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__label__wiki | 0.908482 | 0.908482 | Libya: Over 200 killed in Tripoli fighting
Thousands of Libyans have also been fleeing their homes in Tripoli as the fighting between Eastern forces and troops loyal to the Tripoli government continues.
Over 200 people have been killed from ongoing fighting in Libya’s capital Tripoli.
The World Health Organization (WHO) on Thursday revealed that some 205 people have been killed so far.
18 civilians were among those killed with 913 wounded in two weeks of fighting near Tripoli.
Libya: Over 1, 000 killed in battle for Tripoli
French missiles found in Libya, France denies breaching law
Tunisia: Dozens of migrants feared dead in boat disaster
Libya’s migrant detention centre attacked, at least 40 killed
Eastern Libyan forces have been marching towards the centre of Tripoli seeking to take control of the city.
The troops belonging to Khalifa Haftar who is a former officer in Muammar Gaddafi’s army want to topple the internationally recognised government in Tripoli.
The Tripoli based government of Prime Minister Fayez al-Serraj has also reported of 11 deaths. He says his armed groups close to Misrata are blocking the LNA troops.
The United Nations has reported of over 2,800 people displaced by the fighting, requiring help to safety.
Libya has been in turmoil since the overthrow and killing of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. The country is ruled by factions.
Researchers discover ancient giant 'lion' in Kenya
Mali: Entire government resigns over ethnic violence | cc/2019-30/en_middle_0005.json.gz/line885 |
__label__wiki | 0.780024 | 0.780024 | Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Wiki
Grant Ward
Phillip Coulson
Episodes, Season 1, Content,
Episodes Themed Around Skye
Episodes Themed Around One-Shots
Episodes Themed Around Coulson
The Asset
Airdate
Milan Cheylov
"0-8-4"
"Eye-Spy"
"The Asset" is the third episode of Season 1 in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.. The episode aired on October 8, 2013 on ABC.
When the brilliant scientist Dr. Franklin Hall is kidnapped, Agent Coulson and his S.H.I.E.L.D. team must race against the clock to locate him. Skye is their only way in - pushing the team to their limits when the entire plan turns upside-down.
Summary Edit
Out on a country road, a S.H.I.E.L.D. trucker named Mack is driving his sensitive cargo flanked by two SUVs, giving the all-clear to headquarters, when suddenly the lead SUV flies upward through the air, crashing back to the ground. Mack radios for help before the follow up car is similarly dispatched, and the truck’s cab itself is violently lifted off the road. Moments later, a group of armed men break into the trailer, cracking open a S.H.I.E.L.D. vault to reveal dapper scientist Dr. Franklin Hall, who seems to have been expecting them.
Back on the newly-restored "bus", Skye grumbles about having to strength train with Agent Ward, even as the agent insists that all trainees will experience a defining moment that shapes them as an agent. Skye presses Ward for his, threatening to inject him with truth serum again, though Ward reveals they never had any, and that he faked his previous “confession.”. Upstairs, Coulson informs the team that protected asset Dr. Hall has gone missing, distressing Fitz and Simmons for their familiarity with the man, and the apparent “invisible” attackers that crippled the convoy.
At the site of the crash, Mack explains that someone from within must have alerted the enemy to Hall’s location, while Simmons finds an apparent gravity distortion that throws around several ambient rocks, and leaves behind a small device. Later, Coulson and Ward track down the man who sold the armed crew his equipment to raid the truck, tracing his payment back to wealthy mining philanthropist Ian Quinn, whose Maltese diplomatic immunity prevents S.H.I.E.L.D. from reaching him. In Malta, Quinn shows his former partner Dr. Hall the miniaturized gravity device secured through his vast fortune, which Fitz and Simmons investigate on their own to find manipulates the rare substance “gravitonium.” Quinn explains to Hall that he liberated him to continue Hall’s life’s work with a full-scale version of the device, something Hall seems eager to continue. Meanwhile, Coulson briefs the others that a high-security laser fence prevents anyone from infiltrating the facility, to which Skye offers to attend an upcoming function with a hacked invite.
Ward discusses with Coulson his reluctance to allow Skye on her own mission without training, to which Coulson suggests she might progress more if he treated her as a person, rather than an operative. Ward attempts to teach Skye to take an enemy’s gun, revealing that his own “defining moment” came from training rigorously to defend his family from his violent older brother. Fitz and Simmons provide Skye with a compact mirror that will allow wireless access within the compound to disable the surrounding fence, getting Ward and Coulson in to extract Dr. Hall. With May, and with Fitz and Simmons piping intel through an earpiece, Skye enters the party and makes her way to find Ian Quinn, who quickly reveals that he allowed her access to the party in order to recruit her impressive talents as a member of the Rising Tide. Quinn next gives a speech announcing to dignitaries that his new invention will allow them to circumvent governments and S.H.I.E.L.D. alike, during which Skye slips away to find Quinn’s office. Quinn catches her in the act however, for which she silently writes on a pad that S.H.I.E.L.D. is listening, and suggests they find somewhere to talk.
Ditching her earpiece, Skye explains to Quinn how she managed to infiltrate S.H.I.E.L.D., as Quinn corroborates that they tend to prey on those with records, providing a false sense of family in recruitment. Meanwhile, Ward and Coulson arrive on the beach, stationing them outside the fence and taking down the surrounding guards. Skye finally activates the mirror, enabling Fitz to remotely disable the fence and allow Coulson and Ward access, though Coulson curiously fumbles with his gun in the ensuing firefight. Quinn is quickly alerted to the security breach, as Coulson enters Dr. Franklin’s lab, only to find the man has no intention of leaving. Hall explains that he purposefully leaked information about his whereabouts to have Quinn bring him to the device, hoping to destroy it to keep out of the hands of either Quinn, or S.H.I.E.L.D.. The gravity of the room quickly goes haywire, as Coulson pleads with Hall not to kill all those in the compound by overloading the machine. Upstairs, Quinn holds a gun to Skye and squeezes her roughly by the throat, though she quickly manages to disarm him, and flees out the window rather than pull the trigger.
Having become free of Quinn's grasp and landed in the pool, Skye, barefoot, attempts to leave the party as Ward comes to her rescue. Meanwhile downstairs, Coulson struggles to find a way to shut off the gravity device. Hall pleads that he must live with his choice in order to protect millions more from being hurt by the technology, before Coulson destroys the window surrounding the device, the gravity of which pulls Hall into the chemical reaction, envelops him, and ultimately powers down the device. After Coulson orders the remaining gravitonium matter sealed away in an unmarked S.H.I.E.L.D. vault, May expresses her desire to return to combat, rather than allow a rusty Coulson to put himself in danger again. Back on the plane, Ward observes Skye training on her own, before listening to her backstory of being rejected from foster homes at a young age, and wanting to belong to something like S.H.I.E.L.D..
Stinger Edit
Meanwhile, deep in the S.H.I.E.L.D. vault, the hand of Dr. Hall appears to reach out from the sealed gravitonium, before sinking back into the writhing matter.
Main Cast Edit
Clark Gregg as Phil Coulson
Ming-Na Wen as Melinda May
Brett Dalton as Grant Ward
Iain De Caestecker as Leo Fitz
Elizabeth Henstridge as Jemma Simmons
Chloe Bennet as Skye
David Conrad as Ian Quinn
Ian Hart as Dr. Franklin Hall
Assaf Cohen as Translator
Scott Subiono as Todd Chesterfield
Brandon Molale as Main Guard
Josh Cowdery as Agent Tyler
Bodie Newcomb as Agent Mack
Vachik Mangassarian as Qasim Zaghlul
The complete "The Asset" gallery can be found here.
Promo Edit
Marvel's Agents of SHIELD Season 1 Episode 3 Promo
Memorable quotes Edit
Simmons: "Repeating his name does not increase productivity"
Fitz: "Got it!"
Simmons: "Or maybe it does."
Fitz: "If we had a small monkey..."
Simmons: "Fitz!"
Ian Quinn (First appearance)
Franklin Hall
Mack (driver)
Republic of Malta
Organizations Edit
Quinn Worldwide
Weapons and Technology Edit
Gravitonium
Gravity Field Generator
Miscellaneous Edit
The title appears to reflect the intelligence community definition of an 'asset' as well as the proprietorial approach S.H.I.E.L.D. takes to Dr. Hall.
Episodes of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Season 1: Pilot • 0-8-4 • The Asset • Eye-Spy • Girl in the Flower Dress • FZZT • The Hub • The Well • Repairs • The Bridge • The Magical Place • Seeds • T.R.A.C.K.S. • T.A.H.I.T.I. • Yes Men • End of the Beginning • Turn, Turn, Turn • Providence • The Only Light in the Darkness • Nothing Personal • Ragtag • Beginning of the End
Season 2: Shadows • Heavy is the Head • Making Friends and Influencing People • Face My Enemy • A Hen in the Wolf House • A Fractured House • The Writing on the Wall • The Things We Bury • Ye Who Enter Here • What They Become • Aftershocks • Who You Really Are • One of Us • Love in the Time of Hydra • One Door Closes • Afterlife • Melinda • The Frenemy of My Enemy • The Dirty Half Dozen • Scars • S.O.S. Part One • S.O.S. Part Two
Season 3: Laws of Nature • Purpose in the Machine • A Wanted (Inhu)man • Devils You Know • 4,722 Hours • Among Us Hide... • Chaos Theory • Many Heads, One Tale • Closure • Maveth • Bouncing Back • The Inside Man • Parting Shot • Watchdogs • Spacetime • Paradise Lost • The Team • The Singularity • Failed Experiments • Emancipation • Absolution • Ascension
Season 4: The Ghost • Meet the New Boss • Uprising • Let Me Stand Next to Your Fire • Lockup • The Good Samaritan • Deals with Our Devils • The Laws of Inferno Dynamics • Broken Promises • The Patriot • Wake Up • Hot Potato Soup • BOOM • The Man Behind the Shield • Self Control • What If... • Identity and Change • No Regrets • All The Madame's Men • Farewell, Cruel World! • The Return • World's End
Season 5: Orientation: Part 1 • Orientation: Part 2 • A Life Spent • A Life Earned • Rewind • Fun & Games • Together or Not at All • The Last Day • Best Laid Plans • Past Life • All the Comforts of Home • The Real Deal • Principia • The Devil Complex • Rise and Shine • Inside Voices • The Honeymoon • All Roads Lead... • Option Two • The One Who Will Save Us All • The Force of Gravity • The End
Season 6: Missing Pieces • Window of Opportunity • Fear and Loathing on the Planet of Kitson • Code Yellow • The Other Thing • Inescapable • Toldja • Collision Course (Part 1) • Collision Course (Part 2) • Leap • From the Ashes • The Sign
Retrieved from "https://agentsofshield.fandom.com/wiki/The_Asset?oldid=75839"
More Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Wiki
1 Daisy Johnson
2 Grant Douglas Ward
3 Leopold "Leo" Fitz
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Wiki is a FANDOM TV Community. | cc/2019-30/en_middle_0005.json.gz/line886 |
__label__cc | 0.674362 | 0.325638 | Men's Custom
Women's Custom
THE ODD JACKET
The separate, or “odd” jacket, developed in the early decades of 20th century as an organic reflection of the growing phenomenon of leisure time. No longer entirely constrained by more formal dress codes of work or worship, men of the growing middle class found themselves free to indulge a little whimsy into their wardrobes while remaining firmly within the emerging standards of modern male dress.
The Blazer
The first odd jacket, intended to worn to sporting events, the beach, or just a day in the park with the family, was simply the top half of the then-ubiquitous navy serge suit, worn with contrasting white trousers. A century later, the navy blazer remains the most versatile single garment in a man’s wardrobe, able to be smartened up with pressed trousers and a tie, or dressed down with denim and an open collar. The metal shanked buttons which traditionally connote a maritime or club affiliation are by no means de rigeur for a man seeking a more understated look; contrasting horn or mother-of-pearl works just as well to distinguish a blazer from a navy suit jacket.
The Sportcoat
Between the world wars, no garment was more synonymous with the youthful and modern spirit of the era than the odd jacket. Made from the rustic tweeds first popularized by elite university students on both sides of the Atlantic, and featuring all sorts of sporty details like fancy belted backs and patch pockets, they instantly imparted a sense of refined nonchalance to their wearers. Taking full advantage of advances in textile and tailoring technology, today’s more streamlined sportcoats are made in richer colors, bolder patterns, lighter weights, and with softer constructions than previously possible.
Work or Pleasure?
With the relaxation of workplace dress codes, the odd jacket is increasingly assuming a professional prominence as the most formal element in many men’s wardrobes. The inherent elegance of the sportcoat’s tailored shape, combined with the virtually limitless selection of cloths in which it can be rendered, ensures that it has a bright future on both sides of the commute.
Book an appointment in our New York City showroom.
Send us an email at info@alanflusser.com or give us a quick call.
Alan Flusser Custom, 3 East 48th Street, Floor 3, New York, NY, 10017, United States(212)888-4500info@alanflusser.com | cc/2019-30/en_middle_0005.json.gz/line891 |
__label__cc | 0.681187 | 0.318813 | Megan S. Ballard
Applied Research Laboratories The University of Texas at Austin PO Box 8029 Austin, Texas 78713-8029 USA
meganb@arlut.utexas.edu
Kevin M. Lee
klee@arlut.utexas.edu
The Acoustics of Marine Sediments
For biologically active sediments, understanding geoacoustic properties is a multidisciplinary undertaking, involving both the measurement of acoustic properties and the quantification of biological effects.
In contrast to electromagnetic waves, which are highly attenuated by seawater, acoustic waves can propagate long distances through the ocean. For this reason, sound waves are used underwater for navigation, communication, and remote sensing. For shallow-water propagation environments, which include extensive regions on continental shelves, acoustic propagation can be described as a wave- guide bounded above by the sea surface and below by the seafloor. The geometry of the shallow-water waveguide is that of a broad, thin layer so that sound emitted from a source generally reflects from the waveguide boundaries many times before reaching a receiver. Because the distance that sound propagates from the source to the receiver can be equivalent to hundreds of water depths, the sound field is greatly influenced by the properties of the waveguide boundaries, and the acousti- cal properties of the seabed can be the dominant factor affecting propagation and scattering in shallow-water environments.
The geoacoustic properties of marine sediments have been studied for over a cen- tury, with papers covering this topic regularly appearing in The Journal of the Acous- tical Society of America for the past 60 years. This article begins by providing back- ground on the types of marine sediments, which can differ in their source (lithogenic: coming from land by erosion of rocks, vs. biogenic: derived from the hard parts of animals), predominate mineralogy (silicate vs. calcium carbonate), and grain struc- ture (solid vs. porous) as well as the approaches used to model their acoustic proper- ties. Next, the current state of measurement and modeling techniques is described and examples of applications are presented. The article concludes with a discussion of open questions and possible future directions for the field.
Types of Marine Sediments
Marine sediments are often classified according to grain size, with standardized defi- nitions for sand (median diameter greater than 62.5 μm), silt (median diameter be- tween 3.9 and 62.5 μm), and clay (median diameter less than 3.9 μm) (Wentworth, 1922). The composition of coarse-grained sediments (composed of sand- and silt- sized particles) differs greatly from that of fine-grained sediments (composed of clay- sized particles). The stress-strain behavior (how an elastic medium deforms under loading) of coarse-grained sediments is dominated by friction between the particles, which, along with viscous damping due to the thin layer of pore fluid (which may consist of freshwater or salt water as well as mucus and other animal byproducts) be- tween the grains, is a mechanism for the attenuation of acoustic waves (Buckingham, 2014; Chotiros and Isakson, 2014). Muddy sediments made up of clay-sized particles consist of a colloidal suspension of microscopic, irregularly shaped platelets, which carry a surface charge linked to their cation exchange capacity. These suspensions result in open structures that cause mud to have high porosity (indicating high wa-
©2017 Acoustical Society of America. All rights reserved. volume 13, issue 3 | Fall 2017 | Acoustics Today | 11 | cc/2019-30/en_middle_0005.json.gz/line897 |
__label__wiki | 0.750056 | 0.750056 | Cutting edge: the men's 100m at the London 2012 Paralympic Games. Photo by Jamie McDonald/Getty
The human race
Prosthetics, doping, computer implants: we take every upgrade we can get. But what is waiting for us at the finish line?
Steven Poole
is a British journalist, broadcaster and composer. His latest book is Who Touched Base in My Thought Shower? (2013).
Edited by Ed Lake
Syndicate this Essay
In The Matrix (1999), one of the machines’ sharp-suited kung-fu enforcers, Agent Jones, is standing over Neo on a rooftop, about to kill him. Jones looks down and sneers: ‘Only human.’ Arguably it is something like this contempt for the merely human — or a kind of embarrassment at it — that has driven actual humans over the millennia to seek to enhance themselves. For a long time now, indeed, few of us have been ‘only human’ in the sense of getting by solely on what biology has given us. Spectacles, contact lenses, dental crowns and implants, pacemakers, running shoes — all are technological improvements to the capacities of a human body. Even clothes (adopted, according to the Book of Genesis, after a moment of shame at what is ‘only human’) are enhancements, enabling us to live in hostile climates. Today, improvements in cognitive pharmaceuticals, genetic engineering and high-tech prostheses inspire some to dream of a future of accelerating species enhancement, reaching a point where we will have become — what? Übermenschen? Cyborgs? Post-humans? Or just better versions of ourselves?
In Emily Sargent’s artfully curated exhibition, Superhuman, at the Wellcome Trust in London this summer, sci-fi visions of future improvements were presented side-by-side with artifacts from the history of human enhancement. Here was a wooden big toe: an ancient Egyptian prosthesis, from around 600 BCE. At first it was thought that such appendages were only for dead pharaohs, so that the passage to the afterlife could be made by a body that was complete; more recently, researchers have found that such prosthetics might have been used by the living as well. The exhibition also displayed an 18th-century ‘ivory dildo complete with contrivance for simulating ejaculation’. The 19th century even saw a brisk trade in false noses attached to spectacle frames, thanks to the prevalence of syphilis.
One section of the exhibition was devoted to athletic enhancement; and many of the central arguments over human enhancement are played out today in the crucible of professional sport. The cyclist Lance Armstrong’s alleged use of cortisone, testosterone, the hormone EPO and blood transfusions has led him to be stripped of his Tour de France titles. Disappointed commentators have claimed that he simply didn’t want to work hard, even that he was ‘lazy’. But no one seriously thinks that Armstrong just sprawled around on his couch popping magic sports pills and drinking daiquiris. Indeed, if — as is alleged — the majority of professional cyclists were using such biochemical helpers at the time, then Armstrong’s victories proved he was better than anyone else at exploiting their effects through hard practice. In that sense, he deserved to win. The only objection to such a judgment is the existence of some riders who were not doping, and for whom it was therefore a rigged contest — even if they would not have won anyway. So while one solution is to ban drugs, another would be to compel — or at least allow — everyone to take them.
There are many chemical enhancements available to modern athletes that no one complains about: vitamins, highly tuned dietary science, even mineral-replenishing sports drinks. To allow these but not other chemical aids is to draw an arbitrary line merely because some such line, it is felt, must be drawn. People who want to eliminate doping in sport sometimes say that this is the only way sporting contests will be ‘fair’. But no sporting contest is ever fair. Some people are just born with the genes to make them faster, bigger or stronger than others. And some people are born into countries with better training programmes and more high-tech equipment than others. But this does not always guarantee success — witness the heartening victories of Usain Bolt and his Jamaican colleagues in sprinting. Still, we should not kid ourselves that undrugged athletes are ever competing on a level playing field. We watch sport in order to enjoy the results of an interplay between hard work and a genetic lottery.
Arguably, it would be fairer if athletes were allowed to exploit the whole modern pharmacopoeia to make up for their hard-wired disadvantages. True, previous anything-goes eras did not always result in triumphs of perfect dignity. Thomas Hicks staggered delirious over the finishing line of the 1904 Olympic marathon having received doses of strychnine and egg white washed down with brandy along the way. But one has also to contend with an argument made by the French writer Marc Perelman, in his witty polemic Barbaric Sport: A Global Plague (2012). Rampant and ubiquitous doping, he says, is indispensable to the spectacle of modern industrialised athletics, which depends on the frequent breaking of records. Other writers argue that research into sports drugs should be encouraged because it would inevitably produce spin-off therapies for the wider population. And Andy Miah, professor of ethics and emerging technologies at the University of the West of Scotland, argues in the Superhuman exhibition’s catalogue that, as chemical enhancements become widely used in society in the future, it will no longer make any sense to deny athletes the use of them as well.
The cat-and-mouse history of sports doping intersects with the story of mechanical enhancement through prosthetics in the peculiar shape of the 1980s Whizzinator, a device consisting of underpants, tubes, and a false penis, engineered to help athletes give false urine samples to drug inspectors. (It is now marketed as a sex toy, which just goes to show that there exists a monetisable fetish for just about anything.) Controversy arose this summer over the legitimacy of certain mechanical aids to athletic achievement. Oscar Pistorius, the South African sprinter who runs on prosthetic ‘blades’, competed in both the Olympics and the Paralympics this year. After his defeat in the Paralympic 200m final, he suggested that the winner, Alan Oliveira from Brazil, was using blades that were too long, giving him an unwarranted advantage. It was subsequently confirmed that Oliveira’s blades were within regulations, but how those regulations are themselves determined must be a subtle matter.
In any case, a similar advantage might have been had in the late 19th century by a runner using a newfangled set of spiked shoes, or by an athlete in the 1970s who was quick to adopt Nike’s waffle-soled trainer, or by the first tennis players to use metal-framed racquets. In swimming, the full-body LZR Racer swimsuit worn by many competitors in the 2008 Beijing Olympics was subsequently banned for being too fast, although it is difficult to see why, since all racers had the opportunity to wear one. A Marc Perelman-inspired cynic might suggest that, while records must constantly be broken to preserve the profitable spectacle of industrial sporting events, you should take care that they are not smashed by too great a margin too quickly. That, after all, will slow the pace of future telegenic record-breaking.
Sporting enhancement is designed to make us measurably better, but culture has long been ambivalent about the practice of meddling with natural bodies. Hence the dark side of enhancement: the genre of prosthesis-horror, as in all those uncanny tales about a man receiving a new hand in surgery that used to belong to a killer, and which still has a murderous mind of its own. Visions of ever-more-elaborate mechanical enhancement of the human body seem to evoke two poles of emotion — on the one hand, optimism and admiration for the electrically enhanced hero (The Bionic Man); and on the other, a dystopian dread, as people who are re-engineered with mechanical parts become indistinguishable from machines cunningly skinned with human flesh (The Terminator).
‘It is human intelligence that puts humans in the driving seat, so when something else comes along that is more intelligent, they will take over’
Terminator cyborgs need to look like humans in order to accomplish their assassination missions. But why, one might pause to wonder, are so many researchers right now trying to build humanoid robots that mimic the human bipedal gait as closely as possible? Presumably they don’t plan to send them back in time to murder anti-Skynet rebels. The Superhuman exhibition displayed some such robots in progress in engineering labs around the world, including a marvelously uncanny picture of a Japanese robot scientist, Hiroshi Ishiguro, sitting next to his own robot doppelganger. An anthropoid robot can hardly be the most efficient possible general-purpose design. No doubt there are some wonderful trickle-down innovations that arise out of such research, but the fascination with human-shaped robots — or androids — is more likely part of the continuing celebration of ourselves as both makers and marvels of engineering, as with the fashion in the 18th and 19th centuries for elaborate automata. But this is a paradoxical kind of celebration that potentially carries an undercurrent of misanthropy, hinting — or even hoping — that one day we could be replaced by our own machines.
Even better than the real thing: a ‘livingskin’ prosthetic hand made by Touch Bionics. Photo courtesy Touch Bionics
Some people take that possibility seriously. It is to reconcile us to what he considers our brightly inevitable cyborg future that Kevin Warwick, professor of cybernetics at the University of Reading, styles himself ‘the world’s first cyborg’ and enthusiastically publicises his own self-enhancements. Warwick implanted a neural-electronic interface into himself that let him control robots over the internet by thinking, and allowed him to perceive ultrasonic noises, like a bat. He stuck another such chip into his wife, Irena. The result was the first exclusively electronic communication between two human nervous systems.
This all sounds like fun, but there is a more doom-inspired motivation at work. ‘We must be aware that the technological singularity — as depicted in The Terminator or The Matrix — when intelligent machines take over as the dominant life form on earth — is a realistic possibility,’ Warwick once told me in an interview. ‘It is human intelligence that puts humans in the driving seat, so when something else comes along that is more intelligent, they will take over.’ Unless we have already made sure to enhance our own powers, and become super-cyborgs able to defeat the upstart machines at their own game. As the inventor Ray Kurzweil (who popularised the idea of the singularity) put it, there is no reason to fear the arrival of malign super-intelligent machines, because: ‘It will not be a matter of us versus them. We will become the machines.’
For some, perhaps, this is a consummation devoutly to be wished. But it also reveals the essentially religious nature of much singularity-style techno-futurism: such visions constitute an eschatology in which human beings finally sublime into the cybersphere. It is the silicon Rapture — and this reminds us that ‘to enhance’ once meant literally ‘to raise up’. This desire to become machinic implicitly betrays a hatred of the flesh as severe as that of self-flagellating religious ascetics. For the devout of singularity theory, the perfection of humanity is synonymous with its destruction.
The robopocalypse, as well as climatic Armageddon and most other projected planetary disasters, could perhaps be avoided if we could only enhance the human mind itself. There are already some venerable drugs that enhance cognitive performance: coffee and nicotine, for example. If you could take a future ‘smart drug’ that made you more intelligent with no side effects, why wouldn’t you? Medications such as the ADHD treatments Adderall and Ritalin, or the narcolepsy therapy Modafinil, are increasingly used without prescription by American undergraduate students cramming for exams: the Lance Armstrongs of the university library. But their unenhanced colleagues will feel a pressure to keep up: if everyone else is doing it, the option to meddle with your own neurochemistry might feel like an onerous compulsion. In the dog-eat-dog world of a dystopian corporate future, popping ‘smart’ pills could become as basic a prerequisite of success as wearing a suit.
As Allen Buchanan, professor of philosophy at Duke University, North Carolina, writes in his excellent short book on human enhancement, Better Than Human (2011): ‘It’s too late to “just say no” to biomedical enhancements.’ They’re already here — and, he points out, it would be cruel to try to stop them, given that so many enhancements were originally developed as treatments for specific diseases that were then found to benefit everyone. (He points out that Viagra is now used recreationally, and some people without depression feel better on SSRIs. Enhancement, Buchanan argues, is ‘a legitimate social aim’; but we need urgently to start thinking about the appropriate social and legal frameworks.
‘I think many people have a horror of playing God, but if they reflected on how bad a job God was doing most of the time, they would lose that horror’
At this point a canny enthusiast might suggest that we’re more likely to make good judgments about future enhancements if we first enhance our judgment-making capacity. Indeed, some thinkers argue that there is actually a moral obligation on us to enhance ourselves by any means necessary. For example, Julian Savulescu, professor of practical ethics at the University of Oxford, argues in the Superhuman catalogue that we are ethically obliged to pursue research into ‘moral enhancement’ drugs. ‘The threat to our survival,’ he writes, comes mainly ‘from the choices that we make through religious fundamentalism or excessive consumption of our resources and our climate, through our failure to bring about global equality and global justice.’ Therefore we are obliged to make ourselves nicer. ‘Unless you believe that evolution provided just the perfect number of psychopaths in our community and just the right level of selfishness within different individuals, you should believe that we should change that natural distribution for the better and use science to do that.’
This sounds splendid, until one wonders how we are all to agree on what exactly the morally ideal kind of mind is before we impose it neurochemically on others, assuming that ever becomes possible. Savulescu accepts that there will be ‘those who are sceptical about making humans morally better’, but argues that ‘at the very least we should try to reduce the distorting influences and also the natural inequality in moral capacities that already exists’. It’s hard to gainsay the desirability of curing psychopaths, at least. Meanwhile, John Harris, professor of bioethics at the University of Manchester, argues that there is a moral obligation to pursue all kinds of biomedical enhancements — to our moral and cognitive capacities, to our lifespans, our immune systems, and so forth — so that human beings can survive without destroying their environmental life-support system, and so that we are able, in a far-distant future, to move to another planet when Earth is swallowed up by an angry red Sun. ‘I’m mystified by the resistance that human enhancement faces,’ Harris writes in the Superhuman exhibition catalogue. ‘I think many people have a horror of playing God, but if they reflected on how bad a job God was doing most of the time, they would lose that horror.’
The final exhibit of the Superhuman exhibition was an inspirational board featuring the predictions of contributors to conferences organised by the US National Science Foundation, on how they imagined human abilities would develop during the rest of the 21st century. The rhetorical mode is a sunny techno-Panglossianism. Thanks to science, humans will just keep on getting fitter, happier, more productive. In 2020, for example, ‘People from all backgrounds and of all ranges of ability will acquire valuable new knowledge and skills more reliably and quickly, whether at school, work or at home’. In 2030, ‘Fast, broadband interfaces between the human brain and machines will transform work in factories, control cars, and enable new sports, art forms and modes of interaction between people.’ (I think this means we could have play fights with each other using mentally controlled giant robots, which would obviously be cool.)
But the most revealingly naive prediction was this, scheduled to come true a mere 18 years from now: ‘The ability to control the genetics of humans, animals, and agricultural plants will greatly benefit human welfare; widespread consensus about ethical, legal, and moral issues will be built in the process.’
This is truly a marvellous apogee of technocratic utopianism. Global agreement on ‘ethical, legal, and moral’ issues has been out of reach for all of recorded human civilisation, at least through the traditional means of reasoning and persuasion. Just because we might become as gods with regard to the molecular building blocks of life doesn’t mean we won’t continue to bicker and squabble. After all, that’s just what communities of gods spend most of their time doing in polytheistic mythologies. Or perhaps we are meant to read this future consensus as one propagated by morally improving chemistry. But such obligatory improvement of all citizens will be a kind of neural slavery in the service of a totalitarian liberalism. And so we come full circle: in a future of ubiquitous mandatory enhancement, the truly radical act might be, after all, to downgrade yourself.
aeon.co
Ethics Self-improvement Future of technology
Gender and identity
Nations and empires
What big history says about how royal women exercise power
Laura Spinney
In defence of antidepressants
The backlash against antidepressants results from a suspicion of medicine, and misunderstands the very nature of depression
Vasco M Barreto | cc/2019-30/en_middle_0005.json.gz/line903 |
__label__wiki | 0.982009 | 0.982009 | Univision’s “Teresa” Grand Finale Reaches 10.3 Million Viewers
“Teresa” and “Don Francisco Presenta” Featuring the Hit Novela’s Cast Makes Network #2 Among Adults 18-34 on Monday Night
MIAMI, FL – OCTOBER 5, 2011 – Univision Communications Inc., the leading media company serving Hispanic America, announced today that Monday night’s two-hour grand finale of hit novela “Teresa” reached 10.3 million viewers while delivering an average audience of 7.7 million Total Viewers 2+ who tuned in to find out the fate of Teresa, her fortune and her true love. The finale was followed by a record-breaking “Don Francisco Presenta” (Don Francisco Presents) featuring the cast of “Teresa” with an average audience of 5.3 million Total Viewers 2+.
Among all novela finales of all-time on the Univision Network, Monday night’s grand finale of “Teresa” currently ranks #1 among Women 18-49 and Women 18-34. It also ranks #3 among Total Viewers 2+, Adults 18-49, Adults 18-34 and Persons 12-34.
The finale led Univision to big wins over its English-language primetime competition across key demographics, delivering more:
•Total Viewers 2+ than the entire primetime line-up of NBC’s “The Sing-Off” and “The Playboy Club;” CW’s “Gossip Girl” and “Hart of Dixie”
•Adults 18-49 than ABC’s “Dancing With The Stars” and “Castle;” CBS’s “Hawaii 5.0;” NBC’s “The Sing-Off” and “The Playboy Club;” CW’s “Gossip Girl” and “Hart of Dixie;” FOX’s “Terra Nova”
•Adults 18-34 than ABC’s “Dancing With The Stars” and “Castle;” CBS’s “2 Broke Girls,” “Mike & Molly” and “Hawaii 5.0;” NBC’s “The Sing-Off” and “The Playboy Club;” CW’s “Gossip Girl” and “Hart of Dixie;” FOX’s “Terra Nova” and “House”
•Persons 12-34 than ABC’s “Dancing With The Stars” and “Castle;” CBS’s “How I Met Your Mother,” “2 Broke Girls,” “Mike & Molly” and “Hawaii 5.0;” NBC’s “The Sing-Off” and “The Playboy Club;” CW’s “Gossip Girl” and “Hart of Dixie;” FOX’s “Terra Nova” and “House”
ADDITIONAL NATIONAL HIGHLIGHTS:
The grand finale of the novela “Teresa” airing from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. delivered an average audience of:
•4.5 million Adults 18-49
•3.2 million Persons 12-34
•2.8 million Women 18-49
•1.7 million Men 18-49
During the two-hour grand finale of “Teresa,” Univision was the:
•#1 network among Adults 18-34, Women 18-34, Persons 12-34 and Teens 12-17
•#3 network among Women 18-49 (beating FOX and NBC) and Men 18-34 (beating ABC, NBC and FOX)
•#4 network among Adults 18-49 and Men 18-49, beating ABC and NBC
For the entire night, Univision was the:
•#1 network among Women 18-34
•#2 network among Adults 18-34, Persons 12-34 and Teens 12-17
•#3 network among Women 18-49, beating FOX and NBC
Monday night’s “Teresa” consistently built its audience throughout its two-hour airing with significant audience gains of more than 15 percent in the last hour compared to the first hour among Women 18-34 (+24%), Women 18-49 (+24%), Adults 18-34 (+19%), Adults 18-49 (+19%), Persons 12-34 (+19%), Teens 12-17 (+18%) and Total Viewers 2+ (+16%).
The one-hour episode of the primetime talk show “Don Francisco Presenta” at 10 p.m. which featured the cast of “Teresa” delivered an average audience of:
•5.3 million Total Viewers 2+
•602,000 Men 18-34
Monday night’s broadcast of “Don Francisco Presenta” broke records in the program’s history among Total Viewers 2+, Adults 18-49, Women 18-49, Adults 18-34, Women 18-34 and Persons 12-34. The broadcast made Univision the:
•#1 network in the time period among Women 18-34
•#2 network in the time period among Adults 18-34 and Persons 12-34
•#3 network in the time period among Adults 18-49 and Women 18-49
Source: The Nielsen Company, NPM Monday (10/03/2011) 8-11 p.m. Reach based on NPM Fast Cume, Persons 2+, 6+ minute qualified audience (visitors included). All-time novela finale based on NHPM (10/26/1992-12/25/2005) & NPM (12/26/2005-10/03/2011), Live+SD.
LOCAL HIGHLIGHTS:
During the grand finale of “Teresa,” Univision was the #1 broadcast station in the time period in the following markets:
•Among Viewers 2+ Los Angeles, Miami, Houston and Dallas
•Among Adults 18-49 in Los Angeles, Miami, Houston, Dallas and Phoenix
•Among Persons 12-34 in Los Angeles, Miami, Houston, Dallas, San Francisco and Phoenix
On Monday, Univision was the #1 broadcast station in primetime in the following markets:
•Among Viewers 2+ in Los Angeles, Miami, Houston and Dallas
•Among Adults 18-34 in Los Angeles, Miami, Houston, Dallas, San Francisco and Phoenix
The “Teresa” finale was the #1 program in primetime among broadcast stations the following markets:
•Among Viewers 2+ Los Angeles, Miami and Houston
•Among Persons 12-34 in Los Angeles, Houston, Dallas, San Francisco and Phoenix
Source: The Nielsen Company, NSI (10/3/2011), “Teresa” aired 8-10 p.m. E/PT, 7-9 p.m. Central. Primetime is defined as ABC/CBS/NBC/IND/SLTV Monday 8-11 p.m. (7-10 p.m. CT) and FOX/CW Monday 8-10 p.m. (7-9 p.m. CT). Live+SD.
Following Monday night’s finale, fans visited www.NovelasySeries.com to vote online for their favorite alternate ending, choosing whether Teresa deserves loneliness, forgiveness or death. Voting has already driven strong engagement on the site, and will continue through October 7. Throughout the novela’s run, online and mobile sites featured episode recaps, character bios and photos and interviews with the stars.
Tags: teresa
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[VIDEO] ENTREVISTA CON AARON DIAZ [CALA]
¡Aarón firmaría contrato con Telemundo! | cc/2019-30/en_middle_0005.json.gz/line908 |
__label__wiki | 0.949047 | 0.949047 | Thousands evacuate California fires
No deaths were reported, but the Los Angeles police chief said he feared authorities might find bodies among the 500 burned dwellings in a devastated mobile home park that housed many senior citizens.
"We have almost total devastation here in the mobile park," Fire Capt. Steve Ruda said. "I can't even read the street names because the street signs are melting."
The series of fires has injured at least 20 people and destroyed hundreds of homes from coastal Santa Barbara to inland Riverside County, on the other side of the Los Angeles area. Smoke blanketed the nation's second-largest city and its suburbs Saturday, reducing the afternoon sun to a pale orange disk.
As night fell, a fire hopscotched through the winding lanes of modern subdivisions in Orange and Riverside counties, destroying more than 50 homes, some of them apparently mansions.
A blaze in the Sylmar community in the hillsides above Los Angeles' San Fernando Valley destroyed the mobile homes, nine single-family homes and several other buildings before growing to more than 8,000 acres -- more than 12 square miles. It was only 20 percent contained Saturday.
It sent residents fleeing in the dark Saturday morning as notorious Santa Ana winds topping 75 mph torched cars, bone-dry brush and much of Oakridge Mobile Home Park. The blaze, whose cause was under investigation, threatened at least 1,000 structures, city Fire Department spokeswoman Melissa Kelley said.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a state of emergency in Los Angeles. Fire officials estimated 10,000 people were under orders to evacuate, including residents of the mobile home park.
At an evacuation center, Lucretia Romero, 65, wore a string of pearls and clutched the purse and jacket she snatched as firefighters shouted at them to flee hours earlier.
Her daughter, Lisa, 42, wore a bloodstained shirt and pants. A helicopter dropping water on their home caused the entryway ceiling to collapse. Debris scratched her forehead and gave her a black eye.
They were optimistic that their home of 30 years survived because firefighters were there when they left. But the family cat, Doris, was missing.
Lucretia Romero said she saw smoke above the hills beyond the front door and then, within an hour, saw that a canyon across from her home was red with flame.
"They would drop water, the water would squash the flames and then two minutes later the flames would come back," she said. Firefighters soon banged on the door and gave them 10 minutes to evacuate.
Flames swept across the park and scorched cypress trees, Ruda said. Firefighters had to flee, grabbing some residents and leaving hoses melted into the concrete.
Ruda produced a burned U.S. flag on a broken stick as a sign of hope and bravery for firefighters. "The home that this flag was flying from is gone," he said.
Police Chief William Bratton said cars were found in the debris at the park, raising concerns that bodies might be found. Crews were waiting for the ground to cool before bringing in search dogs, he said.
The Santa Anas -- dry winds that typically blow through Southern California between October and February -- tossed embers ahead of flames, jumping two interstate highways and sparking new flare-ups. Walls of flame raced up ridge lines covered in sun-baked brush and surrounded high-power transmission line towers.
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said power lines were down in places, and he asked residents to conserve power to help avoid possible blackouts.
Shortly after midnight, the Sylmar fire burned to the edge of the Olive View-UCLA Medical Center campus, knocking out power and forcing officials to evacuate two dozen critical patients.
The shifting winds caused the fire to move uphill toward the San Gabriel Mountains, downhill toward homes and sometimes skip across canyons. It also jumped across Interstates 5 and 210, forcing the California Highway Patrol to shut down portions of both freeways and some connecting roads.
And as many as 54 homes were damaged or destroyed in a fire in Orange and Riverside counties, officials said. About 2,000 acres -- more than 3 square miles -- were charred, with more than 12,000 people in 4,500 dwellings ordered to evacuate in Anaheim alone.
An unknown number of apartments burned in the Cascades complex in Anaheim Hills, which has nearly 300 units. Firefighters said seven buildings of the large complex were gutted.
Devin Nathanson, 27, had put down a deposit on an apartment there and planned to move in Saturday. Instead, he watched from the road as it burned to the ground.
"At least none of my stuff was inside yet," he said.
Palm trees lining the entrance to the complex were ablaze, and two firefighters manned hoses at the swimming pool and sprayed water on the leasing center. The roof caved in with a loud bang.
A dozen buildings burned in the Riverside County town of Corona. Four city firefighters were slightly injured when the fast-moving flames swept over their fire engine, said Christy Romero, a spokeswoman for the Orange County Fire Authority.
Winds began to decrease in the afternoon and were expected to drop further overnight, but humidity was expected to remain low.
The night before in Santa Barbara County, northwest of Los Angeles, 111 homes burned to the ground Thursday in the wealthy, star-studded community of Montecito.
About 800 firefighters continued to battle the blaze in the enclave, said Santa Barbara city fire spokesman John Ahlman.
Several multimillion-dollar homes and a small Christian college were damaged in Montecito, a town of 14,000 that has attracted celebrities such as Rob Lowe, Jeff Bridges, Michael Douglas and Oprah Winfrey.
The cause of the fire is under investigation. At least 13 people were injured. | cc/2019-30/en_middle_0005.json.gz/line909 |
__label__wiki | 0.923194 | 0.923194 | Childhood disease has Cal students lining up for vaccine
The mumps outbreak was spotted last week and there are now seven confirmed cases. The campus medical director is concerned because he may not know the true spread of this disease for weeks.
Campus activities are going on as usual at U.C. Berkeley. What isn't usual is the hundreds of Cal students braving the rain and long waits to get the mumps vaccine. The campus clinic gave out 1,000 shots.
"You're in a university, so you're pretty much exposed to so many people like some of my classes have a few hundred people in them. You never know," said Cal student Terry Yu.
The university has confirmed seven cases among students since last week at several campus buildings and Greek sorority and fraternity houses. The school sent out a campus-wide email this week suggesting everyone -- professors, staff, and students -- get the shots.
"It sounded pretty serious and so then I asked my parents who asked our family doctor, and they recommended that I get an additional shot," said Cal student Cliff Engle.
Campus medical director Brad Buchman, M.D., says that many of the infected have had the mumps vaccine in the past. He says a booster shot is recommended because a crowded environment like a university can provide an easy spread of the virus.
"Coughing, sneezing on somebody else being and someone being close enough to have these secretions either land on them or their fingers or their hands," said Buchman.
The symptoms resemble the flu according to the doctor. A student could suffer from fatigue, fever, aches and pains, headache, and loss of appetite. But some students like Loren Thiolemeier said that taking any time off to be sick can threaten her grades.
"You are so far behind, so like you really have to go to school no matter how sick you are," said Thiolemeier.
"The fact that we spend what $70 a day, I think it's broken down to for classes, but honestly, I guess I'm pretty selfish and I'd just go school sick," said Cal student Olivia Filbrandt.
The university wants to stop this outbreak before it spreads.
"The incubation period can be typically 16 to 18 days, but in general, two to four weeks. So people who are sick today or last week, if they're getting others sick, we may not see it for three or four weeks," said Buchman.
The doctor says a sure sign of the virus is swollen glands along the jaw line. The campus clinic will give out more shots for mumps next week. They will also include those shots for the flue and whooping cough. They'll give them at the clinic at campus between noon and 6 p.m. | cc/2019-30/en_middle_0005.json.gz/line911 |
__label__wiki | 0.951096 | 0.951096 | No evidence of midterm vote tampering, but influence operations persisted: US intelligence
lee ferran
andchris good
Dec 22, 2018, 4:20 AM ET
PlayRhona Wise/AFP/Getty Images, FILE
WATCH Russia targeted African-American vote: Reports
The intelligence community told the White House Friday that it did not find evidence that votes or vote tallies were tampered with during the 2018 midterm elections, though Russia and others did continue online and social media influence campaigns.
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“At this time, the Intelligence Community does not have intelligence reporting that indicates any compromise of our nation’s election infrastructure that would have prevented voting, changed vote counts, or disrupted the ability to tally votes,” Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats said in a prepared statement. “The activity we did see was consistent with what we shared in the weeks leading up to the election. Russia, and other foreign countries, including China and Iran, conducted influence activities and messaging campaigns targeted at the United States to promote their strategic interests.”
Coats' statement indicates the assessment, which has not been made public, largely conforms to an informal analysis made by the Department of Homeland Security days after the November elections.
(MORE: US intelligence officials to review midterms for signs of foreign interference)
The intelligence community is made up of some 17 government organizations, including several with investigative or espionage capabilities related to foreign threats like the FBI, CIA, National Security Agency and the Department of Homeland Security.
In the run-up to the midterms, Christopher Krebs, a top election security official at Homeland Security, said the U.S. government was on the lookout for the three major methods of interference: a hack-and-leak campaign, like the one that splashed the contents of Hillary Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta’s emails across the internet; the probing of election infrastructure systems through cyber activity, as U.S. officials say Russia likely did to systems in all 50 states in the last election; and the online influence campaign in which a Russian troll factory purportedly set up hundreds of fake social media accounts, pretending to be Americans in an effort to stoke political divides and sow chaos online.
Naira Davlashyan/AP, FILE
A view of the four-story building known as the "troll factory" in St. Petersburg, Russia, Feb. 17, 2018.
Krebs said that while Russian trolls -- and some Iranian operators –- appeared to remain active online and social media, the department did not see significant evidence of the first two tactics. When it comes to election infrastructure, a DHS official said on election night that there was extensive scanning of election systems, but nothing that was out of the usual or anything that the government could attribute to any foreign power. A DHS official told ABC News in the days after the election that the assessment still stood.
(MORE: Russia targeted African-American vote, made Instagram 'key battleground' in propaganda war: Researchers)
John Cohen, a former senior DHS official and current ABC News consultant, warned Friday that “one doesn’t have to hack an election system to impact the results of an election.”
“If Russia was able to use misinformation to influence the opinion of voters prior to voting, then they influenced the outcome of the election,” he said.
Joshua Roberts/Reuters, FILE
Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats arrives for a closed senators-only Capitol Hill briefing on election security at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Aug. 22, 2018.
Friday’s report did not attempt to measure what effect, if any, the influence operations had on the vote.
“The U.S. intelligence community is charged with monitoring and assessing the intentions, capabilities and actions of foreign actors; it does not analyze U.S. political processes or U.S. public opinion,” Coats said.
(MORE: Russian firm wants to disclose 'sensitive' US government info in court fight with Mueller)
In the Sept. 12 executive order that mandated regular election assessments, Trump declared a “national emergency” to deal with election interference and mandated that the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and others in the intelligence community assess any evidence of interference, as “foreign powers have historically sought to exploit America’s free and open political system.”
White House National Security Council spokesperson Garrett Marquis said that the Trump administration is currently reviewing the intelligence community’s assessment and expects another report on election infrastructure integrity from the Department of Justice and Homeland Security.
No evidence of midterm vote tampering, but influence ops persisted: US intelligence
+After Russia propaganda reports, NAACP calls for Facebook ‘LogOut’
+US intelligence officials to review midterms for signs of foreign interference | cc/2019-30/en_middle_0005.json.gz/line912 |
__label__cc | 0.660401 | 0.339599 | Birds of Barrington, Birds of Barrington, Causes, Citizens for Conservation, Conservation, Nature, Things to Do, Wildlife
Wendy Paulson’s Birds of Barrington | Eastern Wood Peewee
by Wendy Paulson
Home Newsroom Wendy Paulson’s Birds of Barrington | Eastern Wood Peewee
On these waning summer evenings, one sweet birdsong often pierces the quiet that’s settling in. It belongs to the eastern wood pewee (Contopus virens), a bird that soon will depart for the Andes of northern South America. The song has been shortened from the longer version of spring and summer. Then, it was a high, clear, two-note peee-weee! – unmistakable for the way the bird announces its name. But now there’s only one languid note – solitary, plaintive, just a peeee! or weeee! depending on how one hears it.
I feel a special affection for the pewee. It’s not the first of its flycatcher family to arrive in the Barrington area; that distinction belongs to the eastern phoebe. The pewee doesn’t reach this latitude usually until May. The announcement of its arrival by its distinctive, impossible-to-miss song, always makes me smile because then I know that the migrants from the tropics have found their way from winter homes thousands of miles to the south.
The pewee has a fondness for oak woodlands and savannahs. It is there that it can most easily found. I recall one walk in the woods south of Penny Road Pond in Spring Creek Forest Preserve when our group stood and listened to a pewee sing, found it in the treetops, and followed it to a horizontal oak branch where it was constructing a nest. The nest is small, round, built largely of moss and grass stems, covered with lichens, and so well camouflaged that it can be almost impossible to locate unless the bird directs you to it. Naturalist John Burroughs wrote in 1893, “….few nests, perhaps, awaken more pleasant emotions in the mind of the beholder than this of the pewee….”
While the pewee is easy to identify by song, it is not so easy to distinguish visually. It resembles many of the smaller, mostly gray flycatchers of the Empidonax genus, even though it comes from a different flycatcher tribe. The pewee is a bit longer than those birds, a bit grayer, especially around the face, with a slight crest and only a hint of an eye-ring. But when it’s not singing, it takes practice to come to a confident identification.
Like all flycatchers, the pewee has a distinctive habit of “sallying forth” for insects. It perches on a branch, flies out for an insect on the wing, then returns to the same perch, often over and over. That’s helpful for birdwatchers who can observe the bird easily for minutes on end.
But we do not have much more time to find eastern wood pewees this year. They will soon leave us as they head to northern South America for the next five to six months. They have been sweet, musical companions for the summer and I savor every note in these days of shortening light and diminishing birdsong.
Would you like to learn about the Barrington bird population with guided tours from Wendy Paulson? Here are the dates and locations for Wendy’s series of 2018 Fall Bird Hikes cosponsored by Audubon Great Lakes and Citizens for Conservation.
September 14, 7:30AM
Crabtree Nature Center (3 Stover Road off of Palatine Road)
Beverly Lake* (parking lot on north side of Higgins Rd/Rt. 72 west of Sutton Rd)
Deer Grove East (entrance on north side of Dundee Road, west of Hicks Road, east of Smith Street. Go to farthest parking area)
October 19, 8:30AM
Cuba Marsh (Park in parking lot off east side of Lake Zurich Rd just south of EJ&E RR tracks. Lake Zurich Road runs between Rte. 14 and Cuba Road)
Galloping Hill* (park at Penny Road Pond parking lot in Barrington Hills)
November 2, 9:00AM
*indicates a more strenuous hike
Walks are free though space is limited and RSVP’s are required. Please RSVP to: Daniel Wear (312) 453-0230, Extension 2010 or dwear@audubon.org and let them know how best to contact you should that be necessary.
Before you head out, please be sure to check the Citizens for Conservation website for any last minute changes or cancellations. Waterproof boots are strongly recommended and don’t forget your binoculars!
Wendy Paulson has lived in Barrington Hills since 1975, and has led bird walks in the area for many years. She re-established the Nature Lady program in the Barrington 220 school district and St. Anne’s in the late 70s, under the auspices of The Garden Club and Little Garden Club of Barrington. Wendy developed the education program for Citizens for Conservation, initiated and edited its newsletter, and has been an active volunteer with CFC for over 30 years.
Wendy Paulson
During interludes in New York City and Washington, DC, Wendy taught classes about birds in the public schools and is helping to develop a similar program in Chicago public schools with Openlands. She is chairman of The Bobolink Foundation, serves on the board or advisory committee of multiple conservation and bird-related organizations, both domestic and international, and is former chairman of IL and NY chapters of The Nature Conservancy.
Wendy and her husband Hank have two grown children and are avid hikers, cyclists, and kayakers.
CLICK HERE to explore all of the local bird profiles Wendy has authored in our Birds of Barrington series at 365Barrington.com.
The White-breasted Nuthatch
Common Merganser
Common Nighthawk
Black-capped Chickadee
American Goldfinch (Carduelis tristis) perching on Redbud tree.
Eastern Towhee
White-Breasted Nuthatch
Dark-eyed Junco
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Kildeer
American Tree Sparrow
American White Pelican
Sedge Wren
Common Goldeneye
American Woodcock
Eastern Wood Peewee
Yellow Bellied Sapsucker
Black Capped Chickadee
Eastern Phoebe
A mourning Dove sitting on a tree limb
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Wendy Paulson's Birds of Barrington | Common Yellowthroat
Posted In: Birds of Barrington, Citizens for Conservation, Wendy Paulson
It’s interesting how many birds carry the epithet… | cc/2019-30/en_middle_0005.json.gz/line921 |
__label__wiki | 0.808169 | 0.808169 | CAPSULE: WRONG COPS (2013)
June 3, 2014 Gregory J. Smalley (366weirdmovies) Leave a comment
DIRECTED BY: Quentin Dupieux
FEATURING: Mark Burnham, Steve Little, Arden Myrin, Eric Wareheim, Eric Judor, Marilyn Manson
PLOT: Los Angeles cops sell weed (hidden in dead rats), harass aerobics dancers, blackmail each other, and compose electronica; anything but fight crime.
WHY IT WON’T MAKE THE LIST: With a few exceptions (like a fatally wounded music aficionado who refuses to kick the bucket), this black comedy is missing the unique conceptual meta-humor of Quentin Dupieux’s first two movies. It plays more like mildly edgy sketch comedy—it’s almost mainstream.
COMMENTS: One strange lesson you’ll take out of Wrong Cops is that American peace officers love European-style techno music. The other lesson is that, although Quentin Dupieux does surreal comedy well, his general outlook is too bemusedly sunny (a la genial absurdists like Monty Python) to create a truly biting satire about policemen behaving badly. True nastiness doesn’t seem to be in Dupieux’s makeup, so Wrong Cops ends up being more like Bad Grandpa than Bad Lieutenant. Although the movie’s cops are intended to be morally corrupt, only Mark Burnham‘s Officer Duke comes off as totally depraved; Eric Wareheim’s breast-obsessed patrolman, for example, is far too teddy-bearish to disturb, even when he’s forcing women to disrobe at gunpoint. The desire to make a black comedy about cops behaving badly mixes poorly with this director’s basic lack of cynicism. (The unexpected sweetness of Dolph’s search for his missing dog in Wrong was a better fit for his sensibilities). The not-quite-dead body that is never disposed of is one dark moment that works, as is Officer Duke’s spontaneous, pot-fueled eulogy about Hell on Earth that closes the film, but in general the somewhat flat comedy routines are more mild than wild.
With five cops to follow (plus a pair of gay officers who show up occasionally but don’t have a plotline of their own), there’s a lot going on, and Dupieux makes the movie into something of a L.A. block party by inviting a number of recognizable bit players. Eric Roberts stops by as a movie director, and Grace Zabriske is in there for a few minutes, while her “Twin Peaks” hubby Ray Wise has a slightly larger role as a police chief presiding at a funeral. Marilyn Manson (out of makeup) plays a hassled teenager; despite the fact that he’s in his forties, he is actually surprisingly convincing as a misfit kid. Unobtrusive but obvious references to Rubber and Wrong are also placed in the movie for Dupieux fans. The sprawling cast adds to the sketch-comedy feel, although the overarching plot (which is partly told out of sequence) is more carefully constructed than most viewers give it credit for: if Officer Duke never harasses David Delores Frank about his taste in electronica, the movie’s big tragedy never occurs. Dupieux’s core fan base will probably be pleased with this entry—and it does have its weirdly funny moments—but personally, I’m getting diminishing returns on his unique sense of humor with each subsequent film. The abstract meta-comedy that seemed rule-rewriting in Rubber has become expected and merely entertaining by the time we reach Wrong Cops.
“…tonally weird and totally forgettable.”–Marc Savlov, The Austin Chronicle
2013AbsurdistComedyEric JudorEric WareheimIndependent filmQuentin DupieuxSteve Little
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Spoken Arabic Level I: Beginner (SPAR 120)
This course is designed for people who have never studied Arabic before. Students learn Colloquial Palestinian Arabic in order to communicate in daily life. The methodology centers on short texts which teach the basic vocabulary and grammar of the dialect. The texts are written also in the Arabic alphabet for students who prefer to read the dialect in the Arabic alphabet.
(60 academic hours)
Spoken Arabic Level II: Intermediate (SPAR 121)
The course is designed for students who have finished 60 academic hours of Spoken Arabic or MSA. In this level students advance in learning longer dialogues from daily life. These dialogues will be presented in front of the class in order to build confidence in speaking in front of people. The focus will be on the verb system of the dialect. Moreover, the order and the basic syntax will be taught. The instructor will always explain the differences between the dialect and literary Arabic for those who had only studied literary Arabic before.
(60 academic hours )
Spoken Arabic Level III: Advanced (SPAR 122)
This course is designed for students who have 120 academic hours of Spoken Arabic or equivalent in literary Arabic. The students learn longer, more complex texts on different topics focusing on stylistic features of the Palestinian dialect. Each text is followed by a series of questions. The grammar of the dialect will be compared with literary Arabic grammar for those who have studied literary Arabic previously. The instructors deliver the material only in Spoken Arabic.
Spoken Arabic Level IV: Proficiency I (SPAR 124)
This course is designed for students who have reached a high level in Spoken Arabic and want to improve their speaking skills. The students learn longer, more complex texts on different topics focusing on stylistic features of the Palestinian dialect. Each text is followed by a series of questions. The grammar of the dialect will be compared with literary Arabic grammar for those who have only studied literary Arabic previously. The instructors deliver the material only in Spoken Arabic.
Spoken Arabic Level V: Proficiency II (SPAR 125)
This course is designed for students who have reached a high level in Spoken Arabic and want to improve their speaking skills. Students in this course will also sharpen their pronunciation skills of the Palestinian dialect.This course provides additional practice at a level to help students attain a higher level of development (e.g., listening, speaking) and linguistic accuracy in Palestinian Colloquial Arabic. The teaching and learning process in this course is communication-based and the emphasis is placed on context.
Spoken Arabic Level VI: Proficiency III (SPAR 126)
This course is designed for students who have reached a high level in Spoken Arabic and want to improve their speaking skills. Students in this course will also sharpen their pronunciation skills of the Palestinian dialect. This is an upper-level course for students who can already handle basic communicative skills in Colloquial Palestinian Arabic and are ready to work on more advanced conversational skills such as talking about current events, and expressing abstract ideas and opinions. The teaching and learning process in this course is communication-based and the emphasis is placed on context. Students are required to watch TV broadcasts of cultural, historical, and religious programs; analyze more complex topics and present their analysis orally in class; and engage in lengthy discussions with other classmates.
Media Arabic Courses
To register please email us at arabiccourses@bethlehem.edu
Media Arabic Level I: Beginner (MEAR 120)
The course provides students with an introduction to Media Arabic. It is designed for students who have never studied Arabic before and begins with an introduction to Arabic sounds and letters through learning common words and short sentences, basic vocabulary and simple sentence structure. The teaching focuses on the functional use of Arabic and communication in context by means of reading and speaking the language as it appears in television discussion panels. The teaching will raise the curiosity of the students; promote a love of Arabic and a desire to learn the Arabic language. Moreover, students are exposed to samples of audio-visual media as preparation to Media Arabic Level II (MEAR 121).
Media Arabic Level II: Intermediate (MEAR 121)
The course is designed for students who have successfully finished around 60 academic hours of Arabic study. Students learn longer sentence structure, read longer texts and review basic grammar when needed. To promote understanding, each text is followed by a series of questions. In answering the questions, the students improve both their comprehension and their ability to express themselves orally. Step by step, the students are trained in listening to original news from different broadcasts including Al-Jazeera, BBC Arabic and al-Arabiyya.
Media Arabic Level III: Advanced (MEAR 122)
The course is designed for students who have completed 120 academic hours of Arabic study. The students study both written and recorded material taken from the well-known Arab and foreign broadcasts such as Al-Jazeera, BBC Arabic and al-Arabiyya. In the beginning, students hear the news recording and then check the written text. New vocabulary is listed at the bottom of each text. After learning the text in its written form, students go back to the recorded text and practice it. The instructor will teach the students how to express the text orally. The course will provide advanced instruction in grammar and stylistic features of modern Arabic. Each student will prepare a project related to the innovation of modern Arabic. At the conclusion of the course, the students will present their project in Arabic in front of the class.
Media Arabic Level IV: Proficiency I (MEAR 124)
This course is designed for students who have reached a high level in Media Arabic and want to advance their listening, reading, writing and speaking skills. The course will also have emphasis on perfecting the right pronunciation of Media Arabic. The students study both written and recorded material taken from the well-known Arab and foreign broadcasts such as Al-Jazeera, BBC Arabic and al-Arabiyya. In the beginning, students hear the news recording and then check the written text. New vocabulary is listed at the bottom of each text.
Media Arabic Level V: Proficiency II (MEAR 125)
This course is designed for students who have reached a high level in Media Arabic and want to advance their listening, reading, writing and speaking skills. The course will also have emphasis on perfecting the right pronunciation of Media Arabic, and a good balance between understanding the systems of Arabic Language grammar and vocabulary, developing the skills of comprehending and producing Arabic Language in speech and writing.
Media Arabic Level VI: Proficiency III (MEAR 126)
This course is designed for students who have reached a high level in Media Arabic and want to advance their listening, reading, writing and speaking skills. The course will also have emphasis on perfecting the right pronunciation of Arabic. This course is for students who have studied Arabic for at least 2 years. Students at this level are expected to learn and activate vocabulary items that belong to different genres (politics, history, religion, economy, etc.). The students are also expected to generate written pieces that reflect a higher level of complexity and style. Writing or speaking for specific purposes and unique audiences is emphasized. The students' reading level will reflect this higher level of complexity. Students are expected to produce oral and written presentations where new and old syntactic rules and structures are utilized.
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Spoken Arabic
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Spoken Arabic Books and Dictionary For Sale
Nadia Bany Shamsa
nbshamsa@bethlehem.edu
Teacher, Research Assistant
Tel. +972-2-275-5160
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Beltsville, MD USA
Bethlehem University in the Holy Land
E-mail: info@bethlehem.edu
Phone: +972-2-274-1241
Bethlehem, Palestine | cc/2019-30/en_middle_0005.json.gz/line924 |
__label__cc | 0.649416 | 0.350584 | Category Leaks
Apple leaks: new iPads, iPhones, leaked photos and system internals. New possible design, 3d renders and concepts. How iOS 13 may look like.
AirPods Leaks
AirPower is officially canceled
Apple abandoned the idea of releasing the AirPower wireless docking station. Reports the TechCrunch edition about it. According to TechCrunch reporters, Apple changed its mind to release AirPower wireless charging. Representatives of the American company apologized to users for having…
Apple Play – the New Gaming Service from Apple for iOS
Tomorrow Apple will hold a special event, during which they will show its new software products. It is expected that the company will present its own video service, as well as a service with a paid subscription to magazines. But…
iPhone XI will Charge AirPods and Apple Watch Wirelessly
According to the Japanese resource Macotakara, iPhone 11 can get the function of wireless recharging Apple Watch and AirPods. According to the forecast of Japanese blog, which often publishes reliable information about development devices, the next generation of iPhone will…
Leaks Uncategorized
Apple Officially sent WWDC 2019 invitations to the Developers
Today, Apple sent their annual developer invitations to developers for World Wide Developers Conference. The Event is gonna take place in San Jose, CA on June 3–7. The official tagline for the conference is “Write code. Blow minds”. Alongside WWDC19…
Apple Special Event takes place on 25th of March
As rumored, Apple were planning a Special Event in March, today, these rumors became true. Apple has announced a new Special Event that takes place on 25th of March. The upcoming event is named “It’s show time”. They’ve also sent…
AirPods 2 Features, Design, Release Date, Should you upgrade?
AirPods is one of the biggest selling Apple’s gadgets of all time – it’s an amazing present for any celebration, a totally new experience of phone calls, music and everything with voice on your iPhone. When they first came out,…
iPhone Leaks
Download iPhone XS & XR Wallpapers in Full Resolution
iPhone XS Wallpapers: iPhone XR Wallpapers:
iPhone X(R) is HERE! EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW! KEYNOTE RECAP
So today Apple released their new iPhone XR alongside iPhone Xs and Xs Plus. It didn’t get a new gold color but got much more. So lets start with the display: its got a 6.1 LCD display, called Liquid Retina…
Upcoming iPhone Xs and Xs Plus were shown on video
Not long after 9to5Mac leaked apple keynote photos, a designer and concept maker Lee gunho decided to demonstrate those 2 models in their full glory to give a better view on them! A new gold color is definitely coming and…
Download iPhone XS Wallpapers and its Alternatives
So Apple iPhone Xs keynote is gonna take place on September 12th at Steve Jobs Theater. Almost in the same time when the special event was announced, 9to5Mac got leaked images from that event. On one of the leaked images there is…
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__label__wiki | 0.651755 | 0.651755 | Home News Belagavi girl Sahitya part of the IBuD Program
Belagavi girl Sahitya part of the IBuD Program
Opportunities come knocking once in a while and sometimes open interesting doors that shape a person’s life. Something similar happened to Belgaum girl Sahitya Doddanavar, who chanced upon an opportunity to be a part of the IBuD ( Igniting Business Development) initiative of Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana, with a group of young budding entrepreneurs who would visit 6 cities in a week and meet some exemplary CEOs. Her parents encouraged her to sign up and thus began her whirlwind tour with fellow participants. Sahitya completed her schooling in St. Joseph’s Convent, went on to do her Diploma from Bharatesh Polytechnic and then joined KLE college of Engineering for her BE degree. She is also an accomplished Badminton player, an enthusiastic dancer and has deep interests in entrepreneurship. She has a very open approach towards life which was instrumental in her signing up for something she had never done before. She works for TCS as an engineer and had to pitch in extra hours so that she could go on her dream tour for a full week.
Q: How did it all start?
Sahitya: I came to know about this tour from my parents who motivated me to join for the rich experience it promised, and I don’t regret a bit. There were 50 participants in all who had to report at Chennai. The team comprised of just 2 girls and 48 boys. My team mates included some who were younger than me but had already had business experience. So I was glad to keep prodding them for insights.
Q: How was your experience?
Sahitya: We travelled by train by night and were put up in great hotels, but never had more than 10 minutes to get ready and move off to meet the CEOs. We used to be tired but had no time. We started from Chennai, then to Bangalore, Hyderabad, Pune, Mumbai, Ahmedabad and also to Sabarmati Ashram in Gujarat. It was a trip of a lifetime for me.
Q: Whom did you meet and what did you learn from them?
Sahitya: We first met Mr. Arun Jain of Polaris Computers. He guided us about the application of the three principles of Jainism, viz. Samyak Gyan, Samyak Darshan and Samyak Charitrya and how it can become a crucial part of our lives. He said that the best investment is in books.
We then went to Hyderabad where we met Mr. Bharat Reddy of NSN Labs. It was fascinating to see a person who has built such a wonderful enterprise. From there, we moved to Mumbai and met Mr. Nimish Kampani of JM Financial. It was a revelation when he told us that one must plan for the whole year’s finance in advance and then grow. We headed to Bangalore to meet Mr. Chenraj Jain. His lesson was to dig deep with efforts and ideas and only then could we hit the diamond mines.
In Mumbai, we had the fortune to meet Mr. Mangalprasad Lodha who gave us an amazing insight. He said that in his struggle days, he slept on the footpath and survived on pav, but, he said, even if you sleep on the footpath, make sure it is on the best street in the city and you have the best pav in town. Do your best, give your best, he said.
In Pune, we met Mr. Shantilal Mutha and was mesmerized by his giving nature. We also had a golden opportunity to meet Mr. D. S. Kulkarni of DSK and listen first hand of his vision for the DSK Dreamcity. I was amazed at how one person’s hard work and vision can lead to such a large business empire. His stories about old Pune and its charm took us back to that era.
We travelled to Ahmedabad and met Malatiben, one of the close associates of Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi. We also visited the Sabarmati Ashram, and our visit was planned to coincide with Gandhi Jayanti. Nothing can beat that experience where we saw not only Indians, but also people from across the world bowing before the father of the nation.
Q: How would you use these lessons?
Sahitya: I learnt a lot not only from the CEOs but also from my fellow participants. Managing time, dreaming big, punctuality, financial planning, time management, are some things which I could place key importance to. I also learnt that entrepreneurship is all about networking and planning. It could be a really hectic life. I plan to venture into some kind of entrepreneurship in the near future and these lessons will serve me well all my life.
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Amit Nov 10, 2015 at 5:28 PM
I appreciate her efforts and congrats to her.
But this is a Caste specific new, do they allow people from other communities to participate?
It is an initiative of Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana | cc/2019-30/en_middle_0005.json.gz/line935 |
__label__cc | 0.673753 | 0.326247 | Home tor Torguard Dns Servers – TorGuard Anonymous VPN Review – 2019
Torguard Dns Servers – TorGuard Anonymous VPN Review – 2019
by newadmin August 5, 2016
Intro Torguard Dns Servers
With a proven track record, TorGuard has Evolved to a VPN provider for users. We here at The VPN Laboratory agree it is among the best 10 VPN providers currently offered. Servers run and provides VPN service at prices that are reasonable. Torguard Dns Servers
A VPN creates an encrypted tunnel between your computer And a VPN. Your web traffic travels through that tube, meaning that anybody snooping around on precisely the same network as you, won’t see something. A VPN may also help safeguard. ISPs have insight but not when you use a VPN.
A VPN is, Since it can secure an insecure network An essential tool when using or traveling that shifty public network in the neighborhood coffee shop. A VPN makes it more challenging by concealing your IP address, which may be used to determine your geographical location, to identify you online.
Journalists and activists often use VPN solutions to In order that they can communicate with the outside world, get around government censors. Most VPNs hang their reputation on being able to unblock blocked sites for these customers. You might use in order to watch BBC content or MLB, for example, a VPN to spoof your location. Be aware that Netflix is currently working to block VPN trickery. Torguard Dns Servers
To begin utilizing TorGuard, just download the appropriate app for your Operating procedure and follow the installation manual. You can pick between TorGuard Lite and Torguard Viscosity. The first one is a more straightforward client software, perfect for first-time VPN users, whereas the latter is a better choice for tech-savvy users.
TorGuard Lite automatically connects the VPN after you have entered your Meaning that you essentially don’t have to do anything to safely browse the Internet, information. It is also possible to manually select the protocol and server. Torguard Viscosity, on the other hand, allows for customization.
Both customers are simple to use and provide a user friendly encounter. Nonetheless, if you are not familiar with how VPNs work, you should probably stick to the Lite version.
There Is a Great Reason TorGuard is among the hottest and Trusted VPN services — it’s their characteristics that make them excellent. We are not talking anything mad here, just the basic things that each VPN user needs and wants, but which other VPN providers somehow do not consider a given.
For example speed and bandwidth include all TorGuard Packages. Some of them include mail storage. You also receive a dedicated, refreshing IP address just for you. You will find over 3,000 VPN servers available in over 55 countries of the world. They’re all strategically distributed throughout the globe so you can be certain that you will have one close enough wherever your travels might take you. The business was nice enough to place servers in Australia and New Zealand also, the region that’s been so unfairly ignored by many VPN suppliers for a long time.
TorGuard has another intriguing feature that not many other suppliers Can boast — the server feature that is stealth. The”stealth” servers are perfect for regions and countries with internet control, most notably China. Thanks to this feature, the residents of these areas are now able to appreciate the specific same material and get the very same sites as anybody else anywhere in the world.
TorGuard not only takes but encourages P2P sharing. But there Are a few things. There are particular, dedicated servers that should only be used for P2P sharing. This is really pretty smart as you can perform all your P2P sharing on committed and specifically configured and maintained servers whereas the remaining servers remain free for faster browsing and streaming. There are plenty of dedicated servers so you don’t need to worry about slow speeds on packed servers. In addition, TorGuard also supplies a technical torrent proxy, which supports most of significant torrent customers (BitTorrent, uTorrent, Deluge, Vuse, and many more) and also comes with infinite bandwidth.
TorgGuard utilizes OpenVPN/SSTP/L2TP/IPsec encryption protocols. You can Choose whatever you like, but many experts recommend using OpenVPN for maximum security. You can connect up to five different apparatus using a single TorGuard account. This should cover all of your devices, from computers . TorGuard does not keep any logs so your relations will be 100% anonymous. Torguard Dns Servers
Customer care is another section where TorGuard does. Their website has an extensive support area with a support ticket system, knowledge base, troubleshooting, tutorials, forum and FAQ. You can also access support. TorGuard offers the live chat option too. The service team is polite helpful and friendly. The service ticket system works with answers coming from a matter of a minute or two.
TorGuard advertises itself as the VPN support for users Want to remain absolutely anonymous and safe in their online action. In fact, their anonymous proxy service is specifically optimized for p2p filesharing and for bypassing geo-restrictions, like watching Netflix or Hulu in areas where these services are either blocked or unavailable. They’ve 3,000 servers in over 55 countries, including Saudi Arabia and Egypt. Australia is represented, which can be fine since this area often gets ignored.
They boast speeds and shifting, infinite bandwidth, Too As anonymous webmail support for absolute privacy and anonymity, which is impressive, to say the very least. The company sells VPN routers that are pre-flashed.
Speed is just one of the regions in which TorGuard prevails. When tested, the Speeds proved to be quite fast, which range from good to excellent, very secure and trustworthy. Exceptional results were attained through the united kingdom and Netherlands servers, which is frequently the case as well. Obviously, by connecting to remote servers, rates were attracted, but that you connect to the nearest server.
We were happy to see there were No WebRTC or DNS flows whatsoever. Torguard Dns Servers
There is more than one way to create an encrypted tunnel Through VPN. My method uses the protocol, which will be famous for being reliable and fast. It, which means that you can be certain that its code has been picked over for vulnerabilities.
TorGuard clearly believes in giving people it, and options Supports VPN protocols, including OpenVPN, IKEv2, L2TP, and IPSec. TorGuard also includes Stealth VPN protocols, which use SSL VPN so as to prevent an entity from blocking the VPN traffic. These include OpenVPN Stealth, ShadowSocks, Stunnel, and AnyConnect (also known as OpenConnect).
Other firms provide tools to prevent VPN blocking Similar to Stealth VPN, albeit with various names. Golden Frog VyprVPN and tunnelBear offer this attribute, to mention two. A TorGuard representative explained that customers can double their Stealth protection by connecting via OpenVPN Stealth or OpenConnect and then use ShadowSocks or Stunnel to conquer deep packet inspection that may be employed to block VPN use. Most people probably will not take advantage of this, but it is great that TorGuard makes such efforts to make sure its customers can protect their information.
You need to trust the VPN you use Behind it could end up in your actions. That’s why when VPNs are reviewed by me, the vendors and I speak and read the privacy policy. In the instance of TorGuard, this last part was straightforward. The company gets and among the most easy to read.
More significant, the material of this coverage is good for consumers. This section says it all:”TorGuard.net doesn’t store or log any traffic or usage from its Virtual Private Network (VPN) or Proxy.” The company admits that it does collect personally identifiable information for billing purposes, but remember that it also enables the use of anonymous payment methods.
Better still, TorGuard States that it enriches revenue From subscription revenue, rather than selling data. The company’s policy is not to sell or move. The exception to this is if the company feels it is obliged to abide by legal action.
That last point is something echoed by VPN businesses, That is why it’s important that you understand where these businesses can be found and under what jurisdiction they operate. Some countries have more privacy-friendly laws than many others. The company behind TorGuard is VPNetworks LLC, which is located in the United States. That provider isalso, in turn, owned by parent company VPNetworks LTD, LLC, located on the Caribbean island of Nevis. I can’t speak to this framework of Nevis, but because of its role that the US has no laws requiring the preservation of data.
In the past, some VPN companies used to inject ads into Users’ traffic to be able to monetize their customers. An agent from TorGuard confirms that the firm doesn’t use this tactic, saying,”It is not something we’d even contemplate.” Torguard Dns Servers
Programs and Server Locations
I look at the number of servers, when I review VPNs The company has available to be used. The servers there are offered, the more likely you should find one that is not exceptionally crowded, giving you a bigger slice of bandwidth.
TorGuard has greatly expanded its host supplying, and it Now boasts over 3,000 servers. That puts it up there using Private Internet Access$2.91 at Private Internet Access among the most robust VPN services I’ve reviewed. NordVPN leads the pack in absolute size encouraging over 5,200 servers.
I look at where those servers are located. The more Geographic selections available, the more choice you have if you want to spoof where you are. A strong geographic distribution also means that you are more likely to discover a nearby server when traveling, and a nearby server means lower latency and better functionality.
TorGuard now offers VPN servers in over 53 countries. All these are well dispersed across Europe, Asia, and the Americas. I am happy to realize that TorGuard has servers in India, and many servers around Africa and the Middle East, since these regions are often ignored by other VPN services. Especially, TorGuard also has servers in China, Russia, and Turkey, which are famous for their online policies that are repressive. Hide My Ass dominates with its roster of 286 VPN server locations across some 220 countries, but among VPN services. CyberGhost$2.75 at CyberGhosthas fewer server locations, but it will offer physical servers in underserved areas like Africa and South America.
Some consumers fear about VPN companies using virtual servers. These are software-defined servers, which means a single hardware server can run several virtual servers on it. These servers can be configured to appear to be than where they are truly located. That’s a problem if you want to avoid specific regions, and if you’re worried about where your data is led. A TorGuard representative explained that the company doesn’t use virtual servers, which means you’ll have no such trouble here. Torguard Dns Servers
In my testing, I installed TorGuard’s applications on A Lenovo ThinkPad T460slaptop running Windows 10.
The TorGuard client installed readily and quickly, though It is not a joy to behold. The program is minimal, looking a bit more like a mobile app than something I would expect on a computer. You will find not one of the adorable bears featured in TunnelBear, or the donkeys from Hide My Ass. It doesn’t even have a map interface, and it will be a staple of several VPN apps. Instead, it seems a lot more such as the bare-bones Internet Access that is Private.
Instead of showing a map or recommending servers for Activities, TorGuard just has a list of servers. That’s fine, but it is not very friendly to new users. Neither will be the arcane choices on the primary window of the app. The average user is most likely not going to mess with these, but media pros will undoubtedly enjoy having these options front and centre. A link at the bottom of the program opens a window filled with byzantine options. This app does not just look like online Access, it appears to target the exact same kind of power user that is positive.
While I am willing to Generate a lot of adjustments for layout, One factor of TorGuard’s Windows program (and, in fact, all of its other apps, too) disturbs me. Will detect that VPN server gets the lowest latency or is nearest. TorGuard doesn’t do so. It is a little thing, but changed.
TorGuard Provides a Kill list does. TorGuard will stop any programs if the VPN connection be disrupted. It is a safety measure. TorGuard’s Kill Switch is restricted, though. I discovered that you can just add programs that are already running to the listing. Additionally, it employs the bizarre names you find in the Task Manager, which gives you more control at the price of usability. NordVPN enables you to specify applications that are not running to increase the protected list, which is handy.
VPN services include servers. NordVPN And ProtonVPN are two which offer servers specifically for streaming Netflix content. TorGuard has a few: stealth servers meant to be impossible to be blocked by firewalls.
Streaming providers require a dim view of VPNs. That’s That is not created for your particular region because you can use a VPN to spoof your place and access content. In case you reside in the US but are vacationing in the UK, streaming video solutions may block your efforts to VPN back in your home country.
I was while attached to a New York VPN server Not able to see any material on Netflix. Obviously, that might change in an instant’s notice, which is true even for VPNs that worked with Netflix in my own testing.
Note that section 4.3 of the Netflix terms of support Mentions that it uses technologies to verify your location, and that you’re only eligible for articles in the area where you created your account. It does not explicitly prohibit using a VPN but do not say we did not warn you if your account gets blocked.
TorGuard Delivers a series of services And privacy. Along with its fundamental VPN service, TorGuard also sells Anonymous Torrent Proxy for $5.95 per month; Anonymous Email for $6.95 per month; and the Privacy Bundle, which contains the Proxy and VPN support, for $11.95 a month.
If You’re tempted to get the Anonymous Proxy service Instead of the VPN support since it’s more affordable, know the proxy is designed to filter just visitors, while the VPN service protects. If you grabbing a torrent or are seeding torrents, the proxy makes sure no one sees your IP address. However, internet activity and your internet browsing isn’t included. It is a case of internet anonymity versus most of the time. Torguard Dns Servers
Astonishingly, the TorGuard iPhone apphas a striking, Slick appearance. It’s not likely to win any design awards, but it’s far, far better than the Windows or even Android apps. That said, we believe the program that is iPhone is so easy as to be a bit confusing to use.
When we last reviewed TorGuard, we noted that it did not Include our OpenVPN protocol. Instead, the program uses IKEv2. We’re also happy to find that its iPhone VPN performed well on this platform in our speed tests .
We like that the TorGuard Android apphas a split Tunneling attribute, as well as the majority of the qualities that you’ll see in the Windows app. But, TorGuard drops the ball in style. We find the app believe it would be off-putting to new users, and to be confusing. In our testing, in addition, it generated an odd warning. While the TorGuard service is a great one, it is simply outshone by better-designed Android VPN apps.
Sadly, the macOS TorGuard app doesn’t possess the Modicum of panache which found its way into the iPhone app. It is not bad; it fine. It’s a window to receive your VPN started.
TorGuard didn’t impress me at the time with its rate test Scores on macOS. I look forward to taking another crack. That said, I’m very happy to find that OpenVPN is included by it. It is one of the macOS VPNs.
TorGuard has a great deal a reasonable entry-level Price, a large, geographically diverse assortment of servers, and a collection of subscription add-ons to customize your security expertise. Especially notable is the fact that it aced our rate tests, and its focus on BitTorrent usage –two factors which are associated. TorGuard also has an excellent privacy policy, one that’s sweet, short, and consumer-friendly. The same can not be stated for its app experience, which has been sacrifice simplicity of use.
This VPN service does a lot right, and it has a high For doing this, Score. It is neck-and-neck with online Access that is Personal, not only in relation to what it provides but it is offered by it. Both are privacy-focused, both possess lots of options that are arcane, and neither has a UI. TorGuard, for its part, has the speed but Private Internet Access beats on it on endurance, which is why it takes an Editors’ Choice award along with TunnelBear and NordVPN. However, TorGuard is an service that’s worth considering, especially when speed is everything for you. Torguard Dns Servers
Pricing Alternatives
TorGuard offers four different subscription programs Based on the length of the subscription. You can subscribe for one year, three weeks, six months or one month. The more your subscription interval, the higher the discount. The monthly program costs $9.99, the quarterly subscription costs $19.99, and the semi-annual subscription prices $29.99. If you opt for the annual subscription, that costs $59.99, then you will be paying just $4.99 a month (you’ll be billed the whole sum at once). TorGuard also offers a biannual plan for its most hard-core users at a cost of $99.99 billed every 2 decades.
In addition to all major credit cards, TorGuard additionally accepts BitCoin, PayPal, Alipay, and UnionPay. | cc/2019-30/en_middle_0005.json.gz/line938 |
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Eric Johnson is senior vice president for University Advancement, overseeing the university’s fundraising, alumni relations, advancement administration, and donor relations functions across Tufts’ undergraduate colleges as well as its graduate and professional schools. He is currently leading the university’s Brighter World campaign, the most ambitious campaign in Tufts’ history. Eric previously served as executive director of development, in addition to acting as principal-gift officer, working with the president and other senior administrators on leadership gifts to the university. He played a key role in the success of Tufts’ $1.2 billion Beyond Boundaries campaign, which was completed in 2011. Eric has 34 years of fundraising experience, 30 of them at Tufts, where he began his career as a major-gift officer in the School of Arts and Sciences. He has worked as director of development for the School of Arts and Sciences, deputy director of development for the university, and director of principal and leadership gifts. Eric helped develop the President's Marathon Challenge in 2003, the year he ran his first marathon.
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Executive Director of Advancement Services
marah.atwell@tufts.edu
Marah Atwell is executive director of advancement services, overseeing the central service units within University Advancement including Prospect Development, Gift and Information Services, Advancement Information Systems, Donor Relations, Special Events, and Planning and Administration. She also serves as the division’s liaison with Human Resources, Tufts Technology Services, and the Budget Center. Marah joined Tufts in 2004 as a business analyst on implementation of the Advance database and later managed the information systems team for seven years. Prior to Tufts, Marah held previous positions at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Massachusetts Biotechnology Council, and Providence Children’s Museum. Marah holds a B.A. in American Studies from Colby College and an MBA from University of Massachusetts, Boston.
Margot A. Biggin
Executive Director of University Advancement
margot.biggin@tufts.edu
Margot Biggin is executive director of University Advancement, overseeing fundraising teams responsible for the School of Arts and Sciences, the School of Engineering, Tisch College of Civic Life, Annual Giving, Gift Planning, and Corporate and Foundation Relations. Prior to joining Tufts in 2013, Margot served as vice president of the Wayland Group, where she consulted on fundraising, planning, and board development to a wide range of non-profit organizations in New England and nationally. Previously, she served as director of development at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, director of development at the Big Brother Association of Greater Boston, and held positions at two United Ways—the United Way of Massachusetts Bay and the United Way in White Plains, NY. Margot served on the Board of Directors of the Association of Fundraising Professionals, Massachusetts Chapter for 18 years. A graduate of Smith College, she earned an M.B.A. from the Boston University Graduate School of Management.
Bill Gehling, A74, G79
Senior Advisor & Interim Executive Director of Alumni Relations
bill.gehling@tufts.edu
Bill Gehling, A74, G79, is senior advisor to Advancement, focusing on fundraising opportunities in support of Tufts Athletics, the School of Arts and Sciences, and various university priorities. During his 16-year tenure as director of athletics, Bill saw the construction of new facilities, multiple NCAA championships won by teams and individuals, and the expanded reach of the program. Bill's genuine and unfailing devotion to Tufts grows out of more than four decades at the university, first as a student, then a coach, followed by director of athletics before joining University Advancement. Bill was honored in 2015 with the Tufts Athletics Distinguished Achievement Award as well as the Hosea Ballou Medal. In 2016, he received the Distinguished Service Award from the Tufts Alumni Association.
Jonathan Schwartz
Executive Director of Campaign Management
jonathan.schwartz@tufts.edu
Jonathan Schwartz is executive director of campaign management and has principal responsibility for planning, directing, implementing, and evaluating comprehensive campaigns, with particular focus on the structure and management of campaign volunteer leadership. Prior to joining Tufts in December 2014, he was senior associate vice president for advancement and director of university campaigns at the University of Rochester where he helped orchestrate that institution's first $1 billion campaign. At Rochester, he also oversaw the units of Capital and Special Projects, Advancement Communications, Alumni Relations, and Donor Relations. Jonathan previously served as assistant vice president for development and senior director of capital projects at Washington University in St. Louis, where he played a central role in execution of that university’s campaign that concluded in 2004 and raised $1.55 billion. He started his career in Advancement at the California Institute of Technology. A graduate of Georgetown University, Jonathan also holds a master’s degree in radio, television and film studies from Northwestern University.
Jo Wellins
jo.wellins@tufts.edu
Jo Wellins is executive director of University Advancement. In this role, she oversees the work of the senior directors of development and alumni relations of Tufts' professional and graduate schools (Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, School of Dental Medicine, Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, School of Medicine), and the senior director of Principal Gifts and University Initiatives. Her portfolio includes a focus on strategies and programs to engage the university’s key donors—both domestically and internationally. Prior to assuming this position, Wellins served in roles of increasing responsibility at Tufts, most recently as deputy director during the $1.2 billion Beyond Boundaries campaign, participating as a member of the campaign planning team. Her career in fundraising spans 40 years and includes holding leadership roles in public radio stations, and corporate fundraising for national programming produced by WGBH Boston. Wellins received her B.A. from the University of Massachusetts in Amherst.
Jeffrey P. Winey, AG90, A22P
Senior Director, Principal Gifts and University Initiatives
jeff.winey@tufts.edu
Jeff Winey, AG90, A22P is senior director, Principal Gifts and University Initiatives, and oversees the Principal Gifts Strategy Group, University Gift Officer and Asia Relations teams, and the Principal Gifts Donor Relations and Stewardship staff. In addition, he manages the Tufts Financial Network and its advisory committee and the new President’s Council. Jeff started his fundraising career at Bowdoin College and was eventually hired by Tufts in December 1991. After seven years, he left Tufts to serve as the director of annual giving at Babson College but later returned to the Hill to manage the Tufts Fund for the Schools of Arts and Sciences and Engineering and conduct major gift work. He has completed 25 plus years as a member of the Tufts Advancement team. During his tenure, Jeff has worked with many alumni classes and was awarded an honorary membership in the Tufts Class of 1952! A graduate of Bowdoin College with a double major in government and sociology, Jeff holds a master’s degree in urban and environmental policy from Tufts.
Sean Devendorf
Senior Director of Annual Giving
sean.devendorf@tufts.edu
Parents Giving Program
Gina A. DeSalvo
Director of Parents Giving Program
gina.desalvo@tufts.edu
Brooke Anderson
Senior Director, Gift Planning
brooke.anderson@tufts.edu
Corporate & Foundation Relations
Ippolita Cantuti-Castelvetri
Senior Director, Corporate and Foundation Relations
ippolita.cantuti_castelvetri@tufts.edu
School of Arts and Sciences
Nancy Mahler, J88
Senior Director of Development
nancy.mahler@tufts.edu
Matt Scheck
matthew.scheck@tufts.edu
Mark Adzigian
Associate Director of Development, Athletics
mark.adzigian@tufts.edu
Diane Freedland
Director of Development, School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts
diane.freedland@tufts.edu
Kosta Alexis
kosta.alexis@tufts.edu
Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine
Ana Alvarado
Senior Director, Development and Alumni Relations
ana.alvarado@tufts.edu
Stephanie Mullervy
Director, Veterinary Annual Giving
stephanie.mullervy@tufts.edu
Betty Ann Kearney
elizabeth.kearney@tufts.edu
Marianne Blaney
Director, Dental Fund
marianne.blaney@tufts.edu
The Fletcher School
Senior Director of Development and Alumni Relations
kathleen.ryan@tufts.edu
Holly Cariddi
Director, The Fletcher Fund
holly.cariddi@tufts.edu
Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy/Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging (HNRCA)
Cindy Briggs Tobin
cindy.briggs@tufts.edu
Rebecca Scott
rebecca.scott@tufts.edu
Kristin Hill
Director, Fund for Tufts Medicine
kristin.hill@tufts.edu
Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life
Torrey Androski
Director of Development, Tisch College
torrey.androski@tufts.edu
Brighter World Campaign Site Brighter World: The Campaign for Tufts
Campaign Call to Action
Tufts Alumni and Friends
Tufts Magazine
Tufts.edu
School Alumni Websites
Connect with your school’s alumni organization:
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Select a link - Select a school - Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine Friedman School of Nutrition Science/HNRCA Graduate School of Arts & Sciences Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life Sackler School of Graduate Biomedical Sciences School of Arts and Sciences School of Dental Medicine School of Engineering School of Medicine School of Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts The Fletcher School
Copyright 2019 Tufts University | cc/2019-30/en_middle_0005.json.gz/line939 |
__label__cc | 0.542142 | 0.457858 | Most Recent Top Rated Most Read
State Disability News Highlights
By Diane McComb posted 02-12-2016
State Disability News Highlights for Period ending 02/12/2016 Lead Story: New York Leadership from NYSARC predicts devastating financial consequences on the field if a Medicaid funding solution is not included as part of Governor Andrew Cuomo’s $15 minimum wage proposal . NYSARC is the largest not-for-profit organization in New York State supporting individuals with disabilities and their families. St. Lawrence NYSARC, which serves about 750 clients, closed one workshop in Hermon last year, consolidated some services, and has cut its workforce from about 620 to about 580 through attrition over the last few years. In testimony submitted to ...
State Disability News Highlights for Period ending 01/29/2016 Lead Story: National - Rocky rollouts as states try Medicaid-managed long-term care - Chicago Tribune The national move to home and community-based care away from nursing homes has been widely supported by senior citizen, consumer and disability rights communities. Surveys show older Americans prefer receiving health care services at home instead of in institutional settings. In recent years nearly a million people with disabilities or conditions severe enough to qualify for nursing home admission have been enrolled in Medicaid -managed long-term care programs, which operate ...
State Disability News Highlights for Period ending 12/18/2015 There will be no State Disability News published during the next two weeks. It will resume on Friday, January 8, 2016. Have a great holiday season! Lead Story: Minnesota Sheltered workshops that employ thousands of Minnesotans with disabilities, often for just pennies an hour, would be forced to make drastic changes under a state proposal to eliminate a share of their public subsidies . This week the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development is expected to approve a plan that would phase out nearly $2 million in annual subsidies and replace them with ...
State Disability News Highlights for Period ending 12/11/2015 Lead Story: Ohio Ralph (Joe) Magers, Pamela Steward, and Mark Felton produce floor samples for Seneca Re-Ad Industries, an Ohio-based sheltered workshop for workers with disabilities. Their job responsibilities include cutting floor tiles, printing labels, punching holes through tile pieces, chaining tile pieces together and packaging. For their efforts, they are paid $2.50 an hour. The Seneca County Board of Developmental Disabilities, which operates Seneca Re-Ad, argues these wages are legal because it is the holder of a special certificate from the Department of Labor. This ...
State Disability News Highlights for Period ending 12/04/2015 Lead Story: Tennessee By July, the last of the Tennesseans with intellectual disabilities who have been confined — in some cases since childhood — to large and often isolated state facilities will move into neighborhood homes, ending an era in which institutionalizing people with autism or Down syndrome was standard practice. The closure of Nashville's 92-year-old Clover Bottom Developmental Center this month and the expected closure of Greene Valley Developmental Center in East Tennessee next year will save the state tens of millions of dollars each year on intensive, 24-hour ...
State Disability News Highlights for Period ending 11/20/2015 There will be no State Disability News next week. We will return on December 4 th . Lead Story: Iowa Federal officials are heeding the thousands of Iowans who have flooded them with concerns about the state’s plan to privatize its Medicaid program, Democratic legislators said Wednesday. Three leading Iowa Senate Democrats met Wednesday morning in Washington, D.C., with Obama administration officials who will decide whether to approve Gov. Terry Branstad’s plan. The Iowa legislators want federal officials to at least slow down the shift to private Medicaid management, ...
State Disability News Highlights for Period ending 11/13/2015 This week had an unusually high number of newsworthy articles. There were excellent disability exposes in several states (FL, MN, TX, VT) and numerous articles regarding state funding issues. Kansas continues its downward spiral sadly, and Illinois and Pennsylvania still don’t have approved state budgets 5 months into the year causing serious issues for human service nonprofits in both states. Lead Story: Minnesota - Five Part Series – A Matter of Dignity Part 1: Dead-end jobs, low pay (See parts 2-5 below) In a field on the outskirts of town, a man with Down syndrome ...
1 person recommends this.
Bonnie-Jean Brooks
State Disability News Highlights for Period ending 11/06/2015 Lead Story: Pennsylvania Virginia Brown, Director of the Bureau of Policy and Regulatory Management informed the subcommittee that DHS has decided to pursue a concurrent 1915b and 1915c waiver to implement managed care with HCBS. A 1915b waiver allows the state to implement mandatory managed care. A 1915c waiver addresses eligibility and providing LTSS in the community. Currently there are five Pennsylvania Medicaid waivers under 1915c. These will be combined into one 1915c waiver for Community HealthChoices and DHS will develop a 1915b waiver. Both waivers will be released for ...
State Disability News Highlights for Period ending 10/30/2015 Lead Story: Virginia A U.S. District Court judge on Friday postponed a decision on whether to force Virginia to speed efforts to overhaul how the state treats people with severe disabilities. Judge John A. Gibney said he would rule in December on a Department of Justice request for hard deadlines in implementing changes agreed to in a 2012 court settlement. The agreement, based on the Americans with Disabilities Act and a related Supreme Court ruling, said that disabled people are entitled to treatment in community settings instead of in large institutions. The settlement established ...
State Disability News Highlights for Period ending 10/23/2015
State Disability News Highlights for Period ending 10/23/2015 Lead Story: New York Several New York state lawmakers raised concerns Tuesday about federal and state policies to move more disabled people from institutions to community residences and managed care for behavioral treatment. The state Office for People with Developmental Disabilities currently supports 38,000 New Yorkers in residences and 80,000 with day services. It has about 400 people in institutional settings, a total the agency plans to reduce to 150, Deputy Commissioner Helen DeSanto told lawmakers. She said the state plans to close its Brooklyn Developmental Center campus ...
State Disability News Highlights for Period ending 10/16/2015 Lead Story: Georgia Georgia still hasn’t lived up to its part of an agreement with the federal government to shift severely mentally ill residents out of state mental hospitals and into community settings, the Justice Department said in a scathing letter that demanded a corrective action plan by November. Federal authorities said in a Sept. 23 letter to Gov. Nathan Deal’s office that Georgia failed to comply with a number of key tenets of a landmark 2010 settlement with the Justice Department after an investigation into the abuse and deaths of dozens of patients. The probe was ...
State Disability News Highlights for Period ending 10/09/2015 Lead Story: Kansas The state said Tuesday that it will delay a major overhaul in the way it provides services for the disabled. The announcement comes after people with disabilities, their family members, providers and care takers voiced major concerns with the state’s nine-month time line to switch a complex system of care for some of Kansas’ most vulnerable populations. “This is probably the single biggest change this system has seen” in nearly 20 years, said Dee Staudt, director of the Sedgwick County Developmental Disability Organization. In 1995 the state passed a law, ...
By Joni Fritz posted 07-28-2015
This is Bonnie-Jean Brooks, former ANCOR President. My last blog showed former ANCOR Executive Director, Joni Fritz's picture. Guess why? I am at her house in Estes Park Colorado. Between us, we know a little bit of history.
State Disability News Highlights for Period ending 08/01/2014 Lead Story: New York Standing outside her sixth-floor apartment in the Bronx, Lissette Encarnacion says she sometimes forgets the place belongs to her. "I'm thinking I'm at somebody else's [house]," she says. "I'm ringing my own doorbell." Encarnacion used to have a career in banking, and lived in a real home with her son and husband. Then one night everything changed, she says, when her husband came home drunk and angry and threw her off a balcony. "He came home, pulled me from the hair, and just started beating the hell out of me," she says. Encarnacion suffered traumatic brain ...
Brand New Day Presentation at the 2014 ANCOR Conference
By Chris Stevenson posted 05-09-2014
Diane McComb
Qlarant Quality Solutions!
It was an honor for Cedar Lake to present our "Brand New Day" presentation at the 2014 ANCOR Spring Conference. I am happy to discuss this presentation with anyone interested in creating/re-creating a new DSP-centric culture. My e-mail is cstevenson@cedarlake.org and my cell phone is 502-645-0709. Peace, love and unity.... - Chris P.S. I downloaded the presentation under my shared files.
State Executives Forum and Dinner
By Mark Davis posted 04-25-2014
The state executives are going to dinner in Miami on Sunday around 7:00pm. Please let me know if you are planning on attending, so I can get a count for the reservation. Also, we are having a State Executives Forum meeting on Sunday from 1:00 - 3:30pm in room Concerto D. Looking forward to seeing folks there! Mark
CEO Perspective: Emergence
By Renee Pietrangelo posted 01-09-2014
2 people recommend this.
Rebecca Lienhard
Tierra Del Sol Foundation
This is truly an exciting and interesting time to be alive. Our world is changing at an incredible pace with new frontiers opening up in nearly every aspect of our lives---personal and professional. It’s a period of renaissance and paradigm-shattering, so much so that it’s near impossible to keep up. As a result, we find ourselves on a dizzying merry-go-round, living in the tension between excitement and anxiety, and ping-ponging back and forth—overwhelmed, disconcerted, intellectually and emotionally burdened. The issues at stake are serious, summoning us to a place of awe-full responsibility and an historic nexus of emergence. The word “emergence” has been ...
Thanks to ANCOR Leaders
By Bonnie-Jean Brooks posted 09-10-2013
Those of you who use the ACC and, further, those of you who have gone over and above to share your congratulatory messages to and about DSP's deserve special recognition. In these incredibly busy and exhausting days, it takes a concerted effort and a determined leader to take the initiative to go public to share information and to seek out information - particularly at the end of a busy day!!! I am thankful for each of the ACC contributors and have continuing hope for this incredible tool that ANCOR has given us!! We are fortunate to know ANCOR and for it to know us!! Bonnie
Recognizing Direct Support Professionals: Past, Present & Future
By Joseph Macbeth posted 09-08-2013
ANCOR Past-President Dissed by Home Care Association of America!
By Wendy Swager posted 08-29-2013
ANCOR Past-President Dissed by Home Care Association of America! BY: Wendy Swager (Sokol) Imagine my shock and horror when the COO for the Home Care Association of America (HCAOA) stopped returning my calls and e-mails. One of their staff actually hung up on me! Why? What could possibly cause such behavior? The use of Independent Contractors is challenging many of the basic premises on which some providers and associations have built their organizations. Recently Contractor Management Services (CMS), a third party provider of technology and support for independent contractors was refused vendor or exhibitor status by HCAOA for ... | cc/2019-30/en_middle_0005.json.gz/line944 |
__label__wiki | 0.642274 | 0.642274 | Tag: crew dragon
Humanity Gains Another Foothold in Space
The private spaceflight company SpaceX has done it again, and this latest achievement is an important one.
Crew Dragon berthed with the space station at 2:51 a.m. PT [NASA]
We space writers are very familiar with Elon Musk’s human spaceflight dreams that can be encapsulated in his well-known goal to “make humanity multi-planetary,” starting with a Mars settlement. And today, that goal took another step closer to reality.
I’ve been following Musk’s rocket adventures ever since his early days of exploding single-engine rockets in the South Pacific. Back then, Musk was a “dreamer” and more than a little eccentric. His eccentricities are well documented, but the world’s best known billionaire-entrepreneur is a dreamer no more. The first successful flight of a Falcon 1 happened on Sept. 28, 2008. (You can read my 2008 Space Lifestyle Magazine article on that topic, page 36) A little over a decade later, the Falcon 1 has rapidly evolved into the reusable Falcon 9 workhorse and the Falcon Heavy and, with key partnerships with NASA and companies that need to get stuff into orbit cheaply, SpaceX has developed the human-rated Dragon spacecraft to ultimately get astronauts to the space station, and beyond.
After proving itself in the cargo-delivery arena, the Dragon has now won its human-spaceflight wings: an (uncrewed) Crew Dragon is now attached to the International Space Station’s Harmony module and the outpost’s astronauts have entered the vehicle.
The first @Commercial_Crew mission arrived at the space station today when the @SpaceX #CrewDragon completed soft capture on the Harmony module at 5:51am ET. #LaunchAmerica https://t.co/Bgcgac0O50 pic.twitter.com/KfNFpHxpGx
— Intl. Space Station (@Space_Station) March 3, 2019
The hatch is open! At 8:07am ET, crew members aboard our orbiting laboratory opened the hatch between @SpaceX’s #CrewDragon spacecraft and the @Space_Station. Watch: https://t.co/oJKHgK8eV7 pic.twitter.com/NKFisziToV
— NASA (@NASA) March 3, 2019
Building a commercially-viable space infrastructure is paramount if humanity is to truly become multi-planetary, and through partnerships between private business and government contracts, today’s achievement is proof that this model can work.
Too often, governments lack the long-term vision for human space exploration, instead plowing money into bloated, politically motivated, and ultimately doomed federally-funded projects. SpaceX may be an exhausting company to work for, but its ultimate mission is crystal clear. It’s not a satellite-launching company, it’s just doing that to build funds to do the Next Big Thing. Dragon’s autonomous berthing with the space station is That Big Thing that will drive more investment into getting stuff beyond Earth orbit.
Musk’s interim target — before getting humans to Mars — is the moon, to create a permanently-crewed lunar base. How that will shape up remains to be seen, but if there’s one thing I’ve learnt from following his dreams of getting into space on a reusable spaceflight infrastructure, it’s don’t bet against SpaceX and Elon Musk’s “eccentricities.”
The dawn of a new era in human spaceflight pic.twitter.com/BHsfg1zYLN
— Anne McClain (@AstroAnnimal) March 3, 2019
Author Ian O'NeillPosted on March 3, 2019 Categories Opinion, Space FlightTags crew dragon, Dragon, Elon Musk, Falcon 9, International Space Station, Mars, Moon, Space Commercialization, Space Station, SpaceXLeave a comment on Humanity Gains Another Foothold in Space | cc/2019-30/en_middle_0005.json.gz/line947 |
__label__wiki | 0.54089 | 0.54089 | High performance model added to Range Rover Sport lineup
After giving its Range Rover Sport SUV a makeover for 2014, the folks at Land Rover sat back and wondered: What can we do next?
They found their answer by producing a new high-powered SVR version of the Range Rover Sport that is billed as the highest performing Land Rover ever, accelerating from a standing start to 60 mph in 4.5 seconds and giving new emphasis to the “Sport” in the model’s name.
Such performance comes from a 5.0-liter supercharged V8 engine that has been tuned for an extra 40 horsepower to 550 and an additional 41pound-feet of torque to 502 over the standard V8 in the Autobiography and Supercharged editions. That engine is mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission featuring a Sport mode and paddle shifters for manual gear selection if you prefer.
The new SVR trim also gets a specially tuned four-wheel-drive chassis and design touches exclusive to the model.
All that moves the Range Rover Sport into six figures with an MSRP hitting $110,475 before the $925 charge for destination and delivery is tacked on.
A bit too rich?
Fear not. You can get the Supercharged Sport with the Autobiography package (16-way power adjustable front seats with memory and adjustable lumbar support, blind-spot monitoring and reverse traffic detection, surround view camera, adaptive HID headlights, three-zone climate control, and other goodies) for $92,495 and lose just a half-second on your zero-to-60 mph time, according to the company.
Willing to sacrifice even more time on your start?
Six-cylinder versions of the Range Rover Sport send 340 hp and 332 lb.-ft. of torque available to all wheels and a zero-to-60 dash time of 6.9 seconds, which we’re guessing here would satisfy about 99 percent of its customers. MSRP for both SE and HSE V6s are well below $70,000.
What you lose in zero-to-60 time with the V6, of course, you make up for in fuel savings. The smaller engine rates out at 17 miles-per-gallon of premium fuel in the city and 22 highway compared to 14/19 for the V8.
But lest we forget, this is a luxury SUV, not a luxury high-performance sports car, and the Range Rover Sport delivers there as well. The spacious interior offers leather seating surfaces for five passengers with optional third-row seats available for children and lots of storage space. A cooler box is a feature on the center console.
The seats are comfortable, and both the ones in front offer armrest support that can be raised or lowered. Materials are off the highest grade, and the cabin design is eye-pleasing as well as practical.
The Range Rover Sport also has Land Rover’s traditional off-road capability and with proper equipment can tow up to 7,716 pounds. All models are equipped with full-time four-wheel drive, hill descent control, and hill start assist. Higher models get a two-speed transfer case for serious off-road excursions. It’s optional on SE and HSE models.
The Supercharged models get Land Rover’s Terrain Response 2 system that adds an automatic setting to the customary five mode settings of general, grass/gravel/snow, mud ruts, sand and rock crawl so your vehicle is always in the proper mode depending on conditions.
If there is a downside to the Range Rover Sport it is in the operation of many of the infotainment systems. It has all the latest gimmicks, including Bluetooth, navigation, satellite and HD radio, smartphone apps, as standard. A surround-view camera and blind spot monitoring are nice extras.
But much of this technology is operated via a touchscreen that can be, well, touchy. Some functions involve an extra step to get to the desired point, and response to voice commands is erratic at best. “Sorry” seemed to be the common response when we tried to get the radio to change to various stations.
Operation of the gear shifter also has been complicated a bit as well, requiring a button to be depressed to shift from neutral to driver or reverse. At times you may think you have shifted into drive only to find the transmission has remained in neutral, which can be upsetting if you are trying to break into traffic and get nothing in response but a roar when you depress the accelerator.
Idiosyncrasies like that can be annoying at times and detract from the Range Rover Sport’s overall appeal, even to the point where they could be a game breaker when shopping in the segment. Perhaps over time — many reviewers typically have only a week or so in a particular vehicle — one can get used to them, but if you don’t, by that time you probably past the point of doing much about them.
For a look at the Range Rover Sport and some specs, check out the accompanying slide show.
Land Rover has a hit in Range Rover Evoque
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Florida gun range: Booze and bullets? City greenlights gun range, bar restaurant
Papenbrook and Tang added to Otakon 2015 lineup
2015 Lexus GS 350 F Sport balances luxury with performance | cc/2019-30/en_middle_0005.json.gz/line950 |
__label__wiki | 0.671426 | 0.671426 | Virginia slayings provide launchpad for more gun control
Speaking last night to Fox News’ Megyn Kelly, the father of slain WDBJ reporter Alison Parker in Virginia vowed to make it his life’s mission to close “the loopholes in background checks” so that “crazy people” cannot get their hands on firearms.
While the entire nation was horrified – including millions of law-abiding gun owners – at the on-air murders of Parker and cameraman Adam Ward on Wednesday during a live interview, Second Amendment activists are preparing for a new gun control battle. Alleged gunman Vester Lee Flanagan, who used the on-air name of Bryce Williams, legally bought the gun he apparently used, according to ABC News, which noted that he had “no known criminal record.”
Andy Parker, Alison’s father, told Kelly forcefully, “My mission in life, and I talked to the governor today, he called me, and I told him, I said I’m going to do something, whatever it takes, to get gun legislation, to shame people, to shame legislators, into doing something about closing loopholes in background checks and making sure crazy people don’t get guns. He said ‘You go, I’m right there with you. So, this is not the last you’ve heard of me.”
Parker is understandably heartbroken, distraught and angry. What father wouldn’t be? His daughter had been murdered on live television; robbed of her life at age 24. There could not have been a dry eye among viewers, including gun owners, who watched last night’s interview.
But there is a dilemma of monumental proportions in that the shooter, who took his own life hours after the double slaying, evidently went through a background check when he bought the gun at a Virginia gun store. As CBS News reported, he bought two guns on July 10. Keep that in perspective because it is obvious that those who have weighed in to push a political gun control agenda haven’t been. The White House, Hillary Clinton and others are already pushing for more gun regulation.
Other sensational killers have cleared background checks, including James Holmes, the Aurora movie theater gunman who was sentenced yesterday in Colorado to 12 life terms plus 3,318 years in prison. Elliot Rodger, the Santa Barbara spree killer, passed three background checks. Aaron Alexis, the Navy Yard killer, passed a check, as did Naveed Haq, the Seattle Jewish Federation gunman.
At some point, the gun prohibition lobby must acknowledge the reality that background checks are not a panacea, though that intimation is sold to voters and liberal politicians. It worked last fall in Washington, and this past winter in Oregon. But people are still dying in both states.
Without a criminal record, to what benchmark should people rise in order to exercise a fundamental, constitutionally-affirmed civil right? Will firearms retailers and law enforcement agencies be required to exercise clairvoyance, and predict what crime someone might commit in six weeks, six months or even six years down the road?
Maybe gun control fanatics watched “Minority Report” too many times on video. That’s the 2002 Tom Cruise film about a government program designed to predict crimes not yet committed.
Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe was talking about background checks yesterday even before the gunman was apprehended, as though this guy had obtained the murder weapon via some unregulated method. Perhaps he should now be admitting those remarks were completely off base.
If, as ABC News reported, the elder Parker wants “stronger mental health screenings for prospective gun owners,” how does that square with the exercise of a civil right? In the case of the alleged gunman, perhaps a mental health screening should be required for anyone seeking a job in journalism, eh?
Who would determine whether someone is “mentally fit” to own a firearm? What would be the criteria? Is this just another sky-is-the-limit attempt to erode the right to keep and bear arms, by turning it into a heavily-regulated government privilege that would ultimately exist only on paper?
The nation sympathizes with Andy Parker and the friends and families of both slain broadcast journalists. But Second Amendment advocates will note that compassion should never cloud common sense. Existing gun laws, and laws against murder, didn’t prevent what happened yesterday in Virginia. Activists argue that adding stringent new requirements that penalize law-abiding citizens for a heinous crime they didn’t commit will not keep it from happening again.
Got an opinion about this column? Share your views in the “Comments” section below.
Everytown’s gun control: Registration, confiscation and more gun free zones
4 dead in burning DC mansion: Person of interest sought in Savopoulos slayings
Virginia shootings reignite gun control debate
Gun owners for ‘gun control’ useful to anti-gunners for now
Dylann Roof is the reason gun rights and gun control needs balance | cc/2019-30/en_middle_0005.json.gz/line951 |
__label__cc | 0.579591 | 0.420409 | No major change
Talha bin Hamid
Are Google’s new Pixel phones up or down a notch?
So it happened. Finally, Google launched their two handsets for 2018: Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL, amid a host of other products, in a somewhat muted event on October 9, 2018.
Given that the sets were the most eagerly awaited gadgets after the iPhone, why isn’t there much more excitement around the tech sphere? Because, just like the new iPhones, almost every detail about the handsets had been leaked earlier, be it their size, screen resolution, processor, RAM or even battery capacity – all were known entities.
Pixel 3 is the smaller set, with a 5.5-inch display while the Pixel 3 XL sports a 6.1-inch display. Both have identical specs except for screen resolution, size and battery. And for the first time, the excitement was definitely down a notch. Yes, a literal notch that lends a unique ugliness to the fascia of the Pixel 3 XL.
Before we move further, let’s discuss notches — unfortunately the hottest smartphone design trend for 2018. A notch is a cut-out in the display that houses the camera and other sensors, theoretically allowing more screen space on both sides of the phone. In that way, manufacturers can build larger screens into a body with slim bezels. There is just one thing wrong with this justification: it is not true.
iPhone X was the not the first smartphone to have a notch, but it was the first mainstream one. Apple didn’t justify the notch – the reviewers did. They said that thanks to the notch the iPhone X had the thinnest bezels and highest screen-to-body ratio in the business. However, Samsung exceeded that ratio a year earlier and continued to do so, with their S8, Note 8, S9 and Note 9 – all without a notch.
Predictably, almost every Android manufacturer, from LG to Huawei to Oppo to Nokia, jumped on the notch bandwagon, churning out sets with a notch which in most cases was accompanied by large bezels on the top, bottom and sides, therefore serving merely as a design element and, more bluntly, a ‘homage’ to Apple.
Alas, Google's two sets turned out to be exactly as leaked with the notch on the Pixel 3 XL hiding nothing but two selfie cameras. What’s more, we are all in for a nasty sticker shock: the “smaller” Pixel 3 starts at $799 while the XL version starts at $899 and goes up to the magic number of $999, a significant bump over last year’s pricing and putting the Pixels once again squarely up against the iPhoneXs, iPhone Xs Max and Samsung Galaxy Note 9.
However, when Google’s Pixel 3 XL was leaked, complete with the largest notch in the business, the very idea of the notch met with renewed disdain and resistance. Many enthusiasts, myself included, were hoping that either the notched design was a red herring, throwing us all off before Google revealed a truly stunning set, or the notch contained some magical technology such as Apple’s face ID.
Alas, the two sets turned out to be exactly as leaked with the notch on the Pixel 3 XL hiding nothing but two selfie cameras. What’s more, we are all in for a nasty sticker shock: the “smaller” Pixel 3 starts at $799 while the XL version starts at $899 and goes up to the magic number of $999, a significant bump over last year’s pricing and putting the Pixels once again squarely up against the iPhoneXs, iPhone Xs Max and Samsung Galaxy Note 9.
What was surprising was this: the RAM was retained at 4 GB while the storage capacities remained locked at 64 GB and 128 GB. The camera specs remain the same too. So why the premium?
One word: software. Despite not having the best hardware, the Pixel cameras are considered to be the best in the world, by virtue of Google putting all of its enormous cloud presence and information behind the processing of each photo. That means that these phones can snap a great shot in any condition, by pulling in data from around the world and tweaking the photo to look just right. Google also adds technologies such as HDR+, allowing the phones to capture several exposures of the same shot and combining them. What’s more, it is getting better as more and more people hand over their photos to Mama Google through their amazingly useful and nifty Photos app.
Similarly, Pixel phones optimise themselves constantly, analysing your usage and loading up apps in advance, therefore becoming the fastest phones on the market. That was true for Pixel 2 series and is likely to continue with Pixel 3. Google continuously adds new features to Android but usually to Pixels first, and one such feature is a virtual call screen that allows the phone to answer and transcribe incoming calls on the user’s behalf.
However, the competition is tough. Apple’s new iPhones offer more bragging right and dual cameras, while Samsung’s Note and Galaxy S series offer a slew of features absent on the Pixels (such as expandable memory, dual cameras, arguably better design, NO NOTCH), and same or lesser prices.
In a way, Google finds itself positioning its flagship sets the same way Apple did until last year – don’t focus on the hardware, the real magic is inside. However, despite the proven credentials of the Pixel 2 series for being the fastest phones with the best cameras, it remains to be seen how consumers respond to the increased prices and mostly static specs.
Talha bin Hamid is an accountant by day and an opinionated observer of pop culture, an avid reader, a gamer and an all-around nerd by night. talhamid@gmail.com
Apple’s new iPhones: ‘xsive’ or ‘xllent’ ?
Is iPhone X Samsung’s most profitable product?
The new iPhones – Nothing different
Talha Masood Oct 23, 2018 01:04pm
Bhai Talha Sahab, better you focus on your accounting job rather than reviewing tech products...... Google's product strategy never surrounded around hardware...they are a software-first company, thus they bring the superiority in their software to create niche experiences in common-like hardware devices. To make it simple for you....google is not competing with Samsung or apple they are creating their own niche. You see the price tag also ...it is far below the highest priced model for Apple and Samsung.
talha Oct 24, 2018 03:37pm
@Talha Masood If you had focused on the article, you would have known that this is exactly the point I am making. But every company creates a niche, ultimately to expand it into a profitable operation. That is why Google ditched the Nexus program and went full steam with hardware. They are doing that with Chromebooks, Chromecasts, and Google Home products.
Also, this is not a review of any product, but a review of the marketing strategy. I would suggest to FOCUS on the contents of the article rather than the writers' credentials. | cc/2019-30/en_middle_0005.json.gz/line954 |
__label__cc | 0.729953 | 0.270047 | Arsenal FC – Our away record against Huddersfield Town
Huddersfield entered the Football League in 1910, three years after they were founded. To stave off a proposed merger with Leeds in 1919 citizens of Huddersfield were asked to buy shares in the club for £1 each. They went on to reach the 1920 FA Cup Final and win promotion to Division One.
Under the leadership of Herbert Chapman and Cecil Potter they became the first English team to win three successive league titles 1924, 1925 & 1926 – a feat that only three other clubs (Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United) have achieved. Their largest home attendance was 67,037 against Arsenal in a FA Cup game on 27 February 1932.
Leeds Road, Huddersfield, Town v Arsenal FA cup 1/4 final 1932. 67,037 fans!
First Division (top tier)
Champions (3): 1923–24, 1924–25, 1925–26
Second Division (second tier)
Champions (1): 1969–70
Third Division (third tier)
Promoted: 1982–83
Play-offs Winners: 1995, 2012
Fourth Division (fourth tier)
Play-offs Winners: 2004
Winners (1): 1922
FA Charity Shield
The last time we lost away to Huddersfield was on January 16th, 1971. In fact since 1938, we have only lost two away games.
Huddersfield 0 Arsenal 1 in April 1955 at Leeds Road. Derek Tapscott shoots for goal
Our only away game against the Terriers in the Premier League just so happened to be Arsene’s final game in charge. Rather shamefully it was to be our first away win of 2018. Auba scored the only goal after some fine interplay between Lacazette and Ramsey.
Without Dr. Wagner to worry about, I expect nothing less than a resounding victory, but I’m often wrong.
GunnerN5
This entry was posted on Thursday, February 7th, 2019 at 7:23 am and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.
32 Responses to Arsenal FC – Our away record against Huddersfield Town
TotalArsenal says:
From last post, I give you Holding, BR. That is three with a lot of benefit of doubt. 😉
Nice one, Gn5. You are the master of these and I can tell these posts keep you grounded now you live so far away from the home of football.
VP of Oz says:
another brilliant gn5 post, thank you
Excellent, GN5.
There’s something mightily reassuring about you taking us back on little excursions into our fabulous history.
Maybe there has always been turbulence in the Club’s past. And it simply appears to those present at the time that the current ones are those of most upheaval.
Hey ho, not sure what I’m on about. 😁
Huddersfield away – I’ve literally got no idea what to expect.
Rasp says:
Terrific work once again GN5, thank you.
There is nothing to dislike about Huddersfield and of course the HC connection give us a common bond … but still, we have to stuff them on Saturday! 🙂
Well done, GN5, another really well researched and fascinating Post, which is not surprising given the quality of your work.
Morning TA, 😁
I saw the disapproving comment you made about fans who said they were prepared to wait for the ‘deadwood stage’ part of the Arsenal regeneration to be completed before there can be any judgement made about the progress of the manager.
I haven’t been around the blogworld as much in recent times, so I have not noticed that sentiment being expressed.
In some respects it makes sense, in as much as a chef would wipe down his work surface before preparing his next meal, or an office worker would clear his desk before beginning work on his next spreadsheet etc.
For myself I think it is too early to judge UE, as there is plenty of evidence that a new manager following a previous long-term manager is in danger of sipping from a poisoned chalice, especially at a time when there is a disturbing flux in the senior echelons, with relatively new managers following the Chief Executive out of the door before they have got their feet under the table.
That said, it does not stop any fan from questioning the team vision of the new manager when he seems to be doing his best to usher one or two of our best players out the door, with confining Ozil to the bench, and Rambo being given the elbow. That to me is weird.
There can be no doubt that Emery, like all managers has to release players he does not find suitable for the style of play he wants to achieve, or who are just not good enough in his eyes. That makes him a hostage to fortune as many fans will simply not agree with him, and if the team do not play well that will increase the pressure on him.
The problem for him, in addition, is that the club seems to have fallen foul of the FFP rules, as well as the loss of considerable income from failing to qualify for the CL over the last 3 years, and frankly the dead hand of the multi-billionaire Kroenke must be, in part, behind the lack of funds being made available for transfers and also for the unsettling of high profile managers brought in to revolutionise the club after the departure of AW, and who clearly do not trust him.
As a fan, I do not trust that man at all — and maybe Unai doesn’t either.
With all that going on, who can ‘judge’ Emery?
[Sorry Fred — bit long??] 😳
Cheers RA 🙂
Nothing wrong with wiping the office desk or food preparing surface but I reckon you would not do the same with your direct reports when in you start a new job? Getting the best out of what you have, rekindle their enthusiasm and confidence in themselves, make tactical adjustments to get the best out of everyone whilst gradually seeing your vision through, is how I would like to see things happen. There is very few deadwood in the current team that is not going at the end of the season anyway. To not use two players in their very prime – the ones you mention – is a crime imo. To sideline Elneny and deprive him of any confidence left is very bad (unlike many here on AA, I rate him as a very good squad player). And as posted yesterday, to not improve many individual players, if any, is also not a good sign.
In a nutshell: rather than a clearance of players, I would like to see Emery get more out of the current squad, which in imo is pretty good in all areas, give an addition of one or two. I say it again that the scenario of a quality-depleted squad and a sacked Emery by Jan 2020 is a strong possibility. We should be worried.
Now before our fine friend, Rasputin, comes on and tells me to support the manager more, let me state again that I will not call for Unai’s sacking and agree he should be given time, but I cannot help feeling that we got the wrong man, and at a bad time for the club. I really hope I am wrong and will happily eat humble pie on this very fine Arsenal site. 🙂
Hi Total … my ears were burning 🙂
I think you’ll find that UE would say that he did exactly as you have described for the first third of the season. He gave several interviews where he said he was working with the players and giving them all time to see how they adapt to his style of play. He had turned Rob Holding into a first choice central defender. His injury was a big blow.
He stated from the start that he wanted to play out from the back and to press as a team. He wanted a higher work rate and more commitment on the pitch. His aim is to make us more solid defensively whilst maintaining the attacking flair .. but first priority was the defending and coaching the players in a new style. His plan has clearly been blighted by all the injuries, but I do believe he has made his aims very clear, and by the look of the players we’re linked with, adding proper wingers to the attack is a future part of his plans.
I’m still very confused by the various roles of head of recruitment, director of football etc. etc. Surely if a manager is defining the style of play and choosing the team, he should go to whoever it is and say “I need a two footed wide left player who is pacey and can chip in with 10 goals a season” …. rather than a Mislintat-type figure saying “I’ve found this guy, he’s really good and affordable, I’m going to give him to you and you’ll have to work with him”.
I know this all sounds very naïve, but take Leno. He was scouted before UE was appointed. I doubt AW had any part in bringing him in. So basically he must have been a player Mis thought would be good for the club without having any idea what type of keeper the future manager would favour.
“Hostage to fortune”….fans who do not agree with him……multi billionaire who doesn’t give a f***, and nobody ( possibly including, Dick) trusts” Sounds like a poison chalice offered post waterboarding!
Will we be like Manure and (continue) to go through a traumatic post Ferguson period including various managers, before the keel feels like it is even and the power can be turned on again? I suspect, and hope, not. We are The Arsenal and are better than most (all)! Give him time/windows/as much money as is available ( he needs) and see, please.
I can see your point, Rasp, even though I don’t agree with it much. Failure to incorporate and motivate the likes of Ozil and Ramsey into his plans is a weakness imo. Especially Ozil who he was fully aware of had signed a long term contract. For me it is a lack of vision and man-management skills.
Injuries is a decent shout, but boy we don’t do either press from the front on defend from deep as yet. More worryingly, we don’t seem to have a midfield in most games and only start to play footie in the second half, it seems.
But it could well be that given more time Emery will get it all right.
Hi again Total. It’s interesting that you assume it is UE’s fault that he feels he can’t include M.O in his side … could it be possible that he wants to be able to include him but M.O. is not (for whatever reason) prepared to play in the way he is asking? No manager can allow an individual player to dictate the team’s style of play to them.
I don’t believe for one minute that MO is being rebellious, causing trouble in the dressing room or trying to bring the manager down. He’s not that kind of character, he’s a very good person, of that I’m sure. It may just be that his personality and physicality means he is not capable of playing in that way.
Hi Rasp
It is black box for sure. But fact is that Mesut was top, second and top in producing key passes per game during the previous three season, and now he is not being used at all anymore. Key passes lead to goals and Unai said he liked scoring goals, so why not love our Mesut?
To me it looks like Emery demands a certain commitment and follow-me-blindly and do as I say that just doesn’t work very well with the Millennials. Klopp and Guardiola are far more comfortable with getting the best out of them and Unai may find that his methods will not work. But, once again, let’s give him more time.
TA,
Sorry I could not respond earlier to your 11:23 a.m.
I think, despite using different words, we are broadly saying much the same things.
Reading the Rasper’s comments at 12:10 and 12:17, he has said everything I would have liked to have said, but he has done so much more eloquently. 😁
Mind you, the manager/player relationship is full of complexity, and not just confined to Emery/Mesut.
From observation, it seems Emery does want a high press, and when we do it, we win well.
Mesut is just not that physical, altho I think he does try to do his bit checking back to help out in defence.
I have said on here some time back, I do not care much for Ozil being required to be a midfield defender, as well as a provider and goal scorer — he is brilliant in attack, — that surely cannot be denied, by anyone, but defensively he is not too good.
So sod his defensive duties, just let him do the biz in attack/support. That’s where his value is.
[In the first para, above, I was referring to the calamitous manager/player relationship at Manure.
Now that Moanhio has gone they have become a good, quality team, and that is especially true of Pogba]
Great stuff as always GN5.
Love the stats and particularly the pic of 60+k packed into the ground. I wouldn’t want to have to get my car out of the carpark!
John Mathews legend says:
Agree, great stuff again GN5, good research and nice pics.
Not wanting to get onto the Mesut debate, I do think he he should another chance on Saturday, against the bottom of the table team.
If he doesn’t, it really does spell the end.
guess we are back with the shorts posts
amazing how picture makes it seems long
10:40 am lol yep took me hours to read it
my only issue i have with Ozil being outcasted is that if emery is not the man for the job and is gone in 2 years and he has ruined one of or best players
It’s interesting to read the discussion on Ozil but none of us really have any idea why he is not playing.
Money, attitude, skill level and energy are most likely the key points , but only Emery knows why his playing time is so restricted.
All I can say is that I find it very disturbing that the signs indicate that we will start off 2019/20 without two of our top offensive players in Ramsey and Ozil. Compounded by what appears to be a lack of focus on the most porous defense we have had in our EPL history.
12:10 am my eyes was burning did Total imply we should keep Pharoah
Rasp he is German wouldn’t but anything past him
mickydidit89 says:
Thanks very much, GN5
Love the idea of a citizens buy-in. Wonder how much £1 in 1919 would be in today’s loot. Wonder what proportion of yer working man’s wage packet it would have been
Re your Mesut comment “I do think he he should another chance on Saturday, against the bottom of the table team”
Mmmm, not sure it’s his sort of game, what with being wet, chilly and up north on a less than perfect pitch 🙂
The Women are on BT Sport tonight if the missus is out and you’re starved of pig’s bladder action.
📝 The teams are in! Here’s how we line up against @ManUtdWomen in the #ContiCup this evening…
XI: van Veenendaal; Arnth, Williamson, Quinn, Mitchell; Bloodworth, Little, Van de Donk; Mead, Miedema, McCabe
BENCH: Peyraud-Magnin, Veje, Kuyken, Grant, Filis, Hazard pic.twitter.com/3QzLvzGa4k
— Arsenal Women (@ArsenalWFC) February 7, 2019
does the Women team play at the Emirates Colony
FULL-TIME: #AWFC 2-1 @ManUtdWomen
Next stop? Bramall Lane for the #ContiCup final 😉#WeAreTheArsenal pic.twitter.com/ynqNOm6vrC
“SANDRA CAN YOU OPEN THE F**KING DOOR WE KINDA GOT A SITUATION OUT HERE” pic.twitter.com/HKzGpGkKbE
— You Had One Job (@_youhadonejob1) February 7, 2019
New deal with Intel – Intel Trust View Technology- despite being an agreement additionally with the Dippers and Shitty, to be used first on March 10th at Emirates for Manure game.
New perspectives for Chas ( and Fred) to use post match for our delectation! Trust we will turn over the oppo and produce some classic moments for the World to see. | cc/2019-30/en_middle_0005.json.gz/line955 |
__label__cc | 0.509651 | 0.490349 | AsianExtractor: Unearthing Accounting Fraud in Asia
(Not Affiliated with The Moat Report Asia)
Enter the Asian Capital Jungle
Thought Navigators
Asiamin Capital/ Hemant Amin
FTI Consulting (NYSE: FCN)
Moat Report Asia/ Bamboo Innovator
Fraud detection and prevention
March 2, 2015 March 2, 2015 bambooinnovator Leave a comment
http://www.mb.com.ph/fraud-detection-and-prevention
Posted by Low Hwan Hong, Year 4 undergrad at the School of Business, Singapore Management University
by Wilma Miranda
Fraud is an old game and even in the Old Testament times when Jacob deceives his father to get his blessing over Esau (who is supposed to be deserving of the blessing because he is the firstborn) is a simple example of fraud. But through the years people became more sophisticated in perpetrating this kind of scheming activity. Alan Greenspan, former Chairman of the US Federal Reserve once said “.. It is not that humans have become any greedier than in generations past. It is that the avenues to express greed had grown so enormously…”According to the 2012 Association of Fraud Examiners (ACFE) Report, “the average company loses an estimated 5 percent of its annual revenues to fraud and misconduct committed by its employees”. Have you experienced what it is to fall prey to the hands of a fraudster? It’s a feeling of being betrayed and a feeling that you are such a fool, such an ignorant bimbo to fall victim to such a wicked scheme.
Even at home when maids started getting things from you and you discover it too late, it is enough to make you explode in anger and disgust that you were tricked by someone with less education than you have but had it over you. It is even worst when this happens in your business and workplace.
In terms of the number of perpetrators, there are more non-management employees who commit fraud which stands at 44%, while management positions perpetrators are at 29% and external parties at 27%. However, the value or the amount involved is bigger for management level which is at 51%, external parties at 33% and for non-management staff at 16% according to a KPMG Fraud Survey 2002/2004.
In a survey, an alarming 34% of the respondents indicated that the management or supervisory personnel ignored warning signs of fraud. There are “red flags” but these are ignored and 20% of the respondents reported that there is no channel available for reporting suspected fraud.
Many of the businesses think that good internal control is a strong hindrance to fraud commission and its detection, but a good part should also be focused in improving the ethical culture of the organization. Three out of four or 75 % of the respondednts in a survey in the Philippines were aware that fraud has occurred in their business. Weakening of society values was cited as one of the main reasons why fraud is becoming more prevalent. So it is important to define codes of conduct in the organization and implement value formation activities.
The problem is a business cannot change the values of a person overnight. That is why it is important that the codes of conduct and the ethical values that should be observed should be greatly emphasized with the disciplinary consequences.
We have all opportunities to detect and prevent fraud in our business. But we just don’t know how. That is why, I am bringing a seminar in Bacolod City through our Firm – Inventor, Miranda & Associates – entitled “ Detection and Prevention of Fraud” on April 25, 2014 at Planta Hotel.
Our speaker is Mr. Jose Tan Jr., a Certified Public Accountant, Certified Fraud Examiner and Certified Forensic Accountant. He has about 22 years of experience in the fields of investigation and prevention, auditing, business intelligence, due diligence, forensic accounting, risk management, fraud diagnostic, system design, review and analysis, policy manual development, financial analysis, modelling and internal controls, and restructuring work.
← Zhongmin Baihui – Overvalued S-Chip Chinese Retailer with Weak Performance, Sub-Par Corporate Governance and Questionable Related Party Transactions
Kroll: Understanding the mind-set of the Chinese entrepreneur, how business is done in China, and recognizing the tell-tale signs of fraud →
Guest Speaker Mr. Hemant Amin, Founder, Chairman and CEO of Asiamin Capital, a single family office, and Founder and Chairman of the BRKets investor groupMarch 17th, 2015
Hemant, a big thank you for educating and inspiring the next generation of leaders. You are a rare positive role model in the Asian capital markets and you showed the students that it is possible to create value because one has the right values and mindset like Buffett and Munger! :)
Guest Speakers from FTI Consulting, a billion-dollar NYSE-listed global forensic consulting firmFebruary 9th, 2015
Thank you very much, Jarrod and Jason, for taking time to share your knowledge and wisdom about the meaningful and fulfilling forensic work that you do at FTI Consulting.
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Presentation to MAS: A World’s First Fact-Based Forward-Looking Fraud Detection System for Singapore
Bubbles and troubles in Hong Kong: Ongoing abusive “open offers” and placings making out in multi-billion-dollar bubbles. David Webb calls on regulators and rule-makers to take action. Hong Kong deserves better if it wishes to make a claim to be a world-class financial centre
Hao Wen, Capital VC and Unity; questionable cash investments at extremely high valuations which link together 3 listed companies. David Webb urge the SFC’s corporate misconduct team to investigate
Aim’s Chinese disasters offer cautionary tale for chancellor
Police in Taiwan are investigating the whereabouts of the chairman of a listed company on bail awaiting trial in Hong Kong for fraud, after reports he was abducted in New Taipei City; Missing chairman sees Pearl Oriental shares plunge 15pc
CFOs see earnings shenanigans in 20% of U.S. public firms
A February takeover bid for Barnes & Noble that sent the bookseller’s stock soaring was fraudulent because the firm behind the announcement lacked funding to do the deal, the SEC said
Fanya Exchange’s 36 billion yuan default ‘tip of iceberg’ in China; China investors in rare protest accuse regulators of “ignoring fraud”
Oligarchs and Orchestras: Inside Luxembourg’s Secretive Low-Tax ‘Fortress of Art’ Warehouse; Fraud allegations against Swiss entrepreneur Yves Bouvier, have cast a shadow on Luxembourg’s and Singapore’s Le Freeport, a high-security, low-tax warehouse for art
Sebi may impose floor price for stock splits to curb market manipulation
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bambooinnovator on Potential Accounting Tunneling… | cc/2019-30/en_middle_0005.json.gz/line959 |
__label__wiki | 0.543771 | 0.543771 | Leibinger Innovationspreis to Markus Aspelmeyer and Garrett Cole
Prestigious Berthold Leibinger Innovationspreis has been awarded to VCQ-researchers.
On the evening of September 9, the ninth award ceremony of the prestigious Berthold Leibinger Innovationspreis for applied laser technology was held in Ditzingen, Germany. Amongst the prize winners were the two researchers, Prof. Dr. Markus Aspelmeyer from the Faculty of Physics of the University of Vienna and Dr. Garrett Cole, CTO of Crystalline Mirror Solutions. They were honored for their disruptive crystalline coating technology which the two researchers had developed at the Vienna Center for Quantum Science & Technology. The so-called crystalline supermirror technology reflects laser light with less disturbances than previously used materials and enables exceptionally precise measurements of space and time. In his laudation, nobel prize winner Theodor Hänsch emphasized the wide field of application for the technology in science and industry. The company Crystalline Mirror Solutions, founded by Aspelmeyer and Cole in 2013, supplies customers all over the world with the crystalline supermirrors. The award is endowed with € 20.000.
> Portrait | cc/2019-30/en_middle_0005.json.gz/line961 |
__label__wiki | 0.690268 | 0.690268 | Audi Q8 Bookings Open In Europe; Prices Start At EUR 76,300
With prices starting at EUR 76,300, the Audi Q8 is is EUR 15,100 more expensive than a base model of the Audi Q7 SUV. Market launch will take place in August.
By Seshan Vijayraghvan | Updated: Jul 10, 2018 08:36 AM
The base mode of the Audi Q8 is EUR 15,100 more expensive than a base model of the Q7
The Audi Q8 will be officially launched in Germany in August
The Q8 gets a 3.0 TDI quattro engine with mild hybrid technology
We expect the Audi Q8 to come to India in 2019
Audi has opened the order books for its all-new flagship SUV, the Audi Q8, in Europe. Slated to be launched in August, prices for the new coupe-SUV will start at €76,300 ( ₹ 61.65 lakh) in its home market. At this price, the all-new Q8 is €15,100 ( ₹ 12.20 lakh) more expensive than a base model of the Audi Q7 SUV. The Audi Q8, which is manufactured at the Bratislava plant, is open for bookings across Europe right now and deliveries will commence at the time of the launch.
Also Read: All-New Audi Q8 Coupe-SUV Unveiled
RS5 Coupe
Audi Q8 will be available in the 50 TDI Quattro variant offering 282 bhp and 600 Nm torque
The European-spec Audi Q8 will be available in the 50 TDI Quattro variant, powered by a 3.0-liter six-cylinder turbocharged diesel engine the churns out a maximum of 282 bhp and develops a peak torque of 600 Nm. The SUV also gets the aide of the company's new mild hybrid technology that uses a 48-volt primary electrical system powered by a lithium-ion battery. The engine comes mated to an eight-speed tiptronic automatic transmission that sends power to all four wheel and propels the large SUV from 0 to 100 kmph in 6.3 seconds, before reaching a top speed of 245 kmph.
Also Read: Audi Q8 Coupe-SUV: All You Need To Know
The Audi Q8 gets HD Matrix LED technology and 3D daytime running lamps
The Audi Q8 is built on the same aluminium-rich platform that underpins the likes of the Audi Q7, the Lamborghini Urus and the Bentley Bentayga. Up front, the Q8 comes with a large single-frame grille with fat borders with both vertical horizontal slats with chrome accents. The grille is flanked by a pair of sleek LED headlamps with HD Matrix LED technology available as an option and 3D daytime running lamps. The front bumper comes with a beefy skid plate and large air intakes, while the sloping bonnet features prominent character lines adding a muscular look.
Audi Q8 comes with a set of 22-inch alloy wheels
The Q8 comes with an elegantly sloping roofline that seamlessly merges into the inclined D-pillar and rests against the quattro blisters above the wheel arches, which house up to 22-inch wheels. The rear section, on the other hand, comes with roof-mounted spoiler and wide LED taillamps with a digital character. The rear bumper features a mesh design element that houses the sensors, while below we have the rear skid plate and styling inserts finished in dark chrome.
Audi Q8's cabin features a 10.1 inch touchscreen MMI infotainment system
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__label__cc | 0.611834 | 0.388166 | by BFP | July 23, 2007 · 7:34 pm
Cricket World Cup Stiffs The Barbados Police – Officers Owed Over A Million Dollars For Security Duties
Commissioner Dottin & Deputy Prime Minister Mottley Failed In Their Duty To Ensure Our Officers Would Be Paid
Was every senior official who had anything to do with organising Cricket World Cup in Barbados a moron?
The latest revelation in the never-ending saga of the crooks and idiots in charge of giving away our country on a handshake – with no enforceable contracts or monies in trust – is that our Barbados Police haven’t been paid for the 15 and 20 hour days they put in on securing the Cricket World Cup.
With fewer than 300,000 souls, Barbados is only a small city in North America and not much more than a town in Asia, but time and time again our Barbados leadership proves that they don’t even have what it takes to be Mayor or Police Chief of Toledo, Ohio.
It Is Pretty Simple – Leadership Rule #1: Make Sure Your People Get Paid
If you want the police to secure a major event in Toledo, Ohio, the organisers must put up a bond or prepayment secured in trust. If your event is a flop, that’s life but the city venue, the police, ambulance drivers and everyone else working for the city get paid.
Do you think the Mayor or Chief of Police of Toledo, Ohio ever said to their police officers, “Hey, we forgot to make sure you officers would be paid. You’ll have to wait six months or a year” ?
Mia Mottley was supposed to be in charge of security but she didn’t give a damn about having her people paid on time – and Commissioner Dottin didn’t have the courage to insist.
The worst part of it all is that the Police Association saw it coming in January but we Bajans are so used to being kicked around like dogs by our own leaders that we let it happen again.
It is a wonder that the police officers don’t spit on the ground whenever Dottin or Mottley walk past.
Weep for Barbados as you read about it in The Nation News…
1M DUE COPS
by Julie Wilson
IT’S A $1 MILLION DEBT. And the Royal Barbados Police Force wants it paid.
The rank and file of the force is up in arms over non-payment for their duties during the Barbados leg of the Cricket World Cup (CWC) between March and April. Sources told the SUNDAY SUN yesterday that the Police Association was not taking the matter lightly, and made this known during a meeting on June 21 with Police Commissioner Darwin Dottin, Stephen Alleyne and other members of the Local Organising Committee (LOC).
Secretary of the association, Michael Blackman, would not say yesterday how much money was owed, but confirmed there was a meeting with Dottin and the LOC about its non-payment.
He said dissatisfied lawmen drew the situation to the association’s attention, and following discussions with Dottin there was an undertaking to pay the money soon.
Blackman said the money was for police services at Kensington Oval, bomb checks at match venues such as the 3W’s Oval at the Cave Hill Campus, and islandwide routine searches.
He said the issue of timely payment for police duties at CWC came up at the police conference in January and at subsequent meetings.
… read the rest of this article at the Nation News (link here)
Filed under Barbados, Cricket, Crime & Law, Politics & Corruption
DLP Blog Hires New Writer – Heads Right For The Gutter
The Democratic Labour Party Still Doesn’t Get It
The DLP Blog has a new and prolific writer: the same Dave Allamby that Barbados Free Press finally banned from our comments section for his non-stop sexual innuendo, vile imagery and long-winded rambling diatribes. Within the last few weeks, Mr. Allamby has taken over the majority of writing at the DLP Blog and has been responsible for 12 of the 14 articles published by the DLP Blog since July 4, 2007.
One of the DLP members, Margaret Knight, warned the DLP Blog administrator that Mr. Allamby would descend into vulgarity – and low and behold, Margaret was right on the money. Mr. Allamby has reverted to his usual form in his article Poverty In Barbados – Transformation Minister Prescod Does Not Have A Clue that contains references to sexual innuendo, KY Jelly and Vasaline.
(We see that the DLP Blog administrator has removed Mr. Allamby’s reference to sexual innuendo, KY Jelly and Vasaline from the latest article after readers complained about it – and promised to be more careful in the future. Mr Allamby has responded in his typical concise manner that he doesn’t see what the problem was. Which is, of course, the root problem.)
Also of interest is how Mr. Allamby’s article made it through the blog editor. Was it just not read as closely as it should have been, or has the DLP actually provided Mr. Allamby with access to post on his own on the DLP Blog?
An Indication Of A Party In Disarray … Or A Party Without A Message?
While Mr. Allamby can make good political and common sense points in his writing, his references to KY Jelly, Vasaline and all the other sexual innuendo have made him er… famous. With the volume of his articles, David Allamby has effectively become the daily internet voice of the Democratic Labour Party.
The fact that the DLP Blog appears to have come to rely upon him so quickly for the vast majority of its content is another indication of the disorganisation that the DLP has been struggling to overcome. The party obviously has no central communications authority or committee to make sure that the party effectively communicates a uniform message through the various media – including its own blog.
Whether this means that the DLP is in disarray or simply has no message to communicate – or both – is up for discussion.
Same Coin, Different Side
Thus far, the DLP can only claim to be a different bunch of crooks than the ones now running the government. With no conflict of interest rules for its own candidates the DLP is merely the other side of the same coin: corrupt Bajan politics. Unless and until the DLP declares conflict of interest rules and campaign fundraising guidelines for its own candidates, the party will be hard pressed to differentiate itself from the ruling BLP in the minds of an electorate that is becoming ever more mindful of integrity issues.
* The DLP Logo at the top comes from our January 20, 2006 article “Where Is The Barbados DLP Website?” It looks like the DLP is still facing the same chaos with communications that we saw way back then.
Filed under Barbados, Politics & Corruption
by BFP | July 23, 2007 · 4:06 am
Guyanese Educator In Barbados For OAS Meeting “Targeted For Discrimination” By Immigration Authorities
The Indignity of Barbados Immigration after the “Democratic” Meeting
“I am convinced that Guyanese are being targeted for discrimination in Barbados.”
Dr. Victorine Solomon – After being rudely treated by Barbados Immigration authorities while here for an OAS Caribbean Education Stakeholder meeting.
I have heard and read about persons having bad experiences in Barbados but have always thought that things were blown out of proportion, until I was subjected to my own indignity by Barbados immigration after attending an OAS meeting in Barbados of Caribbean Education Stakeholders aimed at discussing the teaching and learning of democratic values in schools.
I thought the LIAT flight which was 5 hours late leaving Guyana was bad until I attempted to check in upon my return flight from Barbados only to learn from British Airways personnel that my name was not on the manifest perhaps as a result of missing the British Airways connection to Barbados.
The Barbadian Immigration officer looked at my passport and made some such remark like; I have never seen one like this, and I said it was issued in Washington (by the Guyana Embassy). I was asked to wait as my flight status needed to be ascertained. I waited almost an hour, and then was asked to sit as the supervisor was not available. About 1:30, I was called to the counter, at which time I was delighted as I thought I would now get my ticket, but was asked to follow the officer through three connecting offices and to an interrogation by several officers. What is your name? Whose passport is this? Where did you get it? Who changed it? What work do you do? What were you doing in Barbados? Etc. I might have missed a few questions.
Quite confounded, I proceeded to open my suitcase, and took out my OAS folder. I explained as calmly as I could who I was, where I went, where I worked, and that if there appeared to be any changes in my passport they had to have been done in Washington. I followed by pulling various identification from my purse including my National ID, my University ID, even some from my stay abroad, whatever I got my hand on . . . even the name tag from the conference.
One of the immigration officers then spoke to someone on the phone ensuring the party on the other end that “the lady had numerous documents that verified who she was”. Without an apology, I was advised that the Guyana embassy had erred in issuing me a passport that appeared flawed and I should seek to rectify same. Further, since I had traveled to Trinidad with that passport, Trinidad had erred in not being perceptible of the flaw. The officer who eventually gave me my ticket said their airline would be fined if irregularities went undetected and with that comment she justified their violation of my human rights.
I am convinced that Guyanese are being targeted for discrimination in Barbados. The Barbadian government needs to address these complaints seriously. This abuse of power by these officers must stop. Common courtesy is lacking. A simple, “Excuse me ma’am we have a few questions about your passport;” and “would you like to have a seat ma’am,” followed by asking questions, one at a time, would have sufficed. The fact that I look about sixty should have made them think twice, even if it was for fear of giving me a heart attack.
After a productive and pleasant meeting, I refuse to have the Barbados immigration tamper with even one iota of my dignity and self respect and they must not be allowed to make a mockery of the Democratic Values and Practices we hold dear in the Caribbean, and which we as educators are tasked to instill in our students.
I would like the Barbadian immigration to know, “howdy and thanky bruck no bones.” Sensitivity training is seriously needed.
Dr. Victorine Solomon
Filed under Barbados, CARICOM, Politics & Corruption
Deputy Prime Minister Mia Mottley Has Doubts About Free Trade With Canada – Canadian National Post Newspaper
Canadian PM’s Visit Was Over-Hyped By Both Canada And Barbados Governments
On July 16th, we had Prime Minister Owen Arthur telling Voice of Barbados that never in the history of the Caribbean would so much change be set in motion as during the week that he was to meet with Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper and CARICOM was to meet to discuss trade relations.
That week has come and gone, and while there may be changes in the years down the road, what we saw at the end was a commitment to talk that was over-hyped by both the Canadians and our Prime Minister.
Election Time In Canada – Caribbean Tour May Aid Canadian PM Win Haitian-Canadian Votes
If we needed further proof of the hype, the Canadian National Post newspaper provides it this morning. It turns out that the Canadian Prime Minister, like our Prime Minister, is facing an election soon and his handlers hoped that the swing through our region would pay political dividends. Especially important to the Canadian PM are some by-elections in areas where Haitian immigrants hold the swing votes. His government hopes that Harper’s trip to Haiti will pay off in Canadian Haitian votes.
Also slipping out in the article is a statement by Daivd Schwanen, director of research for Center for International Governance Innovation, that he met with various Barbados leaders including our Deputy Prime Minister and that our Deputy PM (Mia Mottley) expressed doubts about free trade. Said Mr. Schwanen…
“The leaders here (Barbados) including the deputy prime minister really emphasized the doubts they have about free trade. They want to be engaged but it seems to me it’s going to take more than a few speeches,” says Schwanen. “People are little bit skeptical.”
For once we agree with Deputy PM Mottley
Contrary to the Prime Minister’s optimistic assessment of the Canadian PM’s visit, we share Mia Mottley’s skepticism for a regional trade agreement with Canada. After all, CARICOM countries can’t even agree amongst themselves about CARICOM free trade. How can they hope to provide a uniform position in negotiations with Canada?
The Canadian National Post: PM’s Haitian Visit Could Pay Byelection Dividends
Filed under Barbados, CARICOM, Offshore Investments, Politics & Corruption | cc/2019-30/en_middle_0005.json.gz/line972 |
__label__cc | 0.599804 | 0.400196 | Great American Rivalry Series LIVE
2018 marked the 15th season for the Great American Rivalry Series. Here at BrainBox Intelligent Marketing, we aren’t fans of resting on our laurels, so we aimed to do something big for the 2018 season. We aimed to reach more people on social media than we ever had before and to take the Great American Rivalry Series into millions of homes (or phones) across the country.
When you’re trying to reach more people than you ever have before, you go big or you go home. So we partnered up with a pretty big company. Ever heard of Facebook?
That’s right. We partnered with Facebook to bring millions of people exclusive broadcasts of some of the best and biggest rivalries across the country exclusively on Facebook Watch. Great American Rivalry Series LIVE became a hub for content from these rivalries, as well as the live broadcasts of the games. If you’ve never live broadcasted a sporting event, we can assure you, it isn’t easy. With so many variables and things that could go wrong, the adrenaline rush of the broadcasting game is like nothing else.
Without the benefit of commercials throughout the broadcast, we seamlessly incorporated sponsors into the broadcast in fun and innovative ways. From a chicken nugget eating contest to Tucker’s unfortunate singing, we brought a youthful energy to each broadcast.
With our broadcasts on Facebook we reached 40 million fans all over not only the country but the world. The biggest surprise each broadcast came in the comments section. Fans from Singapore, Australia and even soldiers overseas in the Middle East, all watched and supported their teams from afar. Most broadcasts, the list of countries people watched from became overwhelming. More than anything, though, the broadcasts brought the emotion and excitement of the rivalry to everyone, not just those at the game. And for most of them it was right on their phones. Find out how the Great American Rivalry Series Broadcasts can elevate your brand!
© BrainBox Intelligent Marketing 2019. All rights reserved. All proprietary logos are the property of BrainBox Intelligent Marketing. All other logos are the property of their individual rights holders. | cc/2019-30/en_middle_0005.json.gz/line973 |
__label__wiki | 0.74938 | 0.74938 | Once Again at the threshold: New Westminster and Halifax
Architecture & Art
billardarchitectureinc
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2014 saw the grand opening of two prominent civic buildings exhibiting contemporary and dynamic Architecture on opposite sides of the country: The Anvil Centre in downtown New Westminster, British Columbia and the Halifax Central Library in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
The timing and forward thinking Architecture of these openings are certainly not the only thing these two buildings and cities have in common.
The Anvil Centre, photo: Robert Billard
The Halifax Central Library, photo: Jacob Boon
Both Halifax and New Westminster share some interesting similarities:
Halifax New Westminster
– One of the oldest cities in the Maritimes – Oldest incorporated city in British Columbia
– Capital of Nova Scotia – Was once capital of British Columbia
– Heavy respect for built heritage – Heavy respect for built heritage
– Suffered from an eroding downtown core – Suffered from an eroding downtown core
– Small town feel – Small town feel
– Difficult to reach consensus – Difficult to reach consensus
It has certainly not been easy for either of them and the long gaps between progressive Architectural expression have led to tensions on all sides of the civic planning table.
For both of these cities, the introduction of a civic or significantly prominent building which is, in part, meant to personify the attitude of the populous has been a difficult one to take and in both cases decades separate the grand openings of such intrinsic statement buildings. For many cities across Canada this is a much easier decision to make. Surrey, for example, has no Architectural heritage and as such has been able to erect massively dynamic buildings of Architectural merit with hardly a dissenting voice. Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal have passed a point where contemporary and intriguing buildings are isolated occurrences and are now expected in order to continue their goal of being world class cities”.
Purdy’s Wharf Towers, photo: unknown
For Halifax it has been 25 years since the Purdy’s Warf Towers were designed in 1989 by Toronto’s Shore Tilbe Irwin + Partners (STIP), now Shore Tilbe Perkins+Will. It came at a time when the city was trying to rejuvenate itself and take a place at the nation’s economic table as a viable centre for development. Even today these two towers grace every single promotional advertisement for investing in Halifax. Their innovative engineering and dramatic design for the time put them at the forefront of Architecture in the Maritimes. Nothing that has been designed and built for Halifax has come close to getting national attention Architecturally or has made as dramatic an impact to the visual landscape.
Dalhousie Arts Centre photo: Wikipedia/SimonP
Prior to the Purdy’s Warf Towers the only project that garnered as much attention and made such a statement was the Dalhousie Arts Centre by C.A.E. Fowler & Company (Charles Fowler) of Halifax, with significant contributions by the Japanese educator Junji Mikawa which opened in 1971, eighteen years before Purdy’s Warf. That being said, the 1970’s were a tumultuous time of development for the Maritimes when there was a push for more modern expression and a lesser respect for heritage. The era saw Architectural achievements like the Confederation Centre in Charlottetown and the F.H. Sexton Memorial Gymnasium in Halifax.
Like Halifax, New Westminster also struggled with an eroding downtown core and a sense of place only derived by aging and in many cases un-kept brick low-rise buildings. A large gap existed between the statements of the past to the introduction of any statement Architecture of the future.
Inn at Westminster Quay, photo: Savoury Chef Foods website
The Inn at Westminster Quay, designed by Waisman Dewar Grout and Carter, now Architectura, and opened in 1988 can arguably be the only significant building of note to grace the downtown core in decades. Poling of New Westminster residents indicated they could not remember a relevant Architectural component of their city. Apart from this masterpiece that soars over the Fraser River, the only other structure to grace the promotional material for New Westminster is the SkyTrain bridge which opened in 1990.
Both the Purdy’s Warf Towers and the Inn at New Westminster Quay are excellent examples of late 1980’s Architecture and in fact share many similarities in aesthetic not to mention that both jut out over the water and make an aging statement for their cities’ waterfronts.
Now, 25 years later both cities’ have each introduced a striking piece of Architecture that is definitively of its time.
Halifax Central Library, photo: METRO/Jeff Harper
The new Halifax Central Library, designed by the Danish firm schmidt hammer lassen architects with the local partner Fowler Bauld & Mitchell Ltd opened with a tremendous amount of attention both locally and nationally. It is a dynamic addition to the city and undeniably represents its importance within the community in its striking Architecture. Photos of its grand opening were not only a delight to see the design but also the multitude of smiling faces craning their necks to capture all of the building’s glory.
Similarly, the Anvil Centre in the center of downtown New Westminster, designed by Vancouver’s Hughes Condon Marler Architects, attracted hundreds of smiling people at the grand opening with the streets closed all around it for the party. Its sharp angles and slices of glass, stone and concrete are a dramatic indication of the time we are living in.
Is this a beginning or an end? Is this an indication that both of these cities have recognized the value of relevant Architectural expression and plan to continue to develop and grow? Or, will these two influential and amazing buildings be the last they will see for another 25 years?
Halifax has a history of doing just that. Its councils have repeatedly denied permits for contemporary designs while pointing to the Purdy’s Warf Towers as if they were enough. Many Architectural critics have expressed their amazement that the new Halifax Central Library got approved. Meanwhile, New Westminster appears to have turned a corner with its recent city councils and is recognizing that in order to become the city they want to be, they have to embrace today and tomorrow. Both cities have stated they are moving forward but will this be the first or last step? If they are truly progressive, or as Halifax claims – bold – this will be the foundation to build more and not the be all and end all of their architectural story.
With some high profile projects in the short to mid-term plan for the City of New Westminster such as a new City Hall, a new Secondary School, and a new Massey Theatre there is an opportunity to keep the momentum and thrust New Westminster into the spotlight. New West is hosting a public forum this February to ask the question of what should the city look and be like in our future. Coincidentally, Halifax has prominent projects slated (new convention centre), however early renderings of that project show a lackluster attempt at making a significant Architectural expression. Has Halifax peaked? Has New West?.
In the next few years it will be interesting to see the direction each city moves. It could be an amazing ride or it could be a long dreary period while we wait for another Architectural awakening. | cc/2019-30/en_middle_0005.json.gz/line984 |
__label__wiki | 0.505544 | 0.505544 | HomeBooksContemporary Fiction
The Best Short Stories of J. G. Ballard
by J. G. Ballard and Anthony Burgess
First published in 1978, this collection of nineteen of J. G. Ballard's best short stories is as timely and informed as ever. His tales of the human psyche and its relationship to nature and technology, as viewed through a strong microscope, were eerily prescient and now provide greater perspective on our computer-dominated culture. Ballard's voice and vision have long served as a font of inspiration for today's cyber-punks, the authors and futurists who brought the information age into the mainstream.
Publisher: Macmillan PublishersReleased: Jul 15, 2014ISBN: 9781466856677Format: book
Read More From J. G. Ballard
The Crystal World
J. G. Ballard
Crash: A Novel
Super-Cannes: A Novel
Concrete Island: A Novel
Cities of the Red Night: A Novel
Everything Is Cinema: The Working Life of Jean-Luc Godard
The Yeats Reader, Revised Edition: A Portable Compendium of Poetry, Drama, and Prose
Inventing the Enemy: Essays
The Unspeakable: And Other Subjects of Discussion
Meghan Daum
The Exegesis of Philip K. Dick
The Stories of Richard Bausch
Richard Bausch
Jesus' Son: Stories
The Collected Stories of Lydia Davis
Tree of Smoke: A Novel
Man in the Dark: A Novel
Walking: A Novella
Aisthesis: Scenes from the Aesthetic Regime of Art
Jacques Ranciere
Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom
Zero K: A Novel
The Third Reich: A Novel
The Gardener's Son
The Place of Dead Roads: A Novel
The Voice Imitator
Love-Lies-Bleeding: A Play
The Angel Esmeralda: Nine Stories
Time Out of Joint
Point Omega: A Novel
South of No North
Nobody Is Ever Missing: A Novel
Catherine Lacey
Dr. Bloodmoney
The Emancipated Spectator
Martian Time-Slip
Flow My Tears, the Policeman Said
Future Home of the Living God
Mirror, Shoulder, Signal and the Struggle of Changing Gears
BY Sam Lipsyte PAGES 284 GENRE Fiction HOW DOES A YOUNG, AIMLESS man go from failed comic to corporate-wellness hack to revered lifestyle guru? Pretty easily, it turns out. Author Sam Lipsyte presents a hero for our times in Hark, a meditation
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Children's Books: Fantasy
New Fantasy Novels for Kids (and Adults) Ready to Go Beyond Harry Potter: A shape-shifting fox in space, a sentient island, an eerily perfect town and twins who use magic to stay together: There’s abundant life in this speculative fiction.
The Best Short Stories of J. G. Ballard - J. G. Ballard
by Anthony Burgess
The first thing to say about J. G. Ballard is not that he is among our finest writers of science fiction but that he is among our finest writers of fiction tout court period. Ballard himself might retort that, granted the first claim, the second is redundant, since the only important fiction being produced today is science fiction (or the fiction of the untrammeled imagination, or of hypothesis, or of the metaphysical pushing to the limit of a scientific datum: unsatisfactory as it is, we always end up with science fiction). I understand that the only living writers Ballard really admires are Isaac Asimov and William Burroughs. This can be interpreted negatively as a rejection of the kind of fiction that pretends there has been no revolution in thought and sensibility since, say, 1945. And this, alas, means the greater part of contemporary fiction, which remains thematically and stylistically torpid, limiting itself, as to subject matter, to what can be observed and inferred from observation and, as to language, what might be regarded by George Eliot as a little advanced but, on the whole, perfectly intelligible. Ballard considers that the kind of limitation that most contemporary fiction accepts is immoral, a shameful consequence of the rise of the bourgeois novel. Language exists less to record the actual than to liberate the imagination. To go forward, as Ballard does, is also to go back—scientific apocalypse and pre-scientific myth meet in the same creative region, where the great bourgeois novelists of tradition would not feel at home.
Ballard is a writer who accepts thematic limitations, but they are his own. His aesthetic instinct tells him that the task of the science fiction writer is not primarily to surprise or shock with bizarre inventions but, as with all fiction writers, to present human beings in credible, if extreme, situations and to imagine their reactions. Ballard’s characters are creatures of the earth, not from outer space. Why devise fanciful new planets when we have our own planet, on which strange things are already happening, on which the ultimate strange happening is linked to present actualities or latencies by cause and effect? There is nothing in the evolutionary theory that denies living things the ability to develop leaden carapaces as a protection against nuclear fallout. In time, the demographic explosion will bring about not only fantastic living-space regulations but a habit of mind that sees a broom closet as a desirable residence. Man will suck up oxygen from the oceans to aerate habitats in orbit, the Atlantic will be diminished to a salt pool, and in the pool will be the final fish of the world, to be battered to death by vicious boys. A new kind of man evolves, enslaved by engines of subliminal persuasion to ever-increasing consumption. Our response to Ballard’s visions is twofold: we reject this impossible world; we recognize that it is all too possible. The mediator between that world and this is a credible human being in a classic situation—tragical-stoical: he fights change on our behalf, but he cannot win. Faulkner, in The Overloaded Man, comes closest to victory by devising an epistemological trick—reducing the objects of the detestable world to sense-data, turning the sense-data to ideas, then killing the ideas by killing himself.
It would be too easy to call Ballard a prophet of doom. It is not the fiction writer’s job to moralize about Man the Overreacher, in the manner of the old Faust plays. He lays down a premise and pursues a syllogism. If we do this, then that inevitably follows: choice remains free. We associate prophecies of impending damnation, anyway, with the kind of mentality that rejects all technological progress: once admit the acoustic phonograph and the internal combustion engine and you are lost. Both H. G. Wells and Aldous Huxley built their utopias (eutopias, dystopias) on unassailable scientific knowledge. Ballard’s own authority in various specialist fields seems, to this non-scientist, to be very considerable: I never see evidence of a false step in reasoning or a hypothesis untenable to an athletic enough imagination. The intellectual content of many of the stories is too stimulating for depression and so, one might add, is the unfailing grace and energy of the writing.
In my view, two of the most beautiful stories of the world canon of short fiction are to be found in this selection. They are not, in the strictest sense, science fiction stories: their premises are acceptable only in terms of storytelling as ancient as those of Homer. In The Drowned Giant the corpse of a colossus of classical perfection of form is washed up on the beach. Children climb into the ears and nostrils; scientists inspect it; eventually the big commercial scavengers cart it off in fragments. The idea, perhaps, is nothing, but the skill lies in the exactness of the observation and the total credibility of the imagined human response to the presence of a drowned giant. Swift, in Gulliver, evaded too many physical problems, concerned as he was with a politico-satirical intention. Ballard evades nothing except the easy moral: to say that his story means this or that is to diminish it. In The Garden of Time a doomed aristocrat, aptly named Axel, plucks crystalline flowers whose magic holds off for a while the advancing hordes that will destroy his castle and the civilized order it symbolizes. In an older kind of fairy story, the magic of the flowers would be potent but unspecified, vaguely apotropaic. In Ballard the flowers drug time into a brief trance—specific and, if one is a little off one’s guard, almost rationally acceptable. The rhythms of poignancy which animate both stories are masterly: Ballard is a moving writer.
There are three short pieces at the end of this selection which show Ballard moving in a new direction. His novel Crash evinces a fascination with the erotic aspects of violent death, or the thanatotic elements in Eros. These little sketches, highly original in form as well as content (though Burroughs seems to be somewhere underneath) play grim love-death games with public, or pubic, figures. They will serve as a reminder that Ballard, master of traditional narrative styles, is restless to try new things. Through him only is science fiction likely to make a formal and stylistic breakthrough of the kind achieved by Joyce, for whom Vico’s La Scienza Nuova was new science enough. That Ballard is already important literature this selection will leave you in no doubt.
The Concentration City
Noon talk on Millionth Street:
Sorry, these are the West millions. You want 9775335th East.
Dollar five a cubic foot? Sell!
Take a westbound express to 495th Avenue, cross over to a Redline elevator and go up a thousand levels to Plaza Terminal. Carry on south from there and you’ll find it between 568th Avenue and 422nd Street.
There’s a cave-in down at KEN county! Fifty blocks by twenty by thirty levels.
Listen to this—‘PYROS STAGE MASS BREAKOUT! FIRE POLICE CORDON BAY COUNTY!’
It’s a beautiful counter. Detects up to .005 percent monoxide. Cost me three hundred dollars.
Have you seen those new intercity sleepers? Takes only ten minutes to go up three thousand levels!
Ninety cents a foot? Buy!
You say the idea came to you in a dream? the voice jabbed out. You’re sure no one else gave it to you?
No, M. said flatly. A couple of feet away from him a spot lamp threw a cone of dirty yellow light into his face. He dropped his eyes from the glare and waited as the sergeant paced over to his desk, tapped his fingers on the edge, and swung around on him again.
You talked it over with your friends?
Only the first theory, M. explained quietly. About the possibility of flight.
But you told me the other theory was more important. Why keep it quiet from them?
M. hesitated. Outside somewhere a trolley shunted and clanged along the elevated. I was afraid they wouldn’t understand what I meant.
The sergeant laughed sourly. You mean they would have thought you really were crazy?
M. shifted uncomfortably on the stool. Its seat was only six inches off the floor and his thighs and lumbar muscles felt like slabs of inflamed rubber. After three hours of cross-questioning, logic had faded and he groped helplessly. The concept was a little abstract. There weren’t any words for it.
The sergeant snorted. I’m glad to hear you say it. He sat down on the desk, watched M. for a moment and then went over to him.
Now look, he said confidentially. It’s getting late. Do you still think both theories are reasonable?
M. looked up. Aren’t they?
The sergeant turned angrily to the man watching in the shadows by the window.
We’re wasting our time, he snapped. I’ll hand him over to Psycho. You’ve seen enough, haven’t you, Doc?
The surgeon stared thoughtfully at his hands. He was a tall heavy-shouldered man, built like a wrestler, with thick coarsely-lined features.
He ambled forward, knocking back one of the chairs with his knee.
There’s something I want to check, he said curtly. Leave me alone with him for half an hour.
The sergeant shrugged. All right, he said, going over to the door. But be careful with him.
When the sergeant had gone the surgeon sat down behind the desk and stared vacantly out of the window, listening to the dull hum of air through the huge ninety-foot ventilator shaft which rose out of the street below the station. A few roof-lights were still burning and two hundred yards away a single policeman slowly patrolled the iron catwalk running above the street, his boots ringing across the darkness.
M. sat on the stool, elbows between his knees, trying to edge a little life back into his legs.
Eventually the surgeon glanced down at the charge sheet.
Name: Franz M.
Age: 20.
Occupation: Student.
Address: 3599719 West 783rd Str.,
Level 549-7705-45 KNI (Local).
Charge: Vagrancy.
Tell me about this dream, he said slowly, idly flexing a steel rule between his hands as he looked across at M.
I think you’ve heard everything, sir, M. said.
In detail.
M. shifted uneasily. There wasn’t much to it, and what I do remember isn’t too clear now.
The surgeon yawned. M. waited and then started to recite what he had already repeated twenty times.
I was suspended in the air above a flat stretch of open ground, something like the floor of an enormous arena. My arms were out at my sides, and I was looking down, floating—
Hold on, the surgeon interrupted. Are you sure you weren’t swimming?
No, M. said. I’m certain I wasn’t. All around me there was free space. That was the most important part about it. There were no walls. Nothing but emptiness. That’s all I remember.
The surgeon ran his finger along the edge of the rule.
Well, the dream gave me the idea of building a flying machine. One of my friends helped me construct it.
The surgeon nodded. Almost absently he picked up the charge sheet, crushed it with a single motion of his hand, and flicked it into the wastebasket.
Don’t be crazy, Franz! Gregson remonstrated. They took their places in the chemistry cafeteria queue. It’s against the laws of hydrodynamics. Where would you get your buoyancy?
Suppose you had a rigid fabric vane, Franz explained as they shuffled past the hatchways. Say ten feet across, like one of those composition wall sections, with handgrips on the ventral surface. And then you jump down from the gallery at the Coliseum Stadium. What would happen?
You’d make a hole in the floor. Why?
No, seriously.
If it was large enough and held together you’d swoop down like a paper dart.
Glide, Franz said. Right. Thirty levels above them one of the intercity expresses roared over, rattling the tables and cutlery in the cafeteria. Franz waited until they reached a table and sat forward, his food forgotten.
And say you attached a propulsive unit, such as a battery-driven ventilator fan, or one of those rockets they use on the Sleepers. With enough thrust to overcome your weight. What then?
Gregson shrugged. If you could control the thing, you’d… He frowned at Franz. What’s the word? You’re always using it.
Fly.
Basically, Mattheson, the machine is simple, Sanger, the physics lector, commented as they entered the Science Library. An elementary application of the Venturi Principle. But what’s the point of it? A trapeze would serve its purpose equally well, and be far less dangerous. In the first place consider the enormous clearances it would require. I hardly think the traffic authorities will look upon it with any favor.
I know it wouldn’t be practicable here, Franz admitted. But in a large open area it should be.
Allowed. I suggest you immediately negotiate with the Arena Garden on Level 347-25, the lector said whimsically. I’m sure they’ll be glad to hear about your scheme.
Franz smiled politely. That wouldn’t be large enough. I was really thinking of an area of totally free space. In three dimensions, as it were.
Sanger looked at Franz curiously. Free space? Isn’t that a contradiction in terms? Space is a dollar a cubic foot. He scratched his nose. Have you begun to construct this machine yet?
No, Franz said.
In that event I should try to forget all about it. Remember, Mattheson, the task of science is to consolidate existing knowledge, to systematize and reinterpret the discoveries of the past, not to chase wild dreams into the future.
He nodded and disappeared among the dusty shelves.
Gregson was waiting on the steps.
Well? he asked.
Let’s try it out this afternoon, Franz said. We’ll cut Text Five Pharmacology. I know those Fleming readings backward. I’ll ask Dr. McGhee for a couple of passes.
They left the library and walked down the narrow, dimly lit alley which ran behind the huge new Civil Engineering laboratories. Over 75 percent of the student enrollment was in the architectural and engineering faculties, a meager 2 percent in pure sciences. Consequently the physics and chemistry libraries were housed in the oldest quarter of the University, in two virtually condemned galvanized hutments which once contained the now closed Philosophy School.
At the end of the alley they entered the university plaza and started to climb the iron stairway leading to the next level a hundred feet above. Halfway up a white-helmeted FP checked them cursorily with his detector and waved them past.
What did Sanger think? Gregson asked as they stepped up into 637th Street and walked across to the Suburban Elevator station.
He’s no use at all, Franz said. He didn’t even begin to understand what I was talking about.
Gregson laughed ruefully. I don’t know whether I do.
Franz took a ticket from the automat and mounted the Down platform. An elevator dropped slowly toward him, its bell jangling.
Wait until this afternoon, he called back. You’re really going to see something.
The floor manager at the Coliseum initialed the two passes.
Students, eh? All right. He jerked a thumb at the long package Franz and Gregson were carrying. What have you got there?
It’s a device for measuring air velocities, Franz told him.
The manager grunted and released the stile.
Out in the center of the empty arena Franz undid the package and they assembled the model. It had a broad fanlike wing of wire and paper, a narrow strutted fusilage and a high curving tail.
Franz picked it up and launched it into the air. The model glided for twenty feet and then slithered to a stop across the sawdust.
Seems to be stable, Franz said. We’ll tow it first.
He pulled a reel of twine from his pocket and tied one end to the nose.
As they ran forward the model lifted gracefully into the air and followed them around the stadium, ten feet off the floor.
Let’s try the rockets now, Franz said.
He adjusted the wing and tail settings and fitted three firework display rockets into a wire bracket mounted above the wing.
The stadium was four hundred feet in diameter and had a roof two hundred and fifty high. They carried the model over to one side and Franz lit the tapers.
There was a burst of flame and the model accelerated off across the floor, two feet in the air, a bright trail of colored smoke spitting out behind it. Its wings rocked gently from side to side. Suddenly the tail burst into flames. The model lifted steeply and looped up toward the roof, stalled just before it hit one of the pilot lights, and dived down into the sawdust.
They ran across to it and stamped out the glowing cinders.
Franz! Gregson shouted. It’s incredible! It actually works.
Franz kicked the shattered fuselage.
Of course it works, he said impatiently, walking away. But as Sanger said, what’s the point of it?
The point? It flies! Isn’t that enough?
No. I want one big enough to hold me.
Franz, slow down. Be reasonable. Where could you fly it?
I don’t know, Franz said fiercely. But there must be somewhere. Somewhere!
The floor manager and two assistants, carrying fire extinguishers, ran across the stadium to them.
Did you hide that match? Franz asked quickly. They’ll lynch us if they think we’re pyros.
Three afternoons later Franz took the elevator up 150 levels to 677-98, where the Precinct Estate Office had its bureau.
There’s a big development between 493 and 554 in the next sector, one of the clerks told him. I don’t know whether that’s any good to you. Sixty blocks by twenty by fifteen levels.
Nothing bigger? Franz queried.
The clerk looked up. Bigger? No. What are you looking for? A slight case of agoraphobia?
Franz straightened the maps spread across the counter.
I wanted to find an area of more or less continuous development. Two or three hundred blocks long.
The clerk shook his head and went back to his ledger. Didn’t you go to Engineering School? he asked scornfully. The City won’t take it. One hundred blocks is the maximum.
Franz thanked him and left.
A southbound express took him to the development in two hours. He left the car at the detour point and walked the three hundred yards to the end of the level.
The street, a seedy but busy thoroughfare of garment shops and small business premises running through the huge ten-mile-thick BIR Industrial Cube, ended abruptly in a tangle of ripped girders and concrete. A steel rail had been erected along the edge and Franz looked down over it into the cavity, three miles long, a mile wide, and twelve hundred feet deep, which thousands of engineers and demolition workers were tearing out of the matrix of the City.
Eight hundred feet below him unending lines of trucks and rail cars carried away the rubble and debris, and clouds of dust swirled up into the arc lights blazing down from the roof.
As he watched a chain of explosions ripped along the wall on his left and the whole face suddenly slipped and fell slowly toward the floor, revealing a perfect cross-section through fifteen levels of the City.
Franz had seen big developments before, and his own parents had died in the historic QUA County cave-in ten years earlier, when three master pillars had sheared and two hundred levels of the City had abruptly sunk ten thousand feet, squashing half a million people like flies in a concertina, but the enormous gulf of emptiness still made his imagination gape.
All around him, standing and sitting on the jutting terraces of girders, a silent throng stared down.
They say they’re going to build gardens and parks for us, an elderly man at Franz’s elbow remarked in a slow patient voice. I even heard they might be able to get a tree. It’ll be the only tree in the whole county.
A man in a frayed sweat shirt spat over the rail. That’s what they always say. At a dollar a foot promises are all they can waste space on.
Below them a woman who had been looking out into the air started to simper nervously. Two bystanders took her by the arms and tried to lead her away. The woman began to thresh about and an FP came over and dragged her away roughly.
Poor fool, the man in the sweat shirt commented. She probably lived out there somewhere. They gave her ninety cents a foot when they took it away from her. She doesn’t know yet she’ll have to pay a dollar ten to get it back. Now they’re going to start charging five cents an hour just to sit up here and watch.
Franz looked out over the railing for a couple of hours and then bought a postcard from one of the vendors and walked back thoughtfully to the elevator.
He called in to see Gregson before returning to the student dormitory.
The Gregsons lived up in the West millions on 985th Avenue, in a top three-room flat right under the roof. Franz had known them since his parents’ death, but Gregson’s mother still regarded him with a mixture of sympathy and suspicion, and as she let him in with her customary smile of welcome he noticed her glancing quickly at the detector mounted in the hall.
Gregson was in his room, happily cutting out frames of paper and pasting them onto a great rickety construction that vaguely resembled Franz’s model.
Hullo, Franz. What was it like?
Franz shrugged. Just a development. Worth seeing.
Gregson pointed to his construction. Do you think we can try it out there?
We could do. Franz sat down on the bed, picked up a paper dart lying beside him, and tossed it out of the window. It swam out into the street, lazed down in a wide spiral and vanished into the open mouth of a ventilator shaft.
When are you going to build another model? Gregson asked.
I’m not.
Gregson swung round. Why? You’ve proved your theory.
That’s not what I’m after.
I don’t get you, Franz. What are you after?
Free space.
Free? Gregson repeated.
Franz nodded. In both senses.
Gregson shook his head sadly and snipped out another paper panel. Franz, you’re crazy.
Franz stood up. Take this room, he said. It’s twenty feet by fifteen by ten. Extend its dimensions infinitely. What do you find?
A development.
Infinitely!
Nonfunctional space.
Well? Franz asked patiently.
The concept’s absurd.
Because it couldn’t exist.
Franz pounded his forehead in despair. "Why couldn’t it?"
Gregson gestured with the scissors. It’s self-contradictory. Like the statement ‘I am lying.’ Just a verbal freak. Interesting theoretically, but it’s pointless to press it for meaning. He tossed the scissors onto the table. And anyway, do you know how much free space would cost?
Franz went over to the bookshelf and pulled out one of the volumes. Let’s have a look at your street atlas.
He turned to the index. This gives a thousand levels. KNI County, one hundred thousand cubic miles, population thirty million.
Gregson nodded.
Franz closed the atlas. Two hundred fifty counties, including KNI, together form the 493rd Sector, and an association of fifteen hundred adjacent sectors comprise the 298th Local Union.
He broke off and looked at Gregson. As a matter of interest, ever heard of it?
Gregson shook his head. No. How did—
Franz slapped the atlas onto the table. Roughly 4 × 10¹⁵ cubic Great-Miles. He leaned on the window ledge. Now tell me: what lies beyond the 298th Local Union?
Other Unions, I suppose, Gregson said. I don’t see your difficulty.
And beyond those?
Further ones. Why not?
Forever? Franz pressed.
Well, as far as forever is.
The great street directory in the old Treasury Library on 247th Street is the largest in the County, Franz said. I went down there this morning. It occupies three complete levels. Millions of volumes. But it doesn’t extend beyond the 598th Local Union. No one there had any idea what lay further out. Why not?
Why should they? Gregson asked. Franz, what are you driving at?
Franz walked across to the door. Come down to the Bio-History Museum. I’ll show you.
The birds perched on humps of rock or waddled about the sandy paths between the water pools.
ARCHAEOPTERYX, Franz read off one of the cage indicators. The bird, lean and mildewed, uttered a painful croak when he fed a handful of beans to it.
Some of these birds have the remnants of a pectoral girdle, Franz said. Minute fragments of bone embedded in the tissues around their rib cages.
Wings?
Dr. McGhee thinks so.
They walked out between the lines of cages.
When does he think they were flying?
Before the Foundation, Franz said. Three hundred billion years ago.
When they got outside the Museum they started down 859th Avenue. Halfway down the street a dense crowd had gathered and people were packed into the windows and balconies above the Elevated, watching a squad of Fire Police break their way into a house.
The bulkheads at either end of the block had been closed and heavy steel traps sealed off the stairways from the levels above and below. The ventilator and exhaust shafts were silent and already the air was stale and soupy.
Pyros, Gregson murmured. We should have brought our masks.
It’s only a scare, Franz said. He pointed to the monoxide detectors which were out everywhere, their long snouts sucking at the air. The dial needles stood safely at zero.
Let’s wait in the restaurant opposite.
They edged their way over to the restaurant, sat down in the window, and ordered coffee. This, like everything else on the menu, was cold. All cooking appliances were thermostated to a maximum 95°F., and only in the more expensive restaurants and hotels was it possible to obtain food that was at most tepid.
Below them in the street a lot of shouting went up. The FP’s seemed unable to penetrate beyond the ground floor of the house and had started to baton back the crowd. An electric winch was wheeled up and bolted to the girders running below the curb, and half a dozen heavy steel grabs were carried into the house and hooked around the walls.
Gregson laughed. The owners are going to be surprised when they get home.
Franz was watching the house. It was a narrow shabby dwelling sandwiched between a large wholesale furniture store and a new supermarket. An old sign running across the front had been painted over and evidently the ownership had recently changed. The present tenants had made a halfhearted attempt to convert the ground floor room into a cheap stand-up diner.
The FP’s appeared to be doing their best to wreck everything and pies and smashed crockery were strewn all over the pavement.
Crowd’s pretty ugly, Franz said. Do you want to move?
Hold on.
The noise died away and everyone waited as the winch began to revolve. Slowly the hawsers wound in and tautened, and the front wall of the house bulged and staggered outward in rigid jerky movements.
Suddenly there was a yell from the crowd.
Franz raised his arm.
Up there! Look!
On the fourth floor a man and woman had come to the window and were looking down frantically. The man helped the woman out onto the ledge and she crawled out and clung to one of the waste pipes.
The crowd roared, Pyros! You bloody pyros!
Bottles were lobbed up at them and bounced down among the police. A wide crack split the house from top to bottom and the floor on which the man was standing dropped and catapulted him backward out of sight.
Then one of the lintels in the first floor snapped and the entire house tipped over and collapsed.
Franz and Gregson stood up involuntarily, almost knocking over the table.
The crowd surged forward through the cordon. When the dust had settled there was nothing left but a heap of masonry and twisted beams. Embedded in this was the battered figure of the man. Almost smothered by the dust he moved slowly, painfully trying to free himself with one hand, and the crowd started roaring again as one of the grabs wound in and dragged him down under the rubble.
The manager of the restaurant pushed past Franz and leaned out of the window, his eyes fixed on the dial of a portable detector.
Its needle, like all the others, pointed to zero.
A dozen hoses were playing on the remains of the house and after a couple of minutes the crowd shifted and began to thin out.
The manager switched off the detector and left the window, nodding to Franz.
Damn pyros. You can relax now, boys.
Franz pointed at the detector.
Your dial was dead. There wasn’t a trace of monoxide anywhere here. How do you know they were pyros?
Don’t worry, we knew. He smiled obliquely. We don’t want that sort of element in this neighborhood.
Franz shrugged and sat down. I suppose that’s one way of getting rid of them.
The manager eyed Franz unpleasantly. That’s right, boy. This is a good five-dollar neighborhood. He smirked to himself. Maybe a six-dollar now everybody knows about our safety record.
Careful, Franz, Gregson warned him when the manager had gone. He may be right. Pyros do take over small cafés and food bars.
Franz stirred his coffee. Dr. McGhee estimates that at least fifteen percent of the City’s population are submerged pyros. He’s convinced the number’s growing and that eventually the whole City will flame out.
He pushed away his coffee. How much money have you got?
On me?
Altogether.
About thirty dollars.
I’ve saved up fifteen, Franz said thoughtfully. Forty-five dollars; that should be enough for three or four weeks.
Where? Gregson asked.
On a Supersleeper.
Super—! Gregson broke off, alarmed. Three or four weeks! What do you mean?
There’s only one way to find out, Franz explained calmly. I can’t just sit here thinking. Somewhere there’s free space and I’ll ride the Sleeper until I find it. Will you lend me your thirty dollars?
But Franz—
If I don’t find anything within a couple of weeks I’ll change tracks and come back.
But the ticket will cost… Gregson searched … billions. Forty-five dollars won’t even get you out of the Sector.
That’s just for coffee and sandwiches, Franz said. The ticket will be free. He looked up from the table. You know…
Gregson shook his head doubtfully. Can you try that on the Supersleepers?
Why not? If they query it I’ll say I’m going back the long way around. Greg, will you?
I don’t know if I should. Gregson played helplessly with his coffee. Franz, how can there be free space? How?
That’s what I’m going to find out, Franz said. Think of it as my first physics practical.
. The actual itinerary taken was the passenger’s responsibility, and as long as he remained within the system he could choose any route he liked.
Tickets were checked only at the station exits, where necessary surcharges were collected by an inspector. If the passenger was unable to pay the surcharge—ten cents a mile—he was sent back to his original destination.
Franz and Gregson entered the station on 984th Street and went over to the large console where tickets were automatically dispensed.
Franz put in a penny and pressed the destination button marked 984. The machine rumbled, coughed out a ticket, and the change slot gave him back his coin.
Well, Greg, good-bye, Franz said as they moved toward the barrier. I’ll see you in about two weeks. They’re covering me down at the dormitory. Tell Sanger I’m on Fire Duty.
What if you don’t get back, Franz? Gregson asked. Suppose they take you off the Sleeper?
How can they? I’ve got my ticket.
And if you do find free space? Will you come back then?
If I can.
Franz patted Gregson on the shoulder reassuringly, waved and disappeared among the commuters.
He took the local Suburban Green to the district junction in the next county. The Greenline train traveled at an interrupted 70 mph and the ride took two and a half | cc/2019-30/en_middle_0005.json.gz/line990 |
__label__cc | 0.535546 | 0.464454 | A few weeks ago me Ma hands me this partially threatening letter from the Giant Octopus (in government form) instructing her to update her driver’s license to REAL ID standards or they’d unleash three wild rabid crocodiles into her basement. I had no idea what this thing was. But whatever, I made her an appointment and we worked out all the documentation requirements. But now people from my office are taking off from work to get this ID update done. I guess eventually I have to do this too? I guess? So we did some research to get the backstory of this dumbest of ideas.
In 2005, Congress (that institution that never works) passed a law mandating enhanced requirements for government issued identification. This was done in response to the September 11th attacks. I guess the idea was to prevent the use of fraudulent identifications. The federal government was really after the States who issued poor quality or easy to forge driver’s licenses. For example, in Alabama they use old crop husks and in Oregon they use congealed kombucha base. Both of these are now unacceptable.
So what do you need a REAL ID to do? Well, according to the Department of Homeland Security (that institution that never works) it’s required for: “The purposes covered by the Act are: accessing Federal facilities, entering nuclear power plants, and, boarding federally regulated commercial aircraft.”
If you need to get on a federal facility they’ll give you their own specific ID for it. So unless you’re Homer Simpson the only real reason you need the REAL ID is to get on an airplane. That’s it.
Oh my! Where do we start?
1) Act passed in 2005 but not required to complete before 2020; 15 year introduction cycle (or three times longer than World War II).
2) In 14 years since Act has passed not one commercial airliner has been brought down or nuclear power plant infiltrated due to a forged identification thus bringing into question the entire relevance of the Act.
3) REAL ID is required to board a plane, but not required to board a train, bus, autogyro, get into a sports stadium, library, school, Valhalla, or any other place with 743% less security than airplanes and airports.
4) Assumption that technology developed and implemented by government will somehow produce 300 million REAL IDs that cannot be (at least easily) forged. Because surely an evil bad guy who really means it will find it baffling to forge an ID also produced by the genius wizards of your local MVA.
5) Despite bullets (1) through (4) above, the wheels of the bureaucracy have continued to turn for 14 years without nary a thought of perhaps: “maybe we don’t/shouldn’t really need to do this”.
behold! the definition of futility
Boeing has a lot to answer for
Everybody should withhold final judgement until the Ethiopians and the American investigators have gotten a crack at the boxes. But eyewitness reports indicating that the aircraft was breaking up in flight are troubling.
I flew yesterday on a 737-800 which looks mostly like a 737 Max and I was glad when I got aboard and realized it was an 800. I mean I’m not trying to be too dramatic, my rental car drive to the airport was 700 times more dangerous, but I did sleep better on the flight.
It used to be that Airbus built planes that killed people with wacky failures in the electronics and systems. Airbus hasn’t done that since Air France 447 in 2009. Has Boeing now assumed that tragic role? And if so, why and how?
What we do know is that the Lion Air crash in Indonesia was partly a maintenance failure, but also Boeing’s fault. The pilots had the correct input on the controls, the airplane ignored them. The plane killed those people. Again, we’ll see what Ethiopia says on this latest crash.
August 12, 2018 by gentlebenno - 0 comments
TSA: “Nothing to see here.” [shifty eyes]
“It’s perfectly normal for an employee who makes $9 an hour to be able to steal a 20 ton commercial aircraft,” says representative of government agency that fails at its mission over 90% of the time.
supersonic will soon be back, but it won’t be big
Sometimes technology seems to go backwards. For example, the US used to operate the shuttle which was a relatively advanced reusable spaceplane. Now NASA has nothing, and the replacement vehicle in development has more in common with the Apollo or Soyuz space capsules than it does with the shuttle.
Likewise, Concorde first flew in 1976. Here we are over 40 years later and every single commercially viable passenger plane of any size is exclusively subsonic. I’ll save my thoughts pf NASA’s failures for another day. Today I want to focus on supersonic. More and more in the news you see that several companies are trying to dive back into supersonic.
But first, what happened after 1976? In short, supersonic failed for a number of reasons:
– It was never cost effective: Concorde burned a lot of fuel, had a large maintenance footprint, and could never get the cost per seat / seat vacancy ratios correctly to turn a consistent profit.
– Development: Because of the cost considerations, nobody saw a reason to develop a successor to Concorde. By the end of the 20th Century, Concorde was a 20 year old design and the airframes were reaching the end of usable service.
– 2000: The Air France crash was the end of the road. Adding up the cost and service life against the reality of a full crash was the end of the program.
And there we’ve sat for decades. But now folks are willing to try again. Why:
a) Air travel and airline technology has become so advanced as to be scary in terms of safety. Western airlines have a safety record that’s downright miraculous. Lawnmowers kill more people each year.
b) Modern super fuel efficient engines combined with advanced computing might be close to cracking the code on the cost problem. When you add in the composites that make the newer airframes strong and lighter I think they might cross the threshold on turning a profit per flight.
c) Humanity is more obsessed with time. In the business world, seconds matter whereas when Concorde last flew perhaps only minutes mattered. Think of it, in 2000 smartphones didn’t even exist. The world has gotten faster, and so I think folks will be far more inclined to put down the cash when they’re staring at the reality of a flight time that gets cut in half.
But will it work? Well, let’s examine the most realistic commercial supersonic venture.
Boom Supersonic has already booked aircraft orders, 10 from Virgin, and 20 from JAL. The expectation is they’re flying commercially by 2025. Its jets will seat 55 passengers, go across the Atlantic in half the current time, and cost approximately $5K per ticket. Boom claims to have cracked the code on fuel efficiency and subduing the impact of the dreaded sonic boom.
My conclusions:
1) I searched online, trying to book over two months in advance, Heathrow to JFK with a one week dwell. The cost for an Economy seat is $400. Boom’s jet is single aisle, single seat each side. To me, this is an exclusively Business / First Class jet. Economy does not apply. For a Business flight it’s all over the place. You can go on TAP Portugal for $2.1K. Air France is $6K. United is $7K To fly BA is $7.5K.
So let’s get something straight. If Boom states that it’s $5K per seat they either mean the cost to them and/or they’re fibbing on future prices. When all the major carriers are already charging Atlantic rides for well over $5K for subsonic, then my back of the napkin math says a Boom supersonic seat costs closer to $10K.
So right off the bat you’re looking at a ticket that’s 20 times more expensive between Economy and supersonic. Thus, to declare that the supersonic ticket is already in the realm of the super-rich is an understatement. Already it’s the same high-risk niche market Concorde had to struggle with.
2) I don’t care what Boom or others claim, the sonic boom problem is a major problem. Even if Boom can produce a severely muffled boom, they still can’t break physics, there will still be a boom. And if there’s a sonic boom, it’s going to be regulated. If it’s regulated, it’s not going to be easy.
All supersonic has to do is lightly tap one skyscraper apartment window in Manhattan and there will be people up in arms about how the boom is giving them phantom headaches. Then the lawyers come out of the bushes and it’s a gigantic mess. Can Boom and other companies get around this by only going supersonic over water, sure. But in the end as with Concorde, the sonic boom problem is not going to be a rounding error. It’s a big problem.
3) Think about the turnover rate of a standard subsonic jet. Take a 737 flying inside the US. On any given day, one jet is expected to fly over half-a-dozen flights. They have to turnover at the gate in less than an hour and get back in the air. They have to not seriously break over hundreds of hours of constant flight. They have to do it at the safety rate of zero crashes. Can Boom or other companies crack the code on this, keep the aircraft available enough to fly again and again to generate profit, and do it safely every single fight? I think they can definitely do it. But I’m not sure they can do it and consistently make money. New technology is hard to master. And going supersonic on a completely new airframe isn’t going to be an easy thing to do.
You need only look at the development hell Airbus and Boeing have gone through with their latest subsonic jets to realize how hard building airplanes is. Going supersonic is going to generate a whole new level of difficulty. Plus, Boom is a company that doesn’t have a sustained record of success with previous aircraft models. Look at what happened with the Bombardier CSeries. That jet crashed out in development hell because Bombardier made too many mistakes. They had to sell out the airframe to Airbus for like $1 to avoid bankruptcy. And the CSeries is a pretty basic modern subsonic jet, and it still was impossible for Bombardier to succeed. I’m not sure I think companies like Boom truly understand how hard their task will be to develop and build supersonic without going bankrupt in the process.
In closing, I think we’ll see supersonic return and soon. But given that the passenger market is still only the exclusive rich, the remaining associated problem of profit risk, and my concerns about technology development, I think the end result is supersonic is going to be a very, very small footprint by say 2030. Only a handful of jets will fly and the companies that run them will be scraping by paycheck to paycheck on cost. In the end, I don’t think supersonic is going to be viable for major airlines on anything but a small scale. It’ll be a niche market, or perhaps become a major chunk of the private jet market. But large scale from major airlines? I just don’t see it.
But who knows, maybe I’m wrong?
Alexander Part II: The journey aboard the Memnon
Years later, we would often debate on who had made such a grave mistake. With the remains of the previous night’s raki still fogging our brains every memory was clouded by nonsense. And so each version of events was as different as the personalities in our party. But I for one, regardless of whose mistake it was, am always reminded of a tenant of life: Never ask a thief to buy something for you.
And so after an expert, hearty breakfast prepared by one of Zeki’s men, we prepared to depart Istanbul bound for our adventure. Stelios met us at the central terminal having bought the tickets that (somebody) had volunteered him to procure. With glee, and a slap upon his packet of papers did Stelios state with a flourish, “Granicus. Let’s go!”
All of us stared at Stelios without comprehension. Until Mut offered, simply, “Granicus is Ottoman.”
“Yes!” Stelios lit a cigarette and dragged with pleasure.
“We’re going to Greece,” said George wearily.
Stelios waved his lit cigarette, “Why would we…”
“Greece is where Alexander started…”, George implored.
“…but to find Alexander,” Stelios clapped his palms together, “we must of course venture to his first great victory against the Persians!”
Mut shook his head, “Greece first.”
“No, Granicus,” Stelios stabbed his cigarette, “We will let you guide us through the oh so many Moslem worlds that await us, but for the moment, this is my part. My part, and to Granicus we go.”
Mut again, deadpan, “Granicus is Moslem.”
Either out of frustration or sheer drive, Alianna stepped forward and ripped the tickets from the packet, and with the slightest of whispers did state into Stelios’ ear, “Idiot.” And she was off toward the ticket office. The rest of us meekly and with resignation followed. She returned shortly afterwards with the steamer tickets for Chalcis.
Alexander was born in Pella, in theory. But at that time he was just a baby, a human, and a reasonable calculation would have termed his political future (and his very life) doomed. We were bound for Chalcis, and then through the dusty background of the Greek countryside we would edge the outskirts of Attica and then cross over the borders into Boeotia. Finally we would stumble upon a little hamlet, the place where Alexander was born. Chaeronea. Granicus would come, but only later.
We bade goodbye to Istanbul, a place we would remain inexplicably linked to throughout our adventures but would not see for a very long time. Zeki had left me with a great deal of letters and contacts for our forthcoming journeys.
The docks were a mass of humanity. Shoulder to shoulder we pushed through the crowds for the steamship piers. All of Istanbul seemed primed to dispense with most of the day’s business before the afternoon, before the heat returned. Yet surrounded by traders, hackers, herders, moneymen, longshoremen, one quickly heats up anyways.
As always I was glad for my loose traveling clothes which equally fit a sun scorched mountain as a busy dockside. George’s apparel quite agreed with my style. I didn’t know how Mut and Stelios did it, with their tailored and pristine suits, saved from a bath only by the handkerchiefs they repeatedly bore. Or Alianna, who wore her styled intoxicating garb with grace, but seemed to carry no handkerchief nor any sweat upon her brow.
We plowed our way to the jetty and our ride in Memnon, a coastal steamship whose material condition seemed perfectly suited to safely take us the seven-hundred yards across the Bosporus without incident, but not much further. I made a note to thank my Uncle for teaching me how to swim the next time I found myself compelled to pray at some point in the forthcoming month.
I observed with pleasure the timetables and that our journey south would likely mirror the routes in which the triremes had sailed these waters. We would hug Ottoman Europe and the Greek coast until we met Chalcis. We would stop for passengers by choice. The Ancient Greeks had to stop most nights and pull their vessels ashore just to remain afloat. Our journey would take two days, theirs took weeks. We would eat comfortably amongst our fellow passengers. They would cook along beaches by the fireside. Despite Memnon’s condition, I felt safe enough to enjoy the forthcoming ride. They praised the gods every time their journey ended without them consigned to the deep.
As we pulled from the shore we left behind the heat that emanated from the city like a bird fleeing a warm desert rock. The cool sea breeze dried the moisture from our faces and we drank it in as energy more powerful than the best of coffee. Though Alianna had already found a mug of that too, and I began to wonder if she would always have some attached to her hand.
Memnon’s captain helmed her with the skill of a man who has done something thousands of times, effortless and with art. The Bosporus certainly had all the charm of history, but could have done without the filth that clouded its historic waters. After five thousand years, civilization had taken its toll on the cliffs, the stark beaches, the fishing settlements, and suburbs of the great Ottoman city.
I found my forearms planted upon the rail until the sun reddened the back of my neck. Mothers dumped buckets of waste across the shore as children played behind them. Fisherman plied their trade in thumb sized boats unchanged in their design since Alexander. Bland villages found their way atop bluffs, astride cliffs, all competing pell-mell for access to the sea.
It was difficult, impossible even, to accurately imagine a time with most of this land as barren countryside between the oasis of villages that dotted the desolate landscape like stars in the night sky. Much to my sickness, I allowed my mind to wander too far, too beyond usefulness. And my thoughts turned to the reality that all our ship passed as it strode south was now in service to the maw of one singular man in The Sultan.
So much history, so much progress, and yet a poor fisherman still conducted his life driven by base needs, equipped with the minimalist of technology, and still bound by fate of the same kind of ruler as had been in charge for longer than it took the wind to smooth jagged rocks.
Were my adventures, my efforts any different? I began to regret ever coming upon this journey. I suddenly found myself wondering what in God’s name I was thinking. I felt the need to escape. My Browning, expertly tucked inside my belt at the small of my back, round chambered, began to feel three times as heavy. I wanted the adventure, but I felt as if I didn’t want to go through the effort to get it.
Only shame kept me from doing anything other than gutting it out. And the hope that once we really got started, things would begin to feel better. Though my companions were all volunteers, and certainly knew the danger, I wondered if they understood just how many of those I’d traveled with in the past were by now but dust and bones.
George seemed much the same, only more so. It seemed Allah’s sight did not progress beyond the brow of the Ottoman ship, and given the large number of Greek passengers, alcohol was served with abandon. It wasn’t long before George was drunk, and stayed drunk.
Mut gambled, and gambled. Then he gambled some more. Cards, dice, dominoes, what bird would get the next fish, what time we’d make our next port, the fate of his daughter (I don’t believe he had one), and whatever else struck his moment.
Stelios seemed glued to the stern, where he had somehow procured the finest of deck chairs. There he planted his liberated bare feet upon the rail, his jacket off and sleeves rolled, leaned back and read almost anything he could find. I did not inquire where he got the chair, one that seemed fit for a king, or perhaps a steamboat captain.
I tried, quite hard, to make myself useful in what became an expedition for Alianna to talk to just about anybody who seemed capable of conversation. It quickly dawned on me that she either relished it or needed it, constantly, it was her alcohol, her gambling, her reading material.
She seemed to select candidates from among the other passengers. Once she found her mark, whoever was the most interesting, they became her focus to the exclusion of all others. The Sultan’s detective from Gallipoli who was on the case but bound for the wrong port, the accountant from Alexandroupoli who had just made his fortune, the graceless Thessalonian grandmother who Mut couldn’t beat at anything, and the Albanian child who wrote poetry in pencil on the margins of discarded newspapers.
I couldn’t keep up with her, much to my disappointment. I didn’t know yet if I wanted her, but any man in the presence of any such woman would be inhuman not to desire at least some attention. As it was never forthcoming, I found myself retiring to my meager cabin more and more. Often with the kicker required to relax and sleep with ease, though not nearly at the levels George seemed to require.
Somewhere along our brief time at sea I once again had that feeling of being watched. But my mood, the drink, or the benign nature of riding a derelict steamship all combined to force my aspect into one of complete disengagement. If we were watched, I didn’t care. It didn’t matter to me. The adventure had just begun, but perhaps had already lost its edge.
It had never been that way for Alexander. His adventure took half a decade to lose its steam. Mine lasted three days.
But as with all things, life can turn at any moment.
And in the dark of my cabin, well into the dead of a silent night, was broken by pounding, a sharply opened door, and a wide-eyed-bare-shirted Stelios who scraped, “George went over the side!”
I was out the door in a blink and darting with Stelios towards the stern. Our bare feet patted the deck in slaps. “Why didn’t you go in after him?” I fiercely shouted.
Between breaths, “I can’t swim, by God.”
As we made it to the stern and Stelios’ deck chair I nearly vaulted over the rail but found it nearly impossible to see anything other than the whitewash of the wake against black water and a cloudy night sky. Within a second I came to the overwhelming calculation that a drunk George was a dead man the second he departed the boat and well before he ever hit the water.
And then my eyes caught up with my nerves, and I realized that Stelios’ deck chair hadn’t been vacant, but very much occupied. I snapped around and behind me, very much seated, was George. I then received the unbridled laughter of them both.
Out of relief, and remembering things I had done in my past, I began to smile and chuckle, but fueled by anger I grabbed for Stelios’ collar, but got his neck instead forgetting he was without a shirt, “In God’s name are you insane!”
“His face,” Stelios spit to George, “His face was the payoff.” More laughter.
George, his eyes barely open but hopeful, “We’re out of fuel, have you got any money?”
I turned about, my palms on my head. Then came about again and rammed a crunch of bills from my pocket into George’s chest. He was on his feet and headed forward far faster than he should have been able in his condition. And I suddenly knew I needed a huge pull of whatever he returned with.
Unconsciously, I began to smile, widely. Then I laughed, and felt alive, so very alive. Stelios, now clearly intoxicated to my calmed eyes, clapped me on the shoulder and leaned in, “Just so you know, I really can’t swim. Not a bit.”
July 8, 2018 by gentlebenno - 0 comments
having had some time to think on it
I probably first discovered Bourdain in about 2007. This was during his time at No Reservations back when I still had cable. It was well before anybody really knew who he was. At this point he was just another obscure cable television host.
Sure, those in the food scene knew him and he’d written a relatively famous book. But most average folks had no idea who he was. I got immediately hooked on No Reservations and ended up watching most episodes.
It was also at this point that Bourdain began to become a wider part of the food / travel scene and also our wider modern culture. I remember he gave some interview online and I forwarded it to my brothers. I think they thought this was weird, and were like, who’s this random guy?
But years after that I remember my brother forwarding me a radio interview he’d done. Bourdain in a few short years had gone from relative obscurity to being well known across a variety of circles.
I kind of kept in touch with what Bourdain was doing over the years but never really got into Parts Unknown. Whenever I was at the airport or entirely bored in a hotel, if it was on, I’d watch it. But I never sought it out.
Part of my issue with Parts Unknown is it had a poor food to travel ratio. This was also the case with later episodes of No Reservations. I could be entirely mistaken but it seems as time went on, more and more of each episode was just Tony eating. Whereas in say 2007 most of the episode was travel focused.
Again I could be wrong, that’s just my impression. I like food too, but the most compelling parts of No Reservations to me was never the food, but always Bourdain traveling and giving his thoughts on life and the local areas.
Ultimately what drew folks to Bourdain was his ability to to put himself into the shoes of anybody on the planet, understand them, capture that, and then explain it to somebody else not there.
This is not an easy skill to master and employ. And one that if you spend eight seconds on social media and the news, that most folks don’t even care to learn. Today’s culture seems to be about conquest, not understanding.
And that was never Bourdain. And that’s why people like me who are just not into celebrities or modern culture sort of worshiped this guy’s message.
One of the most compelling episodes is where Bourdain spends time with Ted Nugent. A guy who even his most fervent supporters could not deny is a total lunatic. Bourdain had his politics too, but he always wore it with a light touch, something other entertainers could learn a lot from.
I forget the line, I’m summarizing, but Bourdain essentially says something like: I don’t have to agree with you, to like you. If I’m remembering this right, then that line should be tattooed onto everybody’s skull cavity today.
I’ve avoided thus far writing about his death, so I could think on it. In the end, sadly I believe he’ll be known to many as just another celebrity who killed themselves. I don’t know why he did it. Nobody ever will I suppose. It doesn’t matter though. Life is sacred, but suicide is all too easy.
My coworkers and I found another coworker at a gas station with a whiskey bottle and a loaded pistol in his lap. I still get the shakes wondering what if we’d been a half-hour late. Like most people who’ve been to the darkest of places, once or twice I was probably at very serious risk of suicide. My family, my friends, my dogs, my coworkers helped me back. But essentially, suicide is no joke, and it’s everywhere. Even when somebody seems like they’re okay, you should always be there to help, always be there for somebody, because you never know what’s going on inside somebody’s head. Nobody can do life alone.
I suppose in the end, all I can say is that there are many, many voices in today’s world. Most of them are simply not worth listening to. Anthony Bourdain was a voice to absorb, and to pass on.
We need more people like him.
Kamakura – Engaku-ji
Lost amidst the fervent nationalism that’s now the norm in the Western Pacific is how longstanding and deep the ties are between peoples. From 1274 to 1281 the Mongols, alongside their Chinese and Korean vassals, conducted a series of invasions against Japan. All failed for a variety of reasons, not least of which was a series of typhoons and the emergence of what would become the samurai warrior class.
In 1282 to commemorate the victories, honor the dead on all sides, and to push forward Zen Buddhism in Japan, the then shōgun Hōjō Tokimune ordered the construction of Engaku-ji. He enlisted the help of a Chinese monk in Mugaku Sogen. Zen became a huge part of the ruling culture’s psyche and was integral in the emergence of the samurai and what they were.
In the sense, Hōjō got exactly what he’d wanted. He’s buried there. And while the days of the Kamakura Shōgunate long passed it remained a key feature in Japanese Buddhism throughout history. It’s a must see if you’re anywhere near Kamakura and it couldn’t be easier to get to via JR East’s Yokosuka Line which essentially drops you right at the temple entrance.
The Sanmon, two story main gate, looking from it’s back towards the entrance. As is typical for just about any ancient Japanese structure, fire constantly requires rebuilding. The current version was reconstructed in 1785.
Now walking up from the front of the Sanmon.
Engaku-ji is still a functioning temple. I didn’t get too close but there were folks practicing archery. Note the target in the distance.
Note the guy on the right with a typical Japanese longbow, as tall as a man (he is kneeling). Despite the reputation of the katana, I suspect the real killers on most Japanese battlefields were the archers.
I love the contrast in light on this shot.
Find the fishy.
The monk’s quarters.
The Great Bell, Ogane, cast in 1301. The largest temple bell in the wider Tokyo area. | cc/2019-30/en_middle_0005.json.gz/line991 |
__label__wiki | 0.558448 | 0.558448 | Bryan Joiner
Why then I
LeBron, the Knicks, the Nets, and the Red Pill
by Bryan
The only thing Chris needs more than a glass of water is a working Internet connection. He doesn’t even need a minute to think this over. Say the word, chart the King’s path for New Jersey, and he’s ready to make the switch. After years of frustration in the best of times and something beyond despair in the worst of them, he’s looking at the Knicks and he feels nothing at all. The Church of Anthony Mason has been destroyed. For the first time, he sees this:
Starting tomorrow, Chris will be clicking between two websites: Twitter, which is sure to break news of LeBron James’ eventual destination faster than any other site, and the New Jersey Nets’ official website. The season tickets page, to be exact. If LeBron jumps, so will he, and that will be the end of it.
It’s hard for me to say how much Chris loved the Knicks growing up; I didn’t know him until eight years ago, when the team was already corkscrewing to the bottom of a terrible conference. The Nets were ascendant then, but that made no difference to him. The Knicks were bad, but to him and many others, still: StarksMasonEwingEwingEwing, and FUCK Charles Smith, but not as much as Michael Jordan, no player as much as Michael Jordan, not then or not ever, but Jimmy Dolan on the other hand…
He watched and waited and watched and waited, and good God, he watched. He watched the Knicks on television, compulsively. He was an addict in search of that first, glorious high, creepingly aware that it was never coming back but digging in his heels—and his butt into his couch—anyway. The definition of addiction, and the definition of insanity. Still, they were his Knicks, and nothing could change that…
Until 2004, Chris was a Yankees fan. The A-Rod trade turned him off to the team altogether, and he swiftly made the switch to the Mets. To this day, I’ve never heard any echoes of his joy at 1996 or subsequent titles. Maybe he keeps them to himself, but his love for the Yankees seems dead, a small fire snuffed out by a Category 5 hurricane.
For the Knicks, Hurricane Isiah finally started pushing people to the brink. Not Chris. He kept watching. StarksMasonEwingEwingEwing. FUCK Charles… eh, I guess he’s no Isiah. And FUCK Michael… eh, why bother? Chris didn’t let go of his grip completely, he just loosened it, but the storm kept coming.
Now the Nets are definitely coming to Brooklyn, where Chris grew up, and the Knicks, having ostensibly planned for this offseason for three years, look as clueless as they did when they started. Not only that, Chris is convinced that LeBron is signing with the Nets. He is convinced that LeBron’s mind has long been made up to come to New York, but that he, like Chris, sees a team that died 10 years ago. The fire still burned for Chris, surviving every Category 5 hurricane James Dolan threw at him, but why would it for LeBron?
There is, technically, no Category 6 hurricane. That’s what James would be. He’s already a prototype of something we haven’t seen before. Category 6. Category number 6. For Chris, he’s the hope to extinguish the smoldering wreckage of what was and will always be his favorite era in any sport, ever. Starks, the little engine that did. Mason, the man on whom he has modeled a not-insignificant part of his life (Chris’ love for Mase is pathological, admirable, scary). Ewing, the original spark of hope. Ewing, the key to it all. Ewing, the symbol of all that could have been, a monument to the past.
If the storm comes, it’ll fill thousands of glasses of water. The blue pills keep fans looking backward. The red pill pushes them forward—”the only direction”—and that’s why Chris has chosen it. But he’s no longer looking to the sky for his water to wash it down. He’s already taken it and, that’s why for the first time in a decade, he’s ready to enjoy whatever comes next.
Filed Under: Hoops, new york
Tags: anthony mason : charles smith : john starks : knicks : lebron james : michael jordan : nets : patrick ewing : the matrix
4 Comments to “LeBron, the Knicks, the Nets, and the Red Pill”
seo Hoddesdon says:
I’m not that much of a online reader to be honest but your blogs really
nice, keep it up! I’ll go ahead and bookmark your website
to coje back in the future. All the best
The 10-man rotation, starring your new favorite LeBron song « Cycaster News says:
[…] role.PG: The Hoop Doctors. Here’s another take on the top 50 free agents of the summer. 6th: Bryan Joiner. Could LeBron signing in New Jersey make some Knicks fans switch allegiances?7th: Nets Daily. […]
The 10-man rotation, starring your new favorite LeBron song | Sport News says:
This article is almost too on-point for words.
But I’ll try.
you give me da screwface when i curse you out
slang from the islands
nasty shit like Bomboclot
so in case you forgot
I’m too ill, that
I’m too hot
I’m like Anthony Mason but with a jump shot
@bryanjoiner
it’s been like what 65 years you could grow up whenever twitter.com/dan_shaughness… 5 hours ago
RT @gadyepstein: The Never Trumper hate for AOC explains a lot about how Trumpism so easily took over the GOP 5 hours ago
RT @JordanUhl: "Weak minds and leaders challenge loyalty to our country in order to avoid challenging & debating the policy." — @AOC with p… 5 hours ago
now do strikeout percentage twitter.com/prospects365/s… 5 hours ago
RT @TrentonHassles: People love dumb-ass shit https://t.co/wrzlwC0cRp 15 hours ago
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SHOP AQUA
SHOP LIGNO
Melbourne based BoldB is driven by the creative vision and passion of German-born Industrial Designer Britta Boeckmann. Not satisfied to simply follow the latest trend, Britta instead pushes the boundaries of jewellery design to bring her ideas to life. With clever design and meticulous attention to detail, BoldB's unique jewellery range varies from head-turning statement pieces to stylish everyday basics.
BoldB designs are unlike anything else on the market. Britta creates jewellery as art - jewellery to inspire the wearer. Drawing inspiration from the textures, shapes and contrasts of the natural world, BoldB designs are created using natural materials such as sand and wood in new and surprising ways.
BoldB jewellery is timeless and to be worn across seasons. BoldB is designed for the quirky, for the creative, for the adventurous. We create for those who follow their own path.
Britta Boeckmann
Creative Director and Co-founder
Britta Boeckmann has always had a passion to create. Even after breaking her arm as a small child, Britta stuck crayons into her plaster cast to finish the drawings she was working on - to her mother’s dismay!
Britta’s father owned a hardware store, which gave her access to plenty of materials and tools, and fueled her passion for building and creating things. This passion grew into a promising career in Industrial Design, and after completing an internship with a British jewellery design company Britta became fascinated by the intricacy of jewellery.
Britta had so many quirky ideas she wanted to explore. She noticed there were brands out there which used wood, however none seemed to produce designs which combined the natural and modern. None which truly innovated with shapes and materials. None which blended modern design and handcrafted quality. Nothing which she would really love wearing.
And so, after meeting a young Aussie named Sam and relocating to rural Australia with little prospect of securing an Industrial Design job, Britta took the opportunity to bring her ideas to life - Joining a local Woodworking group and combining scrap timbers with colourful resin to create her unique style of natural accessories. Britta gave away her early designs to family and friends, until one of her friends suggested she open a store on Etsy. Slowly at first, Britta started receiving orders for her distinctive designs and gradually gained a loyal following. However, after her designs were featured on design blogs including Bored Panda, MyModernMet and Colossal, Britta was soon overwhelmed - she could no longer keep up with demand. She needed help if she was to continue to develop her ideas and turn her creations into a sustainable business.
Michael is Britta’s brother in law, and where Britta was creative growing up - Michael was more technical. He enjoyed understanding systems and technology and how things worked. As a teen, Michael hacked his copy of NBA Live (a video game) and created a team of 10 foot giants to defeat his younger brother Sam.
After completing his studies in Engineering and Business, Michael joined the corporate world - working for the global consulting network PwC for 5 years. Although the work was interesting, he grew restless reviewing the systems of other companies. He wanted to build something of his own, particularly after watching his father start and grow his own successful environmental consultancy. He had also witnessed the daily struggle of colleagues balancing work and parental demands in the corporate world, and Michael and his wife Lauren were planning to start a family soon. He wanted the flexibility to be present as a father.
At family events Michael was always excited to hear the latest news on Britta’s business and loved bouncing ideas off her. He could see her incredible creative talent, but worried that she would start to burn out without help. So, in early 2016 when Britta unexpectedly asked Michael if he would like to join her - he jumped at the opportunity to help grow the BoldB brand.
The BoldB Family - Sam, Britta, Michael and Lauren
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‘GoT’s Star Wants Show’s Name on His Grave
It seems the actors on Game of Thrones are just as big fans of the show as we are! According to RTE, Liam Cunningham, who plays Davos Seaworth otherwise known as ‘the Onion Knight’, wants the show’s title etched on his grave. Cunningham considers the show a tremendous honor to be on and a ‘once in a lifetime experience’. Cunningham said the fantasy drama on his resume was like a ‘calling card of quality.’
Image Via WikiofThrones
Liam Cunningham’s role as Davos has certainly entrenched him as a firm fan favorite and its a testament to his skill that Davos has not met an untimely end yet. His character has shown great nuance and multiple layers to his visage, so it makes sense Liam has such a love for his role as much as we do. The name of the show being etched onto his gravestone will likely be a worthy tribute to one of favorite actors from the show! But don’t be so quick to go yet, Cunningham, we want to see more of you once this show comes to end!
Featured Image Via Den of Geek
Davos Seaworth
Den of Geek
The Onion Knight | cc/2019-30/en_middle_0005.json.gz/line1007 |
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Wilder not taking Ortiz too lightly
The news Deontay Wilder weighed in at 214 pounds and the weight of his pants and socks for the 7th defence of his fight with Cuban Luis Ortiz drew a raised eye brow or two. In the modern era, which consensus seems to determine began when Mike Tyson knocked out Trevor Berbick in 1986, or alternatively, when Lennox Lewis overcame Tyson’s nemesis Evander in 1996, we’ve grown accustomed to heavyweights of gigantic dimension.
Beneath the greatness of Lennox and the longevity of Wladimir Klitschko, a procession of giants from the four corners of the globe have tried to impose their own dominance on the division and prove the boxing truism; ‘a good big un always beats a good little un.’
Continue reading “Wilder not taking Ortiz too lightly” →
Boxing: In form and active; the path less trodden to the Klitschkos
Fifty-five thousand people gathered at the weekend to watch Wladimir Klitschko render the once proud Cruiserweight Champion of the World, Jean Marc-Mormeck, even more ineffective than those with some foresight believed he’d prove when the fight was signed. Size is not the only currency in the heavyweight division, it is important to remember Jess Willard, at 6ft 6 inches and 235 pounds, was pounded to defeat by Jack Dempsey and later Primo Carnera who weighed 270 pounds and was of comparably lofty perspective when Max Baer inflicted a similar drubbing. At nearly 40 years of age, inactive for 15 months and struggling to stretch the tape even to six feet, Mormeck was however, spectacularly unqualified for the adventure he signed up for. Continue reading “Boxing: In form and active; the path less trodden to the Klitschkos” →
Flying over the cuckoo’s nest for the last time? Oliver McCall defeated
Anyone with a passing interest in heavyweight boxing over the past twenty years will hold a mental image of one sort or another of heavy punching former champion Oliver McCall. Whether it be the crunching right-hand which felled Lennox Lewis, his emotional implosion in the rematch or the various drug fuelled episodes which have blighted his attempts to construct another run at the championship he lost to a grateful Frank Bruno in 1995. Last night at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel he dropped a clear decision to peripheral contender Timur Ibragimov spelling the end of any residual potential the now 45-year-old could claim. Continue reading “Flying over the cuckoo’s nest for the last time? Oliver McCall defeated” →
No electricity like Tyson electricity
During the dim days of his post Buster Douglas career, I would maintain in the face of often fervent opposition that Mike Tyson was over-rated. That he succeeded in a weak era and through the many attempts to recycle the myth he tip toed around any of the risk-laden contenders of the 1990’s. Fighters like Ray Mercer, George Foreman, Shannon Briggs, David Tua were all punchers and held a shot** – Tyson wasn’t allowed near them. Evander Holyfield and latterly, Lennox Lewis further undermined the theory in emphatic triumphs over the ageing former champion. Continue reading “No electricity like Tyson electricity” →
Boxing: Lawrence Clay-Bey, the reluctant Olympian
I read with interest Ron Borges piece on the forgotten heavyweights of the 1980’s, the lost generation of Witherspoon, Tubbs, Tucker, Thomas, Weaver, Tate et al in Boxing Monthly last week. It was fascinating copy and provide an effective summary and analysis of what went wrong. Only Larry Holmes would emerge from the years between Ali’s loss to Spinks and the arrival of Mike Tyson with his potential fulfilled. Whenever I read about those out of shape contenders I’m always reminded of the otherwise easy to forget Lawrence Clay-Bey. Continue reading “Boxing: Lawrence Clay-Bey, the reluctant Olympian” → | cc/2019-30/en_middle_0005.json.gz/line1010 |
__label__wiki | 0.550328 | 0.550328 | Sandy Robins
Dr. Tony Johnson
Barbara Masi
Jill Bertsch
Larissa Blick
Megan Blake and Super Smiley
Alex Janky
Dr. Elisa Salas
Sandy is a well-known pet lifestyle expert and writer with a monthly column in Catster Magazine and is also a regular contributor to many other national magazines and websites. She’s the author of three cat books, Fabulous Felines: Health and Beauty Secrets for the Pampered Cat, For The Love of Cats and The Original Cat Bible with a fourth book currently in the works. In addition to her writing, Sandy is a popular pet industry spokesperson and works in both radio and TV. Sandy writes from Los Angeles, California. You can learn more about her work at SandyRobinsOnline.com. Please like her on Facebook and follow her on Twitter.
Dr. Tony, as he is known, is a practicing veterinarian and a known personality on the Pet Health Central Facebook page, where he interacts with pet owners to answer their veterinary questions. For the Pet Health Central Blog, he writes on a variety of health-related topics from his perspective as an ER veterinarian and associate professor of veterinary medicine at a major university. Dr. Tony writes from Indianapolis, Indiana.
Barbara writes about her experiences as an advocate for and leader in the pet rescue community. As a community officer for the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, she works with her canine partners, two rescued Greyhounds, to teach animal kindness to children and teens through local schools. She is also an avid volunteer with Greyhound Rescue, helping retired racing dogs find loving homes. In addition, she recently started to work with Service Dogs 4 Servicemen, a group that trains rescued dogs to become service animals for recently-returned veterans who need them to help with physical or emotional healing. Barbara writes from Palm Beach, Florida.
Jill is a long-time volunteer with Midland Pet Therapy, which is registered with the national Therapy Dogs, Inc., organization. They provide pet therapy to a wide range of nursing homes, assisted living complexes, hospitals, rehabilitation programs and other organizations. Jill shares stories of how these wonderful therapy pets and their owners bring joy and hope to the people they visit.
From time to time, Pet Health Central will feature a guest blogger to share their insightful story. Guest bloggers will be writing from all around the world.
Prior to being the graphics traffic coordinator in Perrigo Animal Health’s busy creative department, Melissa was a multiple award-winning journalist for a county newspaper. Over the years, she covered dozens of animal-related stories and wrote personal columns, often featuring her pets. Her fur kids include Sammy, Sadie and Pepper, three rescue dogs of indeterminate parentage, and BK, a 21-pound tabby cat. Melissa writes from Omaha, Neb., but calls Blair home.
Larissa is a trade marketing manager at Perrigo Animal Health and writes about all things pet. An enthusiastic animal lover, Larissa grew up with cats, dogs and horses during her time in Toronto, Connecticut, Virginia and South Carolina. Larissa is a doting pet parent to her 100-pound “lap dog” named Chase, a black lab, and Sammy, a lovable pit bull mix. Larissa writes from Omaha, Neb.
Megan Blake, The Pet Lifestyle Coach®, is the Host and Pet Expert from Emmy winning "Animal Attractions TV!” She and her shelter dog, Super Smiley, host "A Super Smiley Adventure" on Pet Life Radio, the largest pet radio network in the world! A CCPDT dog trainer and Pet Travel Expert, Megan has traveled over 200,000 miles with pets and is a sought after expert in the media. She and Super Smiley are a Therapy Dog Team, an Animal Assisted Crisis Response Team, and Super Smiley is the Official Ambassador of Kindness for State Farm! Together they share messages of pet adoption and kindness through their whimsical award-winning Dogumentaries and Kindness Programs. Megan and Super Smiley write from Malibu, California. www.MeganBlakeOfficial.com
Alex is the interactive marketing coordinator at Perrigo Animal Health, where she works with fans on many social media platforms by sharing pet care tips and responding to their product questions and comments. She has a spoiled fur sister, a 4-year-old Snorkie pup named Zoey, and plans to adopt a dog of her own once she has a yard for her fur baby to play. Alex writes from Omaha, Neb.
Dr. Elisa is a graduate of Cornell University where she received her veterinary degree. She practiced in both mixed animal and small animal practice for a number of years before pursuing her residency in Veterinary Anatomic Pathology at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. At that time, she found a passion for teaching that she uses to this day and her work at Perrigo Animal Health. She's a consultant on the Clinical and Anatomic Pathology boards at the Veterinary Information Network. Dr. Elisa also volunteers at the Henry Doorly Zoo where she teaches at the Zoo Academy. She's a pet parent to two cats, Piper and Beaker who she calls her Halloween cats as they're orange and black. Elisa writes from Omaha, Neb. | cc/2019-30/en_middle_0005.json.gz/line1011 |
__label__cc | 0.554298 | 0.445702 | Tim's Weblog
When I got behind my computer at about noon, Bart told me there had been some explosions in the London Underground. At the moment, Blair and other persons, have already told the world the six explosions are almost certainly a coördinated terrorist attack. I feel sorry for all those people that were hit by such an attack.
I'm afraid these kinds of attacks do nothing but harm. It doesn't help with anything at all. I don't see why people get so sick with hatred that they decide to attack innocent civilians. I mean, yes, the USA is still keeping their prisoners under torture in Guatanamo Bay. Yes, they do terrible things to those prisoners. But how can honest civilians, just taking the public transit to work, be blamed and punished for such things? Terrorist attacks only help to increase hatred between all parties.
I'm afraid these terrible incidents will be used to push normally undesirable measures through parliament. I hope people will keep their heads on.
Contents © 2017 Tim - Powered by Nikola | cc/2019-30/en_middle_0005.json.gz/line1015 |
__label__wiki | 0.816264 | 0.816264 | What the World Was Watching: In Your House 5
July 1, 2018 July 3, 2018 by LScisco
(My reviews are a little out of order as I accidentally posted the Monday Night RAW that happened the night after this show on Friday instead of posting this In Your House review. So if you missed that review, you can read this one and then go back and check that one out. I will finish this series of 1995 WWF columns on Friday).
–Vince McMahon and Jerry Lawler are doing commentary and they are live from Hershey, Pennsylvania.
–Opening Contest: Razor Ramon & Marty Jannetty (1-0) beat Sid & the 1-2-3 Kid (w/Ted DiBiase) (1-0) when Ramon pins Sid after a second rope bulldog at 12:22:
Goldust is shown admiring Ramon when the Bad Guy walks to the ring, having brought out a director’s chair to place by the entrance before the pay-per-view went on the air. Todd Pettengill later interviews him and Goldust admires Ramon’s physical attributes. Fans are polarized in their support of the babyfaces as a decent chunk of ticketholders facing the hard camera cheer when the heels use a blind tag to put Ramon in peril. The choice of this match as an opener is questionable as the crowd gets bored when Sid is on offense and the match slows. Due to the fact that Sid and the Kid were being positioned to potentially take the tag team titles from the Smoking Gunns, as well as how the company wants to keep building heat for the Ramon-Kid feud, the outcome was puzzling at the time as the babyfaces prevail in an underwhelming finish when Ramon beats Sid with one of his transition moves. Rating: *½
–After the match, Ramon tries to give the Kid a Razor’s Edge but Sid pulls his friend off of Ramon’s shoulders. The heels walk to the Superstar Line phone bank where the presence of Sunny cannot cheer them up.
–The ring announcer is unclear what segment goes next, going as far as to spoil what is supposed to happen in the next match by saying that Buddy Landel will compete, but things get sorted out and Lawler walks into the ring to herald the return of Jeff Jarrett to the WWF. Lawler presents Jarrett with a gold CD for selling more than 500,000 copies of “With My Baby Tonight.” Jarrett blabbers on about going on a new tour to promote his new album “Greater than Great” and tosses his name into the Royal Rumble. He then goes to do guest commentary for the next match with Lawler.
–The next match is supposed to be Ahmed Johnson against Dean Douglas, but Douglas says that his doctors will not let him wrestle due to back problems. As a result, Douglas introduces a new “graduate student”, former Smoky Mountain Heavyweight Champion Buddy Landel, who comes out to Ric Flair’s old WWF theme. This was a rib on Douglas because his pupil was a Ric Flair clone, who Douglas hated.
–Ahmed Johnson (6-0) pins Buddy Landel with a Pearl River Plunge in 42 seconds:
Johnson quickly checkmates Landel, which does not let the former SMW talent show what he can do, and then proceeds to take Douglas’ paddle and give him a stiff smack with it on the rear end. Douglas was never seen on WWF programming again.
–After the bell, Lawler is goaded by McMahon to interview Ahmed. Lawler, along with Jarrett, have a Memphis-style reunion in making fun of Ahmed before Ahmed tells Jarrett that he is an “Achy, breaky heart, fake cowboy” and then gets in Lawler’s face. That allows Jarrett to smash his gold CD display over Ahmed’s head and hit him several times with a chair. Ahmed only briefly sells the attack and by the end of the segment he is chasing Jarrett backstage. Due to what we know now about Ahmed’s stiff style, being programmed in a feud with him seemed to be McMahon’s favorite form of punishment around this time period.
–Pettengill interviews Razor Ramon, who offers some brief words for his match against Yokozuna tomorrow night on RAW. Ramon is given a gold envelope and he reads the contents, which he is not pleased with.
–Hog Pen Match with Hillbilly Jim as Special Guest Referee: Hunter-Hearst Helmsley (24-0-1) beats Henry Godwinn (26-6-3) at 9:03:
Hillbilly Jim’s use in the match as not hyped prior to the pay-per-view, but he reappears for the first time since Prime Time Wrestling went off the air in 1993. The rules for the match are simple as a hog pen is set up near the entrance and to win the match someone must toss their opponent into the enclosure. Poor Tony Chimel gets inadvertently slopped at the beginning of the bout but Godwinn does succeed in getting some of the slop on Helmsley’s face when the Greenwich blueblood gets tied in the ropes. Although the match stipulations limit some of what each man can do, the match is a good brawl, with Helmsley’s back getting cut up after being whipped into the metal door of the pen and eating a Slop Drop on the arena floor. However, Godwinn makes an errant blind charge and loses because WWF superstars rarely win their specialty matches. Rating: ***
–After the match, Helmsley gets into a shoving match with Hillbilly Jim and that leads to Godwinn slamming Helmsley into the pen and then slamming him a second time to get some cheers from the crowd. Helmsley also takes a milkshake to the head from a random fan in the crowd.
–A video package hypes the Diesel-Owen Hart match.
–Open Contract Match: Owen Hart (w/Jim Cornette) (10-4-1) beats Diesel (10-3-1) via disqualification at 4:35:
One fan’s sign that says hello to Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) fans is confiscated by a technician’s assistant on the hard camera during the early stages of the match. Owen put Shawn Michaels on the shelf and his reward is getting a jobber entrance on pay-per-view. He fares better than Rad Radford but this is an abbreviated form of their match on The Action Zone in February, as Diesel overcomes some token leg work and brutalizes the King of Hearts until he refuses to listen to the referee’s instructions to stop Jackknifing Owen and gets himself disqualified. The fans very much like this “new” Diesel, with one fan urging him to “call 911” and matchup with ECW’s giant. Obviously, the finish here was bad, and it was Diesel’s three consecutive pay-per-view loss, but it served two ends of putting over Diesel’s new character while giving Owen a win to brag about in future promos. Rating: *
–Henry Godwinn and Hunter-Hearst Helmsley are shown talking to fans on the Superstar Line.
–Savio Vega comes down the aisle with Santa Claus and passes out some surplus WWF gear, although it is unclear if thousands of pogs were distributed with every gift. Ted DiBiase gets on the house mic; rips fans for maxing out their credit cards; and, after an eternity, gets Santa to turn on Savio. The only redeeming part of this segment is McMahon screaming “SAY IT ISN’T SO!”, that Christmas has been desecrated, and that it is not the real Santa because Savio rips off the Santa’s beard, exposing him as the future Balls Mahoney. It would later be revealed that the Santa here was XANTA Claus from the South Pole and yes, he was even given a squash match!
–A video package puts over the Undertaker-King Mabel feud.
–Dok Hendrix urges fans to buy WrestleMania: The Arcade Game for SNES, Genesis, and Playstation. The SNES version is $15 more than the Playstation version, costing $69.99 versus $54.99. If you call for the game you can get a VHS tape with all the codes! And this deal seems like a big ripoff in retrospect because the SNES game did not have Bam Bam Bigelow or Yokozuna.
–Casket Match: The Undertaker (w/Paul Bearer) (13-1) beats King Mabel (w/Sir Mo) (13-2-1) at 6:11:
For the third time in a feud with a fat man, the Undertaker settles things with a casket match. Mabel wastes no time hitting the belly-to-belly suplex and using his girth with a splash and leg drop. However, he takes too long to close the casket and the Undertaker rallies to do all but put the final nail in Mabel’s six month singles push. He even tosses Mo in the casket for good measure to get the urn back, thereby killing two birds with one stone. This would be a turning point in the Undertaker’s career as his three-year tenure of fighting giants and gravitationally challenged individuals would end and he would begin facing more reputable superstars from this point forward, beginning a long road back to the WWF title. Rating: ½*
–Jim Ross interviews the British Bulldog, Jim Cornette, and Diana Smith. Cornette implies that the Bulldog stole the respect of Stu Hart when he beat Bret Hart at SummerSlam ’92 and the Bulldog vows that history is going to repeat itself tonight.
–Pettengill interviews WWF Champion Bret Hart, who vows revenge for 1992.
–WWF Championship Match: Bret Hart (Champion) (18-2-2) pins The British Bulldog (w/Jim Cornette & Diana Smith) (17-5-1) with a La Magistral Cradle at 21:10:
In a nice touch, Cornette’s tennis racquet has a Santa covering and he uses it to effect midway through the match by jamming it in Bret’s throat. The opening moments of the match move slowly, with some fans working up a very loud “ECW” chant when the Bulldog keeps spamming chinlocks and headlocks, and McMahon takes advantage of the pace to announce that the winner will face the Undertaker at the Royal Rumble. Bret manages to get things back on track when he goes on offense eight minutes in and builds drama by doing a magnificent bladejob after going head-first into the steps, opening such a gusher that it goes all over the ringside mats and cakes the Bulldog’s tights. The Bulldog gets a visual victory by powerslamming Bret on the arena floor but Bret outwits him in the ring, rolling up the Bulldog with a La Magistral cradle to win his first title defense. The finish was very flat, as the Bulldog did not endure enough punishment to make the pin a realistic ending, but a bleeding Bret seemingly fighting on instinct made for a memorable encounter and was Bret’s best match as champion during this time frame. Rating: ****
–Pettengill interviews the Undertaker and Paul Bearer, who are excited about being named the number one contender to the WWF title. However, Diesel is not happy, cutting into the segment and saying that he deserves to be the number one contender. Bearer hilariously rips Diesel for not being cool, triggering a staredown with the Undertaker to end the broadcast.
The Last Word: Despite using SummerSlam ’92 as a major selling point for the WWF title match, Bret nor the Bulldog used any major spots or spinning sequences from that match to put over that either one of them had studied film to prepare for their bout. The weak build for the show, flooded with a card of unattractive matchups, likely contributed to few fans buying the pay-per-view, as the card pulled an embarrassingly low buyrate and set a pattern of December shows being some of the least purchased in the monthly pay-per-view era. Nevertheless, the WWF title match did deliver, the hog pen match was better than fans expected, and the booking did build an intriguing main event scene for January, so this show was worth the price of admission, although if you take the time to view it yourself you will want to fast forward through the lengthy Jarrett and Xanta Claus segments.
Buyrate: 0.3 (est. 76,000 buys)
Up Next: WWF Superstars for December 23, 1995! (The last review of this series!)
If you are interested in getting all of these 1995 reviews, in addition to a timeline for the WWF in 1995, a detailed breakdown of wrestler win/loss records, a listing and ranking of major matches, and an explanation of the year’s angles, you can purchase the e-book on Amazon for $4.99 or buy a paperback version for $26. The paperback is 812 pages. If you buy the paperback, you will get the e-book for free.
Categories Wrestling, WWF Tags Ahmed Johnson, Bret Hart, Buddy Landel, Dean Douglas, Diana Smith, Diesel, Goldust, Henry Godwinn, Hillbilly Jim, In Your House 5, Jeff Jarrett, Jerry Lawler, Jim Cornette, King Mabel, Marty Jannetty, Owen Hart, Paul Bearer, Razor Ramon, Savio Vega, Sid, Sir Mo, Ted Dibiase, the 1-2-3 Kid, the British Bulldog, the Undertaker, Triple H, WWE, wwf, Xanta Claus Post navigation
Rock Star Gary reflects on WWF Monday Night RAW 02-15-93 | cc/2019-30/en_middle_0005.json.gz/line1017 |
__label__cc | 0.525246 | 0.474754 | Sr. Software Engineer (Backend)
Design and implement high-uptime distributed data services in Elixir, JavaScript, or whatever the task calls for. Provision, tune, and maintain data persistence layers such as DynamoDB, Postgres, Redis, S3, Firebase DB, Redshift, etc. Measure, monitor, and ensure the performance and availability of the Appcues platform. Configure and automate system testing and deployment in the AWS and Google clouds. Act as an architect, technical lead, mentor, and project manager as required. Perform expert-level debugging of complex, multi-system issues. Integrate dozens of external SaaS products into Appcues services. Work with customers directly for integration, support, and occasional custom development, all while committing to the privacy and security of customers' and end users' data.
Principal Mobile Engineer
What are you about? You’re an established technical leader who still writes code every day. You have deep expertise in iOS, Android or React Native, but you thrive on variety. You’re eager to work in emerging technologies like AR, VR and artificial intelligence. You enjoy solving challenging problems alongside smart coworkers. You’re a pragmatic expert and an inspiring teacher with a reputation for making those around you successful. We are looking for iOS and Android architects who can design and implement software systems that reach beyond phones and tablets.
Senior Embedded Firmware Engineer
WiTricity
Support existing embedded software designs and provide hands-on support of system test and verification. Work collaboratively with firmware team members and team members of other disciplines to test and debug functionalities and implementations of the operational system. Design, develop, and document embedded software solutions for the functionality of next generation systems. Write and conduct tests on new embedded software features and publications. Use source control systems in place at WiTricity for the maintenance of the code base and to provide proper revision control and release structure. Be able to multi-task and independently manage the requirements of several projects in parallel. | cc/2019-30/en_middle_0005.json.gz/line1031 |
__label__cc | 0.615572 | 0.384428 | Tortoise Energy Capital Corp. Provides Unaudited Balance Sheet Information and Asset Coverage Ratio Update as of Jan. 31, 2011
Tortoise Energy Capital Corp. Provides Unaudite...
LEAWOOD, Kan.--Feb. 1, 2011--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Tortoise Energy Capital Corp. (NYSE: TYY) today announced that as of Jan. 31, 2011, the company's unaudited total assets were approximately $800.5 million and its unaudited net asset value was $510.4 million, or $26.38 per share.
As of Jan. 31, 2011, the company was in compliance with its asset coverage ratios under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the 1940 Act) and basic maintenance covenants. The company's asset coverage ratio under the 1940 Act with respect to senior securities representing indebtedness was 569 percent, and its coverage ratio for preferred shares was 412 percent. For more information on calculation of coverage ratios, please refer to our most recent applicable prospectus.
The company did not issue any shares of common stock under its at-the-market equity offering program during the month of January 2011.
Set forth below is a summary of the company's unaudited balance sheet at Jan. 31, 2011, and a summary of its top 10 holdings.
Unaudited Balance Sheet
(in Millions) Per Share
Investments $795.2 $41.11
Cash and Cash Equivalents 0.3 0.01
Receivable for Investments Sold 1.0 0.05
Other Assets 4.0 0.21
Total Assets 800.5 41.38
Short-Term Borrowings 28.5 1.47
Senior Notes 90.0 4.65
MRP Shares 45.0 2.33
Total Leverage 163.5 8.45
Other Liabilities 1.9 0.11
Deferred Tax Liability 124.7 6.44
Net Assets $510.4 $26.38
19.35 million common shares currently outstanding.
Top 10 Holdings (as of Jan. 31, 2011)
Securities(1)
Enbridge Energy Partners, L.P. $ 67.5 8.5%
Energy Transfer Partners, L.P. 62.2 7.8%
Kinder Morgan Management, LLC 57.6 7.2%
Sunoco Logistics Partners L.P. 55.8 7.0%
Enterprise Products Partners L.P. 54.3 6.8%
TC PipeLines, LP 40.8 5.1%
NuStar Energy L.P. 39.0 4.9%
Plains All American Pipeline, L.P. 37.8 4.8%
Targa Resources Partners LP 32.3 4.1%
Magellan Midstream Partners, L.P. 32.3 4.1%
Total $ 479.6 60.3%
(1) Percent of Investments and Cash Equivalents.
Tortoise is an investment manager specializing in listed energy infrastructure investments, such as pipeline and power companies. As of Dec. 31, 2010, the adviser had approximately $6.1 billion of assets under management in six NYSE-listed investment companies and private accounts. For more information, visit our Web site at www.tortoiseadvisors.com.
Pam Kearney, 866-362-9331
pkearney@tortoiseadvisors.com
Source: Tortoise Energy Capital Corp. | cc/2019-30/en_middle_0005.json.gz/line1032 |
__label__wiki | 0.904412 | 0.904412 | Massachusetts High School Installs Gunshot Detection System
Brockton High School in Brockton, Mass., has installed a gunshot detection system. The system is designed to give administrators and law enforcement a nearly-instant notification of the gunshot and its location.
A Brockton police officer fired a handgun in a small auditorium at the school during a Monday afternoon demonstration of the gunshot detection system’s abilities. Enterprise News reports that an alarm sounded throughout the school about five seconds later, a computerized voice that said “Active Shooter in Little Theater.” Police and administrators’ cellphones also went off with alerts about the gunshot.
The gunshot detection system, made by EAGL Technology, can cost $25,000 or more to install in a building, with sensors priced at $1,200 each.
Jennifer Russell, a vice president with EAGL, said the system alerts police of an active shooter in less time than it would take to call 911 and explain the situation. Russell said the system can save time—which can mean saving lives—in a school shooting incident.
“The idea is to take that out of human hands,” said Richard Cogliano, director of business development for CIT Integrated Technologies Inc., the local company that sells and installs the systems on the East Coast.
Cogliano said that if someone began firing a gun in a school, people would most likely focus on starting a lockdown and securing students before calling 911. If the caller is panicked, it might be unclear for the dispatcher as to what is happening.
Deputy Superintendent Michael Thomas said the city received the gunshot detection system for free because Cogliano is a Brockton High graduate and the company had been looking for a school on the East Coast where they could test the sensors. The city won’t have to pay annual subscription fees for at least three years, he said.
There are several sensors installed throughout the high school, including in the cafeterias, lobbies, gyms, auditorium and the Little Theater. The sensors, which are ceiling-mounted, run on batteries and can detect shots within a 100-foot radius.
Police Lt. Frank Vardaro, head of the school’s police, said every police officer in the city would be notified if the alarm sounded, as city officers could help respond if they happened to be close by. According to Vardaro, if the alarm went off, police would enter under the assumption that there was an active shooter, as opposed to a person attempting suicide or someone taking hostages.
Thomas said he was excited to try the system as Brockton works to stay ahead of the curve in terms of school security.
“This is just another tool in the toolbox we could use,” Thomas said. “But you hope you never have to use it.”
Tulane University Transitioning to New Emergency Notification System
New Jersey School Tests Weapon Detection Technology
Marshall County High Upgrades Security Following On-Campus Shooting
Ensuring Intelligent Security Operations | cc/2019-30/en_middle_0005.json.gz/line1042 |
__label__wiki | 0.533047 | 0.533047 | the plan to end homelessness full version
Targets & Costs
Chapter 14 Homelessness data
Authors and Acknowledgements
Chapter 2 Public policy and homelessness
Chapter 3 Defining Homelessness Ended
Chapter 4 Public attitudes and homelessness
Chapter 5 Projecting homelessness
Chapter 6 Preventing homelessness
Chapter 7 Rapid rehousing
Chapter 8 Ending rough sleeping
Chapter 9 The role of Housing First in ending homelessness
Chapter 10 Making welfare work
Chapter 11 Housing solutions
Chapter 12 Ending migrant homelessness
Chapter 13 Homelessness legislation
Chapter 15 Cost of ending homelessness
Chapter 16 Conclusion
Priorities for Westminster, Scottish and Welsh Governments
A housing association commitment to ending homelessness
Crisis' contribution to ending homelessness
To end homelessness, we need to understand and measure the true scale of the problem and use data and insight to ensure we meet this shared aim. There is a lack of accurate and consistent data on all forms of homelessness across England, Scotland and Wales. The way data is used and understood to drive commissioning decisions and service design also varies. We need a common framework to evidence and measure progress against the goal of ending homelessness for policy-makers, funders, and practitioners and help them work systematically towards it. This framework should be developed alongside improved and standardised data on all types of homelessness across Great Britain.
Homelessness is transient and can be difficult to quantify. Nevertheless, there are substantial changes that could improve the quality and accuracy of current data collection processes. These improvements would: i) provide a more robust figure on the level of need and scale of the problem, including demographics and type of homelessness ii) cover the use and effectiveness of interventions iii) feed into funding and commissioning decisions to improve service design and delivery to address homelessness. This chapter examines current data collection methods measuring the scale and profile of:
• rough sleeping
• those receiving homelessness assistance within the statutory framework
• those falling outside it across England, Scotland and Wales.
It then suggests improvements for data collection for each country. These should ensure a more comprehensive and high quality data set to inform decision making for policy and practice and ultimately improve services and outcomes for homeless people.
The final section of the chapter argues these efforts should build on the work by the Centre for Homelessness Impact to develop a shared outcomes framework for homelessness interventions.
14.2 Current homelessness data collection
The official national rough sleeping statistics in England are widely interpreted as substantially understating the true scale of rough sleeping. These figures are calculated using a methodology introduced in 2010. The methodology involves counts and estimates from local authorities of the number of people thought to be sleeping rough in a local authority area on a ‘typical night’. This night is a single date chosen by the local authority between 1 October and 30 November. It is a snapshot and will not include everyone in the area with a history of rough sleeping. In 2017, 87 per cent of councils provided estimated and 13 per cent counted.
In 2015, the UK Statistics Authority (UKSA), which oversees the validity of official government data, investigated the homelessness statistics. UKSA concluded that government data on rough sleeping in England does not meet standards required to be considered ‘national statistics’; it falls short in terms of ‘trustworthiness, quality, and value.
There are also wider categories of people sleeping in precarious and dangerous situations not officially counted in the annual counts and estimates data. These include people sleeping in cars, tents and public transport.
A Heriot-Watt University report for Crisis in 2017 identified a mid-point estimate of 8,000 rough sleepers in England and a further 8,000 people under the cars, tents and public transport category. Heriot-Watt used both secondary data sources and triangulation methods to achieve these estimates.
Notwithstanding the problems with official figures in England, the statistics do show trends over time, and are best regarded as a trend analysis. They also show the rapid upward trajectory of levels since the new methodology was introduced in 2010.
Data collection of demographic information and information about gender, nationality and age have also been introduced. For example, we know that rough sleeping in London has accounted for approximately a quarter of the national problem consistently over the previous seven years. We also know that approximately 14 per cent of rough sleepers are women; and that very few (an estimated 0.1%) are under the age of 18.
The most robust and comprehensive rough sleeper monitoring data in the UK are the statistics collected routinely by the CHAIN system funded by the Greater London Authority in London. This database is able to collect ‘flows’ of rough sleepers rather than snapshot annual counts.
It allows outreach teams and services to know if someone is new to the street, a returner or a long-term rough sleeper. Data is also collected about: support needs; reason for homelessness; if they have previously been placed in homelessness services (eg emergency accommodation and longer term supported housing), and if they have experienced rough sleeping before.
Although the CHAIN database is the most comprehensive dataset on rough sleeping, it does not routinely align with statutory datasets and is only fully accessible to commissioned services in London. Consequently, data does not routinely show whether someone has approached his or her local authority for assistance before experiencing rough sleeping, nor is this reported on.
Non-commissioned services have limited access to the database. This leads to criticisms that those who are more hidden (eg women), or are ineligible for services (eg those with no recourse to public funds), are not recorded.
Some short and long-term homeless accommodation projects record outcomes on the CHAIN database, but this is inconsistent. This means we have an incomplete picture of what happens to rough sleepers in London once moved off the streets.
Scotland, unlike England and Wales, does not conduct an annual rough sleeping count. Instead rough sleeping levels are recorded in the statutory homelessness statistics when people present for homelessness assistance. When they present to Housing Options teams, individuals are asked if they have slept rough the night before or in the last three months. These figures are a measure of the ‘flow’ of people over a year, rather than the ‘stock’ or point-in-time figures in England that relate to a given night.
The weakness in the published data is that only those applying for local authority assistance will be counted and within a short timeframe of experiencing rough sleeping. This will capture a wider range of people compared to England and Wales because all eligible unintentionally homeless people are entitled to rehousing in Scotland. However, it is likely to underestimate the level and frequency of rough sleeping as many people will not present to their council after they have slept rough.
Research shows that many people sleeping rough need to be found proactively by outreach teams rather than through services waiting for individuals to come to them. It shows that people often experience other forms of homelessness before they become street homeless.
The Scottish Government’s Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Action Group has put forward recommendations on data collection. This includes introducing a CHAIN-style system to achieve real-time, by-name data sharing between the agencies working with people who are rough sleeping or at risk of rough sleeping. The system would enable frequent and regular reporting of numbers, locations and other data to support monitoring the reduction in rough sleeping across Scotland.
Welsh Government figures reflect two separate measures. These came into use in 2014 after a five-year gap in capturing any rough sleeping data at all. The first measure is a local authority estimate over a two-week period, and the second is a count on one night. The use of these complementary approaches was in recognition that conducting a nightly street count has several limitations. The Welsh Government has argued that, by comparison with a traditional street count, this hybrid enumeration approach ’provides a better understanding of the incidence of rough sleeping.
However, there are still limitations to this combined approach. It is still reliant on a snapshot estimate and the two-week log of rough sleeping activity only provides a time-limited enumeration of the issue. The Welsh Government has also recognised that the count is limited in rural and coastal areas due to the wide geographic area covered as part of a count. The Welsh Government has committed to developing a database on rough sleepers in Wales. This is the Street Homeless Information Network, under development by Homeless Link and the homelessness charity, the Wallich.
Statutory homelessness
All three homelessness legislative systems in England, Scotland and Wales collect data on households who have approached their local authority for assistance. All three data collection methods have strengths and weaknesses, but the common weakness is that data is only reported for people who have approached their local authority for help.
This approach does not capture forms of homelessness such as sofa surfing and those placed in hostels that are not recorded via statutory homelessness statistics (private hostel placements, for example). There is also no current way of linking data on rough sleepers to longitudinal statutory homelessness data. This means it is not possible to understand or quantify how many people have presented to their local authority before or after they have slept rough.
England In
England, local authorities record the outcomes of decisions for all households who apply for help with their housing when they are currently or imminently homeless. The dataset holds information on ‘formal actions’ regarding local authority assessments under the homelessness legislation.
This gives overall numbers of people being assessed or ‘decisions’. However, it only breaks down to demographics, nationality, household type, support need and reason for approaching for those households who have the full homelessness duty accepted. This is around 50 per cent of total approaches.
Three consecutive Homelessness Monitors have also asked local authorities about the overall ‘footfall’ to their services as an indicator of demand of services. It is consistently reported by two thirds of local authorities that footfall is increasing while the statutory figures have remained fairly stable during the same period. This indicates that the statutory homelessness statistics in England are not a true representation of those approaching for homelessness assistance.
Some people are either being turned away for help or having their homelessness resolved through actions that go unrecorded.
In 2009, local authorities in England began to record data on people who approached for assistance outside of the main homelessness duty. They also record how local authorities have helped people resolve their homelessness before a formal homelessness application has taken place.
Referred to as ‘prevention and relief activity’ the statistics show to some extent successful prevention action and how this has changed over time. For example, help to prevent homelessness through resolving Housing Benefit problems has increased fourfold since 2010/11.
It is useful to report on the type of prevention and relief activity that local authorities are using. But there is no way of assessing the effectiveness of the interventions, the quality of the service provided and the sustainability of the outcomes for households approaching them for assistance.
The Homelessness Reduction Act (2017) has prompted the introduction of a new system for local authorities to record prevention and relief data, called H-CLIC. This is due to report in July 2018 and will provide information about all households owed a prevention duty including reasons why the prevention duty has ended.
In Scotland, homelessness statistics are collected so that each person has a unique identifying number. This allows local authorities to track households/ individuals through the homelessness system and can help identify if they have been homeless before. Local authorities can then understand how many households made a unique application for homelessness assistance. The collection method stops double counting and indicates the proportion of households making a repeat application after receiving help.
The HL1 data, which records the number of homelessness applications, is compulsory. Local authorities have to collect it from anyone they have reason to believe is homeless (or will be in 56 days). The PREVENT1 statistics were introduced in 2014. Some people recorded under Housing Options may fill out a homelessness application, but there is no statutory requirement to fill in a PREVENT1 application.
The ability to link both datasets is useful to measure an overall homelessness caseload figure, however there is varied practice in how these are recorded across Scottish local authorities. As in England, there are elements of PREVENT1 that limit the ability to drill down into the specific activities undertaken by local authorities in addressing homelessness prevention.
There are also issues with the HL2 and HL3 data used for monitoring of households placed in temporary accommodation through local authorities homelessness duties. HL3 has been developed to understand more about the length of time households are in temporary accommodation and the proportions of households needing temporary accommodation where an offer was made.
HL3 recording has only been mandatory since 2016. Due to data quality issues HL3 data has not yet been published. Early analysis shows that in some cases there is a 40 per cent discrepancy between local authorities recording of HL2 and HL3 data.
A positive development in the Scottish statutory homelessness statistics has been data linking between ‘HL1’ and health service data, originally trialled in Fife. This idea of data linkage has the potential to revolutionise our understanding of what works to achieve positive outcomes for homeless people across public services.
Data linkage and tracking individuals through homelessness datasets, and in all public services datasets, would show the extent to which services are meeting the needs of all homeless people. It would also show the cost effectiveness of interventions
In the US and Denmark, data linkage has explored patterns of service use and the cost associated with them for some time. Large-scale data merging across Great Britain could help to facilitate the cost effectiveness of services such as Housing First and Critical Time Interventions. It could also explore how to improve prevention services and integrate these across statutory services. This approach is highly recommended.
There have been changes to statutory homelessness statistics in Wales since the introduction of The Housing Wales Act (2014). Statistics are collected on the number of outcomes but not in relation to individual households. This makes it difficult to use them for statistical purposes and attributing the overall need of homelessness. The Welsh system means that each household could have up to three outcomes: prevention; help to secure accommodation (relief), and duty to secure accommodation (discharge).
Unsuccessful prevention should subsequently be assessed as homelessness (duty to help to secure accommodation). Unsuccessful relief may then be assessed as priority need (duty to secure accommodation). This partly explains why the total number of applications is higher than before The Housing Wales Act (2014) when decisions were made at a single stage.
Most strikingly, in Wales there is no longer a single figure for homelessness. This is because the same household may be counted under one or more of the preventative, relief and duty to secure categories within a single year. And the categories cannot be totalled together to ascertain an overall figure. As with English data, households are not followed through the system. There is no way of understanding the proportion of households who experience repeat homelessness and, for example, become homeless again after a prevention outcome.
Shelter Cymru have reported that under the new system some people are receiving interventions from partner agencies that do not show up in the official statistics. This is because the type of support that they receive is not being recorded. Support might include unplanned interventions by hostel staff, for example.
This means that the extent of homelessness in Wales, the amount of related work, and the funds required, may all be underestimated.
The Wales Audit Office also recently raised issues around the extent to which StatsWales data on homelessness measured the quality of service provided and local authority success rates in addressing homelessness.
Other forms of homelessness
A main constraint of official or statutory homelessness statistics across Great Britain is insufficient data. This relates to households or individuals not approaching local authorities for assistance, and those identified by outreach teams through annual rough sleeping counts. These cases are often referred to as ‘hidden homelessness’. They are generally, but not exclusively, single households who may be living in hostels or other forms of supported accommodation, squatting, living in tents, cars or other forms of transport.
Hidden homelessness can also describe the cases of people forced to live in circumstances that are dangerous or transient. They may not know from one night to the next where they will be living – for example they might be sofa surfing.
In England, Scotland and Wales there are data recorded on the number of bed spaces in hostels and long-term supported homeless accommodation. But these are all a measure of supply of this type of accommodation rather than a measure of demand or need.
Homeless Link manages a database of all homeless accommodation projects across England. This is reported on an annual basis through the publication of a larger piece of research looking at trends and outcomes of this type of accommodation.
While homelessness has been rising in England since 2010 the number of bed spaces has decreased by 17 per cent. This figure also omits numbers of night shelters from its bed space reporting and these are not routinely reported on in other datasets.
Scotland records the hostel data in the HL1. This means it can follow the household through the system. In Wales the data is recorded through temporary accommodation records in the new homelessness statistics. But this is a ‘low’ estimate; it is only those people accepted as homeless and placed in temporary accommodation who are included in the figure.
The work by Heriot-Watt University in 2017 estimates the level of these other forms of homelessness. This relies on triangulation of several secondary data sets, which extrapolate from survey data. Estimates of people in private hostels or unsupported temporary accommodation, cars, tents and public transport, caravans, squatting and people living in non-residential buildings are included.
It is not easy to access or enumerate forms of homelessness that fall outside official statistics. But there are several voluntary sector services routinely collecting data on individuals they have accommodated or helped into other forms of housing.
There are also local systems and data sets administered across Great Britain which identify numbers of people accessing the homelessness system, their support needs and the assistance they receive. Examples include: the MainStay database in the Liverpool City Region; Glasgow Homelessness Network’s Annual Homelessness Monitoring System, and the Wallich’s South Wales street-based lifestyle monitor.
Each of these demonstrates that more can be done to bring data sources together. What is missing is the national coordination in all three nations to ensure consistency across localities and a complete approach to data collection.
14.3 An outcomes framework
Improved data collection on homelessness is only part of the solution. To achieve better outcomes we also need to use data in an insightful way to commission and design services for homeless people. One of the ways of doing this is by creating a common outcomes framework.
The purpose of an outcomes framework is to ensure that the aims of policy makers and service providers are consistent.
A good example of such an approach is the Getting It Right For Every Child (GIRFEC) framework for children’s services in Scotland. GIRFEC sets out the positive outcomes sought for every child in Scotland and was established by the Scottish Government. It allows for consistent design of services towards achieving agreed outcomes (eg in physical health, safety, and educational attainment) and of reporting progress towards these outcomes.
If we are all working to a common and agreed description of ‘homelessness ended’ and of the indicators towards that goal, we will have more chance of success. This approach is strongly recommended.
The Centre for Homelessness Impact is currently developing a proposed outcomes framework. Its purpose is to help policy-makers, independent funders and practitioners to design and commission services that produce better outcomes for homeless people.
This framework will provide a consistent explanation of what it takes to achieve better outcomes for people experiencing homelessness, across areas like housing sustainability, employability, and wellbeing.
The development process for this framework is ongoing and it will be designed in consultation with the homelessness sector. It will be published within the next 12 months.
14.4 Recommendations
To improve data and outcomes measures across Great Britain, the following reforms are recommended.
Statutory homelessness data collection in England and Wales should be redesigned to follow individuals through their journeys within the homelessness system. It should be designed to track households and record repeat homelessness and multiple presentations. Data relating to people in temporary or supported accommodation (both statutory and non-statutory services) should also be included.
A new CHAIN-like system for recording rough sleeping should be introduced in England, Scotland and Wales. This should build on the recommendations and ambitions by the Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Action Group in Scotland to build a CHAIN-like system. It should also build on the current work by the Welsh Government and the Wallich to develop the Street Homeless Information Network.
In addition to recording rough sleeping, these systems should allow data sharing between the agencies working with people who are rough sleeping or at risk of rough sleeping. The system should also be linked to statutory homelessness data and people living in all forms of temporary accommodation including commissioned and non-commissioned hostels and night shelters.
Data linkage systems should be established in England, Scotland and Wales. This will need to include datasets across health, homelessness, housing, criminal justice, substance misuse, welfare benefits, immigration and employment services.
This would require administrative data to be improved across government departments to allow homelessness to be identified in datasets that are being linked.
Governments in England, Scotland and Wales should commission the Centre for Homelessness Impact to fill gaps in evidence on homelessness prevention, as well as solutions for certain homelessness groups. These will include gaps in evidence for LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) people, BAME (black, Asian, and minority ethnic) groups, and older homeless people.
Governments in England, Scotland and Wales should adopt a homelessness outcomes framework to provide consistency across policies and service delivery at national and local level. It will also ensure improved outcomes for homeless people. The forthcoming framework developed by the Centre for Homelessness Impact across Great Britain will provide the basis for this.
14.5 Summary of recommendations
England/Westminster
Statutory homelessness data collection should be redesigned to follow individuals through their journeys within the homelessness system
Introduce a new CHAIN-like system for recording rough sleeping across England
The CHAIN-like system should also be linked to statutory homelessness data and people living in all other forms of temporary accommodation
Establish data linkage systems across health, homelessness, housing, criminal justice, substance misuse, welfare benefits, immigration and employment services
Commission the Centre for Homelessness Impact to fill gaps in evidence on homelessness prevention, as well as solutions for certain homelessness groups
Adopt a homelessness outcomes framework
Introduce a new CHAIN-like system for recording rough sleeping across Scotland
Introduce a new CHAIN-like system for recording rough sleeping across Wales
Everybody In: How to end homelessness in Great Britain (2018)
Everybody In: How to end homelessness in Great Britain Executive Summary (2018) | cc/2019-30/en_middle_0005.json.gz/line1052 |
__label__cc | 0.698485 | 0.301515 | Brittle systems
In my recent rant on the Internet of Things, I linked to Mike O'Dell's excellent post to Dave Farber's IP list, Internet of Obnoxious Things, and suggested you read it. I'm repeating that advice as, below the fold, I start from a different part of Mike's post.
Mike writes:
The problem with pursuing such a goal is that it has led us down a path of "brittle failure" where things work right up until they fail, and then they fail catastrophically. The outcome is forced to be binary.
In most of Computer Science, there have been only relatively modest efforts directed at building systems which fail gracefully, or partially. Certainly some sub-specialties have spent a lot of effort on this notion, but it is not the norm in the education of a journeyman system builder.
If it is the case that we are unlikely to build any large system which is fail-proof, and that certainly seems to be the situation, we need to focus on building systems which can tolerate, isolate, and survive local failures.
My response also made the IP list:
Mike is absolutely right to point out the brittle nature of most current systems. But education isn't going to fix this.
My co-authors and I won Best Paper at SOSP2003 for showing a system in a restricted application space that, under attack, failed slowly and made "alarming noises". The analogy is with suspension bridges - they use stranded cables for just this reason.
However, the cost differential between stranded and solid cables in a bridge is small. Brittle fault-tolerant systems such as Byzantine Fault Tolerance are a lot more expensive than a non-fault-tolerant system that (most of the time) does the same job. Systems such as the one we showed are a lot more expensive than BFT. This is because three essential aspects of a, I believe any, solution are rate limits, excess replication and randomization.
The problem is that vendors of systems are allowed to disclaim liability for their products. Given that even the most egregious failure is unlikely to cause more than reputational harm, why would a vendor even implement BFT, let alone something much more expensive?
Just finding techniques that allow systems to fail gracefully is not going to be enough (not that it is happening). We need techniques that do so with insignificant added cost. That is a truly hard problem. But we also need to change the law so that vendors cannot escape financial liability for the failures of their products. That is an even harder problem.
I should explain the comment about the importance of "rate limits, excess replication and randomization":
Rate Limits: The design goal of almost all systems is to do what the user wants as fast as possible. This means that when the bad guy wrests control of the system from the user, the system will do what the bad guy wants as fast as possible. Doing what the bad guy wants as fast as possible pretty much defines brittleness in a system; failures will be complete and abrupt. In last year's talk at UC Berkeley's Swarm Lab I pointed out that rate limits were essential to LOCKSS, and linked to Paul Vixie's article Rate-Limiting State making the case for rate limits on DNS, NTP and other Internet services. Imposing rate limits on system components makes the overall system more expensive.
Excess Replication: The standard fault-tolerance technique, Byzantine Fault Tolerance (BFT), is brittle. As faults in the system increase, it works perfectly until they pass a threshold. After that the system is completely broken. The reason is that BFT defines the minimum number of replicas that can survive a given number of faults. In order to achieve this minimum, every replica is involved in every operation of the system. There is no cushion of excess, unnecessary replicas to help the system retain some functionality above the threshold at which it stops behaving perfectly. The LOCKSS system was not concerned with minimizing the number of replicas. It assumed that it had excess replicas, Lots Of Copies, so it could Keep Stuff Safe by failing gradually as faults increased. Adding replicas to the system makes it more expensive.
Randomization: In general, the more predictable the behavior of the system the easier it is to attack. Randomizing the system's behavior makes it unpredictable. A significant part of the LOCKSS system's defenses is that since the selection of replicas to take part in each operation is random, the bad guy cannot predict which they are. Adding randomization to the system makes it more expensive (and harder to debug and test).
Debugging and testing were key to Karl Auerbach's contribution to the IP list discussion (reproduced in full by permission):
One of the motivations for packet switching and the ARPAnet was the ability to continue communications even during/after a nuclear holocaust. (Yes, I know that some people claim that that was not the purpose - but I was there, at SDC, from 1972 building ARPAnet like networks with that specific purpose.)
In recent years, or decades, we seem to be moving towards network architectures that are more brittle.
For example, there is a lot of discussion about "Software Defined Networks" and Openflow - which to my mind is ATM re-invented. Every time I look at it I think to myself "this design invites brittle failures."
My personal concern is slightly different. I come from a family of repairmen - radio and then TV - so when I look at something I wonder "how can it break?" and "how can it be repaired?".
We've engineered the internet so that it is not easy to diagnose problems. Unlike Ma Bell we have not learned to make remote loopbacks a mandatory part of many parts of the system. Thus we often have a flat, one sided view of what is happening. And if we need the view from the other end we often have to ask assistance of non-technical people who lack proper tools or knowledge how to use them.
As a first step we ought to be engineering more test points and remote loopback facilities into internet protocols and devices.
And a second step ought to be the creation of a database of network pathology. With that we can begin to create tools that help us reason backwards from symptoms towards causes. I'm not talking artificial intelligence or even highly expert systems. Rather this would be something that would help us look at symptoms, understand possible causes, and know what tests we need to run to begin to evaluate which of the possible causes are candidates and which are not.
Examples of brittle systems abound:
SSL is brittle in many ways. Browsers trust a pre-configured list of certificate authorities, whose role is to provide the illusion of security. If any one of them is malign or incompetent, the system is completely broken, as we see with the recent failure of the official Chinese certificate authority.
IP routing is brittle. Economic pressures have eliminated the "route around failure" property of the IP networks that Karl was building to survive nuclear war. Advertizing false routes is a routine trick used by the bad guys to divert traffic for interception.
Perimeter security as implemented in firewalls is brittle. Once the bad guy is inside there are few limits on what, and how fast, he can do Bad Things.
The blockchain, and its applications such as Bitcoin are brittle.
The blockchain is brittle because it can be taken over by a conspiracy. As I wrote in another of my contributions to the IP list, responding to and quoting from this piece of techno-optimism:
The revolution in progress can generally be described as “disintermediation”. It is the transference of trust, data, and ownership infrastructure from banks and businesses into distributed peer to peer network protocols.
A distributed “world wide ledger” is one of several technologies transforming our highly centralized structures. This technology, cryptically named the “block chain” is embodied in several distributed networks such as Bitcoin, Eris Industries DB, and Ethereum.
Through an encrypted world wide ledger built on a block chain, trust in the systems maintained by third party human institutions can be replaced by trust in math. In block chain systems, account identity and transactions are cryptographically verified by network “consensus” rather than by trust in a single third party.
These techno-optimists never seem to ask "what could possibly go wrong"? To quote from this blog post:
Since then, there has been a flood of proposals to base other P2P storage systems, election voting, even a replacement for the Internet on blockchain technology. Every one of these proposals for using the blockchain as a Solution for Everything I've looked at appears to make three highly questionable assumptions:
The blockchain guarantees anonymity.
The blockchain is automatically and permanently decentralized.
Providing adequate mining power is someone else's problem.
There have been times in the past when a single mining pool controlled more than 50% of the mining power, and thus the blockchain. That pool is known to have abused their control of the blockchain.
As I write this, 3 pools control 57% of the mining power. Thus a conspiracy between three parties would control the blockchain.
More than two decades ago at Sun I was convinced that making systems ductile (the opposite of brittle) was the hardest and most important problem in system engineering. After working on it in the LOCKSS Program for nearly 17 years I'm still convinced that this is true.
Labels: bitcoin, fault tolerance
In a must-read piece entitled A Machine For Keeping Secrets? Vinay Gupta of Ethereum, a blockchain startup shows that inadequate diversity, the bane of distributed systems, is another way in which the blockchain is brittle.
An attacker with zero-day exploits for each of the three major operating systems on which blockchain software runs could use them to take over the blockchain. There is a market for zero-day exploits, so we know how much it would cost to take over the blockchain. Good operating system zero-days are reputed to sell for $250-500K each, so it would cost about $1.5M to control the Bitcoin blockchain, currently representing nearly $3.3B in capital. That's 220,000% leverage! Goldman Sachs, eat your heart out.
Benjamin Lawsky, New York State's successful but alas now retiring financial regulator, understands the brittleness of the technology on which society depends. Interviewed at New York magazine by Chris Smith:
What’s the greatest risk to the financial system right now? A big jump in interest rates? Some trading technology or speculative instrument we don’t understand?
The problem is we react and try to fix things going forward based on previous experience. But the next thing is always a little different. The thing that really worries me right now is cybersecurity. We’re seeing more and more of these hacks. It is an incredibly difficult issue to deal with, not just for the financial sector, for our entire society. My hope is that it’s not going to take a really catastrophic cyberattack that causes a financial crisis.
How likely is that right now?
Look, we just had one announced yesterday, this Chinese thing, which is millions and millions of people [whose data was stolen], and they’ve hacked the federal government. So the chances are 100 percent that it’s going to keep happening. I’ve had trouble ball-parking the chances of something really systemic happening.
Above or below 50 percent?
I think below. But Phil Reitinger, who is on the governor’s cybersecurity advisory board with me, says what he worries about is an attack that shuts down power on the Eastern Seaboard and then a day later shuts down a bank or an exchange, and then everyone gets into a panic.
Lawsky is too optimistic. Trustwave reports that the return on malware investment dwarfs anything except the returns on lobbying the government:
"Attackers receive an estimated 1,425 percent return on investment for exploit kit and ransomware schemes ($84,100 net revenue for each $5,900 investment)."
jeremias said...
"Through an encrypted world wide ledger built on a block chain"
Hmm, there is no encryption in block chains. Only public-key cryptography (signing) and hash-functions. The block chain itself is public and non-encrypted.
"These techno-optimists never seem to ask "what could possibly go wrong"?"
I don't know which part of universe you have been living on, but all the bitcoin enthusiasts I know constantly revisit the risks, threaths and opportunities of the system. There are blind believers, but those are not usually very technically oriented. For example, many devs in the bitcoin core group tend to criticize some bitcoin properties quite heavily from time to time.
"Every one of these proposals for using the blockchain as a Solution for Everything I've looked at appears to make three highly questionable assumptions: "
Nowadays I quite rarely see these assumptions made clearly by anyone even slightly technically competent. In fact, it is widely known that bitcoin doesn't provide anonymity, and that's why there exists tens of privacy-improving services/tools/projects that try to improve the privacy model either for invidual users or bitcoin users in general.
Even if bitcoin sucks and has certain risks, it still could be the "least bad" alternative for some use cases.
What you write applies very much to "security", which for most vendors and buyers is a cost to be minimized, just like resilience.
In another post you write "in my usual way, ask what could possibly go wrong?" and that's not what businesses and even voters worry about. Such a question relates probably to a "maxmin" strategy, maximizing the minimum win, or minimizing the maximum loss; but most businesess etc. are aiming for "maxmax", that is maximizing the maximum win, and the devil take the hindmost.
Economists and businessmen have names for the strategy of assuming the best and bailing out if the worst happens, like "picking pennies in front of steamrollers" and "capital decimation partners". But it is a very profitable strategy for those who are lucky and the "bad outcome" does not happen.
Accountants call that "undedepreciation of risk", and that can be extremely profitable on paper, but businessmen pay themselves bonuses based on short-term underdepreciated paper profits, not long-term depreciated actual ones. Basically, paying themselves out of gross profits, not net profit. It is an important tool of asset stripping.
Economists sum it up by saying that many people have very high "discount rates", that is they value very highly present actual income and worry a lot less about future likely losses.
Especially if they can take the present actual income for themselves and give the future likely losses to someone else.
http://dilbert.com/strip/2006-07-11
As an illustration of how brittle the systems we depend upon are, today United Airlines, the New York Stock Exchange, and the Wall Street Journal were all shut down through system malfunctions. The Dept. of Homeland Security reassures us that this wasn't "malicious activity". It probably wasn't; if it had been these sites would still be down.
Symantec has been caught issuing "extended validity" certificates for google.com. Aren't you glad that the certificate authorities you trust are so trustworthy?
Dan Goodin at Ars Technica reports that Still fuming over HTTPS mishap, Google makes Symantec an offer it can’t refuse. Google is threatening that if Symantec doesn't shape up Chrome will start flagging their certificates.
Goodin is wrong to call this a "mishap". It was a complete abdication of everything Symantec is in business to provide Google and its other customers. I agree with the commenter who wrote:
"I think Google's actually being too lenient here. Symantec has violated the agreement that allows their root CA certificates to be trusted by Chrome. They have similar agreements with MS and Mozilla. By the letter of these agreements, any of these browsers could legitimately stop trusting the Symantec root CA certificates. By offering a remedy, Google is doing them a favor. Not out of altruism, of course, but because enough sites have Symantec certificates that flagging all of them would seriously inconvenience their users."
All browser and OS vendors should agree that a single instance of issuing a false EV certificate should result in immediate removal of the CA's root certificate. Yes, customers would be annoyed. The alternative is customers being compromised. Which would you prefer?
Symantec didn't just fail catastrophically, they proceeded to lie about it:
"Symantec first said it improperly issued 23 test certificates for domains owned by Google, browser maker Opera, and three other unidentified organizations without the domain owners' knowledge. A few weeks later, after Google disputed the low number, Symantec revised that figure upward, saying it found an additional 164 certificates for 76 domains and 2,458 certificates for domains that had never been registered."
This is the organization that the security of much of the Web relies on. If it wasn't so serious it'd be a joke.
I should have noticed earlier that Reddit's r/Place experiment shows the importance of rate limits. In Reddit and the Struggle to Detoxify the Internet at the New Yorker Andrew Marantz writes:
'Last April Fools’, instead of a parody announcement, Reddit unveiled a genuine social experiment. It was called r/Place, and it was a blank square, a thousand pixels by a thousand pixels. In the beginning, all million pixels were white. Once the experiment started, anyone could change a single pixel, anywhere on the grid, to one of sixteen colors. The only restriction was speed: the algorithm allowed each redditor to alter just one pixel every five minutes. “That way, no one person can take over—it’s too slow,” Josh Wardle, the Reddit product manager in charge of Place, explained. “In order to do anything at scale, they’re gonna have to coöperate.'
The whole article is fascinating, but the description of the evolution of r/Place is a great example of the benefit of rate limits.
Future of Research Libraries
EE380 talk on eBay storage
Alphaville on Bitcoin
Preserving the Ads?
Brief talk at Columbia
Archiving games | cc/2019-30/en_middle_0005.json.gz/line1053 |
__label__wiki | 0.770671 | 0.770671 | Joe Moser-Buchenwald Flyboy
Rest in Peace, Joe Moser
December 12, 2015 at 10:57 pm (429th Fighter Squadron, 474th Fighter Group, Blogroll, Buchenwald, Fighter Pilot, Joe Moser, P-38)
Our dear friend and hero Joe Moser passed away quietly at home on December 2, 2015. He was surrounded by his loving family. Memorial services were held December 11 with a Celebration of Life service in Ferndale, Washington, December 12. Over five hundred were in attendance to celebrate his remarkable life. Tributes from around the nation were read including from a Brigadier General and the Seattle Seahawks. Command Chief Master Sergeant Rick Arnold who arranged for Joe to finally receive his DFC medal, led all the veterans in a moving, final salute. At his burial service, Jeff Geer of the Bravo 369 Foundation arranged for a flyover of WWII vintage aircraft including the missing man formation.
On behalf of Joe’s family, friends and thousands of admirers who reached out to Joe since his story was told, I wish to thank all of you for your many expressions of love and support for Joe and his family.
His book “A Fighter Pilot in Buchenwald,” and the documentary featuring Joe, “Lost Airmen of Buchenwald” can normally be purchased at your local bookstore or at Amazon. However, we recently found out that they had been sold out. For those in our community near Bellingham, we know that Village Books in Bellingham and in their new store in Lynden are carrying Joe’s book. Amazon reports they are out of stock but you can order there and they should be getting more books in soon as well.
Gerald & Lynne Baron
Here is a brief video of Joe’s committal service with military honors at Woodlawn Cemetery, Ferndale, WA on December 11, 2015:
World Premiere of the Documentary featuring Joe Moser set for July 16
June 14, 2011 at 5:53 pm (429th Fighter Squadron, 474th Fighter Group, Buchenwald, Fighter Pilot, Joe Moser) (Joe Moser, Lost Airmen of Buchenwald)
We are very excited that the documentary about the 168 Allied flyers sent to Buchenwald is nearing completion. It is called “Lost Airmen of Buchenwald,” and it is produced by Mike Dorsey. The world premiere will be held July 16, 2011 at the Mount Baker Theatre in Bellingham, WA. Joe Moser, of course, will be there and we just have word that one of his fellow survivors, Ed Carter-Edwards from Ontario, Canada will be traveling to Bellingham for the premiere.
We won’t be providing information about the film and the premiere on this site (I apologize for being lax in monitoring this site), but instead you can find it more information here: http://www.facebook.com/lostairmen. Please feel free to add comments, ask questions, send Joe a message on that site.
If you would like to see the film trailer, you can view it here: Lost Airmen trailer.
If you can make it to the premiere, we suggest you get your tickets early. I know that is not normal to buy movie tickets in advance but Mount Baker Theatre is selling advanced seats for this special showing and you can select the seats you want. They are going very fast so don’t be disappointed, get those tickets now. You can get more info about the premiere and order tickets here.
Joe Interviewed by KING5 enroute to Buchenwald
April 9, 2010 at 6:47 pm (429th Fighter Squadron, 474th Fighter Group, Buchenwald, Fighter Pilot, Joe Moser, P-38, Stalag Luft III) (Buchenwald, Fighter Pilot, Joe Moser)
Joe, two daughters and a grandson were traveling along with cinematographer Chris Baron to Buchenwald yesterday. While at SeaTac airport, they were met by a TV news crew from KING5, the leading regional TV news channel. KING5’s Glenn Farley did an outstanding job with this story which in brief news format, gives some of the highlights of Joe’s experiences and the meaning behind this incredible trip back to Buchenwald.
Watch news story here.
President Obama in Buchenwald–so close to getting Joe’s story
June 10, 2009 at 12:31 am (429th Fighter Squadron, 474th Fighter Group, Buchenwald, Fighter Pilot, Joe Moser, Stalag Luft III) (A Fighter Pilot in Buchenwald, Buchenwald, Joe Moser)
When we heard that President Obama was going to visit Buchenwald on June 5, Anne Rasmussen–our intrepid publicist and publication manager–went to work on trying to get the White House’s attention. What an opportunity for the president to acknowledge that 82 Americans have never been recognized as having suffered through the Nazi oppression of Buchenwald–including Joe Moser. Marilyn Walton, whose father was in Stalag Luft III, brought this opportunity to our attention, wrote a letter to the White House and got us in contact with Bernd Schmidt, the head of the U.S. Veterans Friends association in Germany.
Mr. Schmidt did all he could to meet with President Obama and had prepared for him several gifts, including a copy of “A Fighter Pilot in Buchenwald.” While he was not able to get the meeting he so earnestly desired, his efforts were not in vain at all. We just received this translation of a newspaper story from the Thuringia State Newspaper recording Mr. Schmidt’s efforts and the gifts that are being sent now through the Consulate.
Our very sincere thanks to Mr. Schmidt and to Marilyn Walton–we will press on together to get the recognition these men so richly deserve.
Translation from the German [by Cordula D. Brown]
Thuringian State Newspaper, June 6th, 2009
Keep the memories alive
Bernd Schmidt of the U.S. Veterans Friends, too, was hoping in vain for a meeting
By Christiane Weber
Weimar. [tlz] His hope to meet with the American president in person, was not fulfilled. “I was trying to get accreditation”, said Bernd Schmidt, founder [in 2001] and highly decorated member of the U.S. Veterans Friends in Germany. He had contacted the Consulate General, called the hot line, applied to the Memorial site Buchenwald, and had sent a mail to the White House. In vain. This was even more disappointing because Schmidt – together with American veterans – had prepared a special gift: he intended to present the President with letters and three books by veterans.
Nevertheless, Schmidt was delighted with the President’s visit. Somehow it was “an honor for our work”, said Schmidt. Even without the personal encounter, Schmidt and his friends will continue their work more motivated than ever. The small group of friends with the declared aim to keep alive the memory of the American soldiers who liberated Thuringia in 1945, to document historical facts in the vicinity, to foster friendship and understanding between Germany and the U.S., especially between American veterans and German people. They are in close contact to American veterans and organize trips for them to come and meet them. Among others, a photo exhibit from the Algoet collection with pictures of the KZ liberation was placed in Buchenwald.
One of the letters intended for the President is by Gerald Virgil Myers, member of the 80th Infantry Division who liberated Weimar and arrived in Buchenwald shortly afterwards. He describes the historic events in minute detail. “This place teaches us to stay vigilant always”, emphasized Barack Obama in his speech after his tour of the memorial site Buchenwald. The memory would have to be kept awake. And this is exactly what the Friends of theVeterans are doing. Even more important are books like the ones by the historian Marilyn Jeffers Walton and by Gerald R. Baron which describe the less well know fate of Josef A. Moser and his 81 friends and fellow U.S. pilots who were prisoners of war in Buchenwald. Bernd Schmidt will send the President these books now via Consulate General.
The disappointment did not in any way detract from Bernd Schmidt’s motivation. He is firmly convinced that Obamas visit was of extraordinary help to keep the history alive for the future.
Video Interview with Joe Moser
May 11, 2009 at 11:40 pm (429th Fighter Squadron, 474th Fighter Group, Buchenwald, Fighter Pilot, French Underground, Joe Moser, P-38) (429th FG, 474th Fighter Group, A Fighter Pilot in Buchenwald, Buchenwald, Joe Moser, POW, Stalag Luft III)
Joe has been front a tv camera more times in the last while than I am sure he ever dreamed he would be. Here is a segment from a local television production called Experience Northwest from KVOS TV. Actually two videos for the two different segments:
Experience Northwest–Segment 1
National Public Radio Interview–Pacific Northwest Region
February 5, 2009 at 8:46 pm (429th Fighter Squadron, 474th Fighter Group, Buchenwald, Fighter Pilot, Joe Moser, Stalag Luft III) (429th FG, 474th Fighter Group, A Fighter Pilot in Buchenwald, DFC, Distinguished Flying Cross, Fighter Pilot, Joe Moser, NPR, POW, Stalag Luft III)
Joe and I were interviewed this morning by Tom Banse of the Olympia bureau of NPR. The interview should air starting on Monday morning on KUOW, KPLU and KZAZ.
Watch the video–Joe Moser receives his DFC 63+ years late
February 4, 2009 at 6:34 pm (429th Fighter Squadron, 474th Fighter Group, Buchenwald, Fighter Pilot, Joe Moser, P-38) (429th FG, 474th Fighter Group, A Fighter Pilot in Buchenwald, Buchenwald, DFC, Distinguished Flying Cross, Fighter Pilot, Joe Moser, POW, Stalag Luft III)
Here is the video slide show of Joe Moser receiving his Distinguished Flying Cross on January 29, 2009. Originally awarded on June 22, 1945, the medal was lost in the shuffle of after-war activities and Joe never received it. Col. Jeffrey Stephenson, Wing Commander of 62nd Military Airlift Command at McChord Air Force Base near Tacoma, Washington presented the medal to Joe. Accompanying Joe were two of his squadron mates: Captain Alfred Mills, himself a DFC honoree, and First Lt. Bob Milliken, the 429th FS’s only ace with five confirmed kills and four probables.
As you will see, Joe, his buddies and about 30 family members were treated to a VIP tour of McChord including time in the cockpit of a c-17 and even simulator time. A memorable day for everyone involved.
Joe Moser, World War II hero finally receives his Distinguished Flying Cross–64 years late
February 1, 2009 at 1:10 am (429th Fighter Squadron, 474th Fighter Group, Buchenwald, Fighter Pilot, French Underground, Joe Moser, P-38) (429th FG, 474th Fighter Group, A Fighter Pilot in Buchenwald, Buchenwald, DFC, Distinguished Flying Cross, Joe Moser, Stalag Luft III)
What a remarkable day! Chief Master Sergeant Rick Arnold said, “If there was a dry eye in that house, they didn’t have a heart.” Over 350 Air Force personnel and their families at McChord Air Force Base in Tacoma, Washington, along with over 30 of Joe Moser’s friends and family, witnessed the 87 year old veteran finally receive his Distinguished Flying Cross. (if you don’t want to read about this remarkable day, but instead cut immediately to the video slide show, here it is.) The photography and slide show were done by Gabe Rodriguez of Gabriel Boone Photography.
The DFC is one of the highest honors our country bestows. For an aviator, only the Congressional Medal of Honor ranks higher. Joe Moser, while a fighter pilot with the 429th Fighter Squadron, 474th Fighter Group, Ninth Air Force, earned his medal for leading his squadron on a highly successful ground attack on July 30, 1944. Attacks like these led to the Allied breakout of Normandy and helped speed the end of the war.
The Army Air Corp issued the award on June 22, 1945 but by that time the war was over, Joe was heading home from POW camp and from his dreadful two month stay in Buchenwald, and the award never caught up with him. Joe refused to talk about his war experiences for many years and the award was largely forgotten. His daughters did try to secure it for him, but it wasn’t until I mentioned it to a friend, Duane McNett that the ball got rolling. Duane’s company, McNett Corporation employs Chief Master Sergeant Rick Arnold and Duane called up Rick. The Chief is himself a hero and received the Airman’s Medal for helping save numerous lives in the attack on the Pentagon on 9/11. He was also the head of training for the SERE program, teaching military personnel from all branches how to survive, evade capture, endure torture and get through if they are ever caught by the enemy or behind enemy lines. The Chief knew just what to do. Conversation with a four star general, the Chief of Staff of the Air Force got the ball rolling. With the great help of Bud McKay of McChord Air Force base, arrangements were made.
Through the generosity of Frank and Patti Imhof, secret arrangements were made to have two of Joe’s squadron mates join him for the ceremony. Joe was not told of this and the reunion they had at the gate of McChord when Joe saw his buddies were there to be with them would choke up the most stoic among us. Bob Milliken and his wife Zella, the only ace with five confirmed kills and four probable kills, was there as well as Al Mills and his daughter Claire Tullius. Lt. Mills also won the DFC for his work with the 429th and was shot down a month after Joe ending up in the same POW camp.
Over 30 members of Joe’s family joined Joe and his buddies at McChord for a VIP tour hosted by Bud McKay. Joe and the other pilots sat at length in the cockpit of the gigantic C-17 military transport plane. Five TV crews crowded in with them–all four Seattle TV stations were present along with CNN. Newspaper photographers were also on hand. Then they were off to the simulator. There they took turns flying the C-17 in a $12 million dollar simulator. I can tell you, since I had the privilege a little after they were finished, that flying that thing is exactly like really flying. I’ve soloed a 182, and turning that giant four engined jet into the runway, my heart was pounding and I became completely convinced I was flying the real thing.
After touring the base in a bright blue bus, it was off to the full dress uniform awards dinner. This is an annual event in which worthy military and civilian personnel at McChord are given their honors. But the capper of the evening was the presentation to Joe Moser. With his two buddies joining him on the stage, the crowd when completely quiet. “Ten hut” was called. Then the citation, only recently uncovered by the archives thanks to CMS Arnold, it told of the successful mission of July 30 and Joe himself taking out two anti-aircraft positions enabling his squadron to complete the mission unimpeded. Col. Jeffrey Stephenson, Wing Commander of the 62 Military Airlift Command, pinned the long lost medal on the bright red veterans jacket of Mr. Moser. Col Stephenson stood silently in front of the three almost ninety-year old men, and slowly, solemnly saluted. I must tell you, I was afraid that my sobs would disrupt the quiet in the room.
The heroes returned to their seats, the ceremony over and they received the congratulations from as many of the Air Force personnel who could work their way to them. A little later, Patrick Oppmann from CNN got Joe in a quiet corner and had him tell a little of his story. I offered Patrick a copy of “A Fighter Pilot in Buchenwald” and I was thrilled when the next morning he said he had stayed up most of the night nearly finishing the book. Talking to him the next day I could tell he sensed that this was a very special man, more than deserving of the honor he was getting, and a very important story to be brought to a generation that is quickly allowing these memories to slip into ancient and irrelevant history. We were all further thrilled to see CNN.com list Joe’s story and his receving his award as one of their top news stories on Jan 30.
That night we watched the 11 o’clock news and nearly every local tv station carried the video of a broadly smiling Joe Moser sitting in the cockpit of the giant plane, and retelling the harrowing story of his narrow escape from his burning P-38.
But, the excitement was not over yet. The next day was Joe’s official Book Release Party at the Bellingham Golf and Country Club. Hosted by Frank and Patti Imhof of IMCO Construction, we had planned for about 100 invited guests. Instead over 170 showed up and lined up around the room to get Joe to sign a copy of the book. We were so very fortunate to have Chief Master Sergeant Rick Arnold and Al Mills join us at this event as well. The Chief is simply an amazing man and to have him represent the Air Force and explain just what this medal means to the Air Force and to our country was so important. Al Mills’s presence helped us remember that it was a team that made these heroics possible. But when the Chief brought both of these wonderful old men to the front of the room to salute them, the room again went deathly quiet. He gave them that slow, slow salute which the two flyers returned. Then Rick dropped to his knee to offer them the deep salute, a symbol of respect and honor that was almost as great and meaningful as the medal dangling from Joe’s veteran’s jacket. Coming from a true American hero of this generation to these heroes of a previous generation again prompted many tears,
In the final ceremony of a wonderful evening, both Joe and CMS Arnold were presented with a very special gift. Those of you who have been reading this blog for a while will recognize the name Remco Immerzeel. He is a wonderful man in France who has taken on the task of researching the stories of many Allied flyers who were shot down in the area of France where he lives. That includes Joe Moser. Remco was incredibly helpful and provided many details about Joe’s capture from the perspective of the French farmers who tried to help Joe escape. Remco has a friend named Christian (I don’t know his last name) who is an incredibly talented painter. And he painted the most detailed painting imaginable of the moment of Joe’s demise as a fighter pilot. The drab green P-38 is screaming for the skies with its left engine on fire. Below you can see the truck convoy that Joe was attacking when hit. The country side is exactly what the country side looked like then–because the painter knows it well–he lives there. On the nose is the actual serial number of the plane that Joe was flying when shot down. Below is Joe’s picture, the insignia of his squadron and a brief description of Joe and what happened to him on August 13, 1944. As a special gift to Joe from his grateful friends in France, we presented Joe a print of this remarkable art work. And as a memento to Chief Arnold, he was also presented a copy of this print, filled later with numerous autographs as a permanent memory to those involved in this most remarkable event.
Thank you Chief, for making this so special. Thank you Frank and Patti for all you have done. Thank you Lynne for being such a wonderful supportive wife. Thank you Duane and Nancy for making that critical connection. (I could go on but I will stop with apologies to the rest of you who know you deserve the thanks.)
But thanks most of all to Joe and Jean Moser. I hope all of you who take the time to read this account of these days get the chance to meet them. They are a link to what was a horrible and heroic time in our history. More than that, they show was love for God, family, freedom and country really mean. They show courage and strength and honor. I am so grateful for the opportunity to help them received this recognition.
Finally–books are here
January 28, 2009 at 12:35 am (429th Fighter Squadron, 474th Fighter Group, Buchenwald, Fighter Pilot, French Underground, Joe Moser, P-38) (A Fighter Pilot in Buchenwald, Buchenwald, Fighter Pilot, Joe Moser, POW, Stalag Luft III)
A Fighter Pilot in Buchenwald: The Joe Moser Story
We are still working on getting books into distribution but books are here and ready to order. You can get at Village Books in Bellingham, order from Amazon, or order direct from the publisher here.
The News is Out–Joe Moser Story on Seattle PI Military Blog
January 28, 2009 at 12:25 am (429th Fighter Squadron, 474th Fighter Group, Buchenwald, Fighter Pilot, French Underground, Joe Moser, P-38) (A Fighter Pilot in Buchenwald, Joe Moser, POW, Stalag Luft III)
Thanks to Mike Barber of the Seattle PI, the story of Joe Moser receiving his DFC award 65 years late is being told on the “Now Hear This” blog.
Early comments from people who have read the book have been outstanding. Village Books in Bellingham is having a hard time keeping inventory in, and Amazon orders should now start to be filled with a shipment to them we just made. We are working on getting “A Fighter Pilot in Buchenwald: The Joe Moser Story” into bookstores and retail outlets throughout northwest Washington.
If anyone can’t find it, tell them they can order on our website at www.joemoserstory.com.
To make it even easier to order, just click on these words and the order form will pop up.
About How to Order the Book
About Joe Moser
About the ghostwriter
Chapter 10: Filth and Worse
Chapter 11: Rescue
Chapter 12: A POW At Last
Chapter 13 A Fighter Among Fighters
Chapter 14: A Rookie No More
Chapter 15 Death March
Chapter 17: Coming Home
Chapter 1: Flight Leader (DR1)
Chapter 2, Draft 2
Chapter 2: Come On!
Chapter 3: Marchefroy (Draft 1)
Chapter 4 (DR1) Fresnes Prison
Chapter 5 The Train
Chapter 6: Cattle Car to Hell
Chapter 7 Farm Boy to Fighter
Chapter 8: Buchenwald
Chapter 9: Air Raid
Joe Moser Film Premiere Featured in Belllingham Herald
Joe Moser Traveling to Buchenwald to Celebrate Liberation and film documentary
Glenys Scott on Rest in Peace, Joe Moser
Steve on World Premiere of the Document…
Pete on Watch the video–Joe Mose…
SMartin on Joe Moser Traveling to Buchenw…
Canadian Flyers in Buchenwald
429th Fighter Squadron
French Underground
Joe Moser
Stalag Luft III | cc/2019-30/en_middle_0005.json.gz/line1059 |
__label__wiki | 0.55126 | 0.55126 | Home > Solicitations > Bid Tabulation
Solicitations - Bid Tabulation
The information shown below states the bid prices read at the time of the public bid opening. Amounts posted on this page are totals, including tax, for the project. Bid results posted on this page have not been reviewed for completeness, responsiveness and technical qualification.
Please note that bid totals may change if clerical or mathematical errors are detected. Awards will be determined after the review of the bid packages. Results will remain on this page for thirty (30) days after posting.
To obtain a copy of the Bid Tabulation, click on the "Download". To sort the information below, hover over the desired column title and click on the up and down arrow. To print the Open Solicitations list, click on the "Download into PDF" button.
MA62665 CHAMBER - BRAKE, SPRING REAR DISC, LH & RH, TYPE 2430L IFB 7/9/2019 5/29/2019
C62731C1173-2 Construction of Cesar Chavez Transit Pavilion. Including Q&As. Updated 6/18/19 IFB 6/25/2019 5/24/2019
OP61210 Overhead Hoist and Crane Maintenance Services IFB 6/25/2019 5/23/2019
C63017C1192 MTA Headquarters 12th Floor Tenant Improvement Project. Including Amendment 1, 2, 3 & 4 and Q&As No. 1 & 2. Updated 6/26/19 IFB 7/2/2019 5/20/2019
OP60452-2 Hybrid Mid-Size SUV - Response Vehicle. Including Amendment No. 1 and Q&As. Updated 6/7/19 IFB 7/11/2019 5/17/2019
C60921 ADA Tactile Guidance Pathway Systems including amendment 1 & 2 and pre-bid documents. Updated 5/24/19 IFB 6/7/2019 5/8/2019 | cc/2019-30/en_middle_0005.json.gz/line1063 |
__label__wiki | 0.944963 | 0.944963 | Listen to this: New singles from Britney Spears and Transviolet
By Nicholas Jennings
Is Britney Spears back in form? The pop icon just dropped a teaser from her upcoming ninth studio album and it sounds like classic Britney and of-the-moment Britney all in one. Fans haven’t heard anything new from the “…Baby One More Time” singer since last year’s “Pretty Girls” with Iggy Azalea, so this is a treat. Meanwhile, from out on the west coast comes a fresh new band, led by sassy siren Sarah McTaggart, with an irresistible new summer song.
Britney Spears: “Make Me…” feat. G-Eazy
The new one from Britney isn’t the uptempo "Womanizer"-style workout number we’ve come to expect from the “Hold It Against Me” artist. Instead, it’s a moody, sexy ballad in which Britney sings in an aching voice about wanting her guy to make her move “like it ain’t a choice for you.” Rising rapper G-Eazy compliments with his verse, calling Britney a “dangerous woman.”
Britney got all gushy on Twitter to give thanks that “Make Me…” raced all the way to #1 on iTunes—in a matter of hours.
This is an incredible feeling. Thank you, thank you, thank you!! ❤️ #MakeMehttps://t.co/CFC5aH25ao
— Britney Spears (@britneyspears) July 15, 2016
Transviolet: “L.A. Love”
The electro-pop sounds of this savvy four-piece from Los Angeles via New York are catchy and hypnotic — in other words, totally irresistible. “Only love you when you’re someone,” singer Sarah coos over a bubbly beat. “I wrote this song about my love/hate relationship with Los Angeles,” she explains. “Everyone here wants something so desperately.”
“L.A. Love” is making an instant connection with listeners and Transviolet took to Twitter to thank everyone for showing their love.
Whoa! 125K on @Spotify in less than a week! Thanks for all the love surrounding LA Love! So grateful to all of you x pic.twitter.com/v3fz8bZ4k1
— TRANSVIOLET (@TRANSVIOLETBAND) July 14, 2016
Hello! music columnist Nicholas Jennings surveys the pop landscape each week to find the most dynamic tracks to add to your playlist.
Nicholas Jennings
Listen to this: New singles by Shawn Mendes and Peter Gabriel
Listen to this: New singles from Serena Ryder and Busty and the Bass
Listen to this: New singles from MAGIC! and Ziggy Marley | cc/2019-30/en_middle_0005.json.gz/line1069 |
__label__wiki | 0.848966 | 0.848966 | 26th Cochrane Colloquium
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The Bill Silverman Prize
Submission close 2 August 2019
“Critiquing others’ research is an important service to the scientific community, but it’s rare to be rewarded for doing so. That’s why winning the 2018 Bill Silverman Prize was such an honour and a thrill!”
Matthew Page, 2018 Bill Silverman Prize winner
William (Bill) Silverman, MD
William (Bill) Silverman (1924-2004) was one of the founders of American neonatal medicine. He was honoured repeatedly as one of the pioneers in his specialty; however, he often evoked somewhat contradictory responses amongst his colleagues because he was in the habit of raising troubling questions about the scientific basis and ethics of his and their practices. Like many of the people who have helped to establish Cochrane, Bill Silverman could be regarded as a 'troublemaker'. As he reiterated frequently, however, criticism is a form of troublemaking that can help to drive progress. Furthermore, criticism should not be limited to examining the work of others, but should also include self-criticism.
The Bill Silverman Prize is offered annually and explicitly acknowledges Cochrane's value of criticism, with a view to helping to improve its work, and thus achieve its aim of helping people make well-informed decisions about health care by providing the best possible evidence on the effects of healthcare interventions. The Cochrane Steering Group approved the establishment of the Prize in 2007, and it was awarded for the first time in 2008.
Please note that this Prize is not for the preparation of a Cochrane Review; rather, it is for a published paper which demonstrates originality and critical thinking, either in evaluating any aspect of the preparation, maintenance or dissemination of Cochrane Reviews or about the work of Cochrane more generally. It should be of high quality, have been accompanied by constructive suggestions on how the relevant aspects of Cochrane’s work could be improved; and have had, or is likely to have, a positive impact on the scientific quality, relevance and use of Cochrane Reviews.
Peer-reviewed papers that fulfil the criteria described above under ‘Purpose’, and were published in the twelve-month period 1 April 2018 to 31 March 2019 are eligible for nomination in 2019.
Nomination process and deadline
The Central Executive Team issues the call for nominations via Cochrane’s mailing lists each year. Nominations can be made by anyone, including the authors of the publication being nominated. Nominations should be submitted via this online form. The deadline for receipt of nominations is 2 August 2019.
Announcement of Prize recipient
The recipient of the Prize is announced at the annual Cochrane Colloquium. The Prize is awarded to the corresponding author of the selected publication, and comprises a cash award of USD $1,000 and a certificate. It is this person’s responsibility to distribute the cash award in a fair way to co-authors of the paper.
Bill Silverman Prize Committee
The Prize Committee comprises five members, at least three of whom do not have an active role within any Cochrane entity (other than, possibly, as an author or referee of one or more Cochrane Reviews). When one of the committee members stands down from the committee, the resulting vacancy is filled by the recipient of the most recent Prize (or a person chosen by the recipients).
Funding for the Prize
Bill Silverman’s family agreed to the establishment of this Prize, and Iain and Jan Chalmers contributed GBP £5,000 sterling of start-up funding. The Steering Group will determine the future of the Prize when this initial contribution has been exhausted and, if relevant, will seek to identify future funding. The Central Executive Team is responsible for administering these Prize funds.
Bill Silverman Prize recipients
Biester K et al. High dropout rates in trials included in Cochrane Reviews. Oral presentation at the 14th Cochrane Colloquium, Dublin, Ireland, October 2006 [abstract].
Moher D, Tetzlaff J, Tricco AC, Sampson M, Altman DG. Epidemiology and reporting characteristics of systematic reviews. PLoS Medicine 2007 4(3): e78. doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.0040078 [full-text PDF].
Ford AC, Guyatt GH, Talley NJ, Moayyedi P, Errors in the conduct of systematic reviews of pharmacological interventions for irritable bowel syndrome. Am J Gastroenterol 2010; 105: 280-288; doi: 10.1038/ajg.2009.658. [abstract].
Donegan S, Williamson P, Gamble C, Tudur-Smith C. Indirect comparisons: a review of reporting and methodological quality. PLoS ONE 2010 5(11):e11054, doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0011054. [abstract].
Nasser M, Welch V, Tugwell P, Ueffing E, Doyle J, Waters E. Ensuring relevance for Cochrane reviews: evaluating processes and methods for prioritizing topics for Cochrane reviews. J Clin Epidemiol 2012 Apr [abstract].
Roseman, M, Turner EH, Lexchin, J, Coyne, JC, Bero, LA, Thombs, BD. Reporting of conflicts of interest from drug trials in Cochrane reviews: cross sectional study. BMJ 2012;345:e5155 [abstract].
Takwoingi Y, Hopewell S, Tovey D, Sutton A. A multicomponent decison tool for prioritising the updating of systematic reviews. BMJ 2013;347:f7191 doi: 10.1136/bmj.f7191 (published 13 December 2013).
Saini P, Loke YK, Gamble C, Altman DG, Williamson PR, Kirkham JJ. Selective reporting bias of harm outcomes within studies: findings from a cohort of systematic reviews. BMJ 2014; 349:g6501.
The Prize Committee was unable to award a prize for 2016, as there were no eligible submissions received.
David Henry, for the paper 'Risk of bias in systematic reviews of non-randomized studies of adverse cardiovascular effects of thiazolidinediones and cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitors: application of a new Cochrane risk of bias tool'.
Matthew Page, for the paper 'Flaws in the application and interpretation of statistical analyses in systematic reviews of therapeutic interventions were common: a cross-sectional analysis'
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__label__wiki | 0.986307 | 0.986307 | /Marvel
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Marvel Studios Confirms Venom Spinoff Isn't Part Of The MCU
By Megan Peters - October 24, 2017 12:23 pm EDT
Whether you like it or not, Sony is moving forward with plans to bring one of Marvel’s iconic heroes to theaters. A feature film based on Venom is well into development, and Tom Hardy has already been tapped to play the dark figure. The character stands as one of Spider-Man’s most popular foes, but do not expect Venom to pop up with Tom Holland in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
No, fans should let that hope die. Earlier today, the president of Marvel Studios confirmed the Venom spinoff has nothing to do with its cinematic franchise.
Kevin Feige spoke with AlloCine about Venom during a press interview for Spider-Man: Homecoming. When the producer was asked about the Sony project, Feige had this to say: “For now, there is no plan for Venom in the MCU. It’s a Sony project.”
This isn’t the first time fans have gotten denials about Venom’s MCU status, but this is the first time Feige has confirmed those reports. Earlier this year, Spider-Man: Homecoming director Jon Watts told fans he had no knowledge of Venom being tied to Marvel Studios. Holland has also said that he’s never been approached about Venom, confirming the fact that Spider-Man has no place in the spinoff just yet.
Now, it looks like Peter Parker will likely be left out of the film entirely.
Venom is set to release next year as Sony gave the film an expedited premiere. Currently, the feature is set to debut on October 5, 2018 as director Ruben Fleischer oversees the project. The film takes its story from a script penned by Scott Rosenberg and Jeff Pinkner. Amy Pascal, Avi Arad, and Matt Tolmach has been drafted to produce the feature.
MORE SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING NEWS: Michael Keaton Attacks Jimmy Kimmel For Liking Spider-Man More Than Batman / Spider-Man Swings Into Action With Homecoming Hot Toys Figure / Tom Holland Shows Off His Favorite Stunt From Spider-Man: Homecoming
Thrilled by his experience with the Avengers, young Peter Parker (Tom Holland) returns home to live with his Aunt May. Under the watchful eye of mentor Tony Stark, Parker starts to embrace his newfound identity as Spider-Man. He also tries to return to his normal daily routine -- distracted by thoughts of proving himself to be more than just a friendly neighborhood superhero. Peter must soon put his powers to the test when the evil Vulture emerges to threaten everything that he holds dear.
Spider-Man: Homecoming is directed by Jon Watts, from a screenplay by Jonathan M. Goldstein & John Francis Daley and Watts & Christopher Ford and Chris McKenna & Erik Sommers, and stars Tom Holland, Michael Keaton, Zendaya, Donald Glover, Jacob Batalon, Laura Harrier, Tony Revolori, Tyne Daly, Bokeem Woodbine, Marisa Tomei, and Robert Downey Jr.
Spider-Man: Homecoming will be released on July 7, 2017.
Are you excited to see Spider-Man’s first solo film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe? Let us know with your vote below in the Anticipation Rankings!
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Marvel Studios at SDCC: What Surprises to Expect
Avengers: Endgame Loses Title for 2019's Biggest Per-Theater Average
Spider-Man: Far From Home Almost Made Mysterio a Spoiler
LEGO Bringing Life-Size Iron Man With Infinity Gauntlet to San Diego Comic Con | cc/2019-30/en_middle_0005.json.gz/line1077 |
__label__cc | 0.624886 | 0.375114 | Dr Peter Wilkins
Douglas College, English (Canada)
Graphixia Blog
The Training Group at Douglas College
Email: wilkinsp@douglascollege.ca; drpdwilkins@gmail.com
Postal Address: 1932 East 3rd Avenue, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada V5N 1H5
http://www.graphixia.cssgn.org/
Biography and Research Interests
Peter Wilkins teaches English at Douglas College in New Westminster, British Columbia Canada, where he is also the Faculty Research Liaison for the Training Group. He has a PhD in American Literature and Critical Theory from the University of California at Irvine. He started working on comics in 2010 when he started the Graphixia blog with David N. Wright.
Research interests: Comics and Skills Training, Comics and Aesthetics, Apocalyptic Narratives, Narratives of Masculinity, Technology.
“Pluto: Robots and Aesthetic Experience” The Comics Grid, 30 January 2012
“‘Nightmares of Identity’: Nationalism and Loss in Leonard Cohen’s Beautiful Losers.”Intricate Preparations: Writing Leonard Cohen. Ed. Stephen Scobie. 2000, Toronto, ECW Press, 24-50.
“Defense of the Realm: Canada’s Relationship to the United States in Margaret Atwood’s Surfacing.” REAL (Research in English and American Literature) Vol 14 Literature and the Nation. Ed. Brook Thomas. 1998, Tübingen, Gunter Narr Verlag, 205-222.
“No Big Picture: Denys Arcand’s American Critics” in Denys Arcand: Auteur/Provocateur. Ed. Brian McIlroy and André Loiselle. 1995, Trowbridge, Flicks Books, 113-135.
Conference Papers and Talks
“What’s My Task? Comics and Document Use Literacy,” The Third International Comics Conference: Comics Rock, Bournemouth, June 28, 2012 (Forthcoming).
“Standing on the Shoulders of Giants: The Superheroic Foundations of Chris Ware’s Jimmy Corrigan and Alison Bechdel’s Fun Home”, The First International Conference on Comics and Graphic Novels: Sites of Visual and Textual Innovation, November, 2011. | cc/2019-30/en_middle_0005.json.gz/line1079 |
__label__cc | 0.579304 | 0.420696 | ← Monday’s Seven Casual Contemplations
Importance of Stars in NBA →
Can’t Build Around Bynum
Andrew Bynum isn’t even 25 years old yet.
The Los Angeles Lakers have been waiting for Andrew Bynum to mature for the past 5 seasons. He finally broke out this year as the 2nd best center in the NBA, putting up 18.7 points and 11.8 rebounds per game during the regular season. Dominating numbers from a dominating physical presence. But don’t let his physical stature and the numbers fool you, Bynum still possesses the mind of a child.
That mind is not going to change.
Andrew Bynum has been somewhat of an enigma all season for the Lakers. The infamous 3-point shot that sent him straight to the pine encapsulates most everything that Bynum is and has been for Los Angeles. After the benching, Bynum sulked for much of the game, refusing to join the huddle in team timeouts and subsequently played some uninspired 4th quarter basketball. He reacted to the situation like a petulant child.
Immaturity is a good excuse for only so long.
The young ancient Roman emperor Nero passed off his failings and cruelty to the public as youthful mistakes but it was said that this was more a fault of his character and not his age. The same could be said of Andrew Bynum, you know, minus the cruelty.
Last night, after another uninspired 10 point, 4 rebound performance from Bynum, he was questioned by the media about his expectations of a possible contract extension with the Lakers. Bynum would give an answer once again suggesting his inexperience got the better of him. He said that “I’m not sure,” and “It really doesn’t matter to me. I’ll play anywhere. I think for the most part I had a pretty decent season and then an OK postseason. Obviously this last game was the worst game I’ve probably played. It sucks, obviously, we’re going fishing. My focus is next year and coming back stronger, adding things to my game”
Inexperienced words from an inexperienced man.
This whole immaturity thing, ironically, is getting a little old for Andrew Bynum though. There has been no maturation for Bynum and it doesn’t appear as though there ever will be. His comments exhibit the signs of a kid who doesn’t learn. All he had to do was fake his undying devotion to the Lakers but he couldn’t do that.
As much as Orlando fans, or any fans for that matter really, would love to see Andrew Bynum in their teams’ jersey, he is not a player anyone should be building a franchise around.
Bynum is not a centrepiece. His game would indicate otherwise but his mind won’t ever catch up to his skills on the court. He insisted that he would continue to shoot 3’s after getting benched for the very act. He said that it doesn’t really matter where he’ll play. Most importantly, he continues to expose his lack of passion and concern for winning.
Despite playing with Kobe Bryant, Andrew Bynum doesn’t show up to work every day. It is more than a little distressing that with their playoff lives at stake, Bynum came up with 10 points, 4 rebounds and 0 blocks. The 10 points are not the issue because sometimes you don’t score, especially with Kobe taking 33 shots. The 4 rebounds and 0 blocks are what pop off the page.
When everything was on the line, the Lakers center came up with a Terrell Owens when he is mad at his quarterback type performance. Apathetic.
Don’t chalk up his poor play to immaturity that will mature sooner or later. Bynum has a body of work as evidence to the contrary. Immature is what Andrew Bynum is.
Until recently, Dwight Howard was applauded for his boyish charm and his juvenile attitude was seen as something that he would grow out of. I think it’s safe to say that ship has sailed. D-12’s infantile behaviour has already cost his franchise one of the best coaches in the NBA and in due time he will force the Magic to rebuild completely from scratch.
When you talk about championship material, Andrew Bynum is one of the last guys you would think of. Sometimes the light turns on for certain players like a flip has just been switched. For the past few years, it seemed as though the light just needed to be switched on for Andrew Bynum. Now it’s clear that the light in Bynum’s head is forever broken, never to be turned on.
Barring injuries, Andrew Bynum will carry on being one of the most productive centers in the NBA for years to come. He has been given too many gifts from the big man upstairs. A championship is by no means out of the question for whichever team Bynum ends up playing for as long as he is not the one leading the charge.
Some team will expect Andrew Bynum to eventually be the future of their franchise. But how can anyone expect Bynum to lead a group of players when he can’t even lead himself in the right direction?
Andrew Bynum’s true colours were revealed again last night and those colours aren’t piloting any team to an NBA championship.
You can follow me on Twitter @paintstheblack and subscribe to Painting the Black to get the latest posts.
Agree? Disagree? You can also E-mail Chris at cross_can15@hotmail.com or reply in the comments section below.
Filed under NBA Tagged with Andrew Bynum, Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers, Mike Brown, NBA
28 Responses to Can’t Build Around Bynum
jwoodny says:
Great comparison to Nero. I agree 100%. Bynum needs an adult chaperone LOL
But seriously though, you can’t change a person’s natural mindset. Case in point, T.O is still jersey-less while Randy Moss will be playing for 1 of the top teams in the league. Owens can say he’s changed, he’ll do better, he’s ready to be a veteran leader all he wants. But he can’t shake that precedent that attached to his name. If Bynum doesn’t turn it around this season, he’ll be the same way. The other thing is the Lakers need a coach that can wrangle him. No way would he have made those kinda remarks w/ Phil Jackson as coach. Nope!
adrianabl says:
I think they should get rid of Bynum because he is to inmature and he does not have the experience that Pau Gasol has although he is 30 years old. I think if the Lakers have a chance to get Dwight Howard I would rid of both of them. And another reason why they lost is their bench was unexistent during the entire season, they should get rid of the bench, I woud keep Steve Blake, Ron Artist and Hill. Another reason trading Lamar Odom why because they lost scorring without him. Kobe is to old and selfish it his fault they lost. He tried to be the heroe.
please comment on my blog keepingupwiththissportsfan.wordpress.com and let me know your opinion. on taking out Gasol or Bynum. i still not sure which one to trade. But know thinking about it well it should be Bynum. At first i thought Gasol. But now that have analyzed it well Bynum is the one. Because is to inmature and childish. I don’t like the lakers at all. they have a lot of thinking to do. I want the Celtics to win, but i know it is impossible.
Shahin Ourian says:
Bynum has been the most maddeningly frustrating player on the Lakers of the past decade. Though Shaq acted like a dick he had the drive and skill to win championships nearly on his own. On the flipside, plays like Luke Walton and Slava Medvedenko were just terrible so you couldn’t really expect much from them.
Drew is more of the type with too much skill, too much fame, and too much ego to harness it all for a more focused will to win (like Kobe has… mostly). At this point in his career it’s better to seek out a straight Bynum-for-Dwight trade (he’s worn his welcome out in Orlando) and give them both a chance to start fresh with franchises willing to commit to each of them. Who knows, maybe they’ll face off in another Lakers-Magic Finals…
please comment on my blog keepingupwiththissportsfan.wordpress.com
I agree he is too immature and he has proven that he checks out when he doesn’t get his way.
GlossAngeles411 says:
I agree. How long can we pay someone just for being tall? He plays with no heart and no enthusiasm. If he doesn’t care who he plays for and his agent says it’s not their call, why are we literally investing SO much in him? We’re wasting the talent and passion of guys like Kobe and (say what you want) MWP by surrounding them with guys like this.
Ray Boyd says:
Great article, definitely agree about the immaturity. Bynum is great but you’re right, he has to mature.
Kendall says:
I think he reached his ceiling I dont see him getting much better.Like I say about Dwight Howard, he is benefitting from a lackluster pool of big men in the NBA.
The_Esposito_Himself says:
Im not a big fan of Bynum, but I don’t think he has reached his ceiling. If he goes to a team with a premier point guard, or somehow the Lakers trade Pau for one, I guarantee you will see an improvement and consistency in his game.
Alan aka tophatal says:
There’s a reason why you can’t build around Bynum ……….. the idiots within the Lakers’ front office committed $16.3 million to him for next season and they now have to make a choice between he and Pau Gasol. Given the choice , I would execute both … their contributions this postseason have been a complete joke . Excuses and nothing but excuses from both players continuously . Mike Brown has just reiterated what many might now be thinking, be it one or two possibly two superstars on his roster , he’s still a lousy coach who doesn’t know how to adjust .
MWP is past his sell-by-date but he’s simply too dumb to realize that very fact . If he returns next year he’s still be slow and possess about as much athleticism as Clay Aiken undertaking USMC (Marine Corps) assault and obstacle course .
I agree if they have a chance to get rid of both of them and try to get Howard. Trade steve blake for a quality point guard. Mike Brown is not a good cpuach, i don`t like Phil Jackson at all. Mike Brown tried to change the system from the triangle offense to another system. they lost bench contribution from Lamar Odom and Shannon Brown. but i am not big laker fan i like the celtics better
please on my blog keepingupwiththissportsfan.wordpress.com
Swapping one infantile head-ache for another mightn’t improve the Lakers at all , as their issues go far deeper . Their bench sucks and they really get that much contribution beyond what Bryant is said to do on any given night .
any chance of ever convincing jim buss that bynum should go? he seems untouchable the way jim talks about him and the future of the organization…
It’s hard to say whether he’s just standing behind him in public, hoping that he can turn it around, all the while considering all the options he has. He does seem untouchable the way he talks about him. I can see his thinking behind that because Bynum can be so dominant on both ends of the floor. However, with Kobe on the inevitable (i think?) decline some day in the near future, it’s tough to wrap my head around anybody really believing that he can be the future face of the franchise.
youngkerux says:
True. I have to say:
1. He is not 25 yet as you said. Maybe he’ll change and grow in a few years… but that’s a big maybe. After all, Allen Iverson ended his career, even won an MVP, but never grew to be a mature player.
2. Bynum is not the man you want to build around with, I agree. You need someone who is: (1) dedicated to the franchise (not a Lebron-Dwight Howard-Melo-D’Will again who will just break your heart). You need to build around guys like Kobe, Nash (who did not demand a trade), Tim Duncan, Nowitzki, Durant. Those kind of players had loyalty. That’s what you need.
3. Besides someone who is loyal, you need someone who thinks about his team. That is what differentiates franchise players from the typical all-stars. Iverson did not care about practice. Jordan cared about his teammates. Kobe fought for Pau Gasol with the trade rumors, he wanted Odom back, received Sessions, continued to praise his teammates and called them out if they are not playing the way they should. The fact that Bynum just stayed in the bus instead of cheering his teammates in a non-bearing game says a lot about Bynum’s selfishness. The guys who make care about their teammates and make them better is what differentiates a championship team leader from a regular all-star.
If Bynum is not the player LAL should build a team around at, what should they do?
If a good deal is available, trade Bynum while he has some value. If there is no good deals, keep him. He is still valuable being the second best center in the league.What does the Lakers need anyway? I think with the type of basketball played in the league at this era, you don’t really need offensive centers that much–unless they really dominate. Bynum does not dominate. He can be stopped. Lakers should invest in a defensive-minded center. If Bynum will be committed to defense, keep him. If not, trade him.
Knowing Lakers and Mitch Kupchak, they will always find a way to replace Kobe when the time comes. Bynum doesn’t have to be the answer.
NC says:
I agree with everything you said. Also remember that Bynum lost to a team of 22 and 23 year olds (Durant, Westbrook, Harden) so to defend his poor play using his youth makes no sense. In regards to D12, good luck. That is trading one headache for another.
labatman24 says:
Dwight Howard is way better than Bynum defensively. And the guy is a physical specimen who doesn’t get tired like Bynum does. If you paired dwight with Kobe and gasol The lakers would be much much improved on the defensive end and possibly a contender.
I think that Bynum has some maturity issues. The laker offense is limited by their supporting players though. They go to bynum once and when he’s guarded they just give up and give it back to kobe. Gasol and bynum don’t play together well as gasol needs the ball in the low post, where Bynum is. The lakers lack outside shooting so their spacing is poor also. They are not a championship team but i think that bynum can contribute to a championship team if he played at his ceiling. i still feel that Phil Jackson had a point when he told Bynum to focus on defense and rebounding and not worry about his scoring. When bynum is locked in defensively The lakers were very good. At times drew looked gassed out there probably due to mike brown riding Kobe, Gasol, and Bynum so much in the regular season.
http://4hoopsheads.com/2012/05/22/pau-and-bynum-bootleg-twin-towers/
I have my own thoughts here on pau and bynum and
http://4hoopsheads.com/2012/05/21/lakersthunder-game-5-lakers-gone-fishin/
here on the lakers’ loss to the thunder
Andrew Bartlett says:
Completely disagree. Bynum is the piece to build around. Get him the ball more, give him more touches and make him the focal point of the offence and we have seen the results throughout the year. He is the piece the Lakers can and probably will build around. If there is some concerns about his maturity, and some old heads around him. Heres where dropping Derek Fisher was a bad move. He was the selfless one, who kept them all in line. But Bynum is the man for the Lakers.
Pingback: Andrew Bynum Leaving Lakers | News Media Source, Entertainment News, Media Source, Celeb News, News Media
chicitysportsblog says:
Nice post. I liked the historical reference to Nero lol. I’ll definitely be checking your blog out. Do the same for me!
I Want More Rants! says:
Good stuff! Pretty much nailed it on who Bynum is, both at a personal level and as a professional player. How Kobe would love for those “Bosh for Bynum” trade rumour whispers to re-surface from 2 years ago when his contract with Toronto was about to expire. Bynum can totally become one of the most productive centers and is a legit big men and make any team a contender.
Unfortunately, I don’t know if its because he’s a Jersey kid and the whole West coast experience just has him too relaxed at such a young age, but the Lakers should heavily consider using him as bait when you’ve got another disgrunted big men in Orlando. Bynum wouldn’t be as much in the spot light and in an Eastern Conference where the road might be a lot easier to make it deep into the playoffs (this Heat team isn’t one for the ages – see rant) Howard has publically stated he wants out – rumours are now surfacing that despite senior mangement giving Van Gundy and GM their pink slips, he still wants out – I’m sure Howard would welcome the oppourtunity to win a championship and show he can do what Bynum has lacked thus far.
As I rant, he’s been injured for the past 3 out of 4 season – played well in a shorten season, but when he’s constantly getting injured, it might be time to re-consider who you want to make your star man of the future and potential leaders. As long as Kobe is there, he’ll always be the leader but if they wish to give the reigns to Bynum – either be straight up with him and show him you won’t put up with any of his non-sense or let him realize what he had once he’s not a Laker. Too many other players would die for the raw talent he has and to perform it in the spotlight in a Laker uniform is only a dream for many. Learn to shut up, play your role, give it your best and accept that your still developing and perhaps you’ll have a shot at not only being the best big men over the next decade, but adding titles to that as well.
He may say its the “Brown” first year thing, but the Lakers’ failure is not squarely his fault – any other team would lose to OKC except the Spurs. But learn to accept that responsibilty and be accountable for what you do out on the floor. His Game 5 performance – when Kobe was putting on his best show yet in an elimination game, Bynum’s mind was already set on his summer plans. That in Laker land, is totally unacceptable and wouldn’t put it past management if they get rid of him!
oddballsportsblog says:
Great post here. Bynum should have another decade of high production in the NBA, but you can only go so far with the attitude he holds and the maturity he lacks. I think he’ll be the best player on a team he’s playing for in the future, but he’s not the sure-fire go-to post guy teams need. Maybe he’ll be the superstar he can be in the future, but as you said, he can be stopped at times and isn’t the guy to build a franchise around. I won’t give up on him yet.
Jay Wallis says:
I enjoy your implementation of history midway through this article.
What’s interesting to realize is the fact that the two best centers in the NBA (D12 and Bynum) both came from high school, and that inexperience in the real world is showing for all to see. Think about when you were a senior and high school… that’s the last thing those two remember before taking on millions to play a sport with a ball. They might be great players, but their actions when the going gets tough will make owners question if it is truly worth making a move for these players during a time when there is a dearth of centers.
By the way, great article! You had solid writing along with good flow. Keep up the posts!
andrewjohnwang says:
I like your article on Andrew Bynum, Chris. I have to say that whenever I see Andrew Bynum on television in that gigantic Laker uniform, I always have to see that youthful face and that giant body of his. That youthful face of Andrew Bynum doesn’t seem to age, doesn’t seem to grow up with wisdom, doesn’t seem wiser one day at a time, doesn’t grow up a second more, I think you get what I mean. He is an imposing figure, but he may not grow up mentally. In his own mind, he is a tormented little child and this is what being an adult is. He’s an adult and no one has to tell him how to behave. He has to learn how to mask that inner child-like mind. There are lots of child-like adults like Andrew Bynum in the world. One has to show Bynum the ways of his child-like habits, possibly by showing his own reflection in his mirror. Sadly, the thing is, Andrew Bynum may not like to see what he wants to see in himself, because he is immature and may just remain a tormented kid inside an grown-up for the rest of his life.
andyquiroz says:
‘Drew…how we love you when you dominate, and how we dislike you when your all busted up an not playing. My opinion about Andrew goes with the blame that i equally split among him an the other starters. Yes, Andrew is not our center piece but he can be an important part of us growing to a dominate team. When Andrew, Pau, and Kobe all do 20 and 15 or better, we win easily. No team in the league can stop that. So why don’t we do that every night? Well that is easy. Our team chemistry and inability to adjust our offense as games go on is what always is our undoing. When Andrew doesn’t bring it an just pouts, then the try-pod falls and fails. I hope he gets it together for next season, and that he trains hard in the preseason an shows up to training camp ready to repeat his all star caliber year he posted this season. If not, well, he may be playing his last year in a Laker uniform this coming season.
Well done on your article thou, lets keep it going. Since the Lakers are now home for the summer we can start some kind of USA basketball olympic blog postings.
http://andyquiroz.wordpress.com
Steven Jeffries says:
Reblogged this on stevenjeffries and commented:
I agree, maybe it’s time for Andrew to go…
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__label__cc | 0.740061 | 0.259939 | Informationszentrum » Machu Picchu » Voller Ausflug
EmpfehlungenFür wen ist der Ausflug?Häufige FragenVorstellung der Machu Picchu Tour
Letztes Update: 25. Mai 2019
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What is the Machu Picchu tour?
The tour begins early in the morning in Cusco, with a train journey to the Citadel of Machu Picchu. It includes a visit of the Citadel during several hours, and the return to Cusco by train late at night. Il is usually done in 1 day, those you want can add options and stay an additional day.
Who manages the tour, the entrance and train tickets?
The Citadel of Machu Picchu is a national and international classified and protected site; therefore, it depends on Peruvian Government and particularly on the Ministry of Culture Cusco. They establish access conditions, regulations, entrance fees and they also sell entrance tickets. Every agency, ours included, must go see there and immediately pay the full amount to book entrance tickets. For trains, the private company Peru Rail manages trains, timetables, conditions and fees. Our agency manages the other optional services (reservations, guides, transfers, bus, etc.).
Are there space limitations for the access to Machu Picchu or for train tickets?
During many years, there were no access limitations to entry the Citadel of Machu Picchu. Since July 15, 2011, and without previous notice, the Peruvian Government has taken several measures but the most important has been to limit the access to 2500 people per day. That is why an availability system has been implemented. For trains, there is a limitation depending on the number of wagons, so, depending of the maximum capacity. For these reasons, we accept reservations several days in advance.
What is the best period to do the tour?
Peru is a big country with many different weathers. That is why it would be difficult to set a fine period to visit several places. However, we consider that the best season is from June to September. For the Machu Picchu tour, the warmer season is from November to March but it is also the rain season. We think that it is nicer to have a sunny but cool day than having a hot but rainy day. So, we preferably recommend doing it between May and October. Notice that Machu Picchu is open every day all year round (7/7, holidays included). We suggest you to see the weather page for more details.
I have heard about a "local" train, can I take it?
There is a "local" train between Cuzco and Aguas Calientes but by government mandates this train is reserved for Peruvians and residents only, and they have to show a Peruvian ID. Tourists cannot take it.
What to do with my luggage during the tour?
If you do the tour in 1 day, your luggage will theoretically stay in Cusco. However, if you choose to stay an additional day, you will maybe need to leave your luggage in Cusco. Most of the places where you might stay (hotel, hostel, guest house) offer to guard your luggage for free during the tour. But we can also gladly do it; just bring your luggage to our Agency the day before the tour.
Do you practice an ethical commerce?
The purpose of ethical commerce is, let's remember, that a commercial activity should respect social conditions (rights, guarantees for employees, decent salaries, etc) and environmental conditions (respect and protection of the environment, of sites, of fauna and flora). Since this is a very important goal, we are proud to claim that we respect all our employees and their work conditions.
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__label__wiki | 0.552439 | 0.552439 | Dare to Be Dopey
Enlightenment Lessons from the Movies
Three Rivers Press
Excerpt from Dare to Be Dopey: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)
So, in planning a new picture, we don't think of grown-ups and we don't think of children, but just of that fine, clean, unspoiled spot down deep in every one of us, that the world has maybe made us forget and maybe our pictures can help recall.
As a role model, Snow White sucks. She's an utterly passive fairy-tale heroine who climbs no beanstalks and slays no dragons. She has no talents but housecleaning and no interests beyond pining away for that Special Someone who will someday come and solve all her problems. Her shrill, girly voice attests to her empty-headed helplessness - she's sisters-under-the-skin with the old politically incorrect Teen Talk Barbie that sighed, 'Math is hard!' All she is is young and pretty, and not smart enough to understand that one day, like the Queen, she'll be forty and washed up.
This sort of critique is valid as long as we're viewing the film on a strictly literal level. But on that level Jack and the Beanstalk teaches us to solve our problems by stealing and killing, and Christ's parables are pointless stories about pearls and swine, lost sheep and mustard seeds. If we look at it in the right light and from the right angle,Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, the first feature-length cartoon ever made, turns out to be an extended dharma parable, its teachings as exquisitely detailed as they are unintended.
Back in 1937, when the film was in production, the press called it 'Disney's Folly.' Even Roy Disney, Walt's brother and partner, wanted to stick to their wildly popular Mickey Mouse shorts, fearful that the project would sink the studio. Walt kept hiring more artists, hundreds of them, and going back to the bank for more money. To realize his vision, new technology was developed (a giant multiplane camera to add layers of perspective), an in-house art school was established, live dancers and dwarfs were filmed and copied, chemists mixed 1,500 custom paint colors, and teams of animators worked around the clock for months, fired up by Walt's relentless perfectionism. As one artist said, 'Disney had only one rule: whatever we did had to be better than anybody else could do it, even if you had to animate it nine times.'
The result tapped into something universal, and Snow White became the first great international blockbuster of the sound era. True, it set in motion the Disney juggernaut-of-cuteness that would eventually crush every delicate, wistful children's classic in sight (poor Pooh!), but that's another story. Visually, the film is still stunning today, in such scenes as the climactic storm, where the fall and splatter of each individual raindrop is hand-rendered with painstaking predigital craftsmanship. But most remarkable is how, out of the intensely concentrated awareness of some 1,000 collaborating artists (writers, animators, colorists, actors, musicians, and more) emerged a self-portrait of awareness itself: our pristine, snow-white inmost being, with its innate yearning to find fulfillment in the arms of the Prince Charming of enlightenment.
But enlightenment, in all its expansiveness, is an unfamiliar realm. So the film begins with the all-too-familiar constrictedness of unenlightenment, in the person of Snow White's stepmother, the Queen, closeted in the dark, claustrophobic recesses of her strangely uninhabited castle. Where are the King, the courtiers, the ladies in waiting? She dwells in isolation, just as we dwell (so it seems) alone inside a body, a tiny island of self lost in the wide sea of all that is not our self. Gazing into her mirror, she pronounces her famous incantation -
Magic mirror on the wall,
Who is the fairest one of all?
- just as we try to make ourselves less tiny by being the fairest (or the richest or strongest or smartest or coolest) one of all. But because it merely intensifies the sense of self, such self-aggrandizement is a losing game. Making our island more luxurious just reinforces the sensation that we're stuck on an island.
And all such improvements are temporary anyway; we can't stay the fairest one of all forever. The Queen knows her beauty is doomed, and in straining to preserve it - another self-defeating strategy - she has made herself grotesque. Her high cheekbones and flawless skin, exaggerated by the black cowl pulled tight over her hair and ears, are fixed in a frozen mask that is not beautiful but an ice-cold, Joan Crawfordesque parody of beauty: she's like a walking facelift with nothing beneath it. When she summons the Spirit for reassurance that she's still the fairest one of all, she addresses him as 'Slave in the magic mirror,' but she's clearly a slave of the magic mirror. The words narcissism and narcotic come from the same root, and the Queen is hooked, a mirror junkie with an expensive habit.
The plot is set in motion when the Spirit puts Mommie Dearest in a rage by revealing that Snow White is now fairest of all. Reflecting the Queen's frozen features, the Spirit is also drawn as a mask - the mournful mask of tragedy, the drama of inevitable loss. The Greek word for mask, persona, is the root of our words person and personality, implying that the 'person,' the self we work so hard to preserve and promote, is merely a mask and not what we truly are. That's good news. Working to earn more money, get a higher SAT score, or, for that matter, make ourselves more attractive is not the problem; it's the identification with these achievements, the illusion that weare our faces, brains, or money. Like the Queen, we're happy to be a made-up self as long as it's succeeding on its own made-up terms. But sooner or later others arise to challenge us. Then, because of our identification with the role we've been playing, our very survival seems to require that we eliminate the challenger. We lash out.
In ignorance, alienated and lonely, we are cut off from the world and other creatures by our belief that we are all separate entities. . . . Hatred or aversion is a direct function of the split mind. . . . [D]ue to the fear inherent in 'island-consciousness,' when any event occurs that is not exuding comfort and security . . . the conditions for a possible violent confrontation are present.
- The Flight of the Garuda
Here this spawning of violence occurs when the Queen summons her Huntsman to take Snow White into the woods and cut out her heart.
Fortunately, there's an alternative to isolation, fear, and rage. We can use the daily threats to our precarious security as opportunities for insight, to see that these challenges to the false self bring not doom but redemption. Instead of clutching at the mask with an ever-tightening grip, we can let go.
Turn off your mind, relax and float downstream.
It is not dying, it is not dying.
- Lennon/McCartney, 'Tomorrow Never Knows'
That which overshadows us, we discover by relaxing into it, is not some outer menace but our own true being - represented here by Snow White.
Her name, her voice, her face all suggest that Snow White is more than a literal fairy-tale heroine, that she personifies something beyond the realm of human limitation. She is Disney's embodiment of 'that fine, clean, unspoiled spot down deep in every one of us,' as pure as the driven snow. She was originally drawn with skin so otherworldly white that the female artists in the ink and paint department, it is said, had to go back cell by cell, applying rouge from their own makeup kits to her cheeks. Her voice, so nearly ultrasonic that it's painful, was not a casual choice. Disney, who had sound equipment specially installed in his office so he could listen in on auditions, rejected over a hundred singers before hearing nineteen-year-old Adriana Caselotti and exclaiming, 'That's the girl!'
The name Snow White is particularly suggestive. As snow blankets the entire countryside, it implies a beauty that can't be hoarded, a shared asset that's vaster than our island of self. Dharma texts use such terms as sem karpo ('white mind' in Tibetan) to describe that which underlies all our masks and is 'fairer' - more radiant, more real, more joyously liberative - than any of them. One popular exercise for cleansing the mind of impurities that obstruct this awareness, the Vajrasattva ('white scepter') purification, involves visualizing enlightenment-nectar 'the color of fresh snow in brilliant sunlight' pouring down through the top of one's head and flushing out the entire body. In fact, when we first see Snow White she is engaged in cleansing, scrubbing the outer steps of the palace, the Queen's fortress of self-imposed solitude and limitation.
Looking up at that massive obstruction, Snow White sighs with discouragement. She is dressed in rags, neglected by her stepmother, just as our inner being, with no family resemblance to the false self, is shunted aside like a neglected stepchild. Yet her beauty shines despite her rags. Our radiant essence, pure awareness, can never be tainted by the world of mundane experience.
How can that be? Here's an experiment that can help make it clear:
Examine any two objects - say a penny and a dollar. Through your senses, you experience the penny as round, brownish, and smooth, the dollar as rectangular, greenish, and crinkly.
Notice that these sensations of roundness, crinkliness, and so forth, are experienced within your awareness. You are aware of them.
Now notice whether your awareness itself is brown or greenish, crinkly or smooth. (Take your time and observe closely.) Plainly it's none of these, since you can be aware of many colors and textures at once. Awareness itself is pure - it has no shape, texture, size, or any other sensory characteristic, but is an unchanging luminous clarity within which arises the ever-changing display of sensations.
So, underlying all perception is pure awareness, in the background of every mind-moment. It just needs to be promoted to the foreground. The neglected stepchild must take her rightful place as a princess.
Still sighing, Snow White carries her scrub bucket a few yards to a well, peers into its depths, and sings about her wish for 'the one I love' to 'find me today.' Our inner nature wants, as it were, to be found. It's not enough merely to be that luminous clarity; we must somehow come to know it. This knowing is not an idea or a feeling but a direct experience - in fact, the experience, satori, nirvana, rigpa, the peace that passeth understanding, the kingdom of God within. Here it's represented by the Prince, the one who can draw Snow White out of the background to which she has been relegated. Sages in all traditions say this ultimate experience cannot be adequately described ('The Tao that can be spoken of is not the true Tao'), and fittingly, the Prince is the one character the Disney artists were never satisfied with. They couldn't find a way to make him visually embody Snow White's ultimate, supremely desirable destiny. Instead he wound up looking the way many descriptions of enlightenment misleadingly make it sound: bland and boring.
Because this enlightenment experience is not anything foreign to us but is the realization of our own basic nature, we're spontaneously attracted to it - the Prince is Charming. Snow White has never laid eyes on the guy, but he's already 'the one I love.' This preexisting affinity makes her confident that he's the one and that, sooner or later, he'll show up. And the feeling is mutual. Realization is spontaneously attracted to us; in a moment, the Prince will arrive on a horse that is also snow-white, implying that Snow White's own pristine nature carries him toward her. In this context, her Barbie-esque passivity makes sense after all. The essence of meditation - the most stripped-down, straightforward technique of realizing the pure nature of our awareness - is wu wei, 'not doing,' simply letting awareness be. All forms of spiritual doing exist to bring us to this point of not doing, where any exertion would merely overlay complications upon the perfect, snow-white face of what we already are. As a Zen teacher once put it, 'Enlightenment, when it happens, is an accident. Spiritual practice just makes us more accident-prone.'
This is the utter simplicity that makes even the word 'meditation' seem superfluous. Whether with eyes closed or open, whether cross-legged on a cushion after intoning mantras or lounging in the backyard after sipping morning coffee, we just let go, not following our thoughts or repressing them, not manipulating our experience or judging it. As with muddy water, if we don't stir it but just let it settle, the medium in which the mud is suspended spontaneously reveals its innate clarity. We simply sit, simply be, and, in its time, realization comes unbidden, 'as a thief in the night,' just as Prince Charming now comes riding onto the scene, scales the wall, and steals silently into Snow White's garden.
Oblivious of his presence, Snow White goes on singing, and through her eyes, in a point-of-view shot that's one of the film's most striking images, we see her reflection looking back from the bottom of the well. It's a vivid evocation of the meditative state: awareness simply resting aware of awareness.
In this there is not a thing to be removed,
Nor anything that needs to be added.
It is merely the immaculate,
Looking naturally at itself.
- Khenpo Jamyang Dorje
Oddly, the image recalls the Queen and her mirror, but with a crucial difference. The Queen strikes a rigid, imperial stance, issuing commands at horizontal eye level; Snow White bends in a relaxed, gracefully rounded posture, her head bowed as if in humble prayer, gazing with gentle acceptance into the vertical depths. And while the Queen glares at a hard surface that reflects her own rigidity, Snow White looks into living water, in which circular ripples (a spectacular artistic tour de force) gently radiate outward across her reflection, implying that the self she sees is not static and isolated but fluidly interconnected with everything else. The Queen would be furious if ripples crossed her face - they would have her running for the Botox.
A moment later, the Prince appears at Snow White's side - reflected in the bottom of the well. This, her first glimpse of him, reminds us that initially our inner nature can most readily encounter its own realization in the depths of meditation. But it's always available, right here and now, as the Prince indicates by singing back the last word of Snow White's wishing song in an ascending interval that makes it a triumphant declaration: 'To-day!'
In principle, this is all we should ever have to do: look into ourselves once, see what we truly are, and then live the experience. In practice, though, these glimpses (in Zen they're called kensho) are highly unstable, due to their unfamiliarity, as we now see when timid Snow White becomes flustered and runs away. To become permanent, inner illumination must be hauled up, so to speak, from the bottom of the well to the surface. In Judaism, where the Sabbath, or Shabbat, is set aside for such inner experience, a key prayer says, 'Help me to extend the joy of Shabbat to the other days of the week, until I attain the goal of deep joy always.' To live happily ever after (in 'deep joy always') with the Prince, Snow White must leave her sheltered garden for the outer world - a journey that will take her to the cottage of the Seven Dwarfs. . . .
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__label__wiki | 0.609034 | 0.609034 | Jennifer Sheffield
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Cliches Are Okay: OR How I Feel About Formulaic Writing
If you are critiquing a work of art – either created by a peer or seen on a big screen – it’s important to be able to spot cliches. It helps us understand what phrase or scenario might prove redundant in our work. It can also push us to express the same idea differently to have a separate effect. Still, cliches on their own aren’t all that bad even if its definition leans that way.
So what is a cliche to most? According to Literary Devices:
“Cliché refers to an expression that has been overus...
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The game begins with your character asleep on a train and a girl named Yukino Otonashi waking you.
Perhaps it is my internal screaming for joy about “Animal Crossing: New Horizons” at E3 this year, but I immediately thought of Rover sitting with you on the train on the way to your new home.
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As players progress through the underground laboratory, the main character slowly regains his memories and uncovers the secrets of what dwells within its walls. Vaporum seamlessly combines a puzzler with dungeon crawler—complete with obstacles, collectibles and e...
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This is a sample of my graphic design work for website content, logos, and branding.
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What: Poutine Tots, Nachos, Elemental “Oxygen” Pomegranate Cider, Dementor’s Kiss
Where: Hop House – 8300 160th Ave NE, Redmond, Wa., 98052
Rating (1-5):
The other day I finally stepped on over to Hop House near downtown Redmond for a drink with a friend.
The inside of the place, in early afternoon, is bright and relatively not busy. Which was ideal for the relaxed time I wanted. All of the wait staff were cool and stopped to talk with us about our favorite nerd fandoms, and DnD, making the e...
Review: Windscape (Nintendo Switch)
When we hear a game is “retro” in play and design, it’s easy to think of the trend of 8-bit games set to a midi-inspired soundtrack. However, this game goes a little further into the future.
Windscape has designs reminiscent of the polygon-shaped humanoids and animals that blessed our consoles in the late 90s and early 2000s (à la Nintendo 64). It is full of captivating scenery, but the simplistic design gives the entire experience of the game its charm. Plus, unlike its past counterparts, it...
Review: Warparty (Switch)
Warparty is an RTS (real-time strategy) game from Crazy Monkey Studios where players build factions to upgrade their settlements and take on intruders. Plus, there are dinosaurs.
Each faction has its own style and set of skills, which changes the settlement you build and the roles of each faction member.
The overall design is reminiscent of a MOBA (multiplayer online battle arena) such as League of Legends – in artistic direction of the factions, the roles of each member, and the nearly top-d...
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For side-scrolling, dungeon-crawling gamers, Dungeon Stars is a casual game that fits most players’ lifestyles.
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Developed by Furnace Games, Dungeon Stars begins telling the tale of a world f...
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…And how to make soft-boiled eggs.
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I was excited to see the trio a little older and see who had been Norted wh...
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__label__wiki | 0.788289 | 0.788289 | Category: Essays
First Impressions #2: Seconds
June 23, 2017 September 19, 2018 by Cinescope, posted in Essays
Previous ‘First Impressions’:
#1: Sam Fuller’s The Naked Kiss
‘First Impressions’ looks at some of the most memorable opening scenes and the way they win our attention, make us interested, set the tone for what’s to come, and even provide us with a strategy for how the film should be watched. This time we dissect the first impressions made by one of the great films about second chances.
Looking at the first five minutes of Seconds, released in 1966 and directed by John Frankenheimer, gives us a chance to look at how a film’s opening can provide a barometer for how we experience and feel our way through the rest of it. In this case, we’re dealing with one of the most ominously unsettling and discomforting starts to a movie, setting the tone for a paranoid Faustian tale which remains one of the bleakest Hollywood releases of all time. I won’t give too much of the plot away — if you haven’t seen it yet, waste no further time! — since our focus here is how the film kicks off, but suffice to say this is a film about a middle-aged man facing a mid-life crisis who is offered (by some shady secret organisation) the chance to have a new face, a new identity, and a new life.
Of course, looking at Seconds also gives us a chance to admire the imagination of Saul Bass, legendary creator of opening titles sequences and film posters, who perfectly distilled the essence and mood of many a film right from the get-go. But whereas he usually relied on visually smart and snappy titles, drawing on his background as a graphic designer, for this movie his creation is both more minimalist and sinister. It all begins with Jerry Goldsmith’s score over a black screen, a dissonant chord and some electronic vibrations sounding like a shriller version of the Twilight Zone theme, or maybe like the sound effect of a UFO’s beam re-imagined by a modernist composer. So far, so worrying. Then, photographic distortions and mutations invade the frame. Shapes swirl over the screen, and we don’t yet know what exactly we’re looking at. Suddenly they morph into a close-up of an eye. Not that recognising what we see lowers the anxiety levels, for the eye itself seems restless, fearful, glancing left to right, up and down, trapped within the frame and soon distorted once again. It bends and curves, like elastic, the eye becomes elongated, undulates into contorted patterns, even doubles on itself.
Strident strings and baroque organ have now added themselves to Goldsmith’s menacing potpourri of a score. Soon, a mouth and an eye get Saul Bass’ same distorting treatment, melting them like Dalí’s clocks. An ear whirls into an indistinguishable blurry mess; a nose is split-screened alongside another of those nervously peeking eyeballs in a ghoulish Cubist composition. We’re on unstable ground here, physically as well as psychologically, everything is constantly shifting out of our eye’s grasp, something so familiar as a face seeming grotesque and monstrous. Not only have we been thrust into a darkly unstable atmosphere, but without us yet knowing it the tone has been set for an exploration of the plasticity not only of the face itself, but of what face most represents: identity. Here it must be pointed out that, in a strange coincidence, Seconds fits with two other films also released in 1966, in exploring the role of the face as mask and as identity: Hiroshi Teshigahara’s The Face of Another and Ingmar Bergman’s Persona. Seconds, with its sci-fi leanings, will prove to be closer to the former rather than the more metaphysical latter, but nonetheless all three films share the sense of the face as a mask, as a persona that entraps us and that we cannot ever fully escape.
As Bass’ titles reach their crescendo, Goldsmith’s score surges into a full-blown orchestra of Gothic lament, and a bandaged face stares back at us on the screen. It could be straight out of a classic horror film like The Mummy, were it not for the modernist inflections dominating the score. Slowly the camera tracks-in to this anonymous bandaged face, closer and closer to its mouth, which seems to be moving beneath its dressing. Is it trying to speak? To tell us something? To plead for help? Or for mercy perhaps? All these distortion effects may seem very complicated but they are actually done through rather simple photographic tricks — you may get a somewhat similar effect if you accidentally move a page you’re scanning or photocopying. Bass and his wife Elaine worked with photographs of a human face on aluminium sheets, which they then manipulated and distorted with a lens. They thus tampered with the human physiognomy just like the shady organisation of the film will do.
But we’re not out of the woods yet. In a mix of distortion and dissolve, that bandaged face somehow turns into a high-angle, extreme long-shot over Grand Central train station in New York City. The music is replaced by the slow trickling of the crowds and barely audible speaker announcements. We cut straight to an oddly framed shot, of a man waiting in the main hall of the station, but showing only the top half of his head — again the film’s images are toying with faces. Then, abruptly, a zoom shot picks out one random stranger among the crowd. We can guess, the lens has picked him out for a reason, this is our man and he will be relevant to the narrative. A middle-aged looking fellow, dressed like a businessman and buying himself a newspaper from the stand. But no time to ponder on his character, as we’re right back in the POV of the first, half-faced, man, following him as he follows our man. As he trails behind, the camera is attached to his body (like Harvey Keitel’s drunk scene in Scorsese’s Mean Streets), giving an eerie stillness to his body as it moves through the train station, on the tail of our man, and as footsteps reverberate on the soundtrack.
Frankenheimer was a technically-minded filmmaker, not just working with the most skilled collaborators (Bass, Goldsmith, legendary cinematographer James Wong Howe who does some of his finest work on this film) but also making the most of technological advances available to him. Lighter camera models that could now be strapped to the actor’s shoulders, but also faster film stock allowing more darkness to seep in, and new fish-eye lenses distorting the train station in an echo of Bass’ titles. All creating an Expressionistic nightmarish opening, bathing us in paranoia — Frankenheimer did after all make the disturbingly prophetic The Manchurian Candidate in 1963, which gave birth to the whole genre of paranoid thrillers that the New Hollywood excelled at in the 1970s. By the time the stalker finally catches up with our man, we fear the worst of his intentions. As encounters between two strangers in train stations go, this has more the potential for unholy consequences seen in Hitchcock’s Strangers on a Train (incidentally we’ll later find out that tennis also plays a supporting role in Seconds as it did in the Hitchcock) than, say, Brief Encounter.
Finally, the first words are spoken. The pursuer reaches his prey (our man is named Mr. Hamilton we learn), and anticlimactically forces a mysterious scrap of paper into his hand, before slipping off the train and disappearing back into anonymity. His face will remain never fully visible to us; he has set the ball rolling on the sorry fate of our Hamilton, and is only the stand-in for what we will eventually discover to be a nefarious organisation, precursor of similarly shady entities in Pakula‘s The Parallax View or Fincher’s The Game. Seconds is not quite a thriller like those films, but its intangible, unstable atmosphere of dread certainly influenced many.
These opening five minutes put us right into that mood, primed to receive any forthcoming images with sinister connotations. Unsurprisingly, it was not a box office success — what a bitter pill, a painful distorting mirror to look into, it must have been for a 1966 audience, not yet used to the probing critiques of more reflective 1970s Hollywood films. Seconds ends in bleak fashion, reminding us of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s quip that “American lives have no second acts”, and finding nothing but a vacuum at the centre of the materialism of the American dream. But it starts in an unforgettable array of Expressionist visual pyrotechnics. It now has had its reputation restored, beyond a ‘film maudit’, into a genuine cult classic whose lineage in film history is evident. Hamilton may not have had much of a second chance, but thankfully the dark, twisted tale of his fate has come back stronger.
Tagged 1960s, First Impressions, James Wong Howe, Jerry Goldsmith, John Frankenheimer, Rock Hudson, Saul Bass, Seconds1 Comment | cc/2019-30/en_middle_0005.json.gz/line1101 |
__label__wiki | 0.98759 | 0.98759 | Tea party activists coalescing behind Newt in South Carolina
CHARLESTON, S.C. — Have the tea partiers found their man to challenge President Obama?
The leader of South Carolina’s chapter of the Tea Party Patriots says they have — and it’s Newt Gingrich.
In an interview on Wednesday with The Daily Caller, Joe Dugan, who is also the chairman of the local Myrtle Beach Tea Party, said he sees increasing signs that conservative activists in the Palmetto State are beginning to coalesce around the former Speaker of the House.
“My sense is there is a growing coalition behind Newt Gingrich,” said Dugan, who organized a state tea party convention last weekend that both Gingrich and former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum attended.
Dugan personally supports Gingrich and said the board of the Myrtle Beach Tea Party has endorsed the former House speaker’s campaign.
He also made it clear that the tea partiers he knows are not fans of former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, who is leading in many polls here ahead of Saturday’s primary.
“We don’t want somebody who is a moderate,” Dugan said, “that will try to compromise with Democrats to perpetuate the crises that we are encountering in this country.”
But no one candidate throughout the Republican primary has been able to consolidate the support of the tea party movement. National polls show that there is no clear “tea party” candidate — a recent CBS News/New York Times poll shows Romney and Gingrich essentially tied when it comes to tea party support nationally.
But if that is changing, it was symbolized Tuesday night when former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin said on Fox News that if she was voting in the South Carolina primary, she would support Gingrich.
On Wednesday, a leader with the Tea Party Express organization told TheDC that Gingrich seems to have the most buzz among tea party activists heading into South Carolina’s primary. But he said there still isn’t a tea party consensus candidate.
“We poll continuously to monitor our people, and they have bounced from candidate to candidate as the national polls have shown as well,” strategist Sal Russo told TheDC. “Each of the major candidates has taken the lead in our poll for a period of time. Right now it is a pretty close race with our people. Gingrich leads, followed by Romney, Paul and Santorum.”
Russo said, “We had thought there would be a developing tea party consensus after our September debate and tour, but obviously that has not happened.”
Tea Party Express chairwoman Amy Kremer recently said the organization would endorse ahead of Saturday’s primary, but Russo told TheDC on Wednesday that “our goal is still to endorse if a consensus begins to develop, but we haven’t seen it… yet.”
Russo said it’s possible they “will just be supportive of all of the candidates and keep our focus on the Senate and House for the time being.”
“The gratifying thing for us is that all of the remaining candidates have appealed to tea party voters and each of them has significant support,” he said. “So I consider it a victory if we have multiple acceptable candidates.”
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Tags : elections 2012 newt gingrich
CNN Personality Says Melania Trump, Ted Cruz Should Go Back To Their Own Countries | cc/2019-30/en_middle_0005.json.gz/line1105 |
__label__wiki | 0.564184 | 0.564184 | Wendy Williams dumps 27-year-old lover, opts for much older doctor
by News Desk
Wendy Williams mistakenly reveals that she is dating a doctor in his 50s to her audience during her show.
Wendy Williams has apparently ended things with her rumoured 27 years old boyfriend and is dating a much older man.
The TV girl made this known while chatting with her audience during her show. Wendy revealed that it is true young men find her attractive but when it comes to actually loving someone, she would rather be with someone in his 50s.
“27-year-old boys quite frankly do find me attractive. But when it comes time for the comfort of a man, I need someone in their 50s too. And he’s got to work. And, it doesn’t’ hurt that he’s a doctor,” she said.
Apparently thrilled by the latest news, the audience cheered her but she went on to say she wasn’t going to reveal more details about her new relationship…maybe she doesn’t want it jinxed.
It would be recalled that a few weeks ago, the gist of Wendy Williams dating a much younger man broke the Internet. More interesting was the fact the Wendy said she was in the know of his past as a convict.
The new guy in Wendy Williams’ life, Marc Tomblin has been to jail for armed robbery in the past but she doesn’t really care about his past.
A few weeks ago, after making her split with husband, Kevin Hunter official, Wendy Williams was spotted with a new man and surprisingly she opted for a much younger guy. According to TMZ, Wendy met this young man in Los Angeles and is planning to take him back with her to New York.
Sources close to TMZ also reports that the two actually met in Los Angeles on Saturday, June 8, 2019, when Wendy was hanging out with Blac Chyna
However, the report says though Wendy isn’t ready to get back to a relationship, she doesn’t find the idea of hanging out with the mysterious young man (Now identified as Marc Tomblin) bad.
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Beyonce enlist African artists, producers in upcoming album | cc/2019-30/en_middle_0005.json.gz/line1106 |
__label__cc | 0.587402 | 0.412598 | Christina Elmer
Editorial RnD SPIEGEL ONLINE
Christina Elmer works in the Editorial RnD team at SPIEGEL ONLINE, where she had previously established the data journalism department. She also trains journalists in data reporting and online research. Before she joined SPIEGEL ONLINE as a science editor in 2013, Elmer worked at Stern magazine’s investigative unit. Her journalistic career began in 2007 at the German press agency dpa, where she was part of a team which set up Germany’s first department for data journalism and computer assisted reporting. Elmer studied Journalism and Biology. As a board member of netzwerk recherche, Germany’s largest association supporting investigative reporters, she is actively engaged in pushing data journalism forward and encouraging colleagues to use new techniques and tools.
Content by Christina
Under-reported news
If a story isn’t reported, did it even happen? Here's four ways data has helped bring invisible stories to light.
SPIEGEL ONLINE: AMA with Christina Elmer, Marcel Pauly, and Patrick Stotz
SPIEGEL ONLINE’s data team joined us to answer your questions on algorithmic accountability reporting, and the teamwork behind it. | cc/2019-30/en_middle_0005.json.gz/line1115 |
__label__cc | 0.596439 | 0.403561 | AP2406ES5-1.5 Datasheet Preview
AP2406ES5-1.5 Datasheet
600mA Synchronous Step-Down Converter
1.5Mhz, 600mA Synchronous
Step-Down Converter
The AP2406 is a 1.5Mhz constant frequency, slope
compensated current mode PWM step-down converter.
The device integrates a main switch and a synchronous
rectifier for high efficiency without an external Schottky
diode. It is ideal for powering portable equipment that
runs from a single cell lithium-Ion (Li+) battery. The
AP2406 can supply 600mA of load current from a 2.5V
to 5.5V input voltage. The output voltage can be
regulated as low as 0.6V. The AP2406 can also run at
100% duty cycle for low dropout operation, extending
battery life in portable system. Idle mode operation at
light loads provides very low output ripple voltage for
noise sensitive applications.
The AP2406 is offered in a low profile (1mm) 5-pin,
thin SOT package, and is available in an adjustable
version and fixed output voltage of 1.2V, 1.5V and 1.8V
Cellular and Smart Phones
Microprocessors and DSP Core Supplies
Wireless and DSL Modems
Portable Instruments
High Efficiency: Up to 96%
1.5Mhz Constant Switching Frequency
600mA Output Current at VIN=3V
Integrated Main switch and synchronous rectifier.
No Schottky Diode Required
2.5V to 5.5V Input Voltage Range
Output Voltage as Low as 0.6V
100% Duty Cycle in Dropout
Low Quiescent Current: 300µA
Slope Compensated Current Mode Control for
Excellent Line and Load Transient Response
Thermal Fault Protection
<1uA Shutdown Current
Space Saving 5-Pin Thin SOT23 package
Typical Application
Figure 1. Basic Application Circuit with
AP2406 adjustable version
Absolute Maximum Rating
Input Supply Voltage............................ -0.3V to +6V
RUN, V Voltages............................-0.3V to +0.3V
SW Voltages..................................-0.3V to V +0.3V
P-Channel Switch Source Current (DC)..........800mA
N-Channel Switch Sink Current (DC).............800mA
Package/Order Information
Adjustable Output Version:
Peak SW Sink and Source Current......................1.3A
Operating Temperature Range...........-40°C to +85°C
(Note2)
Junction Temperature ............................+125°C
Storage Temperature Range............-65°C to +150°C
Lead Temperature (Soldering, 10s)................+300°C
Fixed Output Versions:
AP2406ES-ADJ
TSOT23-5
Top Mark Temp Range
A1XY
Thermal Resistance
220°C/W
AP2406ES5-1.5
A2XY -40°C to +85°C
A4XYB
Note 1: Absolute Maximum Ratings are those values beyond which the life of a device may be impaired.
Note 2: TJ is calculated from the ambient temperature TA and power dissipation PD according to the following
formula: AP2406: TJ = TA + (PD)x(220°C/W)
Note 3: Thermal Resistance is specified with approximately 1 square of 1 oz copper.
Part Number AP2406ES5-1.5
Description 600mA Synchronous Step-Down Converter
Maker Chipown
AP2406ES5-1.5 Datasheet PDF
1 AP2406ES5-1.2 600mA Synchronous Step-Down Converter | cc/2019-30/en_middle_0005.json.gz/line1116 |
__label__wiki | 0.50168 | 0.50168 | Right coronary artery originating from left anterior descending artery: a case report
Hilmi Tokmakoglu1Email author,
Orhan Bozoglan1 and
Levent Ozdemir1
Journal of Cardiothoracic Surgery20105:49
© Tokmakoglu et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. 2010
Accepted: 8 June 2010
Published: 8 June 2010
Right Coronary Artery (RCA) originating from left anterior descending artery is a very rare congenital coronary artery anomaly. A 66-year-old man presented with hypertension and complaints of exertional chest pain. The angiography was performed. Aortic root angiography showed no coronary ostium orginating from the right sinus of valsalva. Right coronary artery was vizualized as anomalously originating from the midportion of left anterior descending artery. Severe stenosis were seen in ostium of anomalous right coronary artery, in midportion of left anterior descending and in midportion of circumflex artery. The patient was referred for coronary artery bypass grafting. The patient underwent coronary artery bypass surgery for three vessels. He was discharged home on postoperative day 7 without any complication. His echocardiogram on follow-up visit revealed good biventricular function.
Leave Anterior Descend
Right Coronary Artery
Left Main Coronary Artery
Coronary Anomaly
Coronary Artery Anomaly
Congenital coronary artery anomalies are rare and usually an incidental finding during coronary angiography. Most of them have no clinical signifance. Right Coronary Artery (RCA) originating from left anterior descending artery (LAD) is a very rare congenital coronary artery anomaly. We present a patient with three vessel disease in whom the right coronary artery originated as a seperate branch from the midportion of LAD.
A 66-year-old man with hypertension presented to the hospital with complaints of exertional chest pain for two months. His electrocardiogram and echocardiography were unremarkable. The angiography was performed upon persistent chest pain. During his diagnostic coronary angiogram, multiple attempts to cannulate the RCA with the right Judkins catheter were unsuccessful. Aortic root angiography showed no coronary ostium orginating from the right sinus of valsalva. RCA was vizualized as anomalously originating from the midportion of LAD artery with coursing to the familiar area (Figure 1, 2) and its continuation (Figure 3, 4). Severe stenosis were seen in ostium of anomalous RCA, in midportion of LAD and in midportion of circumflex artery. The patient was referred for coronary artery bypass grafting. The patient underwent coronary artery bypass surgery for three vessels. He was discharged home on postoperative day 7 without any complication. His echocardiogram on follow-up visit revealed good biventricular function.
Right Coronary Artery Originating from the midportion Left Anterior Descending Artery with coursing to the familiar area of the RCA.
The course of RCA in right atrioventricular groove and its continuation.
The most common coronary anomaly is the circumflex coronary artery arising from the right sinus or the RCA, with an incidence of 0.37%-0.6% [1, 2]. The next most common and pathologically significant anomalies are the right coronary artery from the left sinus of valsalva and the left main coronary artery arising anomalously from the right sinus of Valsalva. The combined incidence of these defects 0.17% in autopsy series and 0.1%-0.3% in patients undergoing catheterization or echocardiography [3–5]. A variety of anomalous origin of the RCA has been reported, including the left anterior sinus with variable courses, ascending aorta above the sinus level, descending thoracic aorta, left main coronary artery, circumflex coronary artery, the pulmonary arteries, or below the aortic valve [6–8]. Single coronary artery occupies approximately 0.024% of the general population [9]. In most of the cases, aberrant RCA originates from the left main coronary artery and traverses anterior to the right ventricle or between the pulmonary trunk and ascending aorta [10, 11].
The RCA originating as a branch from the midportion of the LAD is a very rare anomaly. Six cases have been reported in the literature so far, and no patient had underlying congenital heart disease [12, 13]. In our patient RCA was stemming from the midportion of the LAD and had not congenital heart disease.
Most of the coronary anomalies remain asymptomatic and are incidental to investigations by coronary angiography. Coronary artery anomalies are classified as benign (80.6%) but potentially serious anomalies (19.4%) [6]. However, myocardial perfusion can be affected, ranging from exertional angina to sudden death, within the different subtypes of these anomalies, such as a coronary artery arising from the pulmonary artery and a single coronary artery arising from either the left or right sinus of valsalva [6, 10].
The pathophysiology of the restricted coronary blood flow seen in the presented case anomaly is suggested to be as follows. The acute takeoff angle, slit-like orifice, and compression of the intramural segment by the aortic valve commissure. Lateral luminal compression of the intramural portion of the coronary artery and compression of the coronary artery between aorta and pulmonary artery are also other possible ischemic mechanism [14–16]. Some autopsy-based studies have shown that slit-like orifice structure and acute angle takeoff are more common in sudden cardiac death patient [14–16]. However, there is still controversy concerning the mechanism by which the interarterial course is compressed between the aorta and pulmonary artery. An intravacular ultrasound study found that luminal compression of the coronary artery was totally attributable to the aorta because the pressure of the pulmonary artery was much lower than that of the aorta [17]. In our patient there was exertional angina. There was no surgical finding related with compression of the coronary artery between aorta and pulmonary artery.
In conclusion, RCA as a branch of LAD is very rare coronary anomaly. If RCA course is not between aorta and pulmonary artery, this anomaly is accepted as relatively benign rare anomaly. In case of classic appearence of RCA was not established during angiography physician should kept in mind that RCA can stem from LAD artery.
Written informed consent was obtained from the patient for publication of this case report and any accompanying images. A copy of the written consent is available for review by the Editor-in-Chief of this journal.
HT: Chief of the Cardiovascular Surgery Departmant, performed the coronary artery bypass grafting and primary author. OB: Cardiovascular Surgeon, assisted in surgery and preparing manuscript. LO: Cardiologist, provided pre-operative care and advice during the manuscript writing process. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
Cardiovascular Surgery Departmant, Tekden Hospital, Kocasinan-Kayseri, Turkey
Click RL, Holmes DR, Vleitrstra RE, Kosinski AS, Kronmal RA: Anomalous coronary arteries: location, degree of atherosclerosis and effect on survival - a report from the coronary artery surgery study. J Am Coll Cardiol. 1989, 13: 531-537. 10.1016/0735-1097(89)90588-3.View ArticlePubMedGoogle Scholar
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Kardos A, Babai L, Rudas L, Rudas L, Gaal T, Horvath T, Talosi , Toth K, Sarvary L, Szasz K, Cheng T: Epidemiology of congenital coronary artery anomalies: a coronary arteriography study on a central European population. Cathet Cardiovasc Diagn. 1997, 42: 270-5. 10.1002/(SICI)1097-0304(199711)42:3<270::AID-CCD8>3.0.CO;2-9.View ArticlePubMedGoogle Scholar
Arteaga RB, Tronolone J, Mandawat M: Case report and brief review:Single coronary ostium-A right coronary artery arising from left main coronary artery. J Invasive Cardiol. 2006, 18 (9): 241-3.Google Scholar
Iyisoy A, Kursaklıoğlu H, Barcin C, Barındık N, Kose S, Demirtaş E: Single coronary artery with anamolous origin of the right coronary artery as a branch from the left anterior descending artery:a very rare coronary anomaly. Heart Vessels. 2002, 16: 161-163. 10.1007/s003800200014.View ArticlePubMedGoogle Scholar
Kamran M, oga M: Anomalous right coronary artery orginating from the left anterior descending artery. J Invasive Cardiol. 2006, 18: E221-E222.PubMedGoogle Scholar
Kragel AH, Roberts WC: Anomalous origin of either the right or left main coronary artery from the aorta with subsequent coursing between aorta and pulmonary trunk: analysis of 32 necropsy cases. Am J Cardiol. 1988, 62: 771-7. 10.1016/0002-9149(88)91220-9.View ArticlePubMedGoogle Scholar
Frescura C, Basso C, Thiene G: Anomalous origin of coronary arteries and risk of sudden death: a study based on an Bae Young Lee 179 autopsy population of congenital heart disease. Hum Pathol. 1998, 29: 689-95. 10.1016/S0046-8177(98)90277-5.View ArticlePubMedGoogle Scholar
Taylor AJ, Rogan KM, Virmani R: Sudden cardiac death associated with isolated congenital coronary artery anomalies. J Am Coll Cardiol. 1992, 20: 640-7. 10.1016/0735-1097(92)90019-J.View ArticlePubMedGoogle Scholar
Angelini P, Velasco JA, Ott D, Khoshnevis GR: Anomalous coronary artery arising from the opposite sinus: descriptive features and pathophysiologic mechanisms, as documented by intravascular ultrasonography. J Invasive Cardiol. 2003, 15: 507-14.PubMedGoogle Scholar | cc/2019-30/en_middle_0005.json.gz/line1118 |
__label__wiki | 0.740164 | 0.740164 | #7 out of 19 in 2015 Affordable Midsize SUVs
2015 Toyota Highlander Interior Review
Note: This interior review was created when the 2015 Toyota Highlander was new.
Interior: 8.4
The 2015 Toyota Highlander earns reviewer praise for its soft-touch cabin materials and premium-looking details, which include two-tone color schemes and intricate stitching on the dash panels. Test drivers are also pleased with the Highlander's family friendly features, abundance of small-item storage, comfortable seating and quiet cabin.
"The 2015 Toyota Highlander follows the company's latest design trends for its interior, and we definitely approve." -- Kelley Blue Book
"Hard plastics that were once the bane of the Highlander have since been supplanted by supple surfaces with fancy stitching at the seams." -- Edmunds
"In our interior evaluation, we gave the 2014 Highlander high marks for dashboard design and materials quality, especially compared to the previous model. Toyota clearly sweated the details this time around, and the result is a palpably premium environment, even in the lower trim levels." -- AutoTrader (2014)
"Inside, the cabin is fitted with appealing materials in available two-tone color combinations, and many surfaces are padded." -- Consumer Guide (2014)
"Toyota has also improved the Highlander's noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) so that road and wind noise are minimal. It's a very pleasant, near-luxury experience. Honestly, if I was blindfolded and told I was behind the wheel of a Lexus crossover, I'd probably believe it." -- Autoblog (2014)
The 2015 Highlander seats eight in three rows. Cloth seats are standard, while leatherette or leather upholstery, power-adjustable front seats, heated and ventilated front seats and heated second-row captain’s chairs are available. Auto journalists report that the Highlander's front- and second-row seats are comfortable and roomy. They add it is easy to access the third row by sliding the second row forward. Most agree that the third row isn't very comfortable for adults, but is plenty spacious for kids.
"If you're expecting big-time space in the way back, we should warn you that adults will still find it cramped relative to some rivals. Kids will be fine, though, and the three-across seating bolsters the Highlander's credentials as a minivan substitute." -- Edmunds
"Not only are the front seats comfortable, but there are numerous features that make life inside the Highlander easier." -- Kelley Blue Book
"Headroom and legroom are ample in the 1st and 2nd rows, the latter aided by seats that slide fore and aft about five inches. Getting in or out of either is easy due to a relatively low step-in height." -- Consumer Guide (2014)
"In back, the second-row seats slide forward farther than before, making third-row access appreciably easier. It's still pretty cramped back there for adults, but the new 3-across bench means you can carry an extra kid, if necessary." -- AutoTrader (2014)
"The biggest gain is in the third row, where 3.3 inches of additional hip space allow Toyota to wedge in another passenger. … We maneuvered our five-foot, nine-inch frame back there, and the third row is indeed tolerable even for an adult, though for longer trips this row should be limited to younger children." -- Automobile Magazine (2014)
The Toyota Highlander comes standard with a rearview camera, Bluetooth, a USB port and Toyota's Entune infotainment system with a 6.1-inch touch screen. Options include a panoramic sunroof, navigation, a 12-speaker JBL audio system, an upgraded Entune system with an 8-inch touch screen, a rear-seat Blu-Ray entertainment system, lane departure warning, adaptive cruise control and blind spot monitoring. The Highlander is also available with a feature called Driver Easy Speak, which uses a microphone to project the driver's voice through the speakers to make it easier for rear rows to hear what you’re saying.
Test drivers say that the available version of Entune with the larger screen has a sharp display and works well, though a few comment that some of the system's touch buttons require multiple pushes. Others report that overall, the 2015 Highlander's audio, navigation and climate functions are easy to operate. Reviewers also appreciate the Highlander's family oriented features such as a conversation mirror and the Driver Easy Speak system for checking on and communicating with rear passengers.
See 2015 Toyota Highlander specs »
"A horizontal theme pervades, drawing your eyes from either end to the centralized multimedia screen. There, you'll find easy-to-use controls, including knobs for the main radio functions, and for the climate controls below them." -- Kelley Blue Book
Although the base 6.1-inch central touchscreen is, well, a bit basic in both form and function, the available 8-inch unit is more satisfying with its improved graphics and functionality." -- Edmunds
"My favorite new feature on the Highlander is Driver Easy Speak. When it's engaged, the driver's voice is projected through the speakers, allowing him or her to scream at the kids all the way in the back when they start putting food in each other's hair. It saves strain on one's vocal cords and really gets the message across to the little ones, especially if the vehicle is equipped with the optional JBL speakers." -- Autoblog (2014)
Still, the Toyota interface sometimes requires multiple touches to get the system to do what you want; once you adjust, it's easy to toggle through the screens for tasks like setting the navigation system. There are also plenty of old-fashioned, easy-to-use knobs for things like temperature control." -- Automobile Magazine (2014)
"It also gets the secondary rearview mirror to check on the kids, in addition to Driver Easy Speak, which allows the driver to talk through an amplifying microphone to the passengers in the last row. My co-driver and I had plenty of fun yelling at our imaginary kids: ‘Shut up back there or we'll turn this Highlander around!’" -- AutoWeek (2014)
The 2015 Highlander offers 13.8 cubic feet of cargo space behind the third-row seats, 42.3 cubic feet behind the second-row seats and 83.7 cubic feet behind the front seats. A number of rivals offer more overall cargo capacity than the Highlander. However, reviewers appreciate that the opening height of the Highlander's available power liftgate can be adjusted, keeping the liftgate from hitting low-hanging ceilings or other obstructions. Many also note that the Highlander has an abundance of small-item storage in the cabin, including a large glovebox and center console.
"On the cargo-carrying front, the available height-adjustable power liftgate with memory height settings is a boon in garages with low ceilings. Maximum hauling capacity tops out at 83.7 cubic feet, which is an average figure for this class of vehicle." -- Edmunds
"Storage is terrific, with a good-size glovebox, a huge two-tiered console box, two cupholders and a forward console bin (the latter with USB/aux/12-volt jacks), a drop-down left-side bin, and a handy (and unusual) mid-level dash tray." -- Consumer Guide (2014)
"At least the third row can easily fold down in a 60/40 split and there's a one-touch power liftgate with selectable memory height settings, a super feature for people of shorter stature." -- Autoblog (2014)
"Fifty-eight juice boxes can fit into the center console of the 2014 Toyota Highlander. If you filled every seat of the eight-passenger SUV, everyone could have seven drinks, with a couple left over." -- Automobile Magazine (2014)
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2015 Toyota Highlander For Sale in Houston, TX
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Calculate 2015 Toyota Highlander Monthly Payment Which Cars You Can Afford? | cc/2019-30/en_middle_0005.json.gz/line1127 |
__label__wiki | 0.843152 | 0.843152 | Carter County Sheriff's Office
100 South Washington
Detention Center (580) 221-5505
Fax Line (580) 221-5520
Home In Memoriam Buddy Moorhead
Buddy Moorhead
Posted on: January 23rd, 1931 Categories: In Memoriam
January 1931, Buddy Moorhead was a Detective with Ardmore Police Department when he was shot and killed by Pat O’Day. O’Day was found several days later in Estelline, Texas, where he resisted arrest, tried to escape, and was shot three times by Deputy Bill Guess, who had gone to Texas to arrest O’Day. O’Day died at the scene.
Peace Officer Assassinated
Buddy Moorhead Slain by Prisoner
Copyright The Daily Ardmoreite – Ardmore, Oklahoma
Buddy Moorhead, Ardmore city detective, was killed late this afternoon by an unidentified man.
The tragedy occurred near the viaduct on highway 70 east of Ardmore. Few details are known concerning the case except that Moorhead was called to the vicinity to make an arrest. The officer got the man into his car and started at the police station. Persons nearby heard a shot and Moorhead’s body was thrown from the car. His slayer drove away in the officer’s car.
Killer’s Car is Found Near Ardmore
Car Is Abandoned On Blind Road Near Chickasaw Lake
Buddie Moorhead’s Killing Climaxed Career of Hijacking of O’Day, His Confessed Companion Tells Ardmore Officers.
Discovery last night of the green Buick car used by Pat O’Day, 35, slayer of Elmer (Buddie) Moorhead, Ardmore city detective, has intensified the search for the man sought by three states to face hijacking charges. The bandit car was found by Byrd Pruitt, Morgan township constable, on a blind road near the Chickasaw lake and not far from Pruitt’s home.
Police, who at first believed the slayer fled southeast out of Ardmore, were conducting an intensive search in the vicinity of Ardmore, in the belief, the man may be hiding here. The machine was found near a densely thicketed pasture, and officers said the slayer probably hid in the pasture last night. The car was not out of gas. Officers in North Texas and Oklahoma have been informed of the new development.
Carter County and Ardmore city officers are eagerly pursuing every clue in a determined effort to run down the slayer of their brother officer, who was apparently killed in cold blood and his body thrown from a rapidly moving car.
Meantime, preparations for Moorhead’s funeral were being completed Saturday. The services are to be held Monday afternoon – the hour has not been determined – from the home of his mother, Mrs. J.D. Moorhead, 330 C street northwest. Harvey Brothers are in charge of the arrangements.
The American Legion, of which Moorhead was one of the local post’s most active and enthusiastic members, will take an active part in the funeral. Legionnaires have been particularly active in volunteer posses organized to wage a search for the slayer.
Wife and Infant Son Survive
Moorhead is survived by his wife, Mrs. Elizabeth Moorhead, her infant son, Jack Spencer, his mother and four brothers, Will, Jim, Harry, and Leo, all of Ardmore; three sisters, Mrs. A.B. Sample, Medville, Pa.; Mrs. Addie Dodson, Ardmore, and Mrs. Emma Harris, Parco, Wyo.
Pallbearers are as follows: Frank Jennings, L.E. Longino, Willis Tennyson, Howard Whitson, Elmer Byrd, and Bill Guess.
Killing Stirs Citizens
The slaying of Moorhead was one of the most cold-blooded crimes in many months in this section. It aroused deep resentment in all parts of the city and state newspapers have given it a widespread mention.
Moorhead left the city police station late Friday afternoon to take a set of second-hand tires to a family of campers who had camped on the property just east of the underpass on the Santa Fe on Highway no. 70. The family, destitute, had promised to move on if they were provided with the casings. Someone provided the tires and Moorhead took them to the scene.
Was on Errand of Mercy
At the site of the camp, he found a number of squatters. Slightly to one side of the other tents and wagons was a 1929 Buick green sedan. Two men were in the car. One sat in the front seat and the other in the back. The car had no license plates. His suspicions aroused, Moorhead approached and began to query the men. He received brief answers.
He looked into the car and saw a revolver on the cushion beside the man in the front seat. He reached in, picked up the gun and thrust it in his belt.
He then ordered the two men to leave the car. The one in the front seat responded readily. He was a young man around 18, later arrested and identified as Roy Wilson, Kerrville, Texas. He is being held in the county jail. He has made a detailed statement to county and city officers regarding the case and nearly a score of filling station holdups which he says O’Day directed.
Got Drop on Officer
O’Day was slower to leave the car. When he did reach the ground, he held a drawn gun in his hand. He thrust the weapon forward and demanded that Moorhead raise his arms. O’Day disarmed the officer and handed the two guns taken from the detective to Wilson. Wilson laid the weapons in a wagon. Later he took them out and laid them on the ground.
O’Day seems to have ordered Moorhead to enter the Buick sedan. The outlaw climbed into the car under the wheel. Driving with his right hand, he held the muzzle of the revolver in his left hand pressed against Moorhead’s ribs.
The car proceeded West to the point where the road turns off to the refinery district. Making a wide loop, O’Day turned the car and headed east again.
As the car approached the underpass, it was moving at slow speed. Suddenly a shot rang out. The car increased speed and as it passed the place where Wilson stood, the door was suddenly pushed open and the body of the officer tumbled to the pavement. The car roared away toward Madill along the highway.
Died Without Speaking
Moorhead, shot through the body just under the ribs, staggered to his feet. He reeled a few feet along the pavement and slumped on the ground. He died without saying a word. Apparently, officers assert, the bandit shot Moorhead because he could not figure out what other disposition to make of the kidnaped detective.
Passersby loaded the body into a car and brought it to town. Officers immediately began phoning towns in all directions. Posses left on all roads. An airplane, piloted by Arthur Oakley, was sent out in an effort to locate the car.
Meantime, Wilson had left the scene on foot. He walked along the railroad and out to highway No. 77. By that time it was getting dusk and he decided to return to town to stay overnight. En route he was apprehended and when questioned readily admitted that he had been at the place and was the companion of the slayer of Moorhead.
Companion Tells of Crimes
He tells a detailed story of the activities of O’Day and himself since soon after Christmas. According to his story, he was an employee of O’Day’s step-father in Kerrville, Texas where both men are said to live. O’Day suggested sometime about Jan. 1 that “we go and find work.” Wilson agreed.
The two men drove from town to town for several days. Then one night according to his story to the county attorney, Marvin Schilling, O’Day drove his car into a filling station. “You stay right here,” O’Day admonished him. O’Day entered the station and thrust a gun into the face of the startled proprietor. Wilson said he saw the man hand the hijacker money. O’Day came to the car and drove away. This was repeated several times in Texas, several other times in Oklahoma and in Arkansas.
It was in this state, he said that they picked up a third man identified only as Jack Riley. Somewhere out near Texarkana, the trio held up a toll bridge operator and took $32. Later they returned to Texas where Riley left them.
Afraid to Leave, Youth says They reached Ardmore at around 10 o’clock on Friday. They stopped at the campsite and, as had been the practice, O’Day order Wilson to prepare coffee. O’Day had refused, Wilson related, to let him leave and return to Kerrville.
“I stayed with him because I was afraid that he would kill me if I left,” Wilson declared.
Wilson is being held in jail and Shilling declared that he would be charged with murder. Moorhead’s death was the second to be recorded against outlaws in recent weeks in which peace officers were victims. Con Keirsey, deputy sheriff, was shot to death about a month ago under somewhat similar circumstances.
Moorhead was a popular officer. He had been an efficient member of the department since Aug 1, 1929. According to reports, his services had been exceptionally efficient and his death caused much resentment among fellow officers and citizens.
Hundreds Visit Scene
The scene of the slaying was visited by throngs of curious spectators all afternoon and evening Friday and the crowd resumed its visits Saturday. The police station was thronged practically all night with friends and well-wishers anxious for word of the capture of the slayer.
Officers in charge of the work declared that the search would continue without abatement.
Several clues had been found, they say, which are to be completely run to earth. Practically the entire force of police and sheriff’s office worked all night and all day Saturday. Forced by sheer physical exhaustion, they left the task only long enough to refresh themselves and return to the case.
BILL GUESS KILLS MOORHEAD’S SLAYER
KILLER IS SHOT TO DEATH WHILE TRYING TO FLEE
Elbert Hart, Arrested at Estelline, Texas, Killed by Carter County Deputy As He Tried to Escape.
STORY OF LONG PURSUIT TOLD
Hart Was in Lone Grove Last Saturday and Ringling Monday, It is Revealed.
Elbert Hart, alias Pat O’Day, identified as the slayer of Buddie Moorhead, city detective, came to the end of his trail at 9 o’clock Thursday night in Estelline, Texas, when he was shot to death by Bill Guess, deputy sheriff. Hart attempted to escape after he had been arrested and Guess shot him three times with a .44 caliber revolver. Hart died instantly.
Guess, in company with Bennett Wallace, special officer, had been trailing Hart for three days. Positive identification of Hart was made Friday by relatives and also by Roy Wilson, companion of the slain bandit, who was taken from the Carter county jail to Memphis, Texas, Thursday night by Elmer Byrd, sheriff, and Marvin Schilling, county attorney. It was Wilson who gave the officers their initial identification of the man who shot Moorhead to death and then threw his
body from a speeding car on highway No. 70, near the city limits.
Hale Dunn and Wade Peterson, city mounted policeman, also are in Memphis to join in the identification work and to wind up unfinished clues in the case.
Guess’ Bond Guaranteed
Freeman Galt, of the American Bank and Trust company of Ardmore, wired Memphis banks authority to guarantee a $2500 appearance bond for Guess subject to his appearance for a trial on Feb. 9. Guess requested that he be charged and given trail as a matter of clearing the record.
“We are glad to have the honor of guaranteeing the bond of Guess,” said Galt. “We are always more than willing to help our enforcement officers in their warfare on crime.”
Bill Guess, a close personal friend of Moorhead, and his partner in city detective work up to last Jan. 7, when Guess resigned to become a deputy sheriff, told his version of the capture and killing by telephone Friday.
In Lone Grove Saturday
“Hart was in Lone Grove on Saturday afternoon,” Guess said. “He worked several hours at a filling station digging a hole and putting in concrete for the operator. His appearance aroused suspicion and word was sent to officers.
“We immediately got on the trail, We followed him closely. He was in Ringling on Sunday morning and on Sunday night he had reached Quanah, Texas. On Monday he was in Estelline where he has a brother, W.T. Hart, who operated a combination grocery and filling station on the edge of town.
“We reached this part of the country late Wednesday night and continued work until Thursday when we spotted him at the station.
“At 9 o’clock Thursday night, Bennett and myself, with Sheriff Alexander of Hall county, Chief of Police W.C. Huddleston of Memphis, Constable J.W. Snow and Constable Williams of Estelline, went to the filling station.
Greeted by Wallace
“Hart was there. We walked into the place, ‘Why, hello Pat,’ Bennett said to the man. He turned pale as a paper. We told him to come along with us. When we were at the car, he turned, jerked lose and ran away in the dark.
“I drew my gun and fired three times. Two of the bullets struck him in the chest and one in the head. He was about 30 feet away when I fired my last shot.”
The body was taken to a morgue at Memphis and Guess reported the matter to Byrd. The sheriff with the county attorney immediately left for Texas, taking Wilson with them to positively identify Hart as Moorhead’s slayer and to clear up matters so that the Carter county officers could return to their homes.
Apparently Guess is entitled to the reward posted by the governor for the capture of the slayer of the Ardmore detective. W.H. Batis, Ardmore businessman, who has been working up a private fund to reward the officer making the capture, announced that he has $105 in the fund and that it will be added to that offered by the governor.
County and city officers are highly pleased with news of the termination of the search for the slayer of their follow.
Crime Has Tough Sledding
It was pointed out that crime has had “tough sledding” in Carter county in the last few months. The present wave of major events began, it is explained with the holdup some months ago of the State bank of Wirt. Out of that case come the arrest and conviction of one of the robbers and the death, in Oklahoma City, a few weeks later of his companion. A short time after that Con Keirsey, deputy sheriff, was shot to death and Vernon Cason, undersheriff, wounded in a battle with Colquitt Davis and his brother at Wirt.
Out of that crime came the death of Colquitt. Then came the Moorhead murder, described as one of the most deliberate and cold-blooded killings in many years, and as its aftermath the slaying of Hart in Estelline Thursday night.
Meantime some speculation is being heard as to what disposition will be made of Wilson. The youth apparently had no direct part in the killing of Moorhead. He is wanted, however in Hope, Ark., for highway robbery with firearms – a capital crime – and also for participation in a number of filling station hold-ups.
The car in which Moorhead was shot to death and which Hart and Wilson were driving, later found abandoned near Ardmore, has been turned over to its owner from Sonora, Texas. It was stolen from there some weeks ago. It is reported that Hart has a wife and family at Sonora but this has not been confirmed.
Texas Sheriff Was Here
The sheriff of Sonora was in Ardmore Thursday conferring with officers on disposition of the car and aiding in the description of the wanted man. Meantime Freeman Galt, trustee of a memorial fund planned for Moorhead and to have been presented to his widow and her young child, declared that only $43 has been donated. An urgent appeal to all citizens to contribute to this worthy cause was sound.
© 2019 Carter County Sherriff OK
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__label__cc | 0.687086 | 0.312914 | Posts Tagged ‘darcy’s hope ~ beauty from ashes’
Spotlight: The Darcy’s Hope Saga by Ginger Monette
Posted in book spotlight, jane austen, tagged darcy's hope at donwell abbey, darcy's hope saga, darcy's hope ~ beauty from ashes, ginger monette, jane austen, pride and prejudice on January 8, 2018| 26 Comments »
Ginger Monette’s Pride and Prejudice variations set during the Great War — Darcy’s Hope ~ Beauty from Ashes and Darcy’s Hope at Donwell Abbey (click for my reviews) — were among my favorite reads in both 2016 and 2017. I’m delighted to announce that those of you who haven’t read them yet can now purchase them in a single volume: The Darcy’s Hope Saga.
Ginger is here today to talk about the books, so please give her a warm welcome!
Ginger Monette
What exactly is the Darcy’s Hope Saga?
The Saga retells Pride & Prejudice but is set during the era of Downton Abbey. It’s a single ebook volume that includes two full-length novels: Darcy’s Hope ~ Beauty from Ashes and Darcy’s Hope at Donwell Abbey.
Readers can enjoy their beloved characters in a storyline that is familiar, yet very fresh and different.
What inspired you to catapult Jane Austen’s famous Fitzwilliam Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet from the early 1800’s to the early 1900’s?
Downton Abbey! It was remarkable to me how little British culture had changed from the Regency Era to the Edwardian Era. Darcy could have dined with Lord Grantham at Downton Abbey with little change in decorum. I was also fascinated at how the war affected everyone’s lives and how wealthy English families offered their lavish homes as hospital facilities during WW1.
I began to imagine Darcy and Elizabeth’s “explosive” relationship unfolding on the Western Front. Then asked, what if Darcy had his own wartime tragedy that required him to be hospitalized at a country home like Matthew Crawley? I’m thrilled that the resulting Darcy’s Hope Saga has been such a big hit among fans of both Pride & Prejudice and Downton Abbey.
Did the stories require any research? If so, what kind?
This was one of those topics that the more you read, the more you realize how much you don’t know. I devoured nurse-assistant diaries, a soldier’s diary, memoirs of two orderlies, books on surgery, war wounds, hospital administration, and a LOT more. Then I watched hours of documentaries about everything from battles, to the food and uniforms of British soldiers. I studied six hours a day for nine months and found the history fascinating and the people inspiring!
How were they inspiring?
Machine guns, poison gas, airplanes, and tanks made their debut in WWI inflicting destruction and horrific wounds on an unprecedented scale. Men lived in squalid trenches and saw their comrades dismembered and slaughtered on a daily basis, yet they remained cheerful and self-sacrificing.
And everyone did something to aid in the war effort. Hundreds of women volunteered as nurse’s aides, others wrote letters, sent care packages, and knitted socks. Men too old to serve as soldiers became stretcher-bearers and ambulance drivers. They fashioned splints from scrap metal, turned church halls into hospitals, and emptied bedpans. These small acts of kindness repeated over and over made an enormous difference. As a result, I am challenged to be cheerful amidst trying circumstances and to offer my own small acts of kindness even when they seem insignificant.
Did your research inspire any of your scenes?
Absolutely. First, I allowed the characters to be molded by the culture and the war itself — just like the real people I read about. I cast Elizabeth Bennet as nurse-assistant, which was a common role for high bred women during the war years. Similarly, I made rich young landowner Fitzwilliam Darcy a captain in the army. Though the saga is first and foremost a romance, much of the richness of the story comes from the hero and heroine both being deeply affected by their experiences during this turbulent time.
There are other elements I lifted straight from the pages of history as well. The chateau-turned-field-hospital in my story is based on one that actually existed. Darcy’s “going over the top” at the Battle of the Somme, an explosion at Messines Ridge, and a chaplain serving in the operating room were real historical events. And finally, I have a colorful Scotsman tell two outlandish stories that are true as well.
What would you say to romance readers who “don’t do war stories?”
I would say the Darcy’s Hope saga isn’t a war story. It’s very much a romance in a wartime setting. Just like Downton Abbey, the war provides a dramatic backdrop against which the romance blooms. The war’s fast pace and ever-changing situations meant that nothing was predictable, and things could (and did) change in an instant. Readers have commented that they couldn’t predict where either story was going, and much of that is due to the volatile nature of the setting.
Did you face any particular challenges in writing the Darcy’s Hope saga?
Yes! In Beauty from Ashes, weaving a romance into a complex setting unfamiliar to most readers, with both the hero and heroine experiencing significant character evolutions, all in the context of a mystery was quite a feat. Donwell Abbey wasn’t any easier. Writing to accommodate the tragedy that befalls Darcy was an enormous challenge. (I can’t tell you what the injury is or the accommodation it required or I would be giving away a major spoiler!)
Now that the Darcy’s Hope saga has received such glowing reviews, does it make it all the research and hard work worth it?
Yes. Hearing that readers love it on so many levels is immensely gratifying. The frustration and angst of three years of hard work fades away.
Do you have any final thoughts for readers?
As the world is commemorating the hundredth anniversary of WWI, I would challenge you to pay attention. Watch documentaries or even read books like my Darcy’s Hope saga to glimpse into the past for a better understanding of what our great-grandfathers experienced and the sacrifices they made. Each soldier, stretcher-bearer, doctor, and nurse has his or her own interesting story. And although my Fitzwilliam Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet are fictitious characters, if you have any fondness for Downton Abbey or Jane Austen’s works, I think you will find their story as told in The Darcy’s Hope Saga not only fascinating, but riveting and moving as well.
Thanks for hosting me today!
Thank you for stopping by today, Ginger! I hope my readers enjoy these books as much as I did!
Escape to the era of Downton Abbey with Lizzy and Darcy!
Immerse yourself in this romantic and drama-filled saga that includes two full-length Pride and Prejudice variations—
•Darcy’s Hope ~ Beauty from Ashes and
•Darcy’s Hope at Donwell Abbey.
~Volume I: Darcy’s Hope ~ Beauty from Ashes:
Heartbroken. Devastated. WWI Captain Fitzwilliam Darcy was rejected by the woman he loved and vows, “No more sentimental entanglements!”
But an undercover assignment at a field hospital brings him face to face with his beloved Elizabeth—who’s working with a dashing American doctor and a prime suspect in the espionage plot.
Forced to grapple with his feelings for her, Darcy has only a few months build a lasting bridge to her and uncover the truth before she’s condemned to a traitor’s noose.
~Volume II: Darcy’s Hope at Donwell Abbey:
Darcy has won the heart of Elizabeth Bennet. Finally.
Then she vanishes.
Still reeling from the loss, Darcy attempts a heroic feat and only survives by the daring rescue of his faithful batman John Thornton.
But the damage is done. Darcy is plunged into a dark and silent world.
Sent to Donwell Abbey to recover, he’s coaxed back to life by an extraordinary nurse determined to teach him how to live and love again. A woman whose uncanny similarities to Elizabeth invite his admiration and entice his affections.
His heart tells him to hold on to Elizabeth.
His head tells him to take a chance with his nurse.
But a secret at Donwell Abbey just might change everything…
Review: Darcy’s Hope ~ Beauty from Ashes by Ginger Monette
Posted in book reviews, historical fiction, jane austen, read in 2016, WWI, tagged book reviews, darcy's hope ~ beauty from ashes, ginger monette, historical fiction, jane austen, pride and prejudice, WWI on November 18, 2016| 22 Comments »
In fulfilling a promise to her father, he had laid his heart open, and she sliced it up and handed it right back to him. Then he had invested in his company of men–cared for them, thought only of their safety day and night–only to have them slaughtered, leaving him the heart-wrenching task of writing letter after letter to their families.
(from Darcy’s Hope ~ Beauty from Ashes)
Ginger Monette’s latest novel, Darcy’s Hope ~ Beauty from Ashes, is a variation of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice set during World War I. Elizabeth Bennet wants to be a doctor and does not want to depend on any man, especially not Captain Fitzwilliam Darcy, who requisitioned part of her family’s property for the war effort, insulted her upon their first meeting, and then expected her to accept his proposal of marriage. With her family torn apart and no home to return to, Elizabeth finds herself at a French chateaux turned field hospital serving as a nursemaid for an elderly man.
Darcy, meanwhile, has shut off his feelings following Elizabeth’s painful rejection and massive losses at the Somme. When he arrives at the field hospital as part of an investigation to weed out enemy operatives, he never expects to find Elizabeth there. As they each get to know the other’s true nature, uncertainties regarding their past history threaten to keep them from revealing their true feelings. The danger of Darcy’s mission looms large, threatening what little happiness they have managed to find amidst the carnage of war.
In Darcy’s Hope ~ Beauty from Ashes, Monette does a fantastic job weaving the history of the Great War, the horrors of the trenches, and the excitement of a covert operation into the basic plot of Austen’s novel. A lot is changed in Monette’s variation, and those changes kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time. Much of the attention is on Darcy and Elizabeth, of course, with small appearances made by Jane Bennet and Charles and Caroline Bingley. There is a darker mystery surrounding Lieutenant Wickham and Elizabeth’s sister, Lydia, and there are several intriguing original characters, from an American doctor to a Mr. Collins-esque French officer.
The evolution of Darcy and Elizabeth’s relationship unfolds realistically, as does the portrayal of their scars inflicted by the war. Readers should be aware that the action of the novel builds up toward the end, and while some ends are tied up between the pair, they will have to wait for the upcoming sequel, Darcy’s Hope at Donwell Abbey, to see how their tale concludes. Overall, I was satisfied with the ending of Darcy’s Hope ~ Beauty from Ashes, but I really wish I could have immediately delved into the next book!
About Darcy’s Hope ~ Beauty from Ashes
World War 1 has turned French chateaus into bloody field hospitals, British gentlemen into lice-infested soldiers, and left Elizabeth Bennet’s life in tatters.
Her father is dead and her home destroyed. Never again will Elizabeth depend on a man to secure her future!
But when an opportunity arises to advance her dreams of becoming a doctor, she is elated—until HE arrives…
Heartbroken. Devastated. Captain Fitzwilliam Darcy is left rejected by the woman he loved and reeling from the slaughter of his men on the battlefield. “Enough!” Darcy vows. “No more sentimental attachments!”
But arriving at a field hospital to pursue a covert investigation, Darcy discovers his beloved Elizabeth training with a dashing American doctor and embroiled in an espionage conspiracy.
With only a few months to expose the plot, Darcy is forced to grapple with his feelings for Elizabeth while uncovering the truth. Is she indeed innocent? Darcy can only hope…
Check out Darcy’s Hope ~ Beauty from Ashes on Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo
The teacher always learns the most. And in homeschooling her children, Ginger Monette learned all the history she missed in school. Now she’s hooked—on writing and World War I.
When not writing, Ginger enjoys dancing on the treadmill, watching period dramas, public speaking, and reading—a full-length novel every Sunday afternoon.
Her WW1 flash fiction piece, Flanders Field of Grey, won Charlotte Mecklenburg Library’s 2015 Picture This grand prize.
Ginger lives in Charlotte, North Carolina, where she happily resides with her husband, three teenagers, and two loyal dogs.
Connect with Ginger Monette via website | Facebook | Amazon author page
Disclosure: I received Darcy’s Hope ~ Beauty from Ashes from the author for review. | cc/2019-30/en_middle_0005.json.gz/line1132 |
__label__cc | 0.700531 | 0.299469 | Croner Recognised as Feefo Gold Trusted Merchant
Home / Employment Law, HR and Health & Safety Blog / Croner Recognised as Feefo Gold Trusted Merchant
National Human Resources and Health & Safety Consultancy, Croner, have been awarded a Feefo Gold Trusted Service award, an independent seal of excellence that recognises businesses for delivering exceptional experiences, rated by real clients.
Croner use Feefo to collect genuine ratings and reviews from a variety of businesses who use their HR, Health & Safety, and Reward services. Every comment left on the platform is taken on board as a way of gaging clients’ satisfaction, and ensuring constant improvement. A badge of honour, the Trusted Service Award remains unique as all the awards are based purely on the interactions with verified customers. This feedback has been collated by the Feefo review platform, with the accolades being awarded based upon performance. The award’s criteria meant that at least 50 reviews were to be collected, with a service rating of between 4.5 and 5. Croner Group Ltd have received just over 400 reviews left by clients to date, with a notable customer rating of 4.7/5. Paul Holcroft, Head of Legal and Advisory at Croner, says: “We are delighted to be recognised as a Gold Trusted Merchant by Feefo. Our teams work tirelessly to constantly better our provision, and this award from Feefo is testimony to the excellent level of service our clients receive. “We greatly appreciate every comment left by each of our clients, and we’re more committed than ever to continue providing an exceptional service which meets clients’ needs and expectations.” Andrew Mabbutt, CEO at Feefo, says: “We would like to offer our congratulations to all the winners of this year’s Feefo Trusted Service award. We are so proud that so many businesses are putting customer service first. “We have been working closely with all our customers to build trust and transparency online, and ultimately helping shoppers buy with confidence and make better decisions.” | cc/2019-30/en_middle_0005.json.gz/line1140 |
__label__wiki | 0.782342 | 0.782342 | Boycott Huawei: Call for ban on Chinese giant gets mixed reactions in Europe
Europe: We need Huawei to access 5G capabilities.
Europe is giving US-led calls for a boycott of Huawei 5G telecoms equipment a mixed reception, with some governments untroubled by spy suspicions against the Chinese giant, but others backing a ban.
In the latest setback for the company, Huawei said Saturday it had fired an employee in Poland who was arrested there a day earlier on suspicion of spying for China. “His alleged actions have no relation to the company”, Huawei said in a statement to AFP.
Huawei had already seen the arrest of the daughter of the firm’s founder in Canada and US efforts to blacklist the company internationally over security concerns.
Read – Property tips: How to avoid overspending on renovations
Several Asian and Pacific countries have followed Washington’s call for a Huawei ban, but the picture in Europe is more nuanced, not least because Huawei’s 5G capabilities are so attractive. They are well ahead of Sweden’s Ericsson, Finland’s Nokia and South Korea’s Samsung, analysts say.
Fifth generation (5G) technology represents a quantum leap in wireless communication speed, and will be key to developing the internet of things, including self-driving cars. That is why Europe wants to deploy it as quickly as possible.
“Operators have looked at alternatives but have realised that Huawei is currently more innovative and probably better for 5G,” said Dexter Thillien, an analyst at Fitch Solutions.
Read – South Africa down from seven billionaires in 2017 to five billionaires in 2018
Huawei 5G capabilities hinder Europe boycott
Huawei has faced increasing scrutiny over its alleged links to Chinese intelligence services, prompting not just the US but also Australia and Japan to block it from building their 5G internet networks.
But in Europe, Portugal’s main operator MEO signed a deal with Huawei in December during a visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping, praising the Chinese company’s “know how, competence, talent and capacity to develop technology and invest in our country”.
By contrast Norway, whose current networks are for the most part made up of Huawei equipment, is thinking of ways to reduce its “vulnerability”, according to the Nordic country’s transport and communications minister quoted in the local press — especially towards countries with whom Oslo “has no security cooperation”, an implicit reference to China.
Read – Under-fire Woolworths bosses to meet designer at centre of “plagiarism” row
Britain’s Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson meanwhile said he had “grave, very deep concerns about Huawei providing the 5G network in Britain”.
The Czech cybersecurity agency said that Chinese laws “force private companies with their headquarters in China to cooperate with intelligence services”, which could make them “a threat” if involved with a country’s key technology.
Huawei, the cheaper access to 5G network
Germany is under pressure from Washington to follow suit, news magazine Der Spiegel reported. But the country’s IT watchdog says it had seen no evidence Huawei could use its equipment to spy for Beijing.
Meanwhile, telecom operators across Europe, under heavy pressure to roll out 5G quickly, seem to be playing down security fears because using Huawei makes business sense to them.
Read – Property: Buying vs building – things to consider
“Huawei is much more expensive today than its competitors but it’s also much better,” said a spokesperson at a European operator who asked not to be named because of the sensitive nature of the matter.
The quality of Huawei’s equipment “is really ahead” of its European competitors, he added.
Furthermore, “everywhere in Europe, operators are the target of huge controls in that area and Huawei’s equipment has never been found to be at fault”.
To add to the confusion, large operators could reject Huawei equipment in some of their markets, but not in others.
Historic French operator Orange has said that it won’t use Huawei networks in France, but could very well do so in Spain and Poland.
The stakes are high in Europe
Germany’s Deutsche Telekom announced a deal with Huawei for its future 5G network in Poland, but hasn’t said what it will do in Germany itself.
Meanwhile, Huawei is making great efforts to prove its good faith. It has opened test labs for its equipment in Germany and the UK in cooperation with the governments there, and is to launch another in Brussels by the end of the first quarter.
Read – 2018 saw $1 billion worth of cryptocurrency thefts
The stakes are high: Europe is a crucial market for Huawei, whose combined sales for Europe, the Middle East and Africa accounted for 27 percent of overall group sales in 2017, mostly thanks to spending by European operators.
Huawei rotating chairman Guo Ping in late December complained that his company was being subjected to “incredibly unfair treatment”.
“Huawei has never and will never present a security threat,” Guo wrote in a New Year’s message to staff.
Some analysts doubt that even a widespread ban on Chinese telecoms networks equipment could possibly guarantee watertight security.
“In Paris alone, there are more than a million Huawei smartphones. If you want to listen in, that’s how many opportunities you have,” said a sector specialist.
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Risk-on sentiment buoys the Rand
CannaTech Summit comes to Cape Town as cannabis industry surges | cc/2019-30/en_middle_0005.json.gz/line1143 |
__label__cc | 0.747387 | 0.252613 | Chippa United vs Cape Town City: Team news, Head-to-head,
Cape Town City will look to hold on to whatever slim chance there is at the PSL title as they tackle Chippa United on Friday night.
Another busy weekend of PSL fixtures looms, and a Chippa United vs Cape Town City fixture kicks things off on Friday night.
The two sides battle it out at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium equally desperate for three points – albeit for different reasons.
The Chilli Boys could – at the very least – find themselves contending in the promotion/relegation playoffs, given their current log position of 15th place, and wI’ll be looking for a way out of the red zone via three points against the Citizens.
They are up against a side still with a mathematical shot at the league title with four matches still to play.
City are in fifth place, 12 points behind the log-leading Orlando Pirates and still with two matches in hand. However, coach Benni McCarthy is all the way convinced that much can come of their league campaign.
“The way the league is‚ I won’t hold my breath to say that something positive for us will come of it,” he said after the one-all draw against Highlands Park on Tuesday.
“With what we are going through‚ we will probably have to play‚ but we will see what the outcome will be.”
Benni McCarthy
The two sides had to settle for a stalemate last time out as they played to a 1-1 draw in December 2018.
Chippa United vs Cape Town City: Head-to-head
Cape Town City 1-1 Chippa United
Chippa United 2-1 Cape Town City
TV and where to watch
Date: Friday, 26 April
Venue: Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Port Elizabeth
TV and live stream: Supersport 4
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__label__cc | 0.726282 | 0.273718 | Tag Archives: doctor burnout
The Compassion Conundrum: Navigating Stress and Burnout as a Healthcare Worker
April 22, 2018 smenelawscompassion, doctor burnout, doctor suicide, doctors health, maya angelou, wellbeing Leave a comment
My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with
some passion,
some compassion,
some humour,
and some style.
He is the best physician who is the most ingenious inspirer of hope.
(Samuel Taylor Coleridge)
To become comfortable with uncertainty is one of the primary goals in the training of a physician.
(Sherwin B Nuland)
In the discussion around physician burnout, a common ‘either/or’ dichotomy has abounded: physicians need to become more resilient, or systems need to change. However, both seem untenable as the sole solutions to this issue. How can physicians become resilient enough to cope with struggling, ever-more stretched systems, where, as the patient becomes a market-oriented consumer, demands are only going to increase? And how can these self-maintaining monsters of systems, change? If a healthcare system was composed entirely of doctors (and there may be some doctors who think this is the case), maybe there would be some hope of the system itself changing to suit them better. But we’re a small cog within this system which, despite being called ‘healthcare’, is focused on pathology, and is affected by political and socioeconomic powers far beyond the cubicle curtains. Healthcare is a self-perpetuating, self-maintaining beast. All the components and individuals and sub-systems act in an interminable rhythm, and it is only disrupted by events of cataclysmic proportions – either good or bad (think WWII and the evolution of the NHS in the UK in 1948. And think of the state of the NHS today.)
In Braving the Wilderness, Brené Brown writes,
Benito Mussolini relied heavily on the line “O con noi o contro di noi” (“You’re either with us or against us.”) The problem is that the emotional plea is often not based in facts, and preys on our fears of not belonging or being seen as wrong or part of the problem. We need to question how the sides are defined. Are these really the only two options? Is this the accurate blaming for this debate or is this bullshit?…The ability to think past either/or solutions is the foundation of critical thinking, but still, it requires courage. Getting curious and asking questions happens outside our blinkers of certainty.
In looking for solutions to this growing problem, we – the doctors, staff, system – need to look beyond either/or scenarios. If I could pick one word to sum up the current practice of medicine, it would be uncertainty. Paradoxically, however, everything about our jobs, and the system, is to deliver certainty to all the stakeholders. Patients want to know, ‘This is your diagnosis. This is the treatment. This is the prognosis.’ But how often does that happen? Even the common cold we need to hedge with warnings: ‘It’s most likely viral, but should your headache worsen, or if it has not resolved in seven days, or you start developing a non-blanching rash, come back and see us…yeah, if the headache gets pretty bad, I mean….well, if it gets so bad, you should probably see someone sooner…if it’s eight days then check in with your GP and maybe get some bloods done…you’ll know if it’s non-blanching…yes, you can get a rash with some types of cancer…’. Etc etc.
Patients come, and rightly so, expect serious conditions to be excluded, and a reassuring narrative to be given which provides a schema in which to understand their symptoms. A break of the lower leg during a footy match in a 22 year-old man needs little explanation; an episode of psychosis in a 50 year-old stay-at-home mother with a vague history of depression, or liver failure in a 27 year-old with a possible family history of an autoimmune condition requires a lot of postulating and hypothesising. It often ends with a summation of, ‘The human body is very fickle. We don’t know a lot about how it works, or why things go wrong. I don’t know why it’s happened to you at this point in time. I don’t know if it’s been precipitated by something you or anyone else has done, and most likely we never will know.’ Or more often, we err on the side of compassion: ‘No, there’s nothing you have done to make this happen.’ In our compassion for our patients, we realise that on top of a life-changing diagnosis, they don’t also need to consider whether there is any personal responsibility for what has happened. It would make us sad to send them away from our clinic, seeing the fear in their eyes, now compounded by potential guilt and regret. In our treatment of patients from every spectrum of society, we disengage any sort of judgement about personal responsibility or lifestyle choice or consequences; this is not our place, we tell ourselves, society tells us, and the system tells us. Just be compassionate, and treat what’s in front of you. And we do (and just internalise the judgement and then spread it around on more acceptable targets – ourselves, management, a colleague who made a mistake.)
What do health services want? They want certainty. They want preventative medicine, then quick, accurate diagnoses if anything does go amiss, with as small a chance of re-presentation as possible, and to find definitive outcomes if they do. Which includes, but is not limited to, treatment, housing, addiction cessation, rehabilitation, unicorn horn DNA.
Primary care wants clear descriptions of what has transpired during a hospital admission, what the patient’s progress was, and what changes have been made in her or his medical management. They want guidance about when to seek re-review or re-admission. They want a sense that the big brother hospital understood that their patient, who comes in weekly with his disabled wife, is depressed, and poorly mobile, and often incontinent, and drinking a lot, and possibly struggling to care as he should for his wife. Do they get a sense that this has happened? Sometimes they will. But not always.
Tertiary services want primary care to provide a catch-all net for all things that have not been able to be attended to in a three-week hospital admission. Despite the physios and OTs and social workers and psychologist and dietitian and (if you’re lucky) specialist nurse who saw them then, it would be great if the GP could encapsulate all that in their next 9 minute post-discharge appointment with the patient. The GP must pick up patients, make sense of multiple investigations and opinions from varying teams, many times who will say, ‘Dx: ???. Re-admit if it happens again,’ and keep them out of hospital as long as possible. (By re-admit, they mean send to ED, where they will be triaged by a highly-skilled, stressed, harried ED physician who is managing ramping ambulances at one end and a bed-blocked hospital at the other end of her department.)
Governments want certainty. They determine how much money they will exact from tax payers, will allot it to a health service, and then need guarantees that no matter what happens, the health provider will provide whatever service is needed. Healthcare executives – who may be doctors or nurses who have been working in this spiralling system for decades – hold purse strings tightly, whilst clamouring clinical departments say, ‘We can’t meet these increasing needs with the same resources we once had.’ The executive, in an act of both self- and service-preservation, sends service-wide emails, decreeing a reduction in this test or that, or a limit on this locum or that nurse pool, and sits in an office, awaiting with bated breath a new financial year with hope that nothing dreadful happens in the interim, and hoping for a magical sum of money that will gift – yes – certainty – for the year ahead. They feel guilt for their colleagues holding the front line; fear of state departments demanding ‘show cause’ for every dollar over or adverse event which should have been prevented; and an internal smouldering of waning energy and stamina.
The junior doctor falls from final year of medical school into their intern year, and certainty becomes an alien concept. Suddenly they have money, no time, reduced energy, waves of anxiety and stress. He or she has moments (hours?) of feeling like not knowing anything and yet feeling like they should know so much, the incongruence of books and supervised placements compared with a lonely night shift handling a moribund patient, a ragged contrast. Registrars, hardened after a few years at the coal face, dig their heels in, do their shifts, study for exams, and possibly squeeze in being a parent or a partner or a carer. The other facets of life which make us human need to wait. Just a year or two. Or three. Or four if the re-sits don’t go as planned. Oh, and the patients receive that registrar’s care and attention, day after day. After day.
And the consultant, the leader of the team. A team which consists of nurses and OTs and social workers and nurse practitioners and medical students and physiotherapists and electrophysiologists and dietitians. Yes, you, gastroenterologist, you are now a leader. Remember that one lecture you received on clinical governance? Yes, that’s you now. You’re paid $300,000 a year, so just do it. And make sure all your patients get better quickly, and completely. And make sure your registrars are supported. And make sure that they are looking after the interns and residents. And remember medical student teaching. And the departmental roster. And accreditation. (Squeeze in the UGIE on the oesophageal variceal bleed at 2am, and work until 7pm the same day, thanks.) And CPD. These must all be done, for sure. For certain. Otherwise, you are unsafe, patients are at risk (i.e. there’s always the risk of people dying due to your actions or lack thereof), and on top of that, your department/hospital/health service will get less money next time round to combat the same problems. Yes, your child’s sick, that’s marvellous. So are your patients. And your registrar. And a quarter of the nursing staff. Pretty rough your marriage has broken up; take Monday and Tuesday off and we’ll see you back on Wednesday (can you cover the following weekend to make up for that? Your colleagues covered you on Monday and Tuesday, so, you know….?)
And the intern can’t eat due to nausea and anxiety. And the registrar can’t sleep due to being messed up coming off night shifts and looking after children, and then studying for exams. And the consultant can’t bear to stand there in front of the team and say that he doesn’t know what to do with Mrs Smith in bed 8 on her fifth admission this year – again. So he sends her back to the nursing home to the GP. And the director of medical services says that she needs you to show-cause for the two locums this month, whilst shrinking inside because she knows that they covered your colleague off sick with stress and you and your other colleagues shrank in shame and exhaustion when it was put to you to cover for him. And she calls the Department with a sweaty hand on the phone, and a shaky voice and assures them that this is short-term and temporary and they are working on ensuring that there is always space in the system to account for this.
And they all – the nurse, the administrator, the intern through to consultant – keep coming in day after day, because the patients keep coming. The intern turns up because he is aware that the resident is covering two wards by herself, and needs help. And the registrar refuses to take her study leave because her consultant is covering for his colleague. And the consultant can’t have another day off, despite his wife going through chemo, because there is a ward of 30 patients waiting, and his registrar and intern cannot be expected to make all these decisions again and again.
So why do they keep doing it? Partly this compassion conundrum, and partly either/or thinking – only the system must change, or it’s just me. Okay, we were all uptight, type A, hard-working, diligent folk who wanted a secure job which ‘helped people,’ and we invested our time and money and energy and relationships into getting where we are now. But the compassion, which we don’t show to ourselves, or extend to colleagues, or would ever show to managers, and which can also be the source of the compassion burnout towards our patients, runs deep, compounded by empathy and altruism and high expectations. We like our patients…but recently, we’ve not liked them quite as much. We got pissed off that they presented with chest pain again, with their poorly controlled BSLs, and an inability to stop smoking. But we followed the protocol, to look after them. And we did get annoyed when the man with decompensated liver failure re-presented, drunk, for an ascitic drain at 3am on a Wednesday. And don’t get me started on the lady with borderline personality disorder who has pulled out chunks of her hair and actually severed her flexor tendons this time, all because of her stepdad who took her innocence as a little girl, which she reminds us and the rest of the ED of time and time again. So we lament society and education and family, and feel like we’re sticking our collective pinky in the growing crack in the dam. But this compassion glues us there.
We stand back and regard the messy humanity that we see before us, and feel discomfort. Discomfort at their distress. Discomfort at our share in this messy humanity. Discomfort at our own messy humanity. We do chest compressions and we hear agonal breathing. We see a lifeless newborn delivered and hear a father’s sobs. We listen to the screams of the woman in resus as the police ask her about the oncoming lorry which has taken her family. We see the 70 year-old without family, with severe rheumatoid arthritis who has fallen, and has lain in her own faeces for three days, and now has an acute kidney injury and rhabdomyolysis.
So we do it, again and again. There are very, very few either/ors in our jobs, but our thinking towards ourselves and our colleagues is either/or. We navigate like a jittery compass, receiving input from multiple stimuli to help us in our decision-making processes. We do another ward round, and learn another software update for the new system which will integrate every man and his dog (sometimes), and we hit the books, and we try to be pleasant to colleagues, and we supress the nagging feelings of failure when we repeatedly cannot do our best. And we blame the management and the system and the state and our boss and our juniors – because, yes, we’re that hierarchical, that a 36 year-old with 8 years experience as a doctor is a ‘junior’ – and the lazy colleague. Only when someone pulls us up for blaming a patient do we shrivel away in shame. For there is compassion there, always, deeply buried though it may be. Buffeted and battered at times, only brought out in its fullness in a rare moment of human connection with a patient, where things are tidy, when they see us, when we see them (if we’re not too hardened).
Burnout is prevalent. Chronic stress is dangerous. Doctors are developing destructive coping mechanisms, which can exacerbate mental illness and can result in suicide. How do we stop it? By dredging up compassion again and again, for ourselves, for our colleagues, for our leaders, for our patients. All of them, including us, (yes, even our patients) do things that exacerbate the load on the system. Some colleagues communicate in bullying and unhelpful and blaming ways – because they too are broken in some manner.
I’m committed to helping doctors (and nurses – for the issues overlap more often than not) to find our compassion again, in the midst of the uncertainy. Without compassion for ourselves and one another, patients will not get the treatment they deserve. The history of our profession has done little to help develop a culture of compassion. The drive for certainty and answers and excellence has been placed above the simple acts of kindness and human connection which make us…human. In this age of ever-increasing uncertainty, and multiple options and treatment pathways and causes and biopsychosocial factors, bumped by genetics, affected and effected by epigenetics, adjusted by climate change, and shaken by political tremors 15,000 km away, the only certainty we do have is that we each possess ongoing remnants of compassion. The most expert diagnostician; the most heroic military trauma surgeon; the most cerebral cytopathologist; the most enthusiastic epidemiologist – all are united in their humanness through their compassion. As a psychiatrist in training, I could provide lots of great explanations for why individuals struggle to access feelings of compassion, but this is not the point: except for the antisocial personality disorders amongst us, or those at the extreme end of some neurodevelopmental disorders, our compassion is present.
We can’t change the system quickly. We can’t change our patients. And we can’t even change ourselves all that easily. But we can use what we have. Let’s leave either/or thinking. Let’s work collaboratively with colleagues to instill compassion. Let’s inspire hope, like Coleridge said. Let’s remember Maya Angelou, the natural phenomenon of wisdom and literature and philosophy and poetry, who was mute for years as a little girl after suffering trauma and subsequently believing that her words could kill, that life is to be lived with some passion, some compassion, some humour, and some style.
Well-being in the midst of the fire: how do medical students and doctors look after themselves when the system doesn’t?
February 24, 2018 smenelawsdoctor burnout, doctor suicide, doctors health, martin seligman, mental health, RACP, wellbeing 1 Comment
I remember the first patient that died in my presence. I had been a doctor less than a year and was working in a national colorectal surgical centre. Before the change of shift, my colleague had told me about a woman that had been admitted. She had been reviewed by a more senior doctor but they were still unsure what the problem was. My memories of the presentation are vague; I think she had recently had surgery, had been in another hospital, and had developed non-specific abdominal pain post-operatively so was returned back to the centre where she had had her procedure. I was at least fourteen hours into a 12-hour shift when I was called by the nursing staff to say that this patient was distressed. When I arrived she was delirious (an acute confusional state that can be precipitated by any number of things – hypoxia, infection, medications, etc). She was calling for her husband and gasping for breath. She was obviously extremely unwell and deteriorating. I started auscultating her chest to listen for signs of acute respiratory distress, and listen to her heart.
I cannot say for certain now – our memories are fickle and play tricks on us – but I think her heart stopped beating whilst I was listening. She went into cardiac arrest. I immediately lowered her bed down (as she had been sitting up), pressed the emergency buzzer, and started CPR on her. The whole situation feels so surreal now. I felt incredibly helpless. The week of on-calls were seven 12-hour shifts, which each easily became fifteen hours, and on day 8 was a half day on which you were supposed to hand over care to the oncoming team. Two junior doctors managed all the acute patients being admitted, and on the weekend, were also managing all the patients of the three or four other teams; well over a hundred patients altogether. The registrars were either in theatre or admitting people in emergency. Consultants would do breakneck speed ward rounds before spending long days operating. It was an awful experience, especially for someone who likes to be in control and have an overview of my work situation. It felt chaotic and haphazard.
The crash team arrived and people sprang into action, following the prompts of the defibrillator. After a while it became apparent that resuscitation would be unsuccessful and the process was stopped. I remember the two medical registrars running the resuscitation comforting one another and affirming that they could have done no better. I was halfway between stunned and completely detached from the situation. I stood there observing. And then my pager went and I was off to the next task.
Looking back I feel sorry for my younger self. I didn’t realise how stressful I found my first two years working as a doctor until much later. I had been high-performing and high-achieving in my studies. It was painful going from being an excellent student to being a doctor where life and death were handled on a daily basis with nonchalance, and treatments were instigated with varying degrees of success and what seemed like blind hope at the outcome, mostly. My first job was in the gastroenterology and hepatology ward at a national liver transplant unit in a country with some of the highest alcohol abuse rates in Europe. Many of our patients had end-stage liver failure. One of the results of liver failure is the inability of the body to produce blood-clotting factors. Chronic alcohol abuse can also reduce the platelets in the blood, another essential component of the early blood clotting cascade. In addition, people with cirrhosis have a few major points in their body which are areas of engorged blood vessels due to back-pressure from their cirrhosed livers. They are sitting blood bombs just waiting to burst. I remember my third or fourth shift as a doctor, being the only doctor there from 5 until 9.30pm. The weight of the sense of responsibility for these incredibly unwell people was overwhelming at times. I remember having to call an anaesthetist because a patient had developed a nose bleed which was not stopping. People in this state hose blood when they start. He was shouting at me to get a catheter to insert in the patient’s nose to place pressure on the arterial blood. I was covered in blood, was trying to hand this slippery rubber catheter with a syringe attached to the anaesthetist, and I couldn’t inflate it. I’m not surprised I had diarrhoea with associated stomach cramps for my first couple of months of work there.
As a doctor develops more experience there is an improvement in knowing better how to handle a sick patient, how to recognise a deteriorating patient, and how to pre-emptively get help when this happens. But then other things come in: working shifts whilst having young children at home; studying for postgraduate exams whilst having young children at home and working shifts; dealing with major family illness whilst working, having young children at home, and ideally studying for postgraduate exams. Whilst working shifts. Getting divorced. Getting assaulted by an aggressive patient. Losing a parent or a sibling. Throw into this that the daily job is constantly dealing with human misery, pain, and trauma (in some specialties more than other), in health systems which are over-burdened and stretched, in societies where health provision is a powerful political and economic signpost, within a culture which is harsh and unforgiving with high rates of bullying and harassment, especially for women. It can be rather brutal.
In Australia, a few days ago there was a technical hitch with the RACP basic physician trainee exam. This resulted in the $1800 exam, which doctors will have studied for months for, whilst working full-time in most cases, which will have required loss of time spent with children, partners, family, and friends, to be deemed null and void. For the pleasure of sitting the exam, it will have required bartering with roster planners to ensure that the examinee was not on night shift the night before the exam, but may have gone onto night shift the day of or day after the exam. It will have involved careful negotiating to try and access professional development leave (which is part of doctors’ contracts) to have some uninterrupted time to study. It will have involved negotiating with clinical teams if you had more than one doctor needing to take the exam at that time. Some will have used annual leave to study and attend revision courses (which themselves can cost thousands of dollars). Holidays will have been delayed.
And now, these trainees’ exams are void due to the technical glitch. They need to sit it again in two weeks.
Peter Donkersley, a medical student at the University of Tasmania, took his life earlier this year. He is, sadly, one of the many of our colleagues: Dr Andrew Bryant, a consultant gastroenterologist in Brisbane; Dr Chloe Abbott, one of three NSW doctors in the space of a few months. And there were three psychiatry doctors in Victoria in 2016, where details were withheld. These are just some of the known ones. There are many whose causes of death will remain unknown or kept private.
In The Medical Journal of Australia we are encouraged to have the ‘courage to act on burnout,’ and these problems are not isolated to Australia. In the US, the Medscape National Physician Burnout and Depression Report 2018 emphasised the extent of the problem. The survey of over 15,000 physicians revealed that 42% of them were ‘burned out.’ An article in the British Medical Journal in 2017 stated that ‘medicine must change its culture to tackle the toxic aspects of medicine that cause and sustain burnout.’ It also quoted a Canadian study which ‘estimates that early retirement and reduced clinical hours from burnout will cost the health system $C213m (£130m; €146m; $167m) in lost future service.’ The findings are echoed in China and New Zealand.
So what can we do?
A 2016 The Lancet systematic review and meta-analysis on interventions to prevent and reduce physician burnout showed that interventions DO work. Fifteen randomised trials including 716 physicians, and 37 cohort studies including 2914 physicians demonstrated that ‘both individual-focused and structural or organisational strategies can result in clinically meaningful reductions in burnout among physicians,’ which can equate to a 10 percentage point drop in rates of burnout, from 54 to 44%. Good…but not brilliant.
Over the last month I have been in the process of laying the groundwork to develop a tool which can be used by individual medical students and doctors to improve stress and burnout, and which can also be used by hospitals and health services to partake in improving wellness. The task is large, and there are multiple barriers. We cannot change centuries of culture and dogma within the profession. We cannot instantly change the systemic and organisational issues that plague all healthcare workers.
What we can do is start prioritising looking after ourselves, and health services, their staff.
To encourage this, I want to employ the use of the tenets of the pursuit of wellbeing as described by Professor Martin Seligman at the University of Pennsylvania in the Department of Psychology. Following the mnemonic, PERMA:
Positive affect (or emotion) – how do we make space for positive feeling at work amongst the trauma and distress and pain? We can rely on our morbid sense of humour for so long, but what happens when you go home and there is an emptiness because of the emotional and mental outlay that your job requires?
Engagement – doing things which get us into a state of flow, both at work and personally
Relationship – ensuring that we have personal relationships which are healthy and remind us of the much bigger world beyond medicine, but improving the authenticity and openness within our professional relationships. Only doctors know what doctors go through; the help we can offer one another is massive
Meaning – there is an expectation that being a doctor is an inherently ‘meaningful’ job. It can be – but the meaning is very easily lost amongst electronic health records, HR departments, KPIs, technical glitches, and the hierarchical, punitive structure. How do we imbue our jobs and personal lives with meaning?
Accomplishment – it’s easy to accomplish in medicine. But what happens when you’ve accomplished everything that there is to accomplish? What happens when, perhaps, you have not accomplished in your family life, or interests, or health, or hobbies, or psychological health? What happens when you reach your peak professionally? We need to ensure our lives are not empty beyond the practice or hospital walls.
I look forward to sharing more in the weeks to come. In the meantime, please reach out if you are struggling. I’m happy to be contacted here personally, or go to The Doctors Health Advisory Service, or reach out to a trusted colleague.
We’re in this together. | cc/2019-30/en_middle_0005.json.gz/line1146 |
__label__wiki | 0.581728 | 0.581728 | Evans, Lane [D-IL] House House Committee : Oversight and Reform
1. H.R.5835 — 109th Congress (2005-2006) Veterans Identity and Credit Security Act of 2006 Sponsor: Rep. Buyer, Steve [R-IN-4] (Introduced 07/19/2006) Cosponsors: (66) Committees: House - Veterans' Affairs, Government Reform | Senate - Veterans' Affairs Committee Reports: H. Rept. 109-651 Latest Action: Senate - 11/13/2006 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs. (All Actions) Tracker:
Array ( [actionDate] => 2006-09-13 [displayText] => Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Veterans' Affairs. H. Rept. 109-651, Part I. [externalActionCode] => 5000 [description] => Introduced )
2. H.R.4347 — 109th Congress (2005-2006) Bringing America Home Act Sponsor: Rep. Carson, Julia [D-IN-7] (Introduced 11/16/2005) Cosponsors: (37) Committees: House - Financial Services, Agriculture, Energy and Commerce, Education and the Workforce, Government Reform, Veterans' Affairs, Ways and Means Latest Action: House - 03/27/2006 Referred to the Subcommittee on 21st Century Competitiveness. (All Actions) Tracker:
3. H.R.2897 — 108th Congress (2003-2004) Bringing America Home Act Sponsor: Rep. Carson, Julia [D-IN-7] (Introduced 07/25/2003) Cosponsors: (56) Committees: House - Financial Services, Agriculture, Energy and Commerce, Education and the Workforce, Government Reform, Veterans' Affairs, Ways and Means Latest Action: House - 08/25/2003 Referred to the Subcommittee on Housing and Community Opportunity. (All Actions) Tracker:
4. H.R.606 — 106th Congress (1999-2000) Servicemembers and Veterans Transition Services Improvement Act of 1999 Sponsor: Rep. Stump, Bob [R-AZ-3] (Introduced 02/04/1999)(by request) Cosponsors: (6) Committees: House - Veterans' Affairs, Armed Services, Government Reform Latest Action: House - 03/09/1999 Referred to the Subcommittee on Health. (All Actions) Tracker:
5. H.R.4705 — 105th Congress (1997-1998) Department of Veterans Affairs Employment Reduction Assistance Act of 1998 Sponsor: Rep. Stump, Bob [R-AZ-3] (Introduced 10/06/1998)(by request) Cosponsors: (1) Committees: House - Veterans' Affairs, Government Reform and Oversight Latest Action: House - 10/16/1998 Referred to the Subcommittee on Civil Service. (All Actions) Tracker:
6. H.R.1633 — 104th Congress (1995-1996) To amend chapter 43 of title 38, United States Code, to make technical corrections in the employment and reemployment rights of members of the uniformed services, and for other purposes. Sponsor: Rep. Waters, Maxine [D-CA-35] (Introduced 05/12/1995) Cosponsors: (4) Committees: House - Government Reform and Oversight, Veterans' Affairs Latest Action: 06/28/1995 For Further Action See H.R.1941. (All Actions) Tracker:
7. H.R.1200 — 104th Congress (1995-1996) American Health Security Act of 1995 Sponsor: Rep. McDermott, Jim [D-WA-7] (Introduced 03/09/1995) Cosponsors: (58) Committees: House - National Security, Government Reform and Oversight, Commerce, Veterans' Affairs, Ways and Means Latest Action: House - 04/05/1995 Referred to the Subcommittee on Hospitals and Health Care. (All Actions) Tracker:
8. H.R.2968 — 101st Congress (1989-1990) Public Access to Captioned Television Act of 1989 Sponsor: Rep. Florio, James J. [D-NJ-1] (Introduced 07/21/1989) Cosponsors: (24) Committees: House - Ways and Means, Energy and Commerce, Veterans' Affairs, Education and Labor, Government Operations Latest Action: House - 08/24/1989 Referred to the Subcommittee on Select Education. (All Actions) Tracker:
Armed Forces and National Security [4]
Government Operations and Politics [1]
Oversight and Reform Remove
Department Operations, Oversight, Nutrition, and Forestry [1]
Postsecondary Education [1]
Select Education [1]
Education and the Workforce
21st Century Competitiveness [2]
Employer-Employee Relations [1]
Workforce Protections [2]
Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection [1]
Housing and Community Opportunity [1]
Government Activities and Transportation [1]
Government Reform and Oversight
Human Resources and Intergovernmental Relations [1]
Benefits [1]
Economic Opportunity [1]
Education, Training, Employment and Housing [1]
Carson, Julia [D-IN] [2]
Buyer, Steve [R-IN] [1]
Florio, James J. [D-NJ] [1]
McDermott, Jim [D-WA] [1]
Evans, Lane [D-IL] Remove
Brown, Corrine [D-FL] [4]
Gutierrez, Luis V. [D-IL] [4]
Owens, Major R. [D-NY] [4]
Payne, Donald M. [D-NJ] [4] | cc/2019-30/en_middle_0005.json.gz/line1148 |
__label__wiki | 0.837312 | 0.837312 | Expert Reviews for the Newest Albums
in Rock, Alternative, Hip-Hop, EDM, and More
Wu Block – Wu Block
by Dan Caffrey
Ghostface Killah and Raekwon, arguably the two best MCs of Wu-Tang Clan, notoriously dissed RZA’s work on 8 Diagrams, the latter going as far to call him a “hip-hop hippie” for his experimental production touches and introspective lyrical themes. Regardless of their feelings, 8 Diagrams proved to be one of the collective’s best and most interesting releases due to its diversity. RZA’s increased interest in spirituality and surrealism were the perfect complement to Ghost and Raekwon’s pulpy street tales. Like every member of Wu-Tang, the three tend to shine when surrounded by those with different styles and tastes.
But Ghostface doesn’t seem too concerned with diversity these days, a point that Wu Block, his collaboration with D-Block’s Sheek Louch, drives home. Ghost and Sheek surround themselves with performers from their respective groups who, like them, seem exclusively focused on portraying themselves as aging mafiosos: 40-something veteran criminals who bicker, brag, smoke, fuck, and overuse the word “faggot”, all to the nostalgic beat of sped-up soul samples. The seasoned tone and familiar production lend Wu Block ease and listenability, but also result in empty posturing on tracks such as “Take Notice” and “Do It Like Us”.
That’s not to say there aren’t bright spots. While I wouldn’t put anyone in D-Block in the same league as Ghost, Raekwon, Method Man, or Inspectah Deck (all of whom make appearances), this is still an all-star roster of rappers who are great at what they do. Opener “Crack Spot Stories” draws the most humor from the overcrowded party, with Raekwon and Jadakiss meeting at Ghost and Sleek’s apartment to watch Martin and make several small-time transactions. “Cocaine Central” is equally as strong, not for its narrative, but for its vivid narcotics details and blend of woozy horns and midnight chimes. Like most of the record, it’s as comfortable, but also as familiar, as an old pair of Wallabees.
Essential Tracks: “Crack Spot Stories”, “Cocaine Central”
Album Review: Tyvek – On Triple Beams
My Bloody Valentine announce UK tour | cc/2019-30/en_middle_0005.json.gz/line1149 |
__label__wiki | 0.535221 | 0.535221 | Tony Blair says Brexit can be stopped if UK leaders realise the EU will ‘meet us halfway’ | The Independent
July 15, 2017 By dralfoldman in Brexit, Economics, Extreme left, Far Left, Far-left politics, Fiscal Policy, Foreign Policy, Growth, Immigration, Jeremy Corbyn, People, Politics Tags: 2003 invasion of Iraq, Brexit, British people, David Cameron, Donald Trump, Member of parliament, Theresa May, Tony Blair, United Kingdom, United States 3 Comments
Here’s an insightful read from the Independent. Citing Tony Blair, it suggests that Brexit can still be stopped if Britain’s leaders realise EU officials are prepared to “meet us halfway” on restricting the free movement of people. While the former Labour Prime Minister admitted there is “no groundswell” for a second referendum on membership of the EU, Mr Blair said it is possible that the will of the British people could change as the public becomes more aware of the potential economic damage of hard Brexit.
Source: Tony Blair says Brexit can be stopped if UK leaders realise the EU will ‘meet us halfway’ | The Independent
Although he’s a bit out of favour because of the Iraqi war, I still rate Blair as head and shoulders over the current team leading the Labour Party. Blair was an inspirational leader and was very much the man for his time. Of course, he had a huge political mandate, which he squandered but we know that politics has a corrupting influence. In the early days, he closely relied on focus groups, then he lived in rarefied air, removed from the people – the rest is history.
But Blair in his day was a top-class statesman and he’s right about Brexit. The thing is, Corbyn is more concerned with installing a Far Left Labour government, possibly as early as the Autumn 2017, rather than helping the UK make a better strategic case on Brexit. Meanwhile, the Conservatives are in ‘demob’ summer holiday mood, and they don’t seem to care that they don’t have an effective leader.
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john a gelmini says:
Sad as it is for me to say it I think Vince Cable is more right than Blair,BREXIT may never happen. That is until the EU eventually splits into 2 under the weight of its own contradictions which is a matter of when not if.
May will not last beyond the summer and until she gets sent packing there will be no progress in the so called BREXIT negotiations and unless the Conservatives wake up and appoint a young ,telegenic and effective leader they are doomed to be a party of old buffoons who look and sound like Jeremiah and Methusla rolled into 1.
Should there be an election Labour will not get the easy ride they got last time assuming a new Conservative Leader and if the Conservatives had any sense they would look into Momentum and dig very hard into Jeremy Corbyn’s background and affiliations along with his deputy and of course Emily Thornberry.
The BBC could and should be privatised along with the selloff of Channel 4 before any election is called so that left wing bias is eliminated and people like John Humphries , Jon Snow,Michael Crick and others lose their ability to make trouble.
Isn’t Mr. Blair forgetting that the majority call in the Brexit vote was out? Just maybe it doesn’t matter that the EU are prepared to meet us halfway.Tony Blair handed his job over to a man with no inkling of how to lead because Blair was looking for either a position of President of Europe or had been looking to be the first president of the UK. As always his party left the country in a mess of a high National Debt because labour like to borrow to spend. I don’t consider him a top class statesman, in fact I think he indulged his wife a little too much with a say on how things should be, especially over the human rights act which allowed Hamsa ‘The Hook’ to stay in the UK far too long with appeals to the European Courts. We should have been allowed to send him to answer charges in the US …..after serving time for any crime committed here.
Demob Summer holiday mood it may be for the Tories but the same goes for all the other parties, none of whom should have a Summer break the length they do,they’re not schoolchildren no matter how they behave sometimes in The House.
If another election has to be called because there’s a lack of confidence in Theresa May then we’ll have to abide by the vote but I’m quite sure that Corbyn is not an adequate replacement for her and the country will suffer as a result. Blair is not the man to come back though in his place.
dralfoldman says:
Thank you for sharing your views.
Actually Corbyn and some of his shadow cabinet are touring Conservative marginal seats this Summer. Don’t you think the Conservatives are rather on the back foot at the moment? | cc/2019-30/en_middle_0005.json.gz/line1170 |
__label__cc | 0.539671 | 0.460329 | Disentangling the effects of climate, topography, soil and vegetation on stand-scale species richness in temperate forests
Zellweger, Florian and Braunisch, Veronika and Morsdorf, Felix and Baltensweiler, Andri and Abegg, Meinrad and Roth, Tobias and Bugmann, Harald and Bollmann, Kurt. (2015) Disentangling the effects of climate, topography, soil and vegetation on stand-scale species richness in temperate forests. Forest ecology and management, 349. pp. 36-44.
The growing awareness of biodiversity by forest managers has fueled the demand for information on abiotic and biotic factors that determine spatial biodiversity patterns. Detailed and area-wide environmental data on potential predictors and site-specific habitat characteristics, however, are usually not available across large spatial extents. Recent developments in environmental data acquisition such as the advent of Light Detection And Ranging (LiDAR) remote sensing provide opportunities to characterize site-specific habitat conditions at a high level of detail and across large areas. Here, we used a dataset of regularly distributed local-scale records of vascular plant, bryophyte and snail (Gastropoda) species to model richness patterns in forests across an environmentally heterogeneous region in Central Europe (Switzerland). We spatially predicted species richness based on a set of area-wide environmental factors representing climate, topography, soil pH and remotely sensed vegetation structure. Additionally, we investigated the relationship between species richness and field measures of forest stand structure and composition obtained from National Forest Inventory (NFI) data to identify potential target variables for habitat management. The predictions for species richness were most accurate for snails, followed by bryophyte and vascular plants, with R2 values ranging from 0.37 to 0.07. Besides climate, site-specific factors such as soil pH, indices of topographic position and wetness as well as canopy structure were important for predicting species richness of all three target groups. Several NFI variables were identified as potential target variables for managing snail species richness. Stands with tree species from the genera Fraxinus, Tilia, Ulmus and Acer, for example, showed a positive relationship with snail species richness, as did an increasing overstory cover or higher volumes of deadwood. However, only weak relationships were found between NFI variables and species richness of vascular plants, and none for bryophytes. Our findings support the assumption that besides climate, site-specific habitat factors are important determinants of spatial variation of species richness at the local scale. The strength and direction of the determinants vary with taxa, thus indicating a functional relationship between site conditions and the respective species community.
05 Faculty of Science > Departement Umweltwissenschaften > Zoologie > Behavioural Ecology (Amrhein)
05 Faculty of Science > Departement Umweltwissenschaften > Zoologie > Evolutionary Biology (Ebert)
Roth, Tobias
doi: 10.1016/j.foreco.2015.04.008 | cc/2019-30/en_middle_0005.json.gz/line1177 |
__label__wiki | 0.856797 | 0.856797 | Winning is in the eye of the beholder
12 July 2017 Paul MacLellan
What will a confusing election outcome mean for education policy in England and Wales?
My faith in the footballing prowess of the Scottish national team was shattered 21 years ago at the hands – or feet, rather – of Gazza. But recently, that faith was rekindled, if only briefly.
Last month, Scotland once again played England, this time in Glasgow. The match, dominated by a scrappy England team, saw Scotland a goal down in the second half. I was fully expecting the match to fizzle out as a win for the visitors.
Ten minutes from the end, most of the Scottish fans, too, were resigned. Nobody expected that we could rescue a draw. But after two incredible free kick goals in the last ten minutes of the game, we were suddenly winning. Even my kids cheered (they humour me).
But the elation wasn’t to last. In the last moments of time-added-on, England managed to find an equaliser to deny a famous victory.
I was struck that, when the final whistle sounded, Scotland had managed to find a result they would have been absolutely delighted with just ten minutes earlier. But it felt like a defeat. It felt worse than losing one–nil. We should have won!
I think a few people in Whitehall can relate. It turns out that in politics, as in football, context really matters. Sometimes, winning an election can feel like a loss.
Choosing to capitalise on a huge lead in the polls, and an apparently floundering Labour party, Theresa May called a snap election. This was a gambit designed to cement her authority ahead of Brexit negotiations – and it backfired.
With a hung parliament, a minority government and a shaky alliance with the DUP, May is still prime minister. But the mandate she sought evaporated with the exit polls.
Picking battles
So what can we expect for education under this new government? The Queen’s speech barely mentioned education, making only a brief remark about school funding.
There have been many concerns raised by the education community on expected cuts – a fairer distribution of less money is still less money. Justine Greening has now promised that no school will have its budget cut, protecting coffers in cash terms, if not in real terms.
May’s government now has to pick their battles, and they will focus on the conditions of Brexit. This means we’re unlikely to see the Department for Education pushing forward with many other reforms promised in the Conservative manifesto.
Controversial and misguided plans for new grammar schools have been shelved. For most working in education, this is a huge relief. But May clearly feels very strongly on this issue, so we can expect these proposals to resurface if she can find surer footing in the next year or two.
The free school meals for infants programme will live on. This is an expensive concession at £650 million, but scrapping it would have been a huge public relations problem from for the already wounded prime minister.
Whatever they decide to do in education, let’s hope this government is stronger at international negotiations than Scotland is at international football.
What should the government do for schools?
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Does it augur well?
Proposals from the Augar review will affect chemistry teaching
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Successful curriculum reform will depend on teachers developing a sense of ownership of their work | cc/2019-30/en_middle_0005.json.gz/line1181 |
__label__wiki | 0.587051 | 0.587051 | Anadarko Enters Eaglebine Joint Venture with KKR & Co - $442 Million
Anadarko Eaglebine Acreage
During the third-quarter of 2014, Woodlands, TX-based Anadarko Corp. entered into a joint venture (JV) with private equity firm KKR & Co. to develop a portion of Anadarko's East Texas/Eaglebine acreage.
Under the terms of the deal, KKR agreed to carry $442-million of Anadarko's future capital expenditures in Brazos, Burleson, and Robertson Counties, situated northwest of Houston, TX. In exchange, KKR received 36,000 net acres in the JV area of mutual interest (AMI) and 40% of Anadarko's working interest (WI) in 33 wells. In a prepared release, KKR company officials said through long-term development of the field, they expect to participate in more than 500 wells.
We see the Eaglebine as a really exciting and potentially explosive area, Anadarko CEO Al Walker said on an investor conference call in late October of 2014.
Anadarko will remain the operator of the acreage with an average post-transaction WI of approximately 51% in the JV AMI. Anadarko company officials say the transaction will enable the company to more rapidly develop this short-cycle oil opportunity with the addition of incremental drilling rigs, while further enhancing Anadarko’s capital efficiency and flexibility.
During the third-quarter, Anadarko spud five wells with one rig in the Eaglebine. Production from these new wells increased the company's net sales volumes to more than 3,000 boe/d, with a 90% oil cut, according to Anadarko's third-quarter operations update.
In News Tags Deals, Joint Venture-JV
← Eagle Ford Shale Rig Count Decreases by Seven to 265Shale EnviroSafe Summit in San Antonio, TX - Dec. 2, 2014 - Press Release → | cc/2019-30/en_middle_0005.json.gz/line1185 |
__label__cc | 0.70601 | 0.29399 | I am pleased to recognize many examples of excellence this week in the Canon City School District.
I would like to begin with Kirsten Javernick our director of special education. Kirsten works tirelessly in support of opportunities for our most challenging children. In doing so she has created a technology refurbishing and recycling center at Canon City High School, has spearheaded our district efforts related to suicide prevention, keeps district employees in compliance with federal law as related to providing services to students with identified special needs, and has even taken on duties additional to those assigned by serving as the school psychologist for Canon City High School.
I also want to let everyone know how Canon City High School science teacher Carrie Trimble planted some flower beds at CCHS 7 years ago, and was even caught in the act of spending her precious personal time on Labor Day tending to and improving the bed. I have no doubt Carrie has not sought recognition for this, but want to point out her kindness as an example of the many things our teachers do behind the scenes to make our schools more inviting places.
I would also like to highlight how staff members from the Colorado State Penitentiary, the Centennial Correctional Facility, and the Colorado Department of Corrections Training Academy raised more than $4,500 and is donating these funds to the Canon City School District to purchase Emergency Preparedness Kits for use in schools. WE are in awe of this effort and can’t possibly express how thankful we are for these tools that will support our efforts to keep children safe at school, no matter the circumstance. Thank you!
Finally, I want to thank district nurse Trisha Sallie and the many wonderful volunteers who stepped forward last Wednesday to support the Canon City High School health services staff in conducting hearing and vision testing of all 9th grade students. A large group of retired educators supported this effort including Debi Blackwell, Ann Cranston, Becky Worthley, Ruth Lopez, Glenda Macklin, Cheryl Erickson, Margaret Korber, Cathy Solano, Ann Roche, and Vivian McCasland. They were joined by retired nurse Barb Engle, and retired military personnel Chuck Engle and Dick Barth. By the end of the day all CCHS Freshmen who were present were checked for hearing and vision deficiencies that could affect their ability to participate in classroom instruction. As a result of this work, the parents of students for whom issues were identified were contacted and given advice as to where they might have their child served for issues that arose.
By the time many of our employees receive this week’s edition of Echoes from Canon their email accounts will have been migrated from our Zimbra platform to our new Google Education Apps system. I want to commend director of technology Shaun Kohl and his department for all of this hard work, and I especially want to recognize our staff members who have stepped forward to become Google Apps trainers to support this transition and future use of the many Google Apps tools available to our staff members. These folks include Daniel Coppa and Eric House from CCHS, Tanna Miles from CCMS, Lisa Bryan from CES, Karen Steadman and Joe Mascarenas from Harrison, Toni Pierce from Lincoln, Mark Lyons from Mountain View Core Knowledge, Annette Nimmo from Washington, and Mike Fry from the administration team.
On Wednesday in CCSD several of our schools held delayed start schedules during which staff members engaged in learning experiences aimed at making them more effective at teaching kids. Some of our schools had teachers meet in professional learning communities to review student achievement data, and work on curriculum development and lesson planning. This week the staff of Mckinley Elementary learned about the effects of poverty on learners, and how teachers might use this knowledge to better meet the needs of their students. We know delayed start days can be a bit troublesome for family schedules, but believe the improved instruction children receive as a result of this professional development makes it all worthwhile.
Finally, last Wednesday at CCHS representatives from all around Fremont County met to inform our district Health Advisory Committee on the development of a revised student health and wellness policy. This policy has not been tweaked since 2006 when it was first adopted, and I believe the preliminary revisions that have been incorporated in it will help to serve as an excellent blueprint to raising our awareness of the physical and mental health wellness needs of our students.
On Tuesday morning I met over breakfast with CCMS principal Tim Renn about creating a building evaluation rubric to reflect the vision he and his staff have created for their school. I did the same over lunch that day with Washington principal Brian Zamarripa. I also attended Superintendent Advisory Council, Leadership Team, and Evaluation Council meetings on Tuesday. On Wednesday morning I conducted CES, and Washington, in building office hours. While at Washington that morning I connected with a parent who is interested in serving on our district accountability committee. I then attended a district health and wellness committee meeting at Noon, conducted CCHS in building office hours, and then attended a get to know you meeting with representatives from our local Boys and Girls Club. On Thursday I had the pleasure of conducting instructional walkthroughs with Mckinley principal Drenda Manning and must say I saw some wonderful examples of teaching related to communication of daily learning targets and engaging all students in lessons. I also dropped in on a Peer Mediator training session conducted by Canon Exploratory School aimed at teaching students skills needed to de-escalate conflict on campus. I then conducted in building office hours at CCMS before attending McKinley School’s back to school night. On Friday September 11th I was in Colorado Springs attending the Pikes Peak Area Superintendents Association meeting, and then I peeked in on a staff development session some of our key instructional leaders attended on formative assessment that will help us all to better understand how to measure what a child learns on a daily basis.
In the coming week I will do formal classroom walkthroughs at CCHS, Lincoln, and CES, and I will conduct office hours at MVCKS, Harrison, McKinley, and Lincoln. I have a monthly meeting with CCEA and Classified Association leaders, I’ll look in on peer counselor training at CCHS, I have a tech issues meeting, and I will also attend budget information meetings with director of finance Buddy Lambrecht, his staff, and building administrators at Lincoln, CCMS, and MVCKS. I will be taking Thursday and Friday off as personal days next week to attend a family wedding.
My in building office hours will be spread over the next two weeks as follows:
Tuesday September 15th from 11 AM to Noon at Harrison K-8 School
Tuesday September 15th 12:30 PM to 1:30 PM at Mountain View Core Knowledge School
Wednesday September 16th from 8 AM to 9 AM at Lincoln Elementary
Wednesday September 16th from from 11:30 to 12:30 at McKinley Elementary
Since the beginning of school each of our buildings have practiced their school safety drills. CCSD follows Standard Response Protocol, a method of reaction to crisis situations developed by John-Michael Keyes, the father of a child who was killed in the Bailey school shooting. SRP recommends four basic reactions to school crisis situations: Lockout, Lockdown, Evacuate, and Shelter. In effort to educate parents and community members on how to best support our schools when they go into one of the SRP modes, I offer the following information.
To begin, CCSD encourages all parents to sign up for “Notify Me” at www.canoncityschools.org so they can be notified of incidents and whether or not when a school goes into an SRP mode it is just a drill.
LOCKOUT!
Lockout is a directive to secure the perimeter of a building and is the protocol used to safeguard students and staff within when there may be an external threat to them. This could occur if there is a dangerous person near a campus, but can also happen simply if there is a wild animal nearby that might pose a threat to our children.
When we go into Lockout mode all exterior doors are locked and no entry to or exit from the building is allowed until the lockout is lifted. It is business as usual inside the building.
Parents: Please remember there is no threat inside the building and the children are safe. Proper authorities will have been notified and will follow their procedures to investigate and eliminate the external threat. Please do not attempt to come to the school to pick up your child when we are in Lockout mode. No entrance or exit from the building will be permitted during this time.
LOCKDOWN!
Lockdown is a directive for “Locks, Lights, Out of Sight” and is the protocol used to secure individual rooms and keep students and staff safe in a quiet place when there is a threat inside a school building.
Parents: During lockdown there is a possible threat inside the building and your child is secured behind locked doors and out of sight. Law enforcement will have been notified and will follow their protocol to secure the school site. Please do not attempt to come to the school. Doing so will impede first responder operations and compromise the safety of children. No entrance or exit from the building will be permitted during lockdown.
EVACUATE!
Evacuate is used to move students and staff from one location to a different location in or out of the building.
Parents: An evacuation may occur when there is an internal threat such as a fire or environmental breach (i.e. gas-leak, smoke infiltration, etc). It may also occur if there is an internal human threat, but most likely only after that threat has been neutralized. Proper authorities will have been notified and will follow their protocol to secure the dangerous area. Once again, please do not attempt to come to the school. This will impede the evacuations operations and compromise the safety of the children. No entrance to the building will be permitted during evacuate mode.
SHELTER!
Shelter is a protocol used to guarantee group and self-protection inside or outside of a school building.
Parents: Seeking shelter may occur in the event of a fire, natural disaster, or unexpected occurrence. It will usually take place after an evacuation, by simply moving students to a safer location. Proper authorities will have been notified and will follow their protocol to assure student and staff safety. Please do not attempt to come to the school. This will impede the evacuations operations and compromise the safety of the children. No entrance to the building will be permitted at this time as well.
The final safety procedure the CCSD will use is called Reunification. Reunification is the way we turn children back over to parents or guardians in situations where we are not able to continue a school day as normal. During Reunification efforts parents will be notified by mass media as to where to get their children. Only emergency contacts with proper photo identification will be permitted to pick up children during reunification.
Parents will be communicated with via our “Notify Me” system and other media means to spread the word in our community whenever we go into an SRP mode and whenever the safety precaution has been lifted.
We appreciate your cooperation and understanding when it comes to the safety of our children and hope you will follow these guidelines when a school enters one of these modes. | cc/2019-30/en_middle_0005.json.gz/line1187 |
__label__cc | 0.685478 | 0.314522 | CIO Viewpoints
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Meeting the Changing Needs of Customers
By Joseph Santamaria, CIO, PSEG
Joseph Santamaria, CIO, PSEG
In 2012, Superstorm Sandy hit New Jersey and PSEG hard. Tens of thousands of utility lines were downed by trees, 2,400 utility poles were damaged, thousands of gas meters were flooded and power plants saw water rise well above historic levels, forcing them to shut down. Nearly 1.7 million of our electricity customers lost power in New Jersey—for some areas, the outage stretched for days.
"Customers expect interactive technology to provide faster, more accurate customer information and, where possible, specific and contextual information"
We learned major lessons from Superstorm Sandy. In particular, we learned that the expectations of our customers have changed dramatically. They want better use of technology for communication during storms and they are less tolerant of outages, even in the face of extreme weather. More and more, customers expect interactive technology to provide faster, more accurate customer information and, where possible, specific and contextual information.
Sandy also required a rethinking of what it means to have a resilient infrastructure—not only in regard to pipes, wires and facilities, but also robust information systems that monitor asset health and status in real time, support operational decisions and manage constraints at all times.
At PSEG, we have responded aggressively to bring new and better information to our customers in a storm—and on blue-sky days. We also have invested in capturing real-time data in the field to accelerate the flow of information and sound decision-making across business operations with the goal of avoiding outages completely. Companies now have the opportunity to gather millions of data points per second, process them in large algorithms to identify potential problems before they occur and, in a way, fix something that hasn’t occurred yet—improving the customer experience and providing the company with an opportunity to redefine the customer relationship.
Enhanced Customer Communication
Prior to Superstorm Sandy, PSEG had been transforming its Twitter channel to be integrated with our customer service team. During the storm, we used Twitter to disseminate information fast, but also to open two-way dialogue with our customers. We added 45,000 Twitter followers, making it the largest Twitter audience of any utility in the U.S. Since then, we have continued to nurture the channel and, with 90,000 followers, it remains the largest in the industry. We have worked to make our other social channels—from Facebook to the launching of a company blog, PSEG Energize!—more effective and impactful for customers every day, but with an eye to how they can be leveraged during the next storm or crisis.
But customers want more than just easy access to widely distributed information. They also want information that answers the question, “So what is the impact on me?” To meet this need, we invested in an outage map system where customers can find information on their own—down to their local street and home (or business). The maps illustrate how widespread an outage is, whether the company knows about it and the estimated restoration time. Coupled with a new multichannel notification system that allows customers to receive different type of alerts through their channel of choice, our response to customers’ needs has changed and resulted in direct and indirect benefits. Customers’ ability to access information directly, for instance, has cut down calls to our call centers and our company continues to be recognized as a leader in JD Power customer satisfaction surveys.
Using Big Data to Avoid Outages
Sometimes, meeting the needs of the customer is not so visible. In fact, when we are doing our job well—avoiding outages—customers don’t give us a second thought.
An example is how we are improving operations at our electric generation plants through the creation of a centralized monitoring station across 14 plants in four states. The PSEG Fossil Monitoring & Diagnostics Center is a cutting-edge central command center that uses advanced analytic software technologies to detect operational or equipment problems. The center has more than 90,000 live data points and leverages scalable cloud infrastructure to perform large simulations and predictive analysis. Its ability to monitor plant efficiency in real time, adjust to maximize power generation output and recommend preventative maintenance activities has increased the safety, cost-efficiency and run time of the plant fleet. The center, up and running at the end of 2015, has already generated several big wins— identifying emerging problems such as parts with excessive and growing vibrations that could be fixed before they caused a plant to be taken offline.
The power business of the future must be cost-competitive, and this diagnostic-based maintenance will continue to increase reliability, reduce forced outages and improve plant efficiency.
Information technology will continue to transform our business—and our lives. The penetration of technology in every business function, the pace at which innovative solutions become available, and the challenges and opportunities facing our industry are all unprecedented. The ability to manage and leverage the power of information is indispensable to customer engagement today and will become even more important in the future.
IT departments must stay on top of trends, understand the customers’ current and future needs under different scenarios and then work with other stakeholders to constantly innovate. Like the rest of the company, IT’s goal is to meet customers’ needs by offering profitable services they want and using the growing amount of data to anticipate and meet customer needs in ways they never know.
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__label__cc | 0.688756 | 0.311244 | Chinese rose - the flower of death
How to propagate a Chinese rose
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24 messages.month.February 2014
Chinese rose is a showy and beautiful plant. This flower has many names: hibiscus, red sorrel, mallow Venice, okra, hibiscus, rose of Sharon. Different peoples perception of it is different. In Haiti it is considered a symbol of beauty, In India it is woven into Bridal wreaths, Malaysia is the national flower, but because girls decorate their hair. But in some countries there is a belief that the Chinese rose – the flower of death.
What flowers not to keep the house
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What kind of flower is China rose?
Already in the XVIII century Botanic gardens of Europe were decorated with the hibiscus. Is to say that exotic look of these colours in various shades with Golden stamens fused attracts attention and fascinates. Such plants are able to reach a diameter of 15-16 inches.
At home Chinese rose can grow up to 2 meters in height, this flower can live for about 30 years.
Chinese rose even in photos, looks adorable, and seeing her up close for once, it's hard not to fall in love with this beautiful flower. This is why many growers don't want to deny myself the pleasure to have a home such a plant. Under favorable lighting conditions hibiscus will delight with their blooms almost all year round.
Why Chinese rose is called the flower of death
Studying the signs associated with the Chinese rose, you can conclude that its name is "flower of death" appeared for a reason.
According to some beliefs, when flowering hibiscus becomes a source of negative energy, which adversely affects human health. That is why in some sources the Chinese rose referred to as the "Burnet".
The color of Chinese rose is the shade of red that resembles blood. However, there are other colors: purple, white, pink, yellow, not only blue and black.
The people believed that hibiscus can cause health issues of its owner, but also to hasten his death. Based on this, experts in the field of extrasensory perception are strongly recommended to get rid of such a flower by its burning.
According to another version, this flower does not affect the health and lives of their owners, and is a kind of indicator that informs their owners about approaching misfortune. For example, if China rose unexpectedly dropped leaves, it may indicate that someone in the household is seriously ill, even if there is no hint of illness.
Chinese rose: other beliefs and folk superstitions
If you believe the signs, Chinese rose has both positive and negative qualities. For unmarried girls it will attract many suitors but the happiness of a family she does not contribute, but because the hibiscus is also called "mojigangas". Creating around itself a negative aura, Chinese rose sows discord between the spouses and wanton aggression. According to one version, a woman who has such a mystical plant that is doomed to an unhappy family life. It's no wonder the Chinese rose used in magical rituals to restore the crown of celibacy. [box#3]
However, it should be clarified that it is just superstitions that don't have reliable evidence. Some firmly believe in such superstitions, others only smile. It all depends on your attitude. If you are self-confident man devoid of any prejudices, indulge in this amazing flower is. If you believe in superstitions and share some doubts still arise, it is better to purchase another flower, which will delight you.
Remember, each flower is beautiful in its own way, and if you take care properly, he also will love you and bring only joy!
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Principal lumber | cc/2019-30/en_middle_0005.json.gz/line1198 |
__label__cc | 0.557221 | 0.442779 | Write a story beginning with: "I could tell by his face that he was angry..."
- by Abigail Shannon Chua
Wesley Methodist School Melaka
I could tell by his face that he was angry. Vice principal Mr Chaplain slammed his fist onto the desk and looked at us.
"Why did you beat up Charles in the cafeteria?" he shouted at me.
"I've told you already. He started the fight. He insulted Tessa and I tried to defend her," I said through gritted teeth.
"Mr Green didn't report anything about Tessa being involved in the argument," he stared at me.
My palms became sweaty and I wiped them with the side of my trousers.
"Listen here carefully, Thomas. If I catch you fighting again, I'll give you detention for a week. Now get out!" he pointed towards the door and we went out.
Charles grinned at me when we stood in the hallway. It was clear of students as it was after break. I glared at Charles and slammed him against the wall. "If you ever dare to insult Tessa again, I'll splatter your guts on the floor," I hissed at him.
"Go on defending your weird and so-called 'girlfriend', Thomas. She doesn't belong here," he spat back. I glared at him and walked towards my classroom. I sidled over to my desk with glances from everyone and took out my book. The teacher gave a glare and continued to teach. "How was it?" Tessa asked from behind. "Nothing," I said and started copying down notes. "You don't have to defend me. I don't want you getting into more trouble," Tessa said. I ignored her and the class continued without any problems.
During lunch, I sat with Tessa and Jack at our usual lunch table. As Tessa set her food down on the table, Charles bumped into her and her drink spilt onto the table.
"Oops! Sorry," he grinned as he turned to walk away. I grabbed him by the shoulder and spun him around. "You did that on purpose," I hissed. He swept my hand off his shoulder. "Apologise to her," I breathed. He snorted and spat on the ground. I grabbed him by the collar and slammed him down onto the table. "I said, apologise to her!" I yelled as he struggled beneath me. Other students had started to stare at us. Charles quickly broke loose and stood up, glaring at me with his hands balled into fists.
"Leave him alone," Tessa said as she held my arm.
Charles spat, "You don't belong here. People without parents shouldn't come to school. I heard you live with your uncle and aunt who treat you badly. What did they do? Make you work like Cinderella?" Then he called her a word I could not utter. That was the straw that broke the camel's back. I grabbed him by the collar and slammed him onto the table again, splattering food all over the place. People were gathering around and chanting, "Fight! Fight!" I punched him in the nose and he yelled in pain as blood oozed out.
"Apologise to her!" I yelled at him. He struggled to get free and I felt a rough hand pulling me back.
"It's not worth it," Jack said as he pulled me away.
"Leave him," Tessa said gently. I shook free just as Mr Chaplain came.
"What's going on here?" he roared and everyone backed away.
"He punched me in the nose!" Charles held his broken nose.
"Nurse, now!" he said and Charles left, shooting a grin as he went.
"It's my fault, sir. He insulted me," said Tessa, standing in front of me. "He insulted her family too, sir!" I said but was silenced.
"Tell Charles to see me in my office. And you too, young man," he said as he left.
In Mr Chaplain's office, Charles and I were reprimanded and given a week's detention. I should not have taken the law into my own hands. I should have reported the incidents to the school authorities, since problems could not be solved through violence. As for Charles, he too had learnt his lesson - never to mock and make fun of the others, no matter how their family backgrounds were. He had learnt to be more respectful towards his fellow schoolmates. Before leaving the headmaster's office, we shook hands with each other as a sign of the beginning of a new friendship.
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Copyright 2013 - 2020 English312. All Rights Reserved | cc/2019-30/en_middle_0005.json.gz/line1200 |
__label__wiki | 0.795035 | 0.795035 | Comic Previews for the Week: Nov. 3
by Brad Guigar on November 3, 2009 at 12:00 am
Courtesy of Newsarama, here’s a preview of new comics available in comic shops tomorrow.
DEADPOOL TEAM-UP #899: The Merc with lots and lots of monthly content is about to add another release to his already robust monthly stable of appearances. “Deadpool Team Up” #899, which is neither a monthly series, nor a factual #899 will see Wade Wilson partner with Hercules. The combo will likely prove disastrous for everyone involved, just the way readers like it. In addition to acting as a play on Marvel’s numerous #600 issues of the past year, the special leads into the upcoming “Deadpool” #900, Marvel’s star-studded parody meant to beat DC’s “Action Comics” to its historic (and actual) 900th issue.
THE TORCH #3: Restored to life by the Thinker’s genius and on the Thinker’s terms, the Torch is now a weapon of mass destruction owned and controlled by A.I.M. And as A.I.M.’s scientists launch him on his murderous mission, the Thinker reveals the true scope of his insane ambition.
X-MEN ORIGINS: ICEMAN: The successful X-Men Origins series continues! In this one-shot, we see the origin of Bobby Drake, A.K.A. Iceman! See the small town beginnings that helped forge the coolest mutant of them all! Written by Roberto Aguirre Sacasa (Stephen King’s “The Stand”) with fan favorite artist Phil Noto! Don’t miss it!
THE GREAT TEN #1: Part 1 of a 10-part miniseries! Join writer Tony Bedard (R.E.B.E.L.S.) and artist Scott McDaniel for an adventure exploring the extraordinary characters from the pages of 52 and Checkmate!
At the dawn of the Chinese Century, the 10 official “super-functionaries” of the People’s Republic face their greatest challenge as the gods of Ancient China return to destroy communist rule! Will the most populous nation on Earth drag the rest of the world down with it? Do its heroes even want to save a government that treats them like pawns? Don’t miss this tale that redraws the map of the DCU and fleshes out the most exciting and mysterious new characters from the mind of Grant Morrison! Featuring a gorgeous cover by rising artist Stanley “Artgerm” Lau.
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #610: Peter Parker’s past collides with his future! Can Peter Parker save his family and himself?! Webhead stalwart Marc Guggenheim and rising star Marco Chechetto bring you the rollicking conclusion of “Who Was Ben Reilly?”Â
FATHOM #9: The world is literally falling down around the Hagia Sophia and the meeting of the world leaders and the Blue! With the Black’s arrival and the all-out chaos that ensues, Aspen, Cannon, Siphon, and the Blue allies must make a stand for not only mankind, but the very fate of the planet. However, the combined might of Aspen, the Blue, and the humans may not be enough to stop the incoming force led by a surprise visitor in this thrilling penultimate issue! Brought to you by the same great creative team of artist Ale Garza, writer J.T. Krul, inker Sal Regla and colorist John Starr.
BLACK WIDOW: DEADLY ORIGIN #1: Before she steals the world’s heart in Iron Man II, get caught in the wicked web of Marvel’s sexiest and deadliest super-spy! She’s been everything from a Russian espionage agent to a Champion to an Avenger, now a skeleton from Natalia Romanova’s past is reaching out for those she’s loved and lost…and the Black Widow has many victims to choose from! From the frozen streets of Moscow to the upper stratosphere, writer Paul Cornell and artists Tom Raney and John Paul Leon (The Winter Men) deliver a globe-hopping, bone-breaking, high-tech thriller that reveals how Natalia’s shadowy past threatens all she now holds dear. Guest-starring the Winter Soldier and Wolverine!
DEATHLOK #1: Marvel’s ultimate cyborg is back in this 7-issue Marvel Knights limited series written by Charlie Huston and breathtakingly illustrated by Lan Medina. In the not-too-distant future, war is a spectator sport, warriors die hard and live fast, and living larger than anyone is super-soldier Lieutenant Mike Travers. That is, until Travers hotdogs it on the battlefield and gets himself and his C.O., Luther Manning, blown to bits. The show must go on. Enter: Deathlok the Demolisher!
PSYLOCKE #1: Psylocke has returned to the X-Men! Following the defeat of Madelyne Pryor and her Sisterhood, Psylocke travels to Japan to re-inter her former body in its proper resting place. But when a swarm of Hand ninjas attack Psylocke and do the unspeakable under orders from Matsu’o”â€the assassin originally responsible for transplanting Psylocke’s mind into the body of an Asian ninja”â€Psylocke determines that Matsu’o is one loose end that can no longer be left unresolved. It’s a tale of carnage and revenge, brought to you by superstars Chris Yost and Harvey Tolibao!
ASTONISHING X-MEN #32: The X-Men have fought towering, mutant-slaying robot Sentinels before. But never one quite like this. Never a Sentinel made of meat and bone, wearing the skin of one of their own deceased teammates, every technological aspect given a biological solution. And as the X-Men fight for their lives, they’re left to wonder: What could this monstrosity have to do with the Brood?
CAPTAIN AMERICA REBORN #4: Steve Rogers, the original Captain America – trapped in time! Bucky and Sharon Carter – in the hands of the enemy! As Dr. Doom and the Red Skull make a terrifying pact that could destroy what Captain America means forever! Ed Brubaker and Bryan Hitch bring you the penultimate issue of Marvel’s event of the year!
X-MEN VS. AGENTS OF ATLAS #2: The brawl under San Francisco just gets bigger as more mutants arrive to face the Atlas Foundation! Then things take a turn for the weird as the original five X-Men face off with the 1950’s Agents of Atlas! All the strangest heroes make for the strangest battle.
ULTIMATE COMICS SPIDER-MAN #4 : Ultimate Spider-Man faces off with Mysterio! It’s brutal, it’s bloody and it’s one of the biggest Spidey fights of the year! PLUS: Events in Kitty Pryde’s life create a situation for Peter Parker that you have never ever ever seen in a Spidey title before!
…And from CBR…
GREEK STREET #5: In the shattering conclusion to “Blood Calls for Blood,” our runaway hero Eddie finally comes face-to-face with Sandy and wonders (like the rest of us), can she really see the future or is she just crazy? One member of the cast may have to die for that question to be answered…
PROJECT SUPER POWERS: CHAPTER 2 #4: The Superpowers continue to battle one of their own in the continuing adventures of Dynamite’s powerful superhero odyssey! Overseen by Alex Ross and written by Jim Krueger, artist Edgar Salazar continues to sizzle and issue #3 also features the painted – by Doug Klauba – origin sequence (2 BIG pages) of The Flame!
THE BOYS #36: Mother’s Milk’s story concludes with a bang, as we find out the nature of the debt he owes Butcher and see him bear witness to a great American tragedy. Hughie gets another view of The Boys’ mission, one he hadn’t considered before, in part two of Nothing Like It In The World. | cc/2019-30/en_middle_0005.json.gz/line1202 |
__label__wiki | 0.521828 | 0.521828 | Circulating myeloid and plasmacytoid dendritic cells after allergen inhalation in asthmatic subjects Academic Article
BACKGROUND: Dendritic cells are key contributors to initiation and maintenance of T-cell immunity to inhaled allergen. The purpose of this study was to enumerate the changes in peripheral blood myeloid (mDCs) and plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs), the DCs expressing chemokine receptor 6 (CCR6) and chemokine receptor 7 (CCR7), following diluent and allergen inhalation in asthmatic subjects. METHODS: Peripheral blood was obtained from 16 allergic asthmatic subjects before and at 0.5, 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 24, and 48 h after inhaled diluent and allergen challenges. Dendritic cells were enumerated using flow cytometry. RESULTS: Allergen inhalation significantly reduced mDCs at 6 h (21.3 +/- 2.0 vs 15.0 +/- 1.8/microl blood; P < 0.05) and 24 h (21.5 +/- 3.4 vs 16.4 +/- 2.4/microl blood; P < 0.05) after challenge. Circulating pDCs were significantly lower than baseline up to 24 h after both allergen and diluent challenges. There was a significant efflux of CCR6(+) mDCs from peripheral blood at 6 h and CCR6(+) pDCs at 4 h after allergen challenge, when compared with diluent. There was no difference in the number of circulating CCR7(+) mDCs or pDCs after diluent or allergen challenges. CONCLUSIONS: Peripheral blood mDCs and CCR6(+) mDCs, but not pDCs, are reduced up to 24 h after allergen inhalation. Thus, allergen inhalation causes trafficking of immature CCR6(+) DCs from blood into the airway, while that of the trafficking of the mature CCR7(+) DCs from the airways into the regional lymph nodes probably occurs through the lymphatic system.
O'Byrne, Paul
Farrell, E
O?Connor, TM
Duong, Mylinh
Watson, RM
Strinich, T
Gauvreau, Gail
O?Byrne, PM
1107 Immunology (FoR)
Adolescent (MeSH)
Adult (MeSH)
Allergens (MeSH)
Allergy (Science Metrix)
Animals (MeSH)
Asthma (MeSH)
Bronchial Provocation Tests (MeSH)
Dendritic Cells (MeSH)
Flow Cytometry (MeSH)
Leukocytes (MeSH)
Lymphocyte Count (MeSH)
Myeloid Cells (MeSH)
Protein Transport (MeSH)
Receptors, CCR6 (MeSH)
Allergy: European Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology Journal
Bronchial Provocation Tests
Dendritic Cells
Leukocytes
Lymphocyte Count
Myeloid Cells
Receptors, CCR6 | cc/2019-30/en_middle_0005.json.gz/line1207 |
__label__cc | 0.721032 | 0.278968 | Clean Bill Of Health For Stanley Cup | Facility Executive - Creating Intelligent Buildings
Touched by thousands of hands, this hallowed hockey trophy was tested for bacterial levels.
https://facilityexecutive.com/2010/07/clean-bill-of-health-for-stanley-cup/
Home » Archive » Topics » Interiors » Clean Bill Of Health For Stanley Cup
Clean Bill Of Health For Stanley Cup
During the week of June 14, 2010, the National Hockey League’s (NHL) prized Stanley Cup arrived at the offices of the Chicago Tribune. The Stanley Cup is awarded annually to the NHL championship team (this year the Chicago Blackhawks), and unlike other major league professional sports in the U.S., a new trophy is not made each year.
The Stanley Cup has a history dating back to 1892, and today the Cup is allotted to the winning team for 100 days during the off season. It is always accompanied by a representative from the Hockey Hall of Fame when it goes on tour. In recent years the Stanley Cup has journeyed as far as Afghanistan so coalition troops fighting overseas could see the Cup firsthand.
Staff at the Chicago Tribune swabbed the Stanley Cup to see if the thousands of people that kiss and touch the Cup when it is on tour have left behind the types and levels of microbial pathogens that could make people sick. Because of the high profile publicity, the Chicago laboratory of EMSL Analytical was chosen to test the samples.
To the surprise of many, the laboratory results showed very little bacterial contamination. EMSL reported that only 400 counts of general bacteria were found — while a typical office desk has as many as 10,000.
Considering the number of people that touch the Cup, it was eye opening. According to the curator of the Cup, it undergoes a soft detergent wash once a day and is taken apart and polished twice each year.
“There are a number of employees at EMSL Analytical that are diehard NHL fans,” reported Joe Frasca, senior vice president at EMSL Analytical. “It was a pleasure and an honor to be able to analyze samples from the Stanley Cup. Our laboratory has been called upon by the media to analyze everything from flip flops to diet foods recently, but the Stanley Cup tops it all.”
HERCULITE Tempered Glass Kept The Hockey Action On The Ice Before this product from Vitro Architectural Glass was first used in the Pittsburgh Hornets hockey rink, chicken wire kept players and fans in their respective zones.
Standard For K-12 Products Under Development NSF International and the National School Supply and Equipment Association (NSSEA) are working on this tool to certify health, safety, and environmental aspects of products and equipment […]
EPA Advises On Bedbug Pesticides The federal agency is involved in activities to assist in managing the bedbug problem.
EMSL-Analytical
Stanley-Cup
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Chris Metallurgist July 2, 2010 at 11:50 am
No surprise as it is made from Britannia Silver.
Silver, like Copper is a natural anti-bacteriacide.
Hence the term “Born with a Silver spoon etc” which denoted superior health for babies whose parents could afford silver feeding utensils.
Also why modern medical facilities are using more copper on door hardware.
Congrats to all in the NHL from a Penquins Fan. | cc/2019-30/en_middle_0005.json.gz/line1211 |
__label__cc | 0.665972 | 0.334028 | Frozen: Love Will Thaw
February 8, 2016 by Ethos Team Leave a comment
How can we deal with difficult emotions, such as fear? This assembly explores the Bible’s teaching that love takes away fear.
Frozen (Walt Disney, 2013) certificate PG. Click here to buy the DVD online.
Bible:
1 John 4:18 (Worldwide English)
Supporting Values Education:
The value of Individual Liberty is based on the notion that we are free and responsible for our own actions – but that means we tend also to fear the consequences of what we have done, or what others might do to us. The values of Democracy and Rule of Law recognise that we are part of a society whereby we receive support from others which can help us deal with our fears, and make good choices about how we live.
OPENING ACTIVITY
Emoticon (mood-setter)
Give a child a piece of paper with an emotion written on it, and ask them to act out the emotion without speaking. The person in the group who correctly guesses the emotion can act out the next one.
Examples of emotions:
Karaoke (something to sing/something fun)
Invite some of the children to the front to perform Frozen’s most famous song: Let it Go. Play the relevant clip on the DVD (see below for clip details), with the subtitles turned on, in the background (not that many true fans are likely to need it!). You could give each one something that will pass for a microphone to sing into and a prize for participating at the end.
Let it Go clip
Start time: 00:29:52 (in chapter 5 of the DVD)
End time: 00:33:20
Clip length: 3 minutes and 28 seconds
FILM CLIP
Play the clip from Frozen (Walt Disney, 2013) certificate PG.
Start time: 53:04 (Anna tells Elsa, ‘So, we were so close. We can be like that again’) chapter eight
End time: 55:48 (Elsa sings, ‘What power do you have to stop this winter, to stop me?’)
If you cannot play the clip, then play the song For the First Time in Forever (Reprise) (from the Frozen soundtrack) instead.
Scripted Talk
Download the Love Will Thaw Assembly PowerPoint for use with this talk.
[PowerPoint slide 1]
Welcome, everyone, to our assembly. We’re going to be thinking about emotions today. Who can give me an example of an emotion? [Take several suggestions. You could write them up on a board and use them in place of the following examples.]
Now let’s think about what we do when we feel emotions. What do you do when you feel really happy? [Take suggestions – smile, shout, jump around.] Using your face only, show me what you do when you feel surprised? [Take suggestions.] What do you say when you feel amazed at something? [Take suggestions – Wow! Cool! That’s amazing!!]
We enjoy feeling happy and surprised and amazed. But some emotions aren’t so fun. When we feel angry or afraid or upset, it can be difficult to know what to do with ourselves.
In a moment, we’re going to watch a clip from the film Frozen. Elsa has the power to make snow, but she cannot control it. Once, by accident, Elsa froze her little sister, Anna. Ever since, Elsa has felt afraid that she might hurt someone again. So, she has tried to shut people out of her life. Eventually, Elsa runs away. But, Anna goes after her. Let’s see what Anna thinks Elsa should do with her fear.
Elsa tries to keep her feelings shut up inside her. Then, she tries to keep herself shut up, away from other people. But, her fear is still there.
Elsa finishes the song by shouting, ‘I can’t!’ Do you ever feel like this about your emotions? Do you ever feel like you can’t control your feelings – like they could explode out of you at any time, making you cry or hit or yell?
Elsa also believes that Anna can’t help her. ‘What power do you have to stop this winter, to stop me?’ says Elsa. Sometimes our feelings seem so strong that we think no one will be able to help us. But, this is not true.
Anna believes that she can help Elsa. She believes they can get rid of Elsa’s fear and the snowstorm she has made. How?
By facing them together. Anna loves Elsa and she doesn’t want Elsa to face these things on her own. This love has the power to take away some of Elsa’s fear.
The Bible says that the most powerful love comes from God. What could that love do?
[PowerPoint slide 8]:
Read 1 John 4:18:
‘Where God’s love is, there is no fear. God’s perfect love takes away fear. It is punishment that makes a person fear. Anyone who has fear does not have perfect love. God’s perfect love has the power to take away all fear. This is because God offers us his forgiveness.’
It may be that you don’t share Elsa’s problem of feeling afraid, but you do get frustrated easily. Or perhaps you often feel lonely or annoyed or worried. And maybe, like Elsa, you try to keep your feelings shut up inside you, and to keep yourself shut up, away from other people, whilst you’re feeling like that.
[PowerPoint slide 10]
As Elsa realised, this will only make the feelings stronger and more difficult to control. What you really need is to share your emotions with someone who loves you. Then you can work it out together.
Headings and Bullets
Introduce theme of emotions.
Examples of an emotion.
Actions that follow emotions.
Fun and frightening emotions.
Some emotions are fun, but others aren’t.
When we feel angry or afraid or upset, it can be difficult to know what to do with ourselves.
Introduce the film clip:
Background on Elsa’s emotions and actions.
[PowerPoint slide 4-5]
Fighting fear alone :
Elsa tries to keep her feelings shut up inside her, but her fear is still there.
Elsa shouts, ‘I can’t!’ Do you ever feel like you can’t control your feelings?
Elsa also believes that Anna can’t help her.
Sometimes our feelings seem so strong that we think no one can help us. But, this is not true.
Love thaws fear:
Anna believes that she can help Elsa with her fear and the snowstorm.
How? By facing them together.
Anna’s love has the power to take away some of Elsa’s fear.
God’s perfect love has the power to take away all fear because God offers us forgiveness.
[PowerPoint slide 9-10]
Your emotions:
It may be that you don’t share Elsa’s problem.
But you do get frustrated easily or you often feel lonely or annoyed or worried.
Maybe you try to keep your feelings shut up inside you, but this will only make the feelings worse.
What you really need is to share your emotions with someone who loves you.
Actually, both the fun emotions and the difficult emotions are better when they are shared with the people we love.
Close your eyes and think of a word that describes how you are feeling right now. Calm? Happy? Sleepy? Sad? Excited? Angry? Bored? Joyful? Lonely? Loved? Worried? Or it could be another word altogether.
Think about that emotion. What might happen if you keep it to yourself? If it’s a fun emotion, then your loved ones will miss out on it. They want to share in your joy, so why don’t you tell them about it and make them glad too? If it’s a difficult emotion, then keeping it to yourself could make it much worse. Those who love you want to help you, so you don’t have to face it alone. Tell someone today.
We can talk to God anytime and anywhere. We can share anything with him – the good and the bad, the funny and the frightening. I’m going to pray now, and I will pause in places for you to tell God which emotion you are feeling and who you are going to talk to. You can say these in your head – God will still hear you.
God, you know that I am feeling ……… Please help me to talk to ……… about this. Please help us to work out what to do about this feeling. Thank you for your amazing, perfect, powerful love! Amen.
If you cannot play the clip from Frozen, then play the song For the First Time in Forever (Reprise).
Love Will Thaw Assembly PowerPoint.
(Optional) An interactive whiteboard or board and marker for the main talk.
Pieces of paper with a different emotion written on each for the Emoticon opening activity.
(Optional) microphone stand-ins and prizes for the Karaoke opening activity.
Categories: Assemblies (Years 1-2), Assemblies (Years 3-6), Believing and Belonging | Permalink. | cc/2019-30/en_middle_0005.json.gz/line1216 |
__label__wiki | 0.614927 | 0.614927 | Nordic and Baltic ministers discuss closer partnership perspectives in Vilnius
The Vilnius meeting of foreign ministers of the Nordic and Baltic states (NB8) focused on perspectives of closer partnership and achievements of shared activities this year, the Lithuanian Foreign Ministry said.
Lithuania is coordinating NB8 this year.
Lithuania’s Foreign Minister Audronius Ažubalis says that NB8 cooperation is turning 20 this year, and the past two decades marked efforts to step up the joint efforts of joint response to regional challenges.
«This year we paid a lot of attention to the situation in countries of Eastern Partnership and southern neighborhood of Europe, enhanced cooperating in areas of promoting gender equality and development cooperation, continued development of a vision of cyber security and started exchanging ideas in the field of nuclear safety, we’re together assisting Moldova and Ukraine in reforms of their defense sectors,» Ažubalis said.
The minister emphasized that NB8, although a region of stability and peace, was part of a broader regional and global context.
«We discussed topical matters of Eastern Partnership and the Middle East, euro zone, cooperation in the United Nations (UN), NATO and EU missions, as well as shared safety issues,» the Lithuanian diplomacy chief said.
In his words, the Nordic and Baltic countries restated their determination of supporting and promoting European integration efforts of Eastern Partnership countries.
«We have to prove to democratic political forces in Eastern neighborhood that we strongly support their Euro-Atlantic vision. Political and financial commitments to Eastern Partnership countries should not be forgotten amid the tense economic situation in countries of southern neighborhood. The foresight demonstrated by the international community with regard to Europe’s southern and eastern neighbors in this difficult time will determine how we’re viewed for decades,» Ažubalis said.
During the meeting in Vilnius, the NB8 ministers also addressed the newly-emerged problems in the Armenia-Azerbaijan ties.
«Stability in the South Caucasian region is our primary interest. We hope that, based on universally recognized standards of international law, countries will find a way out of the situation and a road to resumption of valuable relations,» the Lithuanian minister emphasized.
He underscored the unified stance of Nordic and Baltic states on problems the euro zone is facing.
«We support the concerns stated within the EU with respect to the situation, which has emerged in the wake of the decisions made by the Azeri administration regarding Ramil Safarov,» he added.
Cooperation in the informal format uniting five Nordic and three Baltic countries began in 1992. Eight ministers hold a meeting in one of the eight countries every year. This year Lithuania is the host-country.
Last year, the meeting took place in Helsinki, with Sweden planned to take the lead in 2013.
15min.lt
Ažubalis | cc/2019-30/en_middle_0005.json.gz/line1217 |
__label__wiki | 0.79039 | 0.79039 | Home > 2009 > 04/18 > The Havlat and the have-nots
The Havlat and the have-nots
April 18, 2009, 3:38 AM | Jean Lefebvre
Let’s start off by heaping a little praise on deserving parties.
Firstly, here’s an attaboy for the oh-so-prescient Kent Wilson for expressing his concern about Martin Havlat the day before the Blackhawks winger scorched the Flames for the tying and winning goals in Game 1. Havlat has had an odd career — his chronic injuries have sometimes made him unpopular with the guys who sign his cheques and his reckless use of the stick has often made him unpopular with opponents. But few have ever doubted his ability and after getting bashed for disappearing in the playoffs early in his Senators career, he now has 15 points in his 11 most recent springtime outings.
Next, a job-well-done to my former colleague Scott Cruickshank for publicly calling for the break-up of the Jarome Iginla-Olli Jokinen tandem. Who says the mainstream guys don’t have a clue? Having spent many a night next to Scott in a press box, I can promise you he’s no dummy when it comes to the subtler points of the game.
Iginla and Jokinen may have had six shots combined in Game 1, but there are a handful of Calgary forwards who turned in much better efforts in the opener, starting with the guy Scott figures should be playing next to No. 12, Daymond Langkow. Shades of earlier in the regular season when everyone was healthy, the best even-strength shifts in Game 1 typically featured the likes of Curtis Glencross, David Moss, Daymond Langkow, Rene Bourque and Craig Conroy, and far less frequently either Iginla or Todd Bertuzzi (and now Jokinen).
It’s still very hard to understand why Iginla, once an even-strength titan, has struggled so much in that situation this season. The inevitable decline of a well-miled 12-year veteran has been mentioned, but Iginla is still only 31 and his supreme conditioning has been well documented, so that’s a tough one to swallow. Whatever the explanation, past performance of the partnership suggests it would be smart to smoosh No. 12 and No. 22 together again in an effort to kick-start the Calgary captain.
A simplistic view of Game 1 is that the Blackhawks supporting cast, most notably Sammy Pahlsson and Andrew Ladd, matched the Flames’ secondary players while the Chicago stars, including Jonathan Toews and the aforementioned Havlat, badly outplayed Calgary’s marquee players. Especially with Robyn Regehr hurt, that obviously can’t happen if the Flames are to have a prayer in the series.
As it is, it looks like the Flaming-C bunch is in tough. One view of Game 1 is that the Flames had everything going their way until the eased off the gas and allowed the Blackhawks back into the game. Another outlook is that Chicago, with quite a few first-timers in the NHL playoffs, needed a period or so to shake off the nerves and that the second half of the game is more indicative of how the series will run the rest of the way. Theory B tends to be more persuasive, especially since none of the advocates for a potential Calgary series victory has made a particularly convincing argument, least of all Pierre McGuire.
Not to pick on the excitable TSN analyst, but when he starts popping veins in his forehead raving about Bertuzzi’s physical play and describing “eyes as big as silver dollars” as the Ol’ Cannoli Truck is lining up a check, it’s a pretty good reminder to take anything he says about teams with which you’re less familiar with a shaker of salt. By the way, the big hit that McGuire was raving about the other night proved to be Bertuzzi’s only collision of the game. No suprise, Bertuzzi averaged less than a hit a game during the regular season, which is why it should be mandatory for anyone using the term “power forward” to describe the brooding winger to make the quotation-mark sign with their fingers.
One last point, and that relates to the question of possible interference by Ladd on Miikka Kiprusoff on the OT winner. What’s amazing is that after seeing umpteen replays of a borderline call on such plays, there’s never a consensus on what the proper ruling should have been. Of course, that’s probably because there’s shocking inconsistency on how crease-crashing plays are called. There are so many rapid judgments that have to be made by the referees — Was the forward pushed? How hard did he try to avoid contact? Was there encroachment in the blue paint? Was there contact between invading forward and goalie? Was it the goalie who initiated the contact by coming out of his crease and into the path of the cruising opponent? Is the goalie embellishing the severity of the contact? — that it’s no wonder that everyone is always so confused. It’s also why the old zero-tolerance, no-toe-in-the-crease rule, no matter how much it was ridiculed, had some appeal — namely, it eliminated so much of the guesswork by the zebras.
Anyhow, as far as Game 2 is concerned, here are two marginally moronic predictions — the Blackhawks will have more than five shots on goal in the first period and Mike Keenan won’t have the temerity to use Anders Eriksson for nearly 23 minutes for a second straight game. Oh, and the Flames will score a power-play goal.
An ace up the Flames’ sleeve
A brief introduction to the Flames’ 10 PTOs
Best case vs. worst case scenarios for the 2018-19 Flames
RCN 10 years ago
Good article Jean. I am so tired of Bertuzzi fans pumping his tire for his poor effort. Maguire on the other hand…..
BLECH
Good to have you back!
Great article Jean.
In the interests of setting the record straight and giving credit where credit is due, it seems the one and only George Johnson posted the Flames Insider blog about breaking up Iginla and Jokinen, even though it was Scott Cruickshank's name on the entry.
In any event, the points still stand — Scott knows his hockey (as does George, who also has a million firsthand stories about the inimitable Badger Bob Johnson) and it would be a good idea for Mike Keenan to try splitting up No. 12 and No. 21.
PeeAir is hilarious
*in the I have no brain and am payed for my opinions and "insights" kinda way*
as this duo has been underperforming for quite some time now, it gives one pause as to what alternatives have been tried that showed some measure of usefulness and that seems to favor……. GlenX.
I agree however that langkow or even conroy (who was solid in game one) need something of a look.
Im sure all players, coaches and hangers on are aware of the doom that imposes itself on a 2-0 hawk series lead. Maybe thats just what this version of the flames needs, but I am hesitant to see that experiment through.
Ah well…. I have invested many a Saturday night with bated breath and a measure of anxiety….
Good stuff Jean. And thanks for the kudos.
Jokinen certainly needs to be moved off the top line. He can't handle the kind of attention Iginla gets from tough checkers and defensemen. Even when he was putting up big numbers inf Florida he was relatively sheltered (it was soft match-ups and big PP minutes for him).
I think if Olli played between Moss and Glencross and against the Hawks third line, he could do some damage. I'd prbably put him on the point on the PP as well, as he excelled in that position as a Panther.
Speaking of NHL inconsistancy, re Ladd in the crease: Why wasn't Camalleri suspended? Intent to injure is intent to injure period. Is the NHL saying it's okay to cheap shot opposing players if the game still hang in the balance? There are other ways to get justice though… the Hockey Gods had Havlat's back. (Next game Cammalleri's line mates had better have his.)
@ Chris
Without degenerating into a lot of pro-Flames/anti-Flames rhetoric (especially since there's a pretty good chance Cammalleri and Havlat will both be with new teams next season), let's just say that in the grand scheme of things, NHLers would say that Marty Havlat still has quite a few more cheap shots owed to him based on his own track record.
@ Lefebvre:
a "few" would be a nice way to phrase general NHL sentiment towards havlat.
Clearly squid didnt hit him anywhere near hard enough for my personal tastes, suspendable or not.
while i certainly commend keenan et al. for FINALLY conceding that the iggy and olli combo was a failure (and acknowledging that jokinen should be sheltered by two defensively sound wingers), having a 5 million dollar centreman on your third line does not look good on a GM…
in saying that, i sincerely hope that the demotion makes the coach look like a genius…
@ walkinvisible:
Cammy / Langkow / Bertuzzi
Glencross / Conroy / Iginla
Jokinen / Moss / Bourque
Nystrom / Boyd / Roy
Is this the stuff you refer to?
@ blade:
well…. yeah pretty much. except that bourque and moss are the wingers and jokinen's the centre on that third line (and therefore who i'm clearly referring to…).
[and also —i'm not sure where you're getting your lineup from but if roy plays tonight over lundmark/peters/dvdg on the fourth line, i'll be pretty effin' upset.]
This isn't so much an Anti-Flame thing as general disgust with the NHL disciplinary track-record. The League says that they won't tolerate head shots; then they tolerate CERTAIN head shots. Why? All blatant intentional head shots submitted via video to the League should result in a manadatory 1 game minimum suspension. 2nd offence: a two gamer minimum and so on… Automatic, non-discretionary, and fair. Who is tired of watching guys like Jordin Tootoo head hunt with minimum consequence? Who is tired of watching the League hand out wierd descions weighted by the importance of the franchise and the profile of the player? How many times have players taken instegater penalties trying to defend a teammate… and the aggressor gets away clean. We have video; it should be used to clean this crap up. Oh, and I do like a tough brand of Hockey… But if players aren't allowed to police themselves, the League needs to do a better job.
yah I guess its boyd, nystrom and lundmark….. no Roy.. thank christ!
By Jean Lefebvre | cc/2019-30/en_middle_0005.json.gz/line1226 |
__label__cc | 0.64641 | 0.35359 | Justia › Forms › Virginia › Statewide › Supreme Court › ADR › Mediator Profile Form
Mediator Profile Form
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Mediator Profile Form. This is a Virginia form and can be use in Supreme Court Statewide.
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Tags: Mediator Profile Form, ADR-1005, Virginia Statewide, Supreme Court
OFFICE OF THE EXECUTIVE SECRETARY MEDIATOR PROFILE FORM Please use black ink so this document will be legible when scanned. 1. Name: 2. Name of Agency, Organization or Practice: 3. Primary Street Address: City: State: Zip: Extension: 4. Office Telephone Number: 5. Home Telephone Number: 6. Fax Number: 7. Email Address: 8. Web Address:____________________________________________________________ 9. Education/Licensure: ___BA ___BS ___CDP ___EdD ___JD ___MA ___ MBA ___MD ___PhD 10. Probation Officer ___DMin ___MPA ___LPC ___LPN ___ MEd ___MS Guardian Ad Litem Magistrate Retired Judge Dispute Resolution Training Hours Received: 20-39 12. ___MMin ___LMFT ___DDS Other Court-Related Positions: Commissioner in Chancery 11. ___LLM ___CPA ___RN ___MSW ___LCSW ___CFP 40-59 60-99 100-199 over 200 Number of Mediations Conducted: less than 10 FORM ADR-1005 Revised January 2009 10-29 30-49 50-100 over 100 1 American LegalNet, Inc. www.FormsWorkflow.com 13. Numbers of Years Experience in Dispute Resolution: 0-2 14. 3-5 6-10 over 10 Types of Dispute Resolution Services Provided: Arbitration Conciliation Family Group Conferencing Large Group Facilitation Ombuds 15. Partnering Neutral Case Evaluation Youth Accountability Conferencing Hours Available: 8-5 M-F 16. Mediation Evenings Weekends By Appointment Languages in Which You Are Proficient: American Sign Language Cambodian German Japanese Arabic Cantonese Greek Bosnian Creole Hebrew Korean Filipino Hindi Laotian Norwegian Italian Portuguese Romanian Russian Mandarin Persian (Farsi) Turkish Ukrainian French Latvian Mongolian 17. Bulgarian Polish Spanish Thai Vietnamese Types of Disputes in Which You Have Specialized Training and Experience: ADA Adult Guardianship Aeronautics Business/Consumer Child Abuse Neglect/Dependency Child Support Community Contract Crisis Intervention Environment Construction Custody/Visitation Federal Securities Finances/Tax/Debt Collection Healthcare FORM ADR-1005 Revised January 2009 Corporate Elder Employment Federal Workplace Foreign Affairs Historic Preservation Church Forensic Housing (FHA) Insurance 2 American LegalNet, Inc. www.FormsWorkflow.com Interstate Commerce Juvenile Justice Landlord/Tenant Labor Law Enforcement Maritime Mental Health Military Medical Malpractice Multi-cultural Multi-party Personal Injury Probate Property Distribution Real Estate Restorative Justice Public Policy Same-sex Relationships U.S. Postal Service 18. Parent/Teen Peer Mediation Special Education World Bank Spousal Support Workers Compensation In Which Judicial Circuits Would You be Willing to Provide Mediation Services: 1 2 3 9 10 4 11 5 12 6 13 7 14 8 15 16 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 19. 17 31 ___ All Customary Hourly Fee: under $50 $50-74 $150-199 over $200 $75-99 $100-124 $125-149 sliding scale available travel reimbursement 20. Are you willing to make reasonable accommodations to provide services for persons with disabilities consistent with the Americans with Disabilities Act? Yes No Please Note: In the mediator database, we will also record types of certification held, mentor status, dates of certification and recertification, date next due for recertification, certification number, and MIS user name. Please see important notes on the next page. ______________________________________________ Signature of Mediator FORM ADR-1005 Revised January 2009 __________________________ Date 3 American LegalNet, Inc. www.FormsWorkflow.com Please note that the information contained on your Mediator Profile Form will be entered in the mediator database maintained by the Office of the Executive Secretary and this same information will appear in the Searchable Mediator Directory located on the court website at www.courts.state.va.us. Even without a profile form, the information you provide in your Application for Mediator Certification is entered in the mediator database and that same information is supplied to the Internet directory. If you do not wish to be included in the Internet directory, please notify the office of Dispute Resolution Services in writing. Without such a request, you will automatically be included in the Internet directory. If you choose not to be included in the directory, you will still be on the mediator mailing list and be counted as a court-certified mediator. Please return this form to: Dispute Resolution Services Office of the Executive Secretary Supreme Court of Virginia 100 North Ninth Street, Third Floor Richmond, Virginia 23219 Telephone: 804-786-6455 Fax: 804-786-4760 E-mail: mrinehults@courts.state.va.us FORM ADR-1005 Revised January 2009 4 American LegalNet, Inc. www.FormsWorkflow.com | cc/2019-30/en_middle_0005.json.gz/line1248 |
__label__cc | 0.582851 | 0.417149 | Air Warrior 2
a game by Interactive Magic
User Rating: 8.0/10 - 2 votes
See also: Airplane Games
On the off-chance that you weren't paying attention when your 8th grade history class went over World War II, here's your chance to redeem yourself -- literally. Well, OK, only sort of. The good news is, this time the only books involved are the ones that tell you how to pull your ripcord after a Messerschmitt has just opened up your P-51 like the tin can it is.
Now if you've never played the original Air Warrior (the granddaddy of all online games), or if you've never given Air Warrior 2 or combat flight sims in general much more than a casual glance as you stop by the Comp-u-Mart to pick up Killer Doom Wads Vol. 29, you really owe it to yourself to take a look at this one.
Here's why: 1) Unlike the majority of the flight combat sims on the market today, you can actually fly your plane in Air Warrior 2 without all those expensive pre-flight training classes down at the local airport practicing with real airplanes. 2) Air Warrior 2 lets you go online and fight with (and against) over 100 other live human pilots, all at the same time, all with a butter-smooth response rate. 3) The aircraft art and the flight model are without equal in the gaming world. 4) If you get bored of flying, you can choose to get out and drive a jeep or a tank or sign on as somebody's gunner.
There has quite simply never been another game or sim that so closely approximates a real-world scenario. If you miss out on this one, you are missing out on a look at what the future of all multiplayer gaming holds -- imagine knowing that every other plane you see, every tank on the ground is controlled by someone else somewhere in the world. Imagine giving your wingman an order to attack an enemy plane and having a real person answer back. Imagine hitting the hat switch on your joystick and being able to look back at a squad of seven P-17s rising off the ground and heading out over the Pacific at dawn. That's what this game delivers, and it is awe-inspiring in terms of the possibilities it brings into being.
The premise here is strikingly simple on the surface: take your pick of a huge number of vintage World War I or World War II airplanes, then go out and shoot down and/or bomb the enemy. Where this gets a bit less straightforward, and where Air Warrior 2 really shines, is in the vast complexity of the world Kesmai has created -- or in many cases recreated.
Air Warrior 2 offers both stand-alone missions (over 300 in all) and the aforementioned and virtually limitless online world. The stand-alone missions are good practice to pick up the basics (navigating, for one), but they are obviously not the heart and soul of this package. That, and for all the advances in computer AI, it is really only as smart or dumb as the programmer's algorithm. With human opponents, you get the full range of not only skills, but distractions: even the best ace gets tired, gets distracted by another aircraft in his or her vicinity, and yes, even has to take an occasional bathroom break. Why bother pointing out all these mundane things? Because if you were really up in the sky in 1943 fighting another plane, these things would all come into play in a way that they simply never will if your opponents are no more than advanced equations in an extruded 2D matrix.
I mention the idea of difficulty in regard to Air Warrior 2 for two reasons: first, the designers of this game were savvy enough to include multiple realism settings, not only for individual pilots, but for entire theaters of war -- you can choose to join into a theatre of action that is set to your liking -- a huge plus for those just getting the hang of the environment. Secondly, I mention difficulty because this game is refreshingly easy to pick up and play and would top my list for anyone who likes the idea of flying a plane in combat much more than having a sim that's too close to the real thing.
If I haven't already said it enough, I'll say it again: Air Warrior 2 is, hands-down, the most extensive, ambitious, and well-realized multiplayer game on the market today. It's not fast-paced every moment in you're in the game, but it absolutely shines in either Internet or head-to-head modem play. I honestly don't know how they managed to make a 100+ player game run smoothly, but I've played in an arena with 109 other pilots and had no problems over a 28.8 modem, and that, folks, is downright amazing.
The graphics in Air Warrior 2 are necessarily of two kinds: gorgeous control panels and plane art, and fairly run-of-the-mill polygon landscapes and buildings. The latter is, of course, necessary to maintain the fluidity of the flight model under heavy loads, but I must admit that it is a bit disappointing given the amazing (and accurate) detail elsewhere in the planes. Most disappointing to me was the fact that when you are shot down, all you get is a red screen -- no animated explosion, not even a few stray pixels for effect. Only a minor gripe overall, though.
A side note: Kesmai spent hundreds of hours photographing and sketching the control panels and other parts of real World War II era planes in order to make the in-game representations as real as possible -- if you are at all a history buff, this alone should recommend the game.
The intro to Air Warrior 2 has a nice score to go along with the cinematics, but once the intro is over, so is the music for the remainder of the game. No huge loss, but a bit odd. As for the airplane engines, gunfire, wind, etc., these are all done very well, including "proximity" effects -- when you have a close call with another plane, you hear it grown louder, cross channels, then grow softer all in the span of perhaps a second -- a very nice effect.
100% Windows 95 system (486/100 or better, Pentium recommended), 16 MB RAM, 2X CD-ROM drive, DirectX compatible video card, input device(s) (an advanced flight control stick or digital joystick is personally recommended, and Air Warrior 2 has support built in for most name-brand sticks)
Installation & Documentation
My install went off flawlessly, but my friend John had several sound and joystick problems. He resolved most of these pretty easily, and there is a patch now available that should alleviate most of the problems you might run into. As far as documentation goes, Air Warrior 2 comes with an extensive manual, in-flight reference card, and detailed instructions for getting online (a one-month free CompuServe offer is also included with the boxed product).
By now you're probably wondering why I only gave Air Warrior 2 an 87 if I loved it so much. The answer is simple: this game isn't for everybody -- it takes a lot of patience to use the navigational devices, chase down enemy planes, etc. and this won't appeal to a fair number of people. It is also a game of very fine tolerances -- you get only a moment to get a shot off at an opponent before he or she has whisked away and you have to begin a lengthy pursuit for another fleeting opportunity; on bombing missions if you pass over the target, it makes for a long and treacherous second pass. This is the double-edged sword of a good flight combat sim -- it is really like flying, which means that there is little close-quarters fighting. Your opponents will more often be small black specks on the horizon than recognizable aircraft square in your sights. If you are into flight sims, this one is golden -- for you this should rate more like a 97. If you are just getting interested in this genre or in online games in general, I would strongly encourage you to check Air Warrior 2 out -- the adrenaline of looking over your shoulder to see a pair of Zeroes diving out of the sun is every bit as pure as in the best shadowy 3D shooter or most frenetic strategy game.
Download Air Warrior 2
Other Games by Interactive Magic
iF-16
The Great Battles of Alexander
Air Warrior III
Fallen Haven
Download Pokémon Stadium | cc/2019-30/en_middle_0005.json.gz/line1256 |
__label__wiki | 0.565412 | 0.565412 | AstroRock
a game by Atlantean
This game is the latest and most elaborate remake for Windows 95 of the classic arcade game Asteroids. This current version does have a story, but it is largely irrelevant to the game itself: in the year 9999 (one of the later future settings for PC games) Captain Zed Nepher in his Fender Astrocaster ship ANNIHILATOR 9000 fights against the warped alien inhabitants of the Bee-Gee cluster in order to regain the Federation of Astro-Rockers' control of the Hendrix system so as to carry out the biggest rock-and-roll bash of the millennium. Now, if this collection of names doesn't ring any bells in terms of past rock-and-roll groups, you must be a musical Luddite. As one can readily see, this thin storyline serves simply as a pretext for the rather indiscriminate shoot-'em-up action in the game.
AstroRock is very easy to learn and very challenging to play with a nicely designed interface. You may use the keyboard or a joystick/gamepad to move your ship around an infinitely large universe to shoot rocks and enemies and to pick up power-ups and extra firepower. The controls are relatively intuitive, and the well-designed play screen has information on armor and shield levels, the location of approaching objects, and your ship's accessories at the bottom. You can play against the assortment of computer enemies or against one or more network opponents. The game play is quite intense and extremely difficult for beginners, because objects move really fast and you don't see them on the main screen until they are relatively close; even worse, most of the enemies and rocks cannot be destroyed with a single salvo, and many of them don't just fly around randomly but actually chase you wherever you go. This combination of features leads even a veteran arcade game player to yearn for cheat codes (especially "God mode") to live a bit longer (these codes have not yet been released).
Where this game really shines and stands way above its predecessors is in its graphics -- they are simply superb. With 640 by 480 pixel resolution utilizing 256 colors, aided by the excellent Windows 95 DirectX drivers, you encounter detailed textured renderings of rotating friendly and unfriendly objects in space that are simply stunning to behold. Unlike some crude attempts to reproduce past arcade classics -- such as Microsoft's Arcade and Return to Arcade -- that reproduce the same lame graphics used in the original versions years ago, AstroRock really shows how it should be done.
The instrumental rock music (what else would you expect here?) that provides the background for gameplay is excellent, but not really distinctively different from what one would generally expect in this kind of arcade game. The biggest surprise here is that the music volume (which is user-controllable) is actually moderate, and that the rock tunes selected are not heavy metal; both of these choices help with gameplay. The sound effects are fine, but completely indistinguishable from other games of this sort. Clearly, the game designers put a lot more exacting and innovative effort into the graphics than the sound.
System Requirements & Comments
This game was designed for Windows 95, minimally requiring 8 MB RAM, a 486/66 CPU, and a CD-ROM drive (although the entire 44-megabyte game can be installed on the hard disk). Also included are versions for the Power Macintosh and for DOS. In comparison to other just-released Windows 95 action/arcade games, these requirements actually appear to be quite modest.
As is typical with this kind of game, the documentation (both online and hard-copy) is quite brief, but you don't need any more than you get. The setup/installation is a snap, as one is coming to expect with native Windows 95 games. One cute novelty in the printed documentation is full-page color cross-sectional diagrams of some of the critical enemies. The instructions are extremely clear, although with the usual overlay of hip gamer jibe.
Despite the obstacles to doing well quickly in the game, I really enjoy playing it because of the truly great graphics and the above-average sound. It is too bad that the game does not offer differing difficulty levels, mouse support during gameplay, or the chance to play any level you want at the outset (as with many such games, you have to work your way up level by level). If you want cerebral challenges involving intricate strategy, or innovative game design that breaks out of traditional molds, stay far away from this one; but if quick point-and-shoot colorful reflex action is what you want, give this one a try.
Download AstroRock
Other Games by Atlantean
The Lords of Tantrazz
Download Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas | cc/2019-30/en_middle_0005.json.gz/line1257 |
__label__cc | 0.64763 | 0.35237 | Louis Robertson CHEATHAM
Personal Information | Notes | Sources | All
Name Louis Robertson CHEATHAM [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7]
Born 22 Nov 1828 Tennessee, United States [1, 2, 3]
Residence 1860 District 6, Maury, Tennessee [1]
Residence 1880 Navarro, Texas, United States [2]
Residence 1900 Justice Precinct 4, Navarro, Texas [3]
_UID 38FE51111BBA4C5CA5CD0825A93AE2F26BD7
Died 15 Mar 1907 Waco, McLennan Co., Texas
Person ID I321 Gatland
Last Modified 15 Aug 2015
Father John Andrew CHEATHAM, b. 16 Jan 1798, Granville, North Carolina, United States , d. 24 Jul 1873, Culleoka, Maury, Tennessee, United States (Age 75 years)
Mother Elizabeth AMIS, b. 15 Jan 1806, Maury, Tennessee, United States , d. 11 May 1845, Giles, Tennessee, United States (Age 39 years)
Family Mary ELIZABETH, b. 2 Sep 1835, Maury, Tennessee, United States , d. 18 May 1910, McLennan, Texas, United States (Age 74 years)
Married 1892 ? [8, 9]
1. Josiah Newton CHEATHAM, b. Apr 1852, Tennessee, United States , d. 17 Apr 1926, Hale, Texas, United States (Age ~ 74 years)
2. Nathaniel T. CHEATHAM, b. 25 Jun 1855, Tennessee , d. Yes, date unknown
3. Mattie J CHEATHAM, b. May 1867, Tennessee, United States , d. Yes, date unknown
"American Surnames, by Elsdon C. Smith, 1969, PA, Chilton Book Company Had an ancestor who cam brom Cheetham "homestead by a forest" in Lancashire.
[S651] 1860 United States Federal Census, Ancestry.com, (Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2004.Original data - United States of America, Bureau of the Census. Eighth Census of the United States, 1860. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1860. M653, 1), Year: 1860; Census Place: District 6, Maury, Tennessee; Roll: M653_1264; Page: 330; Image: 69. (Reliability: 3).
Birth date: abt 1828 Birth place: Tennessee Residence date: 1860 Residence place: District 6, Maury, Tennessee
[S646] 1880 United States Federal Census, Ancestry.com and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, (Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2005. 1880 U.S. Census Index provided by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ? Copyright 1999 Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved. All use is subject to the limite), Year: 1880; Census Place: , Navarro, Texas; Roll: T9_1321; Family History Film: 1255321; Page: 427.1000; Enumeration District: 134; Image: . (Reliability: 3).
Birth date: abt 1830 Birth place: Tennessee Residence date: 1880 Residence place: Navarro, Texas, United States
[S650] 1900 United States Federal Census, Ancestry.com, (Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2004.Original data - United States of America, Bureau of the Census. Twelfth Census of the United States, 1900. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1900. T623,), Year: 1900; Census Place: Justice Precinct 4, Navarro, Texas; Roll: ; Page: ; Enumeration District: . (Reliability: 3).
Birth date: Nov 1828 Birth place: Tennessee Marriage date: 1851 Marriage place: Residence date: 1900 Residence place: Justice Precinct 4, Navarro, Texas
[S666] Ancestry Family Trees, (Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network. Original data: Family Tree files submitted by Ancestry members.), Ancestry Family Trees (Reliability: 3).
http://trees.ancestry.com/pt/AMTCitationRedir.aspx?tid=1458274πd=506
[S525] 1880 United States Federal Census, Ancestry.com and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, (Name: Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network,Inc., 2005. 1880 U.S. Census Index provided by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ? Copyright 1999 Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved. All use is subject to the l), Year: 1880; Census Place: , Navarro, Texas; Roll: T9_1321; FamilyHistory Film: 1255321; Page: 427.1000; Enumeration District: 134; Image: . (Reliability: 3).
Birth date: abt 1830Birth place: TennesseeResidence date:1880Residence place: Navarro, Texas, United States
[S520] 1860 United States Federal Census, Ancestry.com, (Name: Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network,Inc., 2004.Original data - United States of America, Bureau of the Census. Eighth Census of the United States, 1860. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1860. M6), Year: 1860; Census Place: District 6, Maury, Tennessee; Roll:M653_1264; Page: 330; Image: 69. (Reliability: 3).
Birth date: abt 1828Birth place: TennesseeResidence date:1860Residence place: District 6, Maury, Tennessee
[S514] 1900 United States Federal Census, Ancestry.com, (Name: Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network,Inc., 2004.Original data - United States of America, Bureau of the Census. Twelfth Census of the United States, 1900. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1900. T), Year: 1900; Census Place: Justice Precinct 4, Navarro, Texas; Roll: ;Page: ; Enumeration District: . (Reliability: 3).
Birth date: Nov 1828Birth place: TennesseeMarriage date:1851Marriage place: Residence date: 1900Residence place: Justice Precinct 4, Navarro, Texas
Birth date: Sep 1835 Birth place: Tennessee Marriage date: 1851 Marriage place: Residence date: 1900 Residence place: Justice Precinct 4, Navarro, Texas
Birth date: Sep 1835Birth place: TennesseeMarriage date:1851Marriage place: Residence date: 1900Residence place: Justice Precinct 4, Navarro, Texas | cc/2019-30/en_middle_0005.json.gz/line1261 |
__label__cc | 0.606093 | 0.393907 | Ubisoft Forums > Assassin's Creed > Assassin's Creed - General Discussions > Canoeing?
View Full Version : Canoeing?
Sick_one12
Since we only got one screenshot of Connor canoeing in ACIII back in march and never heard or saw anything about it again(as far as I know)
Is it possibly that they removed that feature or is just so minor that they thought they dont have to mention it again?:D
Does anyone know anything about that?:)
NewBlade200
It's very minor. They probably just copy pasted it from AC2
tre289
Considering Ezio never used a canoe, I assume it will be a little bit differently designed animation wise.
BBALive
Canoeing isn't that same as using a Gondola. We've already seen a screenshot of it anyway.
Evenesque
Considering he's sitting in the canoe, no.
Calvarok
I'm assuming he meant the mechanic and controls were copy-pasted. As for the canoe, I forgot about it and I hope it's not cut!!!
B_Crispino
its probably there... canoeing is a native cultural characteristic, i believe
Again, he's sitting in the canoe. The mechanics inherently change from canoe to gondola.
Why? Because gondolas were steered by a punt pole, because the ground was always within reach and the boat had no rudder. Canoes don't use those, they use paddles, because the riverbed isn't always shallow enough, there was no reason to turn corners in rivers, and that's not what Native Americans used. That's why he's sitting.
Unless it's on rails, the controls would almost have to be different in order for that to work at all.
DylanJosh9
OP does have a point though. So many trailers and "making of" videos have been released and we've never seen the Canoe after that very early screenshot
HisSpiritLives
Because it is almost same as in past AC titles.
lukaszep
I guess it's because it's not a ground breaking new feature for the franchise, they haven't taken time to show it off.
I doubt it's been cut (unless they came into some game play problems with it in Beta, but that seems unlikely). If it was already implemented well enough for them to take a screenshot of it, I think it's safe to say it's still in the game.
Ielgon
I seriously hope they just didn't show it because it's not a groundbreaking feature, I loved that screenshot and I love the idea that we can quickly travel the frontier across the rivers like that. I'm scared they took it out now that you guys mention it though, we've seen some huge waterfalls and maybe they felt it just didn't work if you could drop off of those and lose your canoe and/or die and restart somewhere else (if there are a lot of those big waterfalls that is).
pacmanate
No reason why it should be taken out. So its probably in there.
projectpat06
Can anyone who has the game confirm that canoeing is in the game? If not, I guess I will find out in the morning
jmk1999
you're probably not gonna get much feedback right now. anyone that has it is probably not gonna be hanging out on the forum just yet. regardless, i'm not sure it's that big of an issue is it? it's not gonna make you change your mind about buying it i hope.
btw, i haven't played it yet... but i'm fairly certain there's no three 6 mafia in Liberation... you know, in case you're curious. :cool:
C3G Jester
I dont care much for canoe or gondolas. I just swim lol. Its eaier to just jump in/dive then swim no matter how far. The Revelation between the HQ and the huge map is a water which I swim all the time. LOVE SWIMMING FTW
hahaha, it was just a nickname given to me by my pledge brothers and it stuck. But not it's def not a game breaker. I'm picking the game up first thing in the morning as soon as target opens up.
hmm... interesting. i just got bored of swimming... especially in places like venice where i couldn't make a jump after discovering i ran out of rooftops... and got stuck swimming through a canal. :nonchalance: don't get me wrong, i love the option though... particularly since the option is NOT being able to swim or instant death because water = death... but you know... swimming for fun? not so much. i think if there was an option to explore and dive deeper, i might enjoy it more.
scooper121s
It took me ages to remember Ezio using the Gondola's I was wondering what you people were all talking about, and to the OP, yes it will probably be there:)
anyone come across a canoe yet?
Gabe confirmed that they aren't there :(.
AllThatJuice
tbh I dont really see any point in canoeing...im sure itd be quick just to run or travel by horse...in AC2 its kinda worked because it helped you get to places faster | cc/2019-30/en_middle_0005.json.gz/line1266 |
__label__wiki | 0.879335 | 0.879335 | FOX43 TV Schedule Autos
Suspicious fires consume 3 black churches in 10 days in a Louisiana parish
Posted 4:21 PM, April 6, 2019, by CNN Wire
Firefighters at Mount Pleasant Baptist Church Thursday in Opelousas, Louisiana, one of three black churches to burn in less than two weeks.
For three historically black churches in the heart of south-central Louisiana’s Cajun and Creole country, Sunday services will not be the same.
The churches in rural St. Landry Parish — about 30 miles north of Lafayette — have burned since March 26 in what officials have described as “suspicious circumstances.”
“There is clearly something happening in this community,” State Fire Marshal H. Browning said in a statement this week.
Standing outside the charred remains of the Greater Union Baptist Church in Opelousas — which burned on Tuesday — Pastor Harry Richard said he looked forward to meeting elsewhere with his congregation on Sunday.
“Quite naturally, something like would shake us up,” he told KLFY.
“I’m very concerned but I’m very optimistic because of our faith in God and, no matter what happens, I feel like this is his plan,” Richard said. “He ‘s going to bring me through this.”
The first fire occurred March 26 at St. Mary Baptist Church in Port Barre. Greater Union burned on Tuesday and Mount Pleasant Baptist Church, also in Opelousas, suffered a fire on Thursday.
“We believe these three fires are suspicious,” Browning said. “We are falling short of talking about what caused the fires, falling short of saying they are related, however cognizant that there is a problem and no coincidence that there are three fires.”
Officials were also investigating a fourth, smaller fire last Sunday at the predominantly white Vivian United Pentecostal Church in Caddo Parish more than 200 miles north of St. Landry. The blaze was intentionally set.
Gov. John Bel Edwards this week appealed for the public’s help in determining the cause of the fires.
“Our churches are sacred, central parts of our communities and everyone should feel safe in their place of worship, ” he said in a statement. “We do not know the cause of these fires in St. Landry and Caddo parishes, but my heart goes out to each of the congregations and all of those who call these churches home.”
Browning said the remains of the three historically black churches in St. Landry Parish are considered crime scenes, and the FBI and federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were assisting in the investigations.
“It’s imperative that the citizens of this community be part of our effort to figure out what it is,” he said.
St. Landry Parish Sheriff Bobby Guidroz said authorities were “doing everything we can” to protect churches and determine the cause of the fires.
“You got to have a certain degree of anger because there’s no reason for this,” Deacon Earnest Hines of Mount Pleasant Baptist Church in Opelousas told WBRZ.
“You know the history of our country. During the civil rights struggle, they had all these incidents that would happen and sometimes that happens again,” he said.
Richard told KATC Greater Union Baptist Church embodied more than 100 years of history.
“Our parents, grandparents went here,” he said. “Buried in the back there, some of them are.”
An Easter amid the ashes: Their churches charred, Christians in Louisiana and at Notre Dame Cathedral celebrate resurrection
Lancaster County church creates memorial for students killed in October crash
Police seek to identify man who burned flags on porch of Lebanon home
Good Samaritan tackles man lighting brush fires along road
‘Water worshiper’ reportedly entering Oklahoma homes, businesses to turn on faucets
Sri Lanka blasts: At least 140 dead and more than 560 injured in multiple church and hotel explosions
Second Chance Job Fair helps re-entrants
Officials say cause of Tanger Outlets fire “undetermined”
Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter released from the hospital
Police: Bible, gasoline used to set small fires outside Glen Rock church
When a man collapsed while mowing his lawn, firefighters finished the job for him
North Carolina man opens up after brutal attack on daughter outside Taco Bell | cc/2019-30/en_middle_0005.json.gz/line1268 |
__label__wiki | 0.760828 | 0.760828 | freenode #live - more confirmed speakers
bigpresh on 2017-08-23
The freenode #live team are excited to announce more confirmed speakers for the freenode #live conference taking place at the At-Bristol Science Centre in Bristol, UK on 28-29th October this year, with plenty more still to be announced.
Of the variety of speakers, talks and workshops we've had submitted, we're pleased to announce the following confirmed lineup:
Deb Nicholson (Community Outreach Director for the Open Invention Network, winner of several awards including the O'Reilly Open Source Award)
Karen Sandler (Executive Director of the Software Freedom Conservancy, former executive director of the GNOME Foundation)
Matthew Garrett (technologist, programmer, and free software activist - a major contributor to various projects including Linux, GNOME, Debian, Ubuntu and Red Hat. He is a recipient of the Free Software Award from the Free Software Foundation for his work on Secure Boot, UEFI, and the Linux kernel.
Confirmed talks
James Wheare (founder of IRCCloud)
Christopher Baines (Debian packager, OSM contributor)
Kaspar Emanuel (freelance electronic design engineer and software developer working on projects ranging from musical instruments to robots to Braille displays)
Nathan Handler (freenode staff member, Ubuntu and Debian GNU/Linux Developer, Site Reliability Engineer at Yelp)
Errietta Kostala (Perl developer at FairFX London, keen open source contributor including Mozilla)
Maxigas (postdoctoral researcher at the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya and a fellow at Central European University)
Michael Walker (working on a Ph.D, open source contributor, started Arch Hurd distribution, author of Déjà Fu Haskell concurrent testing library)
Another 12+ talks yet to be confirmed will be announced soon, plus workshops on various topics.
Want to watch these talks and/or take part in these workshops? Get your tickets now to ensure you have the chance to experience these and the other speakers and workshops to be announced soon!
Exhibit your project or sponsor the event
If you represent a FOSS project and would like to exhibit, please contact us - FOSS projects exhibit for free, and it's a great way to meet your current users and attract others!
Corporate sponsors are very much welcomed also, with a variety of sponsorship packages available providing different exposure levels to a FOSS-centered, technical audience - get a warm fuzzy feeling by supporting the community which most likely contributed in no small way to the success of your business!
For any questions, please feel free to email us - [email protected] - or join us in #live on freenode! | cc/2019-30/en_middle_0005.json.gz/line1269 |
__label__wiki | 0.844137 | 0.844137 | The Witch Files
Heading into it’s fourteenth year, Fantaspoa is the big genre festival in Brazil and one of the largest in all of the LatAm territories. Held near the southern most tip of Brazil in the beautiful port city of Porto Alegre, Fantaspoa is well regarded in the fantastic festival Knuckleball community.
As the festival draws near with its opening night film Rodrigo Aragão’s Brazilian feature A Mata Negra kicking off the festival on May 17th it has announced its first wave of international fantastic titles. Festival circuit faves include The Endless, Mohawk and Tigers Are Not Afraid Betrayed and Jenn Wexler is wasting no time touring with her debut feature film The Ranger. You will find all fifteen announced titles at the end of the press release below.
Fantaspoa will also pay homage to Mary Shelley’s The System Frankenstein with a number of the cinematic contributions as well as an art exhibit. The festival poster, illustrated by Léo Dias reflects this theme with a patchwork of faces.
Genre: Fantasy, Mystery
Director: Kyle Rankin
Actors: Britt Flatmo, Holly Taylor, Paget Brewster, Tara Robinson, Tayla Fernandez, Valerie Mahaffey, William Bornkessel
The journey to take Gambit to the big screen has been extended for more than three years. Jungle Cruise Since its announcement in 201,5, directors Rupert Wyatt, Doug Liman and…
A new trailer is out for Kim Sung-hoon’s Illang The Wolf Brigade South Korean period zombie film “Rampant” (also known as “Outbreak” in some markets). The story is set during…
The ultimate X-Men ensemble fights a war for the survival of the species across two time periods as they join forces with their younger selves in an epic battle that…
The Mermaid Lake of the Dead
The Mermaid is a young woman who drowned a few centuries ago. Marina only has one week to overcome her fear of the dark water, to remain human in the…
Genre: Fantasy, Horror, Romance
Beauty is very much in the eye of the beholder in Border, a genre-blurring Cannes premiere adapted by Danish-Iranian director Ali Abbassi from a novella by Let The Right One…
Country: Denmark, Sweden
Genre: Fantasy, Romance, Thriller
Welcome to Marwen
Eye to this. Robert Zemeckis already has a new job two years after failing with the underrated ‘Allies’, and the trailer is amazing. It is titled ‘Welcome to Marwen’ and…
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Fantasy
Iron Sky The Coming Race
New trailer of Iron Sky: The Coming Race, a film in which we will see Hitler on the back of a dinosaur and in which any crazy idea that is…
Country: Belgium, Finland, Germany
The Scorpion King Book of Souls
The fifth film in the franchise, Scorpion King: Book of Souls will come out on Blu-ray combo pack, DVD, digital and on demand Oct. 23 from Universal 1440 Entertainment, the…
You can already count. What has been known for a year in the sector has become official this weekend: Netflix produces the debut in the direction of Sergio Pablos. ‘Klaus’,…
Genre: Family, Fantasy
Viking Destiny
The film was written and directed by David L.G. Hughes, and explores the legendary voyages of Scandinavian explorers. It co-stars Ian Beattie, Swinging Safari Martyn Ford and Anna Demetriou. The…
The King’s Daughter
The interactions of the dictatorial powers with the artists of the country in which they do and undo at their whim without any legitimacy are always conflicting. X-Men: Dark Phoenix…
Trailer: The Witch Files | cc/2019-30/en_middle_0005.json.gz/line1274 |
__label__wiki | 0.514275 | 0.514275 | Memorial Funeral Home Springfield IL 62796
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Crematorium Funeral Program | cc/2019-30/en_middle_0005.json.gz/line1275 |
__label__wiki | 0.84457 | 0.84457 | Twelve Must-See Gay Movies from 2016!
By Lawrence Ferber The year 2016 contained some tragic twists and turns, but it’s also been a mighty fine year…
Film December 21, 2016
Best Film of the Year? “Moonlight” by Barry Jenkins
Barry Jenkins’ new film “Moonlight” just came out five days ago, and it is already raking in rave reviews. Based…
Film October 27, 2016
A New Film Celebrates the First Man to Publicly Come Out in Nigeria
A new film follows the life of Bisi Alimi, the first man to publicly come out as a gay in…
movie August 1, 2016
WATCH: Front Cover
Openly-gay fashion stylist Ryan (Jake Choi) has turned in a traditional Asian upbringing for the bright lights of New York…
movie July 13, 2016
First Look at ‘Miracle on the Hudson’ Film ‘Sully’
Captain Chesley Sullenberger, known as Captain Sully, became an instant celebrity after he saved the lives of all 155 passengers…
airplanes June 30, 2016
Hollywood is Getting Worse, Not Better on LGBT Representation, GLAAD Finds
GLAAD’s fourth annual Studio Responsibility Index (SRI), released on Monday morning, found that the general dis-inclusion of LGBT characters among the…
actor May 2, 2016
‘Rogue One: A Star Wars Story’ is Here and Features Female Lead
The first teaser trailer from the much-anticipated Rogue One: A Star Wars Story has been released via Good Morning America. This is Disney’s…
movie April 7, 2016
James Franco’s New Porn-Murder Drama Comes to Theaters
Disney-star Garrett Clayton and James Franco’s new film based on the real-life murder of gay adult film producer Bryan Kocis will premiere…
Entertainment March 31, 2016
First Look at IMAX 3D’s ‘A Beautiful Planet’
Get a look at Earth like never before with a film that puts viewers on board the International Space Station.…
movie March 4, 2016
We Know Who We’re Gonna Call, All-Female Ghostbusters Trailer is Here
The highly anticipated (and controversial) new Ghostbusters may have an all-female cast, but fans of the long-running franchise won’t be…
Ellen DeGeneres Just Keeps Swimming in First Full ‘Finding Dory’ Trailer
Ellen DeGeneres’s most famous role, well outside of Mr. Wrong, is the voice of Dory from Finding Nemo. The clueless always-forgetful…
ellen degeneres March 2, 2016
Hunky ‘Power Rangers’ Stars Flaunt Movie-Ready Bodies
If you’ve ever wondered about the chiseled bodies that might be hiding under their lycra bodysuits, the stars of the…
Entertainment February 12, 2016
Matt Smith to take on Robert Mapplethorpe Role in New Biopic
Matt Smith from Dr. Who will play American Artist Robert Mapplethrope in a new biopic that will be directed by Ondi Timoner…
Entertainment January 26, 2016
‘Carol’ will be Screened in Russia, Despite Anti-Gay Propaganda Law
The lesbian love story told in the movie Carol will be shown in Russia, despite the country’s anti-gay propaganda laws that…
Entertainment December 18, 2015
First Look at New Tarzan Movie, Alexander Skarsgard’s Abs
July can’t come soon enough with the highly anticipated premiere of The Legend of Tarzan. Well, and Alexander Skarsgård’s abs.…
movie December 10, 2015
‘The Shining’ Hotel to Become World’s First Horror Museum
While The Shining was released 35 years ago, the movie’s setting at the spooky desolate Overtook Hotel, which is actually the Stanley…
Colorado October 23, 2015
What Would You Look Like as a Peanuts Character?
Ever wondered what you might look like as a member of the Peanuts gang? Now, with Peanutize Me, you can pal around…
comics September 22, 2015
First Look at Eddie Redmayne as Transgender Woman in ‘The Danish Girl’
Oscar-winner Eddie Redmayne’s newest drama about a trans/intersex woman who risked everything to travel to Germany in 1930 to have…
movie September 1, 2015
First Trailer for 1950’s Lesbian Love Story ‘Carol’
Based on the book The Price of Salt, the British-American film directed by Todd Haynes tells the story of a young…
movie August 17, 2015
Watch: Julianne Moore and Ellen Page Warm Hearts as Gay Couple in New Trailer for ‘Freeheld’
The highly anticipated lesbian drama Freeheld received its first poster and trailer over the weekend, and in the short trailer, the film’s…
Gay Marriage July 27, 2015
Fox Planning a Gay-Rights Movie About Supreme Court Case
The folks at 20th Century Fox are hoping to capitalize on the surge in support for same-sex marriage across the…
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Lost Documentary About Gay People Unearthed by Television Archive to Air
KQED, the public media organization serving Northern California, and the San Francisco Bay Area Television Archive, part of the special…
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The ‘Absolutely Fabulous’ Movie to Begin Filming this Fall
The highly anticipated Absolutely Fabulous movie is set to begin filming this fall. So, grab the Bollinger and try not to get…
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First Look New Amy Winehouse Documentary
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Watch: Things Get Hot in Myrtle Beach, SC in New Full-Length ‘Magic Mike XXL’ Trailer
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Watch: The Gorgeous Strippers that Populate Chocolate City
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Anna Kendrick’s Musical-Filled Year Continues with New Trailer for ‘The Last Five Years’
Anna Kendrick has a major year ahead for her. The actress is not only in both Into the Woods and Pitch Perfect 2,…
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Disney Releases Full-Length ‘Into the Woods’ Trailer
Disney has released the much-anticipated trailer for their visually wicked retelling of Stephen Sondheim musical, Into the Woods. Along with releasing…
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Doris Day, 90 and Sunny: A Birthday Tribute
Passport Magazine Publisher Don Tuthill pays tribute to Doris Day on her 90th birthday. I fell in love with Doris…
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Brought to you by the creator of Glee, American Horror Story, and The New Normal, Ryan Murphy’s latest project will bring the award-winning play The…
HIV/AIDS March 10, 2014 | cc/2019-30/en_middle_0005.json.gz/line1284 |
__label__wiki | 0.551324 | 0.551324 | Joanna Pocock
Chuck picked me up on the dot of 10 a.m. from a house in north-east Portland, where I had been staying with friends. What you first notice about Chuck are her long unshaven legs, huge blue eyes, easy smile and unfaltering politeness. She has an open, yet somewhat reserved air about her. She moves with confidence, as if ready for any eventuality: rain, sun, the end of the world. It was all to be taken in her stride. This was good because Chuck and I were complete strangers and were about to drive two hours to Wahkiacus (population 91), a tiny unincorporated community in Klickitat county, Washington, where Surrender, the fourth Ecosex Convergence, would be taking place.
It hadn’t been easy finding Chuck. Back home in London I had given up on getting to Surrender. Despite having my Montana driver’s licence, I still wasn’t comfortable behind a wheel. I had come up empty-handed after asking every person I knew in Montana if they or a friend would be able to ferry a fifty-two-year-old woman and all her camping gear to a sex festival. At the last minute Jason remembered someone we knew who had recently moved to Portland. She had a friend who had a friend and so on . . . which led me to twenty-seven-year- old Chuck, who had just quit her job and sold a house she had co-owned with her ex-fiancé. In her words, she was ‘out to find freedom’. So when I suggested that in return for driving me to the Ecosex Convergence, I would spend 230 dollars on a ticket for her and cover her gas and lodging, she couldn’t believe her luck.
We headed east from Portland along Highway 14 hugging the Columbia River, which cuts through high basalt cliffs strung with thin waterfalls. I was distracted from the scenery by our conversation. Chuck seemed to know a bit about ecosexuality. She was twenty-five years younger than me and identified as non-binary and there were overlaps between her social circle and that of the ecosex community in Portland. She proudly showed me how her driver’s licence now had an ‘x’ instead of an ‘m’ or ‘f ’. Chuck also mentioned that she was into the kink scene.
I aired my insecurities about ecosex – or more specifically, my reluctance to be sexually open with strangers. ‘You’ll just have to get in touch with the untouchable goddess within you,’ Chuck shot back.
A dirt road after the tiny town of Klickitat (population 362) took us up some steep, sharp switchbacks. We came to a patch of cleared, hard-packed land dotted with a few small wooden huts and some open-sided wall tents selling T-shirts and scarves printed with Indian patterns and the Sanskrit sign for ‘om’. Beyond the cleared area was a forest of Douglas fir and oak. People were hefting coolers and backpacks out of their trunks. As we rolled up to the Surrender reception booth in Chuck’s white Subaru, we were greeted by three smiling women. They told us where to park and where we could pitch our tents. I signed a bunch of paperwork giving the organizers the right to use photos of me and waiving any responsibility on their part should I get injured doing aerial silks, a form of acrobatics using long strands of fabric. A friendly middle-aged woman with close-cropped red hair asked me which ‘pathwork’ I had signed up for. My mind went blank. All I could remember was that mine had the word ‘Magick’ in it and had something to do with deities. She initiated me by sliding a bit of string around my neck from which a small shell dangled, then hugged me.
I stood slightly stunned in the drizzle. The planning that had gone into this trip had conspired to make me feel extremely tired. Crossing the ocean with my camping gear and finding someone who would agree to drive me were only two of the many logistical issues. But here I stood in a pair of jeans and a heavy fleece to ward off the cold, surrounded by people in gauzy ‘I Dream of Genie’ numbers, in bikinis, circus pants, flowing dresses, bare chests, leather straps criss-crossing torsos, hats, tattoos and tribal piercings. I was a schoolmistress among mermaids and sprites.
I first came across the term ecosexuality while reading about Annie Sprinkle, a former sex worker, feminist stripper, artist, writer and activist, reputedly the only porn star with a PhD. I had seen her perform at London’s Institute of Contemporary Arts in the mid-1990s, when she was keen to show us all her cervix. I was struck by her vibrancy – she is a tall, curvaceous red-head who favours bright red lipstick. She came across as engaging and intelligent but, most of all, I remember that she combined intellectual ideas around women’s bodies with a playful sense of the absurd. She surfaced for me at a point when I was weighing up Catharine MacKinnon and Andrea Dworkin’s anti-porn stance with the more sex-positive attitudes in Sallie Tisdale’s 1995 book Talk Dirty to Me. Sprinkle’s openness wasn’t something that came naturally to me, and yet I was enticed by it. I wanted to be the kind of person who could embrace it.
The ecosex festival had grown organically out of Annie Sprinkle’s mission to make sex less shameful and environmentalism more sexy. In 2004, Annie Sprinkle and her wife and collaborator, the academic, artist and activist Elizabeth Stephens, embarked on a seven-year art project they called the Love Art Lab. Each year, they would marry each other anew and every wedding was to have a different theme, location and audience. Their 2008 wedding to the Earth was perhaps when the idea of ecosexuality became enshrined in a movement with a name.
In their Ecosex Manifesto, Sprinkle and Stephens write:
We are the Ecosexuals. The Earth is our lover. We are madly, passionately, and fiercely in love . . . We treat the Earth with kindness, respect, and affection . . .We are skinny dippers, sun worshippers, and stargazers. We caress rocks, are pleasured by waterfalls, and admire the Earth’s curves often. We make love with the Earth through our senses. We celebrate our E-spots. We are very dirty.
By seeing the Earth as their lover, they differ from ecofeminists, who tend to frame the Earth as a mother figure.
There is a playful and provocative side to Sprinkle and Stephens’ manifesto, but they are serious about raising awareness of the Earth’s degradation at the hands of corporate interests. Their film Goodbye Gauley Mountain: An Ecosexual Love Story follows their efforts to save the Appalachian Mountains (the second most biodiverse region in the world after the Amazon) from mountain-top removal mining practices. Stephens grew up in the shadow of Gauley Mountain and has a personal connection to the place. But instead of earnest pleas for help, they reframe environmentalism in terms of love stories, tragedies and dramatic relationship upheavals and breakups. It’s as if Pedro Almodóvar had directed Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth.
Although some might see the ecosex endeavour through the lens of the 1960s counter-culture, I traced it back further to the ideas of the scientist, psychoanalyst and student of Freud, Wilhelm Reich. In the 1930s, Reich tried to marry Marxist concepts, such as the rejection of private ownership, with sexuality. He saw marriage as a form of ownership, with women as property. In his view, many of society’s ills could be alleviated if humans could free themselves from constraints around sexual desire and its fulfilment. The family and the gendered role of women were particular bugbears of his and he advocated for a more tribal approach to social units. The premise of his work is in some ways no different from the free love gospel preached in the 1960s, though for Reich sexuality was a serious tool with which to reject fascism.
Reich had narrowly escaped the Nazis during the 1930s and settled in the United States, where he came up with his Orgone Energy Accumulator (OEA), a phone-booth-sized structure lined with metal and insulated with steel wool. He was convinced that this device improved the ‘orgastic potency’ of its users by harnessing energy. By extension it also aided their general mental and physical health. The FBI, however, saw things differently and counted Reich as subversive. By the mid-twentieth century he had a cult fringe following: JD Salinger, Saul Bellow, Allen Ginsberg, Jack Kerouac, Norman Mailer, Sean Connery and William Burroughs all believed in the OEA. ‘Your intrepid reporter, at age 37, achieved spontaneous orgasm, no hands, in an orgone accumulator built in an orange grove in Pharr, Texas,’ Burroughs famously wrote in Oui magazine. The view that sexuality could function as a means to fight repression and social injustice was not a new one and I wondered if the Ecosex Convergence would be another iteration of this idea, played out against the backdrop of environmental collapse. Perhaps there was a sense that by casting the Earth in the role of lover, we might be encouraged to keep her alive.
Chuck parked the car and I scoured the forest for a flat piece of ground. Once I had pitched my tent, just big enough for me and my backpack, I lay down and pulled out Wendell Berry’s The Unsettling of America:
While we live our bodies are moving particles of the Earth, joined inextricably both to the soil and to the bodies of other living creatures. It is hardly surprising, then, that there should be some profound resemblances between our treatment of our bodies and our treatment of the Earth.
I was astonished by the overlap between Wendell Berry, the author-farmer-environmentalist from Kentucky, and the sex-positive ecosex movement. Intersectionality was everywhere. As I read, I could hear laughter and birdsong and a woman having an orgasm in the woods nearby.
At supper that evening, I sat with Chuck and a handful of others at a wooden picnic table. Rain was falling and we sat on towels, coats, plastic bags, whatever we could find. It turned out we were all fairly new to ecosexuality. Over courgettes and asparagus cooked in tahini someone brought up the idea of consent – how could having sex with the Earth ever be consensual?
I said, ‘Well who said you had to do anything to the Earth? Maybe you could let it do things to you.’
They fell silent. One of them said, ‘You are so right!
Like being rained on.’
‘Hey, I like that,’ someone else replied.
The idea which seemed to be floating among us was that ecosexuality was a fairly open-ended pursuit. It relied on energy transfers between plants and humans as much as a physical exchange. We all agreed that being barefoot at the beach and enjoying the waves wash over your toes could be an ecosexual experience. The movement aims to raise awareness of our relationship to the Earth and to bring a sense of humour to eco-activism.
A woman passed around some Ayurvedic seeds for us to scatter over our food, to help our energy flow. The guy on my left told me he was really into sacred clowning, a form of performance art which plays with the character of the fool or trickster, whose job it is to reveal the corruption inherent in power by using humour and a sense of the absurd. Chuck got excited at this idea. It turned out they were in the same pathwork, involving some ‘jester work’. I zoned out but came back to the conversation when the guy on my left announced that the court clown could ‘like fuck with the King and Queen’. I headed to the only dry place – the inside of my tent – and made some notes until it was time to convene in the dome for our evening’s entertainment.
The dome was a Buckminster Fuller-style geodesic structure about twenty-five metres in diameter – large enough for all 175 attendees to gather with space to spare. Carpets and cushions were scattered around and colourful banners hung from metal struts. Sitting in chairs across from the entrance were the two women who had made Surrender possible: Lindsay Hageman and Reverend Teri Ciacchi.
Lindsay was living at the Windward Education and Research Centre, an eco-community occupying adjacent land. You could just about see the centre from here and their goats could be heard bleating throughout the campsite. Lindsay, fresh-faced, dark-haired and I would guess somewhere in her mid-thirties, smiled readily and had an easy but focused manner. You sensed when she put her mind to things that they got done. She began by welcoming us to the land, which she said was happy to have us here. She told us a bit about the Windward Community, ‘an intentional community dedicated to loving the land and to loving each other. We embody ecosexuality every day!’ Its members were aligned in their dedication to sustainable living and an open approach to sexuality.
Teri Ciacchi is a sexologist, priestess of Aphrodite, and holistic spiritual healer in the Living Love Revolution Church. An Eco Magicks practitioner, Teri also teaches Cliteracy Salons, Clitoral Revelations and Vulvic Explorations. Teri was about my age. She was an ample woman who had difficulty walking and rode a golf cart. Tonight a leopard-skin pillbox hat (just like the Dylan song) sat atop her turquoise hair with its pink fringe.
We removed our shoes before taking our places cross-legged on the floor. Rain was pounding onto the dome and the air was moist with sweat and wet, earthy smells. Teri asked if we wanted to make a joyful noise. People whooped. As an aside she said maybe folk shouldn’t be naked for our first meeting as that would be ‘just weird’. There was laughter. Then she invited us to inhabit our bodies by doing ‘the Line, the Cross and the Circle’. We sat or stood up straight, our bodies establishing a vertical towards the sky. We were told to picture ourselves sending roots or ‘a monkey’s tail – whatever works for you’, down into the ground. That was the Line. The Cross was formed by our outstretched arms and the Circle was made by rolling our heads.
Once we were grounded, Teri went on to say that we are ‘languaging a lot about the figure 8’. At this point I lost her. I managed to write the following notes as she spoke: ‘We’re being portals,’ ‘We speak regularly with non-human living things,’ ‘the elementals’, ‘the fae’. Then she brought it all together, ‘We’ve got to be in relationship with these things. What we want isn’t more important than what they want!’
‘We need to listen to them, to do what the Earth is telling us to do,’ Lindsay added.
Teri finished off the idea: ‘And with the same rapt attention as we do with someone we want to fuck.’
A lot of discussion around consent followed. Lindsay told us to repeat after her: ‘We aim to have zero consent violations!’ We repeated it and she said, ‘That felt good!’ There were readings from the Surrender handbook by people in the audience. Once these were finished a person got up to tell us that we all needed to respect the shrines that were in the forest and in clearings on this land. ‘It’s really important that you don’t move anything on a shrine as that can be very traumatic for the person whose object it is.’ People clicked their fingers in response. Finger clicking is a signal of agreement resurrected from the days of the Beat poets by the Occupy movement, as a replacement for the more aggressive clapping of hands.
Once the housekeeping was out of the way, it was time for the ice-breakers. We were instructed to move our bodies like jellyfish: ‘A school of them! Wiggle!’ The two people leading the ice-breaker told us we were allowed to make eye contact with people around us – ‘Questioning eye contact’. Then we were to turn into lava and move like molten rock, before forming small groups of around six to eight people. One of the guys in my group looked like Larry David, with impossibly white teeth. He had approached me earlier and commented on my plimsoles. We had laughed at how cloth shoes are the worst shoes to wear in the rain – they stick to your feet and are impossible to take on or off. After our short chat about footwear, he had said, ‘Hey, we should interact sometime.’
That small exchange made clear to me that I had zero interest in ‘interacting’ with this man. I hadn’t always been like this. I was rapacious in my twenties and thirties and led by sex. Boyfriends accused me of being a nymphomaniac. I was wild and hungry for experience and had several boyfriends on the go at once. Being sexually faithful is something that only happened once I had a child in my forties. Sex for the sake of it has lost some of its appeal and I am surprised by how comfortable I am about this new phase in my life. It feels more like a gain than a loss. More like power than vulnerability.
In her 1991 book, The Change, Germaine Greer wrote about Karen Blixen (AKA Isak Dinesen), Madame de Maintenon (who secretly married Louis XIV at the age of forty-eight), and the author and art historian Anna Jameson (the subject of my failed PhD), all of whom found love later in life. ‘It is simply not true that the ageing heart forgets how to love or becomes incapable of love,’ Greer reminds us.
Indeed it seems as if, at least in the case of these women of great psychic energy, only after they had ceased to be beset by the egotisms and hostilities of sexual passion did they discover of what bottomless and tireless love their hearts were capable.
We were instructed to sit on the floor, close our eyes, and cup our hands. The moderators silently walked around the room, placing edible objects into our palms: strawberries, cress, courgette flowers, tomatoes and grapes.
‘Taste, lick, smell, use all your senses. Feed yourselves and each other!’ The dome went quiet but for some ‘Yums’ and ‘Mms’ and the licking and smacking of lips. We opened our eyes and were asked to say our names out loud. The members of our small groups whispered them back to us. Then we were to make a gesture and a sound to go with it. I rubbed my stomach and said ‘Yum’. Everyone in my group repeated this. We chanted ‘we’ and ‘me’ until the energy in the room was raised to a potent level. Someone stood up and read the Mary Oliver poem ‘The Plum Trees’, which I hung onto as a return to the world I recognized. I slipped out before the cuddle circle got going.
Lying in my sleeping bag I prayed that the tent would hold out against the lashing rain and high winds. The swaying branches above me were making me nervous. I heard Chuck walk into a tent pitched about twenty feet from mine. I had met my neighbours earlier in the day while they were setting up their camp: two men and a woman, all beautiful, tanned, confident and in their twenties. Chuck announced, ‘Tomorrow I’m doing sacred clowning!’ The strumming on a guitar stopped and a deep voice replied, ‘I love this world.’ Chuck and Deep Voice talked about heading to the smoking lounge, a large tarp stretched above some chairs and a coffee table. It was the only place where smoking was allowed. I heard their tent unzip.
Someone else in the tent started strumming Deep Voice’s guitar. There was more whispering. Then a guy practically shouted, ‘If you spray it in your butt hole, you’ll get high!’
More laughter. I finally worked out they were talking about ‘weed lube’, which another guy said was for your ‘lady bits’.
A woman asked if it worked on your ‘man bits’. ‘I don’t know,’ came the reply.
Then the woman spoke again, ‘I think my pussy always has the munchies! It’s hungry and horny!’
I turned twenty in 1985. AIDS had just hit and the free, open life I’d been inhabiting in the early eighties seemed like a dream. It became cool to be celibate. Having sex with people was conducted under the spectre of people we knew getting sick and dying. These were sometimes the same people we had gone clubbing with, taken drugs with, kissed and had sex with. We were still into pleasure-seeking, but by then it involved some degree of sadness, fear or uncertainty and lots of condoms. None of this fear was apparent to me at Surrender. What did feature was a lot of talk about consent.
‘We live in a rape culture,’ one woman had said during the meeting that evening, ‘so we need to create a consent culture.’ We were going to be having a two-hour talk about consent the following afternoon. I could not imagine what you can say about consent for two hours, but even in my short time at Surrender I had become aware that I knew nothing about love and sex in 2017. I hadn’t even heard of weed lube until now. I fell asleep that night to the sound of more rain, more laughter and multiple orgasms.
The following morning I woke to a downpour. My tent was starting to leak so I removed the dirty clothes from my backpack and lined my nylon floor with them. My mouth tasted horrible and everything smelled like mildew. I could see my breath. My will to stay was starting to crack.
Breakfast that morning was buckwheat porridge with cryogenic cherries. The woman next to me told a story about her friend who got cryogenically frozen ‘for like a second’ as a way of boosting her immune system. A few people chimed in saying they had heard it was good for you, but really expensive. The rain was falling into our buckwheat. I slipped away to brush my teeth.
It was the first day of my Eco Magicks pathwork and I was relieved to have a place to go, a place where I could sit and learn something and not feel inadequate. I’m at ease playing the good student. Those of us doing Eco Magicks were told to meet at the entrance to Lilith’s Forest, near Inanna’s shrine. Inanna is the ancient Sumerian version of Aphrodite or Venus, who represents love, beauty, sex, desire, fertility and war. Our group of about fifteen people was led by Teri, who wore a furry pillbox hat, purple leg warmers, Birkenstocks with socks, and a faux leopard-skin coat. Next to her was a pretty fifty-something witch called Melanie and a guy called Benjamin Pixie dressed in hand-tanned salmon leather, and what Teri referred to as his ‘bee skirt’, a concoction of black and yellow fabrics sewn in asymmetrical stripes. He was bearded, tattooed and pierced with tribal earrings. He had an alert animal intelligence about him.
There were brief introductions. We said our names and also the pronouns we would like people to use when addressing or referring to us. I said I was fine with ‘she’ and ‘her’. Many people preferred ‘they’. One woman said she used ‘zhe’, whose object form is ‘zhim’ and possessive form is ‘zher’. It is an archaic non-gender-specific Chinese pronoun. The ‘zh’ is pronounced like the second ‘g’ in ‘garage’.
We were given an alchemical potion called ‘Saturn’s Anchor or the Embodiment of Rooted Desire’, intended to open us up. It had a pleasant, herby taste. I think I heard Benjamin say it had been made with ground elk antlers and dinosaur bones. He spoke like a prophet, in a quick staccato. He was passionate about the Earth and the honey his bees made, the mead he brewed, the skins he tanned. His brain was a rapid-fire machine and he talked about the natural world as if reciting poetry that had been dredged up deep from a bog or the inside of a tree. He was someone with the practical skills needed to live in the wilderness. He was someone I wouldn’t mind being stuck on a desert island with.
Melanie was soft-spoken, with wispy reddish hair, pale skin and fine features. She was a High Priestess in the Sylvan Tradition of witchcraft, a branch which emerged in the 1970s in Northern California. Rather than identifying as a religion, with rules and dogma, this tradition of witchcraft sees itself as a way of life that honours nature – hence ‘sylvan’, a word relating to Silvanus, the Ancient Roman god of forests. Sylvans respect their connection to the Earth, reserving a particular reverence for forests, which are home to the ‘fey’. These unseen beings are what most of us would call fairies. They act as messengers between humans and nature. An elderly gentleman in our group put his hand up and asked about the ritual of mixing semen with blood and drinking it. Melanie told us this was used in sangromancy – which is the casting of spells involving the use of blood – but that nowadays the concoction was more likely to be yogurt and pomegranate or cranberry juice. ‘It’s safer,’ she explained.
We were asked to visualize a Sheela-na-gig, the Celtic female figure with a large, open vulva, to ‘let her come to us’. The images in my mind were pathetic: the witch from my daughter’s illustrated Hansel and Gretel followed by the animals in the Disney version of Snow White. I felt utterly deficient. Teri and Melanie discussed how important it was for us all to connect with our non-human ancestors and plants. ‘They can guide you,’ Melanie said. Teri added that our ancestors would have ‘listened to plants’, but that ‘monoculture, monotheism and monogamy’ had done its best to sever this communication.
In the dome that afternoon we gathered for the consent talk. It was 4 p.m. and people were dancing to loud, trancy house music. The rain was still falling and the air inside the dome was thick and damp. Teri was rapping into a mic: ‘It only takes one individual to start a revolution!’ from the song by the artist Deya Dova. Participants were hugging, lying on their backs with their feet flailing in the air. As the dome heated up, more people were stripping off and swirling in ecstatic, naked dancing. I sat at the edge of the dome next to a woman in a lawn chair who told me she was a Buddhist and who, like me, didn’t seem keen to get up and dance. I didn’t feel judged for not taking part – I felt ungenerous.
Lindsay and Teri were sitting where they had been last night. As we were about to begin, Lindsay announced she wanted to run naked in the rain. ‘Well, do it then!’ Teri cried. About a dozen people stood up and ran outside to feel the rain on their skin. The lectures began once everybody came back. There was talk of body sovereignty. The Jesuit philosopher Teilhard de Chardin and the writer and activist bell hooks were mentioned. There was a discussion about the colonizing of the very land we were sitting on. The presentations wouldn’t have been out of place on a liberal arts college course called ‘Gender and Ecology in Post-Colonial Times’.
We were encouraged to engage with the Earth and not to deny our part in its colonization, but to move beyond that thought by getting in touch with our own ancestors, with our own histories. Place, for obvious reasons, seemed to play a significant part in this movement. Knowing where we came from would help us feel grounded. A woman stood up to say she was raised by radical hippies and struggled ‘with the idea of going back to the land. The global population is so high, we can’t all go back to the land!’
‘Solutions have to be place-based. It isn’t “one size fits all”,’ replied Lindsay.
It was time for the consent talk. ‘We are creating a new culture here. Part of its soil is consent. We’re building it into the soil . . .’ said one of the three people leading this presentation. Subtleties were outlined in various hugging techniques. When someone asks you for a hug are you expecting the two-second ‘greeting-style hug’ or one of those long constricting ones? They illustrated this with play-acting. They talked about the feeling that comes from someone’s body when they are saying ‘yes’. I was finding it strange that we had come to a place where this all needed to be outlined. How had we moved so far from being able to understand each other?
We were reminded to continually check in with ourselves and that ‘consent for one activity is not consent for others’. The speakers warned us to be aware of ‘pop-up boundaries’, which were described as akin to ‘stepping on a rake’. The difference between ‘consent’ and ‘compliance’ was explained. We listed situations that could get in the way of consent, such as being drunk, stoned, hungry or ‘hangry’ (the anger that comes from hunger) or being in a ‘trance state’. Environmental factors, such as being in the dark, could also prevent full consent.
I could now see how this would take two hours.
If we asked someone to do something with us and they said ‘no’, we were given some appropriate responses, such as ‘Thank you for taking care of yourself,’ or ‘Thank you for being true to your authentic boundaries.’ One woman stood up and said how sick and tired she was of her kids having to ‘go kiss grandma’. Her kids didn’t want to kiss grandma and it felt like coercion. She got some knowing applause.
Then Lilith’s Forest was brought up. Lilith seemed to figure prominently among those gathered here. She has come down through myth and storytelling as a she-devil, a femme-fatale and a wild woman of the night. In Sumerian sculpture, she is portrayed as slender and large-breasted, often with the wings and feet of an owl. In medieval Jewish mythology, Lilith appears as Adam’s first wife – before Eve – but she left him in protest at her subservient role. The Hungarian anthropologist and friend of Robert Graves, Raphael Patai, explored the origins and symbolism surrounding Lilith. In a 1964 article in The Journal of American Folklore, Patai wrote that Adam and Lilith ‘could find no happiness together, not even understanding’. When Adam asked to lie with her, she replied, ‘Why should I lie beneath you . . . when I am your equal?’ When she saw he was determined to overpower her, ‘she uttered the magic name of God, rose into the air, and flew away to . . . a place of ill repute, full of lascivious demons. There, Lilith engaged in unbridled promiscuity.’ She was still attracted to Adam, however, and returned to him as a lover after he had taken Eve for a wife. The Hebrew for Lilith can be translated as ‘Night Hag’ or ‘Night Creature’. I can see how, with her enormous sexual appetite and her unwillingness to be coerced into sleeping with Adam, she fit the model of the ecosexual.
The earliest mention of Lilith is found on Sumerian clay tablets dating from around 2400 BC. Her epithet was ‘the beautiful maiden’, but according to Patai, ‘she was believed to have been a harlot and a vampire who, once she chose a lover, would never let him go, without ever giving him real satisfaction’. Scholarship varies on whether the Sumerian Lilith is related to the Jewish mythological figure. She was a fairly common character in ancient literatures but doesn’t show up in the western canon until Goethe’s Faust, when Mephistopheles encourages Faust to dance with Lilith, the dangerous ‘Pretty Witch’ who ensnares young men with her beautiful hair by winding it around their necks. Although her provenance is disputed, Lilith’s role in contemporary culture is to represent the free-spirited woman, the goddess of the night, the physical manifestation of mysterious, female sexual urges, the personification of women’s erotic power.
Lilith’s Forest consists of twenty acres of woodland set aside for consensual group sex or any kind of consensual sex play you can think of. But you must negotiate with your partners beforehand – a ‘Negotiation Station’ was set up just outside the forest for this purpose. If things escalated and you wanted to go further or try some new things, you needed to leave the forest and renegotiate before heading back inside. I had been told by a woman sitting next to me that there had been two consent violations last year. Nothing serious but enough for the organizers to make sure everyone felt safe.
The meeting came to an end after some more play-acting, exercises and questions from the audience. The rain had not stopped. I headed to my tent in my soaking wet shoes, coat and rucksack. Lying on my sleeping bag (the one thing that remained dry), I unzipped the front flap of my tent and squeezed out the dirty clothes that had been absorbing the water on my few square centimetres of floor.
The conversation around consent seemed logical and yet I felt saddened by it, as if it were missing a crucial ingredient. Consent, for me, de-eroticized desire. I thought about the thrill of sex in my twenties, of not knowing where I would wake up and with whom, of how wonderful it was to trust the person or people I was with to not go beyond what I wanted, and how sometimes I had gone beyond and was elated that I had. I can’t imagine finding sexual fulfilment by negotiating every step, every move, kiss and touch. Some of us want to lose control and inhabit the unbounded mystery of bodies at play.
When we hook up with someone, we are hooking up not just with their body, but with their morals, their sense of decency, their ability to read our body language and understand our words. And here is my problem with consent culture: sex for some people needs to be spontaneous, dark, unwholesome, and with an element of surprise for it to be arousing. This self-policing in the arena of sex felt, to me, anathema to its essence. In discussions around sex today, there is rarely a mention of pleasure or desire – these are subsumed into ‘yes’ and ‘no’ answers, as if all the information you needed from your sexual partners could be found in a multiple-choice test. It all seemed bizarrely reductive in its efforts to be more open.
It is indeed crucial to steer clear of the non-consensual – too many women, including myself, have been violated by men. But paradoxically by placing the emphasis on consent, we are placing the responsibility onto individuals to avoid rape and abuse rather than seeing it as a societal problem of power imbalance. As I was thinking about all this, I realized I am old, romantic, and very out of step. Yet I still liked knowing that there are elements within myself and others that can surprise, enchant and disturb me. In fact, I want there to be these places inside myself.
While the rain drenched the thin nylon skin of my tent, I recalled an interview I had done in 2015 with the writer Sarah Hepola. We were talking about her book Blackout, which deals candidly with her alcoholism and its impact on her sex life and her writing. In the introduction, Hepola describes her route to becoming a feminist:
Activism may defy nuance, but sex demands it. Sex was a complicated bargain to me . . . It was hide-and-seek, clash and surrender, and the pendulum could swing inside my brain all night: I will, no I won’t: I should, no I can’t . . . My consent battle was in me.
Here is the crux of the debate: our consent battles are inside us.
‘Feminism today is about identity politics and consent. We didn’t use the word consent in the 80s, and now it’s everywhere,’ she had told me during our conversation. When your consent battles are within you, how can they be legislated for?
Supper happened quickly. It was still raining and the ground under the picnic tables had become a small lagoon of mud. I was thinking of leaving the festival as the rain had penetrated all my belongings and the floor of my tent was slick with several millimetres of water. I had a word with Chuck about leaving the next morning and she looked distraught. She hadn’t had any sleep and emitted that energetic glow from having been up most of the night enjoying herself. She wanted to stay and I could not bear to drag her away.
‘OK,’ I told her. ‘Let’s stay, but if the inside of my sleeping bag is wet by tomorrow morning, we’re leaving.’ She agreed. She had forgotten to put a tarp over her tent and everything she had brought with her was lying in a pool of water, but she had other things on her mind and seemed amazingly unperturbed.
That evening we were back in the dome for a performance. It was a re-enactment of the Sumerian myth of Inanna and the Huluppu tree from The Epic of Gilgamesh, the oldest written epic dating from 1300 to 1000 BCE. Discovered in 1853 in the ruins of the library of Ashurbanipal in modern-day Iraq, the story of the young Sumerian hero-king Gilgamesh was imprinted onto twelve clay tablets in cuneiform writing and describes the king’s relationship to the wild, sexual Inanna. Gilgamesh’s refusal to be lured by Inanna plays a part in his journey from an arrogant, reckless young man to a hero-king who rules with wisdom. Excerpts from the epic were read aloud:
As for me, Inanna,
Who will plow my vulva?
Great Lady, the king will plow your vulva.
I, Dumuzi the King, will plow your vulva.
Then plow my vulva, man of my heart!
Plow my vulva!
As I listened to the words of Inanna with her female power, fertility and unabashed sexual desire, something very strange happened. I felt a warmth between my legs. I quickly left the dome and ran to the outhouse in the pouring rain and saw that I was bleeding. Not just spotting, which was how my period had fizzled to an end last year, but gushing. All this talk of nature, sex, ancestral pathways, the goddess Inanna, consent, orgies, orgasms and weed lube had brought back my period. I headed to my tent where ‘just in case’ I had packed a few pads. My head was throbbing. I lay down feeling impressed with myself that despite my reluctant mind, my body had decided to show me that it was listening.
This is an extract from Surrender by Joanna Pocock, available now from Fitzcarraldo Editions.
All images courtesy of the author
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Andreas Ringhofer, Reinhard Brandner, Hans Joachim Blaß
Institute of Timber Engineering and Wood Technology (2080)
Within the last 20 years, cross laminated timber (CLT) has become one of the most important building products in contemporary timber engineering. By the end of this decade, its annual worldwide production volume is expected to exceed 1,000,000 m3. The industry, engineers, architects and constructors have a strong interest in implementing CLT in European product, design and execution standards. The design of CLT is part of the currently ongoing revision of Eurocode 5. In this context and in addition to the verification of CLT panels in respect of ultimate and serviceability limit states, guidelines on the design of connections in CLT with dowel-type fasteners are of the utmost importance. In this article, we review approaches for calculating characteristic values as provided in literature for single dowel-type fasteners and connections in CLT. We also compare these approaches, with focus on withdrawal and embedment strength of dowels, nails and self-tapping screws, with the current regulations on dowel-type fasteners for solid timber and glulam as formulated in Eurocode 5. These comparisons are made in order to identify the need and potential for revision of current EC 5 equations and state-of-the-art regulations. We summarise regulations on connection design, i.e. minimum spacing, edge and end distances, other additional geometrical conditions, regulations on the effective number of fasteners in a group and minimum penetration depths. Finally, we draw conclusions in respect of the single fastener properties withdrawal and embedment strength and suggest some execution guidelines, which ensure the integrity of CLT structures. Overall, we aim to present a compilation of the current state-of-the-art knowledge on dowel-type fasteners in CLT as a basis for implementing design guidelines for CLT in the new connection chapter of Eurocode 5.
Engineering Structures
10.1016/j.engstruct.2018.05.032
Dowel-type fasteners
Embedment
Narrow face
Side face
Single fasteners
ASJC Scopus subject areas
Ringhofer, A., Brandner, R., & Blaß, H. J. (2018). Cross laminated timber (CLT): Design approaches for dowel-type fasteners and connections. Engineering Structures, 171, 849-861. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.engstruct.2018.05.032
Cross laminated timber (CLT): Design approaches for dowel-type fasteners and connections. / Ringhofer, Andreas; Brandner, Reinhard; Blaß, Hans Joachim.
In: Engineering Structures, Vol. 171, 2018, p. 849-861.
Ringhofer, A, Brandner, R & Blaß, HJ 2018, 'Cross laminated timber (CLT): Design approaches for dowel-type fasteners and connections', Engineering Structures, vol. 171, pp. 849-861. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.engstruct.2018.05.032
Ringhofer A, Brandner R, Blaß HJ. Cross laminated timber (CLT): Design approaches for dowel-type fasteners and connections. Engineering Structures. 2018;171:849-861. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.engstruct.2018.05.032
Ringhofer, Andreas ; Brandner, Reinhard ; Blaß, Hans Joachim. / Cross laminated timber (CLT): Design approaches for dowel-type fasteners and connections. In: Engineering Structures. 2018 ; Vol. 171. pp. 849-861.
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title = "Cross laminated timber (CLT): Design approaches for dowel-type fasteners and connections",
abstract = "Within the last 20 years, cross laminated timber (CLT) has become one of the most important building products in contemporary timber engineering. By the end of this decade, its annual worldwide production volume is expected to exceed 1,000,000 m3. The industry, engineers, architects and constructors have a strong interest in implementing CLT in European product, design and execution standards. The design of CLT is part of the currently ongoing revision of Eurocode 5. In this context and in addition to the verification of CLT panels in respect of ultimate and serviceability limit states, guidelines on the design of connections in CLT with dowel-type fasteners are of the utmost importance. In this article, we review approaches for calculating characteristic values as provided in literature for single dowel-type fasteners and connections in CLT. We also compare these approaches, with focus on withdrawal and embedment strength of dowels, nails and self-tapping screws, with the current regulations on dowel-type fasteners for solid timber and glulam as formulated in Eurocode 5. These comparisons are made in order to identify the need and potential for revision of current EC 5 equations and state-of-the-art regulations. We summarise regulations on connection design, i.e. minimum spacing, edge and end distances, other additional geometrical conditions, regulations on the effective number of fasteners in a group and minimum penetration depths. Finally, we draw conclusions in respect of the single fastener properties withdrawal and embedment strength and suggest some execution guidelines, which ensure the integrity of CLT structures. Overall, we aim to present a compilation of the current state-of-the-art knowledge on dowel-type fasteners in CLT as a basis for implementing design guidelines for CLT in the new connection chapter of Eurocode 5.",
keywords = "CLT, Connections, Cross laminated timber, Design, Dowel-type fasteners, Dowels, Embedment, Nails, Narrow face, Self-tapping screws, Side face, Single fasteners, Withdrawal",
author = "Andreas Ringhofer and Reinhard Brandner and Bla{\ss}, {Hans Joachim}",
doi = "10.1016/j.engstruct.2018.05.032",
journal = "Engineering Structures",
publisher = "Elsevier B.V.",
T1 - Cross laminated timber (CLT): Design approaches for dowel-type fasteners and connections
AU - Ringhofer, Andreas
AU - Brandner, Reinhard
AU - Blaß, Hans Joachim
N2 - Within the last 20 years, cross laminated timber (CLT) has become one of the most important building products in contemporary timber engineering. By the end of this decade, its annual worldwide production volume is expected to exceed 1,000,000 m3. The industry, engineers, architects and constructors have a strong interest in implementing CLT in European product, design and execution standards. The design of CLT is part of the currently ongoing revision of Eurocode 5. In this context and in addition to the verification of CLT panels in respect of ultimate and serviceability limit states, guidelines on the design of connections in CLT with dowel-type fasteners are of the utmost importance. In this article, we review approaches for calculating characteristic values as provided in literature for single dowel-type fasteners and connections in CLT. We also compare these approaches, with focus on withdrawal and embedment strength of dowels, nails and self-tapping screws, with the current regulations on dowel-type fasteners for solid timber and glulam as formulated in Eurocode 5. These comparisons are made in order to identify the need and potential for revision of current EC 5 equations and state-of-the-art regulations. We summarise regulations on connection design, i.e. minimum spacing, edge and end distances, other additional geometrical conditions, regulations on the effective number of fasteners in a group and minimum penetration depths. Finally, we draw conclusions in respect of the single fastener properties withdrawal and embedment strength and suggest some execution guidelines, which ensure the integrity of CLT structures. Overall, we aim to present a compilation of the current state-of-the-art knowledge on dowel-type fasteners in CLT as a basis for implementing design guidelines for CLT in the new connection chapter of Eurocode 5.
AB - Within the last 20 years, cross laminated timber (CLT) has become one of the most important building products in contemporary timber engineering. By the end of this decade, its annual worldwide production volume is expected to exceed 1,000,000 m3. The industry, engineers, architects and constructors have a strong interest in implementing CLT in European product, design and execution standards. The design of CLT is part of the currently ongoing revision of Eurocode 5. In this context and in addition to the verification of CLT panels in respect of ultimate and serviceability limit states, guidelines on the design of connections in CLT with dowel-type fasteners are of the utmost importance. In this article, we review approaches for calculating characteristic values as provided in literature for single dowel-type fasteners and connections in CLT. We also compare these approaches, with focus on withdrawal and embedment strength of dowels, nails and self-tapping screws, with the current regulations on dowel-type fasteners for solid timber and glulam as formulated in Eurocode 5. These comparisons are made in order to identify the need and potential for revision of current EC 5 equations and state-of-the-art regulations. We summarise regulations on connection design, i.e. minimum spacing, edge and end distances, other additional geometrical conditions, regulations on the effective number of fasteners in a group and minimum penetration depths. Finally, we draw conclusions in respect of the single fastener properties withdrawal and embedment strength and suggest some execution guidelines, which ensure the integrity of CLT structures. Overall, we aim to present a compilation of the current state-of-the-art knowledge on dowel-type fasteners in CLT as a basis for implementing design guidelines for CLT in the new connection chapter of Eurocode 5.
KW - CLT
KW - Connections
KW - Cross laminated timber
KW - Design
KW - Dowel-type fasteners
KW - Dowels
KW - Embedment
KW - Nails
KW - Narrow face
KW - Self-tapping screws
KW - Side face
KW - Single fasteners
KW - Withdrawal
U2 - 10.1016/j.engstruct.2018.05.032
DO - 10.1016/j.engstruct.2018.05.032
JO - Engineering Structures
T2 - Engineering Structures
JF - Engineering Structures | cc/2019-30/en_middle_0005.json.gz/line1297 |
__label__wiki | 0.673114 | 0.673114 | વિકિપીડિયા:સંદર્ભ આપવા
આ લેખનું ભાષાંતર કરવાની જરૂર છે.
મોટા ભાગે કોઇકે આ પાનું બીજી ભાષાના લેખનમાંથી ઉતાર્યું છે અને એનું પૂરી રીતે ભાષાંતર હજુ થયું નથી. મહેરબાની કરી આ પાનાંનો અનુવાદ કરી વિકિપીડિયા ને આગળ વધારવામાં અમારી મદદ કરો અને અનુવાદ પૂર્ણ થયા બાદ આ ઢાંચો કાઢી નાંખો. અનુવાદ કરવા અહિંયા ક્લિક કરો.
For information on referencing citations in Wikipedia articles, see Help:Footnotes, Wikipedia:Inline citation, and Help:Referencing for beginners.
For information about citing Wikipedia articles for use in work outside of Wikipedia, see Wikipedia:Citing Wikipedia.
"WP:CS" redirects here. For the essay about using common sense, see WP:UCS.
"WP:REF" redirects here. For the Wikipedia Reference desk, see WP:RD.
આ પાનું ગુજરાતી વિકિપીડિયા પરનાં માર્ગદર્શક લેખોનો ભાગ છે.
સામાન્ય રીતે સ્વીકૃત ધોરણ છે કે સંપાદકોએ આને અનુસરવું જોઈએ, છતાં તેનો અમલ કોઠાસૂઝ, અને પ્રાસંગિક અપવાદો સાથે કરવો. આ પાના પર કોઈપણ ફેરફાર સર્વસંમતિ દર્શાવતો હોવો જોઈએ. કોઈ શંકા કે પ્રશ્ન હોય તો, પ્રથમ ચર્ચાના પાને સંવાદ કરો.
WP:CS
WP:CITE
WP:REF
A citation, also called a reference,[૧] uniquely identifies a source of information:
Ritter, Ron (2002). The Oxford Style Manual. Oxford University Press. p. 1.
Wikipedia's Verifiability policy requires inline citations for any material challenged or likely to be challenged, and for all quotations, anywhere in article space.
A citation or reference in an article usually has two parts. In the first part, each section of text that is either based on, or quoted from, an outside source is marked as such with an inline citation. The inline citation may be a superscript footnote number, or an abbreviated version of the citation called a short citation. The second necessary part of the citation or reference is the list of full references, which provides complete, formatted detail about the source, so that anyone reading the article can find it and verify it.
This page explains how to place and format both parts of the citation. Each article should use one citation method or style throughout. If an article already has citations, preserve consistency by using that method or seek consensus on the talk page before changing it (the principle is reviewed at § Variation in citation methods). While you should try to write citations correctly, what matters most is that you provide enough information to identify the source. Others will improve the formatting if needed. Help:Referencing for beginners provides a brief introduction on how to reference Wikipedia articles.
Types of citationફેરફાર કરો
A full citation fully identifies a reliable source and, where applicable, the place in that source (such as a page number) where the information in question can be found. For example: Rawls, John. A Theory of Justice. Harvard University Press, 1971, p. 1. This type of citation is usually given as a footnote, and is the most commonly used citation method in Wikipedia articles.
An inline citation means any citation added close to the material it supports, for example after the sentence or paragraph, normally in the form of a footnote.
A short citation is an inline citation that identifies the place in a source where specific information can be found, but without giving full details of the source – these will have been provided in a full bibliographic citation either in an earlier footnote, or in a separate section. For example: Rawls 1971, p. 1. This system is used in some articles; the short citations may be given either as footnotes, or as parenthetical references within the text.
In-text attribution involves adding the source of a statement to the article text, such as Rawls argues that X.[5] This is done whenever a writer or speaker should be credited, such as with quotations, close paraphrasing, or statements of opinion or uncertain fact. The in-text attribution does not give full details of the source – this is done in a footnote in the normal way. See In-text attribution below.
A general reference is a citation that supports content, but is not linked to any particular piece of material in the article through an inline citation. General references are usually listed at the end of the article in a References section. They are usually found in underdeveloped articles, especially when all article content is supported by a single source. They may also be listed in more developed articles as a supplement to inline citations.
When and why to cite sourcesફેરફાર કરો
WP:WHYCITE
By citing sources for Wikipedia content, you enable users to verify that the information given is supported by reliable sources, thus improving the credibility of Wikipedia while showing that the content is not original research. You also help users find additional information on the subject; and you avoid plagiarising the source of your words or ideas by giving attribution.
In particular, sources are required for material that is challenged or likely to be challenged – if reliable sources cannot be found for challenged material, it is likely to be removed from the article. Sources are also required when quoting someone, with or without quotation marks, or closely paraphrasing a source. However, the citing of sources is not limited to those situations – editors are always encouraged to add or improve citations for any information contained in an article.
Citations are especially desirable for statements about living persons, particularly when the statements are contentious or potentially defamatory. In accordance with the biography of living persons policy, unsourced information of this type is likely to be removed on sight.
Multimediaફેરફાર કરો
For an image or other media file, details of its origin and copyright status should appear on its file page. Image captions should be referenced as appropriate just like any other part of the article. A citation is not needed for descriptions such as alt text that are verifiable directly from the image itself, or for text that merely identifies a source (e.g., the caption "Belshazzar's Feast (1635)" for File:Rembrandt-Belsazar.jpg).
When not to citeફેરફાર કરો
WP:WHENNOTCITE
Citations are not used on disambiguation pages (sourcing for the information given there should be done in the target articles). Citations are often omitted from the lead section of an article, insofar as the lead summarizes information for which sources are given later in the article, although quotations and controversial statements, particularly if about living persons, should be supported by citations even in the lead. See WP:LEADCITE for more information.
Inline citationsફેરફાર કરો
WP:INCITE
WP:INLINECITE
Further information: Wikipedia:Inline citation
Inline citations allow the reader to associate a given bit of material in an article with the specific reliable source(s) that support it. Inline citations are added using either footnotes (long or short) or parenthetical references. This section describes how to add either type, and also describes how to create a list of full bibliography citations to support shortened footnotes or parenthetical references.
If long or short inline citations placed in footnotes are used, the first editor to add footnotes to an article must create a section where the list of those citations is to appear. This is not necessary for inline parenthetical references, as these appear directly inline in the article prose.
Footnotesફેરફાર કરો
આ પણ જુઓ: Help:Footnotes
How to create the list of citationsફેરફાર કરો
This section, if needed, is usually titled "Notes" or "References", and is placed at or near the bottom of the article. For more about the order and titles of sections at the end of an article (which may also include "Further reading" and "External links" sections), see Wikipedia:Footers.
WP:ASL
With some exceptions discussed below, citations appear in a single section containing only the <references /> tag or the {{Reflist}} template. For example:
The footnotes will then automatically be listed under that section heading. Each numbered footnote marker in the text is a clickable link to the corresponding footnote, and each footnote contains a caret that links back to the corresponding point in the text. Scrolling lists, or lists of citations appearing within a scroll box, should never be used. This is because of issues with readability, browser compatibility, accessibility, printing, and site mirroring.[૨]
If an article contains a list of general references, this is usually placed in a separate section, titled (for example) "References". This usually comes immediately after the section(s) listing footnotes, if any. (If the general references section is called "References", then the citations section is usually called "Notes".)
How to place an inline citation using ref tagsફેરફાર કરો
WP:CITEFOOT
Further information: Footnotes: the basics
To create a footnote, use the <ref>...</ref> syntax at the appropriate place in the article text, for example:
Justice is a human invention.<ref>Rawls, John. ''A Theory of Justice''. Harvard University Press, 1971, p. 1.</ref> It...
which will be displayed as something like:
Justice is a human invention.ઢાંચો:Dummy ref It...
It will also be necessary to generate the list of footnotes (where the citation text is actually displayed); for this, see the previous section.
As in the above example, citation markers are normally placed after adjacent punctuation such as periods and commas. Citations should not be placed within, or on the same line as, section headings. For exceptions, see the Punctuation and footnotes section of the Manual of Style. Note also that no space is added before the citation marker.
The citation should be added close to the material it supports, offering text–source integrity. If a word or phrase is particularly contentious, an inline citation may be added next to that word or phrase within the sentence, but it is usually sufficient to add the citation to the end of the clause, sentence, or paragraph, so long as it's clear which source supports which part of the text.
Repeated citationsફેરફાર કરો
Further information: Footnotes: using a source more than once
For multiple use of the same inline citation or footnote, you can use the named references feature, choosing a name to identify the inline citation, and typing <ref name="name">text of the citation</ref>. Thereafter, the same named reference may be reused any number of times by typing just <ref name="name" />. The use of the slash before the > means that the tag is self-closing, and the </ref> used to close other references must not be used in addition.
The text of the name can be almost anythingઢાંચો:Nsmdnsapart from being completely numeric. If spaces are used in the text of the name, the text must be placed within double quotes. Placing all named references within double quotes may be helpful to future editors who do not know that rule. To help with page maintenance it is recommended that the text of the name have a connection to the inline citation or footnote, for example "author year page": <ref name="Smith 2005 p94">text of the citation</ref>.
Separating citations from explanatory footnotesફેરફાર કરો
If an article contains both footnoted citations and other (explanatory) footnotes, then it is possible (but not necessary) to divide them into two separate lists, using the grouping feature described in the Grouping footnotes section of the footnotes help page. The explanatory footnotes and the citations are then placed in separate sections, called (for example) "Notes" and "References" respectively.
Avoiding clutterફેરફાર કરો
Inline references can significantly bloat the wikitext in the edit window and can become difficult and confusing. There are two main methods to avoid clutter in the edit window:
Inserting short citations (see below) that then refer to a full list of source texts
Parenthetical references are an established subformat of this, which forgoes the use of inline notes and simply puts the short citation in the main body.
Using list-defined references by collecting the full citation code within the reference list template, and then inserting them in the text with <ref name="ABC" /> tags.
As with other citation formats, articles should not undergo large-scale conversion between formats without consensus to do so.
Citing multiple pages of the same sourceફેરફાર કરો
WP:IBID
MOS:IBID
MOS:op.cit.
Further information: Help:References and page numbers
When an article cites many different pages from the same source, to avoid the redundancy of many big, nearly identical full citations, most Wikipedia editors use one of three options:
Short citations in footnotes
Named references in conjunction with the {{rp}} template to specify the page
Short citations in parenthesis
The use of ibid. or Id. (or similar abbreviations) is discouraged, as these may become broken as new references are added (op. cit. is less problematic in that it should refer explicitly to a citation contained in the article; however, not all readers are familiar with the meaning of the terms). If the use of ibid is extensive, use the {{ibid}} template.
Duplicate citationsફેરફાર કરો
WP:DUPCITES
MOS:DUPCITES
Please combine precisely duplicated full citations, in keeping with the existing citation style (if any). Do not discourage editors, particularly inexperienced ones, from adding duplicate citations when the use of the source is appropriate, because a duplicate is usually better than no citation. But any editor should feel free to combine them, and doing so is the best practice on Wikipedia.
Citations to different pages or parts of the same source can also be combined (preserving the distinct parts of the citations), as described in the previous section. Any method that is consistent with the existing citation style (if any) may be used, or consensus can be sought to change the existing style.
Short citations ફેરફાર કરો
WP:CITESHORT
WP:SFN
વધુ માહિતી માટે જુઓ મુખ્ય લેખ: Help:Shortened footnotes
Some Wikipedia articles use short citations, giving summary information about the source together with a page number, as in <ref>Smith 2010, p. 1.</ref>. These are used together with full citations, which give full details of the sources, but without page numbers, and are listed in a separate "References" section. Short citations are used in articles that apply parenthetical referencing (see below), but they can also be used as footnote citations, as described here.
Forms of short citations used include author-date referencing (APA style, Harvard style, or Chicago style), and author-title or author-page referencing (MLA style or Chicago style). As before, the list of footnotes is automatically generated in a "Notes" or "Footnotes" section, which immediately precedes the "References" section containing the full citations to the source. Short citations can be written manually, or by using the {{sfn}} or {{harvnb}} templates. (Note that templates should not be added without consensus to an article that already uses a consistent referencing style.) The short citations and full citations may be linked so that the reader can click on the short note to find full information about the source. See the template documentation for details and solutions to common problems. For variations with and without templates, see wikilinks to full references. For a set of realistic examples, see these.
This is how short citations look in the edit box:
The Sun is pretty big,<ref>Miller 2005, p. 23.</ref> but the Moon is not so big.<ref>Brown 2006, p. 46.</ref> The Sun is also quite hot.<ref>Miller 2005, p. 34.</ref>
== Notes ==
*Brown, Rebecca (2006). "Size of the Moon", ''Scientific American'', 51(78).
*Miller, Edward (2005). ''The Sun''. Academic Press.
This is how they look in the article:
The Sun is pretty big,[1] but the Moon is not so big.[2] The Sun is also quite hot.[3]
^ Miller 2005, p. 23.
^ Brown 2006, p. 46.
Brown, Rebecca (2006). "Size of the Moon", Scientific American, 51(78).
Miller, Edward (2005). The Sun. Academic Press.
Shortened notes using titles rather than publication dates would look like this in the article:
^ Miller, The Sun, p. 23.
^ Brown, "Size of the Moon", p. 46.
When using manual links it is easy to introduce errors such as duplicate anchors and unused references. The script User:Ucucha/HarvErrors will show many related errors. Duplicate anchors may be found by using the W3C Markup Validation Service.
Parenthetical referencingફેરફાર કરો
Further information: Wikipedia:Parenthetical referencing
While most articles use footnote citations as described in the above sections, some articles use a parenthetical referencing style. Here, short citations in parentheses, such as (Smith 2010, p. 1), are placed within the article text itself. Full details of each source used are given in a full citation, e.g., Smith, John. Name of Book. Cambridge University Press, 2010. The full citations are listed in alphabetical order, according to the authors' surnames, at the end of the article in a "References" section.
Several forms of short citation are used in Wikipedia; see Short citations above. The inline citation and full citation may be linked using a template (see linking inline and full citations); as with other citation templates, these should not be added to articles without consensus.
This is how it looks in the edit box:
The Sun is pretty big (Miller 2005, p. 1), but the Moon is not so big (Brown 2006, p. 2). The Sun is also quite hot (Miller 2005, p. 3).
*Brown, R (2006). "Size of the Moon", ''Scientific American'', 51(78).
*Miller, E (2005). ''The Sun'', Academic Press.
This is how it looks in the article:
Brown, R (2006). "Size of the Moon", Scientific American, 51(78).
Miller, E (2005). The Sun, Academic Press.
Notice that, unlike footnotes, parenthetical references are placed before adjacent punctuation such as commas and periods.
General referencesફેરફાર કરો
WP:GENREF
A general reference is a citation to a reliable source that supports content, but is not linked to any particular piece of material in the article through an inline citation. General references are usually listed at the end of the article in a "References" section, and are usually sorted by the last name of the author or the editor.
The appearance of a general references section is the same as those given above in the sections on short citations and parenthetical references. If both cited and uncited references exist, their distinction can be highlighted with separate section named, e.g., "References" and "General references".
A general references section may also be included in an article that will eventually use inline citations throughout if such citations have not yet been given for all the information in the article. In underdeveloped articles, a general references section may exist even though no inline citations at all have yet been added, especially when all article content is supported by a single source. The disadvantage of using general references alone is that text–source integrity is lost, unless the article is very short.
General references are frequently reworked by later editors into inline citations.
What information to include ફેરફાર કરો
WP:CITEHOW
WP:HOWCITE
Listed below is the information that a typical inline citation or general reference will provide, though other details may be added as necessary. This information is included in order to identify the source, assist readers in finding it, and (in the case of inline citations) indicate the place in the source where the information is to be found. (If an article uses parenthetical referencing or short citations, then the inline citations will refer to this information in abbreviated form, as described in the relevant sections above.)
Examplesફેરફાર કરો
Booksફેરફાર કરો
See also the template {{cite book}}.
Since around 1970, a unique ISBN has been assigned to each English language edition and variation (except reprintings) of a book. It is acknowledged that there are (at least potentially) variations between editions as distinct from reprints that occur between editions. In effect, different editions of the same work can be considered different sources. A reprint in this context is distinctly different from a contemporary reprint of an historical publication (see Reprints of older publications). Reference details should include the edition (if not the first edition) and the date/year published reported is the year that the particular edition became available (see On the Origin of Species for an example that references multiple editions of the same work). Where publishers list multiple locations/offices on the title page, the location used is the first of these.
Citations for books typically include:
name of the author(s)
title of the book in italics
translated title of the book in square brackets after the title if not in English
volume when appropriate
name of the publisher
city of publication is optional
edition number if not the first edition
year of publication of the particular edition being referenced
chapter or page number(s) if appropriate
ISBN is optional
Citations for individually authored chapters in books typically include:
name of author
the title of the chapter
translated title of the chapter book if not in English
name of the book's editor
name of book and other details as above
the chapter number or page numbers for the chapter (optional)
In some instances, the verso of a book may record, "Reprinted with corrections XXXX" or similar, where 'XXXX' is a year. This is a different version of a book in the same way that different editions are different versions. In such a case, record: the year of the particular reprint, the edition immediately prior to this particular reprint (if not the first edition) and a note to say "Reprint with corrections". If {{cite}} (or similar) is being used, the notation, "Reprint with corrections", can be added immediately following the template. Reprints of older publications gives an example of appending a similar textual note.
Journal articlesફેરફાર કરો
See also the template {{cite journal}}.
Citations for journal articles typically include:
year and sometimes month of publication
title of the article within quotation marks
translated title of the article in square brackets after the title if not in English
name of the journal in italics
volume number, issue number, and page numbers (article numbers in some electronic journals)
DOI and/or other identifiers are optional
Newspaper articlesફેરફાર કરો
See also the template {{cite news}}.
Citations for newspaper articles typically include:
byline (author's name), if any
name of the newspaper in italics
city of publication (if not included in name of newspaper), in parentheses
date of publication (the "{{Cite news}}" template places the date after the byline if there is one)
page number(s) are optional
Web pagesફેરફાર કરો
See also the template {{cite web}}.
Citations for World Wide Web pages typically include:
URL of the web page – that is the URL of the web page where the referenced content can be found, not, e.g., the main page of a website when the content is on a subpage of that website (see Wikipedia:Shallow references)
title or domain name of the website
publisher, if known
page number(s) (if applicable)
the date you retrieved (or accessed) the web page (required if the publication date is unknown)
Sound recordingsફેરફાર કરો
ઢાંચો:More Citations for sound recordings typically include:
name of the composer(s), songwriter(s), script writer(s) or the like
name of the performer(s)
title of the song or individual track in quotation marks
title of the album in italics (if applicable)
name of the record label
medium (for example: LP, audio cassette, CD, MP3 file)
approximate time at which event or point of interest occurs, where appropriate
Do not cite an entire body of work by one performer. Instead, make one citation for each work your text relies on.
Film, television, or video recordingsફેરફાર કરો
See also the template {{cite AV media}}.
Citations for films, TV episodes, or video recordings typically include:
name of the director
name of the producer, if relevant
names of major performers
for a TV episode, the title of the episode in quotation marks
title of the film or TV series in italics
name of the studio
medium (for example: film, videocassette, DVD)
Otherફેરફાર કરો
See also the template {{cite album notes}}.
See also the template {{cite comic}}.
See also the template {{comic strip reference}}.
See also the template {{cite conference}} for conference reports or papers.
See also the template {{cite court}} for court cases or legal decisions.
See also the template {{cite encyclopedia}}.
See also the template {{cite episode}} for TV or radio series.
See also the template {{cite mailing list}}.
See also the template {{cite map}}.
See also the template {{cite newsgroup}}.
See also the template {{citation}} for patents.
See also the template {{cite press release}}.
See also the template {{cite thesis}}.
See also the template {{cite video game}}.
Identifying parts of a sourceફેરફાર કરો
WP:Page numbers
WP:PAGENUM
When citing lengthy sources, you should identify which part of a source is being cited.
Books and print articlesફેરફાર કરો
Specify the page number or range of page numbers. Page numbers are not required for a reference to the book or article as a whole. When you specify a page number, it is helpful to specify the version (date and edition for books) of the source because the layout, pagination, length, etc. can change between editions.
If there are no page numbers, whether in ebooks or print materials, then you can use other means of identifying the relevant section of a lengthy work, such as the chapter number or the section title.
In some works, such as plays and ancient works, there are standard methods of referring to sections, such as "Act 1, scene 2" for plays and Bekker numbers for Aristotle's works. Use these methods whenever appropriate.
Audio and video sourcesફેરફાર કરો
Specify the time at which the event or other point of interest occurs. Be as precise as possible about the version of the source that you are citing; for example, movies are often released in different editions or "cuts". Due to variations between formats and playback equipment, precision may not be accurate in some cases. However, many government agencies do not publish minutes and transcripts but do post video of official meetings online; generally the subcontractors who handle audio-visual are quite precise.
Links and ID numbersફેરફાર કરો
A citation ideally includes a link or ID number to help editors locate the source. If you have a URL (web page) link, you can add it to the title part of the citation, so that when you add the citation to Wikipedia the URL becomes hidden and the title becomes clickable. To do this, enclose the URL and the title in square brackets—the URL first, then a space, then the title. For example:
Carr A, Ory D (2006). [http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.0030496 "Does HIV cause cardiovascular disease?"] ''PLoS Medicine'', 3(11):e496.
For web-only sources with no publication date, the "Retrieved" date (or the date you accessed the web page) should be included, in case the web page changes in the future. For example: Retrieved 15 July 2011 or you can use the accessdate parameter in the automatic Wikipedia:refToolbar 2.0 editing window feature.
You can also add an ID number to the end of a citation. The ID number might be an ISBN for a book, a DOI (Digital Object Identifier) for an article, or any of several ID numbers that are specific to particular article databases, such as a PMID number for articles on PubMed. It may be possible to format these so that they are automatically activated and become clickable when added to Wikipedia, for example by typing ISBN (or PMID) followed by a space and the ID number.
If your source is not available online, it should be available in reputable libraries, archives, or collections. If a citation without an external link is challenged as unavailable, any of the following is sufficient to show the material to be reasonably available (though not necessarily reliable): providing an ISBN or OCLC number; linking to an established Wikipedia article about the source (the work, its author, or its publisher); or directly quoting the material on the talk page, briefly and in context.
Linking to Google Books pagesફેરફાર કરો
WP:PAGELINK
WP:PAGELINKS
WP:BOOKLINKS
ઢાંચો:Further information Google Books allows book pages to be linked to directly if both the book and the individual pages have been made available for preview. These can be written in a number of ways, with or without citation templates:
Rawls, John (1971). A Theory of Justice. Harvard University Press. p. 18.
Rawls, John. A Theory of Justice. Harvard University Press, 1971, p. 18.
Rawls 1971, p. 18.
In edit mode, the URL for p. 18 of A Theory of Justice is entered like this using the {{Cite book}} template:
{{cite book |last=Rawls |first=John |title=A Theory of Justice |publisher=Harvard University Press |date=1971 |page=18 |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=kvpby7HtAe0C&pg=PA18}}
or like this, in the second of the above examples, formatted manually:
Rawls, John. [https://books.google.com/books?id=kvpby7HtAe0C&pg=PA18 ''A Theory of Justice'']. Harvard University Press, 1971, p. 18.
When the page number is a Roman numeral, commonly seen at the beginning of books, the URL looks like this for page xvii (Roman numeral 17) of the same book:
https://books.google.com/books?id=kvpby7HtAe0C&pg=PR17
The &pg=PR17 indicates "page, Roman, 17", in contrast to the &pg=PA18, "page, Arabic, 18" the URL given earlier.
You can also link to a tipped-in page, such as an unnumbered page of images between two regular pages. (If the page contains an image that is protected by copyright, it will be replaced by a tiny notice saying "copyrighted image".) The URL for eleventh tipped-in page inserted after page 304 of The Selected Papers of Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony, looks like this:
https://books.google.com/books?id=dBs4CO1DsF4C&pg=PA304-IA11
The &pg=PA304-IA11 can be interpreted as "page, Arabic, 304; inserted after: 11".
Page links should only be added when the book is available for preview; they will not work with snippet view. Keep in mind that availability varies by location. No editor is required to add page links, but if another editor adds them, they should not be removed without cause; see the October 2010 RfC for further information.
Note that the Citation Style 1, Citation Style 2 and Citation Style Vancouver templates properly support links only in the |url= and |archive-url= parameters. Placing links in the |page= or |pages= parameters may not link properly and will cause mangled COinS metadata output.
There is a Wikipedia citation tool for Google Books that may be helpful.
Linking to PDF filesફેરફાર કરો
Links to long PDF documents can be made more convenient by taking readers to a specific page with the addition of #page=n to the document URL, where n is the page number. For example, using http://www.domain.com/document.pdf#page=5 as the citation URL displays page five of the document in any PDF viewer that supports this feature. If the viewer or browser does not support it, it will display the first page instead.
Say where you read it ફેરફાર કરો
WP:SAYWHEREYOUGOTIT
WP:SAYWHEREYOUREADIT
WP:SWYGT
WP:SWYRT
WP:SAYWHERE
Don't cite a source unless you've seen it for yourself. If you want to cite John Smith, but you've only read Paul Jones who cites Smith, then it should be written in a manner that makes it clear which source you consulted (this formatting is just an example):
John Smith, Name of Book I Haven't Seen, Cambridge University Press, 2009, p. 99, cited in Paul Jones, Name of Encyclopedia I Have Seen, Oxford University Press, 2010, p. 29.
However, if you have read Smith's book yourself, you may cite it directly; there is no need to give credit to any sources, search engines, websites, library catalogs, etc., that led you to that book. You also do not need to specify how you obtained and read Smith's book; so long as you are confident that you read a true and accurate copy, it does not matter whether you read the book using an online service like Google Books, using preview options at a bookseller's website like Amazon, on an e-reader (except to the extent that this affects page numbering), through your library, with online paid databases of scanned publications, using reading machines, or any other method.
Dates and reprints of older publicationsફેરફાર કરો
Editors should be aware that older sources (especially those in the public domain) are sometimes reprinted with modern publication dates. When this occurs and the citation style being used requires it, cite both the original publication date, as well as the date of the re-publication. E.g.:
Darwin, Charles (1964) [1859]. On the Origin of Species (facsimile of 1st ed.). Harvard University Press.
This is done automatically in the {{citation}} and {{cite book}} templates when you use the |orig-year= parameter.
Alternately, information about the reprint can be appended as a textual note:
Boole, George (1854). An Investigation of the Laws of Thought on Which are Founded the Mathematical Theories of Logic and Probabilities. Macmillan. Reprinted with corrections, Dover Publications, New York, NY, 1958.
Seasonal publication dates and differing calendar systemsફેરફાર કરો
Publication dates, for both older and recent sources, should be written with the goal of helping the reader find the publication and, once found, confirm that the correct publication has been located. For example, if the publication date bears a date in the Julian calendar, it should not be converted to the Gregorian calendar.
If the publication date was given as a season or holiday, such as "Winter" or "Christmas" of a particular year or two-year span, it should not be converted to a month or date, such as July–August or December 25. If a publication provided both seasonal and specific dates, prefer the specific one.
Additional annotationફેરફાર કરો
In most cases it is sufficient for a citation footnote simply to identify the source (as described in the sections above); readers can then consult the source to see how it supports the information in the article. Sometimes, however, it is useful to include additional annotation in the footnote, for example to indicate precisely which information the source is supporting (particularly when a single footnote lists more than one source – see § Bundling citations and § Text–source integrity, below).
A footnote may also contain a relevant exact quotation from the source. This is especially helpful when the cited text is long or dense. A quotation allows readers to immediately identify the applicable portion of the reference. Quotes are also useful if the source is not easily accessible.
In the case of non-English sources, it may be helpful to quote from the original text and then give an English translation. If the article itself contains a translation of a quote from such a source (without the original), then the original should be included in the footnote. (See the WP:Verifiability § Non-English sources policy for more information.)
Citation style ફેરફાર કરો
WP:CITESTYLE
While citations should aim to provide the information listed above, Wikipedia does not have a single house style, though citations within any given article should follow a consistent style. A number of citation styles exist including those described in the Wikipedia articles for Citation, APA style, ASA style, MLA style, The Chicago Manual of Style, Author-date referencing, the Vancouver system and Bluebook.
Although nearly any consistent style may be used, avoid all-numeric date formats other than YYYY-MM-DD, because of the ambiguity concerning which number is the month and which the day. For example, 2002-06-11 may be used, but not 11/06/2002. The YYYY-MM-DD format should in any case be limited to Gregorian calendar dates where the year is after 1582.
Variation in citation methods ફેરફાર કરો
WP:CITEVAR
Editors should not attempt to change an article's established citation style merely on the grounds of personal preference, to make it match other articles, or without first seeking consensus for the change. The arbitration committee ruled in 2006:
Wikipedia does not mandate styles in many different areas; these include (but are not limited to) American vs. British spelling, date formats, and citation style. Where Wikipedia does not mandate a specific style, editors should not attempt to convert Wikipedia to their own preferred style, nor should they edit articles for the sole purpose of converting them to their preferred style, or removing examples of, or references to, styles which they dislike.
As with spelling differences, it is normal practice to defer to the style used by the first major contributor or adopted by the consensus of editors already working on the page, unless a change in consensus has been achieved. If the article you are editing is already using a particular citation style, you should follow it; if you believe it is inappropriate for the needs of the article, seek consensus for a change on the talk page. If you are the first contributor to add citations to an article, you may choose whichever style you think best for the article.
If all or most of the citations in an article consist of bare URLs, or otherwise fail to provide needed bibliographic data – such as the name of the source, the title of the article or web page consulted, the author (if known), the publication date (if known), and the page numbers (where relevant) – then that would not count as a "consistent citation style" and can be changed freely to insert such data. The data provided should be sufficient to uniquely identify the source, allow readers to find it, and allow readers to initially evaluate it without retrieving it.
To be avoidedફેરફાર કરો
When an article is already consistent, avoid:
switching between major citation styles, e.g. parenthetical and <ref> tags, or replacing the preferred style of one academic discipline with another's;
adding citation templates to an article that already uses a consistent system without templates, or removing citation templates from an article that uses them consistently;
changing where the references are defined, e.g. moving reference definitions in the reflist to the prose, or moving reference definitions from the prose into the reflist.
Generally considered helpfulફેરફાર કરો
The following are standard practice:
improving existing citations by adding missing information, such as by replacing bare URLs with full bibliographic citations: an improvement because it aids verifiability, and fights linkrot;
replacing some or all general references with inline citations: an improvement because it provides more verifiable information to the reader, and helps maintain text–source integrity;
imposing one style on an article with inconsistent citation styles (e.g., some of the citations in footnotes and others as parenthetical references): an improvement because it makes the citations easier to understand and edit;
fixing errors in citation coding, including incorrectly used template parameters, and <ref> markup problems: an improvement because it helps the citations to be parsed correctly;
combining duplicate citations (see § Duplicate citations, above).
Handling links in citationsફેરફાર કરો
As noted above under What information to include, it is helpful to include hyperlinks to source material, when available. Here we note some issues concerning these links.
Avoid embedded linksફેરફાર કરો
Further information: Wikipedia:Embedded citations
Embedded links to external websites should not be used as a form of inline citation, because they are highly susceptible to linkrot. Wikipedia allowed this in its early years—for example by adding a link after a sentence, like this [http://media.guardian.co.uk/site/story/0,14173,1601858,00.html], which looks like this. [૧] This is no longer recommended. Raw links are not recommended in lieu of properly written out citations, even if placed between ref tags, like this <ref>[http://media.guardian.co.uk/site/story/0,14173,1601858,00.html]</ref>. Since any citation that accurately identifies the source is better than none, do not revert the good-faith addition of partial citations. They should be considered temporary, and replaced with more complete, properly formatted citations as soon as possible.
Embedded links should never be used to place external links in the content of an article, like this: "Apple, Inc. announced their latest product...".
Convenience linksફેરફાર કરો
Further information: Wikipedia:Copyrights#Linking to copyrighted works
A convenience link is a link to a copy of your source on a web page provided by someone other than the original publisher or author. For example, a copy of a newspaper article no longer available on the newspaper's website may be hosted elsewhere. When offering convenience links, it is important to be reasonably certain that the convenience copy is a true copy of the original, without any changes or inappropriate commentary, and that it does not infringe the original publisher's copyright. Accuracy can be assumed when the hosting website appears reliable. Where several sites host a copy of the material, the site selected as the convenience link should be the one whose general content appears most in line with Wikipedia:Neutral point of view and Wikipedia:Verifiability.
Indicating availabilityફેરફાર કરો
WP:INDICATEAVAIL
Links to sourcesફેરફાર કરો
WP:SOURCELINKS
For a source available in hardcopy, microform, and/or online, omit, in most cases, which one you read. While it is useful to cite author, title, edition (1st, 2nd, etc.), and similar information, it generally is not important to cite a database such as ProQuest, EbscoHost, or JStor (see the list of academic databases and search engines) or to link to such a database requiring a subscription or a third party's login. The basic bibliographic information you provide should be enough to search for the source in any of these databases that have the source. Don't add a URL that has a part of a password embedded in the URL. However, you may provide the DOI, ISBN, or another uniform identifier, if available. If the publisher offers a link to the source or its abstract that does not require a payment or a third party's login for access, you may provide the URL for that link. If the source only exists online, give the link even if access is restricted (see WP:PAYWALL).
Preventing and repairing dead links ફેરફાર કરો
આ પણ જુઓ: Wikipedia:Link rot
WP:DEADREF
To help prevent dead links, persistent identifiers are available for some sources. Some journal articles have a digital object identifier (DOI); some online newspapers and blogs, and also Wikipedia, have permalinks that are stable. When permanent links aren't available, consider archiving the referenced document when writing the article; on-demand web archiving services such as WebCite (http://www.webcitation.org) or the Wayback Machine (http://www.archive.org/web) are fairly easy to use (see pre-emptive archiving).
Dead links should be repaired or replaced if possible. Do not delete a citation merely because the URL is not working. Follow these steps when you encounter a dead URL being used as a reliable source to support article content:
Confirm status: First, check the link to confirm that it is dead and not temporarily down. Search the website to see whether it has been rearranged. The online service "Is it down right now?" can help to determine if a site is down, and any information known.
Check for a changed URL on the same Web site: Pages are frequently moved to different location on the same site as they become archive content rather than news. The site's error page may have a "Search" box; alternatively, in the popular Google search engine the keyterm "site:" is used, as in ⟨site:en.wikipedia.org "New Zealand police vehicle markings and livery"⟩.
Check for web archives: Many Web archiving services exist; link to their archive of the URL's content, if available. Examples:
Internet Archive has billions of archived web pages. See Wikipedia:Using the Wayback Machine.
WebCite has billions of archived web pages. See Wikipedia:Using WebCite.
The UK Government Web Archive (http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/webarchive/) preserves 1500 UK central government websites.
The Mementos interface allows you to search multiple archiving services with a single request using the Memento protocol. Unfortunately, the Mementos web page interface removes any parameters which are passed with the URL. If the URL contains a "?" it is unlikely to work properly. When entering the URL into the Mementos interface manually, the most common change needed is to change "?" to "%3F". While making only this change will not be sufficient in all cases, it will work most of the time. The bookmarklet in the table below will properly encode URLs such that searches will work.
If multiple archive dates are available, try to use one that is most likely to be the contents of the page seen by the editor who entered the reference on the |access-date=. If that parameter is not specified, a search of the article's revision history can be performed to determine when the link was added to the article.
For most citation templates, archive locations are entered using the |archive-url=, |archive-date= and |dead-url= parameters. The primary link is automatically switched to the archive when |dead-url=yes. This retains the original link location for reference.
If the web page now leads to a completely different website, set |dead-url=usurped to hide the original website link in the citation.
Note: Some archives currently operate with a delay of ~18 months before a link is made public. As a result, editors should wait ~24 months after the link is first tagged as dead before declaring that no web archive exists. Dead URLs to reliable sources should normally be tagged with {{dead link|date=જુલાઇ ૨૦૧૯}}, so that you can estimate how long the link has been dead.
Bookmarklets to check common archive sites for archives of the current page:
javascript:void(window.open('https://web.archive.org/web/*/'+location.href))
WebCite
javascript:void(window.open('http://www.webcitation.org/query.php?url='+location.href))
javascript:void(window.open('http://archive.is/?run=1&url='+location.href))
Mementos interface
javascript:void(window.open('http://www.webarchive.org.uk/mementos/search/'+encodeURIComponent(location.href)+'?referrer='+encodeURIComponent(document.referrer)))
Remove convenience links: If the material was published on paper (e.g., academic journal, newspaper article, magazine, book), then the dead URL is not necessary. Simply remove the dead URL, leaving the remainder of the reference intact.
Find a replacement source: Search the web for quoted text, the article title, and parts of the URL. Consider contacting the website/person that originally published the reference and asking them to republish it. Ask other editors for help finding the reference somewhere else, including the user who added the reference. Find a different source that says essentially the same thing as the reference in question.
Remove hopelessly lost web-only sources: If the source material does not exist offline, and if there is no archived version of the web page (be sure to wait ~24 months), and if you cannot find another copy of the material, then the dead citation should be removed and the material it supports should be regarded as unverified if there is no other supporting citation. If it is material that is specifically required by policy to have an inline citation, then please consider tagging it with {{citation needed}}. It may be appropriate for you to move the citation to the talk page with an explanation, and notify the editor who added the now-dead link.
Text–source integrityફેરફાર કરો
WP:INTEGRITY
For WikiProject Integrity (which is not related to text–source integrity), go here.
When using inline citations, it is important to maintain text–source integrity. The point of an inline citation is to allow readers and other editors to check that the material is sourced; that point is lost if the citation is not clearly placed. The distance between material and its source is a matter of editorial judgment, but adding text without clearly placing its source may lead to allegations of original research, of violations of the sourcing policy, and even of plagiarism.
Editors should exercise caution when rearranging or inserting material to ensure that text–source relationships are maintained. References need not be moved solely to maintain the chronological order of footnotes as they appear in the article, and should not be moved if doing so might break the text-source relationship.
If a sentence or paragraph is footnoted with a source, adding new material that is not supported by the existing source to the sentence/paragraph, without a source for the new text, is highly misleading if placed to appear that the cited source supports it. When new text is inserted into a paragraph, make sure it is supported by the existing or a new source. For example, when editing text originally reading
The sun is pretty big.[1]
^ Miller, Edward. The Sun. Academic Press, 2005, p. 1.
an edit that does not imply that the new material is sourced by the same reference is
The sun is pretty big.[1] The sun is also quite hot.[2]
^ Smith, John. The Sun's Heat. Academic Press, 2005, p. 2.
Do not add other facts or assertions into a fully cited paragraph or sentence:
The sun is pretty big, but the moon is not so big.[1] The sun is also quite hot.[2]
Include a source to support the new information. There are several ways to write this, including:
^ Brown, Rebecca. "Size of the Moon", Scientific American, 51(78):46.
Bundling citationsફેરફાર કરો
WP:CITEBUNDLE
WP:BUNDLING
વધુ માહિતી માટે જુઓ મુખ્ય લેખ: Help:Citation merging
Further information: Wikipedia:Citation overkill
Sometimes the article is more readable if multiple citations are bundled into a single footnote. For example, when there are multiple sources for a given sentence, and each source applies to the entire sentence, the sources can be placed at the end of the sentence, like this.ઢાંચો:Dummy refઢાંચો:Dummy refઢાંચો:Dummy refઢાંચો:Dummy ref Or they can be bundled into one footnote at the end of the sentence or paragraph, like this.ઢાંચો:Dummy ref
Bundling is also useful if the sources each support a different portion of the preceding text, or if the sources all support the same text. Bundling has several advantages:
It helps readers and other editors see at a glance which source supports which point, maintaining text–source integrity;
It avoids the visual clutter of multiple clickable footnotes inside a sentence or paragraph;
It avoids the confusion of having multiple sources listed separately after sentences, with no indication of which source to check for each part of the text, such as this.ઢાંચો:Dummy refઢાંચો:Dummy refઢાંચો:Dummy refઢાંચો:Dummy ref
It makes it less likely that inline citations will be moved inadvertently when text is re-arranged, because the footnote states clearly which source supports which point.
When formatting multiple citations in a footnote, there are several layouts available, as illustrated below. Within a given article, only a single layout should be used.
The sun is pretty big, but the moon is not so big. The sun is also quite hot.[1]
^ For the sun's size, see Miller, Edward. The Sun. Academic Press, 2005, p. 1.
For the moon's size, see Brown, Rebecca. "Size of the Moon", Scientific American, 51(78):46.
For the sun's heat, see Smith, John. The Sun's Heat. Academic Press, 2005, p. 2.
Line breaks
^ For the sun's size, see Miller, Edward. The Sun. Academic Press, 2005, p. 1. For the moon's size, see Brown, Rebecca. "Size of the Moon", Scientific American, 51(78):46. For the sun's heat, see Smith, John. The Sun's Heat. Academic Press, 2005, p. 2.
In-text attributionફેરફાર કરો
WP:INTEXT
Further information: Wikipedia:Neutral point of view#Attributing and specifying biased statements
In-text attribution is the attribution inside a sentence of material to its source, in addition to an inline citation after the sentence. In-text attribution should be used with direct speech (a source's words between quotation marks or as a block quotation); indirect speech (a source's words modified without quotation marks); and close paraphrasing. It can also be used when loosely summarizing a source's position in your own words. It avoids inadvertent plagiarism and helps the reader see where a position is coming from. An inline citation should follow the attribution, usually at the end of the sentence or paragraph in question.
Y John Rawls says that, to reach fair decisions, parties must consider matters as if behind a veil of ignorance.ઢાંચો:Dummy ref
When using in-text attribution, make sure it doesn't lead to an inadvertent neutrality violation. For example, the following implies parity between the sources, without making clear that the position of Darwin is the majority view:
Charles Darwin says that human beings evolved through natural selection, but John Smith writes that we arrived here in pods from Mars.
Neutrality issues apart, there are other ways in-text attribution can mislead. The sentence below suggests The New York Times has alone made this important discovery:
According to The New York Times, the sun will set in the west this evening.
It is preferable not to clutter articles with information best left to the references. Interested readers can click on the ref to find out the publishing journal:
In an article published in The Lancet in 2012, researchers announced the discovery of the new tissue type.ઢાંચો:Dummy ref
Simple facts such as this can have inline citations to reliable sources as an aid to the reader, but normally the text itself is best left as a plain statement without in-text attribution:
YBy mass, oxygen is the third most abundant element in the universe after hydrogen and helium.ઢાંચો:Dummy ref
Dealing with unsourced materialફેરફાર કરો
WP:NOCITE
WP:BLPCITE
If an article has no references at all, then:
If the entire article is "Patent Nonsense", tag it for speedy deletion using criterion G1.
If the article is a biography of a living person, it can be tagged with {{subst:prod blp}} to propose deletion. If it's a biography of a living person and is an attack page, then it should be tagged for speedy deletion using criterion G10, which will blank the page.
If the article doesn't fit into the above two categories, then consider finding references yourself, or commenting on the article talk page or the talk page of the article creator. You may also tag the article with the {{unreferenced}} template and consider nominating it for deletion.
For individual unreferenced claims in an article:
If the article is a biography of a living person, then any contentious material must be removed immediately: see Biographies of living persons. If the unreferenced material is seriously inappropriate, it may need to be hidden from general view, in which case request admin assistance.
If the material added appears to be false or an expression of opinion, remove it and inform the editor who added the unsourced material. The {{uw-unsourced1}} template may be placed on their talk page.
In any other case consider finding references yourself, or commenting on the article talk page or the talk page of the editor who added the unsourced material. You may place a {{citation needed}} or {{dubious}} tag against the added text.
Citation templates and toolsફેરફાર કરો
WP:CITECONSENSUS
Further information: Wikipedia:Citation templates and Help:Citation tools
For a comparison of citations using templates with citations written freehand, see Wikipedia:Citing sources/Example edits for different methods § Footnotes.
Citation templates can be used to format citations in a consistent way. The use of citation templates is neither encouraged nor discouraged: an article should not be switched between templated and non-templated citations without good reason and consensus – see Variation in citation methods above.
If citation templates are used in an article, the parameters should be accurate. It is inappropriate to set parameters to false values to cause the template to render as if it were written in some style other than the style normally produced by the template (e.g., MLA style).
Metadataફેરફાર કરો
Citations may be accompanied by metadata, though it is not mandatory. Most citation templates on Wikipedia use the COinS standard. Metadata such as this allow browser plugins and other automated software to make citation data accessible to the user, for instance by providing links to their library's online copies of the cited works. In articles that format citations manually, metadata may be added manually in a span, according to the COinS specification.
Citation processing toolsફેરફાર કરો
User:Ark25/RefScript, a JavaScript bookmarklet – creates references in one click, works for many newspapers
User:Citation bot (formerly DOI bot) – a bot that automatically fixes common errors in individual citations and adds missing fields
User:Zhaofeng Li/Reflinks – adds titles to bare url references and other cleanup
Citation template generator – generates complete templates using identification numbers such as PMIDs (PubMed IDs).
Wikipedia template filling – generates Vancouver style citations from PMIDs (PubMed IDs).
Wikipedia citation tool for Google Books – converts bare Google book links into {{cite book}} format.
DOI Wikipedia reference generator
New York Times Wikipedia reference generator
Yadkard: A web-based tool for generating shortened footnotes and citation using Google Books URLs, DOI or ISBN. Also supports some news websites.
User:Salix alba/Citoid a client for the mw:citoid server which generates Citation Style 1 templates from urls.
Template:Ref info, which can aid evaluating what kind of citation style was used to write the article
Programming toolsફેરફાર કરો
આ પણ જુઓ: Help:Citation tools § Tools
Wikicite is a free program that helps editors to create citations for their Wikipedia contributions using citation templates. It is written in Visual Basic .NET, making it suitable only for users with the .NET Framework installed on Windows, or, for other platforms, the Mono alternative framework. Wikicite and its source code is freely available; see the developer's page for further details.
Wikicite+ is a program based on the original Wikicite source code. It features extra validation, bug fixes, additional cite templates (such as cite episode) as well as tools for stub sorting and more. It is also available for free under the Apache License 2.0 and is open source.
User:Richiez has tools to automatically handle citations for a whole article at a time. Converts occurrences of {{pmid XXXX}} or {{isbn XXXX}} to properly formatted footnote or Harvard-style references. Written in Ruby and requires a working installation with basic libraries.
pubmed2wiki.xsl an XSL stylesheet transforming the XML output of PubMed to Wikipedia refs.
RefTag by Apoc2400 creates a prefilled {{cite book}} template with various options from a Google Books URL. The page provides a bookmarklet for single-click transfer.
wikiciter web interface, does Google Books, pdf files, beta.
Citation export toolsફેરફાર કરો
You can insert a link beside each citation in Wikipedia, allowing you to export the citation to a reference manager such as EndNote. To install the script just add the following line to Special:MyPage/skin.js (applies to the currently selected skin) or Special:MyPage/common.js (applies to all skins)"
importScript("User:Smith609/endnote.js");
Then save the page and follow the instructions at the top of that page to bypass your browser's cache.
Reference management softwareફેરફાર કરો
Reference management software can output formatted citations in several styles, including BibTeX, RIS, or Wikipedia citation template styles.
Comparison of reference management software – side-by-side comparison of various reference management software
Wikipedia:Citing sources with Zotero – essay on using Zotero to quickly add citations to articles. Zotero (by Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media; license: Affero GPL) is open-source software with local reference database which can be synchronized between several computers over the online database (up to 300 MB without payment).
EndNote (by Thomson Reuters; license: proprietary)
Mendeley (by Elsevier; license: proprietary)
Paperpile (by Paperpile, LLC; license: proprietary)
Papers (by Springer; license: proprietary)
See alsoફેરફાર કરો
Wikipedia:References dos and don'ts – a concise summary of some of the most important guidance on this page
Wikipedia:Referencing for beginners – a simple practical guide to getting started
Wikipedia:Citation templates – a full listing of various styles for citing all sorts of materials
Wikipedia:Verification methods – listing examples of the most common ways that citations are used in Wikipedia articles
Wikipedia:Citing sources/Example edits for different methods – showing comparative edit mode representations for different citation methods and techniques
Wikipedia:Citing sources/Further considerations
Wikipedia:Inline citation
Wikipedia:External links – for information about the External links section
Wikipedia:Improving referencing efforts
Wikipedia:Layout § Further reading – for information about the Further reading section
Wikipedia:List of sources
Wikipedia:Nesting footnotes
Wikipedia:Scientific citation guidelines – guidelines for dealing with scientific and mathematical articles
Wikipedia:Plagiarism § Public-domain sources – guideline covering the inclusion of material in the public domain
Wikipedia:How to mine a source – essay on getting maximum information from cited material
Citation problems
Template:Refimprove – template to add to article (or section) where citations are needed
Template:Text-source – template to add to article (or section) where text–source integrity is questioned
Wikipedia:Citation needed – explanation of template to tag statements that need a citation
Wikipedia:Link rot – guide to preventing link rot
Wikipedia:Copyright problems – in case of text that has been copied verbatim inappropriately
Template:Irrelevant citation – citation does not say what it is claimed to say
Wikipedia:WikiProject Citation cleanup – a group of people devoted to cleaning citations
Wikipedia:Citation overkill – why too many citations on one fact can be a bad thing
Wikipedia:Bombardment – an essay regarding the overuse of citations
Wikipedia:You don't need to cite that the sky is blue – an essay advising: do not cite already obvious information
Wikipedia:You do need to cite that the sky is blue – an essay advising: just because something appears obvious to you does not mean it is obvious to everyone
Wikipedia:Video links – an essay discussing the use of citations linking to YouTube and other user-submitted video sites
Wikipedia:Reference database – essay/proposal
Changing citation style formats
Notesફેરફાર કરો
↑ Words like citation and reference are used interchangeably on the English Wikipedia. On talk pages where the language can be more informal or in edit summaries or templates where space is a consideration, reference is often abbreviated ref with the plural refs. Footnote may refer specifically to citations using ref tag formatting or to explanatory text; endnotes specifically refers to citations placed at the end of the page. See also: Wikipedia:Glossary.
↑ See this July 2007 discussion for more detail on why scrolling reference lists should not be used.
Further readingફેરફાર કરો
Concordia Libraries (Concordia University). Citation and Style Guides.
New Oxford Style Manual. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0198767251
The Writers' Workshop, Center for Writing Studies. "Citation Styles Handbook: APA", University of Illinois.
The Writers' Workshop, Center for Writing Studies. "Citation Styles Handbook: MLA", University of Illinois.
University of Chicago Press. (2003). The Chicago Manual of Style, 16th edition. ISBN 978-0226104201
A writer's practical guide to MLA documentation
AMA Citation Style
Chicago/Turabian Documentation
"Citation Guide – Turabian" (PDF).
Guide to Citation Style Guides
Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals
American Chemical Society reference style guidelines
How to write citations
External linksફેરફાર કરો
વિકિમીડિયા કૉમન્સ પર Citation needed વિષયક વધુ દ્રશ્ય-શ્રાવ્ય માધ્યમો (Media) ઉપલબ્ધ છે.
reFill, expand bare references with ease
"https://gu.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=વિકિપીડિયા:સંદર્ભ_આપવા&oldid=491585" થી મેળવેલ | cc/2019-30/en_middle_0005.json.gz/line1302 |
__label__cc | 0.577108 | 0.422892 | Alumni of the University of Essex matchfunded £250
17 Days by Adrianna Pavlovska
Help us take 17 Days to Edinburgh Fringe!
pledged of £2,500
By Adrianna Pavlovska
This project received pledges on Tue 05 Jun 2018
17 Days explores the decline of a relationship through the eyes of two people who find it impossible to let go. It seeks to understand why it is so easy to stop fighting for something that, at one point, was everything.
On his return from America, Josh realises the love he had for his partner is waining, and he's determined to end it. Ingrid is waiting for him, with the hope his return will mean happiness. Both will be disappointed.
A play about the refusal to compromise and the desperation to be loved.
"I've seen the production numerous times and am desperate to see it again. This passionate, hilarious and heartbreaking work by a new Polish playwright is the oxygen that British theatre needs." - Jesse Briton, Bear Trap Theatre
'17 Days' is written by Adrianna Pavlovska, directed by Tongchai O.Hansen and produced by James Matthews. Our company brings together artists from across Europe, Adrianna (the writer and actor) hails from Poland, Tongchai (director), from Norway and James (producer) is from... Bristol. We all met at East 15 Acting School where 17 Days was born as part of The International Festival of New Work, the show has since been shortlisted for the Moscow International Festival, Your Chance. Although each one of us come from different places, speak different languages, we have a shared passion of making exciting new work that celebrates our varying backgrounds.
We dream big. We dream as big as we can. Which makes us very much alike.
The show is made in association with Bear Trap Theatre (' Enduring Song', 'Bound' ) and Kosky Productions, both of which are successful and established graduate companies of East 15.
We have secured a slot at ZOOVenues for the whole of August at Edinburgh Fringe. As well as this, we have a London preview at Bernie Grant Arts Centre as part of Springboard Festival 2018. These performances provide the show with a wealth of chances to be seen by a variety of industry professionals (programmers, press, literary agents - you name it, they'll be in Edinburgh) as well as audiences from all around the world. As a new show with universal relatability and a strong message we can't wait to share the show with you guys, but first, we need some help...
LET'S TALK MONEY...
We have secured some funding already from various private sources and are applying to others, but the fringe is very pricey so we need all the help we can get.
Our current costs are:
Venue Costs - £3500
Accommodation - £1500
Fringe Registration Fee - £295.20
Marketing - £300
Insurance - £90
Transport £222
Contingency (5%) - £295.36
TOTAL - £6202.56
For our minimum target of £500, the money shall be spent on the remainder of our venue costs and anything over this shall be spent on accommodation, transport and marketing.
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/17DaysPlay/
Instagram - @17daysplay
Twitter - @17daysplay
If you could make a donation, no matter how big or small, it would be greatly appreciated! If not, please share our campaign all over your social media and if you're feeling ultra-generous do both!
The 17 Days Team
14 claimed
Pledge £10 or more
We will give you a shout out on all of our social media platforms.
Estimated delivery: 1 July 2018
All previous rewards, plus a personal thank you video from the company.
Estimated delivery: 1 August 2018
All previous rewards, plus a signed poster by the company.
All previous rewards, plus a comp ticket to a performance of your choice.
All previous rewards, plus an additional comp ticket to a performance of your choice.
0 claimed of 5 | cc/2019-30/en_middle_0005.json.gz/line1303 |
__label__wiki | 0.515861 | 0.515861 | Turtle Crossing Season
Emily Churchill
Slow and steady wins the race and keeps you aware to your driving surroundings.
I've seen a few social media posts floating around of turtles around the Hudson Valley laying eggs and crossing busy roads, so this press release from the Department of Environmental Conservation seems relevant.
The DEC is advising New York State drivers to be alert for turtle crossings. They say that "native turtles are on the move in May and June, seeking sandy areas or loose soil to lay their eggs."
While our first instinct is to swerve out of the way the DEC urges drivers to pull over and physically remove turtles from the road. Swerving out of the way could obviously cause a more sever accident.
According to the DEC, New York is home to 11 different species of land turtles and that they are in the decline. It also takes them about 10 years to breed.
When removing a turtle from the road the DEC suggests to pick the turtle up by the side of their shell and to not" pick up a turtle by its tail. Picking the turtle up by its tail may frighten or injure the reptile."
If you come across a snapping turtle, however, you are to pick it up from the sides of its shell closer to the tail area.
And if you're thinking about taking one of these native New York turtles home, think again. The DEC says that "All native turtles are protected by law and cannot be collected without a permit." | cc/2019-30/en_middle_0005.json.gz/line1306 |
__label__wiki | 0.515095 | 0.515095 | SYNTHETICS CANADA
An SBO Company
We, as indicated below, are primarily a contracted services concern towards professional communications in pharma.
Current Topics in Synthetic Biology Theory and Practice:
(see: MEDBios) continues the scientific documentation from investigating metabolises and cell modelling and its various players in various areas of neurological brain function, cancers, nutrient-disease interactions and the aging process, amongst others.
Section I Neuropharma and Cognitive Enhancement Therapeutics in Psychosocial & Kinesiological Rehabilitation
Section II Neurhormonal Immunomodulation
Section III Molecular Medicine and Nutrigenomics
Section I. We are currently investigating a recent report that has surfaced, but nevertheless rare medical condition or phenomenon where brain concussion or 'knock-out' (unconsciousness) can lead to over-compensation upon apparent recovery and overactivation of brain centre(s) and function(s). One e. g. is perceiving fractal geometries in everyday objects, not perceived before. The second e. g. we have evidence for are under two 'equilibrated' drug regimens using two relatively new anti-psychotics, like Invega (generic drug name), and that mental function such as information processing so as to perform everyday tasks or activities, is activatable (see: MEDBIOSE) and/or maintainable. These reports corroborate new ones with use of these drugs in practice amongst other mental health consumers in the community. It would be of further interest to probe what if any neuropeptides, neurhormones and balance of neurotransmitters and if in the long term developmental changes occur in the brain's neuro-circuitry subject to severity. Note, the LMW-proteome in circulating in the bloodstream is just beginning to be investigated from the brain, an e. g. of which are the stress hormones.
Cognitive enhancers are coming now into the fore and are also within theories of 'plasticity' of brain structure and function. We have always speculated as to whether cognitive enhancers (e. g. processing, problem solving, storage, and retrieval functions) earlier on have further down the line could have a neuroprotective effect, a new frontier of research in neuroscience, against Alzheimers or other dementias. We speculate that dementias are a type of developmental disorder of the brain to be protected against onset or progression. The brain progresses in stages as it is hypothesized we have put forward new concepts of: cognitive enhancement, neuroplasticity, neurodevelopmental disorders and neuroprotective interventions.
The recent studies of Reelin proteins in the brain that can reverse the overt signs of abberant cellular anatomical plaque and amyloid-beta fibril entanglements can 'reverse' this clinical phenotype of Alzheimers via the Reelin cell signaling pathways and recovery of cognate cognitive deficits. (See also the story by pasting this link on you browser: http://www.ub.edu/web/ub/en/menu_ eines/noticies/2014/03/010.html.
Section II. Biopharmacogeneic Therapeutic Activation of the Cellular Immune System. The humeral immune response system model rudiments: --Cytotoxic T cells recruited by helper T cells (initiates T and B cells) kills infected body cells by pathogens or invaders (parasitic, bacterial and viral) --Natural killer (NK) cells recognizes and kills cells infected by a broad range of invaders --Killer (K) cells also kills infected cells coated with antibodies X-reacted with their antigenic determinants --Biopharmacogeneic drugs that effect cell signalling activating cellular immunity --Cytotoxic complement-like cell destruction by humeral cellular factors --Cancer (melanoma) is acted on by circulatory leukocyte and endothelial cells (as a model) --At this time there are regulatory homeostatic factors that affect phagocytosis such as calreticulin; what factors for enhancement and/or optimization are possible together with bio-pharma in biotech is a question. T, B, NK, and K cells, complement, and phagocytosis all are involved in the total immunogeneic response. The most recent news to come out of Skye Blue in regards to our hypothetical modeling of sheep immunogeneic cell lines is as follows: 1) a humeral haemocytotic germinal cell line primed with hormonal cell blockers to growing cancer cells; could an e. g. be anti-CD47 signaling agent or hormone encouraging an effective macrophagic phagocytotic outcome, 2) a systemic CNS –sourced neurhormonal activation of complement cytotoxicity and phagocytosis of cancer cells (an e. g. in the literature is with acetylcholine and other anti-tumour cytotoxic T-cell immune response mechanisms).
SKYEVIEW: It has come to our attention at Skye Blue in the recent year that new evidence using epidural delivery via lumbar (as in lower back section of the spine) puncture into cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) space of an engraft from mononucleocytes from umbilical (as in fetus) cord blood cells results in successful engraftment and restoration of partial function (albeit, not as a cure per se- as of yet, anyways) of bodily motor functions and with injection of lithium and further training or exercise. The cells, once taken to the surrounding tissue, stimulates formation of 'long tracts' along the spinal cord either directly stimulating regeneration of spinal cord cells or indirectly via perhaps other spinal cord cells via certain yet to be defined growth factors. Lithium has the added effect of causing the engrafted cells to stimulate the spinal cord cells to regenerate through such growth factors. Methylprednisolone administered allows prolonged half-life of cord blood cells as engrafted to take effect. This study and others like it would demonstrate extremely thought-provoking speculation as to what growth factors in the CNS and peripheral nervous system could be and including established and yet to be discovered neurhormones in circulation and what their nature or functions are, with the depleted circulating [LMW]-proteome in the blood supply across the blood-brain barrier, in the general circulation and in the CSF spaces. And now for the 'piece de resistance' of the story: the momentous question at Skye Blue is that of the nature of the so-called 'mind-body' axis and, in particular, does the brain communicate directly to the 'lower body functions' via direct innervation and/or via the circulation through a related group of released growth factors and/or neurhormones postulated earlier in the phenomenon called immunomodulation towards, for e. g., the development of the immune system to maturity (viz. adapted, innate, humeral and cellular immunity) and further our suggestion that this offers perspectives towards a framework for manipulation towards boosting (or optimizing) in future anti-viral therapies and cancer treatments, which may arrive sooner than we might expect.
Section III. "Chronic Inflammation, Immunogeneicity and Disease: the promise of new drug discovery." We are publishing this new paper on the links between chronic inflammation, immunogeneic response and disease states, such as diabetes, atherosclerosis and cancer, and their links to both nutritionals, Vit D and fructans, in the lower gut, a clue to the linkage between the two factors and other diseases also linked to the prolonged chronic elicitation or aggravation of the inflammation response. We invite editorial oversight on the investigation of the inflammation process including published/unpublished research findings on this exciting and growing field in health research. There are new monoclonal antibodies administered by subcutaneous injection that can be used against products of genes that help activate inflammation or possibly act to enhance the production of gene products that help modulate the inflammation cascade, with nutritionals. Vaccines would of course not be a functional route, unlike the in vitro, ex vivo therapeutic modality of producing monoclonal antibodies. The immune response as outlined and small molecules in the inflammatory response could interact in future drug trials and thus affect immunogeneicity in a negative way in fighting disease. Systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) could be used as a model for the study of whether drug trials will have this issue of interactions with the immune system and affect disease fighting ability of the body. The cytokine storm as described elsewhere is an uncontrolled feedback cascade eliciting T cell response and macrophages to the site of infection; however, over response can lead to complications and even death. (Thank you to our respondent who mentioned with the Wordpress.com blog feedback on the 'cytokine storm'.)
In our continued search and development with the use of synthetic biology for the advancement of Vit D activated-forms of the drugs and their pharmacogenic effects to T2Diabetes, atherosclerosis and heart disease or health (in general) and cancers, including lower bowel cancer, we propose a precursor derivative (a steroidal 'lipoic' aldehyde) synthesized (see: Flores, 1980, Kalamazoo College MI U.S.A.) through the body's natural metabolic synthetic pathways to Vit D's activated forms to act as 'agonistes' against the feedback inhibition (FBI) to the drug with <increases in effectivity in therapeutic indices>. There are, as we speak, alternative approaches which may be less effective using Vit D at its receptors for various tissues types and/or gene-selectivity with Vit D receptor modulators (VDRMs) that act with ligands (it is interesting to note here that recent use of non-seco-steroidal VDR ligands, unlike activated forms of steroid-like Vit D, have been developed for this) resulting in their increased effect. Synthetic biology uses chemical protocols and inferences to solve mechanistic problems useful for medicinal chemistry. There are two sides to this problem on the sterol lanosterol. Problem A will involve lanosterol and its synthesis with reduction of C-25 on the side-chain. If resynthesized and a 13C label placed on the side-chain on C26 the reduction of the alpha-beta unsaturation on its plane would result in a chiral centre determining if the H is introduced above as opposed to below the plane of symmetry. A 13C NMR scan would show the position of the lone peak upstream or downstream depending on nuclear shielding. The last step is in question as to whether a Wolff-Kishner Reduction is an effective route or whether the one-pot reduction with solvent n-butyl silane or diethyl silane (Si-H) that reacts 1H per -OH group and sequentially 2H per carbonyl group using the catalyst tri(pentafluorophenyl)-borane. The phenols are converted to silyloxybenzenes. Problem B with synthetic biology in this work is to synthesize a derivative of a precursor to Vit D's active compounds through the liver/kidneys that back inhibits (feedback inhibition, FBI) as an 'agonist' and could be a candidate as a pro-Vit D therapeutic drug. We are "christening" these class of drugs at this juncture by commercial name: Retonibionols (R). A major hurdle of this type of research is with animals that starts with lanosterol (animals and fungi) which convert this to cholesterol via the cytochrome P-450 superfamily of enzymes in 19 steps (drugs in pharma can take typically up to 21 steps) and to 7-dehydrocholesterol and upon irradiation to cholecalciferol or Vit D3 and to related hormones like calcidiol in the liver and kidney. Enzyme affinity and avidity to drug analogues is a question open to experimentation with structure-mechanisms to be studied with the enzymes involved in proteomics, structural folding studies, x-ray crystallography and structure-proofing to make the lanosterol side-chain derivatives bind constructively by residue replacement. Orientation and proximity (e. g. hydrogen-bonding between the aldehyde group of the prosthetic side-chain and amino acid residues of the enzymes) of atomic residues is apropos here. Steroidals such as those derived and proposed from Vit D activated forms can open up further speculation as to their appropriateness for heart health or cardiac performance, muscular performance and inflammation and cancer. All these new avenues of research will have to be further studied.
We are also attempting breaking new ground in the bioengineering of metabolism in animal livestock, as well, including the area of energy metabolosomics and engineering energy use with better productivity in terms of inputs including uptake, utilization and regulatory factors. Thermogenic homeostasis is a factor and so with its evolution in excess. There is prebiotic rumen microbial data with water-soluble carbohydrates (WSC) and pre-formed amino acids (PFAAs) increasing metabolic efficiency and growth. One wonders what lies ahead in its molecular biology. In reference to the portfolio of projects (See: Projek Konsep) on probiotics and the new emerging field of nutrigenomics and meat science that it plays in nutritional supplementation there is an important breakthrough in the possible use of VitD, fructan and folate, as examples, of recent studies with their role with the VDR receptor for VitD between it and fructan and cell signaling pathways and a possible use for energy conservation and greater microbial cell protein (MCP) synthesis in digestion of ruminant livestock and in meat production using recombinant gene manipulations to code for production of these co-factors. There has been evidence to show in microbial culture that, for example, rumen microbes that function to breakdown fibre and contribute substantially to MCP synthesis via use of pre-formed amino acid [peptides + free amino acids] can be used as cellular models and so with evidence involved with fructan and related WSC. The role of cofactor-enzyme interactions has to be biochemically explored and documented involved specifically in energy cell metabolism. Which is (part of) the proposed hypothesis on this matter. And further studies from McGill U. (1980) in their biomedical areas at the Dept. of Biochemistry: folate and energy metabolism have also been linked. Are there networks in folate-related metabolism that link together in regards to use of ATP in terms of: cell membrane (CM) transport processes, cellular catabolism and/or anabolism and cell mitogenesis or reproduction. We hope that this will contribute revolutionary finds towards more sustainable practices in animal protein production in solving economic demands and world hunger, in general. Both the use of biocropping, which has begun, microbial GMO biotechnology in animal feeding, still in its nascency, and newer approaches to making an GMO animal livestock spp. nutritionally enriched with protein, vitamins and minerals may be new breath to an old convention based on true and very specific metabolic engineering of both components and its systems approach.
SKYEVIEW: In a recent review (2012) it has been suggested that functional foods such as VitD and fructan (FOS) be now measured as to their effects via "gold standard" measurements as with chemokines and cytokines (e.g. ILs), are define inflammatory or anti-inflammatory (e. g. fish sauce proteins lead to increase in the type of characteristic markers that are described as anti-inflammatory). In a very recent review from Quebec, Canada researchers in 2014 studied dairy and its products have been more closely correlated between those natural ingredients and inflammatory markers (above) which are: TNF-alpha, IL1-beta, Il-6, Il-8, MCP-1, and as opposed to IL-10, which is considered anti-inflammatory. The overall picture of VitD/fructan and their effect on chronic inflammation and disease aetiology (see: here, elsewhere) leads one to think about the very possibilities of such schema for such "gold standards" in blood measurements upon ingestion of functional foods. The inflammatory profile from the blood biochemical profiles of how high/low these inflammatory markers are vs. anti-inflammatory markers could served as a starting schema. It should be added that the organ that comes to mind here first of all amongst others would be the lower G.I. tract which have measurable glycan-type receptors for FOS and nuclear steroid or VitD receptors (VDRs) in the gut lining to bring about cell signaling. Which brings us further to the point of which operative drug agents (small organic molecules) that could be designed to bring about functional food-type, anti-inflammatory action over the long term to prevent, alleviate or help bring about a cure to chronic inflammatory-type diseases in various organ tissues such as atherosclerosis, diabetes type-II and colonic cancers. There is also question further to this here as to how to fortify plant products with the family of phytosterols, including VitD, and for that matter fructan and other fat-soluble vitamins and minerals (note:beta-carotene from daffodil has already been considered a success to be tested in India in future and further what with the new developments oto use genome engineering) that have similar effects like VitE to be anti-cancer and have wildly great potential in huge middle class markets in the developing world for multi-nationals wishing an ROI on earlier crop R&D development. Cows milk could also be enriched in our view not by what could be more slow, less effective breeding programmes for anti-inflammatory milk-type protein-enriched milk products using the more publicly acceptable genome engineering techniques which are likely to be reconsidered seriously commercially by the USDA in the coming years as just one of the agenda items with SkyeBlue in genome engineering and using amongst other strategies like disease resistance and increased hardiness and greater productivity in plant or crop and animal biotechnology.
Amino acid nutrition and metabolism can lead to new hypotheses regards new mechanisms in the CNS with neurmodulation including putative effects on increased LBM mass accretion and fat loss via hGH with the pituitary and hypothalamus where both NEAAs and HIS are implicated at this time to be tested in animal feeding studies.
OUR NEW PLANNED PUBLICATION ON ENSILAGE (2019), Springer-Verlag (FRG), Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology: "dsRNA for Silage (temperate and tropical) and Rumen Digestion: a minireview," by D. A. Flores.
Dear: --
New Approaches to dsRNA Regulatory Manipulation of Rumen Microbes.
1) NEW. Yeast, an e. g. of which is Saccharomyces cerevisiae, fed continuously at 5g/d with an Fae enzyme and an E. coli etherase can be cloned by precision editing in this host to improve fibre digestion attacking the carbohydrate-lignin complexes in plant residues.
2) NEW. Yeast, an e. g. of which is Saccharomyces cerevisiae fed continuously at 5g/d with a grass diet that are low in certain essential amino acids (E.A.A.) by boosting total E.A.A. flows to the intestines by adding E.A.A. operon cassettes that are limiting in microbial protein synthesis (see: Flores 1989), fed with ATP energy from the increase in fibre digesters that result from yeast addition, increasing the sugar energy pool that would support amino acid synthesis and microbial growth.
3) NEW. Aspergillus oryzae is known to retain like yeast in the rumen and will be fed at a given rate (g/d). To provide A. oryzae as a 'surrogate' for the well-known protein MB-1 it is unknown at this time if it can retain in the rumen although 'tweaking' the energy supply pool, e. g., adding an additional cellobiase gene which increases energy availability from fibre by deregulation of feed-back inhibition (FBI) might serve this purpose (see: Flores, 1988, MAppSc thesis).
These are all here-to-fore untested options. We believe there is a moratorium on any further genetic engineering in the rumen (consulting ILRI, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia for any further advise and opinions on this matter is suggested).
Oligosaccharides & Peptides/Amino Acids and Possible Effects on Cell Proliferation.
Genomic sequencing with analyses of specific genes using a microarray approach with rumen microbial cell modeling, similar to mammalian cells, for putative products archaetypical in procaryotic rumen microbial cells, that will require significant investigation as was discovered for mammalian p38, MK2 and alpha-TNFproducts and a 3'-UTR sequence, with an ARE sequence, that is untranslated coding for a transcript that normally suppresses alpha-TNF products implicated in mitogenesis, with the correlation of treatment effects in in vitro culture with inulin (e. g. +fructan in complete media) and pre-formed amino acids (peptides or +peptones in basal media). There are several reviews (see: G. Pang et al., 2012) one that implicated the role of receptors or proteins in the gut (G.I. tract) serving to translocate intracellularly to the nucleus as transcription factors (TFs) that may suggest further details as to how this proposed mechanism might work. p38 as a member of the major MAPK family of proteins would be involved with fructan and pre-formed amino acids targeting receptor proteins that act in cell signaling with p38 metabolically through known modifications of enzymes and other binding proteins and/or their subunits, for e. g., via phosphorylation with kinases and/or acetylation of sugars, which is possible.
SKYE BLUE INTERNET ®
All copyright held by D. A. Flores. 2003-2016. All rights reserved. Disclaimer.
Information in Companies. Working for Information.
Made for Information. ® | cc/2019-30/en_middle_0005.json.gz/line1308 |
__label__cc | 0.570622 | 0.429378 | Mitt Quotes
Mitt Romney has never been resigned to what someone else said was possible. He cut his own path. That's why he believes in his heart that America has a future full of opportunity and hope. And that's why when Mitt Romney looks down the road, he sees a country that's ready for a comeback.
Author Profession: Politician
Born: February 20, 1942
Find on Amazon: Mitch McConnell
Benjamin Franklin, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Donald Rumsfeld, Robert Kennedy, Alexander Hamilton, Ilhan Omar, Bernie Sanders, Adlai Stevenson I
America, Been, Believes, Comeback, Country, Cut, Down, Down The Road, Else, Full, Future, He, Heart, His, Hope, Looks, Mitt, Mitt Romney, Never, Opportunity, Own, Path, Possible, Ready, Resigned, Road, Romney, Said, Sees, Someone, Why
We're not Democrats first. We're not Republicans first. We're Americans first. We're patriots first.
First Democrats Patriots Republicans
Diplomacy is important, extremely important, and I don't think these reductions at the State Department are appropriate because many times diplomacy is a lot more effective - and cert cheaper - than military engagement.
Think Important More Diplomacy
The Russians are clearly a big adversary, and they demonstrated it by trying to mess around in our election.
Election Trying Mess Big
The bill that job creators and out-of-work Americans need us to pass is the one that ensures taxes won't go up - one that says Americans and small-business owners won't get hit with more bad news at the end of the year.
Job Bad News Go
We all know that Social Security is one of this country's greatest success stories in the 20th century.
Success Country Know Security
The money that goes into Social Security is not the government's money. it's your money. You paid for it.
You Money Government Your
Trump was able to convey - oddly enough a message from a billionaire who lives in Manhattan - a genuine concern for people who felt kind of left off, who felt offended by all the political correctness they see around them.
People Political Enough See
The president feels not only do we need to change these rogue regimes, but even our friendly allies, who really basically have, sort of, benign dictatorships, need to get with the program if they want to have long-term security and prosperity from terrorism.
Change Terrorism Need Want
I do think that the Constitution and the traditions of this country constrain all of us - those of us in Congress and those of us in the White House - from some of our impulses, shall I say, that we'd like to pursue.
Think White Country Constitution
We need to say to everyone on Election Day, 'Those of you who helped make this a good day, you need to go out and help us finish the job.'
Good Day You Good Day
We need to strengthen and save Social Security for today's workers. If we don't act now, this system, born out of the New Deal, will become a bad deal.
Today Bad Born New
We need to be honest with the public.
Need Honest To Be Honest Public
You know, 'Professor Obama' has been a label applied to him by Republicans and Democrats alike. He's a very smart guy. But I think he'd be, you know, better served not to spend so much time trying to impress us with his particular position on an issue and understand that there are things upon which we simply have a disagreement.
Time You Smart Think
No matter how unusual a personality may be who gets elected to office, there are constraints in this country. You don't get to do anything you want to. So I'm very optimistic about America.
Personality You America Matter | cc/2019-30/en_middle_0005.json.gz/line1310 |
__label__wiki | 0.704512 | 0.704512 | By 2022, India will Have More Demi-Billionaires Than France and UK: Report
News18 12 September 2018
PPF deposits fall under the EEE (exempt, exempt, exempt) tax category. Deposits made under this scheme can be claimed as deductions under section 80C. The interest earned on the deposit is not taxable, and the amount withdrawn from the account is exempt from wealth tax.
New Delhi: The latest Wealth Report by Knight Frank predicts that India will have more demi-billionaires — those with USD 500 million or more in net assets – than France, Russia or the UK by 2022.
India had 200 demi-billionaires in 2017, and this number is all set to increase to 340 in the year 2022. In comparison, the population of demi-billionaires in France will increase from 230 in 2017 to 310 in 2022 while Russia and the UK, both of which had 220 demi-billionaires in 2017, are expected to increase their numbers by merely 50 and 40, respectively.
The Wealth Report also highlights that in five years’ time the number of demi-billionaires in Asia will overtake that in North America for the first time. Wealth data specialists Wealth-X predict that there will be almost 3,000 people based in Asia who have more than USD 500 million in assets by 2022.
Knight Frank cites strong global economic growth, as well as rising asset prices as key drivers behind the growth in the world’s demi-billionaire population. By 2022, Wealth-X anticipates that there will be 9,570 demi-billionaires worldwide, up from 6,900 at the end of 2017.
The US will remain the country with the biggest overall population of demi-billionaires, expected to rise from 1,830 to nearly 2,500 over the next five years. In China, the number will grow from 490 to 990, says Wealth-X.
Despite the rise in political uncertainty and unknowns surrounding the final Brexit deal, the UK saw the largest inflow of overseas deposits globally in 2017, rising to USD 1.8 trillion, a currency adjusted annual net inflow of USD 239 billion, according to Bank for International Settlements (BIS) data analysed in the annual Knight Frank Wealth Report.
Singapore experiences resurgent price growth in Knight Frank’s analysis of 20 prime international residential markets. Singapore leads the house price rankings (+11.5%). The city has witnessed resurgent price growth due to rising foreign demand and high land bids by developers.
Roshan Baig Detained in IMA Money Laundering Case Minutes Before Flying Out of Bengaluru
Twitter Trolls Vijay Mallya After Chris Gayle Posts Photo with Him
Assam NRC: Over four million people left off-draft since enforcement of exercise, Muslims majority among those who 'fear for future'
Electric Vehicles in India: 4 Lakh EVs Across The Country, UP Leads With 1.39 Lakh, Nitin Gadkari Informs Lok Sabha | cc/2019-30/en_middle_0005.json.gz/line1315 |
__label__wiki | 0.648121 | 0.648121 | CassandraDW's Gallery (1)
pitch_black.doc
Keywords male 694937, female 574253, teen 14737, any species 1806, darkness 1167, nighttime 1061, implied sex 381, exploration 363, voyerism 201, feeling 150, virgins 26, heavy petting 22
"Why are we out here again?" Theo asked as the two boys darted between dark lawns.
"I told you like three times already." James replied, frustrated from the constant barrage of questions while he tried to guide them through the dark neighborhood.
"I mean I know what we're doing but is it really a good idea to be out here at night? What if we get caught or abducted or something." Theo said, always one to worry.
"Do you want to see it or not?" James asked.
"Of course I do but..." Theo attempted to reply but was cut off before he could finish.
"Then shut up cause we're here." The two stopped beside a quaint two-story suburban home like many others around it. From outside it was distinguishable only by the large oak tree growing far closer to the house than it should, its branches nearly scraping the siding. The boys snuck up to the base of the tree, neither saying a word until their backs were against it.
"Alright, this is it, now we just need to climb up and get a look through the window." James said as he rubbed his hands together in preparation for the climb.
"You want me to climb this? At night? I can barely see my hand in front of my face." Theo said in protest. It wasn't that he couldn't climb, the two were practically monkeys after a childhood spent climbing, and falling, from every tree they ever crossed paths with, he was just worried that this entire thing was a terrible idea.
"Duh, how else are we supposed to look through the window?" James replied, hopping up and taking hold of a branch, hauling himself onto it.
"That's another thing," Theo continued as he carefully followed James up the tree. "What makes you think we'll be able to see anything?"
"I told you, I asked around and everyone says she sleeps naked." James said, a dash of adolescent lust in his voice.
"Nobody sleeps naked on top of the sheets you idiot." Theo said. For once James didn't have a good comeback so he simply dismissed it and continued climbing.
"You didn't say no before we left and it's way too late to go back now." James reached the long branch which lead to the second floor window and crouched on it, helping Theo up when he reached him. "Alright, I'll go out on the limb and look inside."
James crept along the branch, careful to keep his balance lest he plummet a full story to the ground. He'd nearly reached it when he slipped and had to wrap himself around the branch to avoid falling, a shrill cry escaping his mouth on instinct. He had yet to regain his footing when the boys heard the metallic clicking of the window latch.
"Bail!" Theo called to his friend as he quickly made his way to the ground. James hung from the branch and dropped, landing on his feet and taking off. He wouldn't stop running until he made it home, leaving Theo behind as usual.
"And where do you think you're going Theodore?" A lovely voice called from behind just as he was about to climb over the fence. He'd been caught and while his instinct was to run he stopped, entranced by that familiar sound. "Come to catch an illicit peek?" She asked again, prodding him with the accusation. He turned to look back at the window, unable to make anything out in the darkness.
"Why do you ask that?" He replied in the most non-confessional manner he could think of.
"Did you really think James could ask around about me without word coming back?" While Theo couldn't see her he had the uncanny feeling she was wearing a smirk.
"You make a good point." He let out a sigh, there was no use trying to hide it, it was pretty obvious. "Sorry, it was dumb." He apologized.
"And?" She asked.
"And stupid."
"And?"
"And it won't happen again."
"Hmm, I suppose I can forgive you." She replied. "I would like to know though, why did you want to see me naked?" Theo flinched at her words, it made him feel like a pervert to hear it put so plainly.
"Do you really need to ask? I'm a guy, you're a girl, guys like looking at naked girls." He tried to deflect.
"There are girls living way closer to you than me if that's the only reason." She said.
"Is this really the best time to be talking about this?" He asked.
"No time like the present." Theo groaned, both at her instant comebacks and cheery tone of voice.
"Fine, if I tell you then can I go?"
"Sure, if you tell me then I won't ask any more questions."
"Alright, its just, you're the most beautiful girl and I've watched you for years and I just..."
"You really sounded like a creepy stalker there." She said before he could continue.
"There's really no other way to sound when you're explaining why you tried to peek through a girl's bedroom window to see her naked. I just let James talk me into something stupid, again." He sighed deeply, mortified now that she most definitely thought him a creepy perv.
"Okay, you can come up." She said.
"Thank you." He turned to leave but stopped and looked back, "Wait, what did you say?"
"I said you can come up, the window is open."He heard the words but his brain didn't comprehend so he just stood there with a dumbfounded expression. She giggled at how awkward he was. "Climb up the tree and come inside." She said again.
"You're joking."
"If you don't want to its fine, you can just go home and I can go back to bed." He heard the sound of squeaking window hinges.
"No wait!" He called, finding the nerves to move again, heading back to the tree and beginning his second climb. She stepped back from the window and when he had made it to the branch he still couldn't see her. "How do I get in?" He asked, perched as far out on the branch as he felt comfortable.
"Just jump, trust me, I've done it lots of times."
"Jump? Are you crazy? What if I miss?"
"You have to be willing to take some risks to get what you want." She said. He knew he was crazy for even entertaining jumping from a tree branch into a window but there was something about her voice that entranced him and he knew he was going to try it if it broke every bone in his body. He crept out just a bit further and leapt towards the window, his arms making it inside and holding on for dear life.
As he strained to pull himself up he felt hands pull on him as she helped him inside. He was just about shaking when his feet firmly planted themselves on solid carpet. He needed to remind himself never to do anything like that again.
"Not a bad effort, you should practice your long jumps though, your form was all wrong." She giggled as she stepped around him and closed the window as he got to his feet.
The room was pitch black and he couldn't see his own hand in front of his face. It was terrifying being in an alien environment with nothing to go on. He didn't dare take a step lest he trod on something and hurt himself so he just stood there nervously.
"So, umm, what now?" He asked.
"Well, you wanted to see me naked, to know what my body looks like right?"
"Right." He furrowed his brow, unsure what she was getting at.
"Well, this is your chance."
"But I can't see anything." He said.
"Exactly. Mystery is important you know." He suddenly became aware of a presence very close and realized she was standing right in front of him. He did his best impression of a statue, not moving a single muscle. She giggled, "Relax, I'm not going to hurt you." He felt her hands on his and he relaxed his arms as she held them between them. "I'll help you get started."
Before he could protest he felt warmth in his hands, felt soft fur and realized she had placed his hands against herself and that she was naked. If he was meant to relax he did the exact opposite, going stiff in more ways than one. He felt lightheaded and wondered if he was going to wake up now. She guided his hands slowly up and down, feeling the hourglass curve of her sides. After a while he regained control of his body and his hands moved of their own accord for the first time since entering the room. He slid them slowly down and around her hips, stroking gently as they slid to take hold of her rear.
"An ass man hmm?" She thought. She didn't dare say anything though, not now that he was finally loosening up. She just let her lips hang slightly apart and any sounds he elicited escape freely.
Theo's hands slid slowly down her rear, mapping out their curves, the shape of the cheeks, where they met the thigh. He wanted so badly to see, the desire only increasing the more he felt. He squeezed gently, taking handfuls of her rear, eliciting a soft moan of approval. His mouth curled into a small smile as the sound met his ears. He wanted to hear more of those sounds. His hands slid back up to her hips and around her front, gently rubbing her abdomen before slowly moving up. He didn't have nearly the amount of nerve required to head down.
She giggled helplessly as his hands stroked over her stomach, especially when his thumb lingered in her navel. "Sorry, I'm a little ticklish." She said with an unseen smile.
"Its okay, I like it, it's cute." He said a bit more confidently as his hands moved up her sides until his thumbs met the underside of her breasts. He swallowed an enormous lump that formed in his throat as she held her breath for what would come next, biting her trembling lip.
She could feel his hands shaking as they felt over her chest, feeling the soft, pliable flesh, lifting them to feel their weight. A soft moan would turn into a sharp gasp as his fingers turned their attention to her erect nipples, their sensitivity catching her off guard. Theo smirked and gave them a teasing pinch. She yelped and it was his turn to chuckle while her face went bright red. Now it was her turn to feel frightened, frightened at how easy it was to exploit her weaknesses.
She sighed softly as his hands stroked her breasts gently and he ceased to tease her nipples. While they hadn't shared words something had definitely been communicated. His hands left the supple mounds of her chest as fingertips gently traced her collar bone and a palm found her hot cheek while the other slid fingers through her hair. Here was the object of his fantasies and he leaned in to press a trembling kiss to her lips.
It caught her off guard when their lips touched. She hadn't seen it coming and she honestly hadn't thought he would do it. It was such a tender thing to do when there were such naughty possibilities. She leaned into it, the two of them sharing an awkward first kiss. While neither knew what to do, the less they thought about it the better it became and a hand slid down her back to pull her close while she leaned up so he wouldn't have to bend. The atmosphere became electric as they stoked their passion and when they separated he still held her close. She was left gazing up to where she knew his eyes were, unable to see him but knowing he did likewise.
"Wow." She said softly, impressed by the power of the kiss.
"Yeah." He said, a soft chuckle in his throat. "I never thought we'd ever do that, except in my dreams." He blushed. Why had he said that, admitted to dreaming of her?
"You... you dream about me?" She asked, stunned.
"Well, yeah. You're the most beautiful girl I've ever seen. I've sat behind you in class since elementary and well, I've always had a crush you."
"That, that's so sweet." She sniffed, a little teary-eyed in spite of herself. "I've always thought you were sweet." She stifled any attempt he made to reply by locking lips with him again, pulling him into a kiss that he couldn't escape from. His hands roamed across her back and rear while they inexpertly made out in the dark.
Her hands moved across his clothing, fingers finding buttons and undoing them before slipping his shirt from his shoulders and pulling his hands through to let it drop to the floor. She smiled inside at his lack of protest as she slowly disrobed him, her hands tracing his sides, chest and stomach. He was a thin, lanky boy but his arms and core were strong. She undid his pants without him seeming to notice but when she dropped them around his ankles he suddenly broke the entrancing kiss.
"What are you doing?" He asked in a frightened voice.
"Well, you've felt me over, its only fair you let me do the same."
"But..." It was too late, there was no protesting left as her thumbs hooked into the waistband of his boxers and slid them down. It hurt a little as the band bent his erection down but it sprung back up once it passed.
"Just relax Theo, stop thinking so much." Her words contrasted starkly with her inner voice which screamed at her in a fever pitch that she was touching a boy "down there." While he had lacked the nerve to explore her most private area, his explorations had given her the strength to do just that. She gently stroked across his length, surprised at how long it took to reach his tip. Again she was surprised by the thickness of it as she wrapped her hand around and stroked back to the base. Theo was anything but relaxed as she stroked him, screaming in his head that a girl was touching him "down there."
She cupped his balls in her hand and lifted them to feel their weight. Again, they were larger than she'd have thought. She wondered if he was really so large or if she was simply feeling too small.
"Theo," she asked, "when you dream about me, do we ever, you know..." She couldn't finish the question, worried it might already be too much.
"Well," he began, feeling suddenly very frightened yet again, "often we're about to but..."
"But what?" She asked, an air of excitement in her voice. She began to become aware of how aroused she truly was, how much farther they had already gone then she had intended when inviting him up.
"That's when I wake up." He said. It was such a simple answer and yet it brought a smile to both of their faces. She took a slow step forward and he moved backwards to keep on balance. She kept coming and he felt the backs of his shins touch something hard before he was pushed backward onto her bed. She joined him there and the two kissed once more. Then it was her turn to be put off balance as Theo turned to lay on top of her and she felt his body pressing down on hers. She was frightened, nothing but an academic understanding of what would come next.
"Alexis," he began to say, his erection pressed against her.
"Don't say anything," she stopped him, "just promise me one thing." She said with a whine as her wet nethers rubbed back against him.
"Anything." He said as his hips pulled back, sliding himself across her lips.
"Don't wake up."
by CassandraDW
A short story I wrote a few weeks ago and decided to post. Its a bit of an experiment in not describing characters appearances to let the reader fill that in with their imagination. It also sort of goes with the theme of the characters not seeing each other. I think its a pretty nice little story and I hope you like it too.
male 694,937, female 574,253, teen 14,737, any species 1,806, darkness 1,167, nighttime 1,061, implied sex 381, exploration 363, voyerism 201, feeling 150, virgins 26, heavy petting 22
Type: Writing - Document
Published: 1 year, 2 months ago 15 May 2018 05:23 CEST
Initial: df01b0ad0b72c930ec96320c56294094
Full Size: df01b0ad0b72c930ec96320c56294094 | cc/2019-30/en_middle_0005.json.gz/line1321 |
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