pred_label
stringclasses 2
values | pred_label_prob
float64 0.5
1
| wiki_prob
float64 0.25
1
| text
stringlengths 182
1.02M
| source
stringlengths 39
45
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
__label__wiki
| 0.908194
| 0.908194
|
Singer Armando Christian Perez, better known as Pitbull, performs at the American Airlines Center, on Friday, Julyl 22, 2016 in Dallas. Ben Torres/Special Contributor
Lorena Flores Al Dia Dallas
@loreeflores
lflores@aldiadallas.com
Pitbull hosted a huge party at American Airlines Center Friday night
Jul. 23, 2016 1:06pm
With Lorena Flores
Flashy and sexy, Pitbull brought a party to the American Airlines Center last Friday night.
As the songs played, the venue turned into a big club where people of all ages started to dance and jump and dance and jump. It didn't matter if it was "Don't Stop the Party" or "International Love" or "Hey Baby (Drop it to the Floor)," they all knew the lyrics and were ready to move their bodies.
Wearing a stylish black suit, Florida's Ambassador to the World looked stylish on stage, surrounded by six dancers.
Pitbull, whose real name is Armando Pérez, is a total showman who flirts and chats and his energy is contagious. He brings fire --literally-- to his performance, thanks to the pyrotechnics in songs like his hit "Fireball."
The audience can barely resist his charms and they were party-ready thanks to earlier performances by opening acts DJ Fire, Farruko and Prince Royce.
Prince Royce, a rising latin star who opened Ariana Grande's "The Honeymoon Tour " last October, performed bachata hits in Spanish including "Corazón sin cara," "Las cosas pequeñas," "Soy el mismo," "Darte un beso" and "Stand by me." He also performed a couple of English songs including "Stuck on a Feeling" and "Back It Up".
It was a night that brought together the Latino community of the Dallas - Fort Worth area and when Pitbull greeted the different countries represented by the audience, you could hear big cheers for Mexico, El Salvador, Puerto Rico and Cuba.
"We all can relate with the struggle, the sacrifices and the hard work we do," said Pitbull.
The high energy and party atmosphere remained and people kept dancing to songs like "Bon, Bon," "Sube las manos Pa Arriba," "I know you want me," and "I like it."
Check out some photos from the show below.
A Slideshow of 5 Photos
Dancers for Pitbull perform before the Cuban singer hit the stage at the American Airlines Center, on Friday, Julyl 22, 2016 in Dallas. Ben Torres/Special Contributor
Singer Armando Christian Perez, better known as Pitbull, acknowledges the crowd during his performance at the American Airlines Center, on Friday, Julyl 22, 2016 in Dallas. Ben Torres/Special Contributor
What’s your age again? 10 Blink-182 tracks to brush up on before Friday’s show
Weird Al reminds that performance is key in comedy Saturday at Winspear Opera House
We're Obsessed with #Funny
The Addicts are bringing confessional comedy tour to Hyena's on July 24
Dane Cook headlines Oddball Comedy festival in Dallas this fall
|
cc/2019-30/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line9086
|
__label__cc
| 0.722988
| 0.277012
|
The following is placeholder text known as “lorem ipsum,” which is scrambled Latin used by designers to mimic real copy. Fusce at massa nec sapien auctor gravida in in tellus. Mauris egestas at nibh nec finibus.
There are lots of reasons why I price my work in the way that I do:
The sustainability of my studio relies on my work being sold at a price which reflects the love, time, thought, resources (such as clay, electricity, glazes, gold lustre) and equipment (kitting out a ceramic studio costs several thousands of £s) which have been invested in the making of it.
I'd like to encourage a culture of joyful, thriving creatives rather than colluding with the myth of the starving artist!
I'd like the creative sector to be as economically accessible as possible rather than one which is only open to those artists and makers who are already wealthy or have the financial backing of family or partners. I believe that the less individually handcrafted work is sold at mass-produced prices the more likely this is to happen.
I'd like to be part of a movement which embraces conscious (rather than throw away) consumerism. Pricing handmade work at a level that results in more thoughtful purchasing decisions sits comfortably with me.
I'm proud to make ceramics that have been consciously created, are a treat rather than a necessity and which result in their new owners feeling like they're special.
The thought of my ceramic pieces making their journeys from my studio to homes far and wide - and becoming part of the daily rituals and enjoyment of others - is a source of endless delight to me.
Your interest in my work means the world.
|
cc/2019-30/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line9087
|
__label__wiki
| 0.833592
| 0.833592
|
ILO in Bangladesh
Employers’ Organizations
Freedom of association and the rights to collective bargaining
Skills and employability
Workers' Organizations
Decent work in Bangladesh
Videos and audio stories
ILO in Asia and the Pacific
Offices in the Region
Bangladesh Government honours 24 companies on National Occupational Safety and ...
A safe and healthy future of work
Bangladesh Government honours 24 companies on National Occupational Safety and Health Day
Press release | 28 April 2019
24 companies from five sectors received OSH Good Practice award 2019.
DHAKA (ILO News) – Bangladesh proudly celebrated its fourth National Day on Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) on 28 April, 2019 with morning rallies and truck shows in various districts including Dhaka.
To mark the occasion, the Government of Bangladesh presented OSH Good Practice Awards to 24 companies from the apparel, finished leather, jute, pharmaceutical and tea sectors. The enterprises were all honoured for maintaining consistently high safety and health standards in their respective factories.
Honourable Commerce Minister, Tipu Munshi and Honourable State Minister of the Ministry of Labour and Employment, Ms Munnujan Sufian handed over the awards to representatives from Plummy Fashions, Wisdom Attires, Nafisa Apparels, Mother Colour., Fatullah Apparels, Comfit Composit Knit, Layla Styles, Epyllon Styles, Ecofab, Ananta Garments, Crown Wears (Pvt), Zaber & Zubaer Fabrics., Square Pharmaceuticals, Beximco Pharmaceuticals, Sanofi Bangladesh., Maf Shoes, Apex Footwear, Picard Bangladesh, Zareen Plantation, Shumshernugger Tea Estate, Janata Jute Mills, Wahab Jute Mills and Northern Jute Manufacturing Company at a ceremony held at the Krishibid Institute in Dhaka today (28 April 2019).
At the event, the International Labour Organization (ILO) received a special award from Bangladesh government in recognition of its 100 years of service in promoting social justice and decent work.
ILO Bangladesh Country Director, Tuomo Poutiainen receive special recognition from Commerce Minister, Tipu Munshi.
Globally, an estimated 2.78 million workers die each year as a result of occupational accidents or work-related diseases. Additionally, some 374 million non-fatal work-related injuries occur each year all over the world. Most of these deaths and accidents are preventable. With an aim to create awareness about the prevention of casualties at work, the ILO introduced the World Safety Day (28 April) in 2003.
In Bangladesh, 28 April is marked as National OSH Day, and was first celebrated in 2016, under the auspices of ILO’s RMG programme launched in 2013 to improve working conditions in the ready-made garment industry. With the continued support of the governments of Canada, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom, the programme has trained all newly recruited DIFE labour inspectors and more than 800,000, workers, trade union members and managers on occupational safety and health.
More than 600 people participated in a rally in Dhaka to celebrate OSH Day 2019.
As the Chief Guest of the ceremony, Mr Tipu Munshi said, “Occupational safety and health must be our common and collaborative goal. It is important to look after our workers. Otherwise how will they be productive?”
Ms. Sufian, Chairperson of the event said, “To make our industries safer, two government department – Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments (DIFE) and Department of Labour (DOL) are working tirelessly.”
The Secretary of the Ministry of Labour and Employment, Ms. Ummul Hasna spoke about the significance of the OSH award. “Business productivity relies on technological innovation, skilled workforce and most importantly a safe and healthy work environment. Our Ministry introduced the OSH Good Practice award in 2018 to inspire the business community to look after the welfare of their workforce. Today it gives us great pride to extend the awards beyond the RMG sector and into other important industries too.”
In Bangladesh, health and safety compliance in factories and enterprises is monitored by DIFE under the Ministry of Labour and Employment. In his vote of thanks, Inspector-General of DIFE, Mr Shibnath Roy, congratulated the award winners and said, “To continue the economic growth of the country, we must ensure safe workplace and improved working conditions for all our workers.”
Tuomo Poutiainen, Country Director of ILO Bangladesh, commended the Bangladesh government, DIFE, national employers and workers organisations, the Fire Service, the Accord and Alliance/NIRAPON for their collective efforts to establish a culture of workplace safety in Bangladesh. “The RMG industry of Bangladesh increasingly has the know-how to safeguard its workers from industrial accidents and poor working conditions. It is now time to apply these lessons to all industries. I am delighted to see that four more sectors have been recognized for OSH good practices this year. The ILO stands ready to support any new initiative to build a culture of safety and health in all workplaces,” he said.
On behalf of the development partners, High Commissioner of Netherlands in Bangladesh H.E. Harry Verweij said, “While we are working with the government to enhance Occupational Safety and Health, we are also urging the buyers and brands from our countries to be more responsible in their sourcing and to support improvement of working conditions in Bangladesh”.
Representing workers organization, Secretary General of Sramik League, Fazlul Haque Montu said that safety and health benefits at work is the right of every worker.
Kamran T Rahman, President of Bangladesh Employers Federation (BEF) emphasized on standardizing the systematic collection of OSH-related data to monitor workplace safety. “I am glad to see that DIFE is centralizing all labour inspection data on a digital platform called LIMA.”
In her message, President of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturer and Exporters Association (BGMEA), Rubana Huq highlighted the work of the BGMEA in improving OSH. “BGMEA has a special cell to train workers on fire safety, emergency evacuation and first aid. We will try to increase these efforts in future.”
Acting President of Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKEMEA), Monsur Ahmed said, “Making our factories safer will draw buyers’ interest and improve the reputation of the RMG industry globally.”
To improve workplace safety in all industries, the ILO is presently working with the Government of Bangladesh to formulate a broader OSH profile and a national action plan (NPA) based on the lessons learned, best practices and the tools developed under its RMG programme.
Tags: working conditions, clothing and textile industries, occupational safety and health, ILO centenary, ILO partnerships
Regions and countries covered: Bangladesh
Project code: BGD/16/09/MUL
World Day for Safety and Health at Work 2019 - Safety and health and the future of work - 28 April 2019
Apparel Companies Receive Award on National Occupational Safety and Health Day
Improving Working Conditions in the Ready-Made Garment Sector in Bangladesh
© 1996-2019 International Labour Organization (ILO) | Copyright and permissions | Privacy policy | Fraud alert | Disclaimer
|
cc/2019-30/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line9088
|
__label__wiki
| 0.974051
| 0.974051
|
/// /// /// return this._invoke(this._get_path(), 'UpdateFacebookCount',false,{CurrentURL:CurrentURL},succeededCallback,failedCallback,userContext); }, UpdateTweetCount:function(CurrentURL,succeededCallback, failedCallback, userContext) { /// System.String /// /// /// return this._invoke(this._get_path(), 'UpdateTweetCount',false,{CurrentURL:CurrentURL},succeededCallback,failedCallback,userContext); }} PageMethods.registerClass('PageMethods',Sys.Net.WebServiceProxy); PageMethods._staticInstance = new PageMethods(); PageMethods.set_path = function(value) { PageMethods._staticInstance.set_path(value); } PageMethods.get_path = function() { /// The service url. return PageMethods._staticInstance.get_path();} PageMethods.set_timeout = function(value) { PageMethods._staticInstance.set_timeout(value); } PageMethods.get_timeout = function() { /// The service timeout. return PageMethods._staticInstance.get_timeout(); } PageMethods.set_defaultUserContext = function(value) { PageMethods._staticInstance.set_defaultUserContext(value); } PageMethods.get_defaultUserContext = function() { /// The service default user context. return PageMethods._staticInstance.get_defaultUserContext(); } PageMethods.set_defaultSucceededCallback = function(value) { PageMethods._staticInstance.set_defaultSucceededCallback(value); } PageMethods.get_defaultSucceededCallback = function() { /// The service default succeeded callback. return PageMethods._staticInstance.get_defaultSucceededCallback(); } PageMethods.set_defaultFailedCallback = function(value) { PageMethods._staticInstance.set_defaultFailedCallback(value); } PageMethods.get_defaultFailedCallback = function() { /// The service default failed callback. return PageMethods._staticInstance.get_defaultFailedCallback(); } PageMethods.set_enableJsonp = function(value) { PageMethods._staticInstance.set_enableJsonp(value); } PageMethods.get_enableJsonp = function() { /// Specifies whether the service supports JSONP for cross domain calling. return PageMethods._staticInstance.get_enableJsonp(); } PageMethods.set_jsonpCallbackParameter = function(value) { PageMethods._staticInstance.set_jsonpCallbackParameter(value); } PageMethods.get_jsonpCallbackParameter = function() { /// Specifies the parameter name that contains the callback function name for a JSONP request. return PageMethods._staticInstance.get_jsonpCallbackParameter(); } PageMethods.set_path("An-International-XI-of-Davids"); PageMethods.UpdateFacebookCount= function(CurrentURL,onSuccess,onFailed,userContext) { /// System.String /// /// /// PageMethods._staticInstance.UpdateFacebookCount(CurrentURL,onSuccess,onFailed,userContext); } PageMethods.UpdateTweetCount= function(CurrentURL,onSuccess,onFailed,userContext) { /// System.String /// /// /// PageMethods._staticInstance.UpdateTweetCount(CurrentURL,onSuccess,onFailed,userContext); } //]]>
An International XI of Davids
Contributed by Rustom Deboo
South Africa’s David Miller, who turned 29 on June 10, has one of the more common first names for an international cricketer. As per the Bible, David was the young shepherd who gained fame by slaying the giant Goliath. David is also the patron saint of Wales; the annual feast of Saint David is celebrated across Wales on March 1. The feast has been observed since the canonisation of David in the 12th century, and is one of the most significant festivals on the Welsh calendar.
International cricket has seen a sizeable number of Davids, but not all of them have enjoyed illustrious careers at the highest level. After a bit of deliberation and taking into account the balance between batsmen and bowlers, here's presenting the International David XI.
1. David Boon (Australia)
One of the finest cricketers to come out of Tasmania, Boon made his name as a mettlesome top-order batsman in an international career spanning over 11 years. He was a key part of Australia’s four Ashes successes from 1989 to 1994-95 – six of his 21 Test hundreds came against England. Boon was named the man of the match in the 1987 World Cup final for his solid 75, and besides his batting prowess, was famed for his drinking abilities. He is currently an ICC match referee.
2. David Warner (Australia)
Opening along with Boon is Australia’s pocket-sized dynamo. Warner burst into the limelight with a blistering 89 on his T20I debut in 2008-09, though he had to wait for nearly three years before making his Test bow. He carried his bat for 123* in a losing cause in only his second Test, against New Zealand at Hobart, and since then, has gone on to become the Baggy Greens’ first-choice opener. His career-best of 253 also came against the Kiwis, at Perth in 2015-16.
3. David Gower (England, captain)
The stylish Gower has the honour of leading the International David XI, despite his rather mediocre record as captain of England. A left-hander who exuded elegance, Gower signaled his arrival with 58 against Pakistan at Edgbaston in 1978. Edgbaston was also the scene of his career-best 215 in 1985, which was instrumental in England’s regaining of the Ashes - he logged an astonishing 732 runs in the series. He later became a highly successful TV commentator.
4. David Houghton (Zimbabwe, wicketkeeper)
Houghton, who started out as a wicketkeeper and was also a goalkeeper in the national hockey team, dons the gloves ahead of South Africa’s David Richardson, so that an extra batsman can be accommodated. He had the privilege of captaining Zimbabwe in their first Test match – against India in 1992-93 – in which he made a doughty 121. His finest hour as batsman came against Sri Lanka at Bulawayo in 1994-95, when he scored 266, Zimbabwe’s highest individual Test score.
5. David Hussey (Australia)
Even though the younger of the Hussey brothers never played Test cricket, he can boast of an excellent first-class average of 52.50, having been a stellar performer for Victoria as well as Nottinghamshire. Hussey was almost 31 when he made his ODI debut in the Caribbean in 2008, scoring 50 in Australia’s one-run win. His only international hundred came against Scotland at Edinburgh the following year, and he later represented his country at the 2011 World Cup.
6. David Miller (South Africa)
Miller is another batsman in the eleven who is without Test experience. However, the swashbuckling southpaw is an integral part of South Africa’s limited-overs scheme of things due to his big-hitting ability and game-changing impact – for instance, in October 2016, he shepherded an amazing chase of 372 against Australia at Durban with an unbeaten 118 from just 79 balls, while a year later, he smashed the fastest T20I century, in 35 balls, against Bangladesh.
7. David Holford (West Indies)
Barbadian Holford, a cousin of the legendary Garfield Sobers, fills the all-rounder’s spot in the International David XI. A right-handed batsman and a decent leg-spinner, Holford first appeared for the West Indies in the 1966 series in England. In the second Test at Lords, he famously scored 105*, combining with Sobers for a game-saving stand of 274 for the sixth wicket. His only Test five-wicket haul (5/23) came in the first Test against India in 1975-76, at Bridgetown.
8. David Allen (England)
Off-spinner Allen is the frontline spinner of the International David XI. A bowler who thrived more on the road than at home, he was a regular in the England team of the early sixties and ended with a creditable 122 wickets from 39 Tests. He was also one of the post-war greats for Gloucestershire, for whom he took 882 wickets in a 19-year career. Allen could bat a bit too – he had a first-class hundred and five Test fifties to his name. He passed away in 2014, aged 78.
9. David Brown (England)
Brown’s Test career lasted exactly four years, from 1965 - when he took six wickets on debut against South Africa at Lord’s - to 1969, during which he collected 79 wickets from 26 matches. An effective seamer who stood tall at 6’4”, he served Warwickshire with distinction from 1961 to 1982 and even captained the county from 1975 to 1977. His best Test innings return came in the drawn Ashes Test at Lord’s in 1968, where he took 5/42 to help skittle the Australians out for 78.
10. David Brain (Zimbabwe)
A promising left-arm pacer for Zimbabwe in their early days as a Test nation, Brain made his debut against New Zealand in 1992-93, impressing with 3/49 in his first outing. On the three-Test tour of Pakistan in 1993-94, he excelled with 12 wickets at 15.33 in two games, even as Zimbabwe lost 2-0. A little over a year later, he was part of Zimbabwe’s first Test win, against Pakistan at Harare. He called it quits in 1995-96 in order to focus on his family’s business.
11. David Langford-Smith (Ireland)
Born in Sydney, fast bowler Langford-Smith has the honour of being the first Irishman to take an ODI wicket, when he scalped Ed Joyce (then of England) in Ireland’s maiden ODI at Belfast in 2006. A few months later, he performed commendably at the 2007 World Cup in the Caribbean, taking seven wickets, including a stingy return of 2/27 in Ireland’s win against Bangladesh. His painting and decorating business however took precedence over cricket, and he retired in 2007-08.
Fast. Lite. Innovative. Shareable. Download our HW Cricket App, for Android and iOS!
Best of the Tests at Bengaluru
West Indies vs Sri Lanka: Past battles
Rustom Deboo is a cricket aficionado and freelance writer from Mumbai. He is an ardent devotee of T...
Cricket's tippling tales
2017 Best Test XI
300 plus totals in ODI cricket
25 years of ball tampering in cricket
|
cc/2019-30/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line9094
|
__label__wiki
| 0.844834
| 0.844834
|
Tactile and bright, artist’s work tough to pigeonhole
Gina Phillips featured in Nola.com
For all of its tactile qualities, the art of Gina Phillips can sometimes be hard to get a handle on.
That’s because Phillips’ art doesn’t fit neatly into a convenient category. Her pieces, which have often combined fabric and thread with found objects, applied pigments and mud, fall somewhere between painting, sculpture and tapestry — or, as Phillips herself has said, “between 2-D and 3-D.”
For her new show at Jonathan Ferrara Gallery in the Warehouse District, however, Phillips has returned to a more conventional medium: painted and carved pieces on wood. But that doesn’t mean her work is any less nuanced or captivating. On the contrary, her new show contains some of her strongest, and strangest, work yet.
The title of the show, “Stronger Than Dirt,” is taken from an old advertising slogan for Ajax cleaner. Viewers of a certain age may remember the TV commercials in which a mounted knight in shining armor charged through a landscape of dirty laundry, whitening whites and brightening colors as he galloped along.
In Phillips’ artistic universe, the phrase takes on a larger meaning. Here, “stronger than dirt” becomes shorthand for one of the main themes of her current crop of paintings: the concept of cleanliness as a sort of ongoing battle, one that is part of the broader theme of the conflict between civilization and savagery.
You won’t find the Ajax knight in any of the images here. Instead, you’ll see a painting featuring his more diminutive counterpart: the enigmatic Old Dutch Girl of cleanser fame. Phillips said she found some vintage advertising decals featuring the brand on a window in her Bywater studio, a former corner store, and the image of the mysteriously cloaked girl eternally chasing away dirt became a sort of avatar for her recent work. The irregular shape of the painting echoes the worn edges of the decals in her studio.
Phillips has often been described as a narrative painter, and it’s always evident that the figures and settings in her big, bold tableaus are telling a story. The fun part is trying to figure out what the story involves, a process in which Phillips invites the viewer to participate.
Take the large painting, “Thicket” (2014), whose central position dominates the current installation. In a brightly colored landscape, two children have constructed a pillow fort with sofa cushions next to a friendly-looking bear who sits contentedly in a tent beside them while another much larger bear looms behind a modest white picket fence on the opposite side of the painting.
The effect is both bucolic and unsettling: Sure, those bears look friendly enough, but somehow we’d feel a little better if that pillow fort were a little stronger or if that one bear was standing on the other side of a sturdier looking fence. For Phillips, the line between civilization and savagery is a tenuous one.
That conflict pops up again in a painting of a giant birthday cake that looms like a confectionery Tower of Babel next to a large anthill, whose occupants have somehow floated up into the sky while a brilliantly cheerful sun casts its light over all. The old cliché of ants at a picnic takes on a whole new meaning.
It’s also worth noting how Phillips’ earlier work has left traces on these new paintings. Many of the textures and patterns found in her fabric-based pieces reappear here, rendered in paint instead of cloth or thread, while the carved surfaces in several pieces add an additional layer of depth to her imagery.
“The painting technique I developed using squirt bottles looks a lot like the stitching I use in my fabric work,” Phillips said. “The relationship between fabric and paint has come full circle.”
Elsewhere in the show, look for the giant painted clothespin-like objects hanging on walls between paintings and leaning on laundry tubs in the corner. According to Phillips, they represent decorated versions of laundry sticks, which were used to stir and move loads of laundry in the days before electric washing machines.
Phillips transforms these domestic objects into what she calls “pawns,” which wind up being decorative and menacing in equal measure — almost like brightly colored weapons. Anyone who’s wrestled with their own spring cleaning this time of year would welcome some of Phillips’ creations in their arsenal.
Written by John D'Addario
|
cc/2019-30/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line9111
|
__label__cc
| 0.654007
| 0.345993
|
LaMarca Law Group, P.C. > Blog > Personal Injury > Franchitti and fans wounded at Grand Prix in Houston
Franchitti and fans wounded at Grand Prix in Houston
Race car driver and three-time Indianapolis 500 winner Dario Franchitti broke two of his vertebrae and his right ankle, and was concussed during Sunday’s IndyCar race, the Grand Prix of Houston, on October 6.
Franchitti was transported by ambulance to a nearby hospital to have his ankle operated on. He was confined overnight.
One IndyCar official was also subjected to monitoring and administering of medical attention due to his slight physical injuries.
Franchitti’s car collided with driver Takuma Sato’s, launching the latter’s automobile into the fence that separated the audience form the race. Debris showered into the audience, injuring 13 spectators.
IndyCar officials said they are investigating the incident.
If you or a loved one have experienced personal injury due to another’s negligence, you may be entitled to compensation. Please contact our personal injury lawyers at LaMarca Law Group, P.C., in Des Moines by calling (515) 225-2600 today to discuss your legal options.
Categories: Personal Injury
Tags: Car accident, Dario Franchitti, Grand Prix of Houston crash
Avoid Missteps After a Crash
This handy guide describes mistakes made regularly by victims, as well as the unfair settlement tactics used by claims adjusters
Accident Description
Avoid Workers Comp Mistakes
|
cc/2019-30/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line9116
|
__label__cc
| 0.679152
| 0.320848
|
Nutrition and Dietetics AS-T
The Associate in Science in Nutrition and Dietetics for Transfer is designed for prospective California State University (CSU) transfer students who are preparing for careers in the field of Nutrition and Dietetics such as a Registered Dietitian (RD), Nutritionist, Licensed Nutritionist and Dietetic Technician Registered (DTR) to name a few. Completion of the Nutrition and Dietetics degree will provide a streamlined pathway for transfer to a CSU campus with a Nutrition Science or similar major. Students should consult with a counselor to determine whether or not this degree is the best option for their transfer goals. General education requirements should be selected carefully based on the intended transfer institution. There are UC unit limitations with Chemistry courses; please see a counselor for details if you are pursuing transfer to the UC system.
Completion Requirements:
Completion of 60 semester units that are eligible for transfer to the California State University, including both of the following:
The Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC) or CA State University General Education - Breadth Requirements.
A minimum of 18 semester units in a major or area of emphasis, as determined by the community college district.
Obtainment of a minimum grade point average of 2.0.
AD-Ts also require the students must earn a C or better in all courses required for the major or area of emphasis. A “P” (Pass) grade is not acceptable grade for courses in the major.
The majority of Registered Dietitians (RD), Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) and Diet Technicians (DTR) work in the treatment and prevention of disease (administering medical nutrition therapy, often part of medical teams), in hospitals, HMOs, private practice or other health-care facilities. In addition, a large number of RDs work in community and public health settings and academia and research. A growing number of RDs and Licensed Nutritionists work in the food and nutrition industry, in business, journalism, sports nutrition, corporate wellness programs and other non-traditional work settings. Preparation for the Dietetic Internship to achieve a RD, RDN, DTR or Licensed Nutritionist credential requires a bachelor’s degree in nutrition.
Required Core: (16 units) Units
BIO 7C (Microbiology) 5
CHEM 1A (General College Chemistry I) 5
NUTR 1 (Nutrition) 3
PSYC 1 (General Psychology) 3
List A: Select Two (9-10 units)
CHEM 1B (General College Chemistry II) 5
CHEM 12A (Organic Chemistry I) 5
BIO 7A (Human Anatomy) 5
BIO 7B (Human Physiology) 5
MATH 40 (Statistics and Probability) 4
List B: Select One (3-5 units)
ANTR 3 (Social/Cultural Anthropology) 3
CHEM 12B (Organic Chemistry II) 5
CHEM 30A (Intro and Applied Chemistry I) 4
CHEM 30B (Intro and Applied Chemistry II) 4
ECON 1 (Principles of Microeconomics) 3
ECON 2 (Principles of Macroeconomics) 3
SOC 1 (Principles of Sociology) 3
Units Category
Total Units in the Major 28-31
Additional General Education and Elective Units 29-32
See the Las Positas College California State University General Education-Breadth or the Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (for CSU) patterns for a listing of areas and courses. Double counting courses in GE and the major is permissible. The number of units that may be double counted will depend on the entry point to the degree program and the optional course(s) taken. Consult with an adviser or a counselor to plan the courses necessary to achieve your academic goal.
|
cc/2019-30/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line9118
|
__label__wiki
| 0.831331
| 0.831331
|
Les Smith
Musician | Garth Brooks/Elton John Tribute
Sample Set List
Garth & Shania
Other Great Tributes
BEACH PARTY BOYS and THE JERSEY SEASON
GREEN RIVER REVIVAL – Tribute to CCR & John Fogerty
HOTEL CALIFORNIA – Tribute to the Eagles
Home > The Country Legends Tribute Tour
The Country Legends Tribute Tour
The Country Legends Tribute Tour is now firmly established as North Americas number 1 Country Music Tribute show featuring the music of the biggest names on the American scene including Garth Brooks, Keith Urban and The Zac Brown Band. The show includes well known musicians hand picked by the impersonators in who between them have a wealth of experience and glittering careers than span over 30 years. Each singer will perform a string of hits from the featured artist and complete with authentic costume changes. To add the finishing touches to what will be a great show that has sold out several theatres on the tour, there will be a grand finale with all three artists .
With 14 #1 songs, 28 Top 5 hits, a high-energy live show and countless accolades Keith Urban is one of the top entertainers today.
Michael Thomson is Considered to be the most look and sound alike tributes in the world.
With Songs like: Somebody like you, Kiss A Girl, Stupid Boy, Who Wouldn’t Want to be Me, Till Summer Comes Around, Days Go By, You’ll Think of Me And Many more….
Country singer Garth Brooks has sold more than 100 million albums during his career. His music successfully crossed over onto the Billboard pop charts. The live energy of this show is portrayed by award winning Les Smith who has travelled internationally for 20 years captivating audiences with his talent to impersonate such a country legend.
With Songs Like: Friends In Low Places, Two Pina Coladas, Callin’ Baton Rouge, The Thunder Rolls, The Dance, Ain’t Goin’ Down Till The Sun Comes up, Standing Outside the Fire….
Zac Brown is a country singer, songwriter, and bandleader, one of the brightest stars in a generation of performers set on changing the paradigm of the country music businessThree-time GRAMMY winners and multi- platinum artists Zac Brown Band have become one of music’s most heralded act. Elton Lammie has mastered the art of Entertaining audiences all over the world with his stage presence and voice. His performance is uncanny to the tribute of Zac Brown.
With Songs Like: Toes, Chicken Fried, Whatever it is, Free, Highway 20 Ride, Colder Weather, Knee Deep….
The Performers Bring it Home Together On Stage with A Medley of Country Rock Songs the Entire Audience Will Participate In!
Click here to check out our website at www.countrylegendstribute.com
Click here to visit our Country Legends Tribute Facebook page
Hire Me For Your Event!
Show you want to see: Garth Brooks TributeGarth & ShaniaElton John TributeElton John & Billy JoelBob SegerBeach Party Boys & The Jersey SeasonGreen River RevivalHotel California
Briefly tell me about your event:
© Copyright 2007 - 2018 - Les Smith Entertainment
|
cc/2019-30/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line9120
|
__label__wiki
| 0.510934
| 0.510934
|
OUR SOUND
Manotick Brass Ensemble
Meet the Composer/Arranger
E. F. Lloyd Hiscock BMus.
Lloyd’s involvement with music is varied: orchestra, band, dance and jazz combo, in classical, jazz and pop styles. Ask Lloyd what he plays and you will get Duke Ellington’s answer to the same question: I play piano but the band is my instrument! And while Lloyd plays several instruments, the band is his instrument, too! Much of Lloyd’s study is self-directed and includes Eastman School of Music Workshops, Humber College, Berklee Courses, Salvation Army Music Camps, Concordia and Carleton Universities (BMus) and private study.
Lloyd is published by Eighth Note Publishing (Toronto) and Castle Music (Scotland). His work is performed by musicians in Canada, USA, Australia and England. Over the years his projects and recordings include Montreal’s CFCF TV, documentary videos, Vern Isaac’s Big Band and The Maple Leaf Brass Band both of Ottawa. For the MLBB Lloyd was commissioned to transcribe and arrange a selection of the music of Canadian composer James Gayfer. You can visit Lloyd at www.musicfromlloyd.ca
Over the past several years Manotick Brass has commissioned Lloyd to complete over thirty arrangements for brass quintet. The most recent include:
Calling all Workers – Knightsbridge March & The Dam Busters March – three bright marches by Eric Coates. Listen to a recording of “Calling All Workers” recorded in the Town Church, St. Helier, Jersey UK. This arrangement is also on our latest CD “Joyful Reflections”
http://www.manotickbrass.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Calling-all-Workers-web.mp3
A Canadian Royal Salute – a special commission to commemorate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. This arrangement is also available on our latest CD “Joyful Reflections”.
Caribbean Christmas – a medley of 3 calypso style carols.
Songs of Christmas – a medley of 3 Christmas carols by John Rutter
High Park – a bright march by Canadian Composer Charles Thiele. This arrangement available on our latest CD “Joyful Reflections”.
El Mambi – a patriotic Cuban song. Listen to this live recording from our Cuban tour in 2011. Also available on CD “Joyful Reflections”.
http://www.manotickbrass.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/El-Mambi-CD.mp3
Dancing With Guy – a medley of tunes made popular by the Canadian Band leader Guy Lombardo. Available on our CD “Joyful Reflections”.
New Found Land – a medley of Newfoundland fishing songs
Bye Bye Birdie Medley
Ann Murray Sings – a medley of songs made popular by Canadian singer Anne Murray
The Ride of the Royal North West Mounted Police – an arrangement of a Canadian composition by Annie Glen Broder first published in 1906.
A Link With Canadian Brass
All Rights Reserved ©2016 | Manotick Brass Ensemble
|
cc/2019-30/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line9122
|
__label__wiki
| 0.56921
| 0.56921
|
Home / $AUD / $CAD / $EUR / $GBP / $JPY / $USD / Dollar Firm as Investors Await Fresh Directional Cues
Dollar Firm as Investors Await Fresh Directional Cues
July 05, 2017 $AUD, $CAD, $EUR, $GBP, $JPY, $USD
The US dollar is enjoying a firm tone today. Yesterday's two weakest major currencies, the Australian dollar and Swedish krona are the strongest currencies, but little changed on the session. After a strong rebound in the greenback to start the week, it mostly consolidated yesterday.
The euro was sold briefly through $1.1320 before finding a bid, while the sterling and yen are extending this week's declines. Global equities are mixed, with modest gains in Asia and small losses in Europe. Bond yields are mostly firmer.
The US confirmed North Korea's claims that its tested an intercontinental ballistic missile. The US and South Korea almost immediately announced a new joint military exercise.
The UN Security Council will meet today to discuss. Besides tightening the isolation of North Korea, it is not clear what other options are really available. Although the US has indicated that all options are on the table, there does not appear to be support for military options by South Korea, Japan, Russia or China.
The South Korean won was little changed and the Kospi gained 0.3% to recover most of yesterday's decline and is off slightly on the week. More broadly, the MSCI Asia Pacific Index snapped a three-day fall and rose 0.25%.
Japanese shares initially fell to near two-week lows before recovering. The Topix and Nikkei closed on session highs, almost 0.6% and 0.3% higher respectively. Japan reported a stronger service PMI (53.3 in June from 53.0 in May). The composite reading slipped to 52.9 from 53.4. Still, it average 53.0 in Q2 after 52.5 in Q1 and 52.0 in Q4 16.
The dollar is at its best level against the Japanese yen since the middle of May, as it tries to get a handhold above JPY113.50. Chart resistance is seen in the JPY113.80-JPY114.00 area. The dollar edged higher against the yen for the past two weeks. It is up a little more than 1% this week after a gain of a similar magnitude last week.
Caixin reported China's service and composite PMI. The service reading eased to 51.6 from 52.8. The composite slipped to 51.1 from 51.5, which is the lowest since last June. The composite averaged 51.3 in Q2 after 52.3 in Q1 and 53.1 in Q4. It averaged 51.4 last year. The Shanghai Composite gained 0.75% to move above 3200 for the first time since mid-April.
Note that China's bond-connect program went operational yesterday. Turnover was a little more than CNY6 bln yesterday. The bond-connect program, complements the stock-connect initiative, and improves international investors access to China's financial markets.
The service and composite PMI release is the main economic data from Europe today. The eurozone service PMI was revised from the flash estimate of 54.7 to 55.4 from it is still off the May reading of 56.3, and is off for the second month. The composite PMI was also revised higher from the 55.7 flash estimate to 56.3. It was 56.8 in May. It averaged 56.6 in Q2 after 55.6 in Q1 and underpins expectations that the regional economy may have accelerated.
In terms of the country breakdown, German and French flash service reports were revised higher. Note that the French and German composite readings did slip from May. Italy's service PMI eased to 53.6 from 55.1 and was weaker than the 54.6 median estimate in the Bloomberg survey. Still, the Q2 average composite was 55.5 after 53.9 in Q1 and 52.5 in Q4 16. Spain accelerated. The services PMI jumped to 58.3 from 57.3 and the composite rose to 57.7 from 57.2.
The inability of the euro to rally on what seems to be good news appears to be a break from the recent price action where nearly any excuse was sufficient to lift the single currency. It is consistent with our sense that the market has discounted a favorable news stream for Europe and may have gotten ahead of itself. Initial support is seen in the $1.1320 has been tested, and a break would set up a test on $1.1280. The US two-year premium over Germany has widened about six basis points this week and the 10-year premium is about three basis points wider this week.
The slightly disappointing UK service PMI rounds out the three PMI reports and each was reported below expectations. The miss was not large but the direction is notable. The services PMI eased to 53.4 from 53.8 and the composite reading eased to 53.8 from 54.3. In fairness, the Q2 composite average of 54.8 is above the 54.6 average of Q1 and last year's average of 53.5. This suggest that growth may not have deteriorated from the 0.2% quarter-over-quarter pace recorded in Q1. However, the quarter appears to have ended on a weak note. In June, the employment sub-index was the strongest in a little more than a year. Price data was mixed, with input prices rising and prices charged easing, warning of the risk of a profit squeeze.
Sterling has snapped an eight-day advance with a three-day fall this week. Today's losses were marginal and may have exhausted themselves in the European morning a little below $1.29. Initial resistance is seen in the $1.2940 area.
The final US May durable goods orders and factory orders are unlikely to capture the market's imagination. The FOMC minutes may be more interesting. Participants are looking for insight into two things. First, even though the Fed hiked, how cautious are Fed officials in the wake of disappointing economic data and the four-month softening of measured inflation. Second, observers are looking for more details about when the balance sheet operations will begin.
We see more observers coming to our view of that an announcement to start no recycling the maturing issues fully at the September FOMC meeting (for October start) and for what would be the third rate hike of the year more likely to be delivered in December (data permitting). In terms of data, this week's employment report is the highlight and improvement is expected in the June report.
The Reserve Bank of Australia did not completely remove the downside potential, but more banks appear to be giving up the idea that it will cut rates again this year. The Australian dollar bounced from dipping below $0.7600 yesterday to a little more than $0.7630 today before running out of steam. A break of $0.7590 would target $0.7530-$0.7540 initially. The market appears to have discounted a Bank of Canada rate hike next week. It would be more destabilizing if a rate hike at this juncture was not delivered. The US dollar is finding support against the Canadian dollar, but it needs to rise above CAD1.3020 to be anything significant.
Dollar Firm as Investors Await Fresh Directional Cues Reviewed by Marc Chandler on July 05, 2017 Rating: 5
|
cc/2019-30/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line9123
|
__label__wiki
| 0.77831
| 0.77831
|
Secret Life Reviews related to Matthew Macfadyen
From Living Scotsman.com
Macfadyen, a million miles from Mr Darcy, gave a subtle portrayal of a man who was defensive, intelligent, sneaky, vulnerable. Most of it was in his craggy face, which can switch between shattered sadness to arrogant confidence in a twitch. The ominous music to tell us that Charlie was in danger of slipping wasn't really needed - Macfadyen's face did it all. In one scene even his back managed to show just how completely aware he was of a child standing behind him.
...Still, both for its attempt to represent such an important but complicated issue, and for Macfadyen's excellent performance, Secret Life was worthy viewing.
From Times
As Charlie, Matthew Macfadyen — the most recent screen Darcy in Pride and Prejudice — didn’t crave our sympathy or invite demonisation. Here was a man well aware of the battles within him.
(read more for further reviews)
From The Guardian
So, a thought-provoking drama about an extremely difficult subject, with a fine central performance by Matthew Macfadyen
From The Telegraph
Macfadyen’s performance, reflecting every nuance of compulsion, self-loathing, fear, desire and, indeed, fear of desire in this deeply conflicted character, was remarkable to say the least. Here the paedophile was victim and victimiser, betrayer and betrayed, vulnerable and repellent all at the same time. In one extraordinary scene, we saw him slough off his skin of repression and blossom into a deeply disturbing (for us) kind of happy normality (for him) in the presence of a responsive little girl.
But one superb performance...
Thanks to 6point7 for finding all of these reviews!
One more from the Mirror
Last night’s effort - Secret Life - might just rank as the TV drama of the year, however. Certainly so far, four months into the schedules, there’s been absolutely nothing that could touch it, and kudos to Kudos for what’s bound to get op-ed writers in a froth.
Secret Life offered no excuses. No justification. It just laid out a situation - how easy it is for paedophiles to re-offend - and showed a different angle to it. It’s not going to have made comfortable viewing for anyone, and nor should it have. This was television at its most powerful.
|
cc/2019-30/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line9126
|
__label__wiki
| 0.909782
| 0.909782
|
courses_index
/pubs/2019handbooks/courses/index-bydegreetype-doubledegree.html
Friday, 19-Oct-2018 07:00:21 AEDT 17 July 2019
Courses by degree type: Double degree - 2019
NOTE: The course details provided in the entries listed on this web page are for those students who commence their studies in 2019 - students who began their studies prior to this should consult the archived Handbook edition for the year in which they started their course.
Bachelor/Bachelor
A2005 Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Fine Art
A2004 Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Music
B2046 Bachelor of Business Administration and Bachelor of Arts
B2045 Bachelor of Business Administration and Bachelor of Media Communication
B2040 Bachelor of Business and Bachelor of Accounting
B2019 Bachelor of Business and Bachelor of Arts
B2035 Bachelor of Business and Bachelor of Banking and Finance
B2017 Bachelor of Business and Bachelor of Information Technology
B2041 Bachelor of Business and Bachelor of International Business
B2037 Bachelor of Business and Bachelor of Marketing
B2028 Bachelor of Business and Bachelor of Media Communication
B2027 Bachelor of Business and Commerce and Bachelor of Communication and Media Studies
B2030 Bachelor of Commerce and Bachelor of Actuarial Science
B2020 Bachelor of Commerce and Bachelor of Arts
B2021 Bachelor of Commerce and Bachelor of Biomedical Science
B2008 Bachelor of Commerce and Bachelor of Computer Science
B2032 Bachelor of Commerce and Bachelor of Economics
B2043 Bachelor of Commerce and Bachelor of Finance
B2006 Bachelor of Commerce and Bachelor of Global Studies
B2025 Bachelor of Commerce and Bachelor of Information Technology
B2022 Bachelor of Commerce and Bachelor of Music
B2023 Bachelor of Commerce and Bachelor of Science
A2009 Bachelor of Criminology and Bachelor of Information Technology
F2011 Bachelor of Design and Bachelor of Business
F2012 Bachelor of Design and Bachelor of Information Technology
F2009 Bachelor of Design and Bachelor of Media Communication
D3002 Bachelor of Education (Honours) and Bachelor of Arts
D3007 Bachelor of Education (Honours) and Bachelor of Business
D3006 Bachelor of Education (Honours) and Bachelor of Fine Art
D3004 Bachelor of Education (Honours) and Bachelor of Music
D3005 Bachelor of Education (Honours) and Bachelor of Science
E3009 Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) and Bachelor of Architectural Design
E3002 Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) and Bachelor of Arts
E3004 Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) and Bachelor of Biomedical Science
E3005 Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) and Bachelor of Commerce
E3010 Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) and Bachelor of Computer Science
E3012 Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) and Bachelor of Design
E3011 Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) and Bachelor of Information Technology
E3008 Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) and Bachelor of Pharmaceutical Science
E3007 Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) and Bachelor of Science
F2007 Bachelor of Fine Art and Bachelor of Business
F2006 Bachelor of Fine Art and Bachelor of Information Technology
C2002 Bachelor of Information Technology and Bachelor of Arts
C2003 Bachelor of Information Technology and Bachelor of Science
B2038 Bachelor of International Business and Bachelor of Arts
L3003 Bachelor of Laws (Honours) and Bachelor of Arts
L3004 Bachelor of Laws (Honours) and Bachelor of Biomedical Science
L3005 Bachelor of Laws (Honours) and Bachelor of Commerce
L3011 Bachelor of Laws (Honours) and Bachelor of Computer Science
L3012 Bachelor of Laws (Honours) and Bachelor of Criminology
L3002 Bachelor of Laws (Honours) and Bachelor of Engineering (Honours)
L3009 Bachelor of Laws (Honours) and Bachelor of Global Studies
L3010 Bachelor of Laws (Honours) and Bachelor of Information Technology
L3006 Bachelor of Laws (Honours) and Bachelor of Music
L3007 Bachelor of Laws (Honours) and Bachelor of Science
B2039 Bachelor of Marketing and Bachelor of Arts
B2044 Bachelor of Marketing and Bachelor of Media Communication
M3007 Bachelor of Nursing and Bachelor of Midwifery (Honours)
S2006 Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Arts
S2007 Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Biomedical Science
S2004 Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Computer Science
S2003 Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Global Studies
S2005 Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Music
Bachelor/Master by coursework
F6003 Bachelor of Architectural Design and Master of Architecture
M6011 Bachelor of Medical Science and Doctor of Medicine
P6001 Bachelor of Pharmacy (Honours) and Master of Pharmacy
Master by coursework/Master by coursework
A6013 Master of International Relations (Double Masters with Shanghai Jiao Tong University)
A6011 Master of International Relations and Master of Journalism
A6023 Master of Interpreting and Translation Studies (Double Masters International)
A6015 Master of Journalism (Double Masters with University of Warwick)
B6015 Master of Professional Accounting and Master of Business Law
Master by coursework/Doctorate
3736 Master of Educational and Developmental Psychology and Doctor of Philosophy
Single degree
Authorised by: Student and Education Business Services. Maintained by: eSolutions Service Desk. Last updated: 19 October 2018
|
cc/2019-30/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line9138
|
__label__cc
| 0.709638
| 0.290362
|
Tag: jobs
by naylandwblake on January 9, 2007 January 9, 2007
MacWorld, San Francisco: In a surprise move today, Apple CEO Steve Jobs announced a new partnership with Nintendo corporation and unveiled the first fruit of that union, the iWii. Before a breathless, packed conference audience, Jobs enthused, “Finally those silhouetted hipsters flailing around in the ads will actually be doing something, to the extent that waving a plastic controller can be called something.” While the presentation was short on details about what the device actually did or was, or when it would arrive in stores, industry analysts were quick to praise Jobs’ “bold move in answering a need that had never really been expressed or even felt before”. In what is sure to be the first part of a national trend, several dozen bears in the audience attempted to form a waiting line for the the new product and fainted away with what they described as “a spell of the vapors”. Ultimately they were revived with sips of Kool-Ade from the “Genius Bar”.
Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates quickly announced his company’s release of the xZunEx, a device that he claimed would soon “dominate the market for whatever it is that that other thing does, but but with many more ‘aufuncs’ (added unwanted functions)” The Microsoft device is slated to be released about “two years after we can cobble together a reverse engineered version of theirs”
|
cc/2019-30/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line9140
|
__label__cc
| 0.731895
| 0.268105
|
My missionary comp says MAYAN ruins are a testimony builder.
Post subject: My missionary comp says MAYAN ruins are a testimony builder.
I still keep in touch with my missionary companion, even though she knows I'm no longer LDS. Occasionally she gets preachy, but I’ve been able to buffer it with kindness in return. The most recent conversation stretched my limits and I need to vent here rather than with her. Okay, maybe I’ll vent with her later. Maybe not. We’ll see.
Here’s the story:
She returned from a trip to Cancun. Visiting the ruins was one of the highlights of her life. She explained how she couldn’t understand how anyone could see the mayan ruins and NOT believe in Joseph Smith or the book of Mormon. I asked why? Because, she said, the book of Mormon is proof of the Mayan ruins.
I remained silent.
I was wanting to say the following, but wasn’t up to a debate at that moment:
1) During the 1800’s the West had a profound interest in Central America archaeology as well as Egyptian archaeology. Smith’s group had a proven interest in both.
2) Good stories are grown from seed ideas and fleshed out from there. Many writers find new story ideas by listening and embellishing.
3) Yucatan Mayans didn’t disappear. Some are still there, while others moved to Guatemala, Honduras, Belize. (Contrary to my Mormon false history class teaching the complete disappearance of the Mayans off the face of the earth.)
4) Guatemalan Mayans story claims that there was a dispute between 2 groups. Their group moved. Either Joseph Smith heard a different version, which is widely taught through Mormonism to this day (they disappeared because they were killed) by the Spanish (aka Lamanites), or he meshed it in to his refined end product.
5) The Mayan departure is a story older than the 1800’s. The Spanish began their conquest of the Mayans in 1527, but it took them 170 years to finish the process.
6) Joseph Smith group were interested, as were other people.
7) Joseph Smith group took the information of a group of people in the area during 2600 bce, along with stories of a dispute, fleshed it out with other stories of the Spanish invasion to create a book of Mormon story. Names and places were changed to make it a unique story while using pieces of accurate information.
8) A number of people believed the smooth talking salesman and took his word for truth – or for gospel. Fear of consequences maintained the lies.
Am I missing anything?
Joseph Smith book of Mormon doesn’t prove the Mayan’s story is true. My comp, like others, are backward thinkers. If they allowed their mind to trace it in reverse they would understand that the mayan event came first. Then came the Joseph Smith interest in archaeology and its embellished story. The mayan story, the Spanish invasion versus the book of Mormon story proves that Joseph Smith later took ideas and embellished it, because he got some details twisted and some slightly accurate.
When his attempt at selling his masterpiece was unsuccessful they made a religion out of it.
Post subject: Re: My missionary comp says MAYAN ruins are a testimony buil
win-win wrote:
Jesus ____ Goddamn Christ!
I suppose also the Explanations of Facsimile No. 3 are proof the ancient Egyptian race inhabited the Nile valley?
Jesus Christ, ____! You tell that ____ ____ x-missionary companion ____ to go to hell, win-win! Tell her that Shulem said her ass stinks and her breath is nasty as ____. Stupid ____ ____ needs her ass slapped.
This thread is an excellent example in showing how Mormons make things up out of thin air in order to support their preconceived and misunderstood testimonies of their so-called gospel. The Mormon perception is flawed in how they establish their testimonies and do so under the premise that their spiritual feelings and thoughts trump logic and disregard scientific principles and fundamental laws of our reality.
Mormons are constantly touting their experiences and perceptions as miracles. Miracle this and miracle that. Everything and anything that supports the idea that their church is somehow true can be lumped into the common category of "It's a miracle".
Mormonism really is a dangerous religion to be avoided at all cost. Buyer, beware! Those snake oil salesmen will take you for a ride and it will cost you plenty.
Gray Ghost
Posted: Mon May 20, 2019 2:33 pm
Mayans were neither Jewish nor Christian, so there's that little problem.
Savior (resurrected)
Gray Ghost wrote:
They could argue the exception, though also improbable.
Someone TBM, I really care about and with whom I have a pretty good relationship also brought this Mayan stone “of the tree of life” up as a counter point when I basically said I discovered negatives about the church. I don’t want to ruin our good relationship & he gave art of the stone as gifts so I don’t want to be the one to make him feel duped. He served a mission (in area where stone was found) - which he says was the best time of his life - who wants to take that from him? Thus, as the OP, I’ll vent & present inconvenient facts here but probably will never share with him.
“Most of the other interpretations give claim that the scene depicts pagan worship, including self-mutilation and blood letting, which is known to have been common among the early inhabitants of that region...
Perhaps the most curious criticism of Jakeman’s interpretation came from Hugh Nibley, then a professor of Ancient Scripture at BYU. He demonstrated this extensively when the Book of Abraham (part of the LDS scripture known as the Pearl of Great Price) was shown to be a fraud. If even Hugh Nibley could not be convinced of Jakeman’s claims, then we know there must be some serious flaws with it.
Nibley said of Jakeman’s work on Stela 5: “…the author’s loving hand, guided by a wishful eye has actually created the only evidence available to the reader for testing the author’s theories” (p. 17). He refused to accept Jakeman’s interpretation for a number of reasons. The article listed six: 1) Jakeman never compared the carvings on Stela 5 with other Mesoamerican art, which is standard practice for this kind of interpreting; 2) Jakeman had also visualized evidence on the stone that no one else can see. He ignored those items that contradicted his theory, rather than explain the reason for them; 3) His linguistic and iconographic analysis was seriously in error; 4) He did not submit his conclusions to peer review. Instead, Nibley said he “published it himself with unjustified and ungraceful fanfare;” 5) His argument was full of words such as “evidently”, “probably” and “apparently” – words that assert details as facts without solid evidence. 6) He also did not subject his work to review by his peers – which is standard practice, instead opting to publish it himself.
One of the most serious charges against Jakeman’s work came from Dee Green, a professional archaeologist who had even assisted Professor Jakeman in making a latex mold of Stela 5. Green said that Jakeman had “altered the plaster cast of Stela 5 made from their mold ‘after his interpretation'” (p. 18).”http://www.mrm.org/tree-of-life
So there’s also that. Still, let’s say the stone is indeed proof of the Book of Mormon - tree of life etc. Just because one thing seems to match up, doesn’t discount the many inconsistencies and evils (like racism) and unjust wars and killing in the Book of Mormon.
I’ve also seen a craved sense of pride in the BofM by Latinos. It’s a bit like believing one was nobility (rather than a peasant) in a past life and that helps them live up. It’s fine if it helps - but strictly historically or literally-speaking, it seems to lack merit. And maturity is based on how well one can handle truth - from wherever it comes. This one I care about isn’t stupid - and generally handles truths better than most. I suppose we all take some truths to be hard.
Posted: Sat May 25, 2019 9:32 pm
Venting this has helped a little bit.
For a few days I felt like I might confront my ex companion if I were in person, but I don't think she could take the truth. She has terrible health and all her hope is wrapped up in Mormonism. She said she doesn't want to change anything about her life.
I have to consider why my fear of being honest with her is based on protecting her lies and stability.
I think Shulem is right, the whole thing stinks.
The LDS system maintains lies of the proportion I never knew possible until I left it.
It appears that I'm helping them maintain their lies because I actually care about this person, which is more than I can say for those lying Utah bastards.
Damn them.
Rather than confront your ex companion directly in an overwhelming way you can always just plant little seeds which indicate why Mormonism doesn't make sense for you as well as the vast majority of human kind that reject it outright. Let her live her fantasy and pursue happiness how she chooses. But it's totally fair of you to let her know a few of the things that you object to the most whether it be Joseph Smith porking 14 year old girls or the Book of Abraham translation -- the list is rather long.
You'll know what to do. Follow your conscience and let your inner inspiration guide you. Go with your instincts and intuition. Just be a friend but be sincere and kind. If she feels you're simply being honest and sincere she'll be less likely to judge you and will store up what you say and process it in her own way and time.
Meadowchik
Shulem wrote:
The Mormon magical worldview is alive and well.
Tht really sucks and I'm sorry. I have several loved ones in a condition similar to what you describe of your companion. I also remember how, as a believing member, it was tempting to fall into the mindset that bad health or circumstances were the Lord's plan, which sort of makes it easier to accept instead of fight.
Shulum, I like you last comment. Good advice.
Thinking aloud...
This idea of people being too weak to handle truth applies in other contexts besides the LDS religion. I know someone who - under various mind-altering influences - had really screwed up. They ended up in trouble with the law and in the hospital and sounded lower - more beaten than I’d ever heard anyone. That wasn’t the time to confront with truths - despite their denial.
I imagine each of us have potential to be confronted with ugly aspects of humanity - in ourselves or in others & most wouldn’t want to see it - despite the truth.
It’s frustrating when people not only deny truth, but shame us for not denying it. So ignorant. But aren’t “we all ignorant - only on different subjects”? Relationships are more important sometimes than truth - sometimes truth is more important - what do you think decides which? I thinking comes down to intuitively and logically deciding what’s best in each unique moment.
Living in Utah and/or struggling to shake an overwhelming cult-mentality - negatives of the cult outweigh positives. But if I were where some TBM loved-ones live - in crime-ridden areas etc., the cult is like a haven from all that. I get that.
Sometimes life feels like a battle - barely hanging in there - and grasping for whatever will help us survive. Ideally, the foundation that’s grasped for, is based on truth - not denial, cult-lies, mind-altering escapes etc. Handling reality - but what is reality - except subjective interpretation? What gets you not just up each morning - but excited and motivated?
https://youtu.be/CVP1CwEBz_Y
Amore wrote:
Handling reality - but what is reality - except subjective interpretation? What gets you not just up each morning - but excited and motivated?
This resonates with me.
The Paradox of Creation: Wake Up You Are God in Disguise
Thanks, Shulem - looks interesting & maybe inspiring.
I feel like a paradoxical challenge is always present... to realize I’ll never perfectly live up to my ideals - while striving to improve anyway.
|
cc/2019-30/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line9145
|
__label__wiki
| 0.6495
| 0.6495
|
Used NISSAN 280ZX
Home > Used Cars > Nissan > 280zx > All
All Models 180SX (2) 350Z (2) AD RESORT (4) ALMERA (115) BLUEBIRD (1) C22 (14) CABSTAR (1) CEFIRO (28) ELGRAND (19) FAIRLADY (5) FAIRLADY Z (1) FIGARO (1) FRONTIER (14) GRAND LIVINA (127) GT-R (166) IMPUL (3) JUKE (16) LATIO (32) LIVINA (31) LIVINA X-GEAR (6) MARCH (2) MURANO (35) NAVARA (50) NV200 (8) SENTRA (69) SERENA (55) SILVIA (2) SKYLINE (20) SUNNY (5) SYLPHY (60) TEANA (58) TERRANO (2) UD (1) URVAN (11) VANETTE (53) X-Gear (3) X-TRAIL (92) YU41T5 (2)
Browse by Popular NISSAN Models
GT-R (166)
GRAND LIVINA (127)
ALMERA (115)
X-TRAIL (92)
SYLPHY (60)
TEANA (58)
VANETTE (53)
NAVARA (50)
LATIO (32)
LIVINA (31)
CEFIRO (28)
ELGRAND (19)
JUKE (16)
URVAN (11)
LIVINA X-GEAR (6)
FAIRLADY (5)
AD RESORT (4)
X-Gear (3)
YU41T5 (2)
0 Used NISSAN 280ZX for sale in Malaysia
There is no advert found.
View all listing
Browse Malaysia’s best used Nissan cars from the lowest prices.
Skyline, GT-R, Fairlady, 180SX, legendary nameplates like these come from no other brand that has produced some of the most iconic cars in the 20th century, Nissan. Nissan Motor Company Ltd is a multinational Japanese automobile manufacturer and sells its cars under Nissan, Infiniti, and Datsun brands with in-house performance tuning products Nismo.
Since 1999, Nissan has been part of the Nissan–Renault Alliance, where the French company holds 43.4% voting stakes in Nissan, while Nissan holds a 15% non-voting stake in Renault. Nissan is currently the world’s largest electric vehicle manufacturer with global sales of more than 275,000 all-electric vehicles by mid-December 2016, where the bulk of that number comes from Nissan Leaf sales where more than 240,000 units were sold worldwide through September 2016.
Nissan produces an extensive range of mainstream cars and trucks which Tan Chong Motor (TCM), the franchise holder of Nissan vehicles in Malaysia and has brought Nissan and Datsun cars to Malaysians since the company’s inception in 1957. Today, TCM offers vehicles ranging from the Almera, Sylphy and Teana sedans, MPVs like the Grand Livina, X-Gear and X-Trail SUVs, the Navara Pickup truck, Leaf and Serena S-Hybrid Electric & Hybrid, and the NV200 and Navara Single Cab Commercial vehicles. High-performance models like the Nissan GT-R, Skyline GT-R, Fairlady and 370Z are still very much the popular choice for many
|
cc/2019-30/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line9146
|
__label__wiki
| 0.537482
| 0.537482
|
Watch movie: Gujjubhai The Great (2015)
Starring: Siddharth Randeria , Jimit Trivedi , Swati Shah
Category: Drama , Comedy
Synopsis: The story revolves around three characters Hasubhai (Siddharath Randeria), his daughter Tanisha and his manager Bakul. Having a typical Baniya mentality, Hasubhai wants his daughter Tanisha to marry his employee Bakul. However, Tanisha is in love with an Ad-film maker Montu. While everyone in the family has fallen for Montu's charm, Hasmukh sees him for the trickster he is. The laughter ride begins when Hasubhai and Bakul take the challenge to induce Tanisha for marriage. Will Hasubhai and Bakul win the battle?
Gujjubhai The Great (2015) Watch Online - YouTube Links:
Gujjubhai The Great (2015) Full Movie, Gujjubhai The Great (2015) trailer review, Gujjubhai The Great (2015) trailer, Watch Gujjubhai The Great (2015) in HD 1080p, Watch Gujjubhai The Great (2015) in HD, Watch Gujjubhai The Great (2015) Online, Gujjubhai The Great (2015) Full Movie, Watch Gujjubhai The Great (2015) Full Movie Free Online Streaming, Gujjubhai The Great (2015) Full Movie, Watch Gujjubhai The Great (2015) Full Movie Online, Gujjubhai The Great (2015) Full Movie Streaming Online in HD-720p Video Quality, Download Gujjubhai The Great (2015) Full Movie, Where to Download Gujjubhai The Great (2015) Full Movie?, Watch Gujjubhai The Great (2015) Full Movie, Watch Gujjubhai The Great (2015) Full Movie Online, Watch Gujjubhai The Great (2015) Full Movie HD 1080p
Romance Complicated R...
Have Papano Ma Adalat...
Vikram Vedha Hindi du...
Sethupathi Hindi dubb...
The Last Kung Fu Monk...
Style 2 in Hindi
Johar in Bombay
Dr. Kotnis Ki Amar Ka...
Shootout At Lokhandwa...
Dharm Adhikari
Masterji
Lok Parlok
Suhagan
Aisa Pyaar Kahan
Sati Pariksha
Kath Putli
Khoon Aur Paani
|
cc/2019-30/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line9148
|
__label__cc
| 0.707007
| 0.292993
|
Issue 9: IKEA Pregnancy Test, IV Gatorade, LunaDNA, and more
Why IKEA Wants You to Pee on Their Ads
Swedish furniture giant and in-store couples arguments leader IKEA is making a splash with their newest ad. They want women to pee on it and if they are pregnant the ad will change color to indicate a positive pregnancy. If the ad is positive women can bring it into any IKEA store for a 50% discount on a trendy crib for their precious new little bundle of joy. Let's hope they don't come out with any ads that test for lower GI bleeds. The ad, which is currently limited to Swedish women's magazine Amelia, reads "Peeing on this ad may change your life". Well played IKEA. The advert changes color based on the presence of the hormone hCG, which is the same technology that powers traditional pregnancy tests.
iFART Therefore I am
RMIT University electronic pill
Researchers in Australia have developed an electronic pill that can analyze and detect the formation of gas as the pill passes through the GI tract. The scientists believe that the data will better allow mankind to understand the gut microbiome and of course also help us avoid foods that can cause explosive gas. The electronic pill is roughly the size of a multivitamin and transmits data such as temperature, CO2, H2, and O2 levels to a smartphone device. Cheekily the scientists may call their invention iFart, which in case if they have't checked has already been taken.
Brave New Bowel
Already investigators have used the pill on several human subjects to discover some interesting findings. In six healthy individuals they discovered that on average it took 20 hours for the pill to traverse the entire GI tract with 4.5 hours in the stomach, 2.5 hours in the small intestines, and 13 hours in the colon. In addition throughout the pill's journey researchers took continuous gas measurements which showed that O2 levels dropped precipitously in the colon, which makes sense since that's where the anaerobes hang out. The Aussie scientists also changed up how much fiber they gave participants to see what would happen. Interestingly in low fiber groups the pill took more than THREE days to pass through with 13 hours in the stomach, 5.5 hours in the small intestines, and 54 HOURS in the colon. Holy Sh!t. The scientists are currently eyeing commercial applications. Some industry watchers are predicting that it won't be long in which a typical doctor's appointment involves vital sign measurement as well as a request to swallow a pill.
Shortage of IV bags Leads to More Hospital Gatorade
Image from ABC News. Nurse administering IV Gatorade
The US currently has a shortage of IV bags. The reason why relates to the devastating effects of Hurricane Maria on Puerto Rico that occurred back in September. 75% of PR's manufacturing exports are medical supplies and pharmaceuticals. Just one company, Baxter International Inc, produces 44% of IV bags used in the US. Unfortunately Baxter's plant was hit hard by the hurricane. Another company based in PR, B. Braun Medical, produces an additional 10% of the IV bags so in total more than half of the US's IV bag supply comes from PR. Nurses at such major hospitals as Mass Gen are being forced to get creative and substituting IV saline for Gatorade administered via IV push. The FDA says that the shortage should improve in the first few months of 2018. We hope that the recovery happens faster.
YC Biotech Startups
OG Silicon Valley tech incubator, Y Combinator, is looking to plow more money into biotech. They recently launched a YC Bio track that will offer early stage biotech companies anywhere between $500k to $1 million for a 10-20% ownership of the company. Why should I care? Cause YC has a rep. They backed AirBnb, Dropbox, and Reddit just to name a few. YC will provide new life-sciences companies with free lab space and advice from industry experts. YC first started investing in biotech in 2014 and has gotten increasingly bullish on the space since then. For a list of some of the cool biotech companies that they invested in 2017 go HERE. You can see that YC has funded everything from personal maternal health kits to electric stimulation belts that treat urinary incontinence.
Sell Your DNA for Crypto?
Image from CoinTelegraph
Companies like 23&me that provide genetic testing and ancestry results have exploded in popularity over the past few years. Over Thanksgiving weekend alone 23&me sold 1.5 million kits. However, what the general public may not know is that once 23&me has your data they can sell it to biotech research companies for huge sums of money, which sounds sketchy AF. One company wants to put a little more selling power in your hands by allowing you to personally sell your genomic data for cold hard crypto. Zenome, which is based out of Russia, wants you to upload your 23&me results to its blockchain powered platform. Then large pharma companies can request the data. If your data is in the aggregate and you agree to sell you get a share of the payday. The company completed an ICO last October and is currently in beta mode. They're not the only ones in the game though. Another company called LunaDNA has a similar platform that will reward genome uploaders with their own crypto called Luna Coin, the value of which has increased more than 1000% in the past MONTH.
My Doctor Works at...
Getting the best employees is tough. That's why some companies are offering on site healthcare as a perk. The WSJ reports that Goldman Sachs and Silicon Valley tech companies are paving the way by having specialists such as orthopedic surgeons set up shop directly on their campuses to avoid having their precious employees take time off to go to the hospital. Got a crooked neck from bundling CDO's and crashing the housing market. There's a doc that can help with that. Industry experts predict that by 2018 (THIS YEAR!) 50% of businesses both large and small will have their own on site clinics staffed with PCP's and specialists. Some of the clinics are even swagged out with massage rooms, personal life coaches, and vegan chefs.
POTUS DT's CAD
Image from Esquire Magazine
Our commander in chief Donald Trump loves his fast food and it apparently is catching up to him. Trump's medical data recently came out cause apparently HIPPA doesn't apply to the POTUS and the results were less than perfect. He got a coronary calcium CT scan reading with a value of 133. Anything greater than 100 indicates calcified plaque build-up and the presence of heart disease. Also of note his LDL was elevated at 143 and his BMI was 29.9. Not great considering normal LDL needs to be <100 and a BMI of 30 constitutes as being obese. The analysis of Trump's health by leading cardiologists such as Dr. Eric Topol contradicts white house MD Dr. Ronny Jackson's earlier account that Trump had "excellent cardiac fitness". Cue awkward turtle memes.
Issue 10: Mad Deer Disease, CHIP, and more
Issue 9: IKEA Pregnancy Test, IV Gatorade, LunaDNA...
Issue 8: AMA and Blockchain, Marijuana Breathalyze...
Issue 7: Hangover Club, Cow's Milk and Type 1 Diab...
|
cc/2019-30/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line9155
|
__label__cc
| 0.55529
| 0.44471
|
Everyone knows that in the game of football, quarterbacks are looked up to as team leaders. That's why we're so pleased to see some NFL QB's setting great examples of… wait for it… excellent oral hygiene.
First, at the 2016 season opener against the Broncos, Cam Newton of the Carolina Panthers was spotted on the bench; in his hands was a strand of dental floss. In between plays, the 2105 MVP was observed giving his hard-to-reach tooth surfaces a good cleaning with the floss.
Later, Buffalo Bills QB Tyrod Taylor was seen on the sideline of a game against the 49ers — with a bottle of mouthwash. Taylor took a swig, swished it around his mouth for a minute, and spit it out. Was he trying to make his breath fresher in the huddle when he called out plays?
Maybe… but in fact, a good mouthrinse can be much more than a short-lived breath freshener.
Cosmetic rinses can leave your breath with a minty taste or pleasant smell — but the sensation is only temporary. And while there's nothing wrong with having good-smelling breath, using a cosmetic mouthwash doesn't improve your oral hygiene — in fact, it can actually mask odors that may indicate a problem, such as tooth decay or gum disease.
Using a therapeutic mouthrinse, however, can actually enhance your oral health. Many commonly available therapeutic rinses contain anti-cariogenic (cavity-fighting) ingredients, such as fluoride; these can help prevent tooth decay and cavity formation by strengthening tooth enamel. Others contain antibacterial ingredients; these can help control the harmful oral bacteria found in plaque — the sticky film that can build up on your teeth in between cleanings. Some antibacterial mouthrinses are available over-the-counter, while others are prescription-only. When used along with brushing and flossing, they can reduce gum disease (gingivitis) and promote good oral health.
So why did Taylor rinse? His coach Rex Ryan later explained that he was cleaning out his mouth after a hard hit, which may have caused some bleeding. Ryan also noted, “He [Taylor] does have the best smelling breath in the league for any quarterback.” The coach didn't explain how he knows that — but never mind. The takeaway is that a cosmetic rinse may be OK for a quick fix — but when it comes to good oral hygiene, using a therapeutic mouthrinse as a part of your daily routine (along with flossing and brushing) can really step up your game.
If you would like more information about mouthrinses and oral hygiene, contact us or schedule a consultation.
|
cc/2019-30/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line9163
|
__label__cc
| 0.660403
| 0.339597
|
The place for discussion about the Chicago Cubs
Front Page Board index Guest Chats Chats
October 2006: Q & A with Len Kasper
SouthSideRyan
is ELL
Location: Chicago Loop
Postby SouthSideRyan » Thu Oct 05, 2006 1:02 am
Echoing everyone else, thanks for taking the time out to do this.
Did you happen to catch the 3 idiots in the RF bleachers with bags on their heads during the 7-0 comeback against the Dodgers in September?
If Bob Brenly does wind up taking another managing gig, do you have any preferences on who would replace him in the booth, and do you think you'd be allowed any input into the decision?
sethuel1
Location: Chicago, IL (Andersonville)
Contact sethuel1
Postby sethuel1 » Thu Oct 05, 2006 7:42 pm
Len,
I'm really worried the Cubs are gonna kill Santo. Are you?
"Well, he's a natural infielder, so for him playing first base is probably a little easier than playing third base." -Joe Morgan
"He can load it up and put some weight in his pants when he wants to." -Phil Simms
treebird
Postby treebird » Thu Oct 05, 2006 8:33 pm
what do you do all winter? do you just lounge around or do you try to find exciting things to keep your interest?
treeman
Location: Roadkill
Postby Chris » Wed Dec 06, 2006 8:11 pm
Below is the completed Q & A with Len Kasper! Once again, Len has been very gracious to us here at NSBB by answering our questions.
Q & A with Len Kasper
From vance_the_cubs_fan:
Thanks Len! It's always a pleasure to have you around.
A few questions.
First, what priorities do you think the Cubs should have in making the team a winner during the offseason? Are there any free agents you would like to see the Cubs target this winter?
LEN: Well, fortifying the offense was clearly the first priority for Jim Hendry as he locked up Aramis Ramirez as free agency began and then went out and got a 2B (Mark DeRosa) and a superstar leadoff hitter (Alfonso Soriano). Soriano is the centerpiece of the off-season and may end up being the most important player in the Cubs’ short-term and long-term future (considering he signed an 8-year deal). This offense needed a dynamic presence and he certainly has been just that, particularly in ’06. On the pitching side, Hendry will likely go out and get 2, maybe 3 veteran starters. At that point, bring on spring training. The bullpen is set.
Secondly, what do you do during the offseason?
LEN: I’m actually on-line every single day of the year (including Christmas!) perusing all the Cubs and baseball-related articles. I enjoy keeping up with what’s going on year-round. The main priority is my family. I also try to play tennis and stay (“get” would be more like it) in shape, read books, catch some movies and rock shows and just generally enjoy everything Chicago has to offer.
Third, what do you think is the best new TV series of the fall?
LEN: Dexter on Showtime.
Have you read Larry Dierker's book, This Ain't Brain Surgery? If so, what is your opinion on his thoughts about the game? Would you think he'd make a good candidate as a manager?
LEN: I have not read it, but I’ve heard it’s good.
You're trapped on a deserted island and you can only have three people or things with you? Who/what do you have?
LEN: My wife, my son and………..my iPod.
Now that Dusty is out, do you expect your partner to pursue the Cubs' managerial vacancy? What about the job in SF? Has he talked with you about any of these things?
LEN: Obviously, this question was asked awhile ago…Bob would make a great managerial candidate for any opening and I wouldn’t be surprised if he eventually gets another job. I just hope we can keep him in the Cubs broadcast booth for as long as possible!
From BalsaWoodKeyBoard
A few questions:
Why do you keep coming back? Do you like the abuse here? :p
LEN: What abuse?????????
If Bob Brenly managed somewhere next year, who would be your ideal partner in the booth?
LEN: Again, I hope BB stays in the booth forever.
If I were to inquire about an internship working in the booth with you guys, how should I start? I'm graduating in May, and thought I might ask...
LEN: I would contact a) the Cubs, b) WGN or c) Comcast SportsNet to inquire.
What is your favorite play to call during a game and why?
LEN: I think the most fun play is the bases-loaded gap double where you have a ball rolling to the wall, you have runners heading for home, you have a relay throw and then a potential play at the plate. There are a million things going on and it’s fun as the drama increases and you get caught up in the moment while all the while trying to keep the viewers informed as to what’s going on.
Have you ever heard of Mofro (band)?
LEN: No, I have not. Should I check it out?
Who has been the funniest seventh inning stretch interview this year?
LEN: Jeff Garlin, hands down. He’s nuts (in a good way of course!).
From ndistops:
Hey Len, great to have you back once again!
A couple questions...
Do you and Bob have a list of random topics you go to in blowout games? At times this year it got to the point where it was almost as entertaining to watch a rout as a close game because of your and Bob's ramblings!
LEN: We don’t ever script anything out. I guess I have some things in the back of my brain that just come flying out every once in awhile. I’ve actually learned to follow my gut on that stuff more and more as the years have gone by and not try to be too mainstream all the time. Some of it is a little wacky, but if it’s fun, that’s what it’s all about. Let’s put it this way—I’m much more comfortable than I used to be making a you-know-what of myself if it makes the broadcast more fun.
Also, if you were to recommend five bands that you have gotten into recently to NSBB, which five would you choose?
LEN: Wow, I’ll just rattle off a few off the top of my head: Secret Machines, Reigning Sound, Handcuffs, Hold Steady, Graham Coxon.
From NCCubbieFan:
Thanks for doing another Q & A.
Do you think Hendry will be under a mandate to produce a winner next year to keep his job beyond 2007? There's been a fair amount of speculation that might be the case.
LEN: I don’t think there’s any question that there’s a lot of pressure to win and to win now, but I also think Jim has responded to a 96-loss season with an impressive aggressiveness to get this thing turned around.
From Is_Pedro_There:
Thanks for taking the time to drop by again. I have 3 questions for you...
(1) Last time you agreed to this I asked you how difficult it was to not scream "you suck" into the mic when a team goes through a long funk and you responded with class. Any changes to your opinion after this "season"?
LEN: I sure hope not!
(2) Phil Nevin recently commented about some off field events. What do you know about some of the issues that affected this team that most of us know little about?
LEN: I remember reading Nevin’s comments and I had no idea what he was referring to.
(3) Would you mind if I told my buddies that you were my friend?
LEN: If it somehow helps you in life, by all means. If, on the other hand, it results in a right hook to the jaw, then you’re better off keeping your distance.
From soccer10k:
Len, what other broadcasters (for any sport but mainly baseball) do you enjoy listening to?
LEN: My hero has always been and will always be Ernie Harwell. I’ve been fortunate enough to talk to him on several occasions and he’s maybe the nicest person who ever lived (along with being one of the best broadcasters ever). Non-baseball, I’ve always been a huge Pat Foley fan. He’s become a good friend, which is pretty neat for me considering how much I look up to him.
From Rocket Sauce:
Do you think there's a realistic chance for the Cubs competing next season?
LEN: Absolutely!
What movie are you more looking forward to, the Borat movie or Tenacious D in the Pick Of Destiny?
LEN: I’ve seen Borat twice. I’d like to see Tenacious D for sure and while I was excited to catch the new Christopher Guest flick, I have to admit, I was disappointed. It’s the first one he’s done that I haven’t liked.
Have you ever wondered why Jim Hendry and Dusty Baker constantly comment on how their pitchers giving up walks always ends up hurting them, while never acknowledging that the fact our hitters drawing so few walks hurts us just as much?
LEN: I don’t think they view the Cubs’ lack of patience in a positive light. It may not be stated explicitly, but they know the numbers and they also know what ailed this club offensively last year.
The playoff teams are pretty much all decided. Who ya got winning it all?
LEN: St. Louis in 5. MVP: David Eckstein. Just a wild guess.
What do you think is more valuable? A catcher who produces offensively while being below average defensively, or a defensive catcher who stinks with the bat?
LEN: It depends “how much” in both cases. I will say, the intangibles a catcher brings on defense and working with a pitching staff are much more important than we think. It’s just really tough to quantify.
From UMFan83:
How do you maintain that squeeky clean image that you portray while still managing the appeal to the 'in crowd'?
LEN: I didn’t know I had such an image. I just love doing my job and I love good music, movies, etc. It’s not that hard really!
How do Cubs execs feel about you using terms like VORP during your broadcasts? Are they usually confused by it and excuse it as some sort of inside joke between you and your listeners?
LEN: I’ve never really been asked about it. I just finished reading the best baseball book of our lifetime called “Baseball Between The Numbers” by the Baseball Prospectus people and some of it is so far over my head, I wouldn’t even begin to know how to explain it during a broadcast. I just like reading stuff that is well thought-out. Baseball is so much more fun
when you feel like you understand how/why things happen. And for me, usually the numbers tell most if not the entire story, pretty or otherwise.
If you could have one of two players, both with a career .900 OPS, one has an OBP of .420 and a SLG of .480 and the other has an OBP of .350 and a SLG of .550, which player do you think is more needed for THIS team and do you think the organization would make the same choice?
LEN: I think OBP is slightly more important in a vacuum, so I’d take the higher OBP guy. I would also take that guy for the Cubs. Power is easier to find, IMO.
From USSoccer:
Great job working in the statistical views during the broadcasts.
Any insight on Aramis Ramirez's offseason decision to opt out of his deal? Please tell me Hendry has this situation handled....
LEN: After the fact, wasn’t it very apparent why he opted out? I might have even said it on the air this year—why WOULDN’T you opt out considering the landscape? If you’re pretty much guaranteed to make a ton more, why wouldn’t you? It worked out as well as possible for Aramis. Plus, consider he would have probably gotten at least $20 million MORE in overall dollars from somebody else had he left. I give him credit for staying and taking less than he would have garnered on the open market.
From Banedon:
Hi Len,
How about them Bears?
LEN: I’ve really enjoyed watching the Bears this year.
From Bob's Keeper:
Hey Len, thanks for stopping by again and for the great job you do in the booth every day.
Given his former position, I'm guessing you have worked closely with John McDonough during your time with the Cubs and would like to hear some of your thoughts on him. Do you think that he'll have much input on baseball operations or will he concentrate on business/marketing while those types of personnel decisions are left to guys like Jim Hendry, Tim Wilken, and Gary Hughes? If you do think he will play a large role in determining what the team on the field will look like, what can we expect from McDonough? Will organizational philosophies remain status quo, or will he be open to (or even push for) newer, more progressive approaches to building a major league baseball team?
LEN: I’m a HUGE John McDonough fan, personally and professionally. He knows this organization as well, if not better, than everyone currently in it. He knows the game, but he also knows that the best way to do things is to let your baseball people make the baseball decisions. John has a lot of faith in Jim Hendry and all his baseball people and he has said that the singular goal is to win the World Series, PERIOD. John is one of the most engaging people I’ve ever known and he’s setting an overall organizational tone that is open, honest and positive.
From RichHillIsABeast:
Hi Len!
What kind of mid-game snacks are you and Bob into? (I know Bob sneaks a beer or two in there - my hero)
LEN: I don’t eat much during the game. I might sneak in one of Robert Chamberlain’s famous cookies while I’m filling out my scorebook prior to pre-game.
What is Mark Prior's status? There have been rumors (Will Carroll, BP) that he has the same shoulder injury Woody had going into this past season.
LEN: I don’t have a Mark Prior update at this point in the off-season. Sorry.
No performance at the Len and Bob's Bash? Not even some sweet air guitar? lol
LEN: We may have a surprise up our sleeve between the opening act and Ryan Adams…;-)
At what point does GM Jim Hendry become truly accountable for his failures, rather than merely stating that he accepts some of the blame for the on-field product? Could anyone have managed this club to above .500 this past season?
LEN: As stated above, everybody knows how much pressure exists here on the North Side to get it done, and get it done now. Let’s just see how the 2007 season plays out and go from there. And while I’m open to talking about 2006 (or any season for that matter), isn’t it a lot more fun to look ahead to ’07 at this point than to continue to re-hash last year? I mean, let’s face it, it was an awful season. Everybody knows it, Jim knows it, we all know it—nobody is hiding that fact. But you see what Jim has already done this winter. There have already been lots of changes and more are still coming.
From TheGilesBros:
Hi Len, Big fan of you and Bob.
1)What do you think of the changes that have happened so far this offseason, and what do you think the plans should be for the Cubs over the next couple of seasons?
LEN: I like what the Cubs have done. I’m really excited about ’07. Beyond that, I’m not really sure what lies ahead. That’s a big part of the fun…the unknown!
2)Had your partner Bob Brenly expressed interest in managing for the Cubs, and what type of manager do you think he would be for us if he were chosen? I know he has expressed his love for Matt Murton and the importance of OBP. And I like that.
LEN: As I said earlier, BB would make a terrific manager. He’s already proven himself by winning a World Series in his first year. I’d be shocked if somebody doesn’t come calling again at some point. He has a terrific feel for the game and is very good at anticipating game situations. As far as how would BB do at the helm of the Cubs? Well, a lot of depends on the talent of the roster. I’m a huge believer in talent winning out. No disrespect to any successful manager, but you can’t win with a bad team. Any manager would tell you that. Let’s put it this way—BB would have had a much better shot with the ’07 Cubs than with the ’06 team.
From Aramis Fan:
Hey Len, thanks for answering our questions yet again!
Do you think Aramis will be back? If so, what kind of deal do you think he will get?
LEN: Wow, another easy one. I think he’ll return on a 5-year deal worth about $73 million.
Also, how are the podcast studios coming?
LEN: Construction slows down a bit in the winter, but the mild days at the end of November helped. I’m hoping the studios will be ready to go by Opening Day…of what year, I’m not sure.
From Anze Kopitar:
Hey Len, thanks for making 2006 somewhat enjoyable. It was an impossible task, but you, with Bob, did a great job.
Anyways, would you ever be interested in taking your baseball career beyond announcing if given the oppurtunity? Or would be like me and want to avoid the pressure that goes with being associated with a baseball team.
LEN: I’m VERY happy right where I am!
From goony's evil twin:
Mr. Len
Did Esquire Magazine make the right decision?
LEN: If you’re referring to Scarlett Johansson being the sexiest woman alive, I’d have to say no, the correct answer is, my wife.
Which Cubs personality would most likely cheat on the golf course?
LEN: I’ll diplomatically just say, it wouldn’t be me!
Do the Cubs realize that their lack of walks the past 4 years has been
the primary reason why their offense has sucked so bad? Do they realize their offense has sucked so bad?
LEN: Yes, I think that’s why Jim Hendry made improving his offense the #1 off-season priority.
From Electron Blue:
First of all, thanks again for taking time to answer questions for some of the Cubs' biggest fans here at NSBB (not to mention some of your biggest fans).
I've never really understood the relationship between broadcasters and players/managers. You (and every other broadcaster) will often talk about game-related discussions you had with players in pre-game. But how would you describe the professional/friendliness attitude between you all?
LEN: Thanks for the nice compliments first of all. It’s a good question and it’s easy to answer because it’s a very natural relationship for me. We’re around the players/coaches/manager as much as we are our families for the 6-7 months during the season. So, you develop a bond, no doubt. I love the game and I love talking about the game, so it’s very easy for me to ask those sorts of questions. You find that some guys are more willing to talk about those things than others. However, even with that in mind, I still try to go out of my way to develop a professional relationship with just about every player. I never want to get into a pattern where I’m asking the same people questions all the time. I think to do my job correctly, I need to keep that in mind. And as far as criticism or whatever and how that affects relationships, I don’t think much about it because I’m in the clubhouse every single day and I’m ALWAYS available to talk about something that was said (or maybe not said). I would like to think I have credibility in there for that reason. I’m sure I’ve said some things in the past that have rankled a player here or there, but my hope would be that a) I’m given the benefit of the doubt because I do my homework and b) players realize that I’m just doing my job.
How much does it feel like a job, and how much do you feel like a
star-struck fan?
Brian - Lincoln, NE
LEN: It never really feels like a job. I think I feel like a fan all the time. Star-struck at times as well. Although one thing about this “job” you learn over time is that these guys are human beings too. And most are pretty normal, but just happen to be handsomely paid for playing baseball.
From VVMattVV:
How tough is it to call a game when the stands are depleted, the audience at home isn't as large, and the games don't mean as much?
LEN: It’s never tough at Wrigley. That place is magical. It’s never tough anywhere when you realize that the worst, most meaningless game is still a BIG LEAGUE, CUBS BASEBALL GAME. They all mean something to somebody. And even if the stands are half-empty, we’re doing the game for potentially everyone in TV land to see. I never tailor a broadcast to a “smaller” or “larger” audience. I always assume everybody who could watch is watching all the time. You don’t ever want to say or do something on the air with the attitude of “nobody’s watching anyway.” Never, ever.
Which rookie player impressed you the most in 2006?
LEN: Rich Hill, with the way he not only bounced back his second time around late in the year, but how he dominated. Ryan Theriot also opened some eyes.
Which opposing player's name is your least favorite to pronounce?
LEN: Ryan Langerhans. I’ve heard it’s LANG-er-hahns. I’ve heard LAHNG-er-hans. There’s LANG-er-hans and LAHNG-er-hahns. I normally try to go over and ask the actual player how he prefers it, but I’ve never asked Ryan. I need to do that next time the Cubs play Atlanta!
From SouthSideRyan:
LEN: I’ve repressed much of what happened last year, so I don’t recall…seriously, I vaguely remember it. I thought it was Unknown Comic Night at the park.
From sethuel1:
LEN: That’s a sensitive topic, because Ron does get really worked up during and after games and this season was really, really hard on him. But I will say this—the Cubs also make him smile. He LOVES being at the park. He lives and dies with this team and I think in a lot of ways, it’s his lifeblood. He’s an amazing person and has been a wonderful friend to me.
From Treeman:
LEN: I don’t lounge around too much, although maybe I should because in late September, you do think about all the downtime you have coming up and you say to yourself, “Wow, I can take lots of naps and sleep in…” but then you find ways to stay busy and you never end up doing it!
NSBB Member Guidelines
NCCubFan
Location: near Raleigh, NC
Postby NCCubFan » Wed Dec 06, 2006 8:28 pm
Yeah, right. That will never happen.
Beautiful words: Former GM Jim Hendry
Postby sethuel1 » Wed Dec 06, 2006 11:18 pm
thanks, Len.
Town Drunk
Location: high on a mountain
Postby Yeti » Thu Dec 07, 2006 8:07 am
thanks Len, i some how missed the questionnare section of this little Q&A :shaking2: but your input here is truely appreciated
Location: Bossier City, LA
Postby B » Thu Dec 14, 2006 9:10 pm
Yeti wrote: thanks Len, i some how missed the questionnare section of this little Q&A :shaking2: but your input here is truely appreciated
Yeah, I missed it this time around too. I'm not sure how.
BigbadB
Postby BigbadB » Sat Dec 30, 2006 11:50 am
[quote=](3) Would you mind if I told my buddies that you were my friend?
[b]LEN: If it somehow helps you in life, by all means. If, on the other hand, it results in a right hook to the jaw, then you’re better off keeping your distance. [/quote]
That's a great answer. Very entertaining interview.
Happy to see this team back for the 2007 season. I'm also excited to see broadcasters (especially Len and Bob) embrace the new age of evaluating ballplayers. Worlds ahead of old school thinking, like Joe Morgan. Definitely makes the games more enjoyable to watch.
St.Pauli-Cub
bench player
Postby St.Pauli-Cub » Thu Oct 04, 2007 8:04 am
Front Page Board index
|
cc/2019-30/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line9165
|
__label__cc
| 0.584958
| 0.415042
|
Stupid Frogs
By Sundari Prasad
In the vein of Sex in the City and You have to Kiss a Lot of Frogs , author-poet Sundari Prasad lets loose a smart, hilariously scathing look at modern romance -- through the eyes of a pensive woman who has experienced the good, the bad, and the horrific aspects of the urban love hunt. Sure, women have been saying it for years: The perfect man does not exist. But we still have pretty high hopes, don’t we? STUPID FROGS! allows you to enjoy the amusing side of being dumped, being cheated, and failing in love with Mr. Wrong -- through the experiences of the author. In this book, you get to meet men in all shapes and sizes: the vain pretty boys, the incurable womanizers, the tormented losers, the sleazy roughnecks, and many more. Yet perhaps the most impressive aspect of this book is its march-forward vision, which rouses women from a long idealistic daydream and encourages them to understand, accept, and learn to love themselves. After all, men are just secondary.
Product Details | Ebook Formats
Sundari Prasad/Xlibris (Standard Copyright License)
Mad Madam Books
http://www.lulu.com/shop/sundari-prasad/stupid-frogs/ebook/product-17411060.html
More From Sundari Prasad
Pure: Memoirs of Sex,... By Sundari Prasad eBook:
Slain: Rantings of a... By Sundari Prasad et al. eBook:
Absinthe: Prosaic bouts... By Sundari Prasad eBook:
|
cc/2019-30/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line9170
|
__label__cc
| 0.580204
| 0.419796
|
However, Rini wanders beyond the shield, through the ruins, and finally sits alone on a swing. Suddenly a low laugh is heard, and Wiseman appears, saying now is the time for him to act. Rini turns to run, but is frozen in place. Wiseman tells her that she was safe inside the Palace, but here there is nothing to protect her from his powers. Now he will find out what happened to the Silver Crystal. He makes Rini remember the events leading up to the Dark Moon attack. She had broken a vase in the Palace and was being scolded by some women for being so clumsy. They tell her she should be a graceful and gentle lady like her mother. [Serena must have finally grown out of her clumsiness, but passed it on to Rini!] She runs through the Palace crying out that she wants to hurry up and become a lady like her mother. She goes to the Silver Crystal, and uses the Luna Ball to open the case it's in, thinking that with it, she could be a lady like her Mama.
But as she takes it, it suddenly flares and vanishes! "No, don't go away!" With it gone, the Dark Moon attacks. She cries out "Mama" as she sees images of Serenity being encased in crystal by the Scouts. Her cry of "Papa" is accompanied by the memory of Endymion being blasted in the monitor room. The city is destroyed as Rini screams.
Wiseman tells Rini she made herself forget these things because she knows everyone will blame her for what happened to her mother. He casts an illusion of the Scouts blaming her for all that has happened. The illusions taunt her, saying it's her fault her mother was outside the safety of the Palace looking for her. Rini covers her ears, "It's not my fault!" She didn't mean for the Silver Crystal to disappear. She sees her mother being attacked and shielded again. "It's not my fault!" Wiseman says he believes her. All she has to do is take his hand, and he will help her prove it's not her fault. He offers his hand, and she takes it. On the Dark Moon, the Dark Crystal flares with power as Saffir and Esmeraude watch. She says that with the crystal more powerful their victory is assured. Saffir doesn't trust Wiseman or the power of the Black Crystal. He wants to see what's really under that cloak. Esmeraude is confident she can handle Wiseman. She'll do whatever is necessary to get what she wants.
Dimando appears. Esmeraude tells him how powerful the Black Crystal has become, but he simply vanishes again. Saffir says that Wiseman once predicted that Neo-Queen Serenity would be his brother's future love. Since that day, Dimando has cared for nothing else. If it was not for his brother's obsession with Serenity, they would have defeated Sailor Moon already. Again, Esmeraude is enraged. She WILL win Dimando's heart and be his Queen, and to do this she will be Wiseman's help.
|
cc/2019-30/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line9181
|
__label__wiki
| 0.690138
| 0.690138
|
Living Jewishly
A Jew You Should Know
The Chai List
OyChicago articles
8 Questions for Todd Kessler, Folk singer/songwriter, teacher, former ‘The Voice’ contestant
Permanent link All Posts
By Steven Chaitman
Reality TV singing competitions are raining from the skies these days, so you might’ve missed Chicago’s Todd Kessler on Season 3 of NBC’s The Voice, which aired last fall. Fair enough; even if you’re an addict of the show, you might not remember his lone performance with Team Cee Lo, facing off against eventual third-place finisher (and now friend) Nicholas David.
But Kessler’s proverbial 15 minutes of fame aren’t up by any means. The 31-year-old Northbrook native and University of Illinois alum has parlayed his national TV spotlight into a prolific performing career in the city, both as a solo artist and as front man of the multi-piece band The New Folk, who just released their debut album, Sea Fever, now on iTunes.
Even if you’ve encountered Todd’s moving vocals before at Lincoln Hall, Millennium Park, the Double Door or elsewhere, you might not know that he loves to teach. He has been teaching Jewish music at Chicago Sinai Congregation for the last four years and also gives guitar lessons.
Kessler is definitely A Jew You Should Know, so why not get started tomorrow, May 29, by seeing him perform a solo acoustic set at Lincoln Hall (2424 N. Lincoln Ave.) at 8 p.m.? Or, you can see him with the band this Sunday, June 2, at Martyr’s (3855 N. Lincoln Ave.) at 7 p.m.
1. What makes your and The New Folk’s music something Chicagoans should be listening to?
Our music is a new take on Folk music that brings all kinds of influences to the mix to make a sound that is fresh. I call it Alternative/Folk/Pop, or Paul Simon meets Wilco meets Mumford and Sons.
2. How has being on The Voice changed you personally and professionally? (And are you still tight with Cee Lo?)
I have not seen Cee Lo since October when we were doing a show in Las Vegas, but working with him was a fantastic experience. Being on the show changed my life greatly both personally and professionally. I’ve met artists from all over the country, many of whom I have collaborated with on tour, and some of whom I have created life-long friendships with. Professionally, I’ve been getting better gigs since my time on the show and my fan base has really expanded.
3. What are the biggest differences between working as a solo artist and being part of a larger band/ensemble?
Working with a band is kind of like working in an office, except with your friends. When you show up to work you do what needs to be done, but after we get to go to the bar and grab a drink. It’s extremely rewarding working with musicians that understand each other and genuinely love playing music together, but it is a lot of work to coordinate six schedules to find time to play gigs and rehearse. When I play gigs as a solo artist I only have myself to rely on so it is less stress in a way, but a bit lonely in another way. Nothing compares to sharing a stage with my friends and creating music.
4. If you could choose a popular artist to do a cover of one of your songs, who would it be and which song?
I think I would have Glen Hansard (of Swell Season fame) cover my song “Hallelujah.” I am so inspired by how he performs and I think I could learn a lot by hearing his take of that song. The song itself is an emotional one and he is an incredibly emotional performer.
5. If you could put on your dream concert, what would it look like and who might it benefit?
My dream concert would be at my favorite venue in Chicago, The Vic Theater, and it would be a huge jam session with all of my favorite artists: Paul Simon, Wilco, Glen Hansard, David Gray, Ryan Adams, M. Ward and Jenny Lewis, and some friends from the local scene as well thrown in the mix. We would choose for it to benefit an organization that would promote music and arts education in schools.
6. What do you love most about what you do?
When it comes down to it, my favorite thing about playing music is the opportunity to connect with people. Whether it’s with the musicians I’m playing with on stage or the fans in the audience, being able to share stories and experiences is so rewarding. Music constantly reminds me that we are all connected.
7. In an alternate universe where you couldn’t be a musician, what would you do?
Easy, I’d be a Fromager (cheesemonger). Cheese is my favorite food and if I could be surrounded by it all day, I’d be a very happy man.
8. What’s your favorite Jewish thing to do (or how do you Jew?) in Chicago?
I love participating in musical Shabbat services. For the past few years I have been playing in a Shabbat band at my home synagogue (Congregation Beth Shalom in Northbrook) called “Shabbatone” and more recently have created my own trio to do more intimate Shabbat services. It’s a really nice way to connect with people in a truly meaningful way.
Last Edited by Lindsey_2 at 5/28/2013 3:00 PM
Nominations now open for the fifth annual Chicago Jewish 36 under 36 list
New play ‘A Splintered Soul’ explores moving forward in America after the Holocaust
Have you been personally inspired by a Holocaust survivor?
‘Nurture the Wow’ focuses on the spirituality of parenting
Third annual JCC Chicago Jewish Film Festival opens March 10
Champagne, Craft Beer & Kosher BBQ Thursday, July 18, 2019 6:00 PM More info Distinguished Speakers Program presents Author, Daniel Silva Friday, July 19, 2019 8:00 PM More info Shoresh at Summer Dance Saturday, July 20, 2019 5:30 PM More info See all events
Top Stories from JUF News
When Yoga meets JudaismThe 10 Commandments of Farmers MarketsTwo young Jewish women, former White House staffers team up on new book'Humans Of Tel Aviv’ tells a new story of Israel’s metropolis
See all JUF News
Ben Gurion Way 30 S. Wells Street Chicago, IL 60606 312-346-6700
juf.org | DONATE NOW | Contact Us | Newsletter
|
cc/2019-30/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line9186
|
__label__wiki
| 0.829538
| 0.829538
|
HomeArticlesIsraeli Deceptions Revealed in Story of ‘Kidnapped’ Soldier
Israeli Deceptions Revealed in Story of ‘Kidnapped’ Soldier
August 4, 2014 Articles, Commentary
Israel claimed Hadar Goldin was dead, possibly buried in a collapsed tunnel as Israel bombarded the area in which he was seized.
By Jonathan Cook – Nazareth
A single incident at the weekend – the reported capture by Hamas on Friday of an Israeli soldier through a tunnel – illustrated in stark fashion the layers of deception Israel has successfully cast over its attack on Gaza.
On Sunday, as the army indicated it would start limited withdrawals, Israel claimed Hadar Goldin was dead, possibly buried in a collapsed tunnel as Israel bombarded the area in which he was seized. His family said he was being left behind.
Israeli officials or media did not view Hamas’ operation dispassionately. Goldin was not “captured” but “kidnapped” – as though he was an innocent seized by opportunistic criminals.
As occurs so often, many western journalists followed Israel’s lead. The London Times’ front page blared: “Kidnapped in Gaza”, while the Boston Globe called him the “abducted Israeli soldier”.
From western reactions, it was also clear the soldier’s capture was considered more significant news than any of the massacres of Palestinian civilians over the past weeks.
Israel’s cynical calculus – that one soldier is more valuable than large numbers of dead Palestinian civilians – was echoed in the diplomatic and editorial corridors of Washington, London and Paris.
Misleading too was the general agreement that, in attacking a group of soldiers in Rafah and seizing Goldin, Hamas had violated the first moments of a 72-hour humanitarian ceasefire.
The Washington Post reported on the circumstances as a Hamas suicide bomber emerged from a tunnel to explode his vest, killing two soldiers, and Goldin was pulled into the shaft. “On Friday morning, Israeli troops were in the southern Gaza Strip preparing to destroy a Hamas tunnel, said Israeli military officials. Suddenly, Palestinian militants emerged from a shaft.”
CBS reporter Charlie D’Agata parroted the same Israeli briefings, also inadvertently exposing the central deceit. The soldier was “suspected of being kidnapped during an operation to clear tunnels – crucially, [officials] say, this happened after the ceasefire was supposed to take place.”
So if a ceasefire was in place, what were Goldin and his comrades doing detonating tunnels, tunnels in which Israel says Hamas is hiding? Were Hamas fighters supposed to simply wait to be entombed in their bunkers during the pause in hostilities? Or was Israel the one violating the ceasefire?
And then there was the explosion of military fury as Israel realized its soldier was missing. Israeli correspondents have admitted that the notorious “Hannibal procedure” was invoked: the use of all means to stop a soldier being taken alive, including killing him. The rationale is to prevent the enemy gaining a psychological advantage in negotiations.
The unleashing of massive firepower appeared designed to ensure Goldin and his captors never made it out of their tunnel, but in the process Israel killed dozens of Palestinians.
It was another illustration of Israel’s absolute disregard for the safety of civilians. At least three-quarters of the more than 1,700 Palestinians killed so far are non-combatants, while almost all Israeli casualties have been soldiers. This has been a pattern in all Israel’s recent confrontations.
Israel’s official justifications for taking the fight into Gaza have been layered with deceit too.
Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has argued that Israel was dragged into a war of necessity. Barack Obama echoed him: Israel had a right to defend itself from a barrage of rockets fired out of Gaza. Later the pretext became Israel’s need to destroy the “terror tunnels”.
The logic is deeply flawed. Israel is occupying and besieging Gaza, conferring on its inhabitants a right under international law to fight for their freedom. How does the oppressor, the lawbreaker have a right to self-defence? If Israel objects to being scratched and bruised, it should stop choking its victim.
The degree to which Israel’s narrative of “self-defence” has come to dominate news coverage and diplomatic statements was revealed in a CNN interview. Anchor Carol Costello asked a baffled interviewee in all seriousness: “Why doesn’t Hamas just show Israel where these tunnels are?”
Equally significantly, Israel has obscured the truth that it picked this particular round of its ongoing confrontation with Hamas – and did so entirely cynically.
A BBC reporter recently confirmed with an Israeli police spokesman a rumor that had been circulating among military correspondents for weeks. The group behind the abduction in June of three Israeli teens in the West Bank – the trigger for Israel’s campaign against Hamas – was a lone cell, acting on its own.
Claiming precisely the opposite – that he had cast-iron proof Hamas was responsible – Netanyahu gave the army free rein to arrest hundreds of Hamas members and smash the organization’s institutions in the West Bank.
The crackdown created the necessary provocation: Hamas allowed Gaza’s factions to start firing limited numbers of rockets. Analyst Nathan Thrall noted recently that Hamas had impressed the Israeli army until that point by enforcing the ceasefire agreed with Israel 18 months earlier, even though Israel violated the terms by maintaining Gaza’s siege.
Now the rockets gave Netanyahu an excuse to strike.
So what was his real reason for going into Gaza? What were these many deceptions designed to hide?
It seems Netanyahu wanted to end a strategic threat: not Hamas rockets or tunnels, but the establishment of a unity government between Hamas and its long-time rivals Fatah. Palestinian unity risked reviving pressure on him to negotiate, or face a renewed and more credible Palestinian campaign for statehood at the United Nations.
But Hamas’ unexpectedly impressive martial display against Israel – killing dozens of soldiers, firing long-range rockets into Israel throughout, closing briefly the sole international airport, launching attacks into Israeli territory, and causing a loss to the economy estimated so far at more than $4bn – may have changed the calculus again.
For the moment, Netanyahu seems to prefer to pull back Israeli soldiers rather than be forced under international pressure to negotiate with Hamas. He knows that its key demand will be that Israel end the siege.
But in the longer term, Netanyahu may need Palestinian unity, at least on his terms, to undermine Hamas’ gains.
As Israel began its attack on Gaza, Netanyahu turned his attention to the West Bank. He warned that there could never be “any agreement in which we relinquish security control” over it for fear that, given the West Bank’s larger size, Israel might “create another 20 Gazas”.
He was ruling out any hope of Palestinian statehood. A “demilitarized” entity, heavily circumscribed and absolutely dependent on Israel and the US, seems to be all that Israel will ever put on the table.
Allowing Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas and Fatah into Gaza could justify loosening the siege. But only as long as Abbas agrees to remove Hamas’ military infrastructure and export to the coastal enclave the model he has established in the West Bank – of endless accommodation to Israeli and US dictates.
– Jonathan Cook won the Martha Gellhorn Special Prize for Journalism. His latest books are “Israel and the Clash of Civilisations: Iraq, Iran and the Plan to Remake the Middle East” (Pluto Press) and “Disappearing Palestine: Israel’s Experiments in Human Despair” (Zed Books). He contributed this article to PalestineChronicle.com. His website is www.jonathan-cook.net. (A version of this article first appeared in the National, Abu Dhabi.)
70 Bodies Found in Rafah as Death Toll Hits 1,810
Israel Has Caused ‘$5 Billion’ Damage to Gaza Homes, Infrastructure
Israel will stop at nothing, until there isn’t a single Palestinians remain alive in the land of palestine. People must be united to deal with Israeli genocide against innocent, unarmed men, women and children of Palestine. Israel and their friends in West will print and have talking heads all over the media advancing Israeli PR, their goal is to divide people and take advantages of the situation. People, specially Arabs must not fall in Israeli traps which divide them. before any fighting take place, Palestine must talorate a little more pain while accumulating ACCURATE anti air craft weapons, IED,anti tank weapons,fast moving vehicles etc, While defending is great, go on offense liberate.
Israeli Deceptions Revealed in Story of ‘Kidnapped’ Soldier says:
As a Muslim, looking at Gaza from the outside, hurts me immensely of the brutality that my brothes and sisters are enduring from the ruthless Israely army. What hurts me as much is, where are the other Arab states? Why are they shying away and just watching the carnage of innocent Children and others happening in Gaza. It is a shame and a disgrace that these so-called Arab leaders do nothing for their people. They have the keys to the world (OIL) but instead they are puppets to the West. This morning that Barak Obama has given the go-ahead of Air-Strikes on Irag to avoid Genocide. Genocide he says. Is Gaza not already in the heart of Genocide? To the Gaza People, you are ALWAYS in our DUAAS
Shlomo says:
So….Israel should honor Germany for mercifully ending the suffering of 6 million Juden, too, right?
I mean, Adolf, Inc. COULD have put them all on starvation diets, or tortured them at-will, or used any other Israeli techniques. Instead of bullets or swords, though, a few inhalations did the trick.
Adolf, you compassionate charmer, you!
|
cc/2019-30/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line9187
|
__label__cc
| 0.599358
| 0.400642
|
Craig DiLouie's INFECTION coming from Permuted Press
Christopher Webster [Celluloid 02.03.11] post apocalyptic news book scifi
Craig DiLouie's last book, Tooth and Nail, was a huge hit around these parts so we're excited to hear that his next journey into the apocalypse will be coming from the fine folks at Permuted Press who, let's face it, know a thing or two about releasing this kind of thing. The best part is, we're hearing it's like 28 Days Later meets The Mist. Bring it!
A mysterious virus suddenly strikes down millions. Three days later, its victims awake with a single purpose: spread the Infection. As the world lurches toward the apocalypse, some of the Infected continue to change, transforming into horrific monsters. In one American city, a small group struggles to survive. Sarge, a tank commander hardened by years of fighting in Afghanistan.
Wendy, a cop still fighting for law and order in a lawless land. Ethan, a teacher searching for his lost family. Todd, a high school student who sees second chances in the end of the world. Paul, a minister who wonders why God has forsaken his children. And Anne, their mysterious leader, who holds an almost fanatical hatred for the Infected. Together, they fight their way to a massive refugee camp where thousands have made a stand. There, what's left of the government will ask them to accept a mission that will determine the survival of them all-a dangerous journey back onto the open road and into the very heart of Infection.
Infection will be available February 22, 2011, but you can pre-order it.
We'll be bringing you a full review of the book as soon, so stay tuned!
Michael Allen (8 years ago) Reply
I just read Tooth and Nail last week. This is one of the best zombie thrillers ever and I cannot wait for this title. Hopefully, I will get a review copy as well! -Mike
Anonymous (8 years ago) Reply
just read this...pretty good.
|
cc/2019-30/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line9188
|
__label__wiki
| 0.566402
| 0.566402
|
First images from the DOOMSDAY tv show + news of a title change?
Christopher Webster [Celluloid 01.09.09] post apocalyptic movie news horror action gallery
Last week we discovered that a made-for-tv movie called "Doomsday" was in production for release in 2009. The film's IMDB page came complete with a gallery of posters of Neil Marshall's film "Doomsday" which, naturally, lead us to believe that the two were somehow related. Well, now things are starting to get interesting.
We received a tip to check out the myspace page of actor Mike Johnson (Ninja) who plays a part in the film. On his profile, he lists the film as being originally titled Doomsday 2: Level Extinction. His latest blog post however, explains that the title has been changed to simply "Doomsday" and that "according to [the writer] Rafael Jordan [it] has nothing to do for the Neil Marshall film."
Hmmmm, so from the sounds of it the project was, at one point, considered a sequel to the Marshall film by both the writer and production team but now is not? Did they not have permission? Why haven't they changed the title further? Certainly calling the film "Doomsday" isn't the best answer either. Curiouser and curiouser. We also found some behind the scenes images for ya which are after the break. They don't show much but they do prove that Luke Goss is indeed in the film and that yes, there are smoking chicks in it.
rcdude (10 years ago) Reply
Doesn't really looked related to Doomsday, but it's hard to tel for sure.
trogen (10 years ago) Reply
the girls in pic 8 are hot!
Your right, dosent look anything to do with doomsday movie, but I still think is could be amazing if done right.
trouble (9 years ago) Reply
I think it's more to do with the 'dead undead' movie.
zaanstreek (7 years ago) Reply
Zaandam is in 1811 ontstaan door samenvoeging van de plaatsen Oostzaandam, dat deel uit maakte van de gemeente Oostzaan, en Westzaandam, dat deel uitmaakte van de Banne Westzaan.
|
cc/2019-30/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line9189
|
__label__cc
| 0.636465
| 0.363535
|
Flick Haigh creates history and is now searching for more
December 8, 2018 January 8, 2019 Sam TickellInterviews, Sports/GT
If ever you needed to see the value of modern motorsport, you just have to look at the British GT and the achievements of Flick Haigh this year.
#75 Optimum Motorsport – Flick Haigh, Jonny Adam, 2018 British GT Champions, Donington Park, Castle Donington, Derby, England
To take the Championship and become one of the few female drivers to win a National Championship is testament to her ability, both on and off the track. Like Australian Rally Champion, Molly Taylor, she is proof that motorsport is a place where men and women can compete together.
But is also the package that sportscar racing and the British GT has put together. There is special treatment – it is racer against racer. As Haigh said to Helana Hicks, “when you put the helmet on, there is no difference between men and women.”
Outside this, too, 2018 was a stunning year, driving with Jonny Adam in an Optimum Motorsport Aston Martin Vantage GT3, they racked up two pole positions, two wins and a further two podiums.
They took the Championship by eight points.
Talking to Autosport Haigh said that “I’ve ticked a really big box in my racing career, I don’t think that I could top this year with that car and the people I had around me.”
#75 Optimum Motorsport – Aston Martin Vantage V12 GT3 – Flick Haigh, Jonny Adam, Race, British GT Championship, Rockingham Motor Speedway, Corby, Northampton, England
And now she is looking to her next step. Definitely a shame for the British GT Championship but also a great positive for European motorsport.
Fortunately for the British GT Championship, there is the strength and depth to keep moving on and Adam will definitely a challenger for the 2019 title.
And we wait with eager anticipation to see how they both go next year.
By Sam Tickell
Photos by Paul Foster
Tagged British GT
Stephane Ratel honoured at the Autosport Awards
Algarve Pro Racing take hard fought AsLMS win in Fuji
|
cc/2019-30/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line9190
|
__label__wiki
| 0.923142
| 0.923142
|
76th Golden Globes: Full winners list
January 7, 2019 - 12:15 AMT
PanARMENIAN.Net - The 76th Golden Globe Awards took place Sunday, January 6 night. The full list of film and television nominees follows with winners indicated in bold with an asterisk.
Best Motion Picture - Drama
"Black Panther"
"BlackKklansman"
"Bohemian Rhapsody" *WINNER
"If Beale Street Could Talk"
"A Star Is Born"
Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy
"Crazy Rich Asians"
"The Favourite"
"Green Book" *WINNER
"Mary Poppins Returns"
"Vice"
Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama
Glenn Close ("The Wife") *WINNER
Lady Gaga ("A Star Is Born")
Nicole Kidman ("Destroyer")
Melissa McCarthy ("Can You Ever Forgive Me?")
Rosamund Pike ("A Private War")
Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama
Bradley Cooper ("A Star Is Born")
Willem Dafoe ("At Eternity's Gate")
Lucas Hedges ("Boy Erased")
Rami Malek ("Bohemian Rhapsody") *WINNER
John David Washington ("BlackKklansman")
Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy
Emily Blunt ("Mary Poppins Returns")
Olivia Colman ("The Favourite") *WINNER
Elsie Fisher ("Eighth Grade")
Charlize Theron ("Tully")
Constance Wu ("Crazy Rich Asians")
Alfonso Cuaron ("Roma") *WINNER
Peter Farrelly ("Green Book")
Spike Lee ("BlackKklansman")
Adam McKay ("Vice")
Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy
Christian Bale ("Vice") *WINNER
Lin-Manuel Miranda ("Mary Poppins Returns")
Vigo Mortensen ("Green Book")
Robert Redford ("The Old Man and the Gun")
John C. Reilly ("Stan and Ollie")
Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture
Amy Adams ("Vice")
Claire Foy ("First Man")
Regina King ("If Beale Street Could Talk") *WINNER
Emma Stone ("The Favourite")
Rachel Weisz ("The Favourite")
Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture
Mahershala Ali ("Green Book") *WINNER
Timothee Chalamet ("Beautiful Boy")
Adam Driver ("BlackKklansman")
Richard E. Grant ("Can You Ever Forgive Me?")
Sam Rockwell ("Vice")
Best Original Score in a Motion Picture
Marco Beltrami ("A Quiet Place")
Alexandre Desplat ("Isle of Dogs")
Ludwig Göransson ("Black Panther")
Justin Hurwitz ("First Man") *WINNER
Marc Shaiman ("Mary Poppins Returns")
Best Original Song in a Motion Picture
"All the Stars" ("Black Panther")
"Girl in the Movies" ("Dumplin'")
"Requiem for a Private War" ("A Private War")
"Revelation" ("Boy Erased")
"Shallow" ("A Star Is Born") *WINNER
Best Screenplay in a Motion Picture
Barry Jenkins ("If Beale Street Could Talk")
Alfonso Cuaron ("Roma")
Deborah Davis and Tony McNamara ("The Favourite")
Peter Farrelly, Nick Vallelonga, Brian Currie ("Green Book") *WINNER
Best Motion Picture - Foreign Language
"Capernaum"
"Girl"
"Never Look Away"
"Roma" *WINNER
"Shoplifters"
Incredibles 2"
"Isle of Dogs"
"Mirai"
"Ralph Breaks the Internet"
"Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse" *WINNER
Best TV series - Drama
"The Americans" *WINNER
"Bodyguard"
"Homecoming"
"Killing Eve"
"Pose"
Best performance by Actress in a TV series - Drama
Caitriona Balfe ("Outlander")
Elisabeth Moss ("The Handmaid's Tale")
Sandra Oh ("Killing Eve") *WINNER
Julia Roberts ("Homecoming")
Keri Russell ("The Americans")
Best performance by an Actor in a TV Series - Drama
Jason Bateman ("Ozark")
Stephan James ("Homecoming")
Richard Madden ("Bodyguard") *WINNER
Billy Porter ("Pose")
Matthew Rhys ("The Americans")
Best TV series - Musical or Comedy
"Barry"
"The Good Place"
"Kidding"
"The Kominsky Method" *WINNER
"The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel"
Best Performance by an Actor in a TV series - Musical or Comedy
Sasha Baron Cohen ("Who Is America?")
Jim Carrey ("Kidding")
Michael Douglas ("The Kominsky Method") *WINNER
Donald Glover ("Atlanta")
Bill Hader ("Barry")
Best Performance by an Actress in a TV series - Musical or Comedy
Kristen Bell ("The Good Place")
Candice Bergen ("Murphy Brown")
Alison Brie ("GLOW")
Rachel Brosnahan ("The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel") *WINNER
Debra Messing ("Will & Grace")
Best Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
"The Alienist"
"The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story" *WINNER
"Dirty John"
"Escape at Dannemora"
"Sharp Objects"
"A Very English Scandal"
Antonio Banderas ("Genius: Picasso")
Daniel Bruhl ("The Alienist")
Darren Criss ("The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story") *WINNER
Benedict Cumberbatch ("Patrick Melrose")
Hugh Grant ("A Very English Scandal")
Amy Adams ("Sharp Objects")
Patricia Arquette ("Escape at Dannemora") *WINNER
Connie Britton ("Dirty John")
Laura Dern ("The Tale")
Regina King ("Seven Seconds")
Alan Arkin ("The Kominsky Method")
Kieran Culkin ("Succession Edgar Ramirez, The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story")
Ben Whishaw ("A Very English Scandal") *WINNER
Henry Winkler ("Barry")
Alex Borstein ("The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel')
Patricia Clarkson ("Sharp Objects") *WINNER
Penélope Cruz ("The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story")
Thandie Newton ("Westworld")
Yvonne Strahovski ("The Handmaid's Tale")
CNN. Golden Globes: The winners list
Meduza: Названы победители премии «Золотой глобус». Главную награду получил фильм «Богемская рапсодия»
Archive for January 7, 2019
|
cc/2019-30/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line9192
|
__label__wiki
| 0.538082
| 0.538082
|
Australian Media Centre Community
Home | PC Media Video Production
Away Mode
Media Center on a Win8 tablet
Media Center Reset Box
PC & Laptop Repairs
Win 8 File Details
Win 8.1 Row 11
How To Make Free Online Videos
Video Maker Online With Music And Effects Free
Video Maker Free Download
Free Video Maker
Slideshow Maker Online
Movie Maker Free Download
How To Secure Your Data Online
How To Keep Your Personal Information Safe Online
How To Keep Information Secure On A Computer
How To Protect Personal Data On A Computer
How To Keep Data Safe And Secure
How To Protect Personal Information Online
Finding vulnerabilities with ethical hacking
December 3, 2018 Site Admin
What is ethical hacking also known as Pen testing.
Well, first consider that hackers are everyday individuals that will have jobs and responsibilities. These people can be programmers, coders, or career criminals – but if there’s one thing that they will all have in common, it’s that they can cause millions of dollars in damage every year. There are typically two types of hackers; those that practice their activities for entertainment, and those that wish to gain something out of it.
But there is a secret third type of hacker, the anti-hacker if you will and these experts are invaluable to businesses that operate their own online presence via a website. Often referred to as ethical hackers, these individuals are willing to offer their expertise and digital prowess, in return for a fee, or some form of compensation.
Pen testing on promotional websites
What is does crowdsourced security do?
Hackers often come from backgrounds where they will have been exposed to coding and programming, although there are those that are self-taught, too. Some will dedicate hours of their time to causing damage to websites simply because they want to, but it’s not uncommon for them to do so for financial gain as well.
Crowdsourcing works by bringing these hackers together with businesses; and instead of doing so to damage the infrastructure of a site, these ethical hackers will instead offer to discover flaws and weaknesses in return for a fee. Many businesses have started to utilise this method, as it is the digital equivalent of fighting fire with fire.
How to Crowdsource your application security testing
This unique take on the hacking genre has taken the world by storm, so much so that many businesses are now offering thousands of dollars in compensation in return for ethical hackers to source, identify and report potential weaknesses that may leave a site exposed to hacking. The process starts by a company releasing a bounty for white hat hackers, in return for evaluating the companies’ website. When bugs, glitches and issues are discovered, they can be reported to the website owner directly, where they will be able to pay for the effort and then rectify the concerns.
Enhanced firewall installation
Most networks are exposed to no fewer than a dozen intrusion attempts on a daily basis – and many of these attempts originate from automatic bots that are consistently attempting to gain access to a site’s infrastructure. Some hackers create even more advanced systems that will actively seek out weaknesses in coding and programming, and an enhanced firewall can go a long way in deterring these efforts. By upgrading a firewall, the network will be able to almost immediately identify any hacking attempts and then block them.
Can online security really be improved?
This is where white hat, or ethical, hackers come into the fray. It’s their job to review, evaluate and identify a website’s flaws and possible weaknesses. Many ethical coders will have access to the most advanced tools and resources – plenty of which will have been designed and developed by their community, so employing their use in a safe manner can help to ensure that a website won’t fall victim to someone using the tools with criminal intentions.
As far as a business is concerned, the ability to have a knowledgeable expert locate and report the most prominent bugs and issues can be very beneficial – and once identified, it can be a simple task to introduce measures to metaphorically fix the break within their system. And all that a white hat hacker will want in return is a fee to act as compensation; something that thousands of businesses are willing to pay, in return for helping to protect their sites and services from unsavoury activities.
Posted in security
Secure File Transfer : The Benefits of Secure File Transfer with Remote Delete Options
How to Use a Free Presentation Maker Online
Copyright © 2019 Australian Media Centre Community. All Rights Reserved.
|
cc/2019-30/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line9195
|
__label__cc
| 0.745216
| 0.254784
|
Huawei Enjoy 7 Plus with 4GB RAM, Snapdragon 435, 12MP Cam, 5.5-inch HD Screen announced
Huawei has just announced its latest budget 4G Android smartphone in the Enjoy series in China, called Enjoy 7 Plus. It is a budge smartphone and comes with 5.5-inch HD screen with 720p resolution and 2.5D curved glass display.
Huawei Enjoy 7 Plus is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 435 octa-core processor and it runs on the Android 7.0 Nougat OS. There is a fingerprint sensor provided on the back. It is claimed by Huawei that it can unlock the Huawei Enjoy 7 Plus in just 0.2 seconds. The device sports a metal unibody design
There will be two variant based on the amount of RAM - 3GB and 4GB of RAM. There is a memory card slot provided as well to expand the memory using a microSD card. On the imaging side, there is a 12-megapixel rear camera with LED flash and full HD video recording capability. There is also an 8-megapixel front-facing camera provided for making video calls and taking selfies.
Huawei Enjoy 7 Plus comes with a 4000mAh built-in battery. The complete list of all hardware specs and features of Huawei Enjoy 7 Plus are given below.
Huawei Enjoy 7 Plus : Full Hardware Specs and Features
- 4G LTE Capability
- Hybrid Dual SIM Slot
- 5.5-inch HD IPS Super LCD Screen with 720 x 1280 Pixels Resolution and 267 PPI
- 2.5D Curved Glass Display
- Qualcomm MSM8940 Snapdragon 435 Octa-core (1.4 GHz Quad-core A53 and 1.1 GHz Quad-core 153) Processor
- Adreno 505 GPU
- 4 GB of RAM with 64 GB Internal Memory
- Expandable Memory up to 128 GB using the microSD Card
- 12 MP Rear Camera with LED Flash
- 1080p Full HD Video Recording
- 8 MP Front-facing Camera
- Android 7.0 Nougat OS
- EMUI 5.1
- 4.000 mAh Non-removable Lithium-Polymer Battery with Fast Charging
- Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n/, Hotspot, WiFi Direct, DLNA
- Bluetooth 4.0, A2DP
- FM Radio
- microUSB 2.0
- Magnetic Compass, Fingerprint Scanner, Accelerometer and Proximity Sensors
- 153.6 x 76.4 x 8.35 mm Dimension
- 175 Grams Weight
Huawei Enjoy 7 Plus will be available in Silver, Gray, Pink, Champagne Gold, Blue and Black color options. The price of Huawei Enjoy 7 Plus for 3GB RAM with 32GB storage is US$ 217 and the price of Huawei Enjoy 7 Plus for 4GB RAM with 64GB storage is US$ 246.
Huawei Enjoy 7 Plus is now available for pre-order from Huawei’s Vmall and will be available to consumers from April 28th.
Categories : Android, Mobile Phones, News
|
cc/2019-30/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line9202
|
__label__cc
| 0.653726
| 0.346274
|
An Ocean Of Cocktails
It's July in New Orleans, which means two things: scorching temperatures and the hottest event in the spirits world -- Tales of the Cocktail! On this week's show, we look at the annual summertime conference that brings the international cocktail scene to the Crescent City.
Tales of the Cocktail, Maggie Campbell, Privateer Rum, The New York Times, Robert Simonson, The Old Fashioned, Charlotte Voisey, William Grant & Sons, Jesse Falowitz, Mizu Shochu
Louisiana Eats: Getting Into the Spirit at Tales of the Cocktail
It's that magical time of year in New Orleans when cocktailians and spirits experts from around the world come together in the blazing heat for the world's pre-eminent cocktail festival, Tales of the Cocktail. On this week's show, we're giving you an insider's view into the Crescent City’s most spirited gathering.
We begin with Kate Gerwin, the first American and first woman to win the Bols Around The World championship in bartending. Kate discusses her career owning and operating award-winning establishments, and the story behind Girls With Bols, her game changing mentorship program for female bartenders.
Tales of the Cocktail, Kate Gerwin, Bols Around The World, Girls With Bols, Gardner Dunn, Suntory Whisky, Leonardo Vena, Lucano 1894, Adam Seger, Josh Beckerman, Louisiana Eats, Poppy Tooker, Joe Shriner, Reggie Morris
Shaken And Stirred: Inside Tales Of The Cocktail
This week on Louisiana Eats!, we go behind the scenes at the biggest annual cocktail gathering in the world, Tales of the Cocktail.
We begin with Mr. Cocktail himself, Paul Tuennerman, husband of the visionary leader and founder of Tales, Ann Tuennerman. Mr. Cocktail spills the beans on what life is like as the husband of the powerhouse who is Mrs. Cocktail.
Then, legendary Las Vegas barte
Tales of the Cocktail, Paul Tuennerman, Ann Tuennerman, Tony Abou-Ganim, Richard Betts, Phillip Guichet, Tujague's
Celebrating The Frozen Daiquiri
The annual Tales of the Cocktail event is currently underway in New Orleans, celebrating the city's contribution as birthplace of the American cocktail and the culture that has grown out of it. But there is one mixed drink you can get almost anywhere in Louisiana that has spawned a very different kind of culture.
Click here to hear Scott Gold's take on the frozen daiquiri's impact on Big Easy drinking culture and his own life.
The original version of this story can be found in Scott Gold's Food Porn Friday column at NolaVie.
Tales of the Cocktail, Poppy Tooker, Louisiana Eats, Daiquiri
Make Mine A Double: The American Cocktail
February 14, 2019 / Poppy Tooker
Despite Louisiana’s scorching temperatures in July, thousands of visitors beat a path to New Orleans in search of a cold cocktail at the annual Tales of the Cocktail event. On this week’s show we’ll hear from the founder of the conference, get a dose of history from the King of Cocktails, and hear how a smear campaign kept absinthe out of our liquor cabinets for 100 years. Break out the ice, the bar’s open on this week’s Louisiana Eats!
February 14, 2019 / Poppy Tooker/ Comment
Tales of the Cocktail, Poppy Tooker, Louisian Eats
A Taste Of Home: Finding Cultural Identity At The Table
Whether they’re short trips across town or long voyages across the oceans, we all take journeys. On this week’s Louisiana Eats! we’ll speak with writers and restaurateurs about their personal quests for cultural identity.
Kim Sunee, A Mouthful of Stars, Fatma Aydin, Suleyman Aydin, Ann Benoit, New Olreans Best Ethnic Restaurants, Tales of the Cocktail
|
cc/2019-30/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line9207
|
__label__cc
| 0.744242
| 0.255758
|
04/07/17 Slaughter of Seals
03/27/17 Horses in Oroslavje
03/07/17 Exploitation of Women
12/23/16 Dutch no to Fur
11/21/16 Veganism Wins Over Salmonella!
11/18/16 Shelter Instead of Camels
09/28/16 Victims of Dairy Industry Marketing
06/21/16 Cakovec Doesn't Need Mangy Camels
06/14/16 Proposal of the Act on Public Order and Peace
06/06/16 Wild animal circus in Varaždin
03/04/16 Belgium to Ban Fur Farming
12/03/15 Prison Sentence For Water Giving?
11/06/15 Killng of the Bear on a Highway
08/12/15 Donkey Races
05/08/15 Mothers on Farms
04/15/15 Ridiculous Experiments on Animals
04/07/15 Greater Food Safety Without Meat!
03/02/15 Zebras Also on a Plate?
02/23/15 A Letter to the President
02/16/15 Exploitation of Adriatic
01/30/15 Medo is Barking Because He is Chained
10/20/14 Closure of Split Zoo
10/09/14 Exploiting the Sheep
10/07/14 European Fur Industry Loses Chinese Market!
09/26/14 A Letter to the Prime Minister Milanovic
07/28/14 Murderer Should Await Trial In Prison!
05/26/14 Curriculum of Civic Education
04/23/14 Pokupsko Cerje
01/17/14 Explosive Substances Act
07/15/13 The Health Education Curriculum
05/29/13 Abolish Incentives For Animal Breeding!
04/25/13 Vegetarian Chef Training
04/22/13 A Letter to the MEPs
04/09/13 5,000 Kuna for Discovering a Dog Killer
03/30/13 Children In a Pate
03/29/13 Mistreating Animals Due to Incentives
03/13/13 Veterinary Inspection Leaves Animals to Die!
07/24/12 Bullfights are Not Tradition!
07/19/12 Beagle Testing Kennel Closed In Italy!
02/11/12 Slaughter is the Greatest Form of Abuse
02/06/12 Keeping Dogs on Chains Should be Prohibitet
02/01/12 Avon Tests on Animals
01/02/12 Stop the Use of Fire-crackers!
12/19/11 Buying Animals Kills Dogs
12/08/11 Pig Slaughter
11/09/11 Bears for a Bear
09/14/11 Vegan Diet and Sects on Television
09/02/11 Rigorous Sentences for Animal Fights
08/13/11 Children Put At Risk By Parents' Irresponsibility
08/09/11 Slaughter of Turopolje Pigs
06/10/11 Tofu Sandwiches Better for the Police
05/26/11 Torture Because of the Penis Bone
04/04/11 Death of a Vegan Parent's Child
03/03/11 Torturing Kitten in Front of School
01/28/11 Promotion of Hunting Tourism
08/31/10 Distracting Attention from the Death of Animals
08/30/10 Guilty for the Death of Four Animals
08/11/10 Dalibor Petko Adopted another Dog
05/27/10 Stop This Improvised Prizoon!
05/11/10 Police does not Need Horses
05/06/10 Human Fish has no Place in the City!
01/21/10 Filed Charges by Nada Caleta
11/16/09 Ban of Circuses in Karlovac
11/09/09 The City of Dubrovnik Should Not Be a Dog Killer
10/12/09 Circuses are not Allowed to Exhibit Animals
08/27/09 Animals as Business
07/28/09 European Commission Approves in vitro Methods
06/27/09 Adopt an Abandoned Animal
05/20/09 A Carrot as a Stick
02/18/09 Kindergartens without Vegetarians
12/17/08 Wild Animals Out of the Confinement of Apartments
11/17/08 Requirements and Conditions for Keeping Companion Animals
07/31/08 Neglect of Animals Goes Unpunished
06/20/08 Denial of Article "Veganism is not for Children"
06/10/08 Denial of Article "Vegetarianism can be Dangerous for Health"
04/28/08 Rulebook on Dangerous Dogs
04/20/08 Is TV becoming a Slaughterhouse?
04/17/08 In Spite of the Law the Slaughter is Announced
03/25/08 Evacuation of Animals From "The Farm"
02/11/08 Nova TV's Blood Lust?
01/16/08 Cloned Suffering
01/12/08 Tiger Promotes a Night Club
01/07/08 On the Streets Because of Skiing Holidays
12/28/07 Animals Do Not Like Fire-Crackers Either
12/26/07 Killing on Christmas
11/23/07 Denial on the Article
11/16/07 Heather Mills - an Animal Friend
11/01/07 Animal Rights and Political Programs
10/16/07 Farm Animals at the Veterinary Station Varazdin
08/20/07 GUESS is Pulling Fur From Its Stores!
07/12/07 Croatia Violates Provisions Concerning the Protection of Animals
04/19/07 Companion Animal Tax
03/28/07 Jasenice for the Dolphins
12/28/06 Animals Do Not Like Fire-Crackers
11/18/06 Against Violence in the Name of Animals
11/16/06 Nonviolent for the Animals
11/13/06 It's Easier to Kill Than Collect Trash!!!
11/09/06 "Prizoon" - Just Another Word for Prison
10/05/06 Greyhound Race: Death in the Fast Line
09/14/06 Milk and Dairy Products in Schools
09/04/06 Open Letter to President Mesic
08/29/06 Response to an Article "Parents' Negligence"
08/21/06 Cruelty as Tourist Attraction
08/07/06 Fester Wounds and the Chain Collar in the Flesh
07/26/06 A Snake Under the Dance Floor
07/11/06 Spay and Neuter, Then Home - But Don't Kill
06/09/06 A Dog is Not a Toy!
05/19/06 Comments on the Report of the EIC
05/07/06 Animal Torture in the Middle of the Town!
03/29/06 Croatia Bans the Import of Seal Pelts!
03/10/06 Veterinary non-Inspections
02/28/06 A Letter to Mate Brstilo
02/26/06 Secret Neck-Breaking!
02/20/06 Zoos in Croatia
02/02/06 Pig as a Walking Ham
01/31/06 Slaughter of a Pig in the Heart of Novi Zagreb!
01/21/06 The Beagles Torturer Presses Charges
01/17/06 Animal Killers Endanger Humans too
01/11/06 Do Killers Drive Our Public Transport Busses?
01/11/06 Ritual Slaughtering...
01/11/06 Sex as Violence...
01/10/06 A Letter of Urge - the Beagles Affair
01/03/06 Waste Disposal, Not Profiteering!
12/29/05 Pig's Head in the Big Brother Show
11/17/08 Decision on Requirements and Conditions for Keeping Companion Animals
City Council of Samobor
King Tomislav Square 5
10430 Samobor
As a citizen of Samobor, and as a member of Animal Friends, I felt a need to make a statement regarding the proposal for Decision on requirements and conditions for keeping companion animals and treatment of abandoned and stray animals.
I believe that people of Samobor who keep companion animals in their homes, as well as those who do not, have the same interest – healthy and adopted animals, safety of people, and a clean and a neat town. In order to accomplish that, it is necessary to enforce the existing Animal Protection Act and to punish the guardians of companion animals who break the regulations of the current law. This primarily includes obligatory rabies vaccination, microchipping, the problem of abandoned animals, picking up after dogs in public places and walking dogs on leashes and dangerous breeds also with muzzles.
However, the Article 7 in the above mentioned proposal of Decision is unacceptable because it precisely regulates the number of companion animals each person can keep. Such a regulation is unconstitutional and violates human rights and deprives their freedom (as if one could regulate the number of children or the number of cars one can have).
Moreover, such a decision is not efficient because one who does not take care of one's single animal can cause more problems to the animal and to the other people than the one who takes good care of several animals. This is the reason why the number of animals one can guard should be regulated only by the conditions one can provide for one or more animals. Practice showed that there are people who cannot ensure appropriate conditions for a single animal, while there are those who have good conditions for more animals and do not in any way endanger other people.
It should be highlighted that many of so called lovers of fashionable dog breeds often lose interest very fast and don't take care of the animal which ends up abused, neglected and abandoned.
This regulation even increases the problem of abandoned animals because of the impossibility of adopting more than one animal even if there are conditions for keeping more animals. Samobor has no animal shelter, although it is required by the Animal Protection Act, there are no other animal care programs, which, combined with such regulations, makes things only worse. I believe that Samobor should introduce obligatory microchipping of all dogs as many towns in Croatia have already done, which would result in better control of animal keepers and decrease the problem of abandoning of animals.
Moreover, it is often forgotten that if more animals live together they are happier and therefore calmer.
Therefore, I strongly believe that regulations should not be general (collective) but individual because the entire community should not be punished because of some individuals who do not abide law, in this case the Animal Protection Act. Such a principle should be implemented and such regulations are more just and appropriate. The right care and living conditions as well as good coexistence should be the only measure for limiting the numbers of animals.
So, in the end, who is ready to vote for the regulation which says that someone should kick out a friend from his home which has lived there for years, or to get rid of a family member? Can you imagine the pain caused by such an act for both, animal and human family members, and how can someone even decide which family member should leave home?
I ask you to consider these facts and to bring the righteous, legally right and human decision and to discard the decision which regulates the exact number of companion animals.
Visnja Genc
Mandatory Identification of Cats and Dogs
250 Things You Can Do to Make Your Cat Adore You
Lu's Story
Lili's Story
Eni's First Happy Year
Our Ria
A Year of Love With Bella
Vega - Finally Hapy
The Little Fighter Flin
The Animal Protection Network
11/24/08 Children Visit Shelter for Abandoned Animals in Dumovec
07/18/08 Open Doors at Dumovec Shelter
12/13/07 Don't Buy Animals - Adopt Them!
09/22/07 Ending of the Project "Socialize to Find a Home"
08/11/07 Dogs From the Project "Socialize to Find a Home"
06/06/07 Socialize to Find a Home
12/30/06 Children Against Abandoning Animals
|
cc/2019-30/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line9211
|
__label__cc
| 0.563605
| 0.436395
|
Ugly Beauty: Five Principles (Part 1)
Why do some images appeal to our sense of beauty and yet they may be seen as ugly?
I suspect that we all have partners or friends that appear beautiful to us despite our understanding that their faces and bodies do not match current notions of beauty (e.g. a beautiful person should be symmetrical and with attributes that are the perfect average of everyone’s face and body). Such a perception, of course, does not end with the conundrum of seeing beauty in non-beautiful people. For example, my dog—a Staffy affectionately, but inappropriately, called “Cat”—is beautiful. This clear view of gorgeous beauty exists in spite of my cook’s insensitive assertion to Cat while cuddling him: “You are the ugliest dog in the world. Only your mother could love you.” For the present discussion I wish to extend this very shaky proposition that beauty may be of a kind that transcends superficial appearance and move to a more solid argument that the oxymoron of ugly beauty has manifested itself in art: the art of scholars’ stones1 (called “Gong shí” ["respect stones"/"viewing stones"/”spirit stones”] and “Guai shi” [“grotesque stones”] by the Chinese, “Suseok” by the Koreans and “Suiseki” by the Japanese).
On the shelf in my studio is such a grotesquely beautiful stone (see below). It is petrified wood and for me this fossilised stone projects from within its rugged form an aura of spirit, presence and inexplicable beauty. In short, to my eyes it is one of nature’s masterpieces even though I have been told by an insensitive friend that it is simply an ugly old rock. Like all masterpieces there are five fundamental principles that can be used as a check-list of attributes exhibited when determining the aesthetic quality of such stones and these I will explain in the following two-part discussion: shou (thinness); zhou (wrinkles); lou (hollowness); tou (penetrated); and, qi (life force).
Scholars' Stone: Petrified Wood
From the Gobi Desert, Inner Mongolia
53 x 16 x 13 cm (including wooden lacquer base); 6.7 kgs
Condition: No chips or wear beyond the natural aged condition and patina of the stone. The hand-crafted and lacquered wooden base is faultless. I am selling this stone for a total cost (including shipping to anywhere in the world) for $1280 AUD. Please contact me using the email link at the top of the page if you have any questions or click the “Buy Now” button below.
This stone has been sold
The first of the principles—shou (thinness)—as Richard Rosenblum insightfully explains in his marvellous book, Art of the Natural World: Resonances of Wild Nature in Chinese Sculptural Art (2001)2, means that a stone should be “literally ‘skinny’ or ‘emaciated’” and, in sustaining this body metaphor, “a rock should reveal a patterned and strong structure” (p. 143). In short, the attribute of shou revealed in a stone (or whatever the artwork may be) should project the dynamic energy and inner spirit—the qi (life force) that I will discuss later—of the object’s internal structure. In terms of the Chinese leaning to valuing such a quality, Kemin Hu’s opening sentence in The Suyhuan Stone Catalogue: Scholars’ Rocks in Ancient China (2002)3 points out that “Chinese in ancient times believed that rocks were the bones of the world, the essence of qi (energy, or universal life force).”
With regard to my piece of petrified wood, shou is expressed by the elegant silhouette line of the stone’s vertical form and by the way that the rutted roughness of the stone’s surface suggests the rhythm and grain of the stone’s crystallised core—a bit like how the sagging skin of very elderly folk hangs from their bones and reveals the form of the bones. Rosenblum (2001) summarises this phenomenon well when describing a piece of his own artwork “… the sculpture was getting its movement not from its contour but from the forms inside it …” (p. 111). The expression of an object’s unseen interior dynamics is of critical importance to a viewer perceiving its structural beauty (assuming that the object possesses the mercurial element of beautiful ugliness). Moreover, the suggestion of interior forces impacting on the outside has deep philosophical roots as Rosenblum (2001) clarifies: “This concept of an infinite world within a finite form resonates throughout Chinese nature art …” (p. 43).
The second principle—zhou (wrinkles)—again draws upon the interior forces within the stone giving form to (i.e. shaping) the stone’s exterior surface, but there is a difference between the related principles of zhou and shou. With the principle of zhou a viewer is invited to contemplate surface attributes of the stone in terms of natural wrinkles that have an intrinsic beauty all on their own. This notion of beauty has led to a host of names for the various types of wrinkles deemed desirable (e.g. jiqu zhou [chicken-bone wrinkles], hutao zhou [walnut wrinkles] and heye zhou [lotus-leaf wrinkles][Rosenblum, 2001, p. 143]), but these variants are only descriptive technical terms created for collectors. The critical attribute of beauty seen in wrinkles lies with the hallmarks of natural forces acting upon the stone’s surface: signs of authentic weathering and patina. According to Rosenblum (2001), “lined, rugged (even ancient looking) texture is best” (p. 145).
Evidence of zhou where the core of the stone shapes its surface contours
My piece of petrified wood, for example, showcases the attribute of zhou by the naturally occurring, but now fossilized, rotted surface of the original timber (see details below). For me, the petrified wood exemplifies very well the desired qualities of “lined,” “rugged” and “ancient looking.” Moreover the twisting—almost spiralling—rhythm of surface corrugations projects outwards the suggestion of rhythms beyond those that may be physically mapped on the stone (see illustration further below). This conception of the stone being seen to connect by its twisting rhythms to the infinite beyond may also help to explain its aura of being “special” in the sense that it embodies the spiritual essence of a world larger than itself. This idea is not of my own concoction, as Vincent Covellow and Yuji Yoshimura (2009) in The Japanese Art of Stone Appreciation: Suiseki and its Use with Bonsai 4 explain:
According to the teachings of Zen, everything finite tells of the infinite, and everything animate and inanimate is the product of the same force. By mediating on the stone, a monk could understand the essence of the stone, the essence of a mountain, and all else in the universe. To experience this essence, to become one with the stone, was to become enlightened. (p. 20)
Digital exploration of the rhythms suggested by the stone
The third and fourth principle—lou (hollowness) and tou (penetrated)—are also inextricably linked with the previous principles and the philosophical concepts underpinning them; related concepts that may be summed up with Rosenblum’s (2001) philosophical insight: “A scholars’ rock … is a little piece of a wrinkle from which you can image the whole wrinkle; it’s a little piece of a rock from which you can imagine the whole rock; it’s a little piece of mountain from which you can imagine the whole mountain—and so on” (p. 39). Based on Ying Bao’s (瑛寶, late 18th–early 19th century) inscription on his, Painting of a Rock from Mt Pan, Rosenblum (2001) clarifies that the literal meaning of lou is “to leak” and the desired attributes of lou is “a pitted surface with depressions and hollows of various sizes is preferred” (p. 143). Taking this notion of hollowness a stage further is the principle of tou, described by Rosenblum (2001) as “holes that reach all the way through, admitting the light and air” (ibid.). The interest behind both of these desirable attributes is the idea that the non-visible inner world of a stone can be tapped into through natural tunnels and hollows so that a viewer may see inside, or, as Rosenblum (2001) proposes, “for a paradise inside” (p. 103).
Taihu Lake stones, such as the example from my collection shown below, are well known for exemplifying the attributes of lou and tou with as many hollows and tunnels as Swiss cheese. When contemplating stones like these, the ugly beauty of their labyrinth of channels that invite the eye to explore, make the difference between the inside of the stone and its outside as irrelevant as a Möbius strip (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M%C3%B6bius_strip [viewed 25 January 2014]). The idea that the inside of a stone—or any object—and its outside surface are not separate spatial realms but rather intimately connected is reflected in the Eastern concept of orientation, as Rosenblum (2001) explains:
… the Chinese look at the world as having five directions—north, south, east, west, and ‘in.’ And ‘in’ is more important to them than north, south, east and west, because the center—the ‘in-space’—is where all the other directions emanate from. (p. 99)
Scholars’ Stone: Taihu Lake
Mineral composition: Limestone (calcite)
30 x 14.5 x 10 cm (including wooden lacquer base); 2 kgs
Condition: No chips or wear beyond the natural aged condition and patina of the stone. The hand-crafted and lacquered wooden base is faultless. I am selling this stone for a total cost (including shipping to anywhere in the world) for $970 AUD. Please contact me using the email link at the top of the page if you have any questions or click the “Buy Now” button below.
Fascination with capturing the sense of ugly beauty when looking into stone is not, of course, restricted to the Orient. In Part 2 of this discussion I will address how Occidental artists have also engaged with the idea of beauty inside stone.
1 Some writers prefer the term “scholars’ rock.” William Benz (1996), in The Art of Suiseki: Classic Japanese Stone Gardening, advises that there is a difference between stones and rocks:
In ordinary language, we use the word ‘stone’ as a general term for all of the solid parts of the earth’s crust. … In the science of geology, however, we speak of minerals and rocks rather than of stones. A rock is an aggregate of several minerals created through a natural process. It is not a homogeneous piece of the earth’s crust. (p. 83)
While not disputing such an important technicality, I choose to use the term “scholars’ stone” for the beauty of the alliteration of the “s” sounds and my belief that few readers are likely to quibble about the difference between a stone and a rock.
2 Rosenblum, Richard 2001, Art of the Natural World: Resonances of Wild Nature in Chinese Sculptural Art. MFA Publications, Boston.
3 Hu, Kemin 2002, The Suyhuan Stone Catalogue: Scholars’ Rocks in Ancient China. Weatherhill, Trumbull.
4 Covellow, Vincent T & Yuji Yoshimura 2009, The Japanese Art of Stone Appreciation: Suiseki and its Use with Bonsai. Tuttle Publishing, Tokyo.
Labels: beauty, Japanese, lou (hollowness), Möbius strip, Oriental principles, scholars' stones, shou (thinness), texture, tou (penetrated), viewer response, zhou (wrinkles)
Reflexive and Reflective Responses: Bidloo, Sadeler, Jacquemart and Hogarth
What are some of the fundamental ways that viewer’s respond to imagery?
Although there are always issues complicating any simple answer to questions such as how an audience is likely to respond to artworks, at the heart of any discussion on this topic there are two fundamental ways. The first is a viewer’s automatic response to a portrayed subject. This is often described as “reflexive” (i.e. a response that is like an involuntary knee-jerk if one’s knee is tapped with a hammer). The second is a viewer’s conscious and mediated response that is often described as "reflective." This response involves the viewer in negotiating (i.e. “thinking about”) meanings based on associations, projections and interrogation of the visual information observed in the artwork.
Regarding a reflexive response, this is a natural reaction like the wish to wave away the fly engraved in Gerard de Lairesse’s (1640/41–1711) anatomical study, Table 52: Abdomen, Posterior Wall (shown below). Based on my own response, this fly and its proximity to the surgically evacuated abdomen cavity, along with its angled alignment towards the cavity and the fly's resting place on material bordering the cavity, gives me an involuntary shiver of unease. I instinctively want to brush it away so that the exposed diaphragm is uncontaminated by the fly’s presence.
Engraving by Abraham Blooteling (1640–1690) and Pieter Stevens van Gunst (1659–1724) after an illustration by Gerard de Lairesse (1640/41–1711) published in Govard Bidloo's (1649–1713) famous anatomical atlas, Anatomia humani corporis (Utrecht, van Poolsum, 1734 edition) (see video further below)
Table 52: Abdomen, Posterior Wall, 1690
copper engraving on cream laid paper with 2.5 cm chain-lines
(sheet) 50.4 x 34.6; (plate) 47.5 x 32.1 cm
Description of this print: “Large house fly shown on the specimen. Abdomen, posterior wall, in situ. Viscera removed to show diaphragm, crus of diaphragm around divided aorta and esophagus. Vertebrae and psoas muscle shown.
The splendid anatomical work of Bidloo is considered one of the most beautiful ones ever printed. It became famous because of the very elegant and elaborate engraved tables after drawings by Gerard de Lairesse, carried out by Abraham Blooteling and Pieter Stevens van Gunst.” (http://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/abdomen-posterior-wall-house-fly-417303811 [viewed 10 January 2014])
Vassar's Millionth Volume [Anatomia humani corporis by Govard Bidloo] (4.06 mins)
This reflexive response to the fly is also accompanied by an equally reflexive reaction of recoil at the grisly and uncommon subject portrayed—a dissected cadaver. Moreover, I have vacillating instinctive responses of revulsion and fascination with the contrast I see between the portrayed mechanical sheen of the dissection pins and the soft flesh that they hold in place (see details above).
The notion that my response vacillates between one moment of wanting to avert my eyes away from the portrayed scene and, at the next, with wanting to examine it in a searching way, is even more apparent when I look at another engraving from Bidloo’s anatomical atlas, Table 86: Dissected Foot (shown below). Here, the apparatus for displaying the dissected muscles and tendons is even more riveting to my eye in the sense that there is a note of theatricality in the way that the various body tissues are drawn apart by posts, pegs, callipers and pins. For me, I feel a twinge of pain, in terms of a gut reaction, when I see the muscles disassembled in this way.
Engraving by Abraham Blooteling (1640–1690) and Pieter Stevens van Gunst (1659–1724) after an illustration by Gerard de Lairesse (1640/41–1711) published in Govard Bidloo's (1649–1713) famous anatomical atlas, Anatomia humani corporis (Utrecht, van Poolsum, 1734 edition)
Table 86: Dissected Foot, 1690
copper engraving on cream laid paper with 2.5 cm chain-lines and a watermark featuring a crowned coat of arms
Description of this print from the original text: “Exhibits all the Muscles which Appear in the Bottom of the Foot, after the Expansion of the Plantaris is remov'd.”
Condition: Sharp impression with several dots (stains) to the upper-right corner, a repaired tear (2 cm) to the lower-left side and surface dustiness appropriate to the age of the print, otherwise it is in good condition. I am selling this rare and extraordinarily fine engraving for a total cost of $488 AUD including postage and handling to anywhere in the world. This is a large print and will be shipped in a tube. Please contact me using the email link at the top of the page if you have any queries or click the “Buy Now” button below.
There is another type of reflexive response that goes beyond gut-reaction and this is exemplified in Johannes Sadeler’s (1550–c1600) engraving, The Calling of Abraham (shown below). In this image, illustrating a scene from Genesis, the voice of God is portrayed by the Latin words: Egredere de terra tua (from the Genesis 12:1 verse: "dixit autem Dominus ad Abram egredere de terra tua et de cognatione tua et de domo patris tui in terram quam monstrabo tibi" [“the Lord said unto Abraham, get thee out of thy country and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house to the land that I will show you]). The written text is not the reflexive element in the image; rather it is the need for the audience to turn their heads upside down to read the inscription and in the act of doing this—perhaps blasphemously—to assume the position and role of God making the pronouncement from the heavens above. This device of inverting the text in the image is intentional. Sadeler wants the viewer to interact with the image in a physical way that causes the viewer to be God by an automatic unconscious response.
Johannes Sadeler (1550–c1600)
The Calling of Abraham, c1590
Engraving on fine laid paper with 2.8 cm chain-lines
(sheet) 22 x 26.7; (plate) 21.5 x 26.3 cm
Inscribed: (lower middle of the image) "Cu priuilegio / Sac. Cæs. M."; (lower margin) with two-line dedication to Augustinus de Justis: "IN GRATIAM PERILLVSTRIS COMITIS AVGVSTINI DE IVSTIS, PINXIT IACOBVS DE PONTO BASSAN, / VERONAE" and "Scalpsit autem Joann. Sadeler Belg."
Marvellous lifetime impression of the only state
Described by the British Museum: “The Calling of Abraham. Landscape with a couple making cheese (?) in lower right, their animals beyond, a shepherd resting at the foot of a tree at left, Abraham as a shepherd in background and being addressed by the words 'Egredere de terra tua' emerging from a cloud; after Jacopo Bassano”
(http://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details.aspx?objectId=3146681&partId=1&searchText=sadeler%2c+bassano&view=list&page=1 [viewed 12 January 2014])
Hollstein 53: Bartsch 7001.052
Isabelle de Ramaix offers the following information about this print: “The Jacopo Bassano painting which inspired this engraving is now lost, but at the end of the sixteenth century it was in the Giusti collection in Verona.” (de Ramaix, Isabelle 1999, The Illustrated Bartsch: Johan Sadeler l .001–.223, Vol 70, Part1 (Supplement), Abaris Books, Norwalk, p. 76)
Condition: A superb lifetime impression that is neither bleached nor restored. The sheet is hinged with conservator’s tape but is not glued down onto a support sheet. The print shows signs of handling (bumped corners and a light fold mark across the centre but otherwise it is in good condition. I am selling this marvellous engraving for a total cost of $310 AUD including postage and handling to anywhere in the world. Please contact me using the email link at the top of the page if you have any queries or click the “Buy Now” button below.
To explain the difference between such reflexive responses and those that are reflective, I will return to my issue with flies.
In Jules Jacquemart’s (1837–80), L’Écurueil et la Mouche? [The Squirrel and the Fly?] (shown below), the subject is again about death but when I look at the depicted fly, it does not arouse a reflexive response for me to brush it away. Instead, I ponder the fly’s relationship to the dead squirrel (i.e. I reflect upon the image) in terms of why Jacquemart choose to depict it. For instance, was Jacquemart simply illustrating a scene in a very objective way and the moment portrayed was when the fly landed on the ground beside the squirrel? Alternatively, did Jacquemart wish to allude to the history of vanitas and memento mori symbolism in art reminding us of the transience of life and that we too will die? Or from a more playful mindset, did Jacquemart have a wicked sense of humour in representing the fly as if it were a ball that the squirrel was toying with? In short, the fly does not trigger a reflective response but rather a reflective one in which my mind concocts reasons for what I observe in the print.
Jules Jacquemart (1837–80)
L’Écurueil et la Mouche? [The Squirrel and the Fly?], 1862
Etching on thick wove paper with wide margins
(sheet) 33 x 50.7 cm; (plate) 24.2 x 31.9 cm
Inscribed within the image (upper-right) “34” and in the margin (lower-left) “J. Jacquemart sculpt.”; (lower middle) L’ÉCURUEIL ET LA MOUCHE? / Paris Publié par A. CADART & CHEVALIER, Éditeurs, Rue Richelieu, 66.”; (lower-right) “Imp. Delâtre, St. Jacques, 303, Paris.”
The print dealers, C & J Goodfriend, add to my questions about the significance of this subject with the proposals: “Or was he [Jacquemart] simply interested in delineating the textures and colors of the fur and a dead squirrel gave a far better opportunity than a live one? But then, why the fly? The ultimate question is: what is the significance of the question mark at the end of the title? Or is that a contribution of the typesetter – who didn’t know how to spell L’Écureuil? An interesting oddity and, as expected, supremely well etched.” (http://www.drawingsandprints.com/CurrentExhibition/detail.cfm?ExhibitionID=11&Exhibition=42 [viewed 13 January 2014])
Béraldi 330; Bailly-Herzberg (1863) 34; Gonse 330
Condition: Rich impression in very good condition but there is a light brown spot (more visible on verso) and a fleck/spot in the lower-left margin. I am selling this print for a total cost of $330 AUD including postage and handling to anywhere in the world. Please contact me using the email link at the top of the page if you have any queries or click the “Buy Now” button below.
To bring this discussion to a close, I have chosen to illustrate the many levels of reflective response that may be triggered with the example of William Hogarth’s (1697–1764), Time Smoking a Picture (shown below). Portrayed in this image is the worldly advice written in Greek on the upper edge of a framed painting: "Time is not a great artist but weakens all he touches.” To ignite a viewer’s reflective response in attempting to rationalise what this inscription could mean, Hogarth depicts the classical figure of Father Time seated on broken sculpture. For most viewers using their powers of reflective thinking, the placement of Father Time on the smashed sculpture suggests that art is destined to be ruined through misadventure over the passage of time. This reading of the impact of time on art is also sustained by Father Time’s scythe shown cutting into the framed painting. There is also the question that needs answering: why Father Time is blowing pipe smoke onto the painting? This may be harder to rationalise—unless a viewer understands that there was a leaning by collectors in the art market during Hogarth's era to value yellowed paintings (i.e. paintings that are antiques or where the varnish had the golden appearance of age). Hogarth symbolises the notion of time and the patina of grime that it can give artworks by showing Father Time literally darkening the framed painting inscribed with the curious text with smoke. In essence, Time Smoking a Picture is an allegorical warning to art collectors not to be duped into valuing artworks by the effects of time alone; a point that the Art Galley of NSW in its description of this print sums up succinctly: “time is not a beautifier but a destroyer.” (http://www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/collection/works/8658/ [viewed 13 January 2013])
William Hogarth (1697–1764)
Time Smoking a Picture, 1761
Etching and aquatint on wove paper with wide margins (as published)
Heath edition, 1822, published by Baldwin, Cradock and Joy. This edition was the last printing from the original plates (later editions are smaller in size and are either reproductions or the plate has been recut).
Description by the Art Gallery of NSW: “This is Hogarth's most consciously learned image, using quotations from classical texts to support his challenge to the gentlemanly taste for old and darkened Italian paintings. From the 1730s onwards he railed consistently against the taste for dubious old master paintings authenticated by dealers and 'dark masters'. Time's scythe pierces the canvas, making the point that time is not a beautifier but a destroyer.”
See also the drawing for this print: http://www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/collection/works/7624/ (viewed 13 January 2013)
Condition: Rich impression from the original plate. The wide margins are free of foxing but there is age-darkening to the edges of the sheet, light dustiness and soiling (mainly verso) and there are signs of handling in terms of bumped corners. I am selling this print for a total cost of $286 AUD including postage and handling to anywhere in the world. Please contact me using the email link at the top of the page if you have any queries or click the “Buy Now” button below.
Posted by Dr (Gordon) James Brown at 03:40 13 comments: Links to this post
Labels: aquatint, Bidloo, Hogarth, Jacquemart, reflective response, reflexive response, Sadeler, symbolism, viewer response
An Evolution in Representation (Part Four): Bega, Burgkmair, Marini and Morikage
Over the course of previous three posts the focus has been on different approaches that artists employ when attempting to portray reality. What has been left to this fourth and final discussion in the current series is arguably the most interesting approach of all: the use of visual cues for visual communication where no part of an image is more important than the whole. In short, the following discussion will address how Gestalt psychology has been adapted by artists—often unknowingly—and applied in the representation of reality. More specifically, I aim to explain how artists have employed two laws of Gestalt theory to help viewers to interpret visual information:
The “law of figure and ground”—a set of rules governing how the viewer distinguishes the figure (i.e. “the pattern that is most clearly perceived at a given time”) from the ground (i.e. the background or “the rest of the perceptual field”)—see http://www.preservearticles.com/201102023813/law-of-figure-ground-relationship-of-perceptual-organization.html (viewed 27 September 2013); and,
The “law of closure”— a rule that the viewer has the propensity to find linear connections that define a subject's shape and form (i.e. to see complete figures even when part of the information is missing.")—see http://facweb.cs.depaul.edu/sgrais/gestalt_principles.htm (viewed 27 September 2013).
Regarding the “law of figure and ground,” Edgar Rubin (1886–1952), who is probably most famous for his face-and-vase illusion
(see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Figure%E2%80%93ground_(perception) [viewed 11 October 2013]), proposes that there are four attributes in an image which help a viewer to distinguish the figure (i.e. the essential subject) from the ground (i.e. the background)
(see http://www.preservearticles.com/201102023813/law-of-figure-ground-relationship-of-perceptual-organization.html [viewed 27 September 2013]). With a note of apology for my interpretative rewording of Rubin’s ideas, these may be outlined as:
1. the figure’s shape has a clear edge, whereas the shapes in the background are less defined;
2. the figure is laid on the top of a visual field of background features;
3. the figure is closer to the viewer than the background;
4. the figure’s shape has associations with tangible forms.
To explain the significance and importance of these attributes in practice, I wish to compare Cornelis Bega’s (1631/1632–64) etching, The Singer (shown below) with Hans Burgkmair’s (1473–1531) woodcut, The Battle of Ravenna (shown further below).
Cornelis Pietersz Bega (1631/1632–64)
The Singer [Le Chanteur]
Published circa 1816 by McCreery from the original plate
State ll (of ll)
Etching on fine wove paper
(Sheet) 11.7 x 7.8 cm; (Plate) 11.2 x 7.4 cm
Bartsch 7.27; Hollstein 27
(See British Museum at http://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details.aspx?objectId=3051678&partId=1&people=132836&peoA=132836-2-60&page=1)
Condition: crisp impression with fine margins. The paper is virtually flawless apart from faint discolouration at the corners where the print was once attached to a support sheet.
I am selling this print for a total cost of $96 AUD including postage and handling to anywhere in the world. Please contact me using the email link at the top of the page if you have any questions or click the “Buy Now” button below.
Detail of Bega’s The Singer
Hans Burgkmair the elder (1473–1531)
The Battle of Ravenna, 1514–16.
illustration in Der Weisskunig
Monogram of Burgkmair “HB” on lower-left cannon
Woodcut on laid paper
Bartsch Vll.224.80; Hollstein 522; Dodgson ll.95.89.
(See British Museum http://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details.aspx?objectId=1440535&partId=1&searchText=Hans+Burgkmair&page=3)
Condition: superb and rare early impression with fine margins. There is a small foxing mark in the sky and a thin area visible only on the back.
I am selling this print for a total cost of $212 AUD including postage and handling to anywhere in the world. Please contact me using the email link at the top of the page if you have any questions or click the “Buy Now” button below.
Verso view of The Battle of Ravenna
Detail of Burgkmair’s The Battle of Ravenna
In terms of Rubin’s first “rule”—viz. “the figure’s shape has a clear edge, whereas the shapes in the background are less defined”—Bega’s print is an ideal example. Bega not only separates the three primary figures he portrays from the background with an outline, but he also applies subtle differences in the treatment of each figure’s outline to suggest where the three figures stand in space. By this I mean that Bega represents the illusion of spatial depth by making the small boy in the foreground appear to be in front of the other figures through the use of a sharp outline, whereas the most distant figure (i.e. the man holding a sheet of paper while singing) is portrayed with a comparatively freely drawn outline (see details below).
Representation of spatial depth by changes in the treatment of outlines
By contrast to the subtle changing treatment of edges employed by Bega to create spatial depth, Burgkmair’s woodcut displays a singular approach where the representation of figure and ground is not differentiated: the outline edge of subjects portrayed in the foreground have the same sharp quality of line as the outline edge of subjects portrayed in the distance (see detail below). As a consequence, there is a shortfall in applying Rubin’s first rule.
Consistency of approach that does not allow for Rubin’s first rule
Regarding Rubin’s second and third rules—viz. “the figure is laid on the top of a visual field of background features” and “the figure is closer to the viewer than the background”—both prints by Bega and Burgkmair demonstrate how the principle may be applied successfully. For example, both artists employ the principle of overlapping to establish the logic of which figure is in front of which and the relative distance between the various figures. Nevertheless, Burgkmair’s print has problematic areas, such as shown in the detail below featuring a cannon and a figure above it, where the principle of overlapping is not applied. In these areas the lack of overlapping results in spatial ambiguity where a viewer may be uncertain about the logic of relative distances between the cannon and the figure, and the figure and the rest of the battle scene.
Lack of overlapping that does not allow for Rubin’s second and third rule
Rubin’s fourth and final rule—viz. “the figure’s shape has associations with tangible forms”—is a sensible and straight forward rule that does not need too much clarification. After all, most perceptions are framed by past experiences—mindful that there are arguments as to whether our brains are pre-programmed, or evolved by experience, or perhaps a mixture of both. For instance, most viewers would perceive figures in both prints because they “know” what people look like. Moreover they can “read” meaning into how people move and the plethora of observed subtleties, such as body-language, acquired from personal experience. In the case of Bega's print, the plant depicted in front of the songster's legs (see detail below) is likely to be perceived as a plant with all the attributes of a plant simply by association of what plants look like and by the artistic convention of using loose line-work to represent the silhouette shape of plants.
Foregrounding a subject by association
Unlike the first law of Gestalt theory, the second law—the “law of closure”—relies more heavily upon the artist’s intuitive sense of what might be the minimum visual information required to convey meaning. For instance, if an artist wishes to represent a rectangle (see Figure A below), there may not be the need to show all sides of the rectangle. The artist could, for example, choose to only show the corners (see Figure B below) and let audience’s mind fill in the blank lines of the sides without literally inscribing them in the drawing. Alternatively, the artist could choose to show only the centres of the rectangle’s sides (see Figure C below) and leave the audience to imagine the blank corners as a reconstruction (i.e. in “the mind’s eye”). In short, the last two examples are illustrations of how an artist can supply a minimum of amount of visual information and rely on the “law of closure” to assist an audience to “fill in” the complete picture.
Shown below is a fine example of this law in an ink painting of a monkey in a tree by a Japanese artist with whom I am not familiar. This sensitive portrayal of a monkey relies entirely on the viewer being able to perceive connections between freely laid brushstrokes. For instance, in the detail shown further below, the artist has not drawn an outline of the monkey as a clearly defined shape hugging a tree limb. Instead the monkey’s form and how tightly it clutches the branch is suggested by the viewer’s eye seeing a visual bridge-like connection between two critical accents: the pointed brushstroke describing the tree branch above the monkey’s head and another pointed stroke at the monkey’s tail. Amongst many other visual prompts (e.g. the variation of pressure used to represent the monkey’s chin resting on the tree limb), these two marks are like bookends that carry a line of connections between them.
[Unknown artist]
Monkey [in a plum-tree garden], executed in the ‘Year of the Rooster’: 1848(?)
Ink painting on paper
(scroll) 113 x 69 cm; (painting) 31.5 x 63 cm
Mounted as a scroll with wooden scroll ends
Signed with signature and seal
Based on a friend’s translation of the old Chinese script, my understanding is that the painting may be intended as good wish on a birthday for an enlightened and peaceful long life.
I have added my friend’s notes that were made during our discussion and would be happy to hear for other readers who can add more information (see notes below).
Condition: wrinkles, surface dustiness, light stains.
I am selling this hand-painted scroll for a total cost of $246 AUD including postage and handling to anywhere in the world. Please contact me using the email link at the top of the page if you have any questions or click the “Buy Now” button below.
Translation notes
Creating the effect of closure through such a line of connections can be a lead to a formulaic approach to applying the second law, but there are meaningful ways to decide what should be shown and what should be omitted.
One approach to using this law is to think in terms of creating psychological democracy in an image. By this I mean, an artist should lessen (i.e. “play down”) the importance of what might be seen as psychologically arresting visual information and increase (i.e. “play up”) the importance of what may be seen as psychologically undemanding visual information. Most artists do this intuitively so that what they portray seems psychologically balanced. For instance, in my life-drawing classes where the focus is on nude models, I am often struck by the interest of many students in the psychologically undemanding areas of the figure—the neck, the waist, armpits and knees—rather than in the psychologically arresting areas—the face, hands, feet and genitals. The outcome of such a focus on incidental details, rather than portraying all the model’s features, gives the viewer’s mind scope to “fill in” the missing or thinly drawn areas so that the subject can be perceived as a coherent form.
An example of an artist displaying a psychologically balanced vision may be seen in Marino Marini’s (1901–80) etching Two Pomonas (shown below). In this image Marini renders a pair of figures with two different treatments. The less psychologically interesting features—the figures’ head-shapes, backs, elbows and knees—he renders with a single fine line, whereas more sexually and psychologically interesting features—breasts, genitals, hands, feet and faces—are blurred with cross-hatching. By intention, Marini gives the viewer sufficient visual information to see both figures despite not portraying in graphic detail the figures in their entirety. Beyond giving the viewer minimal information to complete the image mentally, this balance of the two treatments offers more. It allows the viewer to move beyond the pictorial reality of looking at two figures and to contemplate the image as a well-integrated composition. In short, this approach is about portraying an image as a cohesive whole rather than an image of parts.
Marino Marini (1901–1980)
Zwei Pomonas [Two Pomomas], 1956
From the album Tout près de Marino, plate X
Pencil signed (lower right) and inscribed with edition number 5/65 (lower left)
etching on thick wove paper
(sheet) 56 x 88 cm; (plate) 26.1 x 18.8 cm
(see Klepac, Lou 1980, Marino Marini: Etching and Lithographs, The Art Gallery of western Australia, Perth, Plate 3, p. 34)
Condition: superb impression with wide margins. There light toning from the print having been mounted in the past and the back of the print has light foxing.
I am selling this print for a total cost of $862 AUD including postage and handling to anywhere in the world. This is a large print and will be shipped in a tube. Please contact me using the email link at the top of the page if you have any questions or click the “Buy Now” button below.
As an experiment (shown below), I have digitally modified Marini’s print with details of figures extracted from several of Hendrick Goltzius’ prints and drawings. My aim is to illustrate how the introduction of these intimate details—a face, breasts, buttocks and feet—can disrupt and visually fragment an image into parts, because such details are psychologically laden with personal meanings that, arguably, inhibit an instantaneous reading. Of course, not all viewers will agree and there is an argument that the proximity of the features may even assist with a viewer's perception of form. From my reading of this digital image, however, I find my eye and brain distracted by the intimate details. In truth, my experience is less about the artwork as a cohesive image and more about finding meaning for the added details.
Digital experiment in visual fragmentation involving elements of Hendrick Goltzius’ prints merged with Marino Marini’s Two Pomonas
An alternative way of employing the law of closure is shown in Kusumi Morikage’s (1620–80) ink painting of an egret (shown below) where the shape and form of the bird is expressed by the background. Here the tone of the background (i.e. the negative space) behind the bird is represented by an insightful use of line that portrays the bird’s physical form (i.e. positive space). For instance, to portray the Egret’s crown feathers Morikage has used a single fluid line with a hook at its top to present the silhouette shape of these feathers, their dazzling whiteness and, interestingly, their latent springiness (see details further below).
Kusumi Morikage (c. 1620–90) (Tokugawa period)
Egret [Sagi]
162.6 x 33.5 cm
Signed with signature and seal: “Morikage”
The attribution of early Japanese paintings is difficult unless one is an expert in this area (which I am not). Consequently, I am presenting this painting as either an original painting by Morikage or by one of his followers.
(See references to Morikage: http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/325540/Kusumi-Morikage; http://www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/collection/works/246.1984.a-b/;
http://web-japan.org/museum/byobu/byobu06/byobu06.html)
Condition: wrinkles, surface dustiness, light stains and scuffed areas.
Underpinning this law is the inexplicable phenomenon described by Gestalt researchers such as Tong-Yee Lee (see
http://proj.ncku.edu.tw/research/articles/e/20101210/2.html [viewed 7 January 2014]) as “emergence” when a recognisable image is perceived from a collection of what may otherwise be viewed as disparate pictorial fragments. Perhaps the most famous illustration of this phenomenon is R C James’ image of a Dalmatian dog sniffing the ground (see
http://thecuriouspanther.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/gestalt1.jpg in
http://thecuriouspanther.wordpress.com/2012/02/29/gestaltism-a-theory-of-mindand-brain/ [viewed 7 January 2014]) and I have attempted to explore this type of reductive image in my digital experiments with a local stray cat in my garden (see below). Although an exact explanation as to why we are able to synthesise such information has not been advanced (beyond the theory that there are many causes/laws all working together) the effect remains that the brain is able to piece together an image as a whole from fragments if there are visual and psychological triggers for it to perceive forms.
Exploring a three-stage digital reductive process
Before ending this discussion I wish to propose that one of the best examples of our brain's flexibility to negotiate meaning from a mire of fragments is showcased in the art of autostereograms popularised in the Magic Eye books (see an example of an autostereogram at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autostereogram [viewed 7 January 2013]).
Posted by Dr (Gordon) James Brown at 03:58 No comments: Links to this post
Labels: autostereogram, Bega, Brushstrokes, Burgkmair, contour lines, digital, Figure and Ground, Gestalt, hook stroke, Marini, Morikage, negative and positive lines, visual communication
Reflexive and Reflective Responses: Bidloo, Sadele...
An Evolution in Representation (Part Four): Bega, ...
|
cc/2019-30/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line9213
|
__label__cc
| 0.692441
| 0.307559
|
Gold futures edged higher on Monday, settling at their highest in almost two weeks as prices extended recent gains scored on the back of expectations for a U.S. Federal Reserve interest-rate cut at the end of the month. Gold for August delivery on Comex added $1.30, or about 0.1%, to settle at $1,413.50 an ounce. That™s the highest most-active contract settlement since July 3, which saw a finish at $1,420.90”the highest since May 2013, FactSet data show. September silver also rose 12.9...
Gold steadies on mixed Chinese data, higher equities curb gains
Gold steadied on Monday after data showed Chinese economic growth slowed to its weakest in about 27 years, while gains in equities curbed appetite for bullion as investors latched onto some positive readings from the world's second-biggest economy. China's second-quarter annual GDP growth fell to a 27-year low of 6.2% as expected, but its quarterly growth reading of 1.6% beat forecasts. June reports on industrial production, retail sales and urban investment were above expectations. Spot...
Wall Street traders and analysts are undecided or else look for gold prices to be sideways this week, while Main Street remained bullish, according to the weekly Kitco News gold survey. The largest block of Wall Street voters were in the neutral/sideways camp, while the rest were nearly evenly split between bulls and bears. This was the first time Wall Street was not bullish since May 10, when the professionals were also neutral. Sixteen market professionals took part in the Wall Street...
Oil Holds Advance After Storm Barry Disrupts U.S. Production
Oil prices carried over a bullish tone from last week after Tropical Storm Barry shut down almost three-quarters of U.S. Gulf of Mexico production over the weekend. Futures in New York were up slightly, after gaining 4.7% last week. Barry weakened to a tropical depression Sunday, with some producers preparing to re-staff their offshore platforms. As of Sunday, Barry caused nearly 73% of crude oil production in the gulf to shut, up from 70% the day before, the Bureau of Safety...
Hong Kong shares end higher on upbeat China data (Review)
Hong Kong shares rose on Monday after China's upbeat retail sales and factory output numbers pointed to some stabilisation in the world's second-largest economy, and as China's second-quarter economic growth met expectations. At the close of trade, the Hang Seng index was up 83.26 points, or 0.29%, at 28,554.88. The Hang Seng China Enterprises index rose 0.47% to 10,838.99. The sub-index of the Hang Seng tracking energy shares rose 0.1%, while the IT sector gained 1.37%, the financial sector...
Oil Gains as U.S. Drilling Contracts, Saudis Vow to Extend Cuts
Monday, 10 June 2019 07:52 WIB | COMMODITY |MinyakWTIBrent
Oil extended gains above $54 a barrel as U.S. drilling activity fell to the lowest since February of last year and Saudi Arabia™s top energy official said he was sure that OPEC+ will extend production cuts.
Futures rose as much as 1.6% in New York, after jumping 2.7% Friday. Working American rigs dropped by 11 to 789 last week, according to data released by Baker Hughes. Saudi Arabian Energy Minister Khalid Al-Falih said he was sure OPEC and its allies will extend output reductions into the second half of the year, and his Russian counterpart said the two countries agreed to take coordinated action.
Iraq will begin export as much as 10,000 barrels a day of Kirkuk crude from the country™s northern region to Jordan™s Zarqa refinery by the end of June or July, Alaa Al-Yasiri, acting director-general of state-run Oil Marketing Co., said in phone interview.
West Texas Intermediate futures for July rose as much as 85 cents to $54.84 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange before trading at $54.54 as of 8:11 a.m. in Seoul. Contract added $1.40 on Friday to settle at $53.99.
Brent for August settlement gained 0.9%, or 55 cents, to $63.84 a barrel on London™s ICE Futures Europe Exchange.
Oil Holds Losses as U.S. Output Returns After Gulf Storm Weakens...
Oil held losses below $60 a barrel after the biggest decline in almost two weeks as a tropical storm that shut almost three-quarters of U.S. Gulf of Mexico production moved inland. Fut...
Oil Extends Drop as China Stokes Demand Worries...
Oil extended losses below $60 a barrel after slowing Chinese growth stoked demand concerns and a tropical storm that shut almost three-quarters of U.S. Gulf of Mexico production moved inland. Fu...
Oil Trades Near $60 on Storm Disruption as Glut Concerns Linger...
Oil traded near $60 a barrel after a storm shut almost three-quarters of U.S. Gulf of Mexico crude production, even as lingering supply and demand concerns continue to dent the outlook. Futures eased...
Oil Holds Advance After Storm Barry Disrupts U.S. Production...
Oil prices carried over a bullish tone from last week after Tropical Storm Barry shut down almost three-quarters of U.S. Gulf of Mexico production over the weekend. Futures in New York were up s...
U.S. Oil Prices Jump Past $60 to Highest Finish in 7 Weeks...
Thursday, 11 July 2019 02:27 WIB
U.S. oil futures jumped above $60 a barrel on Wednesday to mark their highest finish in seven weeks, following a fourth straight weekly decline in U.S. crude inventories. The expected formation of a ...
Minyak WTI Brent
|
cc/2019-30/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line9217
|
__label__cc
| 0.607817
| 0.392183
|
Little Boy Hears Parents' Voices For The First Time 1:28
This story shared to Health Matters is so touching, and reminds us not to take the things we're given in life for granted. After failing multiple hearing tests at birth, baby Julian is undergoing a cochlear implant procedure with the help of his care team at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital. Watch the emotional moment he hears the voices of his parents for the first time in this truly amazing clip.
Hosted By: Charity
Found By: Eric J
Posted: 5/3/19 05:02 AM MST
Angry Dad Drives Message Home To Disobedient Daughter
When will daughters learn that father knows best? This dad taught his daughter a serious lesson with his mechanical digger when she didn't follow his rules. Let's just say we wouldn't want to make this dad angry. View Now
Baby Hears Her Parents For The First Time
Little Aida was born with "Waardenburg Syndrome," a genetic condition that, among other things, causes deafness. In October of this year, Aida received cochlear implants. A camera captured Aida's amazed reaction to hearing the voices of her parents for the first time. via Mayo Clinic New Network For more information on how you can help Aida's family, check out their GoFundMe page. View Now
Babies Hearing For The First Time Is Pure Magic
It's important to remember, not all of us were born with the incredible ability to hear. These two videos capture the precious moment babies experience when they hear for the very first time. Via T&T Creative Media View Now
Happy Babies Hearing For The First Time
Lexi's family discovered that she had hearing loss when she was five weeks old. The specific cause isn't known, but the family believes it might be a genetic condition. Doctors gave her some infant hearing aids and right away Lexi liked what she heard. She has the biggest smile on her face when she hears her parents for the first time. Next, we have Leondré, who wasn't quite sure what to make of hearing sounds for the first time. When doctors fit him with hearing aids, he's so amazed to hear his own voice that he can't stop yelling. Leondré also has other medical issues, so the family set up a GoFundMe page to help with expenses. View Now
Baby Is Shocked Hearing Sound For The First Time
Leondré wasn't quite sure what to make of hearing sounds for the first time. When doctors fit him with hearing aids, he's so amazed to hear his own voice that he can't stop yelling. Leondré also has other medical issues, so the family set up a GoFundMe page to help with expenses. View Now
|
cc/2019-30/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line9219
|
__label__wiki
| 0.588862
| 0.588862
|
West Hill Elementary School
Griswold Middle School
Documents, Forms & Policies
Scheduled Meetings, Agendas & Minutes
Special Meetings and Agendas
Subcommittee Meetings & Agendas
Welcome to Rocky Hill Public Schools Board of Education
Board of Education Central Office
Superintendent Central Registration Curriculum and Instruction Finance and Operations Facilities Food & Nutrition Services Health Services Human Resources Pupil and Special Services
Child Find and Referrals to Special Education
Program Descriptions and Professional Staff
Section 504 Eligibility And Services
Students Requiring Special Services
OT/PT Resources
English Learners Technology
Please click here to access a folder of OT/PT resources for the Rocky Hill Public Schools community.
761 Old Main Street Suite 231 | Rocky Hill, CT 06067 | P: 860-258-7701 F: 860-258-7710
Rocky Hill Public Schools Notice of Non-Discrimination
The Rocky Hill Board of Education prohibits discrimination or harassment on the basis of race, color, religious creed, age, marital status, military or veteran’s status, national origin, ancestry, sexual orientation and past or present learning disability, physical disability or mental disorder. The Rocky Hill Board of Education provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups. The Rocky Hill Board of Education guarantees compliance under Titles VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Educational Amendments Acts of 1973, section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the American with Disabilities Act of 1991 and Connecticut General Statutes 46a-60.
The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding the non-discrimination policies:
Amy Stevenson
Director of Special Education and Pupil Personnel Services
761 Old Main St.
For further information on non-discrimination, visit: http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/office/about/rgn-hqaddresses.html
for the address and phone number of the office that serves your area, or call 1-800-421-3481.
Rocky Hill Public School’s is committed to providing a website that is accessible to the widest possible audience, regardless of technology or ability. This website endeavors to comply with best practices and standards defined by Section 508 of the U.S. Rehabilitation Act. If you would like additional assistance or have accessibility concerns, please contact Katie DeLoureiro at 860-258-7701 ext. 1163 or via email here. We are always striving to improve the accessibility standards of our website.
Copyright © 2019 Rocky Hill Public Schools
|
cc/2019-30/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line9222
|
__label__wiki
| 0.966081
| 0.966081
|
I-League match to be held in Srinagar as scheduled, says CEO Dhar
Agency | February 16, 2019 07:14 PM
NEW DELHI: The I-League encounter between Real Kashmir and Minerva Punjab will be held in Srinagar as scheduled on February 18, I-League CEO Sunando Dhar confirmed this on Saturday.
As a fallout from the terror attack in Pulwama, Minerva Punjab had appealed to the All India Football Federation (AIFF) to change the venue of the match, owing to security concerns.
Minerva Punjab FC were even ready to forfeit the match rather than play in Srinagar, they said. But the national football governing body wants the match to be played as scheduled.
In the wake of the Pulwama terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir, football club Minerva Punjab on Friday refused to play their I-League match against Real Kashmir FC in Srinagar on Monday.
I-League defending champions Minerva requested AIFF to shift their match to another venue, preferably Delhi, in the wake of the deadly attack on Thursday that left 49 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) troopers dead till Friday.
"Match officials and referees have already arrived in Srinagar, hence there is no question of shifting the match. We have taken the decision after consulting the police administration in Srinagar," Dhar said.
Dhar also said that Minerva Punjab had been given the necessary assurances regarding their security after talking to the police administration in Srinagar.
As far as the East Bengal versus Real Kashmir match is concerned, Dhar said the match is scheduled for February 28, and there is ample time. By that time the situation will be quite under control.
"The East Bengal match is scheduled for February 28 and we have ample time at our disposal. Therefore that match too will be played as scheduled," the I-League CEO said.
However, Minerva Punjab owner Ranjit Bajaj asserted that his team will not play in Srinagar under any circumstances.
"You tell me, will it be right for us to play there after what has happened? We won't disrespect our martyrs by playing there at a time when such a dastardly terrorist attack place. Secondly, there is the issue of security. We can't compromise our players' security by going there at this time," Bajaj told IANS.
"We will prefer to give away the three points rather than playing there," he added.
Hitting out at Dhar's decision to continue with the match in Srinagar as scheduled, Bajaj reiterated that Minerva are ready to play the match in any venue other than Srinagar.
"If the officials insist that we should play there at this time, will it be correct and impartial on their part? All I am saying is that we are ready to play anywhere in India, but not in Srinagar," he said.
|
cc/2019-30/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line9228
|
__label__cc
| 0.736256
| 0.263744
|
SCA Houses > Janet Smith House >
Janet Smith Consensus
We use consensus as our house decision making process. We use this as opposed to a simple voting procedure because consensus decision making is a creative process that actively includes all persons making the decision. All participants in the process have a direct voice and veto power: everyone has the opportunity to voice their opinion or to prevent the proposal from passing if they feel strongly enough about a decision. This makes consensus highly compatible with co-operative living because everyone in a co-operative has an equal voice and all members in a co-operative respect the voices of their fellow members.
Because everyone is encouraged to express their concerns and the group to amend proposals to something everyone can agree upon, consensus is a lengthier decision making process than simple voting. Group meetings can take a significant amount of time and some proposals might take more than a week to decide. On the other side, since some proposals may be quickly shot down without hope of compromise, consensus can favor the status quo.
How Does Consensus Work?
Presentation of Proposal
The proposal is presented as clearly as possibly by its author. The author explains why they perceives a need for this proposal, what exactly the proposal will accomplish, and what resources it will take to execute the proposal. In order to be clearly presented, the author must usually do a significant amount of research on the matter, even for a relatively simple proposal.
Real Life Example: The house's automatic rice cooker breaks, and a housemate would like to author a proposal to replace the rice cooker. To do this, the author would first describe why the rice cooker would need to be replaced instead of repaired. Then the author would need to ascertain why alternative methods of cooking rice using implements already on hand would be less-than-satisfactory. Next, the author would need to find an exact model of rice cooker of which to propose purchase and be able to give reasoning for why this model should be purchased. Finally, the author would need to find a venue selling it for the most reasonable price. Additionally, the author should prepare a list of alternate models for consideration and tell the house which budget the money for the rice cooker should come from. The completed proposal would look something like:
After four years of nearly daily use, our Zojirushi NS-PC18 10 cup automatic rice cooker broke. It appears that the heat sensor finally gave up. This rice cooker is now out of warranty, and local appliance repair shops do not service Zojirushi products. It would cost about $200 to ship the rice cooker to Japan and have it repaired. We could replace this exact machine through Amazon for $99.95 and with free shipping. However, I would like to see us replace it with a Zojirushi NS-TGC18 10 cup automatic rice cooker.
The Zojirushi NS-TGC18 is a little more expensive than our previous rice cooker at $152.97 through Amazon. However, unlike our current machine, it has settings for many types of rice and grains, has a timer function, uses the more improved "fuzzy logic" cooking system, and has an easier-to-clean internal system. Moreover, its buttons are internal and cannot be broken or dislodged as our previous rice cooker's external controls were. More superficially, unlike our current stained, plastic rice cooker the NS-TGC18 has a stainless steeI exterior. It also plays different tunes when the rice begins and ends cooking, and has a retractable cord.
I think it is important to get a new rice cooker instead of relying upon a covered pot on the stove top because--as silly as it sounds--even the best cook can have problems steaming rice. As we all know, a rice cooker takes a great deal of worry out of this basic task, and cooking for 20 people is stressful enough without worrying if your rice will be too crunchy or too mushy. Moreover, few of us will consume leftover rice if it is poorly cooked, so we are less likely to waste food money if we have a rice cooker.
If we do not get the Zojirushi NS-TGC18, I definitely think we should stay with the Zojirushi brand because they are the industry leaders for rice cookers. According to many Amazon reviews, Zojirushi models have a longer life expectancy than other brands. Alternate models we could consider that have similar cooking capacity and features to the NS-TGC18 are the Zojirushi NP-HTC18, which uses induction cooking and retails for $420 and the Zojirushi NP-HBC18 which also uses induction cooking and retails for $320. In the 'fuzzy logic' line, Zojirushi also has the NS-ZCC18 which retails for $180. We could also replace our current model, the NS-PC18 at $100.
I also propose that we use money from the house maintenance budget to purchase the rice cooker. Alternately, we could use money from the house discretionary budget.
Clarifying Questions
Questions are asked by anyone about the proposal to make sure that everyone understands it before the proposal is open for group discussion.
The proposal is discussion and debated. Possible amendments to the proposal are made at this time. The author(s) always reserves the right to alter the proposal as they see fit.
Take general feelings on the proposal
These can be done vocally or registered through a sparkle poll (sparkle fingers up means 'in favor', sparkle fingers down means 'not in favor'). The results of the sparkle poll can be used to modify the original proposal, consider going forth with a vote, or scrapping it altogether.
If discussion seems to be going on forever without the possibility of resolution, the group can:
Decide to drop the proposal, or;
Move on to approval voting of specific options within the proposal, or;
Send the proposal to a committee of interested parties for rewriting to work out the objections, or;
Table the discussion for another house meeting
If discussion appears to be heading towards resolution, the facilitator can call the group to consensus.
Call for Consensus
After it appears that a proposal could be consented upon, the group facilitator calls for consensus. At this point, individual members can express one of four opinions:
A consent (thumbs up) means that the member can live with a proposal if it passes and believes that it is ultimately the best decision for the group.
A stand aside (thumbs out to the side) means that the member has a strong concern about the passing of the proposal. Stand asides are typically chosen if a member believes that the passing of the proposal would negatively impact them personally or the group. It acts primarily as a public statement that there is a strong concern about the passing of the proposal, but does not in itself block the passing of the proposal. However, if three members stand aside on a proposal, the proposal is actively blocked.
A block (thumbs down) means that a member has a major objection to the proposal and could not live with it if it was passed. A single block prevents a proposal from passing.
An abstention aka non-violent fist (closed fist) can mean a few things: they either have no opinion on the passing of the proposal whatsoever, they feel as though they do not have the information or history necessary to participate in making a decision, or may have a conflict of interest and would rather abstain from voting. Either way, an abstention does not prevent a proposal from passing.
Guidelines for Reaching Consensus
Present your position as lucidly and logically as possible, but listen to other members' reactions and consider them carefully before you press your point. Avoid arguing solely for your own ideas.
Do not assume that someone must win and someone must lose when discussion reaches stalemate. Instead look for the next-most-acceptable alternative for all parties.
Distinguish between major objections and discomfiture or amendments. A major objection is a fundamental disagreement with the core of the proposal.
Do not change your mind simply to avoid conflict and to reach agreement and harmony. When agreement seems to come too quickly and easily, be suspicious, explore the reasons and be sure that everyone accepts the solution for basically similar or complementary reasons. Yield only to the positions that have objective and logically sound foundations.
Avoid conflict-reducing techniques such as majority vote, averages, and bargaining. When a dissenting member finally agrees, don't feel that they must be rewarded by having his/her own way on some later point.
Differences of opinion are natural and expected. Seek them out and try to involve everyone in the decision process. Disagreements can help the group's decision because with a wide range of information and opinions, there is a greater chance the group will hit on more adequate solutions.
Decision making through consensus involves discussion and accountability of view points as opposed to power struggles. Postponement of decisions to give time to reconsider and recognize that all people participating are able to accept and work with the decision is vital to the consensus process.
Remember that the ideal present behind consensus is empowering versus overpowering, agreement versus majorities/minorities. The process of consensus is what you put into it as an individual and a part of the group.
Finally, use your minds. Think before you speak; listen before you object. Through participating in the consensus process, one can gain insight into not only others but also oneself.
The Format of a Janet Smith Consensus Meeting
House President: agenda
Facilitator: call to meeting
Check-ins (personal/job)
Check-outs
How to add an item to the meeting agenda
The house president will send out an email to the listserv calling for agenda items. Reply all to the email with your agenda item. Reply all is important, so everyone sees the information, not just the house president.
Remember to include:
Title of Item (a short description. Example: Replace Rice Cooker)
Identify whether it is a discussion or a proposal.
In depth description of the item. This allows any members who must proxy-attend the meeting to fully understand and respond to the proposal at hand.
Estimated time allowance. How long do you think it will take to get to consensus or to fully discuss the topic?
jsarchives09:10roughdraft.pdf
Jeff Scroggin,
|
cc/2019-30/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line9230
|
__label__cc
| 0.539451
| 0.460549
|
The "real hurdle" in educational reform: Poverty
Protecting children from the impact of poverty
Sent to the Chicago Sun Times, January 1, 2013
Yes, poverty is the “real hurdle to education reform” (Dec. 29).
We can protect children from some of the impact of poverty immediately and inexpensively. Poverty means inadequate diet, inferior health care, and lack of access to books at home, in school and in the community, among other things, and each of these has a devastating effect on school performance.
We are investing billions in new standards and tests, and there is no research indicating that this will help children. Instead, we should be investing in improved nutrition programs, improved health care, and a greater investment in libraries and librarians, a move that is well-supported by research.
We need to invest in feeding the animal, not just weighing it.
Stephen Krashen
Poverty and diet: Coles, G. 2008/2009. Hunger, academic success, and the hard bigotry of indifference. Rethinking Schools 23 (2). http://www.rethinkingschools.org/archive/23_02/hung232.shtml
Berliner, D. 2009. Poverty and Potential: Out-of-School Factors and School Success. Boulder and Tempe: Education and the Public Interest Center & Education Policy Research Unit. http://epicpolicy.org/publication/poverty-and-potential
Poverty and health care: Berliner, D. 2009. Poverty and Potential: Out-of-School Factors and School Success. Boulder and Tempe: Education and the Public Interest Center & Education Policy Research Unit. http://epicpolicy.org/publication/poverty-and-potential
Martin, M. 2004. A strange ignorance: The role of lead poisoning in “failing schools.” http://www.azsba.org/lead.htm.
Poverty and access to books: Neuman, S.B. & Celano, D. 2001. Access to print in low-income and middle-income communities: An ecological study of four neighborhoods. Reading Research Quarterly, 36, 1, 8- 26.
Krashen, S., Lee, SY., and McQuillan, J. 2012. Is the library important? Multivariate studies at the national and international level. Journal of Language and Literacy Education, 8(1): 26-36.
Lance, K. C. The Impact of School Libraries on Student Achievement. http://www.lrs.org/impact.php
Lack of impact of standards and tests:
Loveless, T. 2011. How well are American students learning? The 2010 Brown Center Report on American Education. The Brown Foundation: Houston.
Nichols, S., Glass, G., and Berliner, D. 2006. High-stakes testing and student achievement: Does accountability increase student learning? Education Policy Archives 14(1). http://epaa.asu.edu/epaa/v14n1/.
OECD 2011. Lessons from PISA for the United States, Strong Performers and Successful Reformers in Education, OECD Publishing. http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/9789264096660-en
Editorial: Real hurdle to education reform is poverty
Editorials December 31, 2012
There is nothing easy about trying to boost academic outcomes for poor kids.
That is why we’ve supported a range of aggressive interventions for the Chicago Public Schools over the years, including school closures, charter openings, turnarounds, improved teacher evaluations, a longer school day and changes to teaching tenure, hiring and firing rules.
We remain convinced those interventions can make the difference at individual schools, for individual kids and, across all schools, can move the needle slightly.
But until society and our schools figures out a way to deal, in a comprehensive and systemic way, with child poverty — a parent’s income and educational level is the biggest predictor of school success — the odds of major improvement are low.
The Chicago Teachers Union has been pressing this point with greater urgency in recent days — and we applaud it. It released a report this month laying out the undeniable link between a parent’s wage and school achievement.
Data from the Nation’s Report Card, a rigorous national exam, show that more than 40 percent of the variation in average reading scores across the states is associated with variation in child poverty rates. The vast majority, some 87 percent, of all Chicago public school students qualify for free or reduced lunch.
In its report, the CTU called on CPS to support efforts to lift wages for low-income workers to a $15-per-hour living wage, arguing that moving families out of poverty will improve academic outcomes. The report was commissioned by Stand Up Chicago, a labor and community group, and produced in partisanship with the CTU.
The teachers union is right to broaden the school reform lens and, we hope, help parents and policy makers see (or remember) what really drives the crisis in the Chicago schools.
We disagree with the CTU, though, that other efforts. including charters and turnarounds, should be abandoned. The CTU fails to note that deeply embedded in many of those strategies are efforts to counteract the effects of child poverty. Countless children across Chicago are benefitting from those efforts right now, today.
Still, we support the CTU’s effort to push back against a national chorus, started in the era of President George W. Bush, that accuses anyone of mentioning poverty as giving up on poor kids. Nationally, a similar effort is being led by New York University education professor Diane Ravitch, who is pushing for a direct and honest conversation about poverty as the only starting point for lasting improvement.
Ravitch and CTU President Karen Lewis aren’t caving to what Bush called “soft bigotry of low expectations.” They’re about setting high expectations but giving poor kids the support to reach them.
Lewis said it best herself when she spoke to the City Club of Chicago last month:
“We cannot fix what’s wrong with our schools until we are prepared to have honest conversations about poverty and race,” Lewis said. “Until we do, we will be mired in the no-excuses mentality [that] poverty doesn’t matter. Poverty matters a lot when you are teaching children who are distracted by their lives. Poverty matters a lot when you are teaching children who have seen trauma like none of us in this room can imagine.”
But there is little else that is more important.
New from CREDO: Charter Schools are No Better tha...
A comment about teaching the superbowl in class
Corporate Lobbying by Memphis BioWorks Buys Charte...
Simple Is As Simple Does
Poverty and the “achievement gap”: Some new data
MASE, First Memphis Charter, Up for Renewal or Clo...
After Cornerstone Charter Abuse Scandal Deepens in...
High-tech tots?
Florida Boondoggle
Why John DeBerry, Jr. Is Helping Michelle Rhee Cre...
Bubble Bursts for Pennsylvania Charter School Scor...
Teachers and CCSS: To Implement or To Resist?
Does language acquisition require hard struggle?
Last week was a busy week for the Robert D. Skeels...
Feeding the testing-industrial-complex
KIPP's Take from Private Sources Since 2003: $308,...
The Four Year Expectation
The Shoddy Methodology of Value-Added Research
Emboldened Mischief-Makers, Part Four
Emboldened Mischief-Makers, Part Three
Emboldened Mischief-Makers, Part Two
Emboldened Mischief-Makers, Part One
Young People of the World: Adults Will Not Save Yo...
Embracing the common core = “Drinking poison to qu...
Accepting the common core as inevitable has the ef...
Because of the common core, do it wrong
No Struggle, No Progress — Leading Educators Suppo...
New Common-Core Unit for ELLs: No support from res...
If Duncan Addressed the Violence He CAN Do Somethi...
A weapon of mass distraction
Why Lance's Punishment Should Be a Fine of $2,692,...
Letter to Seattle Board Members and Superintendent...
What the Gates MET Study Really Shows
Sloppy Smart(sic)Brief
Poodle of the Plutocrats: Dennis Van Roekel
Parents Across America Are Opting Out
Please Sign the Petition in Support of Garfield Te...
The tests will survive, even if school doesn't
“Student Apocalypse: A Brainless Future”
The "IF" That Divides Us
Hey, NYTimes: Garfield HS Teachers Made News
What decades of research tell us
FairTest Urges Nation to Join Seattle in Testing B...
Gun Violence Solution: Improve Mental Health Servi...
Segregated Schools, Upper West Side Style
Carl, Get Your Gun
Support Seattle Teachers in Their Campaign of Cons...
Is the Testing Fever Breaking? When Teachers Let T...
The move to all-computer testing = start of a boon...
When will testing fever end?
Math Lessons for Compromisers
Cornerstone Academy Embroiled in Child Abuse Charg...
Make sure the common core doesn’t get credit for t...
The obsession with teacher evaluation
National Boycott of MSNBC
Better Schools = Stronger Communities
Common Core Announces New High School Leaving Exam...
Conflicting Responses to Testing Abuses
Chicago Charter to Students: "Track Me" or Pay Up!...
For Rhee and Corporate Reform Schools, the Gig Is ...
Comments on C. Chomsky (1969): Stages in language ...
DC Charters Kick Out the Problem Children and Keep...
The TFA PR Machine Even Works in the Critics
Follow the Gates Money
Adding Value to the Worthless?
Broad Disciple with Checkered Past Becomes New MA ...
New Hope for Socio-Economic Integration
SCAM ALERT: Coleman as Perpetual Huckster
National Opt Out Day January 7
Tested to Destruction
a comment on the Common Core from the 14th century...
Robert D. Skeels' responses to the Arts for LA Spr...
What Does a Good School Do?
Ms. Bailey’s sad and wonderful gift to New York li...
New York Principals Lead Fight Against More Guaran...
Bloodless Abstractionism
Fiction/nonfiction debate a diversion from the big...
|
cc/2019-30/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line9231
|
__label__cc
| 0.532993
| 0.467007
|
The Rise Of The Electric Driverless Truck
Today, DB Schenker and Einride launched the installation for the first commercial use of a T-pod, at a DB Schenker facility in Jönköping, central Sweden. The T-pod will travel continuously to and from a warehouse, paving the way for a sustainable transition of road freight transportation. The T-Pod Self-Driving Truck can carry up to 15 standard pallets or 20 tons of goods in just a 23-foot body thanks to the removal of the cab. On the highway, the all-electric truck drives itself, while a driver can take control remotely for urban driving. It has a range of 124 miles, and the company says it will be testing a prototype later this year while also building out a network of charging stations.
CLICK ON THE IMAGE TO ENJOY THE VIDEO
“Heavy road transport is responsible for a substantial part of global CO2 emissions. By substituting electricity for diesel, we reduce CO2 emissions by 90 percent. We are happy and grateful that DB Schenker has chosen to be part of this revolution, disrupting a huge global market” says Robert Falck, CEO, and founder of Einride.
“We at Schenker are working at full speed on sustainable and innovative logistics. Autonomous driving will become increasingly important for this. Together with Einride, we want to bring the first autonomous, fully electric truck onto public roads in the near future and thus set new standards for tomorrow’s logistics” explains Jochen Thewes, CEO of DB Schenker.
Source: https://www.einride.tech/
Powered by WordPress | Theme Designed by: click here | Thanks to medicine, webiste and website
|
cc/2019-30/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line9234
|
__label__wiki
| 0.521687
| 0.521687
|
ST. ALPHONSUS ALUMNI ASSOCIATION
We need you and your memories!
Please become an important part
of the St.Alphonsus diaspora!
Click to join today.
Just $10./year
Covers September 1 through August 31.
keeps you in touch,
and funds:
~ St. Alphonsus Network~
~ Alumni Scholarship Fund~
~Alumni Newsletter~
Make a Tax-deductible Donation
We're here to help foster communication between alumni and to celebrate our special memories of St. Alphonsus Schools.
St. Alphonsus is one of those rare instances where the opening of the school preceded the founding of the parish.
The first Catholic services were said in 1842 by the Redemptorist Fathers of Detroit.
St. Alphonsus school was established in 1846.
It was not until a decade later, in 1852,
that a parish was formally organized.
President: Dennis Modzelewski ('69)
5565 Sutters Lane, Bloomfield Hills, Michigan 48301
st.als.alumni.dearborn@gmail.com
Vice President: Leslie Campau ('64) ~ vp@stalsalumni.org
Treasurer: Karen Cardelli Andrusiak ('69) ~ treasurer@stalsalumni.org
Secretary: Colleen Masten Blanchfield ('71) ~ secretary@stalsalumni.org
Newsletter: Renee Campau Vasiloff ('72) ~ newsletter1@stalsalumni.org
Leslie Campau ('64) ~ vp@stalsalumni.org
David Katona ('72) ~ DaveKatona@stalsalumni.org
Website: Michael Katona ('84) ~ webmaster@stalsalumni.org
Renee Hamilton-Newman ('83) ~ webmaster2@stalsalumni.org
The Spring Newsletter was mailed last week and alumni should have started to receive on Friday April 5.
Unfortunately our printer/mailer once again failed to include the DUES PAID THRU DATE on the newsletter as we had requested.
We are so sorry for this error! The emailed versions are correct, It is just the hard copy, snail mailed versions that contain the error.
We are in the process of putting together postcards to send to everyone with their correct DUES PAID THRU DATE.
Please know we thought the problem was solved and please accept our apology for this error!
ALUMNI NEWS and EVENTS
"American Prophet"
Bishop Thomas Gumbleton
Dear Friends -
After a long film festival circuit and screenings around the country, we are pleased to announce that American Prophet is now available on Amazon Prime Video instant streaming for rental and purchase, and will be available on DVD/Blu-Ray June 20th.
We are pleased to continue our community partnership with Kay Lasante Clinic in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, which was co-founded by Bishop Thomas Gumbleton, the House of Grace Philadelphia Catholic Worker House and St. Claire Parish community.
Kay Lasante will receive 100% of proceeds from sales and rentals after Amazon fees, so we encourage friends and supporters to spread the word about the film and to purchase American Prophet to ensure a maximum contribution to the Kay Lasante fund. Rental of the film on Prime for $2.99 HD will provide a $1.50 donation, while a purchase of the film for $9.99 HD will provide a $5 donation to the Clinic. All proceeds after fees will go directly to Kay Lasante.*
Kay Lasante "House of Health" is a Haitian-operated health clinic and community outreach project serving the Petite Place Cazeau/Caradeux area of Port au Prince, Haiti. The Clinic’s mission is to provide health care services with dignity and respect for those who are marginalized and lack access to care with the ultimate goal to provide quality health care services for Haitians by Haitians.
The producers would like to thank our many friends and supporters who have made this movie possible and hope that audiences will continue to enjoy the film, share it with their communities and continue discussions around the film’s themes of social justice, moral leadership, and nonviolence. We hope that American Prophet will inspire people to find out more about Bishop Gumbleton’s life and work, and inspire their own work on behalf of peace.
Thank you for your help to make this incredible journey from script to screen to hearts possible.
Jasmine Rivera
Director, American Prophet
St. Alphonsus-St. Clement Parish
~ Click to see the latest Church Paper. ~
ALUMNI MASS - 1st SATURDAY of the MONTH at 4 p.m.
Our own version of the "Mass mob"
~ ALUMNI MASS - 4:00
on the First Saturday of every month.
The 4:00 pm Mass on the first Saturday of each month at St. Al’s is designated as the “Alumni Mass.” Many alumni who have returned for the recent Mass Mob event have said the church brings back so many memories that it feels like coming home. At this time the merger of the parishes seems to be infusing our church with new life. If your class is planning on gathering at the Alumni Mass for any special event please let the parish office know in advance. We encourage all alumni to consider participating and supporting St. Alphonsus – St. Clement Parish.
See you in church…and spread the word.
MASS SCHEDULE:
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, & Friday: 8:30 a.m.
Monday Mass: 8:30 a.m.
Monday Rosary: 6:30 p.m.
Tuesday Perpetual Help Devotion: 9 a.m.
Tuesday Mass @ Henry Ford Village: 2:30 p.m.
Wednesday (2nd Wed. of Month) @ HFV
~ Holy Hour: 7 a.m.
Thursday Mass: 8:30 a.m.
Friday Mass: 8:30 a.m.
Friday (1st Fri. of Month) Eucharistic Adoration: 9:00 a.m.
Saturday Mass: 4 p.m.
(3 p.m.~ Confessions / or by apt.)
Sunday Mass: 9 a.m. and 11 a.m.
Sunday Mass @ Henry Ford Village: 9 a.m.
Church: 13540 Gould St
Office: 7469 Calhoun Street
Dearborn, Michigan 48126
Email: info@sta-stc.comcastbiz.net
Rev. Linus Kinyua - Pastor
Rev. Aaron DePeyster, Associate
Dcn. Stephen Bussa - Senior Deacon Emeritus (HFV Chapel)
HENRY FORD VILLAGE CHAPEL
15101 Ford Rd., Dearborn, MI 48126
© 2000-2019 St. Alphonsus Alumni Association | webmaster2@stalsalumni.org | www.stalsalumni.org
Dearborn, Michigan, USA
|
cc/2019-30/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line9242
|
__label__wiki
| 0.957269
| 0.957269
|
American chases Delta with $2 billion in onboard amenities
It's going after rivals with amenities like new seats and movies.
By Mary Schlangenstein and Michael Sasso Bloomberg News
December 9, 2014 — 6:03am
DALLAS – American Airlines is chasing rivals led by Delta Air Lines in updating passenger amenities with a plan to spend $2 billion on new seats, in-flight entertainment and onboard power outlets.
A year into the US Airways merger, American is embarking on upgrades more visible to fliers after emphasizing the basics of meshing operations. With the blending of the carriers still underway, the world’s largest airline faces challenges years after competitors finished their mergers.
“American is playing catch-up to other airlines, the result of past business decisions to not invest in its passenger experience,” said Henry Harteveldt, a travel consultant with Atmosphere Research Group in San Francisco.
Most of the changes unveiled Saturday by Fort Worth, Texas-based American involve larger jets used on international routes. Work has begun on American’s Boeing 777-200s and 767-300s, including in-seat entertainment or in-flight connectivity and lie-flat business class seats. It’s due to be completed in 2016.
Lie-flat business seats also will be added to single-aisle Boeing 757s flown on overseas trips, while power ports and Wi-Fi will be extended throughout the plane.
On the heels of American’s product changes, Delta on Monday said it would rebrand its cabins to create five distinct offerings.
Photo provided by James Park Associates
This rendering of an American Airlines Admirals Club lounge shows what its airport space might look like.
“Delta is leading the industry in what products we are offering our customers, and the market is seeing that,” he said.
Most of the changes Delta announced Monday were nominal and take effect March 1.
American has produced record profits since the US Airways deal closed on Dec. 9, 2013, paid its first dividend since 1980 and announced a $1 billion share buyback plan — soothing creditors who ended up with stakes in the new airline when it left bankruptcy via the merger. The shares have more than doubled in the past 12 months.
By year’s end, American will have received about 100 new aircraft while retiring older planes, swaps the carrier said will give it the youngest fleet among its U.S. peers at 12.3 years. It will add 112 new planes next year, 84 in 2016 and about 300 more through 2022.
Most of American’s new aircraft will have seat-back video screens throughout. All of the planes in the carrier’s primary jet fleet now have Wi-Fi, with plans to expand to it to regional aircraft, said Joshua Freed, a spokesman.
American’s merger was the last among the deals shrinking the ranks of U.S. full-service carriers to just three. Delta bought Northwest Airlines in 2008, and today’s United Continental Holdings was formed in 2010 when former United parent UAL Corp. combined with Continental Airlines. The “angled-flat” business-class seats that American began installing in the mid-2000s had a slight slope and were inferior to the lie-flat models being adopted by United and foreign carriers, according to Atmosphere’s Harteveldt.
While American’s earlier strategy squeezed in more seats, it now has to meet the lie-flat standard to appeal to high-fare corporate customers, Harteveldt said.
US Airways, meantime, earlier decided against adding in-flight entertainment and power outlets on its domestic fleet. That leaves American rushing to add outlets because United and Delta offer them on so many jets, he said.
Delta has had seat-back entertainment systems on all cabins of its international fleet since 2013, Skrbec said.
Among changes announced Monday, Delta will rename its BusinessElite cabin, which is found on long-haul international routes and some transcontinental U.S. flights, as Delta One. Its Economy Comfort section, which offers extra legroom for a fee, also will get a new name, Delta Comfort Plus. Customers in the premium section of coach will get expanded access to complimentary beer, wine and upgraded snacks on international routes and domestic flights of more than 900 miles.
Delta is retaining its First Class, Main Cabin and Basic Economy fares and cabins. To better differentiate its offerings, the airline will install new seat covers on its Delta One, First Class and Delta Comfort Plus seats, Skrbec said.
Travel Tips for flying with special needs
St. Paul St. Paul building trades team with the Learning Jet to transform aircraft hangar into a classroom
Business Polaris rises again, helped by off-road vehicle surge and purchase of parts company
Tips for flying with special needs
St. Paul building trades team with the Learning Jet to transform aircraft hangar into a classroom
Polaris rises again, helped by off-road vehicle surge and purchase of parts company
Arby's has the meats, and now it adds the 'marrot'
It has been christened the marrot. In the past year, several prominent restaurant chains have added plant-based burgers, sausages and ground beef to their menus,…
In lawsuit, Minnehaha Academy blast survivors allege 'negligence and carelessness' by contractors
The five employees suffered physical and emotional injuries in the 2017 explosion.
Chevron was nearly booted from Venezuela in 2007 during a nationalization drive led by the late socialist President Hugo Chavez. Twelve years later, it faces a similar threat from an unlikely corner: the White House.
|
cc/2019-30/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line9243
|
__label__cc
| 0.597543
| 0.402457
|
Author: Penpusher (Professors' Bookshelf) Story: Harry's Dilemma Chapter: Chapter One: Of Difficulties and Detentions
Chapter One: Of Difficulties and Detentions Chapter Two: Of Duels and Divination Chapter Three: Of Confessions and Confidences Chapter Four: Of Declarations and Discoveries Chapter Five: Epilogue
Chapter One – Of Difficulties and Detentions
Ron Weasley leant slowly over the Gryffindor Common Room table with his head in his hands and sighed in utter defeat and frustration as the jeering voices faded away down the corridor. Presently, he looked up and met the sympathetic gaze of Neville Longbottom.
“You’d think,” began Neville, tentatively, “that Malfoy would be positively encouraging her behaviour, rather than giving you grief for not keeping her under control. After all, it is Harry who’s her target – Malfoy ought to be cheering her on!”
“He’s probably doing just that on the quiet,” responded Ron, wearily closing his books and preparing to go down to supper.
“He’s probably feeding her all sorts of nasty little tricks she can play on Harry,” he continued dolefully, “and then coming straight down to me to whine about the standards of behaviour of the Gryffindor fourth-years. I may be her brother, but there are some tasks that are beyond even the wit of Godric Gryffindor himself, and this, I’m sorry to say, is one of them.”
“You’ve got to admit it though, she’s becoming unbearable; really over the top.” Seamus Finnigan pushed his recently vacated chair under the table with a scraping sound, turning a thoughtful look on his friend.
“Have you heard the latest?” At Ron’s worried negative, Seamus continued, not without a certain relish.
“Yesterday,” he began, “Harry not only found his Quidditch robes were bright green with yellow and blue spots (for the third time this term) but when challenged with the deed, she turned his hair the same colours! Not that Harry isn’t capable of reversing the spells, of course, but it takes time. He was late for Quidditch practice again and Madame Hooch deducted five points from Gryffindor – and it wasn’t even his fault!”
Ron, who had been about to leave the table, sank once again into his chair with a heartfelt groan.
“I take it no one told you about that last one till now.”
The voice was Hermione Granger’s. Ron looked up. The girl’s face was serious, but her eyes twinkled and her mouth twitched slightly at the corners. Neville, Dean and Seamus finished tidying up and sauntered out of the Common Room down to supper. Hermione waited, eyebrows raised.
“I have to say, Ron,” she spoke into the sudden silence, “she certainly has talent – that hair colouring was extremely detailed and very effective – but why does she hate Harry so much? And, more to the point, how are we going to persuade her to stop these constant attacks?”
Ron shrugged wearily.
“The best I can get out of her is that she had a silly, childish crush on Harry the Hero when we three first got to be friends. Now she’s grown out of it, she feels thoroughly embarrassed and blames Harry. Illogical, I know, but when was Ginny ever anything else?”
“Hmm.” Hermione frowned. “It’s gone on for rather a long time, hasn’t it? All through last summer, and the term before that. In fact, I think she started making his life a misery just after Christmas last year, didn’t she?”
Ron gestured helplessly.
“Oh, come on, ‘Mione,” he protested weakly, “All she did then was refuse to speak to him and play the occasional prank. It was really during the summer term that she started getting – well …”
“Spiteful?” suggested Hermione, innocently. Ron shook his head.
“No, no!” he declared, loyally, “Just – concentrated. Goodness, if you think last term was bad, you should have been staying with us during the holidays! I think Harry even considered writing to his uncle, he was so hacked off – imagine Ginny driving him to run back to the Dursleys!”
Hermione smiled.
“I with I had been there.” she replied, wistfully. “I regret my parents’ decision to say in Australia for another two weeks even more now. I was so disappointed when I had to cry off visiting you, Ron.”
He grinned at her, at once looking more like his usual self.
“Aw, don’t worry, ‘Mione.”
He put out a hand and patted her arm, lowering his voice unnecessarily as they were by now quite alone.
“You’ll get plenty of chances to bat your eyelashes at Harry now we’re back at school, I’ll make sure of that. After all, we’re together again now – should be a piece of cake.”
Hermione blushed and her expression stiffened.
“I’ve told you before, Ron, I really have no feelings for Harry, beyond friendship.”
Unfortunately, her blushing cheeks and generally flustered demeanour seemed to give the lie to this simple statement. Ron’s grin widened.
“Sure you don’t, ‘Mione, sure. After all, you never blush or get embarrassed when he’s around, do you? Come on, we’re old friends, you can talk to me. I don’t understand why you haven’t given him some clue as to how you feel … For Merlin’s sake, we’ve been through this so many times – I can’t see why you keep denying it. This is me, Ron – I’m not going to laugh at you. You’d make a great couple, you and Harry … Oh, I give up! Come on: let’s go and get some supper.”
He rose from the table decisively and strode from the room, hands in his pockets, whistling. Hermione stared after him, a bleak expression on her face.
“The reason I keep denying it, Ron, is because it’s just not true.” The whisper was so soft it was almost subvocal. Shrugging her shoulders, she followed him out of the Common Room down to supper.
“Honestly, I’m not getting at you Ron. It’s not as though you’re responsible for the things she does – you’re only her brother, for Merlin’s sake! I’m just completely baffled as to why she’s picking on me!”
Harry was making a mountain out of his mashed potato only to hack it down again roughly with his fork, as though his current difficulties could be solved by similar tactics: he was too preoccupied to eat. Ron looked at him sorrowfully.
“This is the Quidditch robes and hair thing yesterday, is it? I’m sorry Harry, why didn’t you tell me? I only heard about it third-hand this evening.”
“I didn’t want to seem as though I was nagging you. You’ve been getting enough aggravation from the likes of Malfoy, the last thing you need is for me to join in.”
Harry frowned, pushing stiffened fingers through his thick, wayward brown hair.
“It’s not the fact that she’s obviously trying to make fun of me – I like a good joke as well as the next person – it’s the consequences. I had five points deducted from Gryffindor because I was late for Quidditch practice. Now, I admit I’d been late twice on the trot, and this was the third time – but she was responsible for all of them!” Ron could only gaze mournfully at his friend and rue the day his parents decided to have just one more little Weasley.
“Harry,” he asked pointedly, “are you going to eat that mashed potato, or Transfigure it into something more palatable? It must be cold by now.”
Hermione, her face in a set expression, removed the fork from Harry’s hand and set it firmly on his plate.
“I’ll get pudding – my treat.” she said quietly, muttering a brief incantation.
Instantly, the smeared plates, cold mashed potato and dirty cutlery disappeared from the table, to be replaced by steaming bowls of fruit crumble with creamy custard. Students at Hogwarts were not strictly permitted to supplement the meals provided, but many saw creating a more palatable alternative to that offered by the kitchens as something of a challenge, and a number of the staff viewed it as good, harmless practice. Hermione was particularly good at puddings. Ginny’s misdemeanours temporarily forgotten, the boys sniffed eagerly before piling into the hot sticky confection.
“I gotta hand it to you, ‘Mione,” commented Ron indistinctly, his mouth dripping berry juice, “You really know how to conjure puddings – this is first-rate!”
Harry added a muffled agreement before scraping his bowl so meticulously that Neville accused him of trying to eat the glazed pattern. With an effort, Hermione managed to throw aside her abstracted mood to smile broadly and genuinely at the boys’ sincere, if muffled, compliments.
“One day I might just make it for you the muggle way.” she announced, fixing them both with a piercing gaze. “It’s your turn to come and stay with me over the summer – I’ll teach you to cook!”
Ron choked over his last mouthful, and Harry stopped scraping long enough to stare at her in horror.
“Now, steady on, Hermione.” he began, in genuine anguish, “My Aunt Petunia’s a muggle, as you know, and she makes food in the muggle manner. Frankly, if that’s ‘cooking’, I want no part of it!”
Ron, having recovered from his coughing fit, made urgent noises of agreement.
“I’ll second that – it sounds terrifying.”
Hermione frowned mightily, although her eyes still twinkled.
“Are you telling me that you two – my very best friends, partners in crime, fellow members of The Dream Team, and, I might add, frequent beneficiaries of my meticulous studies with regard to homework,” here the two boys squirmed uncomfortably, “d’you mean to say that you doubt my prowess in muggle cookery?”
“Well,” began Ron, nervously nudging Harry.
“Well,” repeated Harry, without the faintest idea how to reply, “I – er – I can’t imagine you being, er, unsuccessful at, well, anything you wanted to learn, Hermione.”
“Except for muggle cookery?”
“Oh, ‘Mione, it’s not you I’ve got worries about!” exploded Ron, frowning in irritation at Harry’s ineptitude. “It’s the whole idea of producing food without magic. My dear, sweet, beautiful, clever, intelligent, capable Hermione – how could you fail at anything you set out to achieve? It’s not the artist that I doubt, it’s the process!”
Hermione’s cheeks had flushed a bright pink at this fulsome praise, despite its lighthearted delivery. She quickly lowered her eyes and began the incantation to clear the dishes. Abruptly, a large yellow blancmange materialised in the middle of the table with an audible thump.
“Yeuch!” announced the two boys, in unison. Blushing even more furiously, Hermione rounded on them.
“Oh, for goodness sake: you two are enough to make any serious witch give up magic completely!” she exploded, “Now look what you’ve made me do?”
Ron’s expression was full of wounded innocence and hurt. He quickly dug out his wand to assist, but so angry was Hermione’s expression that he backed off quickly.
“And do you think I’m incapable of clearing up after my own mistakes?” she hissed, indignantly.
Just at that moment, Fred and George passed the table on their way out from supper.
“Hey, look: a blancmange!” yelled Fred, alerting his twin, “I wonder if it’s as good as mother’s.”
Without bothering to reply, George seized a spoon and started cramming the yellow, gelatinous mass into his mouth. A split second later, Fred did likewise. There was a short pause then both boys coughed, gagged and sprayed the table. Fred continued spitting, covering chairs, table and floor alike with yellow slime, while George shouted indignantly.
“Ach! Yellow blancmange is supposed to taste of banana – not mustard!” Glaring at Hermione, he grabbed a nearby carafe of water and proceeded to sink the contents in one go.
By this time quite a crowd had gathered, and Fred and George wasted no time in playing to their audience. Hermione bit her lip, observing the imminent approach of any one of a number of teachers, and produced her wand, intending to put the damage right before any more trouble could result. Unfortunately Ron beat her to it. Urgency made him slide and slither over the words of an admittedly complex charm and as he tapped the table with his wand, the whole things rose several feet in the air and burst into bloom like some enormous floating garden.
“Can’t you even get it right on the second try?” sneered George, hastily pulling pansies out of his hair and ears. Hermione flushed crimson to the roots of her hair and glared furiously at Ron, who was by now patting Fred on the back as he coughed up daisies, petunias and an interesting variety of crocuses. An open-mouthed Harry was physically trying to drag the table back down to earth by one of its legs.
“That is enough! Who is responsible for this outrage?” Professor McGonagall was not amused in the least. She tapped the legs of the floating table twice with her wand, and it descended gently to the floor, while the array of flowering plants transformed themselves back into crockery and cutlery. She then fixed each of the major participants with a piercing gaze while most of the onlookers melted away like snow.
“Mr. Fred Weasley, Mr. George Weasley.” she rapped out sharply. “I dislike pranks, particularly when they are as public as this. Report to me for detention at 7.30 sharp this evening.”
Fred and George looked anything but repentant, however they bowed their heads, having no choice other than acceptance of their punishment.
“Miss Granger, Mr. Ron Weasley,” McGonagall continued, swinging her glance around to land on them, “You will report to Madame Pomfrey for your detention, also at 7.30 sharp. Mr. Potter …” Harry’s jaw dropped and a derisive giggle was heard from one of the remaining onlookers. Professor McGonagall wheeled sharply and homed in without missing a beat. “… and Miss Ginny Weasley …” There was a collective gasp at such rough justice. “… will report to Madame Pince in the library at the same time. Perhaps such heavy sentences will make you think twice before creating such a spectacle at mealtimes in future. You are dismissed.”
|
cc/2019-30/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line9246
|
__label__wiki
| 0.953833
| 0.953833
|
Ma pledges to tackle pension reform
‘PSEUDO REFORM’:：The DPP reiterated its call for a national affairs conference to gather together people from all parts of society to deal with their own ‘fiscal cliff’
By Chris Wang / Staff reporter, with CNA
Thu, Nov 22, 2012 - Page 1
President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) yesterday said the nation’s loss-plagued pension funds could not and would not go bankrupt, as he pledged to come up with a pragmatic, feasible reform program in January amid complaints by opposition parties about his approach to resolving the problems.
After meeting with Premier Sean Chen (陳冲), Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平) and Examination Yuan President John Kuan (關中) on the thorny issue, Ma said at a press conference that his administration would tackle the matter in a responsible and cautious manner because many people have a stake in the sustainability of the pension system.
“We’ll address the issue in a transparent and gradual way, with a clear goal, after extensive communications with various social sectors,” Ma said.
He said the major problems with the pension system were insufficient funding and unequal distribution of benefits among different professions and different generations.
An overhaul of the system is necessary and urgent, he said.
“The work may be tough and complex, but we can no longer drag our feet because the flawed system could hurt our fiscal health and affect the well-being of public and private-sector employees, and even society as a whole,” Ma said.
In the meeting between the heads of the three branches of government, decisions were made about the division of responsibilities on pension fund reforms and a timeframe for the overhaul, Ma said.
The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) accused Ma of enacting “pseudo reform” of various pension programs and criticized his refusal to hold a national affairs conference to resolve the issue.
DPP Chairman Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) reiterated his call for a national affairs conference, which Ma previously turned down, saying that Ma’s plan would be difficult, time-consuming and inefficient.
Ma also omitted mentioning the 18 percent preferential interest rate and the year-end bonuses for retired public servants in his meeting, which made his pledge a “pseudo reform,” DPP Legislator Pan Men-an (潘孟安) told a press conference.
The exclusion of the preferential interest rate and the year-end bonuses would likely create more social instability and conflict between different generations, occupations and social groups, Pan said.
The DPP had reiterated its call for a national affairs conference because it would gather together people from all parts of society for comprehensive discussion on the fiscal problems the country is facing so that Taiwanese could comprehensively deal with their own “fiscal cliff,” Pan said.
In Greater Tainan, former DPP chairperson Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) also called on Ma to convene a national affairs conference, adding that Ma’s excuse for refusing to hold one was unacceptable.
Former president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) called a national affairs conference in 1990 because the legislature was not functioning well and the present situation is very similar to that time, Tsai said, because both the administrative and legislative branches of government have failed to meet challenges and solve problems.
“We need to achieve a consensus on reform now more than ever through a collaboration of all forms of social power, as well as mitigating a potential conflict of interest during the reform process by holding a national affairs conference,” Tsai said.
Published on Taipei Times :
|
cc/2019-30/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line9249
|
__label__wiki
| 0.963964
| 0.963964
|
Wed, May 10, 2017 - Page 3 News List
Pork markets to be closed for one day ahead of festival
’ZONGZI’:The lack of pig products is due to avian flu and heat stress, the COA said, as it attempts to preserve supplies for the Dragon Boat Festival
By Lin Chia-nan / Staff reporter
Pigs lie down and walk around in a shed on a farm in Chiayi County on Monday.
Photo: Tsai Tsung-hsien, Taipei Times
The Council of Agriculture (COA) on Monday announced that pork markets nationwide will be closed on Monday next week to save supply for Dragon Boat Festival two weeks later, while Taiwan Sugar Corp (Taisugar) is to provide 3,000 hogs to stabilize the market amid a shortage.
The council said the supply of hogs has been lacking in the first half of the year.
“In the past week, the average price of pork has risen from NT$77 to NT$79 per kilogram,” Department of Animal Industry Deputy Director Wang Chung-shu (王忠恕) said.
The lack of pork can be ascribed to heat stress in June and July last year, when hot weather affected the breeding of hogs nationwide, Wang said.
Another factor was the avian flu earlier this year, which prompted greater demand for pork in place of poultry, Wang said.
With the Dragon Boat Festival on May 30, people will be looking to buy pork to make zongzi (粽子), glutinous rice dumplings wrapped in bamboo leaves, for offerings, he said.
In a bid to ensure supply for the festival, the council is to close the pork market for one day.
“The day off is estimated to keep 1,300 hogs in the supply,” Wang said.
Some hog farmers complained that closing the market was too drastic, but the council said it had no choice but to try to stabilize the market.
Taisugar, the nation’s largest hog-farming entity, was asked to increase its supplies, he said.
“We will supply an additional 3,000 hogs this month,” Taisugar deputy chief executive officer of animal raising and processing Wu Zhao-hong (吳昭宏) said.
“The price of pork is expected to stablize after the Dragon Boat Festival,” Wang said.
|
cc/2019-30/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line9250
|
__label__wiki
| 0.92673
| 0.92673
|
Sony Pictures Animation Art of Hotel Transylvania 3
Spider-Man™: Into the Spider-Verse
The Mitchells Vs. The Machines
Hotel Transylvania: The Series
The Smurfs: The Legend of Smurfy Hollow
Goodnight Mr Foot
The Smurfs: A Christmas Carol
Zombie Rig
• View Upcoming Films
The Smurfs make their debut on the big screen in Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animation's blockbuster hybrid live-action and animated family comedy, THE SMURFS.
When the evil wizard Gargamel chases the Smurfs out of their village, through a magical portal, and into our world, they land in the middle of New York's Central Park. Just three apples high and stuck in the Big Apple, the Smurfs must find a way to get back to their village before Gargamel tracks them down.
Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animation present a Kerner Entertainment Company production, THE SMURFS. The film stars Neil Patrick Harris, Jayma Mays, Sofia Vergara, and Hank Azaria as Gargamel. Directed by Raja Gosnell. Produced by Jordan Kerner. Screenplay by J. David Stem & David N. Weiss and Jay Scherick & David Ronn. Story by J. David Stem & David N. Weiss. Based on the characters and works of Peyo. Executive Producers are Ezra Swerdlow, Ben Haber, and Paul Neesan. Director of Photography is Phil Méheux, BSC. Production Designer is Bill Boes. Editor is Sabrina Plisco, A.C.E. Special Visual Effects by Sony Pictures Imageworks Inc. Visual Effects Supervisor is Richard R. Hoover. Costume Designer is Rita Ryack. Music by Heitor Pereira.
Raja Gosnell
Jordan Kerner
COMPLETE CREDITS
Shot Builds
Previous image Next image Pause Play
Viewing Image 1 of 5
Surf's Up 2: WaveMania
Open Season: Scared Silly
Arthur Christmas
Open Season 3
The Smurfs Theatrical Trailer
The Smurfs Shot Builds
The Smurfs Stills
The Smurfs Visual Development
Join us on Facebook on Twitter on YouTube on Tumblr
SonyPictures.com
Privacy Policy | Ad Choices | Terms of Use | © 2019 Sony Pictures Animation Inc. All rights reserved.
|
cc/2019-30/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line9253
|
__label__cc
| 0.686747
| 0.313253
|
Writing Challenge: The Inciting Moment
by Deirdre McCluskey
On Wednesday we published a Harlequin Romance Glossary, with terms editors use when talking about romance novels. (If you haven’t read it yet, check it out.) One definition you might not have heard frequently is the inciting moment: “The scene or situation that throws your hero and heroine together and gets those sparks flying!”
The moment the hero and heroine meet isn’t necessarily the inciting moment, although it can be. But if the conflict is generic, the meeting doesn’t provide an imperative for the characters to act – hence, not inciting. Examples of generic, “could-be-anyone” conflict that we see frequently include a career-focused heroine who “doesn’t have time for romance” or a hero who was burned by his cheating ex and is soured on love forever. In these cases the author sometimes falls back on “insta-love” to explain the characters’ sudden about-face.
But what situation or person might compel your heroine to set out on a path she never intended? What is it about this particular hero that would make falling in love with him the worst thing that could happen to your heroine?
Your challenge this week: Show us your inciting moment in a short, 3-5 paragraph scene. It could be a first meeting, an accident, a revelation, or any occurrence that forces your hero or heroine to act and sets up the conflict that will drive the plot.
Post your scene in the comments anytime between now and Sunday, October 14, 2018, and we’ll check back with you on Monday!
Tags: Harlequin, inciting moment, romance glossary, romance writing, writing challenge
From Alpha Hero to HEA: A Harlequin Romance Glossary
Advice from the Archives: How to Network like a Rock Star
Reply to Ann Allen
Jan Vanengen October 12, 2018
Then she saw him.
Bond came to mind, sophisticated, debonair, and dangerous, very dangerous. Tall, dark, and trouble. Warning signals went off in her head. Stay clear of that one, yet couldn’t drag her gaze away from him. The crowd parted like the red sea, giving him access into the grand ballroom that had been turned into a reception party, as he swaggered in further.
The women lusted after him with their eyes.
The men followed him also with interest.
Abruptly he stopped, surveying all, hands deep in the pocket of his pants. The din of hushed chatter faded away as his gaze fell upon her. Her breath sucked in sharply, chest tightening. Piercing straight through her soul, as if he knew her, stripping down all the barriers she had erected. Not good, unable to take her eyes from him, hypnotised. He had her pinned down with his gaze. Her skin prickled and scalp tingled.
“You know sis you should mingle more. Do your thing,” a voice in her ear broke the contact, lowering her eyes, releasing a breath that she had been holding without realising it. Her biggest watch dog, brother number three, once more on guard. They had a built in radar when it come to suitors sniffing around, glancing under her lashes at the stranger, almost feeling sorry for him. Almost. He was far too sure of himself. She knew the type well.
“Private function, not a meet and greet, so having the night off,” she said through gritted teeth, on edge. Not good at all. She was always in control of her emotions, yet one look from a complete stranger, and she was losing it. Feeling like that terrified girl, who had no control over anything. She pushed back that part of her life. She was in control, fingers flexing at her side. Standing straighter, throwing back her shoulders, armour in place, ready for war. War of survival.
Sara Jafari October 15, 2018
I love how intense this passage is. You’ve really conveyed a lot by him walking in the room, and you’ve set the tone of your piece really well. Great job – I’m intrigued to know what happens next! Thanks for participating in the challenge, Jan!
Hana Sheik October 12, 2018
Ahh! This one is hard. So much easier to spot the inciting moment in other novels. 🙂
The storm was worsening. Zac tapped his foot, his body awash with impatience, his anxious mind centered on one thing for the first time in his life: Safiya. She was out there, in the midst of this raging weather. Possibly hungry. Sick. Definitely homeless now. His stomach cramped at his guilt. He’d put her out. And now he would have to bring her back.
Before he reconsidered his actions, and the consequences of bringing his brother’s former mistress and blackmailer to his home again, Zac hurried out into the thicket of hard, unforgiving rain. It poured, the heavens rumbling with omnious thunder, and the wind picking up faster.
She was taking shelter under the awning, her head lowered, shoulders slumped, and her hand clenching the handle of her suitcase. Safiya looked up at her name. He stood in front of her, reaching for her suitcase, taking it from her loosening grasp. Open-mouthed, she regarded the other hand he held out. A peal of thunder had her gripping his hand and he pulled her along.
They legged it home. Safiya screeching when a car zipped by and sloshed them with water. Zac grumbled all the way back about insensitive drivers. His first priority when they breeched their shelter and he had the door shut on the storm was cranking the central heating. “We’ll need to strip,” he said, facing her raised brows. He heard how it sounded. But the last thing he chose to notice was how under her drenched, unbuttoned cape coat, her white blouse clung to her ample chest, outlined her breasts and clung to her curves.
Damn. Well, now he was thinking about them. Safiya mumbled her gratitude, smiling. He brushed off how his whole body tingled at her small but beautiful smile. She then shuffled awkwardly in his presence. And why not? He had kicked her out less than an hour ago. She should be wary of him. Safiya hadn’t a clue of his intentions. Hell, Zac had no idea what he was up to. Maybe that was why he chose to grumble, “Don’t thank me. Thank Mother Nature.” After all, he wouldn’t have chased after her if it hadn’t stormed so suddenly and badly.
Or would he?
Hi Hana! This is a really intriguing moment – and definitely an example of a moment that compelled your hero on a path he didn’t intend. I love that we get some insight into your hero, and the last paragraphs are great in conveying the change in him.
Great job! Thanks for participating in this challenge, Hana.
Gina R October 12, 2018
This is from my current WIP, Sunflowers In September.
“It’s about Samantha.”
“Samantha?” She took a step toward him. “What’s wrong? She was improving…”
“She’s doing great,” Jarrod rushed to reassure her. “You’ve already gone above and beyond where she’s concerned, but…”
“What does she need?”
“It’s not what she needs, but what she wants. I tried, but couldn’t say ‘no’. At least, not until I talked to you.” He met her gaze and hesitated.
“So just ask, Jarrod. What does she want?”
“To give you a hug.” He noted the flash of fear in Josie’s eyes, but pushed down his frustration “Just meet her once. It’s all she talks about and it would make her happy.” He shook his head. “She…thinks you’re a superhero.”
He hoped she’d smile at that, break the tension. But she didn’t. In fact, when she spoke, he detected panic in her voice.
“I…can’t.”
Two simple words that stung almost as much as the short sentences in her Dear John note. And were just as incomprehensible. “What do you mean, you can’t?” His voice was laced with condemnation.
“Just what I said. I…I can’t,” she stuttered and this time it was her turn to swallow hard.
Jarrod narrowed his eyes. He felt her anxiety, but it didn’t soften his disposition. In fact, it hardened him even more. “I had hoped that, with the work you do and with the sacrifice you made for my niece, you might have changed.” He bit his tongue, thinking about the contradictions she displayed. *I love you – I can’t stay with you. I save lives – I can’t face the child I saved.*
He took a deep breath to quell his unexpected disappointment. “Look, it’s been long over between us – I know that. Take a hit at me…hate me. But don’t deny a sick little girl’s wish because you’re angry with me…” he stopped himself.
What was wrong with him? He should accept her refusal to meet Samantha. He should be falling all over himself, thanking her for saving her life. He felt like a complete ass now and was about to tell her when she spoke.
“I’m not angry, Jarrod,” she said softly, surprising him. “And I’m not a super-hero, either. Nowhere near it. Samantha’s far better off not knowing me. I’ll just…”
“Disappoint her?” Jarrod finished her thought, which she confirmed with a nod of her head. He suddenly felt defeated. He should’ve known better than to think she’d agree. And he should even be relieved that she’d refused. But strangely, he wasn’t. “All right. For the first time in her life, I’ll have to tell her ‘no’. End of story.”
“Blame it all on me,” Josie offered in a rush. “Tell her you don’t know me…”
“She knows you’re my…friend,” he finished, taking her hand, intending to walk her to the door. But she jerked it away and, if looks could kill, he’d be dead from the one she gave him now.
“How dare you! I wanted to remain anonymous – you had no right to tell Samantha who I was! I gave my stem cells, why couldn’t you be satisfied with that and leave me alone? It would have been easier for everyone that way…”
“Yes, it would be easier – for you and me. But not for Samantha. Believe me, I don’t want you in my niece’s life any more than you want to be there. But you’re all she’s talked about since my sister told her about you.”
“Dori knows, too?”
“I had to fill her in, just in case you bumped into her at the hospital. When Samantha asked about her donor, Dori told her.” He ran his fingers through his hair. “Do you honestly think I’d volunteer that information to my niece? Or trust you with her heart? But it’s a lose/lose situation. Either way, she ends up with it broken.”
“What are you talking about? How could I break her heart?”
“Come on, Josie,” his tone was incredulous. “What have we been talking about? You always run away…”
“Wrong! I survive, Jarrod. And what about you? You risk breaking the hearts of your loved ones every day. You could literally die on the job!”
“Correction, Josie. Every day, I live. And, while you’re busy taking the safest, easiest route, life is passing you by. You’re right – you’re not a superhero. You’re a coward.”
Her glare burned a hole through him. “I respect life and know how fragile it is.”
She had a point, Jarrod thought. But she was letting her fear stand in the way of so much. “All right. Then think about the reason you get up every morning – the patients who, despite your best efforts, have lost the fight. Don’t you think they would’ve climbed a mountain, swam with manta rays, or skydived, given the chance? Dedicating your time to saving lives is noble, but you’re sacrificing your own in the process. You’re not living, Josie, and that’s a shame. Some of the biggest risks bring life’s greatest joys.”
“Oh, you’re good,” she shot. “Is this how you reel in potential clients – challenge their bravery, then run your sales pitch? I’m not a coward – I’m cautious. But you’re as infuriating as ever! Just once, I’d love to throw caution to the wind and do all the adventurous things that you and your wonderful *business partner* Marnie do together!”
He didn’t expect the hint of jealousy – not just over some non-existent relationship with Marnie, but of his lifestyle, as well. And now that she’d opened the door as wide as the Grand Canyon he had to walk through it. “Prove it,” he said.
“H-huh?” She looked almost as confused by his challenge as he was with himself for leveling it. But he couldn’t take it back now –
Do or die.
“You said you’re not a coward. You said you’d love to throw caution to the wind. Well, prove it. Do some of the things that frighten you. And for starters – meet my niece.”
Hi Gina, thanks for taking part in the writing challenge!
This extract certainly has a lot of passion and tension! I’m really intrigued about your heroine and her reasons for resisting the relationship – some further insight into that would be amazing. I did also wonder what’s holding (or held) your hero back from this relationship, so that’s something to bear in mind!
Great job! And just as a note for future challenges, the moments should only be a short 3-5 paragraph scene.
Cmellia Pratt October 12, 2018
What stops people from stealing your idea and doing a book of their own as they have more experience
These are only snippets. Even if someone were to take them verbatim, they would STILL have to plot the rest of their story. Snippets do not make whole manuscripts.
And truthfully, you couldn’t stop someone from stealing your idea if it were published. It happens, and it’s hard to prove when the plagiarism is carefully disguised.
You just have to trust that no one will. And understand that no one can ever mimic your unique voice.
Of course, only post if you’re comfortable. 🙂 The whole point of the challenges is to have fun! You can’t do that if you’re anxious about anyone stealing your idea(s).
I agree with what Hana said. Besides this is all for fun and some editor input. It isn’t the entire ms nor is it enough to steal.
Stranded in the Maui jungle, newly acquainted hero and heroine attempt to find their way back to civilization. Heroine just discovered hero has amnesia:
Jacqueline sat beside Dak, realization hitting her smack in the heart. Wow, so he wasn’t weird, he was lost. Well, not lost exactly, more like confused. No wonder his lifestyle didn’t make sense. How could an absolute dream guy not have women hanging all over him? “That’s why you’re so quiet about your past. You have one, but you can’t remember it.”
“And it drives me crazy. I can’t remember if I’m married or single, or even what kind of a person I was before I lost my memory. I could be a bad guy or a homicidal maniac.” He wiggled his eyebrows, making her laugh.
“That’s a comforting statement.” She rubbed her arms and refused to dwell on the creepy idea. Better yet, she would encourage his thoughts in the right direction. “Or you could be a hardworking family man with half a dozen kids and a wife who creates magic in the kitchen.”
“That’s a nice thing to say, Jaci. Thanks.” He slapped at a large flying insect, itching to suck their blood. “I feel so empty inside. It’s like I’m nothing to anyone, anywhere.”
“I’m sorry I’ve been so mean to you.” She patted him on the shoulder.
He stared down at his clasped hands, a lock of unruly hair falling across his forehead. The man had absolutely no clue how appealing he was. It wasn’t something he worried about. Not with the weight of his unknown identity consuming his soul. “I could use someone to talk to once in a while.”
Befriending Dak could be disastrous. Her parents had been friends first and look what happened—they never had anything. When her dad died, her mom was left with a little girl to raise and financial burdens she never overcame. She remembered very clearly the stress her mom went through—stress she didn’t want to experience by falling in love with a man who had little or no ambition.
She sucked in a deep breath and decided to risk it. Dak needed her help. Go for broke, her heart whispered. “I’ll be your friend, Dak,” she said, almost choking on the incriminating words. “You can talk to me about anything whenever you want. I’ll do my best to help you find out who you are so you can get your life back. Okay?”
Hi Chrissie. This is an intriguing passage that’s drawn me into the action of your plot—I want to know what happens next! Nice job giving an idea of the conflict to come (externally because neither knows who Dak is, and internally because Jaci is resistant to love). Thanks for taking the challenge!
Thank you, Katie! I plan to submit this as soon as it is finished. 🙂
Camellia Pratt October 12, 2018
The air crackled with the tension, emanating from the three men grouped together. “Yeah, we can use these horses Boss,” the man standing beside Tara growled, “but?” He left the rest of the sentence hanging. Tara, her slim build hid under her bulky winter-coat, glared at the tall, bearded giant in front of her. A thousand thoughts raced through her mind, some not too complementary, and she wished she could say something. But she needed this job, so she kept a lid on her temper, expression and feelings. Better to calm down and not antagonize the guy, she thought. It was a huge chance she was taking, coming unannounced or expected. The family needed income to survive the winter and she brought their last pair of draft horses up to the lumber camp, hoping for a job, dressed as a male to this all male camp.
“You don’t look strong enough to do anything except maybe drive these horses, and you’d better be good. I’ve got enough skidders, need more fallers, more tree men, not drivers!” He snapped to her, as if it was her fault, while his bright blue eyes turned to steely slate, and his fair hair fairly crackled. Controlled anger was evident, and Tara braced her shoulders, tilted her chin and gave a toss of her capped head.
“I can handle my horses sir,” she spit back at him, in her lowered voice, cultivated by many years of choir practice. She had to be convincing in her role as a young and arrogant male. If she could keep up the deception with binding her chest, her mahogany hair covered with a cap pulled down over her face, lots of baggy clothes –it should work. Being tall for a woman was in her favour, wearing gloves would hide her dainty hands. With all her padding she would look like a chunky young man.
Camellia, I like the way you’ve established tension between the characters right away. Well done hinting at the conflict also and setting up how it’ll drive the action of the plot forward. Thanks for taking the challenge!
Thank you for your encouraging words Katie. One always wonders how their “baby” will fare out in the cruel cold world.. I can rest easy now she just might be able to thrive. Thank you.
Jeanna October 12, 2018
This is from a WIP. This isn’t the first time my h&h have me but I think it’s definitely the inciting moment. Sorry if it’s too long. I’m on my phone and it’s difficult to gauge the length of the excerpt on here.
The stranger turned and Emmy recognised him as yesterday’s knight-in-less-than-shining-armour, this time sporting a frilled collar, a kind of ruby coloured velvet blouson, and what appeared to be matching tights. This guy is weird, she thought without charity, hissing at the tiny, treacherous part of her that was delighted to see him again.
“Allow me, My Lady.” He knelt to help, and in the scramble to pick up the books, their fingers brushed and Emmy jumped at the crackle of static that bounced between them; the dust motes sizzling and swirling in tiny eddies. Emmy shook her head, sure she was imagining things. It wouldn’t be the first time.
“Thank you. Now that you’ve left the sword at home, is there something I can help you with?” The whispers in her head were growing steadily louder and her big toe throbbed. She wasn’t in the mood for chivalry.
“I would take great pleasure in accepting your kindness, My Lady. Your tone however, suggests I hath offended again. I should leave you in peace. I will not risk your ire further by rolling the dice today.”
He rose and turned for the door.
“What? Wait! You can’t keep barging into my shop like this, looking like you do, talking in riddles, and then flouncing off! How do you know my name? What do you want?”
The stranger faced her again, blue eyes blazing with an emotion that made Emmy weak with desire to comprehend. At least, that’s what she was telling herself.
“What do I want? My freedom. Good day, My Lady.”
Then he was gone. Again. Stymied, Emmy watched as he strode past the window and out of sight.
What on earth? Why does he need my help, no, my assistance? ‘I would take great pleasure in accepting your kindness’, yeah and I would take great pleasure in…in –
Her eyes widened at the preposterous turn her thoughts were taking. “It couldn’t be,” she breathed. ‘”I would take great pleasure in licking the sweat from your bosom, as I lay your delectable body across my table.”’ Then she remembered his comment about not rolling the dice and, with heart hammering a piano concerto in her chest, tore up the stairs. Her hands trembled and the skin on the nape of her neck prickled. She tried to tell herself to stop, that she was over-imagining things, that she needed to start her relaxation techniques: You’re stressed. You’re taking too much on. You’re grieving about Maggie. And you stupidly didn’t take your meds last night!
Thinking about Maggie was a sobering slap to the face and she paused, resting her riotous head on a low beam and panting as if winded. But Maggie reminded her of the letter, and the letter, Jonathan and The Book, round and round, so with a deep breath, she looked down at the old volume and opened it up. The familiar smell of lignin drifted up to meet her nostrils and she inhaled it like smelling salts, allowing its comforting scent to strengthen her spine and bind her resolve. The Book was heavy, but her hands were now steady, and she flashed on childhood swimming lessons, diving to the bottom of the pool to lift the dead weight. She shivered, sweat beading on her top lip and trickling down her spine. ‘A clean and natural sweat’ she thought, and with fevered eyes, read the random page she’d opened the book at:
I remove my doublet and shirt, affording me small, sweet relief from the stifling heat.
With creeping foolishness spreading through her veins and heating her cheeks, Emmy closed her eyes and waited. When nothing happened, one eyelid crept up like a roller blind. Nothing. She threw The Book back down on the bed, as if scalded, dashing away the treacherous sting of tears on the back of her hand. Jesus, Emmeline! What did you think was going to happen? Your mystery man was going to pop up out of a book as if by magic? Keep taking the tablets, Em.
Laughing through her tears, she made her way back down the spiral staircase and into the shop, glancing back up the stairs when she heard a voice call her name. Maggie?! Then the wind was knocked out of her, as she collided with something as hard as oak and turned to find herself face to bare-chest with the very real and very near naked handsome stranger!
What the???
Ignoring the voices was difficult enough but her rational side knew they weren’t real, even if sometimes they got the better of her. She could cope with them most of the time. This was different. Reason with herself she might, tell herself that it wasn’t possible, she couldn’t deny the very solidity of him in the air, the way his ribcage rose and fell with his shallow breathing, his spicy scent spiked with old vanilla and musk. Swallowing her fear along with the key to her illusory chastity belt, Emmy didn’t move away. Instead, she lifted her chin and placed a pointed finger in the centre of the dark, dense hair on the man’s torso.
“Okay, Mister. I’ve had just about enough! You’re going to tell me what the hell’s going on. Right now!” She punctuated with each jab of her finger. This would be so much easier if he didn’t have a marble chest, alabaster abs, and eyes like lost galaxies. She scrambled to pull herself together, searching for neutral territory and started when she saw he was still wearing the ruby tights. Or were they called hose? Either way, they were very tight tights.
Jeanna, I love the engaging voice in this scene. This is an intriguing and mysterious situation and I find myself wanting to know more about where the heroine will go from here! Thanks for writing in.
Thank you so much, Katie.
Ann Allen October 12, 2018
“I think the cat’s out of the bag now, Selma. Better to control this instead of any more surprises. We don’t want anyone to get hurt.”
Selma closed her mouth and nodded, heading for the door. Paula followed her, looking pleased. Grady was on his guard. Something was going on here, and there had been enough emphasis on the “anyone” when the sister said it that he knew there was more in that warning than he understood.
He tensed, and warily turned to follow the women into the house, the house that had been barred to him just minutes ago. Things had changed. Selma and Paula went ahead in, and Marla stood there, waiting for him to follow.
Marla’s shoulders were slumped, her gaze down. She looked…defeated. He felt some apprehension, but also a lot of curiosity, so he went through the door, wondering just what to expect.
It was a normal, nice looking house. Comfortable, some clutter but clean. Photos, a few knick knacks. No piles of hoarded garbage, no secret lair painted black. He wasn’t sure why she’d been so determined to keep him out until his eye caught a photo on the wall.
Sister Marla was in the photo. She’d paid a lot more attention to her appearance, and looked good, but Grady didn’t much care about that. He’d known Marla had a daughter, but hadn’t thought anything about her kid. In this picture though, it was the daughter that caught his attention.
The girl had blonde hair and blue eyes, unlike her mom. She had straight black brows that stood out in contrast, and as she smiled at the photographer, dimples dented her cheeks. Grady stood, nailed to the spot.
Suddenly a whole lot became clear. No wonder Selma hadn’t forgotten him. No one had needed to take a picture of him to remind Selma of what he looked like. Marla had had no trouble recognizing him, because this was his face on the girl in the photo. The girl Marla obviously called her daughter.
But there was no doubt in his mind. This was his daughter.
Deirdre October 15, 2018
I was a little confused by all the characters in this scene, but intrigued as well. And you’ve definitely created an inciting scene that will change the course of the story. Thanks for writing!
Cheryl Anne Graham October 12, 2018
He was so glad there was going to be a new manager to help run Kaleigh farm. A breeding farm was a racing stable’s right arm; besides buying the them outright it was the way the horses, and if they were blessed, champions, came to be. He enjoyed the work enormously, helping new foals get the best start in life. But the aloneness was always there, he put it away.
A car pulled up by the open area of the tack building where he was organizing supplies, seeing what they needed and what they could move along. A petite woman got out wearing a bright yellow Polo shirt and beige jeans. She ambled up to him. He assumed she was lost. They were deep in the country and didn’t get many visitors being set back from the road as much as they were.
“Do you know where Cal Aiken might be at?” She had an educated erudite way about her, he wondered what she wanted from him.
“I’m Cal, what can I do you for?” He said feigning an almost bumpkin accent. A smile broke across her face like a sunbeam. She put out her hand.
“I’m your new manager.”
“The hell you are!” He said dropping the bridle he was untangling.
“Your boss said you might have a problem with this. But I assured him you’d be more enlightened. Please don’t make me be a liar.” She had such an delightful smile and such enriching soulful eyes he wanted to live in them, but not like this! Not this way!
“What experience would you have? You ain’t got what we need,” he said roughly.
“Well you certainly have a way with words Mr. Aiken,” she said obviously unmoved. She grabbed his arm politely and said, “Why don’t you show me around.” She was a good worker and loved the horses, had experience with farms and ranches all the way from Alabama clear to Wyoming and needed this job. She needed to make it work. He looked at her, really looked. She thought maybe she was winning him over, she had that kind of way with people.
But he took her hand off his powerful arm and replied, “Why are you here?” Before stalking off to find the farm owner. She was about to follow him when her boot got caught up in the bridle strap and she tumbled to the ground. “Ohhh!”
He turned around. “Miss, what happened?” As he helped her back up, despite what she had seen, he was a gentlemen. She felt the strong arms wrap about her as he helped her to her feet. It made her weak the feel of his body so close to hers, the man smell, the way her heart pit patted like it was going to explode. The essence. She looked at him this time.
“Bethany Jenkins,” she said, reasonably mesmerized.
But Cal’s eyes were awash in hers and Bethany would need to await a reply. Perhaps things would work out after all.
The boss/employee romance is always a popular trope, and I like how you’ve switched it up so the heroine is boss. I wasn’t totally clear why Cal objected to Bethany’s being his new manager, though. Is it because she’s a woman, or is there something more? Hopefully there’s another reason, as this will make him a more sympathetic hero. Character motivation is everything when you’re employing tried and true tropes. 🙂 Thanks for participating in our challenge!
Thank you Deirdre! Yes you are right. My view was that the time and setting of the book would be a few decades ago when it wasn’t as common for women to be in positions of power in the horse world which was why Cal was shocked. But as well there is way more to it than that. I will remember about character.
Maggie October 13, 2018
Salma tucked a tendril of dark hair behind her ear and cautiously waited, situated in the enormous Victorian styled study room, on a lavish chair, opposite a bulk of mahogany disk. She’d already spent two days with Carol Alcester, and the seventy year old woman liked her the best. They contrived together, the latter had reported to her son on the phone, but when she finished the call, she’d informed her she wouldn’t be hired for the job, till Blake Alcester, Carol’s son, had a meet with her.
“I reckon you’re Miss Raheel!” A deep voice, tinged with dissent, enunciated.
With the knowledge there were lots of aspirants for the job, loaded with impeccable resumes compared to her “Waitressed and Babysat” one, Salma couldn’t hold any animus toward the man a foot away from her. He was looking after his mother’s best interest.
She slowly whirled her head to the side, a beat, she took to calm her nerves before meeting the man possessed the distinctive baritone. One, if she weren’t in knots of worries, would have fathomed its tantalizing effect on her, like she’d heard it before and in not so formal place.
“Salma, please…” With decorum she raised her head to meet his eyes. A familiar set of dark green and her heart dived. This couldn’t be.
“Salma” He pushed inside. Her eyes following the threat, seconds away, from sabotaging her chance to make a safe healthy home for her little brother.
Drumming a pen to the wooden surface, he sought her attention after a minute, of her, absentminded with horror.
She ought to run, save herself but somehow she couldn’t as if she were cemented to the padded chair.
Another drum of his, and she slowly angled herself to make an eye contact with the inevitable. He was going to recognize her and the job would be history, her dreams for her brother would be nigh to mythical. Other repercussions, she was remiss to acknowledge at the moment.
“If weren’t for my mother insistence I wouldn’t be setting here,” he said bluntly “You’re the least qualified of all”. His eyes travelled to a stack of files on the disk, probably they were printed resumes of the applicants.
She didn’t know to be relived he’d not recognized her or somber he wasn’t approving of her to nurse his mother.
He raised a firm hand before she went on to make an excuse to flee. “Nonsense promises, I don’t need to hear. Even you, would acknowledge I’d be taking a big risk hiring someone endorsed only by the adoration of a fragile old woman”
“I beg to differ” Something inside of her snapped, reminiscing how her own mother was treated by her father over the years due to her ill conditon“Mrs. Alcester is not a fragile old woman, she is way more than that!”
He folded his arms and rested back into the Antique Rosewood chair, his eyes focused with no ire at her outburst but his next words were, “Oh, Miss Raheel, I’m waiting, so …..Please enlighten me more about my Mother!”
She spread two hands, it was too late to back down now, besides he wasn’t going to hire her, even so, she couldn’t risk him recognize her at some point. “My mother suffered in her late years, always dependable in every need and I loathed how my father only saw that side of her, like she wasn’t more than some kind of an onus, like she didn’t have the right to have a say or to dream. He only correlated her with her illness!”
“And you didn’t!” He leant forward pressing his forearms on the disk, his eyes staring right into her soul, for a moment she stayed mute, frozen in place. There was something in them, echoing that fateful night when he whispered heated dirty words into her prude ears. Then he opened his sensual mouth. “You have one month to prove yourself”
What!
Exhaling a breath she didn’t know she was holding, she gathered her courage “You mean…”
Vigilance usurped the heat in his eyes “You’re the Live-in nurse… I’m trusting for my mother and niece, since Viola spends lots of times around her grandma”
Trusting, the word send a sea of shivers down her spine. Should she come clean about that incident? Well, incident was no way to describe what she’d brazenly done.
“I’ve gathered some information about you… so far I have no worries of you spending time with Viola…. Ethical, I mean!”
Her phone vibrated, and without thinking, she picked it up.
I thought I could convince him to let you stay for another month or so, but he’s determined to cash in… um…the rent….so…
So, she’d to plant a tree of money in order to keep a roof over her brother’s head, or!
Or just shake the hand of the man she tried to seduce three years ago. Who would, for sure, have ethical issues with her around his niece!
“Salma, are you having second thoughts!” He was standing in front of her, waiting.
Time to face the music. She stood and clasped her hand into his, and to act the professional, she held his gaze. “I’m very grateful for your trust, Mr. Alcester”
“Blake” He let go of her hand and she, in immediate rush, let it rub against her thigh.
And before she escaped his overwhelming company, he fixed her with a scorching stare. “Have we met before?”
Yep, when I tried to break as an escort, let you take me back to your room and took off my clothes… but when you got the note that I’m only a bombastic whore you threw me out.
But why coming clean, she didn’t know a name for him at the time and he didn’t know that her hair wasn’t a real ashen blonde or her sea blue eyes were only contacts. Unless she undress in front of him again, he’d have no clue to link her to that abrasive girl.
“I’d have remembered you!”
And that wasn’t a retort to help her case or prove her trial to be an escort was only that. A trial for once, she was in despair for money to treat her brother but sense kicked in to save her from that horrible path and the man in front of her was the main cause to set her back on the right track.
He nodded, unconvinced. And sensing he was a man who wouldn’t let grey lines tinging his life, she was sure he’d dig more till he was convinced!
But what other choice did she have at the moment!
There are a lot of different situations at play that are forcing Salma to act, including a job offer, her brother’s situation, and the identity of her new boss. It’s clear her life won’t be the same after this! One thing you might want to keep in mind is to watch for typos in your work. Errors can cause friction for the reader that will pull them out of your scene. Thanks for joining our challenge this week!
Maurine October 13, 2018
Rory didn’t wait until Gallagher returned from escorting Mrs. Evans to her car, although that act of kindness touched her more than if he had given her a dozen roses. Hiding in a corner among a group of women, some taller than her, she felt secure enough after fifteen minutes to search the crowded room for the detective. Sergeant. His insistence irritated her and she didn’t know why. Maybe because he was so sure of himself and most of the time she felt so incompetent.
Marian Pruett had him boxed into the niche where several statues perched on tall pedestals all around, her wide girth taking up most of Gallagher’s escape exit. The rest of the opening was filled by Marian’s husband Jerry who absentmindedly nodded at everything she said. Apparently Gallagher was too polite to make a run for it. Rory debated whether to leave him to make his own getaway or to rescue him.
Their eyes connected and his sent a plea for help. She crossed the room, while formulating in her mind what to say. Was she crazy to do this? Why did she care if he was trapped? Being close to him, talking to him, made her feel alive and not invisible, that’s why. That alone had tremendous pull even if he did embarrass her with his alluding to them being a couple. She shook the thought out of her head. Gallagher would be the last person she would consider a relationship with. Even if he believed her innocent of Jeff’s murder, his job would eliminate him. Too dangerous. It would be Patrick all over again.
“There you are.” She laid a hand on his arm. His face showed incredulous relief like he hadn’t expected her to rescue him after all. “I need your help moving a statue in the east room. If you’ll excuse us, Marian. Jerry.” She nodded to each in turn.
Jerry stepped back to allow Gallagher passage through. Gallagher smiled at the couple. “Good evening, Mr. and Mrs. Pruett. It’s been a pleasure talking to you.”
Rory smiled. Ever the charming gentleman, Gallagher could lie through his teeth with the best of them.
She led the way to the refreshment station on their right. Recognizing the tall man dressed in a western shirt, jeans and boots leaning on the bar, she greeted him. “Hello, Tom. How are you this evening?”
He grinned at her. “Fine, Rory. You look lovely as always.” His eyes narrowed at Gallagher. “I’d wondered if you had an escort. Been seeing him long?”
Why did everyone assume she and Gallagher were a couple? And speaking of the man, why did he have a smug look on his face? If he’d looked panicked, she would have given Tom a thorny history of their relationship. All made up, of course. That smug look took all the fun out of it. “We’re moving a statue in the east room. The horse and rider. You know. The heavy one.”
Gallagher winced, making the lie worth it.
Connolly October 16, 2018
I am so sorry for the delayed response! I really enjoyed the dynamic you set up between the characters. I loved seeing the heroine try to get a reaction out of the hero, and it was even more fun when she succeeded.
Connolly, thank you for the comments. No worries about the delay–I wasn’t able to check back on this until today anyway and I know you’re busy. Thanks again for the comments.
Jocelyn October 13, 2018
Kelly sighed as she watched the orange-clad prisoners file out of the spartan classroom, the stern-faced correctional officer shadowing their steps. She was getting through to them. Wasn’t she? Some of them at least? She had to believe that. Prison ministry had changed Granddad’s life. Even if it made a difference to only one, she would continue these weekly classes. That one could have been her granddad years ago.
“Ms. Blake?” A tall, lean dark-haired man stepped from the line. The guard caught her eye. At her nod, the CO exited with the other prisoners.
She’d love to be able to change the lives of all of them. But, Kelly acknowledged reluctantly, stepping forward with more eagerness than she should, if she could only change one, she longed for it to be Riley Sinclair. She didn’t want to consider herself one of those women who were attracted to men behind bars, but there was something about him. According to the guards, he’d been some kind of computer whiz before going to prison for murder. Sinclair claimed he’d been framed, that he was innocent of killing his brother-in-law; but as ninety percent what he said was accompanied with a hooked smile and self-mockery in his blue, blue eyes, Kelly didn’t know what to believe. He didn’t look or act like a murderer. But that’s what they’d said about Ted Bundy. Granddad had taught her to have a good radar on those things. Sinclair didn’t set it off.
The facetious smile Sinclair normally wore was missing from his handsome face as the distance narrowed between them. Instead, his perfectly sculpted lips frowned. Kelly’s grin, one that’d embarrassingly threatened to push all the way to her ears, faded. Drawing to a halt, her glance ricocheted around the now empty room, bouncing off the closed door before it returned to him. It lingered on Sinclair’s grim eyes a moment before sliding over his broad, orange-covered shoulder and down his right arm to his clenched fist.
Why would he bring a toothbrush to a Bible Study class?
Run! Kelly sprang toward the door before she was jerked back against a rock-hard body. A stinging pressure under her chin forced her head back. She would have bit the hand that clamped over her mouth if she could have, resentful of how the man could smell so good when he was in prison and now was obviously a loser. How could she have been such a fool?
“Sorry about the shiv, Ms.Blake.” The voice she’d previously admired murmured above her ear. “I like you, I really do. But I’ve got a wedding to stop and you’re my ticket out of here.”
I am so sorry for the delayed response! I loved this set up! You certainly created an inciting moment. Everything from the setting to the threat to the promise of an escape perfectly serves to capture the reader’s attention. Additionally, you have included several intriguing hooks in this piece. Great job!
Ja Fisher October 13, 2018
(Johanna is on the side of the road in a remote corner of Washington State and a park ranger has appeared out of nowhere to change her tire for her. )
Aiming her flashlight at the rear wheel, Johanna bent over to inspect the spare tire. How odd. The only set of footprints around the car seemed to be her own. How had the man managed to change her tire without leaving a trace of his presence? A shiver darted up her spine.
She gestured to the ground around the tire with a sweeping motion of her good arm. “How do you do that? No footprints in this gravelly mud except mine.”
The ranger cocked his head to one side, the heat of his electric blue eyes burning her. “Old forest trick. Forget it.”
Johanna blinked and she suddenly couldn’t remember what they’d been discussing. “What was I talking about?”
“You were thanking me.” He gripped the lug wrench and casually swung it in a circle.
“Oh, right.” Grinning, she extended her hand. “What will it take for you to give me my arm — I mean my lug wrench back?”
Those blue eyes riveted on her as his demeanor grew taught, his harsh gaze stirring a memory of a similar but younger pair of blue eyes and another road, another dawn. A Glenn Miller tune had spilled out of a nearby pub. Hadn’t a man like him once grabbed her arm to save her from falling into the street? Her struggle to put more form and shape to the vague outline of a memory brought a fine sheen of sweat to her forehead.
“We went to dinner,” she murmured slowly, her voice barely above a whisper. “You held my arm and flirted with me. That couldn’t have been us.”
The ranger reached for her, his handsome features set in a grimace of longing and grief, but he yanked his hand back without touching her.
“That was really strange.” She tried to hold onto the memory and failed, the loss leaving her bereft. “Oh, it’s gone again.”
“Again? You’ve seen all that before?”
An owl hooted from somewhere close by, drawing the handsome ranger’s attention. When he turned back to look at her, a low hum rang in her ears, but she heard him tell her, “You’d better be going, Johanna.”
Dazed, she circled around to the driver’s side of the Jeep. She didn’t deliberately open the car door, let alone climb in, but she came to her senses staring at the steering wheel. The lug wrench was on the passenger seat.
Hold on a minute. Hadn’t that ranger called her by name? They hadn’t introduced themselves. She’d stake her reputation on it.
She opened the door and leaped out. “How’d you know my first name when I don’t even know yours? Where do I know you from?”
Silence. The ranger had vanished into thin air.
I am so sorry for the delayed response!
What a fantastic story for October! It is so spooky! I really want to know how this one ends. You did a nice job of setting up a situation that is intriguing in a number of ways. In addition to creating tension between the hero and the heroine, you successfully created an air of mystery surrounding the hero without going over the top.
Jeriann Fisher October 16, 2018
Thank you, Connolly.
This is a completed paranormal romantic suspense available for submission. Can you recommend a Harlequin or Carina Press editor who might be interested?
Polly Powell October 14, 2018
Gavin Laidlaw had a hard time thinking straight while Tatiana held him in her cool gaze. She has long dark hair and is wearing a silver dress, he thought, trying to ground himself in unembellished fact. The description didn’t begin to touch the vision before his eyes.
Tatiana was beautiful, but as an extremely eligible bachelor Gavin was around a lot of attractive women. It was her confidence, her strength, that made her so mesmerizing. Her gaze was unwavering and direct, her eyes deep pools of blue, open and shrewd simultaneously. Her long hair cascaded loose over her creamy shoulders, blue-black waves catching the light then plunging into dramatic shadow. There was a trace of a smile on her plump lips. He thought for a second she was pleased to see him, then thought she might be laughing at him. He felt at a total disadvantage in this small room alone with her and his labored breath.
She bent toward him and extended her hand as if this were a business meeting. “Tatiana Bentley,” she said, her voice like honey.
It was his turn to smile, amused not by her but by the absurdity of the situation.
“I assumed,” he said. Then thought he might as well carry through with the charade. “Gavin Laidlaw, your potential groom.”
Patience Bloom October 15, 2018
Dear Polly, What fun! Great job on the description of Tatiana and also on the last line where he is her potential groom. It definitely made me want to read more. –Patience
Katterley Smith October 14, 2018
“I’m Grant; Grant Thompson. And you are?”
Oh, I know who you are. “Biz. Like Liz, but starts with a B. Biz Aralia.” He would never hear her birth name again if she could help it. She took his outstretched hand and shook it firmly before letting go and taking a step back. She had received a shock of static electricity from it but would not give him the satisfaction of reacting. “Grant. How appropriate a name for your line of work.”
He chuckled and motioned for her to sit down. She sat on the edge of the gray chair, even though he had motioned her toward the sofa. She spread out her non-profit and art portfolio onto the coffee table before her, wanting to get down to business and out of his office. Biz wasn’t worried he was suddenly going to figure out it was Elizabeth A. Lucas in front of him. Her hair was spiky short, bright red instead of long and light brown, and her bright blue doll eye contacts were a far cry from the soft green eyes underneath. Biz hadn’t been Coop’s fiancée for more than seven years. Grant’s younger cousin had barely felt the loss, she was sure, but she hadn’t looked back to find out, either. Not after what Coop had done to her. And Grant had been okay with all of it.
“My understanding is your venture capital firm is wanting to give back to its community by sponsoring a project for a non-profit organization that will benefit the community’s earliest learners. I have a project in mind that will not only enhance the creativity and culture of Riverside and its greater community, but seeks partnerships with the day care centers, libraries, health clinics, schools, and preschools of the area for long term and sustainable benefits for…”
“Biz, I’ve read all that and I’ve seen your work or you wouldn’t be here. Right now I need to know about you.”
No, you don’t. No, you can’t. Every time I look into your eyes I’m that green girl all over again. Her heart beat faster as she realized the truth of that thought and tried to ignore that truth and reply with her standard biography, the one he would have also read, apparently, but he cut her off as her mouth parted to speak. “I haven’t seen this green one.”
Green? Really? She clamped her mouth shut trying to compose herself, her eyes cast downward so he couldn’t read them. He was holding a photo, which had been in the back of the portfolio, of the mural she had been commissioned to paint in Franklin last year, and he was right, she hadn’t added that photo to the grant’s digital application. She was proud of the way she calmly told him as much, and then added her standard biography and stood.
This was a bad idea, an outright stupid one. She should have never thought she could come back to Riverside without sneaking in at night to visit Aunt Gail and sneaking right back out again a night or two later. “Now that you have everything you need, I’m afraid I have to run, as I double-booked myself and have to get to the Fairview Mall in Bristol in less than…”
“Your project is sound and sustainable. Your work and current partnerships are exactly what we’re looking for in grant recipients. You had the funding before you stepped foot into my office, Eliz…Biz.”
Biz gasped. “You know who…”
“I knew you had a low opinion of me, but I didn’t believe you thought I was stu…”
“I don’t think you’re stupid. I never did.” She left her portfolio on the coffee table and took another step back as he took one closer.
“Could we stop interrupting each other long enough to…”
“No. I shouldn’t have come here and I rescind my appli…”
“No. Don’t say it because you can’t. You’re the only applicant. I wrote up the entire prospectus and sent it only to you.”
Biz’s eye twitched and then both of them narrowed. “If you think that I…”
“No. This wasn’t something to indebt you, seduce you, coerce you into anything. I’ve followed your work. Your work should be in this community. You should be in this community. The family should have never done what it did. And you shouldn’t have to sneak around to see yours. I don’t want anything from you other than this.” He pointed at her portfolio and then swept his hand past first the paperwork and then the photos of her art. “Or I didn’t until I saw you again, spiky scarlet hair and all. I just want to talk, though, Biz. I just want to know why you thought I was a part of anything Coop did to you. I thought it wouldn’t matter, and I could pretend right along with you that you were only the artist Biz Aralia, but seeing you here,” Grant ran his fingers through his golden brown hair, “Elizabeth, we need to talk.” His voice cracked as he added, “It’s been so long since we’ve talked. I need…”
This time she hadn’t interrupted. He never finished the sentence. What did he need? What couldn’t he bring himself to say? Why did he believe he hadn’t been a part of what Coop had done? She had closed her eyes as the questions ran through her mind, her arms hugging each other whereas they had just been crossed in frustration and anger a moment ago. Her eyes abruptly opened, however, when his hands were on both of her arms, just below where the short sleeves ended. A frisson of electricity, not excitement, traveled up her arms, into her shoulders and ended with a shiver in her neck. Biz realized they had never deliberately touched before the handshake, and even that had been electrically charged.
“I’m sorry you’re so repulsed by my contact.” Grant spoke quietly. He had misconstrued the shiver as a shudder and this time he took a step back. Biz would let him think that. It was safer that way.
Dear Katterley, I always adore a heroine in disguise but I wonder how realistic it is for Biz to disguise herself enough so that Grant wouldn’t recognize her. Still, I like this idea! And I like their checkered history. Well done.
Kathryn October 15, 2018
The bar at the Mayflower Hotel had been a biker bar until hipsters moved into the area and the bikers moved on. The renovation was mostly aluminum siding on the walls. It was not pretty, which was why Joe liked it and it served beer and a decent plate of fried chicken. It was Friday night and he was single.
The mirrors behind the bar meant that Carl didn’t need to turn his head to talk to me as he poured a sleeve.
“Waiting for someone, Joe?”
“Nah,”
“I notice you watching the door, figured you arranged to meet someone.”
Carl moved away down the bar. He smiled, “she gets off at six, should be here any minute.”
I smiled, not a big smile, just enough so Carl would go help someone else.
If I was going to talk to Lyse anywhere, the Mayflower was the place I wanted to do it.
She was a regular; still everyone noticed when she walked in. When he thought that, it sounded artificial but the noise got less, and it felt more cheerful even when she was there. He had friends and people who would talk with him, but it was Lyse that he wanted to see.
The girl was blond and young, which threw him at first, he didn’t like blonds, but she wasn’t the fake kind of blond, he was used to seeing, her look seemed to change. She was confident, yet soft too, with clothes that looked couture. Sometimes she wore gloves that hid her hands so he didn’t know what they looked like but he had thought about them.
He heard that she was a painter with works hanging in a gallery. She talked coding with a group that was loud and shouted opinions. Last time he had been sure that she had noticed him and he had said he might be here tonight.
“So, you are back,” said Lyse walking over to his table. She had a nice voice, high and clear, like a flute. She looked exactly like he remembered.
“Berlin,” he said, for work.
“I know,” she said, “we should talk.”
Dear Kathryn, This is an intriguing set up. I wasn’t quite sure what was happening until the very end. I like your description of Lyse and the final hook at the end. You can tell that there is a past between the hero and heroine and at the very least, deep emotion on the part of the hero. Nicely conveyed.
Hello Patience, Thank you for your comments. These are helpful to me in my writing.
Nicola Caws
Facebook0TwitteremailNic Caws is the assistant editor on the Harlequin Presents team. Her voracious (and possibly unhealthy) appetite for books led to her B.A. in English Literature from the University of Exeter. She joined the...
|
cc/2019-30/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line9256
|
__label__wiki
| 0.62639
| 0.62639
|
Top Seed Evans To Face Soeda In Nottingham Semi-Finals
Evgeny Donskoy and Antoine Hoang also advance to the stage of the final four.
Daniel Evans (photo: LTA)
NOTTINGHAM, June 15, 2019 (Press Release)
British No. 3 Dan Evans is through to the ATP Challenger semi-finals of Nottingham’s Nature Valley Open – an LTA summer grass court event – after beating unseeded German Dominik Koepfer 7-6(6) 6-7(8) 6-4.
Playing for the first time on grass this year at the Nottingham Tennis Centre in front of a packed Court 1 crowd, Birmingham-born Evans was broken in his first service game in a tense opening set that he also failed to serve out at 6-5.
But a volleyed winner on the stretch meant that the top seed edged the first tie-break 8-6 – the same scoreline by which Koepfer clinched the second-set breaker to level the match, having saved two match points along the way.
World No. 70 Evans battled back in the deciding set, however, firing in his final serve after two hours and 41 minutes to close out the match – his eight consecutive victory following on from his title-winning grass court run at the Surbiton Trophy last week.
He said: “It was difficult, but I thought I played pretty good. It’s great that we got some nice weather so we could get on the grass – hopefully we get some more today and tomorrow.
“There was a big crowd out there cheering me on, so I enjoyed it out there. I fought hard, so it was good to get the win and focus on my next match today.”
After suitable rest, the 2018 Nottingham finalist will go on to face the 2010 Aegon Trophy Nottingham runner-up Go Soeda from Japan in the last four later on Saturday, since weather disruption earlier in the week has pushed both the ATP Challenger quarter-final and semi-final singles matches into one day.
Speaking ahead of his match against World No. 191 Soeda, Evans added: “I just wanted to get the match done, get off the court, and get on the grass again. I don’t know him that well, but it will be a tough match, for sure. He’s playing very well, but I feel as good as I can after a packed-out few days, so we’ll see what happens.”
Elsewhere, in the concurrent WTA International event, Croatian second seed and 2017 Nottingham champion Donna Vekic won 12 games in a row after dropping the first set on Centre Court to beat ninth seed Tatjana Maria of Germany 5-7 6-0 6-0, and book her place in Sunday’s WTA International final.
The 22-year-old World No. 22 will face either No. 1 seed Caroline Garcia or the USA’s Jennifer Brady, who are under way on the main show court.
Limited tickets for the rest of Saturday’s action remain on Centre Court with prices starting from £36 for children under 16 and £50 for adults. ‘Twilight’ tickets are also available on the door at half-price from 4pm. To purchase tickets or to access more information about the Nature Valley Open, head to www.lta.org.uk/naturevalleyopen.
This entry was posted in ATP Challenger News, ATP Challenger Tour, WTA Tour News and tagged ATP Challenger Tour, Nature Valley Open, Nottingham.
|
cc/2019-30/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line9263
|
__label__cc
| 0.714476
| 0.285524
|
Uploaded by czb1972 on January 8, 2019 at 10:06 am
The Vauxhall Astra was never a class-leader. It always used to lose out to popular alternatives such as the brilliant Ford Focus and the perennial Volkswagen Golf. But this latest iteration of the model is so much better than it used to be, that its fortunes might be about to change.
We’re really impressed with the way the Astra drives, the immense practicality of the passenger compartment and the boot, and even the way it looks. We at Carbuyer reckon the 2015 Vauxhall Astra might be about to overtake the competition and become the very best in its category.
Vauxhall Astra review: http://carbyr.uk/1MFsb1C
Vauxhall Astra prices and specs: http://carbyr.uk/1jd4YI6
Volkswagen Golf video review: http://carbyr.uk/1JSvUl2
Ford Focus video review: http://bit.ly/1HRbjCT
Watch our latest video: http://bit.ly/carbuyervideos
https://twitter.com/CarbuyerUK
https://www.facebook.com/CarBuyerUK
Subscribe to Auto Express magazine: http://subscribe.autoexpress.co.uk/cb
Carbuyer makes car buying simple. We’re the only automotive brand that’s approved by the Plain English Campaign, delivering you clear, concise and easy to understand information about the things that really matter when you’re choosing – and buying – your next car.
http://www.carbuyer.co.uk
Every week, Carbuyer’s YouTube channel brings you simple and entertaining reviews on every major make and model that’s available for sale in the UK. Plus you’ll find frequently-updated top 10 features and the occasional group test for good measure.
If you want even more helpful information, head over to Carbuyer.co.uk where you’ll find in-depth reviews of more than 500 cars, alongside the best buying advice and dozens of features helping you to narrow down your car buying shortlist.
Tags: Astra, CarBuyer, Opel, review, Vauxhall
Categories: Opel Review
Opel / Vauxhall Astra hatchback 2013 review - CarBuyer
Vauxhall Astra Sports Tourer estate review (Opel Astra) - Carbuyer
Vauxhall Astra (Opel Astra) 2015 review - Carbuyer
Vauxhall Astra VXR (Opel Astra OPC) review - CarBuyer
|
cc/2019-30/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line9266
|
__label__wiki
| 0.981681
| 0.981681
|
BBC Four is a free to air channel owned and operated by the BBC. The channel airs daily from 7.00pm til 4.00am. The channel airs a number of programs aiming to offer a alternative to mainstream TV. The channel shows a number of original series, domestic repeats from the BBC catalogue and some foreign drama imports.
Network Info
Timezone: Europe/London (GMT +0)
Popular BBC Four shows
Charles I: Downfall of a King
Sound Waves: The Symphony of Physics
Handmade on the Silk Road
The Sky at Night
This Season's Shows
Our team of astronomers tell us what's on view in the night sky. From comets to quasars, there is al…
World News Today
The latest national and international news and business developments.
Series showcasing the best of international documentary filmmakers works.
Documentary series which ranges widely over Britain's social and cultural history, its narrative-led…
Top of the Pops 2
Mark Radcliffe presents clips of past "Top of the Pops" shows, normally centered around a theme. The…
Royal Institution Christmas Lectures
Each year a renowned name in the world of education leads a series of televised lectures all around…
Digging for Britain
The BBC Two series is presented by Professor Alice Roberts and archaeologist Matt Williams as they p…
This series looks at the writing and recording of some of the greatest albums of our era. Musicians,…
What Do Artists Do All Day?
Intimate, observational portraits of leading artists, revealing unique insights into their working l…
Arena is the BBC's multi award-winning arts strand. Founded in 1975, Arena continues to produce gold…
BBC Proms is the world's greatest classical music festival.
Mercury Prize
An annual music prize ceremony broadcast on the BBC.
Britain's Lost Masterpieces
Join Dr. Bendor Grosvenor and Jacky Klein as they seek out the work of some of the biggest names in…
BBC Young Dancer
The BBC turns the spotlight on the UK's best young dancers with a nationwide talent search to find t…
An Art Lovers' Guide
Art historians Dr. Janina Ramirez and Alastair Sooke take us on three entertaining and revealing cul…
England's Forgotten Queen: The Life and Death of Lady Jane Grey
In this three-part series for BBC Four, historian Helen Castor pieces together the astonishing true…
A Year in the Life of a Year
Comedian Rhys Thomas takes a comic look back at the cultural, national and international talking poi…
BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards
Performances and other highlights of the annual BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards.
BBC Young Musician
BBC Young Musician is a biennial contest which aims to find the most talented musicians who are unde…
Mark Kermode's Secrets of Cinema
Film critic Mark Kermode presents a fresh and very personal look at the art of cinema by examining t…
There She Goes is about a severely learning disabled 9-year-old girl Rosie, her dad Simon, mum Emily…
Competition involving six young virtuoso pianists held every three years in Leeds, West Yorkshire.
Our Classical Century brings together the greatest moments in classical music in the UK over the las…
Vic & Bob's Big Night Out
Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer burst onto our screens with a hilarious non-stop half-hour of mischief,…
Discovering...
Extraordinary pieces of music are performed in full by BBC orchestras--a rare chance to explore each…
Victorian Sensations
Victorian Sensations transports viewers to the thrilling era of the 1890s. Dr Hannah Fry, Paul McGan…
Historian Lisa Hilton discovers how, in just fifty tempestuous days, Charles I's rule collapsed, lay…
View all shows »
|
cc/2019-30/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line9277
|
__label__wiki
| 0.504053
| 0.504053
|
Headteacher Message
Friends of Whaddon School
Sport Funding
How we measure up - OFSTED, Data, Pupil Premium
Equality information and objectives
Yearly Overviews
Termly Overviews
Key Themes and Events of the Year
Mantle of the Expert
Buckinghamshire Family Information Service
Whaddon Church of England School
How to get a place at Whaddon School
Starting at Whaddon School
Visiting Whaddon School
County Admissions Site
Headteacher Message Our Church Our Staff Governors Friends of Whaddon School Vacancies Admissions Prospectus Policies SEND Sport Funding How we measure up - OFSTED, Data, Pupil Premium Equality information and objectives
We, the members of the Governing Body, are extremely proud of our successful small school and encourage any enquiries.
The school was originally founded in 1811 and there are strong links with the Oxford Diocese. It opened officially in 1841 and now consists of the original school building which is currently used as a hall, and a more modern block which houses the classrooms, library and offices. Our light airy classrooms are very well resourced with the latest technology for learning including interactive whiteboards in each classroom area. We are very fortunate to have wonderful outdoor facilities with an extensive activity area, a Sensory Garden and a large secure playing field.
The school has a reputation for high levels of achievement and attainment, with standards consistently above national and local averages.
The school had a very successful Ofsted Inspection in February 2014.
Summary of key findings -“ This is a good school”.
“Whatever their starting points, pupils make at least good progress and by the time they leave the school many reach levels of attainment which are above average. Attendance is high. Pupils of all ages enjoy coming to school and like the topics they study. Pupils’ behaviour is of a very high standard owing to the very positive relationships they have with staff who they know will look after them. The school’s curriculum is rich, vibrant and exciting. The spiritual, moral, social and cultural education of the pupils is a strength of the school and underpins everything it does. Teaching is good overall and some is outstanding. All members of staff form an effective team where every pupil is known as an individual and all of them thrive in the school’s nurturing environment. Pupils say, and their parents and carers agree, that they feel safe in the school. The school is well regarded in the community. Leadership and management at all levels, including governance, have a direct impact on the quality of teaching together with pupils’ achievement”.
A copy of the full 2014 Ofsted report can be found on our website: www.whaddon.bucks.sch.uk
Our friendly, caring and dedicated staff work hard to sustain these high standards and to help pupils develop and progress as responsible individuals, happy to be part of our extended family. We have a close relationship with parents and the local community which is central to the ethos of the school.
Fortnightly newsletters keep parents fully informed and parents are always welcomed as a partner in their child’s education.
Should your child attend Whaddon School we look forward to working with you and intend that you will find your relationship with the school happy and rewarding.
WHADDON SCHOOL GOVERNORS
JULY 2019 TO JULY 2020
Foundation Governors
Mrs Rachael MacIntyre
Mrs Philippa Markwick
Local Authority Governors
Miss Charlotte Page (Chair)
Staff Governor
Miss Helen Nash
Headteacher Governor
Mrs Selina Davies
Co-opted Governors
Mrs Liz Julier (Vice Chair)
Mr Guy Birch-Jones
Mrs Helen Wallace-Fisher
Governor Meeting Attendance & Interests
Record of Attendance 2018-2019.doc
Record of Attendance 2017-2018 Spring Term.pdf
Record of Attendance 2016-2017 (2).pdf
Charlotte Page (Chair)
Charlotte has lived in Whaddon for 2 years now and joined the governing body in February 2018. Charlotte is a teacher by profession and has worked in a variety of schools from small village schools to large inner city schools. She has also worked on another governing body for 4 years and took on the role of chair of governors. Charlotte’s skills sit well with the Curriculum and Pupil Welfare committee and is linked with Year 2. She has also taken on the role of policies governor ensuring these are in place, updated and reviewed regularly.
Liz Julier (Vice Chair)
Liz is a Co-opted Governor and lives in Thornborough. Liz moved to Thornborough in 2008 with her husband and daughter and built their own house whilst living in a caravan for 12 months. Liz has recently retired from her role as Practice Manager to an international law firm. Liz joined the governing body in February 2018 and is Vice Chair, Development & Early Years Governor and sits on the Curriculum, Pupil & Welfare committee.
Rachael MacIntyre
Rachael is a Co-opted Governor and lives in the Village. Rachael was originally a parent governor when her daughter attended the School and decided to maintain her role as Governor when her daughter moved to her next school. Rachael has a second child who currently attends Whaddon School. Rachael is a Solicitor by profession and has advised and represented Schools in various matters during her work. Rachael’s skills sit well with the General Purposes and Finance Committee, which deals with the finance and management of the school. She is also a Governor for Performance Management.
Guy Birch-Jones
Guy has lived in Whaddon for 10 years and his daughter has recently moved on from our school, following in the footsteps of her mother who was born in the village and also attended the school. Guy has worked in the food and animal feed industry in various technical, commercial and managerial roles for 27 years, currently as Sales Director for a cereal processing business. His experience in business and industry benefits our General Purposes and Finance committee greatly. He is also our Governor responsible for Health and Safety, Equality and Diversity and PSHCE. Guy was a member of the Friends of Whaddon School committee for three years and served as Secretary in 2015-16. Guy was Co-Opted as a Governor in 2016,
Helen Wallace-Fisher
Helen has lived in Whaddon since July 2015 with her wife and son, who started in Foundation year at the school in 2018. She is the International Energy Risk Manager for a large, global consulting company, having been in the energy industry for over 20 years. Helen has been a co-opted governor since February 2018. She sits on the General Purpose and Finance Committee, and is the governor responsible for Pupil Premium and Year 1.
Philippa Markwick
Philippa is a Foundation Governor as well as the Governor responsible for English and Safeguarding. She also sits on both the SIAMs and Pupil Welfare committees.
Philippa works for a large multinational financial organisation and lives in Whaddon with her family. Her eldest child attends Whaddon School.
Selina Davies
Selina Davies is Headteacher governor and as such attends all governor meetings.
Helen Nash
Helen Nash is staff Governor and attends Full Governing Body meetings and Curriculum & Pupil Welfare meetings.
Phiippa Markwick
Charlotte Page
Content provided by Whaddon Church of England School. All rights reserved. 2019
Stock Lane, Whaddon , Milton Keynes, Bucks, MK17 0LS
|
cc/2019-30/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line9280
|
__label__wiki
| 0.83379
| 0.83379
|
Fred Armisen's Fake Sex Pistols 'SNL' Band Made a Real EP
Chris Martins/Spin
Miguel may have seduced and slaughtered Saturday Night Live audiences during his appearance on the Vince Vaughn-hosted April 13 episode, but he wasn't the only musical highlight. Fred Armisen played the leader of a Sex Pistols-like band in "History of Punk" — though there was a twist, of course. Ian Rubbish and the Bizzaros were just like their real-life counterparts (like that recently Amish-ized Bill Grundy interview) except that their frontman was a real aficionado of the infamously unpopular Margaret Thatcher.
As noted by Morrissey, the Iron Lady passed away earlier this month and so the show paid a little playfully backhanded tribute with the above bit, which included a handful of original song snippets performed by "Rubbish" and his mates, Derek Gash and Keith Grimshaw. Well, it turns out Armisen and co. recorded four of those tracks and are now offering them as free downloads: "Maggie Thatcher," "Sweet Iron Lady," "Living in the Gutter," and "Hey Policeman!," which includes the clutch sneer, "Special delivery: My boot to your face!"
The four tracks are packaged as a fake Best of Ian Rubbish EP, and the website has a "co.uk" designation. The music is fairly solid, but we'd expect nothing less from a guy who's kept time for Trenchmouth and Les Savvy Fav
|
cc/2019-30/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line9283
|
__label__cc
| 0.629627
| 0.370373
|
ZT INTERVIEWS: INFERNUS OF GORGOROTH
· January 9, 2013 ·6 min read
An interview with Roger Tiegs, aka Infernus, the guitarist and mastermind behind Gorgoroth.
Zero Tolerance: Let’s start with recent events. You recently fired vocalist Pest from the band due to his lack of dedication. Was this a band choice or was the decision yours to make?
Infernus: He and I had a discussion about this topic one year ago. I made the decision to replace him one minute after he informed us that he would not do the Latin America tour in September [2012] this year.
ZT: Could you imagine working with Pest again if his priorities changed?
I: There is no bad blood between us. What happened was quite simply that we terminated a work relationship. As for the future … I do not see the value of such speculation right now. I am again in a position I am comfortable with, that’s what I have to say about that.
ZT: Hoest, the vocalist from Taake, filled in during the Latin American tour. How was Gorgoroth received by the crowds, given the change?
I: It went very well indeed! People seemed to be happy with Hoest, I am happy with it, and we are going to continue the co-operation.
ZT: Great! Can you see yourself working with Hoest in the future on a Taake or Gorgoroth record perhaps?
I: For our new album, I announced that we will get help from a Serbian friend of mine [Atterigner] for the vocals. For the upcoming tours, we plan on bringing Hoest.
ZT: Why are you bringing Hoest instead of Atterigner?
I: Because what we did in September proved to work out well. Why change a winning team?
ZT: How is Atterigner settling in with Gorgoroth?
I: I have known him some years as I signed his band, Triumfall, to my own record label [Forces of Satan Records]. I’ve always been fond of his vocals, so it was decided that he would do the vocals for the upcoming album. I’ll introduce him properly to Asklund [Tomas] in the beginning of 2013, then fly him back in for vocal recordings as soon as Asklund, Watkins [Frank “Bøddel”] and I are more or less finished with the instrumental parts.
ZT: What do you expect him to bring, if anything, to the band’s creative process and to the Gorgoroth sound?
I: Things will be more or less finished in terms of all the instrument layers when he enters the studio to do his part. Of course he will bring his own instrument, his voice, into it, but how we will work on vocal arrangements I will not speculate upon yet.
ZT: Musically, Gorgoroth has always been true to its roots; however, with the upcoming album do you make a shift in lyrical theme or musical style?
I: I don’t think this will be a big shift. Again, that is up to others to judge when the album has been released. And I don’t find it appropriate for me to be talking too much in public on such topics before the album has been released.
ZT: The name of the album is ‘Instinctus Bestialis’. Where did this name come from? Did you find it somewhere, or does it hold greater significance to you?
I: Hm?
ZT: Okay, is there anything you can tell us about the new album? Tentative song names, when we might expect it to be released, how far along the recording process you are?
I: We have been working since the day we delivered the mastertape for Quantos [‘Quantos Possunt ad Satanitatem Trahunt’] to Regain Records. We have been working on demos and pre-recordings, and it’s me and Asklund who work a couple of days or so more or less every month at his studio in the outskirts of Stockholm. As of now, we have managed to go through all of the writing process; all the material has been written and half of it has been arranged. We need to sort out the second half and then start recording, maybe as soon as March 2013.
ZT: Do you have any plans for further touring in the UK before the new album comes out and if not, when do you think we will hear the album live?
I: Realistically speaking, it will be not be before the last part of 2013. We’re not doing Europe before then.
ZT: Do you have any festival appearances planned, either in the UK or in Europe?
I: Only one possible job in Finland. As for the UK, we don’t know yet.
ZT: You have previously said that you only play black metal; however, do you personally enjoy other genres, and would you consider working with any bands in other genres?
I: My favourite thing is… I prefer ‘80s heavy metal when I’m sitting down at home listening to music; I don’t listen to that much black metal. But ‘80s heavy metal, ‘80s thrash etc. That’s it. As for people I’d like to work with … I do so already! My guys are the best and I would not replace them before they replace themselves.
ZT: Since the infamous Gorgoroth name dispute, it’s been common knowledge that you, Gaahl and King haven’t been on the best of terms. Can you imagine a possible future in which you would ever consider working or touring with them again?
I: No. It won’t happen. Some people can be given a second chance. These two will not.
ZT: There has historically been a lot of rivalry between black metal bands. Who in the genre do you personally most respect?
I: If I am allowed to respond to the contrary: who I have a lack of respect for… That would be the compact majority of incompetent, greedy and dishonest people who come in from another angle, trying to do business in terms of managements, booking agencies, local promoters, record companies etc. Not forgetting about all these other time wasting idiots with high ambitions but no proper ability to get a job settled according to contractual agreements; they are manyfold. As for bands I respect or not, I am more or less out of the scene and I have been so for a substantial amount of time now. Don’t interpret that as a result of general boredness over metal music, but as a result of a choice to spend my focus on what is more important to me. To build up and relate to a network of professional people I can manage to actually produce some results with!
ZT: Sounds fair, can I ask a personal question?
ZT: Before starting Gorgoroth, it is said that you made a pact with the Devil. I won’t ask what the pact was, that’s private, but do you think that Satan has lived up to his side of the deal? And if you were to die tomorrow, would you be ready to uphold yours?
I: He lives up to it each and every day. Some people see it, others don’t. And here, as in all other areas according to decent people, a deal is a deal. Whether I’ll die tomorrow or not, insofar I have a say in it, I’d really prefer not to. Through the years I have been privileged by getting to work with a lot of great people, enabling us to do what we have done. Looking back at it, some things we’ve done – at least according to my standards – stand the test of time so far. Others did not. And I have a strong ambition on continuing doing what we do for a long time to come. If the outcome would be more hard hitting and taken another step up, that would of course be the number one goal.
Photo Credit: Ronald Chavenko, Henrique Pimentel
ATTERIGNERblack metalFORCES OF SATAN RECORDSGORGOROTHGUITARISThoestINFERNUSNew AlbumNorwayNORWEGIAN BLACK METALREGAIN RECORDSROGER TIEGSSatanSOUTH AMERICAN TOURtaakeTRIUMFALL
Previous THYRFING: NEW ALBUM RELEASE DATE & TRACK LIST CONFIRMED
Next VENOMOUS MAXIMUS: ‘PATH OF DOOM’ VIDEO RELEASED
|
cc/2019-30/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line9285
|
__label__cc
| 0.514862
| 0.485138
|
Home » Chaz & AJ
email chaz | email aj | facebook | twitter | instagram
PODCAST – Tuesday, July 16: Dr. Henry Lee, The Moon Landing, And Everyone’s Saving Squirrels
Dumb Ass News – Bizarre television news interview following a robbery (0:00), Dr. Henry Lee speaks to Chaz and AJ about the 30-year-old case he’s been catching hell for in the media (8:49), Governor Lamont and Lt. Governor Bysiewicz both gave terrible answers regarding tolls (15:10), NASA scientist Michelle called in, Chaz and AJ wanted…… Continue Reading
Chaz and AJ Show Rundown: July 16
6:00. This has to be the most bizarre thing ever found inside someone’s fast food. 6:13. Sports powered by Road Ready Used Cars. 6:20 – 6:40. Internet scams. Have you been I victim? I almost was buying the Ranger. Call in with your story at 877-764-2535! 7:00. More details on the West Haven dog burned…… Continue Reading
AJ’s Car of the Day: 1963 Chevrolet Impala Convertible
Car: Chevrolet Impala Convertible Year: 1963 What makes it special: Beginning with the 1961 model, the Impala was now on GM’s B-platform. The 1963 Chevrolet Impala was given rectilinear styling with an engine-turned aluminum rear taillight panel. What made it famous: The most popular powerplant’s for the 1963 Impala was the small-block 283 and 327…… Continue Reading
PODCAST – Monday, July 15: Bee Attacks, Court Audio, And Senator Blumenthal Settles Our Intern’s Family Dispute
Suspects identified in the dog burning case, Chaz and AJ had a Fox 61 news report on the details from West Haven (0:00), Senator Blumenthal helps Chaz and AJ settle a family dispute between intern Pumpkin Palms and her brother Justin – did he steal $100 from her? (12:02), Court Audio with Street Pete, who…… Continue Reading
6:00. The reaction to a 30 foot shark. 6:13. Sports powered by Road Ready Used Cars. 6:20. Weekend: Bachelorette Parties! 6:30. Cyndi Lauper was stung by bee onstage. 6:40. What you were doing when you were stung by a bee? Call for you chance to win tickets to the Monthly Meal. 877-764-2535 7:00. Suspects named…… Continue Reading
AJ’s Car of the Day: 1955 Pontiac Chieftain
Car: Pontiac Chieftain Year: 1955 What makes it special: Produced by Pontiac for the 1949 through 1958 model years, the Chieftain, along with the Streamliner model was the first new car designs to come post World War II. Cars were updated versions prior to 1949. What made it famous: All new for the 1955 model,…… Continue Reading
PODCAST – Friday, July 12: A Loser Of The Week Meltdown And Why You Don’t Push A Bear
Ashley’s father’s injury yesterday that sent him to the hospital (0:00), Dumb Ass News – Russian man records himself pushing a bear, and you can guess what happened next (5:10), Connecticut hockey coach John Krupinsky on the phone to explain why he told the Danbury Hat Tricks minor league team not to kneel for the…… Continue Reading
6:00. DMV anger turns to gun discharge. 6:13. Sports powered by Road Ready Used Cars. 6:20 – 6:30. Have you had any positive experiences at the DMV? No? Neither have we. 6:40. Papa Gee went to the hospital! 7:00. Reward gets bigger in the murdered dog case. 7:13. Sports powered by Road Ready Used Cars.…… Continue Reading
AJ’s “Badass Friday” Car of the Day: 1967 Dodge Coronet R/T Hardtop
Car: Dodge Coronet R/T Hardtop Year: 1967 What makes it special: Dodge’s midsized Coronet was given new styling for 1966 and could be armed with devastating power. For 1967, they introduced a new model whose initials stood for Road and Track. Without disturbing the Coronet’s clean lines, the R/T added enough performance cues to make…… Continue Reading
PODCAST – Thursday, July 11: What Happened In West Haven? Plus Serial Killers, Woodstock 50, And The Sound Only Young People Hear
Ashley’s dad is a big fan of the Rocky movies, so Poppa Gee called in to go toe-to-toe with AJ on Rocky trivia (0:00), West Haven has come together to find the people responsible for burning a dog to death. Meli was on the phone to describe what she heard that night and Scott Orsini…… Continue Reading
|
cc/2019-30/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line9290
|
__label__cc
| 0.549072
| 0.450928
|
New WRRB chief ready to...
New WRRB chief ready to chart a course for the city
“If the facts are in question, there can be no informed debate.”
The above quote from its new executive director is a pillar on which the Worcester Regional Research Bureau is built.
Timothy J. McGourthy, the new head of the WRRB, has ideas big and small for the nonprofit organization he joined last month.
“To be successful, the research bureau has to be impartial, and the research has to be unassailable,” he said.
|
cc/2019-30/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line9291
|
__label__wiki
| 0.868716
| 0.868716
|
That's an Excellent Question: What happened to the For Sale Section?
By: Team XC Ottawa (2009/12/23)
The company that host our website has been in the process of upgrading the software to give us the latest and greatest. As a result of this process it has become necessary to upgrade the code that runs the classifieds section.
The host upgrade has just been completed, and we are in the process of fixing the classifieds section. Though Mr. Murphy is making life more difficult than expected and we've exceeded the "couple of days" originally planned.
Hopefully it will be back soon, we apologize for the inconvenience.
Q & A: Making a List & Checking it Twice
Q & A: "I tried that...it didn't work!"
Q & A: That's an Excellent Question: Trail Names in Gatineau Park?
Q & A: What's with the webcam?
Q & A: That's an Excellent Question: Summer Storage Waxing
Q & A: "it's a Big Party"
Q & A: Alex Harvey
Q & A: World Championship qualifiers, explained.
Gatineau Park: The Best Way to Experience Fall Colors
XC Local: Vauhti Wax Clinic at Greg Christie's, Wed. Dec. 7th, 2005
CSM: 2008 CSM Stories: This is Canadian Ski Marathon 2008
Race Report: Carleton Ravens Capture Silver at OUA Championships
Race Report: Nakkertok Tuesday Events Off to a Great "Kick Start"!
Sheila's Nutrition Digest: Sheila's Nutrition Digest Vol 12 - Grabbing a Healthy Byte on the Internet: A Guide to Finding Nutritious Recipes
Training: Spring Training Recap
"OWL Rafting - The Mighty Ottawa River"
|
cc/2019-30/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line9293
|
__label__cc
| 0.556304
| 0.443696
|
Showing posts with label Paris. Show all posts
► CAMEROON: Turkish Airlines hurting Camair-Co on Europe-bound traffic - Perchat.
Camair-Co (QC) says Turkish Airlines' (TK) recent entry into the Cameroonian market is having a serious effect on the carrier's international traffic with almost 50% of the Paris-bound market having been lost to the Turks, Camair Commercial Director, Christian Perchat, has disclosed.
Labels: Camair-Co, Cameroon, Douala, France, Paris, Turkey, Turkish Airlines
●● FRANCE: The African Aviation Tribune at the Paris Air Show 2013.
Today (Monday June 15), The African Aviation Tribune will be at the Paris Air Show 2013 courtesy of ch-aviation GMBH.
As such, postings over the next week will slow to a trickle, but be sure to follow us via our Twitter feed @AfrAviaTribune for updates and photos from the show as it happens. Expected this year are British Airways' A380, the new Airbus A350-900 and many more.
Stay tuned for the pictorial post to follow as well!
[UPDATE 19 JUNE] Well everyone, it seems the gods weren't smiling upon me this time round. A combination of bad Paris weather on my inbound fight that resulted in a diversion, coupled with a flat camera battery at the actual show meant i wasn't able to provide you with the updates (or pics) mentioned above. And i really do feel bummed about that.
So, please accept my apologies on that and hopefully it'll come right next time round.
The news feed should return to normal in the coming two days, so hang tight.
Labels: France, Paris
► FRANCE: Nouvelair Tunisie plans Paris CDG from Djerba, Monastir and Tunis this Summer.
Tunisian private operator Nouvelair Tunisie (BJ), during Summer 2013, is to introduce a scheduled service to Paris CDG, from Djerba, Monastir and Tunis. The carrier operates 3 weekly flights each.
Labels: Djerba, France, Monastir, Nouvelair Tunisie, Paris, Route, Tunis, Tunisia
► CONGO (BRAZZAVILLE): Launch of Air CEMAC delayed once more; this time until late 2013.
As prognosticated by The African Aviation Tribune in November 2012, Air CEMAC, the planned regional carrier to link Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Congo (Brazzaville), Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, Chad and São Tomé & Príncipe, has indeed been forced to delay its intended January 2013 launch date, this time, to November/December 2013.
Labels: Abidjan, Addis Ababa, Air CEMAC, Bamako, Brussels, Cotonou, Dakar, Dubai, Frankfurt, Harare, Johannesburg, Kigali, Kinshasa, Lagos, Lomé, London, Madrid, Nairobi, Paris, Rome
► MOROCCO: Ryanair officially announces Fez, Marrakech as new bases; Essaouira, Rabat as new airports.
Confirming our previous speculative post, Ryanair (FR) has officially announced it would open two new bases in Morocco in 2013, at Fez (No 56) and Marrakech (No 57) with a total of three based-aircraft, as Ryanair invests over USD210 million in Morocco.
Labels: Baden, Bergerac, Brussels, Cuneo, Dole, Essaouira, Fez, Lille, Marrakech, Marseille, Morocco, Munich, Nantes, Nimes, Paris, Paris Vatry, Rabat, Ryanair, St Etienne, Tours
► ALGERIA: Air Algérie in talks to buy 787-8s, 737-800NGs and A330s as international expansion plans move forward.
Algerian carrier, Air Algèrie (AH), in an announcement via its official Facebook page, is to forge ahead with the first stage of its previously announced renewal plan with the carrier said to be negotiating a deal for the purchase of an undisclosed number of Boeing 787-800s, that it hopes to "make concrete very soon." Delivery of the first aircraft is scheduled for 2017.
Labels: 737-800NG, 787, A330, Abidjan, Air Algérie, Air France, Algeria, Algiers, Amsterdam, Beirut, Dakar, Dubai, Johannesburg, Lagos, Madrid, Montreal, New York, Paris, Sao Paulo, Shanghai
► NIGERIA: KLM, Air France announce capacity changes on Nigeria routes for 2013.
KLM Dutch Airlines (KL) and Air France (AF) have announced various changes to their Nigerian operations for 2013. Effective 31 March 2013, Air France is to boost capacity on its Abuja/Port Harcourt route while for the duration of June, KLM is to reduce capacity on its Lagos flights.
Labels: 777, A330, Abuja, Air France, Airbus, Amsterdam, Boeing, CDG, Equipment, KLM, Lagos, Nigeria, Paris, Port Harcourt
►► LIBYA: Afriqiyah announces Paris, Casablanca, Rome, Khartoum, Dubai from December.
Libyan carrier, Afriqiyah (8U), has announced plans to launch various new routes ex-Tripoli and ex-Benghazi effective 1 December.
Labels: Afriqiyah, Alexandria, Benghazi, Casablanca, Dubai, Dusseldorf, Egypt, France, Germany, Italy, Khartoum, Libya, Morocco, Paris, Rome, Sebha, Sudan, Tripoli, Tunis, Tunisia
■ MADAGASCAR: Government courts Corsair International to resume Paris to Nosy-Be flights.
With Air Madagascar's (MD) Airbus A340-300s too big for Nosy-Be's (Fascene) Airport, the Malagasy Government is attempting to lure French carrier Corsair International (SS) back to Madagascar's largest and busiest tourist resort, as they are the only carrier with the equipment (Airbus A330s) capable of operating a direct Paris - Nosy Be flight from the airport, at this time.
Labels: 767, A330, A340, Air France, Air Madagascar, Airbus, Antananarivo, Boeing, Corsair International, France, Madagascar, Nosy Be, Paris, Route
► ANGOLA: TAAG boosts Dubai; looks to expand greatly in coming years.
Angola's flag carrier TAAG Angolan Airlines (DT) has announced, that effective 10 September 2012, it will add a third weekly Wednesday frequency to Dubai from Luanda and it is also looking to further increase its international presence by opening new international routes to Frankfurt, Germany, Paris, France and an as yet undisclosed destinations in the US.
With Angola's growing regional importance, both as a trade route and as an economic hub - with its vast oil wealth to boot - so the need to establish a direct air link between the US and Angola has grown ever more crucial. At this time, the only airlink between the two countries is that of SonAir Angola operates the 3x weekly "Houston Express" from Luanda to Houston, USA using a leased Atlas Air Boeing 747-400 which caters more for the oil industry's needs than anything.
Recently, Angola signed bilateral agreements with Argentina amongst which saw the Angolan airline opening a ticket office in Buenos Aires, that some see as being the first step in the opening of a future Luanda - Buenos Aires route.
TAAG Angolan Airlines: Luanda - Dubai
-Effective 10 September 2012
DT550 LAD2100 – 0800+1DXB 772 135
DT551 DXB1020 – 1520LAD 772 246
From 28 October 2012, Day 1/2 service operates with Boeing 777-300ER instead of -200ER.
Read More Here [Airline Route]
TAAG Angolan Airlines Africa Network
Meanwhile, ATWOnline reports that chairman and CEO of TAAG, Pimentel Araujo, disclosed that it plans to phase out its last three 737-200s and is considering acquiring either additional 737-700s, of which five are already in service, “or a lighter aircraft for some domestic routes,” he said. In January 2011, the airline retired its fleet of Boeing 747-300s to make way for the first of their Boeing 777-300ERs, of which another three are due for delivery in 2016.
TAAG, in keeping up with international trends, also launched its own Frequent Flyer Programme called the "Umbi Umbi Club" which it will use to build a customer loyalty base.
Labels: Angola, Argentina, Buenos Aires, Dubai, France, Frankfurt, Frequency, Germany, Luanda, Paris, Route, TAAG
► KENYA: Kenya Airways announces vast changes to Summer Schedule.
Kenya Airways (KQ) has announced sweeping changes to its Summer Schedule, suspending several routes most notably Rome (Italy), and Muscat (Oman) due to low uptake, whilst announcing new destinations that are to be launched between July and October 2012 including Kilimanjaro (Tanzania), Eldoret (Kenya), Abuja (Nigeria) and Beirut (Lebanon).
Kenya Airways Route Map
The optimized schedule comes as the airline moves to increase frequencies on existing routes to meet changing and growing demand, while opening new routes in Africa and the Middle East. Kenya Airways Group Managing Director, Dr. Titus Naikuni said the decision to halt operations on the routes was also based on insufficient demand to sustain the routes.
"“Owing to the decreased passenger volumes on these routes, we have decided to re-align our capacity across the entire network to meet growing demand on other destinations including new ones,” said Dr Naikuni."
Kenya Airways' Summer 2012 Schedule
Kenya (Domestic)
Kisumu City boosted with introduction of an extra frequency over the weekends bringing it to 4x daily. On specific weekdays the airline will maintain its 3x daily flights. An Embraer E190 will be deployed on the route especially in the mornings and evenings.
All Lagos daytime flights to Accra are combined as KQ 534 operating Nairobi – Lagos – Accra – Nairobi. As a result, Kenya Airways will be flying into Accra 12 times a week and 9 times a week to Lagos.
Additionally, the introduction of wide-body capacity into and out of Lagos and Accra is set to have significant impact on Kenya Airways’ passenger and cargo revenue streams as it will enable it to offer more capacity and minimum connecting time between Guangzhou, Bangkok, Hong Kong, Dubai, Mumbai and West Africa.
Ndjamena increased to 3x direct flights a week.
Dakar will now connect through Ouagadougou which increases flights to OUA to 3 times a week.
Bamako flights will operate via Cotonou 3 times a week; this is expected to ease out on the payload issues that the Bamako passengers have experienced in the past.
Middle East & Asia
Mumbai, India is increased from daily to 10 flights a week with 3x weekly flights to Delhi.
Jeddah, Saudi Arabia has an extra flight added, bringing the frequency to 3x weekly effective July 2012.
New direct flight to Dubai which will operate 3x a week with late evening departures from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport to capture the late connecting traffic arriving into Nairobi. This is in addition to the daily Dubai service that the airline operates. The airline will now operate 10 non-stop flights to Dubai.
Europe has a capacity increase despite the suspension of Rome flights.
Effective July 2012, flights to London Heathrow will increase to 10 flights per week on the 322 seater Boeing 777-200. This is to cater for increased traffic demand during the Olympics.
Paris flights will increase to 6 weekly flights during the July – August peak period and the daily Amsterdam capacity will be upgraded to a Boeing 777-200.
Read More Here [Kenya Airways]
Labels: Abuja, Accra, Bamako, Beirut, Cotonou, Dakar, Delhi, Dubai, Eldoret, Jeddah, Kenya Airways, Kilimanjaro, Lagos, London Heathrow, Mali, Mumbai, Muscat, Ouagadougou, Paris, Rome
► BURKINA FASO: Air Burkina signs code-share with Air France.
Air Burkina (2J), the Burkinabe regional airline, is to extend its coverage to include France, with the recent signing of a code sharing agreement with Air France.
Effective 1 June, Air France has been allocating Air Burkina an unspecified number of seats on Air France's daily flight between Paris-Charles de Gaulle and Ouagadougou that is operated by either an Airbus A330 or A340.
Air Burkina's Route Map
"Dominique Patry, Vice President International Affairs and Alliances Air France, stated “this partnership agreement fits into a long-term cooperation perspective. It offers an additional illustration of Air France’s strategy in Africa, aiming to work with local partners. Our ultimate ambition is to offer our customers new regional destinations operated by Air Burkina”. "
Read More Here [Air France]
Currently, Air Burkina flies to 11 cities around West Africa and will provide KLM/Air France with an important foothold into the fast growing West African aviation scene and is a development which KLM/Air France hopes to implement on other routes in West and Central Africa as well as in France and Europe.
Labels: A330, A340, Air Burkina, Air France, Airbus, Burkina Faso, France, Ouagadougou, Paris, Route
► CONGO (BRAZZAVILLE): EC Air to start Brazzaville - Paris.
Republic of Congo airline Equatorial Congo Airlines (LC), or more commonly EC Air, are to start 3x weekly flights between Brazzaville and Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport, using its Boeing 757-200.
Labels: 757, Boeing, Brazzaville, Congo Brazzaville, Equatorial Congo Airlines, Paris, Privatair, Route
► DJIBOUTI: Air France alters Paris - Djibouti service.
Air France (AF) is to alter its present 3x weekly service from Paris to Djibouti via Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, to operate via Riyadh, Saudi Arabia instead, with effect from 2 September 2012. An Airbus A330-200 is used on the route.
An Air France A330 in Djibouti (Pepa T.)
Paris CDG – Riyadh – Djibouti
AF524 CDG1350 – 2050RUH2205 – 0030+1JIB 332 146
AF525 JIB0220 – 0440RUH0600 – 1130CDG 332 257
Riyadh service will increase from 3 to 5 weekly as a result (existing non stop terminator service will operate as 2x weekly instead of 3x). Djibouti frequencies remain unchanged.
Paris CDG – Jeddah – Djibouti 3 weekly service operates until 2 September 2012.
AF3870 CDG1110 – 1805JED1920 – 2125JIB 332 136
AF3871 JIB2345 – 0150+1JED0305+1 – 0805+1CDG 332 136
Labels: A330, Air France, Airbus, Djibouti, France, Jeddah, Paris, Riyadh, Route, Saudi Arabia
► MOROCCO: Royal Air Maroc to lease two A310s this summer.
Moroccan flag carrier Royal Air Maroc (AT), is to wet-lease 2 Airbus A310s from Portuguese airline Hi Fly for the duration of summer.
Labels: A310, Airbus, Amsterdam, Brussels, Dusseldorf, Equipment, Frankfurt, Hi Fly, Morocco, Nador, Oujda, Paris, Portugal, Royal Air Maroc, Tangiers
► NIGERIA: Air Nigeria to launch Dubai next; aims to be privatized by 2014.
With the successful launch last week of its Lagos - London (Gatwick) service using a leased Egyptair A330-200, Air Nigeria has announced that its next A330 is to arrive "in the next 20 days" with it to be deployed on their Lagos - Dubai route.
Also outlined were plans for a future Rome and Paris route (previously reported here by The African Aviation Tribune) where the chairman of Air Nigeria, Jimo Ibrahim, stated there was significant potential for business.
"He disclosed that data available from the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) showed that 58,000 passengers travelled to Rome last year; adding that Italian airline, Alitalia carried only 27,000 of these people and the rest were carried by other foreign carriers.
“So there is a beckoning market to those destinations. ‘So we will be flying Lagos-Rome-Paris. ‘We have got government approval to fly to Rome, Paris, Johannesburg and Dubai. We will start flying to Dubai before the end of this quarter”, he said."
Air Nigeria A330 at London Gatwick (Skylineraviation.de)
Of particular interest however, was the ambitious goal of turning Air Nigeria into a public listed company by 2014.
But, can this be done, given the previous disasters that were Nigeria Airways (collapsed in 2003 due to mismanagement, corruption, over-staffing and a debt burden of over USD60million) and Air Nigeria's precursor, Virgin Nigeria (Richard Branson pulled out because of alleged government interference and under-table dodgy dealings)?
"‘I want to assure you that effective two years from now; we will be depositing Air Nigeria into your hands. What does that mean? Air Nigeria will now have to go PLC. It will now be an airline owned by Nigerians. I will sell my shares, and then you can buy some. Air Nigeria will be in the market. So we will meet at Annual General Meetings, and then we will discuss. So that is our plans. By then, Air Nigeria will be fully Nigerian,’ Ibrahim said.
He disclosed that the Nigeria Stock Exchange had invited the company this year to come and be listed under the special registry so that Air Nigeria would be in the market.
‘You will be a shareholder, I will be a shareholder. It will be our airline,’ he added."
Read More Here [ThisDay Nigeria]
Labels: A330, Air Nigeria, Dubai, Equipment, Nigeria, Paris, Privatization, Rome, Route
|
cc/2019-30/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line9297
|
__label__wiki
| 0.516349
| 0.516349
|
Review: 'Biutiful'
0 0 The Gold Knight Friday, February 4, 2011 Edit this post
By Jackson Quick TGK Correspondent Fans of Alejandro González Iñárritu will not be disappointed with his newest cinematic achievement, &...
Fans of Alejandro González Iñárritu will not be disappointed with his newest cinematic achievement, "Biutiful."
But first, a disclaimer: I'm a huge fan of melodrama.
Iñárritu has created a unique niche with sweeping melodramatic films; "Biutiful" is his fourth. The world has also come to know him as "The Multi-Plot Line Guy," and for good reason. "Amores Perros," "21 Grams" and "Babel" (considered by many to be a trilogy) all deal with matters of converging fates and colliding lifestyles. "Biutiful" is more intimate in that it follows one melancholy man: Uxbal.
Uxbal is a good guy in a sea of bad guys, but that doesn't excuse him from dealing with the seedy Barcelona underbelly. He does his best to provide a sound upbringing for his two children, 7-year-old Mateo and almost-10-year-old Ana. He deals with all kinds of horrible characters, but does his best to do good where he can. Sometimes (tragically) his actions backfire, and "Biutiful" is a story ripe with grief.
Garnering a strong critical aversion to the grimness of the story and the tragedy of its ill-fated characters, I think Iñárritu has given us an accurate tale of death and redemption, which are often romanticized in mainstream cinema. Truth be told they're very unromantic; and sometimes, bad things happen — to good or bad people — they just happen. This movie is not for the faint of heart.
The movie's resounding strong point is Javier Bardem's grittily human portrayal of the story's hero, Uxbal. (If this performance were judged separately, it would without a doubt gain 100% Fresh approval on Rotten Tomatoes. Bardem is nominated for this role for the Best Actor Oscar.)
Bardem has already won America's heart (or hatred) with his terrifying villain (an Oscar-winning role) in "No Country for Old Men," and continues to astound with his immense ability. Bardem provides a restrained, melancholy, somber, tragic tone to the troubled Uxbal, and it communicates beautifully (or biutifully, as it were). Bardem does not play Uxbal as a man without feeling though, we see him catapult from angry to loving to joyous to depressed and back again. The full gamut of human emotions in their uncut extremity seem to soar across Bardem's Uxbal with such clarity and execution it's hard to imagine him losing to Colin Firth this year (which will be the case, as we are all certain).
Iñárritu is an expert at directing performances, and it's always such a thrill to see him work with veteran actors. "Biutiful" is dramatic, exaggerated and perhaps a little contrived but provides for a great two and a half hours of raw, dirty emotion that will certainly be a thrill for any fan of serious filmmaking.
Official trailer:
biutiful Inarritu quick review
The Gold Knight - Latest Academy Awards news and insight: Review: 'Biutiful'
http://www.thegoldknight.com/2011/02/review-biutiful.html
|
cc/2019-30/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line9304
|
__label__wiki
| 0.631944
| 0.631944
|
Main Nibbles
Diet Nibbles
Kosher Nibbles
NutriNibbles
Appliance Reviews
Product Reviews / NutriNibbles
Organic Hot Dogs Vs. Conventional Hot Dogs
Page 5: Grass-Fed Beef
Click here to read other Organic Matter columns
This is Page 5 of a six-page article. Click on the black links below to read the other sections.
Page 1: Overview
Page 1: History Of The Hot Dog
Page 2: How Hot Dogs Are Made
Page 3: Nitrates & Nitrites
Page 4: Organic Hot Dogs
Page 6: Taste Test: Organic Versus
Conventional Hot Dogs
There’s also the grass-fed versus conventionally-fed issue. Once upon a time in the U.S., all beef was produced from animals that grazed at will on pasture, because that’s what was available. Gradually, however, land in the U.S. became increasingly expensive, land was over-grazed and poorly managed and smaller-scale ranches and farms began to give way to agribusiness. Nowadays, conventionally-raised beef and pork (as well as other animals raised for food) are confined to feedlots. Thanks in part to cheap, heavily-subsidized corn, their diets consist mostly of grain and soy, often genetically modified, as well as “byproducts” (don’t ask!). They’re given growth hormones and antibiotics. All of these measures keep producers’ costs down and get the animals ready for market far more quickly than in the old “pasture” days.
But a growing number of individuals and organizations have problems with this conventional system. Some of the problems stem from the issue of food safety, some are about humane treatment for animals.
There is a minority movement afoot, one that I believe will continue to grow, involving grass-fed beef. Grass-fed proponents argue that their beef is safer than conventionally-raised beef. They claim it’s more nutritious (especially in omega fatty acids), better for the environment, more humane for the cattle, and good for the small, independent farmers who raise their cattle this way. The phrase “grass-fed beef” conjures up an idyllic mental image of cattle grazing freely and contentedly on a large, grassy prairie…but wait!
Truly grass fed beef. Photo courtesy of USDA.
There are, as of this writing, no USDA standards for grass-fed beef. The USDA is in the process of drawing up standards, and recently asked for public comment on their proposed rules. As is too often the case with the USDA, their proposed rules include a loophole through which one could drive an 18-wheeler. True, standards put forward by the USDA would require that 99% of a grass-fed animal’s diet over its lifetime would have to come from grass and/or forage, but as currently written, they do not require that the animal be allowed to graze. Producers could still confine cattle in feedlots, feed them a 99% grass-forage diet, and label their meat as “grass-fed.” That doesn’t sound humane to me, and it wouldn’t be beneficial to the environment or independent farmers. But a final decision has yet to be made. Currently, almost all grass-fed cattle are “finished” on a grain diet before slaughter, though some grass-fed animals are allowed to graze on pasture for far longer than their conventionally-fed cousins. You can find hot dogs made in the U.S. only from grass-fed beef, though not all are organic.
Hot dogs shouldn’t be so complicated, you say? Like anything else, scratch the surface and you’ve discovered a whole little world unto itself. This column is by no means a comprehensive look into the world of wieners. Although grass-fed proponents make some good arguments for their system of livestock management, there are issues other than just the proposed USDA standards. Over time, Americans have grown used to the taste of grain-fed beef. Grass-fed beef tends to be leaner, and it doesn’t have the same flavor; even the type of fat within the beef is different. Because of this, hot dog manufacturers using grass-fed meat have had to carefully manipulate formulations and processes to obtain a product that resembles the conventional frankfurter, even when the animals are finished on a grain diet. In one or two cases, the manufacturers haven’t bothered to do this, instead, leaving their product with a browner color and different texture and flavor. If and when grass-fed beef becomes more popular here, these variations could turn out to be important points of differentiation, ways to distinguish their products from hot dogs made with conventionally-produced beef.
Continue To Page 6: Hot Dog Taste Test
Go To Article Index Above
Recent Articles From Our NutriNibbles™ News Feed:
Subscribe to RSS headline updates from: THE NIBBLE NutriNibbles™
Subscribing notifies you whenever there are
new additions to the NutriNibbles™ section.
Subscribe to THE NIBBLE™ NutriNibbles™ by Email
© Copyright 2005-2019 Lifestyle Direct, Inc. All rights reserved. All images are copyrighted to their respective owners.
The Nibble on Pinterest
The Nibble on Twitter
The Nibble on Facebook
|
cc/2019-30/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line9308
|
__label__wiki
| 0.946167
| 0.946167
|
Cabinet angry with Mphathi's dismissal
SHARE | Monday, 13 November 2017 | By Phillimon Mmeso
The battle for the control of Botswana Ash Pty (LTD) is set to intensify this week as government enters the fray over the firing of its Managing Director Montwedi Mphathi. Highly placed sources at the government enclave have revealed that there is ‘a lot of anger’ in Government leadership about the summary dismissal of Mphathi by the BOTASH board as they felt it was insult to Government as the shareholder. According to well-placed sources, Cabinet, including President Ian Khama, felt the board should have taken them into its confidence before firing Mphathi. There is a strong feeling that cabinet might reverse the decision of the board and reinstate him which could see some board members, especially those appointed by Government being replaced. Some of the board members appointed by government include former Francistown Mayor Iqbal Ebrahim, former Botswana National Olympic Committee (BNOC) President Negroes Kgosietsile, Neo Mokgwathi, Dr Nkisang Moeti, Garekwe Mojaphoko and Karabo Radebe. Last week Kebonang publicly expressed shock at the firing of Mphathi as he was not informed about the sacking as the minister responsible. “You do not treat someone like him like that. He has done so much for the mining industry in this country. There is no one who knows more about mining in Botswana than him. That is why a proper explanation is needed,” said a senior government official.
Botswana Government holds 50% shareholding in the soda ash mine while Chlor Alkali Holdings (CAH) group holds the remaining shares as well as being the managing company. Mphathi, who left BCL in 2006 under controversial circumstances, has been embroiled in controversy in recent weeks due to the firing of six managers in less than six months and employment of his former ally Keenlord Dube as Head of Mine Engineering. Information gathered by this publication has revealed that Mphathi, who joined the soda ash mining company six years ago, clashed with the board led by Ian Forbes over some of the dealings which were done without his knowledge. One of the issues was the continued disappearance of tonnes of soda ash from stock at the offices in South Africa and Malawi. This led to Mphathi firing some of the senior managers. “Some of the soda ash which is transported to South Africa has its branding removed and counted as part of the stock from Botswana. Mphathi has raised concerns about the issue to the board of directors,” revealed a source at BOTASH. The straw that killed the camel’s back was when 8000 tonnes of soda ash worth over P20 million disappeared from stock in South Africa recently. Mphathi cracked the whip by firing the finance manager which put him at loggerheads with the board of directors.
|
cc/2019-30/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line9309
|
__label__wiki
| 0.764579
| 0.764579
|
Incredible moments
Cricket / IPL Countdown: Purple Cap Winners
IPL Countdown: Purple Cap Winners
Akhil Prakash
Cricket, Features, Home
The tenth edition of the Indian Premier League is all set to commence on the 5th of April. The Ring Side View is rolling back the years to take a look at the best moments and top performances in IPL history. Today, we take a look at the ‘Purple Cap’ winners in the past editions. The highest wicket taker of the tournament is awarded the Purple Cap at the end of the season and some of the biggest names in T20 cricket have won this prestigious award in the past.
Sohail Tanvir (2008): The left arm seamer from Pakistan was one of the biggest contributors to the Rajasthan Royal’s successful campaign in the first season of the IPL. With figures of 6/14 in a league stage game against Chennai Super Kings, Tanvir got the world to sit up and take notice of him. He picked 22 wickets in the inaugural season to win the Purple Cap.
IPL 2008 Match 24 Highlights RR vs CSK – ipl 2008 – IPL Videos – IPLT20.com
Watch IPL 2008 Match 24 Highlights RR vs CSK ipl 2008 IPL T20 video
Rudra Pratap Singh (2009): The trend of a left arm fast bowler winning the Purple Cap and his team winning the IPL continued in season 2 of the tournament when RP Singh won the prestigious award. With 23 wickets in the season for Deccan Chargers, RP Singh won the Purple Cap in 2009.
Pragyan Ojha (2010): For the first time in IPL history, a spinner became the highest wicket taker in a season. The Deccan Charger’s left arm spinner Ojha was the winner of the Purple Cap in 2010 with 21 wickets and best figures of 3/26.
Lasith Malinga (2011): Always tipped to be in the running for the Purple Cap, Sri Lanka’s death over specialist, Lasith Malinga claimed the award in 2011 with 28 wickets in the season. The Mumbai Indians depended a lot on Malinga’s accuracy to do well in the tournament.
Morne Morkel (2012): The Delhi Daredevils haven’t been the most successful IPL team, but their tall right-arm seamer from South Africa won the Purple Cap in 2012. He claimed 25 wickets with best figures of 4/20 as Delhi finished on top of the league table at the end of the season.
Dwayne Bravo (2013): One of M.S.Dhoni’s go-to bowlers in Chennai Super Kings was all-rounder Dwayne Bravo. He set an IPL record by picking up 32 wickets in a single season and was one of the major reasons for CSK finishing on top of the league table at the end of the tournament.
M76: CSK vs MI – Purple Cap – Dwayne Bravo – ipl match centre – IPL Videos – IPLT20.com
Watch M76: CSK vs MI – Purple Cap – Dwayne Bravo ipl match centre IPL T20 video
Mohit Sharma (2014): The relatively lesser known medium pacer who represented the Chennai Super Kings in 2014 claimed 23 wickets in the season to win the Purple Cap. Mohit Sharma impressed everyone with his wily slower deliveries and accurate death bowling.
Dwayne Bravo (2015): The only bowler to have won the Purple Cap twice in IPL history has been Dwayne Bravo. He claimed 26 wickets in 2015 to win the award for the highest wicket taker and once again helped his side, CSK to finish on top of the table. Bravo’s strengths have been his ability to bowl accurate slower deliveries especially at the death.
M60: MI vs CSK – Purple Cap – Dwayne Bravo – ipl magic – IPL Videos – IPLT20.com
Watch M60: MI vs CSK – Purple Cap – Dwayne Bravo ipl magic IPL T20 video
Bhuvneshwar Kumar (2016): Along with skipper David Warner, the biggest contributor to the Sunrisers Hyderabad’s championship winning season last year was Bhuvaneshwar Kumar. The right arm pacer from India was able to change his pace and also bowl yorkers consistently, which enabled him to win the Purple Cap with 23 wickets in the season.
IPL 2016: Purple Cap – Bhuvneshwar Kumar – ipl magic – IPL Videos – IPLT20.com
Watch IPL 2016: Purple Cap – Bhuvneshwar Kumar ipl magic IPL T20 video
With a host of world class bowlers involved in the tenth edition of the IPL, it will be interesting to see who can stake claim to the Purple Cap this season.
(Akhil Prakash is a sports writer for The Ring Side View and for more updates, you can follow him on Facebook and Twitter)
Tags: Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Dwayne Bravo, Indian Premier League, IPL, IPL Countdown, Pragyan Ojha, Sohail Tanveer
Pingback: GVK BIO
Has the balance between the bat and ball changed in the past ten years?
Watch: When sledging goes wrong
The Quest to find the Baddest Man On the Planet
World T20 Rewind – Rohit Sharma introduces himself… by Akhil Nair (116)
When Yuvraj and Kaif scripted a historic win in the Natwest… by Akhil Nair (71)
Watch: Gareth Bale’s sensational bicycle kick in Champions League final
Watch: Mohammad Amir’s special delivery to dismiss Jonny Bairstow
Watch: Harmanpreet Kaur produces spectacular catch to dismiss Smriti Mandhana
© COPYRIGHT 2016 The Ring Side View | About us | Terms & Conditions | Privacy Policy
|
cc/2019-30/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line9310
|
__label__cc
| 0.703712
| 0.296288
|
Virtuele datarooms: ontwikkeling dat uw bedrijf drastisch zullen veranderen | Boardroom meeting
Book Excerpt: She Stoops to Kill: Stories of Crime and Passion
Fifth Yamin Hazarika Woman of Substance Award conferred on Hasina Kharbhih
Hasina Kharbhih to be honoured with Yamin Hazarika Woman of Substance Award 2019
Blood, Sweat, Tears
The Thumb Print – A magazine from the East
Sanitation Scribes
On the Margins
Tribal Terrain
The Writer’s Wilderness Survival Kit
December 1, 2014 December 4, 2014 Farah Ghuznavi 0 Comment
An interview with Bangladeshi writer FARAH GHUZNAVI
QTN: I want to start a writers club in my university. How do I go about doing that?
ANS: You could start by putting up a notice on some of the university noticeboards, inviting interested individuals to get in touch with you. Consider also initiating discussions with some of the students in relevant departments e.g. English literature, who might be a natural fit in terms of setting up such a writers’ club. Provided 4-5 members attend every meeting, a total of 8 members would be sufficient to have a well-functioning group. More than a maximum of 12 people could render the group unwieldy. Remember, you will also have to balance personalities and interests within this group!
It’s very important that each of you makes a real commitment to the group, if you want to ensure the sustainability of your writers’ club. You can develop your own set of rules based on an Internet search for the rules followed by similar groups, but you could perhaps begin by deciding how often to meet, how many submissions from club members to discuss/critique per meeting, your priority area(s) of focus (e.g. poetry, short stories, fiction, essays etc.) and rules for critiquing. The latter are particularly important.
You may have special friends within the group, but any feedback you provide to your fellow writers must be objective, politely phrased and constructive. When we write, each of us puts a piece of our soul on the page. A little gentleness can go a long way when dealing with something that is so personal and important to the individual who wrote it. That does not mean that you cannot be critical – you should certainly provide honest feedback – but simply that you must do so in language that is calm, neutral and above all, useful.
Remember to tell each other what is good about a piece, and to follow that up by suggesting ways that (in your view) would make the piece stronger. Don’t criticise for the sake of criticising, and don’t criticise without providing a suggestion for improvement. In the end, it is up to each member to decide how much of the feedback they want to use, but it’s always worth listening carefully to any critique in order to find something useful with which to improve your work. If you show interest and respect towards each other’s work, I believe such a writers club can help all its members to write better!
QTN: I am trying to write short fiction and poetry, and what I find most challenging is vocabulary. So I would like to know, is using such difficult vocabulary necessary?
ANS: Vocabulary is an essential part of a writer’s bag of tricks, and how a writer uses words can be an important way for him/her to develop a unique “voice”. But it’s equally important to use words judiciously. So, for a start, the bandying about of difficult or long words to demonstrate cleverness is almost always a bad idea. Sadly, it is also a very common problem!
Most stories are best told in simple language, but it’s worth ensuring that your grammar and spelling are impeccable. Beyond that, one of the reasons why we like the work of particular writers often has to do with the beauty of their language, or the cleverness of a phrase that lingers in the mind. And that is where having an extensive vocabulary can be very useful. But as with many other things in life, it’s less about how many words you know than how you use the words that you have. So take heart, and tell your stories in the language that you are comfortable with.
This piece first appeared in the Saturday Literary Review, Daily Star Newspaper in Bangladesh and is reprinted here with permission. Send Farah Ghuznavi your writing queries to DSLitEditor@gmail.com
← Conversation on Indrani Raimedhi’s book
Celebrate and contemplate Modi’s visit →
Farah Ghuznavi
Farah Ghuznavi is a writer and newspaper columnist, with a professional background in development work. She is currently Commonwealth Writers new Writer in Residence. Her writing has been widely anthologized in the UK, US, Canada, Singapore, India, Nepal and her native Bangladesh. Her story “Judgement Day” was Highly Commended in the Commonwealth Short Story Competition 2010, and “Getting There” placed second in the Oxford GEF Competition. She has most recently edited the Lifelines anthology, published by Zubaan Books in India. Reprinted from the Commonwealth Writers website http://www.commonwealthwriters.org/
Copyright © 2019 The Thumb Print – A magazine from the East. All rights reserved.
Made with ♥in North East India
Powered by Flugelsoft
|
cc/2019-30/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line9312
|
__label__cc
| 0.696676
| 0.303324
|
For VPN connections, however, IP datagrams sent across the Internet can arrive in a different order from the one in which they were sent, and a higher proportion of packets can be lost. Therefore, for VPN connections, MPPE changes the encryption key for each packet. The decryption of each packet is independent of the previous packet. MPPE includes a sequence number in the MPPE header. If packets are lost or arrive out of order, the encryption keys are changed relative to the sequence number.
The list of 5 fast vpn services offers users better speeds, security features and offers wide range of servers to the users. VPN service spoofs your location making your IP address invisible as if you are connecting from some other location. Region specific services are easily accessed. It creates a tunnel between your computer and server. However other vpn providers slow down the overall internet connection but it is good for watching webcasts and videos.
BILLED {{orderCtrl.getIntervalPrice('middle', 'middle', true)}}{{orderCtrl.currencySymbolSpaced}} FIRST {{getInterval('middle')}} MONTHS, THEN {{orderCtrl.getIntervalPrice('middle', 'middle', true)*2}}{{orderCtrl.currencySymbolSpaced}} EVERY {{getInterval('middle')}} MONTHS
Servers – ExpressVPN has a large server network that spans more than 94 locations across the world. The total number of servers of ExpressVPN has crossed 2,000. You can connect to servers in available locations in a matter of mere seconds. All servers are encrypted with the AES 256 standard, ensuring the security of user traffic. With these servers, you can gain access to any website, no matter how strong a firewall has been put up to prevent user traffic from accessing it.
VyprVPN offers the fastest VPN download for Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, TV and Router, enabling you to secure your desktop and mobile devices in seconds while receiving the fastest connection speeds around. Download the fastest VPN service with apps that are secure, easy-to-use and reliable. VyprVPN also includes time-saving features like one-click connect, one-tap server selection and a ping test to choose the fastest server.
The best VPN services offer a robust balance of functions, server location, connectivity protocols, and price. Some are great for occasional use, others are geared towards surrounding location constraints that companies place on their apps and services, and others are focused on people who download a lot of content and want some privacy while they do.
Perfect Privacy holds the top spot as the best VPN for advanced online anonymity. While it may be overkill for basic users, this is a powerful VPN with advanced online anonymity features you will not find anywhere else. It is a well-regarded service that has earned high praise from the tech community for exposing vulnerabilities and flaws other VPN providers.
The service has around a hundred servers around the world, in all continents. Server switching is facilitated on the line from just about anywhere. This feature is ideal for use by those who need to reach different locations or those who are in obscure places. Connection speed is relatively fast, with the service offering unlimited bandwidth. Albeit significant lag can be experienced during connection, such is resolved in just a few minutes.
VyprVPN is a powerful contender if you’re after performance and security. It boasts great speeds due to a staggering network of 700+ serves and more than 200K IP addresses. They own and manage their servers, which translates into reliable uptime, lag-free performance, top-notch support and great speeds. Add in unlimited bandwidth and P2P support, successful handling of Netflix and Steam geo blocks, and you can check all your VPN must-have features right off the bat.
Every VPN will occasionally have a bad day or just a few bad hours where service is slow on a particular server or set of servers. Some VPNs have more high traffic periods or downtime than others. These are the ones to be avoided. Unfortunately, the test period for our reviews rarely lasts more than two weeks, so it’s difficult to predict what VPNs will encounter more issues in the long term at the time of writing.
Internet Protocol Security (IPsec) was initially developed by the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) for IPv6, which was required in all standards-compliant implementations of IPv6 before RFC 6434 made it only a recommendation.[7] This standards-based security protocol is also widely used with IPv4 and the Layer 2 Tunneling Protocol. Its design meets most security goals: authentication, integrity, and confidentiality. IPsec uses encryption, encapsulating an IP packet inside an IPsec packet. De-encapsulation happens at the end of the tunnel, where the original IP packet is decrypted and forwarded to its intended destination.
A proxy server is another way to conceal your real location. By transferring data through a proxy server the data appears to be going to that server, not you - so for example if you’re in the US and the proxy is in Switzerland, the website or service will think it’s talking to a machine in Switzerland. The main difference is that VPNs protect all your traffic while proxies tend to be limited to specific types of data, such as peer to peer networking or web browsing.
Torrenting/P2P support – Getting torrents to work with PIA is no problem. You can easily gain access to P2P sites and clients with PIA if they are blocked in your region. As with IPVanish, however, PIA complies with the DMCA (Digital Millennium Copyright Act) which protects the copyrights of content creators. Therefore, PIA should be avoided if you are looking for a safe to torrent.
PPTP - PPTP has been around since the days of Windows 95. The main selling point of PPTP is that it can be simply setup on every major OS. In short, PPTP tunnels a point-to-point connection over the GRE protocol. Unfortunately, the security of the PPTP protocol has been called into question in recent years. It is still strong, but not the most secure.
Logging Policy – The logging policy of any VPN provider is the first thing you should read before you decide to purchase it. This is especially true for users whose primary objective for purchasing a VPN is to maintain and protect their privacy. Many VPN providers deliberately write overly complicated and ambiguous privacy policies to confuse users. Stay far away from such VPN providers as these are most likely trying to hide their actual practices for how they treat their users’ privacy.
Our Findings: During our VPN speed test, we have switched in between different ExpressVPN servers to determine the latency; however, UK was the one we tested several times. We noticed that despite choosing a distant location, ExpressVPN servers manage to deliver fast VPN speed, and the drop was not more than 15%, which is normal. Also, we didn’t experience any connection interruption throughout the test phase. It clearly states that ExpressVPN’s server are smartly optimized to give best streaming experience for Netflix, Hulu, HBO, BBC iPlayer and other media websites.
As a business grows, it might expand to multiple shops or offices across the country and around the world. To keep things running efficiently, the people working in those locations need a fast, secure and reliable way to share information across computer networks. In addition, traveling employees like salespeople need an equally secure and reliable way to connect to their business's computer network from remote locations.
I am traveling very soon to South East Asia to attend conferences in multiple countries. You have put to gather a detailed article on fastest vpns, but what would you suggest I should use? I am really confused between express and nordvpn. A friend of mine recommended express, but it seems a bit expensive. I don’t know anything about nordvpn, but it seems like a good deal. While you have put PureVPN number one on your list, I have had mixed experience with them. Last time I tried it, I faced frequent disconnections on my iphone. What’s your take on nordvpn and expressvpn? Pls reply.
All VPNs have to do some kind of logging, but there are VPNs that collect as little data as possible and others that aren’t so minimalist. On top of that, some services discard their logs in a matter of hours or days while other companies hold onto them for months at a time. How much privacy you expect from your VPN-based browsing will greatly influence how long you can stand having your provider maintain your activity logs—and what those logs contain.
Like most well-known VPN companies, IVPN supports a variety of privacy groups and causes. Pestell told us he worked with the Center for Democracy & Technology to improve trust in VPNs with a handful of transparency initiatives before they were announced. Neena Kapur of The New York Times (parent company of Wirecutter) information security team noted that IVPN’s leadership transparency and its relationship with CDT were significant pluses that contributed to its trustworthiness. Pestell was also the only representative we spoke with to offer to arrange for one of our experts to audit the company’s server and no-logging policies.1 We cover trust issues with VPNs at length elsewhere in this guide, but we believe that IVPN takes an active role in protecting its customers’ privacy and is not a dude wearing a dolphin onesie.
IVPN is a Gibraltar-based VPN service whose primary USP is excellent security and privacy. It uses multi-hop technology that routes user traffic through a maze of networks to leave hackers scratching their heads should they attempt stealing your information. However, it offers inconsistent speeds with some servers operating quite fast, while others being slow.
Remote-access VPNs come in two forms. One is a network access server (NAS), which is a dedicated server, or an application running on a shared server. In this case, users need to connect to the NAS over the Internet to access the VPN. Users key in their credentials to access the VPN, which is validated by the NAS either by using a separate authentication server or its own authentication process.
Cost: To be billed every 7 days, you can subscribe to ZenVPN on a weekly basis for $2.95, which is equivalent to around $11.80/month. Another option is to just buy it a month at a time for $5.95/month. A third option is to buy a whole year at once (for $49.95) for what comes out to be $4.16/month. The unlimited option is more expensive, at $5.95/week, $9.95/month or $7.96/month if you pay $95.50 for the whole year.
Because a TCP connection is not used, L2TP uses message sequencing to ensure delivery of L2TP messages. Within the L2TP control message, the Next-Received field (similar to the TCP Acknowledgment field) and the Next-Sent field (similar to the TCP Sequence Number field) are used to maintain the sequence of control messages. Out-of-sequence packets are dropped. The Next-Sent and Next-Received fields can also be used for sequenced delivery and flow control for tunneled data.
Aside from providing an exceptional VPN server for encrypting traffic, Speedify leverages all types of available internet connection to increase bandwidth, bolster internet speeds, and lower latency. This results in a smooth and reliable connection on any platform, whether using mobile devices or a desktop. This is achieved through its Channel Bonding functionality that combines all types of internet connections, including WiFI, VPN, 3G, and, 4G.
VPN connections help provide the required security to enable the network segment of the human resources department to be physically connected to the intranet. In this configuration, a VPN server can be used to separate the network segments. The VPN server does not provide a direct routed connection between the corporate intranet and the separate network segment. Users on the corporate intranet with appropriate permissions can establish a remote access VPN connection with the VPN server and gain access to the protected resources. Additionally, all communication across the VPN connection is encrypted for data confidentiality. For those users who are not authorized to establish a VPN connection, the separate network segment is hidden from view.
While a VPN can protect your privacy online, you might still want to take the additional step of avoiding paying for one using a credit card, for moral or security reasons. Several VPN services now accept anonymous payment methods such Bitcoin, and some even accept retailer gift cards. Both of these transactions is about as close as you can get to paying with cash for something online. That Starbucks gift card may be better spent on secure web browsing than a mediocre-at-best latte.
|
cc/2019-30/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line9313
|
__label__cc
| 0.694475
| 0.305525
|
Let The Corpses Tan Review
If it is a violent as hell, lightning quick ride that gets your adrenaline going and heart pumping then Let The Corpses Tan. Even with the work that Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino have done to blend their sensibilities with a more traditional way of storytelling, pulp cinema is still not for everyone.
Let The Corpses Tan
Living a life of leisure, art and nude sunbathing, is that of Luce, Max and Rhino, as that is how it is done in this remote hideaway on the exotic coast of the Mediterranean Sea. It is an idyllic portrait about to disrupted by a gang of criminals that stolen gold bars and now in return, hiding from the cops. Max’s wife is complicating things with her surprise rendezvous and unexpectedly the day turns into a blood-soaked, bullet-laden fight for survival.
Viewers get introduced first to the brutish Rhino and artistic Luce making art from handguns and paint, by now you should know that Let The Corpses Tan are the type of film that Rodriguez and Tarantino make. Soaked in colour and covered in hard dialogue regarding criminality and society, it’s the sort of film that punches you hard and the reason, “just because it can”. The Psychedelic visuals are tough on all the characters and its recycled music from the Ennio Morricone glory days that plays as just the right volumes of nudity and blood is added to give it the proper edge.
Visually Arresting and Tense Storytelling at its Best
Let The Corpses Tan is just over ninety minutes long and therefore tell the story in speedboat style as it stripping all its narratives down to the bone, much needed to keep things afloat. Visually arresting and tense storytelling makes up for what it might lack in cohesive narratives. Director/writer Bruno Forsani and Helene Cattet’s adaption of the French classic pulp novel is something you must see as they dedicate all their talents to make this film feel like you back in the European vault of several decades ago, it’s a film vault waiting to jump out onto an unexpected society. Keeping the characters straight do get a bit confusing as there is a lot of jumping back and forth, that might take some getting used to, so it doesn’t require long before you’d decide you’re in for this extraordinary ride or eager to run out and pass.
Comments Off on Let The Corpses Tan Review
« Christopher Robin Delivers an Oscar-Worthy Performance
The Happytime Murders Review »
|
cc/2019-30/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line9321
|
__label__wiki
| 0.720474
| 0.720474
|
SDT hoping for a new lease of life
March 13, 2019 ram singh
Mega hero Sai Dharam Tej delivered a string of flops in the last couple of years. All his recent films left no trace at box office and his success graph has taken a huge beating. After much deliberation, he signed Kishore Tirumala’s Chitralahari which is gearing up for release this Summer. Chitralahari is billed as a full length entertainer and it features Nivetha Pethuraj and Kalyani Priyadarshini as female leads.
Sai is confident that Chitralahari will put an end to his flop streak. He is awaiting the result of Chitralahari to kick start his next project. Reportedly, director Maruthi has narrated a story to the ‘Jawaan’ actor and got an optimistic nod. Maruthi is now currently busy fine tuning the script to suit Sai’s mannerisms. If everything falls in place, the regular shooting will commence from mid Summer and a top production house is going to bankroll the film.
Sai Dharam Tej is hoping that he will make a strong comeback with these films and redeem for the back to back debacles in the last two years. He has a couple of interesting offers up his sleeve which are yet to be finalized.
Lakshmi’s NTR Release: Election Commission to decide its fate
Vijayendra Prasad pens a love story for Naga Chaitanya
|
cc/2019-30/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line9322
|
__label__wiki
| 0.881385
| 0.881385
|
"“I Might Have Some Sensitive Files”" (my emphasis in red):
"According to Matt, he was sitting at his computer at home in September 2009 when he received an urgent message from a friend. A suspicious unencrypted folder of files had just been uploaded anonymously to the Shell. When Matt opened the folder, he was startled to find documents detailing the CIA’s role in assigning strike targets for drones at the 181st.
Matt says he thought of his fellow airmen, some of whom knew about the Shell. “I’m not going to say who I think it was, but there was a lot of dissatisfaction in my unit about cooperating with the CIA,” he says. Intelligence analysts with the proper clearance (such as Manning and others) had access to a deep trove of sensitive data on the Secret Internet Protocol Router Network, or SIPRNet, the classified computer network used by both the Defense and State departments.
As Matt read through the file, he says, he discovered even more incendiary material among the 300-odd pages of slides, documents, and handwritten notes. One folder contained what appeared to be internal documents from an agrochemical company expressing culpability for more than 13,000 deaths related to genetically modified organisms. There was also what appeared to be internal documents from the FBI, field notes on the bureau’s investigation into the worst biological attack in U.S. history: the anthrax-laced letters that killed five Americans and sickened 17 others shortly after Sept. 11.
Though the attacks were officially blamed on a government scientist who committed suicide after he was identified as a suspect, Matt says the documents on the Shell tell a far different story. It had already been revealed that the U.S. Army produced the Ames strain of anthrax — the same strain used in the Amerithrax attacks — at the Dugway Proving Ground in Utah. But the report built the case that the CIA was behind the attacks as part of an operation to fuel public terror and build support for the Iraq War.
Despite his intelligence training, Matt was no expert in government files, but this one, he insists, featured all the hallmarks of a legitimate document: the ponderous length, the bureaucratic nomenclature, the monotonous accumulation of detail. If it wasn’t the real thing, Matt thought, it was a remarkably sophisticated hoax. (The FBI declined requests for comment.)"
"Missing WSJ Reporter’s Body Discovered in New Jersey River" One of the spate of deaths surrounding Wall Street and international banksters.
"Avaaz call for a ‘no-fly zone’ in Syria" "Avaaz: The Lobbyist that Masquerades as Online Activism"
"U.S. Begs Russia to Remain in ‘SWIFT’ - The One Bank Fails Again"
"Updated: Google Suspends Site from Ad Network for Abu Ghraib Photo"
"Western Connection in the Assassination of Serbia’s Prime Minister Djindjic"
Bandghazi
Demodernication
Get ready to be surprised
Sgt. Gibbs cut off your finger
Battle of the oligarchs
Proctocracy
The holy grail of conspiracies
Two-statement solution
Living up to
Bibi's magnificent win
All sides just rolled their eyes
Durst
Ended up
Jihadis R Us
CIA vs CIA
Culling
Universal ISIS
Good conspiracy theories and bad conspiracy theori...
An eyeful
Sea-Lioning
|
cc/2019-30/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line9325
|
__label__wiki
| 0.540479
| 0.540479
|
Asharq Al-awsat English https://aawsat.com/english Middle-east and International News and Opinion from Asharq Al-awsat Newspaper http://feedly.com/icon.svg
International and Arab News
Facing US Sanctions, Tehran Set to Lose Economic Deals in Syria
Damascus - Asharq Al-Awsat
"Features"
https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/1460811/facing-us-sanctions-tehran-set-lose-economic-deals-syria
Tuesday, 13 November, 2018 - 09:15
Booth selling handmade crafts in Damascus bazaar, EPA
Washington’s newly imposed sanctions on Iran have given rise to many speculations concerning the fate of Tehran’s recently stepped up investments in Syria.
Despite Iran and Syria labeling their relationship as ‘strategic’ when it comes to political, military and security cooperation, their economic ties have remained humble with a small trade exchange valued at $361 million between 2010 and 2011.
Most of trade happening between the two is skewed to benefit Iran, and fails to meet forecast hopes. Both Damascus and Tehran had hoped to achieve a whopping $2 billion exchange.
Iranian investment is at the bottom of the list when compared with other countries that ventured in Syrian markets that opened up to better global trade relations in 2000. The number of projects undertaken by Iran between 2006 and 2010 totaled seven only, and included a cement manufacture plant, energy supply contracts, and car production deals involving the Syrian Iranian Car Manufacturing Company LLC (SIAMCO).
During that very same period, Turkey bagged a total of 26 investment projects in Syria. Back in 2010, the Syria government approved 37 foreign investment projects, ten of which belonged to Turkey.
After the 2011 uprising set Syria on a downward spiral of bloodshed and devastation, the country’s gross domestic production took a crippling blow and bled an estimated $226 million in losses. Syria’s currency lost up to 90 percent of its value, leaving 85 percent of the Middle Eastern country’s population below the poverty line.
In the aftermath of the Syria Civil war, unemployment aggravated to a staggering 53 percent in 2015 and coincided with depleted national foreign currency reserves, with reports saying the country was left with a diminishing 5.88 percent of its pre-war foreign currency reserves.
Reaching such a tattered state of affairs forced the Syrian regime to seek out squeezing more economic help from Iran, in addition to military and political support. Responding to regime calls, Tehran increased its economic input in Syria by late 2011.
Nevertheless, the contribution did not come by for free. Iran soon subdued the Syrian regime by inking multiple agreements stringing across the entirety of Syrian economic sectors. Quintessential to its influence in Syria, Tehran secured a considerable share in production industries linked to the war-torn country’s sovereign wealth and natural resources.
These stakes were handed over to Iran to settle outstanding debts.
In August 2013, Tehran loaned Damascus $3.6 billion to cover for the regime’s oil derivatives expenditure. But it was agreed that the money buys Iranian oil exclusively.
Later in July 2017, Bashar Assad approved his country acquiring another $1 billion loan to finance exports.
Syria’s energy, telecommunications, financial, construction and industrial sectors-- to some degree--are spending Iranian credit. But it will not be a walk in the park for Iran to secure its share of the Syrian economy.
Russia, a strong regime ally, is also seeking to grab serious investment projects in Syria. In light of competitiveness, observers believe that Moscow might use US sanctions to sway the situation in its favor, especially in forcing the Syrian regime to hand over energy sector concessions, previously promised to Iran, to Russian companies.
US sanctions are also expected to reduce the spread of Iran proxy militias in Syria because of lack of funds—signs of the US economic sanctions effecting Iran’s regional standing began showing as Russian troops began replacing Iran-linked forces in military outposts in eastern Syria.
For example, Russian forces have taken control of locations, formerly held by Iranian militias, in Abu Kamal, a city on the Euphrates river in eastern Syria’s Deir Ezzor province near the border with Iraq.
Exclusive - Germany Mulls Banning Muslim Brotherhood over its Growing Influence
Afrin: Aggressions Against People, Nature…Demographic Distortion
Sudan's Desert Nomads Untouched by Bashir's Downfall
Exclusive – Iraq PM Caught between Internal Pressure, American-Iranian Conflict
Exclusive - Houthis Restore Slavery in Yemen
Iraq Gun Shops Thrive amid Call for Arms Control
What is at Stake with Turkey's Russian Air Defense Deal?
Turkey Drills off Cyprus in Bid for Regional Influence
Houthis Abusing Education for Sectarian Indoctrination
Grief-struck Families Pay High Price for Sudan's Revolution
Anger at Syrians Erupts in Istanbul
Woolwich Gang... From Drugs in London to ISIS in Raqqa
Click here to subscribe to our free newsletter
Asharq AL-awsat will use the information you provide on this form to be in touch with you and to provide updates and marketing.
Hezbollah Withdraws its Troops towards Syrian-Lebanese Borders
Hodeidah Meetings End without Breakthrough
Battle for Tripoli Enters Second Phase as LNA Pushes More Reinforcements
Efforts Underway to Contain Palestinian Labor Crisis in Lebanon
Parliamentary Immunity Does Not Protect Hezbollah MPs From US Sanctions
UN Envoy to Asharq Al-Awsat: Sudan Transition Will Be Fragile and Need Military Protection
Griffiths to Asharq Al-Awsat: Gulf Tours Were Fruitful
Sudan’s Sadeq al-Mahdi Proposes Code of Conduct
Mubarak al-Mahdi: Sudan Should Distance Itself from Iran, Hamas
Project around Baghdad Airport Raises Demographic Fears among Sunnis
Lucrative Drug Trade Finances Houthi War Effort
A Hindu Sadhu (holy man) sits on the premises of the Pashupatinath temple in Kathmandu AFP / PRAKASH MATHEMA
A commuter walks down stairs adorned with artwork of a girl surrounded by morning glories at an entrance of the station in Kumagaya, Saitama, Japan AFP / Kazuhiro NOGI
Indonesian Muslim observe a ritual "aqiqah" for a new born baby in Banda Aceh AFP / CHAIDEER MAHYUDDIN
Captured swans and cygnets are measured and checked during the annual Swan Upping Census on the River Thames at Staines, west of London AFP / Tolga Akmen
Copyright: 1978 - 2019 © H H Saudi Research and Marketing LTD, All Rights Reserved And subject to Terms of Use Agreement
|
cc/2019-30/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line9331
|
__label__wiki
| 0.960242
| 0.960242
|
Supporters, opponents prepare next steps in HB2 battle
By Elaina Athans
RALEIGH (WTVD) -- Billions of dollars in federal funding won't be held hostage as the legal fight over House Bill 2 plays out.
White House spokesman Josh Earnest said an administration review is on hold about whether the law could force federal agencies to freeze money for health, education or housing programs. He said the agencies will wait for the courts to determine whether the law violates the Civil Rights Act.
RELATED: FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WON'T HOLD UP FUNDS OVER HB2
"As Governor McCrory has said all along, his administration's assertive action against Washington overreach will protect federal funding for schools and other services while allowing the courts (to) resolve this issue," said Josh Ellis, the governor's communications director.
The Justice Department and North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory sued each other Monday. At issue is a state law that says transgender people must use public bathrooms that correspond to the sex on their birth certificate.
Critics of the law said the state's lawsuit is a waste of time and money.
Read all ABC11 stories about HB2 here
"The courts have already spoken. This is a frivolous lawsuit," said North Carolina NAACP President the Rev. William Barber.
The NAACP is gearing up for another massive Moral Monday demonstration. The last time, about 1,000 people rallied and dozens were arrested.
The civil rights group is pushing for a repeal of HB2 and criticizing McCrory for going to bat against the federal government.
RELATED: CHARLOTTE DELI ROASTS MCCRORY WITH VITRIOLIC SANDWICH NAMES
"This bill is morally indefensible, it's constitutionally inconsistent, and it's economically insane," said Barber.
The NC NAACP announced plans Thursday for another massive Moral Monday march. (WTVD)
The new chairman of the NC GOP called on Attorney General Roy Cooper to denounce the Moral Mondays.
"As North Carolina's chief law enforcement officer and candidate for Governor, it is imperative the people of North Carolina know where Roy Cooper stands," Robin Hayes said. "As someone who was 'encouraged' by the actions of the Moral Monday crowd, does Cooper stand with the taxpayers of North Carolina or the few far-left activists paid for by out-of-state special interest groups to push for higher taxes and bigger government?"
A new report finds the state could lose $5 billion a year because of HB2. The research was done by The Williams Institute, which is based at UCLA's law school.
READ THE FULL REPORT BY THE WILLIAMS INSTITUTE (.PDF)
The ACC is weighing whether to keep its conference championship games of North Carolina.
The league released this statement:
"The Atlantic Coast Conference and its member institutions remain committed to equality, diversity and inclusion. Discrimination in any form has no place in higher education and college athletics, and the safe and respectful treatment of all student-athletes, coaches and fans, regardless of gender, will remain a priority. During the 2016 ACC Spring Meetings, the league's Faculty Athletics Representatives, Athletics Directors, Senior Woman Administrators and student-athlete representatives discussed North Carolina's HB2 and its effects. The membership strongly supports the league continuing to engage at the highest levels regarding the effects of this law on its constituents as it evaluates current and future events and championships within the state of North Carolina. The league will also require commitments to provide safe and inclusive environments from sites for which there are current commitments for ACC Championships."
Others continue to back McCrory and the state. The latest legal action over HB2 was a federal lawsuit filed by a Christian conservative group on behalf of North Carolina parents and students.
RELATED: ARIZONA-LED GROUP FILES LAWSUIT IN SUPPORT OF HB2
"Every student has the right and expectation of privacy when they go into a locker room or shower," said Alliance Defending Freedom attorney Kellie Fiedorek.
politicsraleighdepartment of justicehb2state politicslawsuitlegallgbtpat mccrory
Charlotte finally gets its time to shine after HB2 NBA All-Star Game delay
'Bathroom bill' fight returns to a North Carolina courtroom
Gay rights groups to Amazon: 'Skip over us'
HB2 an issue, non-issue for Wake County tourism
|
cc/2019-30/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line9332
|
__label__wiki
| 0.95274
| 0.95274
|
Report: PG&E rates could skyrocket if wildfires caused by utility continue
By Jobina Fortson
It's clear the effects of California's devastating wildfires stretch far beyond displacement and physical damage. But now, we're learning the massive costs of what many call the "new normal" could drastically increase the bills of millions of utility customers, particularly of PG&E.
"If you continue to have hits in the $15 billion range, it's going to come from the taxpayers or the ratepayers, or it's going to come in the form of insurance premiums," Steven Weissman, a lecturer at UC Berkeley's Goldman School of Public Policy, said.
"I'm not very happy about it," Ana, a San Jose resident said. "I understand why."
"I already pay enough to live in the Bay Area," Emily Schnittger, a PG&E customer, said. "Everybody has like a second side hustle outside of their main 9 to 5. I just think we should have been doing something about this a long time ago."
I-TEAM EXCLUSIVE: Judge takes tough stance against PG&E for causing devastating wildfires
Weissman said rates would skyrocket on average 50% in the first year, if current wildfire trends continue.
For example, PG&E estimates $30 billion in fire damages for 2017 and 2018 fires. Their revenue is $13 billion a year. Additional impacts are spelled out in a report the Newsom administration asked Weissman to do.
"This analysis is not a prediction just more of a conversation starter," Weissman said. "We have a confluence of various factors that we don't know how to stop yet."
The spike in rates would impact California's ambitious climate goals as well.
Higher energy rates would mean less electric cars on the roads, hinder major companies in Silicon Valley who need power for operations, and service reliability. There would be more forced outages during fire season.
When asked about a potential solution, Weissman responded, "Top down planning from the state level. A lot of coordination with local governments and it's going to take time. I think the time to get started on that project was yesterday, not now."
The governor's office is expected roll out a plan on Friday for dealing with increased wildfire risk and climate change.
See more stories on PG&E.
businesssan franciscogavin newsompg&ewildfirecalifornia
Gov. Newsom signs bill overhauling compensation for wildfire victims
State assembly approves $21 billion fund to help victims of wildfires
Reaction to report: PG&E knew its power lines could spark wildfires
|
cc/2019-30/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line9333
|
__label__cc
| 0.680764
| 0.319236
|
How One Junk Removal Business Used Tech to Get 500+ 5 Star Reviews
Learn how this junk removal business owner used tech to vault his company’s positive online client reviews. He is now successfully competing against bigger and more powerful businesses with barely any marketing efforts.
Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin
Andy Weins is a U.S. Veteran and an Entrepreneur who has seen outstanding success as the owner of the JDog Junk Removal & Hauling Southeastern Wisconsin franchise.
He’s setting a new standard in the junk removal industry: empowering his team to be kind and communicate effectively on the job. It’s working. Andy’s customer service strategy has vaulted his company’s positive online client reviews, which have led to his team’s continued success.
Andy and his team added Jobber to their business toolkit two years ago and hasn’t looked back since. Thanks to Jobber:
They have more than 500 5-star reviews online.
They keep all customer records in one place (their client information was scattered between up to four systems).
It only takes one minute to get a new client set up in their system.
His new system costs him $1 or less to maintain each customer account.
They get more done: “I can re-invest my time. More networking. More time with my daughter. I’m not spending time in the back end.”
But let’s take a look back before Jobber. Ten years ago, when Andy started his first business he used scrappy processes to get his exciting new venture off the ground.
Andy Weins, Owner of JDog Junk Removal & Hauling Southeastern Wisconsin
Our goal is to set the standard. This is a crowded industry. We’ve done a good job so far. We're not the cheapest, most expensive, or average. We consistently meet expectations, and are kind and communicate effectively.
Starting with pen and paper
Andy has been in business long enough to know that time is money, and when you have time, you can make more money.
When Andy started a junk removal business over ten years ago (before opening a JDog franchise), he wrote everything down. Freestyling it on a pad of paper, when the phone rang, he got from point A to B without GPS. Things were scrappy, fast paced, and exciting.
But Andy’s business started growing, and he needed a back office and employees to service more and more clients. It was obvious that pen and paper just wasn’t going to cut it for his business ambition.
Moving from pen and paper to technology
Up until two years ago, Andy’s entire business operated on Microsoft Outlook.
It wasn’t great: Andy didn’t have a firm grasp on his customer accounts, nor could he organize them efficiently.
He was he entering client information up to four times in multiple systems. He was also missing crucial information for invoicing and account assessment.
Even after adopting Timetree, Andy and his team still struggled with business efficiency. They were still documenting client information multiple times.
It came down to entering client information twice, three, or four times, versus only entering it once in one minute with Jobber. Jobber was worth my time.
Introducing Jobber
Andy explains that this new system works out to costing him $1 or less to maintain each customer account.
He uses Jobber’s CRM (Client Relationship Manager) to input and track client information easily, efficiently, and in a repeatable way across his entire team.
It’s simple: create a client profile once. Your team can make notes and attach photos during or after appointments, and view invoice history so you know who has paid you and what invoices are overdue.
Invoice history helped Andy’s team communicate with customers in an informed and smooth way.
After each job visit is complete, Jobber reminds the team to send an invoice. Just a few clicks from the Jobber app and the invoice is sent to the client. This keeps the team on track, cash flow positive, and eliminates a lot of Andy’s back-end paperwork.
“Life before Jobber was cumbersome and not well managed. Life after Jobber made operations and my whole business smoother. Jobber gives you processes that can be repeatable throughout all members of your company. It drives transparency and process.”
The amazing JDog Junk Removal & Hauling Southeastern Wisconsin team
Increased Client Review Opportunities = Business Growth
Andy and his Senior Project Manager with JDog Southeastern Wisconsin, Andrew Zell, talk about how they used Jobber to grow the junk removal company tenfold: by creating a client review process to increase online reviews.
Andy was able to get over 500 5-star online reviews by having a team that provided kind, respectful, and well-communicated service and a system that encouraged client reviews.
“Getting more reviews has vaulted our web presence—more than larger businesses who are spending money on marketing. We’re not even the largest junk removal company in the area,” Andrew explains.
Andrew Zell, Senior Project Manager at JDog Junk Removal & Hauling Southeastern Wisconsin
Andy and Andrew have developed a genius way of communicating with clients before, during, and after a job to encourage reviews.
Here’s their process:
Andy and Andrew use Jobber to send an automated follow-up email to their clients. These emails include invoices and receipts.
All follow-up emails link to a special landing page, which suggests the best review site for the client to use (based on their usage and history) such as Yelp, Google, Facebook, or Thumbtack.
Two weeks after the job has been completed, Andy’s team sends the client a handwritten postcard thanking them for hiring their team.
“Reviews are huge for small business,” Andrew explains. “Jobber’s internal and client communication systems helped us solicit reviews on the most popular review website. This helps improve SEO, bump up organic visibility, and market your business.”
Andy says that this strategy has helped his business grow “100 times over.”
From scrappy beginnings to building a tech savvy team, Andy and his J Dog team are setting a new standard in the junk removal industry.
Are you a JDog owner?
Find out how Jobber can help you grow.
One easy place for storing and tracking client information.
Own a JDog business and want to crush it? Find out how Jobber can help you! Find out How
|
cc/2019-30/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line9336
|
__label__wiki
| 0.658363
| 0.658363
|
Australia/Israel Review
2019 Editions
About AIJAC
AIJAC AUSTRALIA/ISRAEL & JEWISH AFFAIRS COUNCIL
Home Ed: 41: July/2016
Ed: 41: July/2016
Scribblings: The Gaza “siege” myth lives on
Australia/Israel Review June 29, 2016
Perhaps on some level it isn't surprising that it still happens - though, on another, it is nonetheless shocking, because it is so easily disproven. I'm speaking about how Hamas and other Palestinian groups like to present Israel's blockade of military items into Gaza as a "siege" - and too many people who should know better are happy to go along.
The awful Israeli-Hezbollah conflict to come
Hezbollah has a nasty collection of more than 130,000 rockets, missiles, and mortars aimed at Israel. This is a bigger arsenal than all NATO countries (except the United States) combined. Why, a reasonable person might wonder, does Hezbollah need an offensive arsenal bigger than that of all Western Europe?
Editorial: Talking about Islamist terrorism
Facing losses on the battlefield, ISIS has been changing its outlook regarding recruits from Western countries. Weeks before the June 12 terror attack that killed 49 people at an Orlando gay nightclub, carried out in the name of ISIS, Islamic State spokesman Abu Muhammad al-Adnani urged aspiring Western jihadists to carry out attacks close to home. He said, "the smallest action you do in their heartland is better and more enduring to us than what you would if you were with us."
Minor Key
The Nick Xenophon Team (NXT), having secured more Senate primary votes in South Australia than the ALP at the 2013 election, will likely achieve three or even four Senate seats there this time. Running candidates in all SA electorates, it is also slightly favoured to gain the lower house seat of Mayo, where candidate Rebekha Sharkie is leading incumbent Liberal Jamie Briggs in the polls, and may be a threat in other SA seats. It also has Senate candidates in all other states.
The Greens and Israel
Pre-election polling and analysis suggests the Australian Greens party is likely to pick up one or more lower house seats this election - on top of retaining the seat of Melbourne. This gives it the potential to not only hold the balance of power in the Senate, but if a hung parliament results from this election, also determine who forms government - with very significant leverage over the minority government thus formed.
It is therefore worth reviewing the Greens' official position and record on Israeli-Palestinian issues.
Politically right, but very wrong
There are a number of far-right parties to be wary of in the 2016 federal election - including some whose radical views are not obvious or widely recognised. Populist anti-immigration and anti-multiculturalism minor parties have long been a persistent but largely marginal feature of Australian politics - excepting the rise of Pauline Hanson's One Nation in 1996. In recent years, these sorts of parties have increasingly focused the majority of their distasteful hardline policy positions on the Muslim community and Islam.
Editions by Year
The Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council (AIJAC) is the premier public affairs organisation for the Australian Jewish community.
Contact us: aijac@aijac.org.au
© Copyright 2018 AIJAC. Site by ASCET Digital
|
cc/2019-30/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line9348
|
__label__cc
| 0.715311
| 0.284689
|
Albert State School
Only My Best
Subjects and programs
Parent teacher communication
Student services and support programs
Gifted students
Maths Challenge
On Wednesday the 21st, some of the selected 5, 6, and 7’s got the chance to go to Hervey Bay and competed in the Maths Competition. We had Miss Stephanie O’Gorman and our School Chaplain Troy Brady was able to come down with us. Unfortunately they had to move to other tables. As it was Miss O’s birthday, Kyle P and I went up to Mrs Karlee Franz (who was in charge of the Maths Competition) to say Happy Birthday, over the microphone, at the end. The teams came 18th and 10th, which was really good, out of 39 teams. The team that came 18th had: Max Horder, Bao Deip, Matthew Robinson, Taylor Thatcher and Mitchell Grimshaw in it. The team that was hoping to beat 7th, but came 10th (which is still really good), had: Jordan Buist, Bryce Robinson, Alyssa Cooke, Caleb Major and Kyle Petersen in it. Although some of the questions were a little bit tricky, we all had an AMAZING time!
A SPECIAL THANKS to Miss Stephanie O’Gorman and Mr Troy Brady for coming down to Hervey Bay with us!
By Alyssa Cooke
210-220 Albert Street
Maryborough Qld 4650
the.principal@albertss.eq.edu.au
|
cc/2019-30/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line9350
|
__label__cc
| 0.568903
| 0.431097
|
Home General News Nigerian Born Edirin Okoloko Appointed As A Judge In Washington, USA
Nigerian Born Edirin Okoloko Appointed As A Judge In Washington, USA
By Michael Oyaide
Jay Inslee Governor of Washington State, appointed a Nigerian, Edirin Okoloko, to Snohomish County Superior Court as a judge.
“Edirin has a clear dedication to the legal profession and a successful history of bringing justice to some of our state’s most vulnerable crime victims. He will be an excellent addition to the bench in Snohomish County” Inslee said.
Okoloko, who graduated with Bachelor of Law Degree from the University of Benin, Edo State in Nigeria and also went on to receive a law degree from the Seattle University School of Law. Has worked for over 13 years in the Snohomish County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, where he acted a Deputy Prosecuting Attorney working on homicide, sexual assault, child abuse, and elder abuse cases.
Edirin Okoloko
Michael Oyaidehttps://360aproko.com
Michael Oyaide is an enthusiast of writing, a great entrepreneur and musician.
Previous articleInter loses midfield before Barca clash.
Next articleSouth West Commends Buhari’s SGF Promise- Ogunlewe
|
cc/2019-30/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line9355
|
__label__wiki
| 0.597777
| 0.597777
|
I Feel Like I Can Be Vulnerable Around You: The Strange Positivity of ‘Hi Stranger’
Kirsten Lepore/YouTube
This year has been rough on the lot of us, and carrying our own emotional and physical burdens while also trying to stay supportive of our friends and loved ones has taken a toll.
There's only so much each of us can do when it feels like we're all dragging the weight of the world on our shoulders. Though it's only spring, and there's a lot of 2017 left to survive, there have been glimmers of hope and strange optimism. Perhaps none so eccentric as Kirsten Lepore's naked friend, romantic, life coach, and star of the latest memetic video hit, "Hi Stranger."
Originally created as a part of a short film anthology for the Late Night Work Club, Lepore's "Hi Stranger" was just one of a handful of pieces that dealt with the topic of strangers in varying ways. Though many of the shorts aren't quite as optimistic as Lepore's, the whole anthology only clocks in at around 43 minutes and is worth watching --- just don't be surprised if a number of them hit you right in the heart with emotions.
At least "Hi Stranger" will be there to remind you that you're beautiful, even if the genderless creature calming you also happens to be tremendously creepy. But also comforting? It's weird.
Perhaps that's just one of the reasons "Hi Stranger" has resonated with meme culture so strongly this year. Even though the short debuted back in November, "Hi Stranger" has really only become part of the public consciousness in the past month or so. Kirsten Lepore is no stranger to being a darling of the internet, given her history of shorts and her work on Cartoon Network darling, Adventure Time. As writer and director of "Bad Jubies," a seventh season episode of Adventure Time, Lepore attracted a large audience that was keen to her stop-motion work. That many of those same people would latch onto "Hi Stranger" as an inspirational meme for the dumpster fire that has been 2017 isn't all that surprising.
It has been a joy to behold however, watching the world at large come to grips with this little shape of a person calming and soothing viewers with its supportive dialogue.
Not to be confused with the "Hey, Stranger..." meme, which is all about attempts at random ancient hook-ups, "Hi Stranger" is more life-affirming, positive, and about letting you know that even in the darkest timeline, someone out there is thinking of you. Though more than a few memes have taken to having the little nude creature crudely dolled up in the fashion of recognizable characters giving you permission to look at their butts, some of the best have just been compiling reactions to the video itself.
Don't worry. That's how we felt at first, too. Then the little humanoid's words started to resonate. Even though it didn't know us, it felt like it'd been by our side this whole time. How could it know so much about us when we know so little about it? It's not clear where Lepore's character lives or comes from, but it's not a world like ours. Still, it manages to understand human emotion and character in spite those elements. I mean, it can summon fantastical trees it created from beneath the ground, but also knows grade school memes like fortune tellers. Does that mean this thing has context for what cooties are in addition to having the skills to soothe moods like an ASMR pro?
Even Reddit has been trying to figure this dang thing out and keeps getting distracted by the aspirational siren song. Just because Lepore's creation is trying to keep things positive doesn't mean people haven't been able to find the fun in being cherished by an adorable alien.
Tagging a friend on Instagram and saying nothing has been a long-running gag on the social photography app, but the awkwardness of "Hi Stranger" has elevated the concept to all new levels of creeptasticness. Especially when Instagrammers start putting themselves in the stranger's place.
Lepore's creation has also spawned itself into new ways of thinking about old internet problems. Sliding into someone's DMs has always been a bit of a shady practice, and seeing the slightly encouraging spin on it is a little off-putting. Though perhaps it would be equally as bizarre for the person giving you unwanted attention, and they'd back off. Then again, this is the internet and if someone is comfortable sliding into your DMs already, there's probably little you can do to wave them away.
The stranger isn't above mixing it up with older memes either, as clever people have found a way to team their newest darling with aging favorites to make them both vital again. Evil Kermit isn't exactly old, but the veracity with which it's been used certainly made it feel like the welcome had long worn out. It also lends to the idea that maybe Evil Kermit wasn't quite so evil after all.
Please, no more Netflix and Chills. Don't ruin my precious gelatinous baby with such trite efforts.
Oh, wait. I'm forgetting the clear advice from the stranger itself. It's wonderful and worthy of being loved. It really is. I just have to let myself believe it.
Next: 'Cash Me Outside' Meme Explained
Source: I Feel Like I Can Be Vulnerable Around You: The Strange Positivity of ‘Hi Stranger’
Categories: Weird News
|
cc/2019-30/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line9362
|
__label__wiki
| 0.709059
| 0.709059
|
Demi Lovato Supports Christina Aguilera in Las Vegas
See the backstage pic of the two stars
Demi Lovato Ready for Return, Thanks Friends After "Darkest Moments"
The "Sorry Not Sorry" singer is set for the "next chapter"
Demi Lovato Signs With New Manager Scooter Braun
Demi Lovato starts her new chapter with manager Scooter Braun who is also known to manage super stars like Justin Bieber and Ariana Grande. In an Instagram post, Demi says, "GUYS!!!!!!! Dreams came true today for me. I officially have a NEW MANAGER!!! And not just any new manager but the one and...
Demi Lovato Sends Herself Flowers After Split From Boyfriend Henry Levy
After her recent split from fashion designer Henry Levy, Demi Lovato is moving on with grace and a bouquet full of self-love.
Demi Lovato Surprises Emo Nite, Sings Paramore with We The Kings’ Travis Clark
Pop queen Demi Lovato has always been an emo kid at heart, from her love of Senses Fail’s recent music video to her appearance at a 2017 Emo Nite. Now, she’s back again with the perfect cover of Paramore’s “Misery Business.”
GRAMMY Awards: Vote for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance
The top collaborations of the year compete for GRAMMY gold
Instagram Apologizes to Demi Lovato After Backlash Over Fat-Shaming Ad
Demi Lovato is continuing to use her platform for good after sparking a social media discussion that touches on the dangers of ads like one that Instagram recently let slip through their screening process.
GRAMMY Awards: Best Pop Duo/Group Performance Nominees
Demi Lovato, Ed Sheeran, and Cardi B Top List of Most Shazamed Songs of 2018
See who reigned supreme in this unique year-end list.
Christina Aguilera To Headline 'New Year's Rockin' Eve'
Post Malone, Halsey, Shawn Mendes also set to perform
|
cc/2019-30/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line9365
|
__label__wiki
| 0.785097
| 0.785097
|
Rana capito
(Beltz)
Carolina Gopher Frog
Subgenus: Pantherana
family: Ranidae
Taxonomic Notes: This species was placed in the genus Lithobates by Frost et al. (2006). However, Yuan et al. (2016, Systematic Biology, doi: 10.1093/sysbio/syw055) showed that this action created problems of paraphyly in other genera. Yuan et al. (2016) recognized subgenera within Rana for the major traditional species groups, with Lithobates used as the subgenus for the Rana palmipes group. AmphibiaWeb recommends the optional use of these subgenera to refer to these major species groups, with names written as Rana (Aquarana) catesbeiana, for example.
© 2010 Todd Pierson (1 of 14)
IUCN (Red List) Status Near Threatened (NT)
NatureServe Status Use NatureServe Explorer to see status.
Regional Status classified as threatened in Florida and Alabama
Lannoo Account
There are two recognized subspecies of Rana capito, the Carolina gopher frog, Rana capito capito and the Florida gopher frog, R. c. aesopus. (Rana sevosa used to be a subspecies of R. capito, R. c. sevosa, but has recently been elevated to species status (Young and Crother, 2001) Rana capito capito ranges in size from 2.5 to 3.5 inches and has a variable color pattern ranging from dark gray to brown spotted with black, reddish brown or dark brown (Conant and Collins, 1991). Warts are always prominent, variable in shape and almost pavement-like and the ventral surface is heavily marked with dark flecks (Conant and Collins, 1991). Rana capito aesopus ranges in size from 2.75 to 3.75 inches and has a color pattern that varies from creamy white to brown through yellowish or purplish (Conant and Collins, 1991). The back may be smooth or slightly warty with black or dark brown irregular markings. The chin and throat is usually spotted but the belly is usually unmarked posteriorly (Conant and Collins, 1991). Males may have yellow on the dorsolateral ridges, on the warts, along upper jaw, and in armpits and groins (Conant and Collins, 1991) and females have longer snout vent lengths than males (Greenberg, 2001). Their voice has been characterized by a deep roaring snore. Large choruses produce an effect like that of pounding surf (Conant and Collins, 1991).
Country distribution from AmphibiaWeb's database: United States
U.S. state distribution from AmphibiaWeb's database: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee
The geographic range of R. capito, prior to the elevation of the subspecies R. sevosa, extended from extreme southeastern Louisiana along the Gulf coast to throughout the upper three-fourths of the Florida peninsula and north along the Atlantic coast to southeastern North Carolina (Young and Crother, 2001). Now it is assumed that the Louisiana, Mississippi and western Alabama populations were all R. sevosa. The Carolina subspecies, R. c. capito, occurs throughout the coastal plain of the Carolinas and is scattered throughout the southeast part of Georgia (Conant and Collins, 1991). The Florida subspecies, R. c. aesopus, occurs along the coastal plains of South Georgia and three-fourths of the Florida peninsula, with isolated populations in west-central Georgia (Conant and Collins 1991).
This species can be found in a wide range of habitats from dry, upland xeric oak scrub, and oak hammocks to pine flat wood forests. Preferred breeding habitats include seasonally flooded, grassy ponds and cypress heads that lack fish populations. In Florida, this species is closely associated with gopher tortoise burrows, particularly in xeric longleaf pin-wiregrass uplands that are within about 1.7km of suitable breeding ponds (Schmalzer et al., 1999).
Throughout its range, R. capito is a commensal with the gopher tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus), hence the common name gopher frog, and is almost entirely dependent on G. polyphemus for shelter and to some extent food (Franz, 1988). However, it occasionally occupies a variety of other retreats including the burrows of rodents and crayfish, as well as stump holes and other crevices (Conant and Collins, 1991). Rana capito is the most frequently observed tortoise burrow commensal (Kent et al., 1997). It is generally nocturnal and emerges to sit near the mouth of its burrow to feed on invertebrates and anurans, including toads (Godley, 1992). This regular foraging activity creates a distinct resting area, also called a ‘platform’, outside each frog’s burrow where the soil has been cleared of vegetation and smoothed by the frog’s constant use (Stevenson and Dyer, 2002).
From a few studies scattered throughout its range, it appears that the timing of breeding and larval development varies from shorter breeding and larval periods farther north to multiple breeding episodes and longer larval periods farther south (Bailey, 1991; Semlitsch et al., 1995; Palis, 1998; Greenberg, 2001). In the Atlantic coastal plains of the Savannah River Site in South Carolina at the very edge of their range, Semlitsch et al. (1995), found that the breeding season in some years lasted only a few days and varied in timing between January and April. Palis (1998), who studied their breeding biology in western Florida, reported an eight-month breeding season (October through May) that encompassed three major breeding events (one each in October, February, and April). Reports of larval developmental periods range from 87-113 days in South Carolina (Semlitsch et al., 1995), 141-155 days in laboratory-reared tadpoles (Volpe, 1958) and 210 days in the Florida panhandle (Palis, 1998). Most studies report May through July as the peak emergence time for metamorphic juveniles. Semlitsch et al. (1995) rarely found metamorphs in pitfall traps and the few metamorphs that were seen were caught in drift fences between 27 May and 12 July. Greenberg (2001) found that, in Marion and Putnam Counties, Florida, most emigration of metamorphic juveniles occurred within a 14-86 day period between May and October. Rainfall did not appear to trigger emigration and had a negligible influence on daily emigration rates.
Greenberg (2001) followed the movement patterns of a population of R. c. aesopus in eight isolated ephemeral ponds in longleaf pine-wiregrass sandhills of the Ocala National Forest, Marion and Putnam Counties, Florida, using intermittent drift fences from February 1994 to January 1998. Four of the ponds were located within fire-suppressed sandhills having high densities of laurel oak, other hardwood species and sand pine and the other four ponds were located within regularly burned, savanna-like longleaf pine-wiregrass sandhills. During Greenberg's study, metamorph capture was significantly higher than adult capture. Greenberg observed more juveniles exiting the ponds than entering the ponds (72.8% as apposed to 27.2%). Recruitment was extremely variable between ponds and between years with no obvious correlation with pond hydroperiod. Adult recruitment into ponds did not correspond with upland habitat type; however, juvenile recruitment was consistently higher for ponds within the savanna-like uplands than for ponds within the fire suppressed hardwood-invaded uplands, although it was not obvious why recruitment at these sites was higher.
Florida and Alabama have classified R. capito as threatened. Surveys of herpetofauna throughout its range have listed it as uncommon, rare or endangered for at least two decades. Populations are thought to be declining from wetland habitat loss by drainage, filling, or stocking of fish, and upland habitat loss through development, fragmentation and fire suppression (Bailey, 1991). Fire suppression has been linked to population declines because it reduces habitat quality for G. polyphemus. If fire is suppressed, wiregrass and herbaceous vegetative cover (which is preferred by G. polyphemus) declines from increased shading by invading hardwoods. Fire suppression could also affect habitat quality of breeding ponds. For example, changes in hardwood densities could change water chemistry and pond hydrology by increasing transpiration. Greenberg (2001) found that adult recruitment into ponds did not correspond with upland habitat type (fire suppressed or control burned); however, juvenile recruitment was consistently higher for ponds within the savanna-like uplands than for ponds within the fire suppressed hardwood-invaded uplands. Palis (1998) reported high adult usage and egg mass deposition at a pond within a fire-suppressed, longleaf pine-turkey oak sandhill upland but most adults immigrated into the pond from the direction of an early successional hardwood-invaded sandhill, suggesting heavier use of the more open habitat by adult frogs.
Possible reasons for amphibian decline
General habitat alteration and loss
Habitat modification from deforestation, or logging related activities
Disturbance or death from vehicular traffic
Habitat fragmentation
Predators (natural or introduced)
Rana capito was first described as a distinct species by LeConte (1855) but then placed with the crayfish frog Rana areolata by Cope (1875). Collins (1990) resurrected R. capito for all populations within the historical range and since then, researchers have either recognized one gopher frog with three subspecies, R. c. capito, R. c. aesopus and R. c. sevosa or they have included all of R. capito as subspecies of Rana areolata, R. a. capito. Young and Crother (2001) have elevated the Mississippi gopher frog, R. c. sevosa, to full species status.
Bailey, M. A. (1991). ''The Dusky Gopher Frog in Alabama.'' Journal of the Alabama Academy of Science, 62(1), 28-34.
Conant, R. and Collins, J.T. (1998). A Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians of Eastern and Central North America. 3rd Edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, Massachusetts.
Franz, R. (1988). ''The Florida Gopher Frog and the Florida Pine Snake as burrow associates of the Gopher Tortoise in northern Florida.'' Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the Gopher and Tortoise Council. D. R. Jackson and R. J. Bryant, eds., Florida State Museum, Gainesville, 16-20.
Godley, S. J. (1992). ''Threatened: Gopher Frog, Rana capito Le Conte.'' Rare and Endangered Biota of Florida. P.E. Moler, eds., University Press of Florida, Gainesville, 15-19.
Greenberg, C. H. (2001). ''Spatio-temporal dynamics of pond use and recruitment in Florida gopher frogs (Rana capito aesopus).'' Journal of Herpetology, 35(1), 74-85.
Kent, D. M., Langston, M. A., and Hanf, D. W. (1997). ''Observations of vertebrates associated with gopher tortoise burrows in Orange County, Florida.'' Florida Scientist, 60(3), 197-201.
Palis, J. G. (1998). ''Breeding biology of the Gopher Frog, Rana capito, in western Florida.'' Journal of Herpetology, 32(2), 217-223.
Schmalzer, P. A., Boyle, S. R., and Swain, H. M. (1999). ''Scrub ecosystems of Brevard County, Florida: a regional characterization.'' Florida Scientist, 62(1), 13-47.
Semlitsch, R. D., Gibbons, J. W., and Tuberville,T. D. (1995). ''Timing of reproduction and metamorphosis in the Carolina Gopher Frog (Rana capito capito) in South Carolina.'' Journal of Herpetology, 29(4), 612-614.
Stevenson, D. J., and Dyer, K. J. (2002). ''Rana capito capito (Carolina Gopher Frog). Refugia.'' Herpetological Review, 33(2), 128-129.
Volpe, E. P. (1957). ''The early development of Rana capito sevosa.'' Tulane Studies in Zoology, 5, 207-225.
Young, J. E. and Crother, B. I. (2001). ''Allozyme evidence for the separation of Rana areolata and Rana capito and for the resurrection of Rana sevosa.'' Copeia, 2001(2), 382-388.
Written by Rebecca Doubledee (doublede AT socrates.berkeley.edu), Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley
Edited by Kellie Whittaker (2007-12-19)
Species Account Citation: AmphibiaWeb 2007 Rana capito: Carolina Gopher Frog <http://amphibiaweb.org/species/6095> University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA. Accessed Jul 16, 2019.
|
cc/2019-30/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line9366
|
__label__cc
| 0.532611
| 0.467389
|
Smaro Gregoriadou Plays Nikos Athanassakis Sequences
Home > AN ART ARTISTRY RECORDS > Smaro Gregoriadou Plays Nikos Athanassakis Sequences
Original contemporary compositions for solo guitar by an extraordinary world-class guitarist.
Find it now on selected stores and on:
Nikos Athanassakis
What would ever be more important and honoring for a composer than to have his works interpreted and recorded by Smaro Gregoriadou, an extraordinary world-class soloist of classic guitar. A suite in five movements, “Elxis”, meaning magnetism in Greek, reflects a “…very individual…” harmony work, as commented in Classical Guitar Magazine, summer 2015. The other works are also created in the same spirit. That is, having a need for special works and for a personal style to be expressed. A suite of Greek dances, dedicated to Smaro. A sonata in three parts, a suite of nocturnes and the suite “Ειρήνη” (Eirini) for the woman of my life. A musical idiom for every single letter of her name. An etude, a tremolo, a waltz, a tango, a ballad, and a salsa, written with gratitude. I dedicate this album to my muse Eirini Polydorou, to my teacher Giorgos Bisbikopoulos and , of course, to Smaro Gregoriadou. I bow to her talent, artistry, skill, sensitivity and musical perception. I’m Grateful!
Nikos Athanassakis is a classical guitarist, composer and songwriter. He holds a classical guitar diploma and diplomas in Harmony, Counterpoint, Fugue and Composition, awarded by Giorgos Bisbikopoulos. He has composed chamber, solo, theatre and film music. Published by the companies NAXOS Records, Phasma Music, AN ART ARTISTRY RECORDS, Ammos Music, Foka +Negra Music and Les Productions D’ Oz.
Smaro Gregoriadou – www.smarogregoriadou.com
Greek guitar soloist and composer Smaro Gregoriadou attempts a redefinition of the classical guitar’s sound and technique, through her innovative “Reinventing guitar!” approach on interpretation, exploiting Kertsopoulos Aesthetics platform of inventions. Her work has generated enthusiastic response worldwide. As the eminent American critic R.Tuttle put it: “Gregoriadou evokes musicians such as Horowitz, Gould and Landowska in her willingness and need to find a new way to reanimate the music, without letting innovation become an end in itself.” (Fanfare, Nov/Dec 2012)
Smaro has studied with distinguished specialists of our time, including pianist-conductor G. Hadjinikos; guitarists G. Kertsopoulos, J. Castro-Balbi, P. Galbraith and R. Aussel; composers G. Sioras, Th. Antoniou and D. Konstandinidis. She has been awarded a Senior Exhibitioner Scholarship to continue her postgraduate guitar studies with C. Bonnel at the Royal College of Music, London. She won numerous international music awards both for composition and solo guitar interpretation, appeared as soloist in Europe, Russia, Canada, the USA and Australia, and collaborated with major orchestras and chamber music groups worldwide. Her compositions have been commissioned and premiered by important artistic institutions and ensembles. She is a member of the Greek Composers Union. She conducts solo and ensemble classical guitar workshops titled “Inclusive Interpretation and Functional Technique.” She is a recording artist of the American label DELOS.
“Working with the music for guitar of N. Athanassakis has been an exciting journey for me. Many times I felt challenged by this music’s sheer virtuosity, compositional versatility and pureness of meaning; also by the composer’s ability to transform such fundamental material as a chromatic baseline, an elemental harmonic pattern or a primordial dance figure, into a powerful and vibrant creation. I am honored to perform the world premieres of these brilliant works, and truly hope they get the place they deserve into the classical guitar world.”
Full track listing
(1 – 5). “Elxis” Suite
i. Andante Allargando (2:11)
ii. Larghetto Romantico (1:11)
iii. Presto (1:04)
iv. Lento (1:00)
v. Allegro (1:19)
(6-8). Guitar Sonata No. 1
i. Andante Con Spirito (4:22)
ii. Larghetto Espressivo (3:19)
iii. Allegro Assai (3:25)
(9-11). 3 Nocturnes
i. Nocturne no. 1 (1:09)
ii. Nocturne no. 2 (1:11)
iii. Nocturne no. 3 (1:48)
(12-17. “E.I.R.I.N.I.” Suite
(Dedicated to Eirini Polydorou, entitled on the letters of her name)
i. “E” – Etude (1:23)
ii. “I” – Tremolo (3:18)
iii. “R” – Waltz (2:03)
iv. “I” – Tango (2:12)
v. “N” – Ballad (2:01)
vi. “I” – Salsa (4:05)
(18-20). Greek Dances Suite
(Dedicated to Smaro Gregoriadou)
i. Kalamatianos (3:54)
ii. Tsamikos (2:51)
iii. Ballos (2:56)
Smaro Gregoriadou Plays Nikos Athanassakis Sequences | Nikos Athanassakis – Smaro Gregoriadou | Classical, Contemporary, Solo Guitar |
© ® ℗ 2019 Nikos Athanassakis – AN ART ARTISTRY RECORDS – AAAR 006
|
cc/2019-30/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line9368
|
__label__wiki
| 0.691178
| 0.691178
|
Watch Marlon Wayans' Audition For The Richard Pryor Biopic (VIDEO)
THE BABY WAYANS GAVE A MOVING PERFORMANCE FOR HIS AUDITION TO PLAY RICHARD PRYOR
Many actors jumped at the opportunity to play the late legendary comedian Richard Pryor in his upcoming biopic. Michael B. Jordan, who starred in Fruitvale Station, Nick Cannon and Mike Epps all tried out for the role but Epps ended up getting the call back.
[ALSO READ: Mike Epps Talks New Richard Pryor Biopic And Says There Wasn’t One Good Comedian In ‘Top Five’]
In 2010, Marlon Wayans was tapped to play Pryor in a biopic that Chris Rock was going to produce. Now, an audition tape of Wayans has been released but it's unsure of whether this clip is from 2010 or from his most recent audition. According to IndieWire, the film's director Lee Daniels and his producers were just as captivated by Wayans' performance as they were by Epps'. Shooting is slated to begin in March.
Watch Wayans' audition tape below.
|
cc/2019-30/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line9374
|
__label__wiki
| 0.957022
| 0.957022
|
Open Newsroom
Be an amaB Supporter
Entire website
Sign up for our newsletter and receive our latest investigative stories, information about our campaigns and town hall events.
WHATSAPP SUBSCRIPTION
Get amaB on WhatsApp so that whenever we publish, you will be the first to know!
Controversial sackings in Zambia’s health sector spark political rumours
Health minister Chitalu Chilufya fired two members of the Health Professions Council of Zambia allegedly because the oversight body’s threats to shut down government hospitals — for major violations — is undermining the ruling party’s popularity with voters.
06 February 2019 - Douglas Kaunda
The Zambian government has controversially removed two leading members of the Health Professions Council of Zambia (HPCZ), allegedly because it believes the council is making the ruling party unpopular in an area facing a key by-election.
Health minister Chitalu Chilufya sacked Dr Aaron Mujajati, the registrar of HPCZ, and removed respected academic Professor Sekelani Banda as board chairperson.
Investigative journalism takes time and money. Help us do more. Be an amaB Supporter.
Chilufya replaced Banda with a senior civil servant, Kennedy Malama, the permanent secretary in charge of administration in his ministry.
Insiders say the dropping of Mujajati was a response to the HPCZ’s threat to close the Mwandi Mission Hospital for major violations of the HPCZ Act.
Mwandi is adjacent to Sesheke District, in the opposition stronghold of Western Zambia, which is facing a by-election this month to replace United Party for National Development MP Frank Kufakwandi.
Kufakwandi died on a recent trip to South Africa, where he was seeking medical attention.
Sources said the ruling Patriotic Front fears that the council’s crackdown on the hospital is costing the party support in the area.
Chilufya could not be reached for comment. His spokesperson, Abel Kabalo, said the minister would only respond when he returns from his official duties. It is unclear when this will be.
The hospital, owned and managed by the United Church of Zambia, was given an ultimatum in August last year to rectify its shortcomings, failing which the HPCZ said it would close it to safeguard the health and safety of patients.
Over the two years Mujajati was at the council’s helm, he pushed for improved conditions and services in public and private hospitals.
The minister seemed to confirm that he had an underlying political motive by telling the state-owned newspaper the Daily Mail that “the last administration was combative and too aggressive in the manner it discharged its activities”.
“[They] have been to mission hospitals and closed them on flimsy reasons such as lack of fire extinguishers,” he said.
It is understood that Mwandi barely survives on largesse from Presbyterian churches in the United States. Funding from the government covers some of its running costs and salaries.
The hospital relies heavily on donations to meet its budget, particularly in order to stock sufficient chemicals needed for various tests. At present, it has no doctors and cannot carry out surgical operations.
A senior doctor who knows the conditions at Mwandi said the hospital failed to renew its licence to operate and had no supervising doctor. Both are required for continued operation.
This was confirmed by a senior official at the Zambia Medical Association.
“Despite that, the council did not close it down. Instead, it gave notice of its intention to close because it is quasi-government,” said the doctor, who asked not to be named.
The doctor said the minister’s move “is a way of sending a message to ensure that no one stands in the way of the governing PF’s chances of retaining power in the 2021 general elections.
“They strongly believe that some of the HCPZ’s actions against health centres that do not comply with the health regulations are making the PF unpopular.
“Recently, the minister was told by officers at Mwandi Hospital that the people in Sesheke ‘will not vote for you’ because the government wants to close the hospital.”
Attempts to get comment from the hospital drew a blank.
A senior government official, who also cannot be named, disclosed that the minister recently held a meeting with senior health ministry officials in which he openly castigated Mujajati for the way he was running the HPCZ.
He also gave instructions for the HPCZ to be audited. However, Mujajati was fired and the board dissolved before the auditors could complete their work.
Apparently concerned about a possible legal challenge, the minister then reconstituted the board but dropped Banda as chairperson. He redirected the new board, led by Malama, to convene an urgent meeting to endorse Mujajati’s dismissal.
In a carefully-worded statement, the ministry said the minister had acted through the Civil Service Commission in recalling Mujajati from “secondment” and “redeployed him to Ndola Central Hospital”.
It also said Banda had been removed as board chairperson and replaced him with Malama.
The legislation states that the council must appoint the registrar “who shall be … chief executive officer, on such terms and conditions as the council may determine”.
However, the press statement about the sacking was issued by the ministry and not the HPCZ board.
Zambian leaders, including President Edgar Lungu, have shown little confidence in the local healthcare system – they flock to South Africa and India for medical treatment at government expense, even for minor complaints.
Most public health institutions are in a dilapidated state and have no drugs to dispense. In many cases, only across-the-counter painkillers are dispensed, even for serious conditions.
Specialised state hospitals have sprung up, including the Cancer Hospital in Lusaka. However, they lack vital equipment and staff.
In one recent case, the relatives of a patient admitted to Lusaka’s University Teaching Hospital after a road accident were advised to look for blood elsewhere because the hospital has no blood reagents.
It is understood that suppliers are holding back because the state owes them millions of dollars.
In December last year, the HPCZ closed 32 health facilities in Lusaka after they were found to be stocking and dispensing expired drugs.
This story was produced by the Makanday Centre for Investigative Journalism in Lusaka (www.makanday.com).
Know more?
Send us a tip off
Evidence Docket
Dig into the evidence yourself.
Cost of extravagant eSwatini project ‘quadrupled to R4.8bn’
Guptas drop millions on double wedding
Digging dung. Fertilising democracy.
Send us a tip-off
TIP-OFFS
NEWSLETTER WHATSAPP
Be an amaBhungane Supporter
READ OUR FINE PRINT
|
cc/2019-30/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line9378
|
__label__wiki
| 0.613965
| 0.613965
|
Artworks' Adventures
Unreliable assessment as a pretext for litigation
ARTinvestment.RU 27 августа 2010
More recently, collectors are increasingly judged with art dealers because of "unfair" evaluation of art
recently Western collectors are increasingly judged with art dealers because of "unfair" evaluation of art objects. Why can not blindly trust an art dealer in the evaluation of his work? This question is Daniel Grant on the pages of The Wall Street Journal . The essence of the actual trials in the U.S., which relies on the author, it makes sense to tell.
sellers always confident that their product can be assessed more. When it appears that the work pushed to the dealer for one price, then resold them much more expensive, the former owner shall submit to the court. The subject of the claim - wrong assessment. How do I claim foreign lawyers in the field of culture and art, the court required proof "that one party to the transaction intentionally misled the other».
In 2008, the heir to Loretta Canadian assets Jolles Shefner (Lorette Jolles Shefner) filed in the District Court of New York claim to the two experts on the French artist Chaim Chaim Soutine (Chaim Soutine) and the National Art Gallery in Washington. Appraisers Maurice Tahmena (Maurice Tuchman) and Esti Dunow (Esti Dunow) accused of disinformation Loretta Shefner who has sold his 2004 painting Soutine "A piece of beef" (1923) for $ 1 million. A few months later, these same dealers resold the canvas National Gallery of Art in Washington for $ 2 million. According to plaintiff, dealers specifically named the owner of examples of paintings by Soutine, who went under the hammer for amounts less than half a million dollars. And more specifically drew her attention to the fact that at the last auction, many of Soutine generally left without buyers. At this Tahmen and have been told that they are experts in authentication, but not about its products and data supplied by the seller of the painting Loretta Shefner, at the time of the transaction were correct. The court sold the National Gallery in Washington now heir was already late Loretta Shefner, but dealers have paid him 210,000 dollars, and without admitting guilt.
similar lawsuit was filed against the art collector dealer from Philadelphia. According to the prosecutor, the dealer "forced" the owner to sell him in 2003 a collection of photographs of Diana Arbus (Diane Arbus) for 3,5 thousand dollars, but six years later, in 2009, the collection was exhibited at the Phillips de Pury auction with a estimeytom several hundred thousand dollars. As a result, the auction house had to withdraw these lots from the auction. The case was decided without a trial, but the official dealer did not admit his guilt.
In 2008, the Supreme Court of New York contacted representatives of the monastic Union, Daughters of St. Mary of the Round Top ( New York). They are charged with premeditated collusion of local appraiser of art and art dealer from Santa Fe, bought them the painting "Virgin of the Angels by William Adolphe Bouguereau (William Adolphe Bouguereau) for 450 thousand dollars and resell it for $ 2 million to another dealer. The case is still pending before a court.
Sometimes victory is on the dealer. Korean Nachun Syn (Najung Seung) bought from a New York dealer Mary Daynaburg (Mary Dinaburg) for 290 thousand dollars painting by Julian Schnabel (Julian Schnabel). Initially, the dealer now valued at 500 thousand. Even after buying Nachun Syn found that painting is worth only 110 thousand. The Supreme Court of New York has not recognized dealer Daynaburg guilty, because it is not an expert on creativity Schnabel and, accordingly, its overestimation was not intentional. In addition, their client could order from Korea and its own expertise, which she did, "blind trust" is not considered a specialist on modern art Daynaburg.
important when considering the matter is that those who designated price. In 1996, Charles and Anne Rice (Carl and Anne Rice) from Tucson (Arizona) on sale of assets of one of the local estates purchased two paintings by Martin Johnson Hida (Martin Johnson Heade) for $ 88. Later they sold the painting at Christie's more than a million dollars. In 1998, in Rice sued, but they were acquitted because the original price of $ 88 designated vendors or their representatives.
Material prepared by Maria Onuchina, AI
Sources: online.wsj.com , artinvestment.ru
Editor's comment : The situation with the misjudgment of Soutine, owned by Loretta Shefner, in fact, is not so unambiguous as it may seem from the article. At first glance, two some middleman held owner of which, I suppose, was an elderly woman. "Rogues tricked the old lady." But the point is that Tahmen Maurice (Maurice Tuchman) and Esti Dunow (Esti Dunow) - it's not random people. That the drafters of the catalog-Raisonne Chaim Soutine ( Chaim Soutine (1893-1943): Catalogue Raisonne ), that is one of the most authoritative experts on his work. It is known that the theme Soutine with carcasses and meat enjoyed less demand of collectors, than as a portrait painter, and there are other things being equal cheaper. So it is quite possible to assume that Tahmen and given at the time suggested that the owner of an assessment close to the market. Another thing is that they themselves had more opportunities to properly present and resell it profile institution - the National Gallery of Art in Washington. When a thing comes from such influential experts, the price is laid a substantial premium. This, of course, only an assumption. All in all a special case.
Situations, when speculators himichat really not enough. And honestly, in our latitudes attempts to resolve the dispute on the fact the courts appear to be a curious and even more so exotic. "Buy cheaper - sell expensive" - this is the first commandment of any trader, especially if he professes business model "and then at least the grass does not grow." How did you have to be gullible enough to believe in the fairness of the price the middleman?
But in order not to fall into such a situation, the owner of the things you need to take the most elementary precautions. Suffice it to get at least one more independent view, that have crept in doubt. Okay, knowledgeable and reputable friends is not at all, but there are books, handbooks, and all have Internet access. There are several databases of auction results. If an artist from the orbit of Russian art (the same mentioned by Soutine), then there is good reason to use a database of artists ARTinvestment.RU with the prices of foreign and our auctions, as well as indicators of the auction risk. There is a budget for a month subscription for 1700 rubles. With it, then all is not so difficult: choose similar parameters for the original work over the past two years, the prices refer to the procedures and draw conclusions. Then you can sing anything, but it is twice just not deceived. About that, how to evaluate the work with ARTinvestment.RU, for beginners written an entire technique . So that our readers, hopefully, not caught with chaff.
Vladimir Bogdanov, AI
Permanent link to:
https://artinvestment.ru/en/invest/stories/20100827__why_you_cant_trust_dealers.html
https://artinvestment.ru/invest/stories/20100827__why_you_cant_trust_dealers.html
When quoting reference to the https://artinvestment.ru without fail
1. Mark Rothko$86,83 million
2. Kazimir Malevich$85,81 million
3. Wassily Kandinsky$41,6 million
4. Marc Chagall$28,45 million
5. Chaim Soutine$28,16 million
6. Alexei Jawlensky$18,59 million
7. Valentin Serov$14,51 million
8. Nicolas de Staël$12,12 million
9. Nicholas Roerich$12,09 million
10. Natalia Goncharova$10,88 million
11. Nicolai Fechin$10,84 million
12. Tamara de Lempicka$9,09 million
13. Ilya Repin$7,43 million
14. Konstantin Somov$7,33 million
15. Ilya Mashkov$7,25 million
16. Boris Kustodiev$7,07 million
17. Vasily Polenov$6,34 million
18. Yuri Annenkov$6,27 million
19. Vasily Vereshchagin$6,15 million
20. Zinaida Serebriakova$5,85 million
21. Ilya Kabakov$5,83 million
22. Alexander Yakovlev$5,56 million
23. Konstantin Makovsky$5,47 million
24. Wladimir Baranoff-Rossine$5,37 million
25. Ivan Aivazovsky$5,34 million
26. Vladimir Borovikovsky$5,02 million
27. Alexander Rodchenko$4,5 million
28. Sonia Delaunay$4,34 million
29. Mikhail Nesterov$4,30 million
30. Vera Rockline$4,04 million
31. Paul Kuznecov$3,97 million
32. Boris Grigoriev$3,72 million
|
cc/2019-30/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line9386
|
__label__wiki
| 0.903523
| 0.903523
|
How a mural is uniting a Bronx community after a 15-year-old’s murder
By Briget Ganske, Student Reporting Labs
This month marks one year since the death of Lesandro “Junior” Guzman-Feliz, a 15-year-old from the Bronx who was killed by gang violence in a case of mistaken identity.
News of the teen’s death spread quickly on social channels after surveillance videos of the attack circulated online. Artist George Fernandez saw the trending hashtag #justiceforjunior on Instagram, which collected photos and videos that captured the community’s grief over Junior’s death. Seeing the messages, Fernandez immediately traveled to New York to create a mural honoring Junior’s life. Fernandez received permission from Junior’s mother, Leandra Feliz, the building owner, and the Bronx borough president to paint the mural on the side of the bodega where Junior was attacked.
“The mural has helped the community remind us that what happened to Junior doesn’t have to happen to anyone else,” said Edilberto Tantau, the property building manager. “We worked together, and this mural is beautiful.”
The Bronx community has organized around Junior’s death, holding rallies and fundraising for the family. In February, the city renamed Bathgate Avenue “Lesandro ‘Junior’ Guzman-Feliz Way.” The trial for five of the 14 suspects charged with first-degree murder began in early May. This week, a jury found this initial group of suspects all guilty in Junior’s death, nearly a year after the teen died. News of the trial is shared on social media through #justiceforjunior.
PBS NewsHour Student Reporting Labs produced this story as part of a special project with Instagram to highlight youth-driven community stories about public art. Students from Bronx Arena High School pitched this story and assisted with production. You can also find this story on the NewsHour’s IGTV.
Briget Ganske, Student Reporting Labs
Arts & Culture OPB Oregon
This Oregon artist wants us to explore how humans are changing the earth
In Miami, how art intersects with technology and climate change
How the protests in Ferguson helped inspire this fantasy novel
How the autobiography of a Muslim slave is challenging an American narrative
|
cc/2019-30/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line9387
|
__label__wiki
| 0.593341
| 0.593341
|
arXiv.org > astro-ph > arXiv:1201.6415
astro-ph.HE
Astrophysics > High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena
Title:The relationship between gamma Cassiopeiae's X-ray emission and its circumstellar environment
Authors:M. A. Smith, R. Lopes de Oliveira, C. Motch, G. W. Henry, N. D. Richardson, K. S. Bjorkman, Ph. Stee, D. Mourard, J. D. Monnier, X. Che, R. Buecke, E. Pollmann, D. R. Gies, G. H. Schaefer, T. ten Brummelaar, H. A. McAlister, N. H. Turner, J. Sturmann, L. Sturmann, S. T. Ridgway
(Submitted on 31 Jan 2012)
Abstract: \gamma Cas is the prototypical classical Be star and is best known for its variable hard X-ray emission. To elucidate the reasons for this emission, we mounted a multiwavelength campaign in 2010 centered around 4 XMM observations. The observational techniques included long baseline optical interferometry (LBOI), monitoring by an Automated Photometric Telescope and Halpha observations. Because gamma Cas is also known to be in a binary, we measured Halpha radial velocities and redetermined its period as 203.55+/-0.2 days and an eccentricity near zero. The LBOI observations suggest that the star's decretion disk was axisymmetric in 2010, has an inclination angle near 45^o, and a larger radius than previously reported. The Be star began an "outburst" at the beginning of our campaign, made visible by a disk brightening and reddening during our campaign. Our analyses of the new high resolution spectra disclosed many attributes found from spectra obtained in 2001 (Chandra) and 2004 (XMM). As well as a dominant hot 14 keV thermal component, these familiar ones included: (i) a fluorescent feature of Fe K stronger than observed at previous times, (ii) strong lines of N VII and Ne XI lines indicative of overabundances, and (iii) a subsolar Fe abundance from K-shell lines but a solar abundance from L-shell ions. We also found that 2 absorption columns are required to fit the continuum. While the first one maintained its historical average of 1X10^21 cm^-2, the second was very large and doubled to 7.4X10^23 cm^-2 during our X-ray observations. Although we found no clear relation between this column density and orbital phase, it correlates well with the disk brightening and reddening both in the 2010 and earlier observations. Thus, the inference from this study is that much (perhaps all?) of the X-ray emission from this source originates behind matter ejected by gamma Cas into our line of sight.
Comments: 17 pages, 9 figures, accepted by Astronomy & Astrophysics
Subjects: High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena (astro-ph.HE)
DOI: 10.1051/0004-6361/201118342
Cite as: arXiv:1201.6415 [astro-ph.HE]
(or arXiv:1201.6415v1 [astro-ph.HE] for this version)
From: Myron A. Smith [view email]
[v1] Tue, 31 Jan 2012 01:46:37 UTC (307 KB)
|
cc/2019-30/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line9388
|
__label__cc
| 0.718521
| 0.281479
|
arXiv.org > quant-ph > arXiv:quant-ph/0307100
Title:Remote preparation of quantum states
Authors:Charles H. Bennett, Patrick Hayden, Debbie W. Leung, Peter W. Shor, Andreas Winter
(Submitted on 15 Jul 2003 (v1), last revised 2 Jun 2004 (this version, v3))
Abstract: Remote state preparation is the variant of quantum state teleportation in which the sender knows the quantum state to be communicated. The original paper introducing teleportation established minimal requirements for classical communication and entanglement but the corresponding limits for remote state preparation have remained unknown until now: previous work has shown, however, that it not only requires less classical communication but also gives rise to a trade-off between these two resources in the appropriate setting. We discuss this problem from first principles, including the various choices one may follow in the definitions of the actual resources. Our main result is a general method of remote state preparation for arbitrary states of many qubits, at a cost of 1 bit of classical communication and 1 bit of entanglement per qubit sent. In this "universal" formulation, these ebit and cbit requirements are shown to be simultaneously optimal by exhibiting a dichotomy. Our protocol then yields the exact trade-off curve for arbitrary ensembles of pure states and pure entangled states (including the case of incomplete knowledge of the ensemble probabilities), based on the recently established quantum-classical trade-off for quantum data compression. The paper includes an extensive discussion of our results, including the impact of the choice of model on the resources, the topic of obliviousness, and an application to private quantum channels and quantum data hiding.
Comments: 21 pages plus 2 figures (eps), revtex4. v2 corrects some errors and adds obliviousness discussion. v3 has section VI C deleted and various minor oversights corrected
Subjects: Quantum Physics (quant-ph)
Journal reference: IEEE Trans. Inform. Theory, vol. 51, no. 1, pp 56-74, 2005.
DOI: 10.1109/TIT.2004.839476
Cite as: arXiv:quant-ph/0307100
(or arXiv:quant-ph/0307100v3 for this version)
From: Andreas Winter [view email]
[v1] Tue, 15 Jul 2003 08:54:03 UTC (59 KB)
[v2] Sat, 2 Aug 2003 10:52:22 UTC (60 KB)
[v3] Wed, 2 Jun 2004 11:19:49 UTC (61 KB)
|
cc/2019-30/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line9389
|
__label__wiki
| 0.591158
| 0.591158
|
Change of Blood Pressure and Circadian Rhythm after Kidney Transplantation in End Stage Renal Disease Patients, The
M. Lee, G. An, Y. Cho, H. Whang, J. Kim, B. Chung, B. Choi, C. Park, Y. Kim, C. Yang
Division of Nephrology, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea
Abstract number: C1181
Subtle Deregulation of Circadian Rhythm in Mice with Partial A20 Knockdown Severely Impacts Lipid Metabolism Following Partial Hepatectomy Causing Defective Regeneration and Increased Lethality
Role of 24 Hour Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring after Pediatric Renal Transplantation
After kidney transplantation (KT), many end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients showed well controlled blood pressure compared to before KT, but the effect of KT on circadian rhythm has not been fully investigated. The aim of this study is to investigate the change of blood pressure and circadian rhythm in ESRD patients after KT.
Twenty-seven patients who took ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) before KT and 1 year after KT. All patients were followed up for at least 1 year. According to the nocturnal reduction of systolic blood pressure(SBP), dipper(ΔSBP ≥10%), non-dipper (0 < ΔSBP ≤10%), and reverse dipper (SBP nocturnal rise) pattern were defined. We investigated blood pressure, anti-hypertensive medication and circadian rhythm both before KT and at 1year after KT.
Proportion of hypertensive patients was decreased from 85 % (23/27) to 37 % (10/27) after KT. The proportion of patients with uncontrolled hypertension (>140 / 90 mmHg with anti-hypertension medication) was decreased from 25% (7/27) to 4% (1/27) after KT. Mean blood pressure in 24 hours ABPM declined after KT from 126.9±19.2/83.5±12.6 to 119.7±8.3/81±7.5mmHg. Number of anti-hypertensive medication significantly decreased as well ; it was 1.9 ± 1.35 before KT and 0.5 ±0.8 after KT. However, circadian rhythm showed deteriorating pattern. Five out of twenty-seven (18%) patients were dippers before KT, however, it decreased to only 7% (2 / 27) and the reverse dippers were increased from 21%(6/27) to 32%(9/27) post-transplant 1 year.
The overall blood pressure improved; the proportion of hypertension decreased and anti-hypertensive medication was successfully weaned off in some patients after kidney transplantation. However, abnormal circadian rhythm does not improve in most patients even after kidney transplantation.
Lee M, An G, Cho Y, Whang H, Kim J, Chung B, Choi B, Park C, Kim Y, Yang C. Change of Blood Pressure and Circadian Rhythm after Kidney Transplantation in End Stage Renal Disease Patients, The [abstract]. Am J Transplant. 2013; 13 (suppl 5). https://atcmeetingabstracts.com/abstract/change-of-blood-pressure-and-circadian-rhythm-after-kidney-transplantation-in-end-stage-renal-disease-patients-the/. Accessed July 16, 2019.
|
cc/2019-30/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line9396
|
__label__cc
| 0.716244
| 0.283756
|
Vestec Hotels
Accommodation in Vestec
See Vestec hotels on a map
Hotels in Vestec, Czech Republic
What's Vestec Like?
If you're looking to discover somewhere new, look no further than Vestec. Whether you're planning to stay for a night or for the week, the area around Vestec has accommodations to fit every need. Search for hotels in Vestec with Hotels.com by checking our online map. Our map displays the areas and neighborhoods around all Vestec hotels so you can see how close you are from landmarks and attractions, and then refine your search within the larger area. The best Vestec hotel deals are here with our lowest price guarantee.
Things to See and Do in Vestec
Things to See near Vestec:
• Column of the Revelation of Mary (5.2 mi/8.4 km from the city center)
• Podebrady Castle (6.3 mi/10.2 km from the city center)
• Church of St. Wenceslas (5.2 mi/8.4 km from the city center)
• Zamek Loucen (6.3 mi/10.1 km from the city center)
|
cc/2019-30/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line9402
|
__label__cc
| 0.744501
| 0.255499
|
OPPO announces new partnership with Officeworks, bringing their phones everywhere
Chris Rowland 8 November 2016 Mobiles 2 Comments
Companies: Oppo
Chinese mobile juggernaut OPPO continues its push into the Australian market, with it’s signing of a national retail agreement with Officeworks. Not content with becoming the largest mobile manufacturer in China, and having more than 22% market share, OPPO clearly wants to make further inroads to the Australian market, and with great products, it’s not hard to see their continued success.
The partnership with Officeworks will see OPPO’s popular smartphones, including the F1s, R9 and R9 Plus on shelves across the nation, making the company’s products even more accessible to the average consumer.
OPPO’s Michael Tran had this to say on the announcement:
“Officeworks is one of Australia’s most respected retailers, so we’re delighted to be working with them. We’re still a relatively young player in the Australian market, so it just goes to show there is real appetite among consumers for our premium yet affordable smartphones.
The feedback we’ve received shows when Aussies experience our products, they fall in love with them. Officeworks will enable us to get our products into the hands of more consumers nationwide, helping to improve brand awareness and increase sales.”
With more than 160 Officeworks stores across the country to carry OPPO devices, there’s a big increase in the number of eyeballs that will be on product, and undoubtedly, OPPO is excited about this development.
OPPO’s smartphones will be available to buy outright, in store and online, from November 7. Pricing for some of the more popular models includes $348 for the F1s, $549 for the R9 and $629 for the R9 Plus.
One of the biggest hurdles to getting phones in hands is brand recognition, and getting people to actually see your wares. OPPO have already got past the first bit — there are a good number of people, just the everyday person on the street, who know that OPPO is a mobile phone brand. Unlike some other brands, the name is easy to pronounce, too, which helps here.
Getting OPPO phones in Officeworks stores, when they’re already in JB HiFi and other retailers, gives the Chinese company 160 more stores where its products can be seen, touched, used and sold. Undoubtedly a good move.
This is the strategy that has got OPPO in more hands than any other brand in China; having their product in stores all over the place. While that strategy suits the Chinese market, there is merit to it here in Australia too. While many are happy to buy products without going hands-on, there’s still a significant portion of the market which is more cautious, which prefers to try things, feel them, and see how they look and work before spending cash.
With affordable phones, this is undoubtedly the market OPPO wants to seize, and it’s doing exactly the right thing to get them.
Chris Rowland
Chris Rowland Managing Editor
Chris has been at the forefront of smartphone reporting in Australia since smartphones were a thing, and has used mobile phones since they came with giant lead-acid batteries that were "transportable" and were carried in a shoulder bag.
Today, Chris publishes one of Australia's most popular technology websites, Ausdroid. His interests include mobile (of course), as well as connected technology and how it can make all our lives easier.
chris@ausdroid.media @ozcjr View Chris's posts
Previous Android Auto 2.0 is coming out, with stand-alone mode for use in ANY car
Next iFixit gives the Google Home the teardown treatment, scores 8/10
Yes, I agree. The R9 Plus still has dropout issues with Telstra, 4 months after I alerted them. Will never buy again.
khalido
Oppo phones have great hardware for the price, but the software is meh and for a new company trying to expand in Australia their warranty service is hopeless, even for obvious phone faults like dropping calls in a high signal area, where it was clearly the handset at fault.
I can see that the low price comes with a low warranty, but I was still surprised at Oppo Australia’s cavalier attitude to serious phone issues.
HTC set to release four new entry-level smartphones under the Wildfire moniker
For those with long memories the original HTC Wildfire was released in 2010 but with …
Hold on to your wallets, Samsung’s Galaxy Note 10 pricing is said to start at €999 · 1 hour ago.
|
cc/2019-30/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line9404
|
__label__cc
| 0.528862
| 0.471138
|
Theoretical Chemistry Comes Alive: Full Partner with Experiment
Goddard, William A., III (1985) Theoretical Chemistry Comes Alive: Full Partner with Experiment. Science, 227 (4689). pp. 917-923. ISSN 0036-8075. http://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechAUTHORS:20150107-140645791
During the last decade, advances in computational techniques and in the extraction of chemically useful concepts from electronic wave functions have put theorists into the mainstream of chemistry. Some recent examples of the prediction of spectroscopic quantities and the elucidation of catalytic processes for homogeneous and heterogeneous reactions from theoretical calculations are used to illustrate how theory and experiment are now full partners in chemical research. It is expected that during the next decade the thrust of theoretical chemistry will be to combine the knowledge of fundamental chemical steps and fundamental interactions with advances in chemical dynamics and irreversible statistical mechanics and in computer technology to produce simulations of chemical systems with competing reactions taking place simultaneously at various reaction sites. The promise of such simulation is illustrated by a study of the enzyme thermolysin.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.227.4689.917 DOI Article
http://www.sciencemag.org/content/227/4689/917 Publisher Article
http://www.jstor.org/stable/1694761 JSTOR Article
Goddard, William A., III 0000-0003-0097-5716
© 1985 American Association for the Advancement of Science. Contribution No. 7139 from the Arthur Amos Noyes Laboratory of Chemical Physics. Parts of the work reported here were supported by grants from the National Science Foundation (CHE83-18041 and DMR82-15650), the Donors of the Petroleum Research Fund of the American Chemical Society (13110-AC5,6), and by contracts with the Department of Energy (Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Energy conversion and Utilization Technologies Program) and Shell Development Company. It is also a pleasure to acknowledge the excitement and fun of interacting with the excellent graduate students at Caltech. I particularly thank Dr. Larry Harding, Argonne National Laboratory, for his work on the CH2 molecule; Professor Tony Rappe, Colorado State University, for his work on metathesis; Dr. Janet Allison for her work on the reactions on MoO_3; and Dr. Barry Olafson for his work on thermolysin.
NSF CHE83-18041
NSF DMR82-15650
American Chemical Society Petroleum Research Fund 13110-AC5,6
Department of Energy (DOE) UNSPECIFIED
Shell Development Company UNSPECIFIED
Caltech Arthur Amos Noyes Laboratory 7139
WAG 0193
Theoretical Chemistry Comes Alive: Full Partner with Experiment William A. Goddard III Science 22 February 1985: 227 (4689), 917-923. [DOI:10.1126/science.227.4689.917]
|
cc/2019-30/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line9406
|
__label__cc
| 0.672708
| 0.327292
|
Home » Research » Projects » Fiddler crabs: current projects
Fiddler crabs: current projects
Patricia Backwell
Backwell Group - Behavioural ecology of fiddler crabs
We work on many aspects of the natural (field-based) behaviour of fiddlers.
The following three projects are currently running:
Luck affects our lives in numerous ways: a car accident, meeting Mr. Right, missing a plane. Does luck also affect the lives of animals? Do some animals get lucky breaks while others never get a break? This project looks at the role of chance in the lives of free-living animals: fiddler crabs in the mangrove forests of Darwin, Northern Territory. How much control do individuals have over important aspects of their lives, like their mating success?
One of the major effects of climate change is rising sea levels. This will have devastating effects for those who own million dollar waterfront properties, but it will have even greater effects on the animals that live in mangrove forests at the water’s edge. As the space available gets smaller and smaller, animals will be increasingly stressed by competition, overcrowding and disrupted life cycles. Intertidal animals are the first to feel the effects of sea level rise. Can they adapt? This project examines the stressors and responses of fiddler crabs to sea level rise in the mangroves of Darwin, Northern Territory.
Synchronised movements are extremely common in many animals. Synchrony is a key element of human dance and music; and our heart muscle cells contract in synchrony to facilitate each heartbeat. Fish schools turn in synchrony. Many birds fly in synchronous twists and swirls. Synchronised movements are almost always a co-operative behaviour in which each individual benefits by being in synch with others. In the fiddler crabs of Darwin, however, males wave in synchrony when they are trying to attract a female for mating; and this behaviour is NOT co-operative. It is, in fact, competitive. Males compete with each other to wave before other males (because females have a strong preference for leading waves). This project looks at the differences between cooperative and competitive synchrony in many systems, including the fiddler crabs of Darwin harbour.
Weare also looking for PhD students to work on the following topics:
How and why to male neighbours help each other?
How can we use robotic technology to investigate animal behaviour?
How is climate change affecting fiddler crabs?
Can females compensate for increased temperatures by changing their behaviours?
Is there forced mating in fiddler crabs? Can females avoid it?
How complex can behaviours be when an animal has a minute brain and a v ery simple nervous system?
Is it neccessary to evoke 'good genes' to explain female mating preferences?
|
cc/2019-30/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line9419
|
__label__wiki
| 0.902151
| 0.902151
|
Daily Intelligencer
Where downtown Manhattan and north Brooklyn intersect.
Gallery Scene No Comments
Music Blog-Turned-Zine Alt Citizen Gets Even Realer With Shop and Gallery
May 4, 2015 By Nicole Disser
a peek inside the space (Photo: Cheryl Georgette Arent)
Alt Citizen has been doing their thing since 2012– the music blog’s bread-and-butter is album reviews (past and present), essays, show recommendations (mostly local Brooklyn stuff), and interviews with bands from all over. Last year, they expanded to a pocket-sized zine, of which three issues have dropped. “When you do a blog for years you start to go crazy not having a tangible thing to show people in terms of what you’re working on, so the zine naturally came out of that,” editor-in-chief and founder Nasa Hadizadeh admitted. The same impetus was behind Alt Space, a brand new storefront and gallery Alt Citizen is opening in Bushwick next week.
Despite being swamped with editing the blog, corralling a team of writers, freelancers, and photographers, and putting on events like Cult Citizen– a monthly showcase happening at Baby’s All Right that debuted in April with local bands Bluffing and Lightning Bug as well as Modern Vices from Chicago, (curated with the help of Julian Casablancas’ record label, Cult Records)– Nasa is excited about the shop, (located just a block from her apartment) which she sees as the culmination of her efforts with the blog.
“I’ve worked in a gallery before, Front Room Gallery in Williamsburg for a couple of years, but when I stumbled across the space I was like, this is a great deal and it made sense right away,” she said. “As soon as I found the location I was like, I can do this and it’s just like making a zine, in a way.”
The shop, Nasa says, will be a “very well-curated concept store,” with zines, clothing, vinyl, tapes, art prints, posters. Alt Citizen tapped into its built-in resources to help stock it. “A stylist we collaborate with, Phil Gomez, on a lot of shoots is curating the clothing selection,” she said. “Stuff like one-of-a-kind pieces from designers he really believes in.”
And the products will be an outgrowth of the blog’s content. “It gives us the opportunity to talk about more things,” she said. “Alt Citizen is mostly music right now, but now we have an environment to curate other things we like– clothes, T-shirts, vinyl. It just gives us more of a platform to bring our curation to other things.”
For the uninitiated, Alt Citizen focuses on indie rock (Foxygen), psych (The Growlers), garage (The Lagoonas), punk (Dilly Dally), hip hop (Earl Sweatshirt), and even folk (Nick Drake). The vibe is a know-it-when-you-see-it sort of thing — it’s a little more daring and diverse than say Stereogum, but not as comprehensive, measured, or assailable as Pitchfork.
“I feel like a lot of these publications take the time to negatively criticize things they don’t like. We’re not about that approach. I like to talk about things that I like, personally, and shed light on things that are overlooked,” Nasa explained. “I mean, somedays we might miss the hot new song of the day, but we’ll throw it into a mixtape later on. I feel like sometimes when a new song comes out, two minutes later Pitchfork has a full page review and it’s about how it’s terrible. It’s like, why take the time to even do that? We do have critical album reviews, which is fine, but we’ll never take the time to write about every single new song that comes out.”
The blog also devotes a sizable portion of its output to older music. “We do lots of throwback album reviews. I kind of don’t see art as having an expiration date, you know?” Nasa explained. “We like it if we like it and we’re bringing that same curation people have learned they can rely on us for to the physical space.”
As invested as Alt Citizen is in music, Alt Space will be a means of moving more generally into the world of “culture” and making closer connections with the Brooklyn art scene.
“We do have a huge supportive community online, but being an internet person isn’t for everyone,” Nasa said. “So I’m excited to see how much more of a connection we can have with the community here by having a physical presence. We’ve done a lot for musicians and I’m looking forward to connecting more with local artists and designers.”
The gallery’s debut show is timed with Alt Space’s grand opening on May 15. New York City-based artist Brian Leo will open Pancake Ferrari, featuring paintings created just for the show as well as floor-to-ceiling installations that Nasa described as “really bright, colorful pieces.” The artist describes his work as “garage pop surrealism.”
“Pancake Ferrari” by Brian Leo, acrylic on canvas
While a gallery opening in Bushwick is about as surprising as smelling urine in your building’s hallway, Nasa assured us the space would resist the sort of stuffiness that is becoming more commonplace at some of the newer gallery spots opening in the neighborhood. “We renovated it, but we definitely brought a DIY charm to it,” she said. “Everything is really colorful and playful but it’s not like a stuffy gallery at all.”
Whereas many Bushwick galleries are open when they’re open but otherwise pretty sealed off, Alt-Space aims to have more of a hangout vibe. “It’s a space for creatives to find inspiration and for other creatives to showcase what they’re working on,” Nasa explained. “It’s going to be a very community-oriented kind of space.”
Alt Space is located at 41 Montrose Avenue between Lorimer and Union, check out the opening party on May 15th and stay tuned for issue #4 of Alt Citizen, dropping in August.
Tags: Alt Space, Alt-Citizen, art, Art + Culture, art opening, Brian Leo, Bushwick, cult records, culture, galleries, gallery opening, gallery scene, music, openings, shopping + fashion
« What Twitter Is Saying About Los Angeles Luring New Yorkers » Talks + Readings: Headscarves, Hymens, Spinsters and an Anti-Bridget Jones
Fashion + Shopping »
Arts + Culture »
Housing + Development »
Crime + Community »
Bars + Restaurants »
About B + B
Bedford + Bowery is where downtown Manhattan and north Brooklyn intersect. Produced by NYU’s Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute in collaboration with New York magazine, B + B covers the East Village, Lower East Side, Williamsburg, Greenpoint, Bushwick, and beyond. Want to contribute? Send a tip? E-mail the editor.
© Bedford + Bowery 2019
Powered by Powered by WordPress.com.Themify WordPress Themes
|
cc/2019-30/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line9436
|
__label__cc
| 0.661241
| 0.338759
|
Wheeler Professional Reticle Leveling System Review
In the old (pre-Wheeler Professional Reticle Leveling System) days, mounting a scope was a big production. The old way was to first set a rifle to level it out. Back then the scope was placed in the rings, and the shooter used their eye to level the horizontal bar of the reticle. The shooter would adjust the vertical component, until it was properly perpendicular to the axis of the rifle. This method was effective most of the time, but not always. It also took a lot of time and effort.
Nowadays, there are some fairly affordable reticle-leveling systems available. But for professionals who mount scopes for customers, a much more effective system is needed. That’s where the Wheeler Professional Reticle Leveling System comes in.
The Wheeler Professional Reticle Leveling System is probably the most effective tool that can be used to align a scope precisely. It’s made from anodized aluminum, and it comes with factory adjusted calibration set screws, aluminum level housings, Computer Numeric Control machined aluminum level housings, and a protective molded case. It also comes with an easy to understand and implement instructions.
This system can be used for just about any type of firearm. The list includes falling block action (aka dropping-block or sliding-block), bolt action, pump action or semi-autos, including AR platforms.
This is probably one of those tools that when used, people can’t tolerate anything less afterwards. The Wheeler Professional Reticle Leveling System is a supreme example of a tool that helps people mount a scope correctly. With this instrument, leveling out the reticle on a new scope takes an astonishingly short amount of time. The instructions are quite easy to follow as well.
Of course, the bad news here is the price. But for those who tend to mount scopes regularly such as gunsmiths and dealers, this tool is priceless. It may even be a worthy investment for those who have bought expensive scopes, since mounting such a scope incorrectly renders them virtually useless.
Some people simply want the best, but others need the best. When it comes to mounting a scope, some people who do it regularly for their customers have to make sure that they’re doing it right—and that they’re doing it quickly too. With this system, they can be sure that they’re mounting a scope correctly.
When it comes to quickly setting up a scope for maximum precision, there’s probably no other system out there that can match the excellence of the Wheeler Professional Reticle Leveling System. It’s that good.
Wheeler Engineering Professional Reticle Leveling System with Heavy-Duty Construction, Universal Design and Storage Case for Gunsmithing and Maintenance
Categories Levels, Scope AccessoriesTags Accessories, Review Post navigation
Flip Up Front and Rear Back up Iron Sight Review
Vortex Optics Riflescope Bubble Level Review
|
cc/2019-30/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line9438
|
__label__cc
| 0.682178
| 0.317822
|
Chinese (Simplified) / 简体中文 (zh-CN)
Spanish / Español (es)
French / Français (fr)
German / Deutsch (de)
Japanese / 日本語 (ja)
Russian / Русский (ru)
cri-o
Expand panels
Hide met & N/A
Projects that follow the best practices below can voluntarily self-certify and show that they've achieved a Core Infrastructure Initiative (CII) badge.
There is no set of practices that can guarantee that software will never have defects or vulnerabilities; even formal methods can fail if the specifications or assumptions are wrong. Nor is there any set of practices that can guarantee that a project will sustain a healthy and well-functioning development community. However, following best practices can help improve the results of projects. For example, some practices enable multi-person review before release, which can both help find otherwise hard-to-find technical vulnerabilities and help build trust and a desire for repeated interaction among developers from different companies. To earn a badge, all MUST and MUST NOT criteria must be met, all SHOULD criteria must be met OR be unmet with justification, and all SUGGESTED criteria must be met OR unmet (we want them considered at least). If you want to enter justification text as a generic comment, instead of being a rationale that the situation is acceptable, start the text block with '//' followed by a space. Feedback is welcome via the GitHub site as issues or pull requests There is also a mailing list for general discussion.
We gladly provide the information in several locales, however, if there is any conflict or inconsistency between the translations, the English version is the authoritative version.
If this is your project, please show your badge status on your project page! The badge status looks like this: Here is how to embed it:
You can show your badge status by embedding this in your markdown file:
[](https://bestpractices.coreinfrastructure.org/projects/2298)
or by embedding this in your HTML:
<a href="https://bestpractices.coreinfrastructure.org/projects/2298"><img src="https://bestpractices.coreinfrastructure.org/projects/2298/badge"></a>
These are the level criteria. You can also view the or level criteria.
Basics 2/17 ●
What is the human-readable name of the project?
Note that other projects may use the same name.
What is a brief description of the project?
Open Container Initiative-based implementation of Kubernetes Container Runtime Interface
What is the URL for the project (as a whole)?
https://cri-o.io
What is the URL for the version control repository (it may be the same as the project URL)?
https://github.com/kubernetes-sigs/cri-o
Criterion [achieve_passing]
Unmet
The project MUST achieve a passing level badge. [achieve_passing]
Basic project website content
The information on how to contribute MUST include the requirements for acceptable contributions (e.g., a reference to any required coding standard). (URL required) [contribution_requirements]
https://github.com/kubernetes-sigs/cri-o/blob/master/CONTRIBUTING.md
Project oversight
Criterion [dco]
The project SHOULD have a legal mechanism where all developers of non-trivial amounts of project software assert that they are legally authorized to make these contributions. The most common and easily-implemented approach for doing this is by using a Developer Certificate of Origin (DCO), where users add "signed-off-by" in their commits and the project links to the DCO website. However, this MAY be implemented as a Contributor License Agreement (CLA), or other legal mechanism. (URL required) [dco]
The DCO is the recommended mechanism because it's easy to implement, tracked in the source code, and git directly supports a "signed-off" feature using "commit -s". To be most effective it is best if the project documentation explains what "signed-off" means for that project. A CLA is a legal agreement that defines the terms under which intellectual works have been licensed to an organization or project. A contributor assignment agreement (CAA) is a legal agreement that transfers rights in an intellectual work to another party; projects are not required to have CAAs, since having CAA increases the risk that potential contributors will not contribute, especially if the receiver is a for-profit organization. The Apache Software Foundation CLAs (the individual contributor license and the corporate CLA) are examples of CLAs, for projects which determine that the risks of these kinds of CLAs to the project are less than their benefits.
Criterion [governance]
The project MUST clearly define and document its project governance model (the way it makes decisions, including key roles). (URL required) [governance]
There needs to be some well-established documented way to make decisions and resolve disputes. In small projects, this may be as simple as "the project owner and lead makes all final decisions". There are various governance models, including benevolent dictator and formal meritocracy; for more details, see Governance models. Both centralized (e.g., single-maintainer) and decentralized (e.g., group maintainers) approaches have been successfully used in projects. The governance information does not need to document the possibility of creating a project fork, since that is always possible for FLOSS projects.
Criterion [code_of_conduct]
The project MUST adopt a code of conduct and post it in a standard location. (URL required) [code_of_conduct]
Projects may be able to improve the civility of their community and to set expectations about acceptable conduct by adopting a code of conduct. This can help avoid problems before they occur and make the project a more welcoming place to encourage contributions. This should focus only on behavior within the community/workplace of the project. Example codes of conduct are the Linux kernel code of conduct, the Contributor Covenant Code of Conduct, the Debian Code of Conduct, the Ubuntu Code of Conduct, the Fedora Code of Conduct, the GNOME Code Of Conduct, the KDE Community Code of Conduct, the Python Community Code of Conduct, The Ruby Community Conduct Guideline, and The Rust Code of Conduct.
Criterion [roles_responsibilities]
The project MUST clearly define and publicly document the key roles in the project and their responsibilities, including any tasks those roles must perform. It MUST be clear who has which role(s), though this might not be documented in the same way. (URL required) [roles_responsibilities]
The documentation for governance and roles and responsibilities may be in one place.
Criterion [access_continuity]
The project MUST be able to continue with minimal interruption if any one person is incapacitated or killed. In particular, the project MUST be able to create and close issues, accept proposed changes, and release versions of software, within a week of confirmation that an individual is incapacitated or killed. This MAY be done by ensuring someone else has any necessary keys, passwords, and legal rights to continue the project. Individuals who run a FLOSS project MAY do this by providing keys in a lockbox and a will providing any needed legal rights (e.g., for DNS names). (URL required) [access_continuity]
Criterion [bus_factor]
The project SHOULD have a "bus factor" of 2 or more. (URL required) [bus_factor]
A "bus factor" (aka "truck factor") is the minimum number of project members that have to suddenly disappear from a project ("hit by a bus") before the project stalls due to lack of knowledgeable or competent personnel. The truck-factor tool can estimate this for projects on GitHub. For more information, see Assessing the Bus Factor of Git Repositories by Cosentino et al.
Criterion [documentation_roadmap]
The project MUST have a documented roadmap that describes what the project intends to do and not do for at least the next year. (URL required) [documentation_roadmap]
The project might not achieve the roadmap, and that's fine; the purpose of the roadmap is to help potential users and constributors understand the intended direction of the project. It need not be detailed.
Criterion [documentation_architecture]
The project MUST include documentation of the architecture (aka high-level design) of the software produced by the project. If the project does not produce software, select "not applicable" (N/A). (URL required) [documentation_architecture]
A software architecture explains a program's fundamental structures, i.e., the program's major components, the relationships among them, and the key properties of these components and relationships.
Criterion [documentation_security]
The project MUST document what the user can and cannot expect in terms of security from the software produced by the project (its "security requirements"). (URL required) [documentation_security]
These are the security requirements that the software is intended to meet.
Criterion [documentation_quick_start]
The project MUST provide a "quick start" guide for new users to help them quickly do something with the software. (URL required) [documentation_quick_start]
The idea is to show users how to get started and make the software do anything at all. This is critically important for potential users to get started.
Criterion [documentation_current]
The project MUST make an effort to keep the documentation consistent with the current version of the project results (including software produced by the project). Any known documentation defects making it inconsistent MUST be fixed. If the documentation is generally current, but erroneously includes some older information that is no longer true, just treat that as a defect, then track and fix as usual. [documentation_current]
The documentation MAY include information about differences or changes between versions of the software and/or link to older versions of the documentation. The intent of this criterion is that an effort is made to keep the documentation consistent, not that the documentation must be perfect.
Criterion [documentation_achievements]
The project repository front page and/or website MUST identify and hyperlink to any achievements, including this best practices badge, within 48 hours of public recognition that the achievement has been attained. (URL required) [documentation_achievements]
An achievement is any set of external criteria that the project has specifically worked to meet, including some badges. This information does not need to be on the project website front page. A project using GitHub can put achievements on the repository front page by adding them to the README file.
Accessibility and internationalization
Criterion [accessibility_best_practices]
The project (both project sites and project results) SHOULD follow accessibility best practices so that persons with disabilities can still participate in the project and use the project results where it is reasonable to do so. [accessibility_best_practices]
For web applications, see the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.0) and its supporting document Understanding WCAG 2.0; see also W3C accessibility information. For GUI applications, consider using the environment-specific accessibility guidelines (such as Gnome, KDE, XFCE, Android, iOS, Mac, and Windows). Some TUI applications (e.g. `ncurses` programs) can do certain things to make themselves more accessible (such as `alpine`'s `force-arrow-cursor` setting). Most command-line applications are fairly accessible as-is. This criterion is often N/A, e.g., for program libraries. Here are some examples of actions to take or issues to consider:
Provide text alternatives for any non-text content so that it can be changed into other forms people need, such as large print, braille, speech, symbols or simpler language ( WCAG 2.0 guideline 1.1)
Color is not used as the only visual means of conveying information, indicating an action, prompting a response, or distinguishing a visual element. ( WCAG 2.0 guideline 1.4.1)
The visual presentation of text and images of text has a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1, except for large text, incidental text, and logotypes ( WCAG 2.0 guideline 1.4.3)
Make all functionality available from a keyboard (WCAG guideline 2.1)
A GUI or web-based project SHOULD test with at least one screen-reader on the target platform(s) (e.g. NVDA, Jaws, or WindowEyes on Windows; VoiceOver on Mac & iOS; Orca on Linux/BSD; TalkBack on Android). TUI programs MAY work to reduce overdraw to prevent redundant reading by screen-readers.
Criterion [internationalization]
The software produced by the project SHOULD be internationalized to enable easy localization for the target audience's culture, region, or language. If internationalization (i18n) does not apply (e.g., the software doesn't generate text intended for end-users and doesn't sort human-readable text), select "not applicable" (N/A). [internationalization]
Localization "refers to the adaptation of a product, application or document content to meet the language, cultural and other requirements of a specific target market (a locale)." Internationalization is the "design and development of a product, application or document content that enables easy localization for target audiences that vary in culture, region, or language." (See W3C's "Localization vs. Internationalization".) Software meets this criterion simply by being internationalized. No localization for another specific language is required, since once software has been internationalized it's possible for others to work on localization.
Criterion [sites_password_security]
If the project sites (website, repository, and download URLs) store passwords for authentication of external users, the passwords MUST be stored as iterated hashes with a per-user salt by using a key stretching (iterated) algorithm (e.g., PBKDF2, Bcrypt or Scrypt). If the project sites do not store passwords for this purpose, select "not applicable" (N/A). [sites_password_security]
Note that the use of GitHub meets this criterion. This criterion only applies to passwords used for authentication of external users into the project sites. If the project sites must log in to other sites, they may need to store passwords for that purpose differently (since using an algorithm like Bcrypt would make those passwords useless). This applies criterion crypto_password_storage to the project sites, similar to sites_https.
Change Control 0/1 ●
Criterion [maintenance_or_update]
The project MUST maintain the most often used older versions of the product or provide an upgrade path to newer versions. If the upgrade path is difficult, the project MUST document how to perform the upgrade (e.g., the interfaces that have changed and detailed suggested steps to help upgrade). [maintenance_or_update]
Reporting 0/3 ●
Bug-reporting process
The project MUST use an issue tracker for tracking individual issues. [report_tracker]
Warning: Requires lengthier justification.
Vulnerability report process
Criterion [vulnerability_report_credit]
The project MUST give credit to the reporter(s) of all vulnerability reports resolved in the last 12 months, except for the reporter(s) who request anonymity. If there have been no vulnerabilities resolved in the last 12 months, select "not applicable" (N/A). (URL required) [vulnerability_report_credit]
Criterion [vulnerability_response_process]
The project MUST have a documented process for responding to vulnerability reports. (URL required) [vulnerability_response_process]
This is strongly related to vulnerability_report_process, which requires that there be a documented way to report vulnerabilities. It also related to vulnerability_report_response, which requires response to vulnerability reports within a certain time frame.
Quality 0/19 ●
Coding standards
Criterion [coding_standards]
The project MUST identify the specific coding style guides for the primary languages it uses, and require that contributions generally comply with it. (URL required) [coding_standards]
In most cases this is done by referring to some existing style guide(s), possibly listing differences. These style guides can include ways to improve readability and ways to reduce the likelihood of defects (including vulnerabilities). Many programming languages have one or more widely-used style guides. Examples of style guides include Google's style guides and SEI CERT Coding Standards.
Criterion [coding_standards_enforced]
The project MUST automatically enforce its selected coding style(s) if there is at least one FLOSS tool that can do so in the selected language(s). [coding_standards_enforced]
This MAY be implemented using static analysis tool(s) and/or by forcing the code through code reformatters. In many cases the tool configuration is included in the project's repository (since different projects may choose different configurations). Projects MAY allow style exceptions (and typically will); where exceptions occur, they MUST be rare and documented in the code at their locations, so that these exceptions can be reviewed and so that tools can automatically handle them in the future. Examples of such tools include ESLint (JavaScript), Rubocop (Ruby), and devtools check (R).
Working build system
Criterion [build_standard_variables]
Build systems for native binaries MUST honor the relevant compiler and linker (environment) variables passed in to them (e.g., CC, CFLAGS, CXX, CXXFLAGS, and LDFLAGS) and pass them to compiler and linker invocations. A build system MAY extend them with additional flags; it MUST NOT simply replace provided values with its own. If no native binaries are being generated, select "not applicable" (N/A). [build_standard_variables]
It should be easy to enable special build features like Address Sanitizer (ASAN), or to comply with distribution hardening best practices (e.g., by easily turning on compiler flags to do so).
Criterion [build_preserve_debug]
The build and installation system SHOULD preserve debugging information if they are requested in the relevant flags (e.g., "install -s" is not used). If there is no build or installation system (e.g., typical JavaScript libraries), select "not applicable" (N/A). [build_preserve_debug]
E.G., setting CFLAGS (C) or CXXFLAGS (C++) should create the relevant debugging information if those languages are used, and they should not be stripped during installation. Debugging information is needed for support and analysis, and also useful for measuring the presence of hardening features in the compiled binaries.
Criterion [build_non_recursive]
The build system for the software produced by the project MUST NOT recursively build subdirectories if there are cross-dependencies in the subdirectories. If there is no build or installation system (e.g., typical JavaScript libraries), select "not applicable" (N/A). [build_non_recursive]
The project build system's internal dependency information needs to be accurate, otherwise, changes to the project may not build correctly. Incorrect builds can lead to defects (including vulnerabilities). A common mistake in large build systems is to use a "recursive build" or "recursive make", that is, a hierarchy of subdirectories containing source files, where each subdirectory is independently built. Unless each subdirectory is fully independent, this is a mistake, because the dependency information is incorrect.
Criterion [build_repeatable]
The project MUST be able to repeat the process of generating information from source files and get exactly the same bit-for-bit result. If no building occurs (e.g., scripting languages where the source code is used directly instead of being compiled), select "not applicable" (N/A). [build_repeatable]
GCC and clang users may find the -frandom-seed option useful; in some cases, this can be resolved by forcing some sort order. More suggestions can be found at the reproducible build site.
Installation system
Criterion [installation_common]
The project MUST provide a way to easily install and uninstall the software produced by the project using a commonly-used convention. [installation_common]
Examples include using a package manager (at the system or language level), "make install/uninstall" (supporting DESTDIR), a container in a standard format, or a virtual machine image in a standard format. The installation and uninstallation process (e.g., its packaging) MAY be implemented by a third party as long as it is FLOSS.
Criterion [installation_standard_variables]
The installation system for end-users MUST honor standard conventions for selecting the location where built artifacts are written to at installation time. For example, if it installs files on a POSIX system it MUST honor the DESTDIR environment variable. If there is no installation system or no standard convention, select "not applicable" (N/A). [installation_standard_variables]
Criterion [installation_development_quick]
The project MUST provide a way for potential developers to quickly install all the project results and support environment necessary to make changes, including the tests and test environment. This MUST be performed with a commonly-used convention. [installation_development_quick]
This MAY be implemented using a generated container and/or installation script(s). External dependencies would typically be installed by invoking system and/or language package manager(s), per external_dependencies.
Externally-maintained components
Criterion [external_dependencies]
The project MUST list external dependencies in a computer-processable way. (URL required) [external_dependencies]
Typically this is done using the conventions of package manager and/or build system. Note that this helps implement installation_development_quick.
Criterion [dependency_monitoring]
Projects MUST monitor or periodically check their external dependencies (including convenience copies) to detect known vulnerabilities, and fix exploitable vulnerabilities or verify them as unexploitable. [dependency_monitoring]
This can be done using an origin analyzer / dependency checking tool such as OWASP's Dependency-Check, Sonatype's Nexus Auditor, Black Duck's Protex, Synopsys' Protecode, and Bundler-audit (for Ruby). Some package managers include mechanisms to do this. It is acceptable if the components' vulnerability cannot be exploited, but this analysis is difficult and it is sometimes easier to simply update or fix the part.
Criterion [updateable_reused_components]
The project MUST either:
make it easy to identify and update reused externally-maintained components; or
use the standard components provided by the system or programming language.
Then, if a vulnerability is found in a reused component, it will be easy to update that component. [updateable_reused_components]
A typical way to meet this criterion is to use system and programming language package management systems. Many FLOSS programs are distributed with "convenience libraries" that are local copies of standard libraries (possibly forked). By itself, that's fine. However, if the program *must* use these local (forked) copies, then updating the "standard" libraries as a security update will leave these additional copies still vulnerable. This is especially an issue for cloud-based systems; if the cloud provider updates their "standard" libaries but the program won't use them, then the updates don't actually help. See, e.g., "Chromium: Why it isn't in Fedora yet as a proper package" by Tom Callaway.
Criterion [interfaces_current]
The project SHOULD avoid using deprecated or obsolete functions and APIs where FLOSS alternatives are available in the set of technology it uses (its "technology stack") and to a supermajority of the users the project supports (so that users have ready access to the alternative). [interfaces_current]
Automated test suite
Criterion [automated_integration_testing]
An automated test suite MUST be applied on each check-in to a shared repository for at least one branch. This test suite MUST produce a report on test success or failure. [automated_integration_testing]
This requirement can be viewed as a subset of test_continuous_integration, but focused on just testing, without requiring continuous integration.
Criterion [regression_tests_added50]
The project MUST add regression tests to an automated test suite for at least 50% of the bugs fixed within the last six months. [regression_tests_added50]
Criterion [test_statement_coverage80]
The project MUST have FLOSS automated test suite(s) that provide at least 80% statement coverage if there is at least one FLOSS tool that can measure this criterion in the selected language. [test_statement_coverage80]
Many FLOSS tools are available to measure test coverage, including gcov/lcov, Blanket.js, Istanbul, JCov, and covr (R). Note that meeting this criterion is not a guarantee that the test suite is thorough, instead, failing to meet this criterion is a strong indicator of a poor test suite.
New functionality testing
Criterion [test_policy_mandated]
The project MUST have a formal written policy that as major new functionality is added, tests for the new functionality MUST be added to an automated test suite. [test_policy_mandated]
The project MUST include, in its documented instructions for change proposals, the policy that tests are to be added for major new functionality. [tests_documented_added]
However, even an informal rule is acceptable as long as the tests are being added in practice.
Warning flags
Projects MUST be maximally strict with warnings in the software produced by the project, where practical. [warnings_strict]
Some warnings cannot be effectively enabled on some projects. What is needed is evidence that the project is striving to enable warning flags where it can, so that errors are detected early.
Security 1/13 ●
Secure development knowledge
Criterion [implement_secure_design]
The project MUST implement secure design principles (from "know_secure_design"), where applicable. If the project is not producing software, select "not applicable" (N/A). [implement_secure_design]
For example, the project results should have fail-safe defaults (access decisions should deny by default, and projects' installation should be secure by default). They should also have complete mediation (every access that might be limited must be checked for authority and be non-bypassable). Note that in some cases principles will conflict, in which case a choice must be made (e.g., many mechanisms can make things more complex, contravening "economy of mechanism" / keep it simple).
Use basic good cryptographic practices
Note that some software does not need to use cryptographic mechanisms.
The default security mechanisms within the software produced by the project MUST NOT depend on cryptographic algorithms or modes with known serious weaknesses (e.g., the SHA-1 cryptographic hash algorithm or the CBC mode in SSH). [crypto_weaknesses]
Concerns about CBC mode in SSH are discussed in CERT: SSH CBC vulnerability.
Criterion [crypto_algorithm_agility]
The project SHOULD support multiple cryptographic algorithms, so users can quickly switch if one is broken. Common symmetric key algorithms include AES, Twofish, and Serpent. Common cryptographic hash algorithm alternatives include SHA-2 (including SHA-224, SHA-256, SHA-384 AND SHA-512) and SHA-3. [crypto_algorithm_agility]
Criterion [crypto_credential_agility]
The project MUST support storing authentication credentials (such as passwords and dynamic tokens) and private cryptographic keys in files that are separate from other information (such as configuration files, databases, and logs), and permit users to update and replacement them without code recompilation. If the project never processes authentication credentials and private cryptographic keys, select "not applicable" (N/A). [crypto_credential_agility]
Criterion [crypto_used_network]
The software produced by the project SHOULD support secure protocols for all of its network communications, such as SSHv2 or later, TLS1.2 or later (HTTPS), IPsec, SFTP, and SNMPv3. Insecure protocols such as FTP, HTTP, telnet, SSLv3 or earlier, and SSHv1 SHOULD be disabled by default, and only enabled if the user specifically configures it. If the software produced by the project does not support network comunications, select "not applicable" (N/A). [crypto_used_network]
Criterion [crypto_tls12]
The software produced by the project SHOULD, if it supports or uses TLS, support at least TLS version 1.2. Note that the predecessor of TLS was called SSL. If the software does not use TLS, select "not applicable" (N/A). [crypto_tls12]
Criterion [crypto_certificate_verification]
The software produced by the project MUST, if it supports TLS, perform TLS certificate verification by default when using TLS, including on subresources. If the software does not use TLS, select "not applicable" (N/A). [crypto_certificate_verification]
Note that incorrect TLS certificate verification is a common mistake. For more information, see "The Most Dangerous Code in the World: Validating SSL Certificates in Non-Browser Software" by Martin Georgiev et al. and "Do you trust this application?" by Michael Catanzaro.
Criterion [crypto_verification_private]
The software produced by the project MUST, if it supports TLS, perform certificate verification before sending HTTP headers with private information (such as secure cookies). If the software does not use TLS, select "not applicable" (N/A). [crypto_verification_private]
Secure release
Criterion [signed_releases]
The project MUST cryptographically sign releases of the project results intended for widespread use, and there MUST be a documented process explaining to users how they can obtain the public signing keys and verify the signature(s). The private key for these signature(s) MUST NOT be on site(s) used to directly distribute the software to the public. If releases are not intended for widespread use, select "not applicable" (N/A). [signed_releases]
The project results include both source code and any generated deliverables where applicable (e.g., executables, packages, and containers). Generated deliverables MAY be signed separately from source code. These MAY be implemented as signed git tags (using cryptographic digital signatures). Projects MAY provide generated results separately from tools like git, but in those cases, the separate results MUST be separately signed.
Criterion [version_tags_signed]
It is SUGGESTED that in the version control system, each important version tag (a tag that is part of a major release, minor release, or fixes publicly noted vulnerabilities) be cryptographically signed and verifiable as described in signed_releases. [version_tags_signed]
Other security issues
Criterion [input_validation]
The project results MUST check all inputs from potentially untrusted sources to ensure they are valid (a *whitelist*), and reject invalid inputs, if there are any restrictions on the data at all. [input_validation]
Note that comparing input against a list of "bad formats" (aka a *blacklist*) is normally not enough, because attackers can often work around a blacklist. In particular, numbers are converted into internal formats and then checked if they are between their minimum and maximum (inclusive), and text strings are checked to ensure that they are valid text patterns (e.g., valid UTF-8, length, syntax, etc.). Some data may need to be "anything at all" (e.g., a file uploader), but these would typically be rare.
Criterion [hardening]
Hardening mechanisms SHOULD be used in the software produced by the project so that software defects are less likely to result in security vulnerabilities. [hardening]
Hardening mechanisms may include HTTP headers like Content Security Policy (CSP), compiler flags to mitigate attacks (such as -fstack-protector), or compiler flags to eliminate undefined behavior. For our purposes least privilege is not considered a hardening mechanism (least privilege is important, but separate).
Criterion [assurance_case]
The project MUST provide an assurance case that justifies why its security requirements are met. The assurance case MUST include: a description of the threat model, clear identification of trust boundaries, an argument that secure design principles have been applied, and an argument that common implementation security weaknesses have been countered. (URL required) [assurance_case]
An assurance case is "a documented body of evidence that provides a convincing and valid argument that a specified set of critical claims regarding a system’s properties are adequately justified for a given application in a given environment" ( "Software Assurance Using Structured Assurance Case Models", Thomas Rhodes et al, NIST Interagency Report 7608). Trust boundaries are boundaries where data or execution changes its level of trust, e.g., a server's boundaries in a typical web application. It's common to list secure design principles (such as Saltzer and Schroeer) and common implementation security weaknesses (such as the OWASP top 10 or CWE/SANS top 25), and show how each are countered. The BadgeApp assurance case may be a useful example. This is related to documentation_security, documentation_architecture, and implement_secure_design.
Analysis 0/2 ●
The project MUST use at least one static analysis tool with rules or approaches to look for common vulnerabilities in the analyzed language or environment, if there is at least one FLOSS tool that can implement this criterion in the selected language. [static_analysis_common_vulnerabilities]
Static analysis tools that are specifically designed to look for common vulnerabilities are more likely to find them. That said, using any static tools will typically help find some problems, so we are suggesting but not requiring this for the 'passing' level badge.
Dynamic code analysis
If the software produced by the project includes software written using a memory-unsafe language (e.g., C or C++), then at least one dynamic tool (e.g., a fuzzer or web application scanner) MUST be routinely used in combination with a mechanism to detect memory safety problems such as buffer overwrites. If the project does not produce software written in a memory-unsafe language, choose "not applicable" (N/A). [dynamic_analysis_unsafe]
Examples of mechanisms to detect memory safety problems include Address Sanitizer (ASAN) (available in GCC and LLVM), Memory Sanitizer, and valgrind. Other potentially-used tools include thread sanitizer and undefined behavior sanitizer. Widespread assertions would also work.
This data is available under the Creative Commons Attribution version 3.0 or later license (CC-BY-3.0+). All are free to share and adapt the data, but must give appropriate credit. Please credit Antonio Murdaca and the CII Best Practices badge contributors.
Project badge entry owned by: Antonio Murdaca.
Entry created on 2018-10-21 16:44:41 UTC, last updated on 2018-10-21 16:54:40 UTC. Last achieved passing badge on 2018-10-21 16:54:40 UTC.
Need help? Have a question? See a problem? Please send an email or file an issue. © 2015-2018 Core Infrastructure Initiative, a Linux Foundation Collaborative Project. All Rights Reserved. Please see our privacy policy and terms of use.
|
cc/2019-30/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line9440
|
__label__wiki
| 0.782467
| 0.782467
|
By Ian Hardy Acquisitions, Canadian Startup News, Partnerships January 28, 2015
Slack acquires Screenhero
Slack Technologies, the communication tool that was first started in Vancouver and now located in San Francisco, recently raised $120 million, for a post-funding valuation of a $1.12 billion. The company stated they will use the funds to expand its offering and continue its momentum within.
Announced today on the company blog, Slack has acquired Y-Combinator graduate Screenhero, a company that specializes in voice, video and screen sharing, for an undisclosed amount of money and stock.
San Francisco-based Screenhero noted that “as part of the acquisition, many things are going to change, and many things are going to stay the same. On the whole, this is going to be an incredibly positive change.” First, Screenhero’s features will be rolled into Slack in the coming months and current Screenhero and Slack customers are able to use its voice, video and screen sharing service for free. However, new signups to Screenhero are now closed.
Jahanzeb Sherwani, Co-Founder & CEO of Screenhero, stated, “We were under no pressure to sell our company: our financial prospects as an independent company were very bright, and we loved what we were working on. We decided to sell because we truly believed it was the best option for us, for Slack, and for our customers. We are excited to continue the work that we started at Screenhero. Unlike other acquisitions you may have heard of, we are committed to making our product’s core features live long and prosper.”
Slack, which is now used by 70,000 paying customers who send over 200 million messages each month, was launched last February by Stewart Butterfield, the Canadian entrepreneur who previously founded Flickr, which was later sold to Yahoo in 2005 for a reported $35 million.
canadacommunicationnewsSlacktoolwireless
Ian Hardy
Ian is publisher at MobileSyrup. He's been quietly creating and building things for years and is completely addicted to Tim Hortons.
Seevibes opens Toronto office, announces Franz Fontaine as VP of Strategic Development
Nymi CEO Karl Martin: departures “logical progression” from new enterprise customer focus
Kik Interactive hires Josh Jacobs as president of Kik Services, company opens office in Los Angeles
Waterloo-based Kik Interactive has heavily been rumoured to be preparing to go public. While Kik’s co-founder and CTO, Chris Best, recently answered answered questions…
|
cc/2019-30/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line9441
|
__label__cc
| 0.749559
| 0.250441
|
Globalism and the Tower of Babel
Written by: Mark Petersen on October 25, 2018
First off, I loved this book. Not only was it written by a historian (my undergrad major), he was taking a contrarian view that brings a fresh and much-needed counterpoint to the traditional “accepted and lazy history of civilization … where Ancient Greece begat Rome, Rome begat Christian Europe, Christian Europe begat the Renaissance, the Renaissance the Enlightenment, the Enlightenment political democracy and the industrial revolution.”[1] Instead, the Oxford historian Frankopan explores anew the influences and powers that have aided in shaping our world today. Places often considered on the margins of history are found to shape cultural values today. Religions are examined with fresh eyes, and surprising revelations about the interplay between faiths and their resiliency over time are made.
One of the unstated threads that seems to weave through The Silk Roads is that of globalization. While we frequently view globalization and the missionary enterprise today to be a recent product of American expansionism and evangelical zeal, Frankopan demonstrates it had earlier pathways through the silk roads that transverse Asia. It was not just the silk trade but also religion which was passed along the routes. “By the middle of the sixth century … cities including Basra, Mosul and Tikrit had burgeoning Christian populations. The scale of evangelism was such that … Merv, Gundeshapur and even Kashgar, the oasis town that was the entry point to China, had archbishoprics long before Canterbury did. These were major Christian centres many centuries before the first missionaries reached Poland or Scandinavia. Samarkand and Buhkara (in modern Uzbekistan) were also home to thriving Christian communities a thousand years before Christianity was brought to the Americas.”[2] We would do well to consider how and why Samarkand and Basra have transitioned today to other faith commitments.
As I read, I reflected on this tendency within the human condition that pushes us forward to conquer, assimilate, evangelize, and overcome other people and cultures that are different in the pursuit of sameness and the fear of otherness. The broad scale of this book from the Euphrates to the Yangtze made me think of the mythical tale of Babel[3]: that herculean effort by ancient Asians to construct a tower that would reach to the heavens, only achievable if humans consolidated effort and homogenized. It didn’t end well for them, for God confused their languages and scattered them.
It seems that in general humans have a propensity to consolidate and domineer, whereas God would rather confuse and scatter us. Why? Is it not that when we find ourselves in a place of isolation and seeming devastation, alone, that we then need God and His ways more than ourselves?
All roads today now seem to lead to Beijing. The Chinese One Belt, One Road initiative[4] seems to be enveloping much of the world and is the inheritor of the Silk Road legacy. The vastness of Chinese expansionism is remarkable, and one that I have witnessed in my travels – from China consolidating rice paddies and building highway infrastructure in remote Stung Treng, Cambodia, to investments in copper mines and agricultural lands in Zambia. By the time of its estimated completion in 2049, OBOR will stretch from the edge of East Asia all the way to East Africa and Central Europe, and it will impact a lengthy list of countries that account for 62% of the world’s population and 40% of its economic output.[5]
Frankopan reminds us that “The centuries that followed the emergence of Europe as a global power were accompanied by relentless consolidation and covetousness. In 1500, there were around 500 political units in Europe; in 1900, there were twenty-five. The strong devoured the weak.”[6] This work of globalization, begun by Mongols and Persians, continued by Russians, English, and Americans, is now being completed by the Chinese. With a lack of deference to God, will it all not end just as did Babel?
This week while I’ve been reading Frankopan, I also received a book that caught my eye, and delivered, embarrassingly, by Amazon to my obscure corner of Canada. It’s a strange book juxtaposed beside The Silk Roads. This one, Localism in the Mass Age, is a series of essays in response to the challenges of globalization. It reads as a fascinating counterpoint to this behemothic grind toward global sameness. Rather than celebrating the big and the invincibility of world shaping movements from MAGA to Davos, and Apple to Amazon, it selectively honours localism: a neighbour’s shared rhubarb, the community barbeque, the funeral of a friend, and faith expressed in the local parish. “I do think a people that celebrates newness over roots is at risk of losing whatever culture it has managed to retain. I also think those who resettle best are the ones who follow the advice Wendell Berry gave a man who asked him, years ago, where a person who has no hometown should go. Mr. Berry told him to stay put.”[7]
Once again in these posts, we return to Hunter’s plea for faithful presence[8] and Jeremiah’s call to “Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat what they produce… Seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.”[9] Small is beautiful.
[1] Peter Frankopan, The Silk Roads: A New History of the World (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2016), xviii.
[3] Genesis 11.1-9.
[4] Jeff Desjardins, “Visualizing China’s Most Ambitious Megaproject”, Visual Capitalist website, Accessed October 25, 2018, http://www.visualcapitalist.com/ambitious-infrastructure-megaproject/.
[6] Frankopan, 252.
[7] Katherine Dalton, “Birthright,” in Localism in the Mass Age: A Front Porch Republic Manifesto, eds. Mark T. Mitchell and Jason Peters (Eugene, Oregon: Front Porch Republic Books, 2018), 28.
[8] James Davison Hunter, To Change the World: The Irony, Tragedy, and Possibility of Christianity in the Late Modern World (New York: Oxford University Press, 2010), 243ff.
[9] Jeremiah 29:5-7, NRSV.
Tags: frankopan
Mark Petersen
Mark Petersen is the CEO of Stronger Philanthropy, a Canadian firm specializing in maximizing family philanthropy. He leads a diverse group of visionary individuals, foundations and organizations to collaborate in leveraging wealth for charitable impact.
7 responses to “Globalism and the Tower of Babel”
Mark- way to weave Babel, globalization and Chinese BRI all into one cohesive thought. I have had similar thoughts of the direction China is moving but had not made a connection with Babel and the pursuit for greatness (above or equal to God). With no foundation in true faith other than what is built by their own hands, this country has and will continue to have moral issues of knowing good and evil, right and wrong. Sometimes living the “faithful presence” seems like a rock battling a rushing river. I was blessed by the Jeremiah passage as well. Good reminder for me today on what to keep my focus on.
M Webb says:
Excellent introduction and use of the Tower of Babel image. I flew over the present-day location many times, claimed by historians, and always thought of the Biblical history associated with that area and the people. Babel must happen to precede the Pentecost. Wow! God has a long view for his sovereign plan.
I agree with your assessment of the early spread of Christianity. We were in a artisan shop in Kabul once and going through old paintings and under the stack we found dozens of Christian paintings of Jesus Christ portrayed in different Central Asian perspectives.
Thanks for the great post.
M. Webb
Your closing paragraph was stunning and strong. Thanks for Hunter’s reminder of faithful presence, and for the Jeremiah Scripture you quoted! “Small is beautiful” was a great ending!
In your new position with the College, do you know if you have any Chinese foreign exchange students? I hope you get the opportunity to talk with them about the Silk Road. They need your valued expertise, and you will be a blessing to them as you are to us all.
Keep up your significant work, my Brother.
Excellent post, Mark!
You post captured my attention right away and drew me in. I found it interesting that you saw the book from a historian’s perspective. Did you resonate with his frustration? His first page discussed the western viewpoint of history and the isolated perception that many of us have in regard to Christianity and culture.
You highlight Frankopan’s perspective of globalization and write, “One of the unstated threads that seems to weave through The Silk Roads is that of globalization. While we frequently view globalization and the missionary enterprise today to be a recent product of American expansionism and evangelical zeal, Frankopan demonstrates it had earlier pathways through the silk roads that transverse Asia.” This is an imperative statement because it highlights the idea of nationalism and how that has influences perceptions. I recently heard a speaker talk about the influx of cultural and racial change within the American Church. He discussed how the increase of birth rate is changing the face of America and the church and asked us to form our response. In a world that is constantly shifting, we desire to keep things stagnant out of fear. Frankopan gives us a glimpse at the reality of religious sects and their intersection with Christianity. How would seeing history from an eastern perspective change the way that we interact with Muslims?
Excellent as always. Thank you for bringing us back around to recognizing the need for roots and community.
Do you think China will finally succeed in their efforts toward globalization? Do you see anything positive coming from these efforts or only negatives? Using the book as a guide it seems that even those events that seemed devastating have shaped us in positive ways. What do you think?
Jason Turbeville says:
Great perspective on this weeks reading. If we continue on with the losing of our smallness, then we become just cookie cutter communities. We saw this in Hong Kong with the “coffin” apartments. This is such a difficult community to live in, you have to wonder is there any togetherness within this way of living?
Trisha Welstad says:
Mark, I appreciate your historian’s perspective and weaving in the theme of globalization with Babel. Your travels and love of history inform your posts and I am curious how it all comes together when considering philanthropy? When writing, were you considering application to your project?
|
cc/2019-30/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line9455
|
__label__cc
| 0.672179
| 0.327821
|
Learning · Money
MSU-Moorhead announces proposed budget cuts
Alex Friedrich December 5, 2013, 11:28 AM Dec 5, 2013
I’ve been told that faculty and administration have just finished meeting over cuts proposed for the campus to solve a $5 million budget deficit.
I’ll be on the horn with the president in a few minutes, but for now, here’s the announcement:
Administrative proposal would eliminate projected deficit
A plan presented to the Minnesota State University Moorhead Faculty Association Dec. 5, 2013 outlines additional steps the university can take to avoid a projected $8 million deficit in 2016 and align resources with the University’s new strategic plan. Within the plan, five low enrollment majors would be phased out and some academic departments merged. The plan would result in 16 fewer temporary faculty and six fewer tenured or tenure-track faculty, with the exact number depending on how many faculty accept a second round of early separation incentives. The plan would save $3 million.
These reductions combined with 20 early retirement offers accepted in November amounts to about a ten percent reduction in faculty and corresponds with a 10.9 percent reduction in enrollment since 2010.
Savings of approximately $3 million have already been realized from a reduction in the number of administrative positions, reductions in operating budgets, early retirement incentives and a partial hiring freeze. The university is also taking steps to increase revenue through enrollment growth strategies.
The majors to be phased out are American Multicultural Studies (4 students), Medical Laboratory Technician (14 students), Masters in Fine Arts (22 students), Music Composition (3 students) and Community Health (21 students). MSUM will continue to offer 70 majors.
“Our students now pay two-thirds of the cost of their education and, in recent years, we have invested in new majors where there has been student demand,” said President Edna Mora Szymanski. “But it’s simply not sustainable for students to subsidize majors with very few students.”
Students currently enrolled in programs identified for closure will be contacted immediately to develop a degree completion plan that will allow them to graduate within the next three years. MSUM will consider retraining opportunities and provide career placement services for faculty whose positions will be eliminated.
The following mergers are being proposed. Names of the new departments are yet to be determined.
History, Languages and CulturesAmerican Multicultural StudiesWomen’s and Gender Studies
Political ScienceEconomicsParalegal
Mass CommunicationsCommunication Studies
Cinema Arts and Digital TechnologiesTheatre
None of the mergers would affect the degree programs offered by the current departments, but they will result in significant savings in administrative costs.
The Faculty Association will review the administration’s plan and provide formal response by Dec. 20, 2013. The administration will announce its final plan in early 2014.
Minnesota State University Moorhead
‹ Older Notes in the Margins: Mascots, climbing debt and online AP classes
Newer › UMN president agrees to outside review of clinical research practices
MSU-Moorhead profs: No confidence in chancellor
Minnesota State Moorhead president runs, raises $1.2M
How MSU-Moorhead students learn about the music industry
|
cc/2019-30/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line9456
|
__label__cc
| 0.691954
| 0.308046
|
Future State - The Oracle Consulting Blog
Cloud Confident from Nordic Consulting
Oracle Consulting
Oracle plays a leading role in data management and security control
Louise Tegner
Social Communications Manager
In an era where technology is ever-present in our daily routine, security and privacy are issues of serious concern. Marcel Rizcallah, Security Domain Leader for EMEA region at Oracle, shared his thoughts on security, privacy and Oracle’s first autonomous database at the 12th Telecom Review Leaders’ Summit, held in his native Lebanon.
A video link of the interview is here.
A transcript of the interview is below:
You’re assisting at the 12th Telecom Review Leaders’ Summit. What do you think of the topics tackled so far, and why did you choose to attend?
I think it’s a very interesting event because it’s focused on the telecom market and 5G. 5G’s going to be amazing, with all the use-cases and new business opportunities it offers. I chose to attend because I’m proud that this is happening in Lebanon. I’m Lebanese, and I wanted to see what ideas, innovations and added value Lebanon could provide. It’s also an opportunity for Lebanon to have more business opportunities and attract talent from outside in telecom and 5G.
Oracle redefined data management with the world’s first autonomous database. How important is this form of database to companies?
This is really, really key from a security perspective because today if we look at security breaches, most of them are coming from the inside. People access the database directly and can see everything. Databases are not patched, and database performance is not good enough, or there’s a lot of access and the database crashes. And the cost of maintaining all that is huge for an organisation. You have to have the right skills, the right people, and they invest all their money in maintaining instead of innovating. Oracle’s Autonomous Database is a great opportunity to lower all that investment and cost for customers. It’s self-secure, it’s self-patching, and it’s self-operating — thereby increasing and optimising performance. It’s going to be a big opportunity for customers to reduce a portion of costs and focus more on innovation and having something running and secure all the time.
Oracle is known for the security it offers its clients. With cyber-threats on the rise, are there any new forms of technology that you’re adopting to improve your services even more?
Absolutely. First, when going into the cloud, the cloud needs to be highly secure. So we have implemented all the classic security measures in the cloud. We have encryption, we have a network firewall, we have identity access management, anti-virus — all that. But there are new threats and challenges in the cloud. The organisation is no longer the perimeter. You don’t go into your office to access the cloud. You use your mobile from wherever in the world you are to access your organisation or company cloud systems. So what you need to secure that is to analyse user behaviour. You need machine learning to understand what the user used to do, and if he’s suddenly doing something different, it might be a bot doing that. We’re investing heavily in machine learning, artificial intelligence, app security, user-behaviour analytics and log analytics to predict and detect breaches before they happen.
According to your Top 10 predictions for 2019, by 2025 all AI and emerging technologies will double business productivity. In your opinion, what are some possible drawbacks of these types of technologies?
First, I would say ‘privacy’. Privacy is going to be very challenging because these technologies learn about user behaviour, and knowing more about user behaviour means knowing more about the user himself. What we need is, at a given time, to forget that behaviour. When the user wants to change his mind-set or his behaviour or wants something else, we need to be able to erase all that.
The second thing is that we need people to be able to operate those kinds of systems. Systems will be more or less automatic: they will trigger alerts automatically, something we’ll learn about a user will highlight risk, but maybe they’re not a real risk. Maybe it’s normal behaviour, and the system will say ‘no, that’s not normal.’ So we need people that can understand that – data scientists who can interact with those intelligent systems and put them on the right track.
Finally, what we still need even if security is being embedded more and more in these systems — which would react intelligently and automatically to breaches — we still need people who can understand and operate those systems. There’s a lack of skills today on the market — security skills, data scientists. We need more people who understand that. Classic security operations will require fewer people to implement or deploy a security patch or configure a firewall, for example. But we need people who can operate a security solution and understand all the intelligence involved.
Read more about Oracle Security from Marcel Rizcallah:
- Can a security product address your organization´s EU GDPR requirements? here
- How to prepare your customers to limit exposure to data breaches? here
Oracle Open Banking: Thrive in an Open Environment
The face of banking is changing, and Oracle is helping pave the way for success Oracle is helping financial institutions lead the way to a...
EasyService: Your automated customer service agent
Meet the digital assistant providing fast, modern and convenient customer service without compromising customer satisfaction Is your business...
Cloud Tip 3: Don´t be afraid TO WORK SMART
Author: James Fain, Digital Transformation Architect at Oracle One of my favorite old sayings is: ‘Don’t work harder. Work smarter.’ Some...
|
cc/2019-30/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line9458
|
__label__wiki
| 0.609626
| 0.609626
|
Sök Bilder Maps Play YouTube Nyheter Gmail Drive Mer »
Avancerad boksökning
Visa e-bok
Skaffa ett tryckt exemplar av den här boken
Barnes&Noble.com - 11,97 US$ och uppåt
Hitta boken i ett bibliotek
Alla försäljare »
Henry Mintzberg
Berrett-Koehler Publishers, 2011 - 306 sidor
1 Recension
A half century ago Peter Drucker put management on the map. Leadership has since pushed it off. But "instead of distinguishing managers from leaders," Henry Mintzberg writes, "we should be seeing managers as leaders, and leadership as management practiced well." Mintzberg aims to restore management to its proper place- front and center.
To gain an accurate picture of management as practiced rather than management as preached, Mintzberg watched twenty-nine different managers work a typical day. They came from business, government, and nonprofits, from all sorts of industries, including banking, policing, filmmaking, aircraft production, retailing, and health care, and worked in diverse settings ranging from a refugee camp to a symphony orchestra. These observations form the empirical basis for this book.
Mintzberg shows that in the real world managers cannot be the reflective, systematic planners idealized in most management books-realities like the unrelenting pace, the frequent interruptions, and the dizzying variety of activity make that impossible. Recognizing this, he outlines a new model of management- not a list of tasks but a dynamic process in which managers accomplish their purpose working through information, through people, and, more rarely, through direct action. Mintzberg describes the various roles managers adopt to function on these three planes, emphasizing that they must work on all of three simultaneously, determining the balance best suited to their specific, unique situation. Which is why management, Mitzberg insists, is not a profession-"it is a practice" he writes, "learned primarily through experience, and rooted in context."
Having established the nature of modern management, Mintzberg looks at the varieties of managing experience. He identifies twelve factors that influence managing, highlighting the ones that are truly important (not necessarily the ones you'd think) and offers an illuminating typology of different approaches to management-what he calls postures of managing. He provides insightful ways of dealing with some of the most vexing conundrums managers face, and ultimately pulls everything together to offer a comprehensive picture of true managerial effectiveness-an approach he calls "engaged management."
This book is vintage Mintzberg- provocative, irreverent, carefully researched, myth-busting. It is the most authoritative and revealing book yet written about what managers do, how they do it, and how they can have the greatest impact.
Så tycker andra - Skriv en recension
Användarrecension - VincentDarlage - LibraryThing
One of the best books on managing and leadership ever written. Läs hela recensionen
Andra upplagor - Visa alla
Begränsad förhandsgranskning - 2009
Om författaren (2011)
Henry Mintzberg is Cleghorn Professor of Management Studies at McGill University in Montreal, Canada. He was selected as Distinguished Scholar for the year 2000 by the Academy of Management and won its George R. Terry Award for the best book of 1995 (The Rise and Fall of Strategic Planning). Two of his articles in the Harvard Business Review have won the coveted McKinsey prizes. He has served as President of the Strategic Management Society, is an elected Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada (the first from a management faculty), and has been named an Officer of the Order of Canada. Mintzberg is the author of fourteen books. He was recently ranked #9 in The Wall Street Journal's Top 20 Business Thinkers and #16 on "The Thinkers 50" -- a list published in the Financial Times of "the world's most important and influential business thinkers."
Bibliografisk information
Titel Managing
BK business book
Berrett-koehler Series
Författare Henry Mintzberg
Utgåva illustrerad
Utgivare Berrett-Koehler Publishers, 2011
Längd 306 sidor
Exportera citat BiBTeX EndNote RefMan
Om Google Böcker - Sekretesspolicy - Användningsvillkor - Information för utgivare - Rapportera ett problem - Hjälp - Webbplatskarta - Googles startsida
|
cc/2019-30/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line9463
|
__label__wiki
| 0.728252
| 0.728252
|
> Regional & national history
> European history
> British & Irish history
Elizabeth's Spymaster EPUB
by Robert Hutchinson
The incredible real life story of the world's first super spy
Francis Walsingham was the first 'spymaster' in the modern sense. His methods anticipated those of MI5 and MI6 and even those of the KGB. He maintained a network of spies across Europe, including double-agents at the highest level in Rome and Spain - the sworn enemies of Queen Elizabeth and her Protestant regime. His entrapment of Mary Queen of Scots is a classic intelligence operation that resulted in her execution.
As Robert Hutchinson reveals, his cypher expert's ability to intercept other peoples' secret messages and his brilliant forged letters made him a fearsome champion of the young Elizabeth. Yet even this Machiavellian schemer eventually fell foul of Elizabeth as her confidence grew (and judgement faded). The rise and fall of Sir Francis Walsingham is a Tudor epic, vividly narrated by a historian with unique access to the surviving documentary evidence.
Category: British & Irish history
Paperback / softback from £12.99
Paperback / softback | Published 18/04/2007 | £12.99 | View now
Also by Robert Hutchinson | View all
Elizabeth's Spymaster
The Last Days of Henry VIII
|
cc/2019-30/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line9464
|
__label__cc
| 0.53086
| 0.46914
|
Research article | Open | Open Peer Review | Published: 27 May 2009
Swedish snuff and incidence of cardiovascular disease. A population-based cohort study
Ellis Janzon1 &
Bo Hedblad2
BMC Cardiovascular Disordersvolume 9, Article number: 21 (2009) | Download Citation
The relationship between smoking and an increased incidence of cardiovascular diseases is well known. Whether smokeless tobacco (snuff) is related to myocardial infarction (MI) or stroke is still controversial. Aim of this study was to explore whether snuff users have an increased incidence of MI or stroke.
A total of 16 754 women and 10 473 men (aged 45–73 years), without history of cardiovascular disease (CVD), belonging to the population-based "Malmö Diet and Cancer" study were examined. Incidence of MI and stroke were monitored over 10.3 years.
Snuff was used by 737 (7.0%) men and 75 (0.4%) women, respectively. Among men, snuff was significantly associated with low occupation level, single civil status, high BMI and with current and former smoking. In women, snuff was associated with lower systolic blood pressure. A total of 964 individuals (3.5%), i.e.544 men (5.3%) and 420 (2.5%) women suffered a MI during the follow-up period. The corresponding numbers of incident stroke cases were 1048, i.e. 553 men (5.3%) and 495 (3.0%) women, respectively. Snuff was not associated with any statistically significant increased risk of MI or stroke in men or women. The relative risks (RR) in male snuff users compared to non-users were 1.05 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.8–1.4, p = 0.740) for incident MI and 0.97 (0.7–1.4, p = 0.878) for stroke, after taking age and potential confounders into account. In women none of the 420 (2.5%) women who were snuff users had a MI and only one suffered a stroke during the follow-up.
Several life-style risk factors were more prevalent in snuff-users than in non-users. However, the present study does not support any relationship between snuff and incidence of cardiovascular disease in men.
The relationship between smoking and an increased incidence of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) is well known. Whether smokeless tobacco, in this study defined as snuff, is related to incidence of CVD is less clear. Lately several studies have explored the relationships between snuff and CVD, and the results are not consistent [1–13]. In an earlier study of construction workers, a significantly increased risk of MI was reported among snuff users [7, 8]. Snuff users also had a significantly higher prevalence of hypertension in that study [8]. In contrast, several other studies from the general population found no relationship between snuff and incidence of MI [2–5, 10, 12, 13]. Some scientists have highlighted the need for more studies on snuff and incidence of CVD[1, 2]. The purpose of this population based cohort study was to explore whether snuff users have an increased incidence of myocardial infarction (MI) and stroke.
The Malmö Diet and Cancer (MDC) cohort was used to examine snuff use and its effect on incidence of CVD. All subjects who were 45–73 years old, and who lived in the city of Malmö, Sweden were invited. The health examination was performed at the Malmö University Hospital from March 1991 to February 1996. The subjects were invited by letters and advertisement in newspapers. Of the eligible population of approximately 70 000 citizens, 28 449 subjects, i.e. 17 203 women and 11 246 men, respectively participated. The participation rate was approximately 40% [14, 15]. The MDC cohort and the characteristics of the non-participants have been described previously [15]. The representativeness of the MDC study has been evaluated by a comparison with subjects, in corresponding age groups, who participated in 1994 in a mailed questionnaire health survey in the city of Malmö [15, 16]. In that survey, non attendance was associated with a lower prevalence of smoking and a higher rate of mortality. However, prevalence of smoking and obesity in the MDC was rather similar compared to the mailed health study (prevalence of smoking 39.9% vs.37.5% and 12.4% vs. 11.8% for prevalence of obesity, respectively).
After exclusion of subjects with a history of MI or stroke, and subjects with missing information about BMI, blood pressure, diabetes or tobacco habits, the cohort consisted of 27 227 individuals, 16 754 women and 10 473 men, respectively. Mean age was 57.4 +7.6 years in women and 59.1+7.0 years in men.
Screening examination
Measurements of height (in cm), weight (in kilograms) and blood pressure (in mmHg) were performed. The participants also completed a comprehensive self-administered questionnaire about life style habits and medical history and treatment [14].
Smoking habits and use of snuff
Smoking was assessed in a self-administered questionnaire, and the subjects were categorized as never smokers, ex-smokers and current smokers (regular or occasional smokers). Daily cigarette consumption among current smokers was assessed by the questions "how many cigarettes do you smoke per day"?
Snuff use was assessed by the question "Do you use snuff?" In subjects confirming the use of snuff the weekly consumption of snuff was obtained by the question "How many packages of snuff do you consume every week?" We dichotomized weekly snuff consumption into three groups: a) 1–2 packages per week as low consumption, b) 3–5 packages per week as medium consumption and c) more than six packages per week as high consumption.
Chewing tobacco and use of nicotine gum
The habits of tobacco chewing and using nicotine gum were obtained by the questions: ""Do you chew tobacco" and "Do you use nicotine chewing gum?"
Blood pressure was measured twice in the supine position after 10 minutes rest using a mercury sphygmomanometer. Subjects who had systolic blood pressure (SBP) _140 Mm/Hg or diastolic blood pressure (DBP) _90 mmHg or blood pressure-lowering drug treatment of hypertension were considered to have hypertension [17].
Participants who reported that they had diabetes or who used anti-diabetic medication was considered to have diabetes. As fasting blood glucose and lipids were available only on subjects belonging to the cardiovascular project (n = 5 500) [18], It was not possible to define diabetes on all study subjects according to present or previous recommendations for classification of diabetes mellitus [19].
BMI was calculated as weight/height2 (kg/m2).
Physical activity during leisure time was revealed through 18 questions covering a range of activities in the four seasons. The number of minutes per week for each activity was multiplied by an intensity coefficient, and an overall leisure time physical activity scores was created. Scores were divided into four quartiles and subsequently categorized as a) low (quartile 1), b) moderate (quartile 2 to 3), and c) high (quartile 4) levels [20].
Information on socio-economic circumstances
Information on occupation and marital status was assessed by the questionnaire. The categorization into occupational groups based on the Swedish socio-economic index (SEI) [21] has been presented previously [22, 23]. This classification takes into consideration the educational level needed for the job, the level of responsibility in the work organization as well as the actual work task [22]. In this study data were dichotomized into four groups only, due to few cases. High and medium levels non-manual employees was dichotomized into the same group as "High occupational level" (SEI groups 46–69)", and contained the following groups: high level (i.e., business executives, university-engineers and teachers) and medium level employees (i.e., reg. nurses, employees, computer operators and high school teachers).
Low-level non-manual employees (SEI groups 33–36, i.e. office assistants, sales staff and secretaries, etc) were categorized as "Medium occupation level".
Skilled manual workers, unskilled workers and unspecified occupational groups (i.e. early retired women, housewives, students and unemployed) (SEI groups 11–22) were categorized as "low level occupational". The group "others" contained self employed* and farmers i.e. (SEI groups 70–99) [22, 23].
The questionnaire had the following four categories: Married, unmarried, divorced and widowed. In accordance with previous studies we dichotomized the cohort into the status living alone or not [22].
Education level was assessed in the questionnaire as previously described and divided into low (9 years education or less) and high education level (at least secondary graduation). The dichotomized variable education was used in the analyses [22].
Incidence of stroke and MI
Each participant was followed from the baseline examination until the first incident MI or stroke event, death, emigration out of Sweden, or Dec 31, 2004, whichever came first.
Incident stroke was defined as ICD-9 codes 430, 431, 434 and 436 [24, 25]. MI was defined as nonfatal MI (ICD-9 code 410) or fatal ischemic heart disease (ICD-9 code 410–414). The National hospital discharge register, the Stroke register of Malmö [26] and the Swedish hospital discharge register were used for case retrieval.
The Cox proportional hazards model was used to assess the relationship between snuff use and incidence of MI and stroke, respectively. The Cox model was also used to adjust the relationships for other risk factors. One way analyses of variance and logistic regression was used to compare risk factor in users and non-users of snuff. A general linear model was used to adjust the mean values (i.e., blood pressure and BMI) for other risk factors
Snuff was used by a total of 812 individuals, i.e. 737 (7.0%) men and 75 (0.4%) women, respectively. Of those subjects 764 (94.1%) reported weekly snuff packages consumption. Among men 54.5% (n = 402) were categorized as low, 32.2% (n = 237) as medium and 9.0% (n = 66) as high consumers. The corresponding figures among women were 58.7% (n = 44), 14.7% (n = 11) and 0.1% (n = 4), respectively.
Chewing tobacco was unusual in this cohort, being reported by only 96 persons (0.4%). Nicotine gum was used by a total of 497 individuals (1.8%), i.e. 131 (26.4%) men and 364 (73.6%) women, respectively data not presented in tables.
Snuff, smoking habits and cardiovascular risk factors
The distribution of risk factors in users and non-users of snuff is presented in Table 1. Mean age for snuff users was significantly lower in both men and women compared to non-users. Smoking and former smoking was more common in snuff-users compared to non-users. However, the mean daily cigarette consumption (in grams) in snuff users compared to non-users was significantly lower both among male and female current smokers. Former smoking was also higher among snuff-users compared to non-users, significantly only for men. Very few never smokers reported use of snuff (i.e. 67 men and 27 women). BMI was slightly higher in male snuff users, and this relationship remained significant after adjustment for age [adjusted means ± standard error of the mean; 26.2 ± 0.035 vs. 26.6 ± 0.013 kg/m2]. In men, blood pressure was rather similar in snuff users and non-users, however, prevalence of blood pressure lowering treatment was significantly lower in male snuff-users (i.e. 14.9% vs. 18.5%, p = 0.016) [Table 1]. Female snuff users had statistically significant lower systolic blood pressure and prevalence of hypertension than non-users. These relationships were markedly attenuated and became non-significant after taking age and BMI into account (data not shown) In addition to that, fewer male snuff users than non-users were currently on treatment with blood pressure lowering agents (i.e. 14.9% vs. 18.5%, p = 0.016 for men, and 9.3% vs. 15.7%, p = 0.129 for women [Table 1].
Table 1 Distributions of risk factors in 27 227 individuals in relation to smokeless tobacco (snuff)
Snuff and socio-demographic risk factors
Significantly more male snuff users than non-users were living alone and categorized as belonging to the low-level occupational group. Among women, however, the proportion that was categorized as belonging to low-level occupational group was lower among snuff users compared to non-users 25.2% vs. 44.3%, p= 0.122 [Table 1].
Incidence of cardiovascular disease
During the follow-up period a total of 544 (5.3%) men had MI and 553 (5.3%) had stroke. The corresponding figures for women were 420 (2.5%) for MI and 495 (3.0%) for stroke (data not shown I tables).
In men, snuff use was not significantly related to risk of incident MI during the follow-up period, whether adjustment was made for age only (relative risk, RR = 0.89, 95% confidence interval CI: 0.7–1.2), or when taking other risk factors into account (RR: 1.05; 95% CI: 0.8–1.4 [Table 2].
Table 2 Incidence of and RR (95% CI) for MI and stroke in relation to snuff in men
In men who used snuff, the age-adjusted RR for stroke was 0.88, 95% CI: 0.6–1.2. This RR remained quite similar after taking other risk factors into account (RR: 0.97; 95% CI: 0.7–1.4 [Table 2]. No significant relationship between snuff and incidence of MI or stroke was observed in any of the categories of smoking. However, the number of MI and stroke were very small among snuff users who never had smoked (n = 4 and n = 4, respectively).
None of the 420 women who suffered a MI were snuff users. Furthermore, there was only one stroke case among female snuff users. As the number of events was based on only one case no further statistical analysis was performed on this matter among women.
The age-adjusted RR for incident MI was 1.5 times higher (95% CI: 0.5–4.5, p = 0.512) in men who chew tobacco than in men who used snuff. After further adjustment for other risk factors it was even higher (RR: 1.7, 95% CI: 0.5–5.2, p = 0.368, data not shown in tables). The RR for MI in tobacco chewing women was not evaluated due to small numbers.
It is well known, and well accepted, that tobacco smoke has many negative health effects [27, 28]. The effects of smokeless tobacco, snuff, on health are less well explored, though lately more studies have been published [1–13, 29–31]. Fewer studies have explored the association between snuff and CVD, and to our knowledge, there are only few studies on women [3, 10]. During the 10-year follow-up only one of the 75 female snuff users suffered a stroke and none a MI. Because of these small numbers in females, our analyses are restricted to males. The present study does not support the hypothesis that snuff is a risk factor for incident myocardial infarction or stroke in men. We also could not confirm previously reported findings that snuff users have higher blood pressure than non-users [8].
Snuff users generally had lower occupation level, among men, and were more often single and current or former smokers than non-users of snuff. BMI was somewhat higher in male snuff users. There was, however, no indication of any significant relationship between snuff and an increased prevalence of hypertension or diabetes. Mean blood pressure showed no statistically significant difference between male or female snuff users and non-users after taking age and BMI into account. The absence of a relationship between snuff use and high blood pressure is in accordance with results from other studies discussed in a review study by Lee 2007 [5] but in contrast to a study of construction workers [8].
Both smoking and smokeless tobacco have been associated with lower weight [31]. In this study male snuff users had higher BMI than non-users, which remained after adjustment for age and smoking habits. No difference was observed in women. Because snuff often is used by smokers who try to quit, and smoking cessation is associated with weight gain, this could be one explanation for the difference in BMI in men. It is well known that women often use smoking to control weight, but weight regulation does not seem to be a common reason for using smokeless tobacco [32, 33].
One question is whether the statistical power was adequate to detect a relationship between snuff and incidence of CVD. Bolinder et al [8] reported that the age-adjusted RR of CVD was approximately 1.4 (95% CI: 1.2–1.6) for snuff users compared to non-users. If the risk associated with snuff had been of that magnitude, our probability of detecting a significant difference in incidence of MI would be about 75%. The statistical power for a combined endpoint of MI and stroke in the present study would be about 90%. We therefore believe that the statistical power of our study was adequate.
The MDC cohort was used in the present study. The participation rate was low in this cohort, approximately 40% [15]. However, when comparing the present cohort with results from a health survey based on a mailed questionnaire to subjects living in the city of Malmö 1994, in which the participation rates were 80%, it has been shown that the present cohort is fairly representative with respect to e.g., smoking habits and BMI [16]. The mortality rates in the study by Manjer et al were, however, higher among non-participants.
The results from the present study are similar to what has been reported from other population-based studies [2–4, 6, 10, 12, 13] and in contrast to some other Swedish studies [7, 8]. As use of snuff historically has been closely associated to inferior socioeconomic position, it cannot be ruled out that the differences between the present study and the results of males by Bolinder et al [8] could be explained by differences in study populations and time periods. Ramstrom et al, [29] stated that people who stop smoking often start using snuff and reported that 58% used snuff as an aid to stop smoking. Furthermore, many continued to use snuff after smoking cessation. In the study by Huhtasaari et al, 50% of snuff users were former smokers [12]. In this present study we also found 57% snuff users among male ex-smokers. This fact sometimes causes frustration in caregivers and public health professionals. Whether snuff should be used as a device to stop smoking is intensively debated in Sweden. On one hand, there is no doubt that the health hazard of snuff is considerably smaller than that of smoking. On the other hand, there are several other nicotine based products for tobacco cessation and we cannot exclude the possibility that snuff could increase the risk of cancer [27, 28]. In our opinion, more studies are needed to fully clarify the effects of snuff, especially in women, during pregnancy and in older individuals. It is important that information about snuff given to patients and the general public is accurate and reliable. All findings should be reported in order to increase the knowledge about the health effects of snuff.
Even though some life-style risk factors seem to be more prevalent in snuff-users, the present study does not support any independent relationship between snuff and incidence of MI or stroke in men.
Critchley JA, Unal B: Health effects associated with smokeless tobacco: a systematic review. Thorax. 2003, 58: 435-443.
Critchley JA, Unal B: Is smokeless tobacco a risk factor for coronary heart disease? A systematic review of epidemiological studies. Eur J Cardiovasc Prev Rehabil. 2004, 19: 101-112.
Asplund K: Smokeless tobacco and cardiovascular disease. Prog Cardiovasc Dis. 2003, 45: 383-394.
Asplund K, Nasic S, Janlerts U, Stegmayr B: Smokeless tobacco as a possible risk factor for stroke in men – a nested case-control study. Stroke. 2003, 34: 1754-9.
Lee PN: Circulatory disease and smokeless tobacco in Western population: a review of the evidence. Int J Epidemiol. 2007, 36: 789-804.
Johansson S-E, Sundqvist K, Qvist J: Smokeless tobacco and coronary heart disease a 12-years follow-up study. Eur J Cardiovasc Prev Rehabil. 2005, 12: 387-92.
Hergens M-P, Ahlbom A, Andersson T, Pershagen G: Swedish moist snuff and myocardial infarction among men. Epidemiology. 2005, 16: 12-6.
Bolinder G, Alfredsson L, Englund A, De Faire U: Smokeless tobacco use and increased cardiovascular mortality among Swedish construction workers. Am J Public Health. 1994, 84: 399-404.
Bolinder G: Smokeless tobacco-a less harmful alternative?. The tobacco epidemic. Progress in Respiratory Research. Edited by: Bolinger CT, Fagerström KO. 1997, Basel: Karger, 28: 199-212.
Haglund B, Eliasson M, Stenbeck M, Rosen M: Is moist snuff use associated with excess risk of IHD or stroke? A longitudinal follow-up of snuff users in Sweden. Scand J Public Health. 2007, 35: 618-22.
Hergens MP, Alfredsson L, Bolinder G, Lambe M, Pershagen G, Ye W: Long term use of moist snuff and the risk of myocardial infarction amongst men. J Intern Med. 2007, 262: 351-359.
Huhtasaari F, Asplund K, Lundberg V, Stegmayr B, Wester PO: Tobacco and myocardial infarction: is snuff les dangerous than cigarettes?. BMJ. 1992, 305: 1252-6.
Huhtasaari F, Lundberg V, Eliasson M, Janlert U, Asplund K: Smokeless tobacco as a possible risk factor for myocardial infarction: a population-based study in middle-aged men. J Am Coll Cardiol. 1999, 34: 1784-90.
Berglund G, Elmståhl S, Janzon L, Larsson SA: The Malmö Diet and Cancer Study. Design and feasibility. J Intern Med. 1993, 223: 45-51.
Manjer J, Elmståhl S, Janzon L, Berglund G: Invitation to a population-based cohort study: differences between subjects recruited using various strategies. Scand J Public Health. 2002, 30: 103-12.
Lindström M, Bexell A, Hansson BS, Isacsson S-O: Hur mår Malmö? The health situation in Malmö: a report from a mailed questionnaire 1994 in Swedish. 1995, Dept. of Community Medicine, Malmö University Hospital, Sweden, (In Swedish)
Zia E, Hedblad B, Pessah-Rasmussen H, Berglund G, Janzon L, Engström G: Blood pressure in relation to the incidence of cerebral infarction and intracerebral hemorrhage. Hypertensive hemorrhage: debated nomenclature is still relevant. Stroke. 2007, 38: 2681-5.
Rosevall M, Janzon L, Berglund G, Engström G, Hedblad B: Incidence of stroke is related to carotid IMT even in the absence of plaque. Atherosclerosis. 2005, 179: 325-31.
World Health Organization: Definition and diagnosis of diabetes mellitus and intermediate hyperglycaemia: report of a WHO/IDF, consultation. 2006, Geneva, World Health Org
Li C, Engströ M, Hedblad B, Berglund G, Janzon L: Risk of stroke and hormone replacement therapy. A prospective cohort study. Maturitas. 2006, 20 (54): 11-18.
Statistics Sweden: Swedish Socioeconomic Classification (SEI). Reports on Statistical Co-ordination. 1982, Stockholm: Statistics Sweden, 244-8.
Rosvall M, Östergren PO, Hedblad B, Isacsson SO, Janzon L, Berglund G: Occupational status, educational level, and the prevalence of carotid atherosclerosis in a general population sample of middle-aged Swedish men and women. Results from the Malmö Diet and Cancer Study. Am J Epidemiol. 2000, 152: 334-46.
Hedblad B, Jonsson S, Nilsson P, Engström G, Berglund G, Janzon L: Obesity and myocardial infarction – vulnerability related to occupational level and marital status. A 23-year follow-up of an urban male Swedish population. J Intern Med. 2002, 252: 542-550.
Anonymous: International Classification of Diseases. Ninth revision (ICD-9). 1977, Geneva: Geneva: World Health Organization
Causes of death 1995: 1997, The National Board of Health and Welfare. Center of Epidemiology. Stockholm, Sweden, ISBN 91-7201-188-2
Engström G, Jerntorp I, Pessah-Rasmussen H, Hedblad B, Berglund G, Janzon L: Geographic distribution of stroke incidence within an urban population: relations to socioeconomic circumstances and prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors. Stroke. 2001, 32: 1098-103.
US Surgeon General: The health consequences of smoking. A report of the Surgeon General. 2004, Atlanta, Georgia: US Department of Health and Human Services, Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, National Centre for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office on Smoking and Health, [http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/sgr/sgr_2004/index.htm]
International Agency for Research on Cancer: Tobacco smoke and involuntary smoking. 2004, Lyon, France: IARC, 83: (IARC Monographs on the evaluation of carcinogenic risks for humans.)
Luo J, Zendehdel K, Adami H, Bofetta P, Nyren O: Oral use of Swedish moist snuff (snus) and risk for cancer of the mouth, lung, pancreas in male construction workers: a retrospective cohort study. Lancet. 2007, 369: 2015-20.
Ramström LM, Foulds J: Role of snus in the initiation and cessation of tobacco smoking in Sweden. Tob Control. 2006, 15: 210-14.
Eliasson M, Asplund K, Nasic S, Rodu B: Influence of smoking and snuff on the prevalence and incidence of type 2 diabetes amongst men: the northern Sweden MONICA study. J Intern Med. 2004, 256: 101-10.
Rodu B, Stegmayr B, Nasic S, Coel P, Asplund K: The influence on smoking and smokeless tobacco use on weight amongst men. J Intern Med. 2004, 255: 102-7.
Gerend MA, Boyle RG, Peterson CB, Hatsukami DK: Eating behaviour and weight control among women using smokeless tobacco, cigarettes, and normal controls. Addictive Behaviour. 1998, 23–24: 171-8.
Ellis Janzon has received grants (no 200704, 200801 R) for this study by the Advisory Board of Tobacco Science, Sweden. There has been no collaboration with the sponsor during the study.
Department of Health and Society, Malmö University, Malmö, Sweden
Ellis Janzon
Department of Clinical Science, Research Groups of Cardiovascular Epidemiology Lund University, Malmö University Hospital, Malmö, Sweden
Bo Hedblad
Search for Ellis Janzon in:
Search for Bo Hedblad in:
Correspondence to Bo Hedblad.
EJ participated in the design of the study, performed the statistical analysis and drafted the manuscript. BH conceived of the study, participated in its design and revised the manuscript critically. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
Ellis Janzon and Bo Hedblad contributed equally to this work.
Hospital Discharge Register
Lower Systolic Blood Pressure
Daily Cigarette Consumption
|
cc/2019-30/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line9473
|
__label__wiki
| 0.538503
| 0.538503
|
A Lombard Silver Bowl
combat mechanics, Late Antique, medieval, Migration Era, military manuals, source
Detail from a wrought silver plate in the Castelvecchio, Verona. Said to come from northern Italy and date to the sixth century CE. Photo by Sean Manning.
One of the treasures housed in the Castelvecchio of Verona is an extraordinary silver plate. It dates a bit later than the Sasanid silverwork which I have blogged about before, to the age which gave us Maurice’s Strategikon when East Romans, Goths, and Lombards were struggling for control in Italy and destroying what was left of the wealth and learning built up in the centuries when Rome ruled the world.
The horseman wields his lance in both hands. This was a popular technique for heavily armoured cavalry in the ancient world, although it is a bit unusual to see someone with just a helmet and a shirt of mail employ it. I am embarrassed that I can’t give any other sources, but any basic work on Roman cavalry should have them (Latin contus and Greek κόντος “bargepole > long, thick-shafted spear” are good keywords). The horsemen of Comitatus in the UK find that this works especially well in a ‘foyning’ style of combat, riding close to the enemy and feinting and thrusting from just out of reach rather than making a sudden swift rush through their line and hoping that your one thrust goes home. After the Black Death a two-handed grip shows up again in the Fechtbücher from north of the Alps by writers like Sigmund ain Ringeck who liked the extra leverage in parrying.
The “helmet with small plumes or tassels on top” is mentioned in the Strategikon of Maurice (1.2, 12b4). Plumes like this were traditionally of dyed horsehair. Maurice was not interested in the colour … he used coloured flags and pennons to mark individual units of cavalry.
Closeup of the armour on Detail a wrought silver plate in the Castelvecchio, Verona.
The horseman’s coat could be mail or lamellar. It has sleeves (which work better in mail) but the rows are broad and it seems to open up the front which is more typical of lamellar. Written sources are not so helpful here, because the Medieval Greek terms for types of armour are notoriously difficult to interpret. Secular documents were not preserved in the Greek Christian world in the way that they were in France or Tuscany, so historians are reduced to picking terms out of literature written in an deliberately archaic style for people who didn’t need to be told the everyday names for different kinds of armour.
If some parts of this scene belong very much in the sixth century CE, others are timeless. That motif of a horseman charging from left to right over cowering footmen and bloody flesh is very old. I am tempted to date it to the middle of the third millennium BCE, but the Stele of the Vultures has a whole row of war wagons, and Eannatum of Lagaš marches at the head of his phalanx. It really takes shape a thousand years later, when New Kingdom Egyptian pharaohs had themselves carved alone in their chariot trampling a whole wall full of cringing Asiatics or wicked Libyans, and Idrimi of Alalakh remembered how he set out into the desert alone except for his horses and his driver to win a new kingdom for himself. And a thousand years before a silversmith in Italy sat down at his bench, stonecarvers in Phrygia put this on a sarcophagus:
Cropped from a photo by Dan Diffendale https://www.flickr.com/photos/dandiffendale/10506953106 under a Creative Commons CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 license.
Whether in the Achaemenid empire or the Gothic Kingdom of Italy, the doomed footman tries to draw his sword as Death in the form of a hero on horseback swoops in.
In my life so far, I have been privileged to be able to visit Verona three times. And if that were all the profit that my time in Europe brought me, I could not complain.
John W. Eadie, “The Development of Roman Mailed Cavalry,” The Journal of Roman Studies, Vol. 57, No. 1/2 (1967) pp. 161-173
Carolyn Willekes, “The Horse in the Ancient World,” pp. 235ff (or check out the book version!)
Edit 2017-08-05: Corrected a silly statement about the armour and posted a closeup photo.
|
cc/2019-30/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line9476
|
__label__cc
| 0.708289
| 0.291711
|
Toby Stephens on Jane Eyre 2006
Two pages of interview plus some interesting info. There’s a lot to take in, and a few things to snerk at (Jane’s ‘mysterious lust object’?!!). Perhaps the most surprising thing is that this article only begins and ends with material about Jane Eyre while the bulk is a bio of Mr. Stephens to make sure we’re caught up, I suppose. And do we have confirmation of the sneer? Aidan, our Cornish correspondent had promised to set up a sneer counter. Oh dear. I give you now some relevant excerpts:
This could be the Mr Darcy moment for Toby Stephens. Eleven summers ago Colin Firth was just another good-looking British actor. Then came the BBC’s Pride and Prejudice. Firth, as Darcy, dived into a lake and emerged, wetly, in a clinging shirt, a star. In a few weeks, the BBC begins its four-part adaptation of Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre. Toby Stephens plays Rochester, the heroine’s mysterious lust object. Stephens is 37 (Firth was a year younger), a master of the classical stage who has teetered on the brink of movie fame. Obviously, he is going to be all over the media this autumn, soaking up the adulation, posing for magazine covers, and batting calls from Hollywood casting directors.
The contradictory aspect of this is that Stephens knows what Jane Eyre could mean for him. He says he grabbed at the chance with both hands. He then worked extraordinarily hard filming it, mainly at Haddon Hall, over a particularly cruel Derbyshire winter. “I remember sitting in the main hall thinking: ‘This is f***ing torture.’ My face was frozen in this kind of rictus and I thought: ‘This is going to be Rochester’s expression. I can’t move anything.’ It was horrible for about three, four weeks and then it slowly started thawing out. By the summer it was the most beautiful place on earth.”
He appreciates that, rictus grin or not, his Rochester will not satisfy all of the book’s devotees. “Every woman has their own idea of Mr Rochester. I’d had this image in my head of him being this rather remote, enigmatic, taciturn figure. And I read the book again and, actually, he never shuts up. He just grinds on and on and on, and he’s actually quite theatrical.”
I doubt that Brontë lovers will be objective about his Rochester. Controversy may also surround Ruth Wilson, the unknown whom White chose to play Jane. At least, however, having met her briefly on location in the spring, I can confirm that she looks the part. But is the world ready for a ginger Rochester? “Oh, he looks very different from me, I promise. I wore hair extensions and have black, curly shaggy hair. In the book the both of them are quite plain physically. At the time, what was seen as attractive was somebody slim and fair in a cavalry uniform; he was this shaggy, dark, blue-chin, person. But she finds him handsome.”
My bet is that viewers, like Jane, are going to fall for him too, and big time. Let’s hope the news filters down to the other side of the world.
I was prepared for “Jane’s mysterious lust object” to mean her own sexual awakening–along the lines of the Jane/Bertha duality (Polly Teale-ish). Rochester being labeled so had me in fits of laughter though!
Comment by mysticgypsy — August 29, 2006 @ 10:10 pm |Reply
Did you? I’m laughing on the outside but I’m crying inside! 😉 Truly, I’m not feeling good about some of this. However, I could be wrong (and hope that I am).
Comment by Brontëana — August 29, 2006 @ 10:22 pm |Reply
hmm..perhaps they have over-emphasized the sexual aspects of the story?
I am not very pleased with his answers…I would have liked more depth.
Sounds like it. Then again most of those comments come from the reporter.
His answers didn’t bother me so much. It was the implication that there’s a power struggle between Jane and Rochester, wherein he has to adapt to a willful woman. Since more than one third of the article is about his family and private life rather than the programme itself, I think the substance might have been reduced a bit. I still have faith in Mr. Stephens to understand the character.
The sneering… I lament. I hope we don’t see another Ciaran Hinds-esque performance (bullying, sneering and loud).
Comment by Brontëana — August 30, 2006 @ 12:05 am |Reply
Oh, please, not another Dalton-like theatrical performance! Rochester is not “theatrical”; he’s witty and teasing and hard-to-read, but definitely not theatrical!! Unless I have been reading another JE book and I hadn’t realized!
Stephens’ view on Rochester (including the sneer-related part) sounds interesting, but not very promising 🙂 We’ll only have to wait!
Comment by siansaksa — August 30, 2006 @ 3:37 am |Reply
“And I read the book again and, actually, he never shuts up. He just grinds on and on and on, and he’s actually quite theatrical.”
Hahaha! This isn’t bad, really. Never-Shuts-Up Rochester is better than Sits-in-a-Corner-and-Scowls Rochester. And he’s read the book (twice!), which is more than can be said for SOME.
I would argue that there are aspects of the theatrical about Rochester – he certainly likes playacting, and likes to put on a series of masks (the Byronic hero, the country gentleman) concealing his real self. The important thing is that they show Jane seeing through them, IMHO.
Comment by Liz — August 30, 2006 @ 5:17 am |Reply
To Liz:
You are right! I was referring to the theatricality of playing the role rather than to Rochester’s habit of disguising himself, of “playing theatre”.
What I hope not to see in the new JE is a stagey or false performance, otherwise any approach is OK. The problem ith all Rochesters (on screen) who tried to capture the bombastic side of the character is that they only managed a very stagey or unrealistic performance.
Comment by siansaksa — August 30, 2006 @ 2:12 pm |Reply
I was a bit disappointed with how little Jane Eyre was discussed and with the fact that perhaps this will be his only interview, if I was the Director, I’d be spitting feathers, surely there was a publicity clause in his contract!
I like the fact that he drew on the fact that Rochester talks a lot. For example; he practically disgorges his entire life history to Jane almost immediately- which in my current uncharitable and slightly grumpy mood – translates as “I’ve bedded my way around Europe”. Is he trying to shock Jane?
Anyway, back to Toby S, I’m getting a horrible feeling, he’s going to be “byronesque”, please no!
Also, I think he ought to get a stylist: *pink* polo shirt?
Comment by pennyforyourdreams — August 30, 2006 @ 2:54 pm |Reply
I like the Byronic-side in Rochester’s character.
I think Rochester knows by then that Jane is not one to be shocked at hearing such effusions about his personal life 😉
Comment by mysticgypsy — August 30, 2006 @ 5:09 pm |Reply
I don’t mind a dark side to a character, but often when I hear “byronesque” it puts me in mind of a sullen, brooding, introverted, selfish and mean character. I don’t think that Rochester is mean, a little naive to think that his attic is the the place to keep his mad wife, but in his behaviour toward Adele, Mrs. Fairfax and Jane, we know he’s kind hearted. The strength of the novel is that we come to this conclusion without being bludgeoned over the head with it, just by observing Rochester’s actions, via Jane’s narrative.
Another word I link with byronesque is narcissistic. I don’t think that Rochester is that at all.
Reviewing the part of the novel where Rochester tells Jane his story, Jane *is* very matter of fact about what she has just heard, but I still think there’s a touch of mischief about him when he confides in her; at the end of his story he says: “you will be coming to me some day with notice…that you beg me to look for a new governess, &c. – eh?”
This almost teasing, seems to be in perfect keeping with his sardonic sense of humour and by Jane’s subsequent sober and sensible reaction, we and he both realise that Jane will be steadfast and loyal and even has affection for him. Compare what Blanche Ingrams reaction might have been?
Anyway, I’ll shut up now, didn’t realise that had gotten so long 🙂
p.s The Lust Object label has been applied to practically every period drama actor since Colin Firth. It’s almost as if you can’t be taken seriously unless you are deeply swoon worthy.
“But she finds him handsome.”
WHAT??? He flat-out asks her if she finds him handsome and she (in true Janian fashion, of course) says, “No, sir.” HELLO??? Does she love him? Unquestionably. Does she find him handsome? No, sir…
Comment by rinabeana — August 30, 2006 @ 10:44 pm |Reply
Perhaps he meant to say attractive, rather than handsome?
Men get so confused about these things… 😉
Comment by Laura — September 6, 2006 @ 12:14 pm |Reply
|
cc/2019-30/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line9478
|
__label__cc
| 0.714472
| 0.285528
|
Books · Fantasy · Paranormal Romance · Reviews · Young Adult Fiction
Lightning Rider by Jen Greyson ~ A Review
Lightning Rider by Jen Greyson
Published: The Writer’s Coffee Shop Publishing House, 31th May 2013
Where Did I Get It? eARC received from NetGalley for review
Summary (from Goodreads):
For Evy Rivera, thunderstorms have always caused her physical pain, but she’s never known why. When a record-setting storm arrives on the same night her father finds ancient ancestral documents, Evy is set aglow with mysterious tiny lightnings she can command.
Even worse, she alerts some people in the universe who’ve been looking for her family for a very long time.
Thrown back into ancient Spain and tasked with killing a Spanish legend, she must train alongside Constantine, a sexy yet obstinate Roman warrior. He teaches her how to wield her lightning as a weapon, through more errors than trials. With a relationship as explosive as their late-night training sessions, Evy and Constantine battle their push-pull relationship while trying to ignore the two-thousand-year difference in their birthdates.
Ilif Rotiart, her quasi-mentor, is appalled at Evy’s skill. He would prefer to train her father and keep Evy on the sidelines—where women belong. Evy has a feeling Ilif is keeping something from them, but she must play nice until she uncovers the truth. And if he’s lying, it will be the worst day of his four-hundred-year life.
Penya Sepadas claims she’s Evy’s rightful trainer, and she has the prophecy to prove it. Penya doesn’t share Ilif’s misogynistic attitude, but she does have her own agenda…and her own secrets.
Evy must sort through the lies and find the truth behind her family’s time-traveling past before the wrong history obliterates the future. She’s spent her whole life fighting for her place. Now, as the first female lightning rider, she’ll dedicate her existence to fighting to save the world.
But will Evy learn to manage her lightning and find the truth before it’s too late?
Opening Line:
A storm is coming.
A fantastic romp through time with a brilliant main character – I really enjoyed Lightning Rider… once I got into it.
If I had written this review after reading the first 25% of the book, I would have slated it for a multitude of reasons – the main character was irritating, the world seemed a bit flat, I didn’t have the slightest clue what was going on and, quite frankly, I didn’t care. Then all of a sudden it became brilliant. It was like the author suddenly found their feet and the characters, the world, the story all jumped to life and I wanted it all and I wanted it now. I couldn’t put it down in contrast to the start where I had to force myself to keep reading.
Evy is a heroine you could relate to – she doesn’t discover that she has crazy lightning powers and immediately be all cool with it and know how to use it as happens in so many books and films. Instead she reacts how a real person would – she tries to ignore it, she plays with it, she hopes it will go away by itself, she gets angry with it, she gets things wrong. She has to learn about her power and the responsibilities it brings and the danger it can be and in learning her character grows, changes and rounds out without ever losing sense of who she was before. She doesn’t have a personality transplant, she just adapts. Her character development is cleverly handled and smooth and her Spanish temperament shines through with amusing results.
The time travel is well thought out and not confusing in a way that is a detriment to the story – it is mind-bending, obviously, but what time travel isn’t? The deception and intrigue layered through the story is subtle and I didn’t work everything out before the twists were revealed or, in some cases, not revealed – leaving you desperate for the next instalment to find out what happens.
There’s plenty of action and danger, horses, motorbikes, swords and arrows, bloodshed and fear but also a hefty dollop of romance in the form of main love interest Constantine, the Roman warrior. At first I wasn’t convinced by him as a romantic option but as his and Evy’s relationship grew and their characters developed, I was sold. There were plenty of JUST KISS HER ALREADY! moments all building up to the inevtiable racy scenes but it wasn’t forced and added yet another dimension to the book.
Overall I loved it and will be keeping an eye out for book two. It is a little slow to start but worth sticking with for sure.
book Fantasy fiction Jen Greyson Lightning Rider paranormal Review romance time travel young adult
Previous Post Sainsbury’s Savoury Popcorn & Madagascar 3 ~ A Review
Next Post What are these words you speak?
4 thoughts on “Lightning Rider by Jen Greyson ~ A Review”
Pingback: March Reading Summary | Carole Finds Her Wings
Jen Greyson | Author says:
Thanks so much for the review. I’m so glad the book turned out okay. I really really appreciate you taking the time to read it.
Pingback: Lightning Rider by Jen Greyson – Exclusive Extract & Giveaway! | Carole Finds Her Wings
Pingback: Shadow Boxer (Alterations #2) by Jen Greyson ~ A Review | Carole Finds Her Wings
|
cc/2019-30/en_middle_0014.json.gz/line9481
|
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.