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About MPs & Lords
People & Parliament transforming society
Changes in divorce: the 20th century
Marriage, divorce and sexuality
The law of marriage
Marriage: property and children
Marriage: legitimacy and adoption
Obtaining a divorce
Custody rights and domestic violence
Wedlock or deadlock
Regulating sexual behaviour: the 19th century
Regulating sex and sexuality: the 20th century
Between 1909 and 1910, in response to extensive campaigns outside Parliament and various failed Bills, a Royal Commission examined ways of reforming Victorian divorce law.
Inconsistency
Existing law was full of inconsistency which made it difficult, particularly for women, to end unhappy marriages. There was much concern, too, about the number of couples 'living in sin' owing to the difficulties and costs involved in obtaining divorce.
Divorce increases
The Commission's recommendations for simplified, less costly and fairer proceedings did not result in any immediate change. However, the increased numbers of divorces during and after the First World War led to more pressure for change, especially from groups representing newly-enfranchised women.
A Private Member's Bill introduced in 1923 - which passed as the Matrimonial Causes Act - made adultery by either husband or wife the sole ground for divorce. A wife no longer had to prove additional faults against the husband.
Marital separation and maintenance
Campaigning in the early 1920s also led to the Summary Jurisdiction (Separation and Maintenance) Act in 1925 which extended the grounds on which either partner could obtain a separation.
Historic Hansard
The House of Lords debates the Second Reading of the Matrimonial Causes Bill
Matrimonial Causes Bill (26 June 1923)
Also within Living Heritage
Women and the vote
Glossary link
Private Members' Bill
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Foursquare Explore Section Now Includes Menus
Say you're having a really strong craving for chicken parmesan, but don't know of a good Italian restaurant in your area that makes it. You could search the web and click through to individual restaurant menus, but Foursquare has an easier solution.
By Angela Moscaritolo
The social check-in service on Monday expanded its Explore section to include full restaurant menus. This means you can now head over to Foursquare and simply type the dish you're looking for into the search bar, and get a list of nearby places that serve it.
Even better — you can get really specific with your queries. Say you're craving fried pickles or a lobster roll. Foursquare has you covered.
"We'll scour our menu database of over 43 million menu items from over half a million places to find exactly what you're looking for," Foursquare wrote in a blog post. From the list of results, you can check out other info, like a restaurant's price range, location, whether any of your friends have been there, and tips written by other users to help narrow down your choices.
The newly updated Explore section will likely be especially helpful for those with special dietary restrictions. You can, for instance, search for gluten free, vegetarian, vegan, and kosher options.
To take advantage of the new menu feature, you'll need to have the latest version of the app.
The update comes after Foursquare late last month launched a brand-new app for Windows 8, the company's first official app that goes beyond the phone. When developing the new app, the Foursquare team focused on making it a powerful search and discovery tool and put those capabilities front and center, Foursquare's David Ban told PCMag.com.
Roku Adds Video Streaming to Android App
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Angela Moscaritolo Reporter
Angela has been a PCMag reporter since January 2012. Prior to joining the team, she worked as a reporter for SC Magazine, covering everything related to hackers and computer security. Angela has also written for The Northern Valley Suburbanite in New Jersey, The Dominion Post in West Virginia, and the Uniontown-Herald Standard in Pennsylvania. She ... See Full Bio
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Mobile Apps/
Android Apps/
Jeffrey L. Wilson DC Comics (for Android) The Comixology-powered DC Comics for Android brings iconic heroes and stories to smartphones and tablets, but a few omissions keep it from leaping over tall buildings in a single bound.
DC Comics (for Android)
By Jeffrey L. Wilson
June 27, 2014 11:14AM EST
Most new books available the same day as print issues. Fit-to-width mode. HD support. Guided View makes it easy to read books on smartphones. Lots of freebies. Syncs comics across devices.
Gaping holes in the back catalog. Lacks a shopping cart.
The Comixology-powered DC Comics for Android brings iconic heroes and stories to smartphones and tablets, but a few omissions keep it from leaping over tall buildings in a single bound.
DC Comics—the company that birthed Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, and other iconic characters—has a robust digital comics mobile store in its self-titled, Comixology-powered Android app. DC Comics (free) transforms your Android tablet or smartphone into a digital comic book shop from which you can purchase new titles, as well as numerous back issues. DC Comics lacks a handful of features—such as the excellent shopping cart found in Comixology's own Comics Android app—but those who dig DC's larger-than-life heroes will like this app.
Marvel Comics (for Android)
Comics (for Android)
Perfect Viewer (for Android)
ComicRack (for Android)
This may be an obvious statement, but it's one that may be needed: DC Comics (the app) only lets you purchase and read DC Comics (the comic book line). If you've used Comixology (either the browser-based store or the Android or iOS mobile apps) to purchase books from IDW, Image, Marvel, or other publishers, you won't be able to download them to your Android tablet or smartphone using this app. That said, if you bought DC Comics titles via Comixology's app or site, you will see them under this app's My Comics section.
When you find a book that interests you, tap the issue or trade paperback icon to see the synopsis, creator credits, pricing, rating, and sample pages. Making a purchase is as simple as tapping a book's price icon, completing the buy in Google Play, and waiting for that issue, collection, or graphic novel to download. That said, DC's app lacks Comics for Android's killer feature: a shopping cart. It's not a huge loss in the grand scheme of things, but the cart's omission means that you buy titles one at a time instead of making mass purchases—it's mildly frustrating.
New digital comics such as Green Lantern ($2.99) are priced exactly the same as their paper-and-ink counterparts, which from a consumer's point of view may seem ludicrous. Still, there are some extra costs for making a digital book that offset the fact that DC doesn't have to buy paper and ink and pay shipping costs. A more unequivocal complaint: There are still many pre-2000s books that are conspicuous by their absence. For example, there are huge holes in the original Batman book—the issue count leaps from #25 to #159. If you want those books, you must take a trip to your local comic book shop (and possibly carry a lot of cash).
There are numerous freebies and 99-cent issues in DC Comics' catalog, but the $2.99 price point is the norm (collections, naturally, command more cash). DC Comics also lets you add books to a wish list, so that you can purchase them at a later time. As with any Comixology-powered app, DC Comics lets you sync comic books across multiple devices (and keeps your place in your books across all your devices, too).
Should you ever feel the need to pick up a print comic, clicking the Buy In Print option lets you find the nearest brick-and-mortar comics shop by keying in your ZIP code.
The Character Arc
DC Comics lets you scroll through a digital comic page by page as you would with a print comic, or you can use Comixology's patented Guided View technology. Activated by double-tapping a digital comic page, Guided View simulates the flow of reading a comic by guiding you from zoomed-in panel to zoomed-in panel. It's a useful feature that makes reading digital comics on smartphones an incredibly enjoyable experience, despite their small screens. Dark Horse Comics and Marvel Unlimited's apps offer competing panel-by-panel flows, but they don't match Guided View's well-placed camera.
In fact, there are a handful of digital comics created with Guided View in mind. These books are similar to motion comics, minus the more annoying aspects (voice work, forced panel movement). For example, Batman '66 uses Guided View to fade images into the panel, or pan toward objects just off-screen.
Like Comixology and Marvel's Android apps, DC Comics has HD comics support and Fit to Width. The former is self-explanatory, but Fit to Width resizes comics so that you can easily read pages when holding a device horizontally.
DC Comics fans who want the convenience of buying titles without visiting a comic book shop can do so with this well-designed app. Comixology's Comics Android app remains our Editors' Choice due to its wide array of publishers (Marvel, Dynamite, IDW, and more) and killer shopping cart that lets you purchase multiple titles at once. Still, DC Comics for Android is a terrific offering that demonstrates the advantages of comics going digital.
If you want to learn more about digital comics, check out Everything You Need to Know About Digital Comics, and 10 Digital Comics You Should Read Right Now.
Bottom Line: The Comixology-powered DC Comics for Android brings iconic heroes and stories to smartphones and tablets, but a few omissions keep it from leaping over tall buildings in a single bound.
Amazon Music With Prime Music (for Android)
Slingshot (for Android)
Jeffrey L. Wilson Lead Analyst, Software
For more than a decade, Jeffrey L. Wilson has penned gadget- and video game-related nerd-copy for a variety of publications, including 1UP, 2D-X, The Cask, Laptop, LifeStyler, Parenting, Sync, Wise Bread, and WWE. He now brings his knowledge and skillset to PCMag as Lead Analyst. When he isn't staring at a monitor (or two) and churning out web h... See Full Bio
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TELESAR V Robot Lets You Feel What It Feels, See What It Sees
By Cassandra Khaw
If the TELESAR V ever becomes commercialized, long-distance relationships will probably stop being such a pain. The latest telepresence system from the Japanese Science And Technology Agency (JST) and Keio University's Tachi Lab, the TELESAR V is the first of its kind in the world to allow its human operator to tell what kind of material being handled by their robot minion by touch alone. Of course, that was back in November 2011. Things have become even better now.
The technology that powers the TELESAR V is something that sounds like it came straight from Bladerunner. According to Plastic Pals, there's a whole bunch of sensors in the hands and fingers of the TELESAR V that capture and relay tactile information to its operator.
That's the layman's version. This is the more technical explanation:
[ Further reading: The best robot vacuum cleaners ]
"The primary sensor inside each fingertip is a vision-based force sensor which is comprised of a wide-angle camera that looks through a gel-layer mixed with thermochromic ink. When the gel compresses, the thermochromic ink becomes denser, which the camera interprets as force information."
We're not exactly sure what that means, either. However, we do know that there are microphones under the robot's fingertips capable of registering low- to mid-level vibrations and "thermoelectric peltier devices" capable of reproducing warm and cold temperatures.
It looks like there's still a fair bit of work to be done before they can make the TELESAR V as sensitive as the real thing. And, as awesome as the idea of being able to help people work in hazardous environments might be, we all know that someone out there will find some unexpected uses for this sort of thing.
[TELESAR V, Plastic Pals]
Cassandra Khaw is an entry-level audiophile, a street dancer, a person who writes about video games for a living, and someone who spends too much time on Twitter.
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Team UK
QuidditchUK Emergency Fund
The QuidditchUK Emergency Fund is designed to provide support for established clubs that experience significant financial hardship during a season due to circumstances outside of their control.
QuidditchUK understands that a variety of unpredictable situations can cause unexpected logistical and financial problems for both clubs and players. While we can often do little to prevent such an event in advance, the organisation is able to give some financial assistance to clubs to mitigate part of the impact associated with emergencies, accidents and the failure of external bodies.
Up to £500.
Applications to the Emergency Fund will be assessed on a case-by-case basis by QuidditchUK’s EMT.
Applicants should complete the form below attached with any supporting documentation. Applicants will be contacted for further details where required, and will be notified of the outcome of their inquiry as soon as possible.
To be eligible to apply for support from the Emergency Fund the following conditions must apply:
1. The Club making the application must be officially registered with QuidditchUK.
2. The Club or its members must have encountered unexpected financial outlay in the process of everyday club administration throughout the year or when preparing for and/or competing in a regional or national QuidditchUK official tournament.
3. Expenses incurred specifically in relation to fantasy tournaments, international tournaments, or unofficial matches or tournaments are not eligible for relief under this scheme.
4. Financial outlay must have resulted from circumstances that the Club could not reasonably be expected to have anticipated and which could not be attributed to the action or inaction of the Club or any Club member.
5. The Club must have taken all reasonable steps to resolve the problem without recourse to QuidditchUK funding, for example through contacting their Student Union or the Citizen’s Advice Bureau.
6. Applications must be made by QuidditchUK member Clubs and cannot be made by individuals.
7. The Club must have a Club bank account into which funds can be deposited. Funds cannot be transferred to a personal bank account.
QuidditchUK Emergency Fund Application Form:
To apply to the QuidditchUK Emergency Fund, please complete this form and attach any relevant supporting material.
Contact Email Address:
Amount Requested:
Reason for Application:
Supporting Evidence (i.e receipts):
James Burnett named as new Expansion Squad Head Coach
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AllIn+ Coaching Fund
Find a taster session near you
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All Rights Reserved © 2019 QuidditchUK - Site by Catherine Grace
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*NEW IN
KP - Our Own Titles
Discounts (on orders of 2 or more items) 10% off orders of £25 or more | 15% off orders of £150 or more | 20% off orders of £500 or more
RT 1940s
Radio Times 1945
*NEW IN (4) TV Times (830)
Radio Times (1824)
DR WHO covers 1960s & 1970s (4) Radio Times Bound Volumes (2) Radio Times Christmas Issues (29) Radio Times Related Books (5) RT 1930s (0) RT 1940s (208) RT 1950s (325) RT 1960s (283) RT 1970s (386) RT 1980s (402) RT 1990s (145) RT 2000-2013 (68) Other Magazines (25) Books (700) KP - Our Own Titles (24)
RT 1133 - June 17, 1945 (Jun 17-23)
RT 1133 - June 17, 1945 (Jun 17-23) DEAR OCTOPUS - with cover drawing (by Freeman) of a scene from the play.
RT 1139 - July 27, 1945 (Jul 29-Aug 4) (London)
RT 1139 - July 27, 1945 (Jul 29-Aug 4) (London) LAUNCH OF THE LIGHT PROGRAMME No cover picture. The Two New Programmes - Director General W.J. Haley writes about post-war broadcasting. Third Programme later.
RT 1139 - July 27, 1945 (Jul 29-Aug 4) (Midland)
RT 1139 - July 27, 1945 (Jul 29-Aug 4) (Midland) LAUNCH OF THE LIGHT PROGRAMME No cover picture. The Two New Programmes - Director General W.J. Haley writes about post-war broadcasting. Third Programme later.
RT 1141 - August 10, 1945 (Aug 12-18) (North of England & N.Ireland)
RT 1141 - August 10, 1945 (Aug 12-18) (North of England & N.Ireland) TOP O' TH' TOWER (Light Programme) with cover photo looking down.
RT 1142 - August 17, 1945 (Aug 19-25) (North of England & N.Ireland) RADAR - STORY OF A SECRET WEAPON (Home Service) with cover photos.
RT 1144 - August 31, 1945 (Sep 2-8) (North of England & N.Ireland)
RT 1144 - August 31, 1945 (Sep 2-8) (North of England & N.Ireland) CENTURY AT THE OVAL Cronical of a hundred years of cricket at the Oval (Light Programme) with cover illustration.
RT 1145 - September 7, 1945 (Sep 9-15) (North of England & N.Ireland)
RT 1145 - September 7, 1945 (Sep 9-15) (North of England & N.Ireland) THE VIC OLIVER SHOW - with cover photo / THE MICHAEL HOWARD SHOW - with cover photo.
RT 1148 - September 28, 1945 (Sep 30-Oct 6) (London)
RT 1148 - September 28, 1945 (Sep 30-Oct 6) (London) BBC SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA - with three cover photos: Jacques Thibaud, Albert Coates, and the orchestra.
RT 1150 - October 12, 1945 (Oct 14-20) (North of England & N.Ireland)
RT 1150 - October 12, 1945 (Oct 14-20) (North of England & N.Ireland) TRIPLE BILL: Emlyn Williams and Adrianne Allen in THINKING ALOUD - Walter Hudd and James Dale in THE OVERCOAT - Barbara Couper and Ralph Truman in CATHERINE PARR. Six cover photos.
RT 1151 - October 19, 1945 (Oct 21-27) (North of England & N.Ireland) FISHERMEN IN WARTIME - with cover photo.
RT 1155 - November 16, 1945 (Nov 18-24) (North of England & N.Ireland)
RT 1155 - November 16, 1945 (Nov 18-24) (North of England & N.Ireland) ATLANTIC FLIGHT - with cover photo inside the cockpit.
Postage & Delivery Information
TV Listings 1939-52
BBC2 Listings 1964-66
104 Baymead Lane, North Petherton, Somerset, TA6 6RN, United Kingdom
E: lynda@kellybooks.co.uk
Kelly Books and Magazines © 2019
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If You Don’t Stop Eating These 7 High Carb Foods, They Could Kill You
Denise Mann, MS
Low-to-no-carb diets have been all the rage for years. There was the Atkin's Diet, the South Beach Diet, the Dukan diet, the Ketogenic diet, and the Paleo diet—to name just a few of the more popular plans. Many swear by the diets' weight loss benefits, but several new studies suggest that limiting carbs may do more than slim your waistline—it may even save your life.
Killer carbs
sfam photo/shutterstock
Some people are just plain eating too many carbs, and these are the signs you are one of them. If you overindulge on high carb foods, limiting those carbs can be a life-saver, literally. In one study, people who ate a lot of carbs (more than 60 percent of their daily calories) had a nearly 30 percent greater risk of dying during a seven-plus year period than people eating a low-carb diet.
Here’s how the researchers figured this out: In their Prospective Urban Rural Epidemiology (PURE) study, they followed people aged 35 to 70 from 18 countries for 7.4 years on average. Participants answered questions about the foods they ate using a standard questionnaire, and researchers categorized them into groups based on their intake of carbs, fats, and protein.
During the study period, 5,796 participants died and 4,784 had heart attacks or strokes. Researchers took a look at their diets and found that those who consumed the greatest amount of carbs were more likely to die, when compared with their counterparts who consumed the least. Fat, however, seemed protective. People who ate high-fat diets (about 35 percent of daily energy intake) had a 23 percent lower risk of mortality, and an 18 percent lower risk of stroke compared to low intake group (11 percent energy).
Carb link to heart disease
nhungboon/Shutterstock
The study was not designed to determine why carbs may increase risk of dying, but some older research does provide some clues. A higher carb intake may increase dangerous blood fats known as triglycerides and low-density lipoprotein or “bad” cholesterol, explains study author Mashid Dehghan, PhD, an Investigator in the Nutrition Epidemiology program at the Population Health Research Institute and Senior Research Associate in the Department of Medicine at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. “It may also increase apoB/apoA ratios,” she told Reader’s Digest, and “ApoB/ApoA ratio has shown to be strong predictor of heart disease.” In fact, loading up on carbs is among the worst eating habits for people with high cholesterol.
Fat was once considered diet saboteur No. 1, but carbs—especially white, processed, simple ones—now holds this title. In fact, two other studies published in the journal Cell Metabolism also raise hopes that low-carb diets, if followed over time, improve the odds of living longer and can also boost memory. (These studies were in mice, but they do add to growing body of evidence).
Denise Mann is a freelance health writer in New York. Her articles regularly appear in WebMD, Healthday.com, Beautyinthebag.com and other consumer health portals.
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Season Tickets now on sale!
Secure your Season Ticket for 2015/16!
- Call 0118 968 1313
- Visit the Ticket Office in person.
Season tickets for 2015/16 are on sale now.
With a season ticket you see every League game at Madejski Stadium at the great prices listed below!
If you wish to buy, visit the Ticket Office in person or phone 0118 968 1313.
Existing Members who wish to buy a Season Ticket should visit the Ticket Office in person or phone 0118 968 1313.
Renewal prices for Adult season ticket prices were frozen for the sixth successive season, and the club also introduced two new pricing categories.
Supporters aged 7 and under can benefit from a FREE Season Ticket when bought with a full paying adult or concession (18-24 or 65 and over).
If you’re aged between 18 and 24 you can get your hands on a Season Ticket from as little as £135, which equates to less than £6 per fixture! We have recognised that the 17-21 years category has become outdated, so the club have become one of the first to take this measure and ensure that young adults have every opportunity to cheer on their team!
The Family Season Ticket offering will also improve for 2015/16, with greater savings and more options available for your Royal family! Due to popular demand the Club have also introduced a 2 Adult and 1 Child option, with all the Family Season Ticket options available in the extended Family Area of B16, B17 and B18 of the North Stand.
Those who purchase a Season Ticket for 2015/16 will also receive a number of benefits from July 1st. Click here for all the information.
New Season Ticket Prices
PRICES 2015/16
New Season Ticket Price
Lower West, East, North
Adult £395
65 and over (concession) £250
18-24 (concession) £135
17 and under (child) £99
7 and under (child)
17 and under (child) £125
Age-based concessionary rates are subject to the age you are on 1st August 2015
Family Season Ticket Prices
Family Season Tickets are available exclusively in blocks B16, B17 and B18 of the North Stand.
2 Adults + 2 Children
2 Adults + 1 Child
1 Adult + 2 Children
1 Adult + 1 Child
*Age-based concessionary rates are subject to the age you are on 1st August 2015
All the information you need (all subject to availability and Terms and Conditions)
• FREE Season Tickets to children aged 7 and under when bought with a full paying adult or concession Season Ticket. This cannot be purchased online and fans interested should contact the ticket office.
• Brand new 18-24 years category, with prices starting from just £135 (under £6 per game)
• Bigger savings and more options for all Family Season Tickets. The designated Family Area has also been expanded to include B16, B17 & B18 of the North Stand.
• Please note all supporters aged 24 and under, or moving into the 65 and over category will be issued with a new Season Ticket card. In addition, any supporter who moves their seat will also receive a card with updated seat details.
Zebra Finance
An installment payment scheme is available through Zebra Finance so supporters can split the cost over the course of the year. Subject to credit acceptance, fans can pay in ten monthly installments (£32 admin fee) or four monthly installments (£15 admin fee).
Car Park Renewals
The car parking renewal period has now ended for the 2015/16 season.
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LOCAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Section 469.092
469.091 469.093
Bonds (public debt)
Economic development authorities
469.092 LIMIT OF POWERS.
Subdivision 1.Resolution.
The enabling resolution may impose the following limits upon the actions of the authority:
(1) that the authority must not exercise any specified powers contained in sections 469.001 to 469.047, 469.090 to 469.108, and 469.124 to 469.133 or that the authority must not exercise any powers without the prior approval of the city council;
(2) that, except when previously pledged by the authority, the city council may by resolution require the authority to transfer any portion of the reserves generated by activities of the authority that the city council determines is not necessary for the successful operation of the authority to the debt service fund of the city, to be used solely to reduce tax levies for bonded indebtedness of the city;
(3) that the sale of all bonds or obligations issued by the authority be approved by the city council before issuance;
(4) that the authority follow the budget process for city departments as provided by the city and as implemented by the city council and mayor;
(5) that all official actions of the authority must be consistent with the adopted comprehensive plan of the city, and any official controls implementing the comprehensive plan;
(6) that the authority submit all planned activities for influencing the action of any other governmental agency, subdivision, or body to the city council for approval;
(7) that the authority submit its administrative structure and management practices to the city council for approval; and
(8) any other limitation or control established by the city council by the enabling resolution.
Subd. 2.Modification of resolution.
The enabling resolution may be modified at any time, subject to subdivision 5, and provided that any modification is made in accordance with this section.
Subd. 3.Report on resolution.
Without limiting the right of the authority to petition the city council at any time, each year, within 60 days of the anniversary date of the first adoption of the enabling resolution, the authority shall submit to the city council a report stating whether and how the enabling resolution should be modified. Within 30 days of receipt of the recommendation, the city council shall review the enabling resolution, consider the recommendations of the authority, and make any modification it considers appropriate. Modifications must be made in accordance with the procedural requirements of section 469.093.
Subd. 4.Compliance.
The city council's determination that the authority has complied with the limitations imposed under this section is conclusive.
Subd. 5.Limits; security.
Limits imposed under this section must not be applied in a manner that impairs the security of any bonds issued or contracts executed before the limit is imposed. The city council must not modify any limit in effect at the time any bonds or obligations are issued or contracts executed to the detriment of the holder of the bonds or obligations or any contracting party.
1987 c 291 s 93; 2013 c 125 art 1 s 107
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Update On Jason Jordan’s Current Injury Status
By Felix Upton Last updated Dec 11, 2018
Jason Jordan was in the middle of a huge upswing in his career, then he was taken out of action and forced to undergo neck surgery. The fact he hasn’t returned to the ring isn’t a good sign.
It was said at the time that Jodan’s neck surgery wouldn’t keep him out of action for as long as some other procedures to the neck. However, Jason Jordan’s services were moved to a backstage capacity a couple of months ago. He is now a producer for WWE instead since he can’t work the road because he has yet to be cleared after nearly a year out of action.
PW Insider reports that Jason Jordan was in Birmingham Alabama last week to get his neck evaluated once again by WWE’s doctors. At this time there is no update on his potential medical clearance situation.
Hopefully, Jason Jordan will be able to get back to action soon enough. His injury happened at an awful time as the original plan was for him to feud with his kayfabe father Kurt Angle on the way to WrestleMania with Jordan defeating his daddy in New Orleans to start a pretty big push for the former American Alpha member.
Steve Austin Details Recent Surgery For Possible Skin Cancer
Seth Rollins Talks WWE Missing Storyline Opportunities
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Featured NewsWWE News
Complete List Of WWE Main Roster Superstar Injuries & Projected Returns
By Felix Upton Last updated Feb 9, 2019
WWE has a lot of people on the shelf with an injury or illness right now. Vince McMahon spoke about this trend recentl and it’s just a part of the pro wrestling business.
We have compiled a list of WWE main roster Superstar injuries because we are often asked about their statuses. It is important to remember that recovery from injury can’t be rushed because that could only do more damage.
First off, let’s get to two injuries that WWE is talking about, but they are not what they seem to be:
John Cena is not really injured in spite of what WWE said. This was a storyline device scripted to take him out of the Royal Rumble. He has a movie to shoot up in Canada which will conclude on April 1st. It was actually supposed to be Lars Sullivan taking the 16x World Champion out of action, but those plans were changed.
Becky Lynch is not injured either. This is a work on television to bring drama to her storyline. She is actually okay, but that won’t stop the McMahons from suspending her until she “sees a doctor.”
Since that is taken care of, let’s move on to Superstars who are actually injured and when we might see them make a return.
Kevin Owens could be ready to come back any time from his double knee surgery. He was in the WWE Performance Center working out and had a match with Adam Cole that ended with a hip toss. Hopefully, KO will be able to return after WrestleMania for a fresh start.
Roman Reigns is popping up in a lot of places as he battles leukemia. We have heard no timetable for his WWE return. He is said to be taking his treatments day by day. However, that won’t stop him from pursuing a fruitful acting career in the meantime.
WWE’s Most Shocking Elimination Chamber Moments
Becky Lynch Receives Another Invitation To Attend WWE RAW
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DON PETERSEN | Special to The Roanoke Times
Northside’s Daniel Pereira is consoled by his head coach Lorstan Allen after a loss to Western Albemarle at Spartan Field Saturday afternoon.
Northside’s Daniel Pereira (left) battles Western Albemarle’s Sam Duska during the Class 4 championship game.
McFarling: Vikings suffer tough finish to an otherwise dream season
By Aaron McFarling aaron.mcfarling@roanoke.com 981-3124
Aaron McFarling
The best season in Northside boys soccer history ended with the star player’s face buried in the shoulder of his coach.
Daniel Pereira’s eyes might have been tear-free at that moment. We’ll never know. The driving rain at Spartan Stadium had soaked the dress shirt of coach Lorstan Allen all the way to the skin. Nobody was leaving this place with dry eyes — dry anything — tears or no tears.
“Not disappointed, but sad,” Pereira would say later. “Not the way we wanted to end it.”
It only hurt this bad because everything else leading up to it had felt so good. The 21 wins, the unprecedented advancement, the bonding that accompanies those special seasons that nobody realistically sees coming. The Vikings will always have those, tears or no tears.
Western Albermarle earned every bit of this VSHL Class 3 championship, beating the Vikings 4-0 with a second-half barrage of goals, but the story the Vikings penned in 2019 will be remembered.
“I mean, it’s been an amazing season,” said Pereira, the Virginia Tech-bound midfield who scored 44 goals. “We never expected to be here. We were supposed to go out in like the district semifinals. We weren’t supposed to win one game.”
Instead, they won a bunch of them. They won the district tournament championship. The won the region. They made the state semifinals for the first time in school history, then earned a shot to play for it all.
All this came after Northside lost 11 seniors off last year’s team and turned control over to a bunch of newcomers, many of them forced to play unfamiliar positions.
“Lots of emotions,” senior goalkeeper Scott Newman said Saturday. “I’m upset that after everything we went through, it’s come to this. But just thinking about where we came from in the beginning, I’m so proud of our team. I mean, everyone told us we were going to be 0-16. … I’m beyond grateful for everyone who’s been behind our backs.”
Allen remembers the moment his expectations shifted. It was May 3, and his Vikings were playing at Lord Botetourt, which had handed them their first — and, before Saturday, their only — loss on April 9.
Allen was sick that day, so it was the only time all season that he wasn’t on the sidelines. Instead, he lay in bed at home, receiving text updates on his cell phone.
Coach, it’s 1-1
2-2 now
3-2 us
“Then 4-2,” Allen recalled. “Then 5-2. 6-2. That score kept going up, I’m sitting there looking at my phone, going, ‘Are we really doing this?’ Wait, wait, wait — we’ve got six on them? Since when do we get seven on Botetourt? That never happens.
“That’s when I realized, we’ve got something. We’ve got something magical here.”
Much of the magic came courtesy of Pereira, whose rare skill set flummoxed opponents throughout the postseason. The Venezuelan netted 10 times in the region tournament, notched a hat trick in the state quarterfinals and scored the go-ahead goal in Northside’s 2-0 victory over Tabb in Friday’s semifinals.
Little wonder, then, why Allen took a few moments to cradle him in the rain on Saturday.
“It’s bittersweet,” Allen said. “Because I want everything to be the best for him, but I hate to see him go. Instead of just being a player, he’s become a friend. He’s become that part of my life that I’m going to go see him play in the future, but I’m not going to have that same opportunity to be his soccer coach.”
Throughout this run, the Vikings proved they were more than just the Pereira show. Witness Josh Davis streaking down the wing to deliver the crucial pass in the state quarters, freshman Evan Caldwell with the cold-blooded finish in the state semis, Newman making save after save in the district final. And on and on it goes.
“Every day was a new challenge for us,” Newman said. “We never wanted to take the easy road. We never wanted to take things lightly. We knew there was something special — we didn’t know it was going to be this special — but we knew was something special about this team, this year.”
And they’ll hang onto it forever. Tears or no tears.
@aaronmcfarling
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Sabancı Center Goes Dark For 'Earth Hour'
In support of the "Earth Hour" event, Sabancı Holding switched off the lights of Sabancı Centre from 08:30 pm to 09:30 pm on Saturday 28 March 2009. Sabancı Holding supported the event held worldwide in order to raise awareness towards the need to take action on climate change.
Sabancı Holding had also supported the "lights-off" campaign initiated by the Turkish Foundation for Combating Erosion, Reforestation and the Protection of Natural Habitats (TEMA) last year to draw attention to the energy saving and efficiency issues, and switched off the lights of Sabancı Centre throughout the action.
Pioneered by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and enjoying worldwide support, the "Earth Hour" movement is organised to draw attention to the issue of global climate change.
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Home » Business & Economy » National News: PUC approves a 6.24% increase in electricity rates
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National News: PUC approves a 6.24% increase in electricity rates
As of Sunday, July 1st, Belizeans can expect an increase in their electricity bills as the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) granted Belize Electricity Limited (BEL) a 6.24 % average increase in the Mean Electricity Rate. This represents .39 cents increase per kilowatt-hour through June 2020.
This is the PUC’s final decision in respect of the 2018 Annual Full Tariff Review Proceedings (TRP) for which BEL made submissions in April. The electricity company had asked for an average rate of 39.25 cents over the two year period, but in May, the Commission only approved an average rate of 38.62 cents. BEL objected and an independent expert, Ian McMillan was appointed to review the initial decision and make recommendations for the determination of regulated values, tariffs, fees and charges that were included in the PUC’s final decision.
John Avery (left), Chairman of the PUC
The decision was announced during a press conference on Friday, June 29th. Chairman of the PUC, John Avery, explained how the decision came to be. “The expert basically disagreed with BEL in several of their objections … [he suggested] that perhaps the PUC may consider making some changes in the way the rates are calculated and dealt with in the next full tariff period which will start 2020.” Avery further explained that the PUC accepted most of the expert’s recommendations, adding that the PUC had intended to undertake several of those recommendations already. “The PUC …intended to tweak the setting methodology…to try to enhance it and to change the way in which BEL makes it submission so that we have better information to ultimately make better decisions. We didn’t make any adjustment to the OPEX (Operating Expenses), however the adjustment to the RAV (Regulated Asset Value) affected the depreciation - the return - it affected the corrections and with the increase in cost of power, all of these basically resulted in a slight increase the approved rates [when] compared to the initial decision.” Avery was referring to the initial 4.41% increase which increased to 6.24% upon final approval.
He further stated that the Commission is satisfied that the decision is fair to consumers and the supplier. “The role of the PUC is to strike a fair and reasonable balance between consumers and the licensees. So really, when we are setting a rate, what we are looking for is a fair rate and I would say we can perhaps improve, but we try our best and so we really believe that customers aren’t being gouged,” said Avery. “There can be better decision making and planning…we will be engaging BEL over the next few months and you may see completely new type of submissions and rate setting - well not a completely new, but a revised rate setting process for the 2019 annual review procedure.”
Many Belizeans are concerned that with this 6.24% increase, many household electric bills may pass the $100 threshold, and thus fall under the General Sales Tax (GST) bracket. In the 2017-2018 budget presentation, the Government of Belize (GOB) stated that Belizeans whose electricity bills exceed $100 will have to pay 12.5% GST on their monthly bills. Ultimately, with this next approved increase by the PUC, households who may be struggling with the higher cost of living are looking at an 18.74% (12.5% GST + 6.24% PUC approved rate increase) increase once the $100 threshold has been surpassed.
The independent expert’s final report was produced on June 12th. According to Avery, bylaws do not allow BEL to object to the independent expert’s analysis and final report on Annual review proceedings. The BEL is yet to issue an official statement on the PUC’s final decision.
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Bharti Airtel to deploy 5G across IPL venues
New Delhi, April 6: Bharti Airtel on Friday said it will deploy the advanced Massive MIMO Pre-5G technology across Indian Premier League (IPL) match venues starting with the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai where the first match will be played on April 7.
The telecom service provider said it will deploy the service in IPL match venues in Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mohali, Indore, Jaipur, Bengaluru and Cheni. IANS
Sahitya Akademi nomites Khemraj Nepal as member
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Award-winning cookery writer, Mridula Baljekar is the best-selling author of 27 Indian cookery books and the proud winner of two international cookbook awards. Her book, The Complete Indian Regional Cookbook, was awarded the Best in the World by the prestigious Gourmand International Cookbook Awards in 2013. Mridula was also the winner of the “The Best Asian Cookbook in the World” for her book Great Indian Feasts in 2005, by Gourmand World Cookbook Awards. Mridula presented 52 shows for Carlton Food Network, her own series ‘Mridula’s Indian Kitchen‘ and 13 episodes of the highly acclaimed ‘Spice Trail‘.She owned a contemporary Indian restaurant in Windsor, Berkshire, England, winning several prestigious awards, including the winner at the Best in Britain Awards from 2002-2006.
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SES PRESENTS FLUIDMEDIA
Written on 08 Jun 2015
NEW SERVICE ENABLES QUICKER DISTRIBUTION OF CONTENT TO INTERNET AND VIDEO-ON-DEMAND PLATFORMS
LUXEMBOURG, 8 June 2015 – SES S.A. (NYSE Euronext Paris and Luxembourg Stock Exchange: SESG) announced today that its subsidiary SES Platform Services, a leading technical service provider for the digital editing and broadcasting of audiovisual content, will unveil a new solution tomorrow at ANGA COM 2015 in Cologne, called FLUIDMedia. The service will allow companies that produce or distribute video content to convert their content easily and conveniently, and deliver it to internet or video-on-demand (VOD) platforms.
Users of this new service will be able to control technical aspects such as ingestion, transcoding in various formats, quality checks, packaging and delivery via a modern, browser-based interface on SES Platform Services' content management infrastructure.
FLUIDMedia will also be able to easily manage and customize metadata such as information about license periods, images, trailers and brief descriptions. As users only have to prepare the content and its corresponding metadata once, they can deliver this content to many partners at the same time – saving considerably on time and money.
Users will also be able to access their media assets from any computers, and also from several workstations simultaneously.
"Alongside classic linear television, the distribution of on-demand content is becoming more and more important for broadcasters and production companies," said Sophie Lersch, Chief Product Officer for Services at SES Platform Services. "The number of video-on-demand platforms is growing, and with it their technical complexity. Video is playing an increasingly important role in other sectors too – for example, publishing and automotive. FLUIDMedia is our solution to these developments. Our new service simplifies the entire technical-operational process of video-on-demand distribution and the use of internet video for customers: from the digital supply of content to all necessary editing processes right up to final delivery. With just a few clicks of the mouse, our customers can edit their content, deliver it to any video-on-demand portals, or use it on their own platforms."
SES Platform Services will be presenting FLUIDMedia during ANGA COM 2015 at the shared stand of Astra Deutschland, HD PLUS and SES Platform Services: Hall 10.2, Stand E15.
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Loot Boxes Are Bad for Publishers, Too
By Shamus Posted Wednesday Sep 19, 2018
Filed under: Column 107 comments
This Dumb Industry: The Pitch MeetingPrevious Post
Next PostThis Dumb Industry: Telltale Autopsy
My column this week is my attempt to do something different with the overdone topic of “loot boxes suck and I wish publishers would knock it off”.
Really, I think this entire topic just loops back to the point I was making a year and a half ago when I said that the people running these companies are not gamers, which makes them prone to expensive blunders that would be obvious to someone who knows the products and the culture. If the leadership at EA understood their customers, they could have introduced loot boxes in a way that didn’t make such a mess of things.
I obviously object to loot boxes because they tend to turn a game of system mastery into a slot machine. If a game has loot boxes, then the designer has a strong incentive to un-balance the game as a way to push you into using them. But let’s assume for a moment that I’m an amoral jackass that doesn’t care about videogames. All I want is piles of money. How would I expand the usage of loot boxes across the industry?
How to Infect the Industry With Loot Boxes
It seems easy to manipulate customers because people are stupid. However, the problem is that the people trying to manipulate them are ALSO stupid, so it sort of cancels out.
For this to work, we need to rewind to about three years ago, because the dual Battlefront / Shadow of War controversies have since poisoned the waters. Let’s assume this is a do-over of the attempt to put loot boxes in everything.
Do it incrementally. Whatever we do, it needs to be slow. It’s the old how to boil a frog analogyIt turns out the experiment is useless for explaining the behavior of frogs, but REALLY good at explaining the behavior of humans.. People are bad at reacting to incrementalism. It’s hard to get people fired up to take action when there’s no single event to rally around.
Keep it optional. (At first.) Put loot boxes in into alternate game modes, and then make sure those game modes get the most interesting content and updates. Make sure we don’t cut down on the amount of content going into the non-loot box modes, because our customers are not children and they are really good at remembering things. If loot boxes really are bringing in hundreds of millions of dollars, then it should be trivial to scare up some extra funding to make the optional game mode a little larger and more attractive. Over time that “optional” mode can gradually grow in importance to become the “real” mode.
Stick to cosmetics. (At first.) Obviously our ultimate goal is to become virtual arms dealers and sell power to players, but that should be a long-term process. We should not introduce an entrenched player base to loot boxes by rolling out pay-to-win mechanics. Again, they’re not stupid. The best way to do this is to blur the line between power and cosmetics. One year we just offer “unlock new cosmetic outfits through grinding or by using the slot machine”. The year after that we make some outfits objectively better than others. Perhaps a few rare outfits have smaller hitboxes or blend into the levels a bit. The year after that we do the same with weapons. Mostly you’re unlocking paint jobs and flair for your guns, but a few rare items will speed up reload times or boost fire rate. The next year is the same, except we have a higher (rarer) tier of gear for them to chase after. And so on.
Make them generous. (At first.) If a player puts down a few dollars for a handful of loot boxes / spins on our slot machine, we want them to get something good. That’s how you trap gambling addicts. You let them win quickly, and then you string them along, making them chase that initial high. Since we control the payout system on our servers, we can manipulate the system to work any way we want to. It doesn’t need to play “fair”. It can make sure new players are “lucky”, and that the odds of getting goodies will gradually decrease over time. This behavior of lowering the payout rate over time would be very hard for users to detect and prove. Someone investigating this would need to buy dozens of copies of the game and then spend money unlocking dozens of loot boxes for each account. That means it would take a serious financial investment to do the experiment. We’ll get caught eventually, because we’re up against millions of people who enjoy learning systems as a hobby. But as long as we make the gradient subtle enough we should be able to squeeze a lot of people for several years.
Start with titles where it makes some kind of sense. It’s easy to add a loot box element to a multiplayer game. Blizzard already has a solid template for us to follow. It’s a lot more tricky to add loot boxes to a narrative game. If we can get a solid foundation of loot boxes in our other titles, and if millions of players get used to them, then we can claim that we’re simply responding to “demand”. We can claim that players have been asking us for loot boxes in Dragon Age or Mass Effect. (Fun fact: Mass Effect Andromeda actually has a loot box mechanic. It’s not tied to a system of microtransactions, which means you can’t buy them directly, but it’s possible EA was taking my advice here and giving the players the first hit for free, with plans to have paid loot boxes in later entries.)
This is Still a Terrible Idea
There's no way to add pay-to-win loot boxes to Batman without destroying the combat system, since this is a game where the PLAYER, not the player CHARACTER, grows in power. If you sell the player power, you're robbing them of the core reward the game has to offer.
I still think loot boxes are a terrible idea because they run counter to the immersion we need in narrative games and the level playing field players are looking for in multiplayer games. We’d lose customers over time and come to depend more and more on whales for our income, which is a more precarious position to be in. But still, if we could show some basic cunning, patience, and understanding of how people play games, then we ought to be able to enjoy a few sweet years of exploiting whales before general audiences catch on. Then we can roll back some of the more problematic aspects and portray it as generosity on our part.
Lucky for us, EA is literally too stupid to get away with this. They’re clumsy in their approach, their lies are transparent, and their PR does more harm than good.
The actions of the last year makes it pretty clear that EA is in full-on retreat. No loot boxes in Anthem or Battlefront. They’re acting like they’re listening to the users, but what they’re really doing is trying to protect their sports-based cash cow. Their sports titles were filled with pay-to-win bullshit and nobody cared. Now they’re worried because this backlash might threaten those properties as well.
[1] It turns out the experiment is useless for explaining the behavior of frogs, but REALLY good at explaining the behavior of humans.
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107 thoughts on “Loot Boxes Are Bad for Publishers, Too”
Redrock says:
Wednesday Sep 19, 2018 at 6:41 am
Thank you for pointing out what I’ve been saying for ages about the “think of the children” argument. It really irks me how a lot of people make the argument that gamers just can’t keep their wallets shut and have zero control over their spending habits. As for the future of loot boxes, well, the free market actually did its thing, didn’t it? Battlefront 2 failed, and as far as we can tell, so did Shadow of War. Once again, I’m led to believe that what we need most of all for the industry to really evolve and grow is more transparency when it comes to sales figures. Thr gaming industry needs to at least reach the film industry’s level of transparency (which isn’t quite as transparent as people think). Then we can have decent analysis which the publishers will benefit from too.
Karma The Alligator says:
Wednesday Sep 19, 2018 at 11:49 am
It really irks me how a lot of people make the argument that gamers just can’t keep their wallets shut and have zero control over their spending habits.
Why? It is a legitimate concern, some people are like that.
Thursday Sep 20, 2018 at 3:01 am
Well, yeah. And some people who play video games end up shooting up schools. You shouldn’t apply the qualities of “some people” to a whole huge and diverse group. Making gamers out to be infantile idiots or actual infants with idiot parents is not something the gaming community should strive for, I’d say.
Right, I get you. Just thought you were somehow denying that the problem exists, rather than be annoyed at the fact it’s seen as a blanket statement. Carry on.
evilmrhenry says:
On the other hand, the ESRB rating should reflect the presence of loot boxes. When you have an E rated game with loot boxes, (like, say, FIFA 18) arguing “think of the children” is actually reasonable.
I agree that there should be a clear marking, although I don’t know of it should be reflected in the main grade. Like, if all games with loot boxes should be rated M. That would just make more people ignore them. The way I see it, keep the letter grade limited to actual content and add a separate icon for lootboxes and in-game purchases in general.
That said, I would like some actual research on the psychological effects of loot boxes and possible correlation with gambling addiction. And I do mean research and not comments from alarmist “gambling psychologists” in the media.
boz says:
Sure:
https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Senate/Environment_and_Communications/Gamingmicro-transactions/Public_Hearings
September one has the research results. Among other things:
“These results also suggest that there is a serious risk for loot boxes to cause gambling related harm. More specifically, they suggest that either:
-Loot boxes act as a gateway to problem gambling amongst gamers.
-Loot boxes provide games companies with an unregulated way of exploiting gambling disorders amongst their customers.”
Friday Sep 21, 2018 at 1:26 am
Took a look at the research and it kinda sucks. All it does is provide a correlation between already existing problem gambling and loot boxes spending, but also spending on other microtransactions. All that proves is that problem gamblers have trouble managing their spending, big surprise. That’s the same sort of bollocks approach that “scientists” have been using for “gateway drugs”, even though after-the-fact correlation doesn’t prove causality, and “gateway” implies exactly that. Furthermore, they kinda undermine their own sub-hypothesis by showing that non-lootbox microtransaction spending also correlates with problem gambling. Sigh. That’s the problem with made-to-order research specifically made to provide basis for government regulation. And like I said, I don’t oppose regulation when it comes to age ratings and advisory notes. But I’d still like to see actual decent studies.
guy says:
I think a correlation between problems with gambling and spending money on loot boxes is sufficent to justify regulating loot boxes like they’re gambling in order to protect problem gamblers like we do with gambling.
Admittedly my starting viewpoint is that loot boxes just straight-up are gambling because, as was said in a clip about Daily Fantasy on John Oliver’s show:
“Do you have to put in money?”
“And do you get something if you win?”
“Then it’s gambling”
Legal definitions may not cover them, but legislators can revise the legal definition if appropriate so that’s not really relevant to whether or not they should be legislated.
I would also back looking into legislation on microtransactions, but my initial assumption is that we’d not be able to effectively regulate them to reduce harmful impacts without inflicting collateral damage.
Dev Null says:
our customers are not children and they are really good at remembering things.
I don’t even _have_ kids and I know that analogy doesn’t hold up. Kids are _astoundingly_ good at remembering things that you don’t want them to remember, such as curse words and promises – extracted under extreme psychological torture – to give them a thing that you don’t really want them to have. Also, all the details of That Thing Those Kids Are Into These Days. I dunno. For my niece it was Ranger’s Apprentice, not something wholesome and important like the Tolkien we obsessed about back in the Good Ole Days…
Daimbert says:
While I think that the sports franchises tying into something that sports fans were already familiar with — the trading card concept — helped, I also think that one of the main reasons there wasn’t a backlash there was that there was in general something you could get from those cards other than simply improving the ability of your team. If I’m not misremembering/misinterpreting it, the cards could be used to build the best team you could, but also to build a team of your favourite classic players, and was the best way to do that. Having it as a separate mode let people who didn’t want to deal with the skill differences ignore that part, but they might buy cards in order to be able to play as classic players that they loved but couldn’t play in the most recent versions. Thus, it gave something for everyone.
The big grumbles over loot boxes, to me, really seemed to fall into two categories with the Star Wars game:
1) Cool things that we want cost too much to try to acquire (Vader, Luke) either in or out of game.
2) Without spending money on lootboxes the difference in skill and ability in the multiplayer was too wide.
And, to be honest, I’m not even sure that any of that was true. I’m really starting to think that the big objection was that really cool things ended up at least seeming to be “locked” behind the lootboxes, which is something that didn’t really seem to happen for the other cases. In particular, I wonder if the issues around competitiveness were only added on by less casual/average gamers as an issue that bothered them once they were inspired into looking at the issue, since it was never really raised before about other games and only came to the fore after people noticed that getting Darth Vader was really, really hard or really, really expensive. How many people were really more concerned about getting curbstomped by someone with Vader than about not having any reasonable way to play as Vader in the game?
To make lootboxes work, you really need to keep the average gamer engaged and interested in them. This requires you to provide things that the average gamer would want and make it seem like it won’t cost them too much to get what they want. The excessive randomness of at least the later lootboxes worked against that, since there ended up being too many cases where opening a lootbox gave them nothing of interest and to get another one, especially after you’d been playing for a while and already earned the easy to earn points — or spent your first initial extra money trying to get them — seemed to be too much of an investment to bother, especially if you might only get something you didn’t want again. So cosmetic as opposed to absolute skill items are actually the key here, because it’s easier to make a number of those things so that everyone gets something interesting most of the time, or at least stuff they can “sell” to get money to get something they want. The later games failed at that, it seems to me, locking really cool stuff behind the lootboxes, and so getting average gamers complaining, which they got lots of people to look into how it all worked and so triggering the backlash and complaints about gambling and children and so on and so forth.
Lootboxes can be fun. There’s an inherent thrill in getting a box that contains stuff you might want and opening it to see what you got. That’s the entire thrill of Christmas and birthday presents. But if pretty much every time you opened one it contained socks, you very quickly would lose interest in Christmas and birthday presents. The same thing applies here. If most of the time you open a lootbox you don’t get anything interesting, you’ll stop finding lootboxes interesting, and if there are things that you’ve been hoping for but never get but instead get things you aren’t interested in you’ll just get frustrated. This progression happened to me with Injustice 2, since I only played a couple of characters — Black Canary, Supergirl, and maybe one or two others — what I really wanted were costume options for them, and the number of lootboxes that gave me nothing for them made me less interested in earning and opening lootboxes.
Fizban says:
How many people were really more concerned about getting curbstomped by someone with Vader than about not having any reasonable way to play as Vader in the game?
People get reeeeaaaaly mad when they perceive someone else as getting something they want “unfairly,” whether their perception is correct or not. Anyone who isn’t buying the lootboxes is most likely going to rage as soon as they notice a difference, all the more when it’s provably true.
And most of the players are not buying tons of lootboxes, so most of the players are going to rage as soon as they notice. The fact that it took a few minutes for word to spread does not mean that the outrage was blown out of proportion.
Mephane says:
The real outrage was not at the lootboxes themselves, but at EA’s smug and arrogant attitude about it and towards the players, leading to the most downvoted post in the history of Reddit at that time, coining the now sarcastic phrase “pride and accomplishment”.
Gethsemani says:
Wednesday Sep 19, 2018 at 12:22 pm
As someone who sort of liked the Battlefront 2 beta (and eventually got the game heavily discounted) it was really crushing for morale to know you played well, but still get killed by someone because they had lucked out on better star cards. Imagine the situation (quite common as it is) that you are in the initial jousting meeting of a Starfighter match. You are new to the game and have no star cards, you come up against me, who have managed to luck out on getting the best versions of the hull points, weapon rate of fire and weapon strength upgrades (+15% hull, 15% rate of fire and 20% weapon damage). So we both start shooting at max range and run at each other. Guess who wins? Every single time. Not because I am the better player, but because I was ridiculously lucky in my drops.
The kicker for BF2 was that you couldn’t do anything about this at first. You just had to hope the loot box rng favored you, because upgrading with credits (which you got from duplicate drops and the occasional credit drop) meant having to wade through dozens of duplicate cards (or about 3 credit drops) to be able to upgrade one card one time. If you wanted the best versions, we are talking hundreds of duplicates to get a card from tier 1 to max tier. It was especially bad since the boxes randomized between power-ups and cosmetics. Meaning that you could get really unlucky and unlock all the victory poses, while the next guy over kept unlocking actually useful star cards.
So yeah, the outrage at BF2 initially was that it was, literally, pay to win and the player had very little control over their own progression. Having more health, dealing more damage or getting quicker cooldowns were all things you got from the star cards in the loot boxes. Or you could get a victory pose for a hero you hadn’t even unlocked yet.
Jack V says:
This is basically what I think.
But I’m worried that I’m wrong. Look at actual bookmakers shops or casinos. There were lots of problems, but at some point, people made exploit-addiction machines called slot machines that were so much better than almost anything else at getting money out of people. They almost always take the maximum % allowed by law, and if the law didn’t restrict them, they’d almost certainly take more, maybe not from most people, but from people susceptible to them.
Something similar very sadly happened to mobile games. The “make a fun game people pay for” model seems to have been eclipsed by the “find vulnerable people and manipulate as much money out of them as possible” model. If that’s allowed to run rampant, I don’t know if the market will eventually crash, or if that will just stay the normal, with actual fun games squeezing in around the sides where they can.
The same may happen to AAA games. Some publishers are apparently throwing away their existing market by making games impossible to play without loot-box-like-shit (after all, they could just make a “pay X and unlock everything” mode if they cared about their original audience). Even if it’s worth it, that seems really freaking stupid. But maybe the gains from “exploiting addicted people” are in fact larger, if they only care about money.
Maybe trading twenty customers for one customer who spends 100x the amount on the game is a good deal for them :(
That evolution is inevitable. Anyone who makes a slot machine that is objectively “more fun”, but that makes lower profit over the long term (even though it is more fun!) is at a competitive disadvantage vs. someone who makes a more profitable slot machine.
Since the business world can’t select for companies that make better games, but they can select for companies that make more money, the only reasonable solution for gamers who want good games is to vote loudly with their wallets. Make waves in the media about how the lootbox model is bad for gaming and won’t get our money.
But also make waves in the media by making good games actually more profitable. Buy them, buy the OST, buy the collector’s edition, buy copies for your friends. Because money talks, and if gamers consistently make good games make good money, the business world will figure out how to create executive producers who make that type of game- because the business world can figure out anything, if figuring it out makes them make more money.
“That evolution is inevitable.”
Well, companies definitely will move in that direction. But, with slot machines, we curbed it by making legal restrictions (which IMO should be better thought through but also stronger). The same should probably apply to games, assuming it’s possible, if difficult, to define the difference between the crappy sort of loot boxes and other random elements.
But I’m also puzzled — other games USED to be profitable. Surely there’s some niche in selling actually fun games, even if they can’t afford to be The Highest Production Values In History every year. But maybe not?
Wednesday Sep 19, 2018 at 9:13 pm
Companies are to profit as Orks are to dakka. There is no such thing as enough, far less too much. There is no incentive to not add lootboxes inherently; they only cause problems for the company when the game design is actively distorted to push them and results in a less-fun game without buying them.
Which I think happened to Shadow Of War; it had a large number of changes from its predecessor that made lootbox contents more valuable. The one that really got to me was the pit fights system; there were a number of things, most particularly getting a branded Warchief or Bodyguard, that required your chosen captain to go in against an enemy, not always a known one, and kill them without any outside assistance whatsoever. That outright killed a favorite pasttime of players, namely finding an objectively terrible captain and getting them to warchief by doing their missions for them, and I am convinced it was to make it more important to have high captain quality. And captains were harder to recruit; I think they patched it pretty early but originally Iron Will was just everywhere at higher levels. The net effect is that it created a specific need for a way to get high-powered captains and made them much more difficult, while introducing a way to buy captains.
Asdasd says:
This made me wonder if there’s a canon explanation as to why all or most Orks haven’t gone deaf from exposure to dakka.
Orks are really, really tough and their eardrums are too.
Droid says:
Thursday Sep 20, 2018 at 11:42 am
Why do you think they’re always shouting that much? It’s because they all ARE deaf, they just don’t care.
Felblood says:
Friday Sep 21, 2018 at 12:25 pm
WOT?
Friday Sep 21, 2018 at 1:11 pm
I SAAYZ WE ORKZ DUN’NEED NO EEERS! *shoots guns into sky via gun-gun*
Sunday Sep 23, 2018 at 3:00 am
Orks believe that hearing loss from gunfire is temporary.
Sartharina says:
Sunday Sep 23, 2018 at 4:49 pm
Because they’re Tough Fungi.
I’d point out that apparently Japan has actual laws about mobile game lootboxes, and they all have their odds laid out in a table of apparently standard formatting. And the ones I played were pretty good about providing a free play experience; you’d get lootbox resources at a reasonable clip such that you’d want more but still be reasonably supplied and with very limited exceptions the rolls would be on the same well-formatted table. And they’re non-competitive, so there isn’t that pressure.
I’d be more inclined to spend money on them if they let me buy things specifically, though; the only times I’ve spent money were when I wanted something specific that had boosted odds or a single guaranteed pick from the highest (0.5%) tier.
That’d make sense
There’s always a way to exploit someone’s ego for profit.
I think you’ll find that even PvE focused gatcha games will have some kind of PvP ladder that dispenses rewards based on ranking at regular intervals. The highest ranks will be filled with big spenders with optimal party compositions made from all the rarest drops. It’s like a sneaky way to give your whales extra prizes for spending the most.
This does leave the devs with a Sophie’s choice when it comes to how to reward the highest ranked players. The juicy rewards at the top tiers can either be a large amount of resources, or some kind of exclusive reward.
If the reward is an exclusive item, it creates the kind of whales-only content that can get your mid and free tier players upset. If your just shower the winners with the resources to get even further ahead of the other whales, you risk your other whales feeling like they can no longer keep up with the leaders and wandering off to a new game.
You can mitigate some of these problems by constantly opening new servers, so the whales can race for that top spot, but this can spread your players too thin, and force your to merge older servers.
Isn’t that what Path of Exile is doing with its Leagues?
It is. With mobile gaming 10% of the people generate 90% of the money. Milking whales is much more profitable than taking a bit from a lot of people. I cannot find the video. But a few months ago on youtube someone did a pretty good review of free to play over the years. Basically it was done as a last ditch effort to milk some money out of a waning MMO. But then it ended up making them a lot more money than subscriptions. Nexon then started to try it on some more stuff and found it extremely effective. Combination of people being sucked in easily (no 60 dollar gate), people wanting progress and addictive behavior it makes far more money.
I think the big breakthrough in the west was with LoL. I was a free player but then you had people that spend like 30+ bucks every months when they got their income. Thats like 2x a WOW subscription.
Counterpoint: It’s only fun to buy power in an online shooter if there’s someone to shoot. If they lose too many customers chasing whales, then they end up with a smaller community, which means the game itself is less attractive to everyone, including whales.
Not saying that’s 100% guaranteed, but it’s another reason a scheming executive ought to try to boil the frog slowly.
Xeorm says:
Well yeah. That’s why those types of games counter with massive advertisements. Just look at the pay to win mobile games. They’ve got huge marketing budgets compared to more regular games, expressly for that purpose of keeping people to be shot around.
I think the trick is to meter out power such that free players are at a disadvantage but not a crippling one, so there’s room to sell power but a free player doesn’t feel like they can’t compete. Planetside 2 seemed to have struck that balance; it’s not hard for a free player to match a paid player in one particular area of gameplay and get a satisfactory experience.
Yup, it’s when the gap gets too big that the free players start complaining and quitting (they probably just complained before).
Planetside 2 free-to-players mostly just shrugged, so far as I recall. There’s an enormous number of little widgets and gun upgrades and alternate guns that made players measurably better, but you just needed one gun and a couple upgrades and you could shoot people effectively. It’d take a very long time or an awful lot of money to get ALL THE THINGS, but if you just wanted to snipe people from a long way away you could get the good sniper rifle of your choice and snipe effectively in pretty short order. It would be a very long time indeed to be able to snipe, shoot up close, pilot a mech suit, fly a strike fight or a transport, drive a light vehicle, heavy tank, or “battle bus”, heal people, repair things, etc. at peak efficiency, but most everyone only really wanted to do two of those things apiece anyway.
My experience was with some Asian MMOs, and free to play mobile games, where they introduced premium items and cosmetics that really boosted your effectiveness, and then balanced the new game content around the OP gear, to the point where you needed the stuff to get anywhere. At that point people starting really complaining and leaving when their complaints did nothing.
Sounds like they tried the Planetside 2 thing and screwed up.
Mind, my Planetside 2 experience was a long time ago and the person I know who plays it has been at it for a long time; they’ve been adding new things to get and I don’t know how that’s impacted new players.
That’s what I’m wondering. Solo games don’t have this problem. Will multiplayer games reach a new equilibrium, or fix themselves, or get destroyed, or what?
Most multiplayer games just don’t do that. It would seem that pretty much anyone who’d spend money on “power” in a multiplayer game would also spend it on cosmetics.
Buying power in a multiplayer game introduces pressure to keep up for everyone else, driving them to spend more.
Downside: players see that and absolutely loathe it. The tipping point for actual mass player outrage on lootboxes was granting an edge in competitive multiplayer so they directly negatively impacted the play experience of non-buyers. They’re easy to ignore in solo games and in limited coop it’s actually kinda fun to summon in help from a whale, but in competitive multiplayer it can make the experience miserable if it provides a significant enough edge to induce buying pressure. Especially if there’s enough variance in quality that you can’t just buy a couple and compete by focusing on the shiny you happened to draw.
Naturally many companies knew this before loot boxes became a thing and knew to keep them cosmetic in competitive play* from the start. Naturally EA just saw a way to pressure people into buying more stuff and took it.
*Valve, at least until I stopped playing for only mildly related reasons, got away with this in TF2 by being really good at producing sidegrades rather than upgrades. The various items were all cool, useful, and fun, but going in 100% stock gear was not actually a terrible plan. I liked a lot of the special stuff more but it had very clear tradeoffs.
I’m no expert on mobile gaming, but isn’t it also true that microtransactions are a way for developers to make up for the fact that people are mostly unwilling to pay very much for mobile apps or games? I’m not trying to defend microtransactions, but my recollection is that “make a fun game people pay for” mostly didn’t work.
I’m no expert either, but yes, I think blaming “microtransactions” is blaming the wrong thing. I’ve played lots of great games that have been “here’s the game, pay to remove ads” or “here’s the game, pay for another batch of levels”. Or “here’s the game, but you only get three lives every hour, pay to bypass the limit”. And now I’m reasonably well off I might pay £10 or more for a mobile game I actually like, if I’ve played it for a while first, but when I was younger, even $1 would put me off. Getting people to pay for things is indeed hard. But microtransactions, while not themselves horrible, are a big foundation of pay-to-win type games.
I think that’s partially circular; they’ve become so common that users mentally append microtransaction costs to the price when they see a low one.
It’s not as simple as that. In the early days of the App Store people absolutely would make and buy decent single-payment games. And they would be hugely popular at times. The first Angry Birds was like that, for instance, as were its unnumbered sequels. But then, as the publishers started pushing freemium, the consumers’ behavior started changing. These days people hardly look at an app that has an upfront price in the store. Which is why the quality of mobile games dipped so much. Used to be some really great creative stuff in there. Wayward Souls, Papa Sangre, friggin Superbrothers Sword and Sworcery, Infinity Blade. Not any more.
I think there’s still a market for $7+ games, but anything cheaper means people expect microtransactions and keep scrolling until they find freemium.
Here’s the line I tried for the Pathfinder Adventures PC/Tablet game that exists in a strange FTP/PTP/PTW superposition:
“How much will I have to pay to get the entire game?”
With Magic:The Gathering, I can actually almost answer that question: X cases, plus a few singles, gets you a playset of every card (and a ton of duplicates that have roughly zero value, plus maybe a few duplicates with enough value to get the last few singles from other people). That’s a lot of money, sure.
With Fallout 4, I know how much it costs to buy each expansion, and roughly what’s in each one.
How much does it cost to own all of the content locked behind Battlefront Lootboxes? If you wanted to buy Battlefront with cash, you can’t even make a good estimate of what the cost would be.
If the only way to get the new Fallout 4 expansion was to buy a random loot box that had an 80% chance of having the DLC and cost 25% of what I am willing to pay for the DLC, I wouldn’t pay for the chance. Sure, on average I’d pay only 5/16 of what I’d otherwise pay, but the line between “I’m buying a known thing for a known price” and “I’m buying an unknown thing for a known price OR buying a known thing for an unknown price” is bigger than any price sensitivity.
The way to market a game with loot boxes to be is the Heroes of the Storm model: Give the loot boxes away for playing, let people buy the loot boxes with (currency bought by) money, and also let people buy the contents of the loot boxes directly and specifically with (currency bought by) money. I wouldn’t buy HotS for a cash payment equal to what it would take to buy all the mechanical content, and I don’t buy any random boxes because I see the payout rate of the free ones, but I’m kinda comfortable throwing $10 every couple of months into getting some stuff unlocked.
If I could buy specific Hearthstone cards, I probably wouldn’t because of the low value/cost ratio I get from Hearthstone. And there’s really no way to monetize it for people like me except by making it $40 per expansion to get everything; their core audience pays so much more per expansion that I don’t expect to ever be in that audience.
Yeah, I think that model is the one that works best: you can get it from random lootboxes that you earn by playing, you can get it from random lootboxes that you can buy with real money, and you can buy just the things you want directly (and maybe even earn them in game with some feats you can achieve in the game). Then the people who like lootboxes will earn or buy them and the people who want specific things will try to get them, and everyone stays happy.
The only problem I can see with this is the likelihood that if you did that for the games that offered it few would actually pay money for random lootboxes unless buying the things directly was so expensive that the lootboxes were always effectively the only cost effective way to get them, getting us right back into the same situation we have now.
I think it’d be functional if the loot boxes have good odds of having something you’d want and getting the stuff you want from what would be your perfect roll costs three lootboxes.
The biggest barrier to me buying lootboxes at the rate I splurge on tiny DLC is that I don’t want a random thing badly enough to pay money for it; I want a specific thing badly enough to pay money for it. So I’m not satisfied with getting a random thing someone would want.
But then most people who are playing the game will generally be content with the in-game ones and won’t bother buying them, unless those are too hard to get which, again, leads back to the same issues we have now.
The trick is basically to have an enormous quantity of content at a fairly even quality level per rarity tier. If there’s forty ultra-rare things and they’re all great, regular users who don’t buy loot boxes with real money will get one or two, people like me will drop a chunk of cash on the one or two they really want, and people who buy lootboxes will keep chasing getting all forty if the rewards from a roll that doesn’t yield an ultra-rare thing are still okay enough they’d rather buy 120 loot boxes than the forty ultra-rares.
I’ll admit I don’t know how much money is in the overlap of willing to keep buying lootboxes chasing the one ultra-rare they want; under this system I’m pretty sure I’d spend money more frequently but in cases where I spend money I’d probably spend less.
Chris_ANG says:
I find HotS to be a supremely annoying model, because they mostly *will not* accept real money for anything but random lootboxes. They also sell a few lootbox-content-items directly for money each week, but I find the odds of anything that I actually *want* being on sale are pretty low. The in-game method for earning lootboxes is generous at first but trails off after you’ve been playing for a while (it’s tied to leveling up characters, and each level takes longer to earn). Of the three in-game currencies (one is bought by real money, one is earned by playing, and one comes out of lootboxes), only the one that comes out of lootboxes can be used to buy arbitrary lootbox contents directly, and the prices tend towards the absurd.
Overall, I find HotS to be pushing lootboxes HARD in a really annoying and (to the extent is probably succeeds in addicting some vulnerable people) vile manner (though, I also drop $10 on the game every few months).
You can buy every hero with real money. Or at least, you could when I calculated the price.
Nimrandir says:
Not that this really affects the rest of your comment, but is the digital version of the Pathfinder ACG randomized? I’ve played a ton of the tabletop version, and its card sets are specifically laid out like living card game expansions.
The basic game has all of the cards “in the box” needed to play. The loot box expies add objectively better boons to the box, and also allow you to add those cards to character decks for free, without having to acquire them.
I think the free version includes the first book of RotR, with the rest of the adventure path and other adventure paths being micro transactions for the bigger base game.
Gargamel Le Noir says:
EA may have fallen back on Battlefields 5 and Anthem but they’re not backing down on their other IPs. They’re trying to fight Belgium in court instead of simply blocking the boxes in the minuscule market that is Belgium, and hilariously it partially led to a 16 countries coalition to rise against them!
Bubble181 says:
The tricky thing is they can’t properly block it in just Belgium – they’d have to block it in all of the Schengen zone, which is a pretty big market.
Matt Downie says:
This closely resembles my experiences of what happens when you mess with Belgium in Europa Universalis IV.
Wilhelm II liked this.
The year after that we make some outfits objectively better than others. Perhaps a few rare outfits have smaller hitboxes or blend into the levels a bit.
I’m not convinced this would work, since it’s pretty much exactly what I remember TF2 doing. They had cosmetics for a while, super rare hats sprinkled among the item drops, and then one day there’s suddenly these new outfits where using the set of items gives you a bonus- and you have to wear the specific hat as part of the set. Suddenly there’s a bunch of “cosmetic” items that make specific builds explicitly more powerful, and I know I was fucking pissed. That mechanic was removed.
TF2’s cosmetic stuff was fine; that mechanic was removed because it was a mistake.
Though I played about a thousand hours of TF2 and pretty much stopped dead when it went free-to-play, but not because I couldn’t compete. No, it was because Valve was really good at making items that changed playstyles without making you definitively better, and when the content floodgates opened I just couldn’t keep track of all of them so I’d see something fancy and have no idea what that player could do. When there were like 3-4 variants of most items I could stay on top of things.
I tried to get into TF2 after it went F2P, and the sheer volume of crap to learn was just too high.
It was very, very different from the famously easy to grasp shooter I remembered playing on my brother’s copy.
It still bothers me that it was left to the users to push back on this stuff. For a couple of years leading up to Battlefront 2, all the major games sites were waving through first microtransactions and then loot boxes with a shrug and arguments that varied from ‘this is the future, you might as well get used to it’ to ‘it doesn’t meet the current legal definition of gambling so none of your concerns are legitimate kthx’.
I even remember a few tentative op-eds probing the waters on a narrative along the lines of ‘this isn’t a consumer backlash, it’s a horde of Literal Nazis!’ that might tie the whole thing into the broader culture war. I would not have been amused to see a future where people were being exhorted to demonstrate their wokeness by buying loot boxes.
Re: Is Hearthstone gambling? – Yes, absolutely. Not only in terms of opening card packs, but also in terms of half the cards having the keyword ‘random’ in their text.
What movie is the first screenshot with the board room from?
Movie: The Hudsucker Proxy.
I wondered that too. I must say, I’ve never worked in a company that had that many old executives in one place. Typically, there would be some kind of ageism in play that would push for “younger blood” in some of those roles (younger being ~50). That’s completely ignoring the rather …homogeneous demographic in that room.
Echo Tango says:
It is a comedy / satire, though. :)
Looks like it might be “The Hudsucker Proxy”
EDIT: too slow
eldomtom2 says:
The problem isn’t the box itself, but the chance-based gameplay loop it represents.
I think you underestimate the degree to which presentation matters in creating addiction.
Vinsomer says:
Absolutely. Boxes are like presents, and NFS had a full-blown slot machine. And slot machines are the way they are for a reason.
I think you underestimate how good those other presentations have been made in F2P games.
I’m not sure how aware Shamus is, but his examples are not hypothetical.
Next time you see a F2P game with a daily “Raid Boss Pass” system. Know that the dragon is like a giant fire breathing pinata, which you get one free hit of per day. If you and your guildies want to bash some more pinatas, you’re going to need to take a trip to the Diamond Shop.
Likewise, if you’ve played a F2P game that features the old Zelda combinations of cracked walls and bombs, or treasure chests and keys, you’ve probably been offered the chance to buy some extra bombs and keys, too.
trevalyan says:
Shadow of War had loot boxes that were so overpriced I was certain it was a developer plot to sabotage the experiment. I’ve paid for freemium content before, but I never felt the temptation to buy the loot boxes here. I have no idea what kind of whale would buy content for a single player game either.
If the devs sold cosmetics, by contrast, which came with “extra lives” or even immortality to protect your investment, then they would have had me. New hats, updated voice packs, flash choppas, more hats, special party events, all the hats. That these were never developed makes me conclude the suits had no idea what players actually wanted from their loot boxes.
I think the reason the loot boxes failed so hard for Shadow of War is that they’re literally paying to skip the most loved part of the game. People loved beating up captains and branding them and loot boxes skip that.
I think it boils down to completely throwing what both of you wanted out of the game under the bus, chasing a single small section of their market.
Imagine 3 hypothetical players, presenting their favorite orcs.
Player 1: This is Gnashgash the Burned. His face is an iron mask because I burned off his face the day we met. He developed a fear of fire, which I used to humiliate him. As a result he overcame that phobia and started to carry a flaming sword, as a sign of overcoming his weakness. Finally, I managed to brand him in an epic duel, and he’s been my bodyguard ever since.
Player 2: This is Shiny Blingtooth. He wears a purple party hat, because I think it’s funny. I’m not sure what his abilities are, but I gave his club a squeaky hammer skin, and made him wear a dress.
Player 3: This is Buttstallion, my legendary orc that I just bought. I actually got him from a lootbox made of diamonds, because I’m so rich.
EA has made it pretty clear that they were only interested in catering to the needs of player 3.
Monday Sep 24, 2018 at 9:52 am
Yeah, that’s how it ended up playing out. I would argue they should have been primarily concerned about category 1 because basically every review of either game had a story like that as the highlight, so it seemed to be a key selling point and what made it stand out. I think it’s still the only franchise to have the whole thing; XCOM 2 had a bit of it with War Of The Chosen giving you reoccurring and upgrading enemies but they weren’t recruitable and their upgrades weren’t reactive.
Not that catering to group 2 isn’t valid, it’s just a much more crowded market.
The best way to do this is to blur the line between power and cosmetics. One year we just offer “unlock new cosmetic outfits through grinding or by using the slot machine”. The year after that we make some outfits objectively better than others. Perhaps a few rare outfits have smaller hitboxes or blend into the levels a bit. The year after that we do the same with weapons. Mostly you’re unlocking paint jobs and flair for your guns, but a few rare items will speed up reload times or boost fire rate. The next year is the same, except we have a higher (rarer) tier of gear for them to chase after. And so on.
Thanks for this section. This is often overlooked. Black Desert did exactly that, they launched in the west going all “no P2W, don’t worry” and then started going down the P2W route first with cosmetics that gave indirect advantages – a camouflage suit that disabled the name plate above your head, thus making you harder to see. A suit that lets you swim a lot faster (in a game where you have to build a boat that is effectively a consumable if you want to move across water at a decent speed). Eventually they ended up with directly selling items affecting the RNG-based gear upgraded system.
As an aside, I think we focus too much on the box itself and not on the operant conditioning chamber mechanic it represents. For example, a game could throw away the entire box idea and have you pay real money to fight a pushover boss that drops random loot identical to what you’d get out of a loot box. Or you could pay real money for a single-use rocket launcher that can blow open an otherwise impassable door that gives you access to the items you’d normally get out of a loot box. Those sorts of things would be mechanically and financially identical to a loot box, but it wouldn’t be called a loot box because the user never opens a literal box to get their prizes. The problem isn’t the box itself, but the chance-based gameplay loop it represents.
Thanks for that, also. Another point that is sometimes overlooked. It’s not about the box, it’s not about the loot, it’s about the fact that you pay money for a random outcome. Which I am categorically opposed to doing myself. As in, if you expect me to put down 10 bucks, then I expect you to tell me exactly what I would get for that, and give me that. I mean, the entire concept sounds ludicrous and outrageous to me. Imagine the inverse: I would go shopping and at the checkout, I’d roll dice to determine how much I would actually pay. “What do you mean, these shoes aren’t 90% off? I rolled a natural 20!”
Instead, I am all for selling cosmetic items – peferrably, directly and not through an intermediate currency that you can only buy in bunches that never exactly match the stuff you want to buy – I always like to mention the Elite Dangerous cosmetics shop as an example how to do it right. Cash shop cosmetics have the extra benefit that they require some system to change the look of your character independently of your stats, and I just prefer to not have my character run around in random visually mismatching pieces of armor chosen solely for their stats.
That said, I draw an almost-firm line at anything P2W. Almost because there is of course a narrow grey area where something is technically an advantage but not straight P2W, like that suit that hides your name plate in Black Desert, or a minor XP boost (e.g. 10%). The really annoying thing about P2W is not the P2W mechanics themselves, though, but the people who defend them on the basis of technicalities. Like, as long as you can theoretically earn anything in the game without using the cash shop if you just grind long enough, yeah, one could claim that “you can achieve anything without paying”, technically, hypothetically. But the thing is, P2W is not defined as “the only way to get an advantage is to pay”, but simply “money buys you an advantage”.
Someone ought to be able to math up the cost/benefit or use ratio or whatever for how much you’re getting screwed by grinding vs the guy who pays to win. So you can grind 1, 10, 100 hours to get this thing? Sure, and that’s 1, 10, 100 hours you’re stuck playing the game without the thing you want, while the other guy just gets to buy it and play those same hours with the thing.
Compare how much you have to grind to the actual life of the game for a given player, and you can see exactly how false the claim that “everything is available in-game” can be. This goes for cosmetics too, but is even more striking when you can put an exact value on how long it will be before you’re allowed to compete on an even field.
And really it applies to any game with a grind even without pay to win- I love me some Dark Souls, but there are a number of items and spells I’ll basically never get to use because the grind is simply too long and I’m a couple hundred hours player rather than several thousand.
This is why I generally prefer a clear separation. If a certain cosmetic item can be bought for real money, let that be the only way to get it. If something can be earned by playing, let that be the only way to acquire it. This avoids this murky area of “technically you can earn it but here are the actual numbers”, allows items earnable by playing to have reasonable requirements that do not have to compete with any cash shop incentives, and I think would even get more people to actually buy cash shop items instead of trying to – often in vain – grind for them.
For Honor fell into that trap, for example. Technically, you can acquire everything by playing. But the cost of cosmetics is so high and the earnings by playing so low, it’s an open secret that it all is balanced around pushing people to buy steel (the ingame currency) for real money. When I played the last time (things might have changed in favour of the players, but I doubt that), for example, an emote would typically cost between 3000 and 10000 steel, with the newer ones leaning towards the upper end of that scale. A single match which might take ~10-20 minutes would yield ~20-40 steel, depending on various factors like game mode, victory/defeat etc. Even if you take the best case numbers there, 3000 steel price and 40 steel per match, that is 75 matches @ 10 minutes, 750 minutes or 12.5 hours. For a single emote!
To offset that a bit, you had daily missions which awarded a couple of matches worth of steel, however these were not without problems themselves, railroading you into playing specific character classes, faction heroes, game modes, and in the worst case promoting outright toxic play styles. E.g. “revive 5 team mates” – so you need to hope someone in your team dies, does not get executed, and you get to revive them before they respawn or someone else revives them – and everyone has the same dailies so others in your team might be after those revives. too; sometimes I would end up running around avoiding all fights, just trying to stand by and ready to revive anyone who dies, even if that costs us the victory.
By doing these you’d get steel at a bit more reasonable rate – until you have exhausted the dailies and it became near pointless to keep playing for that day – at the cost of spending most of your time playing characters and game modes you don’t like or chasing bullshit objectives mentioned above. The game effectively revolved around doing actual chores if you wanted to get anywhere.
Or, of course, you just go and buy the steel directly, at prices that would fit your typical F2P mobile shovelware.
I haven’t played in a while, but I keep wanting to go back to it now and then, but then I remind myself of that grind and the BS dailies before I get to even install it again. Shame really, because it is a really good game at its core.
BlueHorus says:
Wow, that seems like a pretty sensible way to get customers used to lootboxe-
Holy shit Shamus, don’t give them ideas!. An EA that’s actually competent at their shit-eating marketing tactics would even worse!
Ah, what am I saying. They won’t learn squat. Given the way they’ve behaved in the past, I wouldn’t be surprised if someone EA’s upper management genuinely thinks the Spanish translation of ‘customer’ is ‘piñata’.
It’s the way they seem genuinely surprised at the controversies they create.
omer says:
wouldn’t them being gamers endanger their malice towards gamers and game design?
wswordsmen says:
Good thing no one studied Marvel Puzzle Quest for how to do loot boxes. That game does them very well. One of the major tricks is they actually prevent you from winning the loot lottery and making obvious P2W, despite the system obviously being P2W, by making it not enough to get lucky once. The general rule of thumb in that game is you need 10 of a higher tier character to make it better than a lower tier, which are much easier to get. Also it requires a lot of grinding to “activate” the power you paid for, so even though it is P2W unless you really want to do really stupid things with your money it still takes playing the game to actually make use of any of it. On top of that it is possible, with basically perfect, very time consuming, play, to keep up with all the whales for free.
Hopefully, no one studies this F2P game or the loot box problem could get a lot worse. Or maybe the appeal coming form an IP as cool as Marvel lets them get away with a lot anything else wouldn’t be able to.
Also I don’t recommend playing the game due to F2P BS that you already knew was there the moment you found out it is F2P. I just think it managed to “solve” a lot of P2W problems.
then it should be trivial to scare up some extra funding
Should that be ‘scrap up’, or is that an expression I never heard of?
It’s an expression. It probably originates from flushing game animals while hunting.
Fair enough. I imagined the managers going around each cubicle and just holding their employees up, guess that wasn’t too far off the mark.
Sorry, if this is the wrong place for this, but your column has a typo in the second to last paragraph.
Let’s assume we don’t care about the games or the people who play them, and that the only thing we care about is making as much money as impossible.
Impossible should possible, yes?
TMC_Sherpa says:
Isn’t this simply another example of publishers pulling an “easily” transferable mechanic from a popular (read: very profitable) game somewhere it doesn’t belong? QTE, two weapon inventory, cover based shooting, shooting in general, puzzle platforming, multiple endings, some sort of morality system, etc.
There’s probably a really awful chess game in there somewhere. I start with no pawns, nine queens, I’m playing ULTRA MEGA SUPER WHITE so I get three turns before you go and my king has a sniper rifle. Press X to counter castling.
WH 40k: Regicide already has you covered!
There *is* a chess game (or app, since I saw it on mobile) like that where you have challenges with weird rules and settings. One game I’ve seen you started with 4 or 6 queens and barely any pawns.
baud says:
I don’t know about Mass Effect Andromeda, but ME 3 had lootboxes in the multiplayer mode; the lootboxes contained new characters, weapons, weapons mods, upgrades to the characters, weapons and mods and one-use items. One could use either “money” won in matches or the same currency used to buy DLC (and most player having bought pieces of DLC would have some of those lying around, with the price of the DLC being what they were).
Darker says:
Yeah, same with Andromeda multiplayer.
Also I must say I liked the way ME implemented lootboxes – you could spend real money if you were impatient and wanted better items right away or simply play and you would get the same items over time. I didn’t mind the grind since the gameplay was quite fun.
shoeboxjeddy says:
Tuesday Sep 25, 2018 at 6:01 pm
ME lootboxes were pretty cruel in a couple of ways. For example, whenever there was a new character, getting the character once unlocked that character for use (cool). But that did NOT remove that character from the lootpool. Instead, you could draw that character again to get an aspect of coloring the skin made available. It wasn’t anything as interesting as changing outfits that might have been worth a lootbox slot, merely the option to change the colors of the existing model. And not all at once, each character had a couple of these slots to “unlock” before they were finally removed from the pool. And each weapon had to be gained TEN times in order to have it removed. So you could repeatedly draw colors for your existing characters and upgrades to weapons you hated rather than getting fresh characters or weapons.
Chris Robertson says:
I don’t know if you can edit your submitted article, but the second to last paragraph has the following typo:
and that the only thing we care about is making as much money as impossible.
Jennifer Snow says:
“It can make sure new players are “lucky”, and that the odds of getting goodies will gradually decrease over time.”
You don’t even have to cheat to do this. Just make some things *substantially* rarer than others, as in collectible card games. When you’re starting out, everything is a prize, because you have nothing so everything is new. After you’ve collected for a while, the only thing that is any good is the stuff you don’t have yet, the ultra-rares that become prestige items.
Let’s face it, collectible card games basically are “loot boxes, the game”.
Fire Emblem Heroes is designed to avoid losing streaks so your odds get better the longer you go between max-rarity draws, which also helped with consistency.
Because Japanese Mobile Game, it told you this to two decimal places.
Well, if it’s drop-based, 0.01% is probably something like the first or second significant digit, so there’s that.
FEH started at 1.00% and went up after every set of five. If you wanted a particular five-star, that was a whole different story.
Actually, the second sentence there might be key to making the buisness model work; in the ones I’ve played the five-stars* are generally solid across the board; they’ve got varying properties and arguable quality rankings but they’re pretty much all always worth having and if you get one you can make them a centerpiece of your play pretty much every time. But players want a couple in particular for whatever reason, and will chase them vigorously.
In Fire Emblem Heroes my particular white whale was standard-issue Lucina. Mostly just because I liked her in her original game for a wide variety of reasons, she had solid stats, and the other characters from the franchise I liked were 3-4 stars and I got them pretty quick. I never spent money on the hunt, but it became steadily more annoying/hilarious as I kept getting alternate versions of Lucina. I got Lucina-pretending-to-be-Marth, I got Lucina-in-dad’s-outfit-with-spear, and I got spring-event-Lucina, but I’m not sure I ever did get just plain Lucina.
I eventually dropped Fire Emblem Heroes in favor of Fate:Grand Order, where I am somehow having the exact same problem with Original Saber. Down to the alternate five-star version with a spear. I have pretty much only spent money on this particular mad quest, though by this point I’ve basically given up.
*I don’t think this is required by law, but it’s always 1-5 stars.
I’ve been thinking about CCGs/TCGs and what separates them from loot boxes, in no small part because I play a couple and potential regulation of loot boxes could end up drastically affecting or even destroying TCGs.
I think there are more than a few important differences, at least with physical TCGs like Magic, Yu-Gi-Oh! and Pokemon.
The first is that the metagame rerquires players to have incomplete, varied collections. A TCG where everyone has access to all the same cards will be bad because, combined with perfect imbalance (i.e some cards being objectively more powerful than others, but also being weak to the effects and strategies of some weaker cards) you’ll just end up with far fewer strategies at pretty much every level. See, unlike FIFA Ultimate team, where Cristiano Ronaldo is simply the best attacker in the game and everyone else is basically just a worse version of him, cards have different effects regardless of rarity which is why the ’30 legendary deck’ never works. In other words, there’s a functional value that extends beyond rarity and market value that many loot boxes lack.
The second is the secondary market is easily accessible. You don’t have to buy packs to build a deck and anyone wanting to be competitive is actually far better served by buying singles. It’s the casual players who open packs, and I think it’s because they honestly want to. Not that they’re being manipulated into it: if you ask most FIFA players, they’d much rather buy Ronaldo with real money and not have to buy packs to get coins to trade for him, or have to buy coins from dodgy third party sellers who can get you banned because they break the TOS. But most TCG players like opening packs: casuals would rather play in an environment where there’s strategic diversity and that doesn’t happen if there’s no random element in collecting.
The third is that the cards are printed. There’s no possibility of the specific items you get being manipulated. Sure, they can tweak the ratios, but they’ll get caught easy (a lot of players buy boxes of boosters so if ratios are off, people will catch on) and they can’t specifically manipulate results in order to increase ‘engagement’ (if this isn’t already happening in gaming, it soon will be).
I think the first point is key; the loot boxes people don’t hate are like that.
True, but there needs to be a concrete reason why if TCGs are going to escape lootbox legislation unscathed.
Thursday Sep 20, 2018 at 12:00 pm
I would argue they basically are lootboxes but also that they’re more-or-less compliant with the Japanese mobile game system by having fixed knowable odds; cards have a rarity category and the odds of getting a card in a given rarity category in a booster are disclosed somewhere. Customers can make fully-informed purchasing decisions.
They’re also less concerning because the logistics of obtaining a new pack tend to be more difficult; most especially it’s a lot less likely a kid would buy an excessively huge amount on a parent’s card without their knowledge and a lot more likely that scenario could be resolved in a straightforward manner by existing mechanisms for physical goods.
What ARE the existing methods for physical goods of uncertain value, like lottery tickets or booster packs? If someone’s child orders them off of Amazon or uses a credit card without their consent and determines their value by opening them, is the standard method uncheatable?
In general when a kid orders a huge number of booster packs, several hundred dollars worth, the parents would become aware of this prior to the kid opening them and could return them unopened.
It’s funny that you mentioned Bioware and Dragon Age, because one of Anthem’s leads just remarked that he wants the next Dragon Age to follow Anthem’s content delivery methods, that apparently being a near-constant stream of narrative content. Because the problem with a game based around progression is that putting progression up for sale undermines the thing players are trying to get out of the game, like charging extra to tell someone the end to a movie 10 minutes in, then adding a bunch of bloat to encourage them to capitulate. I think they’re trying to figure out a way to do the whole ‘live service’ thing while sidestepping this problem, and selling something they know players want while undermining the game’s appeal as little as possible, but I just can’t see it working.
Olivier FAURE says:
Thursday Sep 20, 2018 at 4:59 pm
Do it incrementally. Whatever we do, it needs to be slow. It’s the old how to boil a frog analogy[1]. People are bad at reacting to incrementalism. It’s hard to get people fired up to take action when there’s no single event to rally around.
I really don’t think that’s how studio executives think.
First off, it’s debatable whether the “boil a frog” method works at all in these situations. Companies experiment, but often that experimentation is less “let’s see how big a jerk I can be before my consumers leave” and more “let’s try different revenue streams and see which one works best”. Video games are a super competitive market, where gamers almost always have the option to just buy something else, so people who don’t want to put up with abusive business practice won’t tolerate them more in the future than they do now.
It feels like people “getting used” to DLC or PTW or loot boxes or whatever, but the reality is the market was always there, companies are just getting more into it.
Second, let’s say you’re an amoral studio executive, you’re familiar with gaming, and you to maximize microtransaction profit. Your best bet isn’t to do “evil” microtransactions slowly enough that people don’t notice them. Your best bet is to psychoanalyze players, and account for their sense of fairness and community, or better, use it as a selling point.
The most common model is the TF2 model: only sell cosmetics and stuff that isn’t a straight upgrade; or sell something that isn’t too hard to unlock.
A better model, that is only seen anecdotally, would be to sell power, and do it in a way that doesn’t feel unfair. Sell the opportunity to play as the raid boss that everyone has to unite against. Or the opposite, sell an ultra-rare expensive sword, that can only be used when other players summon you to help them with their dungeon. Have one person buy magic gemstones that give their entire group a one-time access to the Forgotten World with special gear for everyone in the group.
Sell things in a way that doesn’t separate whales, but makes them a core part of the player experience. Have the whales buy not just an advantage over regular players, but attention and gratitude from them, in a way that makes the spending infectious. (“Man, defeating that Superdemon was really fun! I’m gonna buy a Superdemon token, see what it’s like playing on the other side”)
Paul Spooner says:
Saturday Sep 22, 2018 at 4:10 am
At this point, I’d just be impressed if the studio execs had the decency to admit to your assumptions that they don’t care about gaming and are just trying to make money.
oblivion437 says:
If someone were to contact certain people, say FIFA and the investors on Wall Street who buy and sell EA stock, they might apprise the former of the damage to FIFA’s brand that’s a possible knock-on effect of their products being used to create a casino for children to empty their parents’ bank accounts while the latter might like to know that the entire revenue stream derived from the loot box system is getting closer to the legal guillotine by the day and in fact only avoids getting shut down in some places right now due to lax enforcement. A risk of losing their cash cow license combined with another massive stock price dip is enough to get the ring leader of the whole thing kicked by the board.
I see you have limited familiarity with FIFA.
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As builder readies Manresa demolition, pols fiddle
By Letters to the Editor | editor@siadvance.com
There is nothing more I can say about why we should we save Mount Manresa from the builder that has not already been eloquently said by many others before.
Rome was not built in a day, but it was once burned to the ground while its emperor was playing his lyre. Like Rome, Mount Manresa's geology, flora and its fauna were not created in a day but, at the hands of a builder, it would be bulldozed and destroyed, while the powers that be in this state are fiddling around as a builder revs his engine of destruction.
Once destroyed, Mount Manresa, cannot be restored.
The destruction of Manresa is done to give us more of the same — townhouses, vehicular traffic, pollution and more of what we don't need.
Citizens of this borough ought to support the effort as many others are doing to save Manresa as a park. Write to the fiddling politicians and let them know how you feel about saving Manresa grounds.
If you are still asking why do this? Just mention "Mount Manresa" to people who have gone there and see a genuine expression of joy in their face as I have witnessed in many occasions.
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These figures represent the summarized historical developments of Simula owned published entries in the following publication categories: journal articles, books, edited books, refereed proceedings, and book chapters.
Publications the last 10 years
Book production
Journal Articles and Referred Proceedings
Simula (310)
Not Simula (37)
Scientific Computing (139)
Software Engineering (109)
Edited books (6)
Proceedings, refereed (100)
Talks, keynote (9)
PhD theses (7)
Talks, invited (31)
Talks, contributed (59)
S. Ali, M. Z. Iqbal, A. Arcuri and L. C. Briand
Generating Test Data From OCL Constraints With Search Techniques
IEEE Transactions on Software Engineering 39 (2013).
S. Annerel, J. Degroote, T. Claessens, S. K. Dahl, B. H. Skallerud, L. R. Hellevik, P. Van Ransbeeck, P. Seegers, P. Verdonck and J. Vierendeels
A Fast Strong Coupling Algorithm for the Partitioned Fluid-Structure Interaction Simulation of BMHVs
Computer Methods in Biomechanics and Biomedical Engineering 15 (2013): 1281-1312.
A. Arcuri
It Really Does Matter How You Normalise the Branch Distance in Search Based Software Testing
Software Testing, Verification and Reliability 23, no. 2 (2013): 119-147.
A. Arcuri and G. Fraser
Parameter Tuning Or Default Values? an Empirical Investigation in Search-Based Software Engineering
Empirical Software Engineering 18 (2013).
H. Arevalo, G. Plank, P. Helm, H. Halperin and N. A. Trayanova
Tachycardia in post-infarction hearts: insights from 3D image-based ventricular models
PLOS ONE (2013).
H. Ashikaga, H. Arevalo, F. Vadakkumpadan, J. D. Bayer, S. Nazarian, M. M Zviman, H. Tandri, R. D. Berger and H. Calkins
Feasibility of image-based simulation to estimate ablation target in human ventricular arrhythmia
Heart Rhythm (2013).
R. Behjati, T. Yue, L. C. Briand and B. Selic
SimPL: a Product-Line Modeling Methodology for Families of Integrated Control Systems
Information and Software Technology 55 (2013): 607-629.
S. Bikass, B. Andersson, A. Pilipenko and H. P. Langtangen
Spray footprint effect on the induced distortion by the cooling process in the aluminum extrusion process
Applied Thermal Engineering 57 (2013): 14-23.
C. Campolo, A. Molinaro, A. Vinel and Y. Zhang
Modeling Event-Driven Safety Messages Delivery in IEEE 802.11p/WAVE Vehicular Networks
IEEE Communications Letters 17 (2013): 2392-2395.
M. Carlier, C. Dubois and A. Gotlieb
FocalTest: a Constraint Programming Approach for Property-Based Testing
Communications in Computer and Information Science (2013): 140-155.
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VAIO SX12 ultrabook packs every port you’ll ever need
Brittany A. Roston | Jul 11, 2019
VAIO has introduced an incredibly slim, lightweight 12.5-inch laptop that, despite its ultrabook design, features just about every port you're likely to need in various usage scenarios. The VAIO SX12 has a full-size keyboard, weighs less than 2lbs, and comes with the promise of 'full performance' despite the slim notebook design.
VAIO S TruePerformance laptops fend off thermal throttling
JC Torres | Feb 7, 2018
Throttling has seemingly become a more mainstream and even thornier topic as more and more users become aware of the ways their devices might not be performing at their best. Sadly, throttling is also the unavoidable consequence of physics that can’t be easily overcome by our current level of technology and knowledge. That, however, isn’t stopping companies from trying, or at least from advertising their success. VAIO has just announced a new generation of its VAIO S laptops that boast of one special feat: higher performance over a longer period of time.
VAIO C15 laptop combines bold colors and high price tags
VAIO has introduced its new C15 laptop, and while it looks like it is only available in Japan right now, it's a model to keep an eye on. The C15 laptops feature an unusual color design, with multiple colors being paired together in bold, large stripes across the keyboards and lids. The company bids these as premium laptop offerings, and the price matches that notion: the model costs a little more than $900 USD.
VAIO, Fujitsu, Toshiba PC triumvirate might happen in March
JC Torres | Feb 16, 2016
Partly thanks to the rise of smartphones and tablets, the once lucrative PC market has been losing its luster for almost half a decade now. These are desperate times for many PC makers, which call for desperate measures. Three Japanese companies have been reported to be close to showing their desperation, by joining forces to tackle the common foe of declining PC sales. That VAIO, Fujitsu, Toshiba merger might actually even happen before the end of March. However, that drop might not even make any ripple in the global PC market.
VAIO Phone Biz flaunts Windows 10 Mobile and Continuum
When Sony sold off its VAIO PC brand, it was presumed that the new VAIO company would busy itself with only PCs. Last year, however, the Japanese company unveiled its first ever smartphone, unsurprisingly an Android mobile device. Now it's unveiling its second, and, as the rumors have suggested, it is indeed running Windows 10 Mobile. VAIO Phone Biz, as it is called, is clearly designed for the business man or woman, but with less than "serious business" specs but with a lot of business-class looks.
Vaio Windows 10 phone announcement set for Feb 4
Shane McGlaun | Feb 2, 2016
Vaio has made its intention to unveil a new Windows 10 powered smartphone in the next few days official. The announcement will come on February 4, only two days from now. The new smartphone will be unveiled at an event hosted by Vaio president Ota Yoshimi and Microsoft's Japanese president.
VAIO Z, VAIO S “professional” notebooks arrive in the US
JC Torres | Jan 28, 2016
If you haven't heard of a VAIO computer for a while, that's because the new Japanese company temporarily closed its doors to the international market soon after Sony sold off its PC business. October last year saw the first ever VAIO computer from the new company, the VAIO Z Canvas, arrive in the US. Now, VAIO is bringing not one but two, actually three, new notebooks, the VAIO Z flagship model and the VAIO S standard model, to the US as well, addressing what VAIO says are the pain points of business professionals: lots of battery and lots of ports.
Trio of Major PC makers in Japan consider combining operations
Shane McGlaun | Dec 4, 2015
Three major computer makers have announced that they are considering merging their PC operations to create a single company with the largest market share in Japan. The three firms are Toshiba, Fujitsu, and Vaio. Combined the three firms would own 30% of the Japanese PC market.
VAIO Z Canvas convertible PC now available in US
Brittany A. Roston | Oct 6, 2015
The VAIO Z Canvas convertible laptop is now available in the United States. We’ve previously reported on this laptop a couple times; it features a tablet portion and a matching keyboard, and is aimed at the creative users out there — those with demanding needs who require a precise stylus and high quality display, among other things. VAIO Corporation first showcased a prototype of the convertible at the Adobe MAX conference in 2014.
Vaio Z Canvas convertible laptop goes up for preorder
Brittany A. Roston | Sep 23, 2015
The Vaio Z Canvas convertible laptop, not to be mistaken with the older Sony Vaio Z, has gone up for preorder in the United States following its unveiling earlier this year. This PC is designed for the creative individuals out there, those who dabble in the digital arts and such; it comes with a distinct high-end flavor. As with most other convertibles, the display can be detached from the keyboard.
First non-Sony VAIO to arrive in US this October
Adam Westlake | Aug 19, 2015
It was over a year ago that Sony spun off its VAIO PC brand, selling it to Japan Industrial Partners, who chose to limit their products to the Japanese market. But now, the reborn VAIO computers are ready to go international, and the company says it will begin selling them in the US starting in October. The first model will be the VAIO Canvas Z, a "monster tablet" with a detachable keyboard, and it will be available on VAIO's US website and at Microsoft's retail stores starting October 5th.
Sony tells VAIO owners to hold off on Windows 10
Most manufacturers are eager to jump on the Windows 10 bandwagon but one former PC maker doesn't seem to be in a rush. Although it has already sold off its VAIO PC business to a Japanese company, Sony is still required to support its existing models in the market. As part of that, it will, of course, need to roll out Windows 10 eventually. "Eventually" here being sometime in Fall apparently. Sony is warning users to stay away from Windows 10 at least for the time being.
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Press Release – Fire on board Greek tanker kills two shipbreaking workers in Bangladesh
Published in February 18th, 2019
Today, a fire broke out in the engine room on board a tanker, beached in Chittagong, killing two workers.
Md Jamil, 23 years old cutter man, and Bipul lost their lives while scrapping the ship GREEK WARRIOR (IMO 9191412) at Shagorika Ship Breaking Yard. According to local media, Jamil was burned and rushed to Chittagong Medical College Hospital. He died before reaching the hospital. The body of Bipul was discovered on board only few hours later. Shagorika yard and RA Shipbreaking yard, which has been recently under the spotlight for the purchase of Nordic America Tankers’ NORDIC SPRITE, share the same ownership.
https://www.shipbreakingplatform.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/S-Warrior.mp4
The tanker GREEK WARRIOR was sold to Bangladeshi breakers by Greek company Polembros Shipping in 2018. In the last ten years, Polembros sent at least 24 end-of-life ships to South Asian beaches. Half of them reached the shores of Bangladesh, where unscrupulous shipping companies keep exploiting minimal enforcement of environmental and safety rules to maximise profits. With more than 900 vessels beached since 2009, Greek owners top the list of global dumpers by far.
"It is about time that the Greek government puts an end to the appalling shipbreaking practices of its shipping industry and holds it liable for the irreparable damages caused by beaching. The EU has set a standard that should be followed by Greek ship owners, even when not sailing their vessels under an EU flag."
Ingvild Jenssen - Executive Director and Founder - NGO Shipbreaking Platform
The vessel changed name, from GREEK WARRIOR to S WARRIOR, and flag, from Panama to Palau, before its final voyage. According to maritime databases, the cash buyer involved in the sale was Prayati Shipping Pvt. Ltd, based in Mumbai, India. Prayati Shipping offers different types of services, including demolition voyage management. All vessels sold to the beaching yards pass through the hands of cash buyers. In this way, ship owners attempt to shield themselves from responsibility, and are paid upfront the highest market price in cash for their end-of-life vessels by the dealers. To reduce costs and avoid being held accountable, cash buyers change a vessel’s flag to one of the typical last-voyage flags of convenience, such as Comoros, Palau and St Kitts and Nevis. Cash buyers also register the vessel under a new name and a new post box company, rendering it very difficult for authorities to trace and hold cash buyers and ship owners accountable for illicit business practices.
Brussels, Jun 15th 2017
The Brazilian CONTTMAF trade union federation and its member SINDMAR [1] have recently criticized the shipbreaking practices of Transpetro, the oil and gas transportation subsidiary of… Read More
Brussels, Apr 04th 2016
Platform News – Violence reaches new level: shipbreaking yard’s private security personnel fire shots and injure seven people
In the morning of 28 March, shipbreaking worker Sumon was killed on a private road inside Kabir Steel yard located North of Bangladesh’s major port city, Chittagong…. Read More
Brussels, Jul 12th 2017
Brussels, Feb 12th 2016
Press Release – Maersk end-of-life vessels to hit the beaches again. NGOs denounce container ship company’s step back to boost profits
The NGO Shipbreaking Platform and Transport and Environment (T&E) denounce Maersk Group’s decision to beach their end-of-life vessels in India [1]. The world’s leading container ship owner… Read More
Brussels, Jan 21st 2016
Platform publishes South Asia Quarterly Update #8
The NGO Shipbreaking Platform publishes today the eighth South Asia Quarterly Update, a briefing paper in which it informs about the shipbreaking industry in Bangladesh, India and… Read More
Brussels, Oct 26th 2017
Press Release – Recent fires at Gadani yards prompt authorities to shut down all shipbreaking activities
On 11 October a tanker caught fire at the Gadani shipbreaking beach that holds a deplorable record of life threatening accidents. Fortunately, no casualties were recorded. Only… Read More
Brussels, Sep 21st 2017
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A roundup of research
and breaking news
Science News Staff
Planetary Science,
Rosetta prepares to let go of its comet lander
Ashley Yeager
5:23pm, November 7, 2014
A recent image from the Rosetta spacecraft gives a rare look at comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko's dark side, the side that faces away from the sun.
OSIRIS/MPS/UPD/LAM/IAA/SSO/INTA/UPM/DASP/IDA/ROSETTA/ESA
Everything is still on track for scientists to land a robotic probe on a comet called comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko on November 12.
There are still seven critical moments that the Rosetta spacecraft has to get through before the landing is considered a success, but in a November 7 briefing mission scientists appeared confident that the probe would be dispatched to the comet as planned.
For more on this daring landing attempt, read SN's feature "Rosetta readies for its close rendezvous with a comet" and follow our coverage here and on Twitter at @ScienceNews.
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Officials Unveil 'Heli-Tanker' That Can Fight Wildfires At Night
U.S. Women Win Fourth World Cup Soccer Title
The Aftermath Of A 7.1 Magnitude 'Main Shock' Shakes Southern California Desert All Night
How Los Angeles' homeless are trying to beat the heat
File: A homeless man sleeps beside the wall on the sidewalk along a street in downtown Los Angeles on Feb. 9, 2016.
Frederic J. Brown/AFP/Getty Images
Alex Derosier | June 22, 2017
Southern California has been experiencing a heat wave for the past week, and for many homeless people in Los Angeles, that has meant taking cover in tents and cooling centers.
"There really isn't any way to beat it,” said Dwayne Carter, from inside his tarp-covered shelter on a cul-de-sac in south L.A. “Just have to find a little shade and take cover for a while until it lets up a little bit."
Carter lost his home nine months ago, and he says this is the worst heat he has experienced from the street so far. Like many homeless people in L.A., his tent is covered with tarps and blankets to keep the inside cool.
Not all are daunted by the heat wave. “The only problem with the heat is that you have to make sure making sure food is kept cold,” said Cornell Smith, heating water on a gas-powered hot plate outside of his tent on South Broadway.
For those who do need indoor relief from the heat, the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority has been shuttling people to cooling centers, usually located at libraries or community centers.
“If someone is in a place where they need to get inside a cool environment as quickly as possible we can transfer them in our vans,” LAHSA spokesman Tom Waldman said. “We encourage them to get to a shelter as quickly as possible or one of our cooling centers.”
LAHSA workers have been told to look for signs of cramps or heat stroke.
In addition to cooling centers, shelters have been fitted with amenities to address the heat.
One shelter in Pomona has had a mist spraying system installed to help cool the courtyard. With 40 new beds and two new air conditioning units to be added soon, it is being converted from a seasonal shelter into a year-round facility.
As for the unsheltered, Waldman said vans are out distributing bottled water.
Some people out on the street have been helping too. Ronnie Williams, who lost his home a few months ago after losing his job as a truck driver, said he and a friend have been bringing water to elderly homeless people in South L.A.
"The lady that passes the big packs of water and stuff like that doesn't know where most of the people are,” he said. “Me and this guy usually go and take them water.”
The National Weather Service expects excessively high temperatures will persist inland over the weekend.
This post has been updated to correct the spelling of LAHSA spokesman Tom Waldman. KPCC regrets the error.
Pomona Police shut down 11 homeless encampments, arrest 17
The hottest days of the heat wave are here
Surprise, it's hot AND humid in SoCal this week
SoCal got a break from the heat — but it won't last long
KPCC's Local coverage is a Southern California resource provided by member-supported public radio. We can't do it without you.
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Home Event Coverage Third Place Final: Chicago Simeon vs. GA McEachern
Third Place Final: Chicago Simeon vs. GA McEachern
Both teams were impressive on Friday despite losing in the semis. Simeon is old-school, big city tough and has a lot of interchangeable parts. McEachern is on the rise and despite being loaded with underclassmen, were one of the favorites to make the final heading into the tournament.
Shariffe Cooper got McEachern on the board first with a three. Simeon got one of two free throws from Kejuan Clemmons then another three from Cooper gave McEachern an early 6-1 lead. After two free throws from Messiah Jones of Simeon, Isaac Okaro went to work for McEachern. He outscored Simeon 8-2 over a three-minute span to give them a 14-5 lead with under three minutes to play in the first. Simeon responded with a pair of baskets from Jalen Horton Tucker sandwiched around a transition basket from Xavier Pinson. Simeon was now back within three at 14-11. However, McEachern would close out the first with a 6-2 spurt, making the score 20-13 heading into the second quarter.
McEachern stretched their lead to double digits early in the period. Simeon got back to within nine but then Cooper hit a three to make it 20-18. A three-point play from Simeon’s Clements and a floater from Pinson got them back to within seven but Okoro answered with a three for McEachern. After an exchange of baskets, Simeon closed out the half with a three from Horton Tucker and a steal and score from Pinson made it a five-point margin at the half, 35-30 in favor of McEachern.
A three from Okoro opened up the scoring in the third. Simeon answered with a lob for two and then a three from Horton Tucker to get within three at 38-35. McEachern held them off with a pair of baskets to get back up by seven. Horton Tucker again came through for Simeon with a pair of free throws and then a driving layup. A three from McEachern’s Devin Gordon stretched their lead to 45-39 with 1:25 left in the quarter. Simeon could only manage three free throws the rest of the quarter as McEachern hit some free throws of their own to extend their margin to eight at 50-42 with one quarter left to play.
Simeon opened the fourth quarter with a 6-0 run as Tucker Horton hit a free throw and then had a steal and score. Jones put back a miss and Pinson made one of two free throws to get within two at 50-48 with just over five minutes to play. McEachern’s Cooper scored the next three points get their lead back to five. Simeon continued to make it interesting with two free throws from Jones and a bucket inside by Tucker Horton to draw within one at 53-52 with just over two minutes to play. Okoro hit two free throws for McEachern as Simeon had to foul to get the ball back. Jones put back a miss for Simeon to get back within one at 55-54. McEachern’s Devin Gordon was fouled with sixteen seconds left to make it a two-point ball game. Simeon drove the to basket but the ball went out of bounds off McEachern with three seconds left. After a couple of timeouts, Simeon finally got the ball inbounds but a drive to the basket fell short and McEachern earns the third place title at the COP with a 56-54 win.
McEachern was led by Isaac Okoro with 22 points while Sharife Cooper contributed 19 points.
Talen Horton Tucker led Simeon with 21 points while Xavier Pinson tallied 12 points and Messiah Jones scored 10 points and grabbed 10 rebounds.
Chicago Simeon
City of Palms
GA McEachern
Isaac Okoro
Messiah Jones
Sharife Cooper
Talen Horton Tucker
Xavier Pinson
Previous articleSignature Series Final: KY Corbin County vs. GA Upson-Lee
Next articleThe Kingdom’s Opening Day
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Walk - Ferrybridge to Lulworth Cove
14.4 miles (23.2 km)
Ferrybridge Lulworth Cove
Challenging - Easy to moderate to strenuous
This fantastic section of the South West Coast Path crosses a diverse landscape from the rugged rocks of Portland, to the hustle and bustle of urban life in the seaside resort of Weymouth, followed by quiet rural paths leading to high, undulating chalk cliffs on the way to Lulworth Cove.
Walking becomes progressively harder as you leave Weymouth and set off along the impressive cliffs of the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site. There are some particularly steep ascents and descents on the way to Lulworth Cove, but your efforts are certainly rewarded. As you approach Lulworth be sure to look back to the breathtaking views of the limestone arch of Durdle Door, the high cliffs of White Nothe and Weymouth Bay and Portland beyond. A good selection of restaurants and pubs also await your arrival after a long day on the Coast Path.
1 Old Coastguard Cottages
Cottage just off Coast Path between Weymouth and Lulworth Cove. Walkers welcome. Lovely sea views. Excellent breakfast. Packed lunches on request. Pub nearby.
The Dairy House B&B
01305 852138 / 07968225269
In a small village with an excellent pub (300 yards) offering a warm welcome, comfy rooms & full breakfast. Twin/family, double & single. Well mannered dogs welcome
Totemplant
Located within walking distance of Ringstead beach on the Jurassic coast in Dorset, these superbly restored cottages are surrounded by National Trust countryside.
Kelston Guest House
Excellent quality guest house, less than 50 metres from Weymouth beach. High standard decor. Our breakfast uses locally sourced, fresh produce. (Gluten free available).
Maribels B&B
Maribel's provides homely accommodation, comfortable rooms and a relaxed atmosphere for an enjoyable stay. Special winter offers from £50.
Harbour Lights Guest House
Lovely house with views of Portland harbour/Chesil beach. Bus to Weymouth/Portland every 15 mins. 15 min walk to Brewers Quay, 3 mins Rodwell Trail. Parking on site
Lulworth Cove - diversion due to cliff fall - April 2014: The section of Coast Path leading from Lulworth Cove eastwards up Bindon Hill has been severed by a cliff fall. At most states of the tide, walkers can instead walk across the beach, and rejoin the Coast Path on the other side of the bay. However at high tide, you'll need to walk inland to Bindon Road towards West Lulworth, and at the end of the row of houses, a path leads back to the Coast Path. More details.
Fossil Forest (near Lulworth Cove) - access closed due to cliff fall - October 29th 2015: A substantial cliff fall has damaged the steps leading down from the Coast Path onto the rock shelf area containing the Fossil Forest. As a result access down to the fossilised trees is currently closed, although some of the trees can still be viewed from the Coast Path along the cliff top. The Coast Path is unaffected and you can still walk this section. More details.
Portland harbour: this is said to be one of the largest man-made harbours in the world. The harbour is very sheltered and therefore an ideal home for the National Sailing Centre and a natural choice for the venue for the sailing in the Olympics of 2012.
The remains of Sandsfoot Castle: built in the 1530s as one of Henry VIII’s many coastal defences, the castle remains contain fragments of medieval stone from Bindon Abbey at Wool.
Weymouth: you may want to allow extra time to enjoy some of the attractions of this seaside resort, such as Nothe Gardens and Nothe Fort, the pretty, thriving port, King George IIIs statue, the famous Jubilee Clock and the Georgian Esplanade.
Lodmoor Nature Reserve. The grassland, saltmarsh and reed beds make perfect habitats for a large number of birds throughout the year, including bearded tits and Cettis warblers. Lodmoor also boasts one of the largest common tern colonies in the South West. For further details see the RSPB website.
Osmington and Osmington Mills: this area of Dorset was visited by the great landscape painter John Constable, who actually stayed in Osmington during his honeymoon. A painting of the Bowleaze Cove hangs in the National Gallery (click here to see a copy). This is a good place to stop for refreshments. You could try the
13th century Smugglers Inn which was the headquarters of the famous French smuggler Pierre Latour, known locally as French Peter, or the cliff top cafe.
Ringstead Bay: this peaceful pebbly beach is a great spot for rock pooling and is also popular with fossil hunters. Just east of here is the deserted medieval village of West Ringstead. There was once quite a large settlement here, but it is not known exactly why it was abandoned - destroyed by pirates, struck by the Black Death or poor economy? In the correct conditions, remains of the cottages and streets can still be made out.
The views from White Nothe: this is one of the highest cliffs along the Dorset Coast and offers superb views of Weymouth and the Isle of Portland.
The extraordinary geology of Bat’s Head and the views of Durdle Door beyond.
Durdle Door: this perfect limestone archway is undoubtedly one of the most well known and well photographed points of the entire South West Coast Path.
The spectacular views from Hambury Tout.
Looking out for the Lulworth Skipper - a golden-brown butterfly discovered near Durdle Door in 1832.
The beautiful horseshoe bay of Lulworth Cove. Just east of Lulworth is Stair Hole where the sea is washing away the limestone to form a cove in probably the exact same way as it did at Lulworth millions of years ago. From here you can also see the extraordinary folds of rock known as the Lulworth Crumple.
Shorter option
Stop at Osmington Mills (8.2 miles, 13.2 km).
Longer option
Due to lack of accommodation we suggest you end your walk at Lulworth Cove.
The nearest train station is Weymouth. From here, buses run regularly all year around to Portland Bill. For timetable information, zoom in on the interactive map and click on the train station and bus stop symbols, visit Traveline or phone 0871 200 22 33.
Weymouth, inland from Durdle Door and Lulworth.
Section 50: Ferrybridge to Lulworth Cove
Starts 577 miles (928 km) from Minehead
Ends 28 miles (45 km) to Poole
Previous section in South West Coast Path Isle of Portland Circuit
Next section in South West Coast Path Lulworth Cove to Worth Matravers
South West Coast Path Association's Complete Guide to the Coast Path
SWCPA Walking Guides - Dorset
A-Z 1:25,000 map book: Dorset
The Official guide to the Jurassic Coast
Official Trail Guide: Exmouth to Poole
Paddy Dillon: SW Coast Path guidebook
Harvey Maps: Sidmouth to Poole
Run Jurassic
September 27-29 2019,
An exciting new Running Festival along the world famous Jurassic Coast. More info.
Legacy Trail 4 - Around Radipole Lake
Legacy Trail 2 - RSPB Lodmoor
Church Ope Cove
Legacy Trail 8 - The Weares and Church Ope Cove
Legacy Trail 1 - Around Lorton Meadows
Portland Bill
Legacy Trail 5 - Around Hamm and Chesil Beaches
Legacy Trail 3 - Nothe Gardens & Rodwell Trail
Portland Castle
Legacy Trail 6 - Around Verne Nature Reserve and West Weares
Legacy Trail 7 - Around Portland Quarries
Portland Plateau
Moonfleet Walk
Langton Herring from the Victoria Inn
Osmington Mills from Bowleaze Cove
Portland South
Legacy Trail 9 - Portland Bill
Smugglers Inn - Osmington Roman Walk
Abbotsbury from the Victoria Inn
Challenging walks (1 walk)
Around Portland
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Home » Carrera Cup » Murray switches to McElrea for Carrera Cup campaign
Murray switches to McElrea for Carrera Cup campaign
By Tom Howard & Mat Coch
Thursday 16th May, 2019 - 2:20pm
Cooper Murray
Cooper Murray has switched from Ash Seward Motorsport to McElrea Racing for the remainder of the 2019 Porsche Payce Carrera Cup series.
The Victorian stepped into Carrera Cup this season with ASM, competing in the opening three rounds of the series with the squad.
However, he’s since elected to switch allegiances to the Queensland-based McElrea Racing in an effort to follow in the footsteps of Matt Campbell and Jaxon Evans.
For Murray, it was those driver development opportunities that ultimately proved the lure, adding his departure from ASM had nothing to do with car preparation.
“We’ve all thought about it and McElrea is the best choice for my racing career, and that’s the path we’ve taken,” Murray told Speedcafe.com.
“The cars (that ASM prepares) are probably the same pace, it’s more about my point of view and me as a driver and what (McElrea) can do for my future.”
“The McElrea program that they have, it’s worked. You can see with Jaxon Evans and Matt Campbell,” he added.
“My parents and I have made the decision that it’s the best thing for me and my career if I want to move forward is to be with McElrea.
“They teach you a whole lot, and make sure you’re ready. And they’ve won championships, which is what you want.”
The 17-year-old is targeting a future berth in the Porsche Junior Shootout, a competition McElrea alumni Evans and Campbell have both succeeded at in recent years.
“My focus is Porsche, to get to the Shootout, and then to go over the Europe and race with Porsche. That’s my focus,” he explained.
Currently in the midst of his debut season in Carrera Cup, Murray is looking to use the remainder of 2019 as a learning experience ahead of a title tilt in 2020.
“We came into this year with the goal just to learn; learn all new tracks, I’ve only been to two of the eight tracks so it’s just to learn and get as much experience as we can,” he said.
“That still hasn’t changed. We still want to learn as much as we can and make sure we’re 100 percent prepared to go out next year fighting or the championship.”
McElrea Racing owner Andry McElrea predicts a bright future for Murray, who starred when racing in the Porsche Wilson Security GT3 Cup Challenge last year.
“He is proven that he has got the pace so we are looking forward to getting our hands on him and developing him in more ways than just as a driver,” McElrea told Speedcafe.com.
“Last year in Cup Challenge he was a standout in his first year in Porsches. This year for whatever reason he hasn’t been a standout.
“He was banging wheels with Luffy (Warren Luff) at Phillip Island and we obviously rate him very highly and he was a match for him in not the best of situations.
“If we can put him in a better situation and develop him like the way we have with some of our other youngsters, then I’m very confident we can get him right to the front.”
Murray currently sits ninth in the points standings after four rounds with a best finish of fifth in the opening race of the campaign.
Porsche Carrera Cup Australia continues with its fourth round at Hidden Valley alongside the Virgin Australia Supercars Championship on June 14-16.
Next Story NATIONALS: Leeds unstoppable on Friday at Phillip Island Previous Story Team Australia unveils Supercup livery
More Carrera Cup News
» GALLERY: Townsville 400 Sunday
» Murray unstoppable in Carrera Cup Race 3
» Murray dominates Carrera Cup Race 2
» Murray wins Townsville Carrera Cup opener
» Pro-Am driver Lago stuns field with outright pole
» Love fastest on Friday in Carrera Cup despite injury
» R&J Batteries Event Guide: Townsville
» Jordan Love set for Townsville despite broken hand
» Porsche expands young driver development program
» Almond secures Carrera Cup round win with Race 3 victory
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Brain Cells for Socializing
Does an obscure nerve cell help explain what gorillas, elephants, whales—and people—have in common?
John Allman (with colleague Atiya Hakeem at Caltech examining elephant brain specimens) is searching for one of the biological keys to human behavior. (Aaron Huey)
By Ingfei Chen
Smithsonian Magazine | Subscribe
There was little chance of missing the elephant in the room. About a dozen years after Simba died at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, a half-inch slab of her yellowish, wrinkled, basketball-size brain was laid out before John Allman, a neuroscientist at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.
Beauty of the Brain
How Our Brains Make Memories
Preserved in formaldehyde, it looked like half a pancake, frozen solid on a misting bed of dry ice. Allman carefully sliced it using the laboratory equivalent of a deli meat cutter. Taking well over an hour, he carved off 136 paper-thin sections.
Allman was searching for a peculiar kind of brain cell that he suspects is a key to how the African elephant—like a human being—manages to stay attuned to the ever-shifting nuances of social interplay. These spindle-shaped brain cells, called von Economo neurons—named for the man who first described them—are found only in human beings, great apes and a handful of other notably gregarious creatures. Allman, 66, compares the brains of people and other animals to gain insight into the evolution of human behavior.
"Neuroscience seems really reluctant to approach the question of what it is about our brains that makes us human, and John is doing exactly that," says Todd Preuss, a neuroanatomist and anthropologist at the Yerkes National Primate Research Center in Atlanta. "We know very, very little about how our brains differ from other animals', except that our brains are bigger."
The von Economo neurons are the most striking finding of recent years in comparative brain research, in which scientists tease out fine differences among species. Neuroanatomist Patrick Hof and his colleagues at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in Manhattan first stumbled across the neurons in human brain specimens in 1995, in a region toward the front of the brain called the anterior cingulate cortex. Most neurons have cone- or star-shaped bodies with several branching projections, called dendrites, that receive signals from neighboring cells. But von Economo neurons are thin and elongated, with just one dendrite at each end. They are four times bigger than most other brain cells, and even in species that have the cells, they are rare.
The Manhattan team, it turned out, had rediscovered an obscure cell type first identified in 1881. Hof named the cells after a Vienna-based anatomist, Constantin von Economo, who precisely described the neurons in human brains in 1926; afterward the cells slipped into obscurity. Hof began looking in the brains of deceased primates, including macaque monkeys and great apes—chimps, bonobos, gorillas and orangutans—donated by zoos and sanctuaries. He contacted Allman, who had a collection of primate brains, and asked him to collaborate. In 1999, the scientists reported that all great ape species had von Economo cells, but lesser primates, such as macaques, lemurs and tarsiers, did not. That meant the neurons evolved in a common ancestor of all the great apes about 13 million years ago, after they diverged from other primates but well before the human and chimp lineages diverged about six million years ago.
Although Allman is renowned as a neuroanatomist, it's not surprising to find him delving into larger questions of what it means to be human. His doctorate, from the University of Chicago, was in anthropology, and he has long been fascinated with how the primate brain evolved. He conducted landmark studies with his colleague Jon Kaas, identifying the parts of the owl monkey brain that analyze visual information and make sight possible. In 1974, Allman moved to Caltech, where he studied vision for 25 years. But he also itched to uncover how the basic workings of the human brain shape social behavior. The von Economo neurons immediately captured his interest.
Allman, who is divorced, lives in a 150-year-old brick house in San Marino that he shares with two Australian shepherd dogs, Luna and Lunita. Sepia-toned photographs of his suffragist grandmother hang on the living room wall. Being "notoriously nocturnal," as Allman puts it, he rarely gets to the lab before 1 p.m., leaves in the evening to continue working at home and usually stays up until 2 a.m. His Caltech office is dimly lit by a single window and a small desk lamp; it looks like a cave overrun with books and papers. Down the hall, glass slides of gorilla, bonobo and elephant brain tissue, stained blue and brown, lie drying on tables and counters.
From von Economo's work, Allman learned that the unusual cells seemed to reside only in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and one other niche of the human brain, the frontal insula (FI). Brain-scanning studies have established that the ACC and FI are particularly active when people experience emotion. Both areas also seem to be important for "self-monitoring," such as noticing bodily sensations of pain and hunger or recognizing that one has made a mistake. The ACC seems broadly involved in nearly every mental or physical effort.
By contrast, the frontal insula may play a more specific role in generating social emotions such as empathy, trust, guilt, embarrassment, love—even a sense of humor. According to experiments that measure the workings of various brain regions, the area becomes active when a mother hears a crying baby, for instance, or when someone scrutinizes a face to determine the other person's intentions. The FI is where the brain monitors and reacts to "gut feelings" from bodily sensations or interactions within a social network, Allman says. It's the link between self-monitoring and awareness of others that makes it possible for us to understand the feelings of other people. "The basic proposition that I'm advancing," he says, "is the notion that self-awareness and social awareness are part of the same functioning, and the von Economo cells are part of that."
Allman thinks that the neurons expedite communication from the ACC and FI to the rest of the brain. The cells are unusually large, and in the nervous system, size often correlates with speed. "They're big neurons, which I think do a very fast read of something and then relay that information elsewhere quickly," he says. He speculates that as our primate ancestors evolved bigger and bigger brains, they needed high-speed connections to send messages across greater distances. "Large brain size necessarily carries with it a slowing down of communication within the brain," he adds. "So one way of dealing with that is to have a few specialized populations of cells that are pretty fast."
Given that the neurons live in the brain's social hot spots, Allman theorizes that the von Economo cell system allows a rapid, intuitive read on emotionally charged, volatile situations. The neurons "would enable one to quickly adjust to changing social contexts," he speculates. In the ancient past, this neural wiring might have conferred a survival edge to our ancestors by enabling them to make accurate, split-second judgments, especially about whom they could trust or not.
Allman, Hof and their colleagues have looked for von Economo neurons in more than 100 animal species, from sloths to platypuses. Only a few of them, other than primates and elephants, are known to have the cells: humpback whales, sperm whales, fin whales, orcas and bottle-nosed dolphins. The cells presumably evolved in now extinct species that gave rise to those marine mammals some 35 million years ago.
As I watched him section the elephant brain at Caltech, Allman, with colleagues Atiya Hakeem and Virginie Goubert, finally reached the FI of Simba's left hemisphere. Three days later, microscope examination of the brain slices revealed it to be dotted with the distinctive spindle-shaped cells. That confirmed their previous sighting of similar neurons in the FI of Simba's right hemisphere. The elephant cells are larger than human and primate ones, about the size of whale neurons, but the size and shape are unmistakably von Economo neurons.
From counting the von Economo cells in 16 slides—an eye-glazing chore—Hakeem and Allman estimate that there are roughly 10,000 of them in the postage-stamp-size FI on the right side of the elephant brain, or about 0.8 percent of the FI's 1.3 million neurons. Von Economo neurons are more plentiful in the human FI, averaging about 193,000 cells and accounting for about 1.25 percent of all neurons there. In absolute numbers, the human brain has roughly half a million von Economo neurons, far more than the brains of elephants, whales or great apes. Allman and his colleagues have found none in the elephant's closest kin: the anteater, armadillo and rock hyrax. The cells' absence in these species supports Allman's theory that the neurons are a feature of big brains.
Allman speculates that such cells readily evolve from a small set of neurons in the insular cortex that are found in all mammals and regulate appetite. He thinks that while von Economo cells likely evolved to speed information around a big brain, they got co-opted by the demands of social interactions. If he's right, smart, social animals such as whales and elephants might have the same specialized wiring for empathy and social intelligence as human beings.
Whales and elephants, like people and great apes, have large brains and a prolonged juvenile stage during which they learn from their elders. They recognize one another and develop lifelong cooperative relationships. Killer whales hunt in groups and protect injured pod mates. Elephant society is anchored by matriarchs that guide their herds to watering holes they know from previous visits. (And there may be some truth to the belief that elephants never forget: when Allman, Hof and Hakeem made the first high-resolution 3-D image of an elephant brain, in 2005, they found an enormous hippocampus, the brain region where memories are formed.) The sensitive beasts identify each other by their rumblings and trumpet calls, come to each other's aid and seem to mourn their dead.
Allman likes to show a clip from a documentary about a group of African elephants that adopted an orphaned calf. When the baby elephant falls into a water hole, the matriarch quickly marches in, followed by the others. Together she and a second female use their tusks, trunks and legs to free the calf from the muck. Another animal paws at the steep bank with its foot, building a ramp the youngster uses to climb to safety. "It's really remarkable," says Allman of how the elephants rapidly sized up the crisis and worked together to save the baby. "It's a very high sort of functioning that very few animals are able to do. And," he adds with a chuckle, "humans can do it only on good days." The rescue, he says, "captures the essence of really complex, coordinated social behavior."
The idea of the neurons' centrality to social intelligence is gaining ground. Yerkes primatologist Frans de Waal says Allman's "extremely exciting" research dovetails with some of his own investigations of pachyderm intelligence. Two years ago, de Waal and two collaborators reported that a Bronx Zoo elephant named Happy could recognize herself in a mirror. Some scientists theorize that the ability to recognize one's own reflection indicates a capacity for self-awareness and even empathy, useful skills in a highly social species. De Waal points out that only animals that have von Economo neurons can do so.
Yet de Waal also cautions that "until someone establishes the exact function of those cells, it remains a story, basically."
Allman's thoughts about von Economo cells are still evolving. As new data comes in, he discards initial concepts and integrates others. Unlike the stereotypical cautious scientist, he doesn't hesitate to put forward bold hypotheses based on a few observations. The theory that von Economo neurons underlie social cognition is audacious. And it's tempting to seize upon the cells as a simple explanation for the basis of our species' complex social nature. But Allman knows that's a stretch.
His theory has its skeptics. Anthropologist Terrence Deacon, of the University of California at Berkeley, questions whether the neurons are truly a different type of brain cell or are simply a variation that arises in large brains. He says that the differences in our brains that make us human are more likely to have arisen from large-scale changes than from subtle changes in neuron shape. "I don't think it's a very big part of the story," he says of Allman's idea. Yet, he adds, when it comes to understanding the human brain, "so long as we recognize that we have so little to go on, under those circumstances all hypotheses should be entertained."
Point taken. But it's hard not to be seduced by Allman's theory when some of the most compelling evidence comes not from the animal pathology lab but from the medical clinic.
William Seeley, a neurologist at the University of California at San Francisco, studies a poorly understood neurodegenerative disease called frontotemporal dementia. Patients suffer a breakdown in their character, losing social graces and empathy, turning insensitive, erratic and irresponsible. Marriages and careers implode. Many patients seem to lack physical self-awareness: when diagnosed with other illnesses, they deny having any problems. Brain imaging studies of patients with the dementia have uncovered damage to frontal areas of the brain.
In 2004, Seeley heard Allman lecture about von Economo neurons. As Allman clicked through his PowerPoint slides, Seeley saw that the cells were clustered in the same brain regions that the dementia targeted, the ACC and FI. "It was kind of like, Eureka," Seeley recalls. He thought the cells might help researchers figure out why those areas were vulnerable to destruction. "Also, I thought, what an interesting way to learn something about human nature. Maybe the deficits that patients develop might be in things that are uniquely human. So there was a big rush of ideas."
Afterward, over coffee, Seeley and Allman agreed to team up to find out whether von Economo neurons were damaged in people with frontotemporal dementia. Analyzing brains from deceased patients, the scientists discovered that, in fact, about 70 percent of von Economo neurons in the ACC had been destroyed, whereas neighboring brain cells were largely unaffected. "It is very clear that the original target of the disease is these cells, and when you destroy these cells you get the whole breakdown of social functioning," says Allman. "That's a really astounding result that speaks to the function of the cells about as clearly as anything can."
This unusual neural system seems to underlie a lot of what makes us human. But the fact that elephants and whales apparently share the same neural hardware opens the mind to a tilt in perspective: our brains may be more similar to those of other smart, social animals than we thought.
Ingfei Chen lives in Santa Cruz, California.
Photographer Aaron Huey lives in Seattle.
Found in 1881 and described in 1926 by Constantin von Economo, the large, spindle-shaped brain cell (right) has fewer branches than a typical neuron (left). (K.K. Watson, T.K. Jones & J.M. Allman / with permission from Elsevier (2))
Constantin von Economo neurons are now known to occur in parts of the human brain that process sensations and social emotions. (Illustration by Guilbert Gates)
Constantin von Economo precisely described the neurons in human brains in 1926. (Oxford University Press)
Studying other species yields insights into "what it is about our brains that makes us human," says Todd Preuss. (Jack Kearse / Emory University)
Smart, social and yes, endowed with an excellent memory, elephants (Simba at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, where she died in 1995) are among the few animals with von Economo neurons. (Cleveland Metroparks Zoo)
John Allman studies sections of Simba's brain. (Aaron Huey)
Patrick Hof is researching when and where von Economo neurons evolved in the primate family tree. (Michael Balter)
John Allman using a brain slicer. (Ingfei Chen)
John Allman carves off paper-thin sections of a preserved brain to be studied. (Ingfei Chen)
Brain slice samples in John Allman's lab. (Aaron Huey)
Mountain gorillas are among the animals known to live in complex groups. (iStockphoto)
Humpback whales are another species known to live in complex groups. (Blaine Harrington III / Corbis)
African elephants are known to live in complex groups as well. Why are they so good at socializing? One reason, Allman contends, is specialized von Economo neurons that speed impulses across unusually large brains among centers involved in communication and cooperation. (iStockphoto)
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Football (Moderators: Tallman, Flex, FF, E-man, asylumseeker) »
Dennis Lawrence Thread
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Author Topic: Dennis Lawrence Thread (Read 39677 times)
pull stones
Re: Dennis Lawrence might be T&T coach soon.
Quote from: MEP on January 20, 2017, 07:39:52 PM
from what I heard DL pulled out because they offered him a short term contract....rumors are that was changed....
what was changed? could you be more specific.
asylumseeker
Quote from: palos on January 20, 2017, 06:31:49 PM
Quote from: asylumseeker on January 20, 2017, 06:01:20 PM
Probably better for the TTFA to say "we will let you know when we know". This is third announced delay. Dot the i's and cross the t's first, then announce. Does no one learn?
I wouldn't necessarily blame TTFA here. I think it's a case of reporters wanting a "scoop", getting some "inside info" and rushing to be the first to break the news.
I remember reading somewhere where Skeene in particular kept saying words to the effect "we're working on it and will have an announcement soon".
What I will agree with is that they said an annoucement will be made on wednesday (2 days ago). In hindsight, they shouldn't have given a definitive date. But even then, how were they to know that decisions arrived upon would be overridden?
Sometimes the scoop supercedes all else. But that's also what often passes for reporting in Trini
I'm referring to the TTFA media releases, not other sources. The organization is not adhering to its deadlines based on internal dynamics that originate with the brass, not the foot soldiers.
I notice where the scooping is occurring, as a by-product of slow leaks under cover of anonymity and fear (on one side), and as an attempt at building a counter-narrative to the TTFA getting negative press (on the other side) ... but, I also notice the mockery each media release is having on confidence and credibility in the football association.
In politics, an opposition would be presenting a motion of no confidence on Monday, not waiting to endorse the mediocrity of a salvaged outcome.
This saga has two more chapters. Watch de ride.
https://www.complex.com/music/2019/06/10-artists-to-watch-from-trinidad-and-tobago/
Jumbie
~~~ JUMBIE ~~~
Mr Lawrence... please keep far from those daytime vampires!
A Trini 4 Real.
Lawrence refuses terms of T&T job.
T&T Newsday Reports.
The wait for the new national men’s football coach will be over on Monday when the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) finally announces who will succeed Belgium’s Tom Saintfiet following his short reign at the helm of local football.
It appears though that former T&T defender Dennis Lawrence is no longer an option as he has removed himself from contention a day after it appeared he was chosen as the candidate for the job. Fresh clauses inserted in the contract offered to him were deemed unacceptable to the former Everton first-team development coach.
A TTFA press release yesterday said, “The TTFA has noted the large public interest in the selection of our new national senior men’s coach and we wish to assure our supporters and stakeholders, the TTFA technical committee is working assiduously to complete the current process, to ensure the most appropriate selection, in the best interest of the national senior men’s team programme and our ongoing 2018 World Cup qualifying campaign.”
According to football website wired868.com the clause in Lawrence’s contract was altered which led to Lawrence having a change of heart. Mike Berry, Lawrence’s agent told the local website, “On Wednesday night, we agreed in principle (over the phone) the basic terms (of the job) which is salary, length of contract, bonuses and so on. It was all systems go.”
As far as Lawrence’s team was concerned, it was already a done deal and they only asked the board to give them some time so Lawrence could resign from his two-year contract as Belgium national senior team scout where he is working with ex-Everton manager Roberto Martinez.
But his resignation had to be retracted after new clauses in the contract emerged.
“There were clauses that I never came across before in my 20-odd years as an agent,” said Berry. The two clauses that stood out, according to Berry, were that Lawrence could be terminated if T&T: (a) did not have a 40 percent success rate on a presumed annual basis; or (b) suffered a six-point drop in the FIFA rankings.
“So if, God forbid, we (T&T) lose against Panama and Mexico (in World Cup qualifiers in March) and we drop six points in the FIFA rankings as a result,” said Berry, “then his contract can be terminated at four months notice! Now bear in mind, Dennis has a two-year contract in Belgium.
Those clauses were unacceptable.” Berry added, “And not only were they in the termination section but they were under the heading of gross misconduct. So if he was sacked for one of those clauses, he would not only be sacked for non-performance but for gross conduct. That could destroy his career. How could he sign that?!”
Interestingly, another main contender for the T&T coaching job, Stuart Charles Fevrier, coach of W Connection, wished Lawrence the best in his new job yesterday afternoon while speaking to CNMG prior to his team’s Pro League game.
It is not clear whether the TTFA and Lawrence’s team have thrashed out their differences regarding the terms of the contract being offered.
The other candidates that were in the running for the T&T job are Englishman Terry Fenwick, Colombian Francisco Maturana and former T&T midfielder Russell Latapy.
Fevrier was reportedly recommended initially by the TTFA technical committee.
Lawrence: I am out! TTFA board in uproar as DJW accused of bungling deal for new T&T coach.
By Lasana Liburd (wired868).
The Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) is believed to be in crisis mode after World Cup 2006 hero and ex-Everton FC assistant coach Dennis Lawrence pulled out of a deal to be Men’s National Senior Team head coach, just 48 hours after both parties agreed in a principle.
The breaking point, according to Lawrence’s agent Mike Berry, was termination clauses inserted into the deal on Thursday as well as the TTFA’s failure to allay the prospective coach’s concerns.
“We have a very disappointed chap who spoke to [Belgium National Senior Team head coach Roberto] Martinez this morning,” Berry told Wired868. “[Martinez] was happy to welcome him back into the [Belgium] fold and he is getting back on with his career. He is very disappointed not to get the chance to do [the Trinidad and Tobago job] his way.”
Wired868 tried unsuccessfully to get comment from TTFA president David John-Williams and technical committee chairman Dexter Skeene.
However, a TTFA board member, who spoke on condition of anonymity, was furious to learn that the deal collapsed and revealed that an emergency board meeting was called for this evening. However the meeting was subsequently cancelled.
The TTFA issued a press release this evening, which promised to name its new coach on Monday. There was no word as to whether it would be Lawrence. It was a far cry from the optimistic mood on Wednesday night, as the two parties on either side of the Atlantic Ocean celebrated a deal to make Lawrence the two island republic’s top football coach.
“On Wednesday night, we agreed in principle [over the phone] the basic terms [of the job],” said Berry, “which is salary, length of contract, bonuses and so on. It was all systems go.”
The deal on offer that Wednesday night was what the TTFA felt should be given to the next Soca Warriors coach. But it is worth pointing out that, up to that point, that person looked like being W Connection coach Stuart Charles-Fevrier, who was recommended for the position by the technical committee.
John-Williams, of course, is W Connection’s co-owner and he recused himself from Wednesday’s deliberations because of his close, personal relationship with Fevrier.
Once, John-Williams returned to the room and learnt that Lawrence—and not Fevrier—was the board’s choice, he allegedly suggested a caveat. The contract, said the TTFA president, should have a termination clause. And, after their discussions Lawrence, the board agreed that there should be performance appraisals added to the deal.
As far as Lawrence’s team was concerned, it was already a done deal and they only asked the board to give them until 8am [TT time] so he could resign from his two-year contract as Belgium National Senior Team scout.
“I said let us get Roberto’s blessing because it was only right to let him know he was losing a member of staff,” said Berry. “We spoke to Roberto [Martinez] at noon English time. He was absolutely delighted and happy to endorse Lawrence. He said he would help as much as possible—except if [the two nations] met in Russia [at the 2018 World Cup]!”
Lawrence and Berry sat back and waited to hear from the TTFA. But, two hours later, there had been no contact from the local football body and a call to Skeene went straight to voicemail.
Wired868 understands that, at the time, Skeene was trying to engineer clauses that would satisfy John-Williams but not put off Lawrence.
Berry, who was unaware of the late developments, emailed Skeene and John-Williams and revealed that Roberto Martinez wanted to issue a press release congratulating Lawrence on his new post and explaining to the public why he rated the former Defence Force and Swansea defender so highly.
Lawrence played under Martinez at Swansea and then was a member of his coaching staff at Wigan Athletic, Everton and Belgium.
John-Williams, according to Berry, replied to the email within minutes to say: No press release please.
At 10am, Skeene phoned Lawrence to say there would be amendments to the initial deal but he could not say what those were.
Wired868 understands that Skeene phoned one ex-Trinidad and Tobago international for advice on performance markers for the contract. John-Williams allegedly wanted Lawrence to deliver either nine or 10 points from the CONCACAF Hex or be sacked. But Skeene allegedly felt that was unreasonable.
The advisor suggested instead that perhaps the FIFA rankings could be used as a gauge—but it must work both ways. A drop by a certain number of places could prompt a review while there would be a reward if Trinidad and Tobago climbed the rankings.
Three hours after their brief conversation, Skeene told Lawrence that the contract was on the way.
“There were clauses that I never came across before in my 20-odd years as an agent,” said Berry.
The two clauses that stood out, according to Berry, were that Lawrence could be terminated if Trinidad and Tobago: (a) did not have a 40 percent success rate on a presumed annual basis; or (b) suffered a six point drop in the FIFA rankings.
“So if, God forbid, we lose against Panama and Mexico [in March] and we drop six points in the FIFA rankings as a result,” said Berry, “then his contract can be terminated at four months’ notice! Now bear in mind, Dennis has a two-year contract in Belgium. Those clauses were unacceptable.
“And not only were they in the termination section but they were under the heading of gross misconduct. So if he was sacked for one of those clauses, he would not only be sacked for non-performance but for gross conduct. That could destroy his career. How could he sign that?!”
John-Williams emailed Berry on Thursday evening and ask Lawrence to call him, which the 42-year-old coach did.
The TTFA president did not congratulate Lawrence or say that he was looking forward to working with him. Instead, he simply wanted to know his choice for assistant coaches.
Wired868 understands that Lawrence gave John-Williams a six-man shortlist, which included two English coaches, one Dutch coach and locals: Stern John, Angus Eve and Hutson “Barber” Charles. Lawrence intended to interview the six coaches within the next week.
John, an assistant coach at Pro League champions Central FC, and Eve, the Club Sando head coach, were described as bright, upcoming coaches. While Charles, who worked with Lawrence at Defence Force, offered an immediate knowledge of the current player pool since he worked as Hart’s assistant for the past three years and served as head coach for a year and a half before then.
Lawrence also wanted his own goalkeeping coach, sports scientist and match analysis manager. But the Warriors coach-in-waiting had a question for John-Williams too.
What did the TTFA mean by a 40 percent success rate? Did that include draws, since a solitary point could be the difference between qualification and failure?
John-Williams, according to Berry, told Lawrence he did not know and would get back on to him. But they did not hear from the TTFA president again.
Berry spoke to Skeene on Thursday night too. He pointed to the clauses and suggested that, at the least, Lawrence should have the security of a 12-month pay off—even if the TTFA decided to sack him in the first week.
The football body, said Berry, ought to show some faith in a coach that was leaving a job to come and work for Trinidad and Tobago. Skeene, Barry alleged, said that was a reasonable request and promised to get back to them.
Neither John-Williams nor Skeene contacted them again on Thursday night. So, Berry sent an email to both TTFA officials and went to bed.
This morning, there was no emailed response from the TTFA and Lawrence’s enthusiasm had now become a deep unease. The defender rang up a few friends and associates for advice—including 2006 World Cup coach Leo Beenhakker—and then made his decision.
“It smelt fishy and he was very uncomfortable about the lack of response and the lack of courtesy,” said Berry. “And he said: ‘I am out.’ Perhaps if the clauses were in the performance appraisal section and not the termination section or if there was more security for him in the contract…
“He was also concerned about the lack of reference from the TTFA to the long term development of Trinidad and Tobago football, which he felt was equally important to the current World Cup campaign.
“He will do his damnedest to get us to the Russia World Cup but he told them from the start that he didn’t just want to be a quick fix.”
And so, Berry alerted the TTFA of his client’s change of heart, via an email to John-Williams, which read:
“In the absence of a response and on reflection, Dennis has decided to reject your offer of the position of national coach. Unfortunately, the philosophy of your technical committee, board and yourself do not match Dennis’ philosophy for Trinidad and Tobago football at this time.
“Dennis has asked me to convey his best wishes for the future success of Trinidad and Tobago football.”
Lawrence’s decision stunned board members who had not been kept abreast of developments since the Wednesday night meeting. As far as they were concerned, the board had already decided upon their coach and the only thing left for John-Williams and Skeene to do was get his signature on a piece of paper.
One source wondered aloud if the TTFA president had sabotaged the process. There is no concrete evidence to support that suggestion at this point in time.
“How can a clause lead to all these problems?” asked the source. “That is a matter of simple negotiation. Something has gone wrong somewhere.”
The TTFA board convened an emergency meeting this evening, presumably to discuss the deal. According to the constitution, only the board can hire or fire coaches. However, the meeting was scrapped—presumably because the late notice meant there was unlikely to be quorum.
At Wednesday night’s meeting, although the majority of the technical committee voted for Fevrier, the board members decided that Lawrence was the man they wanted.
Wired868 understands that there were five votes for Lawrence and two for former England World Cup defender and Central FC and San Juan Jabloteh coach Terry Fenwick. John-Williams’ two vice-presidents, Joanne Salazar and Ewing Davis, were the only members who voted for Fevrier, since the TTFA president had recused himself.
“The board decided that Dexter [Skeene] and the president should take the lead in signing the deal [with Lawrence],” said the anonymous board member. “The enthusiasm for Dennis is great and he shouldn’t let [the clauses] stymie him.
“There was no number two [for if we didn’t get Lawrence]. We agreed it would be him.”
After the initial interview, Berry revealed that Skeene phoned and apologised for the lack of response by the TTFA. But he was unable to relay whether there was a change of position by the football body on the controversial clauses.
This evening’s board meeting appeared to be the last chance for Lawrence. But there is still hope that John-Williams reopened discussions with the former Malick schoolboy, who was on Wigan’s coaching staff when they Manchester City in the 2013 FA Cup final.
“Roberto [Martinez] said don’t close the door totally [on Trinidad and Tobago],” said Berry. “He was in a similar position once when he left the Swansea job. It seems unlikely now but he said to leave the door open…
“It is not that we are against performance evaluations but you have to give him a reasonable time to do his job. Do a review after 12 months but not from day one!
“They have missed out on a top class guy, never mind a good coach. If Roberto Martinez rates him so highly, surely Trinidad and Tobago should as well.”
Twelve years ago, Lawrence’s headed goal against Bahrain in Manama won Trinidad and Tobago a historic berth at the Germany 2006 World Cup. But, months earlier, the lanky defender showcased his skills on the ground as he tore forward on the overlap to score a decisive item in a 2-0 win over Panama at the Hasely Crawford Stadium in Port of Spain.
The Panama triumph was the Warriors’ first competitive outing under Leo Beenhakker and it revitalised the nation’s World Cup qualifying campaign.
Should Lawrence agree terms with the TTFA, his first opponent—on 24 March 2017—will be Panama at the Hasely Crawford Stadium.
Wired868 asked John-Williams for an update on the vacant position on Men’s National Senior Team head coach and whether he was trying to sign Lawrence or discourage him from signing. The football president declined comment but promised that the TTFA would issue a press release later.
“All I can say is maybe your source on the board can answer that text,” said John-Williams. “I have nothing against you if you choose a particular road… All I am saying is don’t lie on me.”
The other coaches on the TTFA’s shortlist were: Francisco Maturana, Fenwick and Fevrier.
The current TTFA board of directors comprises: David John-Williams (president), Joanne Salazar, Ewing Davis and Allan Warner (vice-presidents), Samuel Saunders (Central FA), Sherwyn Dyer (Eastern Counties Football Union), Karanjabari Williams (Northern FA), Richard Quan Chan (Southern FA), Anthony Moore (Tobago FA), Joseph Taylor (Trinidad and Tobago Football Referees Association), Sharon O’Brien (Women’s League Football), Wayne Cunningham (Eastern FA) and Dexter Skeene (TT Pro League).
The TTFA technical committee consists of: Dexter Skeene (chairman), Dr Alvin Henderson (vice-chairman), Bertille St Clair (former World Youth Cup coach), Errol Lovell (former national goalkeeper), Jinelle James (ex-national player and current administrator) and Muhammad Isa (technical director).
“The Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) wishes to advise that the announcement of the newly appointed Head Coach of the Men’s Senior National Team will take place on Monday 23 January 2017.
“The TTFA has noted the large public interest in the selection of our new National Senior Mens coach and we wish to assure the our supporters and stakeholders, the TTFA Technical Committee is working assiduously to complete the current process, to ensure the most appropriate selection, in the best interest of the National Senior Men’s Team Programme and our ongoing the 2018 World Cup qualifying campaign.”
« Last Edit: January 23, 2017, 03:05:49 PM by Flex »
The real measure of a man's character is what he would do if he knew he would never be found out.
Lawrence has a great job where he is.
You damn right, doh jeopardize yourself for these jokers.
VITAMIN V...KEEPS THE LADIES HEALTHY...:-)
sjahrain
And again when I do the right in the beginning.I never have to justify the end
Hart they did you wrong and it's quite evident now..Talk about bachanal
If the priest could play then who is DJW
The macauel effect is in being decided by Company Yes
It's my way or it's not going down
If his choice get the job will those clauses remain or will he offer a rational why they are not
Terrorist in the city...Cry blood
Thomo
Sr. Warrior
Ah really wonder if he boy SCF get in he'll have those clauses? Glad the Skeene and Co finally let themselves be be heard rather than let that idiot run roughshod. He shat on his tail now that Lawrence and Berry show him up for the fool he is. When I check the team that a national hero like Lawrence had behind him yuh know he was coming for business ie to qualify for 2018 and develop for the future and beyond. But de fat oaf cyah see dat, all he know is he is boss and he want SCF. Smfh
Quote from: Insider on January 20, 2017, 06:36:42 PM
Lawrence has pull out of the race for T&T coach.
Skeene is upset with DJW but has a double tongue.
Stuart Charles is our next coach, T&T is doomed.
DJW is worst than Jack Warner.
If this is confirmed....then it also confirms....as if there was ANY doubt...that the TTFA is a sham.
I love my country. I appreciate the players who turn out for national duty
But to support THIS T&T team would be condoning assness of the highest order.
Family you know figure out this is a sham lol come nah Palos yuh way better than that..
This man goal was to sabotage the team with many underhanded factors coming into play.. match fixing, outside interference, bribery and paying off voting members of the ttfa
Everything that is happening now is to ensure we don't qualify for the World Cup...
Gino McKoy | Gino McKoy Music | Gino McKoy Sensy Girl | Gino McKoy Everything to Me | Gino McKoy Runaway
trini_stallion
soca in mih veins, soca in mih blood...
He purposely sabotage this process so scf cld get the bligh. Is there any way we cld start a petition for DJW to resign?? I'm being serious
Soca in mih vein, Soca in meh blood
Soca in yuh vein, Soca in blood,
Soca in we vein, Soca in we blood,
It's a heart of love, can't deny soca, cuz its good fuh de soul...
Trinidad and Tobago jump up now!
injunchile
Watch it Sjahrain with your comparisons. If the priest could play then who is DJW.
Terribly out of Context . It is like comparing Apples and Oranges. DJW is in a league all by himself . He reminds me of Trump. Same personality type.
Context safe because he actually doing it...Right before our very eyes
It's no longer a hypothetical
this is crazy to see and witness real problems with the TTFA and Trinidad football.
Apparently the TTFA is not reliant on general counsel. Sure, I get Skeene asking a former pro questions related to contract clauses, but is that the final stop on the road?
« Last Edit: January 21, 2017, 09:52:43 AM by asylumseeker »
Our new head coach guys. The TTFA was able to tell DJW to hull he ass and they appointed him with revised terms! Another slap in DJW tun tun!
Re: Dennis Lawrence thread
TTFA agrees “Tallest” terms: Lawrence makes U-turn, “humbled” to be new T&T coach.
Former Trinidad and Tobago World Cup 2006 defender Dennis Lawrence has done a U-turn and will be unveiled as the new Soca Warriors coach, after he agreed terms with the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) on Saturday morning.
“I feel very honoured and humbled by this opportunity and the confidence placed in me by the Association,” said Lawrence, in a press release. “I have given my all for Trinidad and Tobago as a player and now relish this moment to contribute as head coach of the National Team.”
It is uncertain at this point whether he eventually agreed a two or three year deal.
Lawrence, who was employed as a scout for the Belgium National Senior Team at present, pulled out of talks on Friday morning after the football body amended their initial deal with controversial termination clauses and then seemed unable to explain them.
The TTFA wanted the right to sack the six foot seven Lawrence for gross misconduct if the Warriors slipped six places in the FIFA ranking or had less than a 40 percent success rate. But, in a subsequent phone call, Lawrence’s agent, Mike Berry, claimed TTFA president David John-Williams did not know if draws counted as success and promised to get back on to him.
John-Williams’ failure to do so in a timely fashion added to a growing unease about the sudden direction of the negotiations and Lawrence announced that the deal was off.
The scuppering of the talks led to a furious response from some TTFA board members who blamed John-Williams for bungling the talks.
John-Williams, who is the co-owner of W Connection football club, was allegedly keen to have his own employee, Stuart Charles-Fevrier, take over the National Senior Team.
It is uncertain what role, if any, was played by the board and the angry public response to John-Williams’ perceived meddling. But the TTFA president is believed to have subsequently applied fresh zeal to the pursuit of the 42-year-old coach.
And, by Saturday morning, the deal was concluded.
Remarkably, the TTFA tried to take credit for the supposed speed of the appointment, which came two months after the replacement of former head coach Stephen Hart and almost two weeks after the departure of his shambolic replacement, Tom Saintfiet.
“The TTFA has worked diligently to complete the selection process ahead of our intended next Monday deadline, and this press release is now being made in order to quell further speculation and keep our stakeholders informed.
“Dennis will arrive in the country next week where he will hold a press conference and meet with members of the local football fraternity to determine the rest of his support staff.”
Lawrence has never worked as a head coach although he served as assistant to Roberto Martinez at Wigan Athletic—where they edged Manchester City to the FA Cup title in 2013—and Everton FC.
Intriguingly, like his predecessor Tom Saintfiet, Lawrence was not the first choice of the TTFA’s technical committee. Or the second.
Fevrier was the coach who the technical committee felt was the best man for the job of leading the Warriors. Ex-Central FC and San Juan Jabloteh coach Terry Fenwick, a former England international defender, was next on the list.
However, in a meeting on Wednesday night, the TTFA board of directors decided to overrule its technical committee’s recommendations in favour of the lanky defender whose goal took Trinidad and Tobago to the 2006 World Cup.
Lawrence played or trained alongside several current Warriors including Kenwyne Jones, Marvin Phillip, Carlos Edwards, Khaleem Hyland, Jan-Michael Williams, Cornell Glen, Hughtun Hector and Radanfah Abu Bakr.
He has included former club and international teammates Stern John, Angus Eve and Hutson “Barber” Charles as potential assistants for his technical staff, along with two unnamed England coaches and one from the Netherlands.
Charles, a Strike Squad standout who played with Lawrence at the Defence Force, was a member of Hart’s coaching staff, which steered Trinidad and Tobago into the Concacaf Hex.
Eve, Trinidad and Tobago’s record appearance maker, is Club Sando head coach and a former National Under-23 Team head coach while John, the country’s all-time leading scorer, is assistant coach at defending Pro League and Caribbean champions, Central FC.
TTFA press statement (signed by president David John-Williams and new head coach Dennis Lawrence):
The Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) is pleased to announce that Mr Dennis Lawrence has accepted the position of head coach of the Men’s Senior National Team.
The TTFA has worked diligently to complete the selection process ahead of our intended next Monday deadline, and this press release is now being made in order to quell further speculation and keep our stakeholders informed…
In accepting the appointment, Dennis Lawrence stated: “I feel very honoured and humbled by this opportunity and the confidence placed in me by the Association. I have given my all for Trinidad and Tobago as a player and now relish this moment to contribute as head coach of the National Team.
“Of course I am coming into a difficult situation and we have to take each game very seriously and put our best foot forward. The experience I gained working under different coaches during my 89 international caps for T&T and my exposure in coaching has all helped to shape me. I intend to give my very best towards this national effort.”
« Last Edit: January 24, 2017, 05:32:26 AM by Flex »
The fool DJW finally relented and Dennis is now the new coach. I guess after the idiot got exposed by Mike Berry and Lawrence he had to give in and not let his idiot pal Fevrier take charge. He didn't expect so much opposition from the public, the board of directors, technical committee, Lasana nd Wired868, Berry and Lawrence.
"Dennis did not make a U-turn. DJW did. Dennis had initially accepted a contract offered by the TTFA Exec Committee but rejected the alterations made by TTFA president DJW.
However, he kept the door open and DJW, who is travelling to FIFA HQ in Zurich this evening, removed the controversial exit clauses he had added to ensure he had a signed document on mutually agreed terms to take to his FIFA bosses.
Monies for the contract (including asst coaches etc re Dennis’ proposal) will be accessed from FIFA Development Fund.
While in Zurich, DJW will also receive his official instruments of appointment to the FIFA Players’ Status Committee, on which he will serve as a member for a four-year term.
Dennis had retained the local law firm of Pamela Elder & Associates to vet his end of the contract"
LMFAO @ DJW. Damn IDIOT!! Public outrage caused this!!
This is a real pappy show going on now. But congrats DL. Let's see if we could salvage this campaign.
Anbrat
"Public outrage caused this!!"
Hardly!
FIFA paying for all of our coaches? No one has even stated what the govt has allocated to our football for 2017...
Furthermore, I am very skeptical of FIFA paying for all our national coaches, given FIFAs past admin woes and corruption..
Our coaches are indeed subject to outside interference.. I believe those funds should be solely for youth development and grassroots programs, the Feds should be paying for our own coaches either through govt allocations or sponsorship..
Like I said, the dictator is being controlled
Quote from: asylumseeker on January 21, 2017, 09:49:35 AM
I'm stunned that skeene called a former player and not their in house attorney or an attorney contracted for the new appointment..
What the hell kinda nonsense is that? LoL the dictator taking all the money and sharing it with them and have no money for an attorney ...rubbish
Furthermore, the ttfa should be paying for that coach not FIFA, that leads me to believe that our coaches and president is subject to outside interference.. FIFA already has a record of corruption, the fed should be paying for its own coach, the development fund should be allocated for grassroots programs and youth development ...
Very skeptical about the man having to fly to Zurich to get the contract approved and get money for our coach..
Which is why I asked, how much money has the govt allocated to our football for 2017?
Tobago28
We have a Coach that is acceptable to most of the public. We need to turn this momentum into a MOVEMENT.
Time to put pressure on the TTFA to hire a competent Technical Director. Isa must GO!
Quote from: Tobago28 on January 21, 2017, 12:57:01 PM
Who paying for the new director? FIFA again?
Some Reactions on Dennis’ appointment.
Some past teammates and recognised personalities in the game have issued their well wishes and congratulations to Dennis Lawrence on his appointment as head coach of the Trinidad and Tobago Men’s Senior Team. Lawrence was today officially announced as the new head coach by the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association.
Former national forward Stern John told TTFA Media “It’s a fantastic opportunity for Dennis. He has been coaching at a high level for some time and is good to see the Association has seen it fit to give him this opportunity now. I know he will give it one hundred percent and it is important that he also receives the fullest support of the FA which I am sure they will do, the players and everyone involved in the game locally as well as the country on a whole. It’s the only way we can move forward as a nation in football.
“Dennis is one of the younger coaches on the scene now. He will bring new ideas and philosophies and I am looking forward to see him in charge of our national team,” John added.
Carlos Edwards has been Lawrence’s teammate since their playing days at Defence Force, then at Wrexham and the National Team. He had the following to say.
“I think it’s a really good decision. His passion and commitment to the game is second to none. From the time he started accumulating his coaching badges, he dedicated everything to himself and his development in order to fulfil his ambitions,’ Edwards said.
“I think this opportunity now is the best thing for Dennis and the country on a whole. He will always be the man who played a critical role in taking us to the 2006 World Cup with his efforts throughout the campaign and the goal against Bahrain and now with his experience and being in the Premiership has made him into a better coach, rubbing shoulders with the best coaches and players in the world.
“Dennis is a very smart guy when it comes to the game and it’s different to just playing the game but also knowing the game and studying it. He has the sixth sense about the game and his leadership will be valuable. Obviously he will have his own methods of coaching and dealing with the players.
“From his days at Defence Force where we played together, you could see something special in him and his desire to coach at the highest level and he has maintained that passion past his playing days,” Edwards added.
Former T&T 2006 World Cup teammate Densill Theobald also wished the big man the best in his new endeavour.
“I am really happy for him. We always spoke about his desires to coach and moreso coach a national team and he always told me when the time is right.
“I always asked him that question after his playing days and then while he was working with Roberto Martinez.
Trinidad and Tobago football is in a difficult stage after getting to a decent level over the past couple years with the performances at the Gold Cup and reaching the Hex, and what we need is someone good to continue the process and I think he will be able to contribute towards this. What will be important is him getting the support from the FA, the players, his staff and the fans, in realising the dream of qualification for Russia 2018 which I believe is still alive. I am happy for our brother and wishing him all the best,” Theobald added.
More on the New Man in Charge of T&T Senior Men’s Team
Dennis Lawrence was today officially announced as the new Head Coach of the Trinidad and Tobago Men’s Senior Team.
On his appointment, Lawrence said today “I feel very honoured and humbled by this opportunity and the confidence placed in me by the Association. I have given my all for Trinidad and Tobago as a player and now relish this opportunity to contributes Head Coach of the National Team.”
Here are some interesting facts about the new man in charge of Men’s Senior Team.
-Between 1992-2000, he played locally in his homeland of Trinidad and Tobago with Barataria Ball Players, Caledonia AIA (now Morvant Caledonia United) and Defence Force.
-Lawrence won his first Professional League title as a player with Defence Force in 1999
– He had his first overseas trial with Newcastle United in 2000 under then manager Bobby Robson and then Bolton Wanderers. He would later sign for Wrexham in 2001, joining countryman Carlos Edwards and Hector Sam with Englishman Mike Berry as his representative and this relationship has been maintained up to this day.
-After Lawrence scored the winning goal that qualified T&T for the 2006 World Cup Finals, in a 1-o win over Bahrain in Manama on November 16th, 2005, Lawrence spent close to two hours away from his teammates as he was randomly selected for a drugs test after the match. All this time, Dwight Yorke and the rest of the squad were partying and celebrating their qualification in the dressing room. “It did took a bit of the shine off it,” he said at the time.
-Lawrence made 198 appearances for Welsh club Wrexham between 2001-2006
-He then made 84 appearances for Swansea City (2006-2009), 28 for Crewe Alexandra and 7 for San Juan Jabloteh in 2009-2010.
-He tasted English Football League One title success with Swansea City in 2007/2008.
-Born August 1st, 1974, he made 89 international appearances for Trinidad and Tobago.
-He was named Caribbean Cup Most Valuable Player after helping T&T to the regional title in 2001 under former head coach Ian Porterfield.
-Lawrence joined Wigan Athletic as a coach after impressing Spanish coach Roberto Martinez in October 2010. Lawrence then went on to become a first team development coach at Everton under Martinez and then a scout for the Belgium National Team of which Martinez is now the head coach.
-Lawrence holds a UEFA Pro License Coaching badge.
The UEFA Pro Licence is a coaching licence from UEFA, the official governing body of European football. The licence is the highest coaching certification available and follows the completion of the UEFA ‘B’ and ‘A’ licences.
A UEFA Pro Licence is required by anyone who wishes to manage a football club in the top level of a European nation’s league system on a permanent basis, i.e. more than 12 weeks (the amount of time an unqualified caretaker manager is allowed to take control). This applies to both the head coach or team manager, and such a licence is also required to manage in the UEFA Champions League or UEFA Europa League
Drug test after the goal huh, they were trying anyway to get Trinidad and Tobago to not qualify lol what a set of crooks
« Last Edit: January 22, 2017, 12:33:33 PM by Controversial »
Don't get too comfortable folks
The dictator will still try to undermine, sabotage and disrupt Dennis and his mission, especially with FIFA now paying our coaches smh
I hope Dennis gets 2 friendlies before these matches
Quote from: trini_stallion on January 21, 2017, 04:36:45 PM
That presents an interesting situation because the Pro League is almost done and there are no FIFA dates prior to our WC qualifier.
Big Magician
" 6 "
welcome home Legend...wishing you all the best...
Little Magician is King.......ask Jorge Campos
Respect soldier.
You have the support of the people
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How BIG is Currency?
With the advent of online payment systems and the rise of debit cards, physical currency may seem like a relic of a bygone era. But right now, there’s still a lot of it going around.
Let’s examine how the total amount of United States, Euro, Yen, and total worldwide currency actually looks. Spoiler alert: it’s big.
The Dollar
The Yen
The United States dollar is the world's most traded currency, with 1.61 trillion dollars circulating in coinage and notes.1, 2
So, how big is a dollar?
Stacked together, the 39.8 billion notes currently in circulation would take up 1.8 million cubic feet of space.5, 6
That amount of currency would fill 20 Olympic-sized swimming pools...7
...and would overflow the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in the US Capital.7
Keep exploring! Click on another currency below to discover its true size.
The euro is the second most popular traded currency in the world, and the most popular in Europe.8
There are 82.3 billion €50 notes in circulation.
So, how big is the Euro? At 16.5 square inches each, all the €50 notes could completely cover New York City...
or the city of Indianapolis...
...or blanket the entire landscape of Badlands National Park. 11-13
The Japanese yen is third most traded currency in the world, and the most popular in Asia.14
So, how big is the yen?
There are 12.4 million ¥1 coins in circulation. Stacked on top of each other, that many coins could line the Las Vegas strip two times... 17, 18
could climb Mt. Everest almost twice...18
...and that same stack of coins could run the Preakness Stakes race eight times. 18
Total Worldwide
There is a name for the total value of worldwide currency stuffed into pockets, lost in couch cushions, and stored in bank vaults. Economists call it "M0." 19
The M0 for the entire planet hovers around $5 trillion. Let's see what that looks like. 20
Turns out that $5 trillion, or M0, takes up a lot of space. But we have to do a bit of abstracting to properly visualize it.
Let's assume that $5 trillion comes to us in $100 bills.
That M0 stack of bills would weigh twice as much as the Statue of Liberty. 21
Spread out, those bills would cover the entire Grand Canyon... 22
...and laid end-to-end, that M0 measure of $100 bills would circle all of planet Earth 194 times. 23
Now that's a lot of dough.
Currency Exchange International Corp., 2018
Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, 2018
United States Mint, 2018
Wikipedia.org, 2018
Quara.com, 2018
Bluebulbprojects.com, The Measure of Things, 2018
Statista.com, 2018
Wikipedia.org, 2018. Badlands National Park is in South Dakota.
Bank of Japan, 2018
Marketplace.org, 2018
Business Insider Inc., 2018
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University R&D to protect the homeland; START names new UWT director
COE Summit 2018: University Research and Development to Protect the Homeland
Join START on May 30-31, as it participates in the Department of Homeland Security Centers of Excellence Summit 2018, which will spotlight “University Research & Development to Protect the Homeland.” Sponsored by the national network of university-led U.S. Department of Homeland Security Centers of Excellence (COEs), the summit aims to:
Provide subject matter experts to discuss current and future homeland security challenges
Showcase innovative R&D tools and solutions to homeland security challenges
Facilitate collaboration among DHS COE researchers, homeland security enterprise leadership and component end-users and industry participants
Provide avenues to accelerate the transition from R&D to reality for those who protect the homeland
The summit will be held at George Mason University’s Arlington Campus. Registration and additional information about the COE Summit 2018 is available online at http://cina.gmu.edu/coesummit18.
Islamic State Chemical Weapons: A Case Contained by its Context?
The CTC Sentinel recently published a paper by START researchers assessing the chemical warfare capabilities of the Islamic State. Read more.
DISCUSSION POINT
Election Anxiety is Driving Erdogan’s Decisions in Syria
START researcher Max Erdemandi discusses how the 2019 Presidential Election in Turkey has implications on President Erdogan’s strategy in Syria. Read more.
ICYMI: New defense strategy requires paradigm shift in US counterterrorism
Published in The Hill, this editorial piece by William Braniff and Alex Gallo argue that the recent shift in prioritization from counterterrorism to great power competition described in the National Security Strategy requires that the U.S. Government pursue more effective and efficient counterterrorism. Read more.
How Prepared Are the Public and Responders for Nuclear Terrorism?
Health Physics
Buddemeier, Brooke, and Robert Levin, Stephen V. Musolino, David Pasquale, Monica Schoch-Spana
Risk in Extreme Environments: Preparing, Avoiding, Mitigating, and Managing
Bier, Vicki M.
Terrorist Tactics by Criminal Organizations: The Mexican Case in Context
Perspectives on Terrorism
Phillips, Brian J.
Terrorist Group Rivalries and Alliances: Testing Competing Explanations
Studies in Conflict & Terrorism
The Social Psychological Makings of a Terrorist
Current Opinion in Psychology
Webber, David, and Arie W. Kruglanski
Sin named director of START UWT program
START has named Dr. Steve Sin the new director of the Unconventional and Weapons Technology (UWT) team at START. A researcher at START since 2014, Sin has been instrumental in building UWT’s portfolio of projects that provide actionable knowledge about chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear (CBRN) and other emerging technological threats emanating from non-state actors. Read more.
Innovative START project wins UMD-TEC seed funding
START Researcher Barnett Koven and Ramon Brena, from the Intelligent Systems Research Group, have received research funding from the University of Maryland (UMD) and Tecnologico de Monterrey, Mexico (TEC). Their project will explore the process of predicting fashion trends and how those processes can be used to predict terrorism trends. Read more.
CRED students lead round table dialogue about community resilience
Earlier this month, the fellows – Noreen Duke, Ryan Garfinkel, Anjali Kalaria and Samuel Karalnik – led START staff and interns in a round table discussion about empathy and community resilience in preparation for a larger Dialogue Dinner April 4 for University of Maryland administrators and student leaders. Read more.
Visiting professor discusses the changing landscape of online terrorism
Gabriel Weimann, a researcher, author and Professor of Communication at Haifa University in Israel, delivered a presentation about the changing landscape of online terrorism last month at the University of Maryland as part of the Gildenhorn Institute for Israel Studies lecture series. Read more.
START opportunity sparks pursuit of a passion project
In addition to his schoolwork and internship responsibilities, START student Ryan Garfinkel is pursuing a passion project – a coordinated effort between USAID, NGOs, and Microfinancing organizations to build a crowdsourced micro granting platform for youth-led peace and security initiatives. Read more.
Dialogue Dinner to improve community resilience at UM
Cyber Threats You Face and Ways to Mitigate Them
Community-led Action in Response to Violent Extremism (CARVE)
The Terror-Crime Nexus & Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) Threats
Understanding Terrorism and the Terrorist Threat
Core Capabilities and Potential Durability of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL)
Rally Point: Veterans Innovated On The Battlefield, Now They Are Innovating Here At Home — Meet William Braniff
Rally Point, the professional military network, featured START Executive Director William Braniff in this article showing how veterans continue to engage in work that supports and innovates homeland security.
New York Times: Were the Austin Bombings acts of terrorism? Why law enforcement says no
Victor Asal is quoted in this article about the bombings in Austin and the definition of terrorism.
Playboy: How to Deprogram a White Supremacist
START researchers Pete Simi and Peter Weinberger were quoted in this article about how to deradicalize white supremacists.
LA Times: Guns play an outsized role in deaths from terrorist attacks, especially in the U.S., data show
This LA Times article about the relative use of guns in mass killings uses data from the Global Terrorism Database (GTD).
BBC: Can mapping conflict data explain, predict and prevent violence?
This article about using data mapping to predict and prevent future violence uses data from the Global Terrorism Database (GTD).
Aviation Security: Destination Paradise: inside the mind of a suicide bomber
Martha Crenshaw is quoted in this Aviation Security Magazine article about suicide bombers.
Politifact: NRA’s Loesch cherry-picks terrorism deaths in France to argue against assault weapon ban
William Braniff and Jeff Gruenewald were quoted in this Politifact article about the ongoing assault rifle ban debate.
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Liqueur with a conscience
The best type of drinks come with story – Jack Daniels and his Tennessee bourbon, for example, or Laurent-Perrier, the world’s largest family-owned brand of champagne.
Amarula, South Africa’s rich, creamy liqueur made from the fruit of sub-Saharan marula trees, is steeped in history and though a relatively young brand (founded in 1989), its heritage is intricately linked to the community and environment it calls home.
A recent surge in cream liqueurs sales in the UK means Amarula is making waves as a drinks trend right now, with celebrity chef Jo Pratt releasing a series of decadent recipes based around the liqueur earlier this year.
Having bucked the traditional Christmas drink label, Amarula’s manufacturers are keen to highlight its versatility: whether in a summer Martini, an afternoon cappuccino, a cheesecake or even with pan-fried sea bass with chilli butter (one of Pratt’s creations).
But it’s not just the flexibility of the drink that makes it attractive; its rich cultural heritage is also noteworthy. Corporate responsibility is a buzzword for any global brand these days, but Amarula has been living its values long before it became a PR necessity.
Above: This doesn't look too attractive, but the production process behind Amarula supports a host of community projects and employment initiatives
The distinct crown-shaped marula trees have always played an integral role in the societies of sub-equatorial Africa where they grow, including South Africa, Botswana, Swaziland, Namibia and Zimbabwe.
Amongst the Zulu, they are known as “marriage trees,” believed to impart fertility and health on those who marry beneath their branches. Among the Venda people living around the South Africa/Zimbabwe border, the bark of the marula tree is thought to help determine the sex of an unborn child – so those wanting a girl use bark infusions from a female marula tree and vice versa. The bark also contains antihistamines and is widely used as treatment for a variety of ailments, including rheumatism and insect bites.
Above: women collecting marula fruit outside the Amarula production plant in Phalaborwa, Limpopo province
Instead of usurping the significance of the marula tree to its own end, Amarula has built on it, and sustainability of both local communities and the environment is central to its production process. Back in mid-February this year at the height of summer harvest, Stylist visited the Amarula plant in Phalaborwa, Limpopo province. Situated in the north east, this is one of South Africa’s poorest areas and the plant is an important source of income for local women, who collect marula fruit in sacks to sell to the plant – often with their children in tow.
They queue outside to sell the fruit, raising money that is crucial to support their families amid a lack of education, healthcare or substantial employment opportunities. Some women are also employed to work within the plant itself and in this way, it’s estimated that around 60,000 people in the local community are supported by the harvesting of marula fruit during harvest season alone. Since this only lasts three months, the Amarula Trust (created in 2010 to house the brand’s different foundations) is working with tribal chiefs in the area to develop sustainable economic development programmes that will support peoples’ livelihoods throughout the year. This includes the extraction of marula nuts for use in health and beauty products and the facilitation of day care centres, allowing mothers to go out and find work.
Above: the Amarula tassel project in Sir Lowry's Pass, Cape Town
This effort to support local communities is continued over the other side of South Africa in Cape Town, near where marula fruit is transported to and fermented to make wine, and finally, liqueur. Some miles from where Amarula is created at the distillery in Stellenbosch, a group of over 80 women based in the impoverished village of Sir Lowry’s Pass make tassels for the Amarula bottles, in a unique job creation initiative.
The project began in a friend’s dining room in 2003, blossoming to its current headquarters at a local community centre. Each of the 85 women employed get paid per item they produce, allowing for flexible working hours that can accommodate childcare. In a community rife with problems including HIV, domestic violence, teenage pregnancy, poor housing and sanitation, the project helps to empower women to care for their children, raise money for school fees and set up their own homes.
Above: elephants love the sweet fruit of marula trees and in 2002, Amarula established its Elephant Research Programme to aid conservation efforts
Just as marula trees are coveted by animals as well as people, Amarula is involved in a number of environmental initiatives that run alongside its social enterprises. Marula trees are sometimes referred to as “elephant trees” and are an important part of the local eco-system, providing habitat for elephants, rhino, warthog, kudu, vervet monkeys and of course, elephants, who love the sweet fruity flavour of marula fruit (hence the pervasive myth of elephants getting drunk on marula fruit). As the face adorning all its bottles, Amarula takes its responsibility to the elephant seriously and in 2002 set up the Elephant Research Programme, to track elephant movement rates and ranging behaviour, as part of a wider conservation effort. In 2006, the spirit partnered with the Kenyan wildlife service, donating 20 Kenyan shillings (around 15 pence) for every bottle of Amarula to support wildlife rehabilitation in Nairobi National Park. It also runs a scholarship programme for field guides, encouraging both local employment and environmental protection.
This plethora of projects indicates that, as with many of the best products these days, Amarula’s heart is local – despite being sold in over 100 countries and counting. And the next time Stylist tucks into an Amarula shot, we’ll be thinking not only of the rich vanilla-meets-citrus flavour, but also of the wide-ranging circle of livelihoods and wildlife that permeate its existence.
Jo Pratt's Amarula recipes
Above: celebrity chef Jo Pratt has devised a number of luxury recipes using Amarula as a key ingredient
SOUTH AFRICAN LAMB BURGERS
Makes 6-8 burgers
• 1kg lamb mince (not extra-lean as the fat will keep the burgers moist and add flavour)
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 3 cm piece of ginger, peeled and grated
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 3 tbsp Amarula
• 50g white breadcrumbs
• 100g dried apricots, chopped into small pieces
• 1 tbsp mild curry powder
• ½ tsp chilli powder
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• Oil for brushing
• Burger buns, ciabatta rolls, flatbread or pitta
• Salad and condiments of your choice
Place the lamb mince in a large mixing bowl and add in the garlic, ginger, onion, Amarula, breadcrumbs, apricots, curry powder, chilli and cinnamon. Season well with salt and pepper and mix by hand until well combined.
Divide and shape the mixture into 6-8 burgers. If you want to check the flavour, fry a small burger in a drop of oil before shaping the rest and, if necessary, add extra seasoning.
Place the burgers on a cling film covered tray and keep them in the fridge to relax for at least 30 minutes.
When you’re ready to cook the burgers, heat a griddle or frying pan until it is really hot. Brush with a little oil, and cook the burgers for about 8 minutes, turning them every minute or so. Alternatively cook on a hot barbeque hot (the coals should be glowing white) for the same amount of time.
Serve the burgers as you wish, whether in buns, rolls, flatbread or pitta with any salad or condiments.
STICKY AMARULA TOFFEE POPCORN
Makes enough for 4 people
• 1 tbsp sunflower oil
• 50g popping corn
• 40g salted butter
• 40g light muscovado sugar
• 2 tbsp golden syrup
Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Add the corn and swirl around to coat in the oil. Cover with a tight fitting lid. Turn the heat to low and when the popping has stopped remove from the heat.
Meanwhile, place the butter, sugar and golden syrup in a separate pan. Heat gently until the butter has melted. Increase the heat and let the mixture bubble for 2 minutes. Slowly pour in the Amarula and bubble for 1 minute. Pour over the popcorn and stir well to coat.
Transfer to a flat tray or baking sheet lined with baking parchment. Leave to cool for about 30 minutes in a cool place (not the fridge) before serving.
AFRICAN RAREBIT MINI TOASTS
For the Rarebit Toasts
• 175g mature cheddar cheese, grated
• 15g flour
• 15g fresh white breadcrumbs (about 1 thick slice of bread, crust removed)
• ½ tsp English mustard
• ½ tsp Worcestershire Sauce
• 1 egg yolk
• 6 thick slices of white bread
For the Tomato garnish
• 3 ripe tomato
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp very finely chopped chives
To make the Rarebit mixture, place the cheese and Amarula in a small non-stick saucepan over a medium heat to slowly melt together. Make sure the mixture doesn’t boil. Add the flour, breadcrumbs, mustard and Worcestershire sauce and stir over the heat, until the mixture forms a paste and leaves the sides of the pan. Remove from the heat and leave to cool.
Once cold, add the egg yolk and beat well. Chill in the fridge.
To make the tomato garnish, quarter and remove the seeds from the tomatoes. Finely dice the flesh and place in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper and add the olive oil and chives and stir to combine. Keep to one side.
Pre-heat the grill to high.
To make the toasts, you will need a pastry cutter or glass, which is about 5 cm in diameter. Cut out 6 circles from the bread. Place the bread on a baking sheet and toast on both sides until lightly golden. Using your hands, mould some of the rarebit to fit the shape of each piece of toast. Sit on top and return back to the grill for a few minutes until golden.
Spoon some tomatoes on top of each one and serve.
Visit Amarula on Facebook at facebook.com/amarula
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Manchester Prints
Size Choose an optionA3 297mm x 420mmA2 420mm x 594mmA1 594mm x 841mmA0 841mm x 1189mm Clear
Supplied as high quality 165gsm Matt finished coated paper using UV Fade resistant inks.
Each print has a 5mm white border.
Prints are supplied in a strong cardboard tube.
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#Etihad Stadium#Manchester#Manchester City#MCFC
The City of Manchester Stadium in Manchester, England, also known as Etihad Stadium or The Etihad is the home ground of Manchester City Football Club.
The stadium was designed by ArupSport, whose design has received much praise and many accolades, including an award from the Royal Institute of British Architects in 2004 for its innovative building design, and a special award in 2003 from the Institution of Structural Engineers for its unique structural design. (ref Wikipedia)
A3 297mm x 420mm, A2 420mm x 594mm, A1 594mm x 841mm, A0 841mm x 1189mm
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Oxford Rd Station Manchester
Category : Manchester Prints
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What are our critics’ top picks for the Edinburgh Fringe 2018?
With August fast approaching, we asked our top team of Edinburgh Fringe critics to each choose the three shows they are most looking forward to seeing at this year’s festival: from juggling Bob Dylan to Scottish witch hunters, from Su Pollard to Michael Barrymore
Conceived and written by Mark Jeary, Blackout is, in part, a response to his own battle with alcoholism. He goes further though, in a verbatim text which examines common attitudes to alcoholism and alcoholics to argue just how outdated they are, while showing how much other elements such as gender impact on alcoholism and those it effects.
One Life Stand
Middle Child Theatre’s gig-theatre production of Luke Barnes’ All We Ever Wanted Was Everything was the best shows at last year’s festival – an exuberant, apocalyptic story of two dissatisfied millennials stuffed full of tunes and euphoria (it’s back this year, for a short run, by the way). The company’s new show, written by Eve Nicol with music from James Frewer and Glaswegian duo Honeyblood, is a late-night search for intimacy, exploring the loneliness lurking behind the screens of modern-day dating apps. It heads to Edinburgh after appearing in Hull and at Latitude.
Sticks and Stones / Island Town
Written by BAFTA-nominee Vinay Patel and Simon Longman (Sparks, Gundog), and presented by new writing company Paines Plough as part of its Roundabout season, Sticks and Stones explores what happens when a joke goes awry in the age of social media, while Island Town examines small town life and three friends aching for freedom.
My Kind of Michael
I enjoyed Nick Cassenbaum’s exploration of the world of the schvitz in his self-penned Bubble Schmeisis. This year the theatremaker turns his hand to the troubled legend that is Michael Barrymore. Cassenbaum is a consummate storyteller using music and gentle comedy to create his own version of Barrymore’s well-publicised rise and fall. Created by Nick Cassenbaum and Danny Braverman, My Kind of Michael has been developed with the Yard and features music by Andy Kelly.
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Unnamed 3,452 "Jatt Peak"
Alaska, United States, North America
Add photos See all photos
Chugach Mountains
Climber's Log Entries (1)
Additions & Corrections (2 )
Page Type:
Mountain/Rock
Lat/Lon:
60.65949°N / 148.58553°W
Hiking, Mountaineering, Scrambling
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
3352 ft / 1022 m
Sign the Climber's Log!
"Jatt Peak" is the name that we (Jayme and I) have dubbed for the unnamed peak about 3 miles east of the head of Blackstone Bay, where the Beloit Glacier dumps into the bay. Located in the southern Alaska coast range just north of Kenai Fjords National Park, and close to Whittier Alaska, this peak, along with the entire surrounding area receives copious amounts of snow. As a result, gigantic ice-fields and glaciers can be seen in every direction from Blackstone Bay and if you're standing on the summit of this peak, glacial ice will dominate the horizon everywhere. "Jatt Peak" rises 502 from its key saddle just to the north which has an elevation around 2,900 feet. It's parent peak is located about 1.5 miles to the NNE, which is another unnamed peak, but was unofficially named Mount Applegate in 1914 and has an elevation of about 3,650 feet. Traversing to this peak from Jatt Peak looked possible but the final 150 feet or so looked technical.
The unique thing about Jatt Peak, as well as any of the other nearby unnamed peaks, is that you need to either kayak, or take a boat to the "trailhead" which is a beach along the eastern shore of Blackstone Bay. In calm waters, it is a fairly long day of kayaking from Whittier (about 20 miles) or you can take a water taxi ride to 20 mile beach which will cost anywhere between $50-200 per person depending on how many people you share the ride with. There are a handful of companies in Whittier with water taxi service and they will also haul your kayak if needed. Think of the route to 20 mile beach as your approach; if you pay for the water taxi, it's the same as paying pack mules to haul you and your gear to the base of the mountain you wish to climb! One way to do it is to take the water taxi with your kayak out, then kayak back, or vice versa.
As stated, 20 mile beach is the start of the route up this remote peak (see map below). The route to the summit involves rock scrambling, lots of bushwhacking, and extensive hiking on snow. If you stay on route, you won't have to navigate any crazy glaciers since the route follows a high ridge separating two huge glaciers. There is however a good chance that crevasses are present and knowledge of glacier travel and identifying crevasses is strongly recommended. The views from the summit give perspective on what Alaska emulates. You realize it took you at least 5 hours to ascend a tiny nubbin of a peak and you are surrounded by hundreds of other peaks easily 10 times more remote/difficult. Many of the peaks you see from this summit are unnamed and typically require a plane to even get within a reasonable distance from. Enjoy the time you are up there, and realize that although you may be on one of the easiest and most accessible peaks in the area, virtually no one goes up there, and you won't even see that many people in Blackstone Bay. The people you do see will almost certainly be on a tour boat and paid large sums of money to briefly get a chance to see this beautiful place.
My recommendation? Split the $300 cost with your partner and rent a double kayak from Alaska Sea Kayakers for 5 days and kayak out to 20 mile beach. Camp along the beach as there are many great places to pitch your tent plus you don't actually have to carry it (the kayak holds plenty of gear). Ascend the peak, or explore other peaks, then be sure to kayak to the head of the bay where huge glacial ice walls constantly calve off into the head of the bay. Then kayak back to Whittier. This way you spend $150/person and truly explore the area. People on the tour boats get about 20 minutes to see only the head of the bay and pay upwards of $400/person!!
Panorama from the route up Jatt Peak
From Whittier Alaska, with your own sea kayak, or one you rent from Alaska Sea Kayakers (I highly recommend them), or utilizing a water taxi ride from the Lazy Otter, kayak to 20 mile beach (most of a day in calm water) or ride, which takes roughly an hour. This beach is on the east side of the bay not far from the head. Be extra careful kayaking down the Passage Canal and stay close to the southern shore to be out of the way of the many boats, some of them cruise ships, that will chop up the water and potentially swamp you. Entering Shotgun Cove a little bit will provide you calmer water. Once you round Decision Point, cross Blackstone Bay where the crossing is the shortest. Boat traffic in Blackstone Bay is considerably less. Ideally, try to kayak on a cloudy day since the winds will be low, and the water calm, then do the climb on a sunny day. If you are kayaking on a sunny, windy day, plan on making 2-3 times the effort and time required to get to 20 mile beach, possibly more. Also at least have a general knowledge on what to do if you do flip the kayak. If you aren't wearing neoprene you will need to get to shore ASAP, so it's best to stay close to the shoreline while kayaking.
Calm waters in Blackstone Bay with Jatt Peak on the right
Kayaking near Willard Island
Resting on a beach
Set up your camp somewhere on the beach above the high tide line and spend a little while exploring the beach, and nearby fresh water ponds. A short 15 minute hike up the stream will take you to the tow of the Lawrence Glacier with a gigantic ice cave big enough to fit a house in! Hiking to the ice cave is also the start of the route so it's worth exploring. It's advised you get an early start as the climb will take most of the day, and try to go on a day it isn't raining...which may not be possible but the weather can be nice sometimes! See the map below for the best kayaking route from Whittier to 20 mile beach.
Blackstone Bay and Jatt Peak Topo Map
From camp on the beach, hike southeast up the river coming down from the Lawrence Glacier for just a few hundred yards to the huge ice cave, which is a couple hundred feet above sea level and at the toe of the glacier. A few cairns mark the path and some easy scrambling is required. From the ice cave, turn left and begin scrambling northeast up the slabs and aim for the big waterfall coming down the west facing cliffs above you. At about 500 feet above sea level, you will be forced to bushwhack, however if you sneak your way up one of the streams, you can utilize rocky terrain and stay under the worst of the bushes. Don't stray too far left. Once you get to the base of the west facing cliffs, look north and you will see another waterfall coming down from a deep gully. Scramble 100 feet up steep grassy slopes and slabs to the right of this waterfall and emerge into this 20 foot deep gully at the top of the waterfall. Find the easiest route out of this gully up to the right. This will likely be the crux of the route and will require some exposed Class 3 scrambling on potentially wet slabs. Find a spot that isn't as steep and utilizes a good tree near the top.
The ice cave at the toe of the Lawrence Glacier
Looking down at 20 mile beach
Bushwhacking to the NW ridge of Jatt Peak
Lawrence Glacier from the waterfall
Deep chimney above the waterfall. Climb out to the right
Working up to the long ridge on Jatt Peak
Once out, you will be at roughly 900 feet in elevation and on wide open terrain with views of Blackstone Bay below you will getting better and better. Continue working your way up the now mellower grass, rock and snow slopes to the east. Depending on what time of year you're at, the snow will become continuous at around 1,000 feet (late June) or as far up as 1,300 feet (mid-summer). Be careful for the hidden moats as the snow melts away at numerous 10-15 foot slabs along this part of the route. Emerge onto the broad NW snow ridge at about 1,800 feet, where views of the Ripon Glacier to the north, and Lawrence Glacier on the south will be seen. The Ripon Glacier in particular is especially rugged!
Blackstone Bay and Willard Island from the route
Blackstone Bay and 20 mile beach below
Ascending the edge of the glacier
Continue hiking on the snow ridge as it ascends gently for 1 mile at which point you reach the base of the craggy false summit (which is the little rock face visible from the bay). Cut left onto the very upper end of the Ripon Glacier and circle around the north, then east side of this false summit. Stay close (within 100 feet) to the edge of the snow to avoid crevasses. At about 3,300 feet you will reach the end of the snowfield and a large overhanging bergschrund will guard the rocky summit ridge. Traverse a short but steep section of snow to the left (east) above a huge crevasse to get around the schrund and onto the rocks on the summit ridge. A fall without an immediate arrest here would likely be fatal. Once on the summit ridge, turn right and walk SSW up maybe 10 minutes to the summit. You may have to scramble around a couple small pinnacles. The true summit is always covered in a snow mushroom and standing on the highest point invites its collapse, which would dump you 700+ feet down the incredibly rugged SE face. Be smart about where you step!
Jayme hiking up the snow ridge
Hiking around the left of the false summit
Mount Applegate and the Ripon Glacier
Jayme traversing the steep snow near the summit
Looking up towards Jatt Peak with the false summit crag
Jayme scrambling a moat near the summit of Jatt Peak
Views from the summit to the east include the enormous Tebenkof Glacier, and the mountains beyond. The area looks like one massive ice-field. Back to the north and west you'll see Blackstone Bay, and the mountains above Whittier. Perhaps the most inspiring are the mountains located to the southwest, where numerous peaks above 5,000 feet are completely encased in ice. Once you are ready to return, retrace your ascent route.
Unnamed big mountains south of Jatt Peak
Summit mushroom of Jatt Peak
Boat headed to the glacier at the head of Blackstone Bay
Jatt Peak Panoramic View to the Southwest
Camping/Red Tape
Camp at 20 mile beach. There is plenty of fresh water available and a few trees offering shelter from the wind. You will also have plenty of cool sea treasures to find at low tide. There is no red tape at all!
Camping at 20 mile beach
When to Climb
This peak can really be climbed nearly any time of year. If you think sea kayaking in June is cold though, don't do it in January. Remember the days are only 4-5 hours long at Christmas so the realistic climbing season will probably be April-October. In late season, there will be more crevasses to worry about, and it may not be possible to solo the route unroped. In June, it's definitely fairly safe to solo it, assuming you are knowledgeable about glacier travel.
Route Topos
Jatt Peak route topo from Willard Island
Jatt Peak route topo from the bay just offshore of 20 mile beach
Alaska Sea Kayakers
Lazy Otter Cafe and Water Taxi
Whittier Information
Whittier Tunnel Information
Additions and CorrectionsPost an Addition or Correction
Viewing: 1-2 of 2
Steve Gruhn - Sep 14, 2015 5:33 pm - Hasn't voted
Elevation Correction and Name
I think the elevation of Jatt Peak is 3452 feet, not 3352 feet. The average prominence would, thus, be 502 feet. There are two potential parent peaks - Peak 4327 in the Cotterell Glacier, Lawrence Glacier, Marquette Glacier, and Tebenkof Glacier drainages to the south-southwest of Jatt Peak; and Mount Applegate (3650 - not 3580) to the north-northeast of Jatt Peak.
Matt Lemke - Sep 14, 2015 6:18 pm - Hasn't voted
Re: Elevation Correction and Name
I don't see a 3,400 foot contour on the map....
View Unnamed 3,452 "Jatt Peak" Image Gallery - 51 Images
Additions & Corrections
MyTopo Map
Nearby Mountains & Rocks
Mountains & Rocks in Alaska
Children refers to the set of objects that logically fall under a given object. For example, the Aconcagua mountain page is a child of the 'Aconcagua Group' and the 'Seven Summits.' The Aconcagua mountain itself has many routes, photos, and trip reports as children.
Sea Kayaking Blackstone Bay and an ascent of "Jatt Peak"
Parents refers to a larger category under which an object falls. For example, theAconcagua mountain page has the 'Aconcagua Group' and the 'Seven Summits' asparents and is a parent itself to many routes, photos, and Trip Reports.
Chugach MountainsMountains & Rocks
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TechJuice > Mobile > LG G7 with dual cameras and a notch revealed in a new leak
LG G7 with dual cameras and a notch revealed in a new leak
March 22, 2018 - Like us now!
Last year, LG rivaled Samsung and released its LG G6 close to the launch of Galaxy S8. But this year, LG didn’t release its flagship smartphone in the first quarter saying that it will be launched “when the time will be right.” And since then we all are waiting for that right time.
Although that statement didn’t stop leakers to reveal about the design, specs, and features of the smartphone but still they were nothing more than rumors. However, assuming that now we are close to the launch of the smartphone, the upcoming leaks and rumors will be more authentic. LG G7 has surfaced in a new brilliant color — Lime Green with an iPhone X-like notch (the usual boring stuff) and dual cameras on Slahsleaks.
The LG G7 poster has revealed both front and back of the smartphone alongside the line which says “Life’s Good when you play more”, the leading marketing slogan for the LG G5, launched back in 2016. “Introducing the LG G7 and G7+ with LG ThinQ Mods”, the line is written right below the title.
Other rumors earlier surfaced about the upcoming G-series smartphone hints towards full view 18:9 4K OLED display. The smartphone may also feature Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 845 chipset. The phone may feature a dual camera setup on the back, but we are not sure about that. The LG G7 variants also rumored to have an iris scanner, IP68, HDR10 and a battery capacity of 3,000 mAh.
There’s no official word on the LG G7 until now. The leak seemingly came out of nowhere and is a total puzzle to us all.
Images: GSM Arena
LG LG G6 LG G7 Mobile News Smartphones
Vivo V9, 24 MP AI-selfie camera and a notch leaked before launch
Yayvo.com Celebrates Pakistan Day 2018 by giving Huge Discounts on Pakistan Tech Sale!
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What was the first video game console to have a controller with an integrated mic?
Correct Answer: Famicom
Better recognized as the Nintendo Entertainment System, the system first launched in Japan as the Family Computer (Famicom) in July 1983 (two years ahead of its North American debut as the NES) and featured player two controller that lacked start and select button but had an integrated microphone that could be used for various actions in different games.
For example, in the original Japanese version of The Legend of Zelda (Zelda no Densetsu: The Hyrule Fantasy), players had to speak into the microphone to kill the recurring enemy "Pols Voice," while the game Kid Icarus (aka Hikari Shinwa: Palutena no Kagami) used the microphone to let you haggle for better shop prices.
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An Introduction to Literary Nonfiction
An Introduction to Punctuation
Humanities › English
Using Literary Techniques Usually Found in Fiction on Real-Life Events
Dave Bolton/Getty Images
by Richard Nordquist
Richard Nordquist is a freelance writer and former professor of English and Rhetoric who wrote college-level Grammar and Composition textbooks.
Literary nonfiction is a type of prose that employs the literary techniques usually associated with fiction or poetry to report on persons, places, and events in the real world without altering facts.
The genre of literary nonfiction, also known as creative nonfiction, is broad enough to include travel writing, nature writing, science writing, sports writing, biography, autobiography, memoir,
interviews, and familiar and personal essays. Literary nonfiction is alive and well, but it is not without its critics.
Here are several examples of literary nonfiction from noted authors:
"The Cries of London," by Joseph Addison
"Death of a Soldier," by Louisa May Alcott
"A Glorious Resurrection," by Frederick Douglass
"The San Francisco Earthquake," by Jack London
"The Watercress Girl," by Henry Mayhew
"The word literary masks all kinds of ideological concerns, all kinds of values, and is finally more a way of looking at a text, a way of reading...than an inherent property of a text."
(Chris Anderson, "Introduction: Literary Nonfiction and Composition" in "Literary Nonfiction: Theory, Criticism, Pedagogy")
Fictional Devices in Literary Nonfiction
"One of the profound changes to have affected serious writing in recent years has been the spread of fiction and poetry techniques into literary nonfiction: the 'show, don’t tell' requirement, the emphasis on concrete sensory detail and avoidance of abstraction, the use of recurrent imagery as symbolic motif, the taste for the present tense, even the employment of unreliable narrators. There has always been some crossover between the genres. I am no genre purist, and welcome the cross-pollination, and have dialogue scenes in my own personal essays (as did Addison and Steele). But it is one thing to accept using dialogue scenes or lyrical imagery in a personal narrative, and quite another to insist that every part of that narrative be rendered in scenes or concrete sensory descriptions. A previous workshop teacher had told one of my students, 'Creative non-fiction is the application of fictional devices to memory.' With such narrow formulae, indifferent to nonfiction's full range of options, is it any wonder that students have started to shy away from making analytical distinctions or writing reflective commentary?"
(Phillip Lopate, "To Show and to Tell: The Craft of Literary Nonfiction")
Practical Nonfiction vs. Literary Nonfiction
"Practical nonfiction is designed to communicate information in circumstances where the quality of the writing is not considered as important as the content. Practical nonfiction appears mainly in popular magazines, newspaper Sunday supplements, feature articles, and in self-help and how-to books...
"Literary nonfiction puts emphasis on the precise and skilled use of words and tone, and the assumption that the reader is as intelligent as the writer. While information is included, insight about that information, presented with some originality, may predominate. Sometimes the subject of literary nonfiction may not at the onset be of great interest to the reader, but the character of the writing may lure the reader into that subject.
"Literary nonfiction appears in books, in some general magazines such as The New Yorker, Harper's, the Atlantic, Commentary, the New York Review of Books, in many so-called little or small-circulation magazines, in a few newspapers regularly and in some other newspapers from time to time, occasionally in a Sunday supplement, and in book review media."
(Sol Stein, Stein on Writing: A Master Editor of Some of the Most Successful Writers of Our Century Shares His Craft Techniques and Strategies)
Literary Nonfiction in the English Department
"It might be the case that composition studies...needs the category of 'literary nonfiction' to assert its place in the hierarchy of discourse comprising the modern English department. As English departments became increasingly centered on the interpretation of texts, it became increasingly important for compositionists to identify texts of their own."
(Douglas Hesse, "The Recent Rise of Literary Nonfiction: A Cautionary Assay" in "Composition Theory for the Postmodern Classroom")
"Whether critics are arguing about contemporary American nonfiction for historical or theoretical purposes, one of the primary (overt and usually stated) aims is to persuade other critics to take literary nonfiction seriously—to grant it the status of poetry, drama, and fiction."
(Mark Christopher Allister, "Refiguring the Map of Sorrow: Nature Writing and Autobiography")
What Is Creative Nonfiction?
The Types and Characteristics of Essays Every Writer Should Know
What Are the Different Types of Nonfiction?
Understanding Literary Character Types for Better Reading and Writing
Genres in Literature
For Writers: What Is the Third-Person Point of View?
What Is a Memoir?
What Is Literary Journalism?
What Is the Literary Present Tense in English?
Why Did Shakespeare Sometimes Write In Prose?
What Is a Novel? Definition and Characteristics
What Makes Great Poetry, and Who Are Great Poets?
Great Writing Starts With Knowing the Different Types of Composition
An Introduction to Free Verse Poetry: Examples and Analysis
Learn What You Need to Know About Close Reading
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Tillamook County Pioneer
The news and people of Tillamook County, Oregon. Every day.
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Certificate of Excellence in Financial Reporting Awarded to the Tillamook County’s Treasurers Office
Editor June 16, 2019 Government, Press Release, Tillamook County News
(Chicago, IL) – The Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting has been awarded to Tillamook County by Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA) for its comprehensive annual financial report (CAFR). The Certificate of Achievement is the highest form of recognition in the area of governmental accounting and financial reporting, and its attainment represents a significant accomplishment by a government and its management.
An Award of Financial Reporting Achievement has been awarded to Tillamook County’s Treasurer’s office, which is primarily responsible for preparing the award-winning CAFR.
The CAFR has been judged by an impartial panel to tmeet the high standards of the program, which includes demonstrating a constructive “spirit of full disclosure” to clearly communicate its financial story and motivate potential users and user groups to read the CAFR. Here is a link to Tillamook County Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR) for 2017-18link to Tillamook County Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR) for 2017-18link to Tillamook County Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR) for 2017-18
Government Finance Officers Association is a major professional association servicing the needs of over 20,000 appointed and elected local, state and provincial-level government officials and other finance practitioners. It provides top quality publications, training programs, services and products designed to enhance the skills and performance of those responsible for government finance policy and management. The association is headquartered in Chicago, IL with offices in Washington, DC.
News from State Rep. Gomberg: Local Projects and Local Schedule
July 16, 20190 Comment
Coast Guard Cutter Elm arrives in Astoria for first time
Celebrate Tillamook Bay at the Tillamook County Pioneer Museum Aug. 3 – Sept. 28
BURN BAN NOTIFICATION – Open Debris Burning Ban Starts Today July 15th
KTIL’s Shaena Peterson Finds Freedom from Weighty Problem
What Does the Washington Earthquake Mean?
CoastWatch Program Names New Volunteer Coordinator
National Garbageman Day June 17
Traducción Española
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Kenya travel review: Hemingways Watamu and Nairobi provide bountiful landscapes, beautiful wildlife and brilliant people
Hemingways Watamu on Turtle Bay Beach, Kenya.
John Blow
Published: 15:59 Sunday 17 February 2019
Naturally, a first trip to Africa is bound to yield a set of completely new experiences. But it took mere moments for Kenya to seem unforgettable. After leaving Moi International Airport in the Mombasa region to head east for the coastal Watamu resort, the nation’s extreme colour began to unfold.
So the two-hour journey to our hotel allowed an initial, if unofficial, adventure – an opening glance at the country’s bountiful landscapes, beautiful wildlife and brilliant people.
The infinity pool at Hemingways Watamu during twilight.
We were there (me and my father, that is) to visit the Hemingways Collection, a portfolio of luxury hotels at key spots around the country.
On our journey, it was clear to see why coconut and palm produce is one of the country’s biggest exports, with miles of forests spanning the landscape.
After the long airport run – during which we see hundreds of motorbikes, some carrying three helmet-less riders, as well as neighbourhoods industriously formed often of colourful scrap metal – we arrive at charming Watamu, which sits on Turtle Bay Beach.
The hotel features a gym, spa, brilliant restaurant and bar, three swimming pools and much more, but after checking into our (very nice) twin room following a long journey the first move is to sit with a pair of Kenya’s native Tusker lagers and marvel at the Indian Ocean.
Visitors to Kenya can see dolphins in the Indian Ocean. Picture supplied by Hemingways.
Then it was up early for a look at the region’s spectacular sea life. Watamu is a Marine National Park and Reserve known for its fishing expeditions, and Hemingways can arrange excursions for a good fee, a proportion of which goes towards conservation.
For us, it was the dolphins and snorkelling we were most interested in. Halfway to the right spot in our glass-bottomed boat, we anchored down near a patch of sand where we saw a reef shark – a common feature of the waters, and shy as long as they’re not fed.
We also handled a huge starfish, before going in search of the main event. And we were soon face to face with a group of seven bottlenose dolphins, their backs gleaming in the sun as they came up and dived down.
Then it was snorkelling, during which we saw a colourful array of sea life before heading back, witnessing a turtle swim by on our way.
Orphaned baby elephants at the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, Nairobi. Picture by John Blow.
Later, we took a traditional kayak ride through the mangroves at Mida Creek. We arrived there via a fascinating journey through the dense palm tree bush.
But the boat ride itself was an extremely peaceful journey through tall, lurching groves which come out into a broadwater creek, where the only breaks in the silence come from the calls of rare birds – evoking a real “at the end of the earth” feeling.
Then it was a spectacular sunset in the Crab Shack, a remote bar and restaurant within the mangroves, where we ate crab samosas at twilight.
The Swahili coast, as well as being beautiful, has both history and world rarities. History comes in the shape of the Gedi Ruins, a settlement believed to be from the 12th century and once inhabited by 3,000, with remains of the Great Mosque, palace, a large house and tombs among impressive trees. But today it is home to a troop of Sykes’ monkeys, and the many tourists taking a look back in time.
The Arabuko Sokoke Forest Reserve, the largest tract of coastal forest in East Africa, has some special residents, the most elusive perhaps being the Sokoke scops owl, a small and charming bird which lives in certain trees there and realistically is to be found only with the help of one of the fantastic, dedicated guides.
It should not go without saying how brilliant the hotel’s staff are – “welcome” seemed to be the word of the week they said it so many times and, although my father and I were well aware it was their job to be polite and helpful, we could tell that there was something genuinely kind-hearted behind their impeccable service.
“Jambo” – Swahili for hello – was also a common greeting from passing strangers, including members of a tribe who went by us on a boat as we set off into the mangroves.
So after three days at Watamu – true to its name as “home of the sweet people” – it was a short flight back to Nairobi (where we connected from Heathrow on the way in) for more firsts.
We stayed at Hemingways’ hotel in Karen, an affluent suburb of the capital whose streets are lined with purple jacaranda trees.
The hotel rooms were again impeccable, with a wonderful view of the nearby Ngong Hills and amazing service from its staff.
The city’s Hemingways – named so because of the owner’s love of novelist Ernest Hemingway – can be used as a base for tourists wanting to be close to safari activities at the Nairobi National Park.
Our experience of this came in the form of the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, which provides an orphanage for elephants and rhinos missing their parents, often because of “human and animal conflict” – poaching. In a daily slot, visitors can watch the animals feed and play during an informative talk.
The Giraffe Centre, too, provides a sanctuary for endangered animals. From a raised platform, visitors can feed the giraffes or give them a kiss, although this reviewer passed on that opportunity.
One remarkable enterprise is the Kazuri beads factory, which employs more than 300 single mothers, many of whom have lost their husbands.
We were given a free tour of the grounds, and by chance arrived during prayer time, which proved to be a moving spectacle of song and dance.
A picture of Meryl Streep wearing its beads hangs on the gift shop wall – presumably from when she filmed the 1985 Oscar magnet Out of Africa, loosely based on the book by Karen Blixen.
The Danish author’s former home, where she had a coffee farm, now serves as a museum with precious personal artefacts still surviving inside.
In a time when overseas travel has never been more accessible, it would be easy to overlook travelling to locations as far away as Kenya, but for those searching for sights which they’ll never see closer to home, it’s absolutely worth it.
Double/twin rooms at Hemingways Watamu start from £277 per room per night on a bed and breakfast basis. This includes a snorkelling trip on a glass-bottomed boat, wi-fi and all local taxes. www.hemingways-collection.com
Kenya Airways flies daily from London-Heathrow to Nairobi with daily connections to Mombasa. Prices start from £455 economy return from London to Mombasa, via Nairobi. www.kenya-airways.com
European Olympic Youth Festival: Calderdale teens Isobel Kitchen and Luke Whitehouse included in 44-strong Team GB squad
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Last updated: 05:02 PM ET, Sat March 26 2016
Flight Attendant Accused of Smuggling Cocaine to Remain in Jail
Impacting Travel Amy Coyne Bredeson March 26, 2016
The flight attendant accused of trying to smuggle cocaine through Los Angeles International Airport isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.
Boeing 737 Max Issues Threaten Holiday Travel Airlines & Airports
Insight Vacations to Offer New Trip to Arizona and... Tour Operator
US Travel Applauds Bill to Reauthorize Brand USA Travel Agent
Ryanair Says Boeing 737 MAX Grounding Impacting Flights... Airlines & Airports
Marsha Reynolds will remain in jail in New York until April 7, ABC News reported.
READ MORE: Flight Attendant’s Bag Found to Contain 60 Pounds of Cocaine
On Thursday, the 31-year-old JetBlue flight attendant was given a second chance in a Brooklyn court, when the judge overseeing her case granted her a $500,000 bail, ABC News said. Judge Viktor V. Pohorelsky said he did so mainly because Reynolds turned herself in.
Reynolds is accused of smuggling almost 70 pounds of cocaine through the airport, dropping a suitcase filled with the drugs at a security checkpoint and then fleeing on March 18, according to ABC News. She was charged with possession with the intent to distribute cocaine.
READ MORE: Flight Attendant Busted with More than 40 Pounds of Cocaine
The same day the New York judge set Reynolds’ bail, another judge in Los Angeles, from where she fled, overturned the decision, ABC said.
If convicted, Reynolds could go to prison for 10 years, according to ABC.
For more information on United States
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Monday, May 6, 2002, Chandigarh, India
H A R Y A N A
HSCFDC pay revision in limbo
Gurgaon, May 5
The Haryana Scheduled Castes Finance and Development Corporation (formerly called the Haryana Harijan Kalyan Nigam) has proved to be clever only by half. Its case for the revision of pay scales of its employees has met with a negative response from the state government.
BSNL plan to improve service
Hisar, May 5
The Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited has chalked out a comprehensive 100-day work plan to improve telephone services and raise the working capacity of its employees. Addressing mediapersons here today, Mr R.K.Tyagi said under this plan, the Nigam would raise its switching capacity to 10,000 lines in Hisar telecom division comprising Hisar, Sirsa and Fatehabad districts.
Plan to shift local courts back to cantt
Ambala, May 5
The state government is finalising the plan to bring the local courts, which were shifted to the Sessions Courts premises at Ambala city during the anti-Mandal agitation in 1990, back to Ambala Cantt.
Plywood destroyed in fire
Balbir Singh is Confed Chairman
Bimla Sangwan
Centre Director told to return fee
Overloaded trucks to pay more in Haryana
Fake arms licences case: CBI files reply
Chautala’s bid to please INLD constituency
Big scam unearthed in HFC
Hooda camp plays down reports on ouster
Scheme on power dues liberalised
Industry may welcome HUDA charges
Canal for giving Delhi its water share
Concessions to make rural power
consumers pay bills
The nigam made out a case for the revision of pay scales to the government on the basis that it had earned profit. The operative portion in the case was “profit” as the organisation’s similar proposal for the revision of the pay scales in 1998 was shot down by the government on grounds that it was running in loss.
The government referred to 1998 as then it had also rejected the case of the corporation along with 16 enterprises which had been incurring losses for three years out of the preceding five years i.e from 1993-94 to 1997-98. The government had laid down that only such enterprises which has started making profits should revise the pay scales.
The ministers committee relating to disinvestment/privatisation of public sector undertakings and co-operative institutions in Haryana, which recently met under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala, studied the case of the revision of pay scales and took a contrary stand with regard to matters of facts presented by the corporation.
According to sources, the committee came to the conclusion that the profit earned by the corporation was due to the fact that the interest on grants received from the Centre had been added to its bottom line.
The Centre had given the grants to be distributed amongst the Scheduled Castes beneficiaries in Haryana and the amount should have been utilised for the purpose.
The committee underlined that the amount should not have been kept in the bank to earn interest.
The committee ruled that the corporation had not been able to achieve its objects successfully as was evident from the fact that in spite of a margin of 2 per cent given to it by the funding agency, it was not in a position to meet its administrative expenses and hence, the losses.
The Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) has chalked out a comprehensive 100-day work plan to improve telephone services and raise the working capacity of its employees.
Addressing mediapersons here today, Mr R.K.Tyagi said under this plan, the Nigam would raise its switching capacity to 10,000 lines in Hisar telecom division comprising Hisar, Sirsa and Fatehabad districts. He said the Nigam would issue 3,000 new connections in the next 100 days besides setting up two new telephone exchanges. As many as 31 village panchayats telephone (VPT) connections would be given through underground lines.
He said the local authorities had also decided to lay out 153.3 route km lines with optical fibre cable (OFC). The Nigam would also install interactive voice response system (IVRS) in Fatehabad main exchange in the next 100 days, besides a distribution point (DP) on every two connections at houses instead of telephone polls. He said the local officials would organise Telephone Adalat on May 15.
According to information, the Registrar, Punjab and Haryana High Court, in a communique has informed the president of the Bar Association, Ambala Cantt, Mr Davender Bansal, that the government has approved the site for judicial complex near District Industry Office at Ambala Cantt. The letter states that Chief Architect, Haryana, has been asked to submit a plan in this regard.
Various political leaders, organisations and advocates have been demanding to bring back the local courts for the past several years.
Senior advocate and social activist, Mr Om Prakash Malik, had submitted numerous memoranda to senior political leaders and bureaucrats in this regard.
The people of Ambala Cantt had to travel around 10 km reach the local courts. Mr Davender Bansal, while welcoming the decision, said here today that it would provide relief to the residents of Ambala Cantt.
Yamunanagar, May 5
Property worth lakhs of rupees was destroyed as fire broke out at different places here yesterday, including a plywood factory.
According to information received yesterday, a fire broke out at Ganga Ply Wood Factory at the Khajuri road. No one was injured as all workers had gone out for lunch. Finished, unfinished goods and machinery worth lakhs of rupees destroyed in the fire which could be controlled by fire brigade by the evening. A fire also broke out in a factory in industrial area and Sudershan Plywood Factory on the Radaur road. In another incident, a buffalo was killed in a fire that broke out, in Bapoli village in Radaur block.
Chandigarh, May 5
The Haryana Government has appointed Mr Balbir Singh of Bahadurgarh, Chairman of the Haryana State Federation of Consumers Cooperatives Whole Stores Limited (Confed) following the resignation of Mr Pradeep Chaudhary, who has become a member of the Haryana Public Service Commission.
Interestingly, the government has retrenched a large number of Confed employees on the plea of economy and on the other hand it is appointing politicians as chairmen of the sick corporation.
The Haryana Government has appointed Ms Bimla Sangwan, Chairperson of the Haryana Women Development Corporation in place of Ms Anita Dhankar, who has resigned on health grounds.
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Regional digest
AUBURN -- About 1,000 National Grid customers in the Washington Street (Route 20) area lost power last night, according to a company spokesman.
The outage occurred sometime before 8 p.m. Crews were dispatched to the area last night. According to the spokesman, 1,039 customers were without power due to the outage, and no cause had been determined. State police reported last night that the traffic light at the South Street intersection was not functioning properly due to the outage.
SPENCER � A Wilson Street man was arrested yesterday after federal, state and local law enforcement officials raided his home and allegedly discovered child pornography, marijuana and the prescription numbing agent Xylocaine.
Robert M. Abood, 64, of 96 Wilson St., was ordered held in lieu of $10,000 bail at his arraignment in Western Worcester District Court in East Brookfield on charges of possession of child pornography, distribution of obscene material, possession of marijuana and possession of a prescription medication.
Officials from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement have kept Spencer police apprised of their investigation of Mr. Abood, Spencer Police Chief David B. Darrin said. State police also assisted yesterday, Chief Darrin said.
Federal agents became interested in Mr. Abood after a January raid in Brockton led them to believe he was trading pornography, Chief Darrin said.
Police seized 127 pornographic images, Assistant District Attorney Brett Dillon said. Mr. Dillon argued for a high bail, citing the seriousness of the allegations.
Court-appointed lawyer Albert G. Hayeck asked Judge Robert Calgione to release Mr. Abood on personal recognizance because he has no criminal record.
Police were concerned because Mr. Abood had custody of three children ages 12, 10 and 6. The children were not at home when the raid took place yesterday and were taken into Department of Social Services custody.
Chief Darrin said Spencer police filed the initial charges but federal investigators seized a computer and are continuing their investigation. He said he expects they will file additional charges.
Mr. Abood is due back in court Oct. 8 for a pretrial hearing.
WARREN � Police were checking areas along the Quaboag River yesterday after a swamped kayak was found about one mile over the town line in Palmer early in the afternoon.
The orange-colored kayak was empty, prompting concern over whether someone had been swept downstream. Police and firefighters from Palmer pulled the boat from the water and began checking rest areas and pull-offs where someone may have parked to enter the river, Warren police said.
Early last night, they had found nothing, Warren Officer Mark Chase said, and were continuing to investigate whether the craft was one reported missing several weeks ago. Recent heavy rains, including yesterday�s storm, have left the water level in the river high and the current quite swift, police said.
Police said last night the owner of the kayak can call the Palmer Fire Department to claim it. Police said last night they were no longer looking for an individual.
Gov. Deval L. Patrick announced yesterday the judicial nomination of local lawyer Richard T. Tucker to Worcester Superior Court.
If the nomination goes through, Mr. Tucker of Northboro is slated to fill the vacancy on the court created by the elevation of Judge Francis R. Fecteau to the state Appeals Court. The Governor�s Council confirms or denies judicial nominations.
Reached by telephone yesterday afternoon, Mr. Tucker said he was happy to be nominated.
�I�m very happy with the nomination,� Mr. Tucker said. �It�s something I�ve strived for.�
He said he currently practices mostly in the area of civil trials, and said he has spent most of his career in the same court to which he has been nominated.
�I just wanted a chance to serve,� Mr. Tucker said. �I wanted to do this. I have an affection for the Superior Court, and I�d like to help it.�
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Sterling Police Log
Monday, Oct. 10
7:09 a.m.: Worcester Road, fence appears to be kicked in; there was a motorcycle accident the day before and the bike got stuck in the fence.
9:18 p.m.: School Street, youths just stopped in front of a resident�s house, threw things from his front lawn into the street and took off in a Jeep Wrangler.
Tuesday, Oct. 11
1:08 p.m.: Clinton Road, theft of cemetery markers at Oak Hill Cemetery.
1:30 p.m.: Justice Hill Road, residents� threats, dispute over paving truck from a neighbor�s project parking on common area; peace restored.
3:38 p.m.: John Dee Road, caller�s daughter saw a male dressed in black on their property; he ran into the woods when the school bus stopped. People park in the area to go fishing.
8:28 p.m.: Redstone Hill Road, vehicle struck a deer near the caller�s house; the driver did not stop. The deer was in the caller�s driveway, injured. Police put the animal down. Animal control officer will coordinate removal.
9:12 p.m.: Wiles Road, motorist reported a half a saw horse in the middle of the travel lane.
Wednesday, Oct. 12
10:32 a.m.: Tuttle Road, someone broke into store.
12:47 p.m.: Redemption Rock Trail and John Dee Road, cows in the road, owners not home, officer will try to herd them into the corral.
6:44 p.m.: Boutelle Road, vehicle stolen, keys in the ignition; the vehicle was recovered in Worcester.
Thursday, Oct. 13
7:57 a.m.: Worcester Road, fraudulent use of a checking account.
9:54 a.m.: Boutelle Road, keys found, brought to police station.
10:59 a.m.: Burpee Road, minor motor vehicle accident, no injuries.
3:32 p.m.: Tuttle Road, two mountain bikes and a chain saw discovered missing from the garage; may have been taken when cookies were taken recently from the farm store.
7:20 p.m.: Princeton Road, motorist saw a single light in the fields, larger than a flashlight, not moving. No lights visible when police arrived.
8:18 p.m.: Interstate 190, large amounts of glass on the southbound off-ramp.
Friday, Oct. 14
11:26 a.m.: Myrtle Avenue, construction workers from a neighboring house on his property; officer advised the workers to stay off the property.
11:59 a.m.: Leominster and Chocksett roads, minor motor vehicle accident, no injuries.
7:03 p.m.: Worcester Road, two-car motor vehicle accident, no injuries.
4:29 a.m.: Justice Hill Cutoff Road, caller woken up by two males who smashed and took his mailbox; caller later dropped off a side-view mirror he found in his driveway, which may have come from suspect�s vehicle.
6:11 a.m.: Justice Hill and Rowley Hill roads, minor motor vehicle accident, vehicle left the road and struck a tree at low speed, no injuries.
7:17 a.m.: Chace Hill Road, coyotes and their baby in her driveway; they were not �causing fear or harm�
9:36 a.m.: Olde Parish Lane, yellow found; owners called.
Sunday, Oct. 16
3:03 p.m.: Pratts Junction Road, National Grid security had an alarm showing and no one should be in the location; the rear door was open, but there were no signs of forced entry.
5:12 p.m.: Redemption Rock Trail, officer asked to check package store for suspicious activity; cars were going in and out at a time the liquor store should be closed. Vehicles were pulling in to see if the gas station was open and family members were swapping custody of children.
6:14 p.m.: Leominster Road, male calling about excessive noise at the Blacksheep Tavern; the manager said the band would only play for 30 more minutes, and he would ask them to turn it down.
11:21 p.m.: Sunset Drive, caller reported seeing youths breaking into his two vehicles parked in the driveway; he yelled and they ran off toward the cul-de-sac. A wallet and set of keys were taken from one of the vehicles.
11:42 p.m.: Bean Road, vehicle taken from the driveway; second vehicle was broken into and item stolen. West Boylston Police said the vehicle struck a tree in that town and the operator fled on foot into the woods behind Salter College.
© Copyright 2006-2019 GateHouse Media, LLC. All rights reserved • GateHouse Coulter01
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Damian Reece
David Cameron has put his faith in the City and now it must repay him
David Cameron made much of the importance to the UK of its financial services industry when justifying his decision to reject the new euro treaty in Brussels on Thursday night.
Many readers will understandably feel that there couldn't be a more undeserving group as London's financiers for such political support. After being bailed out with the country's financial capital, they are now being bailed out with our political capital too, much of which was put at risk after Friday. Photo: Alamy
By Damian Reece, Head of Business
The truth is the City of London will still be exposed to more restrictive regulation from Europe unless such measures are introduced requiring a unanimous vote, which allows the UK to use its veto. Otherwise the steady drip, drip of interference will continue and requires constant vigilance to combat.
But clearly Cameron has drawn his red lines around the activities of banks and other financial institutions and has retained some room to manoeuvre when it comes to trying to resist control from Brussels.
However, while the Prime Minister has gone out on a limb for the City, will the City now take advantage of the British leader's efforts and rise to the challenge of helping lead the country back to growth?
Many readers will understandably feel that there couldn't be a more undeserving group as London's financiers for such political support. After being bailed out with the country's financial capital, they are now being bailed out with our political capital too, much of which was put at risk after Friday.
In rejecting the new euro treaty, Cameron has in effect delivered a massive vote of confidence in the UK's banking and other financial institutions and pinned his reputation, at least in Europe, to their cause. Will they prove worthy?
This EU summit will accelerate a euro break-up not slow it down or save it
What Hong Kong can teach David Cameron when dealing with Europe
Angela Merkel must heed her home truths
Lifting lid on bankers' pay may benefit us all by bringing in capital
The fog on the Rhine's all mein, all mein, the fog on the Rhine's all mein
Five screens out rivals in football
In one sense it's in the hands of our own politicians and regulators to make sure the City can make the most of Cameron's self-imposed exile from the new treaty, by bringing the current uncertainty over regulation to a swift conclusion.
Whether that's capital requirements, ring fencing or remuneration rules, the threats have gone on long enough. A financial services industry that's going to thrive again, albeit a safer one, needs certainty.
But a regulatory settlement is only half the story. City institutions themselves now need to wake up to what's going on and seize the opportunity before it disappears.
A tighter, more integrated eurozone won't lessen the City of London's role as the world's financial centre in the short term. But neither can London take for granted that its position won't be eroded at least in part by a reinvigorated Frankfurt. The German city will see itself as the financial centre for the new fiscal union, including being home to a possible market for eurobonds which remain a distinct possibility in years to come.
The City, traditionally an outward looking place, needs to make sure it remains so. In the next couple of decades it's quite possible that America's relationship with China and the Far East will comfortably outweigh any concerns it might have for Europe. In turn Europe may well look further east itself as Russia seeks closer ties to the euro area. How and where London plays in these shifting relationships will be a constant issue, especially as it begins to significantly loosen its ties with Europe.
One defining characteristic of a dominant financial centre is a large, international stock exchange that taps into a deep pool of capital. In the London Stock Exchange, we already have one. But while it is still a big factor in persuading overseas companies to come to London, it faces increasing competition internationally especially from centres such as Hong Kong. It needs to secure a more significant international presence for itself.
Recent attempts among exchanges to merge or acquire smaller rivals are part of that process but the LSE's acquisition of TMX Group, which operates the Toronto exchange, failed earlier this year, as did Singapore's bid for Australia's ASX. Full blown mergers or takeovers of stock exchanges are running into nationalistic objections.
But one idea the UK could encourage is a strategic alliance between the London, Australian and Toronto exchanges with cross shareholdings rather than a change of control. It would be something akin to the alliances that airlines have formed around the world to find ways of getting around restrictive regulations while allowing them to cooperate commercially.
A strategic alliance of these three exchanges would provide a 24 hour global trading platform and set up a unique alternative to the likes of Hong Kong, New York or Frankfurt, and London would be its hub.
Certainly it's going to take plenty of imagination to keep London relevant and deserving of the support that Cameron has shown it this week. It's critical our banks are fixed and reforms imposed but done so to enhance our competitiveness and vibrancy not restrict it. The opportunity is to take advantage of our determination to remain independent of a flawed fiscal union, not be overshadowed by it.
damian.reece@telegraph.co.uk
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Advances in Dermatology and Allergology/Postępy Dermatologii i Alergologii Advances in Interventional Cardiology/Postępy w Kardiologii Interwencyjnej Archives of Medical Science Biology of Sport Central European Journal of Immunology Folia Neuropathologica Journal of Contemporary Brachytherapy Polish Journal of Pathology Prenatal Cardiology Videosurgery and Other Miniinvasive Techniques
Central European Journal of Immunology
Current issue Archive Manuscripts accepted About the journal Abstracting and indexing Subscription Contact Instructions for authors
Editorial System - Submit your Manuscript
Copy url:
Review paper
Dysregulation of signaling pathways associated with innate antibacterial immunity in patients with pancreatic cancer
Robert Słotwiński, Sylwia Małgorzata Słotwińska
(Cent Eur J Immunol 2016; 41 (4): 404-418)
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5114/ceji.2016.65140
Online publish date: 2017/01/24
Article file
- Dysregulation.pdf [0.23 MB]
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Papers, Reference Manager, RefWorks, Zotero
Słotwiński R, Słotwińska S. Dysregulation of signaling pathways associated with innate antibacterial immunity in patients with pancreatic cancer. Central European Journal of Immunology. 2017;41(4):404-418. doi:10.5114/ceji.2016.65140.
Słotwiński, R., & Słotwińska, S. (2017). Dysregulation of signaling pathways associated with innate antibacterial immunity in patients with pancreatic cancer. Central European Journal of Immunology, 41(4), 404-418. https://doi.org/10.5114/ceji.2016.65140
Słotwiński, Robert, and Sylwia Małgorzata Słotwińska. 2017. "Dysregulation of signaling pathways associated with innate antibacterial immunity in patients with pancreatic cancer". Central European Journal of Immunology 41 (4): 404-418. doi:10.5114/ceji.2016.65140.
Słotwiński, R., and Słotwińska, S. (2017). Dysregulation of signaling pathways associated with innate antibacterial immunity in patients with pancreatic cancer. Central European Journal of Immunology, 41(4), pp.404-418. https://doi.org/10.5114/ceji.2016.65140
Słotwiński, Robert et al. "Dysregulation of signaling pathways associated with innate antibacterial immunity in patients with pancreatic cancer." Central European Journal of Immunology, vol. 41, no. 4, 2017, pp. 404-418. doi:10.5114/ceji.2016.65140.
Pancreatic cancer remains a disease of unknown pathogenesis, and despite advances in diagnosis and the treatment of cancer diseases, it still has a very poor prognosis. It occupies the fourth place as a cause of death from cancer, and the mortality rate from pancreatic cancer is similar to the number of newly detected cases and continues to grow [1-3]. Pancreatic cancer in the early stages of the disease does not give clinical symptoms, making it difficult for early diagnosis that gives hope for a successful therapy. Although there is progress being made in the knowledge on the pathogenesis of pancreatic cancer, only surgery performed in the early stages of the disease can significantly increase the survival. Unfortunately, due to the late diagnosis, only 5-6% of patients with pancreatic cancer survive five years [4-6]. At the time of diagnosis of pancreatic cancer, the tumor is unresectable in 80% of patients and there are already distant metastases; only in a few percent of patients the tumor is in the early stages of development, which in this group (for Stage I invasive cancer with tumors < 2 cm in diameter) may increase the 5-year survival after surgery by 58%, and in patients with tumor < 1 cm even to 100% [7-9]. The median survival reported for the resected pancreatic cancer ranges from 17 to 27 months and the 5-year survival is approximately 20% [10].
A previous study demonstrated that neoadjuvant therapy was associated with improved survival in resectable pancreatic adenocarcinoma, but a recent meta-analysis did not show a significant effect on overall survival among resectable patients after receiving neoadjuvant or adjuvant treatments [11, 12]. The survival time of patients diagnosed with unresectable pancreatic tumor is on average 6 months and may increase only slightly (to 11 months) after the application of a complex chemotherapy (FOLFIRINOX), which confirms the resistance of pancreatic cancer to this type of treatment [13]. Another study reported significantly improved survival in patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer treated with gemcitabine and nab-paclitaxel compared to gemcitabine as a single therapy [14]. The median overall survival was 8.5 months in the nab-paclitaxel–gemcitabine group as compared with 6.7 months in the gemcitabine group; the survival rate was 35% in the nab-paclitaxel–gemcitabine group vs. 22% in the gemcitabine group at 1 year, and 9% vs. 4% at 2 years. It should be noted that among patients with metastatic disease, the 5-year survival rate is only 2%, and 1-year survival rates of 17-23% with gemcitabine have been reported [13, 15, 16].
The results of previous studies clearly indicate the need for more effective diagnostics that would enable early detection of pancreatic cancer – a highly heterogeneous disease [17]. Currently, it is difficult to expect a dramatic improvement in early diagnosis of pancreatic cancer, conducted mainly based on generally accessible, convenient, expensive and potentially invasive methods performed usually after the onset of symptoms; these include endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the abdomen with cholangiopancreatography or computerized tomography scan. The aforementioned methods mainly allow the assessment of the possibility of surgical treatment, but in some patients they are also helpful in identifying premalignant lesions (e.g., cystic precursor lesions) [18-20]. Problems associated with the detection of small tumors of the pancreas (< 1 cm in diameter), and distinguishing benign tumors from malignant, delay the surgery. However, in some cases of incorrect preoperative diagnosis of pancreatic cancer, pancreatoduodenectomy is performed in chronic pancreatitis, exposing these patients to early and late complications associated with major surgery and removal of the pancreas (30-60% of the morbidity rate) [21, 22]. This is supported by the fact that most large series of pancreatic resections for carcinoma show that 5-10% of cases of inflammatory mass masquerade as pancreatic carcinoma [23]. The EUS-guided fine needle aspiration (FNA) provides success rates of 90-95%, as an additional diagnostic modality for diagnosis of solid pancreatic neoplasms [24]. EUS has the unique ability to obtain specimens for histopathological diagnosis, and can, therefore, play a crucial role in the evaluation of patients with inconclusive findings on initial examinations [25]. Additionally, molecular imaging techniques such as PET or MRS provide information on metabolic and signaling pathways. Considering the parametric data from these imaging approaches (anatomic, molecular, and physiological), one can better define specific tumor signatures. Such parametric characterization could provide insight into tumor metabolism, cellular density, protein expression, focal perfusion and vascular permeability of tumors [26].
As demonstrated by previous research, pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) develops from the most frequent precursors, i.e., pancreatic intraepithelial lesions (pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia – PanIN), intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms (IPMNs), mucinous cystic neoplasms (MCNs) and the newly added intraductal tubular papillary neoplasms (ITPNs) [27-31]. PanIN, IPMNs and MCNs lead to invasive PDAC by gene alterations and distant metastasis occurs late during the genetic evolution of pancreatic cancer [32, 33]. For instance, molecular changes in PanINs can be classified as “early” (KRAS2 mutations, telomere shortening, p21WAF1/CIP1 up-regulation), “intermediate” (cyclin D1 up-regulation, expression of proliferation antigens) or “late” (BRCA2 and TP53 mutations, DPC4/SMAD4/MADH4 inactivation) [32]. Studies in patients with a strong family history of pancreatic cancer revealed a correlation between multifocal neoplastic precursor lesions (PanIN) and lobular atrophy of the pancreas on EUS [34, 35]. Thus, early detection of precursor lesions of the pancreas and surgical removal should significantly improve the results of pancreatic cancer treatment. Our review is aimed at exploring the current knowledge about the pathogenesis and diagnosis of pancreatic cancer based on the genetic aspects of signaling pathway disorders associated with innate antibacterial response.
Innate antibacterial signaling
The discovery of TLRs has enabled a better understanding of disorders of the innate antibacterial response in patients with various diseases, in particular in cancer patients. Toll-like receptors are a family of pattern-recognition receptors, which play a crucial role in the activation of innate and adaptive immunity, and can be expressed in several types of cells, such as macrophages, dendritic cells (DCs), B cells, T cells, monocytes or epithelial cells [36, 37]. TLR proteins recognize a large number of pathogen-associated molecular patterns, such as bacterial lipopolysaccharides or viral RNA. All TLRs, with the exception of TLR3, signal via the MyD88 adapter protein (myeloid differentiation factor 88) [38, 39]. MyD88, TRAF6 (TNF- receptor-associated factor 6), TRIF (Toll/IL-1-receptor domain-containing adapter inducing interferon) and TRAM (TRIF-related adaptor molecule) proteins are key molecules in the cytoplasmic signaling cascade of the antibacterial response initiated by TLRs. TRAF6 is a member of the TNF receptor-associated factor family of proteins and is an E3 ubiquitin ligase, which catalyzes the synthesis of lysine polyubiquitin chain involved in the downstream activation of NF-B [40]. TLR4-induced TAK1 autophosphorylation and activation require translocation of the MyD88-TRAF6-Ubcl3-cIAP-TAK1-IKK signaling complex from TLR4 into the cytosol, which depends on TRAF6 and cIAPs [41]. The MyD88-dependent pathway involves the early phase of NF-B activation, which leads to the production of inflammatory cytokines. The MyD88-independent pathway activates interferon (IFN)-regulatory factor (IRF3) and involves the late phase of NF-B activation, both of which lead to the production of IFN- and expression of IFN-inducible genes. TLR2 and TLR4 receptors were found to mediate the effects of HMGB1 (high mobility group box-1) in neutrophils and macrophages [42]. HMGB1 is an important protein binding to DNA, stabilizing nucleosomes and facilitating NF-B activation and gene transcription [43, 44]. HMGB1 modulates the inflammatory cascade in LPS-activated macrophages by inducing the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines TNF- and IL-1, while attenuating the release of anti-inflammatory mediators, IL-10 and TGF-1 [45].
TLRs might influence tumor initiation and progression through regulating the activation of transcription factors, such as NF-B, interferon regulatory factors (IRFs) or AP-1 via mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPKs) signaling integrators [46-50]. TLRs caused derangements in several tumor suppressor proteins (such as p16, p21, p27, p53 and pRb), induced STAT3 activation and promoted epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) as well as oncogene-induced senescence [51]. The abnormal expression of TLR receptors may be associated with sepsis and autoimmune diseases (lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, type 1 diabetes) [52-56]. Interestingly, TLR receptors have been also detected in many tumor cell lines and tumors, including pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, whereas they are not expressed in the normal pancreatic tissue, and may be used as potential therapeutic targets [57-60]. TLRs were found to be involved in tumor cell proliferation, apoptosis and angiogenesis, while the high expression of Toll-like receptor 4/myeloid differentiation factor 88 was correlated with poor prognosis in patients with colorectal cancer [61-65].
Most studies on pancreatic cancer refer to changes in TLR4 and TLR2 receptor signaling pathways. TLR4 was overexpressed in pancreatic cancer and TLR4 signaling via the MyD88-independent TRIF pathway modulated pancreatic carcinogenesis, because targeting TLR4 or TRIF prevented cancer progression [66]. These findings also suggest that there may be a possible participation of endogenous LPS derived from gut bacteria in modulating pancreatic carcinogenesis. LPS may act through the TLR4-MyD88-NFB signaling pathway that induces MMP-9 overexpression [67]. As reported by an earlier study, MMP-9 overexpression was related to the progression of pancreatic cancer [68]. Activation of TLR4 signaling by LPS profoundly increased the EMT of pancreatic cancer cells, and M2-polarized TAMs promoted the EMT in pancreatic cancer cells, partially through the TLR4/IL-10 signaling pathway [69].TLR4 activation was shown to accelerate pancreatic cancer development, while MyD88 blockade using synthetic inhibitors accelerated pancreatic fibro-inflammation and carcinogenesis [70]. More specifically, this meant that MyD88 blockade resulted in an invasive pancreatic adenocarcinoma within 3 weeks in p48Cre;KrasG12D mice treated with caerulein compared with the development of early PanIN lesions in age-matched mice with intact MyD88 signaling. According to these finding, upon MyD88 blockage, DCs seemed to induce the formation of pancreatic antigen-restricted Th2-deviated CD4+ T cells [66]. In that study, stromal leukocytes collected from patients showed increased TLR4 expression, and such up-regulation was also reported both in epithelial and stromal cells in KRAS-mutated mice. Interestingly, inhibition of TLR4 in these mice had a protective effect against tumorigenesis (slower tumor growth) [66]. DCs were found in large quantities in pancreatic cancer and tumor-draining lymph nodes, and the number of tumor-infiltrating TH2 cells inversely correlated with survival in human pancreatic cancer [71]. An in vitro study revealed that the invasive capacity of human pancreatic cancer cells was based on the TLR4-dependent NF-B activation [72]. Another study correlated the level of TLR4 expression with tumor size, lymph node involvement, venous invasion and pathological stage. Patients with TLR4 overexpression had significantly shorter survival. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is a well-established agonist of TLR4 and could be a triggering factor in the initiation and progression of pancreatic cancer [67, 73]. LPS, a putative ligand of TLR4, may promote tumor progression by acting directly on cancer cells and increasing the invasive ability of pancreatic cancer cells through the TLR4/MyD88 signaling pathway [72, 74]. These results also suggest that the TLR/MyD88/NF-B signaling pathway plays a significant role in connecting inflammation with cancer invasion and progression. Moreover, silencing of TLR4 or MyD88 completely reversed the effects of LPS [72]. In contrast, the lipid A analogue (OM-174), with a dual stimulating effect on TLR2 and TLR4 receptors, induced regression of several tumor types in animal models [75-77]. Induction of MyD88 and TRIF, downstream of TLR pathways, perturbed cell cycle regulation in pancreatic cancer [70]. Other data demonstrated that protein (mRNA) expression of TLR4, NF-B p65 and HIF-1 (hypoxia-inducible transcription factor 1) in pancreatic tumor tissues was increased by 69%, 66% and 70%, respectively, which was significantly higher compared to adjacent normal tissues. This indicated that TLR4 might be partly involved in up-regulating HIF-1, and they both could synergistically promote the development of pancreatic adenocarcinoma [58]. Another study suggested that TLR4 expression in pancreatic cancer cells was up-regulated via HIF-1 in response to hypoxic stress and underscored the crucial role of HIF-1-induced TLR4 in tumor growth [78]. Most studies have shown that increased expression of TLR4 is not limited to pancreatic cancer. Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are involved in the development of infectious diseases, autoimmune and neurodegenerative diseases and cancer [79]. TLR4 expression was also detected in head and neck cancer, breast cancer, lung cancer, gastric cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma, colorectal cancer, ovarian cancer, cervical cancer, prostate cancer and melanoma [58, 62]. The results of these studies indicate that the evaluation of TLR4 expression does not differentiate cancerous tumors, which makes diagnosis and treatment difficult.
Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) is a promising target for immune system stimulation during cancer immunotherapy and a cell-surface marker for pancreatic cancer [59]. TLR2 stimulation may produce significant antitumor activity by enhancing the innate immunity, T-cell immunity, cytotoxic antibody function and induction of apoptosis [80-82]. Activation of immune response by synthetic lipopeptide (macrophage activating lipopeptide-2 – MALP-2), which activated TLR2 and TLR6 receptors, resulted in a significant tumor growth reduction in a mouse model [83]. Intratumoral injection of the toll-like receptor 2/6 agonist MALP-2, in a limited number of patients with pancreatic carcinoma, caused a decrease in pancreatic tumor proliferation and metastasis [84]. Another agonist of TLR2 receptor protein-bound polysaccharide-K (PSK, mushroom extract) promoted apoptosis and inhibited tumor growth in various human PDAC cell lines [85]. It was found that TLR2 receptors were highly expressed in 70% of pancreatic tumors, but their expression was low in the surrounding normal pancreas tissue; they were also found on tumor-infiltrated myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSC) and tumor-associated macrophages (TAM), which after activation promoted tumor expansion, invasion, and metastasis [86]. Interestingly, the disruption of TLR2-dependent antitumor pathways by pancreatic adenocarcinoma up-regulated factor (PAUF protein) could contribute to tumor persistence and facilitate tumor growth [87, 88]. Treatment with anti-recombinant human pancreatic adenocarcinoma up-regulated factor in vitro and in vivo reduced proliferation, migration, invasion, and tumorigenic capacity. These findings suggest that the new cancer-associated ligand, PAUF, may activate the TLR-mediated ERK signaling to produce the pro-tumorigenic cytokines, but it inhibits the TLR-mediated NF-B signaling, thereby facilitating tumor growth. More specifically, PAUF induces the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) phosphorylation and activates the IKK--mediated TPL2/MEK/ERK signaling pathway through TLR2 and stimulates an increased expression of protumorigenic cytokines (RANTES, MIF). In addition, PAUF was also reported to be associated with the CXC chemokine receptor (CXCR4)-TLR2 complex and to inhibit the CXCR4-dependent, TLR2-mediated NF-B activation. Another study showed that PAUF could induce the activation and maturation of DCs and activate NF-B by stimulating the Toll-like receptor signaling pathway [89].The PAUF-mediated DC activation and immune stimulation are dependent on TLR4 and provide evidence supporting that this protein could be a promising adjuvant for DC-based therapies. The expression of PAUF was also elevated in ovarian tumors and it was found to be more frequently expressed in mucinous adenocarcinoma than in its benign and borderline counterparts, which was associated with a shorter overall survival of patients [90]. Novel high-affinity TLR2 agonists were synthesized to develop targeted agents for cancer imaging and therapy [91]. The latter study demonstrated tumor-specific retention of a fluorescently labeled agonist ligand that could potentially be used for the intraoperative detection of pancreatic cancer cells. Vaccination with TLR2-L SLP conjugates led to the efficient induction of antitumor immunity in mice challenged with aggressive transplantable melanoma or lymphoma [92]. These data show that TLR2-L SLP conjugates are promising synthetic vaccine candidates for active immunotherapy against cancer. Therefore, most of the presented studies, which were aimed at improving the outcomes of pancreatic cancer patient treatment, were focused on the activation of TLR2 receptor signaling pathways.
Fewer studies concerned the TLR3, TLR7 and TLR9 receptors, expressed intracellularly on endosomal membranes of several types of immune cells (mainly APCs, leukocytes), e.g., macrophages, B cells and DCs [93]. These receptors recognize dinucleotides (CpG motifs) found in bacteria and viruses. The activation of STAT3 and NOTCH receptors through NFB and MAPK contribute to the aggressive tumor phenotype induced by TLR7 activation. Chimeric mice with Tlr4/ or Tlr7/ bone marrows were partially protected from pancreatic carcinogenesis [19, 34]. Furthermore, TLR2, TLR7 and TLR9 were shown to be involved in the initiation of type 1 diabetes mellitus and TLR2, TLR4 played a major role in the onset of type 2 diabetes mellitus. In addition, peroxisome proliferator activated receptor- (PPAR), which is a nuclear receptor transcription factor implicated in the regulation of metabolism, differentiation and inflammation, was also involved in PDAC, which made it an interesting target for pharmacological prevention of PDAC in obese and diabetic patients [94]. TLR7 was found to be highly expressed both in inflammatory (in 40-65% of the tumor microenvironment cells) and cancer cells (in 50% of the advanced tumors) and the role of TLR7 in pancreatic cancer was also reported [51, 90]. For instance, TLR7 was reported to regulate pancreatic carcinogenesis in mice and humans, while TLR7 activation induced a loss of the p16/INK4A gene that is commonly mutated in human PDAC at a relatively early stage [51]. In that study, cancer aggressiveness induced by TLR7 agonists was associated with higher expression of cyclin B1, the c-Myc oncoprotein and the anti-apoptotic Bcl-xL protein. The decrease in cyclin D1, PTEN, p16 along with the up-regulation of several other tumor-suppressor proteins, such as p53, p21/WAF, pRB or p27/ Kip1 was also observed. Interestingly, both KRAS mutations and TLR7 stimulation are necessary for malignant transition. In addition, TLR7 ligation was shown to induce STAT3 activation and interfere with Notch as well as canonical NF-B and MAP kinase pathways, but the down-regulated expression of Notch target genes and blockade of TLR7 protected against carcinogenesis.Furthermore, mice lacking TLR7 exclusively in their inflammatory cells were protected from neoplasia.The therapeutic mechanism of TLR7 agonist (Imiquimod) was associated with the activation of immune cells involved in an effective antitumor immune response – B lymphocytes, plasma cells, NK and Langerhans cells [95]. Treatment with imiquimod down-regulated MHC class I molecules on tumor cells and these results indicated that the stimulation of tumor cells with TLR3 or TLR7 ligands enhanced the cytotoxic activity of T cells of cancer patients in vitro [96]. As recently presented in the PDAC cell line, the enhanced Cox-2 expression and increased release of the Cox-2 metabolite, prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), promoted resistance against T cell-mediated lysis; in addition, the application of tribody [(Her2)2 × V9] that enhances T-cell cytotoxicity, and Cox-2 inhibitors that overcome the PGE2-mediated resistance of PDAC cells to the cytotoxic activity of T cells, might offer a promising combined immunotherapy for pancreatic cancer [97]. A recent study demonstrated that TLR7 and TLR8 were highly expressed by the primary human ductal pancreatic cancer and TLR7/TLR8 expression increased tumor growth in vivo [98]. Stimulation of PANC1 cells overexpressing TLR7/TLR8 resulted in elevated NF-B and COX-2 expression, increased cancer cell proliferation and reduced chemosensitivity. These data demonstrate stage-dependent up-regulation of both TLR7 and TLR8 expression in pancreatic cancer.
Recently, TLR9 was linked both to acute pancreatitis and cancer [99]. TLR9 was shown to signal through the MyD88-dependent pathway, leading to the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines, but the participation of TLR9 is better known in acute pancreatitis than in pancreatic cancer [100]. The expression of TLR9 was shown to be more pronounced in pancreatic cancer tissue and the TLR9 gene was found to be correlated with the invasive and metastatic potential of human pancreatic carcinoma [101]. The percentage of positive cells expressing TLR9 protein in human pancreatic tissues, paracancerous tissues and normal tissues was 73.3%, 33.3% and 20.0%, respectively. In acute pancreatitis, a similar pattern of staining in exocrine pancreas was reported for TLR4 [102]. On the other hand, TLR2/4/9 agonists seemed to be good candidate molecules prolonging survival in patients with different types of cancer by inducing the expression of tumor necrosis factor (TNF-) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) that activate dendritic cell trafficking and its associated tumor-specific cytotoxic T-cell responses [103-106]. Evaluation of the efficacy of the ISCOM (immune stimulatory complexes)vaccine in a murine pancreatic carcinoma model revealed that the ISCOM vaccine effectively induced Ag-specific CTL capable of killing tumor cells, but did not affect tumor growth, and this lack of efficacy was correlated with increased numbers of Treg [107]. It should be emphasized that when the authors of the latter study depleted Treg with anti-CD25 mAb, CTL induction and prolonged survival was restored, and adding a low-dose of CpG to the ISCOM vaccine reduced the number of Treg, enhanced CTL responses and initiated regression of pancreatic tumors in a CD8(+) T cell-dependent manner. Interestingly, concomitant gemcitabine therapy negatively affected DC vaccine-induced CD8(+) T-cell and B-cell responses, but improved clinical efficacy in a murine pancreatic carcinoma model [108]. Despite the reduced number of tumor-reactive T-cells in peripheral blood, in vivo cytotoxicity assays revealed that the cytotoxic T-cell (CTL)-mediated killing was preserved. Another study showed that immunomodulatory oligonucleotide (IMO), TLR9 agonist, interfered with EGFR-dependent signaling (overexpressed in 50-60% of human pancreatic adenocarcinoma), modulating the functional interaction between TLR9 and EGFR, and markedly inhibited the growth of K-Ras mutant colon and pancreatic cancers in vitro [109, 110]. Furthermore, IMO and cetuximab combination caused a potent and long-lasting cooperative antitumor activity in colorectal cancer and in orthotopic pancreatic cancer models in vivo. In an orthotopic mouse model of a human pancreatic tumor xenograf, the antitumor chemotherapy effects (gemcitabine) were combined with the potent TLR9 synthetic agonists (CpG-oligodeoxynucleotides) [111]. These studies showed that the tumor spread in the peritoneal cavity was reduced to a greater extent in combined therapy than with gemcitabine alone, and it significantly improved the survival time.
Considering the fact that the body of evidence is still limited, it is impossible to conclude whether TLR3 and TLR9 play an important role in patients with pancreatic cancer. Similarly as TLR2 and TLR4, TLR3 is expressed in various tumors, including colorectal, ovarian, breast, hepatocellular, laryngeal cancer and melanoma [112-115]. The TLR3 gene codes for an endoplasmic receptor of the pattern-recognition receptors (PRRs) family that recognizes double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) and plays an important role in the innate immune response triggered by viral infection. Several studies demonstrated that activation of TLR3 by dsRNA directly inhibited cell proliferation and induced apoptosis in tumor cells [116-118]. Synthetic dsRNAs (e.g., polyinosine-cytosine, poly I:C; polyadenylic-polyuridylic, poly A:U) were demonstrated to be one of the agents in tumor chemotherapy demonstrating favorable outcome in clinical trials [119]. TLR3 agonist (polycytidylic acid) was found to induce lysis of pancreatic cancer cell lines by enhancing the cytotoxic activity of T cells in vitro, but this agonist could also acceleratepancreatic carcinogenesis in KRAS-mutated mice [96]. The presence of constitutively activated TLR3/Wnt5a expression in human pancreatic cancer and malignant melanoma cell lines was decreased by phenylmethimazole, which in turn inhibited the growth and migration in both of these cancer cell lines [120]. In colon carcinoma, cell line anticancer drugs (e.g., 5-FU) increased the TLR3 expression and intensified the poly I:C-induced apoptosis via p53-dependent and -independent pathways [121]. The results of other studies suggested that IFN- enhanced TLR3-mediated antiviral cytokine expression in human endothelial and epithelial cells by up-regulating TLR3 expression [122]. Recent data indicated that mucin1 cytoplasmic tail (MUC1-CT), a negative regulator of TLR inflammatory signaling mediated through the MyD88 adaptor protein, was able to counter-regulate the apoptotic and inflammatory responses of airway epithelial cells through the constitutive association with TLR3, thereby inhibiting poly(I:C)-induced recruitment of TRIF to TLR3 [123]. MUC1 is a membrane-tethered mucin glycoprotein expressed on the apical surface of mucosal epithelial cells and was originally cloned in pancreatic cancer cells [124]. Aberrantly glycosylated MUC1 – an oncogenic molecule – is overexpressed in most human epithelial cancers [125]. Overexpression of MUC1 in cancer is caused by the increased gene dosage and the level of transcription, as well as by the loss of post-transcriptional regulation [126]; MUC1 overexpression leads to metastasis and poor prognosis in pancreas cancer patients [127]. Importantly, by targeting the EGF receptor(s), the STAT1 axis attenuates tumor growth and metastasis through down-regulation of the MUC4 mucin in human pancreatic cancer [128]. In those studies, canertinib or afatinib therapy resulted in a reduction of MUC4 (MUC4 mucin de novo expression occurs in 70-90% of pancreatic cancer patients)and abrogation of in vitro and in vivo oncogenic functions of MUC4 in pancreatic cancer cells. Furthermore, canertinib and afatinib treatment also inhibited the proliferation, migration and survival of pancreatic cancer cells by attenuating signaling molecules, including pERK1/2 (T202/Y204), cyclin D1, cyclin A, pFAK (Y925) and pAKT (Ser473). Unfortunately, the low level of serum MUC4 limits its diagnostic/prognostic potential, however, the present data open a new range of therapeutic applications for TLR3 agonists as cytotoxic agents and for efficient drug delivery in selected cancers with specific tumor markers.
Research aimed to elucidate the mechanisms underlying the development of pancreatic cancer drew attention also to other innate immunity receptors/protein signaling pathways. It has been shown that bacterial flagellin is a natural ligand of TLR5 receptor, which is also an attractive candidate for therapeutic targeting in cancer [129]. Bacterial flagellin and flagellin-expressing bacteria (Salmonella) exhibited antitumor effects in mouse models of colon and liver metastasis of pancreatic cancer, although these effects required TLR5 expression by the tumor cells and production of cytokines (G-CSF, IL-6, IL-8, and IL-10) by cells recruited to the tumor [130, 131]. The results of a recent study have defined the liver as a key mediator of TLR5-dependent effects in vivo and suggested clinical applications for TLR5 agonists as hepatoprotective and antimetastatic agents [132]. In a mouse xenograft model of human breast and colon cancer cells, TLR5 activation by flagellin mediated innate immune response induced a potent antitumor activity that suppressed cell proliferation and inhibited tumor growth [133, 134]. In addition, it was shown that TLR5 was also highly expressed on gastric carcinoma cells [135], and those authors found that the expression of TLRs (TLR4, TLR5, TLR9) enabled gastric carcinoma cells to interact with H. pylori. Moreover, other findings suggest that genetic polymorphisms in TLR2 and TLR5 may play important roles in the process of H. pylori-related gastric carcinogenesis [136]. To date, the specific function and detailed mechanism of TLR5 signaling pathways in the development of pancreatic cancer are still unknown.
Among the genes involved in innate antibacterial signaling pathways that affect the development of pancreatic cancer, HMGB1 and TRAF6 are important in the regulation of the local inflammatory response. HMGB1 is one of the most characteristic genes deregulated in solid tumor tissue and serum, including pancreatic cancer [137, 138]. Studies in cell lines showed that HMGB1 was strongly up-regulated in breast cancer, colon cancer, melanoma, pancreatic cancer and prostate cancer; up-regulated HMGB1 activated TLR2 and TLR4 expressed on immune cells and induced cancer progression and metastasis [139]. Moreover, HMGB1 and S100A9 – two DAMPs that bind TLR4 – were detected in the pancreas of PDAC patients [66]. The serum level of HMGB1 showed a tendency to increase with the progression of gastric and pancreatic cancers and is considered a powerful diagnostic biomarker for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma [137, 140]. HMGB1 overexpression was associated with tumor progression and poor prognosis in pancreatic cancer and was an independent prognostic indicator for patients’ survival [141]. Overexpression of HMGB1/RAGE (receptor for advanced glycation end products) was associated with reduced apoptosis and prolonged cancer cell survival [142]. The HMGB1/RAGE inflammatory pathway was demonstrated to promote pancreatic tumor growth by regulating mitochondrial bioenergetics [143]. The lack of RAGE, or inhibition of HMGB1 release, diminished the production of ATP and slowed tumor growth in vitro and in vivo. An experimental study showed that TRAF6 (TNF receptor-associated factor 6) acted as an oncogene, which was important for RAS-mediated oncogenesis and provided a mechanistic explanation for the already apparent importance of constitutive NF-B activation in the RAS-driven lung cancer [144]. The nuclear transcription factor-B RelA was also found to be constitutively activated in human pancreatic adenocarcinoma cells [145]. The participation of the TRAF6 gene in the pathogenesis and progression of pancreatic cancer is not clear. Tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated factor 6 is an adapter protein involved in the activation of the TLR-mediated nuclear factor-B (NF-B) signaling pathway that induces the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines. TRAF6 as a part of signaling complex (MyD88-IRAK4-IRAK1-TRAF6) is required for the pro-inflammatory cytokine production induced by TLR7 and TLR9 signaling. TRAF6 was shown to up-regulate the expression of hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF-1) and promote tumor angiogenesis [146]. However, it was demonstrated that poor vascularization was a characteristic feature of pancreatic cancer [147]. The expression of TRAF6 was up-regulated in pancreatic cancer tissues and over-expression of TRAF6 in pancreatic cancer cells promoted cell proliferation and migration, whereas down-regulation of TRAF6 impaired the tumorigenicity of pancreatic cancer cells in vitro and in vivo [148]. These results suggested that TRAF6 might represent a potential therapeutic target. In an orthotopic xenograft model of SCID mice, a combination of proteasome inhibitor (MG132) and ionizing radiation therapy resulted in a significant increase in the tumor growth delay and a decreased tumor tissue expression of TRAF6 [149]. Additionally, we have recently proposed that overexpression of TLR4, NOD1 and TRAF6 genes and lower MyD88 gene expression in peripheral blood leukocytes of patients with pancreatic cancer, could contribute to chronic inflammation and tumor progression by the up-regulation of the innate antibacterial response (e.g., to LPS) [150]. Although the evidence suggesting carcinogenic and therapeutic effects of stimulation or inhibition of TLRs is increasingly growing, it still remains unclear what kind of changes in gene expression of the TLR signaling pathways in leukocytes are associated with pancreatic cancer.
The results of our study clearly indicated an abnormal gene expression in the innate antibacterial signaling pathways in peripheral blood leukocytes of patients with pancreatic cancer, which might lead to leukocyte dysfunction. We postulate that the pathologic gene expression of receptors and proteins regulating the innate antibacterial response to various stimuli must be primarily included in the analysis of a multistep sequence of events leading to the development and progression of pancreatic cancer. In our opinion, the adjuvant therapy of pancreatic cancer should also focus on the regulation of gene expression in peripheral blood leukocytes. Hypothetically, the influx and recruitment of leukocytes to the tumor microenvironment with the formation of inflammatory infiltration may facilitate cancer cell escape from the control of the immune system in poorly defined mechanisms, for instance, chronic inflammation and immune suppression in the tumor microenvironment with immune responses mediated by Treg, dendritic cells, MDSCs (myeloid-derived suppressor cells) and Th17 cells, MMPs-matrix metalloproteinases and HIF--hypoxia-inducible transcription factor overexpression or increased production of IL-10 and H2O2. Changing the microenvironment of the tumor cells by regulating the expression of genes encoding proteins of the innate antibacterial signaling pathway (e.g., using immunonutrition) in leukocytes infiltrating the tumor cells is a novel therapeutic approach (Fig. 1). This applies to both the main tumor mass, which cannot always be removed surgically, and micrometastases that are beyond the reach of diagnostic tests. Furthermore, the assessment of the gene expression profile in leukocytes can be useful for monitoring the course of disease and genetic effectiveness of the treatment. Our previous study in a small group of malnourished pancreatic cancer patients with overexpression of the TLR4 gene in peripheral blood leukocytes revealed that enteral supplementation of glutamine (diet consisting of 20 γ glutamine per day) could decrease TLR4 expression within five days prior to surgery [151]. This surprising effect of immunonutrition in pancreatic cancer patients could be associated with a decrease in the amount of stimulants reaching the TLR4 receptor (e.g., by blocking LPS or DAMPs – damage-associated molecular pattern molecules, interacting with TLR4 receptor). An experimental study showed that enteral administration of glutamine reduced the elevated expression of TLR4, signal adaptor protein MyD88 and TRAF6 mRNA in the intestinal mucosa in response to LPS-induced endotoxemia in rats [152]. Investigations on the effect of this treatment on the number of infectious complications and course of the disease are in progress. It is also known that fatty acids (omega-3) can have a selective inhibitory effect on the signaling cascade related to the innate antibacterial response by blocking the interaction of endotoxin with the TLR4 receptor and intracellular signaling proteins [153]. Similar studies in patients with pancreatic cancer have not been performed, but it is well recognized that glutamine is an important fuel (nitrogen donor in nucleotide and amino acid biosynthesis) for the growth of tumor cells. Other studies suggested that inhibiting LPS-induced TLR4 signaling (e.g., by Eritoran/E5564, TLR4 small molecule antagonist) could improve therapeutic outcomes by preventing cancer metastasis during the perioperative period of colorectal cancer resection [154]. Using a unique ability of pancreatic cells to accumulate omega-3 fatty acids, EPA and DHA were found to induce ROS accumulation and caspase-8-dependent cell death in human pancreatic cancer cells (MIA-PaCa-2 and Capan-2) in vitro [155]. Previous studies demonstrated that EPA inhibited the proliferation of all human pancreatic cancer cell lines in a dose-dependent fashion, and apoptosis was found to be associated with the activation of caspase-3 and suppression of cyclo-oxygenase-2 expression [156]. Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) induced apoptosis also in normal gastric and gastric carcinoma cells [157]. Most studies showed that PUFAs caused selective cytotoxicity towards cancer cells via apoptosis, little or no toxicity to normal cells and potentially increased the sensitivity of tumor cells to conventional therapies [158]. A promising phase III trial demonstrated that intravenous -3 FAs in combination with gemcitabine improved the activity and quality of life (QOL) in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer [159]. Moreover, the TLR4 protein and mRNA level were markedly down-regulated by PUFA 1 : 1 compared with SFA, however, rats fed the PUFA 1 : 4 diet failed to exhibit these changes [160]. These data highlight the role of the PUFA 1 : 1 diet in the prevention of obesity and related metabolic disorders by suppressing the activation of TLR4, a critical modulator of pro-inflammatory cytokines. An additional nutritional therapy reducing the expression of TLR4 on tumor cells would probably also inhibit its growth and local inflammation in patients with pancreatic cancer, but these mechanisms are not fully understood. A better known mechanism of omega-3 fatty acid action applies to their pro-apoptotic and anti-inflammatory activity on tumor cells (e.g., regulation of Bcl-2, Bax and c-Myc, and effects on lipids metabolism) [161-163]. Tissue samples derived from patients with head and neck, esophageal, gastric, colorectal, liver, pancreatic, skin, breast, ovarian, cervical, and breast cancer were shown to express increased amounts of TLR4 [164], indicating that modulation of the TLR4 signaling pathway would have a beneficial effect on most common cancers.
Apart from TLRs, a significant role in the recognition of pathogen-related molecular patterns and regulation of the innate antibacterial response is also played by other proteins belonging to the pathogen-associated molecular pattern (PAMP) receptors, including peptidoglycan recognition proteins, cytosolic NOD (nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain) proteins and TREM1 receptor (triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 1) [165]. Both TLR and NLR pathways are mediated through different adaptor proteins, but they are commonly found to activate the NF-B, which induces the expression of proinflammatory cytokines [166]. The nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain is expressed in a wide variety of cell types of both hematopoietic and non-hematopoietic origin. Proteins with this domain (e.g., NLRs – NOD-like receptors: NOD1, NOD2) possess the ability to bind LPS and bacterial peptidoglycan; they can also transmit a signal independently of TLRs, which also results in NF-B activation and stimulation of the expression of cytokine-coding genes (for NOD1: TNF- and IL-6, and for NOD2: TNF- and IL-1) and adhesive molecules [167]. NOD1 recognizes the compounds (meso-diaminopimelic acid with peptidoglycan) of Gram-negative and some Gram-positive bacteria [168], whereas muramyl dipeptide is the ligand for NOD2, derived from the wall of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria [169, 170]. NOD-like signaling is involved in the regulation of immune homeostasis in the gut. NOD2 deficiency in mice could lead to a compromised epithelial barrier and impaired immune response to commensal microbiota [171]. In turn, NOD1 deficiency resulted in increased tumor formation associated with the inflammation of the colon in mice [172]. NOD1 and NOD2 are involved in the pathogenesis of diabetes, presumably through the recognition of the gut microbiota [173]. It was reported that a NOD2 gene mutation might be also a predisposing factor for colorectal cancer characterized by a higher average age of disease onset in subjects who do not harbor any other genetic predisposition to the disease [174]. Polymorphisms in NOD1/CARD4 and NOD2/CARD15 genes may shift the balance between pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines, thereby modulating the risk of infection, chronic inflammation and cancer [175]. NOD1/CARD4 and NOD2/CARD15 gene polymorphisms may be associated with altered risk of gastric, colorectal, breast, ovarian, prostate, testicular, lung, laryngeal, liver, gallbladder, biliary tract, pancreatic, small bowel, kidney, urinary bladder and skin cancer as well as non-thyroid endocrine tumors, lymphoma and leukemia. In another meta-analysis, NOD2 rs2066844 C/T, rs2066845 C/G and rs2066847 (3020insC) polymorphisms were potentially associated with an increased cancer risk; moreover, in the cancer type subgroup analysis, the insC/insC+insC/2 genotype was significantly associated with an increased risk of colorectal cancer, gastric cancer, MALT lymphoma, breast cancer, lung cancer and laryngeal cancer, but not with urogenital cancer, pancreatic cancer, melanoma and non-Hodgkin lymphoma [176]. Furthermore, signaling pathway analyses in a genome-wide association study (data from 3,851 pancreatic cancer cases) revealed that the NOD1 gene was associated with the risk of pancreatic cancer (H. pylori – cytokine signaling pathway) [177]. Further, large-scale and well-designed studies are still needed to confirm the relationship between the NOD gene expression and the risk of pancreatic cancer.
Conclusions and future directions
The results of the studies on the various markers in peripheral blood are strongly affected, i.a., by local disorders of the innate and acquired immune response. Increased expression of biomarkers in peripheral blood reflects a variety of metabolic/immune/genetic disorders associated with both host and tumor defence reactions. These disorders are conducive to the “escape” of cancer cells out of control of the immune system, they inhibit the response to cancer cells and enhance the status of tolerance/immunosuppression. Of significant importance in this process is simultaneously increasing lack of energy substrates, hypoxia of the pancreas tumor tissue caused by poor vascularization and increasing tumor activity accompanied by changes in the number and activity of tumor-infiltrating cell. Most frequently, local change of immunity includes: lymphocyte/neutrophil ratio, changes in subpopulations of T cells (Treg, Tc, Th1/Th2, CD8+, CD45RO+ density), dendritic cells, myeloid suppressor cells (MDSC), M1/M2 macrophages, growth factors (e.g., EGF, FGF, VEGF) or cytokines (e.g. IL-5, 6, 10, 13); these changes are not specific to pancreatic cancer, as they are also found in other gastrointestinal tract cancers [178-181]. In pancreatic cancer patients, local cellular immunity disorders (e.g., high or low lymphocyte density in cancer infiltration) have a significant impact on survival [178]. On the other hand, studies of cellular immunity disorders in the peripheral blood showed that MDSCs and Tregs were statistically significantly elevated in pancreatic, esophageal and gastric cancer compared with controls. Moreover, elevated MDSC percentage was associated with an increased risk of death, while in a multivariate analysis, MDSC level was an independent prognostic factor for survival [179]. These studies highlighted basic mechanisms inhibiting or promoting tumor growth, with particular emphasis on their practical diagnostic and therapeutic significance.
As demonstrated by the presented works, in order to increase the effectiveness of methods for early detection of disorders leading to the development of pancreatic cancer, first of all, the knowledge of the local mechanisms regulating signaling pathways associated with innate antibacterial response should be broadened. It should be emphasized that disorders of innate antibacterial response are of fundamental importance in the development of gastrointestinal cancers, including pancreatic cancer. In interpreting the results of disorders of the innate antibacterial immunity mechanisms, the nutritional status of patients and peripheral cellular immunity disorders (e.g., lymphocyte-related apoptosis) should also be taken into account. Previously cited research results indicate that the number of lymphocytes in tumor infiltration (especially the density of tumor infiltrating effector cells) is reduced compared to neutrophils, which is of important prognostic significance. In most studies, the problem of nutritional status disorders of patients (lack of nutritional substances for the proper functioning of the immune system) is omitted, although it is known that malnutrition is an inherent factor associated with gastrointestinal tract cancers worsening the prognosis. Nutritional deficiencies should be compensated in these patients by appropriate nutritional therapy, which may have a beneficial effect on changing the tumor environment and cancer cells’ metabolism. Metabolic reprogramming is linked to the activation of oncogenes but also to the inhibition of tumor suppressor genes [182]. Interestingly, human pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma cells rely on a different metabolic pathway than normal pancreatic cells, and, for example in cancer cells, glutamine-derived aspartate is transported into the cytoplasm where it can be converted into oxaloacetate by aspartate transaminase [183]. Furthermore, these studies show that the reprogramming of glutamine metabolism is mediated by oncogenic KRAS, the signature genetic alteration in PDAC, through the transcriptional upregulation and repression of key metabolic enzymes in this pathway. In a recent study, targeting the glutamine metabolism sensitized pancreatic cancer to the PARP-driven metabolic catastrophe induced by -lapachone, which is an NADPH: quinone oxidoreductase (NQO1)-bioactivatable drug that leads to NADPH depletion (NQO1 expression is highly activated by mutant KRAS signaling) [184]. It should also be noted that in comparison to other cells, pancreatic cancer cells have a unique property of polyunsaturated fatty acid (omega-3) accumulation, which allows to induce apoptosis in them [185]. Additionally, these data also suggest that treating pancreatic cancer cells with omega-3 fatty acid alone, or in combination with gemcitabine, result in an increased inhibition of proliferation, and the mechanism of this inhibition is related to apoptosis progression.
Dysregulation of signaling pathways associated with innate antibacterial immunity is important factor playing a crucial role in pathogenesis, development, prognosis and therapy of pancreatic cancer. The increased interest in this line of research stems mainly from an elevated expression of TLRs and signaling pathway proteins associated with these receptors in pancreatic cancer cells when compared with healthy pancreatic gland. The most interesting are multi-regulatory properties of the TLR receptors (e.g., regulation of proliferation, the activity of NF-B, gene transcription of apoptosis proteins, regulation of angiogenesis, HIF-1 protein expression) used in experimental studies to better understand the pathogenesis of pancreatic cancer (assessment of bacterial factor participation) and the possibility of therapeutic intervention. This is supported by a number of examples of agonists discussed here (e.g., TLR2/5 ligands, TLR6, TLR9) exhibiting antitumor activity, although parallel stimulation of other TLRs (TLR7/TLR8) produced the opposite effect, while reducing the sensitivity of the tumor to chemotherapy. On the other hand, it appeared that blocking selected TLRs (TLR4, TLR7) could inhibit the development of mouse and human pancreatic cancer cells, while inhibiting the MyD88 signaling pathway in dendritic tumor-infiltrating cells paradoxically stimulated the development of pancreatic cancer. The direction of these studies is promising, but the small number of them does not allow for an accurate assessment of the impact of expression disorders of TLRs, proteins of these signaling pathways, or attempts to block or stimulate them, on the results of treatment of pancreatic cancer patients. It is still difficult to determine whether these disorders may precede the development of pancreatic cancer or whether the discussed parameters can be used as early markers. It is known, however, that the expression disorders of proteins of innate antibacterial response signaling pathways occur not only in tumor tissue but also in peripheral blood leukocytes of pancreatic cancer patients (e.g., increased expression of TLR4, NOD1, TRAF6), which is one of the most important factors facilitating further tumor development.
New hopes for the improvement of pancreatic cancer treatment are associated with genetic testing of microRNA expression changes, the aim of which is to better understand the pathogenesis as well as diagnostic and therapeutic possibilities. MicroRNAs are small non-coding RNAs (19-24 nucleotides long) that regulate gene expression by affecting translation of messenger RNA. MicroRNAs are aberrantly expressed in many tumors and elicit oncogenic or tumor-suppressive functions. Importantly for cancer diagnosis and better understanding of their pathogenesis, altered expression of microRNAs can be determined in the serum and tumor tissues, including paraffin sections. Similarly to investigating cell infiltrations of pancreatic tumor, the assessment of changes in the expression of microRNAs can be a valuable complement to the routine tests (e.g., immunohistochemistry). MicroRNAs mediate signaling network of apoptosis pathways and down-regulation of mutationally activated oncogenic KRAS and its downstream signaling pathways in PDAC [186]. A large body of evidence has revealed dysregulation of miRNAs in PDAC, IPMN and PanIN lesions, suggesting their use as biomarkers for early diagnosis of pancreatic cancer.
The authors declare no conflict of interest.
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140. Chung HW, Lee SG, Kim H, et al. (2009): Serum high mobility group box-1 (HMGB1) is closely associated with the clinical and pathologic features of gastric cancer. J Transl Med 7: 38-49.
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142. Lotze MT, Tracey KJ (2005): High-mobility group box 1 protein (HMGB1): nuclear weapon in the immune arsenal. Nat Rev Immunol 5: 331-342.
143. Kang R, Tang D, Schapiro NE, et al. (2014): The HMGB1/RAGE inflammatory pathway promotes pancreatic tumor growth by regulating mitochondrial bioenergetics. Oncogene 33: 567-577.
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146. Sun H, Li XB, Meng Y, et al. (2013): TRAF6 upregulates expression of HIF-1alpha and promotes tumor angiogenesis. Cancer Res 73: 4950-4959.
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Copyright: © 2017 Polish Society of Experimental and Clinical Immunology This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0) License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/), allowing third parties to copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format and to remix, transform, and build upon the material, provided the original work is properly cited and states its license.
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Cars We Remember: 1962 Chrysler and Dodge similarities and a rare ’62 Newport
Q: Greg can you give some history on the Chrysler Newport, one of my favorite cars from back in the 1960 era? I remember a column you wrote a long time ago about a gentleman who owned a 1962 Newport that was so rare, only a few were built with a 3-speed shifter on the floor. Can you also give information on the Dodge and Chrysler resemblance from 1962?
Glenn, Massachusetts
A: Glenn let’s start with the history of the Chrysler Newport. Chrysler first used the Newport name way back in 1940 and 1941 when just six Newports were built for show car purposes. Featuring a beautiful slipstream design with hidden headlights, they were officially known as the Chrysler Newport Phaeton and most notably paced the 1941 Indianapolis 500. Power came from a straight-8 with dual carbs so it didn’t have any trouble bringing those Indy roadsters to the green flag back then.
Chrysler brought the Newport name back in 1950 more so as a hardtop designation offering and was even featured as a Town & Country style with wood trim (see photo). All Newport trims featured the hardtop style with no B-pillar.
However, it wasn’t until 1961 that the Newport became a standalone model. The lower price, full-size entry-level 1961 Newport carried a base price of $2,964 with the 361 V8. With the demise of the DeSoto line, the Chrysler Newport was an instant hit, even in the “plain Jane” version. Many had crank windows, as power windows and doors back then were options.
As we moved to 1962, this is where the Newport and Dodge resemblance come into play. Chrysler continued to use its nice looking 1961 front end with the canted headlights, but also gave the OK over at sibling Dodge to share three quarters of the full-size Newport sans a distinct Dodge front end. This Dodge in Newport skin was called the 880 line and utilized the exact same new rear clip design from the Chrysler Newport. Thus, all full-size 1962 Dodge 880s use the same 1961 Dodge front design and then feature just about everything else Chrysler Newport, including the chassis and interior. These Dodge Custom 880 models became available in January 1962. The Newport survived until 1981 and proved to be one of Chrysler’s overall most successful full-size models.
As for the rare ’62 Chrysler Newport you mention, it was from a question I received about a two-door coupe that was owned by a man named Brian K., from Sodus Point, New York. He indicated that just seven dealer display models were ever built, but I was not able to track down any further information although I certainly believed what he uncovered about his rare Newport was 100 percent accurate. (I had to go back 10 years to find the original column).
This rare ’62 Newport in question included the Newport/Dodge 880 rear clip, a ’61 Newport front end, 361 V8, 3-speed manual shift on the floor, 40/60 bench seat, crank windows, manual steering, and manual brakes. Each one of the seven had one option, an AM radio. These cars were sent to dealers to be priced at $2,939.00. The car that Brian was able to buy originally went to a dealer in Hay Springs, Nebraska, after it came off the assembly line.
Although Brian had the car’s build sheet, he was unable to find any production records and said that even his father, who was a Chrysler technician in the 1960s, could not remember ever seeing one like his. The Chrysler museum at Dearborn, Michigan, did find records for 10 3-speed transmission orders that year at its Newport assembly plant.
I still hope that one of my readers out there can help out, as all of the people I’ve spoken to about that car came back with the same additional information … namely big zeros. However, because Brian had the build sheet, it at least proves that his car was indeed factory built and worthy of some additional price consideration.
Hope this all helps, as the rare ’62 Newport delivered from the factory with build sheet makes Brian’s Chrysler worthy of this week’s column. And if Brian is still the owner of this Newport and still reads this column, any update, photos or anything else he may have discovered over the last 10 years would be appreciated.
Thanks for your question Glenn.
Greg Zyla writes weekly for More Content Now and GateHouse Media. Contact him at greg@gregzyla.com.
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Polychaete Worms: Part 2
By Stephanie Boyd
Clymenella torquata. Photo by Erin M. Hill | Research Specialist III | Center for Coastal Studies | Texas A&M University – Corpus Christi
(Continued from the November issue...)
The serpulid reefs of Baffin are not the only polychaete residents we have on the Texas Coast; there are far too many species to cover (hundreds, at least). Most are easily overlooked by someone casually exploring the seashore, even though their densities in mud and sand habitats often exceed those of their mollusk and crustacean counterparts. A characteristic species of the Upper Laguna Madre is Clymenella torquata, one of the bamboo worms. Bamboo worms are named for the resemblance of their segmentally striped body to a jointed bamboo stalk. These are tube-dwelling worms, usually orange or green. They reside head down in the tube, using their bottom to plug the top of the tube. This position enables them to eat their way down through the sediment. Any bacteria or nutrients in the sediment are extracted in the gut, and the waste is excreted through the top of the tube, where it is swept away by the currents. Bamboo worms also irrigate their tubes every 15 or 20 minutes, which allows them to survive in oxygen-depleted waters. Unlike many other tube-dwelling polychaetes, C. torquata is so tightly packed into its tube that it is unable to turn around. Because its tail is exposed to predators every time it needs to relieve itself, it has cultivated an uncommon hastiness in this activity. However, it can regenerate lost segments, if the fish gets the better of it.
Polychaetes are the numerically dominant macroscopic (visible to the naked eye) animals throughout most of the soft bottoms in the Gulf. Their dominance is challenged intermittently by brief blooms of amphipods, anemone, and some clam species. They are a major food resource of commercial shrimp and are also a large portion of the diets of such fishes as porgies, batfish, flounders, and tonguefish. One species common in the fine sand characterizing most of the nearshore sediments in the northwestern Gulf is Owenia fusiformis, the roofing worm. Though it can be found in coarse sediments, this greenish/yellowish worm prefers to build its tube in areas of fairly clean sand. It arranges flat, light-colored sand grains like overlapping roof tiles, with the free edges facing upwards. In mature worms, this tube is 6-8 inches long and 2-5 mm wide. Like the bamboo worm, this species can live in low oxygen concentrations for a short time. O. fusiformis lives with its tube partly extended from the sediment so that its feeding crown, a circle of short, fringed tentacles, can intercept suspended food particles. However, it will also bend over to pick up larger food particles from the sea floor near its tube. This species is often preyed on by flatfish, haddock, and cod, among others.
The most abundant annelid species in the marsh and mud bottoms in West Galveston Bay, according to a study from Dec 1988-July 1989, is Streblospio benedicti. This is a small polychaete that grows less than 2 inches in length (often only about 0.25 inches) and typically lives 30 to 75 weeks. Individuals are generally reddish-brown and slightly translucent, with dark green-brown gill bands. Like the bamboo worm, S. benedicti ingests sediment and extracts the nutrients, but like O. fusiformis, it can extend its feeding tentacles up into the water column to capture floating food particles. This opportunistic behavior contributes to its success as a pioneering species. S. benedicti is consumed by a variety of predators, including grass shrimp, blue crabs, and juvenile fish, such as spot and flounder. Its high density, up to 555 individuals per square foot, makes it a very appealing food source, like a dollar menu (so much food, so little effort). A 1998 taxonomic revision, based on genetic and morphological data, now recognizes Gulf of Mexico populations of S. benedicti as belonging to a separate, closely related species, Streblospio gynobranchiata.
That's just a sampling of the hundreds (maybe thousands) of species of polychaete worms found in the Gulf. Most of us never notice them, despite their prevalence. I only knew of their existence from the tubes that wash up on the beach little straws of sand covered in colorful shell bits. Luckily (for the worm), finding those tubes doesn't mean the worm has died. The top halves of the tube, sticking up above the sediment, are often snapped off by wave action; the worms just rebuild (sand and mud are easy pickings, after all, and they always have some mucous to spare).
Where I learned about polychaetes, and you can too!
Beachcomber's Guide to Gulf Coast Marine Life: Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida
By Susan B. Rothschild
The Laguna Madre of Texas and Tamaulipas
By John Wesley Tunnell and Frank W. Judd
"Oyster Reef as Habitat for Estuarine Macrofauna"
By R. Zimmerman, T. Minello, T. Baumer, and M. Castiglione
National Marine Fisheries Service | Southeast Fisheries Center | Galveston Laboratory
"The Magnitude of Global Marine Species Diversity, Current Biology"
dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2012.09.036
World Polychaeta Database
www.marinespecies.org/polychaeta/
World Register of Marine Species
www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=130544
Marine Species Identification Portal
species-identification.org/species.php?species_group=zmns&id=253
Smithsonian Marine Station
www.sms.si.edu/irlspec/Streblospio_benedicti.htm
Sea Slug Forum
www.seaslugforum.net/find/polychaete
eol.org/pages/84/overview
www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/468364/polychaete
Science Encyclopedia
science.jrank.org/pages/6062/Segmented-Worms.html
University of California Museum of Paleontology
www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/annelida/annelida.html
www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/annelida/polyintro.html
www.nhm.ac.uk/nature-online/species-of-the-day/evolution/platynereis-dumerilii/
www.nhm.org/site/research-collections/polychaetous-annelids/faqs
Life Desks - Marine Biodiversity of British Columbia
bcbiodiversity.lifedesks.org/pages/18056
Back to Fishy Facts
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Primed for Survival
Special Numbers
Download PDF Download Word Doc
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Film summary
Why do Periodica Cicada only emerge en masse during prime-numbered years? Mathematicians believe it gives the species the best chance of protecting its breed.
This is the moment a periodical cicada emerges from the ground for the first time in 13 years.
In the outside world, predators await the near defenceless insect.
But it is not alone.
Millions of periodical cicadas emerge all at once, creating safety in numbers.
This mass emergence fascinates not just biologists, but mathematicians too.
Because, by occurring only once every 13 years, it suggests mother nature is making purposeful use of prime numbers.
Prime Mating
A prime number is any whole number which is divisible only by itself and one.
This means that insects with a cycle of prime numbered years have the least chance of coinciding with insects born in other cycles.
This is important as it restricts cross-breeding and preserves the unique characteristics of individual species.
Whereas a 13-year cycle only coincides with cycles of 1 or 13 years, a 12-year cycle would coincide with other species born in 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 or 12-year cycles.
Periodical cicadas use this unique property to their advantage.
It allows them to avoid mating with other species of non- periodical cicada, which hatch more frequently.
So the periodical cicada is likely to only mate with others in its own cycle.
By avoiding breeding with other species, the periodical cicada protects its 13-year lifecycle, ensuring millions emerge all at once, producing the survival technique of safety in numbers.
Periodical cicadas have been known to emerge not only in 13-year cycles, but in 17-year cycles, too – another prime number.
Groups emerging in these prime numbered cycles would be destined to meet only once every 221 years.
The Prime Number Code
A Pattern in the Primes
Sets: Infinity
Irrational Numbers: Pythagoras
Imaginary Numbers
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See 34,042 scholarships worth $169M
What should every freshman at your school know before they start? (509) Describe the students at your school. (142) What do you consider the worst thing about your school? Why? (102) Here's your chance: Say anything about your college! (101) What's the one thing you wish someone had told you about freshman year? (95) Describe how your school looks to someone who's never seen it. (91) What's unique about your campus? (91) What kind of person should attend this school? (86) What kind of person should not attend this school? (71) What's the most frustrating thing about your school? (69) Describe your favorite campus traditions. (65) What are the academics like at your school? (65) What is your overall opinion of this school? (63) Is the stereotype of students at your school accurate? (59) What is the stereotype of students at your school? (58) What are the most popular student activities/groups? (53) What is the stereotype of students at your school? Is this stereotype accurate? (12) Describe a day on campus you'll never forget. (1) Describe a typical weekend. (1) Describe the dorms. (1) Tell us about the food and dining options. (1) Tell us about the sports scene on campus. (1) Why did you decide to go to this school? (1)
« See more reviews of Baylor University
Class: Senior
The staff that works in the cashiers office is so friendly and helpful. I tell my friends how they respond back to your emails and voicemails rapidly after they have thoroughly researched a solution to your problem they go beyond their duty to ensure you have an answer
Class: Junior
The amazing relationships and collegiate unity I feel even though it's a decent sized school. I'm highly involved in a sorority which is wonderful, so I am very involved on campus and even though I live off campus, I still feel apart of the on campus crowd.
I tell them that everyone here is just so friendly and willing to lend a helping hand. They facilities and staff are amazing. Course work tends to be tedious and difficult, but a degree from Baylor University is something to be proud of for a lifetime.
Class: Sophomore
This is a very friendly campus with good moral values. The education you receive here is very good. You will make friends for life. The faculty are engaging and care about the students. There is a very caring atmosphere at Baylor.
The positive environment that Baylor fosters. Everyone you are surrounded with cares deeply about who you are, how you are doing, and what you are about. It is incredibly encouraging to be around people of the same mind and heart!
Meggaen
First, that Baylor is known for its academics and has a great reputation for the students' academic abilities, which Baylor lives up to. Also, the professors are extremely helpful, and are very accessible.
Baylor has a really good pre-med program that helps students who are interested in medical school or health profession. The opportunities are numerous and the professors are intelligent in what they teach.
The facilities the school has for learning. The buildings are beautiful, well stocked with lots of things needed for learning, availability of the faculty to help you and the small sizes of the classes
The small class sizes are really good. However the lack of social options is very discouraging, as is the lack of diversity. It's almost sickening to see students that are all cookie cutter.
We have a great campus and this year we had an amazing football team. Baylor feels like a home away from home. Baylor also does a great job with making you feel included right away.
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City of Sarasota Sidesteps Cyber Attack and Avoids $34 Million in Ransom by Restoring Locked Files with Veeam
Full list of Customer stories
For the first time, we can tell our city commissioners that business continuity is absolute. Our backups are reliable and recovery is fast. We found a solution that meets the city’s data integrity needs. Veeam will be part of the city’s lifeblood forever.
Herminio Rodriguez
Director of IT
Solution: Veeam Backup & Replication,
Industry: Government,
The Business Challenge
Modern cities offer innovative digital services to support economic growth and protect the safety and well being of residents. Digital services make cities more attractive to entrepreneurs starting new businesses and to families wanting to live in safe and secure communities.
Sarasota understands the value of digital transformation. The city has been ranked number 15 on CNBC’s list of the top 20 American cities to start a business and number three on Gallup’s Well-being Index that compares the social well being of 190 communities nationwide. Nearly every city service has a corresponding digital component, ranging from an online application for building permits, to crime mapping, to an emergency management web site. Information on this site helps resident prepare for, respond to and recover from hurricanes and flooding. Sarasota is vulnerable to a variety of hazards that threaten the community, businesses and the environment.
“Our job is to help keep city services running 24x7, particularly in the event of a crisis,” said Herminio Rodriguez, Sarasota’s Director of IT.
To ensure all city services remain available 24x7, Sarasota decided to replace legacy backup.
“Legacy backup was unable to meet the city’s data integrity needs in any way, shape or form,” Rodriguez said. “Backup failed frequently, and not even our backup vendor could figure out why.”
After spending three days on the phone with the backup vendor, Rodriquez and his team downloaded a free trial of Veeam® Backup & Replication™. Within 30 minutes they had configured Veeam and already started the first backup job. Sarasota replaced legacy backup with Veeam to keep city services running 24x7 and support digital transformation of future city services.
Veeam’s true test was yet to come. Ransomware was in the city’s future.
The Veeam Solution
Cyber criminals targeted the City of Sarasota in 2016. A ransomware virus took control of a city employee’s desktop computer, and files on three file servers were encrypted and rendered inaccessible. Cyber criminals demanded payment in Bitcoins, an untraceable digital currency, in the amount of $34 million.
“Rather than paying an outrageous ransom that no city could afford, we recovered our file servers from Veeam backups,” Rodriguez said. “If we hadn’t been able to recover them, we would have had massive data loss affecting all facets of the city and ultimately, it would have impacted our citizens.”
In addition to protecting city services and thwarting cyber attacks, Veeam enables Sarasota to do two things not possible with legacy backup: guarantee business continuity and follow the 3-2-1 backup rule.
“For the first time, we can tell our city commissioners that business continuity is absolute,” Rodriguez said. “Our backups are reliable and recovery is fast. We found a solution that meets the city’s data integrity needs. Veeam will be part of the city’s lifeblood forever.”
Sarasota now follows the 3-2-1 backup rule that recommends organizations maintain three copies of data, on two different media, with one copy backed up off site. Prior to Veeam, backups were on tape only. Veeam backs up to disk and copies backups to tape, giving the city two different media — disk and tape.
Veeam does one more thing for Sarasota: It simplifies demonstration of data compliance during annual audits. A feature called SureBackup® verifies the recoverability of every backup and another feature called Instant VM Recovery® restores data in minutes.
“Veeam helps us demonstrate data compliance very quickly, enabling us to spend more time ensuring the digital components of city services are meeting the needs of our residents.”
Delivers 24x7 Availability of city services
Not even ransomware could stop Veeam from delivering Sarasota’s city services 24x7. Not a single service or resident was impacted because Veeam recovered all data.
Guarantees business continuity
Legacy backup failed frequently, putting delivery of city services at risk. Veeam verifies the recoverability of every backup (SureBackup) and restores from backups in minutes (Instant VM Recovery), making business continuity a certainty.
Meets city’s data integrity requirements
Veeam is the only 24x7 Availability solution that meets Sarasota’s data integrity needs, simplifies data compliance during annual audits and enables the city to follow the 3-2-1 backup rule.
4.9 out of 5 based on 12 ratings
Sarasota is located on the Gulf Coast of Florida, just south of Tampa. Known for rich cultural arts venues, miles of beautiful beaches and stunning sunsets, Sarasota is a city where urban amenities meet small-town living. The city employs 850 people and is home to 55,000 residents.
Residents expect city services to be available online. That’s why Sarasota made a conscientious effort to create digital components for almost all city services. City services are only valuable to residents if they’re available 24x7, especially in times of crisis, and Sarasota is vulnerable to hurricanes and flooding. Legacy backup failed frequently and put city services in jeopardy.
Meets city’s data integrity requirements snapshots
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> Frequently Asked Questions on the implementation of the MRV shipping Regulation
Frequently Asked Questions on the implementation of the MRV shipping Regulation
These Frequently Asked Questions aim to assist MRV (monitoring, reporting and verification) companies, verifiers and other stakeholders to implement the European Union MRV shipping legislation. It requires ships carrying out maritime transport activities to or from EEA ports to monitor and report information including verified data on their CO2 emissions from 1st of January 2018.
The legal framework for these obligations is established under Regulation (EU) 2015/757 on monitoring, reporting and verification of carbon dioxide emissions from maritime transport, (the MRV Shipping Regulation) which has been amended by Delegated Regulation 2016/2072 and it is to be read in conjunction with Delegated Regulation (EU) 2016/2071 and Implementing Regulations (EU) 2016/1927 and 2016/1928.
This document was prepared by DG CLIMA and does not commit the European Commission. Only the Court of Justice of the European Union is competent to authoritatively interpret the Union law.
SECTION I ON SHIPS COVERED BY THE MRV SHIPPING REGULATION
1. 1. Which ships need to monitor and report their verified annual data, are some categories of ships exempted?
The MRV Shipping Regulation applies to ships above 5000 GT, in respect of their CO emissions released during their voyages from/to EEA ports (see below section on geographical scope) carried out after 1st January 2018.
Ships are subject to the MRV Regulation regardless of their flag. A limited number of categories of ships are excluded, including: warships, naval auxiliaries, fish-catching or fish-processing ships, ships not propelled by mechanical means, and government ships used for non-commercial purposes.
SECTION II ON VOYAGES AND PORTS OF CALL
2. 2. Which activities are covered by the MRV Shipping Regulation?
The MRV Shipping Regulation sets monitoring and reporting obligations for EEA- related voyages (see section on geographical scope below) carried out after 1st January 2018.
Ship's activities
originating or terminating in a port of call and
serving the purpose of transporting passengers and cargo for commercial purposes
are defined as voyages.
Ballast voyages, from the last port of call where the ships has discharged cargo or disembarked passengers to the next port of call where cargo is loaded or passengers embark, also serve the purpose of transporting cargo and are therefore subject to the Regulation.
On the other hand, ships' movements that do not serve the purpose of transporting cargo or passengers for commercial purposes are not subject to the monitoring, reporting and verification requirements, for example;
prospection and extraction of material from the seabed or subsoil,
ice-breaking activities,
carrying, laying, and repairing of cables/pipelines for underwater for telecommunications, electric power transmission, or other purposes;
providing support to offshore installations, such as drilling rigs, natural gas and oil platforms, offshore wind farms, and including in particular:
carriage and positioning of anchors for drilling rigs,
providing towage, salvage or other marine assistance/services to offshore installations,
carriage of supplies and equipment to/ from offshore installations and ships;
safety or rescue services provided to offshore installations,
diving support,
storing oil or gas without processing it,
installation and decommissioning of subsea structures and offshore installations.
3. 3. What is a port of call according to the MRV Shipping Regulation?
Ports of call are relevant as ending points / starting points of voyages. These are ports where a ship stops to load or unload cargo, or to embark or disembark passengers.
Stops in ports which do not fulfil these conditions are not ports of call, for instance if a ship stops in a port for the sole purpose of refuelling, obtaining supplies, relieving the crew, going into dry-dock or making repairs to the ship and/or its equipment.
Also stops in ports due to the ship being in need of assistance, or in distress or for the sole purpose of taking shelter from adverse weather or rendered necessary by search and rescue activities are not considered ports of call.
4. 4. Are "ship to ship transfers" carried out outside ports subject to the MRV Shipping Regulation ?
"Ship to ship" transfers carried out outside ports are covered by the Regulation as part of a voyage calculated from the last port of call to the next port of call. Variations of cargo arising from "ship to ship transfers" outside ports during a voyage should be taken into account. In those cases a weighted average for cargo carried should be calculated and applied to the entire voyage.
5. 5. Are CO2 emissions within EEA ports covered? How shall emissions within EEA ports be reported?
CO2 emissions occurred within EEA ports of call are covered and are to be reported annually as an aggregated annual figure and a separate item under the emissions report. Cargo and other related parameters such as "distance travelled" or "cargo carried" are not to be monitored and reported while ships are just moving within ports of call between two voyages.
SECTION III ON THE GEOGRAPHICAL SCOPE
6. 6. What does the expression "port of call under the jurisdiction of an EU Member State" mean? Are all Member States' ports covered? Are ports in Norway and Iceland covered?
The expression "ports of call under the jurisdiction of a Member State" refers to ports of call located on "EU territory", (in other words, to which EU law fully applies). Not all ports belonging to an EU Member State are EU territory (see list below). For a voyage to be covered by the MRV Regulation at least one of the ports of call shall be EU territory. Ports of call in Norway and Iceland qualify as EU territory ports of call.
Member States' Territories which are not EU Territories
Greenland and the Faroe Islands
French Polynesia, Mayotte, New Caledonia, Saint Barthélemy, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Wallis and Futuna
Aruba, Bonaire, Saba, Sint Eustatius, Curaçao, Sint Maarten
Anguilla, Bermuda, British Antarctic Territory, British Indian Ocean Territory, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Falkland Islands, Bailiwick of Guernsey, Isle of Man, Jersey, Montserrat, Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie and Oeno Islands, Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, Turks and Caico Islands, Akrotiri and Dhekelia
In practical terms, it implies that:
voyages between a port of call located on the territories on the list above (Member States' non-EU territory) and a EEA port of call constitute "incoming"/ "outgoing" voyages and are to be monitored and later reported;
voyages between two ports of call located on the territories on the list above (Member States' non EU territories) do not fall under the MRV Shipping Regulation.
7. 7. Does the MRV Shipping Regulation apply to Norway and Iceland?
The process for incorporating the MRV Shipping Regulation into the European Economic Area Agreement (EEA Agreement) has been launched and will be finalised by mid-2017. It implies that the monitoring, reporting and verification requirements will cover from 1st January 2018 the following:
voyages from a last port of call outside the European Economic Area (EEA) to a port of call situated in Norway or Iceland (EEA EFTA incoming voyages),
voyages from a port of call located in Norway or Iceland to their next port of call outside the EEA (EEA EFTA outgoing voyages),
voyages between two ports of call in Norway and/ or in Iceland (intra EEA EFTA voyages) and,
emissions within Norvegian and Icelandic ports of call.
SECTION IV ON MRV OBLIGATIONS
8. 8. Who is to assume the MRV obligations for each ship?
MRV obligations are to be fulfilled on a "per ship" basis. The company fulfilling the MRV obligations is called the "MRV company".
The MRV company can be either the shipowner or any other organisation or person, such as the manager or the bareboat charterer, which has assumed the responsibility for the operation of the ship from the shipowner. The MRV companies need to submit a monitoring plan for each of the ships operating under their responsibility to an accredited verifier.
The MRV Shipping Regulation allows the parties involved in the operation of each ship subject to the Regulation to determine, who assumes the MRV monitoring and reporting obligations. From a practical point of view, and if necessary, a relevant clause could be inserted in the charter party (C/P) so as to clarify who is doing what in relation to the MRV Shipping Regulation. In this context, the company mentioned in the SOLAS Safety Management Code could be responsible for MRV requirements.
Changes of MRV company are to be properly reflected in the monitoring plan.
9. 9. What obligations does the MRV Shipping Regulation impose on MRV companies and by when?
According to the MRV Shipping Regulation, MRV companies shall, for each of their ships carrying out voyages related to "EEA ports" after 1st January 2018, fulfil the following monitoring and reporting obligations:
By 31st August 2017, MRV companies shall submit a monitoring plan to a MRV accredited verifier. It consists of transparent and complete documentation of the monitoring method and procedures to be applied to each of their ships.
From 1st January 2018 (1st reporting period under the MRV shipping Regulation) MRV companies shall, on the basis of the ship's satisfactorily assessed monitoring plan, monitor the ships CO2 emissions, fuel consumption and other relevant information with a view to aggregate data into an annual emissions report.
From 2019, by 30th April of each year, the MRV company responsible for the ship on 31st December of the reporting period submits a satisfactorily verified emissions report to the Commission using a dedicated Union information system (also called THETIS MRV database (still under development). In parallel, MRV verifiers are to indicate that the Emission report has been considered satisfactory so the conditions for issuing a Document of Compliance have been fulfilled.
From 2019, by 30th June of each year, ships having carried out activities falling under the MRV Regulation during the precedent calendar year (reporting period X) shall carry on board a valid MRV Document of Compliance, issued in accordance with the THETIS MRV database, when calling at EEA ports.
10. 10. What if a ship starts carrying out voyages falling under the MRV Shipping Regulation after the deadline of 31st August 2017?
For ships which call into EEA ports for the first time after the deadline for submitting monitoring plans (set on 31st August 2017), MRV companies should submit a monitoring plan to an accredited verifier without delay, and no later than two months after the ship's first call at an EEA port.
11. 11. What about ships that do not carry out any voyage falling under the MRV shipping during a full calendar year?
A ship which has not carried out any EEA-related voyages during a whole reporting period (calendar year X) will not be required by Member States' authorities to have a Document of Compliance on board showing compliance for that specific reporting period (year X), when calling at EEA ports between 30th June of year X+1 and 29th June of year X+2.
SECTION V ON MONITORING PLANS
12. 12. Shall MRV companies submit a monitoring plan for each of the ships under their responsibility?
The monitoring plan reflects the technical specifications and the monitoring methods to be applied to the voyages carried out by the ship concerned and which fall under the Regulation. It is prepared by the company having assumed the MRV responsibilities for this specific ship.
To avoid redundant submission of information, MRV companies can identify when sub-mitting information to an accredited verifier; :
the information which applies in an identical manner to their entire fleet ('company-specific parts');
the information whih reflects the ship's technical characteristics and specific procedures (ship specific parts).
13. 13. Submission of monitoring plans to the verifier?
There are no specific legal requirements regarding the way MRV companies are to submit monitoring plans to accredited verifiers, so it is up to the parties to agree on these issues bilaterally.
Monitoring plans can be established in any language agreed between the MRV company and the accredited verifier. However there is an obligation to ensure that an English translation of the satisfactorily assessed monitoring plan is available.
14. 14. What is the minimum content and format of the monitoring plan?
MRV companies shall prepare monitoring plans using a template corresponding to the model in Annex I of the Implementing Regulation (EU) 2016/1927. Information concerning all mandatory items, as identified in the monitoring plan model, has to be included, regardless of the way this information is structured. Companies can decide how to organise the information to reflect their monitoring systems and procedures.
Additionally, a number of voluntary fields that might be relevant for limited number of ship categories, are identified in the monitoring plan model in Annex I to Regulation 2016/1927. These voluntary fields concern for example:
the ice class of the ship and procedures, responsibilities, formulae and data sources for determining and recording the distance travelled and the time spent at sea when navigating through ice, if applicable and
other procedures relevant to monitoring of fuel consumed and CO2 emitted such as the procedures for determining and recording the fuel consumption for dynamic positioning, or the average density of cargo transported.
Information on procedures and other elements included under the voluntary fields on the monitoring plan is also part of the assessment by the verifier.
SECTION VI ON "PER VOYAGE" MONITORING
15. 15. Under which conditions can a ship benefit from the exemption from the 'per voyage' monitoring?
A MRV company is exempt from the obligation to monitor a specified ship on a "per-voyage basis", if according to schedule:
all of the ship's voyages during the reporting period are EEA-related voyages and
the ship performs more than 300 voyages during the reporting period.
Both conditions need to be fulfilled at the beginning of the reporting period.
In practical terms, it implies that providing data to the verifier on 'per voyage' monitoring is not compulsory to the extent that other documents and data (such as BDNs) could be used to calculate the ship's aggregated data.
MRV companies have to document their procedures to calculate aggregated data in the monitoring plan according to the table C.1 of the template in Annex I to Implementing Regulation 2016/1927.
SECTION VI ACCREDITATION OF VERIFIERS
16. 16. Who is providing accreditation for verification activities?
National Accreditation Bodies (NABs) pursuant to Commission Regulation (EC) 765/2008 are the sole competent bodies in EEA Member States granting accreditation to legal entities performing verification activities pursuant to the MRV Shipping Regulation.
17. 17. To which NAB shall EEA legal entities address their request for accreditation as MRV shipping verifiers?
As a general rule legal entities established in the EEA shall request accreditation from the national accreditation body of the Member State in which they are established, or from the national body to which that Member State has had recourse. Only under exceptional circumstances that are identified under Regulation 765/2008, can an EEA legal entity request accreditation by a different NAB.
18. 18. What about non-EU legal entities' requests for accreditation as verifier?
Non-EU legal entities have a choice to introduce a request in any of the European national accreditation bodies providing for accreditation for MRV shipping activities.
A list of NABs providing accreditation for MRV shipping verification activities is available at the following web page:
http://www.european-accreditation.org/document/eu-mrv-list-nab
19. 19. What is the accreditation process about?
As part of the accreditation process, the competent NAB carries out an assessment of whether all the requirements in Delegated Regulation EU 2016/2072 on verification and accreditation pursuant to the MRV shipping Regulation and in EN/ISO 14065 have been met. The assessment process will include a review of the relevant documents, office visit (s) and one or more witness audits of the performance and competence of the verifier's staff. As a result an accreditation certificate will be issued to the legal entity.
There might be differences in the process carried out by each NAB so please refer to the competent NAB as soon as possible so as to prepare for a timely start of the accreditation process. Also planning of the accreditation process has to be agreed upon between the legal entity seeking accreditation and the competent NAB.
20. 20. Where can MRV companies check which legal entities have received accreditation as MRV shipping verifiers?
National accreditation bodies (NABs) are to set up and manage a public database which includes information on at least:
the name, accreditation number and address of each verifier accredited by that NAB;
the date on which the accreditation or certification was granted and its expiry date; and
information on administrative measures that have been imposed upon the verifier.
21. 21. Can MRV companies select any accredited verifier to carry out verification for any of their ships?
MRV companies will be able to select any duly accredited verifier irrespective of the ship's flag or the place where the MRV company is based and where the accredited verifier is based.
22. 22. Can MRV shipping accredited verifiers work for any MRV company?
An accredited verifier can perform verification activities for any ship falling under the MRV Shipping Regulation, irrespective of where the MRV company is based, of where the ship is registered and of where the verifier itself is based. However, verification activities for a MRV company in respect of which the verifier has a conflict of interest or pose an unacceptable risk to their impartiality are not possible.
23. 23. When shall the verifier be accredited?
A verifier must be accredited by the time it issues its conclusions on monitoring plans or on emissions reports.To ensure that verifiers are accredited in time, verifiers should submit their request for accreditation sufficiently in time so as to enable the NAB to complete the whole accreditation process in time.
> Read the FAQ's on EU website Back to all Verifavia Shipping News
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Archpastoral Visit to Slickville, PA
CONSISTORY OFFICE OF PUBLIC RELATIONS
Archpastoral Visit to Holy Ghost Parish, Slickville, PA
Photos by Debbie Paouncic and Alexandre Popichak
Sunday, July 21, 2013, was a noteworthy day in Holy Ghost Parish in the quiet town of Slickville, Pennsylvania. His Grace Bishop Daniel, the Ruling Hierarch of the Western Eparchy was visiting to elevate Rev. Fr. Robert Popichak to the dignity of protopriest and to present him with a gift from the parish family.
It was on this Sunday that the ninety-year-old parish hosted, for the first time in recent memory, the formal elevation of a priest.
After processing from the rectory, Vladyka Daniel was greeted at the parish door by John Paouncic, Parish Council President, with traditional gifts of bread and salt. Bishop Daniel replied that it was his pleasure to again visit the parish for a second time, this time as eparchial bishop. Father Robert presented the cross and holy water, welcoming His Grace and asking for his prayers for the congregation. His reply was that of joy and love for our humble parish.
Led by Subdeacon Ivan Chopko, Seminarian Volodymyr Yavorskyi, Altar Servers Matthew and Alexander Popichak, Father Vasyl Dmytryshyn, Father Emilian Balan, and Father Robert, Bishop Daniel proceeded to the altar to begin Divine Liturgy.
Liturgy paused at the Small Entrance, and Bishop Daniel called Father Robert forward. His Grace explained that the advancement of position for clergy is always accompanied by additional responsibility and a greater call for service. He also expressed that he had no doubt that the Holy Ghost parish family had great faith and love for their church—and he expected Father Robert to continue to lead the parish toward Christ. He then showed the congregation the gold cross he had purchased during a recent trip to Ukraine at the request of the parish council with donations from parishioners - a true expression of their love for each other and for their priest.
He reminded Father Robert that the gold cross was not a symbol of authority, but rather a sign of service and reminder that as we advance in the ranks of the clergy, more and more is expected of us - this was just a visible reminder.
After the elevation Divine Liturgy continued, with His Grace delivering a sermon reminding everyone that faith, even the size of a mustard seed, can make a difference in life and that God should hold a part in all things we do. He concluded by reminding us that we should daily find that mustard seed sized grain of faith in our lives, to bring us closer to Christ.
At the conclusion of Divine Liturgy, Vladyka Daniel asked God’s blessings upon the newly elevated protopriest Robert, Pani Matka Regina, Alexander, and Matthew, and those entrusted to him. The congregation responded by asking God to grant Many Years to His Grace, including what has become locally known as “The Bishop’s Theme Song” among the people - Eis Polla, Eti Despota!
Bishop Daniel then assembled everyone for a group photo and thanked them all for welcoming him with love. Protopresbyter Father George Hnatko, Dean of the Pittsburgh Deanery, joined the group photo as he came to visit the parish he had served several years ago.
After the photo, everyone went to the basement church hall for a lively luncheon, renewing old friendships, and asking His Grace many questions.
Among those present were Father Robert’s brothers George and Stephen, along with his friend Mother Alexandra, who all enjoyed their first (but hopefully not last) visit to Slickville. Family members and parishioners who had moved from Holy Ghost returned to celebrate this great event in the life of the parish, joined by parishioners from several other churches.
His Grace spent several hours visiting and enjoying the hospitality of our parish before leaving to travel to again eastward. He left behind a feeling of love and joy with his visit, and compared small parishes such as ours to a family.
Archpastoral Visit to Slickville, PA - 07/21/13
Photos by Debbie Paouncic, Alexandre Popichak and Seminarian Volodymyr Yavorskyi
Святкування 1025 -річчя Хрещення Русі - України в Святотроїцькій парафії м.Чіктовага Н.Й.
УРОЧИСТЕ СВЯТКУВАННЯ ХРАМОВОГО СВЯТА ПЕРВОВЕРХОВНИХ АПОСТОЛІВ ПЕТРА І ПАВЛА В КЕРГОКСОНI, Н.Й.
Archpastoral Visit of Vladyka Daniel to St. Nicholas Ukrainian Orthodox Parish in Troy, NY
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March 6, 2014 / 5:23 PM
Buffalo chicken wings celebrate their 50th birthday
Teressa Bellissimo is credited with creating them at the Anchor Bar in Buffalo, N.Y. in 1964.
Evan Bleier
BUFFALO, N.Y., March 6 (UPI) -- It was 50 years ago today, when a Buffalo woman taught our taste buds to play…
According to legend, Dominic Bellissimo was tending bar at the Anchor Bar in Buffalo, N.Y., on a Friday night in 1964 when a group of his friends showed up. Since they were hungry, he asked his mother, Teressa, to whip something up.
Teressa made a plate of deep-fried chicken wings, flavored them with hot sauce and the rest is history.
The Anchor Bar will be celebrating the fiery red and orange wings' golden anniversary on Thursday afternoon with a private party.
In recognition of the special day, here are some statistics from the National Chicken Council about just how much Teressa’s creation has taken off in the past 50 years.
- An estimated 27 billion wings will be sold in the U.S. in 2014
- 1.25 billion of those were eaten during Super Bowl weekend
- 51 percent of Americans like ranch with their wings. 32 percent prefer blue cheese.
- 65 percent of Americans say Buffalo-style wings are among their favorites, followed by 49 percent for barbecue, 35 percent for breaded, and 33 percent for teriyaki.
- Americans get 75 percent of their wings from restaurants and food service outlets, and 25 percent from supermarkets.
[WGRZ] [The Anchor Bar]
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Chris Hemsworth and Matt Damon Brave the Cold for a Double Date With Their Wives Elsa Pataky and Luciana Barroso — in a Hot Tub!
By Alexandra D'Aluisio
Staying warm! Chris Hemsworth and his wife, Elsa Pataky, were joined by Matt Damon and his wife, Luciana Barroso, on a recent ski vacation, and the couples didn’t let the snow stop them from enjoying the moment.
Inside the Hemsworth Family's Holiday Vacation: Photos
Pataky, 42, posted several videos from the snowy trip to Montana on her Instagram Story on Monday, January 7, including one that showed the actress running out into the freezing air to get into a hot tub.
Chris Hemsworth and Elsa Pataky with Matt Damon and Luciana Barroso Courtesy of Elsa Pataky/Instagram
“I’ve never seen this before — bikini and winter hat. Look where we go!” she screamed before jumping into the water, where Damon, 48, and Barroso, 42, were waiting.
Celebs Who’ve Named Their Kids After Cities and Countries
Hemsworth, 35, then joined his wife in the hot tub, which was soon occupied by the couples’ children as well. They made it a true family affair when the Thor actor’s older brother, Luke Hemsworth, entered the water. “The Hemsworths!!” the Tidelands actress captioned a photo of herself sandwiched between the Australian siblings.
Luke Hemsworth, Elsa Pataky, and Chris Hemsworth Courtesy of Elsa Pataky/Instagram
A week prior, the Ghostbusters actor posted a snapshot of the pair kissing during a New Year’s Eve celebration. He captioned the PDA-packed photo, “Happy new year everyone !! Love you all !” Chris and Pataky have been married since December 2010 and share three children — daughter India, 6, and 4-year-old twin sons Sasha and Tristan.
Happy new year everyone !! Love you all !!🤙😘 @elsapatakyconfidential
A post shared by Chris Hemsworth (@chrishemsworth) on Jan 1, 2019 at 8:45am PST
Newlyweds Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth were also present for the star-studded family vacation, but they weren’t featured in the hot tub videos. “Same S—t , New Year,” the 26-year-old “We Can’t Stop” singer wrote on Instagram on December 31, adding images of herself drinking champagne and posing in front of an ornament-covered wall.
Hottest Couples Who Fell in Love on Set
Cyrus and the Isn’t It Romantic actor, 28, secretly tied the knot in a private ceremony in Nashville on December 23. Liam’s brothers as well as the Disney Channel alum’s parents, Billy Ray and Tish Cyrus, and siblings were there as the couple said “I do.”
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Hit-and-run every two hours in Belgium
Toyota to carry out self-driving car test in Brussels because city is ‘complex’
860 drivers give up their cars in Bruxell'Air bonus scheme
A dozen cars involved in Brussels Ring pile-up
Lack of co-operation among regions cause of Brussels’ traffic problems, says study
Cyclist fatalities increase by more than 20%
Eight bad driving habits in Belgium that annoy people the most
More support for abolishing priority to the right traffic rule
Fine doubled for drivers who hog middle lane
Number Plate Recognition cameras to triple
A new network of traffic cameras aimed at combating organised crime and terrorism will be far more extensive than originally planned. About 1,000 cameras are currently being installed along local motorways as part of a new Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) system.
The measure was approved under the federal government’s anti-terrorism plan, adopted in 2015 in the wake of the Paris terror attacks that killed 130 people. Federal home affairs minister Jan Jambon today announced that far more cameras will be installed along motorways across the country than originally planned.
In response to a question from a federal lawmaker, he said that the ANPR system will eventually count up to 3,000 cameras. “Vehicles of wanted criminals on our roads will have nowhere to go,” Jambon added in a statement posted to his website.
The ANPR cameras are currently being installed at some 300 locations across the country. They use an identification system that is linked to the country’s national vehicle database, which allows it to automatically identify the license plates of the recorded vehicles.
When a wanted vehicle is identified by the cameras on local roads, an alert is sent to the relevant police zone or federal investigators. Both the federal police and national security will be able to access the ANPR camera information.
Municipal police, the provinces, the regions, port authorities and airport operators, who can also request for ANPR cameras to be put up at a particular location, can also access the data but only after it’s been rendered anonymous.
The price tag of the network has been estimated at €36.5 million, with a recurring annual cost of €2.5 million for upkeep and maintenance.
Written by Linda A Thompson
Marc Slonik
My commune's Town Hall knows my number plate, so the fact that the data they can access is anonymised does not help at all. EU pretends to protect our privacy by introducing laws like GDPR which makes my web browsing experience worse than 10 years ago, yet any clerk at the Town Hall can check when and where I'm on holiday and when is the best time to rob my house.
Aug 22, 2018 11:21
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HomeNewsCoupes
2019 VW Beetle Final Edition writes icon's final chapter
The up-and-down saga of the Volkswagen Beetle finally has a conclusion—at least for now.
The 2019 VW Beetle Final Edition the automaker announced Thursday signals the end of the line for the iconic coupe and convertible's second reboot. Production of the Beetle will end in July at VW's Puebla, Mexico, assembly plant.
MORE: Read our 2018 VW Beetle review
Available either coupe or convertible bodies in SE or SEL trim levels, the Beetle Final Edition can be swathed in two exclusive colors or one of three paint shades shared with the rest of the Beetle line. The special colors, Safari Uni and Stonewashed Blue, were inspired by historic Beetle colors.
The Beetle Final Edition SE features 15-spoke 17-inch alloy wheels, while the SEL has 18-inch alloy wheels that look like the large "dog dish" hubcaps common on original Beetles. All models include keyless ignition, automatic climate control, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, and a moonroof on coupe versions. The SEL trim also includes bi-xenon headlights with LED running lights, diamond-stitched leather upholstery, and an upgraded infotainment system with navigation and Fender-branded speakers.
VW said that the Final Edition Beetles will cost $23,940 for the SE coupe and $26,890 for the SEL coupe. Convertibles cost about $4,000 more.
The original Beetle, born out of Nazi Germany's quest for a low-cost "people's car" in the late 1930s, went on to become an icon of the counter-culture movement in the 1960s. Sales of the original model ceased in the 1970s, but production continued in Mexico through 2003. Riding on a wave of nostalgia, the rebooted VW New Beetle was a hit in 1998, but its lower, sleeker replacement that arrived for 2012 was never as successful.
VW has hinted that the Beetle could be revived again as an electric car.
2019 Convertibles Coupes News Volkswagen Beetle News Volkswagen News
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2019 Nissan Rogue adds safety tech, costs $25,795
Sticking around, VW redesigns 6-speed manual transmission
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WDCC Disney Classics Australia
Andy Thomas Gallery
Leaving Old Mexico By Andy Thomas Giclee On Canvas Signed & Numbered -
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Leaving Old Mexico by Andy Thomas Giclee on Canvas Signed & Numbered
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Andy Thomas bio
Andy Thomas is not only an immensely talented painter, but also a storyteller with the images he creates. His subject matter consists of a variety of images from historical events to intimate moments of everyday life. The artist s desire to create is funneled into the area of painting realism that ranges from very loose to very tight. Thomas s medium is primarily oil, but he also works in watercolor, pen and ink, charcoal, pencil, and ink wash. He is also a very accomplished sculptor. Primarily self-taught, Thomas began his professional art career in 1991 after sixteen years with a major advertising agency. In his studio, the artist creates his unique paintings that tell their "stories." Thomas says, "I never consciously ponder elements of design or principals of design…I rely on my sketches to refine a value scheme as a starting point. They also help me visualize the completed painting and consider light, painting technique, subject or object importance, and other considerations. The viewer s eye-path is a big influence on the composition at this point and all through the painting process." Thomas s style has been compared to Russell and Remington, and artist says he also has been influenced by Howard Pyle, Richard Schmid, Norman Rockwell, and others. Many of Thomas s historical images have been used in books and as book covers, and his various paintings also have been featured in numerous magazines. The artist s original works are in many private and corporate collections and also in the permanent collections of museums around the country. Thomas exhibits in several shows annually, the most recent being the 2006 C. M. Russell Art Auction where he sold eight original paintings. The artist also enjoys judging art shows and teaching children and adult painting classes. He is a talented writer and published a book containing over 100 color images of his work, along with stories written by him. The artist is a member of the famed Salmagundi Club in New York, The Portrait Society of America, and other art organizations. He graduated Magna Cum Laude from Missouri Southern State University with a BS in Marketing Management. Thomas and his wife, Dina, live in Carthage, Missouri. They have six children.
Andy Thomas Our Grand Entrance By Andy Thomas Giclee On Canvas Signed & Numbered
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New London met challenge
Published February 06. 2015 12:01AM | Updated February 06. 2015 1:48PM
Given its limited resources, the challenge of removing snow in densely developed neighborhoods and a blizzard that dumped about 2 feet of snow in a relatively short time, New London has done about as well as can be expected when it comes to clearing streets.
This doesn't mean there were no trouble spots. Some neighborhoods and businesses faced frustrating delays in getting their streets cleared, problems made worse when more snow events followed in the days after the blizzard.
In a meeting arranged by Mayor Daryl Justin Finizio, representatives of the city's public works, police and fire departments discussed Thursday the difficulties they faced and the priorities that were set in dealing with the severe weather event and subsequent snowfalls.
A high level of cooperation was apparent as the department leaders discussed the blizzard that struck Jan. 26-27. Use of the Emergency Operations Center at fire headquarters resulted in strong communication and coordination between the different city agencies.
Police worked with public works in aggressively enforcing the parking ban to enable snowplow drivers to do their jobs. Snowplows cleared paths for fire rescue vehicles. During the storm and in its aftermath, snowplow drivers and other support personnel turned in 130-hour workweeks. That translates to roughly 18-hour days.
With 63 miles of road to clear, only 15 large plows, and unusually heavy snow, crews did fall behind in some neighborhoods, but it is hard to see how that could have been avoided.
This newspaper has heard the complaints that the southern and more affluent section of the city gets quicker attention in these storms. The reality, however, is that the main streets along the shoreline are long and wide. The homes have driveways and on-street parking is not much of an issue. It is understandable why those thruways would be cleared easier and faster than narrow streets with much on-street parking.
Also questioned has been the attention given the downtown, which with the help of contractors, was fully cleared of snow after the blizzard. That area must be a priority as a potential chokepoint for vehicles moving in and out of the city. Workers had to haul out the snow. There is nowhere to pile it downtown without creating more problems.
On balance, it appears the city did an admirable job.
The Day editorial board meets regularly with political, business and community leaders and convenes weekly to formulate editorial viewpoints. It is composed of President and Publisher Tim Dwyer, Editorial Page Editor Paul Choiniere, Managing Editor Tim Cotter, Staff Writer Julia Bergman and retired deputy managing editor Lisa McGinley. However, only the publisher and editorial page editor are responsible for developing the editorial opinions. The board operates independently from the Day newsroom.
With lessons learned, restarting search process for New London offices
The mayor remains convinced that consolidating most city offices, now scattered among City Hall and three other city-owned buildings, into a single rental space is the best long-term option.
Pay equity is not that simple
Pay disparities are less the result of outright discrimination than many politicians suggest, and ensuring gender paycheck equity is more complicated than they typically let on.
We should be shocked that a president, in the year 2019, would stoop to such a racist approach to his political opponents, but we are beyond shock when it comes to this president.
Elegy for some gentle giants
For generations, copper beech trees were the ultimate survivors, defying hurricanes and nor'easters, but something is killing many of the signature beeches of southeastern Connecticut.
Old Lyme selectwomen announce re-election bid
Norwich Public Utilities to flush water system
New London to open cooling center
Priorities diverting New London plows; businesses on secondary stretches suffer
Digging deep in New London
Blumenthal, Murphy view snow cleanup efforts in New London, Norwich
Region digging its way back to normal after the blizzard
UPDATED: Portions of downtown New London closed for snow removal
Municipalities busy clearing the way for normalcy after storm
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Young Paris’s New Mixtape Is A Celebration Of Being African In America
“It’s wild ‘cause growing up we were laughed at, and now we’re being praised.”
By Rawiya Kameir
Gioncarlo Valentine
Young Paris, the artist and dancer born Milandou Badila, was born in Paris to Congolese parents. These days, he lives in Brooklyn and travels the world performing his own music, a blend of sounds representing the distinct elements of all the different places he's ever called home. Today, Young Paris is premiering African Vogue, a full-length project co-produced by Ben Bronfman. Its 10 tracks maintain a dancefloor-ready pace, driven by rumbling bass, crisp synths sounds, and rhythms that indeed span geography. And when Young Paris's vocals come in, on songs like "Armed" and "Grow," you'll know exactly what I mean: the influences are many, but the result is wholly singular.
"African Vogue symbolizes the influence we Africans have on pop culture and touches on parts on my life being African in America. We all see this wave of African nflunce pushing more and more into contemporary lifestyle, clubs, and radio to say least," he told The FADER over email. "It's wild 'cause growing up we were laughed at, and now we're being praised. This tape is all about that praise."
Enjoy below, until African Vogue's official release on May 30.
Electronic, young paris
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Here’s Everything That Happened At Kanye West’s Yeezy Season 5 Show
Live from Pier 59 Studios.
By Myles Tanzer
Kanye West at the 2016 VMAs. Getty/ Jewel Samad
Kanye West is premiering his fifth Yeezy collection on Wednesday afternoon in New York City. This year's show will be held at Pier 59 Studios. Last year's collection debuted at Roosevelt Island. Responding to controversy about the show last year, West said, "When you the LeBron and you don’t bring home that ring, it’s your fault." This year seems to be a scaled back a bit. For one, the show will not be streamed in theaters across the country, as it has been in years past. The FADER has also learned there will be no livestream of the show via TIDAL.
This post will be updated throughout the event as information becomes available.
Read Next: Kanye West is working on a biodegradable shoe concept
The invites for Wednesday's show went out on Tuesday on green sweatshirts.
season 5 👀 pic.twitter.com/QSxnUNBpKZ
— Jake Woolf (@jakewoolf) February 14, 2017
Update (3:08 p.m.): Kim Kardashian reportedly left her hotel for the show.
Kim leaving her apartment in NYC today #YZYSZN5 pic.twitter.com/DjcAKT4cu1
— Kim Kardashian West (@KKWUpdates1) February 15, 2017
Update (3:20 p.m.): Kim, Vogue's Anna Wintour, and architect Pete Marino were reportedly sitting in the front row.
Yeezy front row: Anna 👉 Kim 👉 Peter Marino
— Noah Johnson (@noahvjohnson) February 15, 2017
Update (3:27 p.m.): West-Kardashian family photographer Eli Russell Linnetz, and a host of other guests, are live livestreamed the show on Instagram.
It's starting #yeezyseason5 with projections on curtain #NYFW pic.twitter.com/uKQCI0mzET
— @Booth (@Booth) February 15, 2017
There are looks being projected on curtains. The venue is playing The Dream's demo version of J. Holiday's "Bed." Clothes for both men and women are being represented.
This is a shot from Linnetz's livestream.
And a shot of some shoes from a fan account.
pic.twitter.com/yMaEJ5oBT6
— Yeezy Mafia (@theyeezymafia) February 15, 2017
And a few snapshots of some of the clothes.
#YEEZYSEASON5 has started and is being live streamed by Kanye's friends on Instagram.
chicagodonc
heronpreston
godsmessenger pic.twitter.com/fw2mdJcBRK
— TeamKanyeDaily (@TeamKanyeDaily) February 15, 2017
Update (3:35 p.m.): The show started with models walking down a white runway.
Several models were spotted holding Yeezy bags, which have been rumored for some time.
Update (3:35 p.m.): Playboi Carti, Luka Sabat, and Amina Blue were all spotted in the show that was over in just 13 minutes, a big departure from last year's lengthy runway show.
And that's a wrap. #yeezyseason5 show over in 13 minutes; Projections followed by IRL runway looks. #NoDrama pic.twitter.com/ZH3WcdMhg2
Update (3:46 p.m.): Kanye reportedly did not come out after the show was over.
#YeezySeason5: Models were projected onto a screen showing the collection then walked the runway. Kanye did not come out afterwards. pic.twitter.com/rzCLc2FdTs
There was also no new music played during the show, despite persistent internet rumors that there would be a Drake x Kanye collaboration debuted during the show.
Clothing, Hip-Hop, Kanye West, Yeezy Season 5
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Posted in Reviews, Wii Reviews
New Super Mario Bros. Wii Review
New Super Mario Bros. Wii is a game that the old school crowd has wanted for years, as the warm memories of 8-bit platforming joy still hold a special place in the hearts of many. This time, the world’s most famous plumbers return to their sidescrolling roots with a slew of new tricks, two Toad companions, and dozens of exciting, secret-packed levels. Let the controller spiking begin!
NSMBW is a platformer that plays very similarly to 1992’s Super Mario World, with Princess Peach once again taken hostage by Bowser’s cronies. The first few levels quickly introduce players to a handful of new power-ups, including a high-flying helicopter hat and the enemy-freezing Ice Flower. The latter is particularly devious, as it allows the pitcher to use his cryogenically-frozen minion as a stepping stone to a secret area or even as a handy projectile to slide across the ice. While these power-ups add some spice to the platforming, the difficulty is the only area where New Super Mario Bros. Wii feels notably different from its predecessors. Sure, everything is fairly simple from the get-go, but the challenge quickly ramps up to the point where even the most skilled platforming pros will have their skills taxed to the breaking point. Just try not to hurl the Wii Remote when you miss the same jump for the fourteenth time.
Most of the pre-release coverage of NSMBW focused on the newest feature of the game: four player cooperative play. For the first time in the history of this venerable franchise, gamers are able to dash through a level with up to three other players simultaneously. Should a player die during the proceedings, they’ll return to the screen in a bubble that another participant will have to pop, a great way to allow less-skilled gamers to stay in the action no matter the difficulty. Unfortunately, the co-op experience is plagued by two rampant issues: collision detection and death lag.
Playable characters cannot pass through other players, as their bodies rebound off one another on impact. This causes gamers to have knee-jerk reactions and lose control when another player slams into them, usually leading to an untimely demise. This presents the other prominant problem in New Super Wii: once a player dies, the screen is temporarily paused as that character drops off-screen. This momentary freeze can royally screw up a player’s timing, even leading to a string of character deaths due to poorly judged leaps. While not game-killing, these annoyances are to blame for a lot of mid-level bickering.
Aside from the standard co-operative mode, which allows four players to journey through the single-player campaign together, the developers have added a Coin Battle mode for more competitive gamers. Here, players battle over coins littered around each whimsical environment, with one character being crowned the winner of each stage based on their performance. Of course, once a score is added to the proceedings, human emotion takes over, former friends become bitter rivals, one player purposely eats everyone else’s mushrooms, and the cooperative-minded gamers are quickly spiked into the nearest pit. Sure, you may encounter the random devious soul who kicks a turtle shell at you during a standard co-op level, but with no reward tied to that dastardly deed, it’s unlikely to be a constant nuisance like it is in Coin Battle. Either way, the co-op experience is diverse, lengthy and infintely replayable, easily becoming the recommendable way to play through this game. Unfortunately, no online play was included in any of the modes.
Despite that, New Super Mario Bros. Wii hits all of the right notes for an ancient franchise, bringing back the classic NES and SNES gameplay and updating it for the 3D era with some new Wii-specific tricks. This game is full of understated moments and finer details that present a grand overall experience, and any Wii owner–especially those with local buddies–would be best served to add this to their holiday wish list.
Our Rating for New Super Mario Bros. Wii
TGR Rating
Classic Mario platforming remains as entertaining as ever, and bringing three friends along for the ride is a fantastic multiplayer experience.
← Lips: Number One Hits Review
2009: The Year of the Sequel →
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Report On Business Fortress used one-third of investors’ money for commissions, fees: documents
Fortress used one-third of investors’ money for commissions, fees: documents
Published April 23, 2018 Updated April 23, 2018
Vince Petrozza, chief operating officer of Fortress Real Developments, leaves the company offices in Richmond Hill, Ont. on Nov. 21, 2017.
Chris Helgren
More than one-third of the money raised from investors to provide syndicated mortgage loans for Fortress Real Developments Inc.’s building projects was paid out as cash commissions to salespeople and as consulting fees to Fortress, new court documents say.
The court filings show Ontario’s financial regulator, the Financial Services Commission of Ontario (FSCO), has significant concerns about lending practices at Fortress’s affiliated mortgage brokerage company, Building & Development Mortgages Canada Inc. (BDMC). The company has raised more than $700-million from 11,000 investors since 2013, primarily to finance Fortress’s real estate development projects.
In an affidavit filed in court, FSCO lawyer Brendan Forbes said the regulator has received “numerous” complaints from investors about BDMC and the performance of their loans “compared to the promises made to them at the time they invested.” Many investors are people who have put significant portions of their retirement savings in the syndicated loans, he said.
“As a result of its investigations, FSCO is of the view that there are serious regulatory issues associated with BDMC [syndicated mortgage loans],” he said.
Ontario Superior Court Justice Glenn Hainey approved FSCO’s request on Friday to appoint FAAN Mortgage Administrators Inc. as a trustee to take control of BDMC.
In an affidavit filed to support the trustee application, Mr. Forbes said 35 per cent of the principal amount of money raised to provide syndicated mortgage loans for each Fortress development project was paid out as consulting fees to Fortress and as commissions to salespeople involved in raising the syndicated mortgage loans from investors, including individual agents, brokers “and unlicensed persons.”
Mr. Forbes said the breakdown of the payout structure was not specifically defined, but Fortress co-founder Vince Petrozza told FSCO Fortress’s development consulting fee typically amounted to 2 per cent to 5 per cent of total project costs.
Mr. Forbes said the Fortress portion “may be as high as 12 per cent,” according to information from staff at another mortgage brokerage firm associated with Fortress.
Borrowers that receive syndicated mortgage loans typically pay fees of 1 per cent to 3 per cent of the mortgage amount, including broker fees, according to mortgage web site Ratehub.ca.
The development consulting agreements also give Fortress the right to 50 per cent of project profits, subject to certain fees and deductions, the affidavit said. The agreements also ranked repayment of Fortress’s equity advances ahead of the loans from syndicated mortgage investors.
Fortress is a real estate development company that partners with builders on new projects, primarily condominiums. The company’s web site says it is developing or has completed 80 projects across Canada with a value of $6-billion.
BDMC acted as Fortress’s mortgage broker, helping the company raise funds for its projects. It is wholly owned by Ildina Galati and operates from the same address as Fortress.
Mr. Petrozza, Fortress’s chief operating officer, was registered as a mortgage broker with BDMC, but his licence was revoked in a Feb. 7 settlement agreement between FSCO and several other parties related to BDMC. Ms. Galati voluntarily surrendered her licence under the agreement.
Mr. Forbes said that in 2013, Ms. Galati directed some BDMC staff to leave the company and help form three independent brokerage firms – FFM Capital Inc., FMP Mortgage Investments Inc. and FDS Broker Services Inc. – to act on behalf of people seeking to invest in syndicated mortgage projects.
He said the intention was to create “some degree of separation” between the brokers acting for individual investors and BDMC, which was acting for Fortress. But he said many tasks investors’ brokers usually perform – such as due diligence reviews on projects and obtaining property valuations – were still done by BDMC as the borrower’s broker.
FAAN was appointed to oversee BDMC under the Feb. 7 agreement. But the arrangement fell apart this month after BDMC committed “multiple breaches” of the terms, FSCO said. FSCO moved on Friday to have the court appoint FAAN as trustee of BDMC, giving it far broader powers.
Among the breaches of the agreement, FAAN said a new mortgage broker company created to replace BDMC – called Canadian Development Capital & Mortgage Services Inc. (CDCM) and headed by Ms. Galati’s mother, Julie Galati − has not transferred requested records about mortgage loans. Fortress has also failed to provide requested documents.
In his affidavit, Mr. Forbes said FAAN had to take control of BDMC or “no independent third party” would be protecting investors’ interests.
“This situation is untenable and puts the 11,000 individual investors and their investments at risk,” he said.
BDMC did not contest Friday’s application to appoint FAAN as trustee. The company has not replied to requests for comment about FSCO’s concerns.
The RCMP has been investigating Fortress and related companies as part of a mortgage fraud investigation, searching six sites on April 13, including Fortress’s head office and BDMC’s office in Richmond Hill, north of Toronto.
Trustee to take over Fortress broker in wake of RCMP raid
RCMP search Fortress office in mortgage-fraud probe Subscriber content
Ontario regulator revokes mortgage broker BDMC’s licence after probe
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Opinion Darroch’s mistake: Never write down what you can’t afford to have widely published
Darroch’s mistake: Never write down what you can’t afford to have widely published
Paul Heinbecker
Special to The Globe and Mail
Published July 11, 2019 Updated July 11, 2019
Paul Heinbecker is a former Canadian ambassador to the United Nations and Germany and chief foreign-policy adviser to prime minister Brian Mulroney.
U.K. ambassador to Washington Kim Darroch ignored an unwritten, fundamental rule of diplomacy and caused havoc for his government. The rule, translated into a Canadian context: Never commit to print what you can’t afford to see published in The Globe and Mail.
The ground for such discretion is that stuff happens, to paraphrase former U.S. vice-president Dick Cheney. Papers are left lying around; electronic documents are intercepted; intelligence agencies spy; politicians manoeuvre for advantage and disgruntled colleagues settle scores. Mr. Darroch had to be fully aware of the risks, and his government and he himself are paying a heavy price for ignoring them.
The duty of public servants is to give their governments full and frank advice. Democracy, or at least effective government, depends on it. Speaking truth to power is fundamental, including for diplomats. But judgment is equally critical. Did the (likely slight) benefits of Mr. Darroch’s intelligence outweigh the potentially catastrophic costs of leaks if cables went astray? He had less risky communications options than cables, however highly classified, including jumping on a plane to London to deliver his judgment in person if the matter were important enough. Or he could have apprised one of the steady stream of high-ranking official British visitors to Washington of his private views so that they could safely carry the message home.
Of course, Mr. Darroch does not bear all the blame. The leakers are primarily responsible, very likely acting to advance the cause of Brexit. And the aberrant behaviour of the narcissistic, insecure, bullying President Donald Trump and his “inept, dysfunctional and divided” White House, as Mr. Darroch accurately portrayed them, are obviously at the root of the matter. The ambassador’s criticisms were not inaccurate. The question is, however, was their circulation in print wise?
The President’s ego and tough-guy act inevitably led him to make matters worse. He could have made light of the matter, as Pierre Trudeau did after President Richard Nixon had name-called him in 1971. Mr. Trudeau responded that he had “been called worse things by better people.” Mr. Trump could as well have dealt with the matter privately and directly, but he has apparently never seen bait that he wouldn’t rise to with very public tweets.
A further consideration was just how valuable Mr. Darroch’s characterizations of what was happening in Washington were. Bestsellers abound on Mr. Trump’s antics. TV news networks are unable to ignore his tiniest utterances and late-night comics feast on his inanities. Whitehall would have had to be deaf, dumb and blind not to have long since taken the measure of the President. What was the value-added of Mr. Darroch’s reporting, especially when measured against the potential damage of a leak, especially in this age of summit diplomacy when prime ministers often know their counterparts better than most ambassadors ever will?
Further, the job of an ambassador goes well beyond reporting on the foibles of a host head of state. Ambassadors are one-part trade and investment promoter, one-part saloon keeper, one-part salon host, one-part logistics chief, one-part news reporter, one-part policy advocate, one-part consular officer, one-part “talking head,” one-part treaty negotiator, one-part intelligence officer and several parts relationship manager. To succeed in building as constructive and trusting a relationship as possible with their host countries, ambassadors must acquit themselves well of all these functions, not only reporting.
The pain of this affair will pass as Mr. Darroch leaves the scene and someone else takes over; the U.K.-U.S. relationship is more than strong enough to survive. But the immediate damage is considerable, especially for Britain. Relations with its major ally the United States are at the lowest ebb in decades, if not generations. As Brexit staggers to its currently unknowable conclusion, Britain will need all the friends it can get, especially in Washington. Unnecessarily angering the emperor on the Potomac is definitely not in Britain’s interest.
Prime Minister Theresa May and Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt came to Mr. Darroch’s defence, which will have been of some comfort to him. But the outcome was unavoidable. He had no prospect of being effective in Washington because of Mr. Trump’s well-advertised decision to close Washington’s doors to him, and so he resigned. All the credit Mr. Darroch had banked from his successful management of Mr. Trump’s state visit to London in June is in ashes.
All because he put views in print that he and his government could not afford to see subsequently exposed in The Daily Mail. Pity.
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Anglican Church considering review of governance structure after motion to recognize same-sex marriage fails
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Skills minister Anne Milton: ‘The default should not just be university'
Neil Merrick
Anne Milton believes apprenticeships offer a vital alternative to university for school leavers
Tue 6 Mar 2018 06.57 EST Last modified on Mon 17 Sep 2018 06.11 EDT
Anne Milton MP: ‘No matter how bright you are, there are other options out there.’ Photograph: Martin Godwin/The Guardian
Anne Milton is passionate about apprenticeships and struggles to see why anyone would think differently. “It’s on-the-job training. What’s not to like?” says the skills minister, who is also a qualified nurse.
At the time Milton became a nurse, there was no expectation that entrants to the profession would hold a degree. Although she is keen to stress that she is not anti-higher education, she rails against “intellectual snobbery” that can put unfair pressure on young people to choose higher education.
Apprenticeships are a European rite of passage – what can the UK learn?
Apprenticeships, she says, give people the opportunity to “sail ahead of their peers” who embark on a full-time degree (and incur significant debt). “The default should not just be university,” says Milton. “No matter how bright you are, there are other options out there.”
Having become skills minister last June, Milton is responsible for ensuring the government hits its target of 3m apprenticeship starts in England over a five-year period ending in 2020. She hopes that the likelihood of hitting this target will be boosted by an influx of apprentices from the public sector – in which employers with 250 or more staff are expected to have 2.3% of staff (including existing workers) starting an apprenticeship each year.
“The public sector wants nurses, teachers and police men and women,” she adds. “There is a shortage of people coming through.”
Following last summer’s 59% drop in the number of people starting apprenticeships, she is confident numbers will rise, but declines to say when or how rapidly. Employers that pay the apprenticeship levy need time to decide how they spend money accumulated in their accounts, she says.
In 2018-19, levy-paying employers will be able to transfer 10% of funds in their account to another employer, including employers in their supply chain. By 2020, meanwhile, she expects standards for new-style apprenticeships to be available wherever employers want them. “We will meet employer demand,” she promises.
Other teething problems included last year’s awarding of contracts for training involving employers that do not pay the levy. The Department for Education was forced to rerun the procurement process after seriously underestimating how many training providers would make bids.
But Milton is unapologetic, insisting the DfE “got it right” second time around. “It’s important trainers, employers and apprentices have confidence in the system,” she adds.
Professional supplements
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Journalist safety
Italian journalists receive death threats following mafia don's funeral
Attacks on investigative reporter and team from Rai 3 politics show come amid indignation over Hollywood-style service for Vittorio Casamonica
Michele Azzu
Tue 25 Aug 2015 11.28 EDT Last modified on Sun 4 Mar 2018 07.51 EST
Vittorio Casamonica’s funeral at Don Bosco church in Rome included a gilded carriage, rose petals being thrown from a helicopter and an orchestra playing the theme tune from The Godfather. Photograph: Massimo Percossi/EPA
Two journalists, one in Rome and one in Naples, have received death threats for reporting on local crime boss Vittorio Casamonica’s Hollywood-style funeral in Rome.
Disgust in Rome at mafia don's glamour funeral complete with Godfather music
The ceremony at San Giovanni Bosco church on 21 August prompted indignation as it featured a gilded carriage driven by six horses, a band playing the music fromThe Godfather, and rose petals being thrown from a helicopter.
The following day, Alessio Viscardi, an investigative reporter for web newspaper Fanpage.it, was in Terzigno, near Naples, looking for the airfield from which the helicopter had taken off. He was approached by four people, who took photographs of his documents.
“The attackers came by car after I’d taken a few shots of the airfield,” said Viscardi. “They stopped me and threatened me with death.”
Footage of the episode reveals a clear threat to the journalist, with one of those present saying “I’ll kill you” (“Ti uccido” in Italian).
Viscardi later filed a complaint with local police.
The second attack occurred the next day, in Rome, and involved a team from public TV station Rai 3, including journalist Alfonso Iuliano, his camera operator and sound engineer.
Surge in mafia attacks on journalists in Italy
The three, working for the current affairs show Agorà, were shooting video in the Appio area, in which Iuliano knew that several members of the Casamonica family were living. The journalists were stopped and attacked by local residents, who threated them with death if they did not stop filming.
“They said to us they were going to beat us to death, more than once, and from more than one person,” Iuliano said.
The camera operator was left with a few scratches on his arm, while two people, related to Casamonica’s family, were arrested and later charged with robbery after allegedly taking the journalists’ phones.
Luigi de Magistris, the mayor of Naples, expressed his support for Viscardi, saying: “We can’t accept that a journalist is threatened with death.”
In Rome, the attack on the Rai 3 journalists prompted concern from deputy mayor Marco Causi and of transport councillor Stefano Esposito.
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Opinion: does the flat six engine have a future in the 911?
At the 2010 Geneva Motor Show Alois Ruf exhibited his latest creation; a V8-engined 997. Now, putting V8s in 911s is nothing new; US hot-rodders have long been guilty.
However, in 1991 Porsche itself toyed with the idea of V8 power for the 993; a development car was fitted with an Audi V8 and, apparently, no one who drove the car ever realised that a water-cooled eight had replaced the air-cooled six, hard as it is to believe.
In the end, of course, Porsche stuck with the 3.6-litre flat six, lightening its innards and quietly working on the new water-cooled generation of engines which would retain the essential flat six architecture that defines the 911. The next 911 will harbour an evolution of this engine.
Could we be seeing even less of the flat six engine on 911s in the future?
The Ruf interpretation is nevertheless extremely interesting. The inveterate Porsche improver has been working away at this project for several years and the result is a beautifully compact 90-degree angle V8 said to weigh 40kg less than the 997’s flat six, once all the ancillaries are fitted.
More surprising, though, is Ruf’s counterintuitive claim that its centre of gravity is lower than that of the current A91 flat six. The two extra cylinders are said to elevate performance to another level.
The 997 chassis accepts this V8 engine with surprisingly little modification, we’re told – the only intervention being some cutting of sheet metal around the bulkhead.
Ruf’s innovations matter because so often they have anticipated the route Porsche would eventually take. One of the first to tune the 930, Alois Ruf used twin turbochargers when Porsche still relied on a single turbocharger (and the archaic K Jetronic fuel injection).
Ruf’s 911 Turbo ‘Yellow bird’ which clocked 211mph in 1987 gave him world renown. He devised a five-speed gearbox when Porsche still made the 930 do with a four and when Porsche upgraded to a Getrag five-speed, Ruf riposted with his own six-speed. He also offered a Fichtel & Sachs-based six-speed clutchless change a decade before Porsche launched PDK.
Over the decades, Zuffenhausen has usually been content to let Porsche tuners get on with it; they produce only a tiny quantity of cars, mostly in a far higher price bracket. Ruf, however, which is a manufacturer in its own right, enjoys a rather closer relationship with Porsche. Indeed one of the éminences grises behind the Ruf V8 is Reinhard Könneker, a former colleague of Hans Mezger at Porsche.
The flat six has accompanied the 911 through 50 years of its existence thus far.
For years, since the 2.4 engine was bored out to 2.7, there have been mutterings that the flat six had reached the end of its development potential. Yet Porsche always managed to pull rabbits out of hats, taking the air-cooled block to 3.8 litres before starting again with the water-cooled engine and at the same time meeting ever stricter emissions rules.
However the temptation of a V8 for the 911 in the longer term has never been greater, especially given continuous pressure from VW to reduce development costs and share platforms.
Wolfsburg will undoubtedly point to the Ruf example as a neat engineering solution. However, a school of thought (and not just the purist) holds that without the flat six the 911 would finally lose what makes it special. For many its equipment level is already too high and the driving experience over-refined; a V8 as made by every Tom, Dick and Enzo would be the last straw. Even if it’s not imminent, that flat-six growl is something the 911 could ill afford to lose.
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Styles Burichan Futaba Photon Chernobyl Darkish Dusk Photon_Db
Scarlet Devil Mansion & Misty Lake
File 131663322913.jpg - (1.01MB , 740x1035 , e374b5fd3dbaa42e2aa64b5e778b48ca.jpg ) [iqdb]
Patchy Quest 2 Kahi 2011/09/21(Wed)19:27 No. 46773
You are Patchouli Knowledge, a physically frail and sickly magician of profound aptitude and power. You live in the Voile Archives of the [/b]Scarlet Devil Mansion[/b], though it seems like a temporary relocation is in your near future. You are Friends with Remilia, the vampire who owns the mansion, who considers it entirely too much effort to try to feed off you. Your Magical Potency varies somewhat from day to day, depending on how long of an incantation you can manage before breaking off into a fit of coughs, and how much strain your body can handle in addition to the rigors of illness. You have two vials of Medication to offset the worst of the days, however, though it will later exact a toll, and your new Magical Focus eases use of magic to a significant degree.
Your magic is based on Elementalism primarily, though you are also skilled in Diabolism and Other Summonings. You tend towards the former over any of the latter, however. You at one point were known to craft Golems, and dimly recall the construction of Homunculi, though you are no longer immediately familiar with either pursuit. Should you decide to begin making either, again, you will first have to refresh your memory, as with many other magics, by looking things up in your Gigantic Library.
Recently, you have spoken with and negotiated an equitable exchange with Albus Dumbledore, which involves you Teaching. Following this, you visited a place to acquire Suitable reference material in preparation to decide which, if any, to demand your pupils buy. In the process, you encountered, gained interest, and then almost immediately lost interest in a Werewolf, named Alistair, with a Typically Tragic Past. In the end, you hired him as your tour guide. During your excursion you purchased a number of books and sent them back, before having a wand crafted by Ollivander, out of personal curiosity. Its creation was not a simple matter, but you cheated fairly and provided an item which made everything go much more smoothly. After this, you returned home, and quickly discovered that Alistair is Too curious for his own good, which resulted in his being sucked violently through your travel-portal and deposited without ceremony on the other end. You were then, before you could send him back, informed that you had a guest. It was Ran, the nine-tailed shikigami of Yukari Yakumo. She is currently holding you up by your collar, shaking you, eyes bloodshot, and clearly upset about your repeated puncturing of the Barrier today.
The day remains: Aug 17, 15 days until term, though it seems to be Evening.
It is Wednesday: Day of Mercury and Water. Out of long habit and practice, Water-related magic comes easier for you today, and to greater effect.
Your health level is 96/100: your various maladies are hardly giving you any trouble at all today. You feel fantastic, to tell the truth. An excellent time to force the laws of nature to bend to your whim.
[ ] What do you do?
>> Anonymous 2011/09/21(Wed)20:20 No. 46775
[X] Request that Ran releases you. It will be difficult to explain the situation while she is choking you.
[X] State that you are not directly responsible for the first six punctures. You were approached by someone from the Outside about employment, and both of you were unaware that his phoenix familiar's teleportation method was damaging the Boundary.
[X] Apologize for the last three. Those were your doing, and taking the legitimate method of crossing the Boundary via the Hakurei Shrine is too time consuming.
[X] Note that because of your pending employment, you will likely have to cross over several more times in the next two weeks. It would be a good idea to work out an arrangement to avoid another meeting like this one.
I'm trying very hard not to point out the hypocrisy of Yukari able to come and go as see pleases. We need to be diplomatic about this.
[x] Apologize profusely.
[x] Explain the situation.
[x] Find a less violent method of exchanging correspondence. You don't want to be completely cut off from Gensokyo for a year.
Yukari's method is a bit less brute force than Patchouli's is ripping holes in it to make portals.
[X] Pray Remilia doesn't decide to step in with a more direct way of getting Ran to let you go.
Gonna be interesting to see how our "Guest" responds to seeing three Obviously NOT HUMAN guests around and acting like this.
[X] Apologize in advance for the tenth rupture you'll need to make to send Alistair back to where he came from.
Whoa now. Why rip a hole in reality without asking Alistair if he wants to go back? He might be happier in the human village.
[x] Have Koakuma toss Alister back home.
Man, I thought we were getting a short comedy scene of Koakuma trying to jump the guy's bones.
Why Rip a hole? Have Yukari dump him back home since she can make rifts that damage the barrier less
[X] Ask Ran to send the Outsider back to where he came from
Good point, and it also doesn't tax our magic. And whether Yukari has some fun with him won't be our problem anymore.
Who knows, Koa may ask to keep him. It's not like there are too many werewolves (or named male characters period) for her to perv on in Gensokyo.
too time-consuming? she can teleport to the shrine, for fuck's sake. it's not even laziness, it's pure negligence.
>> Anonymous 2011/09/22(Thu)00:34 No. 46790
Canon's not clear on how someone moves between the shrine and the Outside. If it involves Reimu, good luck getting her to do it for a youkai. If it involves walking past the shrine, you're going to be walking until you have proof that you're out. Could be five minutes, could be an hour.
Jeez can't you people see that the author brought Alistair to Gensokyo to engage in hilarious shenanigans with the SDM cast for comic relief? Stop trying to send him back.
Learn to read the mood.
(I had a feeling that Yukari would notice all that boundary-jumping...)
[X] Ask Ran to send the Outsider back to where he came from, if she doesn't want a tenth rupture today. And if you see her do it "properly" maybe you can adjust your method to avoid drawing the unwanted attention of annoyances such as a curious boundary youkai.
[X] Actually, also see if Ran can confirm that all of the first six ruptures were caused by the same creature -- if Dumbledore himself teleported in and out, as opposed to being carried by his very rare familiar, then what is to keep Gensokyo from being overrun by all those other bigoted wizards?
Now, on one hand, Ran if very probably more powerful than you, and possibly also Remila (EX-boss and all, not that Remi would ever admit to that possibility), but on the other, she's physically accosting you, in your own home, and in front of your servants and also your oldest friend. So...
[X] Preserve as much of your decorum as possible through all this. Even if you are partly at fault here, Ran is not behaving in a seemly manner. She has already lost her cool, so even if you are unlikely to be able to chastise her properly physically, you can at least gain some moral superiority points for being the reasonable one. And if you can shame her into apologizing for her needlessly unruly behavior, all the better.
I would challenge Ran to a spell card duel if she wasn't ex-class...
>>I would challenge Ran to a spell card duel if she wasn't ex-class...
I would challenge Ran to a Demolition Derby.
Drinking Contest followed by Strip Poker would be my challenges of choice.
>> Kahi 2011/09/22(Thu)22:17 No. 46800
File 131672983862.jpg- (101.19KB , 563x600 , 6ba1d9067eaf2e74f1aaa437e8645f5b.jpg ) [iqdb]
"Please release me." You request sternly.
Ran almost snarls a bit, but then there's a sharp noise, like the cocking of a gun. No, not like. You realize with a start that it is the cocking of a gun.
"Hey, I was wondering where this got to!" You hear Koakuma say from somewhere behind you, and you can see that Ran's attention is diverted. "I've been looking for it for a long time. Never did find out if I just set it down somewhere, or if one of the maids decided to move it. Guess it's the second, can't imagine why I'd decide to stick it behind some shelved books, here in the library entry."
"Why do you have a firearm?" Ran asked seriously, eyes narrowed and nose crinkled with distaste. "You know full well that it's outside the rules, and there's not much here you can harm permanently with it anyway."
"I stole it from a wizard." Was Koakuma's cheery reply. "... Not you, miss Patchouli. This guy was before... well, before your time for me, on a scale of linear one-day-after-the-next, I think it's another ten years or so before the kid grows up and summons me. Possibly in an alternate reality off to the side of this one, it gets pretty hard to tell them apart."
"I am well aware of the temporal and planar mechanics of diabolic summoning, thank you." You reply dryly.
Ran snorts in distaste and drops you, and you float gently down to the ground and back a bit.
"Look, I don't care." She says bluntly. "And I get that you might feel like coming and going sometimes, that's fine, it's not like this place is a prison. But nine times, in one day? That's just ridiculous! The Barrier can take it, but those holes aren't going to just patch themselves! Do you think Yukari is going to go out and stick it back together every time some youkai or wandering hermit, or mage with no sense goes through? No, that ends up being my job. And every so often is fine, patching a hole together is no big hardship on its own, just a bit of time down the drain. Even once or twice a week wouldn't be an issue. But nine times a day, and you are cutting into my Chen time."
"Be that as it may, I bear only minor culpability at best in the first six breaches. I was approached today by an individual from Outside, on a business related matter. I do not believe he was aware there was a Barrier to breach, though I must admit that I had not stopped to consider that his familiar's unique method of transport might leave damage in its wake."
"That's why those looked burnt, instead of just punctured, then..." Ran muses. "... Ugh. If it shows up again, I'm killing it. He can find a new familiar."
That would seem to confirm, then, that the travel was all performed by the phoenix, and Albus himself hadn't been involved. Which didn't rule out his having other means to travel here, but was something to consider.
"... The last three were entirely my fault." You admit. "I didn't feel like attempting to talk or bribe your mistress or that shrine maiden into lending their assistance, when I could simply deal with travel on my own."
"That only needs two." Ran grumbled. "One out, one back."
"I also didn't care to have to drag about heavy purchases for longer than necessary." You point out, ignoring Alistair's muttered complaint that he'd been the one doing the heavy lifting. It managed to turn Ran's attention to him, however, as her ears twitched and she frowned again.
".... And what's this, you're kidnapping outsiders now? That's outside our arrangement: we provide you with-"
"Technically." You interrupt. "Those arrangements only specify Remilia, her sister, and the head maid. Nothing is binding against actions I may, or may not, choose to take. Aside from that, his arrival here was an accident."
"A fortunate one." Remi says, eying Alistair as she might a platter of veal. "Not exactly to my preferences, but nice enough. By any chance, is his blood-type B? Those make for all manner of delicious games~"
"I have no intention of giving him to you." You rebuff without hesitation.
"Oh? And here I thought I would never see someone that could spark your libido~"
"I have no such interest in him." You deny frostily. "He has, however, been of use to me, and may continue to so serve."
"Ah, so cold of you, Patchy."
"I intend to return him to his point of origin immediately." You continue.
"Not today you aren't." Ran says with a glower. "If I have to duel you to exhaustion, and leave you so magically tired you can't light a candle for a week in order to keep you from poking holes in the barrier for a little while, I'll do it."
You pause for a moment, then wave it off.
"Then by all means, perhaps you should return him instead?"
Ran gave you a flat look.
"... I'm not sure whether or not you like this person much." She said seriously. "You won't give him to your friend, there, but you'll happily send him off to Yukari? Do you really expect her to just put him back without fuss, still in possession of all his limbs, organs, and mental health?"
"... I'm going to say right here, that there are a number of things with this conversation that are making me very uncomfortable." Alistair said.
"Quiet, you." You reply. "If you feel that way, you shouldn't have gone against my direct instructions and touched the portal. You've nobody but yourself to blame."
He sighs, almost in tandem with Ran.
"Well, if you insist, I can take him. Knowing full well that you're removing him from your position of relative power and handing over an outsider with no connections to any people or places she cares about or can retaliate against her, and who doesn't seem to be interesting enough to warrant any long-term interest from her that would require her to keep him of reasonably sound mind and body for the purpose of fulfilling whatever whimsical plot pops into her head."
"Keeping in mind that if he should never arrive at his destination, or not in a timely manner, we both know exactly where my attention will be directed in response, as well." You note.
"That will be all manner of comfort to him, I'm sure." Ran notes dryly.
"My discomfort is climbing rapidly, and I would like to say I am quite unsettled." Alistair says carefully, eyes drifting around in the effort of finding an exit that he might be able to make it to without having to go through the crowd between him and the doors.
"Yes, we can tell from the sweat." Ran replied shortly. "It makes you smell like wet dog, incidentally."
"Well, that's nice to hear." He grumbled.
"In any case." You interject. "It is likely that I will have to make at least a few more trips Outside in the coming fortnight, in preparation for impending employment."
"Fine, whatever." Ran says, turning back to you." Just not any more today or tomorrow, and try to keep it at a bare minimum.
You nod, and ponder which of the two might be the lesser evil, between sending Alistair off to Yukari and hoping she was in a mood to not simply toy with him, or keeping him here for a few days. In any case, it's drawing late, but there's still time enough for you to do a little more before you sleep, once things have settled here.
[x] You may as well use Alistair as help in making the schedule. It will take some time reading those books, but he should know if we ask for too much or too little for each year.
[x] Check the lunar calendar. Ask Sakuya for arrangements should the full moon be tonight or tomorrow. And for everyone's sake, not a cell in the basement.
[x] Explain to Alistair his situation. He'll be useless if he can't sleep because of worry.
>> Anonymous 2011/09/23(Fri)00:43 No. 46804
Why do I get the feeling that this is going to ultimately result in Flandre riding around on Werewolf-Alistair (who by this time has taken up a Bowler Cap as his headgear), laughing maniacally as both she and her werewolf mount cause an incident?
[x] Officially introduce Alistair to the mansion's residents.
[X] And even if the lunar cycle is... unfortunate, Moon is one of your elements. Perhaps you can do something to keep him human, or at least docile. The last thing you want is to make that wet dog smell even worse.
(heheh -- Chan time)
Combining votes and and I see that Ran is kind of pedo-looking in this story. (I don't care how old Chen is, her apparent age is ~10-15 which will make it look bad to outsiders.) Also, Yukari is on the low end of her niceness scale.
Also, I hope the kid summoner is in a different timeline, as I would normally assume you can't summon Koakuma if someone else already has her. >.>
You, sir, are quite obviously not aware of the temporal and planar mechanics of diabolic summoning.
>> SystemFailureV4!BLzojn4jRY 2011/09/23(Fri)05:04 No. 46809
No, because Kahi here is using some set of mechanics I don't recognize. As such, I will generally work with the basic "only one Koakuma at a time" assumption. Otherwise I have to worry about what happens when you get two of them in a room.
>> Patchy Quest 2 Anonymous 2011/09/23(Fri)05:50 No. 46811
[X] Alister was dumb enough to touch the portal, even though she told him not to. Let him reap the rewards. Send the werewolf to Yukari.
I think that what happens depends more on their respective moods at the time than anything else.
[x] Give Alistair to Remilia.
I like this Remilia~
I thought Patchy would be more interested in the opportunity of studying a werewolf face to face, considering her relation to vampires and all.
[X] If it is unfavorable Moon. TELL THE OTHER RESIDENTS WHAT TO EXPECT
Best to avoid Remilia deciding Gungir him to death or Sakuya making him a pincushion with SILVER KNIVES. And if He tries to sneak out something for Meiling to formulate a possible takedown plan.
For some reason Meiling piledriving a WereWolf seems VERY amusing to me
>> Kahi 2011/09/23(Fri)16:49 No. 46817
File 131679654211.png- (283.28KB , 630x850 , 7415282a0cf9d1ac53672fff18dfaca2.png ) [iqdb]
By the sound of it, Yukari has entered a less-benevolent phase than normal, and there's no real way of telling how long it will last. Vexed though you might be, you aren't quite willing to subject Alistair to that just yet.
"I suppose, then, if Remilia is willing, the outsider can be housed here for a day or two." you decide.
"That's fine~" Remi says, as Ran seems to run through the last bit of her frustration rage and mutters something about 'seeing herself out'. Remi takes a moment to saunter up to Alistair, wings flapping ominously, as she reaches up to prod him in the chest.
"Tremble with Terrified Delight, mortal, for I, Remilia the Scarlet Devil, welcome you and offer the full.... though temporary, hospitality of the Scarlet Devil Mansion~"
Alistair stared blankly for several long moments as she waited in front of him, unmoving, for a response.
".... What?" He eventually managed.
Remi's smile cracked.
"What do you mean 'What'?"
"I'm just... not sure what you're talking about. It's an ominous name, but I've never actually heard of-"
"Of course you've heard of me! I was a Big Deal! Patchy! I terrorized and ground entire villages under my heel, they lived in constant fear for their lives from my fickle whims! Not backwater two or three family townships either, but real villages of hundreds of people, living by my sufferance alone! There were hunters from at least seven different countries after my head, back in those days. They aren't allowed to just forget that all that happened!"
"If I recall, I believe much of the hardship of those downtrodden peasants was later attributed to plague and famine." You think aloud.
"What rot is that? Plague? Feh. And if I felt like butchering filthy swineherds I did it with my own hands, not by starving them to death. My holdings always had enough food that I could afford taking other things without loss of productivity."
"Yes, even if you had to go out and slaughter the next town over to the last man and take their harvests in order to arrange it." You note dryly.
"Yes! And?" Remi barks, mood clearly soured. "Bah! Impudent mongrels, why I should remind them why they cower in fear of the night..."
Alistair looked worried as Remilia turned and stalked out, muttering direly to herself.
"That girl... ah, she's not going to actually go out and do anything... regrettable, is she?" He asked hesitantly, brow creased.
"That 'girl' is the owner and head of this house, and older you by far." You say. "I trust you will keep that in mind. In any case, I have no doubt she wants to head out and re-live the old times, just now, but she also has to consider that there will be drastic retaliations if she makes any actions against the Village. She might build up enough of a head of steam to decide on rampaging outside the Barrier for a while, but I've no intent of crossing that Shikigami just now, and if she tries to leave through normal channels, she'll likely either get distracted with her little infatuation, or the Shrine Maiden may intuit her plans and shut them down by force. It is unlikely, as such, that much will come of it, though she may deliberately torment the maids for a few days, to vent her frustrations. Sakuya, Lunar calendar."
"The moon is currently waxing strongly, miss." Sakuya said, causing Alistair to start and nearly stumble at her abrupt appearance. "The Grain moon rises on the night of the Nineteenth, and will wane after."
"Good..." You say, and Sakuya disappears after bowing slightly. "... a bit closer than I would have preferred, but nothing to prevent me from shipping you back that morning. I'm sure you have arrangements to deal with your issues at your home?"
"Ah, yes." Alistair manages to say, awkwardly. "One of the reasons I can't sell the house, I don't have anywhere else to set them up."
"Yes, I'm sure." You say. "In any case, the situation is thus: you are currently in the private home of a pair of powerful vampires: Remilia and her sister. The sister habitually remains in the basement and seldom leaves, further, she has little concept of her own strength or the relative fragility and mortality of others, and is capable of destroying anything not outright indestructible and everything tested thus far which had claimed to be such. I advise you not enter the basement, unless you have decided you have nothing remaining in your life worth extending it, in which case I do not doubt that venturing into its depths is the simplest available means to your end, and it will likely come swiftly enough that you will not register any pain. The head maid might be cross at the mess you leave behind, but as she can freely manipulate time and space at her whim, the remains will be neatly disposed of without significant delay. Moving along, this is my assistant, Koakuma."
"Hello, there~" She says slyly. "Aren't you an interesting sight."
"I will warn you in advance, if you wish to sleep with her, it will likely not be difficult for you to arrange, however doing so leaves you open and unguarded to a point where, if she so chooses, she can instantly and irreversibly devour your soul."
"Heeey, that's ancient and primitive superstition, nobody really believes that any more." Koakuma said, pouting. You stare witheringly at her for a long minute, and she clicks her tongue in disgust. ".... I'm a light eater?" She tried, this time going for a more subtle, more believable lie.
"In any case, I have no doubt she is capable of bringing you any amount of purely physical bliss." You continue dismissively. "And so I will leave you to make whatever decisions you feel necessary in that regard. I will admit that I can think of any number of experiments that I might run on the empty husk you would leave behind, but you are still of use to me alive, and now that I consider, I am sure that I might find some interest in the study of a live werewolf as well.
"... I'm starting to feel like I've accidentally signed up to be in someone's Dark Army." Alistair said, uncertainly.
"Do not trouble yourself. It is unlikely that I will require anything of you that would go against your... ah..."
There is a word. It is right on the tip of your tongue, but you can't for the life of you recall it enough to give it voice. You hate it when that happens. After a moment, you turn questioningly to Koakuma.
"You might be thinking of the word 'Ethics'." The little devil pipes up. "Or 'Morals', maybe."
Yes. Those. You nod.
"Anything your morals would oppose." You finish. Alistair is giving you a flat look by this time.
"... Well, the pay's good, and I haven't had to do anything clearly on the wrong side of the law for you, yet." He grudgingly admits. "... Which is a bit more than can be said for some other employers."
"In any case, given that you're here, I suppose I can use you to assist in outlining schedules." You decide.
"Hm, that? Well, two main options to go for there." Alistair says. "You can scatter all the classes through the bulk of the week, have two or three classes a day, and whatnot, like most instructors do. Or you can follow in the lead of old man Brunswick, who was more of a hands-on teacher... he would just pick one day a week, march the entire student body out onto the grounds, and then divide them into groups and have them sling spells at each other all day. 'Practical group duelling lessons' he called it. I think he was just taking advantage of the house rivalries to get the students to study on their own time, since they would have a chance to use it against the others every week, and then he could just play referee and eat lunch one day a week, and do almost nothing for the rest. Sadist of a man, he started bringing in dangerous creatures as practical experience... ended up getting torn into pieces by a chimaera he'd had shipped in to pit against the seventh years. Recieved some small award post-mortem, though, his students did unusually well on their defense exams."
"That seems to imply a remarkable lack of care for the health and well being of the students." You note.
"Oh, the woman in charge of the hospital wing is one of the best medical witches in the country, she can fix most anything if you get to her in time." Alistair replies, not actually answering your implied question.
[x] Ask Alistair about basic history. You don't know anything about the country.
[x] Go over some of the books.
[x] Sleep.
I like all your characters. ALL OF THEM. Except Sakuya.
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Somehow I doubt this alternative class method would work very well for Patchouli. First off, if she happens to get really sick on the exact day of the classes, that's an entire week's worth of teaching gone. Secondly, spending a whole day out and about probably would do a number on her health, and finally I get the impression she would be more of a theoretical teacher than a practical one.
We should do a mixture. Theoretical classes when Patchy feels terrible; practical classes when she feels great. If we ever know for certain that we'll be feeling great, we can schedule a large practical class. Make it an Event, something unusual, not something routine like this guy did.
15 days is going to take forever at this rate. It'd be funny if the story ended there.
[X] Adapt a hybrid system. While we can easily teach them Theory, encouraging at times more active lessons may prove beneficial for both our health and the student's growth
And hell if worse come to worse on the "Show by example" days we could have Koakuma give a lesson on Focus while spell dueling. (Because she likely is quite distracting at times)
And if a student gets badly injured consider it a Risk of the Class and be thankful that there is a trained Medic on the grounds to patch them up. In the real world they'd not be so lucky.
It looks like Patchy will finally learn of Harry Potter in the next update or two. She might try to get him as a test subject if Avada Kedavra performs as advertised on youkai. Immunity to instant death is always nice.
It's not like she got much spotlight so far. Give her a chance.
I'm sure we'll skip forward a bit once everythign is done.
What we have left... Deciding coursebooks. Deciding what we'll teach for each year. Deciding schedule. Getting all this to Albus (sending list not doable until day after tomorrow unless we want Ran on our ass). Deciding what to do with library and doing it. Stocking up on medecine. We should also visit the actual school too and see if the classroom we get needs anything done to it. Maybe we can give list and schedule in person and do this in the same occasion?
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Guys, I think we're supposed to pick class schedules right now. Or something.
We ARE bringing Koa along, right?
We can think about schedule tomorrow. May as well see what they actually learn first.
And I'm sure we're bringing Koa. Going to need a substitute teacher for sickier days.
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The rumor mill will go nuts over Koa. Completely nuts. Patchy will probably get parents demanding her head within the first week.
... Of course we're bringing her.
I agree we need to know at least a little more about the students' backgrounds before we can make any decisions as to class content or structure. I have the suspicion Patchy will be at least mildly horrified by their ignorance.
-- [x] Skim all of them first, ordering them by interest. You can start reading at the "most interesting" end and have Koakuma start preparing summaries from the other end.
There is a lot on your plate right now and that's what assistants are for. You can always read them fully later if you run out of time.
[x] Ask Sakuya to prepare sleeping arrangements for Alistair.
[x] Go over some of the books, planning a hybrid training schedule in advance.
On the other hand, some of the, shall we say, shadier folk might appreciate a teacher who successfully commands a little devil.
>> Anonymous 2011/09/24(Sat)01:05 No. 46830
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Or a not so little devil, as it may be.
[X]Acquire basic information about your position from Allistor.
[X]Set Koa to sorting the purchased books with Alistor's help
[X]Assume Sakuya has already taken care of Alistor's quarters because she's the *Perfect and Elegant Maid*
[X]Rest
[x] Is this job going to involve any... politics?
>> Kahi 2011/09/24(Sat)04:35 No. 46833
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You consider for a moment, realizing you can see the benefits of either course of action. The more practical, unified, day-long meetings would clearly be better for the students grades, but if planned out in advance, your health could interfere drastically with things, prompting regular rescheduling of class meetings. The other would be easier on your bad days, though it would be more heavily focused on theory. Not a bad thing, in and of itself, you suppose, as you somehow suspect with the more-than-implied reduced standards their theory grounding will prove to be abysmal.
For the moment, you tentatively decide that you will settle for a hybridization, taking both options. The classes will, in this case, meet when you call them, and remain for as long as you feel like, with however much warning you care to give in advance. You suspect that the other instructors will be less than pleased with this outlined schedule. Then, you don't care what their opinions might be anyway.
"Tell me a little about Britain's history. I haven't bothered to look that way in some time." You say aloud, as you begin picking up and leafing through books. Your attention cannot be much divided if you are fully engrossed in a text, but you are fully capable of listening to someone speak and idly glancing through to see if anything looks interesting, and thence to order them by amount of interest.
"Hoo boy." Alistair says quietly, as you finish flipping through a book and set it aside. "Well, you should know in advance that history classes are kind of a joke at Hogwarts. I can go into great detail about the minutiae of roughly a half dozen goblin rebellions throughout history, and a couple more I don't recall quite as well, but those all essentially boil down to 'we won, and things returned to business as normal inside a week, once the goblins' tempers cooled'. Aside from that, well... you only really learn that if you have a personal interest in history, and study outside of requirements. I didn't, really, so I'm rather limited to more recent events. I'm... afraid that may be a significant part of why I irritated the young... er, the vampire that... your friend, earlier. It's possible that if she was speaking to a historian instead, they would have recognized her from the name. Or, if she was causing such a ruckus, it's almost certain the ministry of the time sent some of their people in to try to deal with the situation... and given that she's still here, they undoubtedly failed... and so it's not impossible that the ministry of the time censored knowledge of her, or fudged documents to indicate that she had been put down, once she stopped constantly being in the public eye and making noise."
You frown at the suggestion, but have to admit it is not outside the realm of possibility.
"Limit yourself to more recent events, then, as well as things that everyone is expected to know."
"Alright... well, the biggest thing is Merlin. The most powerful wizard anyone can recall, he lived well over a thousand years ago, though we can't pin down exactly when. Possibly two or three thousand. People still swear by his name today. Um. I'm afraid that's all anyone really knows about him anymore, but common perception of him is as a bearded old man similar to Dumbledore, though... rather more sedately dressed. About a thousand years ago are the Founders. We don't know much about them either, except that they built Hogwarts in a night to themselves, a magical feat that even a hundred of the best of our architects working in perfect unison could not possibly replicate today."
Depending on the size of the castle, and your state of health, and the day of the week, you don't doubt you could mimic the feat alone. Still, you nod absently as you continue moving books around, considering the story. It fits with what you know of Magic in the Outside having begun to drain away at some point, which is why the Barrier of Gensokyo went up in the first place, when everything is boiled down. Magic draws and breeds magic, however, so even without walls to contain, reinforce, and reflect it back inward, you doubt magic will ever completely die out in the Outside, so long as herds of magical creatures exist, and magic-users, though diminished in number and by far in potency, continue to congregate.
"In any case, we also know that Godric Griffindor had a fine sword, Helga Hufflepuff had a chalice with some manner of enchantment, Rowena Ravenclaw had a tiara or diadem said to increase the wearer's wisdom, and that Salazar Slytherin supposedly built a secret chamber into the castle, inside of which a horrible monster lairs, which nobody can ever confirm to have seen. Aside from that, we know that they made the Sorting Hat, which defies study even to this day, supposedly that Slytherin objected to having magical students of non-magical parentage, and at some point he left the school, possibly after coming to blows with someone or leaving behind heated words, after which Griffindor hunted him down and hacked him into six pieces before returning, still dripping with gore. We usually leave that bit off when telling the tale to children."
You set a book in between the others, having begun to subtly arrange them by which seems to be more creature oriented, spell oriented, or curse avoidance and survival oriented, as well as by interest.
"Aside from that there's not much until... the recent rise and fall of Grindelwald, though that was over on the continent and didn't affect Britain too much until Dumbledore went and dealt with everything somehow, so I'm afraid I don't know much about that. Then the Dark Lord of Britain rose... you'll forgive me, but he placed a Taboo on his name, such that he and his followers know when it is spoken, and so we do not speak it aloud... though if you insist, I shall write it for you, later. He rose, and while Dumbledore kept the worst of him at bay, the havoc he set loose was still mightily terrible to live through, and powerful though he may be, the old man never seemed to prove able to finish matters for good. Then, a miracle occurred. He murdered a family one night, and yet, when he turned wand against their infant son... his killing curse failed."
The sense of mildly awestruck wonder Alistair says this with, as though he is speaking of some vast accomplishment, nearly makes you choke, until you realize that he does, indeed, believe it honestly to be an incredible accomplishment. A miracle, as he himself said. Which is, of course, ridiculous: spells and curses attempting to inflict instant death on their victim are, by their very nature, shoddy and unreliable when turned against beings with any sort of grasp and aptitude for magic, and sufficiently sturdy connection to the mystical energy. It would nearly always simply fail outright to traumatize such a person's being sufficiently, or to shake loose enough anything to actually cause the death it intended. The least useful of spells, reliable only to slaughter livestock cleanly for butchery, or drive away less advanced, but threatening animals...
For the magical society of the outside to have become so degraded... You had known, intellectually, but it had not really clicked to you before, just how far they had fallen, how very near they were to no longer having any magic at all, to call their own. You clearly have your work cut out for you.
"-and anyway, the lad seems to gather public interest every now and again, and he and Dumbledore are currently insisting that the Dark Lord has resurrected himself somehow, but aside that the only noteworthy thing I know of is when Lockheart was admitted a couple years back to St. Mungo's for accidentally self-inflicted memory erasure, and I'm sure that means absolutely nothing to you, except that he's not writing books any more."
You suddenly realize that you are flipping through a book written by the man in question. Though the information inside all certainly seems valid enough, it reads more like an escapist fantasy novel, and the man takes frequent pauses to wax eloquently about himself. Even so, it is tragic when misfortune befalls an author, even one of clearly only minor talent at very best.
"Unfortunate." You say aloud, setting the book right at the lower end of the interest spectrum. "I have grown tired, though... fortunately, I was able to finish this preparation." You continue, waving at the arrangement of texts, tomes, and novels.
You yawn softly behind one hand, as Alistair glances over it, seeming to be attempting, and failing, to figure out how it all fits together.
"Koakuma." You instruct. "I want you to begin summarizing and taking notes of important information from these, beginning at that end." You wave abstractly towards the Lockheart novels. The devil frowns.
"You know, I do need some sleep to function..." She says carefully.
"Then sleep, wake early, and begin then." You specify. "In the meantime, I'm sure Sakuya has prepared quarters for you, and possibly an evening repast."
"Indeed, miss." Sakuya says, deliberately from just behind and to the right of Alistair. "If you would follow me, sir?"
"Don't think I'll ever get used to that." Alistair mumbles to himself as he is lead out.
With your day complete, you retire to your private quarters and sleep.
The day is Aug 18, 14 days to term, early morning.
It is Thursday: Day of Jupiter and Wood. Wood-related magics come easier and to greater effect for you, today.
Your health level is 20/100: You feel terrible today. More terrible than normal, even. Pale, feverish, nauseated, and with a wracking cough. These are the sort of days where you might consider taking medication, if you absolutely must get out of bed.
You have two vials of medication. One dose is one full vial. Taking more than one dose results in an Overdose, which lowers your health.
One dose of medicine will increase today's health by 5d4 points, however, half that amount will be removed from your health level tomorrow.
Are you rolling these health levels?
[x]Stay in bed.
It's not as if we're in any big hurry to do anything, right now.
Not much for it. (Eirin can only manage +5d4? Yeesh. Pomfrey's going to be completely useless, then.)
[X] Stay in bed. Trust Sakuya to take care of the guest if he starts getting antsy. And maybe having to play host will calm Remilia down a bit.
[X] Have Koakuma read some of the more interesting books to you, at least during your more lucid moments. Who knows? It might help take your mind off how miserable you feel.
Other than that, the day's probably pretty much a wash.
[X] Stay in bed.
[X] Have Koa bring her summaries to you when she's finished, and to get Alistor to help with them if need be.
[X] Rest.
[X] After she has finished the summaries, have Koakuma read some of the more interesting books to you, at least during your more lucid moments. Who knows? It might help take your mind off how miserable you feel.
I hope you're willing to fudge health rolls enough we can avoid getting fired. This is going to be a short CYOA if Patchy has a bunch of these days in a row at the beginning of the year, especially if they coincide with the days we'd be able to hold the classes.
It'll probably take a bit before the other teachers are willing to believe Koakuma won't eat the students on days she has to be the teacher for us.
[x] Start reading from the interesting pile.
[x] Would Sakuya mind picking up more medication for you?
Clearly we should have a bed in the classroom. Or a classroom in the bedroom.
Ooh ooh, walking bed! We need a walking bed! A handsome bed, trotting down the hallways~ glorious~
[x] Have Koakuma bring her summaries to you when she's finished, and to get Alistair to help with them if need be.
[x] Read from the pile of reports.
[x] Call Alistair to ask about devices which might govern time ( Time Turners)
[x] Ask if Sakuya may be able to procure one for you. (Or if she already has one? eg. her pocket watch)
[x] Rest
Well, can't Patchy just redo the days she would miss because she was sick in bed if she had procured a time turner, that she might see mentioned in Lockhart's books. Clearly a possible choice.
Research about the time Turners can wait. They will all be destroyed around the fifth book anyway.
Dude, it's just one day. No need to break out into time shenanigans now. So long as we can have schedule and coursebooks decided about one week and a half before term, Albus should be happy.
If we make our own material, we don't necessarily need it finished before the term starts. We can always keep writing it while teaching. That'd take a lot of the time crunch off.
And we can have Alistor and Koa be prepared to hand out lessons in theory should we be bedridden for a couple days. Surely they can be trusted to read out notes?
Taking Alistair is a terrible idea. However, he has a nice, big house...
[x] Ask Alistair if his house has room for the library.
I very, very much doubt Patchouli has anywhere near enough trust in Alistair to ask him this. We are staying at the castle after all and I doubt Patchouli would move her books to an unknown place.
She hasn't even informed him of her chronic case of Oh Dear I Think I Just Vomited My Lungs Out yet. Which she'll probably have to do, seeing as he's going to be stuck here for a while, and she might as well get some use out of him in the interim.
You'd rather trust Dumbledore? There's enough knowledge in there to win several wars. Even if he does resist temptation and find a way to keep it secret, that castle has a terrible, terrible track record for secrets. I guarantee someone will stumble into it.
You think we won't put any protection on the books if we take them with us?
Also, considering the number of said books, they'll most probably have to be stored in something with expanded space inside. If we take them of course.
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You reflect that now would be a good time to medicate yourself, but you have no intention of keeping Alistair here longer than absolutely necessary, especially with a full moon rising tomorrow night, and don't intend to run the risk of backlash making tomorrow worse.
You tug at your connection to Koa. Lightly, not enough to tear her through time and space to your side, but enough to let her know that her presence is required immediately. She enters the room with an armful of papers, Alistair trailing confusedly behind her. He seemed somewhat sullen over something, but is startled when he sees your current condition. You imagine you look a haggard mess.
"Bad day, huh?" She says, with no actual empathy or compassion for your plight, a simple statement of fact. "Well, I've got some of those summaries you wanted: it'll pretty much take me the whole rest of the day to finish the rest of them. I guess this guy might be able to help, but he picked up one of those Lockheart books once I finished with it, and he's still not a quarter done, yet."
"I never claimed to be a... a researcher, or a speed-reader. I'm re-reading it for nostalgia." Alistair grumbles. "In any case, I think I'd like to complain about that maid. She put me in a doghouse, on the grounds!"
"Was it uncomfortable?" You rasp slowly.
"... Well, no." He admits after a moment. "It was actually quite roomy and spacious, and had a four-poster bed with silk sheets, and had a fully-stocked mini-bar and icebox, as well as a stove-top and oven... It's just the principle of it."
You wave off his complaints, disinterested.
"Take no insult against your condition... she'd have put you there even were you not a werewolf." You say slowly.
"That isn't exactly comforting." he notes with a sigh, as Koakuma sets her papers down next to your bed.
"Koakuma, have the maids bring... tea and light food." You instruct, then break down into a short coughing fit. "... Then continue your task, and bring your summaries as you complete them. Alistair... do as you please."
"If it's all the same to you, I think I should prefer to stay in the library for the day." Alistair says, just a hint of anxiety coloring his tone. "This mansion... well, it doesn't strike me as being the wisest of plans to wander around it unguarded, and nobody's ever accused me of being a Griffindor."
"As you wish." You say. "Do not venture into the depths of the shelves.... restrict yourself to reading yesterday's purchases... once Koa is finished with them. Meddle with nothing else, no matter what she says, or implies."
"Oh, believe me, I should think I'd need a little longer than this to forget that lesson." Alistair remarks wryly. "I'll be keeping my hands to myself."
"Good." You rasp. "Many of the books... cannot be read by those below... certain levels of ability. Some will... assault those who make such attempts.... among other things."
"Well, that's good to hear." Alistair remarks idly. "Suppose you've got some other manners of horrific defenses set up against intruders and thieves?"
"Do not venture into the depths of the shelves." You restate firmly.
"Capital." Alistair mumbles under his breath, shaking his head. "Well, I'll just have a sit down and spend the day re-reading Lockheart, shall I?"
You wave him off as fairies float in, carrying between them a tea set, a small platter of sliced fruits, and a stoppered bottle of some strong drink. You will only partake lightly of that last, else you know full well that you won't retain anything you read.
As the day progresses, you find that Lockheart's novels were particularly useless, each containing at most two or three spells highly specific to the exact sort of situation that the man wrote of, and entirely useless under any other conditions. The man would almost have to be some kind of remarkably skilled genius, when put under pressure, and incredibly lucky to boot, that everything had lined up just-so. It would make up for his not being at all capable at writing, if you actually believed the man was both that skilled and fortunate and could wax poetic about the shine of his teeth and wave of his own hair for three pages. It's almost a shame that, if you understand right, the man no longer has any memories of any of this, nor of writing anything, so attempting to interrogate him later would be pointless.
Once past that, things begin to look up, becoming more focused and interesting to you, as you mentally categorize the books. Which advises what in which situation, which covers this, but omits that, which focuses more heavily on one area and only lightly touches on the others, if at all... You take frequent breaks, as your capacity to intake the summaries outstrips Koakuma's ability to produce them, just a bit. It's late into the evening by the time you have a reasonably solid grasp of all the books contents: the two that Alistair advised you buy are, indeed, the most thorough and comprehensive, though each have their own failings as well. You suspect, however, that either would be a suitable text for all seven years worth of students, and they would not have to purchase another through their entire scholastic career.
Naturally, you muse, you can make a better one, but that will take an investment of time and effort, and you haven't decided if you want to bother, or how to go about it if you do. You decide to sleep on it, as you set the final summary to the side.
The day is Aug 19, 13 days to term, early morning. The full moon rises tonight.
It is Friday: Day of Venus and Metal. Metal-related magics come easier and to greater effect for you today.
[x] Decide on a book, one of the better ones. Even if they have their failings, we can use our own knowledge for that. Students can take notes after all.
[x] Explore your options for a schedule, narrow them as much as possible.
[x] Plans for the afternoon: send Alistair back to his home. Then use that portal too and then go to Hogwarts from there. Ran will be less annoyed by one breach rather than two.
[x] See if you can find Albus to give the coursebook we selected and discuss the schedules options. Then see if you can visit the school a bit, the classroom you'll use and teh room you'll get.
Great luck! This is a bit long term for one choice point but if we can pull this off today, only thing left will be getting more medecine and deciding what to do with the books. Of course, we need to read the selected book more thoroughly, but we'll have time.
Also, first point is a mix of selecting one of the book recommended by Alistair and our own materials. Won't use up as much time and will keep quality of taught content high.
And since we're unsure on schedules, may as well go and discuss it with Albus.
[x] Prepare to write a textbook on Elementalism.
[x] Start summoning demons.
[x] Teleport to Hogwarts. Take Alistair.
[x] Discuss schedule and plans with Dumbledore or other teachers. See the grounds.
I don't like the look of these books. And Koakuma is awesome, so more devils must be even more awesome, right?
Summoning demons without a task in mind?
No, not awesome. Just a waste of power that may affect Patchouli's health.
To work on the book. Duh.
Ah, my bad.
But frankly, I see no point in educating all years on elementalism for one year. And you do realize we would then need to find and contact a printing group to mass-produce said book for the students and more?
Elementalism is Patchy's specialty; she can probably write a truly worthwhile book about it. Introducing students to a new school of magic seems pretty damn useful (and fun) to me. That we're teaching them this instead of how to block the Killing Curse is the icing on the cake.
As for the printing, eh... we'll cross that bridge if we come to it. We probably won't.
Probably better off taking the time to brush up on Homunculus construction, it may add some time at the front-end, but it'll save you from having to carefully review the finished work to make sure the demons didn't sneak in any Hidden Fun Stuff(tm).
>they built Hogwarts in a night to themselves, a magical feat that even a hundred of the best of our architects working in perfect unison could not possibly replicate today."
>Depending on the size of the castle, and your state of health, and the day of the week, you don't doubt you could mimic the feat alone.
I'm sure she can handle a couple hundred books.
[x] See if you can find Albus to give the coursebook we selected and discuss the schedules options. Then see if you can visit the school a bit, the classroom you'll use and the room you'll get.
[x] Decide on a book, one of the better ones. Even if they have their failings, we can use our own knowledge for that. Students can take notes, after all.
[X] Also while at Hogworts, ask the library staff for a complete inventory of their own holdings, with the intention of (1) acquiring or coping any other interesting texts you may still be missing, and (2) preparing an "optional" supplementary reading list for your students, to help differentiate the exceptional from the rest. Naturally, there's no particular reason to mention (1) to anyone else. Be sure to double-check what is actually available once you are stationed here and have more time.
[X] If we have time while there, also quiz the resident medical personnel on the limits of their abilities. Alistair seemed to indicate a rather casual disregard for student health, and exploiting this would be extremely useful for "practical demonstrations" purposes. But it would not do to accidentally kill or irrecoverably maim your students. At least not if they didn't deserve it.
(It may be best not to bother Dumbledore personally with the last two.)
>> Anonymous 2011/09/25(Sun)00:43 No. 46872
Can we get an explanation of how the health is rolled, and what numbers mean what levels of health?
I also don't hold much hope for the Hogwart's library. If the Headmaster offered his personal collection, and that was mostly lacking, why would a school library be much better? Especially if the books you are interested in (i.e. Diabolism) are frowned upon/considered dangerous by said headmaster.
[x] Additional plans for the afternoon: contact Eirin to get extra medicine created. It may take some time, and you will likely need more than two bottles for an entire year abroad. It would be a hassle to be forced to run back to Gensoukyou every time you get sick.
>>46872 Bumblebee doesn't necessarily know we'd want a given book, nor can we assume Patchy hasn't lost any other books mid-read. Also, if we want the students to demonstrate their ability to gain knowledge outside the classroom, it's best to give them a list of relevant texts.
Well, one book I know she does not yet have and might be at least mildly interested in is not very rare at all: the omni-present Hogwarts: A History.
[X] Check with Ran/Yukari about how much they'll let you go through the Barrier over the next couple weeks and over the school year. Don't want angry Shinigami(sp) after us just because we've hooked our Library to some secure door in this Hogwarts place.
[X]If we do visit Hogwarts today, request the marks and records of the current 6 years of returning students (first years will have no such record) for this class. Analyze them at a later date.
>> Kahi 2011/09/25(Sun)05:03 No. 46880
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You spend a few minutes, as you rise, considering the matter at hand. Eventually, you decide that you don't really want to go to the effort to draft a text of your own, when you already have a pair that can do the job reasonably well, and you have less than two weeks before the start of term. Had Alistair not suggested them, of course, and had you been forced to select from the still more inferior options available, that might not have remained the case.
A primer for elementalism is a thought you've had before, but you quickly dismiss it. You are not, at this time, interested in assembling such a work. Besides, it's almost certain that the black-white would set out to purloin a copy if she heard you were making such an effort towards a goal like that.
"Jolly good." He says, when you pass the decision along. "They were the competing class texts of my parent's school days, you know, either one will more than get the job done. You would have expected them to go out of date by now, but remarkably enough, most spells and the habits of hungry beasts don't actually change all that much as the decades pass. And certainly, new spells are invented, but they seldom fall into common use, while old standbies like stunners, severing charms, and explosive hexes never really go away. Lots of room for advancement, in some respects, but it very seldom works better than the old ways."
You nod, considering the books in question as Koakuma orders the rest, setting them aside to be enchanted, and from there properly sorted and filed into the Archive as a whole.
"Aside from advanced details, which I suspect the majority of students will never need to know or care about beyond abstract theoretical knowledge to answer test questions with..." You muse. "... This text is significantly light on creatures, only bringing up a few as examples here and there, and not going into particular detail. This other one, however, is lighter on incantations and defensive wardings than I would prefer."
"Well, to be perfectly frank, miss, there is a class specifically to study the Care of Magical Creatures, and there's really quite a lot of overlap for defense purposes." Alistair muses. "... Another of the sort of class the quidditch teams prefer, I must admit. Very seldom see them in runic studies or arithmancy, but less mentally taxing courses, like that, and the fluffier sort where you can just fudge the answers and nobody will ever be able to tell the difference, if you're clever about it, like Divination? Oh yes, you'll see them in those most definitely. But, ah, I suppose that's rather entirely beside the point."
"In that case... this text would be the superior option, from what is available." You confirm, setting the other aside to where Koakuma rapidly snatched it up.
From there, your mind turned to schedules. However, there was little more you could determine, in that regard, aside from your previous idea of simply holding the classes whenever and wherever you felt like, for as long as you pleased, and forcing the other instructors to simply work around that. If you adhered to the more standard schedule, however, then separating twenty eight blocks of students into five days, leaving the weekends off... hm. Presuming you did not bunch any of the different dormitories together, that would be between five and six class meetings a day, to meet with one group once a week. If you made all of your meetings involve two of the different Houses, however, then that was only half as many separate groups, and only two or three meetings a day, to the same result. Keeping all the years apart, but grouping the Houses together does not seem to be an option that has been brought up, but you consider it, and it would only require one or two class meetings a day. This is presuming you allow weekends off, of course, as if you add them onto the class meeting schedule the students will no doubt be incensed with you, but it would reduce the number of meetings per day to four, two, and one meeting per day, respectively, for every given arrangement of houses.
You hesitate to make a solid decision on any definite schedule, yet, deciding to wait for more information.
You would be willing to head of to Diagon Alley, and after dropping Alistair off, to Hogwarts, immediately, save that the place still seems significantly behind you, in respect to time zones. At the moment, it's probably somewhere shortly after midnight there. You should probably give it a few more hours at least, if you intend to make one trip of it, rather than potentially upsetting the shikigami by pitching Alistair off to make his way home, then making your own trip later.
On that note, a thought occurs to you.
"Yakumo." You say, rising to your feet. "... Yukari." You continue.
After a long moment, in which you begin to feel slightly foolish under Alistair's staring, but do not break position, a line opens in the air and Yukari's head lowers through, fan held casually in front of her face.
".... My my. I might expect such intuition from the shrine maiden. But how on earth did you realize I was watching, I wonder?"
You didnt, as it happens. You just considered the fact that Yukari might take some interest in anything that had upset her Shikigami to deal with, and so she could be looking this way, although likely not with any specific intensity or focus. With the fact that you wanted a word with her or her shikigami anyway, the only risk was that if she wasn't, you would look odd in front of people who weren't likely to pass tale of it along.
It's not like you're going to admit that, though.
"That's not important." You say, dismissing the matter even as Alistair's confused gaze flicks rapidly between you and the apparently disembodied, upside-down head and bit of arm. "I wanted to discuss something with you, anyway."
Yukari's head retracts into the gap. Then she bulges back out of it, upward, floating fully out and above it only to settle down onto it as an impromptu seat.
"Speak your mind." She directs bemusedly, folding her fan and waving it at you like an imperious queen.
"Your shikigami mentioned preferring I keep travel through the barrier to a 'minimum'. She was rather vague on that, however."
"Oh, go to and from as much as you please, I certainly do." Yukari responds flippantly.
"I would rather avoid embittering your servant towards me, if at all possible." You say reprovingly. "I was hoping, however, that you could offer me firmer numbers: how many breaches would be acceptable per day, or week, or month, before Ran's temper sets to a boil over the repair."
"Hmm... that's a triiicky question." Yukari muses almost seriously. "I'd have to say I can't really answer that for you, with any definite numbers, because there are so many variables to consider. Why, Ran's mood, whether she's woken up with a hangover, if other things are bearing on her mind, or if she's procured zoo-tickets for herself and Chen... why any of these could have drastic effects on exactly how much she is willing to tolerate."
You just know she's grinning in amusement behind that fan.
"... In that case, another matter I wished to consider with someone more involved with and aware of the intricacies of the Barrier than I am. I had considered linking one end of a portal here, and another to a place outside, and thence making the connection semi-permanent-"
"That's a no." Yukari interrupts without hesitation, suddenly serious as she points the tip of her fan directly at you. "Little, quick breaches that are sealed up and repaired shortly after they are made, that's one thing. A breach maintaining an extended duration, however? Why, that's quite another story entirely. I'm afraid I can't allow you to do that. Not the way you do it, at least."
Yukari smirked, and flipped the fan open again, eyes gleaming with interest in the situation.
"Naturally, I could arrange such a thing, in a way that does not cause harm to the Barrier. But my, that would be quite a lot of work indeed. I simply couldn't put myself to that sort of effort without repayment, you understand."
[x]From what Ran told you, Yukari did enter a less-benevolent phase. Hear what repayment she would want, but expect the worst.
[x]Consider if said price is worth it.
[x]With time to burn, you may as well go and stock up on medecine. Or maybe have Koakuma do it. After that's done, you should start looking up on enhancing the defences if there's still more time left before going out.
I suddenly have the thought that the whole "Moon Invasion" thing occured while Yukari was in a not-so-benevolent mood...
Whelp, it's not like we haven't messed up before!
[X]raise the idea of moving the Library, temporarily, to a Border-inside-the-Border, where you would be able to control access on your end while Outside, and Yukari/Ran would control access to Gensoukyo on their end. You would get access to the Library, but they would still limit access to Gensoukyo proper.
[X]Introduce Alistor and Yukari. It's only polite as he is a guest in the realm she helped create. Warn him about her too.
[X]Once done with Yukari, inquire of Alistor the possibility of temporary lodgings Outside, given that you may have to make your trips go longer than a single day to avoid the wrath of Ran. Besides, you will also need to see to your quarters at this Hogwarts. It'll be a long trip!
By the way, Chibi, I know that's you. Any chance of you NOT abandoning this?
[x] From what Ran told you, Yukari has entered a less-benevolent phase. Hear what repayment she would want, but expect the worst.
[x] Consider if said price is worth it.
[X] Introduce Alistair and Yukari. It's only polite as he is a guest in the realm she helped create. Warn him about her too.
[X] Once done with Yukari, inquire of Alistair the possibility of temporary lodgings Outside, given that you may have to make your trips go longer than a single day to avoid the wrath of Ran. Besides, you will also need to see to your quarters at this Hogwarts. It'll be a long trip!
[x] With time to burn, you may as well go and stock up on medicine. Or maybe have Koakuma do it. After that's done, you should start looking up on enhancing the defenses if there's still more time left before going out.
-- [x] As part of the last, inquire with Sakuya about the feasibility of isolating the archives from the rest of Gensokyo when you are not around, possibly with some form of limited access the black-white would not be able to overcome.
(While tucking the library into a pocket dimension or otherwise isolating it has a lot of promise, relying on the single most unpredictable being in Gensokyo to be one of the gatekeepers seems like a spectacularly bad idea.)
So yeah, let's see how much of a jerk Yukari is right now.
>> SystemFailureV4!BLzojn4jRY 2011/09/25(Sun)07:48 No. 46887
Bandwagon, HO!
I like the sound of this.
->[x]Since you will be out of town for the resulting chaos, it will probably be okay.
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"Repayment... I suppose it would depend on exactly what you would require of me in turn. Ah. Alistair, Yukari. Yukari, Alistair. I'm sure you've noted he exists. Alistair is a werewolf, and has an unfortunate backstory that I'm sure you aren't interested in. Alistair, Yukari is the Lady of Boundaries, one of the key facets maintaining the Barrier which separates and conceals us from the outside. Do not agree to any bargains she seems willing to strike with you unless you have thoroughly considered how the aftereffects of your actions might affect you: her mind twists and coils like a serpent under water, and always bites from the direction you least expect. A moment's foolishness, and she will toy with and devour you without pity or remorse, nor backward glance."
"You flatterer, you~" Yukari teases, but Alistair seems to mostly understand and a slight wariness sets in. "Hmhm... in any case, it's nothing big. I simply want a few golems, and am given to understand you can construct them. Of specific materials, of course."
She waves her hand, and a few items drop out of a gap and onto your table. After a moment, Alistair picks up a bag in mild confusion.
"... Marshmallows? And that... chocolate pudding?" He says aloud, brow creased.
"I will consider your terms." You say ambivalently, not coming down firmly on acceptance or denial.
"Of course~" She answers, smiling. "And if you decide to agree, you need only craft the golems, and I'll collect them and do my part. I'll be watch~ing~"
She winks as she settles back into the gap, and for a moment you can see an infinite field of eyes gazing at you, unblinking. You almost shudder, knowing full well she provided the unsettling imagery on purpose.
The question at hand, now, was 'what could she want constructs of this nature for?'. You cannot imagine an option that is not worrying, to one degree or another. Of course, given the way her mind usually seems to work, she may not want them for anything at all, and so would simply be demanding them as a price in order to watch you try to wrap your mind around a logical 'why' of it. Unless, of course, she intends for you to suspect that, in which case...
You draw your mind back deliberately from this pondering. No good could come from fourth and fifth guessing yourself in an attempt to work out what Yukari might or might not be planning. Whatever it was, you were going to be mostly out of Gensokyo for a while, so you would likely miss the brunt of it.
Unless she deliberately delayed doing anything until you were back, or further delayed it, until a point where you might have decided she simply wanted them to confuse and aggravate you...
You shake your head slightly, and move on from it. You can always decide whether or not to craft the golems later. For now, you still have time to burn. The most immediate matter remaining would be...
"I'll need to discuss potential lodgings Outside with you later, Alistair. For now, I must have a word with the clinic. I don't doubt they expected me weeks ago, but my medicine stretched further than normal." You say aloud, rising to your feet and tucking the textbook you had decided on into an interior pocket of your outfit. It is a heavy, but comforting weight. "Alistair, refreshments will be available, you need only summon a maid-"
"Ah, well, if it's all the same to you, miss, I think I should rather come along with you." Alistair says, seeming mildly embarrassed. "It's just... everyone I've met here seems to be dangerous or bloodthirsty, to one degree or another, and... well, you yourself aren't excluded from that. At the least, though, you've shown inclination to act in my defense, if I end up needing it, so I'd be rather more comfortable-"
"Can you fly?" You ask simply.
"Ah... afraid I pawned the old broomstick just the other month." He admits, seeming abashed about it. That would be a no, then.
If you bring him along, then you'll either have to walk or make a portal, then. And you'll likely have to walk at least part of the way in either case, as if you just step out into the halls of Eientei, you'll likely be under attack before your feet touch the ground, and there would be quite a bit of confusion before you have the opportunity to explain yourself.
[ ] Let him come along.
- [ ] Walk the whole way. It's been a long time since you've walked anywhere, but you're in good enough health for it today.
- [ ] Make a portal to just outside the Bamboo Forest, walk the rest of the way.
- [ ] Just make a portal to Eientei proper, never mind the tumult that might cause with the rabbits. It might even be amusing.
[ ] His mental comfort is none of your concern, you can probably trust Remilia not to feed on him, even if she does she's a light eater so he won't die of it, and you doubt he's foolish enough to succumb to Koakuma's wiles. He'll be taken care of well enough, leave him here.
[ ] You have a better idea, which is...
[X] Let him come along.
- [X] Just make a portal to Eientei proper, never mind the tumult that might cause with the rabbits. It might even be amusing.
- - [X] Maybe Koakuma will grab a bunny eared snack. They have plenty of spares.
- [x] Make a portal to just outside the Bamboo Forest, walk the rest of the way.
Mokokokokou~
>golems
There is no possible way making pudding and marshmallow golems could turn out badly for us. None.
Lol, yes
We should probably stay out of Gensokyo for a bit after we make the Smore Golemns anyways. At least until Halloween.
>marshmallow golems
"What did you do Ray?"
So, bringing a werewolf to moonguys's place, with a rabbit with the power of the full moon in her eyes. This can't possibly go wrong.
- [X] Make a detour first. Make a portal to Marisa's house and borrow her broom for Alistair's use, then fly the rest of the way to Eientei. Turnabout is fair play, after all.
But pudding isn't used in traditional s'mores... And in any event, these will be awfully small golems if she only gave us one or two bags of marshmallows...
>>So, bringing a werewolf to moonguys's place, with a rabbit with the power of the full moon in her eyes. This can't possibly go wrong.
They have plenty of spares.
>> Anonymous 2011/09/26(Mon)00:07 No. 46904
Sounds like Yukari's making either a porno or a snack that can react the way she wants.
[X] Let him come along. If he is to work for us, then he needs to come to a more immediate understanding of the world you travel in. Besides, he can always act as a distraction.
- [x] Ask Sukaya if there's a spare broom he can utilize for flight, and to get one of the fairy maids to deliver. If not, then:
[X] In a couple of days, Build Marshmellow Golems with gooey chocolate puuding insides. It will be an excellent test of your skills in this regard, to work with such unusual materials. Make a note to stay out of Gensoukyo on Halloween.
Or we could always ask to borrow Genji to fly him around -- just 'port over to the shrine and... startle... Reimu... Uh, never mind. Bad idea.
>> Kahi 2011/09/26(Mon)03:17 No. 46909
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"As you please, then, though it will add on some travel time. Koakuma walking stick. I know it's about here somewhere." You say aloud.
Koa bustles about behind and around things and through shelves, until floating down from the top of a bookcase with a gnarled length of wood in hand. It's effectively just a completely magically inert stick, but it comes in handy if you need to stop and catch your breath while leaning on something. Nodding, you prod at the air with your new focus, and the portal obligingly opens for you. You wouldn't bother for little things, but my, this is turning out to have been a practical purchase related to things that would normally take much more effort.
You step through, Alistair only a moment behind you, and peer into the shade of the bamboo ahead.
"... This-"
"Formalities." You say, before Alistair can fully verbalize his question. "Simply appearing directly in the heart of someone else's domain is more than enough grounds for them to attempt to expel you from it. And it's somewhat rude besides."
Alistair doesn't seem to quite get it, but makes a noise of assent anyway.
It's only minutes after you make your way into the shade of the forest that you remember its full name. Bamboo Forest 'of the Lost'. Apt, as you've already gotten turned around a little. It's excusable, though, as you usually just fly over it all, directly to Eientei, and don't bother with the twisting, turning paths at all. You're sure you can figure it out, though.
The occasional simple rabbit peers out at you from the undergrowth, and at one point a group of fairies makes an ill-advised attempt to ambush you. A small windstorm created in their midst rapidly advises them of the foolhardiness of that notion, and they beat a hasty retreat.
"... Are we lost?" Alistair asks, after several more minutes pass, and you realize you're walking through a too-familiar clearing.
"Not at all." You deny, ignoring the fact that you don't know exactly quite where you are at the moment, and aren't entirely sure how to reach your destination from here. "We're simply keeping ourselves amused while we wait for a guide, like polite guests..."
The ground beneath you creaks, and you blink as it falls away into a pit. You stare blandly down, at the array of pointed bamboo poles set to impale anything which might fall in. Wordlessly, you float a bit to the side, and touch down on more solid footing.
"It seems she's arrived. Do mind your step, Alistair." You caution.
He peers into the pit, wide-eyed, and swallows dryly.
"Heey... you didn't play along." A pouting voice comes, and Tewi shows herself. "So, it's the wheezing wizard? Guess you're coming in for more meds. Got a tagalong too, so you aren't flying it? Neat. Guess I can lead the way. Depends on if you have something nice for me~"
"Or I can simply force you into compliance. My health today is very good." You note.
"Oho, intimidation?" The rabbit muses, before leaning in and giving an interested sniff. "Hmm... that guy smells like predator~ Some kind of dog?"
"You seem remarkably carefree despite that."
"Well, and why not?" Tewi asks. "Fact of life: predators eat prey. Nothing to be done about that. But then, sometimes a rabbit kicks back, and breaks the hunters neck~"
"Indeed, though there are some hunters that are too much for a mere rabbit to overcome." You warn.
"Maybe, maybe~" Tewi hums. "But if you get caught by a beast like that, then you would almost deserve to be eaten, right?"
"Perhaps so." You say.
Alistair looks completely lost, not really managing to put the banter together in a manner he can fully comprehend.
[X]As much fun as Danmaku'ing the rabbit into next week could be, we do have a schedule to keep to, and unnecessary violence can deteriorate our health. Skip the battle.
[X]As much fun as Danmaku'ing the rabbit into next week could be, we do have a schedule to keep to, and unnecessary violence can deteriorate our health. Skip the battle (bribe).
Thankfully, today is day of metal. We should be able to make something to her liking.
>> SystemFailureV4!BLzojn4jRY 2011/09/26(Mon)04:22 No. 46912
Poor Alistair. He really got thrown into the deep end.
Tewi's pretty mercenary here, so what would she like? Just plain old gold (possibly common in Gensoukyou) or something more magical? In that case, it might take more magic to create a bribe than to just flat out fight her.
Then again, fighting one of the oldest youkai in Gensoukyou (even if it is a stage four midboss vs. your stage three bosshood) is no easy task.
[X] If necessary, produce a simple bauble for Tewi for services rendered.
It should be fairly easy for us to make the White Hare of Inaba something. And it'd be a lot easier on us than making her mad.
Patchouli is EX in a good day (such as right now). Not that powerlevels matter much anyway.
Plus, if we give her something nice we might get some luck (in the form of roll modifiers? Who knows.)
Tewi can canonically give humans good luck, which we are not. Alistair, maybe.
[x] Make her some metal spears or a beartrap or something. Highest quality metal possible.
This Tewi feels like Tewi~ Very nice.
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You wave a hand dismissively, after less than a moment's thought.
"Much as I enjoy rabbit stew, I don't have all day to waste. I've something of a schedule to keep."
"Aww. Getting me excited, and then backing out? That's just mean of you~" Tewi teases. "Hm. Alright, then. Make me a hammer, and I'll show you the way."
You shrug and gather mystical energy, giving shape and form to the requested item, and it's only a matter of moments before the heavy weight settles into your hand. And from there, is snatched away before you can close your fingers.
You overdid it. You had been planning on just leaving it a trinket: making it of a somewhat valuable metal, but useless for practical purposes. Still within the bounds of Tewi's terms, but flawed enough by its nature to be less than of use to her. As she swings it around slightly, testingly, you realize the margin of your error. You had been aiming for simple silver. You put too much magic into it, however, and the metal you created warped into a more advanced form, usually requiring significant effort from a smith and mage working in tandem, to infuse energy into the ore as it's refined. You can't recall the name of the composite material right now, but the enchanted silver is quite rare, and far more than you had intended to give.
Tewi whistles in appreciation as she slams the business end of it into a nearby boulder, which obligingly shatters at the impact.
"Hey, this is a lot nicer than I was expecting." Tewi says cheerily, concealing the blunt instrument somewhere about her person. "Hey, just a second~"
She's suddenly in front of you, and pulling you down. You would struggle, but at this point it would be futile, she simply moved too fast and already has ahold of you, and prey-beast though she might be, her physical strength outstrips yours by a good margin. Only an eyeblink more, and she's brushing her lips gently against your forehead.
Then she steps away, smirking, weariness present in her eyes for only a moment.
"Liiittle bit harder to give luck to someone like you than your average human, so don't expect it too often. Feel free to give me nice things whenever you feel like, though, ehehe~" She chuckles. "Come on then, don't walk where I don't though."
Tewi makes her way through the winding paths, occasionally taking detours around normal-looking patches of ground, or occasionally to move off the path entirely and make a big circle around slightly discolored earth.
It seems like hours before you reach Eientei, but judging by the sun's position it still isn't even noon yet. The front doors are open, displaying the cool and inviting interior.
"Come on in, I guess I'll find the doc. Good thing for you, there's nobody in from the village sick or tripped and got their whittling knives stuck in a thigh, huh?"
Tewi wanders off with a wave, and you wait patiently in the hall, Alistair nearby.
"So... she's a... rabbit?" He asked, in confusion.
"'A' rabbit, yes. In some respects, 'the' rabbit." You reply. "All others consider her their leader, and look to her for direction... Well. All other rabbits of the Earth, in any case. The ones which live on the moon bear rather less respect for her, even considering her age."
"Rabbits on the moon?" Alistair says, in plain disbelief. "And... her age? She couldn't have been more than-"
"The eye deceives." You warn. "I assure you, even as Remilia has existed for centuries, that rabbit was old before her father first turned lustful eye towards her mother. There are myths, which supposedly involve her directly, though there is no actual proof one way or the other."
Alistair hums contemplatively to himself, as he looks down the hallway, where Tewi disappeared.
"... I don't see it." He admits. "Even with you telling me that... all I can see is a young, odd girl."
"That is entirely the point." You say, with a note of finality.
"They, um... they'll see you now." A small rabbit says quietly, having slipped in unnoticed. "Please, follow me."
You nod and move, even as Alistair trails behind you, taking in everything as he passes, clearly not convinced that the being leading their way is anything but a human with odd ears. It's fortunate, you decide, that you'll be putting him back where he belongs today. Were he to remain here too long, you've no doubt that he would pay too much attention to the surface appearance of things, and swiftly be preyed upon.
The rabbit leads you to a small sitting room, where the main inhabitants of Eientei are already arranged around a small table, eating some manner of vegetable curry. It seems to be around time for lunch. Kaguya and Reisen ignore you, focused on the food, but Tewi waves you over, and Eirin nods.
"Please, sit. Join us." Eirin says calmly, setting out extra portions. "I suppose you've come for medicine?"
"Yes, that's correct-"
"You're four weeks after schedule, you know." She continues blandly. "The whole point of having medicine is that you use it on the bad days, and it makes you feel better. If you just leave it, and sleep through the day, there's almost no point in picking it up at all."
"... Am I that late?" You wonder aloud.
"Not that keeping medicine in reserve is a bad idea, mind you, but not using it when you might need it is simply foolish."
"I have issues with the aftereffects: there are times when taking the medicine one day results in my condition resurging the next day to where it's worse than before."
"Then take more medicine that day." Eirin answers simply. "It can't keep that sort of thing up forever."
Kaguya grumbles something wordlessly as she yawns, and you realize that Alistair's gaze is locked, mouth agape, on her. You idly rap him on the head, and the sharp sting drags him out of his stupor. He flushes heavily and focuses down on the bowl of stew set before him.
"Ohoho~" Kaguya says, perking up a little. "Enraptured by my beauty, were we?"
"Be you ever so humble regarding it." You reply blandly. "Alistair, keep your wits. It's rude to stare, but it's not polite to look away the whole time either."
"Yes, just a moment." He insists. "I've spoken with Veela before, I just need... a moment, is all, to put my mind in order..."
"Ohoho, what? Comparing me to those petty bird-people, and their shoddy mental ensnarements? Why, I should be insulted~" Kaguya says, nonetheless preening smugly. "I'll have you know that my beauty is entirely natural."
"Though unearthly, yes." You point out.
Eirin coughs.
"Children, please." She says dryly. "In any case, it will take me a day or two to prepare your standard prescription. Twenty vials?"
"Given recent events, I think I will likely need significantly more than that to keep in stock." You say, shaking your head. "I have business outside, which will occupy me for a time, and am uncertain how often I will be able to travel to and from Gensokyo."
"Well, we can discuss exact numbers after lunch. In any case, payment in goods and services generally suffices... although your prescription is quite tricky to make. Too much precious metal in a closed environment like this will devalue the lot of it, so it would probably be better for you to collect materials I need, if you'll be needing a larger batch. Oh, or there's a small matter. I've heard interesting rumors about a spider, and I'd like at least a few words with her in person. I was going to have Udonge deal with that for me, but if you were to collect her for me, that would also suffice, and I could set her instead to collecting the herbs and chemicals I need."
Something tickles at your mind about the spider, but not particularly strongly, as you taste a spoonful of the curry. It's nice, but nothing spectacular. They likely keep the meal simpler on purpose.
[x] Agree to fetch that spider.
Yamamememememe
>Tewi
I got a warm, fluttery feeling~
-[x] Not today however. You still need to send Alistair back today and take care of matters at Hogwarts too for a minimum number of holes in the Barrier.
-[x] Ask where that spider usually dwells or who could tell us if she doesn't know.
Come to think of it, what are the chances of the backlash sending a ugly health roll directly into 0 hp? I do hope it only means immediate use of medecine and confined to bed for the day...
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The doctor's orders are very simple: if we need medicine, take medicine. Don't overthink it. This isn't a finite resource; we don't need to hoard it.
I wonder what Eirin has to say about werewolves. HP-verse does have potions to help control it. As already mentioned earlier, Eirin can pretty much stomps when it comes medicines and stuff so... (Not to mention that she actually lived on the Moon itself for some time.)
Along similar lines, I'm wondering how Alistair would react if he met Keine.
[x]Fetch the spider, with a summoning spell. Since you only have her name it might even take a focus, but today is a good day.
I'm pretty sure Eirin would rather prefer she comes peacefully. Summoning will just piss her off.
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"The spider seems more interesting, I must admit." You say aloud, and Eirin nods. "Do you know where it dwells?"
"I am given to understand that while she wanders between caverns and abandoned cellars on whims, she is most often found in the upper area of the passage leading to the ancient city of the Underworld."
It suddenly clicks for you.
"Ah... I believe the black-white encountered her, during that one upheaval." You note. "She is known for... being able to spread infectious diseases, as I recall?"
"That is supposedly one aspect of her ability. Even if that is the limit, cultures of infectious diseases have their uses, medically speaking. I am surprised you had heard of her and took no further interest."
"I have no desire to test the limits of how ill I might become." You say with a frown.
"Hm... well, that's so, I suppose." Eirin mused aloud, a slight half-smile on her face.
"In any case, I won't be able to seek her out today. I have a number of matters to handle, delivering this one back to his proper place only being the least part of it." You say aloud, and Eirin nods.
"Of course. I won't be able to begin production on your medicine until Udonge has collected materials, either... it may take a day or two before I can begin. How many doses did you say you would need, again?"
You think for a moment, but without any reasonable basis for estimation of how often you'll be sick over the term, you simply have to default to assuming the worst case scenario: that you will be of at best, less than average health every single day.
"For now... let us say five times the normal batch, one hundred doses." You decide, and Eirin arches a brow, even as Reisen groans softly over all the heavy lifting and hauling she'll soon be set to do. "Assuming even a worse outcome, that should last me until winter, when I should have some time to spare to restock, if it is needed."
"Let's assume that it will be needed, because you will actually be taking your medicine when you feel poorly." Eirin corrects, gently but firmly.
"Yes, yes." You say, finishing the last bite of offered curry. "That arrangement made, I believe it is time to move along."
Alistair starts as you nudge him, food nearly untouched, where he had become once more entranced by Kaguya's deliberate posturing, much to her amusement. He shuffles awkwardly as he rises to his feet, hunched over slightly in order to quickly finish his own serving, flush slowly fading from his cheeks. He very deliberately did not look her way once he had finished, standing up straight once more, doing his best to ignore her amusement with the situation.
You prod at the air, and the portal opens to your destination.
"I'll return in the near future, spider in tow." You assure Eirin, as Alistair steps through.
"Hey, bring me a souvenir back, okay~" Tewi calls, waving. It's the last thing you hear from Eientei before you step through the portal and into Diagon Alley.
Morning light has just begun to shine through the street, pedestrians shuffling a little in the distance as they shake the sleep off to begin their day. Alistair is shaking his head wryly.
"Confusing place, that." He says wryly. "Realm of wonder and madness. Were those girls... really rabbits? I'm not sure I could stomach another spiced rabbit stew again, if..."
"Oh, Tewi would forgive you, I'm sure." You respond blandly. "On the other hand, Reisen seems to be more thin-skinned about such things, and may begin looking into silver bullets. Or not."
"Not sure if I like the thought of taking my chances, there." He says dryly. "Is that... common, there? For animals to get up one day, and walk and think and speak like men, and change their forms to fit?"
"Not 'common', by any means, but neither at all unknown. Normal rabbits will outnumber one like unto Tewi, for example, by dozens to one. Other animals bear similar ratios, I understand."
"Wonderful. I'm not sure I can ever eat meat again, then, if it had a chance to be more. I suppose vegetables and fruit sometimes get up and have walks about too?" He says snarkily.
"Only very rarely." You assure him.
"You are having me on. I guess I'll just stop eating entirely then."
"That does always remain an option. Usually a rather final one, of course." You admit. "Even so, you are thinking too heavily on this. A chance is only ever a chance. Sometimes, a simple rabbit might become more. And others, it becomes a stew. Or simply dies of old age or disease, before it reaches such a point. There is no way of telling, and no reason to feel more guilt over eating that stew than you would have last Tuesday."
Alistair Hm's uncertainly to himself, then shakes his head.
"Well, I suppose this is where we part ways, unless you think you'll be needing more of me today. Your pay should keep me fed... oh, possibly two or three months, if I stretch it properly, so I suppose there's little need for me to adorn the alley entry for a while yet. If you need me... Well, I suspect you'll be able to get hold of me whether or not I tell you where I live." Alistair says blandly.
[x]"I may contact you again depending on circumstances. But I have no need for your help today."
[x]"I suppose you already know this, but do keep quiet on the last two days. Even if most will think of you as crazy should you poorly decide otherwise, this also may attract troublesome people."
[x]Go to Hogwarts.
You're saying 'blandly' too often. and it's not a very descriptive word to begin with, hearing it repeated is grating
[x] While you could find him without his location, it's easier to ask now.
[x] If Patchy doesn't know where Hogwarts is, ask him where it is.
[x] Go there.
I can't remember if she knows or not.
Hmmm... How do you want him to -answer- the second one? Unless they have a map of the country on them? Besides, Patchouli went to the Alley without indication of where it was exactly.
Also forgot to add for >>46939 : Should we accept Yukari's deal, there'll be no need to stay at Alistair's house since we 'll have that portal, hence that part on circumstances. And today should be the last day Outside we need before start of term.
It also occurs to me that the portal could be used by others if they want to see Patchouli (Alice, Marisa if defenses fall), curiosity (I expect fairy maids out of that one) or simply out of sheer boredom (probably Remilia most of all, unless we have a method for her to watch what's going on from her home).
Oh, right. That slipped my mind.
>portal consequences
I hope you consider those reasons to make the portal? We should have Remilia do a guest lecture on vampires, she'd love that.
I'm pretty sure Patchy doesn't need to know.
Of course! More unpredictable fun that way!
[x] Ask if he's willing to go to Hogwarts with you. As an alumni, he may know the teachers and site, so guiding you around rather than disturbing any of the current staff needlessly.
That IS a great idea. Changing my vote (>>46939) to
[x] Ask if he's willing to go to Hogwarts with you. As an alumni, he may know the teachers and site, so guiding you around would be more preferable than disturbing any of the current staff needlessly.
Added some words since you seems to have forgotten a few of them in it.
>> Anonymous 2011/09/27(Tue)00:13 No. 46953
[x] Once there, plan on finishing things listed in the responses to >>46854, unless something else decides to interrupt us.
Come to think of it, we'd need to either take the train (too long) or teleport there, and we don't have the coordinates to do that. Another reason to hang onto Alistair.
And as to teaching schedules, any thoughts on a few larger lectures (headed by us, when we can manage it, maybe 1/year/week) along with a set of smaller discussion/recitation classes, headed by either Koakuma or possibly the 7th years (because grad students are your slaves "teaching others is the only true way to learn something").
Agreed. You're saying 'blandly' too often. and it's not a very descriptive word to begin with; hearing it repeated is grating.
[x][x]"I suppose you already know this, but do keep quiet on the last two days. Even if most will think of you as crazy should you poorly decide otherwise, this also may attract troublesome people."
Read >>46940 and >>46944 for teleport. And we don't really have a reason to go out of our way with your idea.. at least, not yet. We should see if the students are worth the effort first.
I wonder if Remilia is using her Fate powers to try to get Patchy to date someone. We can't seem to find an excuse get rid of this guy.
>> Kahi 2011/09/27(Tue)20:42 No. 46961
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You begin to dismiss Alistair, but then pause and reconsider. As alumni, he may be of some use to you, in visiting Hogwarts, if only to provide an informed opinion of the teachers and location which you yourself currently lack.
"If you wish, the majority of my business is at Hogwarts proper from here, and your opinion may be of worth, to keep at hand."
"Well, so long as I get back home in time to lock myself up properly, it's all the same to me." Alistair says agreeably. You nod, and prepare to open a new portal to... no, not the inside of the headmaster's office. The school is not private, personal property, it seems, but simply bypassing the man's door seems like it would be a bit too much.
"I trust you already understand the folly of speaking about where you have been?" You say aloud.
"Hah. And here I never thought I'd understand old Lovegood's side of things. But yes, I'm in no hurry to be thought of as the latest madman about town. Not like the tales of werewolves are held in high regard anyway." He says dryly.
You nod, and within moments you both are standing before a large statue of a gargoyle, Alistair looking around in mild curiosity.
"Always understood you couldn't apparate onto Hogwarts grounds. Suppose that whatever this is, it's not apparation, though. Guess it doesn't count."
You frown at the statue, attempting to work out its secrets. Alistair hums to himself.
"... can't quite recall, but there was a password to get in, back when I was a student. Don't doubt they've changed it in the meantime, of course, but can't hurt... Caribou? .... Hm, seems not."
"I can simply shape the statue out of the way, if it comes to it." You note.
"Ah, let's give it a few minutes more before we move on to destructive solutions." Alistair responds warily, ignoring that the statue would not be harmed in any way, simply end up guarding a patch of wall five or six feet off. "Hm, maybe along the same theme... Reindeer? Stag? Buck?"
"In point of fact, the current password is 'chocolate truffle'." An amused voice comes from behind you, and the gargoyle obligingly moves aside.
"Ah... Dumbledore, sir." Alistair says, nervous counterpoint to your own calm "Albus."
"Pleasure to see you so soon, miss Knowledge." He says, bustling past you. "Perhaps we should speak in my office, if there are matters to discuss?"
The office sits at the top of the stairs, and is notably untidy. Papers are scattered all over Albus's desk, awaiting his attention, and one wall is set with shelves of whirring, buzzing, and flashing oddities. They clearly have some purpose, but it would take you some time to determine exactly what, and it likely isn't important to begin with. Another wall is set with paintings, it seems of previous Headmasters. They are moving within their frames as though they were alive, holding quiet conversations with one another. One is napping in a chair, and another has just wandered out of frame and disappeared. Curious. Off to the side, Albus' phoenix, Fawkes, is hunkered down on his new stand, seeming to be suspicious of your presence, worried you'll attempt to reclaim it. Nearby, a ratty looking hat is sitting on a shelf of its own. It appears to be mumbling quietly to itself, something about rhymes.
"You've caught me at a slightly bad time, I'm afraid." Albus admits, then holds out a bowl. "Lemon drop, either of you?"
You turn the offer down, but Alistair accepts one, and Albus takes one of his own before continuing.
"Yes, I'm afraid I'm still right in the middle of dealing with the aftereffects of yesterday's unfortunate discovery." He continues, around the candy. "I suppose you've heard? No? Hm... well, I'm sorry to be the one to pass on the information that Ollivander has recently left us. It was discovered late yesterday morning, after curious bystanders noted that he never had opened his store for business that day... well. They say that he was found smiling, in bed. One supposes there are worse ways to go."
"What, Ollivander's dead?" Alistair says, startled. "... I can remember back when the man sold me my own wand, decades ago. This is... a bit of a shock."
"Yes, indeed." Albus agreed. "Quite the unpleasant surprise, just before the start of the school year, but then these things are very rarely scheduled out in advance, and seldom happen at opportune times regardless. In any case, I have.. recently lost some of my clout with the ICW, but have nevertheless been in earnest correspondence with several individuals, and am pleased to say that Gregorovich will be stepping in to fill the gap, beginning tomorrow."
"Good." You say, uninterested in the chatter, though you consider the news of the craftsman's passing mildly unfortunate. "In any case, to business. To start, I have selected the course-book for Defense."
You set the book on Albus' desk, and he lifts it for a cursory inspection.
"Ah... it has been some time since one of these were set as official course material. I'm surprised you were able to locate... hm." His eyes flick quickly from a page near the front to Alistair, whose face is blank, and then drift back. He closes the book without ceremony. "Well, perhaps it is not such a surprise you were able to locate a copy. In any case, I suppose someone will have to alert the bookstores that they will need to have a number of new printings of these available for purchase."
"Quite." You say, accepting the tome as he hands it back. "In any case, I would also like a copy of the marks and records for the recurring students, and I will need to take inventory of your library, in order to set... supplementary reading lists, to determine which of the students take to extra study on their own without having it mandated."
"Badgers and ravens." Alistair says, before Albus even has a chance to respond.
".... Hm, yes, that does seem to be the trend." he agrees, shuffling about the drawers of his desk. "Hufflepuff is not a house that is afraid to raise their course marks through application of personal effort, and Ravenclaw will likely look into any book you mention out of simple intellectual curiosity. The other houses tend to be less academic, generally speaking, with some remarkable exceptions. Ah, here we are."
He withdraws a slightly rumpled envelope of papers, and with a quick mumbled word and motion of his wand, creates a duplicate of it before returning the original to its place. He hands the second to you.
"This should remain for, oh, a month perhaps. Likely far longer than you will require it for, but it will do. As for an inventory of the Library, I'm afraid you shall have to see madame Pince directly for that, and she is away dealing with family-related matters at the moment. I expect she will not return until Monday at the very earliest."
You have to bite back your urge to sneer at the shoddiness of creating something that will just disappear after a certain number of days. It is, however, the truth... in a month, the information within will be less than relevant to you, and in addition you don't doubt that it's somewhat sensitive. The sort of thing that simply lending out without thought could leave one in a great deal of trouble. Having the problem set to go away in advance would almost be considered something of a safety measure, and from that perspective you are surprised he gave you such a long period of time, rather than leave you with a day or three at most.
"I am told you have an apt healer present. If I could inquire as to the limits of her ability?" You ask.
"... Miss Knowledge, I should hope you don't intend to deliberately bring harm to your students." Albus says warningly.
"Not deliberately." You counter. "However, I am considering some classes which will likely, through various sources, involve a rather high risk of actual danger. I do not intend to allow any of my students to be permanently harmed, however if I simply step in and handle everything the moment things begin to take unfortunate turns, they will learn nothing aside from 'someone stronger will arrive to rescue you if you should err'."
"Such a gloomy philosophy. I don't doubt that madame Pomfrey will have many words to say to you through the term, few of them pleasant." Albus says, consideringly. "Even so, I must admit you raise a good point... and I have always noted Gryffindors, for example, to perform markedly better in actual heated situations than in theoretical lessons."
"Not necessarily well, but better, yes." Alistair says, almost to himself. "... Ah, no offense, headmaster."
"Oh, none taken, my dear boy." Albus said jovially. "We are something of a headstrong lot. In any case, so long as your students only endure a normal sort of damage, dear Pomfrey can reliably cure almost anything short of actual death. Severed limbs may take a day or two to fully reattach, of course, but it can be done so long as the limb in question is not destroyed beyond repair, or eaten, and regrowing bones is always a tricky matter, but there you have it. Most poisons, however, require more extensive therapy to entirely remove, and so toxic creatures would likely be better avoided, and there are a number of spells which are quite deliberately crafted to be difficult to cure properly, and so I should hope you would forbid their use as well, in case of duels or other more active lessons."
Albus calmly takes another lemon drop.
"... That aside, I had some questions regarding scheduling."
"Ah, yes. Normally, classes are held in one-and-one-half hour blocks, three of which are between breakfast and lunch, and two between lunch and dinner meals. This is by no means a hard and fast rule, however, as classes can be held more or less at the discretion of the instructors, though it helps to have things organized. Astronomy, for example, occurs well after the dinner meal. Of course, students will likely not be at their best if they have not yet eaten, or if it has drawn late and they are ready to sleep."
"Something I'll consider." You say, as you run through what else you had intended to do. Ah, yes.
"I will also inspect quarters and the classroom you intend me to use." You say.
Albus nods and rises, leading you out through the castle.
The classroom is in reasonable condition, though smaller than you would like. At a quick glance through the class rosters and scores, you very much doubt that you will be able to fit all four houses of a year inside at once. Two would just barely fit. If you decide to make unusual class meetings, it will likely not suffice. The quarters are slightly less pleasant to inspect. Albus waves a cobweb out of the way as he enters.
"It's a rather cozy room." He says, brightly.
"That... is, in theory, a word that could be used to describe it, I suppose." You respond.
The word you are thinking of, however, is 'small'. Also dingy, and poorly ventilated. The bed itself looks comfortable enough, but it's quite clear that the room has only been considered a temporary resting place at most. A great pile of the effects of previous defense instructors is visible in an attached room, and opening the closet reveals moth-eaten old clothes suitable for both genders. You close the door quickly, as the scent of moldering threads begins to tickle at your nose. The room itself is surprisingly clean, as though someone took care to dust and wipe it down every day, yet took deliberate pains not to touch any of the clothes or personal effects in any fashion, leaving them sit,
"... People have survived in this room?" You ask flatly, and Dumbledore shrugs.
"It is the allotted quarters for the Defense instructor." He says, without excuse or regret. "I believe that young Gilderoy insisted on differing accommodations, as it happens, but there have been no other complaints in the past decade or so. Some remodeling would be only to be expected, I suppose."
Your nose crinkles.
[X]This looks bad. There is only one possible response to the conditions of the room. Sakuya Izayoi.
[X]Talk to this Madame Pomfrey to determine the limits of her abilities
[X]Enquire of Albus Dumbledore the standards to which you are expected to teach your students. If would be quite embarassing to set down a cirriculum only to find that some beuracracy(sp) means all your efforts were for nought.
[x] It is fortunate, then, that you don't intend to sleep there. Ask if Dumbledore would mind you placing Yukari's proposed portal in the room.
[x] Ask Dumbledore about teaching standards.
I wonder what house Alistair was in? I'm guessing Slytherin.
[x]Make sakuya enlarge it, say. five times.
[x]Inform Dumbledore of your affliction.
[X]Enquire of Albus Dumbledore the standards to which you are expected to teach your students. If would be quite embarrassing to set down a curriculum only to find that some bureaucracy means all your efforts were for naught.
[x]Deal with the room matter later.
It would be pretty irresponsible to not let Dumbledore know of Patchouli's illness, right? You've got to inform your employer of serious things like that, magic or not.
Also, Patchouli can likely do room remodeling herself, no need to bother Sakuya.
>> SystemFailureV4!BLzojn4jRY 2011/09/27(Tue)22:13 No. 46970
[X] Inform Dumbledore of your affliction.
[X] Talk to this Madame Pomfrey to determine the limits of her abilities
[X] Enquire of Albus Dumbledore the standards to which you are expected to teach your students. If would be quite embarrassing to set down a curriculum only to find that some bureaucracy means all your efforts were for naught.
[X] Deal with the room matter later.
Pfft, it's not like he informed us of the curse either.
[X]Enquire of Albus Dumbledore the standards to which you are expected to teach your students. If would be quite embarassing to set down a cirriculum only to find that some bureaucracy means all your efforts were for nought.
So, classes with one full year won't really be possible unless we go out of our way for it. That means the most pratical solution would be to have two groups per class. But for pratical courses, should we hold them separate of should we ask Dumbledore for a time where all groups can be called?
Also, shouldn't we get some information on the schedules of other courses? I mean, even if we plan for classes here and there, there's no point if all groups are in another class at the time. Unless all we do is say how many groups we intend to call.
Finally, I suppose here that Sakuya is the intended solution, only later? it will be far easier for her once we have the portal in place so she doesn't need to carry all the furniture in one trip.
Albus is going to be amazed by our perfect and elegant maid.
[x] Mention to Dumbledore that your health is somewhat variable, and that you may need to occasionally adjust any schedule to work around this. And before he makes any eyebrow wiggles in Alistair's direction, no, it is not lycanthropy or anything else so convenient.
[X]Inquire of Albus Dumbledore the standards to which you are expected to teach your students. If would be quite embarrassing to set down a curriculum only to find that some bureaucracy means all your efforts were for naught.
[x]Also inquire if there is a larger space available than the usual classroom, for things such as practical demonstrations, for example. Preferably indoors, as the weather here has already been less than encouraging.*
* Though I really would not mind seeing her regularly demolish the quiddich field in danmaku exercises.
Seconding the 'tell Dumbles about the sickness' thought. Even if he neglected to mention important details like a curse, Patchy is more competent than that.
Hah, house elves will have an aneurysm trying to figure out how Sakuya gets everything done so fast.
Still we don't Really need to use this room.
[x]Just request a cleaner residence like Lockheart did.
Bandwagons. Also, time to mess with people's heads.
>> Kahi 2011/09/28(Wed)03:07 No. 46985
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"I will be back momentarily." You say, jabbing almost angrily at the air.
You refuse to deal with this. It is just shy of a catastrophe, and on your worse days you have no doubt that it will make you want to simply kill yourself and get it over with. You won't have it.
And, as is automatic for you by now when household duties are involved, your mind turns to one person in particular.
"Sakuya!" you nearly bark before calming yourself.
"Yes, miss?" The maid says from behind you. You take a deep breath.
"There is... a matter I require your urgent assistance with." You say, waving back at the portal.
"Hm. Outside? Nope." Sakuya says just a touch too cheerily.
".... What." You say, after several long moments of dumbfounded silence pass.
"To be perfectly frank, miss, I don't work for you." She says, still smiling. "And while I'll happily tend to your needs as a houseguest, I see no reason to head off on your whim without milady's orders, when there's still cooking and cleaning and laundry and maintenance here that needs doing. I do wish you luck with your problem, though, whatever it may be."
"... But." You manage blankly. Before you manage to finish the word, Sakuya is gone and a card emblazoned with a smirking Joker drifts to the ground in her wake.
Still mildly disbelieving, you call her name. Then again, before it's clear that she's ignoring you for the moment.
Your mind whirls as you think rapidly, suddenly very much aware of the portal behind you and the hole you had to have punched through the Barrier to get here. You should probably return quickly, though the matter of the room still weighs on your mind. You suppose you could drag Koa back as an inferior substitute for the head maid, but you don't know that Albus will respond particularly well to that, and it would leave the Archive almost completely unguarded until you have an opportunity to send her back. You don't doubt there will have been thefts by your return, in such a scenario. You could arrange for other means of cleaning, of course, or attempt to track Sakuya down and force her to do as you want, though you imagine that would take some time, given her ability, even in the very best case. You could also simply look into other living arrangements, whether renting a room, or simply making something to fit your purposes.
Wow. Trololol by Sakuya.
[X]Koakuma!
--[X]If that fails, get the other domestic servants like Youmu or Yumeko.
Lol'd
That should take Patchy down a few notes.
[x] Ask if you're allowed to perform the remodeling yourself
[x] Wait until a proper day to do so however.
[X] Bring Koakuma to help, propriety be damned.
-[X] If all else fails, elbow grease.
Ooops. Kinda screwed up there. And suddenly, asking Alistair for help on this matter seems like the best solution.
>>46957 was right. We're never getting rid of him.
[x] Tell Albus that you'll arrange something to live away from the school, but that you have no trouble arriving here on time to teach.
[x] Ask Alistair if he would be interested in renting a room or two (for Koakuma). You get a clean room, he doesn't need to worry about money for at least a year.
That's a crock of crap. Here's a way to get rid of him, at least temporarily:
Remilia expressed interest in snacking on him, right? So hand him over in exchange for this little job from Sakuya. Done.
Thanks, I was worried this would happen when Remilia thought Patchy would date Bumblebee, and circumstances have proven my fear correct. I guess Patchy has never gone on a date while living at the SDM or something and has decided to fix it.
[x] Get the Golem cookbook. We're probably going to need to get Yukari to make the gate if things keep proceeding like the train wreck they are.
I wonder if we could have Cirno and/or the Three Fairies of Light to attend class as a practical exercise.
The books must be protected! Don't drag Koakuma off now.
[X] Take a moment to collect yourself. And hope Sakuya will be more agreeable later if you need to request her help with the library. An apology may be in order. Then return through the portal and ask if there might be another room available, preferably one not so... prone to mildew. Either way, you can fully sort out proper accommodations later. You need to return dog-boy to his kennel soon, and have other errands to run here.
[X] If no better options present themselves make a note to prioritize Yukari's Gooey Golem project. Worst comes to worst, you can then hide in the SDM during most of your down time.
[X] Talk to the medical staff, then drop off Alistair.
You seriously think Alistair will have better accommodations available, given his financial situation? Not to mention ripping holes in reality may be much more taxing on bad days.
Iiiiizaaaaayooooiiii!!
[x]Also inquire if there is a larger space available than the usual classroom, for things such as practical demonstrations, for example. Preferably indoors, as the weather here has already been less than encouraging.
[x]Drop off Alistair.
...damn this is getting long.
[x] Return and ask Dumbledore if he would mind a more permanent portal.
Futile votes, best votes.
[X] Put some (temporary) waterproof charms on the bed and other important enough furniture (e.g. desk).
[X] Tell Dumbledore if he needs anything of the rest to not be trashed.
[X] Flood the room on the next wednesday for rough cleaning, Koa/whoever can take care of the rest when we completely move here for the next year.
Surprised no one thought of that. Also already expected Sakuya to react like this.
As for other options who we can use as our own maid for the year: newly summoned demons (maybe lower than Koa as to not agitate Dumbledore too much), freshly created homunculi, maybe some fairy maids from the mansion (if Remi/Sakuya permit, also need to be careful to keep them in line).
Not going to vote at this point, other anons seem to have it well in hand, but I've got to say that this story is quite enjoyable. Good work.
- [x] This abomination cannot be tolerated, burn it away with hellfire, cleanse it until only the pleasant smell of sulfur* is left.
- [x] magic up some new furniture, the old stuff is probably infested anyways.
*a side effect of Diabolism is that the caster comes to enjoy the smell of brimstone as mush as those she summons.
Come to think of it... What is a portal going to solve, apart from being able to come and go the the Library? Even if we place alarms for when Marisa breaks in, leaving in the middle of class will create problems.
Apart from that... Kahi, how does Patchouli view Alice here? Foe, friend, fellow magician, ect.? If we have to trust the library to someone else, Alice would be a far better choice than Marisa depending on circumstances (unless she refuse to leave her workshop).
It solves Patchy's sleeping quarters problem by letting her visit Gensokyo to sleep. In addition, it lets her go to and from Gensokyo as often as she wants without risking Ran's wrath.
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You take a long, deep breath. Then another. Then a third, before turning around and stepping back into the portal. You aren't sure exactly how stunned you still look, but it's clearly at least a little, by the men's responses to your return.
"The assistance I sought was... less than forthcoming." You explain vaguely, as the portal winks shut. "Never mind. I don't suppose there's another room available?"
"I'm afraid young Gilderoy was rather independently wealthy and took the post as something of a publicity stunt. He rented a room in Hogsmeade, I believe, and simply traveled between them as needed. Is something amiss?"
"I bear a manner of chronic illness, and can't imagine this... room doing anything else than aggravating and worsening it." You explain. "If necessary, I suppose I can purify it. Possibly with fire. If there is any other option, however...?"
"Hm... well, I'm afraid this is the only... ah. I do believe that our Groundskeeper similarly had complaints, and in the end built a small house on the grounds proper, to remain in. Though his concerns were less over matters of health, and more over ones of scale, when it comes to it. Still, there is some precedent there. Although, to be perfectly frank, I am not certain what sort of accommodations could be arranged to be manufactured before term begins, and it will be an expensive venture. As well, you must understand that anything you have built will return to being a part of Hogwarts once you have passed on, and whoever the Headmaster of that time is may do with it as he pleases. As to your illness..."
Albus is looking speculatively at Alistair. Well, that will never do.
"Nothing like your thinking. My own assortment of maladies is nowhere near so convenient as Alistair's."
"... First time I've heard Lycanthropy called 'conveninent'." Alistair says, eyebrows high.
"It is convenient. The symptoms are predictable and regular: you suffer for a single night, with perhaps some time for recovery after, and thereafter are untroubled by it for the better part of a month, until the full moon rises again." You counter. "The majority of diseases are nowhere near so polite, nor exact in their timing."
"... Suppose you've a point there." Alistair admits.
In any case, this leaves two options at the forefront, if you discount actually living in... this. Renting, or creating someplace to stay. Of the first option, you cannot imagine that renting living quarters from Alistair would be any particular luxury, given his own undisguised poverty, but it would likely be quieter and more private than trying to stay in just any tavern or inn. If it comes to the second, though, today is the day of Metal. Not the best for construction of anything on significant scales, but close. Earth would be better, of course, but if you choose to remain modest in building things you could likely construct a small, but adequate, house any day of the week. Provided, of course, your health is cooperative. Or, naturally, you could simply set up a long-term portal, with Yukari's assistance, and hold your breath whenever you must pass through here.
You shake your head. It does not have to be an immediate decision, as it is not as though you have to move all of your things over tomorrow.
"In any case... with that to consider, it is highly likely that my schedule will need to be somewhat flexible in order to make up the difference, occasionally."
"This is really the sort of thing you should mention to your employer before agreements are made-" Albus begins.
"If you're going that route." You interrupt. "Then I might bring up the apparent curse on the position, which you never saw fit to mention, in our negotiations."
"Rumor and coincidence." Albus says, though he now has the good grace to look slightly awkward. "I have never had sufficient cause to believe an actual curse had been placed."
"Then you simply neglected to mention the string of very bad luck previous defense instructors have encountered towards the end of the year." You say. "In any case, there's no point in jabbing at little details left out, on either side of things. I don't suppose your madame Pomfrey is in?"
"Oh, I am afraid she spends the holidays working at St. Mungo's." Albus responds, startled. "I do not reasonably expect her to be back until perhaps the day before term begins. It would be terribly immature of me to require her to remain here, after all, when there are no students to attend to and she herself would much prefer to be putting her talents to use where they are needed."
"I see. I had wished to discuss her abilities first-hand..."
"Oh? I had thought that I gave an accurate summation of her talents already." Albus said curiously. "Unless the matter is that you simply do not trust... ah. Or that I did not, in fact, mention illnesses, as I recall. You need not fear on that account, you'll be well taken care of if you should suddenly become particularly sickly."
"I simply wished to see if I could determine any matters which you might have missed in your recollection and relations." You say. "Rest assured that I am making arrangements to have more than sufficient amounts of the best medication I have found for my conditions on hand. But moving on... to what standard am I required to teach the students?"
"Hm, on that note, you don't have any particularly high standards to meet. I must admit, in private of course, that so long as a student manages the feat of lasting through Owl and Newt examinations without dropping their wand or stumbling and falling to the ground, they will almost definitely achieve at least a passing grade. If they impress the examiner in some way, of course, then they will score better."
"Then it is unlikely for a student to actually fail?" You say, with some surprise.
"To my own regret, yes, near impossible." Dumbledore admits sadly. "And even if one fails, somehow, the defense exams then one still graduates from Hogwarts, simply with very poor marks in defense. I have done as much as I can manage to raise those flagging standards, but it seems that the ministry as a whole rather prefers the current situation, and I have been unable to garner sufficient support to change that. As such, the students, knowing they need not apply themselves particularly hard in order to pass the exams... do not, in general, push themselves, and leave the school dreadfully unprepared to defend themselves. But, of course, they are similarly near-incapable of becoming a threat to others, which it seems the ministry believes is an acceptable trade-off, as they collect most of the students which score higher than merely 'acceptable' into their Auror programs."
"Then why hire an instructor at all, rather than setting an... animated scarecrow, or statue, at the head of the class, and having done with it?" You ask, brow furrowing.
"Ah... in part, because I hope that the right instructor might be found, eventually, that can become a critical part of fixing this weak point in the students education. In part, and confidentially, because it is mandated by the ministry that certain courses must be taught, with instructors, and Cornelius has been making noise about appointing one of his hangers-on to the position if I cannot find someone to fill it. And I will not have the ministry meddling with how I run my school, if there is any way that I can avoid it."
Albus' eyes had grown a little stormy by this time, but after a moment they seemed to clear, and you shake your head idly.
"Is there a larger space, then, where I could have classes meet? In cases that the area contained by the classroom proves insufficient."
"Yes, of course." Albus replies. "The entire castle and grounds are at your disposal, although I strongly advise that you not take students particularly deep into the Forest, if you must bring them there at all."
You nod, considering everything that has been said, and think deeply.
[x] Ask when would be a good date to hand the schedule you will have decided on. By that time, you'll probably have decided what to do about lodgings too.
[x] Also mention that... someone was more than a little annoyed by the holes with burnt marks left by the familiar in its passage. No doubt going to get your correspondence yourself would be preferrable to her, if more need to be sent.
[x] Go drop Alistair to his place, then return home. Start with an apology to Sakuya for losing your head on the earlier matter, if only to get back on agreeable terms with her.
[x] Should Ran be here, apologize. Then mention you may accept a deal with Yukari on this matter. Maybe she would prefer having to repair the Barrier multiple times after hearing of this.
If we decide on the portal, Patchouli should soon start getting used to another timezone. Getting sleepy in the middle of a lesson would be quite unprofessional.
[x]There is a reason you have a minion. Have Koakuma cleanse the room, while you secure the library with magic.
[x] Mention the portal possibility and ask that he make any objections known now.
She'd be living on England time. She might end up sleeping during the day by Gensokyo's standards, but Remilia does that anyway~
Keep in mind, Dumbledore at the moment may have zero knowledge of the barrier at this moment and you really have no idea how in the world he even found Patchouli's existence to offer her a position in the first place. Alistar is a ridiculous source but you never know if Dumbledore will try something since he actually has a means of transportation through the barrier via the phoenix. Don't play your cards to him if you can help it. Something doesn't add up about this still.
Why don't we ask him how he found us? It'll look weird if we wait much longer, and I'm honestly curious. It was a bulk mail operation with his phoenix, but did Dumbledore decide the recipients, or did Fawkes?
[x] Ask how he found you.
Can't we pass it off as a ward around the mansion?
[x] Ask how did he find you
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"Exactly when should I have a loose schedule prepared for submittance, if I may ask?" You decide upon, wording your thoughts aloud.
"Hm... well, we do not prepare the student's schedules until the day before term begins, as a matter of course." Albus says, thoughtfully. "In general, teachers have them in well before that, but that is because their schedules rarely vary, from year to year. There are significant shifts, however, with so many new instructors for your position. As long as you have an idea of the days and times prepared by... hm, the day before that, then things should work out nicely."
That works out nicely for you, giving you ample time to make any decisions.
"Three blocks of time between breakfast and lunch, two between lunch and dinner, was it?" You ask.
"Yes, that was the general guideline." Albus agrees, nodding. "Of course, arrangements can and will be made if you require it, as class matters are something for the instructors to decide upon, and not for me to mandate. Hm... I believe that Professor Brunswick had rather a novel arrangement for his class schedules. A remarkably hands-on instructor, you could tell at a glance that he enjoyed his work." Albus said cheerily.
"So I have heard." You respond, even as Alistair shakes his head wryly.
"Sir, the man was ripped apart and eaten by a chimaera he intended to set the students against." Alistair protested hesitantly.
"Yes, an unfortunate tragedy." Albus says. "But close-quarters, and alone, is an entirely different matter than facing a beast from a distance, in groups prepared for the task. I have the utmost faith in the level of Professor Brunswick's instruction, that his students would have had little difficulty in the exercise."
"And that if anyone was accidentally injured in the course of the lesson, that Pomfrey could repair them with little or no lasting harm." You chime in dryly.
"Well, yes, of course. Brunswick was a fine man, to be sure, and I'm certain things would not have come to that, but it did not hurt to know that she was on hand." Albus agreed.
"Well..." You pause a moment before continuing. ".. As it happens, there is a question I would like to ask, and there is no particularly subtle way I can bring the matter up. So I shall have to be blunt. How, exactly, did you locate me?"
"I imagine it must have come as something of a surprise to you, being as you live in a place rather divorced from the rest of the world." Albus says shrewdly, in lieu of an immediate answer. You blink, and he chuckles. "Then I was correct? I had suspected, I admit. It's not uncommon, though not either unknown, for entire families or tribes to separate themselves from the world at large, crafting Hidden Places for themselves. Unplottable locations, anti-divinatory wards, a number of fascinating spells and practices which allow them to live out their lives in perfect seclusion."
He pauses, and squints a little, brow furrowing in thought, before speaking again.
"France?"
"... Pardon?" You respond blankly.
"I suppose that would not be correct, then. Hm, I suppose that the sun was in rather the wrong position for that, though I had marked it down to a slight distortion in time-flow, once I had concluded that your manor was Hidden. Simply a guess, miss Knowledge, as to the location. The young lady... cousin, perhaps? Struck me as being rather french."
"... I'm afraid I don't know where to even begin in correcting your assumptions." You say, eyebrows having risen in an apparent attempt to conceal themselves beneath your hat.
"Ah." Albus says, looking mildly crestfallen. "Well, I shall reason it out sooner or later, I suppose."
"Erroneous conclusions aside, that does not answer my question."
"Hm, I suppose not. Well, to speak very generally indeed, the answer is Magic. I suppose, however, that this will not suffice as an explanation and so shall continue." Albus says, stroking his beard slightly. "I suppose that the most reasonable approximation for the spell I cast was to magically summon specific files from a large room filled with near-identical files, limiting that which is summoned through specific, strict criteria, excluding all others. Only, rather than 'files', it divined the slightly less useful result of 'names', and rather than 'a large file room', the search included 'everyone in the world, excluding those which have never once stepped foot outside of a Hidden place'. Less by exact specifications, you understand, and more by the fact that by their very nature, such places do not allow such spells to rifle through their occupants, but the world outside of them remembers."
"That... is rather a desperate move." You muse aloud, mentally calculating the logistics of such a spell, and from there mentally bumping your estimation of the old man before you up a notch. A stellar example of what could be achieved, even Outside, and simply a shame that he was unfortunate enough to have been born here, when he could have been so very much more.
"Yes, I received... rather a long list of names to sort through. It was only to be expected that the vast majority of them were unfamiliar to me, though the majority recognized me nonetheless." He says, with just a faint hint of pride in his own renown. "Being at some measure of desperation, as you said, upon my recovery from the effort I immediately began contacting every name on that list. Most were able to be reached by owl, even with only a name to go by, although some, yourself include, were not. Thankfully, for those, I have Fawkes. I believe he had returned with a refusal and explanation from a rather polite shaman from a rather more tropical climate, noting that he could not leave his tribe unattended for so long, before I sent him off to you."
"... On that note, I would point out that your familiar... leaves rather unique traces in his passing." You say, edging as delicately around information of the Barrier and Gensokyo's actual location and majority of occupants as you can manage. "They are quite vexing to.. a certain individual, tasked with certain things that those traces interfere strongly with." You pause, and frown. "... As do my own methods of travel." You continue. "... I suspect that if she realizes that I effectively opened that previous portal for no particular end result, I am in for something of a scolding. In any case, if I will be receiving much correspondence from you in the next week or two, it would likely be better for me to set up... hm, a drop box of some nature, I suppose, and have mail delivered there, from which I can collect it all at once, rather than having to repeatedly patch the holes with every letter sent and returned."
"Truly? How unfortunate." Albus muses. "I suppose I can refrain from contacting or traveling to you via Fawkes unless it is absolutely necessary, however. Fortunate you mentioned this, I had intended to send you notice of Ollivander's unfortunate passing later today, if you had not arrived and given me opportunity to tell you in person. Do you have some manner of work-around planned?"
"I am currently... speaking with that person's superior, regarding the feasibility of modifying a portal, or... other things, to allow one to be crafted and maintained indefinitely without causing harm. It is likely that I would be able to keep it functioning without any personal effort, until manually shutting it down once our contract comes to an end."
"Excellent, I think that should work out splendidly, once things have been settled properly." Albus decides.
You nod, and think carefully, deciding whether or not there is anything remaining for you to do out here today.
[x] Thank Dumbledore for his time.
Repostan'
[x] Get started on those golems if there's time.
There probably isn't a day suited to this task.
If we have trouble making the golems, we could always ask Alice, though wouldn't waiting for an Earth day be better for creating them though? Also, we still have a spider to catch.
[x] Start refreshing your memory on golems.
Remember that before making them, we need to remember how to do it first.
[x] Start refreshing your memory on golems. Resist temptation to munch on marshmellows.
[x] Should Ran be there, apologize. Then mention you may accept a deal with Yukari on this matter. Maybe she would prefer having to repair the Barrier multiple times after hearing of this.
- [x] Once we have read up on it, as practice craft something or several somethings based on the Element of the Day to start searching for the spider and then report her location back to you. It's not like you want to spend an extended amount of time wandering around dank caves yourself.
(While sending Alistair on a hunting mission is tempting, he's already demonstrated that leaving him alone in Gensokyo for any amount of time will probably render him significantly less useful in the future. Except, maybe, as a cape.)
[x]Make a cape out of Alistar if he dies in the foreseeable future.
- [x]also have some aburage on hand, bribery always helps.
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No. No, for now, you think you're done here. Though the thought of an Alistair-cape does drift briefly across your mind, which is odd, because that's normally the sort of thing you imagine Remi would idly think about. And entirely aside from that, you can't think of any particularly interesting qualities such a garment would have, off the top of your head. Without knowing that, there would be no more point to it than making a cape from normal wolf fur. Or normal human skin, for that matter.
You file the thought away for future research, before actually coming to any snap judgements. You likely won't go out of your way to hasten his end, but if he, or another werewolf, should you encounter one, happen to die in your general vicinity, it would be interesting information to know.
"I think that should be all for today." You say aloud. "Thank you for your time, Albus."
"Oh, quite all right, miss Knowledge. I was pleased to assist." He says, nodding as you poke a hole once more through space.
"It's about time I dropped you off at your home, Alistair." You say, waving at the portal.
"You don't know... right, you don't need to. Never mind." He says, shaking his head as he steps through. You are only shortly after him.
The portal deposits you in the large vegetable garden of an old-looking mansion. Alistair sighs as he glances across the thin, bedraggled looking plants. All that is flourishing is a large crop of weeds.
"Been trying for years to keep edible plants alive." He says, reaching down for a moment to pull up a handful of something that is strangling what looks like a half-dead tomato plant. "No matter what I do, though, they just keep withering away, and it only takes hours unwatched for a new crop of weeds to grow in. I'd try to magic them away, but I'm afraid I received the worst Herbology grade Hogwarts had seen in centuries, since the mid-1700's. Didn't think much of it at the time, of course... I don't suppose there's anything you could do?" He finishes, turning almost hopeful eyes towards you.
You wouldn't do so on your own, as you aren't exactly charitable by nature, but the direct and earnest request catches you off guard. It's only a moment's work to weave a glimpse of Sun and a hint of Wood together into a simple crop enhancement spell, the sort relatively common among farmers, and finished before you realize you have begun. After a moment's hesitation and thought, you braid in an additional glimmer of Moon, to hinder the growth of unwanted plant life, and the enchantment is complete. Nothing has visibly changed, of course, and it's taken you only a few moments of silence to enact.
"I believe you may see some improvement from your previous attempts." You say, after a moment passes and it's clear that Alistair is expecting something flashy from this effort. Nonetheless, he seems pleased, placing blind faith in your having done what you have claimed, rather than believe you would simply lie about it to his face.
"I hope so." He says. "Money will stretch a lot farther if I can supplement my food with fresh vegetables I don't have to pay for. I would have had a house elf deal with it... but old Daisy. Well, she wasn't legally considered a part of the house, but still as belonging to my father when he died, as it turns out. When mother went, she wasn't legally allowed to work for me at all, and at the same time I couldn't sell her services to another family either. So she couldn't really work for anyone that might find out about it and report it. She got by by slipping into muggle houses and mending old clothes for a while, dusting when nobody was looking, and that sort of thing, but after a couple years she just couldn't take it any longer and went mad. I think she buried herself somewhere. I haven't been able to figure out quite where, though, although fortunately i've dug around in the garden enough that she's probably not there. Ah, I'm sure you don't care much about the details of my family history, though." He finished, apologetically, then glanced at the sun.
"There's still hours left of day, here." He judged. "I suppose I could manage to clear some of this up, before I have to lock myself up."
"Good luck to you with that." You say, trying not to relay too much of your disinterest in his personal life as you open a second portal.
"Well, here's hoping anyway. I suppose you'll step by if you have any need of me, miss?"
"Of course." You reply, and step through the portal without further word.
Back in the Archive... Ran is not present, thankfully, but it seems about time for dinner to be served. You do not normally attend the fancy meal, but after a moment you stop in shortly for a plate, more to tender apologies to Sakuya than anything else. She pretends not to know what you're apologizing for, but a glint in her eye leaves you knowing that she is satisfied you once more recall enough boundaries to remember what you can and cannot demand. You don't think you'll make an attempt to call her out to deal with matters outside the mansion again without first discussing things with Remi.
As you return to the more familiar halls of books, you glance over towards where Yukari's items were left. A fairy maid has been impaled to the ground with swords, still struggling feebly to free herself, as a warning to others against tampering with them. You ignore it as you consider the matter, then turn to hunt through your shelves.
It is only a short time before you locate the tome you seek, fortunately not yet having fallen prey to any of Marisa's heist's, and from there it is only a single re-reading before you are satisfied that your memory is reliably refreshed regarding the intricacies of golemcraft. A quick test of your re-gained skill involves the crafting of a tall, gleaming steel construct in the form of armor, which you quickly animate, having created its material with the required runes already pre-inscribed. You nod as it activates, and then for good measure create another dozen, as you recall there is a matter demanding your attention which you can use these for. It's only the matter of a moment to link a mental relay between the golems, through which they can respond to each other as if they were a single entity, and upon which you can check at any time.
"You are to locate a target for me." You order verbally, then describe the spider to the best of your recollection. "Do not engage any opposition: locate only, then keep note of her current location."
You yawn as you wave them out, and the golems clank loudly away as Koa approaches you. Oh, a letter from Ran. How nice. It's a politely worded request that you try to keep the trips through the barrier down to a bare minimum, though she seems understanding that situations arise, from the tone. On the other hand, her signature is a quick doodle of herself, smiling, and holding your severed head in her hands, blood dripping from the neck and onto her feet.
Isn't that nice. Well, in any case, it's something to keep in thought. It's getting rather late, though, as some time has passed from your reading and creation of golems, and you have to wonder if there's really anything else keeping you from going to bed right now.
[ ] Is there anything preventing you from sleep?
[x] Since it seems particularly easy today, craft another squad of steel armor golems to keep in reserve. For the time being, allow Sakuya to place them around the mansion as she sees fit as decorations/guardians/Fairy Intimidation Devices/whatever (or place them in the library as Marisa speed bumps if Sakuya is not interested). You can always put them to more directed use later.
[x] Sleep... sleep... sleep!
Sounds like a plan. Tomorrow we can whip up some dessert golems to get our portal.
[x]No, nothing comes to mind. Best to get some rest lest you overexert yourself.
I don't think Yamame will appreciate golems following her around, even if it's a good course of action from Patchouli's POV. Pretty sure we'll be forced into a duel now (if we go tomorrow. Past that, I think she'll have enough of it and smash the golems).
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You decide, more or less on a whim, to craft another dozen golems out of nothing. Actually building Yukari's specified golems won't be so simple, you know, since you will have to either manually shape all of the material or pour it into a mold until you can force some into a hard enough lump to take the runes. Given that you expect what she gave you to be simple samples and examples, you'll also have to collect the required material from somewhere, likely Outside. You don't know how long that will take, but for the quantity required, you estimate roughly a full day, just as a 'best guess'. It will probably take anywhere from one to two days focused effort in order to complete them all, leaving aside the shopping day.
You alert Koakuma to inform Remilia and Sakuya that they can use these golems as they please. You've done this before, if you recall correctly, but somehow they always get destroyed in someone's attack, whoever it ends up being. The last few leftovers that had survived got blasted apart in a raid by the black-white, if you remember right.
That matter finished, you wander to bed.
The day is Aug 20, 12 days to term.
It is Saturday: Day of Saturn and Earth. Earth related magics come easier and to greater effect than normal today.
Your health level is 77LUCK 97/100: you could almost imagine you are perfectly healthy today. Wonderful!
You check on the mental golem linkage as you wake, before you even open your eyes. One seems to have been taken out by a particular fairy, who seems to have taken its wandering about past the lake as a personal challenge, and with your instructions not to engage, she destroyed it relatively easily. The others are stationed in a circle, looming around a farmstead's unattached storage cellar, ignoring the angry farmer that can't make them move by hitting them with a rake.
You are now remembering that golems are not particularly smart.
You open your eyes reluctantly, and receive another surprise. Tewi is floating above you, having apparently been watching you sleep with some degree of interest, and eating a sandwich composed entirely of vegetables held between bread. She does not seem to have damaged or stolen anything.
[X]Sleep! We can do more fancy golems next week when the elements agree.
Earth day and 97 health means it could be house-making day in Hogwarts, the only problem is that going out two days in a row will probably piss Ran off. Maybe making only one travel and staying a couple days in the outside would assuage her. Could also take care of the golems while we're out.
In any case, first things first.
[x] Greet Tewi and ask why she's here.
[x] Greet Tewi
[x] There's only one way to say 'hello' in Gensokyo! Danmaku.
[x] Regardless of result, ask why she's here.
She seemed disappointed we backed off last time, and we're feeling great today, so might as well. Even Patchouli engages in spellcard battles at the drop of a hat.
Probably our best chance to go capture a spider today. And soon, before the farmer calls in someone to smash the golems. With our current health, a duel shouldn't be too taxing.
Ran's letter was probably strike one. Not doubt her next letter will have much more venom in it if we get to strike two.
Also, we should decide soon if we're really making the portal. Yukari appears to be watching, but she'll probably abandon the deal and find someone else to make the golem if we wait too long to start.
- [x] If she is looking for some excitement, she can help with the spider retrieval.
- [x] Or if she wants to fight you, oblige her.
[x] See about introducing a spider to our dealer doctor. Be reasonable about it, at least to start. Deliver her wrapped in her own webs if she's uncooperative.
[x] If there is time, see about going to Hogwarts to construct a home away from home*, or at least a suitably defensible portal locus.
- [x] But first see about warning Ran ahead of time (and apologizing for yesterday -- aburage, perhaps). If it would be more convenient for her and it is not unreasonable, you can adjust your schedule for creating portals today to minimize lost Chen Time.
- [x] Also mention, due to a pending deal with Yukari, this will probably be the last set of Border punctures for the foreseeable future. Let her stew on that.
[x] Put the errant golems to better use.
[x] If you have time to kill (or Ran is too obstinate)... You feel great! Energy to burn! Take the remaining golems, add a few huge stone ones, and assault Marisa's house to retrieve your stolen books!
* While it might be tempting to put their vaunted founders' work to shame, it would probably be a bit gauche to create something more grandiose then their precious castle. I personally believe a twisty tower would be appropriate, given her design for the moon rocket. Furnishing can be done later.
You don't have to schedule the whole day on the first choice, geez. This is why these write-ins get so long-winded.
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[x] You haven't felt this good in decades and you know who is to blame
-[x]Give Tewi a tiny wooden statue of herself
[x] Try and finish Yukari's Golems today.
Building a permanent house for the school year would take her an hour today and for that Yukari's portal is needed. Unless you want Ran to come and kick Patchy's ass.
I think Tewi deserves something better than a Wooden Statue. How about a statue of Tewi, Reisen, Kaguya, or Eirin dressed as (a) Pirate(s) instead?
We don't need to do the entire day's planning in the instant we wake up.
I like Tewi too but going out of our way like that, even if it's a simple thing, seems a bit out of character.
Agree that we should try to get the golems done today though.
I hope Remilia doesn't come in and make assumptions about why Tewi is all up in our face. Oh, wait, that'd be hilarious.
Go read again. We'll need two days to make it. Three when you count that you need to go Outside and buy materials.
However, we could actually use the Shrine exit to go do that.
Thanking someone for a service rendered isn't out of character at all. She might get even more luck~
-[x]Give Tewi a tiny clay statue of herself.
That werewolf cape tangent cracked me up, by the way.
Maybe we should hear why she's here before giving stuff?
I put giving her stuff under hearing why she's here for a reason.
Anyway, it's Earth day. Making a little clay statue is so easy for her today that thinking about it is almost surely slower than Just Doing It.
You do realize that by giving so freely, she may start expecting something every day?
I meant to say hear what she says first then decide if there's a reason to give her something.
The upshot about it being earth day is that the spider is usually in the subterranean caverns (or the descending path) so Patchy has ample.... material to work with.
Also, there's nothing wrong with making the house/tower/whatever she is living in on this side of the barrier and worry about transporting it after. Patchy either can request the aid of Sakuya via Remilia (warping space around the building such that it is small enough to transport or to move through a portal of Patchy's making) or to fulfill Yukari's request (perhaps with our own little panache, one of the golems can be mint, another have caramel or something -- there's no reason we can't have some fun with this and Yukari may even run with it) and ask that the house be gapped into position accordingly.
Because, like >>47050 said, even one thing is pushing it.
If she asks for one thing everytime Patchouli's health is above 92, I think it's a fair deal.
She's probably here to deliver a message or something, not beg for handouts.
I don't see why Tewi expecting gifts would be a bad thing, though. We expect luck every so often in return. It's a fair and equitable trade of services~
- [x] Give Tewi a tiny wooden statue of herself.
Sure is pretty indecisive in here.
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"... Tewi." You say. "Why are you here?"
"Felt like taking a look at my work." The rabbit responds, in between leafy crunches of her sandwich. "I only usually do humans, not really familiar with working with people like you. Looks like you managed to keep it for something important, though, rather than blowing it the first chance you got. Looking good~"
"Yes, thank you." You respond as you rise. "A more pertinent question then, I suppose, would be 'how' you made it here."
"Ehe~ I miiight have implied to that gate keeper that we were..." Tewi pauses here and makes a rather obscene gesture with her free hand. "You know. Just a little~"
"Really." You say flatly.
"I don't think she believed me, come to think of it." She continued on, seeming thoughtful. "Or at least, she wasn't going to just sit aside and let me through without a fight, but then she got a message from the boss. Apparently Remilia thought it could be funny to let me in."
"I see." You say dryly. "That accounts for those two, and possibly Sakuya as well. How did you bypass Koakuma, the fairy maids on patrol, and my other defenses?"
"Dunno." the rabbit answers slyly. "I guess I must have been pretty lucky~"
You almost snort, but not from amusement.
"Then your business here is concluded?"
"Nah, I'll probably stick around at least the rest of the day." She answers, taking another bite of her salad and bread.
"Oh?" You say, arching an eyebrow.
"Figure if I stick around without getting in the way, you might do something interesting to watch, or make something neat." The rabbit admits without shame.
This time, you do snort. There is, however, a touch of amusement involved.
"I recall that last time you wandered out on a whim, during that flower matter, someone came looking for you, of course." you note.
"Yeah, Reisen has serious issues grasping the hierarchy." Tewi says, polishing off the last of her meal. "I usually cut the kid some slack, though, but this time I made sure to have someone let her know not to bug me. She'll probably still get her panties in a twist anyway, but she won't chase me down like a lost pet unless she wants a good smacking."
You shrug, and after a moment of thought a tiny figurine forms in your hand. For trinkets like this, you would generally use wood, but on the day of Earth, crafting something of clay or stone is as effortless as breathing. You do, however, overshoot your mark a bit once more, and while the finger-height figurine is still an intricately detailed fascimile of Tewi in a piratical greatcoat and tricorn hat, brandishing a saber, you seem to have accidentally made it of fine porcelain instead of cheaper worked river-clay. A minor error.
Tewi looks at it with interest, and plucks it carefully out of the air as you flip it carelessly in her direction. She seems a little startled as she inspects it, but then conceals it carefully somewhere about her person.
"Nyehehe~ Keep giving me such nice things, and you'll find it hard to get rid of me~" She teases, and you frown in response.
"Gratitude only, as I take it you are a significant reason behind my current state of health." You insist. "It means no more than that."
"Sure, sure." Tewi replies, waving it off. "You already covered that much from the hammer the other day, though. But if this is your way of flirting, I like it a lot~"
"It isn't." You deny.
She shows no indication of leaving, however. A quick check reveals that the farmer has given up on assaulting the golems, and has led a pair of plow-beasts over, in harness, as he loops an old and slightly frayed looking rope around one of the golems. You don't believe he will have much success with this tactic, but he seems hopeful.
[X] Head to the farm to see if the golems managed to find the right spider. Wasn't she originally underground?
Hopefully we can stop the farmer before he does something rash.
[x] Go explain the situation to that farmer.
[x] See if your golems have, in fact, located Yamame.
[x] Tewi can tag along, naturally.
I'd flirt with Tewi all day~
I wonder if she'll follow us Outside? It'd make shopping for Yukari's materials more interesting.
[X] No doubt the farmer will have complaints. Better think of something that will please him so he doesn't bother you.
[X] Then again, you can always inform him that you set the golems to track a youkai spider. Either he know her and you'll apologize, or he doesn't and she may have reacted poorly when he would have entered.
[x] Cast a crop-enhancing spell on that man's field as an apology.
Earth day should help with that, right? Crops grow in the Earth.
>> Deathwings 2011/09/29(Thu)19:50 No. 47071
[X]"If I actually had interest in girl that look as young as you do, I would have given in to Remillia's advances a long time ago."
- [X]Do try the diplomatic approach before resorting to Danmaku.
As a side note, isn't Reisen actually outside of Tewi's sphere of influence ? Tewi has dominion over the rabbits of Earth, but Reisen's a Moon Rabbit isn't she ?
-[x] Commence smalltalk.
I can't recall having seen any instance of Tewi and Patchouli being freinds. As their attitudes contrast so well, it seems so fitting. We can't have Patchy actively persuing or avoiding this, though; it wouldn't seem very in-character.
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"In any case, I have business to attend to." You say, as you prod open a portal to the location of your golems. "You may come along, if you wish."
"Heh, it's why I'm here~" Tewi responds, stepping through just a short pace behind yourself.
You are almost immediately accosted by the farmer when you arrive, who's beasts are straining at the yoke and failing to make the stubborn golem move in any fashion.
"Wh'sall this, barg'n bout on my fields, wh' I outta-"
"Sir, I have some-" You begin, but your words are brushed aside in his irateness.
"-tan y'r hide, whippersnapper, alla these fancy statues trompin' through my fields outta nowhere-"
"I understand that there may have been slight errors in calculation, but-"
"-don' unnerstand why ye wimmen can't just stay in th' kitchen 'stead a foolin' about wi' hoity toity books 'n magic 'n flyin' games, wastin' time while th' men do men's work-"
You haven't been in this man's presence for a full minute, and already you are sick of him. Your eyes narrow as you stamp at the ground which, in response to your will, ripples, knocking the farmer to his feet and momentarily interrupting his stream of complaints.
"If I may have a moment to speak?" You ask dryly. "Very good. Now, I understand that my actions may have caused you some concern, and am willing to offer you some degree of repayment in turn for allowing me to go about my work: you see, I am in search of a spider which it seems my golems have located and trailed to your cellar, there. I intend to collect her, but to thank you for your understanding, I will place an enchantment upon your fields."
The man narrows his eyes in suspicion. "Keep talkin'." is all he says, however.
"I shall allow you to choose the nature of the spell." You continue. "I can enchant your fields such that they bring you an abundant good harvest, in exchange for the sweat of your brow... or I can weave a magic that will ease the burden of your labors."
"Bah!" He yells, suddenly. "I heard me o' this little trick before! Y'gonna play up how tired I am at th' end of the day, and all th' work I put into these fields, and then when I agree t' the second, ye'll make them barren, witch. I'll have me none of that. I'll take the first, and ye can be about your business quick-like."
You nod, not becoming incensed at his assumptions because, in truth, that had been what you were considering. Instead, you work the other magic you had in mind, muttering an incantation under your breath as it settles into the earth.
"It is done." You say, grandly. "May your fields prosper, as all that grows within them increases tenfold."
The man nods curtly, and separates his beasts from your golem, before stalking away, looking to put some distance between himself and you. After he's out of earshot, Tewi snickers to herself.
"Nyehehehe~ 'All that grows'. That shmuck's going to have weeds coming in as fast as he can rip them out~" She says, eyes glinting with amusement.
"Perhaps he shall learn to be tactful when dealing with visitors. He'll still receive an excellent harvest, so long as he is willing to break his back and beg for other's aid in tending to the crops." You reply coolly, but with a smirk of your own. It rapidly fades, however, as your golems step aside, leaving room for you to access the cellar doors.
[x] Cast a light spell and enter quietly. Be extremely careful not to disturb any webs.
[x] If you find her, you're here to talk. See if you can make her want to come with you.
Bwahaha. Poor asshole farmer.
[x] Cast Magic Missile at the darkness
Anything but THAT !
[X]Use the diplomatic approach. Talk first, shoot only if needed. Don't shoot at all if possible. It would be far too easy for the building to catch fire or topple on to of us if we start slinging bullets.
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At your direction, a golem takes hold of the wooden door and heaves, opening it to reveal the shade within. You don't bother to look for a torch or switch, but simple ignite the merest fragment of the splendor of the Sun, which hovers and shines ahead of you as you step down the creaky stairs.
"... turn that dooooown." A voice calls plaintively from the shadows. You do so, dimming the light drastically, and after a moment the spider steps forward, rubbing sleepily at her eyes.
"So whatcha want?" She yawns.
"An associate of mine is interested in a word with you. I have agreed to facilitate this meeting." You say directly.
"... what, now? No way. It's too bright out in the sun, I'm not used to it. And I'm tired. I came up to enjoy the moon, and I got chased around all night by these stompy statues. I just want to sleep, right now." She says, eyes half closed.
"My apologies." You say, dryly. "I would prefer you come quietly."
"Hah, you sound like you're going to arrest me or something. But really, I'd rather not. I'm too tired to get really into a fight over it, either."
"Good. I won't have to waste my time with a duel with an outcome obvious from the beginning." You say.
"... what was that?" Yamame asks. "You that interested in picking a fight?"
"Not really." You respond, as the dirt floor moves according to your whim, snatching the spider up in a giant hand surging from the floor beneath her. "Simply expressing pleasure that you won't struggle too much."
Yamame wriggles slightly, experimentally.
"... I could bust out of this in a second, if I wanted. You should have used stone, or better, some kind of metal." She advises. "Pretty nice, though. Soft earth. Not bad."
"... Thank you?" you reply, now mildly uncertain.
"Tell you what, you wrap me up nice in a full cocoon of this, nice and dark and soft, you can drag me around wherever you want, and I'll chat with whoever in a few hours, once I've taken a nap." Yamame says enthusiastically. "It's a lot nicer than trying to find a good patch of ground or wall."
"Hey, now. Eirin's gonna get all kinds of cranky if you just drag a big sack of dirt into her place. Especially if you end up in one of the sterile areas. She'll peel your skin off for you." Tewi advises.
"Breathing may become an issue." You note calmly, considering the rabbit's warning.
"Meh." the spider responds. "Dirt's pretty porous, it should be fine. If I start to strangle, I can always just go ahead and smash out. Well, unless you wrap the outside in extra strong rock or metal. That would be bad. You'd have to be kind of a bitch to do that, though, and if you want me to talk to someone and I haven't yet, then I don't think you'd do that. Oh, unless they can talk with my lifeless corpse, anyway." Yamame rambles, then yawns again.
[x] Ask Tewi if there's a spot under the shade near Eientei that could do, even for just a while.
[x] Leave Yamame otuside and go inside to see Eirin. Surely she would know where we could leave that spider for her nap.
[x]It's a earth day isn't it? Are you telling me you have no way of keeping the dirt from going everywhere?
[x] She wants to see the moon? You'll show her Moon! Cast a darkess spell, take her to Eientei, and tuck her into a nice, soft bed.
[x] Secure the spider, as requested.
[x] Tewi is probably right, and you wouldn't want Eirin to have reason to become creative while mixing your medicine. Open a portal to Eientei, and go through -- then ask Eirin where she wants her package delivered.
[x] Return and then deliver the spider.
- [x] If we can make a portal big enough, we do it the easy way, using a golem or two as porters.
- [x] If the portal doesn't work out, we could either make the golems carry her the whole way or do something like make some giant stone dung beetles and start rollin'*.
* This may well result in fighting a spider with motion sickness, though, which sounds unpleasantly messy.**
** And hilarious.
[x] Leave Yamame ouside and go inside to see Eirin. Surely she would know where we could leave that spider for her nap.
FATAL ERRORRSSSSSS
This requires relying on Tewi, but intentional or not Patchy has been successfully flirting with her, so we might have a chance here. And the evidence keeps piling up behind the "Remilia is matchmaking" theory.
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"Is there an out-of-the-way spot I can leave her outside Eientei?" You ask aloud.
"Hm.. yeah, I can think of a couple of places. You'll have to keep in mind that she'll still be covered in dirt after, though. More than she already is, I mean." Tewi muses.
"That can be dealt with." You say blandly, as a bubble of water flickers into existence, before popping away. "If necessary, I can return to personally ensure the standard of cleanliness."
"Sure, cold water, buckets, whatever. Can I sleep now?" Yamame asks.
You entomb her in loose earth in response, and hear a muffled noise of thanks from somewhere inside the dirt-cocoon. Wordlessly, you float the lump into the air and prod open a portal. After a moment's thought, you decide it's not quite large enough, and flick your wand to stretch the opening further. You're grateful you have this thing, if you didn't you would have had to all but set your foot on one side and shove at the other in order to open it further, even in your excellent condition. You send the lump through and follow it, hesitating only a moment to have your golems tromp into the cellar behind you and through the portal themselves. No sense just leaving them sit there, after all.
A pair of startled rabbits on the other side look uncertain about whether to fight or flee in the face of the sudden apparent invasion force, until they catch sight of Tewi, who waves at them. All of their nervousness doesn't leave at once, but they seem more accepting of your presence, and though they vacate the area hastily, it's also in a polite, quiet manner.
"Round the back." Tewi mumbles, near inaudible. "... No, actually, here is fine too, we're a bit off the path to the entry. Let's just leave."
"TEWI." Reisen's call comes from inside Eientei. "You stay right there! I don't know what mischief you're planning today, but I won't have any of it-"
"Damn. She noticed." Tewi said, irritated. "Yeah, let's go. Now would be good. I don't really feel like dealing with a lecture about 'responsibility' and 'duties' and 'how little rabbits look up to me as a role model' or whatever right now."
"These ears aren't for show, I can hear you!" the responding yell came from inside Eientei, along with the faint sound of footsteps, rapidly becoming louder.
Well, you could leave, certainly. Or, the thought occurs to you, you could discuss the matter with Reisen. Calmly. Politely. And with the usage of golems and magic bullets. You don't have very long to decide, though, if you judge speed correctly she'll be here in less than a minute, and if you portal away you will have to leave these golems behind until you return to collect them, or she can just follow you through before the aperture is sealed.
[x] Discuss the matter with Reisen. Calmly. Politely. And with the usage of golems and magic bullets
Because even though it's been four days, Patchy hasn't fought anyone yet.
As far as we can tell, Tewi has been an admirable rabbit lately so let's defend her. She's been helping us get stuff Eirin wants, unlike a rabbit only useful for insanity and sex appeal.
The fact that this will make Tewi's claim that we're going out look more reasonable is of no importance. Yet.
[X] Discuss the matter with Reisen. Calmly. Politely. And with the usage of golems and magic bullets.
If this wasn't Touhou I'd suggest explaining that we're making a delivery for Eirin but that can wait until after we've beaten her.
A day like this it shouldn't be too much of a problem even if Reisen is pretty good at danmaku.
>As far as we can tell, Tewi has been an admirable rabbit lately so let's defend her
Actually, from yesterday we know that Tewi had planted bunches of pit traps, including the one we almost fell in (for a given value of almost). They probably would have been fatal to Alistair.
Still, in regards to ourselves, no harm's been done, so Tewi's good in our books.
Yeah sure, why not? Reisen's unique abilities might be a bit of a problem, but, well, we can conjure SUNS. So yeah. Besides, I'm feeling lucky.
[X] Leave.
-[x] Ask Reisen to take care of Eirin's new guest
Too much work. Besides the spider-girl is here, so our business is concluded.
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".... I thought you said it yourself." You say aloud, rather than move to open an escape route.
"Hm?" Tewi replies, with a quizzical frown.
".. That she won't bother you today." You explain, as Reisen appears at the far end of the entry hall. "Unless she wanted to get smacked."
Tewi is suddenly smirking widely and staring down the hallway with some eagerness.
"... Yeah, we can do it like that too~" She agrees.
Reisen slams out through the open doors, somehow, coming to a sudden halt.
"Pardon me, miss." She says frostily. "But this matter really doesn't concern you. I just need to... talk with that one. I'd prefer not to make a scene of this, if possible."
"Shame." You reply calmly. "Golems, you are hereby authorized to initiate hostilities. Target: Reisen Udongein Inaba."
Something seems to flash inside of their helmets, and the golems shift their positions to a more battle ready posture, limbs creaking heavily. They don't have weapons, but that's fine. They can't make Danmaku either. But modified rules can cover for that.
"That's how it is, huh." Reisen says flatly. Then blurs.
Before you have registered the motion, the moon rabbit has kicked through one of your golems, solid steel through out no less, and cleft in half like a blade swinging through rice paper. Then she's in front of you.
And so is Tewi, kicking straight up, foot connecting square with her chin, and the impact launches the taller rabbit backwards and up.
"Denied~" Tewi says cheerily, even as a golem punches out at her.
The problem of being in the air is a lack of directional mobility, usually, making it very easy for opponents to strike you, and very difficult for you to get out of the way. When both sides of the matter can float at will in any direction on a three dimensional axis, however, it's rather a different story. Reisen drifts around the punch, using the golem as a springboard to gain height, seeming able to propel herself with powerful legs much faster than she can actually fly. It's only a moment further before a hailstorm of bullet-shaped bullets crashes down in your direction.
"Cover me, 'k?" Tewi says as you quickly raise floating boulders to take the shots in your stead, and blurs .
You respond to the request without thought, moving into a familiar spell pattern to keep the moon rabbit's attention Emerald Megalopolis. Slightly modified, of course, as you aren't at near close enough range to use the normal variation properly, the crystalline green pillars float up around you as you drift slightly upwards, some circling to catch and deflect attacks similar to the boulders, while you launch the rest as a ballistic attack. For the briefest moment, you can see Tewi as she lands against one of them, before she pushes off again and you lose track of her.
You both make a few more passes at each other, bullet against stone and gem, before Reisen finds a weak chink in your defenses and shatters it open with a full barrage. You can tell she's about to fire another salvo, and you might barely have time to shift some of the other shields into place to cover the gap before it cuts loose. Instead, you point behind her and smirk.
Tewi is there, spinning in the air before her heel drops straight down,missing Reisen's head but catching her in the shoulder, slamming her downwards with a crash. She impacts the ground almost immediately, and balls her fist before levering herself up.
You accidentally meet her red glare as she does so, and the world is suddenly a uniform foggy grey, all sounds distorted bizarrely, though you can hear crashing noises in spite of that. You fight against the illusion, and manage to break free to the sound of a solid thump of flesh against flesh, Tewi having kicked Reisen into the ground again in the time you were diverted. You prepare another boulder, as your opponent is down, and begin to launch.
You realize the error almost immediately, as your golems continue their own assault, and rapidly shift its flight course. It slams directly into Tewi.
Then the second stage of the illusion falls, and Tewi has picked herself up off the ground, as your boulder bowls Reisen off her feet. She starts to push up against the ground, but Tewi braces a calm foot against the back of her neck.
"Nope. You lose~"
"... Tch. Two against one isn't fair odds." Reisen complains, not seeming to count the golems as enough to even round up to 'one', even as she goes limp and passive, accepting the defeat.
"You did nearly have me at the end there. I was almost completely fooled." You admit.
"Yeah, but I forgot to take the mobile armor into account." She complains.
There is a soft cough distracting you all from post battle banter, and everyone goes quiet as they turn. Eirin is standing in the doorway to Eientei.
"If I may ask, what exactly is going on? You were being quite loud." She says, smiling almost dangerously.
And looks like we've almost hit autosage again. I'll make a Koa Korner later, unless there's strong outcry against it or something, and a new thread after that.
Chibi Koa is best Koa.
I do believe that Eirin is annoyed.
Start running.
[x] I came to deliver your spider and decided to play with Reisen. Would you like to play too? Reisen was just complaining about being outnumbered.
Awesome. Fast updating story is faaaaast~
This is just pushing your luck here. The beatdown Eirin will deliver will most definitely take a good chunk of our health.
[x]Better explain things fast. You came to deliver the spider. You wanted to tell her the news but then Reisen arrived for Tewi. And since your health was fantastic, you didn't felt like running away.
Pretty sure it could be worded better, but that should sum it up.
Patchy's at 97 health right now. 97! There is never going to be a better time to fight Eirin.
What about a day where we've got 100 health? And more experience using a wand with our spellcards.
Also, I'm not sure if there's a point voting before the next thread, but:
[X]I've come to deliver the spider.
(A fight? Whatever do you mean? We just swept an obstacle aside rather than step around it!)
While I don't think we could actually beat Eirin, at least without some significant preparation and study of her powers and weaknesses, a day like this we should be able to give her a run for her money.
And like I've said before, why the hell would we want to fight Eirin in the first place? Especially since she's making our medecine?
And I'm not saying we have no chance to win. Just that we're not getting away without damage.
It's a danmaku fight. We're not risking much.
And I want to fight Eirin because it'll be awesome whether we win or lose.
Pissing off the one making your medecine. Indeed, I'm struck by how awesome an idea it sounds...
It's a bit late to worry about that, don't you think? We already assaulted Reisen.
I don't know about pissing her off. Danmaku isn't really like a fight per se, it's more like a game used to settle differences and work out tempers.
I'm not suggesting forcing a confrontation even so but struggling to avoid it doesn't really seem like something Patchy would do.
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It's that time again! Not as good a crop as last time, I'm afraid, but here goes~
{b}Gun[/b]- Ooh, I like this one. Ahem. It is a shotgun, sawn short, with a number of enchantments placed upon it by the wizard Koakuma stole it from. Most primarily: it is always loaded, no matter what, and packs a bit more of a punch, especially against supernatural beings which normally aren't bothered much by mundane bullets. It didn't help him much, in the end.
Planar/Diabolistic summoning mechanics- different planes of reality work different. The sort where Koakuma comes from most particularly: time is a very loose concept there. While time moves more or less linearly in both planes, it's not impossible for her to be summoned at any time, from almost any time, as once a summons is complete and she is dismissed, she returns to nearly the same instant she left. On a timeline, say, she could be summoned at year '5', simply for the sake of argument, and remain bound until the year '12'. Then, upon being dismissed, she could be summoned to year '3' and remain until year '9', and after that from year '7' to '15'. Between the years of '7' and '9', therefore, there are three separate instances of Koakuma existing in this plane. Patchouli could, in theory, summon a second Koakuma to work alongside the first, but that way lies nothing but headaches. Simpler to keep it down to one. As well, it's near impossible for her to die outside her native plane, her body simply burns and dissolves to a foul smelling ash, after which she can be almost immediately summoned again.
Library defenses- Sorry! Can't give out details of those. Too bad!
Golem materials- They include marshmallow and pudding, as well as multiple flavors of gelatin, and whipped cream.
Brimstone- Sulfur? Pleasant? It smells like rotten eggs, I don't know where that idea got started. It can be processed into a potion that works similarly to a powerful aphrodisiac, though, so if you summon someone who smells of it, that's probably what they were doing.
Properties of Werewolf Parts Who knows? There's probably a book somewhere in the archive that deals with that sort of thing.
Alistair's garden- There was already magic on it before you started. Not a curse, but a Seasonal Rotation enchantment, dividing the garden into four blocks, so that as the year goes by there's always one quarter in harvest season. A matter of convenience, and impatience.
Now, until next time, all.
>> Deathwings 2011/09/30(Fri)14:41 No. 47115
I don't care about the twisted logic that make you believe it would be a good idea to annoy the ONLY person who can make our very much NEEDED medicine, this is a dumb idea and we're NOT doing it.
Moreover, attacking Eirin would be completely out of character for Patch. Reisen was being annoying and we were humoring Tewi, that's it. There is no reason for us to attack Eirin.
Seriously, who do you think we are ? Marisa ?
Intentionally seeking one for no good reason isn't like her either.
Reisen. Unprovoked assault. Angry Eirin.
Did you read the last update?
New thread: >>47117
Attacking? Who the fuck suggested that?
And while I'm addressing you; Drop the fucking name. You have no need of it and if you'd bothered to lurk for a little while you'd notice noone else is using one except writers in their own threads.
Read the fucking rules and lurk moar.
Help keep the site running and being awesome: donate today!
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Cambodia’s Military Apparatus Overhauled Ahead of Tense Election
Aun Chhengpor
VOA Khmer
FILE PHOTO - General Pol Saroeun, left, and General Sao Sokha, right, are pictured entering a ceremony in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, July 2017. (Aun Chhengpor/VOA Khmer)
Sao Sokha has previously attributed his success in the security forces to an affinity with the methods employed by German Nazi leader Adolf Hitler.
PHNOM PENH —
A close aide to Prime Minister Hun Sen and his eldest son have been promoted to the leading roles in the Cambodian military ahead of July’s general election, according to a report.
According to the Deum Ampil news report, which cited a source in the defense ministry, Sao Sokha, the military police commander and close associate of Hun Sen, and the longtime leader’s son, Hun Manet, were promoted to the roles of acting commander-in-chief and acting deputy commander-in-chief, respectively.
They replaced Pol Saroeun, former commander-in-chief, and his deputy Meas Sophea. Kun Kim, one of the joint chiefs of staff, also left his post in the reshuffle. All three of the senior regime figures were legally obliged to leave their military roles as they are standing for election.
Defense Minister Tea Banh declined to confirm the report when contacted by VOA, saying the three parliamentary candidates had applied for “special permission” to run for office, insinuating the change may be temporary.
He added that an official announcement would be made on June 30.
Sokha rose to prominence in the aftermath of armed clashes in July 1997 when Prince Norodom Ranariddh’s royalist faction was forced from government by forces aligned with Hun Sen.
He also presided over a deadly crackdown on protesters and striking garment workers following the 2013 election.
Sokha has previously attributed his success in the security forces to an affinity with the methods employed by German Nazi leader Adolf Hitler.
Manet is a U.S.-educated West Point graduate with growing foreign policy experience who has in the past been tipped as a possible successor to Hun Sen.
Sophal Ear, a political scientist at Occidental College in Los Angeles, said the reshuffle was “musical chairs”.
“These are people who have held positions of power for a very long time, they are simply going to take off their military uniform and put on a National Assembly uniform.
“Same same, but different. Of course, it means very little than to have any kind of firewall preventing conflicts of interest when serving the military and serving the party.”
Paul Chambers, a Naresuan University professor who has studied the armed forces of South East Asia, said the reshuffle suggested Manet was being groomed for the top job.
“We can see the reshuffle as installing more youthful leadership to the military but also as a means of further personalizing Hun Sen's control over it in the face of rising popular dissent,” he said.
Sokha declined to comment on Wednesday, while Manet could not be reached. A ruling Cambodian People’s Party spokesman could also not be reached.
(Correction: The previous version of this story addressed Mr. Sao Sokha as “the former military police commander.” In fact, Mr. Sokha remains the incumbent commander of the military police while assuming the role as acting commander-in-chief of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces.)
CNRP Supporters to Protest Japan Support for ‘Illegitimate’ Elections
ASEAN MPs Say Cambodia Election ‘Not Legitimate’
Cambodia's GDP Fights On Amid Calls for Boycott of Election
Plugged In
U.S. Urges Cambodian Neutrality As Speculation of Chinese Military Presence Grows
Cambodia’s Fatal Building Collapse Survivors Relive Hours Before Rescue
Cambodia Tests Huawei 5G Network Despite U.S. Concern
Two Charged with Incitement For Commemorating Slain Political Commentator
Japanese Collector Returns Cambodian Artifacts
Nip It in the Bud
Hospitals in Rural America Increase Foreign-Born Hires
2018 Elections Coverage: Cambodia Adrift
U.S. House Bill on Cambodia an “Act Against Peace,” Cambodian Official Says
VOA Interview: US Rep. Ted Yoho Vows to Hold Cambodian Leaders Accountable
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‘Play For The City’: Atlanta United Scores Big Win In First Leg Of East Final
Associated Press • Nov 26, 2018
Before a crowd of 70,016 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Josef Martinez and Atlanta United defeated the New York Red Bulls for the first time in franchise history. In just its second season and already wildly popular, United is hoping to give Atlanta its first pro sports championship since the Braves won the 1995 World Series.
Credit John Bazemore / Associated Press
After the final whistle blew, the Atlanta players lingered in the middle of the pitch, doling out hugs and soaking up the cheers of more than 70,000 fans.
Everyone knew this was a huge step toward the MLS Cup.
Everyone knew how much this meant to a city that has known so much sporting heartbreak.
Josef Martinez, Franco Escobar and Hector Villalba scored for Atlanta United to lead a 3-0 rout of the Supporters’ Shield-winning New York Red Bulls in the opening leg of the Eastern Conference final Sunday.
“We’ve just raised our game,” captain Michael Parkhurst said. “We’ve raised the energy, the desire, the fight.”
Atlanta has a huge edge heading into the second leg Thursday night in Harrison, New Jersey. The winner of the two-game, cumulative-goals series will host the MLS Cup final Dec. 8 against either Portland or Sporting Kansas City.
In just its second season and already wildly popular, United is hoping to give Atlanta its first pro sports championship since the Braves won the 1995 World Series. That remains the city’s lone major title, its history defined mostly by performance such as the Falcons squandering a 25-point lead in the Super Bowl.
“Play with passion,” Parkhurst said. “Play for the city.”
Before a crowd of 70,016 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, United defeated the Red Bulls for the first time in franchise history after three losses and a draw in their previous meetings. Atlanta also got a bit of redemption after losing the Supporters’ Shield to New York on the final day of the regular season.
Of course, it’s not over yet.
Atlanta can afford to play conservatively in the second leg, but doesn’t want to totally abandon the attacking style that has served it so well.
“You go and play the game,” Jeff Larentowicz said. “You can’t sit on top of your goal and think you’re going to defend for 90 minutes. It’s not going to work.”
A matchup between the two best teams in MLS was a one-sided affair. Atlanta dominated much of the game and could have won by an even bigger margin. While a New York goal was waved off after a video review and goalkeeper Brad Guzan made a clutch save in the closing minutes, this game was played mostly in the Red Bulls’ end of the field.
United finished with a 14-6 edge in shots. That late stop by Guzan was New York’s only official shot on goal.
New York is facing another postseason flop. A charter member of MLS and one of the league’s most successful teams during the regular season — including three Supporters’ Shield titles in the last six years — the Red Bulls have never won the cup.
Now, they need to match their second-leg performance in the conference semifinals, when they overcame a 1-0 loss at Columbus by winning 3-0 at Red Bull Arena. New York went 14-2-1 at home this season, including a 2-0 victory over Atlanta on Sept. 30.
“At home, we are very confident,” Sean Davis said. “We love playing at home in front of our fans and we have been great there all year. It is important for us to get a first goal early, and then press for the game. It is going to require absolutely everything from us to get the result.”
After controlling play from the opening whistle, Atlanta finally broke through in the 32nd minute.
Of course, it was Martinez who got the honors .
Larentowicz set up the play with a towering pass into the penalty area toward the Golden Boot winner and MVP finalist, who set an MLS scoring record with 31 goals during the regular season. Martinez wound up with the ball between two defenders after Tim Parker missed an attempted header, settling it with his chest and blasting a left-footed shot inside the far post that left keeper Luis Robles with no chance.
The Red Bulls appeared to tie it in the 53rd.
The ball was lofted into the area, where Aaron Long was able to head it back toward the front of the net. One New York player let it go by — straight to an unmarked Bradley Wright-Phillips, who sent a right-footed shot past a diving Guzan. But when referee Kevin Stott took another look at the play on video, it clearly showed Alex Muyl lingering offsides behind the last Atlanta defender as Wright-Phillips connected with the shot.
“It took me by surprise,” Parkhurst said. “Pleasantly.”
Atlanta padded its lead in the 72nd , this time on a play set up by its other MVP candidate, Miguel Almiron. He split the defense up top and threaded a pass down the left wing to Julian Gressel, who crossed it back in front toward Martinez. The United star unselfishly let it go by him, knowing Escobar was racing in all alone off the opposite wing.
Escobar ripped a shot past Robles to give United a two-goal edge.
Villalba provided an extra cushion when Atlanta hits the road , scoring in stoppage time with a brilliant shot that curled past two defenders and left Robles standing flat-footed.
With New York pressing for a goal, United had two other good scoring chances. Almiron shot wide on a 4-on-2 break, and Villalba hit the post with another attempt after brilliantly eluding two players and breaking in all alone on Robles.
Dream Run At Wimbledon Comes To An End For Atlanta-Born Coco Gauff
For Atlanta Native Coco Gauff, Her Wimbledon Journey Continues After Comeback Win
Longtime Atlanta Braves Usher Takes Center Stage
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Specials Season 2
John Astin
Gomez Addams (34 Episodes)
Morticia Addams (34 Episodes)
Lisa Loring
Wednesday Addams (34 Episodes)
Pugsley Addams (34 Episodes)
Felix Silla
Cugino Itt (34 Episodes), — (4 Episodes)
Parley Baer
Arthur J. Henson (34 Episodes), — (3 Episodes)
Jackie Coogan
Zio Fester (34 Episodes)
Marie Blake
Nonna Addams (34 Episodes)
Eddie Quillan
Joe Digby (34 Episodes), — (2 Episodes)
Rolfe Sedan
Mr. Briggs (34 Episodes), — (3 Episodes)
Ted Cassidy
Lurch (34 Episodes)
Allyn Joslyn
Sam L. Hilliard (34 Episodes), — (2 Episodes)
Vito Scotti
Sam Picasso (34 Episodes), — (3 Episodes)
Barry Kelley
— (2 Episodes)
Bob LeMond
Jimmy Cross
George Barrows
— (1 Episode)
Peter Leeds
Tommy Farrell
Elisabeth Fraser
Del Moore
Stanley Adams
Olan Soule
Jesse White
Milton Frome
James Flavin
Cynthia Pepper
Madge Blake
Skip Homeier
George N. Neise
Frank Nelson
Roland Winters
Alan Reed
Ceil Cabot
Lee Bergere
Hal Baylor
Hal Smith
Tom Lowell
Nydia Westman
Frank Wilcox
Hazel Shermet
Dorothy Neumann
Sidney Lanfield
Jerry Hopper
Director (4 Episodes)
Jean Yarbrough
Nat Perrin
Director (1 Episode)
Arthur Hiller
Harry Winkler
Phil Leslie
Jameson Brewer
Sloan Nibley
Ben Gershman
Jay Dratler
Ed James
Seaman Jacobs
The Addams Family Goes to School
Sam Hilliard, a truant officer, shows up at the Addams family home, due to the fact that Pugsley and Wednesday are not attending school. Soon he discovers he's dealing with no typical everyday family.
Morticia and the Psychiatrist
Gomez and Morticia are shocked when Pugsley joins the boy scouts, begins playing baseball and gets a puppy. Fearing something is wrong, they turn to a psychiatrist.
Fester's Punctured Romance
Uncle Fester puts an ad in the personals column and when he doesn't get an immediate response he's heartbroken. Later, the Addams family mistakes a cosmetics saleswoman as a respondent to the ad.
Gomez, the Politician
Sam Hilliard, the ex-truant officer, is running for city council. This puts Gomez in the campaign mood, and he decides to offer financial support.
The Addams Family Tree
Pugsley and Wednesday get into a fight over families, with their friend Harold, who says that his family is better than their family. This prompts the Addams family to look back in their family tree.
Morticia Joins the Ladies League
Gomez and Pugsley visit an old friend of the family, who owns a circus. There, Pugsley befriends Gorgo the Gorilla who later escapes and follows Pugsley home. Meanwhile, Morticia has hopes of joining the Ladies League.
Halloween with the Addams Family
It's Halloween at the Addams' house when a pair of hold-up men come in for refuge after their getaway car runs out of gas. As police intensely comb the area, criminals Claude and Marty, accepted as party-goers, put up with the creepy household's holiday festivities as best they can, till Gomez' desk full of ready cash catches their eye. Now they want to stay but, unbeknownst to all, Thing is on to them and ready to take matters in hand.
Green-Eyed Gomez
When Moticia's childhood friend, Lionel Barker, visits, Gomez views him as an old beau and current rival. Fearing he and Morticia might run off together, Gomez hires Mildred, an awkwardly man-crazy maid, to pull Lionel from Morticia, which doesn't work. When Morticia catches Gomez giving Mildred love lessons, she thinks her marriage is on the rocks. What neither realize is that Lionel's a white-collar con-man out to bilk Gomez.
The New Neighbors Meet the Addams Family
Newlyweds Hubert and Amanda Peterson move into their delightful new home, but when they find themselves right next door to the Addams estate, they straightaway want out of their one-year lease (especially after Uncle Fester's surprise "Welcome to the Neighborhood" visit through their living room floor). Unfortunately for them, the owner is none other than Gomez Addams, whom they must grin and bear for as long as it takes to be released (if ever).
Wednesday Leaves Home
Wednesday packs up her spider and runs away after being scolded for using Uncle Fester's blasting caps instead of her own. Wednesday writes this note to her parents:
DEAR MOTHER AND FATHER, I HATE YOU. LOVE, WEDNESDAY
P.S. DON'T BOTHER LOOKING FOR BE BECAUSE I'M NOT ANYWHERE. GOODBYE. W.
Gomez and Morticia call the Police Department's Bureau of Missing Persons and get Sgt. Haley. Before Sgt. Haley arrives Fester has found Wednesday hiding in Pugsley' s room. Morticia decides to use reverse psychology on Wednesday, who promptly runs away for real. She shows up at Haley's desk at the police station. He calls the Family, who insist Wednesday isn't really missing. Fester comes to collect Wednesday. Sgt. Haley is being driven crazy by the Family and runs away, unable to take any more!
The Addams Family Meet the V.I.P.'s
Visiting dignitaries from an Iron Curtain country want to see a ""typical"" American family. Mr. Harris, the Government agent, is resistant to the idea. Mr. Haan insists, so they get out the phone book and randomly select a name. They land on the Addams listing. Mr. Harris tries to dissuade them from visiting the Addams claiming that they're not normal. This further fuels the V.I.P.'s desire to visit the family. The V.I.P.'s assume the Addamses are the typical American family. They visit the house and see Cleopatra, Morticia's carnivorous plant, Uncle Fester's ability to generate electricity, Pugsley's ray gun and Lurch, who they assume is a robot. They conclude that Americans highly advanced in science and technology. Mr. Klarpe makes a note of it and they make a report back home.
Morticia, the Matchmaker
Cousin Melancholia visits. Abandoned by her fiancé, she needs a man. Meanwhile, the firm of Ferguson-Riche & Fisher wants their Mr. Harvey to broker a deal with the Addamses since he's the only one among them who's dealt with them before (a fact which leaves Mr. Harvey repulsed at the thought and determined to resist further contact). When the Addamses learn he's a bachelor, they're not only eager to meet him but ready to set the wedding bells pealing and heartily welcome him into the family before he can say yes (or anything else).
Lurch Learns to Dance
Gomez and Morticia are concerned when Lurch refuses to go to the annual Butler's Ball. They then learn the reason, Lurch can't dance. The Addams family then tries to help him by teaching him how to dance.
Art and the Addams Family
Morticia has taken up painting (she throws the paint at the canvas) and Gomez has art critic Bosley Swain evaluate her Swain tactfully suggests a teacher, and Grandma calls Spain for Picasso, getting oddball Sam Picasso in- stead. He tries hard, but Bosley thinks the man is a crook. Gomez likes Sam, and decides (against Sam's wishes) to restore Sam's good name. Wednesday tries coaching him, but Sam keeps trying to escape his dungeon workshop. Swain sees Wednesday's paintings, thinking they're Sam's, and raves. Sam manages to return to Spain to take up the safer occupation of bullfighting, while the whole Addams Family takes up brushes.
The Addams Family Meets a Beatnik
A young biker on the run from his domineering tycoon dad ends up hiding out in the Addams house, and the Addamses couldn't be happier.
The Addams Family Meets the Undercover Man
Hollister is an undercover operative who's been picking up odd radio signals from the Addams house. Convinced they're spies, he recruits the postman, Briggs, to help. Briggs panics when he gets in the house, though, and flees. Hollister then tries the plumber, Conkey, who's been called in to fix Kitty's water fountain. When Conkey acts suspiciously, Gomez calls the authorities ending up with Hollister. Morticia is convinced that Hollister is a spy, so they capture him and toss him in the dungeon. He sees that the source of the odd signals is Pugsley's new ham radio. Washington vouches for Hollister, so the Family allow him to go.
Mother Lurch Visits the Addams Family
Lurch's mother is coming to visit, and he confesses that she doesn't know he's just the servant. Morticia sees no problem: he can pretend the house is his, and she'll be maid and Gomez the butler, while the others move out to the cottage. Gomez tries to coach Lurch to be the gentleman, its hard to teach Lurch to be the master. Mother Lurch arrives, a tiny hellion that drives out Gomez and Morticia insane with her demands. She doesn't trust Gomez and is convinced that he and Morticia are out to take ""Lurch's"" money. She vows to protect her ""Sonny boy"" from the larcenous couple and whip Gomez and Morticia into shape. Matters worsen, and she has Lurch fire Gomez and Morticia. Fester and Grandmama are bored living in the cottage and aim to straighten things out. Mother Lurch has called to an agency to find new help. Fester and Grandmama show up and she thinks they're the replacements and hires them. Happy now, she goes home. The only problem left is that Lurch won't let Gomez or Morticia b
Uncle Fester's Illness
Lately, Uncle Fester's been a bit rundown, literally unable to maintain his wattage. Since Dr. Mbogo, the reliable family witch doctor, is too busy to leave Africa, the Addamses must take their chances by engaging the services of a local physician, who pays them a house call.
The Addams Family Splurges
The Addams family hopes to vacation on the moon, but needs to raise a billion dollars. Using Gomez's new supercomputer, the family schemes to make the money by betting on horse races.
Cousin Itt Visits the Addams Family
Parks Commissioner Fiske visits the Addams house seeking contributions for expansion of the city zoo. Gomez believes visiting Cousin Itt - all hairy and gibbering four feet tall of him - would be perfect as the zoo's new curator. He has the two meet, but Commissioner Fisk misunderstands the intent and mistakes Itt for a new exotic animal attraction whom he has hauled away in chains when the others aren't looking. When the family finds out what's happened, Uncle Fester is ready to administer retribution the Addams way - with a bullet from behind.
The Addams Family in Court
Grandma's been telling fortunes as Madame Bovary, helped by Thing. She's even set up a tent in the living room. Morticia is appalled and wants her to stop. It's too late, though, as the police arrest her. Gomez decides to be her lawyer, as 'Loophole' Addams. He refuses to let Grandma be sworn in, as telling the whole truth would cramp her style. The Judge orders Gomez off the case, and Morticia takes over. She accuses the police of harassment, and the Judge finds the whole family in contempt. The Judge's wife arrives, and turns out to be one of Grandma's best clients. She insists that her husband dismiss the case.
Amnesia in the Addams Family
Gomez is juggling with his Indian clubs and hits himself on the head knocking himself unconscious. When he comes to, his personality has drastically changed. He's now acting like a normal person. He's just insured his life for $1 million, and thinks the family is trying to kill him and collect. He wants Morticia to wear some cheerier clothes. She thinks another blow on the head might cure him, but hasn't the heart to do it. Fester does, however, and Gomez is restored. Unfortunately, Lurch has the same idea and hits Gomez again . . . Then Grandma 'cures' him, only for Pugsley to reverse it . . . Morticia is going crary with the flip-flopping personalities. Gomez panics, certain they're trying to kill him, and runs into a suit of armour. The blow cures him - but Fester' s hit his head and everything starts again.
Directed by: Sidney Lanfield
Written by: Phil Leslie
Thing is Missing
When Thing goes missing, the family discovers he's been "thing-napped."
Crisis in the Addams Family
Once again, Fester's canon has wrecked the plumbing. The Arthur J. Henson Insurance Agency, subsidiary of Excelso Fidelity Insurance, is outraged by yet another in a series of payouts on the Addams policy, but a clause in the small print enables them to finally cancel it. Fester's allowance is subsequently suspended, so he gets a job - as an insurance salesman for Henson Insurance. It's not hard to guess to whom he sells his first policy, which has the head of the company in an uproar and storming his way to the Addams house to wheedle out of it.
Lurch and His Harpsichord
Lurch feels betrayed when Gomez and Morticia give their antique harpsichord to a museum.
Morticia, the Breadwinner
The stockmarket has collapsed, and thousands of people are going broke. Fester and Morticia think that the Family has lost all its money, while Gomez has bought a railroad to play with. Morticia rallies the Family to make money without telling Gomez, as it would upset him. Fester and Lurch start an escort service, Morticia teaches fencing and the kids start a henbane stand. Thing sells pencils. None of these are successes. Gomez is planning a vacation and the Family think he's lost his mind out of shock. Morticia decides to sell her jewels, so Fester blows open the safe. Inside is a railroad stock. Having heard about some mystery man buying railway stock, Morticia has Blooker the broker sell it to the ""Mystery Man"" which is Gomez. Gomez unwittingly buys his own stock. He' s puzzled by the whole thing as all their money is safe, except for that in the railroad, which sank into a swamp.
The Addams Family and the Spacemen
Pugsley's late night missile launches cause no less than fourteen sighting calls to the Bureau of Mysterious Space Objects (M.S.O.). The Addamses are about to leave for a combined midnight picnic and snail hunt when they hear an announcement of unknown flying objects in their area. Thinking there might be Martians about, they happily decide to tarry and see while investigators from the M.S.O. converge upon the Addams estate with the same idea. The two parties meet, each deciding that the others are from another world.
My Son, the Chimp
Fester's working on a new experiment when something goes wrong. An organ grinder's chimp wanders into the house when Fester's experiment blows up. Pugsley was watching, and was knocked through a wall. When the smoke clears, Fester sees the chimp and thinks he's transformed Pugsley into the chimp. Morticia thinks the chimp is nice, but wants her son back. Fester tries contacting the spirit world for advice. Pugsley and tries to explain to Fester that he's behind a secret door. He's eventually freed and the chimp returned to his owner. Wednesday turns up with a new boyfriend - the invisible man's invisible son.
Morticia's Favorite Charity
The family decides to donate their most precious things to the local bazaar.
Progress and the Addams Family
The city is planning to put a freeway through the Addams' neighborhood. In fact, the Addams' house is slated for demolition. Gomez and Morticia must find a solution, or else the house will be destroyed. Arthur J. Henson, city commissioner, visits to underscore the point: the Addams must move out. Unwilling to leave their precious home, Gomez and Morticia arrive at an idea: have the house moved to another location. Gomez buys the vacant lot next to Arthur Henson's home, and he pays to have their house moved there.
Uncle Fester's Toupee
Uncle Fester confesses that he's exaggerated himself to his Illinois pen pal, Madelyn, especially about having a full head of hair - a mane to equal his bristling athleticism. For Madelyn's forthcoming visit, Morticia and Gomez have Uncle Fester outfitted with a hairpiece, but when Morticia learns that Madelyn has had five husbands, all now dead, she begins to worry for Uncle Fester's future happiness.
Cousin Itt and the Vocational Counselor
Morticia thinks marriage counseling would be the perfect career choice for Cousin Itt. To prove it to him, she and Gomez pretend to be a couple in trouble, but the pretense goes awry when she starts believing in parts of Gomez's fanciful play-acting. Now Morticia and Gomez really are a couple in trouble, and Itt won't do as a marriage councilor at all. Finally, a professional vocation advisor is called in to evaluate Itt, with an astonishing result.
Lurch, the Teenage Idol
Low grunts and grumbles while at the harpsichord constitute Lurch's manner of singing. Gomez has a record company record him and soon the Addams house is surrounded by excited teenyboppers, fawning and fainting over Lurch when he becomes the newest hit sensation. All that blind adoration goes to Lurch's head, and the Addames quickly find they have a self-centered butler who won't "buttle" any longer. Could it be they've created a monster?
The Winning of Morticia Addams
Fester reads an article that claims that apparently happy marriages are dangerous, because there is sickness hidden within. Since Gomez and Morticia are so happy, Fester thinks he'd better help out and make them have a few fights for their own good. He visits Drasi Dumo, Gomez's yoga master, and has Gomez thrown out of his yoga society saying that Morticia's requested it. Fester's plan backfires because Gomez enjoys being with Morticia all that time he would have spent on yoga. Fester then calls the article's author, Dr. Chalon, who comes to offer advice. He's very attracted to Morticia, and Fester stirs this up to cause trouble. Dr. Chalon is the best swordsman in France, and Gomez challenges him to a duel. Fester's getting worried, but Gomez would rather be dead than lose Morticia. Dr. Chalon calls off the fight, declaring that their marriage is perfect just the way it is.
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Salam Al Amir
Warning as 'fake' UAE police target blue collar workers
Sharjah Police urge the public to always ask for ID and never to hand over cash or belongings
Police officers took to the streets of Sharjah to alert blue collar workers in particular about the scam. Courtesy: Sharjah Police
Police in Sharjah have urged the public to be wary of men posing as police officers.
The force said suspected fraudsters are using the ploy to take money from blue collar workers in particular, claiming they must pay a fine for committing an offence.
Officers have put up posters in malls and supermarkets and took to the streets of Sharjah’s industrial areas, home to many construction and warehouse workers, to alert workers to the scam.
“They take advantage of these people’s lack of knowledge of the Arabic language, and make them believe they were real officers of the law," a police spokesman said.
"They ask them for their belongings, mainly wallets, then take whatever cash they find.
“Real police officers would only, as per law, ask for an identification card, a driving licence and a vehicle registration card - and would not under any circumstance ask a person for his belongings," police said.
Residents are urged to ask anyone claiming to be police for their ID badges, particularly if they are not in uniform.
Member of burglary gang that posed as police appears in court
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Propeller review at Pleasance Courtyard, Edinburgh – ‘heartfelt show about local activism’
Posted By Rosemary Waugh On Aug 11, 2018 @ 8:29 pm In Theatre | Comments Disabled
Get “Lockie” back on track! Welcome to the fictional Lockhaven Port, based on a typical corner of small-town Scotland largely forgotten by the powers that be in Edinburgh and Westminster. The teenage characters who live here have one dream: to leave.
But literally leaving – either for university, a weekend trip or a daily commute – is easier said than done. Like many back-and-beyond places, Lockie (as its nicknamed) used to have a local train service to Edinburgh. Now, it just has a “shitty bus”.
In the Network Ensemble’s Propeller, a group of local young people decide to launch a campaign to get the train service returned to their town. Or rather, in keeping with the bureaucratic rules of government, their first step is to get a ‘feasibility report’ conducted.
Caitlin Skinner’s production splices the train-saving story with snapshots of historic, people-powered protests, including the miners’ strike and the anti-Iraq War protests.
There are also passages of interpretive group dance, poetry and music (George Michael’s Faith turned into a transport protest song is a highlight). But despite the enthusiasm of the cast and some dry humour, the piece as a whole lacks cohesion and always seems in danger of becoming derailed. [1]
Young ensemble perform a messy but heartfelt show about grassroots activism
Pleasance Courtyard
Rachael Keiller, Poppy Smith and Ross Donnachie (text)
Devised by the company
Caitlin Skinner
Estin Love
Kirsty Currie
Cameron Grounds
Austyn Drummond
Rebekah Rai (costume designer), Klara Larsson (assistant costume designer)
Cindy Awor, Owen Cummins, Islan Fairfield, Sophie McClean, Ross Donnachie, Lottie Cuthbert, Rachael Keiller, Poppy Smith
Louise Oliver
URL to article: https://www.thestage.co.uk/reviews/2018/propeller-review-pleasance-edinburgh-heartfelt-show-local-activism-lacks-cohesion/
[1] Image: http://bit.ly/fringenewsletter
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Home / Supplements / Section 2 / Beauty and cosmetics in Mughal and other ages
Beauty and cosmetics in Mughal and other ages
In India there were 16 “shingars”, or modes of make-up. But in the olden days, young girls spent sleepless nights in a bid to prepare the best possible cosmetics, while the modern girl has just to walk across the street to get things to change her face.
R V Smith | June 28, 2018 5:23 am
Mughal beauties : outing with king
While there is so much adulation of Mughal monuments not much is said about how moon-faced Mughal woman adorned themselves to rule over a harem of thousands of ladies, even though true beauty does not need any aids, for it lies in the eye of the beholder.
However, true beauty, like Plato’s Table, is an ideal sans definition, hence the need for beauty aids to gloss over blemishes. Our civilisation has come a long way now from those ancient days, when woman did not use cosmetics. They bathed in fountains and streams, ate a humble repast, clothed themselves in what was available and yet broke many hearts. This is not to suggest, however, that all of them were “La Belle Dame sans Merci”. Many of them had their hearts broken in turn by the gay gallants and pined away like the Lady of the Lake.
But those ages waned and later we find girls in India, Egypt, China, Rome and Greece, perfecting the art of cosmetics. It was crude compared to modern methods but the purpose was the same. The axiom that “fairness hides a lot of sins”, made girls of a darker complexion use herbs and ointments to make their skin fairer. Gram flour, cream and oils were mainly employed for the purpose. In India there were 16 “shingars”, or modes of make-up, and so when Pakeezah sings her famous song, “Main tau kar aaun solah shingar re…”, she is giving vent to the Mughal days’ charms of beauty, which made the Indian bride shine like the harvest moon.
Sandalwood paste, amla oil, kajal, surma, turmeric (haldi), clay bath and baths in the early morning with water cooled in the moonbeams were what kept girls of rich families occupied. They ate more than their modern counterparts but their diet was well-balanced and they were robust and full of life unlike some of the sickly specimens seen these days. Dr R Nath has devoted a whole chapter to medieval cosmetics in his book, The Private Life of the Mughals, and of how bride and groom were prepared for marriage.
In the days of the Hindu kingdoms, the emphasis was on chastity and as such undisturbed beauty sleep was not the custom but one of the essentials of a good life. In the days of the Mughals and later the Nawabs of Lucknow, girls of good families were just as chaste as those earlier, but there were certain families, which practised the art of public idolatry of women. These women were not the fallen kind one finds in brothels.
They were the pace-setters of the fashions of those days. The courtesans graced the courts of the nobles and not necessarily their cots. Intimacy was limited to the one who showered favours. Until he continued to do so there was no question of a rival. Those were the days when women used hot ash to pluck out unwanted hair and craned their necks to watch the kites sailing in the sky to develop a long swan-like neck or the proverbial goblet-shaped one. Lotus and honey were used as a hormone preparation to develop the body and Urad dal avoided like poison to cut down fat.
But at about the same time in the West, Alexander Pope, a great observer of the social life of his times, had this to say about beauty aid employed by women:
“And now unveiled, the Toilet stands displays. Each silver Vase is mystic order laid. First robed in white, the nymph intent adores with head uncovered, the Cosmetic powers. Unnumberd treasures ope at once, and here.
This casket India’s glowing gems unlocks. And all Arabia breathes from yonder box. The Tortoise here and Elephants unite, Transformed to combs the speckled and the white. Here files of pins extend their shining rows, puffs, powders, Patches, Bibles, Billetdoux… The best sylphs surround their darling care, These set the head, and those divide the hair…”
Now, with sprays, dyes, wigs, eyebrow pencils, bindis, nail polishes, lipsticks, shampoos and powders, the whole perfumery of the East and West produce glamour girls, who with the aid of anklets, trinklets, bracelets, bangles, girdles, necklaces, eye-shadows, and tight or loose, high or low cut clothes, wrench out the heart of the most cynical of youths.
Boutiques, first popularized by Yves St Laurent, Christian Dior and Givenchy, cater to the needs of the most ordinary of women and convert them overnight into Cinderellas pursued by the princeliest of men.
In the olden days, when young girls spent sleepless nights in a bid to keep the diva burning with spices and oils of many kinds to produce the best kajal possible, or the milk in the earthenware pot from curdling, and applying the cream used for complexions, the modern girl has just to walk across the street to get things which can change her face in a trice.
Mehndi, or henna, for the hands, lipsticks of a hundred hues to redden lips, topees and clothes for hair-dos, “kasturi” and “manjans”, “datoons” and toothpastes for pearly teeth are all readily available.
The story of the man who discovered on his wedding night that the buxom wench he had married was but an old, bald woman with artificial teeth and hair and padded breasts and hips, is perhaps no exaggeration for it speaks a world of truth for the concept of beauty through cosmetics and beauty aids.
Thus Milady walks or struts about the street in borrowed beauty, the cynosure of all eyes and the butt of many a joke, according to the whim of the passerby, who little knows what a bewildering variety of cosmetics has converted plain Jane into an Ursulla Andress or a Bridget Bardott.
Mughal woman
Tips to choose right cosmetics to look young and beautiful
J&K govt orders ban on nailing ad hoardings on Mughal era Chinar trees
Amazing benefits of orange peels that go beyond culinary and beauty purposes
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This man alone was responsible for 60 per cent of East Lancs car thefts over winter
One-man car theft crimewave Kevin King-Yates jailed
By Aban Quaynor @AbanQuaynorLT Chief Reporter
A PROLIFIC burglar who stole £500,000 of cars from driveways across East Lancashire has been jailed for seven years.
Police said Kevin King-Yates had been responsible for more than half of all car thefts across the county in his three-month thieving spree between November and January at properties in Accrington, Whalley, Burnley and Colne.
Vehicles stolen included a Volkswagen Golf GTD, a Mercedes AMG, an Audi A5, Audi A4 and Audi A3 Quattro, which were then driven to chop shops to be stripped down for parts.
The 25-year-old was arrested in January following Operation Arrowtooth, a targeted campaign launched by police in response to his offending.
He had been avoiding police by giving false names at hotels and moving addresses. It is believed he changed his mobile phone SIM card more than 100 times to avoid detection.
King-Yates, of Comrie Crescent, Burnley, was finally found at the Hilton Hotel in Blackpool on January 30.
Earlier this month he pleaded guilty at Burnley Crown Court to five burglaries and four motor vehicle thefts. In all but one of those burglaries he had stolen car keys from inside house and taken cars off the driveways.
Appearing in the dock on Wednesday, King-Yates, who also goes by Kevin Yates, asked for a further 51 burglaries and 32 motor vehicle thefts to be taken into consideration.
Det Sgt Phil McGauley said: “We welcome the sentence. Yates is a prolific burglar who carried out a number of offences across a three-month period in East Lancashire. We believe between mid-November and the end of January, he was linked to around 60 per cent of all motor vehicle thefts across the east of the county.
“While he admitted his involvement in nine offences, he asked more than 80 other offences were taken into consideration at court. This averaged at around one offence a day.
“He used sophisticated means to evade officers, with police launching a specific operation to help result in his arrest.
“The complexity involved in securing Yates’ arrest involved many hours of police work and I must praise my colleagues for their efforts in ensuring a relentless offender is off the streets.”
“I want to reassure the public the East Target Team is effectively and robustly identifying, targeting and bringing to justice people who commit this type of offence.
“We will not tolerate people breaking into people’s homes and taking their property, and causing them unnecessary distress.
“During this investigation we have identified a number of other people from this network of criminality and will now be focusing our attention on them.
“I would ask the public to be vigilant and report anything they consider to be suspicious or any information they may have by calling police on 101 or CrimeStoppers on 0800 555 111.”
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Our New Logo
SandWyrm here. I knocked this out today. What do you think?
(Edit - Added the following to address MasterSlowPoke's concerns.)
Everything in the logo has a purpose. :)
The Phoenix represents rebirth and evolution. It's two-headed because that sets it apart from every other phoenix out there and clearly defines our efforts as an evolution and improvement of the game we used to love. That love is shown in the heart shape formed by the necks of the Aquila.
The more angular wings at the bottom, and their broken, stone-like texture represents both the past and the confines of the old ways of thinking. They're also meant to evoke the game that we once loved, but clearly show that we intend to move forward and improve beyond it's limitations. For the phoenix's wings are much larger and more expansive than what they're replacing.
The entire logo is shaped like a butterfly. Because this beautiful vision of ours will only come to pass if we do the work to break out of the cocoon stage.
The imagery also represents the battle inherent in the themes of our fictional world. That of ultimate freedom vs. ultimate oppression.
From an infringment standpoint, there's no reason at all that we can't use a 2-headed bird. The symbol itself was used as far back as Roman times to symbolize strength, farsightedness, and immortality. This Wiki page has dozens of examples of both single and 2-headed eagle crests:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eagle_%28heraldry%29
What we can't do is copy GW's Warhammer 40,000 logo, because they've trademarked it's precise form.
GW's Trademarked Warhammer 40,000 Logo
Librarium Online got in trouble a couple of years back because their logo incorporated part of the 40K logo. They surrounded it with new imagery, but the Aquila they used was an exact copy of GW's trademark. That was a clear case of infringement under the law.
But look at our logo again. The lower wings are NOT copied from GW's trademark at all. They are different in both general and specific shaping. The number of 'feathers' on each wing is different (5 to GW's 9), as is their spacing, spread, and connection to the body of the phoenix.
We've therefore evoked their imagery, which is fine and serves a specific purpose as a statement about who we are. But we have not stolen their design. Not one bit.
Where Shall The Imperial Capital Be?
The Scale Of War: Part 1 - Basic Measures
Imagining A New Kind Of Chaos: Part II
Are The Bugs The Highest Life Form?
Imagining A New Kind Of Chaos: Part 1
Who Wants To Be Our Fluff Marshal?
First Strokes: Models And Units
Welcome To Our New Members! Plus Other Stuff...
Sportsmanship And Dice: Take 2
First Strokes: Rolling Dice
First Strokes: Unit Characteristics
Reworking Vehicle Damage
How To De-Value Melta Through Game Mechanics
Shall We Resume The M42 Project?
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‘Death doctor’ who profited from unnecessary chemotherapy for fake cancers could resume practice in 5 years
By Gail Sullivan
Gail Sullivan
This Aug. 12, 2013 file photo shows the office of Farid Fata in Oak Park, Mich. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)
Speaking with a lisp, Robert Sobieray told Michigan state legislators on Tuesday he lost all but two teeth after a 24-month chemotherapy treatment for a cancer he didn’t have.
The treatment was prescribed by Farid Fata, a Detroit-area oncologist dubbed the “death doctor” after the FBI uncovered a six-year fraud scheme that bilked taxpayers out of millions in Medicare dollars. Fata, 49, prescribed cancer treatments to patients who didn’t have cancer and sent other sick patients in for unnecessary, painful treatments. Some of them died.
“She never stood a chance in this battle, as she was being poisoned and tortured for personal greed,” Michelle Mannarino said of her mother, according to the Detroit News. She was a patient of Fata’s who died in 2010. “Several times when I had researched and questioned his treatment,” she told a Michigan House committee, “he asked if I had fellowshipped at Sloan Kettering like he had — which of course, I hadn’t, so I deferred to the doctor.”
“In order to make sense of my mother’s death, I need to prevent this from happening in the future,” Mannarino added, according to WXYZ.
Sobieray, Mannarino and others told their horror stories to Michigan legislators considering a bill that would authorize state officials to permanently revoke the medical licenses of doctors who defraud patients for financial gain.
Fata’s medical license was revoked in January but could be reinstated in five years under current law. His former patients don’t think he should ever be allowed to practice again.
The Michigan state house health policy committee approved the proposal to tighten the rules. Next it will go before the full house for a vote.
Fata pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court earlier this month to 13 counts of health-care fraud, one count of conspiracy to pay or receive kickbacks and two counts of money laundering. He will be sentenced in February and faces up to 175 years in prison.
“It is the most egregious case of health-care fraud I have ever seen,” U.S. Attorney Barbara McQuade said in a statement reported by Click On Detroit. “I think what makes this case different is this is not just a case of a doctor billing Medicare for extra treatments or treatments that weren’t rendered in order to make a profit. This was a case of a doctor exploiting patients, using them as commodities in order to make money.”
Between 2007 and 2013, Fata submitted $225 million in Medicare claims, $109 million of which was for chemotherapy. Medicare paid out more than $91 million, according to the indictment. He also billed private insurers for unnecessary services.
This is how the scam worked: Fata filed claims for services that weren’t medically necessary, then referred those patients to home health care and hospice providers in exchange for kickbacks.
According to the complaint, employees told investigators that Fata prescribed chemotherapy, which can be excruciatingly painful, for patients nearing the end of their lives, while the norm is to let such patients die in peace.
“I was told every single month that I was terminal. I rushed to take trips and try to make memories for my grandkids, gave things away, watched my husband go into depression … and everything was a lie,” former patient Patty Hester, 60, told the Oakland Press.
In the complaint, an employee also describes one case where a patient came to see Fata after falling and hitting his head. Fata directed an employee to give him chemotherapy before taking him to the emergency room. The patient later died from his head injury. In a similar instance, Fata directed chemotherapy be administered to two patients who had other serious medical conditions before he would send them to the hospital to treat their real illness.
He also prescribed chemo for cancer patients in remission and diagnosed people with anemia and fatigue to justify unnecessary blood treatments.
When patients questioned their treatment or seemed uneasy about it, Fata prescribed Xanax.
How did he get away with it for so long? Instead of raising suspicion by sending patients to outside pharmacists and practitioners, Fata did as much as possible in-house. He owned his own medical diagnostics company and PET scan machine. Fata usually diagnosed people with blood cancers, one employee said, because it was easier to falsify than a tumor diagnosis, the complaint said.
The investigation into Fata was a joint effort involving the FBI, IRS, and Department of Health and Human Services.
Gail Sullivan Gail Sullivan covers business for the Morning Mix blog. Follow
Leaf Page Test - Mon Jul 15 21:54:02 EDT 2019
‘Urgent needs from head to toe’: This clinic had two days to fix a lifetime of needs
A chess grandmaster’s success was ‘unreal.’ Until he was caught in the bathroom with a phone.
‘Doomsday preppers’ kept a low profile in rural Florida. Then two women escaped.
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Live Today: President Trump to visit Alabama
Posted: Mar 8, 2019 / 07:21 AM EST / Updated: Mar 8, 2019 / 09:58 AM EST
President Donald Trump will visit Lee County, Alabama, on Friday where federal disaster response teams arrived after he declared an emergency in wake of the deadly tornado outbreak Sunday.
You can watch live coverage on WATE. The president is expected to arrive at 11:30 a.m. ET.
A powerful EF4 tornado with punishing winds of 170 mph has been blamed for killing 23 people in Lee County as it scoured a nearly mile-wide path that stretched roughly 70 miles from western Alabama into neighboring Georgia.
Trump’s immediate action declaring an emergency won him praise from Democratic U.S. Sen. Doug Jones of Alabama.
“I want to thank him in advance for coming to Alabama and for this emergency declaration,” Jones told a news conference Thursday after touring one of the hardest-hit areas of the small Beauregard community. He added: “Seeing the devastation will take your breath away.”
The National Weather Service says a violent storm system that crossed the Southeast on Sunday spawned at least 36 tornadoes in Alabama, Georgia, Florida and South Carolina. All of the tornado deaths were in Alabama, though several people in Georgia were injured.
Funeral services for the dead began Thursday. Among the first to be buried was Marshall Lynn Grimes, 59, who perished along with his girlfriend and an 11-year-old friend of Grimes’ daughter when the tornado demolished his mobile home.
Volunteers reporting to help in Lee County were being given protective gear before fanning out to help clear storm debris from roads while survivors combed through the remains of shattered homes for any family photos, clothing and other belongings they could salvage.
Lee County Sheriff Jay Jones said authorities had responded to only a few reports of possible looting in the area.
Roughly 100 law enforcement officers from outside the county were assisting recovery efforts, Jones said. He warned that anyone caught looting “will go to jail.”
The national Storm Prediction Center said there’s a chance of more severe weather beginning Saturday in an area from Arkansas to Tennessee — including central and northern Alabama.
Associated Press writers Jeff Martin in Atlanta; Kim Chandler in Montgomery, Alabama; and Russ Bynum in Savannah, Georgia; contributed to this report.
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Solidarity with Francis
The Network: Contemporary Believing (Netzwerk: zeitgemäß glauben) and all signatories below support Francis on his path to transform the church into a compassionate church that serves life.
As with his predecessors, the bishop of Rome’s decisions and the way he conducts his office can be criticised. However, as such criticism is intended to serve the community, it needs to be constructive, open, direct and respectful of everyone’s dignity. Its aim must be to find the best possible solution and personal self-interest is to be put aside. The way forward lies in fair dialogue that measures all differences of opinion against the message of Jesus.
We thank the bishop of Rome for resolutely standing up for the dignity of all human beings.
We support his publicly effective advocacy on the questions of our time:
For justice and piece and a healthy living environment,
For everybody to lead a life of dignity and justice,
For a fair economy, that can and should be the foundation of everyone’s life,
For equal respect for all women and men,
For the weak, for all human beings who live in poverty or who are fleeing from violence and suffering,
For a just, participatory, forgiving and merciful church.
We are happy to be involved in his initiatives for a synodal church, a fertile ecumenical world and interreligious dialogue that emphasises what we have in common, but does not dismiss difference.
A Plea to our Bishops
We ask our bishops to support him on his path, and to support him even more boldly, not only with words, but with actions. We ask them to recognise the “signs of our time”, to come up with “courageous suggestions”, and to joyously put them into action in our dioceses, in coordination with the Bishop of Rome.
Encourage your communities to be independent and autonomous. Make it possible for them to be lead by suitable women and men and allow alternatives for celebrating the Eucharist that do not require celibacy. Foster subsidiarity and contemporary theological research, especially where questions of gender are concerned, and lend your support to courageous dialogue with the sciences. Commit yourselves to genuine joint decision-making together with all people of faith and go about your duties as a service to humanity.
To the best of our ability we, the signatories below commit ourselves to all of humanity to advocate for contemporary believing, to face up to the questions of our time and to keep abreast with theological developments. We commit to stand up for justice and peace and for the dignified treatment of all human beings, to assist refugees, job seekers, single parents and all people at risk of discrimination or other social hardship.
We are happy to be involved in making the proclamation of faith accessible. We create religious celebrations that are contemporary and theologically responsible, and we support all those who are bereaved, sick or limited in their possibilities and people who live on their own.
On behalf of the Network: Contemporary Believing:
Vienna, 29 March 2017
All individuals, groups, networks, platforms etc. are invited to support this call for solidarity.
The early supporters of this call are:
Univ. Prof. em. Dr. Hermann Häring (Tübingen), Dr. Peter Pawlowsky (Vienna), Dkfm. Herbert Hofstätter (Initiator, vienna), Basisgemeinden (BEC) Vienna Endresstraße and Regenbogengemeinde Schwechat, Helmut Schriffl (deacon, Münchendorf), Veronika Pernsteiner, M.A. (Chairperson of the Catholic Women’s Movement Austria) Margit Hauft (former Chairperson of the Catholic Women’s Movement Austria), Dr. Franz Josef Weißenböck (Kirchberg am Wechsel), „Priestern ohne Amt“ (priests without appointment), Herbert Bartl (Vienna), Hans Riedler (Linz), Elisabeth Mayer (KA-president in the diocese of Salzburg), Abtpräses Mag. Christian Haidinger OSB (chairperson of the conference of superiors of male religious orders in Austria), P. Dr. Franz Helm SVD, (vice provincial of the Styler Missionaries), Norbert Arntz (priest, Munich), Freckenhorster Kreis (Duisburg), Univ. Prof. Dr. Roman Siebenrock (Innsbruck), Univ. Prof. Dr. Anton A. Bucher (Salzburg), Univ. Prof. Dr. Rudolf Höfer (Graz), Univ. Prof. em. Peter Trummer (Graz), Univ. Prof. Dr. Hans Schelkshorn (Vienna), Gabriella Loser-Friedli (Founder and president of the society for women affected by celibacy (ZöFra) in Switzerland), Brigitte Durrer (Laax, Switzerland), Univ. Prof. em. Walter Kirchschläger (Lucerne, Switzerland), Univ. Prof. em. Dr. Richard Friedli (Fribourg, Switzerland), Dr. Alois Odermatt (Zug, Switzerland), Mag. Josef Dirnbeck (Nuremberg) and dem „Theoforum“ in Slovakia.
Alois Paset
Johann Reiser
Christine Oswald
Gertraud Paset
Agnes Bakic
Eva Appinger
Maria Hobiger
Claus Auer
Waltraud Auer
Jürgen Beitel
Sabine Beitel
Theresia Chang
Ulrike Stepan
Irene Artmäuer
p. Franz Exiller
Isolde Gold
Gabriele Ebenbichler-Willegger
Brigitte Kugler
ag. Heinz Natschläger
Marian Miškovič
Slowakia
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Rowan-Salisbury Schools first district in the state to receive, use free radon test kits
Despite dangers of radon, a Defenders investigation found most schools don't test for it. In response, a state lawmaker discovered there's money available to help. Now, an area district is taking advantage.
Author: Nathan Morabito
Published: 9:19 PM EDT April 16, 2019
Updated: 11:30 PM EDT April 16, 2019
ROWAN COUNTY, N.C. — Rowan-Salisbury Schools is now the first district in North Carolina to take advantage of free radon rest kits.
A spokesperson told NBC Charlotte the school district recently received 50 kits from Raleigh. The district's already tested more than a dozen schools.
District records show none of the results yet indicated radon levels above the federal action level.
Radon is the leading cause of lung cancer in non-smokers. It's found in some classrooms and children are especially vulnerable to the invisible radioactive gas, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Despite all that, NBC Charlotte's Defenders investigation found most schools don't test for the radioactive gas, in part, because it's too expensive.
RELATED: Schools can test for radon for free, but don't
RELATED: Few schools are testing for radon. The reason? It's not required.
In response to our investigation, Rep. Chaz Beasley (D) NC House District 92 discovered there's money available to help test for radon. He hopes others follow RSS' lead.
"That's good news," he said. "I'm definitely hoping more schools will use this funding."
Wayne Miller also welcomed the news. His twin boys attend Bostian Elementary School, which is scheduled to be tested in the near future.
"Glad to hear that," he said. "It's one of those things that you can easily test for and make sure that it's not going to affect them negatively and so, why not test it and make the school safer?"
Rowan-Salisbury Schools says it was already working on getting test kits before WCNC shared information about the program with the district.
NBC Charlotte has also made Gaston and Union counties aware of the free service. Those school districts don't test for radon and so far, have chosen not to request free kits.
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Macron wants Notre Dame rebuilt within 5 years
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Sen. Fritz Hollings remembered as mentor, man whose views evolved
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More soaps
TV&Satellite Week
EastEnders News
Jamie Borthwick describes Jay’s shock in EastEnders as Phil says: ‘I killed your dad!’
David Hollingsworth Tue, August 15 1:21pm
phil mitchell
steve mcfadden
Jamie Borthwick has revealed that his EastEnders character Jay Brown will get a massive shock this week when father figure Phil Mitchell confesses to murdering Jay’s real dad, Jase Dyer
Jamie Borthwick has revealed that his EastEnders character Jay Brown will get a massive shock later this week when father figure Phil Mitchell confesses to murdering Jay’s real dad, Jase Dyer.
The 23-year-old actor has said that Jay is left stunned when Phil, played by Steve McFadden, offers him the car lot.
“He feels very happy at first, he’s very flattered,” said Jamie about Phil’s surprise gift. “Although he’s confused when he discovers just how much it’s actually worth and just how meaningful it is. So very flattered but then confused as to why he gave it to him and not Ben or Louise.”
So, how does Jamie think viewers will react to the string of upcoming revelations?
“I think very shocked. There’s something in there that I think is going to leave viewers saying ‘whoa’. I think they’ll be very shocked. It’s classic EastEnders.”
Jamie reveals he was thrilled when he first read the scripts.
“I definitely thought it was a good story. It’s something quite unexpected and out of the box. To be given the opportunity to do something like this is great.”
And he continues that he’s delighted to be doing a special two-handed episode with Steve McFadden which will be screened next Monday.
“I was very flattered to be trusted with such an important thing; and to hold court with Steve McFadden for half an hour (laughs). Hopefully I’ve done quite well and kept up with him. I just try and do my best all the time and hopefully everyone will be happy.”
Jamie believes that Jay will be badly damaged by all of the upcoming revelations.
“It’s a huge shock in his life. I think he adapts to it in himself, he has a lot of input from other people in his life. He’s got Ben in his ear and Billy and Honey are there. So I think he adapts to the situation but it’s left a huge mark on him.”
Coronation Street star: Gemma’s mum is ‘an absolute fruitloop’
Chloe to learn this BOMBSHELL tonight about Evan in Holby City, reveals Amy Lennox
EXPOSED! Turmoil and devastation in Hollyoaks as this character’s terrible lies are finally discovered
THIS familiar face returns to Neighbours with unfinished business today
FORBIDDEN kiss set to cause heartache for THIS favourite Emmerdale couple
Airs on Sunday 19 June 2016 at 1:00am
The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas – BBC2
Airs on Friday 26 July 2019 at 11:05pm
The Martian – Film4
Airs on Friday 26 July 2019 at 9:00pm
Hippos: Africa’s River Giants – BBC2
Coronation Street spoilers: Steve McDonald shares some juicy gossip with Tracy
More TV Listings
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Christmas Pictures Images Around the World
Christmas Pictures Images – Christmas in Germany – Bakers prepare a giant stollen cake ahead of the 21st Dresden Stollen Festival in Dresden, Germany.
Christmas Pictures Images – Christmas in London – A Christmas tree shines outside 10 Downing Street, the British prime minister’s residence in London
Christmas Pictures Images – Christmas in Singapore – Christmas troopers walk along the streets of the Boat Quay district during the “Christmas by the River” event in Singapore.
Christmas Pictures Images – Christmas in Romania – Children of Dofteana, Romania, enter a subway station on their way to perform a holiday season ritual in Bucharest, Romania.
Christmas Pictures Images – Christmas in Germany – A house is illuminated with more than 400,000 lights in Calle, Germany. The house’s owner said he started decorating his house for the Advent season in 1999 after being inspired during travel to the U.S.
Christmas Pictures Images – Christmas in Canberra, Australia – Visitors peer at an illuminated deer at an event to break the Guinness World Record for largest LED image display in Canberra, Australia.
Christmas Pictures Images – Christmas in Canberra, Australia – More than 1 million lights are on display in Canberra’s central business district, officially breaking the Guinness World Record for the largest LED image display in Canberra, Australia. The display will raise money to fight sudden infant death syndrome and will be open for viewing for the Christmas period.
Christmas Pictures Images – Christmas in Lithuania – Fireworks light up the sky above a Christmas tree during a lighting ceremony at Cathedral Square in Vilnius, Lithuania.
via usnews.com
More Christmas Pictures Images Around the World
Christmas Pictures Images Around the World Page 1
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Next Nursing & Ancillary Services
Next Nursing
Next Nursing Specialties
Next Accident & Emergency Nursing
Accident & Emergency Nursing 9781118299067-01-000 9781118299067-01-000 9781118299067
https://www.whsmith.co.uk/products/emergency-triage-manchester-triage-group-3rd-edition/kevin-mackwayjones/janet-marsden/paperback/9781118299067-01-000.html
Emergency Triage Manchester Triage Group 3rd Edition
By Kevin Mackway-Jones (Contributor), Janet Marsden (Contributor), Jill Windle (Contributor)
https://www.whsmith.co.uk/products/emergency-triage-manchester-triage-group-3rd-edition/kevin-mackwayjones/janet-marsden/paperback/9781118299067-01-000.html £27.54 rrp £28.99 Save £1.45 (5%)
The Manchester Triage System (MTS), the most widely used emergency medical triage system in the UK and Europe, is employed to prioritise the treatment of tens of millions of patients each year. MTS utilises an easy-to-understand and safe, risk-based system of prioritisation. Emergency Triage contains all the information necessary for an MTS user: as such, it is an essential text for all emergency department staff, in particular triage nurses. The book is both a training tool and a reference for daily use. Well-organized and well-written Updated evidence-based concepts of triage for modern emergency departments New charts for abuse and neglect in childhood, unwell newborn, unwell baby A new approach to fever in childhood An introduction to telephone triage and advice This book is a must-have tool for all practitioners working in emergency and urgent care. Titles of related interest: Paediatric Emergency Triage 9781118299012 Telephone Triage and Advice 9781118369388
Kevin Mackway-Jones, Professor of Emergency Medicine, Manchester Royal Infirmary, Manchester, UK Janet Marsden, Professor of Ophthalmology and Emergency Care, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, UK Jill Windle, Lecturer Practitioner in Emergency Nursing, Salford Royal Hospital, Salford, UK
Contributor: Kevin Mackway-Jones
Imprint: John Wiley & Sons Inc
Packaged Weight: 334
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons Inc
Series: Advanced Life Support Group
Biography: Kevin Mackway-Jones, Professor of Emergency Medicine, Manchester Royal Infirmary, Manchester, UK Janet Marsden, Professor of Ophthalmology and Emergency Care, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, UK Jill Windle, Lecturer Practitioner in Emergency Nursing, Salford Royal Hospital, Salford, UK
Kevin Mackway-Jones
https://www.whsmith.co.uk/products/emergency-triage-manchester-triage-group-3rd-edition/kevin-mackwayjones/janet-marsden/paperback/9781118299067.html £27.54 rrp £28.99 Save £1.45 (5%)
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hostgator domain coupon
Simon Wiesenthal Centre
News Releases 2019
Verbe et Lumière-Vigilance
Simon Wiesenthal Center - LA
Mémorial de la Shoah
BNVCA
Previous news releases
Exhibition Opening, 11 June 2014: “People, Book, Land”
Richard Odier President SWC-France, Paris Town Hall Illumination to honour victims of terror in Jerusalem
Exhibition Opening Copenhagen
Dr. Shimon Samuels meeting Pope Francis
Inauguration Place Simon & Cyla Wiesenthal
New European Parliament Challenges Israel And The Jews
Op-ed by Dr. Shimon Samuels published in The Jerusalem Post
https://www.jpost.com/Opinion/New-European-Parliament-challenges-Israel-and-the-Jews-591062
Radical-left parties’ Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) have invited and applauded speakers from Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and spokespersons for terrorism.
A dinner meeting at a European Union leaders summit after European Parliament elections (photo Reuters).
In May 2004, then-Polish president Aleksander Kwasniewski threw a grand party in Warsaw to celebrate the entry of eight East European countries into the European Union – the so-called “enlargement” process.
Read more: New European Parliament Challenges Israel And...
A Further Call to French Justice Minister: “Investigate Judicial Treatment of Antisemitic Murderer as 'Unfit to Stand Trial due to Marijuana Intoxication’.”
“If justice is perverted and murder excused due to drug addiction, this sets a precedent for every drunk driver to be similarly so acquitted.”
Paris, 25 May 2019
Wiesenthal Centre Director for International Relations, Dr. Shimon Samuels, expressed to French Minister of Justice, Nicole Belloubet, that he was “sickened at the reopened ruling of the investigating magistrate in the 65 year old Sarah Halimi case, to treat her self-confessed murderer as ‘mentally unfit to stand trial due to his marijuana intoxication’.”
“… It is just over a week since our congratulatory letter, regarding the 16 May police ‘reconstruction’ of the murder of 85 year old Holocaust survivor, Mireille Knoll. We had viewed this as a major step forward in the case.”
Samuels argued, “Both crimes were irrefutably antisemitic, violently committed by their respective neighbours, shouting ‘Allahu Akbar’ during the killing,”... adding, “If justice is perverted and murder excused due to drug addiction, this sets a precedent for every drunk driver to be similarly acquitted.”
“Such a judgment not only denies justice to the victims’ families. It also encourages further antisemitic violence. We call for a full investigation into an absurd judicial procedure that scoffs at the values of the Republic,” concluded Samuels.
Wiesenthal Center Applauds Latin American Football Disciplinary Tribunal Penalties against Palestinian Club of Chile
Buenos Aires and Paris, 23 May 2019
The Latin American Football Confederation (Conmebol) Disciplinary Court has fined the Chilean Football Club "Palestino" $30,000 for having used an international match "to carry out unsportsmanlike demonstrations". It was also warned in the event of repeating the violations of an equal nature.
On April 2, 2019, the official stadium spokesman for a match against Alianza Lima of Peru, broadcasted a call to the public to support "the liberation of Palestine".
This was not the first such occasion. Last time, the number "1" on the club's teeshirt, was superimposed by a so-called "map of Palestine", thus wiping Israel off the map. This had served as grounds for a former sanction by the ANFP ( National Association of Professional Soccer) of Chile together with the Conmebol.
Read more: Wiesenthal Center Applauds Latin American...
Follow-Up to Wiesenthal Centre and UK Lawyers for Israel (UKLFI) Call for Eurovision to Disqualify Iceland’s Entry
“Icelandic Hatari (Hate) singers did not keep their commitment. Reykjavik must be disqualified from 2020 contest.”
On 17 April, the Wiesenthal Centre had joined with UKLFI in writing to Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) Executive Supervisor, Jon Ola Sand, to demand depoliticization of this year’s contest in Tel Aviv, which concluded this week-end.
This request specifically applied to Iceland’s Hatari band, which had been proclaiming its anti-Israeli prejudices and threats “in contravention of both the spirit and the rules of Eurovision.”
The Centre’s Director for International Relations, Dr. Shimon Samuels, noted that “the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) umbrella body for Eurovision had responded that Iceland’s Broadcaster would keep its commitments under ESC Rule 2.6... No lyrics, speeches, gestures of a political, commercial or similar nature shall be permitted during the ESC...”
Read more: Follow-Up to Wiesenthal Centre and UK Lawyers...
Wiesenthal Centre to Swedish Home Affairs Minister: "Police Must Treat Stabbing of Jewish Woman as Antisemitic Hate Crime."
"Swedish Middle East Policy encourages Jihadi-style intent."
In a letter to Swedish Minister for Home Affairs, Mikael Damberg, Simon Wiesenthal Centre Director for International Relations, Dr. Shimon Samuels, expressed horror at “yesterday’s stabbing of a 60 year old Jewish woman, in Helsingborg, active in the local Jewish community.”
The letter noted that, “she is critically injured and reports are that her assailant is a Muslim known to your authorities.”
Samuels remarked that, “apparently the police are treating the case as a common attempted murder. This evades the aggravated penalty if acknowledged as a hate-crime, in this case antisemitism,”... adding, “Even more damning, her pleas for help were reportedly ignored by bystanders.”
Samuels recalled that, "In 2010, our Centre issued a 'travel advisory' on Malmo for police inaction in the face of attacks on the Jewish and Roma communities."
The Centre pointed to the Minister’s special responsability for 'Police Authorities and Counter-Terrorism'...."This behooves you to take action for a speedy arrest and arraignment for antisemitic violence, as a warning to others inculcated to attack Jews and their institutions,”... He also stressed that, “Indeed, Swedish Middle East policy may be considered a contributory factor in encouraging such Jihadi-style intent.”
"Mr. Minister, we count on you to discourage us from further ‘travel advisories’”... “We stand in solidarity with the Jewish community of Helsingborg and pray for the victim’s full recovery,” concluded Samuels.
Copyright 2019 Centre Simon Wiesenthal-Europe
Legal notice Contact
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85°F Scattered Clouds
23 News This Morning
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Salute to Our Military
First Annual Anything That Floats Race Coming Soon to Rockford
By Eric O'Brien |
Posted: Wed 5:47 PM, May 11, 2016 |
Updated: Wed 10:50 PM, May 11, 2016
ROCKFORD (WIFR) -- An old Rock River tradition is making a comeback after a 16-year hiatus.
The Nicholas Conservatory team's raft is going to be one of 100 flotation devices racing on the Rock River.
The race will be held on the third Sunday in August, from the Auburn Street Bridge to the Prairie Street Brewhouse, a conveniently chosen finish line for racer to celebrate their finish.
Race organizers say it's a tribute to the old radio station promotional raft races.
"You know there's much more activity along the river here. It's something I enjoyed seeing as a child, I talked to some other folks in town and they had great things to say about it and wanted to be involved in it, and everyone was on board about bringing it back," said Race Chairman and Prairie Street Brewhouse VP, Chris Manuel.
Profits from the first annual Anything That Floats race will help pay for thins like fireworks on the 4th of July, Ski Broncs activities, and Rock River clean-up efforts. Those things cost more than $100,000 every year.
Races go from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday, August 21, but the deadline to register is August 1.
The cost is $100 per team. Registration is now open. To register, please click on the attached related link for more information.
Students Tour Native American Village at Lockwood Park
Two Taken to Hospital After Crash Involving Car and Rockford School Bus
Rock River Anything That Floats Race
Stateline Slam
23 WIFR
2523 North Meridian Road
Rockford, IL. 61101
News: 815-987-5330
wifr.com/a?a=379058541
Pat Shaw, 815-987-5300 x304, pat.shaw@wifr.com
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1. Lone Star Hiking Trail
2. Pacific Crest Trail: Southern California, 6ed (PDF eBook edition)
3. Pacific Crest Trail: Oregon and Washington, 7ed
4. Pacific Crest Trail Data Book, 5th edition
5. Pacific Crest Trail: Northern California, 6ed
Wilderness Press :: Hiking :: Top Trails: Maui
Top Trails: Maui
Maui is indeed a hiker's paradise. An impressive network of trails crisscross the second-largest Hawaiian island, from meditative beach walks to heady treks high atop a volcano. Hidden in cloud forest, more trails lead to tumbling waterfalls, hidden springs and groves of bamboo. Back down on the coast, treks lead to natural lava-rock blowholes and sea arches, past ocean pools, and deserted beaches. Wander across lava flows that feel primeval, examine ancient Hawaiian petroglyphs up close, or follow the King’s Highway that Hawaiian royalty once trod. All this and more awaits on Maui’s hiking trails, most of which are easily accessible day trips. From any point on the island, any of the dozens of trailheads pinpointed in this book is at most a couple of hours’ drive away, and often far closer than that.
Top Trails Maui presents 37 premier day hiking and overnight camping and backpacking trips suited to all levels of ability and interests. The book is divided into four major geographical areas: West Maui, Central/South Maui, East Maui/Upcountry, and Haleakala National Park. All of the trails offer scenic beauty and ease of access for hikers. Together, these trails represent the island’s incredible diversity of ecological systems and environments, from lava flows and multi-colored cinder cones to cloud forests filled with native bird song and hidden waterfalls. Some of the hiking trails described here are popular with both locals and visitors, while others are virtually a local secret.
With the Top Trails winning formula of easy-to-follow maps for every hike, trail-feature charts, feature icons, "don't get lost" trail milestones, and GPS waypoints, readers can easily identify the right trail for their interests, abilities, and available time.
About Sara Benson
Sara Benson is an award-winning travel journalist and photographer living in coastal California. She has written more than 35 travel guides and non-fiction books. Her writing has been featured in newspapers and magazines from coast to coast, such as the Los Angeles Times and National Geographic Adventure. Her recently published books include Great Destinations: The Four Corners Region (Countryman Press), Compass Guide: Yosemite & Sequoia/Kings Canyon National Parks (Fodor’s), and Coastal California and California Trips (Lonely Planet Publications).
She has lived on Maui, the Big Island of Hawaii, and Oahu. Her first backpacking experience in Hawaii was at Haleakala National Park on Maui, to which she has returned countless times over the last 15 years. Sara has worked as a national park ranger and is an avid hiker everywhere she travels. For this guide, she re-hiked every trail on Maui described in this book, racking up well over 100 miles on all types of terrain, from jagged lava flows and cinder deserts to misty cloud forests and muddy waterfall paths.
Author Sara Benson
Quantity in stock 9 item(s) available
Market price $17.95
Lassen Volcanic National Park, 5ed
East Bay Trails, 2ed
Backpacking Arizona
50 Best Short Hikes: Yosemite National Park and Vicinity, 2ed.
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View all Attorneys
Williams Kastner Associate
Kathleen X. Goodman
Education & Bar Admissions
Seattle University School of Law, Seattle, WA
J.D. 2013
Law School Dean’s List 2011 – 2013 and Summa Cum Laude
University of Puget Sound, Tacoma, WA
B.A., Psychology, 2007
Western Washington
kgoodman@williamskastner.com
Kathleen Goodman is an Associate in the Seattle office of Williams Kastner. Her practice focuses on business litigation, labor and employment law, and matters affecting public entities. Kathleen has experience representing a range of private and public clients in employment disputes, including discrimination, wage and hour issues, and non-competition and non-solicitation agreements. Kathleen also has experience representing both private and public clients in personal injury, wrongful death, medical negligence, and land use matters. Kathleen has practiced in a range of forums including, state court, federal court, and at arbitrations.
During law school, Kathleen received CALI Awards in Corporate Finance, Business Entities, Federal Indian Law, Natural Resources Law, International Environmental Law and Advanced Legal Research. Kathleen gained experience while working as a research assistant at Seattle University School of Law, as a legal intern for a clean energy development company, and while participating in her school’s Youth Advocacy Clinic.
Williams Kastner, Associate | 2013 – Present
Williams Kastner, Summer Associate | Summer 2012
Summit Power Group, LLC, Law Clerk | Summer 2011
Western District of Washington
King County Bar Association
Northwest Immigrant’s Rights Project Pro Bono Attorney
Washington Defense 206.233.2957Trial Lawyers (WDTL)
Presenter, “Minimum Wage & Sick Leave and I-1433 Webinar,” LeadingAge Washington, December 20, 2016.
Presenter, “New Wage and Hour Issues,” Williams Kastner Labor & Employment Seminar, November 3, 2016.
Presenter, “Leave For You & Me,” Williams Kastner Labor & Employment Half-Day Seminar, Seattle, WA, October 22, 2015.
Co-Presenter, “HR Hotspot: Wage and Hour Potholes to Avoid in 2014,” Williams Kastner Labor & Employment Breakfast Seminar, Seattle, WA, February 26, 2014.
Author, “What must my company do to ensure that it is in compliance with the recently implemented “safe and sick leave” rules in Seattle and Tacoma?” Puget Sound Business Journal, November 27, 2015.
Author, “I am a small business owner and use independent contractors. Can I terminate or renew my relationship with these independent contractors freely without the risk of litigation?” Puget Sound Business Journal, April 24, 2015.
Author, “Must I pay employees for the time spent getting in and out of their protective or sanitary work clothes?” Puget Sound Business Journal, March 28, 2014.
Labor & Employment Law, Legislative and Government Affairs Litigation Transportation
Williams Kastner Hosted Event 2018 Williams Kastner Labor and Employment Fall Seminar Bryan K. Churchill, Jessica M. Cox, Kathleen X. Goodman, William T. Hansen, Jessie L. Harris, Sean T. James, Josephine B. Vestal, Jeffery M. Wells, Sheryl J. Willert View More
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Trademark basics
Laws and treaties
Registering and searching
What is a trademark?
A trademark is a sign capable of distinguishing the goods or services of one enterprise from those of other enterprises. Trademarks are protected by intellectual property rights.
How can I protect my trademark?
At the national/regional level, trademark protection can be obtained through registration, by filing an application for registration with the national/regional trademark office and paying the required fees. At the international level, you have two options: either you can file a trademark application with the trademark office of each country in which you are seeking protection, or you can use WIPO’s Madrid System.
What rights does trademark registration provide?
In principle, a trademark registration will confer an exclusive right to the use of the registered trademark. This implies that the trademark can be exclusively used by its owner, or licensed to another party for use in return for payment. Registration provides legal certainty and reinforces the position of the right holder, for example, in case of litigation.
How long does trademark protection last?
The term of trademark registration can vary, but is usually ten years. It can be renewed indefinitely on payment of additional fees. Trademark rights are private rights and protection is enforced through court orders.
What kinds of trademark can be registered?
A word or a combination of words, letters, and numerals can perfectly constitute a trademark. But trademarks may also consist of drawings, symbols, three-dimensional features such as the shape and packaging of goods, non-visible signs such as sounds or fragrances, or color shades used as distinguishing features – the possibilities are almost limitless.
Read the case study about the NODOKA trademark (Photo: NODOKA)
Trademark topics and issues
From a trip to the shopping mall to an hour in front of the TV, we encounter trademarks at every turn. They are an indispensable tool in today's business world.
(Photo: iStock.com/jbk_photography)
Trademarks, including service marks, are particularly important in the globalized tourism sector and are key to its further development.
(Photo: iStock.com/kaan tanman)
Marketing synergies
A successful marketing effort depends on trademark lawyers and marketers being on the same page.
(Photo: iStock.com/hjalmeida)
Similar/identical trademarks
Where similar/identical trademarks exist, coexistence agreements can be a mutually-beneficial solution to the problem.
Trademark law, treaties and documents
The treaties WIPO administers, together with national and regional laws, make up the international legal framework for trademarks.
Trademark-related treaties administered by WIPO
Paris Convention
Madrid Agreement (Marks)
Nice Agreement
Vienna Agreement
Singapore Treaty
Trademark Law Treaty
Nairobi Treaty
Joint recommendations
These Joint Recommendations respond to trends and developments in international trademark law:
Protection of Well-Known Marks
Trademark Licenses
Protection of Marks, and Other Industrial Property Rights in Signs, on the Internet
Trademark Law and Practice – Summary of replies to questionnaire
Representation of Non-Traditional Marks & Areas of Convergence
Trademark Opposition Procedures – Areas of Convergence
Grounds for Refusal of all Types of Marks
Technical and Procedural Aspects Relating to the Registration of Certification and Collective Marks
The Protection of Country Names Against Registration and Use as Trademarks
The WIPO Lex database is a comprehensive search tool that allows you to search international treaties and national laws on intellectual property.
Standing Committee (SCT)
The Standing Committee on the Law of Trademarks, Industrial Designs and Geographical Indications (SCT) is the forum where WIPO's member states discuss policy and legal issues relating to the international development of trademark law and standards.
Latest meetings
More SCT photos on Flickr. (Photo: WIPO)
Registering trademarks
The Madrid System — International trademark registration made easy
The Madrid system for the international registration of trademarks provides a single procedure for the registration of a mark in several territories. In a nutshell, you benefit from one application, in one language, paid in one currency.
Searching trademarks and other signs
Our Global Brand Database provides easy access to over 28 million records from multiple international and national sources, including marks registered through WIPO’s Madrid System. Use the database to search for trademarks, appellations of origin and official emblems.
Nice Classification — Streamlining searches
The Nice Classification is an international system used to classify goods and services for the purposes of the registration of marks.
(Photo: iStock.com/Ina Peters)
The Lisbon System for geographically-unique products
From Champagne to Habanos cigars, the unique geographical characteristics of a product can be key for branding. The Lisbon System for the international registration of appellations of origin protects such products through a single registration.
(Photo: iStock.com/yesphoto)
Article 6ter and state emblems
Article 6ter is used to protect armorial bearings, flags and other state emblems of the states party to the Paris Convention.
(Photo: iStock.com/zimmytws)
The WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Center provides trademark owners with efficient international mechanisms to deal with disputes over Internet domain names corresponding to their trademark rights.
Information resources on trademarks
Documents and meetings
About other types of IP
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You have been blocked from posting on these Message Boards. If you have questions about this block, please contact us at community@kingsisle.com.
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Message Boards Home >Ravenwood Commons
Are there many older gamers playing W101?
Prev12 ... 71727374757677787980818283NextGo to Last Post
oxJennaxo
Rank: Survivor
Re: Are there many older gamers playing W101?
I just love it. Thanks Wizard! I have been a member on and off since 2009, my daughter got me interested. I'm an older player and enjoy being on Wizard when i can. Love to help out and have a great friends list and say hi to most of them when they come online. My line is "if you need me, just yell, ok" I don't mind helping with a boss or help doing quests, its all fun :)
Be as young as you feel, Enjoy!!
Sunk3nCity
yeah there are many older people who play this game i am 18 and i've been playing since like sixth grade now i am a senior at high school on going to college
Fiona IceDust
I'm in college and I still play! :)
I also just recently got my boyfriend to play with me and I may be getting him a membership soon if he likes it enough.
Level 77 Thaumaturge
Blake DeathRider
Older player here
Deestinyer
I used to play the game when I was a bit younger back in 2011-12, on a different account shared with my childhood best friend.
I'm old enough now that I earn my own money and hence I have returned to the game on a new individual account. Not much has changed for the past 5-6 years, and the game is still very costly - however it's still one of my early-teen favourites, and could not help but get back to it and reach the highest level, which I believe was capped at 80 last time I played (don't take my word for it though!)
xxvTANKvxx
Much older player here. To be honest, that's why I like this game because it IS virtually drama free. However, I don't have any friends and I don't chat with anyone because I never know if I am chatting with an adult or a small child. Not that I would say anything inappropriate but, to me, it does seem to affect the feel of chat. I had actually made a friend, after much soloing, and she asked me how old I was. I told her I was older than most players. She stopped talking to me and deleted me as a friend. So I guess it would be nice to know who was what going on.
azmom1236
I play with my grandkids. and love the game
Ravenlock Brian
I'm an older player as well. I started with my daughter when she was younger, about 10 years ago. I took a break for a few years and just started back up last month with a new toon in the Death School. I've played many other MMO games, but this one holds a special place, not to mention I really love the game mechanics, especially with the battles.
Lem27
A lot of older teens play.
BettyM195655
I'm an older woman with 4 grown kids. I got into the game when it first came out. I love it. It has saved my sanity. Sometimes the kids get to be a little to much but i just unfriend the rude ones and only chat when teamed up with someone in battle.All in all, i just this game.
MzNoodle
I am much older as well. I have 2 college aged kids. I played this game a few years ago and recently started up again. There is alot to enjoy with this game.
Pink Bunny
Rank: Explorer
xxvTANKvxx on Jul 10, 2017 wrote:
hello, i am an older player....read your post and I know exactly what you mean.....would like to meet up with an older player for casual play...interested?....my avatar in the message board in Pink Bunny...
TheLoyalStorm
Rank: Defender
LaadyX on Jun 21, 2009 wrote:
I just started playing this game a few days ago and I must say, I was rather impressed. I just got the feeling that whoever was behind its creation had taken great care when working it.
I'm feeling sort of bad at the moment, though. Since we're not allowed to post ages, let's just say I'm not a little kid anymore. I asked my boyfriend if he thought I was being too kiddish and he said "a little" but that it was no big deal and that he wanted me to have fun and not have to worry about drama. Because before I started playing W101, I played another online game that has been full of drama lately. People are constantly KSing you (kill stealing which is where you purposely run off and attack something someone else is already working on killing which can mean them losing credit for the kill in the end) , even higher levels (we're talking people in their's 80's and 90's, it's nuts), and you're always getting called names and people can just be really rude in-game. Unfortunately, the reporting system is more complicated than it should be and the reports seem to be largely ignored and the rules are almost never enforced unless one involving money is broken. It's stressful and games weren't meant to be stressful, they were meant to be fun and help relieve stress.
I like this environment but I guess I'm just wondering how normal it is to be playing this game as an older individual. Please don't post any ages though as it would seem that is not allowed. :)
I actually really like the Older Gamers (I'm talking about Adult Gamers) They are always VERY Polite to you and Are always Willing to help you and Show Amazing Generousity. Some Adult Gamers in Wizard101 are Very Generous. And Very Skilled in Strategy As well! There not that Typical Adult Mom Saying "Keep Boys off your Friend List!" or "How you doin' Sweetie? :)" They are an Adult, with a Drip of Child inside of them! Very Generous and Very Sweet! ^_^
Flint Ravenclaw
Fun to think this thread is 2017 - 2009 = 8 years old. Guess I am in the older gamer group if I have been following the thread that long. lol Maybe its just me but I can't enough playing the knee-jerk-reaction games out there where the kids are just quicker than I am. Wizard101 is just some fun without all the fuss. Story line is nice and you can run with your kids or find new friends to adventure with. Kudos to this game design.
TheLoreKeeper
I started playing in middle school and have since started college, even better my mother still plays for time to time.
IncognitoCheeto
Glad too know I'm not the oldest considering I'm becoming an adult soon. Anyways, us older people I believe make this game still alive & we are probably the reason why it's not dead yet after all these years. I love this polite community of people but I do have too agree, these are a few cruel wizards in the spiral though for the most part, most of the higher lvls are nice people.
Patrick Ravenbane
Rank: Astrologist
I was around when NASA's Apollo 11 landed on the Moon on July 20,1969. I'll never forget that day when the world stood still and watched the landing. I never heard so much cheering and clapping and the street were filled with celebrations and fireworks in my area. I Started playing Advanced Dungeons & Dragons in 1980 with my brother and their friends. I still play it but not as much since everyone I played with grow up and moved. Then I heard about wizard101 7 years ago. I still play it everyday.
SnoogyAlyssa
I'm an adult player and my family plays this game too, we actually game together as a family! I'm not gonna reveal my age but all I'm saying is I'm an adult (my family members are adults too)
chaveraman
I've been playing this game for 8 years! Since I was 11 years old.
wwasp8
Grandmother here been playing for five years also play with many wizards of similar age>
daddysgurl
I've been playing this game since it started . I am a grandmother and I enjoy this game. I have met a lot of older people on this game. It isn't just for kids. This is what I do for enjoyment when i'm not working. It's very relaxing to play. I've met a lot of wonderful people here.
12345jm12345
This is great, I have been playing this game for years and started my own wizard to experience it along with my three kids. There are so many things I love about this game. I find it very relaxing. I love that at the time we started this game my youngest couldn't even read but he could play because of the characters saying everything. My kids would play not only on the computer, but then they would run in the yard and pretend all the moves with sound effects and everything. It has been a great game to grow with.
Nanook632
I am an older gamer and proud, it makes me forget my problems of life,
and all the other wizards are really nice, I have even made some friends, thanks KI.
Area51Alien
Rank: Geographer
I don't remember president Kennedy. I was around for the Apollo Moon landings but do not remember those. I do remember Watergate. Yes, I AM old.
That said, when my kids and I started playing in 2009 they were kids. Each one of them is now an adult and we all still play (albeit with an interruption).
Obviously there are quite a few of us that started on the paper and pencil RPGs. My question is this, since this thread was started in 2009, how many of those adults are still around?
For those of us "seasoned" Wizards, Why did you start playing? What keeps you around?
I started to play because I could monitor what my kids were playing. I keep playing for two reasons, one my kids are still online with their own account and we have an instant Questing Party. This game is my own little bit of quiet time. I get to be little Steven Ghoststalker without worrying about bills, medical things, politics, or any of the other er... ah... stuff that "adulting" forces on us.
I play with my model trains and go wizarding for the same reason, It keeps me sane.
Steven Ghoststalker
I have been around for a while now. I am ancient and that's all I am admitting too. lol I found this game due to the advertisement ads popping up and it got me curious. Needless to say that I love this game and can't wait until I can teach my twin grandkids how to play. :-D I am also wondering how many other Ancients are still playing besides me. I wish there were a more recent thread that we could get together and conquer some quests, enemies and worlds together. Anywho, wishing everyone a wizardly good time and hope to meet some of you in my pathway sometime. Take care
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The Good Boys Red Band Trailer Is So Naughty Its Teen Stars Can’t Watch It
Elizabeth Logan
In the just-released red-band trailer for Good Boys, a preteen comedy aimed at adults, the titular sixth graders vacillate between stunts that are inappropriate, like, say, playing with their parents’ anal beads, and downright dangerous, like, say, trying to cross a busy highway. No one should be crossing a highway! There’s never a right age to do that! Can we please confirm that no boys were harmed in the making of this film?
As the producer Seth Rogen explains, the red-band trailer, i.e. the unrated one not shown in theaters, was not made for kids. That includes the child stars of the movie, most notably Room’s Jacob Tremblay. The movie, which comes out in August, is rated R, so technically Tremblay can’t even go to the premiere, since he is only 12 years old.
Good Boys looks to be something of a prepubescent Superbad; a group of suburban friends (rightly ridiculed in the trailer as “Stranger Things” for riding bikes around their neighborhood) try to scheme their way into a party but end up in trouble with the law and, we assume, their parents. There’s even a getting-booze-while-underage scene in the trailer. A cop, played by Veep’s Sam Richardson, notices that the bulge in one kid’s jeans is too big to not be a beer, no matter how, um, generous your imagination is.
This, along with Hulu’s Pen15, is the latest addition to the niche genre of projects about kids for adults. Oh, and mid90s. And Eighth Grade.
The trailer also features the boys getting in a fight with some frat guys; since this is a movie from “the guys who brought us Neighbors,” we do have to wonder if we can expect a Zac Efron cameo. Does this augur the formation of the Seth Rogen cinematic universe?
https://twitter.com/GoodBoysMovie/status/1105091004024029185
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Woroni news:
5.7.2019 "Grossly Inappropriate" Comedian to Perform at Kambri 20.6.2019 Questions raised over CASS's decision to invalidate sections of the POLS1002 exam 30.5.2019 ANUSA PASSES STRING OF ELECTORAL REFORMS 29.5.2019 PARSA Launches Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Advisory Committee 27.5.2019 That's a RAP – ANU Reflects on Reconciliation
NUS NatCon is Full Steam Ahead, but is ANU on the Train?
11.12.2018 by Bella Dimattina
"Grossly Inappropriate" Comedian to Perform at Kambri
5.7.2019 by Grace Sixsmith and Nick Richardson
Questions raised over CASS's decision to invalidate sections of the POLS1002 exam
20.6.2019 by Grace Sixsmith and Nick Richardson
ANUSA PASSES STRING OF ELECTORAL REFORMS
30.5.2019 by Yakub Garrett, Grace Sixsmith and Amber Jones
ANUSA’s fractured relationship with the NUS, the union tasked with lobbying for student rights nationally, will come to a head this week in Ballarat. The ANUSA NUS delegates will arrive at the NUS National Conference without voting rights, after refusing to accredit to an organisation struggling with financial transparency and accountability.
A vote was made to re-accredit at SRC 2, in March of this year. Accreditation means paying funds to the NUS, and in return getting voting rights at the Conference that determines the NUS policies in 2019. However this re-accreditation was subject to the NUS meeting Key Performance Indicators. The 2018 indicators were jointly agreed upon by multiple universities, and related to accessibility and transparency of the association.
ANUSA also attempted to force institutional reform using KPIs in 2017 but the results were underwhelming. The requirement of a non-partisan returning officer was not met, when a former member of Student Unity (Labor right) was chosen for the role of overseeing elections.
Some 2017 delegates speculated that ANU representatives were not valued as NUS delegates because they were independents and not associated with the major factions that control the Union. The absence of ANU reps in 2017 increased the voting power of the factions: SAlt, Unity and NLS.
This year it was hoped that the combined effort of eight universities, which would result in a larger monetary impact of $240 000, would cut across factional divisions. However shortly after, some universities distanced themselves from the demands.
Further, at SRC 8 Education Officer Harry Needham spoke of the disparity in approaches of NUS Officers. Some took the KPIs seriously, while others didn’t at all.
The result was that some KPIs were met, others were attempted and some weren’t attempted. One notable absence is the audited financial statements. The previous years audits were meant to be available publicly online in June, but they never appeared.
ANUSA has had a particularly troubled year with the NUS. At an August SRC, the Council passed a motion of no confidence against NUS Queer co-officer Jasmine Duff following transphobic comments made at NatCon in 2017. The Officer was also alleged to have bullied and harrassed queer students at their home university of Monash. It played into a wider debate about lack of autonomy when deciding Queer officers.
At SRC 8 in October, the International Student Officer for the NUS was also condemned, for failing to appear at any executive meetings and also failing to adequately report on their activities.
The motion was moved by the International Students Department Officer, who said that there had been zero communication between them and the NUS about the rights of international students. The condemnation comes at a time when there has been renewed focus on the vulnerability of international students to workplace exploitation.
NUS NatCon will be attended this year by Tanika Sibal and Lachy Day, who promised at the election to align with the Grassroots Independents. They will have speaking rights and can move policy but will have no voting rights. Niall Cummins will also be attending as a non-voting delegate and convenor of ACT Student Unity. ANUSA NUS delegates Ashish Nagesh and Croft Sun will not be attending.
Woroni won’t be in Ballarat this week, but we will still bring you coverage of the Conference. We will be posting updates on twitter (@woroni) and reporting on policy discussions and major events as they relate to ANU students.
Questions have been raised regarding CASS's decision to invalidate the POLS1002 exam after it was revealed that information similar to that which compromised the 2019 exam was also given to students during the 2018 iteration of the course.
ANUSA Education Committee to Distribute $1050 Worth of NUS Grants
21.5.2019 by Nick Richardson
The ANUSA Education Committee passed a motion to send six ANU students to the National Union of Students (NUS) Education Conference.
Online Survey Suggests Apathy Towards Student Politics
22.8.2018 by Jeffrey Weng
ANUSA and NUS Hold Protest in Response to #LibSpill
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A radiology technician looks at a chest X-ray of a child suffering from flu symptoms at Upson Regional Medical Center in Thomaston, Ga., Friday, Feb. 9, 2018. David Goldman/AP Photo
Flu Finally Peaks In Wisconsin
Despite Season Peak, Deaths, Hospitalizations Continue
By Shamane Mills
Monday, April 8, 2019, 11:50am
ListenDownload
A second child in Wisconsin has died from the flu.
State health officials report that a stronger strain of flu, A/H3, continues to dominate.
Influenza has peaked but the season isn't over and is expected to continue well into April.
In general, this year's flu season has been milder than last year. However it started later and is lasting longer.
The number of patients doctors are seeing with flu-like symptoms has dropped across the United States, but flu activity remains widespread in many states.
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Trump says he 'made' Fed Chairman Powell
By: MARTIN CRUTSINGER, AP Economics Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) - The stock market has taken in stride the almost daily drumbeat of President Donald Trump's attacks on Federal Reserve Chair Jay Powell, caring more about how the two men tackle their respective jobs than how they handle each other.
Trump is unhappy with Powell and the Fed for raising interest rates too high last year while central bankers in other countries keep rates low to support their economies. Whether Trump would fire Powell - or can legally - has been the subject of debates on the financial news networks, sometimes involving Trump himself.
Doing so would be unprecedented, and experts say that's why the markets need to take a wait and see approach, even though they have a large stake in who runs the Fed, and how.
"Events have taught us that your ability to anticipate something that's never happened before is very low, you're not going to be right," said Steve Chiavarone, equity strategist at Federated Investors.
In his latest criticism, Trump said in an interview on the Fox Business Network Wednesday that he "made" Powell but now would like to trade him in for Mario Draghi, the head of the European Central Bank. Draghi said last week that he was prepared to provide more stimulus if necessary to support the lagging European economy.
After raising rates four times last year, which Trump and some on Wall Street have blamed for a big drop in stocks in last year's fourth quarter, most investors believe Powell and the Fed are on track to do what Trump wants anyway - cut interest rates - to help protect the U.S. economic expansion. Ironically, Powell says the biggest threat the Fed sees to the economy is the trade war Trump is fighting with China.
In May, Trump's decision to raise existing tariffs on Chinese goods and threaten additional import taxes contributed to a 6.6% decline in the S&P 500 index. But Powell's recent intimations of a coming rate cut helped send the S&P 500 back to a record last week.
In his interview Wednesday, Trump did not acknowledge the Fed's change in policy. And Trump again insisted he had the right to demote Powell or to fire him, something that legal experts dispute. They contend that Powell can only be removed for malfeasance in office, not for a policy dispute. Powell's term as chairman runs until February 2022.
If Trump did try to remove Powell, it would likely hurt the market in the long term because it would damage the Federal Reserve's independence, said Chiavarone. But he's hesitant to predict what it would mean in the short term, particularly because Trump would likely replace Powell with someone who would be quick to cut interest rates.
Investors see lower rates as jet fuel for stock prices, so the initial market reaction may be to send stocks even higher.
Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody's Analytics, said the market would likely become worried if Trump succeeds in getting close political allies on the seven-member Fed board.
After announcing he planned to nominate conservative commentator Stephen Moore and former GOP presidential candidate Herman Cain to the two Fed vacancies, those two candidates withdrew from consideration after the possibility that they would join the Fed generated heavy opposition.
"At the moment, markets see this as much ado about nothing but this could change quickly if the president succeeds in packing the Fed with his partisans," Zandi said.
Zandi also said that foreign investors might become worried about the attacks on Powell before U.S. investors do.
"We rely on global investors to buy our stocks and bonds and I think they are growing more wary. They may be the first to react," Zandi said.
Trump said Wednesday that one reason he's unhappy with the Fed's rate hikes was that it raises the cost of borrowing for the federal government.
"I want to pay it off," Trump said of the debt, a pledge he had made during the 2016 presidential campaign. The growth of the $22 trillion national debt has accelerated under Trump whose last budget projected annual deficits would top $1 trillion beginning this year.
Trump's latest Fed attack came a day after Powell made his most extensive comments on the Fed's need for political independence to do its job.
Asked about the repeated criticism by Trump, Powell said, "We are human. We make mistakes. I hope not frequently but we will make mistakes. But we won't make mistakes of integrity or character."
Powell said that the Fed's independence from direct political control had served the country well and when central banks do not have that protection "you see bad things happening."
AP Business Writer Stan Choe contributed from New York.
3 North Carolinians charged after kids found locked in back of U-Haul carrying drugs
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Your Preview of Microsoft To-Do
Today marks an evolution of Wunderlist. We’re excited to announce the Microsoft To-Do Preview, which would not have been possible without the support and input of our Wunderlist fans. Microsoft To-Do is an intelligent task management app that makes it easy to plan and manage your day. We'd love for you to come on this journey with us as we—with your help—continue to evolve and improve how you plan and manage your day. Say hello to your Preview of Microsoft To-Do!
A smarter task management app
We built Microsoft To-Do because you told us how much you loved the feeling of completing your to-dos, ding! But, you told us that it was sometimes difficult to manage your ever-growing lists. So, we asked ourselves, what if we could make an app that intelligently helped you find the most important tasks that you need to get done, every single day? Our answer is Microsoft To-Do—it represents the product that we've always envisioned.
All your to-dos in one place
Whether you're planning for work, home projects or just your groceries, you can create lists for anything in Microsoft To-Do. Better yet, you can color-code and personalize each of your lists with a range of colorful themes. You can access your lists from anywhere with apps for iPhone, Android phone, Windows 10 devices and the web.
An intelligent way to plan your day
Managing your to-dos and lists can sometimes take as much effort as completing them. Microsoft To-Do helps you focus and plan your day from the moment you open the app. Every morning, your My Day list starts with a clean slate. It removes the stress of seeing your other to-dos and tasks, just tap the lightbulb and let Microsoft To-Do's intelligent Suggestions find all the other tasks that you should add to My Day.
Every day, Microsoft To-Do's Intelligent Suggestions looks at your tasks across all your lists, and then prioritizes the most important ones for you. Just tap on the lightbulb in the top right-hand corner of My Day and you'll see anything from yesterday, what's due or upcoming, and more helpful suggestions. Just review and plan your day by quickly adding the tasks you want to work on to the My Day view. Now, you have a simple and achievable daily to-do list that you can start ticking off.
At the end of the day, My Day will clear, ready for you to start afresh the next day. Don't worry if you didn't get to finish all your to-dos; they're all still safe in your lists and will show up again in Suggestions the following day.
A new set of innovations
Microsoft To-Do's My Day and intelligent Suggestions might be our biggest improvements, but we've also added many of your most requested features to Microsoft To-Do. It's easy to keep track of those recurring to-dos with Microsoft To-Do's more flexible reminders that can be set to recur on weekdays only, or be fully customized to match your scheduling needs. And it's easier to find those to-dos thanks to improved search and sorting that includes finding all your completed to-dos. This is just the start for Microsoft To-Do. As we're in Preview, we're still working hard on adding more features such as list-sharing. With your feedback, ideas, and suggestions it will get even better.
Speaking of getting better, if you use Outlook you'll be excited to hear that your Outlook tasks already sync across to Microsoft To-Do. It's the first of a whole list of integrations we want to build, so be sure to tell us what you'd like to see on Microsoft To-Do's UserVoice.
But what about Wunderlist?
When we joined Microsoft in 2015, we saw how we could use the incredible expertise, technology and scale available to us, to help make everyone more productive. The whole Wunderlist team has been working hard on Microsoft To-Do, and are just as dedicated as before to helping you get stuff done. That said, Wunderlist and Wunderlist Pro will eventually be retired, but not before we incorporate your valued feedback and the best elements of the Wunderlist experience into Microsoft To-Do.
There won't be any new features brought to Wunderlist and Wunderlist Pro but we will continue to prioritize the security of your experience. In addition, we have built an importer to help you easily transfer your to-dos from Wunderlist or Todoist to Microsoft To-Do.
Can't wait to try Microsoft To-Do? Just click below to get your hands on the app.
Download Microsoft To-Do
We have big plans for Microsoft To-Do. In the coming weeks and months, we'll bring you more features such as list sharing, apps for Mac, iPad, and Android Tablet, as well as more integrations with other Microsoft services.
Today's Preview would not have been possible without the help of our incredible beta testers and their invaluable feedback—thank you! Speaking of feedback, we'd love to hear your thoughts and ideas on what you think would make Microsoft To-Do even better. Tell us in the comments below, on Twitter or Facebook.
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Why I Refused to Change My Name When I Got Married
Sharon Van Epps
Redbook March 30, 2016
From Redbook
On my wedding day, my new father-in-law offered an emotional toast that ended with a little joke: "No matter what last name she uses, we're so happy to call Sharon a member of our family."
The remark made the crowd whoop and applaud. Word had spread that I wouldn't be changing my name.
"But how will anyone know you're married?" my stepmother had asked at the rehearsal dinner.
"I'll tell them," I answered. "Or they can just check out my ring."
I couldn't believe that my stepmother–or anybody else who knew me–would expect me to go the traditional route. After all, I was 34-year-old feminist with an independent streak. Sure, the idea of accepting my husband's name held some fleeting romantic appeal, and there were definite practical advantages to losing a last name that nobody could understand or spell on the first try (Van Epps), but I knew that if I changed my name, I just wouldn't feel like me anymore.
Thankfully, John, my husband-to-be, understood. When I broke the news to him, he just shrugged.
"I figured," he said. John's nonchalance was just one more sign that I'd found the perfect man for me. I didn't even have to explain the deeper emotions driving my decision.
I'd been born into turmoil. My parents' marriage was already over when my mother found out she was pregnant, and on the day I was born, my father was 2,000 miles away making a fresh start. He and my mother had wounded each other too deeply to contemplate co-parenting, which wasn't even a concept at the time; the world expected less of fathers back then, and offered them little support. My mother was left to juggle baby care on her own, with substantial help from her parents. My father remarried, and kept in sporadic touch.
Shortly after my third birthday, my paternal grandfather drove his Cadillac from New York to Arizona to see me. I don't know if the visit was his idea of if my mother's parents invited him–all I know is that my maternal grandparents welcomed him into their home, and my mother made herself scarce. Before that day, I'd never even met my father or anyone from his side of the family.
"What's your name?" I asked this strange man.
"George Van Epps," he said.
"My name is Van Epps too," I replied.
From that moment on, George Van Epps was Grandpa and my best buddy. He made sure that I felt proud of, and entitled to, my ancestry. He traced the Van Epps line back to the 1620s and secured my membership in the Dutch Settlers of Albany Society. He returned to Arizona each winter after that with his wife, my grandmother, in tow, and arranged for me visit New York every summer.
Grandpa dragged me along to steak and martini lunches with his business cronies, explaining, "If your name is Van Epps, you eat your steak rare." He threw huge Van Epps family reunions in his backyard during my annual visits so that I could get to know all my great uncles and second cousins. Most importantly, my grandfather worked to build a bridge between my father and me, helping us forge a relationship.
My grandfather died when I was 12, a loss I still feel, but at least by the time of his death I'd been firmly established as a member of his family. My visits east soon revolved around my dad, my stepmom, and their children, my little brother and sister. I loved my father, but it was my grandfather who'd given me my name, and my grandfather's name that I chose to keep.
The day John and I got married, I placed my grandfather's Bible on the altar, along with a letter from my mother, who'd also passed years before. I'd never had a Hallmark Card kind of family. I'd never allowed myself to indulge in dreams of a perfect wedding day, and yet, somehow my undreamed dreams came true.
John and I exchanged our vows in a garden under a sunny sky. There I stood, a feminist in a fluffy white dress–a child of divorce, a girl with a broken and blended past–surrounded by family old and new, past and present. In that moment, I felt all of these dear ones lifting John and me, holding us up to the light, sending us forth. In that moment, names didn't matter. We were now husband and wife, and in that moment, there was only one name for what I felt: Love.
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Finding the real Hawaii in Molokai Island
BackpackingBeach HolidayHawaiiHikingHistoryMolokaiNature
The island hopping journey in the Hawaiian Islands continues with a visit to Molokai – one of the least visited islands in the chain. Molokai is the kind of place that reminds you that Hawaii is one of the most remote archipelagos on the planet. It is the kind of island where everybody knows everybody, where there are no traffic lights, it’s the birthplace of the hula dance, and where ‘aloha’ is not simply an overused catchy word. Welcome to the ‘Friendly Isle’!
After ten action-packed days in Kauai, I thought anything else would be a complete anti-climax. After all, Kauai’s natural beauty managed to impress even the critical likes of me. But Molokai has been on my list for quite a while. To be exact, ever since November of 2015. That’s when I met Bob and Karen – residents of Molokai – in the middle of nowhere on the remote tropical island of Ofu in American Samoa.
Visiting Hawaii? Sample itineraries, guides to the best spots, and the must-see highlights in five island are all waiting for you in the Hawaii Travel Guide collection. Aloha!
Slow down, this is Molokai!
Despite the age gap between us, the combination of a beautiful setting and a shared philosophy about the true meaning of life led to a friendship that managed to withstand the distance of two oceans plus a bunch of continents between us. The fact that Bob and Karen also live life ‘off the grid’, in the middle of nature without regular access to mobile reception and wifi, made me extra curious. Their stories of Molokai and my relative geographic proximity left no choice: time to visit MKK!
Landing at the tiny open-air ‘airport’ in the flat saddle between two extinct volcanoes immediately throws me back to a South Pacific vibe, the Polynesia I am in constant search for. This doesn’t look or feel like the Hawaii I’ve known so far. I am greeted by a smiling Karen and we immediately hit the road to cruise around the island. At the turnoff from the airport onto the ‘main highway’, a sign is posted that pretty much sums up the island philosophy: “Slow down, this is Molokai!”
Driving in the direction of Kaunakakai – the island’s main town – I can’t help but noticing that something is odd. I turn to Karen and ask her “where is everybody?” You see, the roads are completely empty, there’s hardly anyone around and there are certainly no traffic lights – a very different experience than the sometimes bumper-to-bumper traffic on other Hawaiian islands. Only 7,000 or so residents call Molokai home, of which over 50% have some kind of native Hawaiian heritage (state average is only around 10%).
This makes Molokai a fantastic place to relax, unwind and actually come in contact with actual Hawaiians. There’s no Walmart, no chain stores, the cinema shut down years ago, and when you enter the gas station, the sound of a ringing bell tells the cashier it’s time to manually turn on the pump. I love this place!
And in Molokai, locals are also adamant about retaining their laid back way of life. Stickers of ‘keep country, country’ decorate the bumpers of beat up trucks and no mass tourism projects are OK’d. In fact, when the owner of the largest resort (and employer) threatened to shut down and leave unless he received additional land concessions, locals basically told him to ‘f-off’. Molokai is the way it is not by coincidence but by choice. It is an authentic island that resists change, a rarity these days. It is very similar to Maupiti Island in French Polynesia, where locals refused to become ‘the next Bora Bora’.
The great reef
OK, enough Hawaiian politics. Onto some sightseeing. As Karen and I drive to her off-the-grid house for dinner, we ride cruise along the island’s south coast. It is a very scenic drive. To our left, the ancient remains of the island’s tallest volcano eroded over time with narrow and deep valleys running from the coast to the beach. Bob and Karen live in one such valley. To our right, the odd sandy beach, ancient fishponds, and Molokai’s famous reef – one of the longest in the US. It’s at its grandest when viewed from the air, and I just so happened to fly right over it in one of the interisland flights.
As the coastal road bends its way along the narrowing coastline, views of Maui and Lanai glowing in the sun indicate we are getting closer to Bob and Karen’s little paradise. And their little valley is indeed a paradise, loaded with fruit trees, finely trimmed grass, and a freshwater stream that trumps any meditation workshop. At the home, I meet ‘Uncle’ Billy. He’s known Bob for over 40 years and his visit coincides with mine. Together, we enjoy a delicious candlelit dinner of deer steaks under the stars. There’s a first time for everything. Karen’s friend had a successful hunting trip the other day and there’s enough to share with friends and family. Such is life around here, bartering and sharing is a way of life, an invisible economy, and social safety net.
The leper colony
As small as Molokai is, it is home to one of the most fascinating stories I never heard of. Extending from the northern Pali Coast, the tallest sea cliffs in the world (that’s right!), is a flat and isolated peninsula called Kalaupapa. As you can see from these angle – taken at a scenic overlook and from the air – the views are breathtaking. But the Kalaupapa Peninsula is the beautiful setting for a tragic episode in modern Hawaiian history. In an effort to curb the spread of the leprosy virus and under mounting pressure from wealthy sugar plantation owners who feared a dwindling labor supply, a legislation was passed to designate this isolated spot as a permanent quarantine for patients of leprosy from across the Hawaiian Islands.
From 1866 to 1969, about 8,500 patients called this place home (they didn’t really have a choice). During the first few years, patients had no medical care or adequate facilities. To their rescue came Belgian-born Father Damien (now St. Damien) and later Mother Marianne, Joseph Dutton and a number of other good souls, who cared for the patients, washed their wounds, schooled them and even created a very rich social life. Sadly, Father Damien contracted the leprosy virus in Kalaupapa, eventually succumbing to the disease for which a cure was eventually discovered in the 1940’s. You can say a lot of things about the church but here’s an example of something good, a story of compassion and sacrifice when nobody else cared.
But the tragic story of Kalaupapa has a very happy end. With the virus under control and all patients cured, there was really no need for the colony. However, some patients simply did not want to leave. Kalaupapa was their home and, well, the million dollar views probably helped tip the scales. Today, there are only a dozen or so living patients in Kalaupapa (they’re still called patients). They have their very own county and are pretty much free to govern the peninsula as they see fit. Uncle Sam takes care of the rest, with an airport, post office, free meals, free healthcare and a bunch of other perks to try and make up for the damage. Heck, even Amazon delivers. A real mini-utopia.
Visiting Kalaupapa is no easy task. Not only must you hike down a very steep 5km trail that’s blessed with 26 switchbacks, but entering the old colony requires a special permit, a personal tour guide and don’t even think about wandering around. But the interesting history, the feeling of visiting a forbidden place, and the sheer beauty around you make it so worth it. If you want to learn more about the story of Kalaupapa, Hollywood made a film especially for you!
Sponge-bog
With the trade winds starting to pick up, Molokai is enjoying a rare day with absolutely no clouds. So Bob and Uncle Billy load up the pickup truck and Karen and I roll out the beach chairs in the back of the truck for a scenic drive to the mountains. This part of the island has no paved roads and a 4WD is a must. We start our adventure on the dry desert-like interior of the island before entering the cloud forest, where the temperature gradually and pleasantly plummets as we gain altitude.
Our first stop is the Waikolu Lookout, offering a bird’s eye view over the Waikolu Valley. We’re right at the top of the impenetrable Pali Coast and we count our blessings on this fine looking day, as Bob and Karen swear they’ve only seen such clear skies up here once or twice since moving to Molokai.
A few miles later, which seem like an eternity on this bumpy dirt road, we enter Pepeopae – Molokai’s cloud forest bog. In a high-altitude section of the island that sees vast quantities rain and relatively less sunshine, the ground is absolutely soaked in water and softened by centuries of rotting vegetation. The bizarre-looking trees closing in on from all angles are covered in carpets of soft moss.
Hiking on the wooden boardwalk is the only way to avoid sinking in knee-high mud. It’s a bizarre fairytale-like experience, something out of a Lord of the Rings or Harry Potter sequel. Along the way, we are treated to a delightful symphony by a red-bodied Apapane bird, probably trying to impress a female that’s watching from close by. We encounter native and other tropical plants that serve as a reminder that despite the abundance of rain and cloud-cover, life in the bog forest is booming.
The end of the line on this interesting hike is at the Pelekunu Valley Overlook. From up here, the grand beauty of east Molokai unveils itself literally beneath our feet. And since ancient Hawaiians arrived on a long voyage from the Tahitian Islands, it’s only fitting that this scene closely resembles the signature peaks of Tahiti.
On our way back to civilization, the clouds are starting to roll in. Uncle Billy swears he sees a rainbow but since not a drop of rain has fallen all day, we all think he’s had far too many Bud Lights. But Billy’s eyes are sharper than we thought. Down in the valley, multiple rainbows are stacking up on one another in a perfect arch. What a grand way to end a perfect day.
A beach to call your own
Molokai’s finest beaches are on its dry ‘wild’ west coast. It’s yet another scenic drive, originating in the wetter east coast before becoming pretty much a desert.
First up on the menu is Kawakiu Beach, a dream of beach where you can soak up in a rock-jacuzzi or park it in a dream of a cove where there’s hardly a soul around you. Around here, limestone cliffs have eroded over thousands of years, exposing fine layers of sand that perfectly blend with their golden powdery origin and the azure waters. You could practically spend the entire day out here but come sunset, it’s wise to move on down the road to Papohaku Beach.
A gigantically long strand of the softest golden sand, you come to Papohaku to let your dogs loose, to get lost, and to marvel at the sunsets. Because so few make it out here, the wind is free to pattern the dunes as it pleases. But this isn’t the type of beach to take your clothes off and go for a skinny dip. There’s a good chance you won’t make it out alive.
The supermarket valley
It’s always a good idea to finish things off with a big bang. So to wrap up my visit to Molokai, I head to Halawa Valley, the very end of the road on the lush east coast. The goal for the day is to hike to Hipauapua Falls – visible from a lookout on the overlooking road – and wrap things up with a snooze and a dip in the valley’s twin crescent-shaped beaches.
Down in the valley, not too far from a dilapidated church built in 1948, I meet Sean – one of the few residents in this remote corner of already remote Molokai. Sean is a tough looking fella who speaks pidgin – a broken-sounding form of English that is spoken on some islands in the Pacific. At times it’s difficult to understand him but his heart is kind and he’s very knowledgeable about the valley’s history and ecosystem.
Sean leads me and a couple from Orlando along an ancient trail that runs through the valley floor along a stream. Halawa Valley was once populated by Hawaiians who cultivated taro patches until a 1946 tsunami changed everything. As exotic birds are starting out their day with songs and dances of courtship, Sean points out to fruit tree after fruit tree, each loaded with edible and medicinal tropical fruits. There are giant centuries-old mango and avocado, cacao, breadfruit, jackfruit, papayas, passion fruit (lilikoi), nuts, oranges, and even wild coffee trees. There’s definitely no need for a supermarket here and, heck, you can even satisfy your need for morning caffeine! Whatever the trees don’t provide, the shotgun does, with locals hunting for deer and wild pigs whenever they’re short on protein.
With our stomachs quite full from all the tasting stops, we pass along ancient stone structures. Some were used as homes by the valley’s ancient residents and some were used as sacrifice temples. Entering them is not a wise idea as they’re still considered to hold mana.
As we approach a clearing in the rainforest, we catch our first glimpse of Hipauapua Falls. The tour’s script is very reminiscent of the hike to Vaipo Falls on the island of Nuku Hiva in the Marquesas Islands, and like little children who just discovered the final piece of a treasure map, we rush to splash in its waters with nobody else around.
Molokai definitely moved to the #1 spot on my list of favorite Hawaiian island and it will be very hard to top this memorable week. Sad to say goodbye to Bob, Karen and Uncle Billy, I am grateful to have spent these days with them in their little paradise. The next stop is Maui, where big waves, hikes, beaches and one epic scenic drive to Hana should all help cure the Molokai hangover.
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Home › About Z › News › General News › Employing people with disabilities good for business, customers
Employing people with disabilities good for business, customers
People with disabilities can look forward to even more employment opportunities thanks to a partnership between Z Energy and specialist employment service Workbridge, announced today.
A new Workbridge Employer Ambassador role, created in partnership with Z Energy, will play a key role in helping employers across New Zealand proactively create more opportunities for people with disabilities.
From 18 April, former Z retailer from the Waikato Region and the winner of this year’s Kiwibank Local Hero of the Year award, Selwyn Cook, will be taking on the role.
“I’ve always been committed to reflecting diversity in the workplace, and to ensuring businesses are more inclusive of those living with disabilities,” Selwyn says.
“My own experience operating a number of Z service stations in the Waikato region has shown me that people with a disability are highly committed to their work, and I have experienced no performance management issues.
“Taking up the new Workbridge Employer Ambassador role will enable me to work alongside other New Zealand organisations to help them build inclusive workplaces that more accurately reflect our society, and I’m really excited to have that opportunity.”
Workbridge Chief Executive, Grant Cleland, says both the partnership with Z and the creation of this Workbridge Employer Ambassador role is an exciting opportunity for employers to get support from Selwyn to access the often hidden talent pool of Workbridge jobseekers.
“At Workbridge, our focus is simply on linking the right people with the right jobs. That means looking beyond any disabilities our jobseekers may have and simply ensuring the jobseekers we put forward have the best skills and attitude for that role.
“Selwyn has employed over 85 of our jobseekers so he has personally experienced the benefits of employing our jobseekers and has found that this has improved his bottom line.”
Z’s Community Manager, Christine Langdon, says the decision to partner with Workbridge was a really easy one.
“We’re committed to creating employment opportunities for people living with disabilities in our communities – we reckon it’s good for business, good for customers, good for communities and good for New Zealand.
“We’re thrilled to have been able to team up with Workbridge to create this new Employer Ambassador role, and we’re even more thrilled that we’ve been able to put one of the wider Z family, former Z retailer Selwyn Cook, into this role – given his commitment to the employment of people with disability over the years, we reckon he’s a perfect fit.”
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