only in February this year, cannot possibly be fit for purpose to select its mayoral candidate. I hope that he will now realise that the businessmen who proudly have claimed to fund his selection process starting with the ‘Mayor for Tower Hamlets’ campaign to ‘Lutfur for Mayor’ campaign have failed in their duty to adhere to electoral expenses. I sincerely hope that Lutfur Rahman will demonstrate now that he has always truly meant the words he always spoke of ‘this great Labour party’ that he proudly serves.
My god, what a load of guff.
Re your first point, I’m going to break something to you very gently. Most Labour Party members across the country (indeed maybe Tories and others too) are not active on a month-to-month basis. If they turn up at all, it’s for the AGM and for MP selections. This is true in all CLPs, and does not indicate ‘farmed members;’.
Second point “how many of our Labour councillors and members colluded with Respect in an attempt to oust councillors that did not support Lutfur Rahman in his group leadership contest of 2008”. Name names. Put up or shut up. There’s been enough whispering and groundless accusations already.
the membership which was not fit for purpose to select its own council candidates only in February this year, cannot possibly be fit for purpose to select its mayoral candidate
= “I don’t trust the members”. Just be honest about it.
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Of course, 3 weeks after John Ware’s Panorama on Lutfur Rahman, which triggered a govt investigation, Seumas Milne… twitter.com/i/web/status/1… 4 days ago
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Trike Daily MindfulnessMeditation & Practice
Meditating with Officers on Rikers Island, New York City’s Notorious Jail Complex
Justin von Bujdoss, a Tibetan Buddhist teacher, has been leading secular meditation for Rikers Island correction officers for more than a year.
By Wendy Joan Biddlecombe Agsar
Correction Officer Francis-Ralph meditates during Chaplain Justin von Bujdoss' weekly meditation class at Rikers Island. | Photo by Bess Adler
“You guys know anything about stress management?”
Justin von Bujdoss is speaking to a group of about 40 correction officer recruits, dressed in gray uniforms and shiny black patent leather shoes, who have joined his weekly Monday afternoon meditation class for correction officers.
Von Bujdoss, 42, is a Tibetan Buddhist teacher and the first chaplain assigned specifically to correction officers (COs) working at Rikers Island, New York City’s main jail complex that sits on more than 400 acres in the East River. The chaplain, who previously served as resident lama and executive director of the New York Tsurphu Goshir Dharma Center, celebrated his first year on the job in September. He is also the department’s first Buddhist chaplain.
Chaplain Justin von Bujdoss teaches a meditation class to correction officers and recruits at Rikers Island. | Photo by Bess Adler
It’s no secret that life of Rikers is tough and dysfunctional. This year alone, an ex-correction officer was sentenced to 30 years in prison for the fatal beating of an inmate; the former corrections union chief faced bribery and conspiracy charge that ended in a mistrial; an inmate scaled the fence for a brief escape; the city settled a lawsuit with two women who claimed to have been raped by the same CO; and the New York State Commission of Correction deemed Rikers too dangerous for inmates to be transferred to from outside New York City.
Earlier this year, an independent commission recommended permanently closing Rikers within 10 years, and in June, Mayor Bill de Blasio released a 18-step report to permanently close Rikers Island and replace the troubled system with a “smaller network of modern, safe, and humane facilities.”
“Chaplaincy is an opportunity to provide increased engagement [and foster] deep relationships. We bring a benefit and allow people to be human in a place that is hard,” said von Bujdoss. “Suffering is everywhere, and I connect to this work of practicing on the charnel grounds,” von Bujdoss said, referring to a Buddhist term for graveyards where Tibetan yogis would practice that has now generally come to mean contexts of severe suffering, “[witnessing] the difficulties of human existence.”
Officers meditate during a class on Rikers Island. | Photo by Bess Adler
In addition to von Bujdoss, the Department of Corrections’ Religious Services Division has 12 full-time chaplains (five Catholic, three Protestant, and four Muslim), and 16 part-time chaplains (three Catholic, six Protestant, four Jewish, and three Muslim). Rikers inmates have access to meditation through the Rangjung Prison Dharma Project, which von Bujdoss started four years ago as a volunteer.
Last year, von Bujdoss was brought in by two deputy wardens to provide spiritual and emotional support to the staff at Rikers, which currently numbers 9,267. The warden and deputy warden, as he tells the meditation class full of recruits, thought meditation would be a good way to help correction officers reduce stress, lower their blood pressure, and help with decision-making.
A Rikers Island correction officer meditates | Photo by Bess Adler
Correction officers experience high stress levels, burnout, and other mental health problems due to their profession, according to a 2017 report by the National Institute of Justice. They have a lower life expectancy at 59 years, experience the third highest rate of nonfatal workplace injuries behind police officers and security guards, have a significantly higher suicide rate, and experience a higher number of physical issues that include heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, and chronic neck, back, and knee injuries.
A Department of Corrections spokesperson said the department is working on expanding the number of chaplains to “provide high quality, sustainable spiritual care for staff.”
Correction officers elect to attend von Bujdoss’ class—”chap” or “Chaplain Von,” as they call him—giving up a portion of their shift change time to instead practice exercises that include a body scan, mindfulness of sound, and guided visualizations. There are about 30 regulars who have found their way to the class by word of mouth, though the four- days-on, two-days-off scheduling can make consistent attendance difficult.
Chaplain Justin von Budjoss’ meditation class. | Photo by Bess Adler
This Monday, the class was relocated from its usual meeting place in the chapel to the gymnasium. The new venue allows officers and officers-in-training room to stretch out on the bleachers, but is a far cry from a forest monastery or anything resembling a quiet practice place.
The gym is next to the recreation yard, and cheers, yells, claps, and other loud noises echo in. Inmates are led through the gym to get to the yard. COs pull back and forth on the locked door to signal that they need to be let in. A work crew of inmates in red-and-white striped uniforms rolls in large garbage bins. Buzzers sound, planes fly overhead, and von Bujdoss uses this cacophony in his instruction.
“Notice all the different sounds, try to keep you mind focused, and notice the sounds in the gym now,” von Bujdoss says during a guided meditation. “Maintain awareness to the sound of my voice, the sound of this gym.”
“We react to sound,” von Bujdoss says, just before two inmates come through and disrupt the class by saying “Shh!”
The recruits are participating just as much as the COs who chose to attend the class. In between meditations, von Bujdoss talks about the importance of checking in with your body when your stress level is activated, as it will be in this job. Fellow officers share their advice for managing the stress of Rikers—exercise helps. One officer shared that she makes a point to “take off her job” when she takes off her navy uniform.
CO Francis Ralph has been coming to von Bujdoss’ meditation class since July.
“I had to try it one time. And it makes you calmed, and can help you think clearly and be more patient,” Francis Ralph said. “It makes me just feel relaxed, despite the guys, the planes, the doors, all the sounds.”
For the final guided meditation, von Bujdoss takes the class on a “little trip,” out of the jails, past the hallways that have posters illustrating the correct way to handcuff an inmate, and graffitied words of wisdom that read “Boys make excuses, men make changes.” Von Bujdoss instructs the meditators to imagine getting up and walking out the gym to a helicopter that is waiting. The captain will take you anywhere you want to go, he says, and invites the class to imagine the aircraft taking off, with Rikers getting smaller and smaller in the distance.
“Notice what the temperature is like, what the air feels like. Is it humid? Dry?” von Bujdoss asks. An inmate bangs on the panes of glass looking into the gym and flips his middle finger. But the officers are somewhere else, at least for the next few moments.
Wendy Joan Biddlecombe Agsar is Tricycle's audience development editor.
The Buddha's Communication Toolbox
Oren Jay Sofer
Buddha Buzz Weekly: S. N. Goenka Re-remembered
The Karmic Impact of Mass Incarceration
Buddha Buzz Weekly: Buddhist Discrimination at Texas Jail
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Firebirds Besieged by Bridgeport, 80-61
Dist. Columbia (2-5, 0-1 ECC) 13 14 20 14 61
Bridgeport (4-3, 1-0 ECC) 20 15 24 21 80
Natasha Roy led the Firebirds with 18 points.
Pts: Natasha Roy - 18
Reb: Tyra Coombs - 9
Pts: Samnell Vonleh - 27
Reb: Samnell Vonleh - 12
Ast: Sarah Middleton - 6
BRIDGEPORT, CT – The University of the District of Columbia women's basketball team was defeated, 80-61 by host University of Bridgeport in both teams' East Coast Conference season opener Wednesday night at Hubbell Gym.
The Firebirds, losers of three straight, fell to 2-5 overall and 0-1 in league play, while Bridgeport improved to 4-3 overall and 1-0 in the ECC.
Senior guards Natasha Roy and Mia-Alexis Lloyd scored 18 and 13 points, respectively, on a combined 12-of-27 shooting from the field, and they shared a total of eight rebounds, six assists and two steals.
Bridgeport, meanwhile, featured four scorers in double-figures, including a game-high 27 points by Samnell Vonleh. The 6-foot-5 senior transfer from Saint Anselm College shot 10-of-20 from the field (7-of-9 FT) and collected a game-high 12 rebounds. The Purple Knights' 6-foot graduate forward Nkechi Ilang also registered a double-double of 11 points and 10 rebounds.
UB out-rebounded UDC, 47-33 and out-scored the Firebirds, 38-26 in the paint. Plus, the hosts out-shot District of Columbia, 44-percent to 37-percent from the field. Guards Briana Stoddart and Sarah Middleton provided some perimeter scoring with 17 and 10 points, respectively. Stoddart shot 6-of-8 from the field (5-of-7 from three-point range), and Middleton handed out a game-high six assists to go with her double-figure scoring effort.
Roy scored the first bucket of the game to give UDC what would be its only lead of the night, but it was all Bridgeport from there on out. The Purple Knights raced out to leads of 13-4, 18-11, and ultimately 20-13 at the end of the first quarter.
Trailing 22-13 early in the 2nd quarter, Roy scored the final five points of a 7-0 Firebirds burst to bring UDC within two, 22-20. The Firebirds would later force a 24-all tie on a layup by sophomore forward Mia Boyd at the 5:49 mark, but Bridgeport closed out the quarter on an 11-3 run and took a 35-27 lead at halftime.
UDC out-scored Bridgeport, 8-4 over the first two minutes of the 3rd quarter as Roy's three-pointer at the 8:19 mark brought the Firebirds within four, 39-35. Still a four-point game. 41-37 around the six-minute mark, the Purple Knights went on a 7-1 run to extend their lead to double-digits, 48-38. Bridgeport led by as many as 16 points in the 3rd quarter, and at the end of the period the Knights' advantage was 59-47.
The Firebirds opened the final period on a 4-0 run to close the gap to eight, 59-51, but Bridgeport answered with an 11-1 run to extend its lead to 70-52. From there, the Purple Knights cruised to an 80-61 victory – their largest margin of the night.
Next up, UDC will host ECC foe Mercy College on Saturday, December 8th at 1 p.m.
Sat, 03/02 | Women's Basketball vs. Queens (N.Y.) W, 66-64 (Final) RC | BX | V
Wed, 02/27 | Women's Basketball at Molloy L, 76-69 (Final - OT) BX
Sun, 02/24 | Women's Basketball vs. Daemen L, 70-60 (Final) BX | V
Fri, 02/22 | Women's Basketball vs. Roberts Wesleyan L, 70-50 (Final) BX | PH | V
Thu, 02/14 | Women's Basketball vs. St. Thomas Aquinas L, 67-60 (Final) BX | V
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Study: If you pay the average person at least $1,000, they’ll #DeleteFacebook
The latest privacy red flags to emerge out of Facebook — thanks this time to a bombshell New York Times report that uncovered all kinds of hairbrained moves, like Facebook allowing outside companies to get a peek at users’ private messages — is adding more fuel to the fire. The fire in this case being the informal #DeleteFacebook movement, which tends to pick up a head of steam whenever new privacy-related revelations like these arise.
It sometimes spurs big names to announce their own departures from using the service, a former tech journalist Walt Mossberg did in recent days, which spurs even more people to get in on the act. Naturally, that led some researchers to ponder — could a monetary incentive actually spur people to give up Facebook? And if so, how much would it take? Well, folks, we have an answer.
$1,000 appears to be the magic number.
Researchers from the University of Michigan, Tufts University and Ohio’s Kenyon College published a study laying out their goal and methodology. From a summary of the published findings: “We report the results of a series of three non-hypothetical auction experiments where winners are paid to deactivate their Facebook accounts for up to one year. Though the populations sampled and the auction design differ across the experiments, we consistently find the average Facebook user would require more than $1000 to deactivate their account for one year.”
Some caveats and an assortment of things worth noting: That $1,000 sum was mentioned before the NYT article was published this week. Also, it’s interesting to note that users seem to value the company, in a way, higher than shareholders do. The latter, of course, have collectively priced Facebook shares at below $200.
And then there’s the fact that though $1,000 is how much you’d have to pay a user to quit the service, the researchers also (correctly) assume that was Facebook to charge some amount on the front, users would instead quit in droves for free.
The other factor that plays into all this is that the thing to measure isn’t just quitting in a hard break from the service. Facebook also suffers a kind of slow bleed when users don’t quit, but perhaps in reaction to all these privacy flaps, they just … slowly stop using it.
“I’m not deleting Facebook,” a CNBC tech reporter wrote in a piece today. “But I’m content not using it as much in the future, and that’s the company’s bigger problem … If the number of users finally starts falling, the company’s privacy issues will be the catalyst. But the core issue is deeper: Facebook may no longer be that central to people’s lives.”
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Yang Liu's EAST MEETS WEST—Going Through The Motions In China
There is much more to be said on all the points you mentioned about Yang Liu's neat little graphics. Most of it has been said many times over by observers from one culture imbedded in the other, going back to the 16th century.
Here's one of my favorites, from Somerset Maugham, master of the Cold Eye. It is from notes Maugham took while traveling in China in 1920. The notes were later gathered as a book: On A Chinese Screen.
The passage is from a chapter titled "Democracy." I think it captures very nicely the hall-of-mirrors quality of the "face" business: You know, and I know that you know, and you know that I know that you know, and so on.
It was a cold night. I had finished my dinner, and my boy was making up my bed while I sat over a brazier of burning charcoal. Most of the coolies had already settled themselves for the night in a room next to mine and through the thin matchboarding of the wall that separated us I heard a couple of them talk. Another party of travellers had arrived about an hour before and the small inn was full.
Suddenly there was a commotion and going to the door of my room to look out I saw three sedan chairs enter the courtyard. They were set down in front of me and from the first stepped out a stout Chinese of imposing aspect. He wore a long black robe of figured silk, lined with squirrel, and on his head a square fur cap.
He seemed taken aback when he saw me at the door of the principal guest chamber and turning to the landlord addressed him in authoritative tones.
It appeared that he was an official and he was much annoyed to find that the best apartment in the inn was already taken. He was told that but one room was available. It was small, with pallets covered with tumbled straw lining the walls, and was used as a rule only by coolies.
He flung into a violent passion and on a sudden arose a scene of the greatest animation. The official, his two companions, and his bearers exclaimed against the indignity which it was sought to thrust upon him, while the landlord and the servants of the inn argued, expostulated, and entreated. The official stormed and threatened.
For a few minutes the courtyard, so silent before, rang with the angry shouts; then, subsiding as quickly as it began, the hubbub ceased and the official went into the vacant room. Hot water was brought by a bedraggled servant, and presently the landlord followed with great bowls of steaming rice. All was once more quiet.
An hour later I went into the yard to stretch my legs for five minutes before going to bed and somewhat to my surprise, I came upon the stout official, a little while ago so pompous and self-important, seated at a table in the front of the inn with the most ragged of my coolies. They were chatting amicably and the official quietly smoked a water-pipe.
He had made all that to-do to give himself face, but having achieved his object was satisfied, and feeling the need of conversation had accepted the company of any coolie without a thought of social distinction. His manner was perfectly cordial and there was in it no trace of condescension. The coolie talked with him on an equal footing.
It seemed to me that this was true democracy. In the East man is man's equal in a sense you find neither in Europe nor in America. Position and wealth put a man in a relation of superiority to another that is purely adventitious, and they are no bar to sociability.
Teaching English idioms to Chinese students, I found that they seized with particular glee on the phrase "going through the motions." Once they had learned it, it turned up in well-nigh every conversation thereafter.
Maugham's attempted explanation of this democratic attitude is . . . creative:
When I lay in my bed I asked myself why in the despotic East there should be between men an equality so much greater than in the free and democratic West, and was forced to the conclusion that the explanation must be sought in the cess-pool.
For in the West we are divided from our fellows by our sense of smell. The working man is our master, inclined to rule us with an iron hand, but it cannot be denied that he stinks: none can wonder at it, for a bath in the dawn when you have to hurry to your work before the factory bell rings is no pleasant thing, nor does heavy labour tend to sweetness; and you do not change your linen more than you can help when the week's washing must be done by a sharp-tongued wife.
I do not blame the working man because he stinks, but stink he does. It makes social intercourse difficult to persons of a sensitive nostril. The matutinal tub divides the classes more effectually than birth, wealth, or education. It is very significant that those novelists who have risen from the ranks of labour are apt to make it a symbol of class prejudice, and one of the most distinguished writers of our day always marks the rascals of his entertaining stories by the fact that they take a bath every morning.
Now, the Chinese live all their lives in the proximity of very nasty smells. They do not notice them. Their nostrils are blunted to the odours that assail the Europeans and so they can move on an equal footing with the tiller of the soil, the coolie, and the artisan.
I venture to think that the cess-pool is more necessary to democracy than parliamentary institutions. The invention of the "sanitary convenience" has destroyed the sense of equality in men. It is responsible for class hatred much more than the monopoly of capital in the hands of the few.
It is a tragic thought that the first man who pulled the plug of a water-closet with that negligent gesture rang the knell of democracy.
It's a matter of taste, I suppose, but personally I like the Chineseness of the Chinese. I vented on that in my own 2001 China Diary:
I was stuck for an hour in Shanghai's spanking new Pudong airport, polished hallways stretching away to infinity, dainty boutiques with no customers (well, until Rosie turned up), soothing PA announcements read out by Stepford Wives in carefully precise Mandarin, Japanese and English.
I was soon overcome with a desperate desire to find something Chinese in this antiseptic place: a gob of spittle on the floor; a stinking toilet; a thick fug of cigarette smoke; a hilariously inscrutable sign translation (my favorites on this trip: NO STRIDING at a Suzhou park, and YOU ARE WELCOME TO GUILIN, on the road into that city from the airport); the rattle of mah-jong tiles; a yelling match with each party threatening gross sexual violation of the other's mother, grandmother, and female antecedents all the way back to the Age of Philosophers; a toddler with "split pants" crapping in a corner; or a clamorous restaurant with half-drunk patrons playing finger-guessing games at the tops of their voices.
Nothing, nothing: only smooth-skinned, Polo-shirted, Dockered, Rolexed, orthodontized Last Men floating to and fro, murmuring into their cell phones, on their way from one fool business conference to another. The toilets were spotless, the NO SMOKING signs scrupulously observed, the restaurant as genteel as an English West-Country tea-room, the signs translated into grammar so impeccable it would have made Prof. Jespersen swoon.
The feeling settled upon me, as it does rather often nowadays, that I am not going to like the twenty-first century very much. I began to lose the will to live.
Then, peeking into a service area off the main hall, I saw an airport worker taking a break, sitting on some sort of motorized flatbed trolley, smoking a cigarette and with his trouser legs rolled up!
Memo to the management of Pudong Airport: track down that man and give him a huge raise.
If you like this kind of thing, give Peirre Ryckmans' Hall of Uselessness a try. I reviewed it here.
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Dreamcast Reviews H-L
Heavy Metal Geomatrix
Rating: Mature (blood, strong lyrics, violence)
Warning: Bugs and glitches
Did Capcom truly believe that a heavy metal soundtrack could justify a whole new fighting game? According to my friend Scott, there are some big musical names here, including Megadeth and Halford, but it's hardly enough to carry a mediocre fighter like Geomatrix. Heavy Metal's shallow gameplay consists of one-on-one battles with an unhealthy emphasis on enormous guns. The expansive 3D arenas range from Egyptian ruins, to a castle, to a run-down stadium, but none are particularly memorable. Muscle-bound cyborgs and top-heavy babes round out the generic roster of fighters. The battles are a mix of shooting and melee, but the control scheme is very counterintuitive. The ability to jump and hover is somewhat useful, but laying traps seems silly when you consider this is a one-on-one affair. The camera control is seriously lacking, so you often can't tell where the heck you are. Other glitches include CPU opponents who seem intent on running through (and getting stuck inside of) the walls. The best thing about Heavy Metal's matches is how mercifully short they are. Ironically, the relentless soundtrack is arguably the worst aspect of the entire game. If the awkward camerawork doesn't give you a headache, the non-stop, grinding guitars certainly will. I don't know anyone who has ever enjoyed Heavy Metal Geomatrix, and I seriously doubt I ever will. © Copyright 2006 The Video Game Critic.
Find Heavy Metal Geomatrix on eBay, eBayUK, Amazon, YouTube
If you like this game, try: Capcom Fighting Evolution (Playstation 2),
Bio Freaks (Nintendo 64), ECW Hardcore Revolution (Nintendo 64),
Tekken 4 (Playstation 2), Street Fighter Anniversary Collection (Playstation 2)
House of the Dead 2
Rating: Mature 1-2 players
Contains violence and gore Uses light gun controller Seasonal autumn fun This game is scary Contains Halloween themes
I don't tend to be very opinionated (HA!), but I firmly believe House of the Dead 2 (HOTD2) is the greatest light gun game ever conceived. It's pure adrenaline as you blast the limbs off hideous undead while exploring a gothic-looking city inspired by Venice. You can't control your movement directly, but your path branches based on the innocent civilians you save (or don't save). The shooting action is nonstop mayhem. Depending on where you shoot a zombie, an arm may fly off, a huge hole could be blown in his chest, or his head could be blown clean off. HOTD2 exudes all the cheesiness of a low budget horror flick, complete with pathetic cardboard acting and hilarious dialogue. I absolutely relish lines like "Don't come! Don't come!" "James, go and stop the confusion in the city", and of course the classic "Suffer like G did?" Power-ups and bonus items are revealed by destroying barrels and other containers, so keep an eye out. I play HOTD2 with friends every Halloween, and we're still discovering new areas and hidden goodies. Grotesque bosses include a headless knight, a hydra, and a "bleeding heart" lizard. The ultimate boss is a white guy decked out in a suit and tie. Yes, he's your worst nightmare - a Republican! In addition to the arcade mode, there's an "original" mode that lets you employ items you've collected in previous missions. An extensive option menu allows you adjust the number of continues, difficulty, and controller configuration. A normal controller can be used, but I'd highly recommend a light gun. Two people can play cooperatively, or better yet, one player can go solo holding two guns! Quirky, action-packed, and loaded with unintentional humor, House of the Dead 2 provides the most satisfying light gun shooting action I've experienced. NOTE: Dreamcast light guns don't tend to be very accurate, but it helps to crank up the contrast and brightness of your TV. © Copyright 2006 The Video Game Critic.
Find House of the Dead 2 on eBay, eBayUK, Amazon, YouTube
If you like this game, try: House of the Dead 2 and 3 Return (Wii),
House of the Dead III (Xbox), Death Crimson OX (Dreamcast),
House of the Dead, The (Saturn), Point Blank (Playstation)
Hydro Thunder
Publisher: Midway (1999)
Seasonal summer fun May contain monkeys Great head-to-head action
This "launch title" (released on the same day as the system) is my favorite Dreamcast game of all time. Hydro Thunder is pure arcade bliss, with eye candy galore, simple controls and some of the most exhilarating gameplay you'll ever experience in a video game. Imagine an amusement park water ride that moves at the speed of a roller coaster, and you'll start to appreciate what Hydro Thunder has to offer. This racer features 13 power boats and 14 astonishing tracks. From the exotic jungles of the Lost World, to the gigantic ice formations of the Arctic Circle, to the majestic ancient ruins of the Greek Isles, each track is magnificent in scale and full of surprises. Complementing the smooth graphics is a dramatic musical score and some hilarious sound effects. The intuitive control scheme makes it easy to maintain control even as your boat is careening down rapids at high speeds. Large floating icons provide turbo, and using your turbo power efficiently is key to winning. Numerous ramps allow for plenty of opportunities to catch big air, and your stomach will drop as you go over huge waterfalls, some over 400 feet tall! A split screen mode allows two players to race head-to-head, and while it's a step down in terms of speed, it's still a lot of fun. Two minor complaints are the lack of a restart option and an automatic save. But all in all Hydro Thunder truly delivers on the promise of the Dreamcast. © Copyright 2004 The Video Game Critic.
Find Hydro Thunder on eBay, eBayUK, Amazon, YouTube
If you like this game, try: Hydro Thunder Hurricane (Xbox 360),
Hydro Thunder (Nintendo 64), Midway Arcade Treasures 3 (Playstation 2),
Surf Rocket Racers (Dreamcast), Arctic Thunder (Playstation 2)
Ikaruga (Japan)
Publisher: Treasure (2002)
Imported Caution: May require use of brain
Ikaruga was never released for the Dreamcast in America, much to the consternation of shooter fans. If you've read my GameCube review of this game, you know that I like it a lot. Ikaruga appears to be a generic vertical shooter on the surface, but there's far more to it than meets the eye! Enemies are colored either black or white, and your ship can toggle between black and white "polarity". Firing on an enemy of opposite color inflicts twice the damage. You can actually collect enemy projectiles that match your polarity, using them to fuel a special weapon gauge. It's more cerebral than your typical shooter, but the system quickly becomes second nature. Once you get a feel for it, you'll be switching polarity on the fly to gain advantage in any situation. The GameCube version of Ikaruga has a few extra modes, but the graphics in this Dreamcast edition look every bit as sharp (if not more so). There are plenty of options including the ability to change screen orientation (horizontal or vertical) and automatically save high scores. Whether you play it on the Dreamcast or GameCube, Ikaruga is a fascinating title all serious shooter fans should have in their collections. © Copyright 2008 The Video Game Critic.
Find Ikaruga (Japan) on eBay, eBayUK, Amazon, YouTube
If you like this game, try: Ikaruga (GameCube),
Radar Lock (Atari 2600), Pac-Man: Special Color Edition (Game Boy Color),
Space Invaders (Atari 5200), Salamander Deluxe Pack Plus (Japan) (Saturn)
Illbleed
Publisher: AIA (2000)
Contains violence and gore Seasonal autumn fun This game is terrifying
Over the past few years, there's been a steady flow of survival horror games, most of which mimic the Resident Evil formula. But Illbleed is a different animal altogether, with truly innovative gameplay and unabashed B-movie storylines. Each of the six stages plays like a low budget horror flick, with names like "The Home Run of Death" and "Revenge of the Worm Queen". The graphics are only average, but the audio really steals the show, with blood-chilling sound effects and remarkably intense music. Illbleed has enough atmosphere to give you nightmares. I must admit however that Illbleed has a steep learning curve. While aggressive play is rewarded in most survival games, it won't get you far here. No, you need to progress cautiously in order to detect traps and maintain your health. Staying healthy means moderating your pulse, bleeding, and stamina. An on-screen "horror monitor" helps you detect possible traps or items. While this type of slow exploration might seem tedious, that is anything but the case. The game feeds on your sense of paranoia. The tension mounts as you turn each corner or enter a new room. The monster battles are pretty intense, and the gore is way over the top, and every hit produces a fountain of blood. The battles reveal the main weakness of the game, which is poor control. The "dodge" move, which is critical to surviving battles, is less than responsive than it should be, and you sometimes walk when you're trying to run. Problems like these aren't as apparent when you're sneaking around, but they can lead to some serious frustration when things really heat up. The game has its frustrating moments, but like the bosses, I kept coming back for more long after I thought I was through. Illbleed is original, disturbing, and occasionally terrifying. It's a remarkable game that's worth checking out. © Copyright 2001 The Video Game Critic.
Find Illbleed on eBay, eBayUK, Amazon, YouTube
Silent Hill (Playstation), Resident Evil (GameCube),
Devil May Cry (Playstation 2), Resident Evil 2 (Playstation)
Publisher: Rage (1999)
I only bought this game because it was five bucks, and didn't hold much hope for it, but Incoming turned out to be much better than I expected. If you like to blow stuff up, this game is right up your alley. You are faced with a series of missions to blow up invading enemy tanks, aircraft, and ground installations. You play from a first-person perspective, alternating between a turret, helicopter, tank, and a plane. Basically you just aim and fire your main weapon (which never runs out or overheats) or a secondary weapon (usually a supply of guided missiles). A helpful arrow at the top of the screen always points you to your next target, so there's not much thought required. The vehicles look great, but the hills are rather blocky. The rapid-fire shooting, combined with some nice explosions gives you a feeling of satisfaction. Although the games tend to be long and repetitive, I never got tired of the gratuitous death and destruction. The aiming controls are a bit sensitive, but the weapons tend to me very forgiving, compensating when you're slighting off. One annoying thing about the helicopter is that your targets tend to move underneath of you (and out of sight), so you need to make multiple passes to finish them off. Incoming also has a nice two player simultaneous mode. It's not particularly deep, but as a mindless shooter, Incoming serves its purpose. © Copyright 2002 The Video Game Critic.
Find Incoming on eBay, eBayUK, Amazon, YouTube
If you like this game, try: Seek and Destroy (Playstation 2),
Mass Destruction (Saturn), Super Battletank (Game Gear),
Mission X (Intellivision), Tanks But No Tanks (Atari 2600)
Jet Grind Radio
It's not often that a game comes along that's both completely original and fun, but that's Jet Grind Radio. You control a skater who must vandalize certain parts of the city while avoiding the police. The "cell-shaded" cartoon style graphics are unlike anything I've ever seen in a video game, and it looks fantastic. In addition to the stunning visuals, the fashionable hip-hop music and sound effects really give this game an edge. The controls are simple but effective. Spray-painting involves moving the analog joystick around in the various motions. These motions seem excessive at times, but it's exciting trying to finish your "art" while the cops are heading your way. One major thing that annoyed me about this game is the camera work. Some levels have cramped areas, and you'll really struggle to get a good angle. And that's no fun when the police are beating you with clubs like Rodney King (I'm not kidding!). Jet Grind is unlike any other game out there. It's far from perfect, but it deserves a look. © Copyright 2001 The Video Game Critic.
Find Jet Grind Radio on eBay, eBayUK, Amazon, YouTube
If you like this game, try: Route 16 (Arcadia 2001),
Qix (Lynx), Jet Moto 2 (Playstation),
Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (Xbox), Grand Theft Auto 2 (Dreamcast)
May contain hotties
Ten years ago, when 2D fighters were a dime-a-dozen, it was hard to get excited about JoJo's Bizarre Adventure. Its gameplay was hard to grasp, thanks to a "stand" mechanism that's never sufficiently explained. And if you're among the 99% of gamers not familiar with the Japanese comic, the game can feel like an inside joke nobody bothered to let you in on. The manual doesn't bother to explain much of anything. Judged purely as a 2D fighter however, JoJo's Bizarre Adventure is original, stylish, and visually pleasing. The game has its share of effeminate dudes sashaying around with pink hair and flamboyant outfits, but you can chalk that up to its anime influence. The playable characters also include two hotties, a cowboy, and an aged Indiana Jones. Alessey is the arguably the cheapest of the bunch considering he's armed with a gun! Who brings a gun to a fighting game anyway?! As an indication of how over the top this game is, you can play as a yapping little dog or a freakin' bird! Most of the characters have a "stand" mode initiated via the A button. Typically this causes an "alter ego" to appear and fight by your side. These entities tend are decidedly weird, and usually assume the form of a ghost, doll, robot, animal, or non-descript shape-shifter. The "stand" gives you new attack options but tends to confuse the action. With so much frenetic shape-changing, this game is more on par with Darkstalkers than Street Fighter. The action is chaotic but fun, and the moves are undeniably entertaining. As a prime example, the priestess can summon a pink Cadillac to sprout up under your feet (yes, we're talking about a car). The air juggling can be aggravating, but I like how you press multiple buttons to vary the intensity of your special attacks. The backgrounds are unspectacular yet clean and attractive. Even locations like the jail cell, office, and hotel room are aesthetically pleasing. The story mode has a slick comic-book style presentation, and even boasts a side-scrolling desert stage. High scores are saved to VMU. I'd be lying if I said I "get" JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, because it really doesn't make sense to me on any level. Still, it's one of the more interesting fighting games I've played in some time. And with 2D fighters becoming such as rare commodity as of late, this unorthodox title is looking better all the time. © Copyright 2010 The Video Game Critic.
Find JoJo's Bizarre Adventure on eBay, eBayUK, Amazon, YouTube
Recommended variation: story
If you like this game, try: Street Fighter Anniversary Collection (Playstation 2),
Darkstalkers (Playstation), Voltage Fighter Gowcaizer (CD) (Neo Geo),
King of Fighters 2000/2001 (Playstation 2), Final Fight Revenge (Japan) (Saturn)
Kao the Kangaroo
Publisher: Titus (2000)
I wasn't expecting much from Kao the Kangaroo; I would have been satisfied with a cutesy, easy-to-play platformer. But this... is awful. A butt-ugly Crash Bandicoot rip-off, Kao somehow manages to be both dull and infuriating. It's no surprise that Titus, creator of some of the worst games known to man, is responsible for this tripe. The gameplay is tediously slow, with badly designed stages and poor collision detection. As you painstakingly hop through each stage, you must defeat enemies by punching or swinging your tail. To break up the monotony, there are some simple puzzles, along with some hang-gliding and snowboarding stages. The very first thing that annoyed me about Kao was its jerky animation. Especially when you turn, the scenery rotates in a stilted manner that's not at all pleasing to the eye. The game adopts the same visual style as Crash Bandicoot, but with far less polish and attention to detail. The jungle environments look blocky and artificial, and their narrow passages make you feel boxed in. The idea of placing your own checkpoints seems nice on paper, but turns out to be a monumental pain in the ass. The so-called "bonus" stages are even more tedious than the regular stages, as you navigate narrow platforms to collect useless coins. The camera is normally trained behind your kangaroo, but occasionally it swings around to the front. Inexplicably, the controls don't adjust to compensate for the new angle, which is just confusing as hell. In addition to the unintuitive controls and awful graphics, Kao's clownish music provides the final nails in its cheaply fabricated coffin. Much of the music sounds as if it was generated by a Casio keyboard - it's revolting! I had always wondered why I heard so little about Kao the Kangaroo, but now I understand completely. Garbage like this gives the Dreamcast a bad name. © Copyright 2005 The Video Game Critic.
Find Kao the Kangaroo on eBay, eBayUK, Amazon, YouTube
If you like this game, try: Kangaroo (Atari 2600),
Crash Bandicoot The Wrath of Cortex (Playstation 2), Krusty's Super Fun House (Genesis),
Looping (Colecovision), WWF Attitude (Dreamcast)
Karous/Crow (Japan)
Publisher: Milestone (2007)
Imported Caution: May cause drowsiness
Karous is an odd, cel-shaded vertical shooter with sophisticated gameplay and understated visuals. It's uniquely artistic with mysterious overtones and a hypnotizing soundtrack. The first thing you'll ask when you start playing is, "What the hell am I?!" You appear to be controlling a raggedy black flying creature vaguely resembling a crow. In addition to spraying blue projectiles, you can unleash a sword for close attacks, or activate a large red shield. Employing different techniques increments three counters in the corner on the screen, but since I can't read the Japanese manual I couldn't really determine the subtle nuances of the game. Considering the graphics are cel-shaded, the visuals are remarkably bland and the use of color restrained. Enemies taking damage blink red, which looks striking against the dull gray backgrounds. The first few stages are completely forgettable, but advanced stages feature modest green foliage and city streets with neon lights. Even more boring than the scenery are the repeating gray airships you shoot down. Karous is a strange game. A small shield guards the front of your ship when you're not shooting, and you can actually set the controller on the floor and watch your ship cruise through most of the game unharmed (bosses are timed so they don't need to be attacked). The fact that I scored a few million points in this manner didn't sit well with me. The bass-heavy synthesized music isn't remarkable, but has a cool club vibe that gets under your skin. The game is supposed to save high scores, but I couldn't get that to work. Hardcore shooter fans looking for something to sink their teeth into can probably bump up the grade by one letter, but casual Dreamcast fans can safely avoid Karous. © Copyright 2007 The Video Game Critic.
Find Karous Crow (Japan) on eBay, eBayUK, Amazon, YouTube
Our high score: JDH 29,273,670
If you like this game, try: Ultimate Shooting Collection (Wii),
Ikaruga (Japan) (Dreamcast), Bare Knuckle 3 (Japan) (Genesis),
Raiden (Jaguar), Marine Fishing (Dreamcast)
King of Fighters Evolution
Publisher: SNK (2000)
King of Fighters is a venerable 2D fighting series started by SNK in the mid-90s. And if SNK knows one thing, it's fighting games! Evolution delivers outstanding gameplay along with some terrific visuals. There are over 33 characters, but if you were just raised on a steady diet of Street Fighter II, you may not recognize any of these guys. SNK fanatics like Jonathan Hawk, on the other hand, know these people like they're family. Since most of the characters have had years to "evolve", they tend to be well balanced and finely tuned. The attacks tend to be hand-to-hand, unlike lesser fighting games that rely on cheap projectile moves. There's not a large selection of babes, but the drop-dead gorgeous Mai more than makes up for that shortcoming. The characters are large and the scenery is an absolute feast for the eyes! Imaginative locations include a carnival, airport, bell tower, and a rainy courtyard. While the backgrounds are fully 3D, they retain the same level of detail as the classic 2D backgrounds. I looked forward to seeing each one, which is rare for a jaded gamer like myself. The audio is a nice combination of rock and jazz music. Modes include single and team fighting, as well an "endless survival" mode that challenges you to beat up as many guys as possible (good idea!). King of Fighters Evolution is awesome. © Copyright 2002 The Video Game Critic.
Find King of Fighters Evolution on eBay, eBayUK, Amazon, YouTube
If you like this game, try: King of Fighters 95 (Neo Geo),
King of Fighters Collection: The Orochi Saga (Wii), King of Fighters Maximum Impact (Playstation 2),
King of Fighters 94 (Neo Geo), Street Fighter Anniversary Collection (Playstation 2)
Last Blade 2, The
I like Last Blade 2, but I think I liked it better the first time around, when it was called Samurai Shodown. I'm being facetious but the games share a lot of traits. Both are scaling 2D fighters that feature Samurai fighters armed with weapons. Last Blade 2 is hardly original, but being an SNK title, you can rest assured the game will kick ass. There are 16 warriors to select from, each adorned in traditional Japanese garb. The one exception is Mukuro, who is draped with bandages like a freakin' mummy! The controls are pretty basic (weak slash, strong slash, kick, repel), but the instructions reveal a fighting system with tremendous depth. You can chain together some pretty elaborate attack combinations when your sword gauge is fully powered. The repel move is simple enough in theory (press just before your enemy attacks), but I found it hard to employ in the heat of battle. I also have to call character balance into question in light of my difficulty defeating Amano. This bathrobe-wearing brute is very grabby, and once he gets his big paws on you, major damage is headed your way. My personal character of choice is Zantetsu, who looks like Raiden (of Mortal Kombat fame) and dishes out some devastating kick combinations. In terms of graphics, Last Blade 2 features fluid animation and some of the more attractive stage designs I've seen. Some boast tremendous depth and detail, like the sunny trail that winds along a river with boats in the far distance. Other stages like the dreary battlefield are surprisingly bland. The musical score is only average, and some stages forgo music for "natural sounds" such as blowing wind (which sounds horrible) or chirping birds. The voice samples have not been translated in English, but that's probably for the best. Last Blade 2 isn't hard to play, but its appeal to button-mashers will be limited. This is an elegant, sophisticated title for those who take their fighting games seriously. © Copyright 2010 The Video Game Critic.
Find Last Blade 2 on eBay, eBayUK, Amazon, YouTube
If you like this game, try: Samurai Shodown (Neo Geo),
Samurai Shodown Sen (Xbox 360), Samurai Shodown V (Xbox),
Neo Geo Battle Coliseum (Playstation 2), Samurai Shodown Anthology (Wii)
Last Hope (Japan)
Publisher: NG Dev (2007)
Arthur Award for Extreme Difficulty Imported
I happen to be fanatical about the Dreamcast and its 2D shooters, so when I heard there was a brand-new one available, I had to have it. After purchasing Last Hope from Play Asia, I was pleasantly surprised by how it loaded without the help of a special disk. Last Hope plays a heck of a lot like R-Type, offering the same brand of side-scrolling shooting with intricate layered visuals. It's a shame the game is borderline unplayable. One problem is obvious from the outset: there's too much "stuff" moving on the screen. The photo-realistic backgrounds, floating icons, explosions, raining debris, and layered walls look great, but they tend to clutter up the screen! You can't tell what objects are in the foreground or background! Even worse, enemy projectiles assume a number of shapes, from orange balls to jaggy metal objects. Some of the more irritating foes seem completely impervious to attack, so you'll just need to avoid them. Your cannon can fire rapidly or charge for a single powerful shot. You'll augment your firepower with missiles and a protective shield that rotates around your ship via the shoulder buttons. Last Hope's difficulty is best described as "impossible", even on so-called "very easy" skill level. There are checkpoints, but they are poorly placed. There should always be one right before a boss, but that's not the case here. That's a problem, because reaching the first boss is a frustrating ordeal, and the boss himself not only features a web of laser beams, but a gravity device that pulls you every which way. Needless to say, no one on this entire planet has ever seen the second stage. The best part of the game is its relaxing electronic soundtrack, which has an almost ethereal quality to it. But despite its fine presentation, Last Hope's staggering difficulty and general unplayability make it impossible to recommend. © Copyright 2007 The Video Game Critic.
Find Last Hope (Japan) on eBay, eBayUK, Amazon, YouTube
If you like this game, try: R-Type Final (Playstation 2),
Last Hope: Pink Bullets (Japan) (Dreamcast), R-Type (Turbografx-16),
Space Ranger (Philips CD-i), Power Strike (Europe) (Sega Master System)
Last Hope: Pink Bullets (Japan)
The first edition of this side-scrolling shooter showed potential, but confusing visuals, insane difficulty, and poor checkpoint placement rendered Last Hope practically unplayable. The situation has been somewhat rectified by Pink Bullets, which is an enhanced version of the original game. Its gameplay is far more forgiving, the action seems about twice as fast, and plentiful power-ups make it easy to amass firepower. Enemy projectiles tend to be large and pink (hence the name), making them easier to spot. Don't get the wrong idea though - Last Hope: Pink Bullets is still an intense shooter that will kick your ass from here to next week. There's a lot of activity on the screen at any given time, and the multi-layered scenery tends to hide environmental hazards. Enemies tend to be large and can absorb quite an excessive amount of firepower. Another annoyance is how you're often forced into tight spaces for extended periods. Your ship is large, but a shield can be used to absorb all enemy fire coming from the front. For that reason it's often more effective to attack your foes head-on instead of weaving around. Weapon power-ups come early and often, including devastating cluster bombs that flare out from above and below your ship. The colorful, multi-layered backdrops have a cool sci-fi flavor that nicely complements the surreal electronic music. The first stage takes you through a generic space station, but I like how you can see tiny spacemen making repairs in the background. The second stage is more imaginative as you fly over (and into) water with a dramatic red sunset in the background. Last Hope: Pink Bullets isn't great, but it's a hell of a lot better than the original. High scores are saved automatically - providing you don't use any continues. The game is just average overall, but 2D shooter fans looking for a challenge will dig this. © Copyright 2009 The Video Game Critic.
Find Last Hope Pink Bullets (Japan) on eBay, eBayUK, Amazon, YouTube
If you like this game, try: Last Hope (Japan) (Dreamcast),
Gradius Collection (PSP), Star Trek (Vectrex),
Ikaruga (Japan) (Dreamcast), Hellfire (Genesis)
Soul Reaver is massive adventure that introduces several innovative, original concepts. The excellent background story, revealed in an amazing introductory sequence, sets the stage nicely for a dark, twisted tale of vampire revenge. Gameplay involves making your way through ruins and caves, dispatching enemies, and defeating bosses to gain new powers. In order to destroy vampires, you must either impale them or toss them into sunlight or water. One cool new concept is the spectral plane versus material plane. The spectral plane is a parallel universe with the same basic landscape, but contain ghostly creatures and permit no object interaction. Within this plane you can move through water and perform certain powers such as passing through gates. Switching planes is strategic to accessing certain places or avoiding enemies, and it adds a new dimension to the game (literally!). While changing planes, the world changes before your eyes, and the morphing effect is a sight to behold. Besides battling creatures, there are occasional puzzles, mainly the lever-pulling/block-moving variety we got sick of in the Tomb Raider series. Another weakness is the lack of a map, and at times it's hard to figure out where to go next. The graphics look terrific, but although they are higher in resolution than the Playstation version, they don't offer any additional detail. I was disappointed that during cut-scenes, which feature top-notch voice acting, character's mouths do not move when they talk. The creatures in this game are truly scary and well designed, especially the hulking, loathsome bosses. The control is responsive, and you won't need to wrestle with the camera too much. Dramatic sound effects and music complement the hellish atmosphere. Soul Reaver is an adventure with style and originality, and if you haven't already played through the Playstation version, check out Soul Reaver. © Copyright 2000 The Video Game Critic.
Find Legacy of Kain Soul Reaver on eBay, eBayUK, Amazon, YouTube
If you like this game, try: Tomb Raider (Playstation),
Fear Effect (Playstation), Soul Blade (Playstation),
Tomb Raider Underworld (Xbox 360), B-17 Bomber (Intellivision)
Looney Tunes Space Race
Publisher: Infogrames (2000)
Based on a TV show Suitable for children Supports three or more players May contain pigs
If you're frustrated by the lack of good kart games for the Dreamcast, give Looney Tunes Space Race a try. Granted, it's technically a rocket racer, but you get the idea. This light-hearted (and underrated) game stars classic cartoon personalities who glide over elevated freeways in intergalactic locales. The all-star line-up includes Bugs Bunny, Sylvester, Daffy Duck, Elmer Fudd, Yosemite Sam, Wile E. Coyote, Marvin the Martian, and Porky Pig. These colorful characters retain their distinctive voices and mannerisms, and it's funny to hear them yell at each other during a race. Bugs is the smart-aleck, Yosemite Sam is constantly flying off the handle, and the silent Wile E. Coyote communicates by flashing signs that say things like "Drat". The artistic style should bring a smile to those who grew up watching Saturday morning cartoons ("presented in Techno-Color!"). Space Race plays like a typical kart racer with power-ups, weapons, turbo boosts, and ramps. The animation and frame-rate is silky smooth, even in the four-player split-screen mode. It's a little hard to see upcoming turns on the split-screen, but I like how you have the option of adding CPU players into the mix. Unconventional weapons include portable holes, instant storms, disintegrator pistols, and extensible boxing gloves. Unfortunately, one ill-conceived (and totally cheap) weapon nearly ruins the fun. The "remote control" causes heavy objects like safes, pianos, and pink elephants to be dropped directly on a nearby opponent. Although I'm told it's possible to dodge these, I didn't have much luck doing so. The twelve tracks take place on various planets but none are particularly memorable. Still, the controls are good, the racing is competitive, and ample bonus challenges give the replay value some legs. Looney Tunes Space Race is an irresistable racer that only seems to improve with age. © Copyright 2010 The Video Game Critic.
Find Looney Tunes Space Race on eBay, eBayUK, Amazon, YouTube
If you like this game, try: Daffy Duck: The Marvin Missions (Super Nintendo),
Looney Tunes Hotel (Atari 5200), Crash Team Racing (Playstation),
Bugs Bunny in Double Trouble (Genesis), Road Runner's Death Valley Rally (Super Nintendo)
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Screen shots courtesy of IGN.com, Gaming Age Online, Shinforce, Sega.com, Racket Boy, Wikipedia, GameSpot, Video Games Museum, Moby Games, Sega Dreamcast.com
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Index F-L
Works with Steering Wheel
Most F1 games are simulations that require knowledge of the sport and a significant time investment for races that run dozens, sometimes hundreds, of laps. F1 Challenge tries to cater to the more casual fans that prefer arcade over simulation, but sometimes you need to be careful what you ask for. You select from several real drivers including future (now past) racing legend Michael Schumacher participating in his very first season. Tracks include Hockenheim, Suzuka, Monte Carlo, and three fictional Neo City courses (novice, advanced, expert). F1 Challenge bears a resemblance to Virtua Racing (Sega, 1995) with its vivid colors, smooth framerate, and chunky scenery. You toggle between two views: behind the wheel and behind the car. I couldn't help but notice that my wheels look extremely angular from the first-person perspective. The bright scenery is pleasant but unspectacular and exhibits substantial pop-up. A steering wheel accessory adds realism but the standard controller works surprisingly well. The gameplay is pure arcade mayhem as you bounce off rails and other cars without losing speed! When jockeying for position on the Monaco track it feels like you're playing bumper cars! Each race is eight laps, and while I would prefer three I guess that wouldn't be enough to work your way up 24 positions. You always have the option of pulling into the pit-stop but I don't know why you would (except maybe to switch to your round tires). The lack of a two-player mode is disappointing. F1 Challenge tries to bring out the fun of the sport but it just doesn't feel representative of F1 racing. © Copyright 2018 The Video Game Critic.
Find F1 Challenge on
eBay, Amazon
If you like this game, try: Pitstop (Colecovision),
Super Monaco GP (Genesis), F-1 Formula One World Grand Prix (Nintendo 64),
Gran Turismo 3 (Playstation 2), Mario Andretti Racing (Genesis)
Sega combined their two best fighting games, Virtua Fighter 2 and Fighting Vipers, to produce this all-star extravaganza. Fighters Megamix offers eleven characters from Virtua Fighter, eleven from Fighting Vipers, and ten hidden characters. Having 32 characters in a fighting game was absolutely unheard of in 1997, although it should be noted that some of these extra characters only have novelty value, like the big teddy bear wearing a cowboy hat. There's a lot to like about Fighter Megamix. Not only is it literally two fighting games in one, but it enables some exciting match-ups. You can toggle between each game's distinct style of play, and I enjoyed using Virtua Fighter 2 characters in the faster, less "floaty" Vipers style. Since both games utilize the same three-button scheme, the controls are consistent with the original games. One flaw I did notice is a slight bit of slowdown in certain stages. Some may consider this game to be a bit of a rehash, but if you just want to kick some serious booty, Megamix delivers the goods. © Copyright 2004 The Video Game Critic.
Find Fighters Megamix on
If you like this game, try: Tekken 2 (Playstation),
Virtua Fighter 2 (Saturn), Virtua Fighter 2 (Genesis),
Virtua Fighter 4 Evolution (Playstation 2), Fighting Vipers (Saturn)
Arcade-style joystick recommended May contain hotties
Combining the simple controls of Virtua Fighter 2 (Saturn, 1995) with the frenetic action of Battle Arena Toshinden (PS1, 1995), Fighting Vipers is a high-quality Saturn exclusive. Vipers offers an appealing arcade style with a high-energy guitar soundtrack, interesting stages, and a cast of memorable characters. Jane might as well be G.I. Jane because she's a real bad-ass. Grace is roller derby girl and Candy is a hottie with a fierce butt attack. Raxel is the obligatory rockstar and Sanman is a rotund police officer who can roll your ass like a bowling ball. The three-button block/punch/kick scheme is easy to grasp while still offering dozens of moves per character. The animation is impressive and the character models are finely detailed. If they appear a little chunky it's because of their protective armor. I find the armor to be unnecessary but I guess they were trying for something different. In my experience Fighting Vipers rewards those who take an aggressive approach. If you bum-rush your opponent with a flurry, you can trap him with a juggle against a wall before he can lay a hand on you. When your opponent is on the ground, be sure to add insult to injury with a gratuitous foot stomp. A well-timed finishing move will send your opponent crashing through the closest wall (sweet). The arcade mode challenges you to complete eight matches in record time, and with 30-second rounds you can finish in well under ten minutes. You also get versus, tournament, and a playback mode that lets you replay your fights. If you enjoy city skylines at night, Fighting Vipers has got you covered with some extraordinary backdrops that make the game look spectacular. I only wish that majestic bridge wasn't obstructed by those cheesy cardboard walls. My favorite stage takes place on an elevator riding up a skyscraper, and it's possible to send your opponent plunging over the side! Fighting Vipers in an inspired slugfest that will appeal to both button mashers and purists alike. © Copyright 2017 The Video Game Critic.
Find Fighting Vipers on
Our high score: 12:21.04
If you like this game, try: Virtua Fighter 2 (Saturn),
Fighting Vipers 2 (Japan) (Dreamcast), Virtua Fighter 2 (Genesis),
Fighters Megamix (Saturn), Battle Arena Toshinden (Playstation)
Final Fight Revenge (Japan)
Rare and Expensive Imported Controversial
Final Fight Revenge is notable for being the only Final Fight title on the Saturn and also the last game released for the system. Those expecting a side-scrolling slugfest will be disappointed to hear Revenge is a one-on-one 3D fighter along the lines of Tekken (Playstation, 1995). The characters include Final Fight favorites including Haggar, Cody, Guy, Andore, Sodom, Rolento, and a hottie named Poison with pink hair. Some of these characters actually appeared in Street Fighter titles as well. Interestingly enough, Poison was identified as a transgender fighter by the game's designers trying to sidestep any domestic violence implications. The title screen of Revenge boasts an awesome electrified die-cast metal design, and the character select screen is also slick. Prepare for a letdown however when you actually start playing. The characters are rendered with chunky polygons, no textures, and lousy definition. Revenge also feels dog slow next to comparable Playstation fighters like Rival Schools. Weapons are lying around and you can position yourself over them using the side-step button. Grabbing weapons seems like a good idea but most are surprisingly ineffective. You'll need to perform a special move just to shoot the gun, and the damage is minimal. Don't hestitate however to snag any "bludgeoning" weapons like the iron pipe or hammer, as you can really lay into your opponent with those. Revenge isn't the best Capcom has to offer, but its deliberate pace gives it a more strategic quality. I love the attention to detail, like when you run out of bullets and your character throws his gun. After getting defeated by the cop, he writes you a ticket. The game is full of bizarre surprises, including special moves that spawn police cars and helicopters. Andore's hand can become huge (reminiscent of the Foo Fighters Neverlong video) and bitch-slap the hell out of his opponent. There are even bone-crunching "x-ray" attacks (!) like those used later in Mortal Kombat (Xbox 360, 2011). But my favorite part of the Final Fight Revenge are its stages, which include a city park, Chinatown, an icy meatpacking plant, and a junkyard at sunset. The scenery looks digitized, and the night stages are downright spectacular. The jazzy musical score calls to mind classic side scrollers like Streets of Rage, and the arcade mode records high scores. Final Fight Revenge won't win any awards, but I found it a lot more interesting than your garden variety fighter. Note: This Japanese import requires the Action Replay Plus 4M cartridge. © Copyright 2014 The Video Game Critic.
Find Final Fight Revenge (Japan) on
If you like this game, try: Final Fight One (Game Boy Advance),
X-Men Vs. Street Fighter (Japan) (Saturn), Mortal Kombat X (Playstation 4),
Final Fight (Super Nintendo), Final Fight CD (Sega CD)
Frank Thomas Big Hurt Baseball
This is a pretty marginal baseball game, especially compared to Sega's superb line of World Series games. Big Hurt's graphics are less than exciting, with a wide-angle view of the field that makes the players appear small and pixelated. The large digitized batters look pretty nifty, but the pitching controls are counter-intuitive and the bat controls are not responsive enough. When anticipating a fastball, you'd better start your swing as the ball leaves the pitcher's hand, or you'll never get around on it. The fielding isn't so bad, with tight controls and realistic animations like first basemen that stretch for errant throws. In contrast to the fielders, the base runners look positively awful. Not only are they incredibly pixelated, but they scamper around like they're running on ice! After each play there's an uncomfortable pause as the computer attempts to figure out if the play is really over. I find it interesting how the CPU player will pause the game and peruse the menu options right before your eyes (to manipulate his bullpen or rosters). That's pretty cool, but at first I thought my controller was broken! Big Hurt's commentator does a respectable job, but his sentences tend to be disjointed - a common issue for early CD games. Actually, it's quite humorous to hear stuff like, "At the end of. The third inning. Baltimore. Four. Toronto. ZERO!!" There's also a PA announcer who inexplicably doesn't know how to pronounce many players' names (John Olerud is a prime example). Worst of all, there's no instant replay - a definite no-no for a game made in 1996. Don't let this game put the big hurt on your wallet. To be frank, I'd stick with World Series Baseball instead. © Copyright 2006 The Video Game Critic.
Find Frank Thomas Big Hurt Baseball on
If you like this game, try: Baseball Stars Color (Neo Geo Pocket),
Baseball (NES), RBI Baseball 3 (Genesis),
World Series Baseball 2K3 (Xbox), Major League Baseball (Intellivision)
Galactic Attack
Rating: Kids to Adults (animated violence)
It's no classic, but if you're into 2D shooting, this low-profile title can be a lot of fun. In many ways, Galactic Attack's visuals and gameplay are so conventional that you'll feel as if you've played it before. Ported directly from the arcade, the screen is narrow with black bars on each side. With stages set in deep space and over the various planet surfaces, you take aim at the usual space ships, jets, robots, cannons, and tanks. You'll also strafe large battleships, wearing them down until they explode. One distinctive feature about Galactic Attack is the large size of your enemies. Even the smaller ships are positively huge and take up more real estate than I would prefer. Your rapid-fire guns are effective, but "lock-on" missiles play a more crucial role. As enemies scale in from the background, you can move your cursor over several targets and then unleash a torrent of missiles to take them all out. It feels like Panzer Dragoon (Saturn 1995), and the explosions are satisfying. My question is, what happens when an enemy leaves the screen before my locked-on missile can strike it? Does it escape or is it destroyed off screen? Galactic Attack's graphics are about average, although the pixilation can be excessive at times. The scenery is uninteresting for the most part, although I did like the floating islands with the lakes. Galactic Attack's audio is positively weak, with forgettable electronic music and muffled voice samples I could not understand. But my primary beef is how your ship tends to get lost under the status indicators on the bottom of the screen. There's an option to turn this information off, but that also removes your score and ship information from the top of the screen. Hey, I need that stuff! Oh well, it has issues but Galactic Attack is still decent if you're up for some intense shooting action. The challenge is there, and it offers limited continues as well as a two-player simultaneous mode. © Copyright 2005 The Video Game Critic.
Find Galactic Attack on
If you like this game, try: Global Defense (Sega Master System),
Terra Attack (Colecovision), Galaxy Force II (Genesis),
Warhawk (Playstation), AH-3 Thunderstrike (Sega CD)
Galaxy Fight
This one-on-one 2D fighter is not particularly bad in any way, but it doesn't have much to offer either. Each character originates from a different planet, and some of these fighters look awfully cheesy. You get a Flash Gordon-like "space adventurer", a huge green cat/reptile alien, a streetwise black guy, a ninja, a robot, and a girl with big ears and bigger breasts (bouncing no less). The character selection screen looks pathetic, especially with those horribly pixilated planets in the background. The fights themselves are not too shabby, and good technique certainly plays a role in your success. The camera zooms in and out as needed, but the fighters tend to be small. Only three buttons are used (not counting the worthless "taunt" button), but some of the move combinations are quite complex. Fortunately, a useful "command mode" is included which allows you map sophisticated controller movements to single buttons. Call it cheating if you want, but it lets you to witness some killer attacks and makes the game a heck of a lot easier. The backgrounds are science fiction-inspired planets, but nothing particularly memorable. Ironically, the most interesting stage is the "downtown" area, which could easily fit into any fighting game. Galaxy Fight does excel in terms of audio. The voice samples are clear, and the crisp sound effects definitely caught my attention. The robot sounds particularly impressive as he clanks around and employs various mechanical contraptions. The music is unusually good and occasionally outstanding. Galaxy Fight doesn't make a great first impression, but if you stick with it, you may find it to be worth your while © Copyright 2004 The Video Game Critic.
Find Galaxy Fight on
If you like this game, try: Killer Instinct (Super Nintendo),
Killer Instinct Gold (Nintendo 64), King of Fighters 94 (Neo Geo),
Flash Gordon (Atari 2600), Invaders From Hyperspace (Odyssey 2)
Galaxy Force II (Japan)
The Saturn can handle arcade titles with scaling sprites like a boss, and Galaxy Force II is proof. In this third-person shooter you deploy heat-seeking missiles while navigating harrowing planetary environments and well-fortified tunnels. I wasn't thrilled with the Genesis version of the game but this arcade-perfect edition won me over. The graphics are extremely sharp and the scaling is fluid. Your rapid-fire cannon is practically useless but the swarms of missiles you unleash are absolutely devastating. I feels so good to lock onto six targets and knock them all out with one press of a button. The explosions look great, and the sound of chain-reactions is especially satisfying. In addition to formations of ships you'll blast space freighters, flaming lava monsters, and hopping spider creatures. Enemy ships sometimes approach from the rear, so be sure to get out of their way. The first of the six selectable (!) stages takes place in space, but the others are set on diverse planetary environments (fire, water, desert, etc). The tunnel sections are far more impressive than the Genesis game because you gradually approach them from a distance. The only thing I don't get about this game is how the energy works. The game abruptly ends when it's depleted, but it's not clear how it's replenished. Even so, it's great to finally enjoy Galaxy Force 2 the way it was meant to be played. It's a shame this release was limited to Japan, especially considering the text (and voices!) are in English. I especially like the music with its appealing jazzy quality. Suffice to say, if you liked any other versions of Galaxy Force you will absolutely flip over this one. Note: A Gameshark or Action Replay device is required to play imports on North American consoles. © Copyright 2014 The Video Game Critic.
Find Galaxy Force II (Japan) on
If you like this game, try: Galaxy Force II (Genesis),
Galaxy Force (Sega Master System), Nova Blast (Colecovision),
Chase HQ Plus SCI (Japan) (Saturn), Bulk Slash (Japan) (Saturn)
Game Tengoku: The Game Paradise (Japan)
Imported This game is a hidden gem Arcade-style joystick recommended May contain pigs
Finally - a game that lives up to its name! If you enjoy Japanese imports don't let Game Tengoku: The Game Paradise pass you by. This wacky, over-the-top vertical shooter never really had a chance in the states due to our "western sensibilities". It feels like a parody of every shooter dating all the way back to Space Invaders (Atari 2600, 1980). You can control a traditional ship like a plane or mech, or opt to be farting pig or flying girl! You're equipped with two satellite cannons and a supply of bombs. The opening stage takes place over a sea of arcade cabinets. I could make out Street Fighter II and Mortal Kombat, along with a few Jaleco titles. Stage two pits you against the cute, furry contents of claw machines. Some of the backgrounds have an amazing photo-realistic appearance. Stage three really turns up the heat as you battle traditional spacecraft that bum-rush your ship when they aren't pelting you with waves of projectiles. At this point I was forced to use my bombs strictly as defensive measures. Later levels feel like homages to the classics, letting you blast through race cars, pixelated alien armadas, and even the rainbow wall from Breakout (Atari 2600, 7800). The Game Paradise is fun but wildly uneven. Enemies can converge on you in a hurry, and even materialize on top of you. The two-player mode is just insane. Icons shaped like little satellite dishes offer multiplying bonuses, and sometimes you can inflate your score by plowing through a whole glut of them. Endless continues allow you to enjoy the copious eye candy, but it keeps the tension low. The audio didn't make much of an impression, save for the gleeful (and super loud) voices of Japanese girls. Irrististibly silly and addictive to boot, The Game Paradise is the place to be for classic game lovers. © Copyright 2018 The Video Game Critic.
Find Game Tengoku The Game Paradise (Japan) on
If you like this game, try: Vector Vaders 2: The Director's Cut (Vectrex),
Space Invaders Extreme (PSP), Mortal Kombat II (Sega 32X),
Astro Battle (Bally Astrocade), Super Breakout (Atari 2600)
Ghen War
In 1995, this first-person shooter was probably very impressive. Ghen War puts you in control of a well-armed mech robot, walking around different planets and blasting all kinds of huge mechanical beasts. Some of the enemies resemble Predator, but most look like giant insects. When destroyed, they explode into huge chunks of burning metal, which just looks cool as hell. The frame rate is nice, but wandering around the huge 3D environments gets old after a while, especially after you've cleared out the creatures and are trying to figure out what to do next. I got impatient with Ghen War, but one thing I will give it credit for is its outstanding audio. The background noises are chilling and effective. Each enemy has its own distinct sound effect that will strike fear into your heart. Between stages, Ghen War has some high-quality cut-scenes that are a combination of live acting and CGI. They're not bad, but don't add anything to the gameplay. That black guy looks just like Samuel Jackson! One final note: Who were the marketing geniuses that gave this game such a stupid name? And what in the heck is the cover supposed to have on it? © Copyright 2002 The Video Game Critic.
Find Ghen War on
If you like this game, try: Fear Effect (Playstation),
Mech Assault (Xbox), Mr. Robot and His Robot Factory (Atari XEGS),
Gears of War (Xbox 360), Krazy Ivan (Playstation)
Golden Axe The Duel
Contains violence and gore
Why, Sega, why? Why did you take your popular, side-scrolling series and reduce it to a mediocre one-on-one fighter? As if there weren't enough Street Fighter clones already in 1996! The Golden Axe series never even had any interesting characters to begin with, making Sega's decision even more incomprehensible. Golden Axe the Duel isn't terrible, but it doesn't distinguish itself in any way. The cast of characters are inspired by the original Genesis games, including an axe-wielding dwarf, a spell-casting mage, a knife-tossing elf, a fat guy with a ball and chain, a Blanka look-alike, a girl wearing animal skin, and of course the obligatory hot babe. Like Street Fighter 2, there are three punch buttons and three kicks. The animation is fair, but the fights lack flow and feel stiff and mechanical. The camera scales in and out (a la Samurai Shodown) but is never really a factor. The mage can transform you into a frog, but this frog can still kick some ass! Little elves run across the screen periodically, dropping potions when you strike them. When you gather enough potions, you can "power-up" for a short period of time. The Duel's backgrounds reflect the medieval flavor of the series, but they look grainy and boring. The best aspects of this game are the sound effects and splattering blood. Otherwise it is completely forgettable. © Copyright 2004 The Video Game Critic.
Find Golden Axe The Duel on
If you like this game, try: Golden Axe (Genesis),
Samurai Shodown (3DO), Samurai Shodown Sen (Xbox 360),
Street Fighter The Movie (Saturn), Samurai Shodown Anthology (Wii)
Grid Runner
Publisher: Virgin (1996)
In Grid Runner, you've been captured in deep space and forced to compete in one-on-one competitions against various alien opponents. It's a silly premise but Grid Runner is not half bad. The surprisingly non-violent gameplay is best described as a hybrid of "tag" and "capture the flag". You must collect flags on a maze of suspended walkways, but you can only pick them up when you're not "it". Only a section of the maze is visible at a time, and an arrow indicates the direction of your adversary. Grid Runner seems pretty lame at first, but as you progress through the levels, the tension mounts. It's actually quite a rush to grab that last flag with a giant crab-man hot on your tail. Special moves allow you to bridge gaps, cast spells, and fire shots to slow down your opponent. The characters are pixelated, but the backgrounds look good, especially the snowy ice stage. Your 15 opponents are quite imaginative, ranging from a lizard man, to a Minotaur, to a crab monster, and each has a fitting home world. Grid Runner has a reasonable learning curve and provides a nice save feature. © Copyright 2001 The Video Game Critic.
Find Grid Runner on
If you like this game, try: Flag Capture (Atari 2600),
Route 16 (Arcadia 2001), Rush Rush Rally Reloaded (Dreamcast),
Hot Shots Golf Fore! (Playstation 2), Frostbite (Atari 2600)
Rare and Expensive May contain graveyards
When Saturn fans laud their system (or defend it, as is often the case), Guardian Heroes is sometimes mentioned as one of the system's hidden gems. It's a pretty rare title, but if you haven't been able to track down a copy, don't lose any sleep over it. The game offers a few original concepts but none of them work very well. The game begins with a lengthy anime intro, and I have to admit it got me pretty psyched up! In the first scene, three warriors have discovered an mystical sword in a hidden room. There's a lot of text to wade through, giving the game an RPG vibe. Once the action kicks in, you're fighting guards in the middle of a medieval town. You view the battle from a side angle, and the shoulder buttons allow your character to move between several "planes". The scaling is smooth enough, but since foes come in a variety of sizes, it's can be hard to determine who you're "lined up" with. Worse yet, there are often so many combatants that the screen gets cluttered. Your warrior and his allies typically face groups of six enemies at a time. With a multi-tap, up to six players can join the fray, but I suspect the clutter and slow-down would be unbearable. The moves include a defensive pose, jump, normal attack, and power attack. You can also give "orders" to an undead "golden warrior" who does your bidding. When you tell him to "go berzerk", it's like detonating a smart bomb! The graphics in Guardian Heroes are very good, with "painted" backgrounds that depict townships, graveyards, and castle interiors in exquisite detail. The characters are rendered in an anime style which slightly clashes with the backgrounds. Characters become pixelated when on the "close" plane, and grainy when on the "far" plane. In addition to armored guards and skeletons, you'll also face oversized robots that unleash powerful laser beams. That's weird. Branching paths add to the game's replayability, and your progress is saved automatically. I've heard Guardian Heroes compared to Streets of Rage, but it's nowhere near as fun or playable. I was totally baffled by the story and dialogue, and found the audio to be somewhat irritating and sometimes inappropriate. When I'm fighting skeletons in a graveyard, why am I listening to a jazzy number with a saxophone? Is this the apocalypse or happy hour? The voice samples are repetitive as hell, and it sounds like one character is yelling "bee-yatch!" whenever he performs a power attack. I like how how the instructions make frequent references to "see page xx", but someone forgot to fill in the page numbers - whoops! Guardian Heroes is definitely a Saturn original, but it's hardly worth breaking your piggy bank for. © Copyright 2009 The Video Game Critic.
Find Guardian Heroes on
If you like this game, try: Ninja Warriors (Super Nintendo),
Mystical Fighter (Genesis), Guardian War (3DO),
Berzerk Voice Enhanced (Atari 2600), Warbirds (Lynx)
Gunbird (Japan)
This is one 2D blast-a-thon that doesn't take itself too seriously, and that's refreshing. Easier than most vertical shooters, Gunbird will appeal to both casual and hardcore types. There's a set of wacky anime characters to choose from including a cute witch on a broom, a dude in a jetpack, and an old geezer in a pedal-powered helicopter. The lushly illustrated stages include a runaway train, a red mining area, a castle, and a village with little people milling around below. The starting stage is determined by the character you select, and this boosts the game's replay value. You can pound the fire button to shoot rapidly, but I'd recommend activating a turbo switch if you have one on your controller. Enemies unleash waves of projectiles, but they tend to be large and slow, allowing you to safely weave around instead of wasting your bombs. It's less overwhelming and more enjoyable that most Saturn shooters. Brief cut-scenes convey a storyline with a villain who resembles a busty version of Cruella De Vil (from 101 Dalmations). The audio has a lot of repetitive voice samples that might get on your nerves after a while. High scores and initials are saved automatically. Gunbird didn't show me anything I hadn't seen before, but its friendly visuals and accessible gameplay make it a good addition to any shooter collection. © Copyright 2009 The Video Game Critic.
Find Gunbird (Japan) on
If you like this game, try: Gunbird 2 (Dreamcast),
Brutal Unleashed: Above the Claw (Sega 32X), Elemental Gearbolt (Playstation),
Castle Shikigami 2 (Playstation 2), Golgo 13 (Sega SG-1000)
Hang On GP
Wow, this game really stinks! Hang On was great on the Genesis and Master System, but this 3D version is a disaster. GP's graphics are fairly wretched, with serious draw-in issues with the scenery, and angular drivers that could pass for robots. Ugly games like this make the Saturn look downright deficient in the 3D department. The controls are uncommonly poor. Not only are they conducive to over-steering, but your wide turn radius makes it impossible to take any curve without hitting the brakes. Rubbing against a wall should simply slow you down, but more often than not it causes your bike to "pop" into the air for a wipeout. A power-slide option is available, but there's a good reason why it's turned off by default - it sucks. Apparently Hang On GP was designed for the Sega Steering Wheel controller, but I didn't have one of those to test. Sadly, this does not work with Sega's analog controller, since that was introduced afterwards. On a positive note, the three courses are fairly attractive, with a beach resort, a "great wall", and a port city locale. The electronic soundtrack isn't bad either, but the bike engines sound like a swarm of bees. Hang On GP is a weak effort, but Sega did eventually redeem themselves with Manx TT Super Bike. © Copyright 2007 The Video Game Critic.
Find Hang On GP on
If you like this game, try: Manx TT Super Bike (Saturn),
Wipeout (Playstation), Wipeout: Omega Collection (Playstation 4),
Wipeout 2048 (Playstation Vita), San Francisco Rush: Extreme Racing (Nintendo 64)
Heir of Zendor
Publisher: Koei (1996)
Caution: May cause drowsiness Strategy game
Here's an unusual air combat game that most people will probably hate. I was secretly hoping that Heir of Zendor was a 2D shooter, but it's actually a rather sloppy turn-based strategy game (ugh!) The gameplay involves deploying and directing squadrons of planes against invading enemy aircraft. What's peculiar about Zendor is how you maneuver your planes as if they were mere tokens on a board. The 2D graphics don't exactly flaunt the Saturn's hardware capabilities. Although the battles are supposed to take place in the air, the planes have black shadows directly beneath them, making it look like they're sitting on a table cloth. Their animation is slow and jerky, and the action takes place entirely on a 2D plane. As an unfortunate side effect, aircraft tend to bump into and rub against each other as your guide them into position. Heir of Zendor could have been a complete disaster, but it's not a total loss. Each type of aircraft you deploy has its own attributes such as size, speed, and weapon range, and winning battles requires a heavy dose of strategy. The game is pretty easy to learn and there are minimal lulls in the action, thanks to a streamlined menu interface. Elegant orchestrated music plays in the background during the battles, and it's genuinely satisfying when you knock out your last enemy. As you might expect, the battles are sandwiched by obligatory cut scenes and excessive dialogue. The epic background story tells the tale of a colonized planet and ancient technologies discovered and resurrected. The dialogue is far too philosophical, with boring diatribes about God, technology, and mankind. These grandiose cut-scenes stand in stark contrast to the simple, pixilated game graphics, and the disparity is almost comical. But despite its pretentious trappings and mediocre programming, Heir of Zendor's gameplay did manage to hold my attention for a while. Gamers who prefer strategy over action may find this mildly amusing if you can pick it up cheap. © Copyright 2005 The Video Game Critic.
Find Heir of Zendor on
If you like this game, try: Pirates (NES),
Tomcat Alley (Sega CD), Ace Combat 04 (Playstation 2),
Ace of Aces (Atari 7800), Mission X (Intellivision)
Publisher: Raven Software (1996)
Beginning with Doom (1993), there was a steady stream of first-person shooters (FPS) released, each of which slightly outdid its predecessor in terms of graphics. I would frequently visit my friend Steve's house in those days, and he always had the latest-and-greatest FPS running on his turbo-charged PC. Hexen sticks out in my mind because Steve made a big deal about the orange leaves falling from the trees. I also recall how melee played a major role in combat. Revisiting Hexen on the Saturn brought back a few memories, but this version clearly pales to the original. You begin by selecting between a warrior, cleric, or mage character. You're then thrust into a dark, hellish world with dimly lit, multi-tiered medieval fortresses. I love those stained-glass windows which sound amazing when you shatter them. Monsters you'll face include centaurs, flaming birds, serpent warriors, and two-headed guards. The melee style of combat requires you to move in to inflict a blow, and then quickly back up. Timing is key. The control scheme is a bit complicated, but that's understandable considering Hexen's PC origins. You'll need to memorize a lot of button combinations - Z and C to bring up the map for example. The graphics are not nearly as crisp or vibrant as I remember. In fact, the scenery looks so dark and muddled that I had a hard time making out those falling leaves! You'll need to constantly adjust the camera when walking up and down stairs, which is a pain. On the plus side, the game boasts a surreal orchestrated score that truly kicks ass. Hexen is moderately enjoyable once you get a feel for the controls, but the save system is atrocious! You need a whopping 3600 blocks to save your game, and that's just outrageous. A password option is also included, but it's very confusing and poorly implemented. Playing Hexen on the Saturn gave me the impression that I was playing a bad port of a good game. © Copyright 2009 The Video Game Critic.
Find Hexen on
If you like this game, try: Night Warriors - Darkstalker's Revenge (Saturn),
Cybernator (Super Nintendo), Doom (Playstation),
Doom 64 (Nintendo 64), Wizards and Warriors (NES)
High Velocity: Mountain Racing Challenge
Works with Steering Wheel Best played at night
I'm always on the hunt for arcade racers in the style of Ridge Racer (PS1, 1995) but my searches usually end in disappointment. High Velocity first grabbed my attention with its flashy graphics. The subtitle "Mountain Racing Challenge" is no joke. The harrowing tracks have steep, winding hills that run along the edge of cliffs. A bright city skyline lights up the horizon, and I had to pause the game just to get a good look. That town looks so amazing - too bad you never quite get there. Day tracks tend to have boring mountain scenery instead. The primary "king battle" mode is a series of one-on-one heats. The heat selection screen is a confusing checkerboard of squares, and I couldn't make much sense of it. Instead of selecting between a manual or auto transmission, you hold A while driving for manual acceleration and C for automatic. You can even switch back and forth. On the road the cars look boxy and the scenery is chunky, but at least the framerate is smooth. The steering could benefit from analog control, and the steering wheel only works marginally well. The brake will send you into a long slide, so sometimes it's best to just scrape the guardrails. There are three tracks, and you only race against a single opponent. The long laps aren't really a problem because there are only two of them. I find it funny how the indicator on the little map is the word "YOU". Some of the music cracks me up. Man (shouting): "Do that! Do that thing!" Woman (singing): "Yeeeeaaa yeaaah". Best times are recorded along with initials. High Velocity may be shallow, but it's just weird enough that Saturn racing fans might want to consider giving it a test drive. © Copyright 2019 The Video Game Critic.
Find High Velocity Mountain Racing Challenge on
If you like this game, try: Burning Road (Playstation),
Ridge Racer Type 4 (Playstation), Ridge Racer 6 (Xbox 360),
F1 Challenge (Saturn), Ridge Racer 64 (Nintendo 64)
Publisher: Natsume (1998)
Arthur Award for Extreme Difficulty
When I first spotted that bright red sports car on the back of the Highway 2000 box, I had flashbacks of Ridge Racer. Could it be that Natsume hired the developers of that 1995 Playstation hit to produce a similar racer for the Saturn? Could be! And as a rabid Ridge Racer fan, I enjoyed the colorful, arcade-style of Highway 2000. You get a nifty behind-the-car view as you navigate tracks that wind through five urban environments. The textured road surfaces convey speed and the framerate remains steady. A few boxy buildings are sprinkled around the course but the bulk of the scenery is rendered via a digitized backdrop. It may sound cheesy but the layering technique is effective. On the Bay Side Highway, you really feel as if you're racing along the water's edge. The courses look good although they can't quite match the quality of the PS1 Ridge Racer titles. The tracks can be raced consecutively in a tournament format or individually in time trials. Before attempting the tournament I'd advise changing the difficulty to easy, because this game is crazy hard! The steering is very sensitive and unfortunately the analog control is not supported. By tapping the brake, you send your car into an extended fishtail, making it possible to maneuver through several tight turns in succession. If only the tracks weren't so damn narrow! Not only is it difficult to pass other cars, but bumping one pushes it further ahead of you! Highway 2000's musical score sounds like something from of an 80's action flick, and I actually like it! The worst aspect of the game is the two-player split-screen, which is best described as "pixel soup". It doesn't help that it forces you use the first-person view. As a single-player game however, Highway 2000 delivers substantial arcade racing thrills. © Copyright 2010 The Video Game Critic.
Find Highway 2000 on
Ridge Racer 64 (Nintendo 64), Ridge Racer Type 4 (Playstation),
Ridge Racer 6 (Xbox 360), Ridge Racer DS (Nintendo DS)
Horde, The
Publisher: Crystal Dynamics (1995)
I gave the Horde a good try, I really did, but I just couldn't get into it. The game tries to combine the action of fighting games with the strategic building elements not unlike Warcraft. Initially I was surprised to see an elaborate video introduction starring Kurt Cameron (from Growing Pains!). There are actually several video clips interspersed in the game, and while they're mildly amusing, they don't contribute much to the actual game. The Horde is played in turns. At the beginning of each turn, you spend money to protect and maintain a little village. At the end of the turn, a "horde" of monsters comes along to wreak havoc on what you've constructed. With weapon in hand, you go around slicing these baddies up before they can level the whole place. It's not a bad concept, but there are major problems. First, the village seems to develop out of your control, undermining your strategic moves. When the action kicks in, it's hard to locate where the oncoming monsters are attacking. The early waves of monsters are easy to take out, you are soon confronted with unstoppable titans who immediately pulverize you and end the game. The graphics are very nice, and the sound effects are exceptional. The renaissance-age music is well orchestrated but somewhat repetitive. The Horde has a good concept, but the gameplay couldn't quite live up to it. © Copyright 2001 The Video Game Critic.
Find Horde on
If you like this game, try: Brain Age (Nintendo DS),
War of the Monsters (Playstation 2), Adventures of Bayou Billy, The (NES),
Hard Drivin' (Genesis), Utopia (Intellivision)
House of the Dead, The
Rating: Mature (animated violence, blood and gore)
Contains violence and gore Uses light gun controller Rare and Expensive This game is scary May contain monkeys Cooperative Play May contain graveyards Contains Halloween themes
As the first in a series of zombie-shooting light gun titles, House of the Dead delivers brain-splattering mayhem with branching routes and some of the worst dialogue ever recorded for a video game. Panned by critics when first released on the Saturn, House of the Dead is rough around the edges (literally) but easy to get into. As you are automatically guided around a huge mansion, all sorts of ugly ghouls pop up at every turn. The shooting is pretty much non-stop as the green blood flies and heads get blown off with extreme prejudice. You fire off-screen to reload, and it seems you need to almost constantly. Shooting boxes and barrels reveal health and power-ups, but they're usually only visible for a split second. The character models are chunky as hell, but it's the sloppy, pixilated scenery with unsightly seams and clipping problems (objects that don't overlap correctly) that make this game look so ugly. The degree of pixelation is alarming, and some of the chunky trees would look more at home in an Atari 2600 game! Considering it came out late in the system's lifecycle, you'd expect Sega to have done a better job. The graphics don't matter so much now, but when the Saturn was going head-to-head with the Playstation, a title like this could only hasten a system's demise. The accuracy of the gun is very good (no need to calibrate), but hardly precise enough to target the tiny weak spots on some of the bosses. Despite its flaws, I enjoy playing House of the Dead, especially since the changing paths make each play-through slightly different. After plowing through your limited continues you enter your initials on a high score screen (which is saved). House of the Dead has its share of issues, but if you can look past its rough exterior you're in for some good 'ole Halloween fun. © Copyright 2011 The Video Game Critic.
Find House of the Dead on
Recommended variation: arcade
Our high score: SDZ 7805
If you like this game, try: House of the Dead III (Xbox),
House of the Dead Overkill, The (Wii), House of the Dead 2 (Dreamcast),
House of the Dead 2 and 3 Return (Wii), Crypt Killer (Saturn)
Seasonal summer fun This game is a hidden gem
With its stylized sprites, immense firepower, and spectacular explosions, In The Hunt is the kind of title you'd expect to find on the Neo Geo. Some have even called it "Metal Slug Underwater". If you have a single old-school bone in your entire body, gazing at this gorgeous 2D shooter could bring tears to your eyes. Released at a time when 3D graphics were becoming the rage, this game eluded most gamer's radars. Your yellow sub can simultaneously fire torpedoes forward (rapid-fire), launch missiles overhead, and drop mines below. The eye candy is amazing as torpedoes leave bubbly trails, splashes ignite the water surface, and mines trigger chain reactions on the ocean floor. Most enemies are underwater, but you can surface to engage airplanes and level buildings. The destruction quotient is pretty much off-the-charts as bridges collapse into the water, sending train cars plunging into the depths. In The Hunt's soundtrack isn't remarkable, but it does call to mind those glorious days when 16-bit ruled. There's just one thing that prevents In The Hunt from achieving greatness, and that's the heinous slow-down that occurs when the action heats up. It's hard to ignore in the single-player mode, and it practically ruins an otherwise terrific two-player simultaneous mode. In The Hunt is a fun game, but it seems like the hardware is struggling to keep up every step of the way. © Copyright 2008 The Video Game Critic.
Find In The Hunt on
Recommended variation: easy/continues
If you like this game, try: Metal Slug (MVS) (Neo Geo),
Metal Slug 2 (CD) (Neo Geo), Metal Slug Advance (Game Boy Advance),
Metal Slug X (Playstation), Metal Slug 4/5 (Playstation 2)
Incredible Hulk, The Pantheon Saga
This was made by the same company that did Tomb Raider? That's hard to believe, because this is one of the worst games I've seen! No wonder the Hulk is so mad - you'd be pissed too if your mug was slapped on this piece of garbage! In the idiotic background story, Hulk has been kidnapped by some space creatures and must smash his way out of their lair (whatever). Just wait until you witness that incredibly blocky green mess that is allegedly supposed to be the Hulk. Actually all of the graphics in this game look pixelated and indistinguishable to the point where you feel the need to avert your eyes. The sound effects are muffled, and the background music consists of loud grinding guitars that only add to the agony. As you wander around the monotonous 3D areas, you'll battle weak robots, solve inane lever puzzles, and take cheap hits from every direction. Every level is chock full of traps and unavoidable projectiles that only succeed in making the Hulk's life a living hell. After just a few minutes of playing this game, even I was enraged. © Copyright 2002 The Video Game Critic.
Find Incredible Hulk on
If you like this game, try: Incredible Hulk, The (Genesis),
Tomb Raider (Playstation), Tomb Raider III (Playstation),
Space Ace (CD) (Jaguar), Incredible Hulk, The (Nintendo DS)
Iron Man/X-O Manowar in Heavy Metal
What's the deal with the long name? And who the heck is X-O Manowar? Oh well, it doesn't really matter. This game is just second-rate platform shooter that provides an endless supply of cannons and generic thugs to blow up. Although there are a few fighting moves, you'll find yourself leaning on the fire button to dispatch just about everything. The best part of the game is the ability to fly and hover. That works pretty well, but the basic gameplay is redundant. The graphics aren't anything to write home about either, with the objects being blurry and pixilated. The levels are unoriginal and boring. Hey look - there's an elevator stage. Gee I've only seen that in every fighting game I've ever played! And at the end of each stage, you are awarded one ridiculously long password. I'd pass on this one. © Copyright 2000 The Video Game Critic.
Find Iron Man X-O Manowar in Heavy Metal on
If you like this game, try: Meteoric Shower (Colecovision),
Crossbow (Atari 7800), Strategy X (Atari 2600),
Maken-X (Dreamcast), Namco Museum Volume 1 (Playstation)
Johnny Bazookatone
Publisher: US Gold (1996)
May contain graveyards May contain cheese
This stylish platform shooter conveys a moody, jazzy atmosphere not unlike Mr. Bones (Saturn, 1996). Johnny Bazookatone is a guitar-playing musician with a purple bouffant hairdo (Elvis style). His guitar can rapidly fire unseen bullets in any direction, and shooting downward propels him through the air. The dark, mysterious stages are rendered with plush, realistic textures, and locations include a penitentiary, hotel, restaurant, and hospital. It shouldn't be hard to make a decent 2D platformer for the Saturn, but Johnny Bazookatone will have you believing otherwise! These stage designs are awful! There are green thorns (fatal to touch) all over the place and deadly pits hidden from view. You tend to get killed by things you assume are part of the background scenery. Mushrooms turn from helpful green to poisonous red for no apparent reason. In one stage I entered a door but after waiting a long time for the game to load, I was told, "you can't go there". What the hell? The collision detection is atrocious; sometimes you can jump on a mushroom, and sometimes you can't. The clay-mation skeletons look pretty neat, but I hate how they tend to spring up from right under your feet. The small enemies can be hard to make out. Was I just attacked by a floating candle? Lose a life and you have to restart the entire stage, which is bogus. Johnny's firepower is weak, and the charge attack is useless because it takes forever to power up. And don't even get me started with those slow-motion underwater stages. Blues music plays throughout Johnny Bazookatone, and it's appropriate considering how sad this game will make you feel. © Copyright 2013 The Video Game Critic.
Find Johnny Bazookatone on
If you like this game, try: Mr. Bones (Saturn),
Skuljagger (Super Nintendo), Mr. Do!'s Castle (Atari 2600),
Hotel Mario (Philips CD-i), Fatal Fury Battle Archives Volume 1 (Playstation 2)
Last Bronx
As Sega's weapon-oriented 3D fighter, Last Bronx plays much like Fighting Vipers, only without all the chunky armor and ugly walls. After playing all of the 3D Saturn fighters in succession, I can say with confidence that Last Bronx is easily the best looking and most enjoyable of the bunch. Each of the eight fighters wields a unique weapon, including nun-chucks, Billy clubs, sticks, and hammers. The well-animated fighters are fun to watch, and some matches resemble a well-choreographed Jackie Chan flick. The detailed, 3D graphics don't get much better than this on the Saturn, although the urban backgrounds aren't particularly interesting. The control is dead-on, and the anime introduction is far more fun to watch that the 3D rendered stuff in other games. With six modes and options to spare, Last Bronx is senseless violence at its best. © Copyright 2004 The Video Game Critic.
Find Last Bronx on
If you like this game, try: Fighting Vipers (Saturn),
Jackie Chan's Action Kung Fu (Turbografx-16), Fighting Vipers 2 (Japan) (Dreamcast),
ECW Hardcore Revolution (Nintendo 64), Soul Blade (Playstation)
Last Gladiators Digital Pinball
Publisher: Kaze (1995)
This game begins with footage of live actors posing in gladiator outfits as 80's hair-band music blares in the background. No, Last Gladiators has not aged well. The best part is how you can select between four tables, each with a medieval combat theme. I happen to be a big pinball fan so I was willing to give this a fair shot. The tables look sharp but their designs are pretty unimaginative, and what's up with the limited color palette? It's hard to make out the details of the table, and those lights are impossible to read. There aren't many targets to shoot for, and it's easy to nail the same one again and again. The flippers are responsive, but there's no plunger control. You can nudge the table by hitting the shoulder buttons. The physics is a little funky, and it's not uncommon to see the ball come to a complete stop - something unheard of in real pinball. The best part of the game is the frenetic multi-ball modes. Monochromatic animations do a nice job of emulating the LED display of real pinball games, but in general it's hard to tell what's going on. The game tries to offer hints via pop-up boxes, but they often obstruct your view. The digitized voices sound murky and the non-stop guitar becomes mind-numbing after a while. High scores are recorded for each table. Last Gladiators will mainly interest pinball fans, and even they may find it hard to get excited about this. © Copyright 2012 The Video Game Critic.
Find Last Gladiators Digital Pinball on
Our high score: 1,255,000
If you like this game, try: Pinball Jam (Lynx),
Midnight Magic (Atari 2600), Pinball (NES),
Pinball Fantasies (Jaguar), Pinball Quest (NES)
More reviews: [Previous] [Next]
Saturn Listing of Games
Screen shots courtesy of Moby Games
Shinforce
Video Game Museum
Racket Boy
Old Games News
Hardcore Gaming 101
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Cheshire College – South & West students in University of Oxford awards
in Human Interest / News / Schools & Colleges — October 19, 2018
Students at Cheshire College – South & West have been competing with scholars across the UK to earn prestigious awards during a residential programme at Pembroke College, the University of Oxford.
Second Year A Level student Nariah Majid was recognised by the University of Oxford as a Pembroke Scholar and will take part in an additional event linked to the Pembroke North Programme.
It aims to raise aspirations for prestigious universities by taking part in a sustained and intellectually challenging programme.
Nairah, 17, former pupil at Shavington Academy, said: “The entire process has been inspiring and has encouraged me to consider applying to Oxbridge.”
A Level student Emma Wood, 17, from Middlewich and former pupil at Middlewich High School, has been awarded a prize for her written work submitted to the Tyler Prize Competition at Pembroke College.
The Tyler Prize aims to support and inspire the next generation of undergraduate students as they consider their university choices.
Emma won a prize in the Humanities category.
She said: “I was thrilled and surprised to become runner up in the humanities category for my essay.
“I wasn’t expecting it and I am glad the college introduced me to it and encouraged me reach my full potential.”
A Level student Emily Lord was awarded a Pembroke Scholars prize.
Emily was nominated by Oxford academics based on her written work and dedication throughout the week.
Emily, 17, also a former student a Middlewich High School, said: “I was ecstatic when I found out. The college has given me endless opportunities and encouraged me from the start.”
Fiona Burgess, Futures Programme Coordinator at Cheshire College – South & West, said: “We are very proud and delighted to announce the recent success of our students attaining awards from The University of Oxford, Pembroke College.
“This is due to the hard work and commitment that the students have shown. They are exemplary role models for Cheshire College – South & West.”
for more information on studying at Cheshire College – South & West, call 01270 654 654 (Crewe Campus) / 01244 656 555 (Ellesmere Port and Chester Campuses) or visit www.ccsw.ac.uk
(Pic: Left – Right: Nariah Majid, Fiona Burgess, Emily Lord, Dhesi (Principal and Chief Executive Officer), Emma Wood)
Tags: Cheshire College - South and West, Oxford, Pembroke, scholars, Shavington Academy, students
Copyright © 2019 — Nantwich News. All Rights Reserved. Created by Nantwich Web Design
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Home Marvel Avengers: Endgame Nearly Had A Thor Vs. Thor Fight!
Avengers: Endgame Nearly Had A Thor Vs. Thor Fight!
Avengers: Endgame showed many arcs to their fans during three-hour long runtime. The epic movie is clock full of 21 movies that make up the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It is quite sensible that some nods might have still remained but those included will always be remembered by fans.
Everything had changed after the Thanos’ Snap. In the beginning, the movie showed a five-year jump in the future. Thor is seen living a secluded life on Earth-based “New Asgard.” After he failed to stop Thanos from snapping his fingers which vanished half universe, he became depressed and gained weight.
Thor’s Journey
Back In 2017, we saw Asgard was destroyed, and Thor decided to take the All-Father’s words to heart by protecting the Asgardian. Odin took his last breath, “Home” with telling Thor and Loki: “Norway is nice. Remember this place.” The events were a part of the movie, Thor: Ragnarok.
The story of Asgard and Thor was completely different in the Endgame. Thor realizes that the day he’s returned to Asgard in order to retrieve the reality stone is the same day that his mother dies.
Because of the emotional weight of the day, he tells Rocket that he can’t go through the mission. From the start of the movie until then, it was made clear that Thor blamed himself most for Thanos’s universal genocide, since he had beaten the Mad Titan but failed to kill him.
That failure drove him into depression, and when he’s reintroduced after a five-year leap, he’s shown to be dealing with his emotional pain by drinking heavily, eating badly, shutting himself off from the world, and pretending that he’s fine when he isn’t.
Was it Thor Vs. Thor?
During a recent talk with Happy Sad Confused podcast, co-directors Joe and Anthony Russo explained how they were thinking to mess things between two doppelgangers — Thor. Initially, their plan was to feature a fight between Thor and Thor – one in his classic pre-Snap bewigged state, the other in his post-Snap chunky Dude state.
“We did have a sequence where they finally confront each other in Asgard,” Joe said. His brother couldn’t remember why that bit got binned off but Joe was clear: “I think it got overly complicated and we liked Cap versus Cap better.”
Joe Pointed out that making things complex and messy if the story doesn’t include one’s fight scene with himself. Cap v Cap is very good indeed, to be fair.
“Once you start developing it, you can see how crowded it gets,” he said. “We wanted to make sure we had story space to create real conflict for the Avengers that were going back in time.”
In the end, Thor’s big face-off with his past came in the form of his mum.
“I think there we also deferred to the storyline of Thor and his mother, which was more resonant,” Anthony said. “That was more part of Thor’s journey and repair than confronting his former self.”
At the end of Endgame, it seems like the Asgardians are on Earth to stay — as Thor once again renounced his kingship, giving it to Valkyrie — to become what he’s always been at heart, a wandering adventurer.
The incredible character work by the directors that has gone behind making Thor the most interesting character going into Phase 4 of the MCU. Fans can’t control themselves to wait to see how James Gunn handles him in Guardians of the Galaxy 3.
Previous articleAvengers: Endgame: Story Behind Tony Stark’s “Journey” Quote
Next articleHere’s when Marvel is planning to Announce Post Avengers: Endgame Plans
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Hey! I am Rajesh, A big fan of Marvel Universe. I love writing authentic news articles about the entertainment world. I have been author and co-editors of various blogs since I was 15. Hope you find my article satisfying. He is a Marvel fan and would never miss the first day show of the latest Marvel release.
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Before life goes sideways, be sure to do these 3 things
April 18, 2019 by theonlinetaxguy 0 Comments
Chanel Reynolds got the call you never want.
Her husband, Jose, had been in a terrible accident and was now in intensive care, irreparably wounded. A week later, with no signs of brain function, he was removed from life support and died. Meanwhile, Reynolds realized they had wills, but they were not signed or notarized. She wasn’t sure of all their coverage, and she couldn’t easily locate the phone number for their insurance company.
A super-organized project manager, Reynolds says her organizing skills were extremely helpful. At the same time, she said, it was “humiliating that I was so disorganized and felt so helpless.”
Holding her thumb and fingers several inches apart to represent a stack of paper, Reynolds said the mail piled up and all she could do was stare at it, paralyzed.
When she recovered from an unrecoverable time, Reynolds created GYST.com in 2013 to share what she’d learned. (GYST stands for Get Your S— Together.) A few things kept recurring, and she said, “If we had had these few things done, there would have been less to answer. I hoped family and friends would share.”
The site went viral and Reynolds wrote “What Matters Most,” a guide to wills, money and insurance — and where to start when you don’t even know you need to do this.
It’s not the actual planning or organizational tasks themselves. People manage to plan and carry out other complicated tasks. When the event is positive — getting married, having a child, buying a home, inheriting some money — it’s far easier and more exciting to sit down and make plans.
As Reynolds points out, the negative ones such as a bad diagnosis or disability, or some unforeseen disaster, are a punch in the gut.
When things go to pieces, you don’t know what you don’t know. The average person has several financial accounts and different types of coverage, and few people can quickly lay their hands on all that information.
At a minimum, to be prepared for some unforeseen catastrophe, you should have a will, an emergency fund and a simple folder or notebook that holds financial and account information for you and your partner.
More from Invest in You:
What surprises people most about Roth IRAs
Learning to be an adult is like anything else: something you can learn
Five easy ways to save $1,000 in three months
It’s far easier to write down passwords and assemble information on accounts and key phone numbers when life is humming along. Planning simply makes a hard time easier, Reynolds says. What’s more, we do it all the time for a range of events both big and small.
“We back up our computers, we change our furnace filters and the oil in our cars,” Reynolds said. Getting organized for an unseen event is no different.
Don’t feel bad if you don’t have all your plans nailed down. More than half of American adults don’t have a will, according to Lexis Nexis, the legal research company. Fewer than half would be able to come up with $1,000 for an emergency expense. But do scout the possibility that things will not always go smoothly. More than 1 in 4 people age 20 will become disabled before reaching retirement age, according to the Social Security Administration.
The best thing you can do is start today. Work on building a cash cushion. And if you don’t have a will, make one.
Like most people in their 30s, neither Liz Gendreau, 38, an IT program manager, nor her husband had wills. They just assumed there’d be plenty of time at some unspecified later date.
But a routine surgery for Gendreau’s husband, Todd Gwiazdowski, led to a long ICU stay with life-threatening complications seven years ago. At the time, Gwiazdowski was collecting unemployment, which he lost because he could not look for work. He had been caring for the couple’s sons, so expenses also soared because Gendreau needed to secure child care.
The expenses go way beyond medical ones.
“There’s a ton of nonmedical expenses people never think about it,” Gendreau said. “Special food, installing railings in the house, special clothes,” she said. Many may not be allowable expenses through a health savings account. Luckily, Gwiazdowski recovered. Gendreau blogs about family finance on her website, Chief Mom Officer.
Until he was in the hospital long enough to qualify for a discount, Gendreau had to pay for hospital parking. “You don’t have time to cook,” Gendreau said, so there’s food to pay for. So many things are not technically medical, but they all come at once. Just as your income goes down your expenses skyrocket.
An emergency fund was put to immediate use. Gendreau’s strategy was to reallocate her spending. “Because I’d always put money in the kids’ college funds and retirement, I was able to come up with money by stopping saving,” she said.
Job loss is just one difficult scenario. Gendreau recommends imagining how you might handle different types of emergencies beyond simple cash amounts.
Consider how you’d manage if you had to move out of your home after a flood or a fire. Where would you take money from? What if you run through your three months’ fund? If you have kids, you’ll want a plan for taking care of them if neither parent is able to. Do you depend on family or friends? How near are these people?
Reynolds recommends playing “what if?” to determine the areas in which your family could be most vulnerable. For Reynolds, not having an emergency fund was devastating. “If I hadn’t been able to lean on some people” it would have been catastrophic. Her husband had no disability insurance, and his injuries were unrecoverable. There was loss of salary, possibly long-term care, that would have bankrupted the family.
“Think of the things that can go wrong,” Reynolds said. “[Think about] what’s most important. I have found I sleep better at night knowing some of the basic stuff is taken care of.”
There’s also peace of mind in being able to say you did enough planning. “I was so embarrassed about how poorly I’d planned,” Reynolds said. “If you can create more space to be in the room and less time beating yourself up for poor planning, we’re all better off.”
“Even if you figured out everything in advance, when you’re sitting in the ICU next to your husband, wondering if he’s going to live, it’s inherently stressful,” Gendreau said. “That’s not the best time to figure all that out. I think we don’t talk about it as much as we should because everyone thinks nothing will ever go wrong.”
Keep in mind that planning is usually not one and done, but something that needs reviewing and checking on a regular basis. Reynolds schedules her annual checkup around her birthday because it’s an easy way to remember something crucial. Around that time, she revisits insurance and other paperwork.
When things get hard, everything else seems to get harder, Reynolds says, “which is the opposite of what needs to happen. It’s a domino effect.”
That cascade can make it hard for people to get out of the hole financially and emotionally. “Hoping for the best is nice, but it’s not a plan,” Reynolds said.
At some point, she realized she wasn’t the only who didn’t have all her ducks in a row. Most people don’t have solid plans in place for dire emergencies. “We all suck at this,” she said.
Disclosure: NBCUniversal and Comcast Ventures are investors in Acorns.
This article was originally published by Cnbc.com. Read the original article here.
JP Morgan strategist: Fed is ‘fundamentally making a mistake’ by cutting rates
In a scene reminiscent of the financial crisis, axed Deutsche Bank workers leave with belongings
IRS Crime Unit Marks 100 Years Of Following The Money And Tackling Crime
State Tax Changes as of July 1, 2019
Is Brand Loyalty Really Worth the Money?
Repeal and a Deal (or No Deal)
Citi upgrades Morgan Stanley: ‘A high quality franchise with limited rates exposure’
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Here are the biggest analyst calls of the day: Slack, Zoom, Morgan Stanley & more
Planning to travel while on Medicare? Make sure you have coverage at your destination
Howard Marks: The Structure Of Market Cycles and How To Get The Odds In Your Favour (2019)
Out-Of-State Trusts With North Carolina Beneficiaries, Apply For Tax Refund NOW
U.S. investigates France’s plan to impose a tax on tech giants
Changes in the Effective Average Corporate Income Tax Rates in Europe
The Impacts of Tightening up on Transfer Pricing
Five Things to Know about the Pending Tax Treaties in the Senate
How Controlled Foreign Corporation Rules Look around the World: Netherlands
CPA Sinks Under Millions In Aiding And Abetting Penalties On Mariners Deductions
Minimizing Taxes In Divorce Without The Alimony Deduction
A Preliminary Look at 2018 Tax Data
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Fireworks Sales Spark an Explosion of Taxes and Fees
Beto O’Rourke’s War Tax is a New Approach
Senator Van Hollen Introduces Proposal to Raise Taxes on High-Income Households
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Ag Minister Urged to Look at Anaerobic Digestion
Government and regulatory Environmental management Waste management Biofuels
12 August 2010, at 9:42am
IRELAND - Anaerobic digestion systems using poultry and pig manure could generate energy and boost incomes.
Pig and poultry slurry can help generate energy and boost farm incomes through the use of anaerobic digestion systems, reports Irish Examiner.
That is the view of Fine Gael spokesperson on agriculture, fisheries and food spokesperson, Andrew Doyle.
He called on Agriculture Minister, Brendan Smith, to establish pilot anaerobic digester (AD) sites, which would serve a dual benefit. They would mitigate the issue of phosphorus provision while harvesting a useful methane by-product.
Mr Doyle said: "Anaerobic digestion is widely used as a renewable energy source because the process produces a biogas, comprising 65% methane, which is suitable for energy production.
"It helps to replace fossil fuels and the residue can be used as a fertiliser."
He added that there has been an explosion of farm-based ADs in Germany and Austria in recent years, with Sweden and Denmark also leading the way in Europe.
But there are only four on-farm AD plants in the Irish Republic, compared to about 4,000 in Germany, producing almost 900MW of electricity capacity.
Mr Doyle said there is nowhere more suitable for the location of these test sites than the Agriculture Minister's own back yard.
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Tulo getting close to Molitor's RBI record
Blue Jays shortstop Troy Tulowitzki is knocking in runs at a record pace.
Tulo closing in on Jays’ playoff record for RBIs
His three-run double Wednesday gives him seven RBI in the series and 11 through the postseason.
In Blue Jays history, only designated hitter Paul Molitor – with 13 RBI in the team’s World Serieswinning 1993 season – has more. There was no divisional series in 1993. Tulowitzki has nine hits in 40 at bats for a .225 average, but has two doubles and two homeruns.
Back to the Future at Rogers Centre
Wednesday was Oct. 21, 2015, the day Marty McFly travelled from 1985 to 2015 in Back to the Future II, and the Blue Jays were playing along.
Just before the lineups were announced before Game 5, Huey Lewis and the News’ The Power of Love, the song made famous in the first film of the series, played over the PA system. Royals pitcher Jeremy Guthrie, meanwhile, was photographed wearing a pair of sneakers that looked a lot like the self-lacing shoes that Michael J. Fox wore in the movie.
Ex-Jays farmhands shine for Mets
One more reason for Jays fan to be upset if the Royals advance to the World Series to play the New York Mets? New York has been powered, in no small part, by 26-yearold catcher Travis d’Arnaud and 23-year-old flame-thrower Noah Syndergaard. Both went to New York when the Blue Jays acquired pitcher R.A. Dickey in December 2012. D’Arnaud possesses a rare combination of strong defence behind the plate and slugging. Syndergaard throws 100-mph fastballs.
Bartman legacy remains poignant Estrada extends Blue Jays' lifeline
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the umiverse
‘Umi
Econophobe
Mooolelo
Phile-osophy
← Reconciliation
The Race for Nationhood →
The State of History
On May 4th at the Hawaiʻi Book and Music Festival I was on a panel, with three other Hawaiian history scholars, which focused on the use of sources in historical research. It asked the very pertinent questions:
What Are the Indispensible Resources for Hawaiian History?What are the existing must-read publications for those working in Hawaiian history, or simply interested in it? What important new resources will we have access to soon? What do Hawaiian-language sources offer those who can read them? Just how much are we really missing by not having access?
And concluded:
The four panelists are all currently conducting research into diverse nineteenth and twentieth century Hawaiian cultural and historical topics, and will share their own experience of finding their way through the whole range of materials, good and bad, now publicly available, and also how they deal with the inevitable gaps they encounter.
My remarks began with a stark assessment of the state of Hawaiian history as a field. I pointed out that there have only ever been three (or possibly four) people ever employed specifically as Hawaiian historians at a “research 1” university – Pauline King, Noelani Arista and John Rosa (one might count Ralph Kuykendall, M.A., but one would do so at oneʻs own peril). I stated that this is only true if one takes such disciplinary boundaries seriously – which I do and donʻt (such boundaries have significance, but so too do interdisciplinary studies). Rosa’s position had to be specially created by the State Legislature – thatʻs my point; it’s not automatic that there are Hawaiian historians.
Prof. John Rosa
As I mentioned in my debate with Ian Lind, it was confided to me that King was hired to “do in” Hawaiian history – she produced no original publications in her long career. Ronald Williams was the first PhD to graduate from a program specifically focusing on Hawaiian history (this is partly because they had only recently hired Arista and Rosa to supervise such a program). Of course there are those with history degrees who teach in Hawaiian Studies. Jonathan Osorio, who was the moderator of the program approached me afterward and said “you know that Lilikalā [Kameʻeleihiwa], Kanalu Young and myself all have history degrees and consider ourselves historians?” And of course I did know that, but the fact that he included the late Kanalu Young on the list only underscores my point. Add them and we have six, one deceased. And there are others, such as political scientists Keanu Sai or Noenoe Silva, who said in a class once “Iʻm not a historian but I may as well be.” But we are talking about a dozen scholars at best, compared to tens of thousands of scholars in US history, for example.
What this means is Hawaiian history as a field is, as I perhaps controversially stated, that is both in its infancy and is an amateur undertaking. It is only recently becoming professionalized as a field. The vast majority of books on Hawaiian history are written by amateurs and/or outsiders with little grasp of the nuances stemming from the dominance and suppression of the Territorial period. While the professional historians can only do what they are capable of given the slow pace of publication and constraints of academia, the effect in the community is that there is little “trickle down” of good research into the lower levels. With so few top-level researchers, there truly is nothing but a trickle of new historical perspectives. And in this case it truly is a top-down situation. Amateurs cannot be expected to devote the time and resources to study that are available to a professional historian.
The result is graduates who go on to high positions in government and the corporate sector who exhibit very shaky understandings of how we got where we are as a society. Many become interested in, even passionate about history as adults (by which time it’s too late), but in school it is, as portrayed in the film History Boys, “just one bloody thing after another.”
There is an infrastructure of knowledge, a “house of intellect” as Jacques Barzun called it, and reasons why we know what we know. We canʻt take this house for granted – the Lahainaluna scholars knew this, as did Kauikeaouli, who said “he aupuni palapala koʻu” [mine is a kingdom of learning]. This vision was invested in, as we still reap its rewards a century and a half later. There seems to be – across the board, not just in Hawaiʻi – a nonchalant squandering of the gains made over history in labor rights, environmental protections, civil liberties, and social justice by a generation of profit-seekers who ignore or are ignorant of history. These people, in whom most power is invested, imperil us all with their proclivity to proverbially “repeat history.” We must demand that history not be completely over shadowed by STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) fields in the name of “twenty-first century” skills, if we want that century to be better than the last.
UPDATE: Arnie Saiki had this response on the Statehood Hawaiʻi Facebook page, which raises very valid counterarguments and gives me a chance to clarify my position:
I think there are a lot of people who do contribute to the growing canon of Hawaiian history, and follow well disciplined methodologies, as well as pave the way for methodologies that speak to cultural, linguistic, customary practice.
What … strikes me about Hawaiian history is just how much work has been done for a place that boasts a little more than a million people. Although I have not done a full accounting of library catalogs, it seems that there is more historical work produced on Hawaiian history than most states. Granted there is likely a political reason as to why that is, an element that sought to make Hawaii “knowable” to colonial settlers, but it seems that in regard to Hawaii, everything that was recordable was recorded, and it is relatively easy to access.
Its very true that there is a fascination with Hawaiian history that does not exist in other states – a fact evidenced by a Facebook group I started called Mooolelo: Hawaiian History, which grew to 500 members within a couple of months. But it’s important to remember that this is a national history, and should thus be compared to other national histories (I think of New Zealand, for example), than to other states. In the case of New Zealand, a close look at the historical work there shows a depth that Hawaiʻi could only envy. This is in a country that, while larger than Hawaiʻi, has the same population as the average US state.
Filed under Mooolelo, Uncategorized
Tagged as ʻUmi Perkins, Hawaiʻi, Hawaii, Hawaiian history, history, John Rosa, Jon Osorio, Keanu Sai, Lahainaluna, Noelani Arista, Noenoe Silva, Umi Perkins, University of Hawaiʻi
3 responses to “The State of History”
Apologies if this is covered in another post, but what would you say are the “existing must-read publications for those working in Hawaiian history, or simply interested in it?”
The main full books I’ve read are Michael Dougherty’s “To Steal a Kingdom,” Jon Osorio’s “Dismembering Lāhui,” and Stacey Kamehiro’s “The Arts of Kingship,” as well as Marshall Sahlins’ “How Natives Think,” and Gananath Obeyesekere’s “Apotheosis of Captain Cook.” … I know of a whole bunch of others, of course, but which ones would you say are the “must-reads”?
Well, I came up with this list, but itʻs a good question and is maybe another blog post…
https://theumiverse.wordpress.com/2015/10/16/the-greatest-hawaiian-books-of-all-time-in-english-or-translation/
Fantastic. Thank you for this.
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Thought in a Time of Climate Change
Images: Watch Picasso’s “Guernica” Emerge — Human Pages
Privatizing ‘Aina: Iolani Palace Speaker Series
The Lecturer’s Tale
How to become an intellectual
E Ola ka Lāhui Hawaiʻi Sovereignty Symposium with Hawaiʻi County Councilmember Jennifer Ruggles, Dr. Keanu Sai and Dr. ʻUmi Perkins
Guest Lecture by Keanu Sai
POP IS DEAD?: DEFENDING THE STATUS QUO OF MODERN MUSICALITY – Omari I.O. Kenyatta
Americanization or Denationalization?
Violence, Ends and Means: Is the world getting more peaceful? Then why all the contempt?
Misconceptions about the Overthrow
Genealogies of the Postcolonial
The World’s Most Important Living Intellectuals
The Mānoa Academy: What Iʻve been up to
Reading for Hawaiʻi Review #85 – “The Breach”
The International Commission of Inquiry at the Permanent Court of Arbitration
The Clarity of History
My Remarks at the Panel on the International Inquiry – Permanent Court of Arbitration (at Kamehameha Schools)
Reflective Practice 7: Performance and Development
Reflective Practice # 6: The Rhetoric of Ed Reform
The Meaning of 2016
Kalākaua
The Trump Administration: Children in a Fantasy
The 1840 Hawaiian Kingdom Constitution – one of the world’s first modern constitutions
The 2016 Primaries
Streaking – Day 5: Attributes of a State
Streaking – Day 4: Small change, big ramifications
Streaking – Day 3: More on Millenials
Streaking – Day 2: Confirmation Bias – A Discussion with Biologist and Educator Robert Hutchison
Streaking – Day 1: The Act of Creativity
The Politics of History
The Age of Hubris
The Best Films about Hawaiʻi
Thinking like a State
The Government’s Private Lands
Hawaiians in Trump’s America
Hālāwai Kūʻokoʻa – Presentation on Native Tenant Rights
A first Approach to “Glocalization”
Interview with John Kane on Let’s Talk Native, WBAI New York
Naʻi Aupuni: Hawaiʻi Elections for a Path to Federal Recognition
On Knowing
On Ownership
Means and Ends: Process and Results Orientation
Interview with Marti Townsend, Executive Director of the Hawaiʻi Sierra Club
The Greatest Books of Our Time
Public Schools that Work: Discussion with Amy Perruso, Part 2
Building Government on Flimsy Foundations: Redesigning Constitutional Creation Processes
The Most Underrated Books on Hawaiʻi
2015 in review – the umiverse
The Prison of Thought
Stevenson in the Pacific
End of Federal Recognition as Indian Tribe is beginning for “Real” Hawaiian Sovereignty – Williamson B.C. Chang
Breaking: US Supreme Court enjoins Na’i Aupuni
The Greatest Hawaiian Books of All Time (in English or translation)
The Rule Change
On Consciousness
On Constitutionalism
Capitalism 3.0 – Arnie Saiki
On Freedom
Interview with George Cleveland, reconciliation advocate and grandson of President Grover Cleveland
On Capitalism
The Most Underrated Figures in Hawaiian History
A Discussion with Amy Perruso
An Interview with Ikaika Hussey, publisher of Summit Magazine
Response to Gerald Smith’s “Host Culture in Hawaiʻi is just a Myth”
Occupation 101
Structural Constraints: A lecture on Structures and Institutions for Political Science 110
From a Native Daughter: “in our way of speaking, land is inherent to the people; it is like our bodies and our parents”
The Meanings of Occupation
Why Radical Academics Often Find it Hard to Write, and What to Do about It
WikiReVu of James Haley’s Captive Paradise
The Five Most Important Dates in Hawaiian History
The “Ceded” Lands Trust: a Contested History
Two Poems by Ryan Oishi: Prayer for Surf and Wal-Mart, A Love Poem
The Ten Most Pervasive Myths about Hawaiian History
The Five Most Pervasive Myths about Hawaiian History
Reflective Practice #5: History Day
The State of Hawaiʻi – Part 4: The State without History
The State of Hawaiʻi – Part 3: The State of Development
Russia (and Hawai’i) in House of Cards
Reconciliation revisited
The Fear of Working Class Intellectuals
The Waiʻanae Coast Hall of Fame
The need for a Hawaiian College
Reflective Practice #3 – Development
The Other Lost Generation
Why I am a Leftist
A Table of Contents
Reflective Practice #2: What is a “Teacher?”
My article in The Nation – the original
The Greatest Hawaiian Thinkers of All Time
WikiReVu – Selma by Kawika Liu
Ho’oku’ikahi Reconciliation Service – St. Andrew’s Cathedral
The Overthrow: a blow-by-blow
The Ten Greatest Thinkers of All Time (according to Will Durant)
Ancient Hawaiian Culture: a Brief History
The Purpose(s) of Life
Reconciliation Redux
2014 – The Umiverse in review
The New Frugality
International Law: A Primer
[Avoiding] The Perils of Nationalism
Reflective Practice #1
Why Hawaiian Sovereignty Transcends Left and Right
Get a PhD—but leave academia as soon as you graduate
Jungian Archetypes
¡Ikatú! = “Yes, we can!” (A new proposition on how to understand and measure poverty)
Locke and Property
The Generalists
Reflective Practice #4 – Hawaiian Education
Obliterating Objections to Independence
Occupation redux
The Kingdom Exists
Sanford B. Dole, the Congregationalists, and Annexation, 1902.
The Racist Professor at the University of Illinois
55 Years of Hawaiʻi Statehood
A People Without a Past: Mythology and History
My Department of Interior Testimony
Kaulia’s invitation to Morgan, 1897.
Indigenous Knowledge and Complex Systems Theory
The Pacific Problems of Cloud Atlas
Lā Hoʻihoʻi Ea: Restoration Day
Federal Train Wreck: Another Response to Ian Lind
“Why you gotta be so rude?” Rending the Social Fabric
First Voices Indigenous Radio
ʻĀina and Mana, or Privatizing ʻĀina part 2
Law and Power
Media Coverage of DOI Hearings Off-Base
How to Think Like Sherlock Holmes
First Hearing: Dept. of Interior – Honolulu
The Department of Interior Visit and the Hawaiian Response
Archives Select Month June 2019 (1) May 2019 (3) March 2019 (1) December 2018 (1) November 2018 (1) August 2018 (1) April 2018 (1) February 2018 (1) January 2018 (2) September 2017 (1) June 2017 (1) May 2017 (1) April 2017 (1) March 2017 (1) February 2017 (1) December 2016 (2) November 2016 (4) August 2016 (1) July 2016 (5) June 2016 (1) April 2016 (8) March 2016 (4) February 2016 (6) January 2016 (2) December 2015 (3) November 2015 (1) October 2015 (2) September 2015 (6) August 2015 (5) July 2015 (1) June 2015 (3) May 2015 (3) April 2015 (3) March 2015 (7) February 2015 (9) January 2015 (9) December 2014 (6) November 2014 (1) October 2014 (14) September 2014 (9) August 2014 (3) July 2014 (8) June 2014 (11) May 2014 (6) April 2014 (4) March 2014 (4) February 2014 (4) January 2014 (5) December 2013 (5) November 2013 (3) October 2013 (1) September 2013 (3) June 2013 (2) April 2013 (1) March 2013 (3) February 2013 (1) January 2013 (3) December 2012 (6) November 2012 (7) October 2012 (2) September 2012 (4) August 2012 (2) May 2012 (2) April 2012 (3) March 2012 (3) February 2012 (11) January 2012 (18) December 2011 (13)
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Hawaiian history
Please check out my new site Letters: The Life of the Mind!
the umiverse · Everyone lives in their own universe, welcome to mine
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Speed Reads
Special reports: THE IDEA FACTORY LIFE AFTER WORK
John Oliver tied up loose ends with a delightful season-ending blockbuster featuring Russell Crowe's jockstrap
UK prime minister candidates both say they would not support U.S. strikes against Iran
The New York City blackout cost StubHub $500,000 in refunds
Trump's false al Qaeda accusation against Rep. Ilhan Omar was planned — and misspelled
Border Patrol agents are reportedly disappointed by the Trump era
Game of Thrones and Veep are expected to dominate at the 2019 Emmy nominations
Mitt Romney's stance on Trump's tweets comes after a local news cliffhanger
Kamala Harris is introducing the first-ever bill of rights for domestic workers
See More Speed Reads
Johnsplaining
John Oliver closed out the current season of his HBO show Last Week Tonight last week with a disquisition on the rise in authoritarianism, but over the Thanksgiving break he also released a high-octane coda to one of his long-running jokes from the season. "By now, you probably know that we like to buy stupid things," Oliver said, pointing to the five wax presidents Last Week Tonight bought last year — plus, of course, the Russell Crowe divorcee auction items Oliver bought this year, including, most famously, the leather jockstrap Crowe wore in Cinderella Man.
"To his immense credit, Russell Crowe used the money that we paid to fund the John Oliver Koala Chlamydia Ward at the Australia Zoo," Oliver noted, calling that "a burn so harsh that only koalas with chlamydia can sympathize." And he had an update on the purchased items, which Oliver had donated to a now-defunct Blockbuster Video store in Alaska. "If you are wondering what happened to all of Russell Crowe's merchandise, I have good news and bad news," he said. The good news is that the Crowe items were sent to the last remaining Blockbuster, in Oregon, and the bad news is that Russell Crowe's leather jockstrap was not among those items.
Not to worry, Oliver said. "Not only do we know where that jockstrap is, we asked ourselves, 'What would be the single dumbest possible way to pay tribute to the most wonderfully stupid thing that happened this year?' And the answer, we hope you will agree, was this." The video he introduced, featuring not just Armie Hammer but also some special guests — both waxy and very much alive — is something to behold. Also, probably a better use of HBO's money than Russell Crowe's jockstrap. There is NSFW language. Watch below. Peter Weber
transatlantic partnership
President Trump and Boris Johnson, the United Kingdom's frontrunner to replace outgoing Prime Minister Theresa May, see eye to eye on some things, but that doesn't mean Johnson would follow Trump into battle. At least not blindly.
During a debate for party leadership, Johnson and Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt were both asked if they would support U.S. strikes against Iran, considering the high tensions between the two powers. Both candidates said they would not.
The right question being asked on #Iran.
Would the UK, under a new PM, join the US in strikes?
Both #jeremyhunt and #BorisJohnson say "no".
— Tom Swarbrick (@TomSwarbrick1) July 15, 2019
"Diplomacy must be the best way forward," Johnson said. Hunt also expressed concern that conflict could break out accidentally.
That wasn't the only Trump-related question the two candidates answered, however.
Trump's tweets telling Democratic congresswomen to go back to the "broken and crime infested places from which they came" reverberated across the globe, prompting Johnson and Hunt to address them during the debate. The two were again largely in agreement on the matter, with the former calling Trump's comments "unacceptable" and the latter deeming them "totally offensive." Despite the criticism, though, they both hedged on calling the tweets racist. Tim O'Donnell
Both Boris Johnson and Jeremy Hunt condemn Donald Trump's comments telling four congresswomen to go back to the "broken and crime infested" countries they came from, but refused to call the President racist.@Jeremy_Hunt | @BorisJohnson | #FinalShowdown | https://t.co/sv3MZUm41c pic.twitter.com/sbGMaArv1w
— talkRADIO (@talkRADIO) July 15, 2019
Tim O'Donnell
New York City theatergoers aren't getting stubbed — er, snubbed — after this weekend's blackout.
On Saturday, the lights literally went out on Broadway, with a power outage causing several New York City theaters to cancel their nightly performances. That cost ticket seller StubHub more $500,000 under their policy that guarantees refunds for canceled shows, Billboard reports via a StubHub press release.
A solid 30 blocks of Manhattan's west side lost power at 6:47 p.m. Saturday, and some areas didn't have it restored until midnight. Yet even as restaurants, subways, and theaters emptied out, some performers took their songs to the streets, putting on impromptu show for anyone near Broadway.
When the NYC #blackout hit the Walter Kerr tonight, André and the company had to take this party to the streets! (@misskimizzo) #Hadestown #Broadway pic.twitter.com/oZTW3gaimm
StubHub's user policy says that it'll refund any ticket costs and fees if a show is canceled, and will let customers know if their show is rescheduled. That's the case for Jennifer Lopez's Madison Square Garden show that was rebooked for Monday, and Dave Chapelle's solo Broadway show rescheduled for this coming Sunday.
That $500,000 total doesn't even count event tickets sold by other companies, or losses of revenue for businesses that couldn't operate without power. Saturday's blackout came exactly 42 years after a blackout crippled the city for 25 hours, sparking a surge of looting and arson at a cost of $1.2 billion in 2017 dollars. There's no official estimate for losses sustained Saturday, though it looks like customers who saw a Broadway show taken to the streets got their entertainment for free. Kathryn Krawczyk
sound it out now
President Trump needed to remind himself to shower Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) in falsities.
Trump tweeted a racist attack on Omar and three other Democratic congressmembers on Sunday, suggesting they "go back and help fix" the "countries" they came from. And in doubling down on that attack Monday, Trump falsely accused Omar of "speaking about how wonderful Al Qaeda is," despite Omar having no ties to the terrorist group and Trump having no idea how to spell it.
During his Monday press conference, Trump said he didn't think his tweets attacking the freshmen Democrats were racist "at all" before repeatedly suggesting Omar's "statements about al Qaeda" were laudatory in some way. Omar has angered Republicans with some of her tweets, but she's never praised al Qaeda. The Washington Post's Jabin Botsford later shared these photos he captured at the conference, which show that Trump's notes were covered in black marker scribbles reminding him to bring up the mysterious "alcaida" and the even vaguer "some people."
@realDonaldTrump notes today on @AOC and @IlhanMN flipped and rotated #for your viewing pleasure. pic.twitter.com/42sdbsRivQ
— Jabin Botsford (@jabinbotsford) July 15, 2019
While Trump has continued to defend his Sunday tweets, GOP lawmakers have been slow and even reluctant to react. The so-called "squad" of Omar and Reps. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez (D-N.Y.), Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), and Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.) meanwhile scheduled a press conference for 5 p.m. ET Monday to respond. Kathryn Krawczyk
can't deliver
John Moore/Getty Images
Morale is low at Customs and Border Protection, Politico reports, and Border Patrol agents are apparently none too thrilled with President Trump.
In a deep dive published on Monday, Politico detailed the dysfunction that has plagued the Border Patrol for years. There was reportedly hope that a White House led by Trump, who ran a 2016 presidential campaign centered on being tough on the southern border, would give the agency its time in the sun.
Turns out, two years in, that's not the case. Workforce morale is reportedly terrible, as it always has been, and it's been difficult both to recruit new members and retain old ones. And, despite the president's promises, the Patrol has made no progress toward hiring 5,000 new agents. In fact, the Trump-era Border Patrol is actually smaller than it was during the Obama years. Their pilot ranks are especially depleted; since Trump took office, the agency has reportedly been unable to meet four out of five requests for helicopter assistance.
That's seemingly doubly disappointing for those in the agency now, though, considering the high expectations for Trump.
"The results haven't held up to the hope," said one former Border Patrol union official, who was speaking on condition of anonymity. "The agents thought they were going to be the belles at the ball [under the Trump administration]. Trump is not delivering." Read more at Politico. Tim O'Donnell
2019 Emmy awards
Helen Sloan/HBO
Game of Thrones and Veep should come out of Tuesday's Emmy nominations announcement ready to dominate this fall.
The two HBO series that ended in recent months are already favorites to win in the top categories of Outstanding Drama Series and Outstanding Comedy Series respectively at September's show. But experts on the awards website Gold Derby also see Better Call Saul, Killing Eve, Ozark, Pose, Succession, and This Is Us as series likely to join Game of Thrones in the drama category, while the comedy category should be rounded out by The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and Barry, as well as Fleabag, GLOW, The Good Place, The Kominsky Method, and possibly Russian Doll.
Fleabag may have been snubbed during its first season, but star Phoebe Waller-Bridge is thought to have a shot at a lead actress in a comedy series nod, although Veep's Julia Louis-Dreyfus is a shoo-in to win, with Russian Doll's Natasha Lyonne also potentially joining her. Jim Carrey, Michael Douglas, and Don Cheadle may also join past nominees like Barry's Bill Hader in the lead comedy actor category, and Jim Parsons could receive recognition for The Big Bang Theory's last season.
On the drama side, Thrones' Kit Harington and Emilia Clarke should be nominated in the lead actor categories after previously being snubbed, although some experts, including those at Vanity Fair, predict Harington will be left out in the Winterfell cold again as Succession's Brian Cox, Pose's Billy Porter, and Bodyguard's Richard Madden instead get nods.
Still, the Thrones cast should fare well overall, and some prognosticators believe Sophie Turner will score a nod in the supporting actress category alongside repeat nominees from the series. The show isn't expected to take much of a hit despite the divisive nature of its final season, but we'll get a better sense of its reception among voters when the nominations' are unveiled on July 16. Brendan Morrow
not breaking
Sen. Mitt Romney's (R-Utah) has thoughts on President Trump's tweets — after the equivalent of a few commercial breaks.
Trump tweeted a racist attack on four Democratic congressmembers on Sunday, which was met with quick condemnation from Democrats and slower, more tepid condemnation from some Republican lawmakers. Romney joined the fray Monday and told NBC10 Boston that he felt "a number of these new members of Congress have views that are not consistent with my experience and not consistent with building a strong America."
But of course, readers were itching for more from the former GOP presidential nominee, who's been a frequent spurn to the president since he entered office this year. So NBC10 Boston's Alison King tweeted out this quote and cliffhanger.
@MittRomney. “At the same time, I recognize that the Pres has a unique and noble calling to unite all Americans regardless of our creeds or race or place of our national origin and I think in that case, the Pres fell far short.” Were comments racist? Answer @NBC10Boston 5pm.
— Alison King NBC10 Boston (@AlisonNBCBoston) July 15, 2019
Outrage promptly ensued over the traditional local "tonight at five" hook. But after a brutal 15 minutes, King obliged and tweeted out Romney's response to the question of racism a few hours early. Spoiler alert: It was a big nothingburger. Kathryn Krawczyk
on whether Trump tweet is racist. pic.twitter.com/b0A8E2QChh
Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) wants to shake up the current state of U.S. labor law, which often overlooks a crucial part of the country's workforce.
The 2020 Democratic presidential candidate announced on Monday that she is introducing the National Domestic Workers Bill of Rights, a first-of-its-kind piece of legislation that, if passed, would provide legal protections and benefits to millions of people who work as nannies, house cleaners, and home care workers, who are often immigrants and women of color. Currently, these professions have few federal protections and benefit guarantees.
It's time we changed the way we value domestic work in America. Today I'm introducing the first ever National Domestic Workers Bill of Rights to guarantee domestic workers across our country the dignity, benefits, and legal protections they deserve.
— Kamala Harris (@SenKamalaHarris) July 15, 2019
"The courageous working-class women, women of color, and immigrant women who are demanding their rights today are unwilling to be excluded any longer," Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), who is co-sponsoring the bill, said. "When domestic workers win everyone wins."
The protections and benefits — such as sick days and fair scheduling — would reportedly be enforced through grants to organizations that represent domestic workers. Additionally, the bill would address issues like health care, retirement, and workplace sexual harassment and discrimination.
However, the bill's ultimate fate might be to serve as method of changing the debate around labor laws. The National Domestic Workers Alliance reportedly does not expect it to pass on the first try because of the majority-Republican Senate.
The bill reportedly received input from domestic workers for the last two years. Read more at Fast Company. Tim O'Donnell
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| VOX: Premium Music Player
VOX iOS Player
Premium Music Player for your iPhone
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Premium Music Player for your MAC
VOX Radio
30'000+ Radiostations perfectly categorized by countries & genres
Hi-Res Music
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Coppertino Inc.
"Hey! My name is Jason and Good Sound Quality means a lot for me. I’m researhcing the best Music Playback Solution and sharing my knowledge with you."
Looking the best iPhone music player? It's VOX!
Today we would like to ask you to forget that iTunes exists and have a look at other iPhone music players, which can be a very good alternative to iTunes indeed.
We, at Coppertino, are convinced that music we listen to should be of the best quality. Because if it is not, what pleasure would it bring? Of course, one cannot expect the recording-studio-kind-of-sound from an average smartphone. However, we are still capable of finding the music player which will do its best to play your music track very similarly to the original recording.
Not everyone has proper headphones, which allow you to hear all tiniest tones of the song. Don’t worry, it is not the end of the world: having awesome headphones is just a part of the whole experience. The other one is to have a “tool” – a music player, which will take care of the rest and will deliver breathtaking sound to you. We are off to find the best iPhone music player today!
What is the most important thing we are looking for in the iPhone music player?
First things first: let’s talk about the formats which should be able to be played on the iPhone music player. The time when everybody had an MP3 music library is gone, it is in the past. With the variety of formats available today people are able to choose the one which suits them best.
Lossless formats vs. lossy formats
Music lovers usually prefer to listen to lossless formats even though they might seem to be not as popular as lossy formats such as MP3.
FLAC vs MP3? Being lossless means that all of the data is efficiently compressed. In other words, an exact copy of the original file is compressed to a smaller size for a more convenient storage. However, with MP3s being everywhere it might be slightly tricky to find the file you want in lossless format; besides it can be a bit bigger than the corresponding MP3 file. People who have not understood the beauty of the lossless sound yet still have a lot to discover. That’s why we think that the best iPhone music player should be able to play both lossless and lossy music formats in order to give its owner an opportunity to choose whichever they want.
Let’s check out some of the popular iPhone music players:
FLAC Player+
This player was created specifically for listening to your high quality music on iPhone and iPod touch. Its design is rather simple, but all of the necessary features are there. You can manage your files using different options such as “Artist”, “Genre”, “Playlist” etc. It also supports a Wi-Fi transfer and Bluetooth headset. But the best is that it supports a rather wide variety of formats such as MP3, AAC, WMA, FLAC to name just a few. Another important thing: it is completely free!
The creators of this iPhone music player are not shy at all - the first sentence you read after you have found it in the App Store is “premium music player”. The main reason for that must be the player’s ability to play a lot of formats, for instance AIFF, WAV, MP3, AAC, Apple Lossless, OGG, FLAC, etc. The player also offers the feature of converting the files you add to Fidelia to a preferred format. Even though the tastes differ, one cannot argue that this player is very elegant and does not look overfilled with a number of interesting features (such as headphone processor and sample rate converter, etc.) The downside might be that the remote version for iPhone costs $9.99 in the App Store, whereas the main player for your Mac will cost you $29.99. However, for this money you will get more than an average player would offer you. It does seem to be a pretty good deal, doesn’t it?
VOX iPhone Music Player: all in one solution
Another great music player for true music lovers – VOX music player. This player puts quality and sophisticated sound first. In addition, it would not be on our list if it did not play all the formats we talked about already. It boasts an enhanced Bass technology to ensure that your experience is amazing. It also fully integrates with SoundCloud and allows you to share the now-playing-track on Facebook and Twitter because sharing is caring! And the last but not least, it has a feature of an Unlimited Music Cloud Storage called VOX Cloud Storage to synchronize all your music libraries from different iOS devices. When you install VOX to your Mac or iPhone, however you can pay for VOX Music Cloud Storage in monthly ($4.99) or yearly ($49.99) installments. The player gets better and better every day and that’s why it is undoubtedly one of the leaders in the field of music players for iPhone and Mac.
Start to Sync Music between Mac & iPhone with VOX Music Cloud Storage Storage Now. Create FREE account.
Today we talked about the features that the iPhone music player should have. We came to a conclusion that it should be able to support both lossless and lossy formats. Consequently, we talked about the features of 3 different players which support a good number of different formats. The players we had a look at were:
FLAC Player+;
Fidelia;
VOX iPhone Music Player.
Try VOX iPhone Music Player with SoundCloud Streaming Solution right now. Try it for FREE!
And we believe that all of them are really good representatives in this field. Let us know if you can find even a better one! :)
Looking for the best sound? Pick the best music player for your iPhone
Wondering how to uninstall iTunes? We’ve got a couple of options for you!
How to backup music: 3 different ways to backup your music files
How to remove music from your iPhone? Store it in a cloud-based storage
Youtube music downloader – we found the best solution for you
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Number of work permits issued in Russia quadruples
Thu, 2007-05-24 07:49 PM
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Photo by karen horton on Flickr
Watch This Video
The deputy head of Russia's Federal Migration Service, Vyacheslav Postavnin has stated that over 800,000 work permits have been issued to labor migrants in 2007.
"In January - April, the number of work permits issued in Moscow quadrupled, as compared with that of the whole last year. A total of 600,000 work permits were issued all over Russia in 2006," he said at a news conference on 22 May 2007.
"Taking into account that 90% of labor migrants come from the CIS member-states, we have taken a decision to focus on the model of return migration - when a person, who has worked for some time in Russia, returns home to his family."
"In general, we can say that the new migration system operates effectively. The number of legal workers keeps growing, while the problem of illegal migration stops being so acute," Postavnin said.
CIS is the Commonwealth of Independent States, an alliance of eleven former Soviet Republics: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan. Turkmenistan discontinued permanent membership as of August 26, 2005 and is now an associate member.
Illegal immigration has been a concern in Russia, as well as Europe and the United States. A similar idea for temporary labor migration has been discussed in the European Union for migrants from Africa. Postavnin hinted that Russia might take hints from other countries' programs, but stated that Russia's immigration procedures are working for now.
"If such need occurs, we will create interim stages like U.S. green cards - when a person needs no Russian citizenship to find a job without problems. At this moment we see no need in introducing a system like that in the U.S. or Europe," he said.
His comments come when the Federal State Statistics Service is reporting a drop in Russia's population by 118,000 people from January to March of 2007. Drops in population were sharper during the same period last year, with the decrease in population drop for this year being attributed to the rising immigration numbers.
"These are normal methods for regulating migration processes when we direct the flow of migrants to the area where foreign workers are of great demand - for instance, construction, medicine or high technologies," Postavnin said.
Russia recently began enforcing tough immigration regulations for foreign retail workers, mostly affecting popular outdoor markets. For 2007, the number of foreign retailers allowed to work in the country was reduced to 40%, with a total ban scheduled for 2008.
"Russia is simply not interested in such an amount of foreign sellers," Postavnin said.
According to Postavnin, 2.5 million migrants have been legally processed under the new migration legislation. Russia's population is estimated to currently be between 141 and 142 million. The projected CIS population for July 2007 is 272,886,462 without Turkmenistan, 277,983,490 with Turkmenistan.
CIA population estimates for CIS countries, projected for July 2007:
Armenia 2,971,650 Azerbaijan 8,120,247
Belarus 9,724,723 Georgia 4,646,003
Kazakhstan 15,284,929 Kyrgyzstan 5,284,149
Moldova 4,320,490 Russia 141,377,752
Tajikistan 7,076,598 Ukraine 46,299,862
Uzbekistan 27,780,059 Turkmenistan 5,097,028
• Immigration limits come into effect in Russia
• Russian government set to overhaul immigration
• Russian President calls for review of immigration laws
• Russia proposes language test for immigrant workers
• EU won't ease visa barriers for Russians
• EU Ministers to discuss illegal immigration solution
• European Union "Blue Card" work permit gathering steam
Tags: Social Issues Politics Belarus Turkmenistan Moscow Commonwealth of Independent States Central Intelligence Agency Russia's Federal Migration Service Uzbekistan Russia Azerbaijan United States Federal State Statistics Service Europe Moldova Africa European Union Tajikistan Georgia CIS Kyrgyzstan Armenia Ukraine Vyacheslav Postavnin Kazakhstan
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UK Tier 1 Visa Further Changes - Act Now!
UK Immigration has said that they will be reviewing the salary multipliers used to convert past earnings from overseas to the equivalent UK earnings to calculate points for UK Tier 1 visas. The...
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British nationality applications must be submitted to UKBA Liverpool office
From 16 July 2012 if you are applying for British nationality from outside the UK you will have to send your application forms to the UK Border Agency's office in Liverpool. This change does not...
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Russia and Uzbekistan strike migration deals
• Media Center » Video Immigration News The head of Russia's migration service announced on 11 July 2007 that his country and Uzbekistan have signed three migration deals. Konstantin Romodanovsky...
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Childish Gambino makes Grammy history
Posted 6:53 am, February 11, 2019, by WQAD Digital Team
(CNN) — Childish Gambino’s “This Is America” won Grammys for song and record of the year on Sunday, becoming the first rap song to win the prestigious awards.
The artist — also known as the mutitalented Donald Glover — did not attend the event and reportedly declined an invitation to perform at the Grammys.
“This Is America” beat out “Shallow,” “God’s Plan” and other big hits. The Grammy for song of the year honors song writers, while record of the year goes to the recording artist.
The song caused a stir last May when Gambino released its ambitious video, which was full of racial symbolism.
Related: ‘This Is America’: The Childish Gambino video explained
The Recording Academy has made an effort to diversify its membership amid complaints the Grammys have frequently failed to recognize rap and hip-hop artists in the major categories.
Earlier this week in an interview with the New York Times, longtime Grammy producer Ken Ehrlich acknowledged, “We continue to have a problem in the hip-hop world.”
It’s unclear if Childish Gambino’s wins on Sunday change that.
Filed in: Entertainment, News
Topics: childish gambino, grammy, rap, this is america
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Father charged in torture killing of California boy bought gloves, bolt cutters, acid, drain opener: court document
Posted 8:03 pm, March 29, 2019, by Tribune Media
CORONA, Calif. – A father charged in the killing of an 8-year-old California boy bought gloves, bolt cutters, acid and a drain opener, according to court documents submitted Thursday to the judge in the case and obtained by KTLA Friday.
Bryce McIntosh, 32, who has been charged with first-degree murder with a special circumstance of torture, purchased two pairs of long cuffed gloves, 24-inch bolt cutters, four gallons of muriatic acid, and a bottle of drain opener from a Home Depot store on March 4, the day Noah McIntosh's 's mother said she last saw him, according to a declaration in support of an arrest warrant from Corona Police Detective Mario Hernandez.
Noah's body has not been located, but Corona Police Department Chief George Johnstone said traces of evidence have been found that "leave no doubt that Noah is the victim of a homicide."
Authorities believe the child was killed some time between March 3 and 4 in the county of Riverside, according to criminal complaint documents.
After extracting data from the father's cellphone, authorities traced one of his previous locations to the unincorporated area of Aguanga and found purple latex gloves, a plastic bag with residue consistent with blood, parts to a Ninja blender, empty bottles of drain cleaner, empty cans of oven cleaner, blankets and towels, according to the document.
Corona police released these photos of Bryce McIntosh, left, and Jillian Godfrey, right.
On March 12 at around 7 p.m., the child's mother, Jillian Godfrey, 36, had Corona Police conduct a welfare check on Noah and said she last saw him on March 4 after she dropped him off at his father's house.
The father had told Godfrey that Noah had been missing since March 6, and when she asked if he had reported him missing, he told her he had "everything under control," but police hadn't received any missing person reports from him, authorities said.
When police arrived at his home at 4637 Temescal Valley Road, he refused to answer the door and didn't pick up calls from police, according to the court document.
A day later, investigators obtained a warrant, searched the father's home and vehicle, and seized his electronic devices.
Police looked through the father's online search history and found he searched for "the normal heart rate for 8 year old" and "exactly how sodium hydroxide works," the detective wrote in the declaration.
In an interview with police, the suspect's 10-year-old daughter told investigators she knew Noah was missing "because her daddy told her" and described physical abuse to Noah that involved the child being handcuffed in a bathtub with cold water and described "helping her daddy at times by holding Noah's legs down," the report said.
Police found handcuffs at the father's home during a search for evidence, the report said.
Godfrey said she saw McIntosh take Noah into a bathroom on March 2, and heard the child ask the father why he was hurting him, the detective wrote. She said that when she left McIntosh's home that day, the child was still in the bathroom, the report said.
The detective said Godfrey later changed her story, saying she last saw Noah on March 2, and not March 4.
Police also searched the mother's phone and found notes where Godfrey was documenting the father's abuse, according to detectives.
Godfrey is also in custody while police investigate her involvement in the killing, the report said.
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In this April 2018 photo provided by Rennie Pasquinelli, Murray, a mixed-breed dog, lay on a sofa in Ann Arbor, Mich. (Rennie Pasquinelli via AP)
Dog DNA Testing Takes Off, And Generates Debate
By JENNIFER PELTZ, Associated Press
NEW YORK (AP) - As people peer into DNA for clues to health and heritage, man's best friend is under the microscope, too.
Genetic testing for dogs has surged in recent years, fueled by companies that echo popular at-home tests for humans, offering a deep dive into a pet's genes with the swab of a canine cheek. More than a million dogs have been tested in little over a decade.
The tests' rise has stirred debate about standards, interpretation and limitations. But to many dog owners, DNA is a way to get to know their companions better.
"It put some pieces of the puzzle together," says Lisa Topol, who recently tested her mixed-breed dogs Plop and Schmutzy. Plop was the top-scoring mixed-breed, and Schmutzy also competed, in Saturday's agility contest at the Westminster Kennel Club dog show . Judging toward the coveted best in show prize began Monday.
A test by Embark — which this fall became Westminster's first DNA-testing partner — confirmed Topol's guess that her high-octane pets are more Australian cattle dog than anything else. But Schmutzy's genetic pie chart had surprise ingredients, including generous amounts of Labrador retriever and Doberman pinscher.
Huh? Topol thought at first. And then: Maybe Schmutzy's love of water and fetching is her inner Lab coming out. And doesn't she walk a bit like a Doberman?
"They are the dogs that they are ... They're unique, and they're special," said Topol, a New York advertising executive. But the testing "makes me understand them better."
Canine DNA testing for certain conditions and purposes goes back over two decades, but the industry took off after scientists mapped a full set of dog genes and published the results in 2005.
Wisdom Health, part of pet care and candy giant Mars Inc., launched a breed-identification test in 2007, added a health-screening option a few years later and says it has now tested over 1.1 million dogs worldwide. Numerous other brands are also available.
Mass-market tests have fueled research and helped animal shelters attract adopters by providing more information about prospective pets. DNA can back up purebred dogs' parentage and help breeders try to eliminate certain diseases.
The technology has been used to identify dogs whose owners don't pick up their droppings, to pursue accused biters and to free a Belgian Malinois from dog death row after he was accused of killing a Pomeranian in Michigan. And some veterinarians feel DNA testing enhances care.
"I want to know as much about my patients as possible," says Dr. Ernie Ward, a veterinarian and TV personality in Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina. He recommends testing all puppies.
But qualms about the dog DNA boom spilled into the prestigious science journal Nature last year.
"Pet genetics must be reined in," a Boston veterinarian and two other scientists wrote. Their commentary opened with a troubling story: a pug being euthanized because her owners interpreted DNA results to mean she had a rare, degenerative neurological disorder, when in fact her ailment might have been something more treatable.
"These (tests) should be used in a limited way until we get a lot more information," says co-author and vet Dr. Lisa Moses.
One concern is that tests can show genetic mutations that are linked to disease in some breeds but have unknown effects in the breed being tested. It also may be unclear how often dogs with the mutation ultimately get sick.
That means tests, in themselves, can't necessarily tell pet owners how much they should worry. Or tell breeders whether a dog shouldn't reproduce. Some in dogdom fear that DNA test results could keep animals from passing on otherwise good genes because of an ambiguous possibility of disease.
"The risk for overinterpretation is great," but DNA testing can be useful along with other tools, says veterinarian Dr. Diane Brown, the CEO of the American Kennel Club Canine Health Foundation. It has invested almost $20 million in genomic and molecular research and supports an international effort to promote standardization for dog DNA tests.
The initiative, led by the nonprofit International Partnership for Dogs, provides searchable data on test labs' procedures and breed-specific health test information.
Test companies say their work can help researchers address the unknowns and provides immediately useful information, such as whether a dog's genes suggest bad reactions to certain medications. Companies including Embark and Wisdom have veterinarians assigned to help people understand worrisome results.
"We're here to help you care better for your dog," says Embark Veterinary Inc. CEO Ryan Boyko, whose company has breed-and-health-tested nearly 100,000 canines in its 3½ years. The alliance with Westminster — for which Embark is paying an amount neither would disclose — stands to give the company exposure, particularly to breeders.
Longtime Belgian sheepdog breeder Lorra Miller, who has had dogs compete at Westminster, was initially skeptical about consumer-oriented canine DNA tests. They struck her as a novelty for mixed-breed pets.
Now she hopes they can help Belgian sheepdog fanciers build up a body of genetic data to spark more research on the protective herders.
"Even if I don't get immediate benefit ... it's for the future of the breed," says Miller, who lives near Monroe, Washington.
For Rennie Pasquinelli, the benefit is a new perspective on her dog, Murray.
He was pegged as a border collie-Boston terrier mix when she adopted him. But an Embark test last month detected just a smidgen of border collie mixed with six other breeds, mainly American pit bull terrier. And no Boston terrier at all.
"Obviously, I don't love him more, or less," said Pasquinelli, a graduate student in cognitive science at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. "It's like when you know something new about someone. That doesn't negatively or positively change your opinion on them, but you still look at them in a different way."
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Bernie Miklasz
The 5-2 St. Louis Blues Are Winning Because They’re Doing the Hard Things
There’s so much to respect about the Blues’ positive start to the season, with the boys refusing to let the injury-related roster depletion get them down. Rather than be distracted or demoralized by missing teammates…
Mike Leake’s Weird Season: He’s Been Great. He’s Been Terrible. Don’t Write Him Off
We need to talk about Mike Leake. As you know, Leake had a 1.91 ERA in his first nine starts of the season and threw a quality start in all nine. It was an awesome…
The Cardinals’ Five Biggest Surprises In the Season’s First Half
With every Cardinal except National League All-Stars Yadier Molina and Carlos Martinez taking a breather during the baseball’s annual recess, let’s take a look at the team’s most surprising players in the first half of…
Part II: The Cardinals Must Confront Unpleasant Issues, Including Adam Wainwright
It’s easy to love and respect Adam Wainwright, who is one of the greatest guys ever. And one of the best starting pitchers in franchise history. But shouldn’t current performance matter more than past history…
John Mozeliak Shakes Things Up, and That Should Get Mike Matheny’s Attention
After Friday’s shakeup by Cardinals GM John Mozeliak, the team responded by sweeping a three-game set against the hideous Philadelphia Phillies. Yeah, yeah, I know. The Phillies have the worst record in baseball. But the…
Want To Improve the Blues Power Play? Here’s An Idea: Vladimir Tarasenko PLEASE SHOOT THE PUCK!
Down by a game to Nashville in their best-of-seven NHL quarterfinals series, the Blues have to make some corrections… and fast. And Game 2, on Friday night at Scottrade Center, would be a fine time…
Bernie Miklasz, National Hockey League
Kolten Wong: Playing More and Hitting Better.
Let’s begin this session by pointing out Kolten Wong’s mistakes, because if I don’t do that, the haters will be screeching. Wong has become an easy target for fans and media that are frustrated by…
Bernie Miklasz, Major League Baseball
The Blues Did Some Good Things But Capitulated In Game 1. Next Up: Desperation Time, In a Must-Win Game 2
Really, it wasn’t all bad. I’m not the kind of bloke who searches for token prizes amid the clutter of a lost game and a missed opportunity. But Game 1 had some positive for the…
The Cardinals’ Outfield Is a Major Liability So Far, and No One Expected That
The Cardinals’ offense is dragging. We can disregard the numbers because the fellows have played only 20 games … so spin it as you wish … but the offense isn’t kicking in right now. As…
Worthless Prediction: The Blues Over Nashville In Seven Games. Why? Read It And Find Out
You can look at the four remaining teams in the Western Conference playoffs and make a case for advancement to the Stanley Cup Finals. There’s Anaheim, a tough and large industrial-strength team that’s tournament-tested. The Ducks…
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Howard Kurtz Has History of Ripping Fox News
By Betsy Rothstein
How awkward.
As first reported by Mediaite, CNN’s Howard Kurtz is jumping ship and landing on the Good Ship Fox News. Good for him, right? Especially after being canned by Newsweek/The Daily Beast. But what about all those times he’s crapped on FNC over the years? Water under the bridge?
Personally, we can’t wait to hear Kurtz use the “fair and balanced” catch phrase. But first, a little look-see at what Kurtz has said about his new home.
Take Nov. 28, 2012, when Kurtz wrote that “Fox should have let Rick speak” on CNN.com. This was a story about veteran military reporter Thomas Ricks, who went on Fox News and trashed the network for its Benghazi coverage. They cut him off. The segment ended 90 seconds after it began. Kurtz wrote, “Some of those who love to dish it out, it seems, aren’t very big on taking it.”
He went to say this behavior is not limited to Fox News, but conveyed that Fox News was wrong. “Was Ricks being deliberately provocative?” wrote Kurtz. “Perhaps he was, for controversy sells books. And maybe his criticism was overstated. But the fact remains that he was invited as a guest, was asked about the Libya attack and responded in a way that made Fox’s relentless coverage of the controversy part of the story. And that was deemed unacceptable.”
In late March of this year, he did a segment on Zev Chafets‘ book on Fox News President Roger Ailes. “Roger Ailes has built a powerhouse organization — no question about it. But it is probably the most controversial news organization on the air.” He showed a clip of Ailes saying there are no conservative voices on other networks. Howie opined, “That’s not quite true.” Kurtz pressed Chafets hard on the fact that it wasn’t an “authorized biography.” He asked him to name “one critical thing that troubles him ” about Ailes. He couldn’t. “Nothing troubles me,” said Chafets.
He’s also not likely to become bosom buddies with new colleague Sean Hannity anytime soon. Kurtz did a segment on Rep. Keith Ellison calling Hannity “the worst excuse for a journalist I’ve ever seen.” Kurtz then declared, “Hannity’s not a journalist. He’s a conservative commentator.” He went on to say that Hannity was right in this particular situation and Ellison was in the wrong for going on the show and attacking the host.
And when Fox News dumped Glenn Beck, Howie compared MSNBC to Fox News and said MSNBC’s opinionated hosts weren’t “making things up” like the so-called journalism Beck performed on Fox News.
Congratulations to Howie on taking over the network’s show, “Fox News Watch.” We look forward to seeing what he does with it. According to some at CNN, the host needed a fresh start. Added a CNN manager, “Meh.”
Graphic by Austin Price. Justin McLachlan contributed to this report.
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News and Publications > Transportation Expenditure Plans
Transportation Expenditure Plans
The Alameda County Transportation Expenditure Plans guide the expenditures of voter-approved transportation funds generated through the countywide transportation sales tax. The 2000 and 2014 expenditure plans were developed to serve major regional transportation needs in Alameda County and to address congestion in every major commute corridor in the county. Priorities are to:
Expand BART, bus, ferry and rail services.
Keep fares affordable for youth, seniors and people with disabilities.
Provide traffic relief by improving local streets and roads and highway corridors.
Improve air quality and provide clean transportation by expanding bicycle and pedestrian paths and the regional rail network.
Create good jobs within Alameda County by requiring local contracting and supporting community developments that improve access to jobs and schools.
2014 Measure BB Transportation Expenditure Plan
On January 23, 2014, the Alameda County Transportation Commission approved the 2014 Transportation Expenditure Plan, a 30-year plan to address Alameda County’s continued transportation needs. On November 4, 2014, 70 percent of Alameda County voters approved Measure BB and its expenditure plan, which will generate nearly $8 billion over 30 years for essential transportation improvements in every city throughout Alameda County.
2000 Measure B Transportation Expenditure Plan
The 2000 Transportation Expenditure Plan guides investments in Alameda County of more than $1.4 billion (in 1998 dollars) generated by Measure B through the year 2022. In 2000, 81.5 percent of Alameda County voters approved an extension of Measure B, which was originally approved in 1986.
2000 Measure B Expenditure Plan
2000 Measure B Ballot and Plan
1986 Measure B Ordinance
Amendment No. 1 (December 2005)
Amendment No. 2 (June 2006)
The Comprehensive Investment Plan (CIP) adopted by the Commission in June 2015 and updated in July 2016, translates long-range plans into a short-range investment strategy by establishing a list of near-term priority improvements to enhance and maintain Alameda County’s transportation system in accordance with Countywide Transportation Plan objectives.
The CIP identifies anticipated transportation funding over a five-year horizon and strategically matches funding sources to targeted transportation investments. The expenditure and revenue assumptions included in the CIP are updated annually, and proposals for new projects and programs are considered every two years as part of the full update cycle.
The CIP also serves to satisfy the strategic plan requirements for the 1986 Measure B, 2000 Measure B, 2010 Vehicle Registration Fee and the 2014 Measure BB programs, each of which represents a fund source that Alameda CTC administers. In addition, the CIP serves as the Capital Improvement Program required of Alameda CTC as the congestion management agency for Alameda County.
Previous Strategic Plans
The Measure B Capital Program Strategic Plan for fiscal year 2013-2014 outlines the annual allocations to the 27 capital projects identified as Tier 1 in the 2000 Transportation Expenditure Plan and the approach for delivery of the remainder of the capital projects authorized in 1986.
The Vehicle Registration Fee Strategic Plan guides the implementation of the four programs identified in the Vehicle Registration Fee Expenditure Plan.
Measure B Capital Program Strategic Plan FY 13-14
Appendix A: Capital Project Fact Sheets
Appendix B: Policies and Procedures
Appendix C: Glossary
Vehicle Registration Fee Strategic Plan FY 13-14
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Match Day Moment
Alinta Energy is proud to be the Principal Partner of the Australian Men’s Cricket Team, with branding rights across the playing shirts of all three formats of men’s international cricket in Australia – one of the most visible sponsorships in Australian sport.
The four-year agreement, which extends from the elite level to grassroots cricket, Alinta Energy will be the Principal Partner of the Australian Men’s Cricket Team and the national digital platform MyCricket. This partnership will provide a great opportunity to showcase the growth of Alinta Energy and spread our message of making energy more affordable.
During our sponsorship, we will bring the energy to Australian cricket, celebrating and facilitating the positive energy that makes the game better for all Australians.
Alinta Energy is proud to be the principal partner of this historic national partnership.
If you have any queries email us at sponsorship@alintaenergy.com.au
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Japan accused of whaling bribery
UK newspaper says officials bribed with cash and prostitutes to vote against ban.
Japan has got around the ban by arguing that its whale hunt is for scientific research [EPA]
The newspaper said officials from these countries admitted they voted with the pro-whaling grouping because of the aid they received from Japan, or because they were given cash or call-girls.
Sting operation
The sting was conducted ahead of a meeting of the IWC in Morocco this month at which Japan is expected to push its case for allowing more whaling.
Undercover reporters posing as representatives of a Swiss billionaire conservationist approached officials from pro-whaling countries and offered them an aid package to switch their vote.
During their negotiations, the officials revealed the reasons for supporting Japan.
The IWC proposal would allow Japan, Norway and Iceland to hunt a set quota of whales despite the 1986 moratorium on commercial whaling.
Japan gets around the ban on commercial whaling by arguing that it harpoons hundreds of whales each year for scientific research.
Meanwhile the south Pacific island nation of Palau has ended its support for Japan's scientific whaling programme, switching instead to a proposed annual whale catch quota.
The proposal will be voted on at the Morocco meet.
The quota system, which could halve the 1,000-plus whales Japan would harvest annually over the next five years, will only be implemented by unanimous approval of the IWC's 88 members, including Japan.
Palau relies heavily on Japan for aid, its biggest benefactor after the United States.
The IWC is separately trying to resolve long-running disputes over the hunting of whales by several countries despite a 25-year-old moratorium on hunts.
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Hay Day Hell Could Cause Concentration Crash for Hay Fever Sufferers
There are an estimated 18million hay fever sufferers in the UK[1]
Almost 90% of hay fever sufferers admit their concentration levels are being negatively affected by symptoms
Only half of sufferers can identify their hay fever triggers
June 22nd traditionally marks the worst day of the year for those suffering with hay fever (allergic rhinitis) and with the peak season currently upon us, national charity Allergy UK has teamed up with HayMax to find out more about the wider effects of hay fever. The charity surveyed hay fever sufferers aged 16+ to find out what impact this condition is really having on their quality of life.
We know that hay fever symptoms such as a runny, itchy nose or constant sneezing can be very difficult to live with. Typically, eyes can also be affected, with them becoming itchy, red and watery.
People suffering with hay fever can also experience a blocked or stuffy nose and sinuses, which may lead to headaches and difficulty sleeping. In fact, 87% of hay fever sufferers stated that their hay fever symptoms are affecting their sleeping habits, which is having a direct effect on their concentration levels the next day.
Alarmingly, the survey revealed that 81% of people surveyed believe that hay fever is affecting their concentration levels at work. That’s a potential 14.5 million[2] people who could be underperforming at work due to this allergic condition.
But it isn’t just work performance levels that are being affected; 59% revealed that their levels of concentration were affected whilst at school, with 51% of people believing that hay fever had negatively affected their exam performance. 51% of people said that hay fever affects their concentration levels while driving, and sadly 32% even admitted that they avoid everyday tasks such as shopping because they simply cannot concentrate.
With so many people suffering with symptoms, it was interesting to learn that only 53% of people knew what their hay fever triggers were. It is important to identify and understand triggers so that sufferers can work out when their peak season is, in order to treat effectively.
Grass pollen is the most common allergen, which affects sufferers at the specific times of the year when grass pollen is released (May–July). However, some people become allergic to tree or weed and shrub pollens, and will therefore be affected at different times of the year (February–June for trees; June to September for weeds). The patient who is allergic to tree, grass and weed pollens may suffer a very prolonged ‘hay fever’ season.
Symptoms that continue all year are called perennial allergic rhinitis and commonly relate to indoor allergens, such as house dust mites, pets and indoor moulds.
For more information about hay fever and how to treat symptoms, take a look at our Hay Fever and Allergic Rhinitis Factsheet!
All unreferenced statistics were taken from the research which was carried out in 2017 by Allergy UK, supported by HayMax. The figures stated in the press release are based on the sample size of 556 respondents. Respondents were aged 16 and over.
Allergy UK, the operational name of the British Allergy Foundation, is the leading national charity which provides advice and support to people with allergies and works with healthcare professionals and KOLs to help advance research, diagnosis and treatment. Allergy UK acts as the 'voice' of the UK’s millions of people with allergy, representing the views and healthcare needs of those affected by this multi-organ disease. For more information, visit allergyuk.org.
About HayMax
HayMax is a 2017 Allergy UK Corporate Partner.
HayMax is a natural, organic allergen barrier balm that is applied to the rim of the nostrils. It can also be applied to the bones of the eyes. HayMax has been proven to reduce dust and pet allergens and more than a third of pollen from entering the body. For more information visit haymax.biz.
[1] Allergy UK, Allergy Awareness Week 2014
[2] Based on survey results (81%) and estimated UK hay fever prevalence (18 million people)
Share this news story
Statement from Carla Jones, Chief Executive Officer, Allergy UK
Ellie Lux - School Trip
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Multiple Fatalities Reported, Suspect in Custody After Texas High School Shooting
Santa Fe High School shooting: 10 dead, 13 injured, suspect arraigned on capital murder charges
Cox Media Group National Content Desk
SANTA FE, TEXAS —
The suspect in the Santa Fe High School shooting in Galveston County Texas was arraigned on capital murder and aggravated assault charges Friday in the deaths of 10 people and the wounding of a police officer.
Thirteen people were also injured in the massacre Friday morning at the high school in southeastern Texas, the FBI said Saturday.
Correction: 13 individuals were injured during yesterday's incident. https://t.co/kPi6ims7d6
— FBI Houston (@FBIHouston) May 19, 2018
The gunman was identified as Dimitrios Pagourtzis, 17, a student at the school. When he finally surrendered, nine students and one teacher had been killed.
Pagourtzis used two weapons in the attack on the school, according to Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, a shot gun and a .38-revolver, which belonged to his father.
The governor also confirmed a Molotov cocktail and “various other types of explosive devices” were found at the school and two other locations.
>>Read: Texas shooting: Who is Dimitrios Pagourtzis, suspect in the Santa Fe High School attack
Mug shot of accused Santa Fe shooter pic.twitter.com/9YLZXSiZgd
— Josh Hubbard (@JhubbsKHOU11) May 18, 2018
#BREAKING: Federal law enforcement source confirms suspected #SantaFeShooting suspect is Dimitrios Pagourtzis, 17. #KHOU11 Investigates pic.twitter.com/bLGQZKQx7G
— Jeremy Rogalski (@JRogalskiKHOU) May 18, 2018
Authorities were interviewing two other people in connection with the shooting, but it’s unclear what part, if any, they played in the massacre.
>>Read: What are the worst school shootings in modern US history?
Update May 20, 8:13 a.m. EST: The Galveston County Criminal District Attorney released the complete list of the people killed in the shooting, the Houston Chronicle reported. The teachers were identified as Glenda Perkins and Cynthia Tisdale, 64. The students included Shana Fisher, 16; Angelique Ramirez, 15; Christopher Jake Stone, 17; Jared Black, 17; Christian Riley Garcia, 15; Sabika Sheikh; Aaron Kyle McLeod, 15; and Kimberly Vaughan.
Update May 19, 2:47 p.m. EST: Santa Fe High School students are being allowed to return to campus to pick up their cars and belongings left behind after Friday’s deadly shooting.
According to a post on the Santa Fe ISD Facebook page, students with cars are meeting officials at the junior high cafeteria between 12 p.m. and 4 p.m. CST.
The school district states that students will not be allowed to go directly to the high school.
Update May 19, 2:14 p.m. EST: A teen who was shot in the leg during Friday’s shooting at Santa Fe High School in Texas is in good condition, according to a Twitter update from the University of Texas Medical Branch.
A woman in the intensive care unit (ICU) is in serious condition.
John Barnes, the student resource officer and former police officer, remains in critical condition.
Patients condition update: Under 18 patient is in GOOD condition. The female patient in ICU is in SERIOUS condition. The male patient remains in CRITICAL condition.
— UTMB News (@utmbnews) May 19, 2018
Officials gathered Saturday afternoon at Santa Fe High School in an adjacent grassy lot.
According to KHOU, the Santa Fe Independent School District superintendent and Santa Fe mayor called for unity and peace.
We will pull together. We will grieve together. We did it after #Harvey and we’ll do it after this” Galveston County leader, who calls #SantaFe a “salt of the earth community” #khou11 pic.twitter.com/fwXwfk61ik
— Melissa Correa (@MCorreaKHOU) May 19, 2018
Galveston County Judge Mark Henry said there were no new updates to the investigation, KHOU reports.
Galveston County Judge Henry::: no one addressing media right now has new info on the investigations. #SantaFe #khou11
Update May 19, 11:40 a.m. ET: U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo issued an official statement on the death of Sibika Sheikh, the Pakistani exchange student who was one of the victims of the Santa Fe High School shooting.
Statement from @SecPompeo on the shooting death of the Pakistani exchange student in #Texas. pic.twitter.com/m25tz3bXJJ
— Steve Herman (@W7VOA) May 19, 2018
Update 10:30 p.m. ET: Three of the victims in the shooting massacre have now been identified, according to news reports. A substitute teacher, Ann Perkins, an exchange student, Sibika Sheikh and high school junior Chris Stone are among the victims killed in the rampage.
This is Sabika, she’s a friend of ours and she’s an exchange student from Pakistan. Today, she was killed in the school shooting of Santa Fe, Texas. I never took this personally but now I’m devastated and I think something should be done. This could be any of us. pic.twitter.com/raJ2KurL27
— Boutaina (@Boutayn62531577) May 18, 2018
Substitute teacher Ann Perkins, 64. was killed at Santa Fe High School https://t.co/zX81Jau8lr pic.twitter.com/d62yRUslKA
— Justin Miller (@justinjm1) May 18, 2018
A tough update to bring you. @abc13houston has learned Chris Stone was one of the students killed at Santa Fe High School. His family shared these photos of him taken just the other week. He was a junior that was in art class this morning. pic.twitter.com/YV4JdeTniH
— Nick Natario (@NickABC13) May 18, 2018
The FBI and ATF are still processing the scene in Santa Fe, using SWAT teams, bomb techs and K-9 teams to search for explosives investigators say the suspect planted around the school.
#FBIHouston @ATFHou @TxDPS are utilizing #SWAT teams, bomb techs, K9 teams, and evidence response teams to thoroughly process the scene in #SantaFe #HouNews
Update 7:20 p.m. ET: Santa Fe High School shooting suspect Dimitrios Pagourtzis made his first court appearance in court and was denied bond on capital murder and aggravated assault.
#BREAKING: His head down, suspected shooter Dimitrios Pagourtzis makes his first appearance in court. #SantaFeHS #shooting #khou11 pic.twitter.com/lp1t0SnVxd
— Rekha Muddaraj (@RekhaKHOU) May 18, 2018
Update 6:15 p.m. ET: Police are searching homes and cars for more explosives related to the attack on the school, CNN reported.
Pagourtzis, who wanted to kill himself, but surrendered instead, according to authorities, allegedly built explosives and planned to use them in the attack.
Federal authorities in Texas, including the FBI and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, are teaming up and scouring the crime scene at the school and surrounding locations, according to the FBI in Houston.
“The FBI Houston and ATF Houston are combining resources to meticulously process the scene,” the FBI said in a tweet.
#SantaFe High School and surrounding locations are and will remain a crime scene for some time. #FBIHouston and @ATFHou are combining resources to meticulously process the scene. Please avoid the area as this investigation continues. #HouNews
Update 5:15 p.m. ET: The suspect in the Santa Fe High School shooting, Dimitrios Pagourtzis, has been charged with capital murder in the deaths of 10 people at the school Friday morning and aggravated assault of a peace officer for the shooting injury of school resource officer John Barnes, the Santa Fe Independent School District has confirmed. Pagourtzis is jailed without bond in the Galveston County Jail.
Schools superintendent Leigh Wall called the rampage “a terrible tragedy.
“Words cannot express the sorrow in our hearts for those we have lost,” Wall said in a statement posted on the district’s website.
“Our campus remains an active crime scene with law enforcement personnel from throughout our region supporting Santa Fe ISD Police Chief, Walter Braun.”
Wall also pledged to keep the community informed on developments in the investigation.
#BREAKING: #SantaFe ISD Superintendent's message about today's shooting @KPRC2 Live coverage here: https://t.co/XliHznUQJI #KPRC2 pic.twitter.com/q21hRo1Ygp
— Sara Donchey (@KPRC2Sara) May 18, 2018
Update 4:10 p.m. ET: The school resource officer, John Barnes, who was wounded in the shooting rampage at Santa Fe High School is in the operating room and is in critical condition, University of Texas Medical Branch officials said at an afternoon press conference.
Barnes was injured in the arm, according to Dr. David Marshall, shot in the elbow.
There are two other patients at the hospital, a middle aged woman and a young male, but both are still unidentified.
The female patient suffered a fractured leg bone and is now out of surgery.
The male suffered a gun shot to the leg and is listed in stable condition, Marshall said.
Seven other victims were transported to several other medical centers near Santa Fe.
3pm update on school shooting patients. https://t.co/lUXAK9MGXZ
Update 3:15 p.m. ET: Governor Greg Abbott said during a press conference that Pagourtzis used two weapons, both of which were legally owned by his father, a shot gun and a .38-revolver. There are two persons of interest, one who is currently being interviewed by law enforcement and a second who will be.
Abbott says he plans to take action because people need to “do more than just pray for the victims and families. It’s time in Texas that we begin to take action to make sure this tragedy is not repeated ever again.” Abbott vowed to begin roundtable discussions next week to work on solutions to prevent shootings in the future. He plans to speak with anyone with a vested interest in stopping gun violence -- parents, students, those who want to support second amendment rights, safety personnel. He wants to address mental health to help prevent gun violence. He also said that the state needs to make sure schools have resources and can identify those who could pose a risk of violence.
According to Abbott, Pagourtzis had journals on his computer that outlined the attack and that he planned on committing suicide after the shooting.
Abbott also spoke to parents across the country telling them to “hold your children close tonight and let them know how much you love them.”
UTMB confirms that John Barnes is the man who is in critical condition. He is a recently retired detective who started working for the Santa Fe ISD police.
UTMB Hospital officials confirm John Barnes is their adult male patient listed in critical condition after Santa Fe High School shooting. Houston Police Department union leaders have said Barnes is a recently retired HPD detective who went to work for Santa Fe ISD police.
— Jacob Carpenter (@ChronJacob) May 18, 2018
Update 2:33 p.m. ET: Police are talking to Pagourtzis. CNN is reporting he was injured in today’s shooting but did not say what injuries he suffered.
Law enforcement authorities are talking to the Texas school shooting suspect, who was injured, according to a law enforcement official. Investigators have not found the suspect in the system for purchasing hand guns. @cnnbrk
— AnneClaire Stapleton (@AnneClaireCNN) May 18, 2018
Update 2:17 p.m. ET: A second person is now in custody in connection with Friday’s deadly shooting. Earlier police said that a second person had been detained.
.@ShimonPro reporting LE sources tell him a second person is now in custody, possible accomplice in Santa Fe HS shooting.
— Gabe Ramirez (@GabeRamirez) May 18, 2018
Update 1:44 p.m. ET: Clear Lake Regional Medical Center officials said that eight patients were taken to their hospital and of the eight, six have been discharged. Of the remaining, one patient is listed in critical condition. The other is listed in fair condition, KHOU reported.
6 of the 8 patients taken to Clear Lake Medical Center have been discharged. One is still critical, another is fair. #KHOU11 pic.twitter.com/xBQIM2kojg
— Janelle Bludau (@JanelleKHOU) May 18, 2018
KHOU is also reporting that the adult male being treated at UTMB was retired police officer John Barnes.
Update 12:35 p.m. ET: Santa Fe Independent School District police administration chief Walter Braun said that the campus has been cleared of all students and staff. Braun said that at least six people, including a SFISD police officer, were transported to area hospitals with injuries.
Doctors clarified that the adult male who has in the operating room did not have a chest wound, but had an upper arm injury, near the chest. The middle age female has been transferred to the operating room for surgery on her leg wound. The teen, who is a 16-year-old male, is in the pediatric ward with a wound to the leg.
Officials: < 10 dead, 6 transported. Explosives found inside & near Santa Fe HS. Be aware, call 911 if you see anything suspicious. #khou11
— Adam Bennett (@AdamBennettKHOU) May 18, 2018
Update 12:18 p.m. ET: The Santa Fe school district has confirmed via a Twitter post that police have found possible explosive devices at the school and off campus.
#UPDATE Possible explosive devices have been located at the school and off campus. Law enforcement is in the process of rendering them safe. School has been evacuated. Call 911 if you see any suspicious item. #HouNews #SantaFeISD
— Santa Fe ISD (@SantaFeISD) May 18, 2018
President Trump spoke earlier about this latest shooting.
President Trump Speaks About Santa Fe High School Shooting
Update 12:04 p.m. ET: Doctors at UTMB said that the adult male who is undergoing surgery is a middle aged man who has chest injuries. He has been listed in critical condition. Doctors said they are unsure how many times he was shot. The male teen who was admitted to the hospital was shot and has a leg wound and is listed in good condition. The other patient, who was being treated in the emergency room, has a gunshot wound to the leg also and is listed in good condition.
Update 11:47 a.m. ET: In a news conference with Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzales there are between eight and 10 fatalities, but media sources are reporting 9 deaths. The majority of those killed are students according to the sheriff but there were some adult staff fatalities.
Law enforcement is doing a systematic search of the building to make sure that there are no additional injured students or students still in hiding. Police are also looking for any potential devices that were left behind.
Gonzales said it is an active crime scene and a family reunification area that has been set up to get families and their children reunited.
As for the shooter, Gonzales did not have an age or identification but said that the shooter was a male student at the school. Another student, again no name or age was available, was detained.
Update 11:14 a.m. ET: The University of Texas Medical Branch officials held a news conference. During it they announced that three patients have been taken to UTMB -- two adults and one person under the age of 18. Officials with the hospital said that an adult male was taken to surgery. One adult was still being treated in the emergency room and person under the age of 18 has been admitted to the hospital.
At this moment we have 3 patients, 2 adult, 1 under 18 years old, from the Santa Fe shooting. Next update at 11:45 a.m. https://t.co/w5tVCWIhyt
Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez says that one person is in custody, another is detained. A police officer was hurt and is being treated.
One is in custody, a second one detained. An injured police officer is being treated, the extent of his injuries are unknown.
— Ed Gonzalez (@SheriffEd_HCSO) May 18, 2018
Update: 11:06 a.m. ET: There are now reports of a possible explosive being found near an area roadway and the potential that the gunman was not alone, KHOU reported.
Stay with @JRogalskiKHOU for updates. Source telling him an explosive has been reported in building at #SantaFeHighSchool. There may also be more than one suspect in custody. #khou11
— Stephanie Whitfield (@KHOUStephanie) May 18, 2018
President Donald Trump has reacted via Twitter about this latest deadly school shooting.
School shooting in Texas. Early reports not looking good. God bless all!
Update: 10:40 a.m. ET: Two sources familiar with the situation have told KHOU that there are multiple student fatalities and that an officer was wounded. KHOU reported that once source was a federal official, the other was a county official, both close to the situation. Federal officials told KHOU that the suspected gunman was a student.
We are assisting @SantaFeISD with a multiple-casualty incident at Santa Fe High School. This is no longer an active shooting situation and the injured are being treated. #hounews pic.twitter.com/m7Wuauk9jk
— HCSOTexas (@HCSOTexas) May 18, 2018
The district has a dedicated police force, including resource officers, crossing guards and a dispatcher, according to the district website.
Update: 10:20 a.m. ET: The school has confirmed that there are injuries, but there is no information on the extent of those injuries.
BREAKING: District confirms injuries at active shooting at Santa Fe HS, suspect in custody pic.twitter.com/i1mlGNQxC7
— Angelica Carrillo (@acarrillonews) May 18, 2018
Update: 10:01 a.m. ET: Dr. Cris Richardson, the assistant principal of Santa Fe High School, quickly briefed the media outside the school. She told reporters that the active shooter has been arrested and secured. She did not disclose the suspect’s name. School officials are starting to reunite students with their parents.
The school district had only two weeks left in the school year. Richardson confirmed that the school has trained for the situation.
Richardson had no details on any injuries.
Update: 9:54 a.m. ET: University of Texas Medical Branch has told local news outlets that patients are on the way to the hospital. They have no number of patients or their injuries. A news brief from the hospital is expected in a few hours.
BREAKING update from @utmbhealth regarding active shooter situation at @SantaFeISD HS: patients are on their way to UTMB. No word on how many or how serious their injuries are. #abc13
— Courtney Fischer (@CourtneyABC13) May 18, 2018
The Galveston County Sheriff’s Office told KPRC that one person is in custody.
>>Read: Santa Fe High School Shooting: What to know about Santa Fe Independent School District
Update: 9:37 a.m. ET: Witnesses told KTRK that it happened in an art class at the school. Santa Fe Police, Galveston County Sheriff’s Office and ATF agents are responding, KTRK reported.
Skyeye 13 on the scene of active shooter situation at Santa Fe high school @abc13houston - watch live pic.twitter.com/GYMyhXRyQd
— Katherine Whaley (@KatherineABC13) May 18, 2018
Neighboring schools are also in what is called “protect mode” because of the shooting at Santa Fe High School.
We’re currently in protect mode as a precaution because of reports of a shooting at Santa Fe HS. Doors are locked & personnel are stationed at outer doors to let people in and out. No students allowed outside of building. Field trips are postponed until we go off of protect mode.
— Dickinson ISD (@DickinsonISD) May 18, 2018
>>Read: Over 170 Texas school districts allow staff to be armed
Update 9:23 a.m. ET: KHOU is reporting that some students were evacuated to a business down the street from the school complex. There are unconfirmed reports that police exchanged fire with the shooter and that there may be injuries, KHOU reported.
FROM SANTA FE ISD: "This morning an incident occurred at the high school involving an active shooter. The district has initiated a lockdown. We will send out additional information as soon as it is available." https://t.co/lumjgZRgHY
— KHOU 11 News Houston (@KHOU) May 18, 2018
The school has also posted a warning to its website that reads:
SFISD District Response to SFHS Active Shooter
This morning an incident occurred at the high school involving an active shooter. The district has initiated a lockdown at the high school. We will send out additional information as soon as it is available.
The school also posted the message to its Facebook page.
The school usually starts its day at 7:10 a.m., according to the school website and dismisses at 2:35 p.m. On late-arrival days school starts at 9:15 a.m.
>>Read: Texas school marshals allowed to carry guns on campus
Original story: Details are still coming in, but it has been confirmed that police are on scene for an active shooter situation, KPRC reported.
#BREAKING NEWS: police have confirmed reports of an active shooter at Santa Fe High School to @KPRC2. More details as we get them.
There have not been any official reports of injuries, KPRC reported.
However, a medical helicopter has been sent to the scene, KHOU reported.
The school district has confirmed that there was an active shooter situation at the high school.
Santa Fe, Texas, school district:
"This morning an incident occurred at the high school involving an active shooter. The district has initiated a lockdown."
— Breaking News (@BreakingNews) May 18, 2018
A student at the school told KTRK that fire alarms went off around 7:45 a.m. local time and students left their classrooms. The student told the station that others thought they heard shots fired. She and other students, along with teachers, have found shelter near campus, KTRK reported.
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Home Opportunities MassChallenge Boston 2019: More than $1M in cash prizes and scholarships
MassChallenge Boston 2019: More than $1M in cash prizes and scholarships
Deadline: March 13, 2019 00:00 (CET)| Apply here
Eligibility: MassChallenge accepts applications from early-stage startups across all industries, from anywhere in the world. Prospective startups should be ready to make a big impact in your industry and should have raised less than $500K in equity-based funding and generated less than $1M in revenue.
Location: Boston, the United States
MassChallenge 2019
To date, more than 1,900 MassChallenge alumni have raised more than $4 billion in funding, generated over $2.5 billion in revenue, and created over 120,000 total jobs.
MassChallenge is a global network of zero-equity startup accelerators.
Headquartered in the United States with locations in Boston, Israel, Mexico, Rhode Island, Switzerland, Texas, and the UK, the accelerator is committed to strengthening the global innovation ecosystem by supporting high-potential startups across all industries, from anywhere in the world.
Marking its tenth cycle, this year’s accelerator will support 100 high-impact startups across industries through access to top corporates, expert mentors, curated resources, dynamic office space, and more than $1M in cash prizes and scholarships – all at zero cost and for zero equity.
How does the accelerator work?
MassChallenge runs one accelerator program in each of its locations and in each of our verticals each year.
In the accelerators (Boston, Israel, Mexico, Switzerland, Texas, UK), selected startups are early-stage (<$500K in funding) and participate in a four-month, industry-agnostic accelerator where they receive:
Hands-on support from top mentors and experts
Free co-working space
Access to MassChallenge’s unrivalled network of corporate partners
Tailored workshops and office hours
The opportunity to win a portion of more than $2M in cash prizes
How is MassChallenge different from other accelerators?
MassChallenge does not take equity from the startups we support (yes, really).
The accelerator is open to startups across any industry, from anywhere in the world.
MassChallenge is a global network, which means more resources and more access for all startups.
It is one of the largest accelerators in the world – which means more resources for its startups.
MassChallenge uses a competition framework to facilitate its accelerator program: there are two rounds of judging during the application process to select startups for the cohort.
Experts from the startup community serve as MassChallenge judges.
Cash prizes are awarded at the end of the accelerator, based on a final round of judging.
MassChallenge judges look for high-impact startups, with a viable path to success and some traction/progress in their plans.
Startups do not receive any upfront funding but do have the opportunity to compete for approximately $2 million in zero-equity cash awards at the end of the program. It does offer a limited number of scholarships, provided by the sponsor organizations.
Interested in applying for the MassChallenge 2019? Register your participation by following the application link and taking the suggested steps.
ledarership
MassChallenge
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Guatemala:
DestinationsDestinations
Guatemala Volcanoes
Guatemala >
If you've never seen a volcano in real life, then you're in for a treat! Guatemala's volcanoes dot the country's landscape, and many of them extend along the spine of the Sierra Madre Mountains within the western portion of the nation. A Guatemalan volcano is big, powerful, and impressive — some even spew ash and lava on a regular basis. However, they also command a certain amount of respect and a great deal of caution, as the world learned during Guatemala's volcanic eruption of 2018, when Guatemala's Volcan de Fuego devastated nearby villages. The important thing to remember when visiting volcanic regions is to be aware of the looming giant's level of activity, and ensure that an exit strategy is in place.
Remember that there is more than one way to experience or interact with a volcano. If you're an intrepid traveller, then you may find hiking as close as possible to Sololá's San Pedro Volcano, or indulging in an overnight camping trip to Pacaya Volcano wildly appealing. If you're not as cavalier and prefer to maintain your distance at all times, then you might prefer kayaking across an adjacent lake in Panajachel or sketching in Quetzaltenango. Both approaches are great for different reasons, and either one will ensure that you walk away with frame-worthy pictures of Guatemala's volcanoes.
The important thing to remember is that each of these Guatemala volcano destinations, and their accompanying tours, are only available because your safety and well-being have been taken into consideration. Like with anything in life, common sense goes a long way — so, go on an enviable adventure and have a great time!
Central Highlands, Guatemala
Antigua sits near the base of three volcanoes — Fuego, Acatenango, and Agua — part of a dramatic landscape that offers some of Guatemala’s most adventurous nature tours. You'll find incredible views of Agua Volcano both from the Santa Catalina Archway, one of the city’s most iconic landmarks, at the top of the hill called Cerro de la Cruz.
Fuego Volcano is possible to visit on days when its eruptions aren’t too dangerous — it’s common to see thick clouds of smoke billowing from its crater. Climb the peak of Acatenango on a hike for the best views of Fuego Volcano in the distance. You can also opt for a more challenging trek on an overnight adventure on Pacaya Volcano.
Western Highlands, Guatemala
Atitlán Volcano, Tolimán Volcano and San Pedro Volcano surround Lake Atitlán. This area has a reputation for attracting New Age practitioners, and the volcanoes definitely contribute to some of the allure for those who seek mystical vibrations.
Hike to the top of San Pedro Volcano for a gorgeous view of the lake. This hike requires a guide and takes you through several different types of environments — you'll get a look at local farm life when you make your way through a coffee plantation and a corn field. Scenic lookouts offer beautiful spots to take a break and get your first taste of the incredible view. You can do a longer, 7 hour hike to the peak of Lake Atitlán, which offers a similarly astounding view. At Atitlán, you also have the option of an overnight version for the chance to camp on the volcano.
Pacific Slope, Guatemala
On a road trip to Escuintla from Guatemala, travelers get to see an incredible view of the Agua, Acatenango, and Fuego volcanoes. Escuintla itself is often just a quick stop, offering travelers a few quaint restaurants for a convenient meal.
If you're in the area, you should check out the nearby Pacaya Volcano. You can hike all the way to the summit, on a trail that’s 2.3 miles (3.7 km). The volcano crater sometimes spews ash and lava, which you can observe at a safe distance.
More places: volcano
Guatemala CityCentral Highlands, Guatemala
PanajachelWestern Highlands, Guatemala
Santa Cruz La LagunaWestern Highlands, Guatemala
Santiago AtitlánWestern Highlands, Guatemala
QuetzaltenangoWestern Highlands, Guatemala
Santa Catarina PalopóWestern Highlands, Guatemala
RetalhuleuPacific Slope, Guatemala
San Juan La LagunaWestern Highlands, Guatemala
SololáWestern Highlands, Guatemala
San Pedro la LagunaWestern Highlands, Guatemala
Ciudad ViejaCentral Highlands, Guatemala
San Marcos la LagunaWestern Highlands, Guatemala
Guatemala Sitemap
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APRS Direct is a website that brings you global real-time APRS tracking and weather data (including CWOP). Our goal is to bring you a fast and easy-to-use map with the latest APRS activity. We can achive fast real-time updates since each user browser will be connected directly to our own APRS-IS server (with no intermediate database-server).
Visit APRS Direct on facebook, like/recommend us to stay up to date with new features.
This service require HTML 5 features to be able to feed you APRS data in real-time.
You have been redirected to our simple text-based website.
Javascript requirement
The APRS Direct map view require javascript to be enabled in your browser.
What is APRS?
APRS (Automatic Packet Reporting System) is a digital communications system that uses packet radio to send real time tactical information (on amateur radio frequencies). The APRS network is used by ham radio operators all over the world. Information shared over the APRS network is for example coordinates, altitude, speed, heading, text messages, alerts, announcements, bulletins and weather data. APRS has been developed by Bob Bruninga, callsign WB4APR. More information about APRS can be found at www.aprs.org or at wikipedia.
APRS Statistics
The chart shows the number of received packets per second during the latest 120s.
Average number of packets per second: 84/s (based on the latest 120s)
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Veterans dish up trade tips to young hawkers
'Preserving craft by passing down recipes'
If you visit the Ci Yuan hawker centre in Hougang, look carefully before you call the hawkers "Uncle" or "Auntie".
This is because 14 of the 40 stalls there are run by youngsters who have graduated from the Entrepreneurship Programme run by Fei Siong Food Management, the centre's managing agent.
The two-month programme, which started last July, paired hawker hopefuls with retiring veterans. The veterans taught the rookies their recipes, checked on the food quality and mentored them on managing their businesses.
While the programme is not the first here - the authorities launched the Hawker Master Trainer pilot programme in 2013, for instance - it reflects growing concern about a lack of successors to ageing hawkers. The median age of cooked-food hawkers is 59, it was revealed in Parliament earlier this month.
Under the Fei Siong scheme, each rookie was attached to a hawker stall and paid $3,000 a month for two months. The rookies worked 10 hours a day, six days a week.
They went on to operate their own stall independently at the 20,000 sq ft Ci Yuan hawker centre, which opened last August and has 640 seats.
At Ci Yuan, a not-for-profit project, all stalls sell at least two dishes for under $2.80 each.
Fei Siong owns eateries and foodcourts in shopping malls, including Tangs Market in Tangs Orchard, the Malaysia Boleh foodcourt in Jurong Point and the Eat chain of noodle shops.
Fei Siong group managing director Tan Kim Siong, 46, hopes that the programme will give aspiring hawkers a head start in the trade.
Fei Siong, which received more than 60 applications, chose 18 of them for its pioneer cohort. It does not have plans for another run of the programme for now.
Mr Tan said: "The young generation has a lot of new ideas. We believe they are also fast learners and are able to learn the ropes from seniors and help continue the hawker tradition. They are also open to innovations such as social media and food delivery.
"But we are careful with our selection. The young hawkers need to be resilient as we need them to work long hours. They need to know it is not an easy trade."
One of these young hawkers is Mr Ang Yi Jie, 29, who sells porridge and handmade noodle soup at the centre.
Mr Ang, who graduated from Nanyang Technological University's School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering in 2014, had started an online business selling pet supplies for about a year, but closed it down last year as it did not do well.
"I have always wanted to start my own business, especially in the food and beverage industry. But a huge concern is always capital and expertise," said Mr Ang, whose mother and sister help him at his stall.
"The Entrepreneurship Programme is a guiding platform for that as it reduces the operation costs needed to start your own business."
Mr K.F. Seetoh, founder of food guide Makansutra and creator of the World Street Food Congress, said the programme can make things easier for aspiring hawkers.
"Street food is not fast food, nor is it easy to make, or else we can all make it at home, like making pasta. And unlike burgers, there is not one definitive recipe to any one hawker dish.
"Younger Singaporeans are keen to get into this line, but don't know how best to do so and how to progress, other than (to) mimic the best... how the old hawkers do their thing all these decades."
Mr Tan said Fei Siong has had feedback from old hawkers who said they cannot stand for many hours and want to retire.
He said: "It is a pity to see time-honoured recipes fade away whenever an old hawker decides to call it a day. The Entrepreneurship Programme is a way to preserve their craft by passing down their recipes."
xueqiang@sph.com.sg
This article was first published on April 20, 2016.
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HomeNews‘I can infect whomever I please’: HIV-positive woman
‘I can infect whomever I please’: HIV-positive woman
By Hahz November 1, 2014 News, WTF 0 Comments
A woman tried to swipe a stack of frozen dinners from a Texas Walmart by threatening a store clerk with HIV, police said.
Dallas police arrested 25-year-old Diamond Lawrence Thursday after she allegedly attacked an employee in a bid to give him the virus and make off with $11 worth of stolen food.
Lawrence made it outside the store with her tiny plunder when an employee asked her to come back, NBC Dallas-Fort Worth reported.
That’s when she told the worker she had HIV and said “I can infect whomever I please,” police said.
She struck the worker and scratched his neck, attempting to draw blood and expose him to HIV, police said.
Then, she told him, “You’re welcome.”
Medics said the worker had no bloodily fluid exchange with Lawrence, meaning he’s safe from the virus.
While Wal-Mart doesn’t prosecute for stealing such a small amount of goods, Lawrence was arrested on two outstanding warrants: one for public intoxication and a second for an invalid driver’s license.
She’s being held in the Dallas County Jail on $1,500 bail.
Tags:HIV, infected woman
BET HIP HOP AWARDS 2007 @ Atlanta Civic Center Saturday 13th
Chicago Bulls PG Derrick Rose Denies Participating In Gang Rape Of Ex-GF. Says She Consented… (Video)
Facts: 70% of men aged 20-34 are not married, and 50% never will
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Home › Politics News › Can't Laugh O! Adelabu heads to tribunal over Makinde's victory in Oyo after he conceded defeat
Can't Laugh O! Adelabu heads to tribunal over Makinde's victory in Oyo after he conceded defeat
Tuesday, 2 April 2019
THE gubernatorial candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in
the March 9 election in Oyo State, Chief Adebayo Adelabu has filed a suit before the Election Petition Tribunal and supplicated it to topple the triumph of the competitor of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Engineer Seyi Makinde.
AYNAIJANG NEWS recall that the APC governorship election candidate conceded defeat sometime prior after the election due to mass support of Oyo state people for Seyi Makinde to win.
WHO IS PUSHING THIS MAN?
Adelabu documented the suit close by his gathering, whose state executive, Chief Akin Oke as of late announced that the gathering was thinking about court case to upturn the triumph of Makinde of the PDP.
“I want to repeat what I said concerning the outcome of the last governorship election. First, I want to greet all the people who genuinely voted for us. But where there is a genuine case of fraud, of course, why not go to court?
“Do you want us to continue to support fraud? I repeat we will go to court once there are enough grounds to do so,” Oke added.
On Tuesday, the APC made real its threat as it was listed as the second petitioner.
The petition is having Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as the first respondent while Makinde and PDP are second and third respondents, respectively.
The prayers, it was gathered the petitioners want the Tribunal to declare the APC candidate, Adelabu, the winner of the election of the March 9 governorship election in Oyo state.
But in a reaction, the PDP secretary, Mr. Wasiu Adeleke said there was no cause for alarm because it was glaring from the results across all the five geopolitical zones of the state that, “Engineer Seyi Makinde won overwhelmingly and polled the highest number of votes and was subsequently declared as the winner.”
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Fracking Facts
Visual Impacts
Fugitive Emissions
Fracking Economics
Subsidence
House price impacts
Fracking FAQs
Fracking Facts »Health
Fracking isn't bad for your health
Every now and again, researchers in the US will produce a study that examines the health impacts of shale gas development on the surrounding communities. Every single one of these reports is inconclusive - they never find definitive proof of a link between fracking and ill health anywhere.
Correlation is not causation, as any half-decent scientist will tell you.
But even if there were a link, that's over in the US not here where working practices and regulations are different.
Public Health England, and the Scottish equivalent, have examined the facts and concluded that there is no risk to human health in the UK provided that fracking continues to be well regulated and is conducted properly. There are over 2,000 existing onshore oil and gas wells in the UK drilled over many decades, but no evidence of communities nearby suffering from poor health as a result.
As long as it's done right, with the right safeguards, fracking will not negatively impact public health.
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Copyright © Backing Fracking. All rights reserved. Backing Fracking is a residents collective, and operates as an unincorporated association to campaign in support of shale gas extraction in the UK.
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Follow @BackingFracking on Twitter
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| ERROR: type should be string, got "https://www.barrons.com/articles/PR-CO-20181101-922088\nBW Wire\nApple Reports Fourth Quarter Results\nNov. 1, 2018 4:35 pm ET\nRevenue Up 20 Percent and EPS Up 41 Percent to New September Quarter Records\nServices Revenue of $10 Billion Reaches New All-Time High\nCUPERTINO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--November 01, 2018--\nApple(R) today announced financial results for its fiscal 2018 fourth quarter ended September 29, 2018. The Company posted quarterly revenue of $62.9 billion, an increase of 20 percent from the year-ago quarter, and quarterly earnings per diluted share of $2.91, up 41 percent. International sales accounted for 61 percent of the quarter's revenue.\nServices revenue reached an all-time high of $10 billion. Excluding a one-time favorable adjustment of $640 million recognized in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2017, Services revenue grew from $7.9 billion in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2017 to $10 billion in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2018, an increase of 27 percent.\n\"We're thrilled to report another record-breaking quarter that caps a tremendous fiscal 2018, the year in which we shipped our 2 billionth iOS device, celebrated the 10th anniversary of the App Store and achieved the strongest revenue and earnings in Apple's history,\" said Tim Cook, Apple's CEO. \"Over the past two months, we've delivered huge advancements for our customers through new versions of iPhone, Apple Watch, iPad and Mac as well as our four operating systems, and we enter the holiday season with our strongest lineup of products and services ever.\"\n\"We concluded a record year with our best September quarter ever, growing double digits in every geographic segment. We set September quarter revenue records for iPhone and Wearables and all-time quarterly records for Services and Mac,\" said Luca Maestri, Apple's CFO. \"We generated $19.5 billion in operating cash flow and returned over $23 billion to shareholders in dividends and share repurchases in the September quarter, bringing total capital returned in fiscal 2018 to almost $90 billion.\"\nApple is providing the following guidance for its fiscal 2019 first quarter:\n-- revenue between $89 billion and $93 billion\n-- gross margin between 38 percent and 38.5 percent\n-- operating expenses between $8.7 billion and $8.8 billion\n-- other income/(expense) of $300 million\n-- tax rate of approximately 16.5 percent before discrete items\nApple's board of directors has declared a cash dividend of $0.73 per share of the Company's common stock. The dividend is payable on November 15, 2018 to shareholders of record as of the close of business on November 12, 2018.\nApple will provide live streaming of its Q4 2018 financial results conference call beginning at 2:00 p.m. PDT on November 1, 2018 at www.apple.com/investor/earnings-call/. This webcast will also be available for replay for approximately two weeks thereafter.\nApple periodically provides information for investors on its corporate website, apple.com, and its investors relations website, investor.apple.com. This includes press releases and other information about financial performance, reports filed or furnished with the SEC, information on corporate governance and details related to its annual meeting of shareholders.\nThis press release contains forward-looking statements, within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements include without limitation those about the Company's estimated revenue, gross margin, operating expenses, other income/(expense), tax rate, and plans for return of capital. These statements involve risks and uncertainties, and actual results may differ. Risks and uncertainties include without limitation: the effect of global and regional economic conditions on the Company's business, including effects on purchasing decisions by consumers and businesses; the ability of the Company to compete in markets that are highly competitive and subject to rapid technological change; the ability of the Company to manage frequent introductions and transitions of products and services, including delivering to the marketplace, and stimulating customer demand for, new products, services and technological innovations on a timely basis; the effect that shifts in the mix of products and services and in the geographic, currency or channel mix, component cost increases, price competition, or the introduction of new products, including new products with higher cost structures, could have on the Company's gross margin; the dependency of the Company on the performance of distributors of the Company's products, including cellular network carriers and other resellers; the inventory and other asset risks associated with the Company's need to order, or commit to order, product components in advance of customer orders; the continued availability on acceptable terms, or at all, of certain components, services and new technologies essential to the Company's business, including components and technologies that may only be available from single or limited sources; the dependency of the Company on manufacturing and logistics services provided by third parties, many of which are located outside of the US and which may affect the quality, quantity or cost of products manufactured or services rendered to the Company; the effect of product and services design and manufacturing defects on the Company's financial performance and reputation; the dependency of the Company on third-party intellectual property and digital content, which may not be available to the Company on commercially reasonable terms or at all; the dependency of the Company on support from third-party software developers to develop and maintain software applications and services for the Company's products; the impact of unfavorable legal proceedings, such as a potential finding that the Company has infringed on the intellectual property rights of others; the impact of changes to laws and regulations that affect the Company's activities, including the Company's ability to offer products or services to customers in different regions; the ability of the Company to manage risks associated with its international activities, including complying with laws and regulations affecting the Company's international operations; the ability of the Company to manage risks associated with the Company's retail stores; the ability of the Company to manage risks associated with the Company's investments in new business strategies and acquisitions; the impact on the Company's business and reputation from information technology system failures, network disruptions or losses or unauthorized access to, or release of, confidential information; the ability of the Company to comply with laws and regulations regarding data protection; the continued service and availability of key executives and employees; political events, international trade disputes, war, terrorism, natural disasters, public health issues, and other business interruptions that could disrupt supply or delivery of, or demand for, the Company's products; financial risks, including risks relating to currency fluctuations, credit risks and fluctuations in the market value of the Company's investment portfolio; and changes in tax rates and exposure to additional tax liabilities. More information on these risks and other potential factors that could affect the Company's financial results is included in the Company's filings with the SEC, including in the \"Risk Factors\" and \"Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations\" sections of the Company's most recently filed periodic reports on Form 10-K and Form 10-Q and subsequent filings. The Company assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements or information, which speak as of their respective dates.\nApple revolutionized personal technology with the introduction of the Macintosh in 1984. Today, Apple leads the world in innovation with iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch and Apple TV. Apple's four software platforms -- iOS, macOS, watchOS and tvOS -- provide seamless experiences across all Apple devices and empower people with breakthrough services including the App Store, Apple Music, Apple Pay and iCloud. Apple's more than 100,000 employees are dedicated to making the best products on earth, and to leaving the world better than we found it.\nNOTE TO EDITORS: For additional information visit Apple Newsroom (www.apple.com/newsroom), or call Apple's Media Helpline at (408) 974-2042.\n(c) 2018 Apple Inc. All rights reserved. Apple and the Apple logo are trademarks of Apple Inc. Other company and product names may be trademarks of their respective owners.\nCONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS (Unaudited)\n(In millions, except number of shares which are reflected in thousands\nand per share amounts)\nThree Months Ended Twelve Months Ended\n------------------------ ------------------------\nSeptember September September September\n29, 2018 30, 2017 29, 2018 30, 2017\n----------- ----------- ----------- -----------\nNet sales $ 62,900 $ 52,579 $ 265,595 $ 229,234\nCost of sales (1) 38,816 32,648 163,756 141,048\nGross margin 24,084 19,931 101,839 88,186\nResearch and\n(1) 3,750 2,997 14,236 11,581\nSelling, general\nexpenses 7,966 6,811 30,941 26,842\nOperating income 16,118 13,120 70,898 61,344\nincome/(expense),\nnet 303 797 2,005 2,745\nIncome before\nprovision for\nincome taxes 16,421 13,917 72,903 64,089\nincome taxes 2,296 3,203 13,372 15,738\nNet income $ 14,125 $ 10,714 $ 59,531 $ 48,351\n======= ======= ======= =======\nBasic $ 2.94 $ 2.08 $ 12.01 $ 9.27\nDiluted $ 2.91 $ 2.07 $ 11.91 $ 9.21\nShares used in\ncomputing earnings\nper share:\nBasic 4,801,589 5,149,428 4,955,377 5,217,242\nDiluted 4,847,547 5,183,585 5,000,109 5,251,692\nCash dividends\ndeclared per\nshare $ 0.73 $ 0.63 $ 2.72 $ 2.40\n(1) Includes\nshare-based\nexpense as\nCost of sales $ 251 $ 215 $ 1,010 $ 877\ndevelopment $ 681 $ 569 $ 2,668 $ 2,299\nadministrative $ 413 $ 390 $ 1,662 $ 1,664\nCONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (Unaudited)\nand par value)\nSeptember 29, September 30,\n2018 2017\n--------------- -----------------\nCash and cash equivalents $ 25,913 $ 20,289\nMarketable securities 40,388 53,892\nAccounts receivable, net 23,186 17,874\nInventories 3,956 4,855\nVendor non-trade receivables 25,809 17,799\nOther current assets 12,087 13,936\n-------------- --------------\nTotal current assets 131,339 128,645\nNon-current assets:\nMarketable securities 170,799 194,714\nProperty, plant and equipment,\nnet 41,304 33,783\nOther non-current assets 22,283 18,177\nTotal non-current assets 234,386 246,674\nTotal assets $ 365,725 $ 375,319\n========== ==========\nLIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS'\nEQUITY:\nAccounts payable $ 55,888 $ 44,242\nOther current liabilities 32,687 30,551\nDeferred revenue 7,543 7,548\nCommercial paper 11,964 11,977\nTerm debt 8,784 6,496\nTotal current liabilities 116,866 100,814\nTerm debt 93,735 97,207\nOther non-current liabilities 45,180 40,415\nTotal non-current liabilities 141,712 140,458\nTotal liabilities 258,578 241,272\nShareholders' equity:\nCommon stock and additional\npaid-in capital, $0.00001 par\nvalue: 12,600,000 shares\nauthorized; 4,754,986 and\n5,126,201 shares issued and\noutstanding, respectively 40,201 35,867\nRetained earnings 70,400 98,330\nAccumulated other comprehensive\nincome/(loss) (3,454) (150)\nTotal shareholders' equity 107,147 134,047\nTotal liabilities and\nshareholders' equity $ 365,725 $ 375,319\nCash and cash equivalents, beginning\nof the period $ 20,289 $ 20,484\n---------- --- ---------\nNet income 59,531 48,351\nAdjustments to reconcile net\nincome to cash generated by\nDepreciation and amortization 10,903 10,157\nexpense 5,340 4,840\nDeferred income tax\nexpense/(benefit) (32,590) 5,966\nOther (444) (166)\nChanges in operating assets and\nAccounts receivable, net (5,322) (2,093)\nInventories 828 (2,723)\nVendor non-trade receivables (8,010) (4,254)\nOther current and non-current\nassets (423) (5,318)\nAccounts payable 9,175 8,966\nDeferred revenue (44) (626)\nliabilities 38,490 1,125\nCash generated by operating\nactivities 77,434 64,225\nPurchases of marketable\nsecurities (71,356) (159,486)\nProceeds from maturities of\nmarketable securities 55,881 31,775\nProceeds from sales of marketable\nsecurities 47,838 94,564\nPayments for acquisition of\nproperty, plant and equipment (13,313) (12,451)\nPayments made in connection with\nbusiness acquisitions, net (721) (329)\nPurchases of non-marketable\nsecurities (1,871) (521)\nProceeds from non-marketable\nsecurities 353 126\nOther (745) (124)\nCash generated by/(used in)\ninvesting activities 16,066 (46,446)\nProceeds from issuance of common\nstock 669 555\nPayments for taxes related to net\nshare settlement of equity\nawards (2,527) (1,874)\nPayments for dividends and\ndividend equivalents (13,712) (12,769)\nRepurchases of common stock (72,738) (32,900)\nProceeds from issuance of term\ndebt, net 6,969 28,662\nRepayments of term debt (6,500) (3,500)\nChange in commercial paper, net (37) 3,852\nCash used in financing\nactivities (87,876) (17,974)\nIncrease/(Decrease) in cash and cash\nequivalents 5,624 (195)\nCash and cash equivalents, end of\nthe period $ 25,913 $ 20,289\n========== === =========\nSupplemental cash flow disclosure:\nCash paid for income taxes, net $ 10,417 $ 11,591\nCash paid for interest $ 3,022 $ 2,092\nQ4 2018 Unaudited Summary Data\n(Units in thousands, Revenue in millions)\nSequential Year/Year\nQ4 2018 Q3 2018 Q4 2017 Change Change\n--------------- --------------- --------------- ---------------- --------------\nReportable\nSegments Revenue Revenue Revenue Revenue Revenue\n------- ------- ------- --------- -------\nAmericas $27,517 $24,542 $23,099 12% 19%\nEurope 15,382 12,138 13,009 27% 18%\nChina 11,411 9,551 9,801 19% 16%\nJapan 5,161 3,867 3,858 33% 34%\nPacific 3,429 3,167 2,812 8% 22%\nTotal Apple $62,900 $53,265 $52,579 18% 20%\n------ -------\nSummary Units Revenue Units Revenue Units Revenue Units Revenue Units Revenue\n------ ------- ------ ------- ------ ------- ----- --------- ----- -------\niPhone (1) 46,889 $37,185 41,300 $29,906 46,677 $28,846 14% 24% 0% 29%\niPad (1) 9,699 4,089 11,553 4,741 10,326 4,831 - 16% - 14% - 6% - 15%\nMac (1) 5,299 7,411 3,720 5,330 5,386 7,170 42% 39% - 2% 3%\n(2) 9,981 9,548 8,501 5% 17%\n(1)(3) 4,234 3,740 3,231 13% 31%\n(1) Includes deferrals and amortization of related software upgrade rights and non-software\n(2) Includes revenue from Digital Content and Services, AppleCare, Apple Pay, licensing and other\nservices. Services net sales in the third quarter of 2018 included a favorable one-time item of\n$236 million in connection with the final resolution of various lawsuits. Services net sales in\nthe fourth quarter of 2017 included a favorable one-time adjustment of $640 million due to a\nchange in estimate based on the availability of additional supporting information.\n(3) Includes sales of AirPods, Apple TV, Apple Watch, Beats products, HomePod, iPod touch and\nother Apple-branded and third-party accessories.\nCONTACT: Apple\nKristin Huguet, 408-974-2414\nkhuguet@apple.com\nInvestor Relations Contacts:\nNancy Paxton, 408-974-5420\npaxton1@apple.com\nMatt Blake, 408-974-7406\nmattblake@apple.com\nSOURCE: Apple Inc."
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“Trust is hard to earn and easy to lose”
"Trust is hard to earn/win and easy to lose” is a popular aphorism that doesn’t appear to have any particular author. “Trust is one of those things that’s hard to get and easy to lose” was cited in print in June 1973. “Public trust is hard to win but easy to lose” was cited in print in 1988.
“Trust is hard to earn, easy to lose, and, once lost, nearly impossible to regain” has been cited in print since at least 2008. The “trust” saying has been used in politics, in business and in other fields.
17 June 1973, The Times-Picayune (New Orleans, LA), “Broken Trust” by Ellen Peck and Dr. James E. Lieberman, sec. 3, pg. 12, col. 6:
Trust is one of those things that’s hard to get and easy to lose.
(This answer is by Ellen Peck—ed.)
17 March 1988, Milwaukee (WI) Journal, Waukesha, Section B, pg. 1, col. 5:
Public trust is hard to win but easy to lose.
6 February 1990, Orlando (FL) Sentinel, “Feelings are bruised in wake of ‘Thunder’” by Catherine Hinman, pg. E1:
They’ve also learned, firsthand, that a Hollywood mogul’s trust is hard to win and easy to lose.
AMEinfo.com
Trust: Hard to earn, easy to lose
Thursday, March 07 - 2002 at 10:10
Extracts from Al Golin’s, Golin/Harris International Chairman and Founder, speech at the Brazilian Congress for Corporate Journalism, Media Relations and Public Relations.
Trust is hard to earn, and easy to lose! Companies must avoid trying to limit damage by coming out with quick excuses and denials. A CEO must never do so until he or she is absolutely sure of the facts.
Swimming Upstream:
Collaborative Approaches To Watershed Management
Edited by Paul Sabatier
Cambridge, MA: MIT Press
A popular aphorism states that trust is hard to win but easy to lose. Though this intuition is widely held, it has been rarely tested. Slovic, Layman, and Flynn (1991) noted that even a hundred trustworthy acts will not restore trust lose from a single untrustworthy act. Rothbart and Park (1986) found an analgous asymmetry: favorable traits such as trustworthiness were judged hard to acquire and easy to lose, whereas unfavorable traits such as dishonesty were judged as easy to acquire and hard to lose.
How Leaders Create a Culture of Candor
By Warren Bennis, Daniel Goleman and James O’Toole with Patricia Ward Biederman
San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass
In essence, trust is hard to earn, easy to lose, and, once lost, nearly impossible to regain.
Wichita (KS) Eagle
Should arena tax cover payroll?
By DEB GRUVER
Published Tuesday, March 16, 2010, at 12:04 a.m.
Updated Thursday, May 6, 2010, at 6:05 a.m.
“Trust is hard to earn but easy to lose,” a memo to commissioners said.
Dallas (TX) Business Journall
Jul 27, 2012, 5:00am CDT
Trust is hard to build, easy to lose
Edward M. Marshall, Ph.D., IN THE WORKPLACE
Trust is the one principle of relationships we know we must have to be successful in our own lives, in our teams and our organizations. And yet it is the most elusive for us. It is an amorphous quality of relationships — we can’t touch it, hear it or see it. But we can feel it. We know when we are trusted and when we trust another. It is hard to attain and easy to lose, and if lost, we may never regain it. Trust is the icon for our personal and interpersonal integrity.
TechZone360
Alcatel-Lucent CEO Michel Combes Hints at What Lies Ahead
By Peter Bernstein , Senior Editor
The old saying that trust is hard to earn, easy to lose and almost impossible to regain will hopefully be a major part of the strategic review.
New York City • Government/Law/Politics/Military • Sunday, May 19, 2013 • Permalink
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