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__label__cc	0.568682	0.431318	BioTime Initiates Dosing in Phase I/IIa Clinical Study of OpRegen for Treatment of Dry-AMD Utilizing ... The Marshall News Messenger ALAMEDA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jul 11, 2019-- BioTime, Inc. (NYSE American and TASE: BTX), a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing cellular therapies for unmet medical needs, today announced that it has dosed its first patient with the Orbit Subretinal Delivery System (Orbit SDS) as well as with a new "We are excited to be evaluating the FDA-cleared Orbit SDS in the next six patients of our Phase I/IIa study," BioTime Initiates Dosing in Phase I/IIa Clinical Study of OpRegen for Treatment of Dry-AMD Utilizing Orbit Subretinal Delivery System PDF Version ALAMEDA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jul. 11, 2019-- BioTime, Inc. (NYSE American and TASE: BTX), a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing cellular... Public Technologies 2019-07-11 BioTime Conducts Sale of Shares in OncoCyte Corporation ALAMEDA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jul 2, 2019-- BioTime, Inc. (NYSE American and TASE: BTX), a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing cellular therapies for unmet... The Marshall News Messenger 2019-07-02 Preliminary Results Presentation for the year ended 31 March 2019 Preliminary Results Presentation For the year ended 31 March 2019 Olav Hellebø - Chief Executive Officer Michael Hunt - Chief Financial Officer Disclaimer 2 Global Leader... Oxurion NV Reports Positive Topline Phase 1 Results with THR-149, a novel, potent plasma kallikrein ... -- Topline data show that THR-149 is well-tolerated and safe. No dose-limiting toxicities or drug-related serious adverse events reported. -- Rapid onset of action starting... Dothan Eagle 2019-07-01 Clearside Biomedical Announces License Agreement with Aura Biosciences for Suprachoroidal Space Microinjector™ Designed to Optimize ... ALPHARETTA, Ga., July 09, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Clearside Biomedical, Inc. (NASDAQ:CLSD), a biopharmaceutical company dedicated to developing treatments that restore and preserve vision for people with serious eye diseases, today announced its entry into a worldwide licensing agreement with Aura Biosciences for the use of Clearside’s Suprachoroidal Space (SCS) Microinjector™... Dothan Eagle Clearside Biomedical Announces License Agreement with Aura Biosciences for Suprachoroidal Space Microinjector™ Designed to Optimize Ocular Oncology Drug Delivery ALPHARETTA, Ga., July 09, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Clearside Biomedical, Inc. (NASDAQ:CLSD), a biopharmaceutical company dedicated to developing treatments that restore and preserve vision for people with serious eye diseases, today announced its entry into a worldwide licensing agreement with Aura Biosciences for the use of Clearside's Suprachoroidal Space (SCS) Microinjector™... Public Technologies GenSight Biologics completes enrollment of GS010 REFLECT Phase III trial in the treatment of Leber ... PARIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jul 11, 2019-- Regulatory News: GenSight Biologics (Euronext: SIGHT, ISIN: FR0013183985, PEA-PME eligible), a biopharma company focused on discovering and developing innovative gene therapies for retinal neurodegenerative diseases and central nervous system disorders, today announced that enrollment in REFLECT, a Phase III clinical trial of GS010 for the... Clearside Biomedical Announces Multiple Oral Presentations to be Given at the American Society of Retinal ... ALPHARETTA, Ga., July 18, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Clearside Biomedical, Inc. (NASDAQ:CLSD), a biopharmaceutical company dedicated to developing treatments that restore and preserve vision for people with serious eye diseases, announced today that multiple oral presentations on Clearside’s pipeline and proprietary SCS Microinjector™ targeting the suprachoroidal space will be... GenSight Biologics completes enrollment of GS010 REFLECT Phase III trial in the treatment of Leber Hereditary Optic Neuropathy ahead of schedule Paris, France, July 11, 2019, 5.45 pm CEST - GenSight Biologics (Euronext: SIGHT, ISIN: FR0013183985, PEA-PME eligible), a biopharma company focused on discovering and developing innovative gene therapies for retinal neurodegenerative diseases and central nervous system disorders, today announced that enrollment in REFLECT, a Phase III clinical trial of GS010 for the treatment... Clearside Biomedical Announces Multiple Oral Presentations to be Given at the American Society of Retinal Specialists (ASRS) Annual Meeting ALPHARETTA, Ga., July 18, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Clearside Biomedical, Inc. (NASDAQ:CLSD), a biopharmaceutical company dedicated to developing treatments that restore and preserve vision for people with serious eye diseases, announced today that multiple oral presentations on Clearside's pipeline and proprietary SCS Microinjector™ targeting the suprachoroidal space will be...	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0041.json.gz/line3709
__label__cc	0.749928	0.250072	City Hardwood ASA Brooklyn Avengers Men's Basketball Team Plays First Regional Game of 2018-19 Season ASA Brooklyn Avengers Harcum College ASA Brooklyn Avengers (13-3) 33 30 63 Harcum College (19-6) 36 43 79 Pts: Robert Eddy Terrero - 17 Reb: Mohamed Dumbuya - 15 Ast: Arsheen Jones - 6 Pts: Dom London - 21 Reb: Valdir Manuel - 17 Ast: Nick Brennen - 6 Bryn Mwar, PA – The ASA Brooklyn Avengers men's basketball team travels to Philadelphia to play our first regional game of the 2018-19 season against Harcum Athletics. The ASA Brooklyn Avengers was undermanned coming into the game as 2 of the Avengers starters were unable to play because of disciplinary issues. The Avengers were forced to run a 7 man rotation the entire game. Even with a 7 man rotation, the Avengers offense was good the first half as they were down only 36-33. However, in the second half, the Avengers were exhausted from the heavy minutes while Harcum rotated in over 10 players. The Avengers attempted to make a run in the second half but was unsuccessful and the ASA Avengers men's basketball team dropped their record to 13-3 for the 2018-19 season. The ASA Brooklyn Avengers men's basketball plays their next game at home in Achievement First High School on February 5th, 2019 against regional rivals Monroe Mustangs at 7:30 pm. #GoAvengers FOLLOW THE AVENGERS For the latest news on ASA College - Brooklyn Athletics, follow the Avengers on social media. Twitter @ASA_Sports Instagram @AvengersAthletics Facebook at www.facebook.com/avengersathletics/ ABOUT ASA COLLEGE: Established in 1985, ASA College has evolved into a two-year college with course offerings and student services that rival any of its kind nationally. ASA is dedicated to educating its students and assisting them in moving on to a four-year college/university. We promote character traits such as discipline, working with others, sportsmanship and adhering to rules and regulations that will translate into specific careers paths. Our goal is to have the student's athletic experience serve as an effective stepping stone for advancement to a four-year school or their chosen career path. ASA College is a member of the NJCAA and is regionally accredited by the Middle States Commission of Higher Learning. The college is also accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs. In addition, ASA College and its faculty and staff maintain required memberships and certifications from a wide realm of professional higher education and civic organizations. ABOUT THE NJCAA: It is the mission of the NJCAA to foster a national program of athletic participation in an environment that supports equitable opportunities consistent with the educational objectives of member colleges. The NJCAA's mission is to promote and foster two-year college athletics. Unlawful discrimination is incompatible with this mission and detracts from the organization's goal of promoting healthy and fair competition. For more information on the NJCAA log on to www.NJCAA.org. ABOUT REGION XV: Member colleges of the NJCAA are allotted to a specific NJCAA Region upon membership to the association. Unlike other collegiate organizations that defer to conference affiliation, the NJCAA guarantees each member college's membership within the regional structure of the association. In most cases, region assignment is based upon geographic location of the college. For more information on the Region XV log on to http://region15athletics.com Fri, 03/09 \| Men's Basketball vs. Baltimore City Community College L, 76-68 (Final) RC \| BX Sun, 03/04 \| Men's Basketball at Monroe College W, 71-65 (Final) RC \| BX \| PH Sat, 03/03 \| Men's Basketball vs. Harcum College W, 88-81 (Final) BX \| V Sat, 02/24 \| Men's Basketball vs. Monroe College L, 64-55 (Final) BX Sat, 02/17 \| Men's Basketball at Harcum College L, 71-63 (Final) BX	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0041.json.gz/line3710
__label__cc	0.533246	0.466754	Anne O. Fisher Anne O. Fisher has translated two novels and a travelogue by the Soviet writing duo Ilf and Petrov. Her translations of Andrey Platonov and Margarita Meklina have appeared in Cabinet Magazine and in the 2015 Norton anthology Flash Fiction International, while her translations of Ksenia Buksha are forthcoming in Cardinal Points and the St. Petersburg Review. With her husband, Derek Mong, she has co-translated the poetry of Maxim Amelin; their work has appeared in Asymptote, Two Lines, and elsewhere. In 2014 they published the first English-language interview with Amelin in Jacket2. Fisher is a recipient of translation grants from the NEH and NEA and lives in Portland, Oregon with her family. The Joyous Science, Part 1 The True Story of the Famous Bruce, Composed in Verse from the Accounts of Several Eyewitnesses by Maxim Amelin, translated from the Russian by Derek Mong and Anne O. Fisher Maxim Amelin’s “The Joyous Science” chronicles the real and imagined exploits of Jacob Bruce (1669 1735), an astronomer, alchemist, and military strategist to Peter the Great. The poem is a mock epic, a biographical adventure, and a series of comedic set pieces that demonstrate how Amelinin the words of the 2013 committee for the Solzhenitsyn Prizehas “expand[ed] the limits and possibilities” of Russian verse.	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0041.json.gz/line3714
__label__wiki	0.860614	0.860614	What did Tom Dienhart learn about Big Ten in Week 3? Find out here! Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports Here is what I learned on Saturday, a day when Northwestern and Iowa continued to dream big, Illinois had its balloon burst, Nebraska had its heart broken (again) and Ohio State, Michigan State and Minnesota won ugly. [ MORE: Week 3 scoreboard \| Best of Week 3 \| Power Rankings \| Bowl Projections \| Latest polls \| Big Ten standings \| Big Ten stats \| Gerry DiNardo’s tweets \| Week 3 picks revisited \| See what Tom Dienhart learned \| Week 3 award winners \| New Week 3 uniform designs ] 1. Iowa looks poised for a big season. A magical last-second win vs. Pitt pushed the Hawkeyes to 3-0 for the first time since 2009, when the program began 9-0 and won the Orange Bowl in an 11-2 season that ended with a No. 7 ranking. Since that 2009 campaign, the Hawkeyes have flattened out and had just one winning Big Ten season (2013) and never finished ranked. This season is starting to feel special. 2. Illinois has not arrived. Those season-opening wins vs. Kent State (52-3) and FCS Western Illinois (44-0) were nice. But, they created a false sense of confidence. The Fighting Illini were torn asunder at North Carolina in a 48-14 defeat that really wasn’t that close. That ballyhooed defense? It allowed 471 yards. Illinois QB Wes Lunt was just 15-of-32 passing for 140 yards with a pick. 3. Northwestern looks legit. The Wildcats are 3-0 after a methodical 19-10 win at Duke. As has been the case during NU’s surprising start to the season, the defense led the way. The Wildcats created three turnovers and allowed just 327 yards. But the Northwestern offense needs to pick it up after notching only 271 vs. the Blue Devils. QB Clayton Thorson was just 9-of-23 passing for 70 yards with two picks and no TDs. [tweet https://twitter.com/NUFBFamily/status/645322059401306112%5D 4. Maryland has its quarterback in Caleb Rowe. Making his first start of the season subbing for an ineffective Perry Hills, Rowe completed 21-of-33 passes for 297 yards with four TDs. Yes, he tossed three interceptions, but Rowe brought balance to the offense. And led the Terps to a much-needed 35-17 win vs. South Florida after a humiliating 48-27 defeat to Bowling Green in which Maryland allowed 692 yards overall and 42 second-half points. Vs. USF, the Terps allowed 300 yards. 5. Don’t read too much into Michigan State’s unimpressive win vs. Air Force. The Spartans were coming off an emotional victory vs. Oregon, one of the biggest triumphs in school history that earned MSU two first-place votes in the AP poll. And, it’s never easy to play Air Force and its triple-option offense. The Spartans gained just 324 yards, with only 77 coming on the ground. And MSU allowed 428 yards to the Falcons with 279 coming on the ground. But, most importantly, Michigan State is 3-0. 6. Jim Harbaugh is getting his formula for success implemented. It’s all about power football, of course. The Wolverines ran for 254 yards in dispatching UNLV. A week earlier, Michigan blasted Oregon State for 225 yards rushing. No shock, the Wolverines won both games by a combined 63-14 after opening with a loss at Utah with just 76 yards rushing. Next Saturday’s visit from BYU will be a great test. 7. Minnesota offense has to come to life. If it doesn’t, the Gophers will be hard-pressed to enjoy the breakout season many anticipate for the program. The defense? It has been as good as advertised in 2015. On Saturday, Minnesota allowed just 142 yards. And Kent State’s only TD came on defense. But the Golden Gophers had just 288 yards in the 10-7 Minnesota win that inspired no one. This attack misses RB David Cobb. And it still needs more from the passing game. Is a QB change possible? 8. We still don’t know Ohio State’s starting quarterback. I talked about the pitfalls of the position in this space last week. And, I’m doing it again. For the second game in a row, the OSU quarterbacks didn’t impress. Cardale Jones started … and flopped, hitting 4-of-9 passes for 36 yards with two interceptions. J.T. Barrett took over and wasn’t much better, completing 11-of-19 attempts for 97 yards with a TD and pick in a much-too-close 20-13 win vs. Northern Illinois. Urban Meyer fessed after the game that he didn’t know who his No. 1 QB was. [tweet https://twitter.com/OhioStateOnBTN/status/645370743870521344%5D 9. Indiana should make it to a bowl for the first time since 2007. The Hoosiers moved to 3-0 with a 38-35 win vs. Western Kentucky. And, by my count, IU has six games left it should have a good shot to win: at Wake Forest; at Penn State; Rutgers; Iowa; at Maryland; at Purdue. 10. Purdue’s season is in peril of “getting sideways.” The Boilermakers are 1-2 after getting flogged at home by Virginia Tech. Bowling Green visits West Lafayette next; the same BG team that crush Maryland in College Park two weeks ago. The October schedule goes thusly: at Michigan State; Minnesota; at Wisconsin; Nebraska. So, a 1-7 start is a distinct possibility. Is Darrell Hazell, who is in this third season on the job with a 5-22 mark, ever gonna turn the corner? Watch our Week 3 YouTube playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL2RRF9GtC9s14iXY9OLeDxfOkv502VoxB What Tom Learned	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0041.json.gz/line3715
__label__cc	0.711556	0.288444	Football Growls Is Bowers injured, lost his mojo, lost the job after 1.5 quarters of play, wifeisafurd 11:03p, 9/8/18 Not sure what is worse, the use of QBs (except on the last set of downs with runs for the first down to ice game) or strange play calling. We overcome 3 turnovers, many bad penalties, and just messy play. The offense looks high school and the defense looks like the NFL. What an utterly bizarre team. And special teams is just weird. No college coach would go for 4th and 3 with a chance to kick a short field goal. Do we no longer have that ability? PTBear Reports from practice were that our kicking was very inconsistent. Considering the time left, if we did get the first down, BYU wouldn't have had time to get 2 drives in and so we would have effectively won the game. sycasey Bowers is not as good as the other two guys, that's what happened. tigertim I'm fine with going for it. If we get that first down the game is over. And our defense was lockdown. The probability of BYU getting a TD, a 2 point conversion, covering an onside kick, and then scoring a TD was pretty minimal. In reply to PTBear • 11:11p, 9/8/18 PTBear said: Yes, but if they score a 2 point conversion, the field just got a lot shorter because they only need a field goal. Coaches go for points. Also that tine left also included an interception, running a set of downs and a punt, so I'm not buying the argument about effectively wining the game either. Does that mean we giving up on field goal beyond the length of extra points? In reply to sycasey • 11:14p, 9/8/18 sycasey said: wow great reporting by the media and the like. And why was Bowers getting all those reps that should have gone to the other QBs? Beginning to sound like the OC doesn't know what he is doing and the defense is saving his butt. golden sloth In reply to wifeisafurd • 11:15p, 9/8/18 wifeisafurd said: I was down going for it, and I think the decision was not made by lack of confidence in the kicking game. As mentioned, Cal was moving the ball well, and if converted, the time in the game gets drained, or you get a TD which would have put the game away. 75bear I respectfully disagree Wife - I liked the call to go for it on 4th down vs. the FG (if you want to quibble with the play call I won't defend that). It's a slightly aggressive call, but a huge advantage if the 1st down is gained in using up clock. And not making it means our strongest unit gets on the field with BYU deep in their territory. A 14 vs. 11 point lead isn't a huge difference when there isn't much time left in the game. Some college coaches would play it conservative and go FG, but def not all. I've only been watching Cal Football for a little over five years, but here's what I think the deal is: We can have EITHER a good offense and a lousy defense, OR a good defense and a lousy offense, but not both. Whoever's Head Coach gets to pick which one. Regarding Bowers I think he just got outplayed. Both Garbers and McIlwain looked better tonight than Bowers did the last half of the season. Not sure what you're getting at. Coaches always sandbag the media, so what? They gave all three QBs a chance to play in Week 1 and Bowers played himself off the field. The staff wanted to see how the players responded to live game play. I have no objection to that. In reply to 75bear • 11:20p, 9/8/18 75bear said: Also, a missed FG means the ball is spotted closer to your own goal line. Miss on 4th down and it's left at the original spot (unless it's a sack or something). Makes sense if you don't have great confidence in the kicker. tequila4kapp It's unconventional but it seems to me the staff is acknowledging nobody has taken the QB job and ran with it, and they are going to play the people that earn it and sit those who don't. It's the anti-Tedford...and when I think of it that way it seems better. Bowers had a full season to prove himself. Obviously they feel like he isn't getting it done. heartofthebear Bowers is really horrible at reading pressure and so he gets sacked too often. I don't see that so much with the other guys. Bowers might be a better passer than the other two. But he usually 3rd and long because he gets sacked on 2nd down. A missed FG is spotted at the line of scrimmage in College. NFL spots it where the kick took place. hanky1 Lots of ticky tack penalties from the officials. Typical of Pac-12 refs The line of scrimmage for the field goal would have been the Utah 20. Instead they started on the 18 or 19. If they thought Garbers was close, why so few reps and in particular first string reps? He would be better prepared at this point. NVGolfingBear The refs were from another conference hanky, Big 12 I think. In reply to hanky1 • 11:29p, 9/8/18 hanky1 said: Except they were Big 12 refs. It was a Big 12 crew Ah ok. I thought it was the same for both. Point withdrawn! My personal speculation (and it is just specualtion) is that Garbers started putting things together late in fall camp, and McIlwain is still too inconsistent deep, while Bowers did look better in practice and had a full season as the starter, so they chose him. Then in the first few possessions against UNC he regressed back into bad habits, and Baldwin yanked him. When the other QBs performed better they went with the other QBs. Also, our run game with Laird is not good right now, so having a QB that can run is vital, both in creating misdirection and hesitation from the defense. Bowers isn't nearly as strong of a runner as both Garbers and McIlwain. Not having been at practice, I cannot answer that. In reply to golden sloth • 11:37p, 9/8/18 golden sloth said: And the run game is not good with Laird because both defenses that have played Cal are coming into the game thinking he's the key player they need to shut down. He has no space. If the QB is also a threat then that should open things up for Laird again. Nah, a missed FG means the ball is spotted at the original spot. A turnover on downs would have been nearly identical. But I agreed with the call, as I think you do. Anyway, returning to this. I agree with the logic to go for the first down. It was 4th and 2, very makeable yardage. I think the stats say you should pretty much always go for it at that distance. It would not have been an easy chip-shot field goal. I just didn't care for the play call, with McIlwain retreating from the line. Obviously they hoped to fool BYU and get someone wide open. Didn't happen. JimSox And here I thought we were playing BYU. My bad. But, to be serious, I thought they should have kicked. It's a what, 37 yard field goal attempt? If the coaches don't have confidence we can make that pretty consistently, we've got trouble. gpost17 I disagree. Garbers isn't better than a guy who threw for over 3,000 yards and had 18 touchdowns last year. Bowers is the leading returning passer in the whole conference. I want to see Bowers and McIlwain rotating and Garbers on the bench. oskirules We'll get our answer soon if a reporter will manage to ask the right question. In reply to JimSox • 11:59p, 9/8/18 JimSox said: If we are in the third quarter, I agree. But it was starting to get late in the 4th with a lead, and JW was going jugular. I support the call in that situation. A first down there burns more clock making it much more difficult for BYU to come back, even if we ultimately have to settle or a FG try. A TD probably puts the game away. And they were doing nothing against our defense. CannonBlast In reply to gpost17 • 12:07a, 9/9/18 28?! Did I miss some games where he threw the other 10 TDs? I think Browning is the returning passer by most measures. But I get your point. In reply to wifeisafurd • 12:22a, 9/9/18 Go home, you're drunk. calumnus In reply to sycasey • 12:23a, 9/9/18 Especially since we won anyway. Still, I'd like to see Garbers and McIlwain get entire series instead of switching back and forth within series. They both can run and they both can throw, right now it is too much of a tell when McIllwain is in (though now he should fake the run up the middle, then roll out). Skip to Last Page 1 Page 2	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0041.json.gz/line3720
__label__wiki	0.660328	0.660328	Windows 10 IoT is ready for Microsoft Build 2017 By Rushmi Malaviarachchi / Partner Group Program Manager, Windows 10 IoT Building an engaging and informative customer experience Windows 10 IoT provides a secure, cutting-edge IoT platform that will transform the way developers bring devices and solutions to market. With the release of the Windows 10 Creators Update, we’ve made huge improvements in Windows 10 IoT Core, including improved developer tools, additional APIs, new code samples, and more. We are launching a newly designed Windows IoT website, growing our partner base, and supporting more silicon options than ever before. I’m excited and honored to be at Build 2017 this week, showing partner and customer solutions that are innovative, secure, and intelligent. New partners like Innowi, Kodisoft, and XOGO are building innovative solutions using Windows 10 IoT Core and Windows 10 IoT Enterprise, such as next-generation point-of-sale devices, interactive tables, and intelligent digital signage. As announced today in the Windows 10 IoT session at Build 2017, we are partnering with Intel to bring more choice to our customers and offer more computing power for their designs. Working alongside our partners at Intel, we are pleased to announce that in addition to the Baytrail, Apollo Lake, and Joule platforms supported today, Windows 10 IoT Core will also be supported on Cherrytrail and Braswell platforms in the near future. That’s great, but that’s not all. I’m even more excited to announce today that Windows 10 IoT Core will be supported across Intel’s full range of processors moving forward, including the Core, Pentium, Celeron and Atom lines. This is a great expansion of our existing SoC support, which will now range from a Qualcomm Snapdragon 212 all the way to the top-end Intel Core i7. See our full list of Windows IoT enabled SoCs and devices on our developer website. As you will see at Build 2017, Windows 10 IoT and Azure complement each other and offer developers an opportunity to build secure and scalable solutions from the device to the cloud. We are excited about enabling the future of edge computing scenarios across multiple industries. We believe the integration between Windows 10 IoT and Azure IoT will help developers be even more productive in the IoT space and we’ve taken a big step towards that goal with the Windows 10 Creators Update. Some highlights include: Windows 10 IoT Core support for Azure IoT Device Management, which provides highly scalable remote device management features. Turn-key connectivity to the Azure IoT Hub that offers reliable and secure device-to-cloud and cloud-to-device messaging, scaling to millions of devices. Support for the upcoming Azure IoT Hub Device Provisioning Service, which makes it easier to provision a connected device via Azure IoT services, leveraging Windows IoT TPM based security. In addition to this Azure-connected functionality, we’ve also added new features to Windows IoT Core to help keep devices safe and enable developers to do more, including: Support for Project “Rome” that allows a user to launch an app or communicate with an app service on a remote device, enabling cross-device experiences using the Microsoft Graph. Support for Device Guard for IoT, which improves threat resistance by allowing only OS components and code signed by the OEM to load. This adds to the robust set of security features in Windows 10 IoT such as BitLocker and Secure Boot. Cortana, your personal digital assistant, is now available for you to integrate into your devices. Cortana will help you get things done by completing tasks and interacting with you using natural language in a consistent, contextual way. You can also check out the redesigned website for developers, which will help you get started with Windows 10 IoT. If you’re not able to attend Build 2017 in person, you can find all the latest content on Channel 9. Cortana available in select markets. Tags Build 2017 Windows 10 Windows 10 Creators Update Windows 10 IoT	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0041.json.gz/line3726
__label__cc	0.513365	0.486635	Not much to report on the reading or reviewing front. The books continue to pile up though so I'd better get on with it! This meme is hosted by Sheila at Book Journey. The Tiger's Wife by Tea Obreht Alice Bliss by Laura Bliss Triangles by Ellen Hopkins The Paper Garden by Molly Peacock This Life Is In Your Hands by Melissa Coleman The Might-Have-Been by Joseph Schuster Some Assembly Required by Anne Lamott Diary of a Mad Fat Girl by Stephanie McAfee Gossip by Beth Gutcheon A Wedding in Haiti by Julia Alvarez When Captain Flint Was Still a Good Man by Nick Dybek Blue Asylum by Kathy Hepinstall Alice Bliss by Laura Harrington Another fantastic week for me with a cascade of great looking books that winged their ways through the USPS to my house. I'm so lucky! This past week's mailbox arrivals: I, Iago by Nicole Galland came from TLC Book Tours and William Morrow for a blog tour. Iago is such a perfect Shakespeare baddie that I am curious to see how Galland posits he became such a reprehensible character. The Orchardist by Amanda Coplin came from Harper. A solitary orchardist who opens his heart to two wild girls who steal apples from his trees, this sounds like an expansive and different kind of western. The Flight of Gemma Hardy by Margot Livesey came from Harper. An homage to Jane Eyre set in Scotland and Ireland in the 50's and 60's? Be still my beating heart! The Good Dream by Donna VanLiere came from St. Martin's Press. An old maid discovers and cares for a feral boy sneaking into her garden in order to eat, this sounds similar to another one I got this week but I suspect they will be wildly different stories. An Uncommon Education by Elizabeth Percer came from TLC Book Tours and Harper for a blog tour. A novel about saving others and ultimately saving yourself, this sounds great to me. Lost in Shangri-La by Mitchell Zuckoff came from TLC Book Tours and Harper Perennial for a blog tour. An account of a plane crash deep in the Dutch New Guinean jungle during WWII, this promises to be a completely gripping read. Stranger Here Below by Joyce Hinnefeld came from Unbridled Books. About three generations of very different women, this novel of the love and caring that makes family, even between unrelated women, sounds fantastic. As always, if you'd like to see the marvelous goodies in other people's mailboxes, make sure to visit Cindy's Love of Books as she is hosting this month's Mailbox Monday and have fun seeing how we are all doing our part to keep the USPS and delivery services viable. Review: This Life Is In Your Hands by Melissa Coleman We have a cottage that has been in my family for almost 100 years now. It has only had modern conveniences for fewer than 20 years. So when we spent time there when I was a child, we had no electricity and no phone. It was a throwback to an older time. But I learned a lot, sewing, quilting, basket-making, and so on, spending weeks without all the technology that people have become accustomed to these days both as a crutch and a convenience. The one thing we didn't do, though, was grow our own food. We don't live there year round so there was never any suggestion that we live a self-sustaining life. The upkeep and maintenance on the cottage was constant enough and hard enough. Unlike our summer vacation and its annual but brief, wonderful novelty, Melissa Coleman and her family lived without modern conveniences, working toward self-sustainability, and farming organically all the time as part of the forefront of the back to the land, homesteader movement of the late sixties and early seventies as she recounts in this detailed memoir of their time at Greenwood Farm. Ranging from her parents' upbringings in regular upper middle class families, how they met, their courtship, and what led them to reject the lifestyles in which they were raised, embracing instead the mantra of the homesteading lifestyle as described by Helen and Scott Nearing in their groundbreaking work: Living the Good Life for the nine years they spent on the coast of Maine working the land and living off the grid as much as possible, Coleman details the rewards and the hardships of the life their family chose to lead. Eliot and Sue Coleman were in the vanguard of the back to the land movement buying sixty acres adjacent to the Nearings and living by the tenets proposed in their book. But this life wasn't easy by any means. And the locals remained suspicious, keeping the tiny homesteading community (several others eventually joined them) separate and essentially isolated from the townsfolk. For a child, the life was both idyllic and lonely. There was not much adult supervision at all given the demands of a working farm but Coleman and her younger sister missed out on a lot of the loving attention that supervision also contains within it. As the Colemans' dream of creating a self-sustaining farm starts to come together over the years, their marriage frays under the stresses of their work and the compromises that inevitably mar their utopia. Sue "checks out" on her kids and clearly suffers from post-partum depression after all three of her daughters are born. She doesn't like the advent of the residential volunteers, anxious to learn from Eliot, especially given his rising notoriety as an organic food advocate and sustainable farming expert, and their impact on the small, closed society of the farm. Eliot, on the other hand, holds fast to his dream, willing to make certain compromises (a vegetarian who eschews meat for both health and moral reasons willing to kill newborn billy goats because they add nothing to the farm) but not other more vital ones (he believes his diet alone, already lacking in some nutrients, can cure his Graves' disease). He starts to travel more frequently, leaving the burden of the farm on Sue's less capable shoulders. Coleman doesn't shy away from acknowledging the flaws in her parents' dream but she doesn't go into detail about the small things that contributed to the tension and the stress and the disillusionment that were slowly rending their family apart even before the tragedy that finally shattered their dream forever. She foreshadows the tragedy right from the beginning of the book and so its eventual advent is not a surprise but a culmination of the tension that has been slowly rising throughout the book. She is most adept at the descriptions of nature and of her own childhood experiences here. Although she has done research and conducted interviews with others to fill in the gaps of what she wouldn't or couldn't know at the time, including her parents' early years, the way that these portions are presented as if she was actually present is a bit jarring on the reader and certainly come off as idealized. In addition, the ending of the book is quite abrupt with an epilogue that admits to the book as her way to try and make sense of her early years and especially the accident but it doesn't answer any questions about how her life then really affects her life now and what she may have taken away from the lessons she learned. Coleman has woven a loose history of the beginnings of the organic food movement, the drive to eat locally (although how local avocados, common to her school lunches, are to the Maine coast is rather questionable), homesteading, and living gently on the land in with her family's story. And sometimes the details of the history overwhelm the sadder but more engaging family story. A tale of a dream and a family that couldn't be sustained despite the best of intentions, this is nevertheless an interesting story. Living a lifestyle that most of us would never consider, even as we incorporate certain of its tenets into our life now more and more, the compromises and the failures and the ultimate, terrible price the Coleman family paid, Melissa Coleman has afforded readers an intimate glimpse into a hoped for paradise that never quite achieved its name. For more information about Melissa Coleman and the book visit her website or like her page on Facebook. Follow the rest of the blog tour or look at the amazon reviews for others' thoughts and opinions on the book. Thanks to Trish from TLC Book Tours and the publisher for sending me a copy of this book to review. If I keep hitting the jackpot in my mailbox, I'm going to have to buy a lottery ticket too and see if I am equally as lucky there! This past week's mailbox arrivals: A Wedding in Haiti by Julia Alvarez came from Algonquin Books. Alvarez is a lovely writer and this examination of family and promises and the poverty plaguing Haiti, even before the earthquake devastated it, has already proven to be a wonderful read. The Innocents by Francesca Segal came from Voice. Practically anything inspired by Edith Wharton's Age of Innocence is sure to have my vote of approval and I'm looking forward to this tale of a tightly knit Jewish community and the love triangle that could change everything. You Came Back by Christopher Coake came from Grand Central Publishing. I don't know how you ever get past the death of a child but as a parent, if someone tells you that their home, your old home, is haunted by the ghost of your child, do you believe? And how much does all of this impact your future life? This book sounds completely engrossing. The Girl in the Garden by Kamala Nair came from Grand Central Publishing. I do love books set in India and this one about a young woman on the verge of marriage who uncovers her mother's past sounds completely delicious. History of a Pleasure Seeker by Richard Mason came from Knopf. A novel about a young tutor who has a gift for seeking and finding pleasure and the impact he has on the lives around him, I am intrigued by the whole concept of hedonism. The Cat's Table by Michael Ondaatje came from Knopf. Centered on a young boy traveling alone on a ship who eats at the table farthest from the captain's, this tale of his life and some of his fellow "cat's table" inhabitants looks amazing. Silver Sparrow by Tayari Jones came from Algonquin Books. One father, two daughters, two marriages, only one acknowledged, only one aware of the other. Quite appealing, no? Running the Rift by Naomi Benaron came from Algonquin Books. A gifted runner, a Rwandan boy runs for his life both literally and figuratively as he keeps his eye on the Olympics while his country devolves into a terrible bloodbath between the Hutus and the Tutsis. Personal and political both, this won the Bellwether Prize for Fiction. Goodbye For Now by Laurie Frankel came from Doubleday. A tale of love and loss and computer programs, this looks sweet and fun and I can't wait to see how the cold logic of computers meshes with the never objective domain of the heart. The Wilder Life by Wendy McClure came from Riverhead Books. How many little girls grew up with Laura Ingalls Wilder's books? How appealing is to to hear about a book where the author is trying to live a Laura life, searching out all the places and experiences from the books? Can't wait! A slow reading kind of week but my to be reviewed pile didn't grow any either, which is a very good thing! This meme is hosted by Sheila at Book Journey. The Tiger's Wife by Tea Obrecht George and Hilly by George Gurley The Dressmaker of Khair Khana by Gayle Tzemach Lemmon Review: The Dressmaker of Khair Khana by Gayle Tzemach Lemmon By now we are all quite familiar with the strictures placed on women by the Taliban in Afghanistan. The news has bombarded us with images of the burqua-clad women trailing their male chaperones, women who had no choice but to follow the rules of one of the most repressive and highly moralistic regimes around. But what happened to the women who no longer had the protection of a male family member or of only a young boy? How on earth were they to survive in the unbending and dangerous to women world of the Taliban? Kamila Sidiqi is one of five sisters who were still at home when the Taliban took over Kabul. She had just received her teaching degree despite the dangers posed by the civil war raging through the country when the Taliban took Kabul, trapping women in their homes and rendering Sidiqi's valuable degree useless. Worse yet for her family, her father had served under several previous governments, putting him at extreme risk and he eventually fled to some semblence of safety, leaving his family behind. Sidiqi's older brother also leaves Afghanistan for Iran in hopes of being able to find work and to avoid any reprisals against his family for his father's prior loyalties. This leaves the women of the family with only their young, school-aged brother as a chaperone and no visible means of support. But Kamila Sidiqi is an incredibly driven and resourceful woman and she hatches the idea of creating a dressmaking business that will stave off their impending poverty. Learning to sew from an older sister, she and her sisters carefully created a viable home industry right under the noses of the Taliban. And not only did their business provide the support of their own family, but they also taught other women from the neighborhood to sew as well in order to support their families as well. Over the five year span of the Taliban's oppressive rule, Sidiqi, with only her young brother to chaperone her as she negotiated with the male shopkeepers at their local market, created a grass roots business that saved many families from starvation, especially those like her own where the older men had had no choice but to flee the country leaving their wives and daughters unprotected and without a male presence. Lemmon traveled to and from Afghanistan for many years, through the escalating tensions, war in the street, and US bombings in order to chronicle the perseverence, determination, and entreprenurial spirit in women like Kamila Sidiqi that the Taliban had been unable to contain. Lemmon tells the story as if it was a novel, creating dialogue for her subjects despite clearly writing this years after the events she's chronicling. Lemmon's background as a journalist is very evident here as well with the writing coming across as very journalistic, simplistic, and oddly enough, given the content of the story, emotionally distant. She also periodically thrusts herself and the present day into the story she's reporting which comes off as mildly distracting. What must have been the overwhelming tension of day to day living interpsersed with moments of heart pounding terror is not all that well conveyed; instead it is reported but muffled, muted. And there seem to be some rather big omissions in Lemmon's writing about these brave Sidiqi girls. Why did the girls' mother stay in the north of Afghanistan after her husband left for Iran instead of going back to Kabul to help her daughters? How did the young women learn to sew so well so quickly that they could create a thriving cottage industry? Why was there still a market for clothing when people couldn't even find enough to eat? How did the economics of this venture work out? Why did these shopkeepers, who were also acting contrary to the Taliban's restrictions and therefore in danger, cooperate with Kamila Sidiqi and her incredibly young mahram (chaperone)? The story itself is impressive and inspiring, putting a face on the suffering and devastation first of a militant, oppressive, and misogynistic regime and then of a terrible, destructive war but it is also the moving chronicle of unbroken spirit, the will to live, and the sort of woman who can move mountains and change the world. For those interested in another facet of the reality of Afghanistan under the Taliban, this will fill in some of the picture. That these women persevered and succeeded even in the face of threats of beatings, imprisonment, or death is incredibly awe-inspiring and humbling. For more information about Gayle Tzemach Lemmon and the book visit her website, like her page on Facebook, or follow her on Twitter. Follow the rest of the blog tour or look at the amazon reviews for others' thoughts and opinions on the book. Gold by Chris Cleave. The book is being released by Simon and Schuster on July 10, 2012. Amazon says this about the book: Building on the tradition of Little Bee, Chris Cleave again writes with elegance, humor, and passion about friendship, marriage, parenthood, tragedy, and redemption.Gold is the story of Zoe and Kate, world-class athletes who have been friends and rivals since their first day of Elite training. They’ve loved, fought, betrayed, forgiven, consoled, gloried, and grown up together. Now on the eve of London 2012, their last Olympics, both women will be tested to their physical and emotional limits. They must confront each other and their own mortality to decide, when lives are at stake: What would you sacrifice for the people you love, if it meant giving up the thing that was most important to you in the world? Review: George & Hilly by George Gurley Take one marriage-averse man. Add a longtime girlfriend who wants some sort of statement of commitment. Send through 6 years of couples therapy. Chronicle the ups and downs for the entire world. In a nutshell, that's the premise of the memoir George & Hilly by George Gurley. This is definitely a no-holds barred, no punches pulled description of the six years of therapy George and Hilly pursued in the hopes of making their relationship strong enough for George to be willing to propose without breaking into a cold sweat or finding yet another excuse not to take that step. George was a hard-partying, heavy drinking, nightlife reporter when he met Hilly. Hilly quickly became an early-to-bed spendthrift working in the fashion world soon into their realtionship. Two more different people could hardly be imagined. And as they work through their issues as a couple, their differences start to become more and more glaringly obvious. But they also uncover co-dependencies and similarities that the reader would never have initially guessed at as well. As they focus on their strengths and weaknesses as a couple, Gurley discusses his own view of relationships and the life that he has (willingly) given up because he loves Hilly, even if he is almost incapable of saying the word. Written with the help of extensive notes and recorded coversations from their therapy sessions, Gurley details all the petty squabbling, misunderstandings, and personal foibles that define a relationship. Both are incredibly open with their therapist and Gurley, at least in retrospect, is very above board about his goals in telling Dr. Selman things, both pertinent to their relationship and not. I wanted very badly to like this book. I love the premise and thought it would have many relatable, laugh-out-loud moments in it. Sadly, for me, it just did not. And I have to admit that I didn't much like either George or Hilly as Gurley presented them here, terrible as this is to admit given that they are in fact real people and not fictional characters. They often times come off as juvenile and unwilling to face or address some of the issues that are causing strife in their relationship despite paying a therapist to help them do just that. I suppose they've made progress by the end of the book but I was still left shaking my head and thinking it's good that there's someone out there for everyone. I seem to be the minority view on this (totally alone out on my branch, in fact) as you'll see if you check the amazon reviews. In an effort to fit in, I'll say that I did really love the cover of this book. It's absolutely adorable and what drew me to the book in the first place. And the idea behind the story is fantastic. Not sympathizing with George or Hilly certainly caused me a problem though and made for a less than pleasurable reading experience. I'm feeling very proud of myself for all the reviewing I managed to accomplish this week. I didn't read as much as usual but I devoted rather a lot of time to running, including a 10K on Saturday, and some to tennis. This week ends the season for one of my tennis teams so I'll get two reading days back from the court after this and then maybe my reading will increase again. This meme is hosted by Sheila at Book Journey. Books I completed these few past weeks are: The Taste of Salt by Martha Southgate Butterfly's Child by Angela Davis-Gardner When All That's Left of Me Is Love by Linda Campanella Faith Bass Darling's Last Garage Sale by Lynda Rutledge One Night in London by Caroline Linden A several completely delicious looking books arrived on my doorstep this week and I am looking forward to diving into them as soon as possible. This past week's mailbox arrivals: The Right-Hand Shore by Christopher Tilghman came from Farrar, Straus and Giroux. A dying old woman tells the story of the land to the young man whom she intends to leave the family estate. I love multigenerational tales and this one seems to have a very inventive way of telling that tale. The Time In Between by Maria Duenas came from Atria Books. A WWII story about a young women who uses her skills as a dressmaker to become an Allied spy, this sounds fantastic. Equal of the Shore by Anita Amirrezvani came from Scribner. Centered on a sixteenth century Iranian woman who is a party to the politics and manuevering of her nation after her father, the Shah's death, I can't wait to get to this one. The Dovekeepers by Alice Hoffman came from Scribner. Based on the historical event where two Jewish women and five children survived a roman siege on Mount Masada, Hoffman's work is always gripping and this one promises to be as well. Review: One Night in London by Caroline Linden Publishers really like trilogies. If a reader is hooked by the first book, they are all but guaranteed to go on to books two and three, a winning scenario for the publisher and the author. I freely admit I enjoy books in series but I have the odd stipulation that I want them to be complete in and of themselves. I don't want to be compelled to go on to have closure in a story, although I fully intend to keep reading if I enjoy the first book enough. Romances not only lend themselves nicely to giving me the happy ending I sometimes require, but they also tend to have series where each story is complete within a larger framework. While this historical romance by Linden is the first in a series and tells the love story of Edward, the pragmatic middle son of the Duke of Durham and the widowed Lady Francesca Gordon, it has a larger tale to it that doesn't conclude within its pages, leaving the reader with a cliffhanger which ostensibly won't be tied up until the third book. This makes me crabby and it is no exception here but I will forgive it because I enjoyed the love story enough to keep me willing to read the second installment. The Duke of Durham is on his deathbed as the novel opens and he is terribly agitated, needing to tell his heir something incredibly important. But his heir is a rake and a bit of a gadfly and it falls to pragmatic, clinical, middle brother Edward to find out what is so bothering their father. What he learns, that his father was married before he married their mother and was never officially divorced, could not only ruin the de Lacey brothers in society but strip them of their inheritance and legitimacy. And so Edward hires the best soliciter money can buy to help come up with a legal defense and protect their interests in case it becomes necessary. But Edward's hiring of this legal top gun means that Lady Francesca Gordon, who had all but secured the man's services herself, will have to find someone else to help her win custody of her orphaned niece. She's so furious with Edward de Lacey that she vows she will force him to help her himself. And so starts their association with each other. Edward, as an honorable man, cannot turn the lady down, especially when he sees how heartfelt she is in her desire and love for this little girl and her fear for the child when Georgina's stepmother disappears with her. It doesn't hurt that she also holds the power to make the tabloid writer who printed the news about the possible loss of the de Lacey's inheritance retract or at least soften his story. As Edward and Francesca work together to find Georgina and to come up with the best possible case to grant the impetuous Francesca custody, they find they are incredibly attracted to each other. Their chemistry is quite believable and grows organically rather than being forced simply to fit the story's need. This is very much a story of opposites attracting, each lending balance to the other until a misunderstanding rooted in their very different personalities could drive them apart. The question of the de Lacey brothers' legitimacy is completely unresolved here and doesn't promise to be resolved in the next book: youngest son, the hotheaded Gerard's story either. While the novel ends with the ending romance readers expect and require, other sub-plot threads are resolved in completely unexpected and yet wholly appropriate ways. The other two de Lacey brothers are intriguing, which bodes well as they both have their own novels following this one. And the other secondary characters are mostly appealing and make worthwhile additions to the story. Historical romance readers will be quite satisfied with this start to Linden's trilogy. Review: Faith Bass Darling's Last Garage Sale by Lynda Rutledge Set over one 24 hour period on the last day of 1999 and filled with family, dysfunctional, estranged, and tragic, eccentric and endearing characters, and a kooky, appealing premise, this novel is as fun and entertaining as the whole Texas outdoors. Faith Bass Darling, of the founding Bass' of Bass, Texas, hears God instruct her to have a garage sale of all her belongs (many of which are beyond priceless) because this is her last day on Earth. Faith is the richest woman in town, estranged from her only surviving child, she hasn't left her home in years and, as only she and her doctor know, is suffering from Alzheimer's. And a garage sale of the family heirloom antiques she has guarded so carefully during her lifetime is just not in Faith's usual character. Local antiques dealer Bobbie Ann, who, while coveting all of the things that Faith is giving away, vaguely telling people to pay what they can for each priceless antique, knows that something isn't right and she calls her old friend Claudia Jean, Faith's daughter, who blew out of town long ago and never looked back. Claudia comes home to save the only thing she cared about but she may be too late. As the sale goes on and Faith slides in and out of reality, flashbacks and the appearance of other characters flesh out the back story of how Faith came to be a lonely old lady who doesn't leave her antique-filled house. Rutledge has told this completely charming tale with a deft and light touch. The surface is chatty and thoroughly enjoyable but there is also a depth here and a more than passing acquaintance with the darker realities of life: racism, classism, aging, and a family at the mercy of a hateful person. Much like Faith's dragging all her possessions out of the house to be displayed on her formerly immaculate, perfect lawn, the tale of the darker undercurrents is slowly exposed to the view of the reader, showing that Faith's maintaining of appearances throughout the whole of her life was just that, a maintaining that masked harder truths. Told from multiple perpectives, the story reveals itself slowly, creating a perfect narrative tension. Both addled but still strong and imposing Faith and self-focused for her own emotional protection Claudia Jean are sympathetic characters and the reader roots for them both even when they seem to be at cross-purposes. There is a Texas-sized load of humor here so readers can still smile through outrage and sadness. Each chapter starts with the provenance of one of the antiques that reflects the action in the coming chapter. These provenances are fascinating as they don't always match the story of the piece as Faith knows it, just as life under the surface has been so different than proper pearls and gloves would have suggested. A wonderful, pleasing read that caused more than its share of grins from me, this has hidden depths to it and will stay with the reader long after the covers are closed. Thanks to Megan at Amy Einhorn Books for sening me a copy of this book to review. A terminal cancer diagnosis. A beloved mother. Just one more year. How does anyone face such a thing? With grief certainly but in Linda Campanella and her family's case, they also faced it with overwhelming love and the desire to help her mother continue living to the fullest for the time she had left. This memoir of loss is really a celebration of Nancy Sachsse's life, her place in her family's hearts, and the resilience she faced during her last year. When 73 year old Nancy Sachsse was told that she had terminal cancer and that her care was going to be mostly palliative, she didn't rage against the fates but with her grieving family at her side, set out to be present in everything and every way she could for the time she had left. Daughter Linda writes of her last year with the mother both to cope with her loss but also to provide others with a different way to look at such a diagnosis. Determined to help her mother spend the time living rather than dying, Campanella tells of the decisions they made both in actual practice and emotionally. Her mother was given a calendar to help her continue to plan outings that would give her the sense of having a future. Impromptu happy hours on the deck became standard and tangible small ways to celebrate each day. They didn't talk about death and dying but about life and living. And the whole family made it a practice to share with each other and specifically with Nan the love that they all had/have for each other. Told through her recollections of the time and reinforced by the inclusion of e-mails from Campanella and her mother, this is a sad but positive offering. It is very emotional and very, very personal. Everyone who walks the path of losing a loved one, especially when that loved one declines slowly, walks it differently and so this can't be prescriptive but it might help others view the coming end differently. The book jumps forward and backwards in time around the themes of Loving, Living, Believing, and Letting Go. There is, of course, no doubt at the outset of the memoir that Campanella loses her mother. But the chapters jump from early on after the diagnosis to the time immediately following her death and back again which can be a bit disconcerting to the reader. The inclusion of her mother's own e-mails to Campanella and to her grandsons helps to bring Sachsse's distinct voice into the narrative. The other e-mails detail Campanella's research and her hope and her ultimate decisions about what would be best for her mother. There are hints of disagreements between family members but those have mostly been suppressed and so the memoir remains ultimately uplifting. While there is some sense of the nitty gritty day to day living here, much of the reality of a person dying of cancer has been glossed over. It is impressive that they all found a way to be so positive and focused on living in the midst of this long leaving and the memoir is much more about the emotional toll of such a diagnosis and death and the ways in which the family strove to take the weight of that from Nan's shoulders than it is about the physical. If all that's left of Nancy Sachsse is love, her daughter has certainly channeled that love into her account of losing her beloved mother. For more information about Linda Campanella and the book visit her website or like her page on Facebook. Follow the rest of the blog tour or look at the amazon reviews for others' thoughts and opinions on the book. Review: Butterfly's Child by Angela Davis-Gardner When you read a marvelous book and you close that last page, have you ever had the characters continue to live on in your head, going beyond the end of the tale the author told, living lives no one else has ever imagined? This certainly happens to me although not as much as it used to when I was younger. And it clearly happens for people who write fan fiction and sequels. Obviously the same thing happened for Angela Davis-Gardner and as a result of her inability to leave Cio-Cio and Pinkerton's small child tragically orphaned on the stage at the end of the opera Madame Butterfly, we have her marvelous and engrossing novel Butterfly's Child. As in the opera, the novel opens with Cio-Cio waiting for Lieutenant Benjamin Franklin Pinkerton's return to Japan, convinced that he will in fact come back to her and the son he never knew he had. But when he does return, it is with an American wife. Butterfly commits hairi-kiri out of love and desperation and Pinkerton and his devout wife Kate are left to decide young biracial Benji's fate. They choose to take him back to Illinois with them to their farm but instead of Pinkerton's claiming paternity, they say that Benji is an orphan whom they've adopted as is their Christian duty. Life is not easy on the farm. Pinkerton never planned to work on it, Kate wasn't raised as a farm wife, and Benji is desperately afloat in a culture he doesn't trust with people he doesn't know and who are having a hard time caring for him emotionally given the way he remains a constant reminder of Butterfly for both Pinkertons. Without the love and caring at home to build his sense of worth, the petty racism he encounters daily in the small town is terribly isolating. Only a few people treat him as a full, intelligent human being. And so he never stops dreaming of leaving Illinois and going back to Japan to find his mother's family. When the secret of his paternity leaks out in this provincial and small-minded town, the repercussions tear the Pinkerton family apart and Benji runs away to make his long desired journey back to Japan. The historical detail and accuracy of attitudes and beliefs are fantastic here. Davis-Gardner really captures the difficulty of being bi-racial at the turn of the 20th century, not only in the US but also in Japan. The hardship of working on a farm over tough years is realistically depicted. The Japanese areas of larger American cities are carefully detailed and brought to life. The casual racism of the time threads through Benji's everyday life just exactly as it would have, touching and soiling so much. In Benji, Davis-Gardner has created a sad, woeful character whose search for identity and acceptance is all external until he realizes that only by finding himself within will he finally be at ease in a world not amenable to people like him. Pinkerton is a fairly loathesome character and just as in the opera, the reader wonders what both Cio-Cio and then Kate could ever have seen in the man. Kate is very buttoned-up and constrained and she tries her hardest but she ultimately finds herself unable to rise above the prejudices of the day and her eventual succumbing to deep depression is a not unexpected fate for her. Pinkerton's mother, while gruff, is one of the more sympathetic characters as is Keast, the veterinarian who takes a real and heartfelt interest in Benji. The plot, starting with the end of the opera and growing from there, has a desultory feel to it, unspooling slowly toward a series of surprising climaxes. Benji's life in American with his father and stepmother draws out far longer than his adult life in Japan although the latter is equally as, or even more, interesting than his farm years. Just as Benji left them behind, Frank and Kate's stories are wrapped up tidily and fairly quickly in the end, the more interesting secondary characters are briefly mentioned, and the focus is solely on Benji again and the losses he's chosen to accept by only being one half of his heritage. A thoughtful and appealing tale that not only takes inspiration from the opera but also cleverly incorporates it into the tale itself, this search for self was a delight to read. For more information about Angela Davis-Gardner and the book visit her website. Follow the rest of the blog tour or look at the amazon reviews for others' thoughts and opinions on the book. The Little Red Guard by Wenguang Huang. The book is being released by Riverhead Heardcover on April 26, 2012. Amazon says this about the book: When Wenguang Huang was nine years old, his grandmother became obsessed with her own death. Fearing cremation, she extracted from her family the promise to bury her after she died. This was in Xi’an, a city in central China, in the 1970s, when a national ban on all traditional Chinese practices, including burials, was strictly enforced. But Huang’s grandmother was persistent, and two years later, his father built her a coffin. He also appointed his older son, Wenguang, as coffin keeper, a distinction that meant, among other things, sleeping next to the coffin at night. Over the next fifteen years, the whole family was consumed with planning Grandma’s burial, a regular source of friction and contention, with the constant risk of being caught by the authorities. Many years after her death, the family’s memories of her coffin still loom large. Huang, now living and working in America, has come to realize how much the concern over the coffin has affected his upbringing and shaped the lives of everyone in the family. Lyrical and poignant, funny and heartrending, The Little Red Guard is the powerful tale of an ordinary family finding their way through turbulence and transition. Review: The Taste of Salt by Martha Southgate My family's always maintained that you are either a lake person or an ocean person (assuming you like the water, I guess). I've always been a lake person. I don't particularly like the taste of salt water and I loathe sand. I grew up paddling around in fresh water and yet when I learned to scuba dive last year, it was like coming home for me. Like Josie Henderson in Martha Southgate's The Taste of Salt, I was not raised in close proximity with the ocean but I have always felt the pull of water. And although it took me a long time to come to feel the salt water running through my veins, I ache to get back under the ocean again. Josie Henderson is a well respected marine biologist working at the acclaimed Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute in Massachusetts. As if being a woman wasn't rare enough in her field, she is also a black woman and she delights in her uniqueness. Her husband Daniel is an icthyologist at Woods Hole. He is a gentle, milquetoast sort of man, native to the area, and interested in starting a family that Josie is fairly certain she doesn't want. He is also white , making Josie suspect that he cannot possibly understand her or where she has come from. Where she has come from is a suburb of Cleveland, far from the ocean, where her father spent her entire childhood sunk deep into a bottle and her mother worked as a nurse to support Josie and her charismatic younger brother Tick after she kicked their father out. Josie doesn't like to share her dysfunctional family situation with anyone and would prefer to keep them in her past but when her mother asks her to come home and collect Tick from his latest stint at rehab, she can't say no. And when Tick subsequently shows up at her door with no where else to go, she takes him in, despite knowing that he is still in the clutches of his own alcoholism. Although she has worked hard to distance herself from her family, Josie is clearly damaged by her childhood as the daughter of an alcoholic. She sabotages her relationships and never lets anyone too close to her. Her best and favorite coping strategy is avoidance. While Josie is the catalyst around whom the story unfolds, each of her family members also narrates portions of their own tale as well, showing the all around damage that an addiction inflicts on not only the alcoholic but on the alcoholic's loved ones as well. The novel takes place in the present but also has flashbacks to Josie's parents' meeting and courtship, her father's migration from the South to the North, echoing many working class blacks of the time, and his gradual descent into alcoholism when Josie and Tick were small. Southgate also confronts the continued realities of racism in this day and age through both the successful Josie's eyes and through down and out Tick's eyes. The multiple narrators help to move the story along and to fill in the blanks where other characters couldn't possibly know the truth but the characters' individual voices aren't quite different enough to make them easy for the reader to immediately differentiate between. Josie as a character isn't terribly likable. She is so self-centered and selfish that it is hard to sympathize with her character. She treads all over her nice and unassuming husband without explaining her feelings to him at all and giving him a chance to be who she needs him to be. Brother Tick is a fairly stereotypical addict and there's never any doubt where his storyline is going. But despite these flaws, there's a grace and a beauty in the ending that ultimately helps to make the book more hopeful than dysfunctional. An interesting perspective on the casualties of addiction, the roles of family, and of race, this would provide a lot of fodder for book clubs to dicuss. Thanks to the publisher for sending me a copy of the book for review. Great looking books have been practically pouring into my house and I've done nothing but stack them up and stroke them lovingly (okay, and read a few already). In order to remedy the oversight of me not crowing about the bounty, I am lumping them all into this post even thought this is far more than one week's worth. This past couple of weeks' mailbox arrivals: Butterfly's Child by Angela Davis-Gardner came from Dial Press for a blog tour through TLC Book Tours. Ever wonder what happened to Butterfly and Pinkerton's child after the opera Madame Butterfly ends? This imagining sounds wonderful and heartbreaking. The Pioneer Woman Cooks by Ree Drummond came from William Morrow Cookbooks. I have played around with Drummond's recipes on her website and they are always tasty so I am thrilled to have this cookbook to play around with. The Greatest Love Story of All Time by Lucy Robinson came from Penguin UK. How a woman's friends force her to go on after her perfect life is in shambles, this sounds like a completely and totally fun read. I mean, eight dates aren't exactly my own introverted idea of a way to fix things but I can't wait to see how they lead to the Greatest Love Story of All Time! The Red House by Mark Haddon came from Doubleday. I thoroughly enjoyed Haddon's first book and I'm looking forward to this tricky read about estranged siblings and their difficult families staying together in a vacation home. When Captain Flint Was Still a Good Man by Nick Dybek came from Riverhead Hardcover for LibraryThing Early Reviewers. Fishermen lead a dangerous life and this novel centered on king crab fishing and the family dynamics that surround this way of life sounds like a fantastic tale. The Coldest Night by Robert Olmstead came from Algonquin Books. A war story and a love story both, this should be riveting in Olmstead's hands. Wife 22 by Melanie Gideon came from Ballantine Books. A woman who is finding her life a little dull starts answering questions for a survey, becoming Wife 22 in her responses. I can only imagine where this is going to get her and I'm going to thoroughly enjoy being along for the ride! Clara and Mr. Tiffany by Susan Vreeland came from Random House Trade Paperbacks for a blog tour through TLC Book Tours. One of my very best friends has a great grandparent who worked for Tiffany and her connection has always meant I've been intrigued by tales of the man himself, especially in relation to the women who worked for him. An Unexpected Guest by Anne Korkeakivi came from Little, Brown and Company. This one sounds like a Mrs. Dalloway for today. My interest is definitely picqued. The Aleppo Codex by Matti Friedman came from Algonquin Books. A true life detective story about a Bible that disappeared and then reappeared incomplete? Gives you shivers, doesn't it? Well, it does for nerdy, bookish me. Make It Stay by Joan Frank came from The Permanent Press for a blog tour through TLC Book Tours. A story told at a dinner party has unexpected consequences for the guests. Definitely intriguing material here. This Life Is In Your Hands by Melissa Coleman came from Harper Perennial for a blog tour through TLC Book Tours. A memoir about a family who helped to pioneer the back to the land farming movement before abandoning their life in the wake of a tragic accident, this promises to be a marvelous read. The Paper Garden by Molly Peacock came from Bloomsbury USA for a blog tour through TLC Book Tours. Poet Molly Peacock weaves her own life together with the elderly widow who created beautiful paper-cut, mixed media collages of flowers in the late 1700's. Delectable, no? Salvage the Bones by Jesmyn Ward came from Bloomsbury USA. The 2011 National Book Award Winner, this grim look at grinding poverty and family looks to be amazing. Keepsake by Kristina Riggle came from William Morrow Paperbacks for LibraryThing Early Reviewers. A novel about sisters, hoarding, and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, I imagine there will be some familiar reflections in here. Plus I adore the cover. The Mercury Fountain by Eliza Factor came from Akashic Books. What happens when the founder of a Utopian movement has to compromise some principles but his idealistic daughter refuses to do so as well? This one could well be deep and involved. Gathering of Waters by Bernice McFadden came from Akashic Books. I've not read McFadden before but I am interested to see how she writes about Emmett Till and his murder and all the time spiralling out and away from this seminal event. The Art of Hearing Heartbeats by Jan-Philipp Sendker came from Other Press. This has been getting rave reviews and the fact that it's centered on Burma and a long forgotten love letter makes it just that much more appealing to me. The Absolutist by John Boyne came from Other Press. A WWI novel, this looks to be a wrenching but important novel. Posted by Kristen at 1:18 PM 7 comments: Links to this post Review: This Life Is In Your Hands by Melissa Cole... Review: The Dressmaker of Khair Khana by Gayle Tze... Review: Faith Bass Darling's Last Garage Sale by L... Review: When All That's Left of Me Is Love by Lind... Easter redux Review: Other Waters by Eleni Gage	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0041.json.gz/line3730
__label__wiki	0.55536	0.55536	Review: Caroline by Sarah Miller I don't remember reading Little House on the Prairie as a child, which is probably pretty strange for a little girl reader of a certain age. I do remember reading other books from around the time I would have been the perfect age and reading level for it so if I'd read it, I can only assume I would have remembered it. I only remember coming across it much later, in college when I took a Children's Literature class. And this is going to be blasphemy for many, I didn't love it then. In fact, I'm not even sure I offered it to my daughter when she was of an age and ability to read it (but I must have, right?). So why on earth would a novel from Caroline Ingalls' perspective of those events interest me? I really can't say other than to say that the human brain, and mine in particular, works in mysterious ways. Because from the minute I head about Sarah Miller's novel Caroline: Little House, Revisited, I have wanted to read it. What can I say? As the novel opens, the Ingalls family, Caroline (Ma), Charles (Pa), Mary, and Laura, is packing up their covered wagon to make the long trek from Wisconsin to Kansas, leaving behind their extended family, furniture, and everything that is usual for them. Charles is excited about the journey, eager to leave the known and to make a claim on the wide open prairie in Kansas. Caroline is more reticent about going, knowing that she is early in a pregnancy with their third child, fearful of moving to Indian territory, and reluctant to leave her loved ones, perhaps forever, but she is willing to follow her beloved Charles wherever he thinks they'll find the most opportunity. The months of travel in the tiny wagon, facing the reality of the hardships, both imagined and surprising, mothering two young and impressionable children, and suppressing her own thoughts and feelings to spare Charles or the girls takes a toll but Caroline rarely, if ever, complains aloud. While raising a house on a distant claim and turning it into a home, bringing a child into the world with only a stranger to assist her, and attending to her daily domestic sphere, Caroline's life is full of both overwhelming difficulty and ethereally beautiful moments. Caroline is very much the main character of the novel. There are glimpses of Mary and Laura as portrayed in the Little House series, but they are not the main focus at all. Although written in the third person, the novel is very much internal to Caroline. As she goes about her daily chores, the reader is privy to her thoughts and feelings about parenting, the prairie, being a wife, and the Indians who sometimes come uninvited into her very cabin. Her fears and sadness, as well as joys and delights, are pretty equally balanced in the portrayal and she is definitely a woman of her time. The plot flows placidly most of the time through the long journey and the domestic chores but it is occasionally interrupted by peaks of action as when they cross the swollen creek, the Indians arrive in the cabin, baby Carrie is born, or the fire sweeps towards them. With each of these incidents, it is clear that Miller has done extensive research, not just reconciling her story to the original Little House tale but also to what is historically accurate. Miller has drawn Caroline's feelings beautifully. Her love and frustration towards her children will resonate with any parent. The reality of love and marriage with children always within sight and hearing is carefully handled, much of it no more than musings and wishing on Caroline's part although there are a few more visceral moments as well. Readers who know Little House on the Prairie will know the entire story told here but it is interesting and different to see all the events through an adult's eyes instead of a child's. Miller has captured the sturdy loneliness of women settlers of the time in a nuanced and lovely way and those who are fans of Laura Ingalls Wilder's books as well as those interested in the women who helped their husbands push against the frontier will find this chronicle of life on the prairie to be a worthwhile and thoughtful read. For more information about Sarah Miller and the book, check out her website, like her on Facebook, or follow her on Twitter or Instagram. Check out the book's Goodreads page, follow the rest of the blog tour, or look at the amazon reviews for others' thoughts and opinions on the book. Thanks to Trish from TLC Book Tours and Harper Collins for sending me a copy of this book to review. The Invisible Life of Euridice Gusmao by Martha Batalha. The book is being released by Oneworld Publications on October 10, 2017. Amazon says this about the book: Euridice is young, beautiful and ambitious, but when her rebellious sister Guida elopes, she sets her own aspirations aside and vows to settle down as a model wife and daughter. And yet as her husband's professional success grows, so does Euridice's feeling of restlessness. She embarks on a series of secret projects from creating recipe books to becoming the most sought-after seamstress in town ― but each is doomed to failure. Her tradition-loving husband is not interested in an independent wife. And then one day Guida appears at the door with her young son and a terrible story of hardship and abandonment. The Invisible Life of Euridice Gusmao is a wildly inventive, wickedly funny and keenly observed tale of two sisters who, surrounded by a cast of unforgettable characters, assert their independence and courageously carve a path of their own in 1940s Rio de Janeiro. A deeply human and truly unforgettable novel from one of the most exciting new voices in world literature. Review: The Other Alcott by Elise Hooper If you've read Louisa May Alcott's Little Women, you likely identified with Jo the most. Jo is the most intriguing character, spunky and creative and devoted to family. Meg is too responsible. Beth is too good. And Amy is too spoiled and selfish. But what of the women who these characters were based on, Amy in particular? Was she really as bratty as she comes off as being much of the time in Little Women? Elise Hooper's novel, The Other Alcott, looks at May Alcott, the golden, youngest sister who was the model for Louisa's Amy but who was so much more than her sister's creation. Opening with the celebration of the wonderful reviews on the publication of Little Women, May Alcott is depressed and humiliated to find that the critics, so positive about her sister's writing, are critical, in fact dismissive, of her illustrations for novel and she questions her art as a result. Eventually determining that her greatest wish is to be an artist of some acclaim despite the reviews, she vows to carry on, to search out instruction, and to be recognized for her own talent rather than being pigeonholed as Louisa's sister, or worse as the petulant and flighty Amy March. Her own drive to create is no less than her sister's. But the Alcott's circumstances, Louisa's role as sole financial support of the struggling family, and the fact that May is a woman often make it hard for her to pursue her own dreams. She does eventually find opportunities, both in Boston and in Europe to learn and create art even as she tries to temper her envy of her sister's fame and to overcome her reliance on Louisa's financial backing. Hooper has drawn May not as Amy March but as a determined and ambitious artist who sometimes chafes at the responsibility thrust upon her in regards to her family. She and sister Louisa have a relationship that feels entirely human and realistic, alternately loving and contentious. May can be resentful and feel taken advantage of but her love for her family still shines through. It is clear that while May makes personal sacrifices to tend to her family when she is called upon to do so, she also never stops pushing forward for the thing that is her very lifeblood, painting and drawing. The novel is very much stripped of the romanticism of Little Women and feels very historically real, especially when dealing with poverty and opportunities for women. The depiction of the art scene in Europe and the way that the Academie Francaise dictated public acceptance of art and conferred success on the approved artists was very well done. And May's own journey, personally and artistically is quite an interesting one indeed but the biggest theme of the novel besides May's determination is her relationship with her sister Louisa and how two talented and smart women related to and saw each other, especially in a world that didn't value women's contributions nearly as much as they should have. Fans of Little Women will undoubtedly enjoy this look into the little sister and her own not insignificant accomplishments. For another fictional take on May Alcott, compare this to Little Woman in Blue by Jeannine Atkins as well. For more information about Elise Hooper and the book, check out her website, like her on Facebook, or follow her on Twitter or Instagram. Check out the book's Goodreads page, follow the rest of the blog tour, or look at the amazon reviews for others' thoughts and opinions on the book. Review: The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd Our local museum, the Mint Museum, has started a really cool book club program. They choose books that pair nicely with their current exhibits and offer tours that show off some of the things that are either in the books or reflect the period of the book well. One of my book clubs wanted to try out this program so we read and discussed The Invention of Wings, Sue Monk Kidd's novel about a white woman who became a well known abolitionist and feminist and the black slave woman she grew up with, before we walked around the museum to see examples of household goods from the pre-Civil War South and elaborate African masks and other artifacts some slaves might have known before their enslavement. It added a really cool dimension to an already fascinating book. Based on the real life abolitionist and feminist Sarah Grimke, the novel runs from Sarah's childhood, when at 11 years old she was gifted with her own slave, Hetty (called Handful), to her adulthood when she spoke out publicly against this terrible institution and about the injustices done to all women. Chapters alternating between Sarah's story and Handful's story over their thirty five years together, tell the tale of their lives, the happy and the sad, the terrible and the great, and their relationship to each other. Sarah is the daughter of a conservative wealthy judge, southern aristocracy, but even from a very young age, she confronts entrenched traditions and the inhumanity of slavery. She is incredibly smart and yearns for an education but as a girl, she is not entitled to one, the very idea of her dreams to become a lawyer are laughed off. When she is given Handful as her own personal maid, she finds in the younger child an even more oppressed human being than she is. Her first big act of rebellion, and one that was definitely illegal, was teaching Handful how to read, a skill that would change the course of Handful's life. As both Sarah and Handful grow up, each of them struggles against their respective bonds searching for the freedom and equality they deserve and desire. If they cannot find it within the bounds of the laws of the day, they will find another way. Sarah and Handful are both amazing and strong women who have much to overcome in their lives because of the time and place in which they lived. Both characters tell their own stories in first person and the chapters alternating between the two of them allows comparisons as well as highlights differences in their circumstances. Each woman lives a constrained life, faces hard or unimaginable sacrifices, and puts right and responsibility above her own welfare and comfort. The story of these two women is both domestic and an insight into the winds of change as abolitionism grew stronger and stronger in our nation's history. The earlier years of the novel felt faster as they built up to the end because the build to the final rebellion was slow and measured, increasing the narrative tension and bringing the reader to the edge of wondering how the book could possibly finish strong and appropriately in so few remaining pages. And yet Kidd has managed to accomplish just that. This is an engaging and insightful look at slavery, feminism, friendship, honor, and perseverance through the fictionalized eyes of a forgotten but important figure in the abolitionist movement and the slave woman who spent so many years with the Grimke family aching for the promised freedom of her own. The Children's Crusade by Ann Packer Lily and the Octopus by Stephen Rowley The Woman Next Door by Yewande Omotoso A Narrow Bridge by J.J. Gersher What Are the Blind Men Dreaming? by Noemi Jaffee The Jane Austen Project by Kathleen A. Flynn Meantime by Katharine Noel So Much Blue by Perceval Everett This past week's mailbox arrival: Someone You Love Is Gone by Gurjinder Basran came from Harper Perennial and LibraryThing Early Reviewers. This is billed as good for readers of Jhumpa Lahiri and Anne Tyler. Check and check! Looks amazing, right? Perfectly Undone by Jamie Raintree. The book is being released by Graydon House on October 3, 2017. Amazon says this about the book: A stirring debut rife with intoxicating family secrets and dazzling insights into our most basic desires, Perfectly Undone offers an intimate, uncensored exploration of forgiveness and fidelity, in all its forms, as a young doctor struggles with her sister's death—and the role she played in it—while her own picture-perfect relationship and promising career unravel around her. Yes is such a little word… Dr. Dylan Michels has worked hard for a perfect life, so when her longtime boyfriend, Cooper, gets down on one knee, it should be the most perfect moment of all. Then why does she say no? For too many years, Dylan's been living for her sister, who never got the chance to grow up. But her attempt to be the perfect daughter, perfect partner and perfect doctor hasn't been enough to silence the haunting guilt Dylan feels over her sister's death—and the role no one knows she played in it. Now Dylan must face her past if she and Cooper stand a chance at a future together. But when Cooper makes a startling confession of his own, can Dylan find the courage to define her own happiness before her life becomes perfectly undone? Set among the breezy days of a sultry Portland summer, Perfectly Undone is a deeply moving novel of family secrets, forgiveness and finding yourself in the most surprising of places. Review: The Way to London by Alix Rickloff Our family and our experiences shape us into the people we are. If we are loved, we are likely to become loving ourselves. And this is, of course, the life we all deserve and that we wish for others. But many people aren't brought up in love, instead they are brought up in pitiable or hurtful circumstances. This too shapes the people they become. Suffer neglect or disdain and we might assume that is our due and fade into the background or we might act out to force attention onto ourselves. Certainly we'd have trouble developing into a person who both gives and receives love. But it doesn't have to be this way. Some rare and strong people can break out of the emotional void in which they have been raised and learn to care for others. Alix Rickloff's newest novel, The Way to London, is a story of one such rare character as she bumps haltingly towards a kinder, more loving and open existence. Lucy Stanhope is a pampered, spoiled brat. She's shallow and completely disaffected by anything that doesn't touch her personally. Yes, she's rather odious and delights in causing scandals but she's this way in large part because of the lack of love in her upbringing. She lives with her glamorous, titled mother, who refuses to be called mother by her daughter, and her sleazy but wealthy stepfather in Singapore. When she is caught carrying on an affair with the heir to a rich local family, she is banished from Singapore, sent back to England to live with an aunt she doesn't even know. On the way there, the ship she is on is torpedoed and eventually it turns out that Lucy is among the last to leave Singapore in advance of the Japanese invasion during WWII. When she reaches England, she is unhappy and continues with her scandalous attention seeking, larking about as if there wasn't a deadly war on. Uncharacteristically she befriends a young evacuee boy, Bill Smedley, and agrees to take him back to London from Cornwall to search for his mam. Along the way, they face disappointment and diversions, misunderstandings and close calls, and Lucy is forced to trust and rely on steady, nice, good guy Michael McKeegan, a soldier invalided out of the army whom she first met in Singapore and whom she can't quite believe is for real. As Lucy tries to find her own sense of belonging and home, she struggles with the promise she made to Bill, especially when fulfilling that promise might conflict with her own possibly selfish wants and desires. Lucy's character to start is defensive, brittle, brash, and determined. She is completely closed off to others emotionally, taking what she wants without getting her heart involved, never risking real hurt. Her behaviour may be shocking and undesirable but it shields an aching heart and when she opens up just a little to the sneaky, endearing rapscallion that is Bill, her whole being starts to change. Her experiences as the two of them, sometimes joined by Michael, journey toward London help to crystallize her character, giving her an insight into her own heart that she never before wanted to examine. Bill is a delightful, cheeky child and his presence as Lucy's side kick lightens the book up considerably. Their interactions are often humorous and sweet. Michael is almost too good to be true as a character and he selflessly plays Lucy's knight in shining armor more than once. The plot clips along at a good pace and the reader is often uncertain whether old Lucy (selfish and out for herself) or evolving Lucy (learning to honor commitments and not playing fast and loose with others) is going to choose what she does next. The historical details are well researched and presented and the scrapes that Lucy and Bill get into on the way to London and once there are completely believable and quite entertaining. The love story gets a little bit of a short shrift but Lucy is learning to love in more ways than just a traditional love story so it works. With so many WWII novels recently, this one stands out as different: a maturing and personal discovery set during wartime heightened and highlighted by the circumstances but still very internal for all that. Historical fiction fans who can get past an initially not altogether pleasant main character will enjoy this novel quite a bit. For more information about Alix Rickloff and the book, check out her website, like her on Facebook, or follow her on Twitter or Pinterest. Check out the book's Goodreads page, follow the rest of the blog tour, or look at the amazon reviews for others' thoughts and opinions on the book. Two weeks at once because I just wasn't on top of things what with my parents evacuating to my house to escape Irma and then finding yet another thing falling apart about my house. ::sigh:: This meme is hosted by Kathryn at Reading Date. This past two week's mailbox arrivals: Caroline by Sarah Miller came from William Morrow and TLC Book Tours for a blog tour. Little House on the Prairie from Ma Ingalls' perspective? Oh yes, I'll happily read that! The Other Alcott by Elise Hooper came from William Morrow and TLC Book Tours for a blog tour. Amy March in Little Women was kind of a selfish brat so I'm curious to see what May Alcott, the inspiration for the character her sister created, was like, at least in this fictionalized version of her life. Last Christmas in Paris by Hazel Gaynor and Heather Webb came from William Morrow and TLC Book Tours for a blog tour. A romantic epistolary novel that moves between WWI and 1968 in Paris, this looks amazing! Christmas at Little Beach Street Bakery by Jenny Colgan came from William Morrow and TLC Book Tours for a blog tour. I'm extremely excited to go back to Mount Polbearne and back to Polly and Huckle, especially during the Christmas season. The Way to London by Alix Rickloff came from William Morrow and TLC Book Tours for a blog tour. Another WWII novel but this one takes a bit of a different take as it focuses on a young woman who was the last person safely out of Singapore and sent to England, a young evacuee searching for his mother, and an invalided soldier from Singapore. This looks wonderful. Review: The Long Run by Catriona Menzies-Pike Have you ever driven down the street when it's raining or snowing or it's blistering hot and you see someone out running? Unless you are a runner yourself, you probably write that person off as completely crazy. You might even write off as crazy a runner out on a perfectly temperate day if you aren't a runner yourself. So why exactly do people run? Why do women in particular run? Catriona Menzie-Pike looks at the larger culture of women running through history as well as how she herself came to running to overcome a decade of grief. Her thoughtful and intelligent memoir, The Long Run, is a personal, political, and social history of running. When Catriona Menzies-Pike was just twenty years old and starting her adult life, her parents were killed in a plane crash. Ten years after that, she started running. If that makes the two sound unconnected, it shouldn't. Running became a good and healthy way for her to find her path through the grief that still sat heavily on her and it also became a way for her to learn about herself and the women who ran before her. Menzies-Pike calls herself a complacent runner rather than a competitive one but even a complacent runner is transformed by the freedom of movement. She stumbled into running a half marathon and found herself while out on the roads and paths she trod. She ran into any number of road blocks on her way to her many races but through it all, she persevered. Woven in with her own personal journey, is the history of the marathon and specifically women's place in that history. She looks at the advances of women in running as a mirror of the growth in feminism, changing social perceptions of women's abilities and place in the world, and the ongoing long run towards equality. The narrative can veer off on tangents and some chapters feel more like essays than through narrative so this is definitely not a traditional memoir but over all it works. Runners, those interested in running history, and feminists will find much to enjoy here. And maybe it will inspire some non-runners to lace up running shoes for the first time and to stride off into the rich history of women running. Thanks to the publisher and LibraryThing Early Reviewers for sending me a copy of the book to review. Posted by Kristen at 12:52 PM No comments: Links to this post From Scratch by Gail Anderson-Dargatz. The book is being released by Orca Book Publishers on September 26, 2017. Amazon says this about the book: Cookie is about to lose her job at the local bakery. She dreams of owning her own bakery but doesn't think she has the skills or money to do it. Most of all, she doesn't have the self-confidence. When she takes a course at the local college, she finds she has much more going for her than she imagined. With the help of her community, she figures out how to make sure no one has to go without her famous doily cookies for long! The Good People by Hannah Kent. The book is being released by Little, Brown and Co. on September 19, 2017. Amazon says this about the book: Based on true events in nineteenth century Ireland, Hannah Kent's startling new novel tells the story of three women, drawn together to rescue child from a superstitious community. Nora, bereft after the death of her husband, finds herself alone and caring for her grandson Micheál, who can neither speak nor walk. A handmaid, Mary, arrives to help Nóra just as rumours begin to spread that Micheál is a changeling child who is bringing bad luck to the valley. Determined to banish evil, Nora and Mary enlist the help of Nance, an elderly wanderer who understands the magic of the old ways. Set in a lost world bound by its own laws, THE GOOD PEOPLE is Hannah Kent's startling new novel about absolute belief and devoted loveTerrifying, thrilling and moving in equal measure, this follow-up to Burial Rites shows an author at the height of her powers. The Girl With Kaleidoscope Eyes by David Handler This past week's mailbox arrivals: The Confectioner's Tale by Laura Madeleine came from Thomas Dunne Books. Is there any doubt that I can't resist a novel about a love affair at a Paris patisserie and the granddaughter of one of the lovers uncovering the tale many years later? There shouldn't be. Because I can't. ;-) Dreaming in Chocolate by Susan Bishop Crispell came from St. Martin's Griffin. As if I need another reason to be interested in this one besides the luscious hot chocolate on the cover, this is the tale of a mother trying to fulfill her terminal little girl's wish list, tops on which is a specific dad. ::swoon:: Mothers of Sparta by Dawn Davies came from Flatiron Books. A fiercely honest book about motherhood by a mother who has never been interested in comparing her mothering with others, this looks like a fantastic read for those of us who are mothers but without the socially sanctioned (and wholly created) maternal gene we read about so frequently anymore. I Found My Tribe by Ruth Fitzmaurice came from Bloomsbury. I can't wait to read this memoir of a woman who has surrounded herself with her tribe, a tribe that supports and nourishes her given her husband's ALS diagnosis, that swims with her in the freezing cold Irish Sea, and that helps her live this life. The Lost Season of Love and Snow by Jennifer Laam came from St. Martin's Griffin. The lives of famous author's wives fascinate me so I am definitely looking forward to this fictionalization of Natalya Goncharova Pushkin's life, the wife whose honor Pushkin died defending. The Italian Party by Christina Lynch came from St. Martin's Press. An American couple in Italy in the 1950s keeping secrets from each other? Oh, please don't fro me in that briar patch!!! Points North by Howard Frank Mosher came from St. Martin's Press. A collection of stories set in the Northeast Kingdom, I enjoy tales about these sorts of normal people I don't often run across in my own suburban daily life. The Little French Guesthouse by Helen Pollard came from me to me. Can't you tell this is a foreign publication just by the cover? And that it's about a young woman who goes on holiday with her boyfriend only to have him run off with the guesthouse owner's wife makes it just that much more delectable. Flying by the Seat of My Knickers by Eliza Watson came from me to me. Any book with knickers in the title must be good and hilarious, right? I am betting so with this first in a series about a woman who is trying to prove herself at her new job in Dublin. Surfing with Sartre by Aaron James came from Doubleday as an Instagram contest win. Surfing and philosophy seem like unlikely bedfellows so I am curious to see how the author pulls them together. And as a side note, this has the perfect cover for this content. Pieces of Happiness by Anne Ostby came from Doubleday as an Instagram contest win. About a group of high school friends in their sixties reuniting to live at one of the friends' cocoa farm in Fiji, what's not to love about this premise? I mean, aside from the fact that I can't possibly ever be invited to do the same thing since I don't have an old high school friend with a cocoa farm in Fiji. The Goddesses by Swan Huntley came from Doubleday as an Instagram contest win. A novel about manipulation, friendship, and marriage set in the lushness of Kona, Hawaii? Yep, right up my alley.	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0041.json.gz/line3731
__label__cc	0.673299	0.326701	ojo de dios 44…FortyFOUR Produced in 1979, translated into 1,100 languages, available as a free interactive application both on iTunes and Google Play; the Jesus film “…is perhaps the most-viewed motion picture of all time” according to The New York Times, as many as 2 billion views the BBC reported in 2003…today the website representing the film claims “6 billion views worldwide”. The majority of these views designed to take place in the most ‘unreached’ areas of the world as the film is used by Christian evangelists working to convert populations who have potentially never heard of Jesus or do not have a single Christian among them. An example of one such missionary crusade – an organization in my home state of Colorado – “Joshua Project is a research initiative seeking to highlight the ethnic people groups with the fewest followers of Jesus Christ” quoted from their website. A visitor to this website can easily access details about “Unreached People” around the world, organize missionary activities and check the “Unreached of the Day” calendar with lists of customized prayers. After acknowledging the political function the missionary tradition performs in terms of spreading religious “reach”, after addressing the inherent power of privilege and class divide that a potential interaction between missionary and ‘unreached’ groups presents, such an intensity of emotional urgency to inform on a perceived dearth of spirit regardless of invitation is what remains curious for me. Growing up in my father’s house and in his commercial design office, both filled with his curated collections of Mexican art, I gradually became aware of distinct artistic traditions and their correlating geographical origins. When I learned of the Wixáritari (Huichol in Spanish) I was surprised there was not more of their art represented in my fathers collection. And when I decided to move to Guadalajara I saw my opportunity to explore beyond my fathers cartography and into the unknown. This quickly grew into a quest of a reasonable size and it was not long after arriving in Mexico when I announced my interest in ‘staying with the Huichol’ to Antonio. Completely inexperienced in planning either the intellectual or logistical goals for such an impulse, I asked him to help me. Soon after I realized that the situation was far more complex than I had understood. First, the Huichol are historically a highly private people and very rarely welcomed strangers into their communities and second, they had long been the conversion target of Catholic missionaries traveling from Guadalajara. Combined with the fact that Antonio and his family were highly religious themselves (attending Catholic mass every single morning) their participation, even facilitation, of my exposure to an animistic “blue-deer worshipping-people” was…questionable. In the end, after months of persisting, Antonio found a way to negotiate between his spiritual hesitation and the loyalty to my fathers – and by extension my – artistic appreciation. One afternoon he took me to the Templo Expiatorio del Santísimo Sacramento, a neo-Gothic style cathedral stretching its spires skywards from central Guadalajara. After consulting with the local religious authorities in Tlaquepaque, Anotnio had secured an audience with a church official responsible for contact with the Huichol. Unaware of this plan until it was already happening, I quickly found myself confronted with a decision. Was the ‘how’ important to me? It was. Although extremely appreciative of my friends efforts to stretch significantly outside of his well-defined comfort zone, I declined the offer to join a group of missionaries attempting to gain access to a group of Huichol living north of the city. This was the first of many ethical crossroads I would encounter as I continued my travels that year and ultimately it set the tone, color and texture of my life as an anthropologist. The light of the tunnel eventually faded and we were birthed into a dark, sleeping town of colonial masonry. Almost immediately a boy of ten ran alongside the car and offering himself as guide. Initially our auto response denied him the chance to do so, but after driving on for a few blocks without seeing any signs of other options, he climbed right into the car with us and began pointing us down the narrow streets and around the plaza until we stopped in front of an imposing set of wooden doors. Calling passwords out to an invisible host, the doors opened and we were greeted by a middle-aged man, who had obviously been asleep somewhere inside moments ago. We parked the car and tipped our young guide before the heavy doors were closed behind us. The man casually led us through the courtyard, passing a thriving garden of potted plants and drying laundry until we reached a small room at the back of the building. Before leaving us to rest, we asked about horses, actually my friend wanted a donkey, but I definitely was interested in a full-sized horse. Without explaining further he responded with a sleepy nod and replied “Si, si mañana. / Yes, yes tomorrow.” as if the initial request his guests always made was for a horse at sunrise. The donkey, he paused reflecting, may not be possible… but “mañana” either way. We needed toothpaste and I needed a snack, so by default it was me who returned back out into he night in search of a tiendita. I found one still open at the far end of the plaza, out front an animated group of teenagers were playing foosball on an aging table below a flickering fluorescent bulb and a smoking griddle was keeping an older man company as we watched in his periphery. I ordered three tacos without meat and was served a mystified pile of grilled onions and bell peppers in corn tortillas before returning to our quiet room. It was dark and surprisingly cold when the alarm roused us the next morning. Unsure if we had clearly expressed ourselves the night before, we made our way back through the courtyard and the still quiet building beginning to doubt if in fact horses would be waiting for us. Passing through a collage of sprouting plastic bottles, leafy terra-cotta and prolific recycled cans of all kinds we noticed a single light had been switched on near the entrance. Turning the corner three large horses dominated the doorway, their frosty breath forced out in plumes from moist nostrils, as they waited impatiently. No donkey. A quick discussion about the price to time ratio has satisfactorily agreed upon by all involved, we were launched atop leather saddles and were following a young man out of the cobbled stone and onto a dirt path out of the town. The sky was slowly fading to violet and the stars seemed to contrast against it even more fantastically. The vegetation around me was unlike anything I had ever seen. In town the roads were dry and dusty, coating your mouth with a residue of desert as you took breath. But atop the horse and making my way into the mountains which grew upwards in every direction from the sleepy plaza, we had entered a soft green, low lying lushness that was completely unexpected. Dew clung to everything and in it appeared the first signs of sunlight as the water droplets began to refract light with a gradual intensity illuminating our silent climb upwards. The horses circled, our guide indicated a place for us to dismount and he took the leather reigns from us without a word exchanged. The Sierra Madre Occidental reached their own spires of rock and earth skywards and sunlight began to breach the diffused humid glow of dawn, until finally spilling over their peaks and into green valleys, layered infinitely towards the horizon. Our guide had led us to that peak specifically because of a building no taller than 10 feet. Displayed prominently on the ground in front of the building was a repeating circular design of gathered stones and inside the structure was filled with countless Ojo de Dios – God’s Eye, one of the principal forms of Huichol religious artwork. Called Sikuli in the native dialect, the brightly colored weaving of yarn around branches or wooden sticks in a pattern that is meant to represent “the power to see and understand things unknown” and sometimes are understood to be direct representations of the experience a Huichol has had looking directly into the eyes of god. As the morning warmed the air around us, birds began to replace stars, and I was certain of my decision. Although my adventure had not led me to “staying with the Huichol” I had been able to understand a part of why they so seldom gave access to those who would attempt to convince them something was missing. February 1, 2014 February 8, 2014 LaMa Tagged blue deer, evangelism, Huichol, mission, ojo de dios, Real de Catorce, sierra madre, sunrise Leave a comment	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0041.json.gz/line3735
__label__cc	0.590535	0.409465	Msw Programs Near Me University of KSOU is a leading provider of distance learning courses, correspondence M Tech & degrees in subjects such as Computer Science and Electrical Engg. Western New Mexico University Master’s of Social Work (MSW) program is accredited by CSWE. Page provides info on online and campus programs. According to World Bank, Data from the report shows that safety nets—which include cash, in-kind transfers, social pensions, public works, and school feeding programs targeted to poor and vulnerable households—also lower inequality, and reduce the poverty gap by about 45 percent, even if they do not emerge from poverty. Baylor Social Work offers degree programs in social work, which prepare professionals for careers in the social services worldwide, promoting the dignity of individuals and social justice. Clinical Social Workers Also see: Social Work Related Jobs listing for Kentuckiana. If you have come here from someone else’s web site and are stuck inside their frames, click here. “Connected Parenting advises us not just how to parent, but—far more important—who to be as parents. The therapeutic methods suggested by Jennifer Kolari are based not on simple-minded behavioural solutions, but on building warm, nurturing relationships with our children, with insight and compassion not only for their little flaws, but also . I just wanted to let you know I’m still doing great! You helped me so much when I really needed it. I won’t forget it. — A.J. former client ABOUT DEPARTMENTS. The Computer Center was established with the help of benevolent donation of Shri Rasiklal Jamnadas Shah family towards the construction of building. With over 50 years of experience teaching social work to students, the University of Alabama has established itself as one of the top schools in the nation for social work, including online social work graduate programs. Graduate and undergraduate art therapy schools and programs in Ohio. . READ : Online Msw Programs Georgia Another Picture of msw programs near me: By https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/570280744275017728/mkplF-Xl_400x400.png GALLERY IMAGES List Photos Banner Download of msw programs near me By https://borealist.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/social-work-programs-near-me-history-web.128112241-std.jpg By https://www.earnmydegree.com/sites/all/files/public/images/Salary-Image-Child-Family.png By https://www.gradschools.com/sites/all/files/public/images/careers-in-social-work-small.jpg By http://packagedforsuccess.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/i-love-social-work-300×244.jpg By http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_M28eCa9M63U/TVBPZpMEpVI/AAAAAAAABjw/B1FdWZsVk8c/s400/social%2Bworker.jpg By https://borealist.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/childhood-education-programs-1427135835.jpg Top Social Work Programs Msw Programs In Maryland Social Work Degree Columbia Social Work Masters Masters Degree Social Work Accredited Online Colleges Michigan Best Business Universities Best Msw Programs In The World Columbia Msw Program Social Work Accreditation Simmons School Of Social Work Accreditation Graduate School Of Social Work	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0041.json.gz/line3739
__label__cc	0.704435	0.295565	Pest Related News from Across the UK Whether you're a pest management professional or interest in public health pest control, take a look at our latest pest news, advice and features from around the UK. xFeaturebox-pests View all news VIDEO: General licences for bird control; update and next steps An update on the current (June 2019) bird general licence situation in England. This webinar will have the most current advice for pest controllers who lethally control pest bird species. Durin Pests news from BPCA Pest controller and customer relationships in flea treatments Pest control \| PPC95 May 2019 Richard Moseley, National Account and Technical Manager of Bayer CropScience investigates what a pest management professional can do to foster a strong customer relationship. Now is a key period for flea control with warmer temperatures leading to increased activity and breeding of the pest. As a rapid response is required from the homeowner and pest controller to achieve successful treatment, collaboration, trust and communication is key. Educating homeowners in the steps that need to be taken before and after flea control applications should be a priority for pest controllers to ensure successful, efficient control. A two-pronged attack from homeowners and pest controllers is the best way to successfully treat flea infestations. Flea infestations can escalate quickly due to the pest’s prolific breeding pattern, which can see them lay between 800 to 1,000 eggs within their lifecycle. This is why it’s important to treat properties as soon as possible to ensure the infestation doesn’t build up and become harder to control. However, many people are not keen to admit to a flea infestation, so it’s important to make homeowners feel comfortable when they contact you about the problem – often flea infestations are just bad luck. Involving the homeowner in the planning process will help them to understand the procedure, feel more comfortable and also improve the efficacy of the treatment. How to identify flea infestations Although flea infestations in domestic cases are usually easy to identify, it’s important to know what you are dealing with before visiting the property. Once homeowners have made contact about a suspected flea infestation, try to gather as much information as possible. Understanding if they have pets in the house is the first step. Ask customers to inspect animals for fleas and bites and any itching or scratching. Humans can also get bites, particularly around the ankles, and this is an indicator of flea infestations spreading around the house. Seasons and weather conditions can also play a part. Flea infestations tend to be more problematic in the summer because the warmer weather increases insect activity and breeding. Also, animals go outside more and are more likely to pick up fleas from interaction with other animals or fleas that have survived in the grass. Pre-treatment measures Once you’ve gained as much information as possible from the homeowner, give them some simple steps to follow before you visit the property to treat. Ask them to vacuum the whole house to remove any larvae, fleas and debris from between gaps in the floorboards, on furniture and in carpets. The vibrations caused by vacuuming may also cause fleas to advance from the pupation to adult stage, increasing the likelihood of the treatment having direct contact with the insect. Vacuuming will also remove any dust and dirt which could act as a barrier between the insecticide and the pest. The cleaner the treatment area the better the product will work. Access to the whole house is vital for treatment success. Ask the homeowner to clear the floors in all rooms, wash any pet bedding and indicate the areas where pets sleep, as these can be the most densely infested areas that can be missed during routine cleaning. To reduce the likelihood of re-infestation after treatment ensure the customer treats pets for fleas and empties the contents of the vacuum outside. Preventative flea treatment is the best way to control fleas in pets. When arriving at the property, carry out a thorough survey of the entire house to grasp the full extent of the infestation. Once the survey is complete and the site is ready for treatment, make the homeowner aware of the exclusion time before applying the product. It’s important to use a product that has a long-lasting residual effect, and consideration should be given to the insecticide’s active ingredients, and resistance management if regular treatments are made. It’s important to read the product label to ensure that the product is being applied at the correct dosage rate for the location and pest it is controlling. Bayer recommends... “The Bayer Advantage® flea treatment controls fleas if they’re already a problem and also provides up to 28-days protection against the pest. This is a spot-on treatment that kills fleas through contact, rather than oral products where fleas must be attached and feeding for the treatment to take effect.” “I would suggest using a product such as Ficam W, which is a long-lasting broad-spectrum carbamate spray for control of a wide range of pests, and because it isn’t a pyrethroid it’s an ideal tool for resistance management. “It’s odourless, non-tainting and non-corrosive which makes it the perfect product for use in a home environment around pets. “If further treatment is required then K-Othrine WG is the perfect solution because it has a different mode of action, helping to reduce resistance build up.” Once the treatment has been undertaken, provide guidance to ensure treatment is successful and help prevent further infestations. Ask the homeowner to avoid vacuuming for as long as possible after the treatment to allow the insecticide to work to its full capability. It’s also important to stress that pet flea treatment needs to continue on a regular basis to prevent further infestations. Product labels should be checked thoroughly for application details, but they typically need to be treated every three months. Flea infestations are a common issue in many households, so ensuring homeowners feel confident seeking professional advice, is vital. Ultimately the bigger the infestation the more time, work and money required to get on top of it. That’s why it’s important to educate homeowners that professional pest control is required to control these infestations. WANT TO WRITE FOR PPC MAGAZINE? Got an idea for an article that you think will help pest management professionals with their practice? hello@bpca.org.uk Source: PPC95 Bee removal and Glis glis added to Find a pest controller tool The ever-popular BPCA Find a pest controller tool now includes options for ethical bee removal and Glis glis treatments. BPCA member companies that offer bee removal (rather BPCA marks World Pest Day 2019 with message to local authorities Today is World Pest Day and to celebrate we’re launching a targeted campaign to local authorities. We’re urging councils across the UK to put pest management firmly on their radar,	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0041.json.gz/line3740
__label__cc	0.55181	0.44819	UK faces Comms Bill disaster because DCMS doesn’t get it The government has released a schedule of seminars designed to gather information that will inform the Green Paper that will lead to a new Communications Bill in 2015. The supporting rationale suggests it is bent on solving last century’s issues, not those of a fully digital, hypernetworked, globally competitive economy. In short the department of culture, media and sport (DCMS) just doesn’t get it. Starting in July delegates will address The Consumer Perspective (4 July) Competition in the Content Market (9 July) Maximising the value of spectrum to support growth and innovation (12 July) Driving investment and growth in the UK’s TV content industries (16 July) Supporting growth in the radio (audio) sector (September) Fundamental to the debate is the broadband market in the UK, which underpins everything DCMS would like to happen. The government appears to think this job is done. It is wrong. It says it “is already investing a total of £830 million by 2015 into improving broadband connectivity in poorly served, mainly rural areas, upgrading mobile infrastructure and establishing some of Europe’s best connected cities. Government must now also consider the other crucial building block of digital infrastructure: spectrum.” In fact, there is not yet a single live line in the country that has come through the BDUK procurement framework process, which governs the £830m. The nine firms invited to pitch for the business resulted in two suppliers – BT and Fujitsu – hardly a rampantly competitive scenario. Furthermore, the European Commission has stalled the release of BDUK’s funds because none of the UK proposals put forward so far meet its target of a universal 30Mbps broadband service by 2020. There has been some movement on this; existing contracts such as Cornwall, which offer “up to” 24Mbps, will be allowed to go ahead, but new ones must meet the 30Mbps target. The timing of the seminars is curious. Not only is DCMS distracted by the Olympics, but the House of Lords communications committee is looking at the broadband issue. It has heard evidence that the fibre to the cabinet solution proposed by both BT and Virgin Media is a technological dead-end, unlikely to meet Europe’s secondary target of 50% of users receiving a 100Mbps service. The committee’s findings and recommendations are unlikely to inform the seminars, but may be out in time for the Green Paper DCMS hopes to publish early in 2013. Similarly with Ofcom’s business connectivity review. This three-yearly review of the network services available to businesses, such as leased lines and backhaul, will not start before July, an Ofcom spokesman says. Its conclusions, which will assess issues such as competition levels and barriers to entry in this £2bn/y market, are unlikely to be available much before year-end. This leaves little time to absorb and debate them before they are incorporated, or not, in the Green Paper. Fit for purpose? It is true that DCMS has some important issues to put to bed. These include online copyright, content creation and protection, and access to content. However, these issues derive from rather than drive the physical networks. The government appears to believe that the UK has a network infrastructure fit for purpose for the networked age. There is plenty of evidence that this not the case. At the consumer level there are just two physical networks, BT’s and Virgin Media’s. They presently overlap, duplicating coverage for about 50% of the UK’s houses. It is unlikely that VM will go much further than this for fear of being forced to provide third parties like BT with physical access to its ducts or wholesale access to its fibres and cables. This is likely to leave BT with an effective fixed network monopoly in the two-thirds of the country where the “Final Third” of the people live. Of course, there are other fixed networks, such as those of Geo, of Cable&Wireless Worldwide, of Vtesse Networks, that criss-cross the country. But they do not offer connections to residential customers. Some, such as Gigaclear, do. But they are very small and their business models fragile. BT has a product, PIA or physical infrastructure access, that allows third parties access to its poles and ducts. So far only Andy Conibere’s CallFlow Solutions has taken it up. Matthew Hare, CEO of Gigaclear, says CallFlow can do it because it gets its money upfront from customers. Hare has looked at PIA and rejected it. He’s put off not so much by the price (which Fujitsu and Virgin Media say is way higher than cost) but by the terms and conditions. “You can use PIA only for residential customers,” he says. “BT knows that any viable business plan to service rural areas relies on being able to go to all customers, including businesses,” he says. That’s not all. Hare says, among other things, you have to disclose your entire roll-out plan, and pay BT to survey the ducts you want to use. “They should know what’s available and what condition it’s in,” he says. Other firms, such as TalkTalk and Sky, simply rent BT’s local access networks to deliver TV, broadband and voice services to customers. The rent they pay BT, or rather Openreach, ensures that BT still profits from the transaction. This is common practice throughout Europe Wireless worlds Then there are the wireless network operators, led by the mobile phone companies (MNOs and MVNOs like Virgin Mobile who rent their entire network infrastructure from Vodafone, Orange, O2 or Three). They are increasingly interested in serving data products to consumers, but preferably only in towns. Besides, they have to rent space on fixed networks to hook up with the UK’s core networks and internet peering points. This is why Vodafone’s mooted takeover of CWW is a possible game-changer; it gives the mobile operator instant access to a fixed network whose backbone is probably as extensive as BT’s and which could backhaul wireless local access links in competition to BT. It also responds to the £100m, eight year backhaul deal between Virgin Media Business and MBNL, the network company for Everything Everywhere (O2 and Orange) and Three, signed in September 2011. The only wireless network operator with coverage comparable to BT is Arqiva, whose main job is distributing TV and radio broadcasts. BT and Arqiva are in a joint venture with Detica to compete for the network for the smart meter project that will connect the UK’s 28 million homes and offices. Content competition The UK has the world’s second largest independent television production sector, is the second biggest exporter of music, the largest video games industry in Europe, and the fourth largest film market. That suggests the UK’s content businesses are doing all right. DCMS says the “creative industries” including publishing, contribute 2.5% of GVA (gross value added), about £36bn, and employ 1.5 million people. Ofcom’s Communications Market report for 2011 largely corroborates it. It says TV revenue was up 5.7% to £11.8bn, radio was up 2.8% to £1.1bn, recorded music was down 8.6% to £1.2bn (but legal downloads were up 5% to 24% of sales), advertising was £16bn, 24% of it online, about the same as TV. But that hides some problems. Publishers and other rights holders worldwide have been stunned by the proliferation and fragmentation of media. Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Huffington Post, Google, Amazon etc have made mincemeat of business models that depend on high-priced access to exclusive content. Even so, it is staggering to find DCMS wants to debate “whether convergence in the content market should require a degree of convergence in the telecoms/broadcast competition regimes”. It is hard to know what this actually means. It makes no sense unless it is a veiled threat to the ability of the likes of Google, Amazon, Apple and Sky to do deals that aggregate content and deliver it to customers for a price they are willing to pay. These firms provide platforms for ordinary people to create and distribute their own content, without bothering cartel-like middlemen like record companies and book publishers. There are things to be said about excessive market power and abuse of personal information, whose disclosure is often the price paid. But that is a different issue to one that should inform a Communications Bill. By ignoring the issue of competition at the network infrastructure level, the government is in danger of condemning the UK to a sclerotic digital infrastructure that is not fit for purpose in the 21st century. By missing or ignoring the fact that the future networks are as much about uploading and sharing as downloading and consuming, the government risks duplicating the content distribution cartels of the previous century. Let the debate begin. Posted in Broadband, Internet, Legal, News, Politics Tagged with BDUK, BT, Copper, Copyright, DCMS, Digital Britain, Everything Everywhere, Geo, Google, Mobile, O2, Ofcom, Openreach, Orange, rural broadband, Three, Virgin Media, Vodafone, Vtesse « BT to duplicate B4RN fibre footprint Comms policy in chaos, and/or UK govt abandons competition ethic » As you say Ian, not one live line delivered by BDUK and hardly surprising really when we consider what the acronym DCMS stands for… culture media and sport for heaven’s sake! What is lacking in the Digital Britain debate is any basic understanding of the science behind telecommunications which a reading of http://www.salon.com/2003/03/12/spectrum/ might help any interested person grasp. The Leveson Inquiry has lifted the lid a little on the neo-fascist convergence of big government and big business where control of media is concerned. Present-day Telecoms in the UK is a £multi-billion racket where artificial scarcity is deliberately engineered from actual abundance to the detriment of the many for the benefit of the few. And the few, led by BT, understandably seek to protect the status quo. Unique amongst the other public utilities, telecoms is a two-way relationship and for it to flourish government needs to recognise the old truism that three is a crowd and butt-out. Otherwise the UK will find itself in 2020 the digital dead-end of the EU, as Peter Cochrane pointed out the the House of Lords recently. Guy Jarvis “There has been some movement on this; existing contracts such as Cornwall, which offer “up to” 24Mbps, will be allowed to go ahead, but new ones must meet the 30Mbps target.” I will have an opportunity to ask our BDUK rep later this am what this means, but does anyone know what qualifies as an ‘existing contract’? i.e Is it any LA plan that has not gone to tender or procurement/that has been ‘approved’ by BDUK/that has passed any of the BDUK ‘check points’? I really hope someone knows! Mike Phillips “You can use PIA only for residential customers,” Is that true, or does he mean only to provide broadband services? It is true. Ofcom allows BT to hide behind regulation which prevents operators from using ducts/poles for multiple revenue streams, eg business and public sector. Thus the economics do not stack up and it’s not a level playing field. Ayres End Consulting PIA can be used to supply SMEs on contended broadband services but not for leased lines. It’s available from exchanges out to customers, but not from exchanges to elsewhere. This is because PIA relies on BT’s SMP in the first/last mile access network. Backhaul from exchanges and leased lines are deemed to have a competitive market / product offering as i understand it. yarwell (@yarwell) The link from Guy ignores any of the technology available at the time. The Caller ID example is particularly daft. ‘If the phone network were like the Internet’. The internet didn’t exist as we know it today when Caller ID was introduced. […] Olympics. As I indicated in my previous blog , DCMS is focussed on the intra-UK issues of the past. Ian Grant says that DCMS does not get it . At one level he is correct. But they have different priorities after the public victory of those […] DCMS kicks the future into touch while focussing on the past \| E RADAR \| Smarter business online I think DCMS has had too much on its plate and the olympics were the final straw. I don’t think it has fully understood the physics of the job. DCMS has been given too much info from the main players and hasn’t seen any alternative solutions, so has taken the easy route. I think the regulator has let them down and isn’t fit for purpose. I think the ASA has let them down and isn’t fit for purpose. I think they should have listened to the people who pay their wages. I think they should have found out all the facts, and then made an informed decision instead of being bamboozled into what the monopoly wants them to do. I think that they should be honest, admit this country is broke, admit they can’t do the best broadband in Europe but will do the best they can, for the benefit of most of the population, using the infrastructure we already have. That is what is going to happen. All this funding is a strawman. All these ‘reviews’ are a waste of time if we don’t have the capacity we are going to need in the future. We need to break free from the incumbent and its scarcity model which although is cheap and cheerful now, and has been great for 1st generation access, will become exorbitantly expensive to run in the future, and people will turn off. If we want to get everyone online we need ubiquitous, affordable fat pipes, not a dribble from a copper tap. DCMS your failings will catch you out. Truth always comes out in the end. This was our chance to get some new altnets to provide competition, get some innovation going, get connections to the many rural areas where people are struggling on dial up or expensive satellites, and do the hardest places first. The new fibre altnets would have made the incumbent up their game in the cities, and everyone would have won. You have blown it by giving it to the incumbent to help those online go a ‘bit’ faster, and preserve the life of their phone network. Copper is not the future, but it looks like its the future for most of the UK for another decade. Thanks. Chris Conder Rather than soundbites like ‘ubiquitous, affordable fat pipes’ what is needed in detail and what typical costs should be involved for access to infrastructure? Always with the rhetorical questions, eh, Somerset? As you know, the answer is that it all depends. You’ve read the B4RN business plan – you can work out the direct costs of doing a fibre roll-out in rural areas pretty accurately from that. BT’s cost base is higher because it rents wayleaves from landowners and has expensive management an shareholders that want dividends. B4RN has some of those costs too, but it has found innovative ways to minimise them. BT hasn’t, and has no incentive to do so, unless it’s faces competition. Ian Grant With thanks to Malcolm Corbett http://www.linkedin.com/groups/New-Draft-Broadband-State-Aid-3982847.S.122802968?view=&gid=3982847&type=member&item=122802968&commentID=-1&trk=view_disc and others, I see the detail to which Ian refers is ‘Draft’, but I suspect will soon become ‘the law’. Malcolm gives us the link to the draft at http://ec.europa.eu/competition/consultations/2012_broadband_guidelines/en.pdf. Yesterday BDUK appeared not to have heard of this, so I suggested they asked some questions. A quick skim through the typical EU document suggests that the area of immediate interest is at part 3 page 15 on. The comments of ‘encumbent telcos infrastructure’ make interesting reading We here feel a real, crucial need now for Mr H to get up on his back legs and tell us how it looks. It would appear that, if this becomes the EU ‘law’ on state aid for NGA, BT do not have a hope in hell of a USC of 30mb on the cul-de-sac of FTTC. This would represent a dramatic shift in the tendering process. BT and Fujitsu are refusing to sign into the BDUK framework as chosen suppliers while the doubts exist. I do not know if the Fujitsu plan would produce a USC of 30mb, but if so, the whole scenery shifts dramatically. The biggest danger here is delay. This will probably take months to resolve, putting all the HMG ‘2015’ plans into a big black box, and moving UK ever closer to the EU 2020 ‘deadline’. It also throws the RCBF funding into disarray. There is a glimmer of hope, (assuming we had a government with initiative and commonsense…………..!) where the EU talk of producing a fibre backbone across the UK as being ‘acceptable’ for state aid and leaving the FTTP part to telcos whose costs would now be drastically reduced. Dare we mention ‘infrastructure investment’ to David? So, Jeremy – in a nutshell – more and more folk are talking about the grand plan – it is time you did. Admit that BT and FTTC is waste of time – why don’t you? Admirably put, Mike. Confirms what Peter Cochrane told the House of Lords communications committee too – FTTC as proposed by BT is a dead-end as far as future-proofing residential access to broadband goes, and will leave UK behind Europe and other more economically determined nations. It will also hamstring the SMEs that are the life-blood of the economy by raising their costs for access to speeds that will give them proper access to cloud computing services. But there are solutions. Ofcom did produce the Active Line Access standard interface. That would allow communities to dig their “middle mile” connections to a backbone fibre. Since this is where much of the cost of fibre-ing up the country arises, we need to debate it more fully. I’m also sure there’s a business to be made in digging trenches from homes to the fibres that pass the homes, which is the other big cost. And I’m pretty sure a lot of homeowners would be happy to spend an afternoon or so doing it themselves, if they knew what was needed. B4RN shows what can happen when a community pulls together in rural areas, and David Brunnen hints at what can be done in the suburbs. Thanks, Ian. Yes, we wait for the HoL to adjudicate (I fear for ‘political’ reasons I should not hold my breath……………) but I do really think the country now needs a clear statement from HMG/DCMS as to how they now see the broadband landscape. After all, supposing we are pushed towards the 2020 line by the EU ‘debates/delays’ etc, it would be just a few short years in which we would have to literally dig up most of the existing (£830million) ‘infrastructure’, and effectively chuck most of it away to get FMP – and drag the lucky ‘2mb+’ folk up to 30mb+. Is this the legacy a proper, caring government wants to/should leave the next government? Is this what Mr and Mrs UKPLC want done with their money? Is it time to dust off the ‘village pump’ concept, encourage community/telco involvement in CiCs and the like? The village pump concept is a good one, but one the people in charge of policy choose to ignore because of the relentless propaganda from the monopoly incumbent, who has a marketing budget most companies would kill for. All I can say to the politicians and quangos currently in charge is remember, there is no such thing as a free lunch, and history will hold you accountable for the fiasco we know and love called ‘digital britain’. Chris – we sing from the same sheet. Having spent a happy few minutes ‘Googling’ I find myself now even more surprised that out two BDUK reps claimed not to be aware of the 30mb thing yesterday, especially since this (rather confusing) pdf was issued by BDUK on 20 March http://www.culture.gov.uk/images/publications/State_aid_Guidance_Overview_of_the_Scheme.pdf. calling for 30mb – all we need now is to find out what qualifies as a ‘new project’ (Note 3 page 3). This would certainly clear some very muddy water. As another siource put it “Similarly there’s the question of how you define a “new project“, at the tender or deployment phase? For example, BT’s national rollout of 40-80Mbps capable superfast FTTC services will reach 66% of the UK in 2014 through private sector investment and could hit 90% with full public funding. This might potentially be described as “underway“, yet officially the majority of Local Broadband Plans (LBPs) have yet to award their contracts.” PS Do they mean ‘reach’ or ‘pass’……………………………….? There is a vast difference) For my money DCMS/BDUK has been hamstrung by a lack of commercial awareness from the start. A lack of understanding about what else is possible, and how it can be delivered. Buying in external help in the form of consultants that simply dusted off previous work in the sector and other ‘utility’ type projects hasn’t helped either. The final nail in the coffin has been the involvement of the Treasury. The Treasury, like the professor in the Italian Job, likes things big. So they can’t conceive that a series of niche players could deliver competition and innovation in the market place, they want big bank balances and single entities to deal with. The analysis and costing has been based on reinforcing existing business models and upgrading existing network topologies, rather than new business models. This missed a golden opportunity to deregulate the market place, introduce more competition and foster innovation. Instead they have followed with dogged tenacity the programme of a ‘framework’ of approved suppliers barring anyone who doesn’t have very deep pockets and the ability to lobby at the highest levels. Still, on the bright side, what ever they build will work. Tim Sharwood Hi Tim – thanks for that. I agree with everything except your last point. Yes, what they build will work, up to a point, which is the limit of copper and ADSL technology. It is completely unsuitable for doing things like backing-up to cloud storage, or as noted elsewhere in these comments, for dealing with the contention issue, which even GPON is prey to. Hi Ian/Chris, I’m not in favour of it, but whatever they build will work, even if only for the (very low) target of 90% at 24Mbps that BDUK have been duped into setting. I think we all agree that the target is too low and the business model and funding allocation process flawed. Let’s hope that the new State Aid position puts the framework into question and we can all start again with some proper analysis and some genuine disruption to the market. The last bit is wrong… whatever they build they will assure ministers is working, just like they have with adsl implemented in 2003, they have assured everyone in power that the masses have access to broadband, but its not true, many don’t. The limitations of copper phone lines will hold this country back for another generation, it just won’t work properly. A few urban areas maybe, but even they can’t get what they need. No symmetry. High data charges, ISPs struggling to afford bandwith/backhaul to keep prices down, throttling, capping. Scarcity model is hardly the way to move into the digital revolution. As usual, far more explicit, succinct and useful than me. Thanks Chris 😉 Chris, you need to explain in detail these statements. How copper will hold back the country by explaining the speeds available, why only a ‘few urban areas’ when FTTC is available to many and fibre on demand and VM give more than 50% of the UK significant speeds. Should we worry about ISPs that can’t keep prices down, maybe they should not be in business. Or should we accept that to get the infrastructure we need that pricing has to be realistic. Challenger network operators show that incumbents price copper so that they extract all the profit from LLU, leaving nothing for third party ISPs. http://bit.ly/LqRRwN. This is a failure of national regulators. If fibre is so expensive why does BT price it at copper rates http://www.productsandservices.bt.com/consumerProducts/displayTopic.do?topicId=25633? Isn’t it the installation cost of fibre into existing premises that’s the issue here. Particularly where the take up may be low as many people find their current speed acceptable. Is the only solution government funding for all premises? No. See B4RN. B4RN works in its particular environment and relies on free community labour. Would they be able to dig the streets of a town to get fibre into homes and businesses at an acceptable cost to users? So how does TalkTalk do broadband for £3.25/month if ISPs are struggling. Just asking. Maybe many ISPs are struggling because of Sky (bundles), BT Retail, TalkTalk and VM. Many people would struggle to name an ISP that wasn’t one of those. Left out Be/O2. Together they make up the 90-odd per cent of retail ISPs, I’m told. Yes. of course. Oops! How many ISPs make up to 10% and what to they offer that keeps them in business? Despite what Chris says, again, a link to evidence that copper as a delivery method will not actually provide a service for many for years to come now avoiding the expense of digging roads and pavements would help the discussion. Anyway in 10 years wireless will give us all 1G, maybe. We could avoid the expense of digging roads and pavements if we had a sensible regime on Physical Infrastructure Access, don’t you agree? These are the questions you could be asking: Why should BT be allowed to put up arbitrary bans on certain types of customers? Why should BT be allowed to refuse to accommodate Active Line Access? Why should BT enjoy the protection offered by the business rates tax regime on fibre? Are some more equal than others? Yes, what costs etc for access would work? Clearly free access for the villagers to run cables themselves over a weekend was never feasible! Nothing stopping BT or Virgin from letting people dig and install ducts towards their cables. There are probably some in villages who would like the extra work if the home owner couldn’t or didn’t want to do it themselves. That’s zero cost to the network operator. Or, as you say, just go wireless from the digital village pump. Save all that digging. I will be following up my input to BDUK later in the week, although it may fall under an NDA, but I will see if it makes any sense. In the meantime, who has an MP brave enough to ask ‘wtfigo’ in the house? Mine is a government minister, so that’s dead duck. Another ‘interested party’s’ is JH himself……………………. Time is not on the side of all the BDUK framework participants dependent on ‘State Aid’ approval, nor of RCBF applicants and not for the UK in general, and things need to be clarified. That’s enough to frighten a minister :-))) Anybody??? Rory Stewart? All local MPs will only accept inputs from constituents. Tried that route ages ago. Got nowhere. There are some Cumbrians, or people who know Rory, who read this blog. Please make yourselves known to Mike if you think you can help. I think Rory is too busy with the Afghans, and our local MPs have been fed information from the councils assuring them that BT will deliver a solution. They believe them. I am not sure MPs can find the time to actually investigate enough to find the truth. They are very busy people. They trust the councils. The councils and the MPs have been brainwashed by the vital vision course which has been running for a decade. Brainwashing I think they call it. https://docs.google.com/file/d/1gQznXpDsHabevh4gjWeCIyhtsZrxr4JGCA30a1KE3LS341ICiLWlCCN4l05b/edit?hl=en_US&authkey=CLGkx1Y Chris – all we really need, in my opinion, right now is not the ‘big picture’ broadband stuff but more where the EU state aid draft is going to attack.. Would Rory ask that do you think? I think Rory is a good one to ask. He gets IT. He has done a lot of work in the past to help his constituency. Anyone here prepared to have a go? Lets lobby via the groups we have, and hope that those in Parliament wake up to their error, but having just read this article in the Telegraph about HS2 one has little hope, Civil Servants in Whitehall are so out of touch with the modern commercial and social world that it is difficult for them to grasp these concepts. Don’t forget back in the 60s HM Treasury stopped UK investment in satellites because it couldn’t see a purpose or a market for them…. Telegraph Article on HS2 http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/road-and-rail-transport/9321412/Benefits-of-HS2-were-exaggerated-secret-report-reveals.html We have been lobbying for a decade, but we don’t have the marketing budget of our opposition… remember the vital vision? All people in power or expected to be in power one day were treated to it. Presumably there is a similar one for HS2, windmills, solar panels etc. You begin to wonder if a revolution is needed, as every party falls for it, its not a political thing. All – the priority here is, as I have said, to get some clarity on the effect of any EU restriction on the BDUK ‘plans’ – not, as I think all of us except Somerset think, that FTTC is a waste of time and money.. IF this means the 24/2mb targets are non-viable in terms of state funding, that will take care of those concerns of ours. Let’s not waste time and effort preaching to the converted, but I seek a way to get the.truth out of HMG – yes, a difficult if not impossible task, I know. If it turns out that the BDUK 24/2 (wireless??) gets the ‘nod’ from Brussels THEN we can go back to.berating Thatcher and all the others complicit in this stitch-up. Does Rory represent anyone here? My MP is Eric Ollerenshaw, this is him speaking about it at the House of Commons http://www.parliamentlive.tv/Main/Player.aspx?meetingId=8323&st=15:36:20.5100000 perhaps we could get him to ferret the truth out? He admits he isn’t technical, but he does support rural people in his constituency in their fight for internet access. I’m not dead set against FTTC but I do think there should be open market competition. I suspect Thatcherites would not have allowed such a cosy cartel to continue. Disruption and market innovation was their mantra, at least we got Virgin Media, O2 and Vodafone out of them. Thatcher was before my time here, so I have nothing to say about that. But fighting the wars of the 1980s will not be productive 30 years on, I suspect. Nor will trying to get the government to tell you the truth. Civil servants know how to string this out so that you lose momentum and focus. As they say actions speak louder than words. Their action -> your reaction. But the initiative can be with you, as B4RN shows. What else will you do with it? All I’m saying about FTTC is that it’s what many may have as the only faster option. What are the sums for rolling out FTTP to properties where pavements need digging and take up is initally low? With the HS2 case looking shaky maybe there is another use for the money… Would mean less travelling. Surely it’s time to drop all this stuff about ‘copper’ and focus on speeds, throughput etc. regardless of the method of delivery. What exactly is your objection to competition based on infrastructure? What if the energy companies, that have to install a network for smart grid decide, as they have in Norway, to become communications providers too? Is that unacceptable to you? It’s certainly why BT and Arqiva and Detica have put their hat in the ring – to forestall such an event. No issues at all, just trying to get a discussion based on detailed facts and statements. Smart metering, it’s becoming interesting… This has been given as an example for high speed broadband whereas the data rates are tiny. Credit card transactions work on dialup (but take a while), similar. “There are risks and costs to action. But they are far less than the long range risks of comfortable inaction.” – John Fitzgerald Kennedy	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0041.json.gz/line3741
__label__wiki	0.926579	0.926579	Malagasy: Remains Of Leading Independence Fighter, Jean Ralaimongo, Transferred To Newly-Opened National Mausoleum. 1977 VLVA6RGNVQUU17FNO2AJT01NJZL0Q-MALAGASY-REMAINS-OF-LEADING-INDEPENDENCE-FIGHTER-JEAN-RALAIMONGO INTRODUCTION The remains of two of the Malagasy Republic's most famous heroes in the country's fight for independence now lie in a National Mausoleum, in the capital Antananarivo. GV Mausoleum in Antananarivo, Malagasy. GV Crowds along roadside as coffin arrives in lorry. GV Plinth GV Coffin being carried up, draped in flag, and laid down as crowd watch. (3 shots) GV Coffin in foreground, ZOOM IN TO dead man's widow. GV President Didier Ratsiraka in dark suit arrives with escort of troops. CU Coffin with President and others standing by. GV Crowd CU President, PULL OUT TO SV of President and army officers with coffins in front. GV PAN Crowd looking on with armed soldiers on guard. GV Coffin being carried in to crypt. SVs Officer carrying flaming torch and lighting plinth as others salute. SV AND GV Crowds filing past Mausoleum. (2 shots) Initials VS 15.20 Background: INTRODUCTION The remains of two of the Malagasy Republic's most famous heroes in the country's fight for independence now lie in a National Mausoleum, in the capital Antananarivo. SYNOPSIS: A special ceremony took place on Tuesday (29 March), the day after the new building had been opened. It marked the 30th anniversary of the uprising which eventually led to the country's independence from France. Probably the leading figure in the struggle for independence was Jean Ralaimongo. He died in 1943, four years before the uprising, but historians consider he was largely responsible for the initial impetus. His widow was at the ceremony. President Didier Ratsiraka, Premier since independence, attended the ceremony and several thousand people also turned out for the ceremony, including members of several youth movements. The other remains to be installed in the Mausoleum are those of an unknown soldier who was though to have died in the battle of Moramanga, which was considered the first in the independence struggles. Malagasy was a French colony from 1896 to 1946. It then became a member of the French community after the uprising and was finally granted complete independence in June 1960. The country still remains a member of the French community. Malagasy's currently implementing changes approved last year under a new constitution. Elections for local government began earlier this month and they're the first stage to voting by the whole country for a People's National Assembly, or the national government. Eventually it's hoped to establish a combined party system of government. MALAGASY: RALAIMONGO, NEWLY-OPENED MAUSOLEUM. VLVA6RGNVQUU17FNO2AJT01NJZL0Q Acre Aka Arab Refugees Arabs who left during the Israeli war of independence begin to return home. Panama - News From The West American troops confront rioters on Independence Day in Panama City. Singapore Special - David Marshal Returns Mr David Marshal, Chief Mister of Singapore, arrives in London. Biafrans Demonstrate Biafrans hold demonstration and march to Downing Street over political interference. London. Independence Celebrations Mrs Indira Gandhi and people of India celebrate 21 years of Independence. Delhi. Korean Riots Korean Nationalist forces clash with Korean Communist elements. Workers' Houses Opened To Celebrate 5th Anniversary Of The Independence Of Varsovie Bricks carried on conveyor belt to bricklayers at work on wall of building, pan over devastation. Algeria Celebrates Independence Parades and dancing in the streets of Algeria in celebration of Independence Day. Algeria Referendum France preparing for a referendum on Algeria	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0041.json.gz/line3745
__label__wiki	0.869204	0.869204	Eagles continue to troll the Patriots, including a banner flying over Gillette Stadium Hey, have you heard the Philadelphia Eagles beat the New England Patriots in last season’s Super Bowl? It’s hard to forget with all the reminders. With the Eagles traveling to New England for a preseason game on Thursday night, it seemed like a perfect time for the Eagles and their fans to remind the Patriots who hoisted the Lombardi Trophy. Like they forgot. First, Eagles fans put up a billboard near Gillette Stadium that showed some key moments from Super Bowl LII. That cost $5,000. And if that was the only time it was mentioned all week, that would be pretty funny. But the Eagles weren’t done. An Eagles banner flew over Gillette Stadium Most notably, a lifelong Eagles fan paid $1,000 for a plane to fly over Gillette Stadium before Thursday’s game with a banner that had the score from the Super Bowl, according to John Clark of NBC Sports Philadelphia. A lifelong Eagles fan from Bucks County paid $1,000 for a ✈️ to flyover Gillette Stadium, just reminding Patriots fans the score of the Super Bowl 🔥🔥#FlyEaglesFly pic.twitter.com/7B8u7W9Iit — John Clark (@JClarkNBCS) August 16, 2018 It’s bad enough to lose a Super Bowl. It’s worse to get reminded of it for a full week in August by the team that beat you. Eagles players trolled the Patriots too The banner flying over the stadium wasn’t all. As Eagles players hit the field to warm up, they noticed there was a blank space where the Patriots’ championship banners go. Cornerback Jalen Mills and guard Stefen Wisniewski both gleefully pointed it out on Twitter. #FlyEaglesFly 🦅❗️ pic.twitter.com/zlXNi80D0q — Jalen Mills (@greengoblin) August 16, 2018 That’s the most beautiful blank space I’ve ever seen pic.twitter.com/gJb33WvPQ0 — Stefen Wisniewski (@stefenwiz61) August 16, 2018 Ouch. The Eagles players, most notably offensive tackle Lane Johnson, were fine with the role of villain in Foxborough. “Oh yeah. I hope so. I hope they raise hell,” Johnson, who has been critical of the Patriots organization in the past, said according to ESPN. “They can cuss me, they can say whatever they want. At the end of the day, I’m not blocking them, I’m blocking guys on the edge, so it really doesn’t matter what they say.” Philly won’t let you forget Nobody is feeling bad for Patriots fans. Let’s say they’ve let their voices be heard plenty of times over the Tom Brady-Bill Belichick era. So while the Eagles gloating over their Super Bowl win before a preseason game might be obnoxious to some, since it’s at the expense of the Patriots it’ll get some laughs. The Philadelphia Eagles, with Nick Foles, won last season’s Super Bowl if you haven’t heard. (AP)	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0041.json.gz/line3746
__label__wiki	0.699627	0.699627	Prince Edward Island’s recently added immigration stream for international students May 27th, 2011 Baisakhi Roy Immigration Law comments “Nominee programs have helped Prince Edward Island reach its highest ever level of immigration and have paved the way for thousands of people from around the world to explore new opportunities in our Island community,” said Innovation and Advanced Learning Minister Allan Campbell in a statement. “Equally impressive has been the significant contributions newcomers have made to Prince Edward Island by starting new businesses, purchasing homes and services, and overall contributions to enhancing our cultural diversity.” The PNP program will include two new streams, an International Student stream for recent graduates of Canadian Universities and a Critical Worker stream for lower-skilled workers where labour shortages exist, within its Labour Impact Category. The province will look for individuals acting as island agents in the Business Impact Category of the program. The government will give priority to new residents who want to own and operate businesses in the province’s primary industries or the four pillar sectors which are aerospace, bioscience, renewable energy and information technology. Also, priority will be given to those who own or establish businesses in rural Prince Edward Island. “We expect to see more new Islanders have the opportunity to integrate into our province as business leaders and community members,” he said. For more information, visit the Government of P.E.I.’s Provincial Nominee Program or call Immigration Services at (902) 620-3628. You can email your letter to editor@canadianimmigrant.ca. Please include Letters to the Editor as your subject line and ensure your letter is in the body of the email (no attachments please). critical worker stream immigration PEI international students immigration Next article Conservatives soar to majority Previous article Fiancée without status can be sponsored from within Canada Baisakhi Roy, originally from India, is a Toronto-based contributor to Canadian Immigrant. Canadian government to better track exits at borders	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0041.json.gz/line3749
__label__wiki	0.927388	0.927388	QB #16 Goff College: California Height: 6'4" Weight: 222lb '17 255.26 12 '16 53.16 33 @CAR: #24 vs opposing QB - 18.73 FPA Bye Week9 Rank8 Season Proj. Pts294.98 ADP85.28 % Owned99.8 1 @OAK 233 2 - -1 - - - - - - - - 17.22 Win, 34-0 354 1 1 2 - - - - - - 1 - 18.36 3 LAC 354 3 1 14 - - - - - - - - 25.56 465 5 - 7 - - - - - - - - 39.30 5 @SEA 6 @DEN 201 - 1 14 - - - - - - - - 7.44 7 @SF 295 3 - 7 - - - - - - 1 - 26.50 9 @NO 391 3 1 17 - - - - - - 1 - 29.34 10 SEA 11 KC 413 4 - 6 1 - - - - - - 2 35.12 13 @DET 207 1 1 -2 - - - - - - - 1 8.08 180 - 4 5 - - - - - - - - -0.30 339 - 1 11 - - - - - - - 1 10.66 16 @ARI 17 SF 199 4 - - - - - - - - - - 23.96 3 @CLE 6 SF 8 CIN 10 @PIT 12 BAL 15 @DAL 17 ARI 1 @OAK, 233 2 - -1 - - 17.22 W 34-0 354 1 1 2 - - 18.36 3 LAC, 354 3 1 14 - - 25.56 465 5 - 7 - - 39.30 5 @SEA, 6 @DEN, 201 - 1 14 - - 7.44 7 @SF, 8 GB, 9 @NO, 10 SEA, 11 KC, 413 4 - 6 1 2 35.12 12 Bye - - - - - - 0.00 13 @DET, 207 1 1 -2 - 1 8.08 180 - 4 5 - - -0.30 339 - 1 11 - 1 10.66 16 @ARI, 17 SF, 199 4 - - - - 23.96 - - - - - - 0.00 3 @CLE, 4 TB, 6 SF, 8 CIN, 9 Bye - - - - - - 0.00 10 @PIT, 12 BAL, 15 @DAL, 17 ARI, 9 Bye Fifth-year option picked up The Rams have elected to pick up Goff's fifth-year option, Vincent Bonsignore of The Athletic reports. Analysis: While the Rams aren't expected to extend Goff this offseason, the team will have him under contract through at least the 2020 campaign. The team has spent a bunch of money recently on the likes of Aaron Donald, Brandin Cooks and Todd Gurley, so it will sit on Goff's cheaper rookie deal for the time being. Coming off a 32-touchdown campaign and a Super Bowl appearance in 2018, Goff has the weapons around him in Cooks, Robert Woods, Cooper Kupp (knee) and Todd Gurley to post another healthy…read more Published: Tue, Apr 23 at 12:19pm by Rotowire.com No offseason contract extension likely Goff is not expected to receive a contract extension this offseason, Jeremy Bergman of NFL.com reports. Analysis: This isn't exactly a surprise, as Goff's fifth-year option is still significantly cheaper ($20 million) than what he'd receive via an extension --- a particularly vital fact considering recent spending sprees on Aaron Donald, Brandin Cooks and Todd Gurley in the past nine months. While Goff has improved in each of his two seasons with head coach Sean McVay, questions still linger about the quarterback's ability to lead his team to an NFL championship, with a 229-yard, one-interception stinker…read more Published: Sat, Apr 20 at 12:48pm by Rotowire.com Struggles in Super Bowl loss Goff completed 19 of 38 pass attempts for 229 yards and one interception during Sunday's 13-3 loss to the Patriots. Analysis: Goff struggled on the big stage, completing just 50 percent of his passes for 6.0 yards per attempt. He nearly completed a pair of touchdown passes to Brandin Cooks, only to see Patriots defenders break the play up on both occasions, though arguably Cooks could have made his quarterback look great had he made a tough catch. All in all, it was a disappointing performance for Goff, who played well in a 26-23 victory over the Saints in the NFC Championship Game. He was coming off a breakout…read more Published: Sun, Feb 3 at 9:46pm by Rotowire.com Leads team to Super Bowl berth Goff completed 25 of 40 passes for 297 yards with a touchdown and an interception in the Rams' 26-23 overtime win over the Saints in Sunday's NFC Championship Game. He also rushed three times for 10 yards and lost a fumble but recovered it. Analysis: In a game that featured decidedly fewer offensive fireworks than during the regular-season meeting between the two teams, Goff still delivered a strong final line and, most important, spearheaded a berth into the Super Bowl. The third-year pro didn't have his usual connection with Robert Woods going, as the Saints limited the veteran downfield while holding him to six catches for 33 yards. However, Goff successfully pivoted to Brandin Cooks, who touched up his old squad for seven grabs and 107…read more Published: Sun, Jan 20 at 4:04pm by Rotowire.com Game manager in divisional round Goff completed 15 of 28 pass attempts for 186 yards, adding six rushes for 12 yards during Saturday's 30-22 win against the Cowboys. Analysis: Goff very nearly hooked up with Brandin Cooks for a second-quarter touchdown strike, but it was ruled that Cooks failed to maintain possession going to the ground as Los Angeles was forced to settle for a Greg Zuerlein field-goal try moments later. The third-year quarterback's most pivotal play may have come on the final drive, as he scampered for 11 yards on third-and-long to help the Rams run out the clock on Dallas' comeback bid. Goff owns a 5:0 TD:INT ratio over his past three outings, but…read more Published: Sat, Jan 12 at 9:03pm by Rotowire.com Tosses four TDs in blowout Goff completed 15 of 26 passes for 199 yards and four touchdowns in Sunday's 48-32 win over the 49ers. Analysis: Goff had an early exit for the second straight week with the Rams winning 45-17, as backup Sean Mannion entered the game in the closing stages of the third quarter. The 24-year-old rebounded the last two games by completing 34 of 50 passes for 415 yards, five touchdowns and no interceptions after a rough three-week stretch to begin December. Los Angeles secured the No. 2 seed in the NFC and will now have a week to rest up before hosting in the divisional round. Solid before early exit Goff completed 19 of 24 passes for 216 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions in the Rams' 31-9 win over the Cardinals on Sunday. He also rushed twice for six yards and another score and lost a fumble. Analysis: Goff's one blemish was a first-quarter lost fumble on a sack, but he otherwise largely redeemed himself after a difficult last two games in particular. The third-year signal-caller was able to connect with Robert Woods for a 39-yard score in the fourth quarter to close out his day, a play preceded by a one-yard touchdown run in the second quarter. Goff's solid effort provides him with a welcome dose of late-season momentum, and he'll look to help the Rams clinch a No. 2 seed and first-round bye…read more No scoring for second straight week Goff completed 35 of 54 pass attempts for 339 yards, no touchdowns and a pair of interceptions in Sunday's 30-23 loss to Philadelphia. Analysis: Goff got back on track from a yardage standpoint, taking advantage of a porous Eagles secondary and nearly matching his combined total from the past two weeks. The signal caller's interception troubles continued, however, marking six over the past two games with no touchdowns to offset the mistakes. Opposing defenses have been taking away the deep ball from the Rams' gameplan by playing both safeties deep and backing corners off the line. This has forced Goff to take a lot of underneath and…read more Has no answers for Bears D Goff completed 20 of 44 pass attempts for 180 yards, no touchdowns and four interceptions in Sunday's 15-6 loss to Chicago. Analysis: Goff was under constant pressure from the Bears' defensive line, which seemed to unsettle him on several uncharacteristically erratic throws. Not that fantasy owners will care about how the interceptions happened, but two of the gunslinger's four picks were rather fluky. One was the cause of his offensive lineman bumping into him, and the other was a failed Hail Mary attempt at the end of the first half. Still, few positives can be taken away from this performance. Goff has turned in two duds…read more Scuffles in victory Goff completed 17 of 33 passes for 207 yards with one touchdown and one interception in the Rams' 30-16 win over the Lions on Sunday. He also lost two yards on two rushes and lost a fumble. Analysis: Goff's passing line was a departure from the norm, as the third-year quarterback struggled to get into a consistent rhythm all day. He had accumulated between 318 and 413 yards in his three prior games, making Sunday's tally his third lowest of the campaign. The 24-year-old also failed to throw multiple touchdown passes for the first time since Week 6, and his 51.5 completion percentage was his second lowest of 2018 as well. Having done enough to help secure a tougher-than-expected road win,…read more Scores five times in shootout Goff completed 31 of 49 passes for 413 yards and four touchdowns in Monday night's 54-51 win over the Chiefs. He also rushed four times for six yards and another score, but lost two fumbles as well. Analysis: Goff put together a brilliant display, leading the Rams to a dramatic victory with a 40-yard touchdown pass with under two minutes remaining. Of course, that only came after he accounted for four prior scores, including one on the ground. Although his two fumbles prevented a perfect night, Goff otherwise took full advantage of the shootout atmosphere that saw him set career highs in attempts and completions. Lights up Seahawks secondary Goff completed 28 of 39 pass attempts for 318 yards and two touchdowns during Sunday's 36-31 win against Seattle. Analysis: With another stellar outing in Week 10 against Seattle, the former No. 1 overall pick continues his dominance of NFC West foes. Since Sean McVay took over as Rams head coach, Goff has averaged 261 yards per game with a 67 percent completion rate in nine interdivision contests (8-1 record). The third-year quarterback is throwing for a career-best 313.4 yards per game this season, while owning a 22:6 TD:INT for the Rams' top-five passing attack. Goff is a shoe-in fantasy QB1 and potential DFS…read more Throws three TDs in loss to Saints Goff completed 28 of 40 pass attempts for 391 yards, three touchdowns and one interception during Sunday's 45-35 loss to the Saints. He also carried three times for 17 yards. Analysis: Goff completed 70 percent of his passes as he finished with his second-best yardage output of the season. He played from behind for most of the day, but touchdown passes to Brandin Cooks, Malcolm Brown and Cooper Kupp helped the Rams come all the way back to tie the game before the home team won it late. Perhaps most notably, Goff excelled despite Todd Gurley's inability to take control of the game, running his TD:INT to 20:6 on the season. He has the potential to post elite fantasy totals most…read more Published: Sun, Nov 4 at 6:08pm by Rotowire.com Which QB will have most 300-yard passing games in '19?Wed, Jul 17 at 5:56pm NFL Network's David Carr and free agent defensive back Brandon Boykin debate which quarterback will have the most games of 300 or more passing yards in 2019. Which veteran QBs are next in line for big paydays?Wed, Apr 17 at 10:01am NFL Network's Tom Pelissero and Mike Garafolo break down which quarterbacks are next in line for big pay days after Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson's massive contract extension. Rapoport: Unlikely the Rams will extend Jared Goff before '19 seasonWed, Mar 27 at 12:20pm NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport discusses the latest on the Los Angeles Rams' contract talks with quarterback Jared Goff. Jared Goff on SBLIII: 'The toughest loss I've ever had'Mon, Feb 4 at 10:17am Los Angeles Rams quarterback Jared Goff reacts to his team's Super Bowl LIII loss to the New England Patriots. Can't-Miss Play: Woods celebrates with YG after 31-yard TDThu, Jan 31 at 6:31am Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Robert Woods celebrates with rapper YG after 31-yard touchdown in Week 4 of the 2018 season against the Minnesota Vikings on Thursday Night Football. Ric Flair: Brady is the 'GOAT,' but Goff will take torch from him in SB LIIIWed, Jan 30 at 4:29pm WWE legend Ric Flair joins "NFL Total Access" to talk about the upcoming Super Bowl LIII matchup between the New England Patriots and Los Angeles Rams. Goff reveals one thing he'd like to ask Brady before first Super BowlMon, Jan 28 at 4:46pm NFL Network's Kurt Warner catches up with Los Angeles Rams quarterback Jared Goff at Super Bowl LIII Opening Night. NFL-N-Motion: Comparing the similar throwing mechanics of Jared Goff, Tom BradyMon, Jan 28 at 4:02pm NFL Network's Michael Robinson breaks down the similar throwing mechanics of Los Angeles Rams quarterback Jared Goff and New England Patriots QB Tom Brady. Jared Goff's best plays from the 2018 regular seasonSun, Jan 27 at 4:50pm See the best plays from Los Angeles Rams quarterback Jared Goff during the 2018 regular season. Kurt Warner's advice for Jared Goff in Super Bowl LIIIWed, Jan 23 at 5:32pm NFL Network's Kurt Warner gives advice to Los Angeles Rams quarterback Jared Goff in Super Bowl LIII. QB #16 LA \| Owner: FA	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0041.json.gz/line3759
__label__wiki	0.861591	0.861591	Percussion concerto provides mixed rewards at Grant Park Thu Jul 26, 2012 at 3:49 pm Percussionist Martin Grubinger was the soloist in Avner Dorman's "Frozen in Time," performed Wednesday at the Grant Park Music Festival. There aren’t many summer music festivals when one can encounter two premieres depicting centuries of geological evolution the same season. On yet another sweltering evening at the Grant Park Music Festival, the lakefront faithful heard the Chicago debut of Frozen in Time, a percussion concerto by Israeli composer Avner Dorman. Dorman says that the title of his 2007 work refers to “imaginary snapshots of the Earth’s geological development from prehistoric times to the present day.” Cast in three movements, Frozen in Time depicts each continent at a certain historical moment. The opening section, “Indoafrica,” employs elements of the Indian tala and West African drumming while “Eurasia” is more subdued with its Asian bells and high shimmering vibraphone passages. The contemporary locus of the finale (“The Americas”) is clear in the jazz-flavored syncopation and hard-driving rock drumming for the soloist. Frozen in Time proved enjoyable enough summer fare if it is ultimately a rather lightweight work. Like many a percussion concerto, Frozen in Time tends to fall back too often on loud and fast drumming for the soloist. The thematic inspiration is slight and, overall, the concerto lacks a distinctive individual voice with the ghost of Leonard Bernstein — On the Waterfront, especially — hovering nearby. Perhaps most crucially, Dorman doesn’t avail himself of the kaleidoscopic array of timbres and colors available, with the soloist’s arsenal dominated by drums, marimba and vibraphone. There are ample works in the genre that provide music of genuine expressive depth along with instrumental variety and virtuosic opportunities for the soloist (James MacMillan’s Veni, Veni Emmanuel, and the percussion concertos of Christopher Rouse and Joseph Schwantner). This isn’t one of them. That said, one could hardly ask for more energetic or engaging advocacy than that provided by soloist Martin Grubinger. Smiling broadly, the young Austrian threw himself into the score kicking up plenty of steam on an already steamy night with his powerful and bravura performance, earning a standing ovation from the audience. Conductor James Gaffigan adroitly balanced the orchestra with the soloist and drew strikingly clear textures even in the most uninhibited moments. One can hardy seem more removed from a wartime Russian winter than the Chicago lakefront Wednesday, yet despite the humidity Gaffigan and the Grant Park Orchestra served up a worthy and well played account of Prokofiev’s Symphony No. 5. James Gaffigan Photo: Mat Hennek The American conductor, making his festival debut, showed he is his own man, even physically moving his music stand and podium closer to the orchestra before starting. Chief conductor of the Lucerne Symphony Orchestra, Gaffigan showed a sure feel for Prokofiev’s expansive canvas in the ebb and flow of the opening movement, taken at a more flowing tempo than usual. The second movement went with firm momentum and rhythmic acuity, and the enigmatic Adagio — neither tragic nor lyrical but somehow hopeful and expectant — was deftly captured. Gaffigan’s balancing was impeccable throughout; at climaxes one sometimes wanted more weight and sonorous heft, though that lack may have been due to microphone placement. The finale delivered the optimistic energy — Prokofiev wrote the symphony as the war was turning in the Allies’ favor — and the mechanistic whoosh at the coda made fine impact.	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0041.json.gz/line3760
__label__cc	0.718286	0.281714	Wealth Creators Index Drew Morris in Wealth Creators Index How Wealth-Creation Metrics Can Help Every Business Become More Valuable In addition to the recommendations provided in this sidebar last year (see Chief Executive, Nov./Dec. 2012, pp. 58-9), here are five major takeaways from an analysis of the Index’s past six years’ Best and Worst Wealth-Creator profiles: the reasons why businesses did well or didn’t: Design: Far and away, the most powerful reason for prospering, or failure to do so, was the design of the business—how it makes money. Amazon is a good example. Their customer-value proposition (product range and selection, information on and customer reviews of what it offers, the actual buying experience and the pricing) is compelling, combined with the overall design of its service and the business’s seemingly endless ability to scale. That said, Amazon’s choice to operate on razor-thin margins has both fueled its revenue growth and led investors to continue griping, (“When are we going to make some real money here?”) as it continues to reinvest in its business. But its three-year total return is 27 percent, so Jeff Bezos just might be right, long term. In contrast, Dell, once a business-design innovator, is now reduced to offering commodity technology and competing on price. Capital Management: The next reason for notable success, or the lack thereof, is wise management of capital. While Gilead Sciences, one of this year’s top wealth creators, has proved adept at this practice by, for example, partnering rather than making “whole hog” investments, the Rowan Companies, one of this year’s worst, has a pattern of investing in oil-drilling rigs, on which there’s an uncertain return. It hasn’t exceeded its risk-adjusted cost of capital in the past three years. Brand Building: A strong brand can make an enormous contribution to business value. Here, a great example is Brown-Forman’s Jack Daniels’ brand (another of this year’s profiled best wealth creators). Product Design: The design of what your business offers—its products and services—is another pivotal factor in succeeding or not, witness Apple. Leadership: And the last factor, for this year, in how well a business fares lies in the mindset of its leader—intent. What do you, as a leader, want, and how serious are you about it, really? This is not about beating up the sales force for better results. Rather, it’s about wanting to grow and then figuring how, specifically, your business will do so (harnessing a great business design, brand, suite of offerings, etc.). Amazon’s Bezos is the top-of-mind poster child for intent. Others come to mind, like David Novak, CEO of Yum! Brands (Pizza Hut, KFC and Taco Bell), with its energetic push to deepen its global presence. —Drew Morris 2013 Wealth Creators Index Links: CEO Value Maximizers Complete List of 2013 Wealth Creators Index Ranking CEO Wealth Creation How to Move Up in the Rankings Next Read: Ranking CEO Wealth Creation » " Drew Morris : Drew Morris (drew.morris@greatnumbers.com) is the founder and CEO of Great Numbers! The company helps executives find the various dimensions of the upside in their businesses and mold it into a prosperity design—a blueprint for delivering that upside. He has no stake in any of the companies mentioned.." Ranking CEO Wealth Creation: The Methodology Our ranking is based on the performance of companies in the S&P 500 index (and… Chief Executive’s 2016 Wealth Creation Index 2016 Mid-Market Wealth Creators Index	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0041.json.gz/line3763
__label__wiki	0.554568	0.554568	Home \| Language \| Guide \| Numbers All the numbers in Chinese Chinese abacus The Chinese numbers are easy and straightforward. From earliest times the decimal system has been used in China for counting. When you have mastered the numbers you can easily tell the date and time too. Nowadays the Arabic numbers (0 to 9) are often used when writing numbers but they are given Chinese names. In this section we also give the symbolic associations for each number. 1 One : 一 yī Sounds like: 'ee' as in bee the 'y' is almost silent. (1st tone) The number one is just one horizontal heng stroke. As in English, 'one' is used in many situations not just in counting, and is one of the most frequently occurring characters in text as in: Yidianr (a bit); Yihuir (a moment) Yixie (a little). In spoken Chinese the alternative character 幺 yǎo can be used in place of yī. This is because, particularly on the phone the yī sound can be difficult to distinguish from qī and other numbers. Quintessence of the Nation Traditional Chinese Opera was the entertainment of all Chinese over many centuries. A long evening performance contains elements of drama, music, comedy, acrobatics and martial arts. Each region has its own distinctive form. Over time complex movements have been given specific meanings as a very sparse set is used - open on three sides. The art form has inspired many Western composers to emulate the style. Read more… 2 Two : 二 èr Tricky for English speakers as it is nothing like the word err and is closer to the sound of the word argh as in the exclamation Ooh Argh! (4th tone) An extra heng stroke added to 1 makes it 2. 2; Pair : 两 liǎng In Chinese èr is used only in counting, the alternative 两 liǎng is used in other situations. This is like using pair or couple in English. Two, like all even numbers in China is considered a yin (female) number and associated with the earth. Two is a lucky number especially with regard to love and marriage. The yin-yang system is all about a choice between two alternatives. Modern statues of the leaders of the Three Kingdoms, Langzhong, Sichuan 3 Three : 三 sān Sounds like: 'san' in sanity (1st tone) Another heng stroke adds 1 to two to make it three. It is one of the luckiest numbers and is often found in phrases and slogans. In characters the same element repeated three times indicates very many as in 森 sēn 'forest' made up of three 木 mù 'trees'. Three represents the trinity of heaven; earth and man. The three main Chinese religions (Confucian, Daoist, Buddhist) have each 3 main teachings 三教 sān jiào. Buddhism has many trinities of objects; sayings and deities. Daoism has the trinity of Three Pure Ones. There are three friends of winter: pine, bamboo and plum as well as three lucky fruits or abundances: peach; pomegranate (sometimes lychee) and finger lemon. For centuries the San zi jing Three Character Classic was the first book children used to start writing Chinese, the exercises all had 3 characters. Village elders were called the ‘Three old worthies’. 4 Four : 四 sì Sounds like: a shortened form of sir rather than see but with a marked drop of tone. (4th tone) Chinese Sudoku Play the Sudoku puzzle with Chinese numbers and characters. Our partner site SudokuDragon offers a puzzle generator and solver that can use Chinese, a new angle on the puzzle and a useful way to learn some Chinese. Read more… Adding another line would seem logical and the four bar representation was used in the early Shang dynasty written form. However, this does make the number prone to misreading so a different representation was developed. The original design was a square area divided into four quarters, so now the character is a box with the character for division inside it. Four is the most unlucky of Chinese numbers because the character 死 sǐ ‘die; death’ only differs in tone to the character for 4. In her later days Dowager Empress Cixi is said to have forbade the saying of 'si' in her presence. Some roads have houses with no number 4 in them; some high-rise buildings have no 4th floor and it's also true that the 4th lunar month is about the only one without a festival. China was traditionally considered to be enclosed by four Seas (the earth was considered square with seas on all sides) and four Barbarian kingdoms. The four seasons were associated with four creatures, four directions and flowers : vermillion bird (plum; south); white tiger (orchid; west); azure dragon (bamboo; east) and black tortoise (chrysanthemum; north). The traditional month was divided into 4 ten day weeks. There are four blessings 四福 sì fú: happiness; secure job; longevity and good luck. The four scholar's treasures are ink, paper, brush and ink-stone. The scholar engaged in four noble studies: music (especially the guqin); chess; painting and calligraphy. A Maoist Communist campaign attacked the 4 olds ➚: ‘old culture, old customs, old habits and old thinking’. 5 Five : 五 wǔ Sounds like: a bit like woo but with a drop in tone in the middle. (3rd tone) The original form of the character five was clearer, as it showed a square with a center making a total of five points. The modern form is modified to show only the bottom left triangle of the square. Five is at the center of the Luo Shu magic square. The numbers 518 and 5189 are very lucky because the sequence sounds rather like ‘I will prosper’ and ‘I will prosper forever’ in Chinese It is considered a yang number because it is an odd number. In China there are 5 directions rather than just 4 (north, south, east, west and center). By tradition there are five elements and very many things are classified according to the governing element so there are five tastes, five smells, five classes of creature, five sacred mountains, five colors. There are five Classic books: Book of Documents, Book of Songs, Book of Changes, Book of Rites and the Book of Ceremonies. There are also five blessings: long life; wealth, health, virtue and a peaceful death. Noxious creatures are also classed as a group of five: snake; toad; gecko; centipede and scorpion. Papercut of Five Fairies or Dancing dolls representing the five directions used traditionally to protect and cure sickness. 6 Six : 六 liù Sounds like: the start of lieutenant. (Neutral tone) One way to remember how to write liu is to remember that the character is rather like the Greek letter pi π with a dot on top, and two times pi is approximately six. Like sì (4) and bā (8) it includes a 'cut' stroke that indicates it is an even number and can be divided in two. Six has fewer cultural associations than the other numbers. Six was considered the 'lucky' number of the first Qin Emperor, and everything had to be in sixes – including the size of hats of the officials. It sounds a bit like 禄 lù meaning ‘prosperity’ and 流 liú meaning ‘flow’ so six of something can represent the wish for affairs to run smoothly. China was considered to have 6 great rivers. The ancient year of 360 days was split into 36 (6 x 6) ten day weeks. There are six emotions in three pairs: love & hate; anger & joy; pain & pleasure. 7 Seven : 七 qī Sounds like: 'tchee' as it needs a 't' sound which is not present in English 'ch'. (1st tone) The character for seven looks like an upside down 'continental' Arabic seven which makes it easy to remember. The seven stars in China can refer to sun; moon and the five major planets but also to the seven main stars of the Ursa Major ➚ (the Plow). The double seventh (Chinese Valentine's Day) festival is held on the seventh day of the seventh month. The old period of mourning was split up into 7 periods of 7 days. The 7 day week was adopted in China in the Song dynasty, replacing the ancient ten day week. Statue of the Eight Immortals at Penglai Pavilion, Shandong 8 Eight : 八 bā Sounds like: bar (1st tone) Eight is divisible by two and then by two again and so the representation shows division into two. Eight is the most important yin number and is quite heavily featured in traditions. Earliest and most importantly there are 8 trigrams in the Yi Jing (I Ching WG) for foretelling the future, the association with eight then moved to the eight symbols of the eight Daoist Immortals (fan; sword; bottle-gourd; castanets; flower-basket; bamboo cane; flute and the lotus). Buddhists have their own selection of eight treasures (sea slug, umbrella, canopy, lotus, vase, fish, endless knot and wheel of fortune). Buddhists also have an eightfold path to enlightenment:Correct understanding, correct thought, correct speech, correct action, correct livelihood, correct effort, correct mindfulness and correct concentration. There were Eight masters or gods worshiped in Han dynasty times: Earth; War; Yin; Yang; Moon; Sun; Earth; Heaven and the Seasons. Astrological readings use the bazi 八字 eight characters that record the exact hour, day, month and year of conception. It is the luckiest number and you often see it associated with gambling. There are many gambling web sites with 888 as part of the name. The Beijing Olympics was opened on the 8/8/2008 at 8PM ➚. One reason for the luck may be the similarity in sound to 福 good fortune in Cantonese. There are considered to be eight compass directions (N, NE, E, SE, S, SW, W, NW). 9 Nine : 九 jiǔ Sounds like: joe (3rd tone) The 'iu' sound is a bit confusing as it is tempting to read it as a 'ew' sound which is wrong. The pictograph may represent an object straining forward as if it is trying to reach the number ten. It is rather like the number ten with a stroke to the right. As three is a potent yang number the square of 3, nine, is an even more potent yang number. The ancient Book of Rites identifies nine rites (initiation of a boy, marriage, audience, embassy, burial, sacrifice, hospitality, toasting and military conflict). Land was traditionally split into nine plots and China was reputed to have been divided into nine provinces. The ancient regalia of the 'Son of Heaven' included nine bronze tripods attributed to Yu the Great of the Xia dynasty one for each province. The Double Ninth Festival (Chongyang) takes place on the ninth day of the ninth month when people go to high ground and fly kites. The strong yang association of 9 was used heavily in Imperial design, the Forbidden City was reputed to have 9,999 rooms and the large formal doors were fitted with 9 rows of 9 columns of brass studs. There are 9 dragons on the Nine Dragon Wall in the Forbidden City and the Temple of Heaven has nine concentric rings each made up of a multiple of nine slabs. A dragon is a yang creature and is considered to have 9 parts and 81 (9x9) scales. Beijing was designed as an area divided up by a grid of 9 north-south and 9 east-west avenues. The sound of 九 jiǔ is the same as 久 jiǔ (long time; long life) which makes it a lucky number. 10 Ten : 十 shí Sounds like: start of sherlock (2nd tone) Looks like the Roman numeral ten (X) rotated. The character shi is one of the most common Chinese sounds, and even if you include the ones with the second pinyin tone there are still dozens of characters that sound just the same. It is a case where you may need to see the written character to be sure which one is meant. The very common character 是 shì (for 'is' or 'correct') differs only in tone from 十 shí so you have to be careful with pronunciation. The symbol indicates completeness in height and width and is appropriate for the completion of the decimal span. The Ten Heavenly Stems (gan) formed an important part of Chinese calendars as together with the Twelve Earthly Branches it forms the traditional cycle of 60 years. An old legend is that the sky was illuminated by ten suns who were brothers, the great archer Hou Yi shot down nine of them so that the Earth could cool to a more tolerable temperature. There are traditionally ten symbols of longevity often found as art motifs: pine tree; sun; crane; water; mountains; clouds; deer; turtle; elixir of immortality and bamboo. “Wow, amazing, helped me with my school project on calligraphy so much!” Calligraphy Ten to a hundred The Chinese numbers between 10 and 100, unlike English and French (e.g. eighteen and forty), are regular, there are no special new characters to learn. 'Tens' are followed by shí then the 'units'. So forty five (45) is simply 四十五 sì shí wǔ and eighty-two (82) is 八十二 bā shí èr. If the number is a multiple of ten then no units are given: so seventy (70) is just 七十 qī shí As elsewhere in the world a dozen is a popular number. It can be divided into 2;3;4 and 6 parts. There are 12 months in a normal year. From the Twelve Earthly Branches there are 12 years in the sequence of astrological sequence of animals. There are 12 symbols in the Imperial insignia. The number 13 is considered unlucky in China, as in many other countries, this may have its origin in the fact that the year divides into 12 and a bit lunar months. So this thirteenth 'part' month is a strange and inconvenient thing. The Chinese calendar inserts a whole extra thirteenth month every few years so a regular year has 12 months, the 'unlucky' intercalary month was called 'Lord of Troubles'. Thirty six was a significant number in China. The Qin Emperor's lucky, dynastic number was six and everything had to relate to six. Six times six (36) became an important number. His domain was reputed to laid out into 36 regions and there were 36 barbarian peoples beyond it. 0 Zero : 零 líng Sounds like: start of linger (2nd tone) A character for zero was not used for centuries, zero is not needed in counting or writing numbers as there is a character determining which is the unit (for example 三百 sān bǎi as 3 Hundreds rather than '3'; '0'; '0' 三零零 sān líng líng ). This is the same as in spoken English, it is only in written numeric form that a zero is needed. The character ling was introduced as the character for zero as a raindrop as it is round like a zero and also had the meaning of last part. Qin Jiushao of the Song dynasty is considered the first to introduce 'zero' into Chinese mathematics, by some the lack of a zero was regarded as an obstacle to progress in early Chinese mathematics. 100 Hundred : 百 bǎi Sounds like: bye (3rd tone) bǎi, one hundred, has the same sound as 白 bái (clear, bright) with the same tone. The written form has an extra heng stroke across the top to distinguish it. The same logical progression applies to the numbers over 100, they have the number of hundreds followed by tens and then units. So 376 is 三百七十六 sān bǎi qī shí liù. However there is one exception to this regular pattern the numbers with no tens (101, 208, 502) have a special form using the character for zero 'ling' in the space for tens. So 504 is 五百零四 wǔ bǎi líng sì. Also the liang form of 2 may, optionally, be used in the case of 200; 2,000; and 20,000 but not 20; so 200 can be expressed as 两百 liǎng bǎi 108 百零八 bǎi líng bā Particularly to Buddhists the number 108 has significance in several different areas: Tài jí quán (Tai chi) has a complete set of 108 steps. The bells and drums at city centers were struck 108 times to indicate the start and end of the working day. The Manchu-Han Imperial Feast of the Qing dynasty had 108 courses. To the south of Yinchuan in Ningxia there is an historic site with 108 dagobas. There are 108 beads on the Buddhist rosary worn around monks necks. Bodhisattva Mahamati asked Buddha 108 questions There are traditionally 108 masters of Dao in Daoism. There are 108 ‘Stars of destiny’ (outlaws) in the classic book 'The Water Margin' by Shi Nai'an 108 is chosen because it is a mathematically interesting number. It is the product of 1, 4 and 27 making it special as 11.22.33 defines it as the hyperfactorial of 3. In Chinese numerology the fundamental number is 9 as 1+0+8=9. Nine is the Imperial yang number. 108 is divisible exactly by 2 , 3, 4, 6, 9, 12 and others making it a very useful number for counting such things as mantras. It can also be expressed as sums of other significant numbers. 27 + 81 = 108 so it is considered a very yang number 27=3.3.3 and 81=3.3.3.3. 36 + 72 = 108 so sixes are also expressed. In the Chinese calendar there are 12 months and 24 solar mansions =36, there were 72 five day divisions of the ancient year (360 days). Thousands in Chinese 1000 Thousand : 千 qiān Sounds like: 'tchen' at the end of kitchen (1st tone) A thousand has the form of ten with the addition of a dian dot stroke over it. The character is possibly derived from the combination of ten and person indicating ten lifetimes. There is one new rule to apply, and that is that for numbers with two zeroes as in 2007, there is only one 'ling' for zero, it is not repeated: 二千零七 èr qiān líng qī. One of the three traditional language primers was the 1000 character classic with 1,000 unique characters arranged as a rhyming work for calligraphy practice. 10000 Ten Thousand : 万 wàn Sounds like: won (4th tone) For centuries wan ten thousand was the largest numeric character in common usage and so is used in many idiomatic expressions for very many as in Wanli Changcheng for the Great Wall literally meaning countless mile fortress. In English, 'million' is often used in a similar way for an unbelievably large number such as one in a million chance or bet you a million dollars. Many translations translate wan literally as ten thousand when a term like infinite, countless, forever or myriad is more accurate. For example the proclamation May the Emperor live for ten thousand years really means May the Emperor live forever. The character is 'borrowed' from a character that is pronounced the same way, in this case it is wan for scorpion 萬. The simplified written form threw away the scorpion association and chose a stylized form of the Indian good fortune symbol: the swastika 卍. The Cambridge Illustrated History of China Cambridge University Press produce a mammoth in-depth history of China, this can be considered an abridgement of this work. It has copious illustrations and useful panels describing key parts of Chinese culture and history. It covers the whole time period from pre-history to the present day - a lot to cover in one book. It is a fascinating and engaging read and to be recommended as a key reference work. More details... ➚ Large Numbers The Chinese numbers above 10,000 use a different form, there is no special character for 100,000 and one million 1,000,000. Instead 100,000 is expressed as 10 x 10,000 十万 shí wàn and one million 1,000,000 as 100 x 10,000 一百万 yī bǎi wàn. Following this logic 10,000,000 is 1,000 x 10,000 一千万 yī qiān wàn. When 100,000,000 is reached a new character is available to represent 10,000 x 10,000 亿 yì. This yi (4th tone) only differs in tone from yī (1st tone) for one, This demonstrates quite forcibly how important tones are in Chinese, there is quite a bit of a difference between 1 and 100,000,000! Chinese Bank notes To counter the possibility of fraud and fiddling by just adding an extra stroke or two to increase the written value, the numbers printed on bank notes and checks are given a different, more complex form. The Chinese introduced paper notes as long ago as the Tang dynasty (1,300 years ago). The more complex form for numbers is called 大写 dà xiě. 1:壹 2:贰 3:叁 4: 肆 5:伍 6: 陆 7: 柒 8:捌 9: 玖 The decimal units also need different forms on notes to counter embezzlement. In some cases the simple form is a constituent of the more complex one. 0:零 10:拾 100:佰 1000:仟 10,000:萬 10,000,000:億 bā八 8 Eight bǎi百 100 Hundred èr二 2 Two jiǔ九 9 Nine liǎng两 2; Pair liù六 6 Six líng零 0 Zero qiān千 1000 Thousand qī七 7 Seven sān三 3 Three shí十 10 Ten sì四 4 Four wàn万 10000 Ten Thousand wǔ五 5 Five yī一 1 One Now you have mastered numbers you can quickly read and tell the date and time. See Date & Time for all the details. Symbols of China A lavishly illustrated book covering all aspects of China not just 'symbols': traditions, scenic sights, festivals, arts, legends and famous figures. The text descriptions are a little short but it does give a very good general overall coverage and the photographs and illustrations are very good. Citation information for this page : Chinasage, 'Learning to count in Chinese - all the Chinese Numbers', last updated 2 Dec 2016, Web, http://www.chinasage.info/chinese-numbers.htm. Source references used for this page: Book : A Dictionary of Chinese Symbols:… p. 1-323; ¤ Book : Buddhism made Plain: Antony Fernando… p. 56; ¤ Book : China : A short cultural history:… pp. 65, 226; ¤ Book : Chinese Cultural Traditions:… p. 20-21; ¤ Book : Chinese Symbolism and Art Motifs:… pp. 195-198, 294-297; ¤ Book : Fun with Chinese Characters:… p. 1-100; ¤ Book : Symbols and Rebuses in Chinese… ➚ pp. 80-81, 84-86, 137, 180; ¤ Book : The Xenophobe's Guide to the… p. 75-80; ¤ Book Vol. 2 The Shorter Science and… p. 2-7; ¤ Chinese Charms -- Hidden Meaning of Symbols ➚ ; ¤ numbers (sites) ➚ ; ¤ numbers (wikibooks) ➚ ; ¤ numbers (wikipedia) ➚ Introduction - Basic Language - Characters - Dictionary - Calligraphy - Oracle bones - 100 Names - Three Characters - Thousand Characters - Traditional - Wade Giles - Strokes - Numbers- Date & Time - Lesson 2 - Lesson 3 - Proverbs - Poetry - Good Fortune - Cantonese - Pidgin	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0041.json.gz/line3764
__label__cc	0.502988	0.497012	Parks & Recreational Services Owned and operated by the City of Pierre, Riverside Cemetery was started in the late 1800's. At that time there were about five burials per year. Today, burials per year average around 70 - 75. To date, about 5,700 burials have been performed. Over 2,800 of those have been done since 1978 when Jim Fahey became the superintendent. Riverside Cemetery has 35 acres that are maintained. There are around 400 burial sites left to purchase in the original 35 acres. In August of 2001 the City of Pierre purchased 52 additional acres, of which, 25 acres will be developed into burial sites and roads. This will give the cemetery an additional 12,400 burial sites. On average there are 40 to 50 burial sites sold per year. Adding all burial sites together and taking the average burial sites sold per year, Riverside Cemetery should last well over 100 years. Most burial sites measure 5 feet by 10 feet or 5.5 feet by 11 feet. Infant burial sites measure 3 feet by 4 feet. The costs of a regular burial site is $475. Cost to open and close a burial site with tax is $505.88 A disinterment with tax costs $852. There are no outside containers or vaults required at Riverside Cemetery. Regular burials are done at about 6 feet deep and cremations are done at 30 inches deep. Opening and closing are done at about 3 feet deep for babies and most of those are done in Babyland at Riverside Cemetery. A burial site in Babyland cost $75 and the opening and closing charge with tax is $213.00 Opening and closing a burial site for a cremation burial is $266.25 includes tax. All tent set-ups, vaults, and lowering devices for the casket are hired by the funeral home and come from Mitchell, Aberdeen, or Blackhawk, SD. All burial sites sold, deeds issued, billings, and record keeping are done at the cemetery office located at the cemetery. There are two funeral homes in Pierre. The names of the funeral homes are Isburg Funeral Home on Main Street and Feigum Funeral Home on West Pleasant. Jim Fahey Cemetery Superintendent 400 S. Roosevelt St. Where do I purchase a burial site? What is the fee to open and close a burial site? Where are the records of burials kept? Riverside Cemetery Monument Settings Cemetery Rates Cemetery Directory	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0041.json.gz/line3769
__label__cc	0.589733	0.410267	CMT Crossroads Taping: Zac Brown + Shawn Mendes Share Scars and Stitches posted by Lauryn Snapp - Sep 12, 2018 A new episode of 'CMT Crossroads' will soon air featuring the Grammy award-winning artist Zac Brown and pop star, Shawn Mendes. So, with talent like this igniting on stage, why is everyone talking about Shawn’s face? Shawn arrived to the taping of 'CMT Crossroads' on Tuesday night sporting a smirk and little facial road rash. Cody Alan couldn’t resist asking the very important question. “In Nashville, you were on one of those scooters and what happened? You’ve got some injuries here.” Cody teased. Shawn responded with an honest smile. “I fell. That’s about it. I wish I could make it sound a lot cooler than that. But, that’s really just about it. And, I took it face first. Cause I was like, these hands cannot break I gotta play guitar with Zac Brown.” All scrapes and bumps aside, the two gifted entertainers were in good spirits and excited to collaborate and combine their talents and hits for the CMT taping Tuesday evening (Sept. 11th). After witnessing the on-stage magic, we can guarantee that this is a 'CMT Crossroads' event that you will not want to miss. Mark your calendars now for a date night with CMT on Oct. 24th at 10 p.m. ET/PT. {"position1": {"artist": {"bio": "", "id": 30848501, "name": "Cody Alan"}, "catalog_type": "artist", "description": "", "id": 30848501, "name": "Cody Alan", "related": [{"bio": "", "id": 111805, "name": "DJ Spooky"}, {"bio": "", "id": 69388, "name": "Mouse on Mars"}, {"bio": "", "id": 41751, "name": "The Real Tuesday Weld"}, {"bio": "", "id": 45081, "name": "Kleerup"}, {"bio": "", "id": 5434, "name": "Bill Laswell"}, {"bio": "", "id": 42372, "name": "Lazyboy"}, {"bio": "", "id": 384915, "name": "Fila Brazillia"}], "tagged": true, "type": "catalog"}}	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0041.json.gz/line3770
__label__wiki	0.832466	0.832466	The Final Power Rangers: Shattered Grid Battle Against Lord Drakkon Begins in July 2018 BOOM! Studios and Saban Brands Unite the Power Rangers in Major Comic Book Event BOOM! Studios and Saban Brands announced today new chapters of POWER RANGERS: SHATTERED GRID, available at comic shops in July 2018. It’s the beginning of the end as Power Rangers from across time and space come together for one of the biggest battles in any of their histories. Meanwhile, the Ranger Slayer faces down the one Ranger who might be able stop her. In Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #29, from writer Kyle Higgins and artist Daniele Di Nicuolo, the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers and their allies prepare their final counterattack against Lord Drakkon. A new ally to the Power Rangers makes it through to their world and Zordon makes a last call for help. This issue features a main cover by Jamal Campbell (Green Arrow), with variant covers by Jordan Gibson (America) and Carlos Villa (Lockjaw). Then, in Saban’s Go Go Power Rangers #11, from writer Ryan Parrott and artist Dan Mora, Matt puts his life on the line to get close to the Rangers, while Kimberly must face the Ranger Slayer alone. This issue features a main cover by Dan Mora, with variant covers by Miguel Mercado (Over The Garden Wall), Audrey Mok (Archie) and Natacha Bustos (Moon Girl & Devil Dinosaur). “It’s the penultimate month of POWER RANGERS: SHATTERED GRID and we’re pulling out all the stops as the biggest Power Ranger battle you’ve ever seen in comics begins here. While that battle rages on, we’ll see Kimberly literally confronting a dark version of herself in the Ranger Slayer – and that is going to end in a way no one can guess!” – Dafna Pleban, Editor, BOOM! Studios Print copies of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #29 and Saban’s Go Go Power Rangers #11 will be available for sale in July 2018 at local comic book shops or at the BOOM! Studios webstore. Digital copies can be purchased from content providers like comiXology, iBooks, Google Play, and the BOOM! Studios app. Currently, Power Rangers is celebrating 25 continuous years on the air, making it one of the longest running kids’ live-action series in television history with nearly 900 episodes aired to date. Created by Haim Saban and launched in 1993 with Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, the franchise celebrates its milestone anniversary year with the 25th season, Power Rangers Super Ninja Steel currently airing on Saturdays at 12 p.m. (ET/PT) on Nickelodeon in the U.S. No Ranger Is Safe In Power Rangers: Shattered Grid! Time Force Joins Power Rangers: Shattered Grid In April 2018! Jason David Frank Brings Lord Drakkon To Life In Shattered Grid Trailer! A Brand New Power Ranger To Debut In Power Rangers: Shattered Grid In May 2018! Shattered Grid First Look: Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #25 Preview! Celebrate Saban’s Power Rangers 25th Anniversary MMPR 25th Anniversary Special! No Ranger Is Safe - Not Even HyperForce As It Enters Shattered Grid! BOOM! Studios Announces WonderCon 2018 Panel Programming Lineup The Ranger Slayer Debut Brings A New Zord To Power Rangers: Shattered Grid! BOOM! Studios Preview: Go, Go Power Rangers #8 - Shattered Grid Prelude! JDF Stars In New Shattered Grid Trailer! BOOM! Studios Preview: Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #25 - Shattered Grid Begins NOW! BOOM! Studios Preview: Saban's Power Rangers Artist Tribute HC! Power Rangers: Shattered Grid WonderCon Panel - News & Revelations! Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #25 Review - Shattered Grid! Mighty Morphin Power Rangers Shatters The Grid & Sells Out In One Day! Power Rangers: Shattered Grid Sells Out Again! For continuing news on POWER RANGERS and more from BOOM! Studios, stay tuned to Comic Frontline. For comics anytime, anywhere check out BOOM! Studios Store and BOOM! Events Follow & Like On Twitter, Facebook, & Tumblr For Power Rangers anytime, anywhere check out Power Rangers and Ranger Nation Follow & Like On Twitter, Facebook, Google +, YouTube, & Instagram Let us know in the comments what you think of this BOOM! Studios & Power Rangers Announcement and don't forget to follow us on Twitter for the latest Previews, Reviews, News and Interviews!	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0041.json.gz/line3778
__label__wiki	0.551472	0.551472	Home Arts & Entertainment Art Arts / Around the galleries Arts / Around the galleries Helen Musa “Au Relais Cafe”, Montmartre by Bernard Ollis. “DEPARTURES” is the newest exhibition of brilliantly colourful paintings and works on paper by former director of the National Art School, Bernard Ollis. The exhibition is a culmination of his travels from Montmartre to Morocco and Sydney to Rajasthan. He’s be in town on the weekend to unveil the show of 32 works on canvas and paper. Open to the public at Aarwun Gallery, Gold Creek, from March 2. “Lovenest in the Sallee’s – Billycan”, by Holly Grace. BEAVER Galleries has two new exhibitions opening this week. G.W. Bot is exhibiting “Glyphs: homage to country paintings, prints & sculpture”. Meantime, Holly Grace is exhibiting studio glass. Both at 81 Denison Street, Deakin, at 6pm, Thursday, February 28. All welcome. The exhibition runs 10am-5pm, Tuesday to Friday, and 9am-5pm, Saturday and Sunday, until March 17. Sharon Peoples, working at her art residency. TEXTILE artist Sharon Peoples will conclude her artist’s residency at Tuggeranong Arts Centre with an artist’s talk and an exhibition of work created in a series of free workshops held throughout February, when she has been working with community members to create a collaborative artwork reflecting ideas and experiences of domestic or community gardens. Members of the community are invited to a free artist talk at the centre, 137 Reed Street, Greenway 4pm, Friday, March 1. Free event and children are welcome. Afternoon tea will be provided. The ANU Drill Hall Gallery has art critic and teacher Christopher Allen giving the first of its lecture series for 2019, “The Perennial Search for Words: Aesthetics, Art Criticism and Commentary since antiquity”, ANU School of Art & Design Lecture Theatre, Level 1, Childers Street entrance, 3pm–4pm, Sunday, March 3. Bookings to eventbrite.com.au or at the door. A work by Manuel Pfeiffer M16 Artspace has five new exhibitions opening this week. There will be “one, two…” by and Eva van Gorsel, “Beauty in Difference”, by Grace Costa, Mark Mohell, Fiona Scheidel, Aaron Pollock and Juliette Dudley, “Road Trip” by Susan Chancellor, “Boya Yu”, “Drone Strike” by Mariana del Castillo and “Pegboard”. All open at 6pm Thursday, February 28. Everyone is welcome to the exhibitions, which continue at 21 Blaxland Crescent, Griffith, from Wednesday to Sunday, noon-5pm, until Sunday, March 17, “Structure of Reality”, 2018, screenprint, by Peter McLean. PETER McLean, FORM Gallery QPRC Art Award recipient, will be exhibiting screen prints in “Full Spectrum”, alongside Jane Horton’s show of work on paper titled, “It Was a Golden Day”. At FORM Studio and Gallery, 1/30 Aurora Avenue, Queanbeyan, February 27–17. Opening 6pm, Wednesday, February 27. All welcome. “EMBODIED Experiences” is an exhibition by Kira Godoroja-Prieckaerts, Elise Stanley and Isabelle Mackay-Sim, showing highly personal work in celebration of International Women’s Day by offering a window into the complexities of inhabiting a female body. ANCA Gallery, 1 Rosevear Place, Dickson, 6pm, Wednesday, February 27, runs until March 17, with a life drawing session from 2pm-4.30pm on International Women’s Day, Saturday, March 9. Bookings to gallery@anca.net.au are essential for the drawing class. TO mark its 35th birthday and 100 years of Bauhaus inspiration, PhotoAccess is staging the “Bauhaus Ourhaus festival” where Manuka Arts Centre will come alive with visitors, artists, bands like GhostGum and The Differs, all coming together to create, share and enjoy photo-media based works. Artists talks by Gus McGrath, S.I.A and Mikhaila Jurkiewicz. At the corner of Manuka Circle and New South Wales Crescent, Griffith, (next to the Manuka Pool) Saturday, March 2. Ticketed event, but 16 and under get free entry. Bookings to photoaccess.org.au Openings and new events at the galleries this week Previous articleHearing week calls for community inclusion Next articleAndrew snaps a sneak peak of ‘Enlighten’ “CityNews” arts editor Uplifting paintings reveal the unseen Review - July 15, 2019 Art such as this asks the audience quietly to open their eyes, enjoy what they have and think a bit more about what they're doing, writes JOHN LANDT after viewing Janet Dawson's exhibition “Clouds All the Way”. Tuggeranong residents angry about bus changes Disoriented woman in Red Hill raises concerns Inspiring dance program, injected with laughs Police find 384kg of cocaine in excavator	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0041.json.gz/line3784
__label__wiki	0.812007	0.812007	Petra Sells Kimberley Mine for $22M Ekapa buys company’s 76% stake. Jul 5, 2018 8:54 AM By Rapaport News RAPAPORT... Petra Diamonds will offload its majority stake in the Kimberley mine, claiming the deal will ensure a sustainable future for the project and help the company focus on its core assets. Ekapa Mining has agreed to buy Petra’s 76% interest in the South Africa deposit for $22 million (ZAR 300 million), Petra said Thursday. The companies are currently in a joint venture incorporating the Kimberley underground mine and its associated tailings operations, with Ekapa holding 24%. Local businesses known as Petra’s Black Economic Empowerment partners also own a portion of the miner’s share, and will be selling their interest. “The rationale for the disposal is to ensure a sustainable future for [the Kimberley joint venture] by placing the operation under the sole stewardship of an operator best suited to maximize its value,” Petra said. Ekapa’s experience of operating in Kimberley and its ability to focus solely on those assets will help maintain employment and economic activity in the historic diamond center, the miner added. The deal will also free up Petra executives’ time to concentrate on key mines such as Finsch and Cullinan, and reduce operating costs and risks, the company said. The Kimberley project still needs time before its income exceeds spending, Petra cautioned. In addition, the sale value will help Petra’s cash availability, it noted. Petra expects to complete the sale in the first fiscal quarter ending September 30, with Ekapa paying the purchase amount in 24 monthly installments beginning January 2019. The London-listed miner said it would review its portfolio of assets on an ongoing basis when it announced a stock sale in May. That process, known as a rights issue, saw Petra grant its investors rights to buy additional shares in the company, thereby raising $178 million to repay bank debt. The miner has accumulated significant debts due to several difficulties at its mines, including production delays at Cullinan and Finsch, strikes at its South African operations and the seizure of a diamond parcel by the Tanzanian government. Image: Petra Diamonds Tags: Black Economic Empowerment, Cullinan, Ekapa, Ekapa Mining, Finsch, kimberley, Kimberley Mine, Kimberley underground mine, petra, Petra Diamonds, Rapaport News, South Africa, tailings De Beers has lowered its production forecast for this year,noting... Gem Diamonds has recovered a white diamond weighing 140carats, the...	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0041.json.gz/line3786
__label__wiki	0.693596	0.693596	Re: Senate confirms Trump's 100th judicial nominee Senate confirms Trump's 100th judicial nominee latest Wa Post poll had his approval at a very low 39%.....Rasmussen must have their Russian bots working hard it sounds like Jim, LOL. @Tom5678 wrote: LOT of GOP Senators up for re election in 2020, and with their President's approval rating stuck in the high 30's, should be interesting to see if they run to him or run from him. I suspect as we get closer to election day, more will be running from him! The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Friday shows that 50% of Likely U.S. Voters approve of President Trump’s job performance. Forty-seven percent (47%) disapprove. The latest figures include 35% who Strongly Approve of the job Trump is doing and 39% who Strongly Disapprove. This gives him a Presidential Approval Index rating of -4. (see trends). Regular updates are posted Monday through Friday at 9:30 a.m. Eastern (sign up for free daily email update). Now that Gallup has quit the field, Rasmussen Reports is the only nationally recognized public opinion firm that still tracks President Trump's job approval ratings on a daily basis. If your organization is interested in a weekly or longer sponsorship of Rasmussen Reports' Daily Presidential Tracking Poll, please send e-mail to beth@rasmussenreports.com . Yes, in addition to 10,000 lies and misleading statements, he got Mitch to change the rules so, as snowflake in chief, he could get a participation trophy at a lower bar than competent presidents had. President Trump hit another milestone in his efforts to reshape the federal judiciary, with the Senate clearing his 100th judicial nominee Thursday. The president and Republican-controlled Senate have made judicial nominations a top priority, and the confirmation of Rodolfo Ruiz to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida brought the number of Trump's judicial appointments into triple digits. In addition to confirming Ruiz, the Senate is also set to clear two more nominees to federal district courts in Puerto Rico and Pennsylvania. If those two nominations win approval, Trump will have tapped 102 judges to the federal bench. Trump’s judicial appointments include two Supreme Court justices, Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh, 37 federal appeals court judges, and 61 federal district court judges. In anticipation of the milestone, the president lauded the work of the Senate in confirming his judicial nominees, telling attendees of a dinner for the National Day of Prayer on Wednesday that “we’re breaking records.” While Trump has seen great success in remaking the federal bench, his efforts have been met by resistance from Senate Democrats, who have criticized the president for the lack of diversity among his judicial picks. Trump’s judicial nominees are also young, ensuring they will leave a conservative stamp on the federal courts that will endure for decades. Democrats attempted to slow the pace of judicial confirmations by using the full 30 hours of debate time for judicial nominees. They have also sought to block nominees by not returning their so-called blue slips to the Senate Judiciary Committee. But Republicans have used their power as the majority party to diminish Democrats’ leverage. Last month, the GOP-controlled Senate changed the chamber’s rules to speed up confirmation of Trump’s nominees by lessening debate time to two hours. The Republican leaders of the Senate Judiciary Committee, former Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, and current Chairman Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., have also said an unreturned blue slip would not preclude nominees to the federal appeals courts from receiving confirmation hearings. The blue slip is a Senate practice under which home-state senators can voice their support or opposition to a judicial nominee on a blue form. Some previous Judiciary Committee chairman have allowed home-state senators to effectively veto a nominee by not returning their blue slips. More than three dozen judicial nominees are still awaiting votes on the Senate floor, including two of the president’s picks for the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. The San Francisco-based court is often the target of Trump’s frustration, as it has ruled against a number of the administration’s policies, and is considered the country’s most liberal appeals court. But if the Senate approves Trump’s two nominees to the 9th Circuit, it would bring the court closer to parity. Last month, Trump flipped his first appeals court, the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which now has a majority of Republican-appointed judges. https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/courts/senate-confirms-trumps-100th-judicial-nominee	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0041.json.gz/line3794
__label__cc	0.5045	0.4955	Page 531 of 551 First ... 31431481521527528529530531532533534535541 ... Last Thread: Game of Thrones Wonder Moderator Originally Posted by XPac The easy explanation is that when he said he coudn't be lord of anything, he didn't know at the time he would be king. Doesn't mean he didn't know later. I don't think he necessarily knows all things at all times. He might have learned things at some point in time without necessarily knowing them all along. Point being we don't exactly know what he knows or when he learned it, so blaming him for stuff like Dany going nuts is a bit of a stretch. He can't be held responsible for every bad thing that happens, or every bad decision everyone else makes simply because he potentially has the ability to MAYBE know about it in advance. I think it's arguably more dangerous if he were to decide to play god and go that route. That'll probably drive him nuts faster than even Dany. For him, less probably is more. Again, that was the problem with the vague comment(s) Bran has made. Can I blame him for what happened to Dany? Yes...and no. The writers failed to make it clear just what Bran knew and when. So it comes down to two basic possibilities (with shades in between). 1. Bran gets totally random flashes of what is going to happen, such as 'he needs to go to KL to be king' or 'he needs to sit in this courtyard because this is where Arya offs the NK) or, 2. Bran spends a great deal of his time looking at the future and knows the details and acts (or doesn't act) so those details will come to pass, either because that's how things have to be, or because that's how Bran wants them to be. I don't think it was ever made clear if Bran can do anything to change the future? Or is it through Bran's actions and/or inactions that cause the future to happen as it should? There are a lot of possibilities but no actual canon/hard answers because Bran was written too mysteriously in the show. remydat The Forever Walker And it is fair for you yo say that. It is also fair for others to say he knew all along. It is left to the viewer to decide and given obviois instances of the writers forgetting their own plot, we have reason not to give them the benefit of the doubt. It's hard for me to listen to someone not in my position. A caterpillar can't relate to what an eagle envisions. Invincible Member Originally Posted by remydat Not giving him a free pass. I asked you who was innocent or not serving the greater good. Jon Arynn was not innocent. He was complicit in the rape and murder of people and he as Hand failed to punish it because the rape and murder were committed by people he was aligned with. So removing someone who violates their duty as upholder of justice can in fact be argued as serving the greater good. Again my argument is that all these people are assholes and murderers. Some are just more likeable assholes and murders than others. You have not put forth a convincing argument to support the idea that Jon Arryn was innocent or that his death did not serve the greater good. I was simply pointing out that LF did not kill Arryn because your response gave the impression he had. He was a conspirator in his murder for sure. What happened to Hodor can be said to serve the greater good but it is entirely possible he could have saved Bran while living a normal healthy life. His becoming mentally disabled was not required for him to save Bran. He could have grown up sane and still become great friends with Bran and perhaps even been more useful because Ned was encouraging him to learn fencing. For all we know GoT lost a hero because of Bran's reckless Warging as several people remarked about how strong and great Wyllis could have become. We we got instead was a watered down Hodor instead of perhaps the next great Northern hero. I am not blaming Bran for Dany going nuts. I am saying he didn't save anyone from Bran as you asserted. For him to have saved people, he would have had to stop her from going nuts which he did not do. So he saved no one. However, Dany is still responsible for her own actions but it is obvious the circumstances in one's life shapes one's actions. Little Finger plotting to murder Arryn makes him a murderer too. Arguing that he was murdered by his wife and not him is where the free pass comes in. And if Arryn was murdered out of justice, you could maybe make the arguement that it was done for the greater good. Problem is that doesn't have a damn thing to do with why they did it. So regardless of whether or not some greater good can coincidentally be served by Jon dying (and I would still argue that's debatable), the point is that Little Finger is still a monster. And enough people know it to the point where he will and should be put down. And yes, maybe if Bran had better control of his powers Hodor could have lived a better life. Maybe. He didn't know how to properly use his powers and was caught in a life and death situation, where he did his best but a fairly innocent person ended up paying the price for that. It's tragic... but far less of an issue that Little Finger intentionally killing people. It's fair to say he knew prior to the end of the show ... it's not fair to say he knew all along. Again the fact that he states he could never be a lord tells us at some point he was unaware of how things would end up earlier in the season. We don't exactly know WHEN he discovers the outcome, but he clearly did not know all along. AndrewCrossett Originally Posted by Gaelforce Now, it could be that he also knows that, in doing so, peace will be brought about by his 1000 year reign, but in the meantime, there's a lot of murdered people and one queen who didn't have to go insane if only he had reminded her to look for Euron's fleet, or warned her that Missandei could be plucked out of the sea in the midst of a pitched battle and held for ransom. Basically, there were a lot of ways he could have easily stopped Dany from travelling down the mad queen path, but chose not to so that things would be set up for him to take the throne. If Dany was that close to the edge, she would have snapped at some point regardless of Missandei or Rhaegal. Being queen would have been incredibly stressful; hardly anyone in Westeros knows or trusts her and she doesn't know or trust them; and she would face resistance at some point, like every other monarch. You could make the argument that if she hadn't gone kill-crazy at this time, she would have done it further down the road when she would be firmly entrenched in power. As soon as she tried to "liberate" people who didn't want to be "liberated" and hail her as a Messiah figure, this would have happened. Just like the French, Russian and Chinese revolutions... "we will liberate you, or we will kill you. Your choice." Jackalope89 Or, the methods Bran chooses have the best overall outcome. There could be several paths he sees, and chooses the one that has the best outcome for the most people. And, we really don't know how much of the future Bran can see. PwrdOn Originally Posted by AndrewCrossett Well most of the deaths from those revolutions came about from a constantly expanding definition of who the "evil elites" were, and a lot of people who had enthusiastically supported those movements when they were cast as the victims suddenly found themselves labeled as the oppressors and eliminated. And while Dany had sort of a populist agenda going on in Essos, she seems to have completely dropped that when she finally got to Westeros, though it may have made more sense if she had claimed her mission to be liberating the smallfolk from the oppression of the noble houses from the get go. That would have naturally put her in conflict with the other main characters and her Nuremberg speech would have made a bit more sense, since she'd be celebrating the destruction of the decadent bourgeois class in the capital that was draining the wealth from the hard working peasants or whatever, rather than just reclaiming a family title. That is not a free pass. That is factual. LF did not murder Arryn. Lyssa did. LF is still guilty for his role in the conspiracy. Whether a greater good is served and whether that was the intent are two different things. What makes LF any more a monster than Arryn or Robert? Again they were fine with people being raped and children murdered. Who are you comparing to? Not really a maybe. It should be obvious that living as Wyllis would be better than living as Hodor. Also not saying it is the same as LF. Saying all these characters are flawed. No it is still fair to say as it is an opinion. It is not fair to say it is fact. But we all speculate and give opinions. The fact he stated he could never be a lord is meaningless. He could be deceitful or the writers could just have forgotten he said it like they forgot Dany knew about Euron. There are any number of scenarios and people are free to speculated based in their interpretation. Maybe China and Russia (Gulags, "re-education", mass starvations with little done to help, etc). But France? Yeah, the Year of Terror, where a bunch of people were executed. But numbers wise, it pales in comparison. Maybe the closest comparison would be the Soviets march on Berlin? That's like saying Cersi didn't murder Missandei. If you conspire to murder someone you are a murderer too. You can argue Little Finger is as much of a monster as Robert if you want... again, I wasn't a fan of his either to be honest. In the least he's far more of a monster than Bran, which is at least a part of the reason why they're probably better off with Bran on the throne over Little Finger. And sure you can say they are all flawed... you can say every human being is. That's not enough of a reason to argue a guy like Little Finger should be on the throne. Plenty of people far less flawed than him... the one presently sitting on the throne for example. If you want to ignore what the character actually states in favor of your own head canon that's fine... I just don't agree that's a fair way to discuss the show. Because if the character flat out states he doesn't know about being a lord, there's not a whole lot else the show can do to make that point. Was she close to the edge? Or did a series of events push her to the edge? Open to interpretation. You could also make the argument that once she showed mercy and ruled justly then she would have earned their love so when adversity hit she would not get as rattled by it. There is a parrallell universe out there where Jon doesnt tell Sansa, Dany doesnt forget about Euron and she just kills Cersei. A few key moments can completely change the trajectory of someone's life. I would normally agree but Dany is flat out told about Euron but the writers say she forgot. Yarra flat out asks for and gets independence yet she forgets about it. The writers suck so it is fair game to take that into account. Last edited by remydat; 05-23-2019 at 11:24 AM. No because Cersei gave an order to her subordinate. Gregor has no cause to kill her beyond her boss giving the order. By contrast Lyssa had her own reasons to kill Jon because she wanted to be with LF. He persuaded her but he is not her boss and in fact she outranks him being the wife of a Lord so it was not an order. Again he is still guilty but Lyssa made her own choice and had her own desire to kill in a way Gregor does not. Quick Navigation TV/Film Top a song of ice and fire, game of thrones, george r.r. martin	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0041.json.gz/line3796
__label__wiki	0.521575	0.521575	The Merax bike is a sturdy, basic bike for those who want nothing more than a couple of wheels capable to roll over rough ground for a budget price. 36V 8.8Ah Li-ion battery is conveniently placed for easy access and charging, but it is also removable and securely locked by key. Convenient placement. It takes 6-8 hours to charge the battery from 0%-100%, and you can expect to travel up to 22–28 miles on a full charge. How Much Does A Brutus V9 Cost What Is The Difference Between A Class 2 And Class 3 Hitch What Gear Is Best For Going Uphill On A Bike Are Electric Bikes Allowed On Bike Paths Firstly there's a magnetically-fired locking pin in the rear wheel, triggered by kicking a button on the hub. This is fairly secure in itself and almost impossible to remove without destroying the bike. In London, we'd pair it with a more traditional bike lock so there's a more obvious visual deterrent, though a LED matrix screen on the frame does issue a warning to would-be tea-leafs. What Is The Best Electric Mountain Bike Are Electric Scooters Allowed In London What Is Power Assisted Bicycle Which E Bike Is The Best Boasting incredible speeds of up to 17 mph and dependable geometry and stability, the Goplus electric mountain bike is one to die for. It is built to be lightweight yet durable, thanks to a dependable aluminum alloy frame. Among other features that are worth mentioning in this electric mountain bike includes its 6-speed transmission system, powerful LED headlamp and sharp hydraulic brakes. What Type Of Bike Rack Is Best Do Electric Scooters Need License Every bike we tested was a blast to ride. However, they all had very different ride characteristics. All of these could stand to improve in different areas, but the category is not mature enough to get a very capable bike for a reasonable price. We will continue to update this review as new bikes emerge, and electric mountain bikes continue to evolve. What Are The Best Roof Racks Can You Ride A Motorized Bicycle On The Sidewalk Are Electric Bikes Considered Motorized Vehicles Recently, electric mountain bikes have exploded in popularity. Our team researched the top models on the market and purchased six bikes in the $4500-$6000 range to test and review. Our team of testers rode these pedal-assist mountain bikes for thousands of miles, countless hours, and many tens of thousands of vertical feet. In the process, we analyzed each model's uphill and downhill performance, tested their distance range, paid close attention to the user-friendliness of their e-bike controls, and scrutinized their power output. We rode of each of these bikes hard in an effort to expose their strengths and weaknesses and determine the key ride characteristics of each one, and most importantly how they compare to each other. Are Electric Bikes Legal In Uk Swagtron Swagcycle folding electric bike is a commuter’s dream bike. It has three riding modes: throttle only, pedaling mode and the assisted mode. This foldable electric bike has a 36V Li-ion battery. With a single charge of the battery, you can reach 18 miles. If you go out of the battery power, it can easily be recharged in 3-4 hours. Need to mention one of it’s best options that this bike is foldable. This bike looks great and rides even better. Which Bike Is Best For Weight Loss Are Electric Scooters Illegal In Nyc For the electric mountain bikes, it is vital to check out the battery type. This powerful electric bike comes with a powerful 10.4Ah lithium-ion battery to ensure that it delivers excellent services. Besides this, the bike is also driven by a powerful electric 350W brushless motor for great speed. You can always shift the speed since it uses the 7-speed Shimano system, which makes it great for all users. How Do Electric Bikes Work Which Roof Box Is Best Does Cycle To Work Scheme Include Electric Bikes The 250W motor and the 36V battery is built into a frame that also includes 26 inches wheels, anti-slip power-off brake, and Shimano 21-speed shifters. An integrated LCD screen shows power, speed, battery charge, and a few other statistics. It is suitable for adults as it can carry up to 360 lbs weight. However, the bike itself is almost 51 pounds, so keep that in mind. Are Electric Bikes Allowed On Rail Trails How Much Air Should Be In Tubeless Tyres Do You Need A License For Electric Bikes Do You Have To Register An Electric Bike How Fast Can I Go On An Electric Bike Are Fixies Dangerous Are Electric Bikes Legal In Canada What Is The Fastest Production Street Bike His early hobby was designing and building model aircraft, while paying careful attention to every gram of weight. His own custom design of electrically-powered motor-glider won four electric flight world championships in Europe (1986-1992), and six titles in the United States. In 1991, he designed and built an 800-gram solar-powered model aircraft with a wingspan of almost 2-meters…and it set a world record flight of 10 hours, 43 minutes, and 51 seconds, which was officially recorded in the Guinness Book of World records. Are E Bikes Ok In The Rain Can I Drive A 50cc Scooter On A Car Licence Can You Use A Trunk Bike Rack On An Suv This was a problem that Schiltknect pondered constantly and tinkered with. Electric hub-motors are becoming widely used, but he considered them out of the question because…as a professional electrical engineer, he knew that the lower RPMs of the hubs were not the most efficient way to power any machine, and they were also noticeably heavy. For an E-mountain bike, he knew he wanted high efficiency and minimum weight. Are Folding Bikes Slower How Do Electric Assist Bikes Work The Swagcycle folding electric bike is a stylish and sturdy bike. With a single battery charge, you can reach up to 15 miles. This bike is an excellent choice for the cities and amazing countrysides. The Swagcycle folding electric bike weights only 16.8 kg, so it is not only powerful but lightweight also. Because it is a foldable electric bike, you can fit it almost everywhere. It allows you to save some space in your home. This electric bike has two modes: you can ride it on your own, or turn on the throttle mode and enjoy the riding without even pedaling hard! How Much Should I Spend On A Decent Mountain Bike How Do I Get Another License Plate Are Trek Bikes Made In The Usa This is another comfortable and durable electric bike that will suit you. The e-bike features adjustable handlebars and seat, which you can move to suit your riding height. Apart from this, the bike is also durable due to the fact that it has been made from the best quality of 26-inch aluminum alloy spokes. This also aids in rust prevention and dust-proof. The quality e-bike also features the 7-modes fly-wheel to provide a wide range of choices. Is Bicycle Insurance Necessary Do I Have To Register My Bike In Japan Does Mountain Biking Burn More Calories Than Road Biking What's The Best Folding Electric Bike What Is The Best Electric Bicycle On The Market What Is A Schrader Valve On A Bike Using that same meticulousness, he built a mountain bike out of titanium in 1995, and it is the lightest in the world. It weighs only 5.855 kg (12.9 lbs), and it became his second “Guinness Book” entry. His latest entry into the record-books came in 1998: only 9.74 kg (21.4 lbs) for the lightest electric bike, of course using his custom titanium frame. The power was from an electric friction-drive similar to the Solex moped, powering the rear tire, but…that drive system would prove to be unacceptable for an off-road mountain bike. As a serious,but aging cyclist, have been considering the purchase of an electric assist bike for some years. My primary concern was that the bike needed to provide enough power to assist me to tackle some very steep hills and my weight is near 220 lbs. Having no experience with electric assist, I anticipated the 500 watt motor rating of this ... full review Is Honda An Indian Company What Is Mamachari X-Treme Scooters Mountain Bike has a 300-watt motor that is designed for urban areas. It can easily climb the hills and has a soft and comfortable seat for long travel. It is equipped with a lithium-ion battery that can travel 25 miles in a charge. You can ride the bike using a motor as well as paddles. The features of this bike include front and rear brakes, 7 speed Shimano tourney gear shifter system, RST Capa T7 hydraulic front forks, adjustable seat, tool kit, headlight, battery indicator, cargo rack, and lightweight aluminum alloy frame. Which Is Best Electric Scooter In India Yukon Trails Outback Electric Mountain Bike is an affordable urban bike with a 24 volt motor of 250 watts. The lead-acid battery of 10 AH offers 28 miles in a charge. This mountain bike is manufactured in China. The bike has the solid tires of 1.75 Watt and 24 inches. It reaches up to the speed of 15 MPH due to the rim of 24 inches. You can smoothly ride the bike while enjoying the fresh air. The seat is comfortable to sit for a long time. What's The Best Electric Dirt Bike Do You Need A License To Drive A 49cc Scooter Should You Check Tire Pressure Hot Or Cold Can You Put 29 Inch Wheels On A 26 Inch Bike The final appearance of both the FullSeven and the Yamaha PW-X on the countdown. This top notch 27.5″ wheeled shred sled is another perfect fire road rider for the intermediate rider looking to step their game up. One thing I didn’t mention before but I wanted to let you all know is that I think the FullSeven geometry this year allows the bikes to be more accessible to riders of all sizes. Traditionally, most companies offer one or two options for female riders. Haibike does offer the FullLife models, but the FullSeven series by and large offers better components and a very similar geometry. I think that’s great. Is Electric Bike Legal In Uk	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0041.json.gz/line3804
__label__cc	0.562022	0.437978	Home / cardano google Category: cardano google Cardano (ADA) Search Volume Spikes Following Coinbase Announcement ada coin, ada coinbase, ada crypto, ada cryptocurrency, ada google, ada price, ada price 2018, Cardano, Cardano (ADA), cardano ada google, cardano coin, cardano coinbase, cardano cryptocurrency, cardano google, cardano news, cardano price, cardano price 2018, cardano search volume, coinbase ada, coinbase cardano, Crypto Analysis, Crypto News, News Cardano (ADA)–The eighth largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization continues to gain momentum following the landmark announcement by U.S.-based cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase. On Friday, Coinbase made waves across the industry by announcing it’s exploration into five new cryptocurrencies: Basic Attention Token (BAT), Zcash (ZEC), Stellar (XLM), 0x (ZRX), and Cardano (ADA). While some cryptocurrency communities felt snubbed by the lack of mention, the five coins selected rejoiced over the potential exposure to 13 million customers and subsequent price appreciation that Coinbase listing would entail. Today we are announcing that we’re exploring the addition of the following assets to Coinbase: Cardano (ADA), Basic Attention Token (BAT), Stellar Lumens (XLM), Zcash (ZEC) and 0x (ZRX). https://t.co/qoECyR0V1f — Coinbase (@coinbase) July 13, 2018 On cue, all five cryptocurrencies experienced significant pumps in pricing following the announcement, as investors scrambled to buy the coins at a lower value than what they hoped would be offered from the outset on Coinbase. In addition to the price appreciation, Cardano experienced a wave of invigorating interest. Judging by the data published on Google Trends, Cardano is nearing a peak in search volume over the last 90 days, with interest more than doubling before and after the news tying ADA to Coinbase. Prior to Friday, Google search volume for Cardano was exhibiting a typical fluctuation over time, with the currency’s interest trending below it’s historical average. However, following the announcement by Coinbase that they were exploring ADA, Cardano search volume displayed a sharp increase, doubling its trending output in less than 24 hours. Google Trends has been used as indicator in the past for both price interest as well as judging the popularity of the coin. While Google’s published data tends to lag several days behind actual search numbers (at least on the more reliable 90+ day charts), it does give an indication that Cardano is achieving renewed interest among investors and cryptocurrency enthusiasts. An increase in search volume has almost universally correlated to an in increase in price for a coin, with Cardano pushing a 22% appreciation in value since the Coinbase release. Search volume tends to have a snowballing effect. As more investors see the price of a currency rise, they start searching for general information on the investment or a reasoning for the price pump. This leads to greater interest in the coin, in addition to more investment dollars. While Google Trends and price appreciation suffers from a “chicken or the egg” debate (do coin prices rise because of interest, or vice-versa?), Cardano’s steep increase in search volume is good for both short term price appreciation and long term adoption. Cardano, through the efforts of the IOHK team and CEO Charles Hoskinsons, has developed a strong media and community presence, hosting a regular dialogue with both investors and enthusiasts to keep them up-to-date on coin news. Of the five cryptocurrencies under exploration by Coinbase, Cardano has quietly put together an impressive list of fresh news and development, ranging from the applications of Ouroboros in solving the issue of Proof of Stake, to a recent trip to the Google offices in London, sparking speculation over a possible partnership. How Cardano (ADA) Plans to Compete with Ethereum Altcoin News, Cardano, Cardano (ADA), cardano ada google, cardano adoption, cardano coin, cardano crypto, cardano cryptocurrency, cardano ethereum, cardano ethereum compete, cardano google, cardano news, cardano price, Charles Hoskinson, charles hoskinson ethereum, charles hoskinson iohk iohk cardano, Crypto News, iohk cardano google, iohk google, News CARDANO (ADA)–Speaking in a recent, published visit with Google’s London Office, the team behind Cardano’s ADA project stirred up a fair bit of speculation over whether the currency was in talks for a potential partnership with the search engine giant. Lost in most of the conversation over Google teaming up with Cardano was Charles Hoskinson’s response to a question posed during the visit: Q. How will Cardano overcome the first-mover advantage of Ethereum? The IOHK and Cardano founder has had an interesting past with the current #2 cryptocurrency by market capitalization. Charles Hoskinson was one of the original co-founders of Ethereum, alongside now leading figure Vitalik Buterin, before a series of disputes led Hoskinson to leave the project. The move was not all doom and gloom for the world of cryptocurrency or Ethereum’s former co-founder: Hoskinson went on to found IOHK (Inside Outside Hong Kong), the parent company behind the Cardano Project and currency ADA. Given his long history in the industry of cryptocurrency (Hoskinson created a digital school for Bitcoin in 2013 where he first met Vitalik Buterin), the move of having co-founded two top ten currencies has been worth about 500-600 million USD as estimated by Forbes. It is becoming more evident that Cardano’s ultimate competitor in the cryptospace, at least given the current landscape, will be Ethereum and it’s predilection for Dapps, smart contracts and network driven growth. Proponents of Bitcoin have long used the first-mover advantage of BTC as justification for the cryptocurrency offering the most long term potential over competition. Given the length of time that Bitcoin has existed in the market, as the genesis coin in the modern landscape of cryptocurrencies, it holds widespread recognition, near-household name branding, and a large degree of interest that draws developers, investors and merchant adopters. However, as the space of cryptocurrency grows beyond sole transacting currencies into the realm of complexity introduced by smart contracts, Dapps, and crypto-fueled networks, it becomes a more murky landscape over which currency offers the most advantage. However, Hoskinson gives several reasons for why Cardano is in prime position to compete and overcome Ethereum, despite being later to the market. The first is Ethereum’s accessibility through written code, a feature that Cardano is attempting to capitalize on through its use of Ethereum’s Virtual Machine (EVM) and partnership with the University of Illinois, So how many Java, C++ or Go developers are writing code on Ethereum? You can’t, Ethereum doesn’t support any of these languages. They can’t even run a single viral app on the platform. If you look at the top 10 languages, none of them works on the system, so, by definition, all those developers aren’t developing for the system, they have to go and learn new tools and new stuff. With Cardano, first off, we’re backward-compatible, 100%, we’re running an EVM. So you can take your Solidity code and your Web 3 stuff and all the things you’ve come to know and love about Ethereum, and you can run it on my system, and it’s faster, cheaper and safer to run it on my system because we have a better consensus model. Hoskinson also expands on the nature of adoption, particularly from a developer’s standpoint, that supersedes specific loyalty to technology in an effort to find the cheapest, most efficient option, it’s silly to say, ‘Oh well, only one platform and one token’s won’, it’s akin to saying Internet Explorer’s won and we all have to be Active X developers, god help us. I’m not loyal to IE, or Amazon Web Services. Rather, I have to ask, what’s the cheapest, best, most secure environment for me to run my computation in for my users? Our strategy is be backwards compatible, support more languages, especially mainstream languages in a better way, have a better user and developer experience, and be smarter about the ecosystem in which these contracts live. So we make it easier for the server to come into play, to use multiple ledgers and have a good app platform to deploy these types of things on, and we’ll definitely get a lot of growth there. In addition, Hoskinson finds fault with the nature of the initial question, and argues that, while Ethereum has managed to capture a fairly large amount of the investor share in cryptocurrency, the actual adoption of smart contracts is a field yet to be tapped into, The other thing is that very few people today write smart contracts. They play with these things, but very few people are smart contract developers. If 99% of developers aren’t in the ecosystem, how can you say a person has first-mover advantage? It’s nuts. As some community members have pointed out, the idea of one currency gaining “advantage” over another is trivial in the open-source, decentralized atmosphere of cryptocurrency. Sure, a currency can implement superior technology or advantage over a rival currency, but then that antagonizing coin is free to take and do the same. While that’s not to downplay the difficulty of implementing new technology and protocol into an existing framework, it does show the power of decentralization in bringing out the best in organizations–by allowing them to freely compete and build off the back of other breakthroughs. Branding will hold as much weight for cryptocurrencies in the growing landscape as the underlying technology. But anyone in the cryptospace, from Buterin to Hoskinson, likely realizes that, although the industry is littered with dead and dying projects, there is enough room for multiple currencies to exist. You can have a Mac and a PC, with investors and developers gravitating towards what fits their needs. The race for adoption, particularly by household name companies, will likely be one that takes into consideration brand-power. But all it takes is the innovation and excitement driven by one revolutionary product to flip the conception of ‘which currency is best’ on its head. Think of the ongoing war between smart phone manufacturers. Some iterations provide greater advantage over the competition, with the constant tug-of-war ultimately to the benefit of users looking for the best phone–assuming they don’t blindly get lost in brand loyalty. When the appreciation of cryptocurrency and significant profit to be made is squeezed out of the industry, the real focus will turn to which currencies offer the most advantage. This should allow for enough diversity that intention and effort provide the greatest reward, as opposed to encouraging speculation. You can read the entire interview between the Cardano and Google teams on IOHK’s blog. Google’s London Office Seeks Clarifications On Cardano (ADA), Cryptocurrencies Altcoin News, Cardano (ADA), cardano ada coin, cardano crypto, cardano cryptocurrency, cardano google, Crypto News The curiousness, which cryptocurrency experts receive from those who have little knowledge of what blockchain technology is, is not small. While those who already have deep insight on the technology want to have more, or get inundations on the next thing for the technology, the newbie in the area are seeking for information beyond glimpse, and want to know all about it in a twinkle of an eye. This was noticed at Google’s London office where some sets of audience, loaded with blockchain technology information, listened to Charles Hoskinson, who was invited to talk about Cardano and the future of cryptocurrencies. In what could be said to be a meeting at the Google’s London headquarters, Googlers from around the world listened to the presentation, putting different questions to IOHK’s chief executive who was ably flanked by Duncan Coutts, IOHK Director of Engineering. The questions, going by what they entail, are to seek clarifications and make them more informed about Cardano use cases. Charled gave a brief introduction on IOHK and Cardano, then gathering threw questions to the CEO and Director of Enginering. The CEO went deep on Cardano development, and talked on how its consensus protocol, Ouroboros, uses staking as a means to encourage people to join and help run the network. The CEO enlightened the gathering, which was full of curious individuals, on Cardano development milestones like the test network that is to be opened to developers interested in playing around its smart contracts. A questioner, demanded to know how Cardano plans to outrun Ethereum, going by the latter’s deep-rooted advantage in the blockchain world. The CEO responded: “So how many Java, C++ or Go developers are writing code on Ethereum? You can’t, Ethereum doesn’t support any of these languages. They can’t even run a single viral app on the platform. If you look at the top 10 languages, none of them works on the system, so, by definition, all those developers aren’t developing for the system, they have to go and learn new tools and new stuff. With Cardano, first off, we’re backward-compatible, 100%, we’re running an EVM. The discussion, which is available on IOHK’s blog, centers more on the future of Cardano especially its uses cases, smart contract, and cryptocurrency at large. CNBC “Crypto Trader” Labels Cardano (ADA) As Undervalued Altcoin News, Cardano, Cardano (ADA), cardano ada coin, cardano cnbc undervalued, cardano coin, cardano crypto, cardano crypto cnbc, cardano cryptocurrency, cardano google, cardano price, cardano price prediction, cardano undervalued, charles hoskinson cardano, charles hoskinson google, Crypto Analysis, Crypto News CARDANO (ADA)–Despite the plunging price of Bitcoin to levels not seen since last October, CNBC’s Crypto Trader remains bullish on the possibility of several altcoins, listing Cardano’s ADA currency as “undervalued.” Cryptocurrency trader Ran Neu-Ner, who hosts CNBC Africa’s Crypto Trader program, told audiences on Fast Money, “There’s more blood to come,” in regards to the falling price of Bitcoin and the general decline of the cryptocurrency markets. Bitcoin broke the 6k USD mark yesterday evening, extending all the way into the 5800 USD range, reaching a relative low in value for the first time since October 2017. While the plunging price of BTC–and by extension, the entire altcoin market–follows on the heels of news surrounding the failure of lightning network in its present state (a protocol to reduce BTC fees and transaction times), the entire market is also responding to a general sentiment that the price will continue to drop. Cryptocurrency hedge funds, of which hundreds opened throughout last year, are reaching the critical point where investors can ask to take profit from their investment (forced sales), leading to a potential selloff in the market worth billions to the capitalization. As #Bitcoin drops below $6K, the man who called the drop @cryptomanran now sees this… pic.twitter.com/APNwL1rbxt — CNBC’s Fast Money (@CNBCFastMoney) June 28, 2018 Given the negative attitude towards BTC’s price rallying in the near term, Neu-Ner has taken a bearish stance on the currency, predicting the price fall could extend into the 5300 USD range before the market starts to see a reversal, “Right now my money is on the market continuing to go down.” Neu-Ner, founder of OnChain Capita, has been negative towards the price of BTC in the past, saying earlier in the month that he could see BTC testing 5000 USD in the near-term. He does argue that BTC pricing could form a floor when the cost of production (miner fees paid in electricity and equipment to process transactions and mine new coins) outweighs the benefit of selling at such a depressed price. Miners, in that situation, will be more compelled to hold their coins until price levels become more palatable–thereby drying up a portion of the current selling population. Neu-Ner did give support for the future of cryptocurrency, saying that investors bullish on the technology should view this as a buyer’s market, “If you understand the technology and you’re a bull, then now is a great time to be buying…The blockchain is progressing and this thing isn’t going away.” In particular, the crypto trader highlighted Cardano’s ADA as a cryptocurrency for investors to consider, in addition to listing the altcoin as undervalued. When determining his next prediction for a successful currency, he stated looking at blockchain technology and infrastructure, which led him to Cardano and Neo. Speaking specifically about his interest in Cardano, Neu-Ner had this to say, “It’s a blockchain protocol. Which I think is highly undervalued.” While the price of Cardano continues to fall coinciding with the slipping crypto market (ADA down to 0.11 USD as of writing), the eighth cryptocurrency by market cap saw positive news in the form of founder Charles Hoskinson meeting with Google to discuss the future of blockchain and crypto application. IOHK make a visit to @Google‘s London office and our CEO @IOHK_Charles was invited to talk about Cardano and the future of #cryptocurrencies. Check out some key questions asked at the event in the latest blog post: https://t.co/gyMzWkOs2w #Cardano @cardanocom @CardanoStiftung pic.twitter.com/PnvhAK4gpz — Input Output (@InputOutputHK) June 28, 2018	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0041.json.gz/line3813
__label__wiki	0.894736	0.894736	Prev Index Next Camp Little Eagle Copyright © 2002-2019 MultiMapper. All Rights Reserved. THIS STORY IS COPYRIGHT © 2002-2019 BY MULTIMAPPER. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. DISTRIBUTION FOR COMMERCIAL GAIN, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, POSTING ON SITES OR NEWSGROUPS, DISTRIBUTION AS PARTS OR IN BOOK FORM (EITHER AS A WHOLE OR PART OF A COMPILATION) WITH OR WITHOUT A FEE, OR DISTRIBUTION ON CD, DVD, OR ANY OTHER ELECTRONIC MEDIA WITH OR WITHOUT A FEE, IS EXPRESSLY PROHIBITED WITHOUT THE AUTHOR'S WRITTEN CONSENT. YOU MAY DOWNLOAD ONE (1) COPY OF THIS STORY FOR PERSONAL USE; ANY AND ALL COMMERCIAL USE EXCEPTING EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS REQUIRES THE AUTHOR'S WRITTEN CONSENT. THE AUTHOR MAY BE CONTACTED AT: multimapper@gmail.com "Wait, Obie's still gone." Paul said as he noticed Obie's distant expression. "No I'm not. I snapped out of it a few minutes ago." Obie said quietly. "Are you alright?" Paul asked with concern. "Yeah. I don't have any big bad things like what happened to all of you. I'm fine." Obie said as he looked around the room. "You have something. You can tell us if you want." Paul said cautiously. Obie considered for a moment, then quietly said, "Nobody ever did any of the sex stuff to me or hit me or anything like that." "Then why are you here?" Arlo asked slowly, more as a prompt for Obie to continue than out of curiosity. "My mom was a drug addict. By the time it got really bad, Mike and I were old enough that we could take care of ourselves so it wasn't that bad. We didn't have nice stuff like some other kids, but... we got by." Obie said quietly. Silence fell over the room as everyone waited, knowing that there was more to come. "Then one night mom told me we were going to go somewhere. Just me and her. I thought that was weird because we never went anywhere." Obie said distantly. Devon carefully placed one of his hands on Obie's shoulder to give it a gentle squeeze. Obie took in a deep breath, then said, "This car was waiting on us when we left the apartment building. We got in the car and this really scummy looking fat old guy drove us to this warehouse." More than one of the boys in the room felt a chill run up their spines as they easily envisioned what was about to happen. "We went into the warehouse and mom started talking to this really creepy looking guy with long stringy hair and a tattoo on his face. I didn't hear what they were saying, but when they were done, he handed her a paper bag and it got real quiet." Obie said as tears started to well up in his eyes. "She started to walk away, but then the fat guy grabbed her and before I knew what was going on, he held out a badge and told her that she was under arrest." Obie said distantly. "So do you know what was going on?" Paul asked in a soft voice. "Not then, but when we went to court I found out that she was trying to sell me for drugs." Obie said as his tears finally began to fall. There was another long minute of silence before Simon quietly asked, "But the people she tried to sell you to were undercover police officers?" Obie nodded without looking at Simon. "And when she was sent to jail, you and your brother were sent to Camp Little Eagle where you would be safe." Uri said in confirmation. Obie silently nodded and said, "They were going to put Mike and me into cabin two so we could have, you know, something like parents. But we didn't want that. Our mom wasn't much of a mom and we never had a dad. We told Sean and Cory that we were done with having parents and that we've always taken care of each other. So they let us move into cabin three." "I'm glad you didn't have to go through the things that Uri and I did." Simon said honestly. Obie looked up with tearful eyes and said, "But... I never done any of that stuff... even Trent and Jose have done it and I haven't... Maybe I don't belong here..." "I haven't done it either." Paul said quietly. Obie looked at Paul with surprise. "You're not alone Obie. I'm going to be living here and I've never done any of those things either." Paul said gently. "Me either. I've never done anything." Arlo said quietly. Obie looked at Arlo with question. "Most of you know about my... um..." Arlo trailed off. "Gift?" Jerico offered quietly. Arlo gave Jerico an uncertain look, but finally nodded and continued, "My parents are kind of... well, really rich." He seemed to be searching for the words, and finally continued, "They thought I was nuts. I overheard them talking in the kitchen one night... they were going to send me away. They were going to put me in this place where no one would ever see me or hear from me again. That way their rich friends would never know that they had a kid who wasn't 'perfect'." "So you ran away?" Simon asked in a whisper. "Yeah. I was so stupid. There I was, living in a mansion with art and stuff worth millions of dollars and... I didn't even realize that when I left I would need money." Arlo finished with a defeated chuckle. "What did you do?" Dylan asked quietly. "I did what I saw some other kids doing. I found a place to sit and begged for change." Arlo said with an expression that said he couldn't believe he had ever done that. "And?" Paul asked with concern. "And on the second day that I was 'spare changing' outside this Denny's, two guys stopped and talked to me. Their names were Alec and Andrew." Arlo said as he looked around to see if anyone recognized the names. "Alec McCarthy and Andrew Evans?" Devon asked curiously. Arlo nodded. "Who's that?" Dylan asked carefully. "They're members of Clan Short. They go to school here." Devon said seriously. "Whatever happened with your parents? Do you know?" Obie asked Arlo cautiously. Arlo chuckled and said, "Yeah. Cory and Sean were going to tell them that I was safe, but they did some checking first. It turns out that they never even called the cops to tell them that I was missing. They just went on with their lives like I never existed." "You're b-b-b-better off without th-th-them." Trent said firmly. Everyone turned with surprise at the intensity in Trent's voice. Jose looked at Trent cautiously. Trent's response was an urging look. "You want me to tell them?" Jose asked to be sure. Trent nodded firmly. Jose looked around and noticed that everyone was watching. "Since we're all telling our stuff, Trent wants you to know that his dad used to screw him in the butt and videotape it. Trent told his speech therapist at school about it and he got sent here." Jose said seriously. Trent poked Jose's arm, then pointed at him. "Oh. Yeah. I, um... guess I got stolen or sold or something when I was a baby. I don't know, but the guy who I thought was my dad was white. He always did sex with me and took pictures and movies and stuff. I don't remember most of it but Dr. Dan says that it'll probably come back when I'm older. Anyway, the Clan guys saw some of the pictures of me on the Internet and figured out where I was and brought me here." Jose said frankly. "Guys." Dylan said with distraction, gaining everyone's attention. "I know I'm the new guy here, and you might want to make me move to a different cabin for saying this..." Dylan trailed off darkly. "Go ahead Dylan. Say whatever you want." Paul said with concern at his dark tone. "I went through some stuff like you guys did and I know what you're talking about. But... the stuff I went through wasn't all bad." Dylan said distantly, then lifted his head and looked around the group. "You all seem to agree that the sex and stuff was horrible and kind of ruined your lives. But I don't feel that way." Dylan said, then ducked his head again. "It's okay Dylan, you don't have to agree with us. But would you explain what you mean?" Paul asked gently. "I don't know... I went through some pretty messed up stuff and there were things that I hated, but there was stuff that I liked too. Some people were really nice to me and I think they actually cared about me. Hearing you talk about what you've gone through makes me feel like I'm supposed to... I don't know, feel like a victim... or maybe I should act like I lost something that I can never get back." Dylan said carefully as he considered his words. "So how do you feel about things?" Simon asked in a whisper. Dylan expected Simon to be upset with him for feeling differently and was surprised to see that Simon really wanted to know. After a moment of consideration, Dylan looked Simon in the eyes and said, "I guess I feel kind of like I'm a fighter. When a fighter fights, whether he wins or loses, he learns things. If he doesn't learn from his battles, he ends up having the same fight over and over." Everyone was silent as glances were exchanged around the room. Dylan thought for a moment, then decided that since he'd come this far, he might as well continue. "I had sex with a lot of people in the past few years. Some of them were nasty, some of them were mean, but there were some of them who were really good to me and I enjoyed it. I think I need to take some time to get everything sorted out in my head, but after that, I'm going to get on with my life. I'm sorry if that sounds cold blooded of me and like I don't care about the things you guys went through. But it's best if I tell you this now so I won't piss everyone off because I don't feel the same way about things that you do." Paul wanted to give Dylan some assurance, but didn't feel that it was his place. He looked around the room and noticed that everyone seemed to be lost in their own thoughts. "What do you guys think about what he said? He needs to know." Jerico said in a careful and controlled voice. Paul turned to face his cousin and could clearly see the strain in his features. "You need to rest don't you?" Paul asked with concern. Jerico turned his attention to Paul as he strained to say, "After this." Paul nodded, then glanced around the room again. Obie stood and walked to the center of the gathering. "If you want Dylan to leave, then I'm going to leave too. I've never really been a fighter, but I think that's what I want to be." Obie said seriously. Trent nudged Jose and gave him an urgent look. Jose nodded and said, "Trent and I want to be fighters too." Paul sat forward in his chair and was about to say something when he felt Jerico's hand on his arm. He turned to see Jerico shaking his head. Paul sat back to watch and listen. "Is there anyone here who doesn't want to be a fighter?" Arlo asked seriously. After a long silent moment, Simon reluctantly said, "I don't." Arlo looked at Simon with surprise. Simon raised his eyes to meet Arlo's shocked gaze and said, "That doesn't mean that I won't. It just means that I've kind of gotten used to sitting here, thinking and rethinking everything in my past, I guess I didn't realize that by doing that, I'm not really creating a future. I never really thought about it before but, not everything was horrible. There was good stuff..." After a moment of looking around the room, Arlo said, "Dylan, I don't think you'll have to leave because if you did, you'd be taking everyone with you." Dylan looked at Arlo with surprise. "All that personal stuff that we shared tonight needed to be brought out into the open so we could help each other deal with it, but what you said is right. We need to learn from our battles and get on with our lives." Arlo said with conviction. "Yeah. Sean and Cory gave me a chance to be normal, but all I've been doing is obsessing about how nerdy I used to be." Devon said with irritation. "We will help each other to move on." Uri said with assurance. Devon looked at Uri and his irritated expression transformed into an amused smile. "Yeah. Let's do that." Devon said warmly. "Does that mean that everything is settled?" Paul asked as he looked around the room. Several people looked at Paul with question. "Well, it looks to me like everyone shared their histories and you've all decided to follow Dylan's example and work toward the future. Right?" Paul asked frankly. "Not everyone shared their history." Devon said as he looked Paul in the eyes. "Oh." Paul said shyly and looked at Jerico with question. Jerico gave a single, firm nod. "Okay. I guess that means it's up to me." Paul said nervously. "You don't have to tell us anything Paul." Mouse said quickly. "That's right. We said our stuff because we wanted to. No one made us do it." Arlo added seriously. Paul shook his head and said, "It's okay guys, I thought about telling you while everyone else was telling, I just couldn't get up the nerve." "Well, if you feel like you need to tell us something, just go ahead and say it." Simon said gently. Paul reluctantly nodded and quietly said, "I, um, I don't..." "Come on. You can do it." Arlo said assuringly. "I don't, um, have any, like, um, sex drive or... anything like that." Paul murmured as his gaze fell to the floor. After a long moment of silence, Obie turned to Dylan and quietly asked, "What does that mean?" "I'm not sure." Dylan responded, then turned to Paul and asked, "Could you maybe explain that?" Paul forced himself to look up and was surprised to see everyone looking at him with concern. He had expected amusement or at least disinterest. "To tell you the truth, I'm not really sure either. I just know that most people, feel something, you know, like a sex urge or something when they see someone attractive. I don't have that." Paul said disjointedly. "Sex urge?" Simon asked slowly. "I don't know what it is that you feel because I've never felt it. I just know that the things that turn most people on don't do anything to me. I can look at porn and it's the same to me as looking at the pictures in a newspaper. I don't feel anything." Paul said quietly. "Wow. That must be nice." Devon said with wide eyes. Paul looked at Devon with shock. "I'm popping a boner about every five minutes all day long. Almost everything I see or hear reminds me of sex and I have trouble thinking about anything else." Devon said frankly. Everyone watched the crimson blush rise up Devon's face as he realized what he'd just blurted out. "So does that mean you don't get boners?" Obie asked Paul with confusion. Paul blushed a little at the question and hesitantly answered, "Well, I wake up with one most mornings, but I don't usually get them any other time." "I can tell that you're really shy about it, but I don't think it's something so bad." Arlo said quietly. "Yeah. And you can still be a fighter with the rest of us if you want to be." Jose said happily. "Okay. Thanks guys." Paul said with a relieved smile, then noticed Jerico touching his arm again. "Oh yeah. Jerico wants you to know that he's kind of a sex addict. He doesn't have sex with anyone anymore because if he did, he couldn't think about anything else. It would take over his whole life... is that right?" Paul asked as he turned to look at Jerico with question. Jerico hesitantly nodded. "What's wrong? Why can't he talk now?" Dylan asked curiously. "He's tired and can't control his gift right now. If he said anything, he might accidentally hurt someone." Paul said quietly. "So that thing that him and Luke can do... he can't control it?" Simon asked carefully. "He can, just not constantly. It makes him tired to try. Once he trains me how to be his anchor, he won't have to control it all the time." Paul said seriously. "I don't understand." Simon said slowly. "Mouse and Luke can explain it. I need to get Jerico home so he can get some rest." Paul said as he stood. Dylan looked at Lieutenant Masterson who had been sitting silently at his side and said, "I think I'll be okay here if you want to go." "I think so too. But I wouldn't mind staying if you want to be sure." Lieutenant Masterson said quietly. "I'll take care of Dylan, I promise." Obie said firmly. "Then I won't worry about him." Lieutenant Masterson said with a smile at the young boy, then turned to Dylan to say, "If you ever need me for anything, I'm just a phone call away. Call Starfleet and they can get a message to me no matter where I am." Dylan was surprised by the statement, but hid it quickly and said, "I'll remember that. And maybe I can call you just to let you know how things are going." "I'd like that. The Enterprise isn't scheduled to depart until Sunday night, maybe I could stop by and we could go do something this weekend?" Lieutenant Masterson asked hesitantly. Dylan smiled and said, "Yeah. I'd like that." "I'll see you then." Lieutenant Masterson said as he stood and began walking toward the door. "Paul, do you know when you'll be moving in here?" Simon asked as he also stood. "No, but I'm sure it will be soon. Maybe we'll get you guys to help us move when it's time?" Paul asked hopefully as he walked with Jerico toward the door. "Yeah. We'll all help." Simon said, then looked around to see that everyone was in agreement. Paul stopped at the door and looked back at the collection of boys of all different ages. "I have this feeling like today we all ended some things that have been holding us back and now we're ready to start something new." Paul said peacefully. "I think we all feel that." Simon said honestly. "And I don't think any of it would have happened without you Dylan. Remember that." Paul said as he looked Dylan in the eye. "What did I do?" Dylan asked hesitantly. "You gave us a reality check. Thanks." Paul said with a smile, then turned to open the door. "Um, sure. Anytime." Dylan said uncertainly as he watched Lieutenant Masterson, Paul and Jerico leave. "It's getting late and we have school tomorrow. Are we ready to call it a night?" Simon asked as he looked around. "There is one thing I would like to do first, if I may." Uri said as he turned to face Simon. "What's that?" Simon asked hesitantly as he looked up into Uri's eyes. Uri held out his hand to Simon and waited. "You know I don't like to..." Simon said, then realized that Uri knew very well what he was doing. "I believe it is time." Uri said quietly. Simon reluctantly forced himself to take Uri's hand. Uri responded by placing his other hand over Simon's. "Good night Simon. I hope you have good rest." Uri said quietly, then gave Simon's hand a gentle squeeze before releasing it.. "Thanks Uri." Simon said in a slightly shaky voice and managed to give him a faint smile. Uri responded with a single nod, then turned to walk to his room. "Goodnight guys." Devon said quickly and hurried to follow Uri. "Are you ready for our first night in our new room?" Obie asked with excitement. Dylan smiled at the younger boy and slowly nodded. "Then come on." Obie said, then happily hurried away. "Good night everyone. Thanks for accepting me here." Dylan said quietly, then turned to follow Obie. "Thanks for being a fighter." Arlo said frankly as he watched Dylan leave. As soon as the bedroom door had closed, Arlo turned to Simon and asked, "Are you okay?" Simon sat down on the edge of his bed and stared at his hand for a moment before quietly saying, "Yeah. I really think I am." "I'm here if you feel like talking. So if something's bothering you, you can tell me." Arlo said seriously as he walked to his dresser. Simon watched Arlo pull his pajamas out of the dresser drawer and said, "I think I'm okay for right now, but there is something I'd like to try if you wouldn't mind." Arlo sat his pajamas on the bed and looked at Simon with question. "You've been really good about doing things to keep me from feeling uncomfortable and I really appreciate it. But I think maybe it's time for me to try to start doing normal things again." Simon said slowly. "Like what?" Arlo asked curiously. "Well, like getting ready for bed. I wouldn't mind it if you changed in here... I mean, if you wanted to." Simon said quietly. Arlo was surprised by the statement. Ever since his first day at Camp Little Eagle, he had always gone to the bathroom to change clothes so Simon could change in private. "Okay. If that's what you want. And if it'll help, I promise that I won't look until you say so." Arlo said quietly. Simon smiled and said, "You don't have to do that. Having you look at me wouldn't bother me at all. The only thing that might cause me to panic is if you walked toward me while you were undressed." Simon said with a pained expression. "Then I'll stay right over here." Arlo said as a vow. Simon nodded that he heard. "So, do you want to do it now?" Arlo asked cautiously. Simon walked to his dresser and pulled out his pajamas, then said, "Okay. I think I'm ready." Arlo sat on his bed and began to remove his shoes and socks. He resisted the urge to look at Simon, not wanting him to feel that he was being stared at. After placing his shoes under the bed, Arlo pulled his t-shirt off over his head. He decided that he needed to know how Simon was doing so he quickly glanced across the room. Simon was in the process of removing his t-shirt and didn't notice. Slowly, Arlo reached down to untie the drawstring on his sweatpants. As he began to pull the string to undo the knot, he glanced up to see how Simon was doing. Arlo froze when he saw Simon staring at him, at his hands. "I can still go into the bathroom to finish this if it's going to bother you. I really don't mind." Arlo said quietly. Simon blinked twice, then slowly moved his gaze up to look Arlo in the eyes. "No. It's really fine. Please keep going. I need to do this." Simon said in a shaky voice. Arlo nodded, then began to pull on the drawstring again. "Do you like to take your shower at night or in the morning?" Obie asked as soon as Dylan walked into their room. "I usually just take a shower when I've got the chance. I've never really thought about it." Dylan said quietly. "Well, I like to take my shower at night because I think it makes me sleep better. But Mike always said that it was better to take a shower in the morning because it wakes him up and besides it makes your hair stick up funny if you sleep on it when it's wet." Obie said as he started going through the drawers of his dresser. "I suppose I'll take a shower now. I do feel kind of grubby." Dylan said as he watched Obie searching through his things. "Here it is." Obie said as he pulled a duffle bag out from under his bed. Dylan remained silent, but leaned forward to see what Obie had found. "Do you need a towel or a toothbrush or anything like that?" Obie asked as he looked at Dylan with question. "I really don't have anything. All I have is what I'm wearing." Dylan said shyly. "Oh. Okay. Well we can get you all that stuff in the morning. Tonight you can share mine... except for the toothbrush. They probably have extra toothbrushes in the cabinet in the bathroom." Obie said as he stood and put the duffel bag on his bed. "Sounds good." Dylan said as he looked around, not sure if he should be doing something. "In cabin three, we'd usually get undressed in the bedroom, then wear a towel to the bathroom... well, except for Nathan. But he has a really big dick and likes to walk around naked to show it off." Obie said as he held out a towel to Dylan. "Thanks." Dylan said with a smile. "Uh huh." Obie said then began to undress. Dylan toed off the slipper shoes that he had been given on the Enterprise and pushed them under his bed. "What do you like to sleep in? I mean, do you like pajamas or boxers or what?" Obie asked casually as he skinned the t-shirt off over his head. "I usually either sleep in my clothes or I don't wear anything. It just kind of depends on where I am and what I'm doing." Dylan answered honestly as he opened the top half of his coveralls. "Okay. I was just asking because if you wanted, we could borrow boxers or something from one of the other guys... probably Devon. He's about your size." Obie finished in a considering voice. "We won't need to do that unless it's going to bother you if I sleep naked." Dylan said hesitantly as he pushed the coveralls down his legs. "I don't care about that. The only person who ever bothered me was Nathan and that's only because he kept showing his dick off like it made him really special or something." Obie said frankly. "You don't have to worry about me doing anything like that." Dylan said as he stepped out of the coveralls. Obie looked over at Dylan and smiled. "What?" Dylan asked as he looked down at his naked body. "That's how I want my body to look when I grow up." Obie said happily as he pulled down his pants. Dylan broke into a full smile at the statement as he said, "Thanks Obie. I think that's the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me." "Really?" Obie asked in surprise while removing his white cotton briefs. Dylan casually draped the towel around his waist as he said, "Yeah. I've had creepy old guys tell me I'm beautiful and things like that. But I don't remember anyone ever telling me I looked good without wanting something in return." "Come on. It's already late. We don't want to take too long." Obie said as he draped his towel around his waist and held it with one hand. Dylan continued to smile as he said, "Let's go." "Uri, can I ask you something?" Devon asked shyly. "Certainly." Uri said formally. "Is it because of all that stuff between you and Simon that you won't open up and talk about... much of anything?" Devon asked cautiously. "Perhaps to some degree. But I am a very private person by nature and do not share personal facts easily." Uri said in thought. Devon nodded, then began to change out of his 'nerd' clothes. "If you have a question, you may ask." Uri said uncertainly. "Okay. But just because I ask you something doesn't mean you have to tell me. Okay?" Devon asked seriously. "Agreed." Uri said as he sat in one of the two desk chairs and gave Devon his full attention. "Let's see... I guess the one that's been bugging me the most is about the food. I know from working in the kitchen that you're on some kind of special diet. But I still don't know why. Everyone says to not talk about it." Devon said as he sat on the edge of his bed, wearing only his boxer shorts. "The food I eat is kosher." Uri said simply. "Kosher... like the pickles?" Devon asked hesitantly. Uri chuckled and said, "Yes. Like the pickles. Kosher food meets certain requirements in its selection and preparation and is considered to be 'clean' by those of the Jewish faith. When I came to Camp Little Eagle, I had a long discussion with Doctor Dan about many things and he encouraged me to embrace this aspect of my faith." "Oh. Okay. I guess that answers a few of my questions." Devon said slowly. "In the past few hours you have learned some disturbing truths about me, and yet you are still willing to be my roommate. I would like to think that I would be as loyal a friend to you if the situations were reversed. So please feel free to ask whatever you like." Uri said seriously. "Okay. I've heard a couple people ask you this one before and you always dodged it. Are you Russian or Serbian or what?" Devon asked as he looked into Uri's eyes. Uri smiled at the question and said, "I am Israeli." "Oh. Um... then how did you get here?" Devon asked hesitantly. "I have little memory of living in Israel, I remember my parents being afraid and the explosions that killed them. I held to them and cried, not understanding at the time that they were dead. I remember a man, a soldier I think, took me away from the ruins that had been my home and put me on a truck with many other people. I don't remember clearly what happened after that. I was constantly moving, never staying in one place for very long. Eventually, I ended up in the custody of the people who used me for pornography." Uri said distantly. "So you don't have a home to go back to." Devon said in a whisper. "No. But I have a country. Israel holds my past, my ancestry. Someday I will return there and learn all that I can about my origin." Uri said with conviction. "Want some company?" Devon asked with a small smile. Uri looked at Devon with confusion at the strange question. "When you go to Israel, would you like some company?" Devon asked more quietly. Uri broke into a full smile and said, "Yes. I believe that company would be good." "Good. Let's plan on doing that." Devon said firmly. "Are you going to take your shower tonight?" Uri asked as he noticed that Devon was still sitting in his boxer shorts. "No. It's too late and besides, I think I got enough of a shower while we were trying to keep Arlo warm." Devon said seriously. Uri considered the statement, then said, "I agree. If you have no other questions, I will prepare for bed now." "Nope. I just wanted to know about the food and where that kewl accent of yours comes from." Devon said with a grin as he started walking toward their bedroom door. "You like my accent?" Uri asked with a smile as he followed. "Absolutely." Devon said firmly over his shoulder. "Okay. We're alone so you can talk." Mouse said as he closed their bedroom door. "I don't think I really have anything to say." Luke said helplessly as he sat on his bed. Mouse giggled and said, "I guess I'll have to talk enough for both of us." Luke smiled and made a show of nodding his agreement. "What do you think about everything that's happened today?" Mouse asked as he plopped down on the bed next to Luke. "Well, I'm glad I can talk." Luke said quietly. Mouse looked at Luke strangely for a moment, then said, "Funny, it doesn't show." Luke smiled at the statement and said, "It's just a lot for me to take in. My whole life I was told all these lies about who I am and the abilities that I have. I figured out for myself that the stuff they were telling me was lies and finally escaped from them. Now I've got someone else telling me a whole different story... do you see where I'm going with this?" "So whether you're angel food or devils food, you're still the dessert that someone else gets to eat?" Mouse asked curiously. Luke stared at Mouse for a moment as he thought about the statement, and finally said, "I guess that's right, but in a million years I never would have thought of saying it like that." Mouse shrugged and said, "Maybe it's an anchor thing." "Maybe it is." Luke said quietly as he smiled. "Come on 'Chosen'. Don't make me have to call Paul and Jerico back here. You can talk to me now, so talk." Mouse prodded. "You've just got to understand that I got out of the habit of talking and sometimes I don't know what to say." Luke said seriously. "Okay. I get that. I can just tell that you've got something serious on your mind and I want to help you if I can." Mouse said frankly. "All of us talking about our pasts got me to thinking. I'm worried about my parents." Luke said simply. "Oh. Like what happened to them?" Mouse asked quietly. "No. More like, are they waiting outside the camp gates to grab me the next time we go into town?" Luke said seriously. "You know, the TV sitcoms totally lied to us. Families suck." Mouse said as he stared at the wall in front of them. "Well, we're kind of like a family, and we're okay." Luke said quietly. "Yeah. We are." Mouse said with a smile. "You know, it's past our bedtime. Let's go check on Trent and Jose, then call it a night." Luke said quietly. "Why do we need to check on them?" Mouse asked curiously. "Because they're part of our family." Luke said as he stood and started walking toward the door. Mouse smiled as he also stood. "We're alone now. You can talk." Paul said as he walked with Jerico toward the parking lot. "Thanks for taking care of me Paul. I wouldn't have been able to help them if it wasn't for you." Jerico said quietly. "We take care of each other. We've already decided that. Now I just need to know what we're going to do next." Paul said seriously. "In the morning I'll make a few calls and find out how soon we can move over here. From everything that happened tonight, I think it had better be as soon as possible. I need to start training you, Luke and Arlo right away." Jerico said as he stopped at the side of his truck. "I think you're right. The stuff that angel guy was saying about something big coming... it's got me spooked pretty bad. If we get bogged down with the little things, it could be here before we're ready." Paul said seriously. "Will you help me with that? I'm going to have to do the majority of the training and hands-on stuff. Will you help to keep me from getting too bogged down in the details and remind me about the big picture from time to time?" Jerico asked in a voice of concentration. "I'll add that to my job description... do you want to drive through McDonald's for a snack on the way back to the house?" Paul asked curiously. Jerico smiled and said, "Sure. Then we can watch the Gilligan's Island episode that you recorded before we call it a night." "That would be perfect." Paul said with a happy smile, then climbed into the Fiero. Jerico got into his truck and waited for Paul to finish backing out before starting his engine. Simon's eyes tracked to the movement and he stood, transfixed by the sight. As soon as the knot released, Arlo hooked his thumbs in the waistband of the sweat pants and pulled them down. He reached down to pull first one, then the other leg off over his feet, then looked at Simon and asked, "How are you doing?" "I... I'm okay." Simon said in a daze. Arlo could clearly see the nervousness in Simon's eyes, but he couldn't even guess how emotionally fragile Simon was at this point. "Almost done." Arlo said with assurance and began to pull on his sleep pants. Simon blinked, then seemed to notice that he was standing shirtless, watching Arlo change. "I'm... I'm sorry." Simon muttered in a flustered voice. "It's okay Simon. Really." Arlo said as he pulled on his pajama top. "Thanks. I mean, thanks for trusting me when I said I was ready." Simon said shyly as he hurried to finish changing. "All you need to do is let me know when you're ready to take another step and I'll be right there with you." Arlo said with assurance. "Okay. And if you ever need me, I'm here for you too." Simon said shyly. "I've known that since the beginning." Arlo said as he pulled back his covers. Simon smiled at the words, then did the same. "What's all this stuff?" Dylan asked cautiously as he noticed that there were still pouches of herbs and various other things scattered around the bathroom floor. "I don't know. I'll move it out of the way so no one will step on it." Obie said and began to gather the scattered items with one hand as he held his towel with the other. "I'll help." Dylan said as he knelt down. "Hey guys." Devon said as he walked into the bathroom. "Hey Devon. You look a lot better without your nerd things." Obie said as he sat some pouches in a pile in the corner. "Thanks." Devon said with a smile as he went to the first sink to start brushing his teeth. "I am unaccustomed to staying up so late." Uri said as he walked into the bathroom and went directly to the next sink. "Yeah. Me too." Obie said as he walked around the partition into the shower room. After dropping off the miscellaneous items he had collected around the bathroom floor, Dylan walked casually into the shower room where Obie was turning on his shower. Dylan followed Obie's example and hung his towel on the hook next to Obie's. "You'll probably want to tilt the shower down a little so you don't get your bandage wet." Obie said as he glanced at Dylan. Dylan smiled and said, "Thanks. I almost forgot." "Whoa. Full house tonight." A voice said from the main part of the bathroom. Dylan considered the voice for a moment, then decided that it was Mouse. "Trent and Jose are already asleep. They didn't even change out of their clothes." Mouse said casually. "Did you wake them so they could dress for bed?" Uri asked curiously. "Nah. Luke and I took off their shoes, then covered them up. They'll be fine." Mouse said cheerfully. "That was very considerate of you." Uri said in his usual formal tone. "Well, it was Luke's idea to check on them." Mouse said, sounding a little bit shy. "You almost done?" Obie asked from Dylan's side. Dylan had been listening to the conversation outside the shower and lost track of what he was doing. "No. I'll need another minute or two." Dylan said as he snapped back to the task at hand. "How are you going to wash your legs and stuff if you can't get your head wet?" Obie asked curiously. "I guess I'll step away from the water to do that." Dylan said carefully. "I can help you if you want. I don't mind." Obie said seriously. Dylan was about to refuse, but then saw the hopeful expression in Obie's eyes. "If you'll get the legs, I think I can get the rest." Dylan said with a grateful smile. As a response, Obie started lathering up a washcloth. "Don't stay up too late guys. School tomorrow." Mouse called out and sounded like he was becoming more distant. "Okay." Obie said quickly. Dylan hurried to wash himself, taking care not to get the bandage on his face wet. "I'm done down here." Obie announced. "I'm done up here too." Dylan said as he turned under the shower's spray to rinse off the last of the soap. As soon as he had finished turning off the shower, Obie was standing at his side holding out his towel. "Thanks Obie." Dylan said gently. "No problem." Obie said quickly as he began to dry himself. As Dylan began to dry his chest, he watched the energetic, happy young boy who was his roommate. By the time Dylan had reached his waist, Obie had finished drying himself. Dylan watched as Obie draped his towel around his midsection, then held it in place with one hand. "Do you want me to tie that for you?" Dylan asked gently, not wanting to offend Obie. "Would you? It always falls off when I try to do it." Obie asked hopefully. Dylan smiled and slung his own towel over his shoulder, then squatted down and tied Obie's towel firmly around his waist. "Thanks. Mike used to do that for me too. I'm going to see if they have any extra toothbrushes anywhere." Dylan watched with a smile as Obie scampered out of the shower room. "Arlo?" Simon whispered from his bed. Arlo opened his eyes and looked at Simon curiously. "What do you think about that stuff that Dylan was talking about?" Simon asked quietly. "You mean about not all of it being bad?" Arlo asked, having sensed that Simon was having difficulty with that one point. "Yeah." Simon whispered. "If you would have asked me yesterday, I wouldn't have had an answer. But since all that stuff happened today I have some of your memories... do you remember Shane?" Arlo asked quietly. Simon closed his eyes and distantly said, "I haven't thought about him since I've been here." "But you know how you felt about him, right?" Arlo asked seriously as he turned on his side and propped himself up on an elbow. "Yeah. But he was... like, nearly thirty years old." Simon said slowly. "He was nice. He obviously cared about you and you know as well as I do that if there was any way he could have gotten you out of there, that he would have." Arlo said frankly. "Yeah. I do know that." Simon said in distant thought. "So that's one. I bet if you thought about it, you could find some more memories from back then that weren't so bad." Arlo said more gently. After a moment to consider, Simon said, "You're probably right." "This is just the beginning Simon. Think about it, you're getting better." Arlo said with encouragement. "You really think so?" Simon asked cautiously. "I know so. What would you have done if I tried to change clothes in the same room with you two weeks ago?" Arlo asked frankly. "I probably would have had a panic attack and I'd be curled up on the floor crying right now." Simon said with resignation. "I think so too. Be proud of it Simon, and when you're ready we'll take another step." Arlo said with a smile. "Okay Arlo. As long as you're there with me, I'll be able to do it." Simon said quietly. Arlo smiled at the statement and whispered, "Go to sleep now. It's late." Editor's Notes: Well, it seems that finally the day is over. I can see that a lot of progress has happened. Everyone seems to have made some progress, some, more than others, but it is definitely a good start. I am so proud of all the boys. They are taking the steps necessary to begin the healing process. Thank you once again MultiMapper for another wonderfully heartwarming chapter of a wonderful story. He told me that this chapter would be easy to edit, and he was right, but then, I can't remember ever receiving a chapter from him that wasn't a pleasure to edit. Of course some were more scary than others. Now, let me remind you that one of the nicest things that you can do for me, or MultiMapper, or for any of your favourite authors, is to write them an e mail, telling them what you thought of their work. You would be amazed at how good it makes me feel, for instance, to get a letter telling me that something I wrote either changed things for someone, or that it somehow inspired them in some way. I will be right here next time, so come on in and have a seat. Let's sit down and relax while we read a new chapter. Darryl AKA The Radio Rancher	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0041.json.gz/line3814
__label__cc	0.685519	0.314481	Are You Depressed? Big Pharma Hopes So by Martha Rosenberg / September 27th, 2014 Are you depressed? Have you lost interest in things you used to enjoy? Are you eating or sleeping too much? Big Pharma hopes so! The push to convince people who are dealing with job, family, relationship and money problems that they actually have “depression” has resulted in almost one in four American women in their 40s and 50s taking antidepressants. Ka-ching. Psychiatry is often accused of not being “real medicine” because the diseases it diagnoses cannot be proved on blood tests and brain scans. That’s why this month’s announcement of the “first blood test to diagnose major depression in adults” is good news for psychiatrists and Big Pharma. Developed by Northwestern Medicine® scientists, the test, announced this month, “provides the first objective, scientific diagnosis for depression,” says Northwestern. “The blood test can also predict which therapies would be most successful for patients, and lays the groundwork for one day identifying people who are especially vulnerable to depression — even before they’ve gone through a depressive episode,” gushes a Huffington Post article. No kidding! Treating people “at risk” of heart disease, asthma, osteoporosis, GERD and other conditions is Pharma’s marketing plan. Patients never know if they would have gotten the disorders and will stay on the drugs for decades. Another Pharma plan to sell antidepressants is pimping suicide. Groups like the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention present our national suicide rate as an “antidepressant deficiency” and cite a “stigma” that keeps people away from depression medication — like the 25 percent of older women who are on them right now. Yet, despite a huge chunk of the population being on antidepressants, suicide is up not down. And in the military, where antidepressant use is rife, suicide is way up, including among those who never deployed. Left out of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention’s marketing materials is mention of the “black box” warnings on antidepressants that say “Antidepressants increased the risk compared to placebo of suicidal thinking and behavior (suicidality) in children, adolescents, and young adults…Patients of all ages who are started on antidepressant therapy should be monitored appropriately and observed closely for clinical worsening, suicidality, or unusual changes in behavior.” Antidepressants have other risks besides suicide. They can cause weight gain, sexual dysfunction, passivity and general complacency about life. When antidepressants quit working or don’t work to begin with the “depression” is called “treatment resistant” and more drugs are added making more money for Pharma. Their side effects — and symptoms if a patient tries to discontinue — are often taken as “proof” of the initial depression. The result is people who were never depressed being on the drugs for years. Depression certainly exists and antidepressants certainly can work. But through cagey marketing, Pharma has changed the definition of depression from self-limiting, as it was once viewed, to a lifelong condition. Worse, “depression” has been turned into a cultural/commercial condition of lack of happiness instead of a clinical condition. Why shouldn’t we be happy at all times? Big Pharma has so medicalized normal, everyday emotions, grief over the death of a loved one is now called a psychiatric disorder and there’s a pill for it. The truth is antidepressants can increase or diminish the risk of suicide, though both suicide and meds are way up. Another truth is the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention received $40,000 so far this year from Eli Lilly and $50,000 in 2013 and 2012. It was led for a time by psychiatrist Charles Nemeroff who was found by Congress to have failed to disclose at least $1.2 million in Pharma income to Emory University. So, yes, the pills do treat depression — depression of Big Pharma profits. Martha Rosenberg is a columnist/cartoonist who writes about public health. Her first book, titled Born with a Junk Food Deficiency: How Flaks, Quacks and Hacks Pimp the Public Health, has just been released by Prometheus Books. She can be reached at: martharosenberg@sbcglobal.net. Read other articles by Martha. This article was posted on Saturday, September 27th, 2014 at 5:18pm and is filed under Health/Medical, Pharmaceuticals.	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0041.json.gz/line3820
__label__wiki	0.938394	0.938394	Home / NEWS / Omar Tells Room Full Of Muslims It Is Time To ‘Raise Hell’ In America admin March 24, 2019 NEWS, POLITICS, VIDEOS Leave a comment 20,864 Views Minnesota Democrat Rep. Ilhan Omar has issued a call to arms for her fellow Muslim Americans to “raise hell.” She was speaking to around 400 Los Angeles-area Muslims at the Woodland Hills Hilton on Saturday and complained that they were being discriminated against. “I say raise hell, make people uncomfortable,” she said to a cheering audience. “Because here’s the truth. For far too long, we have lived with the discomfort of living as second class citizens and I’m tired of it.” Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) claims that Muslims in the U.S. are “second-class citizens,” encourages them to “raise hell, make people uncomfortable” pic.twitter.com/BfsaefdZ8E — Ryan Saavedra (@RealSaavedra) March 24, 2019 “Muslims are told that we should not bother anyone, not make any kind of noise, be a good Muslim,” she said. “But no matter how much we have tried to be the best neighbor, people have always worked on finding a way to not allow for every single civil liberty to be extended to us,” Omar said. “People say ‘Ilhan, why are you always talking about this particular country and not that particular country?’” she said in reference to her anti-Israel comments. “My choice of country to talk about is not based on my preference of country. It is based on what country is violating basic human rights,” she said. “So it doesn’t matter, if that country is being run by my father, my brother my sister, I will still criticize that country … we must also hold those that we love, that have shared values with, accountable,” she said. The news came days after it was revealed that Omar had been holding secret fundraising meetings with Muslim groups who have ties to terrorism. Minnesota Democrat Rep. Ilhan Omar has been meeting behind the scenes with Islamic groups that have ties to terrorism to help with fundraising. The meetings have been deliberately closed off from the press and hidden from public view to avoid scrutiny, The Washington Free Beacon reported. The content of these speeches, given to predominately Muslim audiences, remains unknown, prompting some of Omar’s critics to express concern about the type of rhetoric she is using before these paying audiences, particularly in light of the lawmaker’s repeated use of anti-Semitic tropes in public. Omar recently spoke in Florida at a private event hosted by Islamic Relief, a charity organization long said to have deep ties to groups that advocate terrorism against Israel. Over the weekend, she will appear at another private event in California that is hosted by CAIR-CA PAC, a political action committee affiliated with the Council on American Islamic Relations, or CAIR a group that was named as an unindicted co-conspirator in a massive terror-funding incident. Omar’s appearance at these closed-door forums is raising eyebrows in the pro-Israel world due to her repeated and unapologetic public use of anti-Semitic stereotypes accusing Jewish people of controlling foreign policy and politics. With Omar’s popularity skyrocketing on the anti-Israel left, it appears her rhetoric is translating into fundraising prowess. It remains unclear what Omar has told these audiences in her private talks. Washington Free Beacon attempts to obtain video of past events were unsuccessful, and multiple local news and television outlets in the Tampa, Fla., area, where Omar spoke to Islamic Relief last month, confirmed they were unable to gain access to the closed door event. Islamic Relief has come under congressional investigation for what lawmakers have described as its efforts to provide assistance to terrorist group such as Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood. The charity has been banned by some countries as a result of these ties. In 2017, Congress sought to ban taxpayer funds from reaching the charity due to these terror links. A representative from Islamic Relief declined to provide the Free Beacon with any material related to Omar’s appearance. “The event was closed to the media. No materials are available,” the official said. On Sunday, Omar will hold another meet and greet in Irvine, Calif., for CAIR-CA PAC. Those wishing to hear Omar speak are being asked to donate anywhere from $50 to $250 dollars, according to a flyer for the event. The CAIR event also appears closed to the press. Free Beacon attempts to contact the organizer and obtain access were unsuccessful. Requests for comment on the nature of the speeches sent to Omar’s congressional office also were not returned. “I just wonder what is Rep. Omar saying to a group of Islamic supporters that she feels is so secretive that she cannot say it to the American people, as a whole?” Sarah Stern, founder of president of the Endowment for Middle East Truth, said. “What is so secretive that it has to be off the record and closed to reporters? Will she say the same things in public to her Jewish voters in Minnesota that she says to her Islamic friends? What does this tell us about her openness, her honesty and her integrity?” she said. “Rep. Omar’s presence as a keynote speaker to raise funds for Islamic Relief USA, whose parent organization and chapters have documented ties to terrorist organizations, demonstrates that she has learned next to nothing over the last few weeks when she was reprimanded by your office and by other Democrats for posting ugly, anti-Semitic attacks on Jews and their organizations,” Pro-Israel groups said in a letter to House Foreign Affairs Committee chair Elliott Engel and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. “Democratic freshman Rep. Ilhan Omar (D., Minn.) has been holding a series of secret fundraisers with groups that have been tied to the support of terrorism, appearances that have been closed to the press and hidden from public view.” https://t.co/lvy8SloMVW — Katie Pavlich (@KatiePavlich) March 22, 2019 Donald Trump is the most pro-Israel president in U.S. history Ilhan Omar is a notorious anti-Semite who fundraisers for Islamic groups tied to terrorism https://t.co/lz1CbuwiiC A sitting member of the U.S. House of Representatives holding secret fundraisers with groups that are on-record as supporting terrorism should be grounds for expulsion from Congress.https://t.co/YB8JTry3jX — Adrian Norman (@AdrianNormanDC) March 22, 2019 What say you @SpeakerPelosi & @realDonaldTrump sir? Ilhan Omar Holding Private Fundraisers with Islamist Groups Linked to Terrorism: https://t.co/W1T7Gg0eKb — Herbert Reed (@Herbert_L_Reed) March 23, 2019 H/T: The Federalist Papers Previous Hillary Blindsided By “Off-The-Record” Evidence – It’s On The Record Now Next Total Vindication: DOJ Delivers Mueller Conclusions To Congress In Four-Page Letter	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0041.json.gz/line3827
__label__cc	0.718112	0.281888	Dada's Bookmarks everyday finds Annotation: Filipino Diaspora Annotation: Migration Annotation: Visual Anthropology AnthropoloGifs Balikbayan: Return to the Nation Sablay Baad ng Pauno Performing Naturalness Sunday (e)Scapes Hiratsuka — film in progress Bamboo Revival The Un/Natural State of Things Annotation: de Sousa Santos, Boaventura. 2006. Globalizations. de Sousa Santos, Boaventura. 2006. Globalizations. Theory, Culture & Society, 23: 393-399. The term “global” today refers to the processes and results of globalization. Globalization has two components: descriptive and prescriptive (hegemonic consensus; neoliberal consensus) (393). The idea of globalization as a “spontaneous, automatic, unavoidable and irreversible process,” the author argues, must be seen as an ideological and political move that promotes the two fallacies of determinism and of disappearance of the South (395). The author argues that the term globalization in fact pertains to “different sets of social relationships”, and thus it should only be used in the plural (395). Globalization, according to the author, is “a set of unequal exchanges in which a certain artefact, condition, entity or local identity extends its influence beyond its local or national borders and, in so doing, develops an ability to designate as local another rival artefact, condition, entity or identity” (396). There are two implications of this definition of globalization. First, that “there is no originally global condition”, meaning that “what we call globalization is always the successful globalization of a particular localism,” and that “there are no global conditions for which we cannot find local roots.” Second, that “globalization presupposes localization.” This means that the processes that create global hierarchies are the same ones which produce the local as the dominated and as the inferior position. Thus, “we live as much in a world of globalizations as we live in a world of localizations” (396). An examples of how globalization creates localization is the normalization of the English language as the language of globalization, and the marginalization of national languages. Another example is the compression of time and space, allowing events and trends to unfold fast on a global scale. Subordinated classes and groups such as migrants, however, “remain prisoners in their own time-space,” even though they are major contributors to globalization. For the author, “The production of globalization therefore entails the production of localization” (396). There are two main modes of production of globalization. The first is the twin processes of globalized localisms/localized globalisms (creation of hegemony on the one hand, and the disintegration, oppression, exclusion, de- and re-structuring processes at the local level); 2) the possibilities for insurgent cosmopolitanism or the transnationally organized resistance against inequalities produced by globalized localisms and localized globalisms. September 20, 2012 September 20, 2012 globalization, migration, migration theory Previous Previous post: Annotation: Kearney, Michael. 1986. From the Invisible Hand to Visible Feet Next Next post: Annotation: Chamberlain, Mary. 2006. Family Love in the Diaspora. critical race emotion feminism gender kinship migration Philippine migration post-colonialism transnationalism visual anthropology About Dada Docot Dada Docot is currently a Teaching Fellow at New York University Shanghai. She is a Ph.D. Candidate in Anthropology at the University of British Columbia, and is the first Filipino recipient of the Government of Canada’s Vanier Awards. Read More Covar, Prospero. 1998. Larangan Spivak, Gayatri Chakravorty. 2010. “Can the Subaltern Speak?” Ahmed, Sara. 2007. “A Phenomenology of Whiteness.” Feminist Theory 2(8):149-168. @ednadurata Salamat! I’m planning to apply for this grant. It would be great to bring Filipino speakers to Purdue. 4 hours ago @dtpowis I found it impossible to stop reading during diss writing. It’s impt to read as our ethnography usually ch… twitter.com/i/web/status/1… 5 hours ago	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0041.json.gz/line3831
__label__cc	0.614661	0.385339	Tag Archives: Lisa Bonet Red Road returns tomorrow on Sundance! The Red Road returns for its second season on Sundance channel Thursday, April 2nd 10/9C This is a heart pounding, nonstop action kinda series and not just cuz Jason Momoa is in it (although that helps, too, ha, ::blush::) I didn’t know what to expect going into the first season and I’m so happy I sat down and actually watched it. Red Road combines everything I want to see more of on TV (not just Jason Momoa ::blush::) like Native American issues and more people of color with prominent roles (Hello! FINALLY!), slick, suspenseful writing, and real world characters who aren’t just canned stereotypes. Red Road is gritty, engaging, and keeps you guessing all the way through. My only complaint is that I wish it was longer! The first season was only 6 episodes, so you guys can catch up without much difficulty before season two’s premiere. http://c.brightcove.com/services/viewer/federated_f9?isVid=1&isUI=1 In a nutshell, the series is about a Native American criminal and the dangerous game he plays with a white cop who covers the accident of his schizophrenic wife and the Native boy she ran over with her car. It’s a cat-and-mouse murder mystery set on an Indian reservation where the “good” cop has to outsmart the “bad” guy. However what’s good becomes bad, and what seems bad in the beginning, is slowly revealed to be good. You’ve seen it before but not like this, I promise. The predominately Native American cast is a refreshing change of pace. If you like psychological cop stories with a lot of twists and turns, then Red Road is for you. I’ll be tuning in tomorrow to watch season 2! Will you? Television conspiracy cops crime Damsel Cannibal drama Indian Reservation Jason Momoa Lisa Bonet mini series murder Native American police psychological horror psychological issues racism Sundance suspense TV Review	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0041.json.gz/line3835
__label__cc	0.720704	0.279296	August 28, 2017 by danatheactress Sabotage, Chapter 11 With a dour face, Hank typed an email on his laptop. He had to pause, take a sip of his hot apple cider, and sigh. Right after that moment, a heavy knock sounded at the door. He set down his computer and prepared to face an ongoing nuisance. He seriously doubted that they came to deliver bad news. sure, it was a possibility, but he had a strong hunch that if Carmen got hurt in any way, they would not have the decency to tell him first. He saw the way they kept trying to discredit her in the media, so they would only revel in her destruction. He knew why they were here, and he was willing to put up with it to help bring justice to Carmen. He answered the door and came to face a young but short woman with dark blonde hair tied back tightly. She had remarkably plain features except for her dark blues, which had a glare that could scare anyone into attention. Hank couldn’t guess her role in Mirage based on her appearance. Her clothes looked as though they could be expensive, however, she did not fit into them very snuggly as the tightness exposed her muffin top. Regardless of her position, he knew she represented those vile snakes from that evil so-called company, so he took pleasure in telling her, “Sorry, no soliciting!” He relished in the brief emotion she showed at that insult, but as he tried to slam the front door, she stopped it with her foot and sharply informed him, “Actually, Mister Alvaro, I’m Jorden Kasper, head of the Northern California division of Mirage.” Hank figured that her titled must usually command respect and obedience, but it did not work on him. After all, he dealt with wealthy and glamorous clients all the time. He saw a flicker of annoyance on her face as her ploy didn’t work. Instead of cowering at her presence, he kept cool. Knowing full well why she was there, he decided to tell her, “If you’re interested in real estate development, you’ll have to come back during business hours.” Once again, she tried to hide her vexed mood. Jorden motioned behind her, and two police officers approached the front porch. “These guys have a warrant. We believe that you have illegal information that I’m here to recover on behalf of our company.” Hank, in mock politeness, gestured for them to enter. “The passcode for the safe is five one two two.” Jorden came in, scowling fiercely at his impertinence. “Yes?” Hank grinned. She leered, “You’re hiding confidential information only privy to our people. You have no right to possess it! We’re far more clever than you think! We’ll find what you’re hiding!” “By all means, Pintamonas, feel free to look for yourself!” Hank invited. Jorden took him up on his offer. She searched every end of the living room while one officer searched upstairs and the other searched the kitchen and backyard. Jorden checked each nook and cranny-the entertainment center, the couch cushions, even the rug. When she checked under the couch, she gasped. The cat hissed and ran out of the room. Hank chuckled, and she shook her head and maintained a nonchalant attitude. She pat him down, which prompted him to joke, “Hey, Cabrona, I’m a married man!” She gave him an evil eye and kept searching. She saw a bowl next to the front door where Hank stored a pile of mail. “Of course!” she deduced. “While we were so busy sifting through your electronic communications to find hidden messages, she slipped under the radar and conveyed her status the old fashioned way!” “Don’t look through that,” Hank said pleasantly. “It’ll totally waste your time!” “Ohhhh, you don’t want me to look here!” Jorden practically cackled. She scanned each letter and examined each detail scrupulously. Hank sat down on a chair that faced the front door, kicking back and not bothering to disguise his amusement at her fury. She turned back to see the cat sitting next to him on the arm of his chair wearing a pumpkin sweater. He pet the cat’s unadorned fur and grinned toothily at her. She gritted her teeth and kept foraging for suspicious letters. finally, something caught her eye. “Since when are you friends with Hermione Granger?” “Don’t read that.” He pretended to be worried. “You won’t be happy.” Jorden smiled maliciously as she opened the envelope and took a look at the letter. She read out loud, “Nine, apostrophe, thirteen, space, fifteen, fourteen, space, twenty, eight, five space, eight, nine, seven, eight, twenty-three, one, twenty-five, space, twenty fifteen, space, eight, five, twelve, twelve, period. The bottom of the page says seven, fifteen, space, six, twenty-one, three, eleven, space, twenty-five, fifteen, twenty-one, eighteen, nineteen, five, twelve, six. This is an easy encryption to decipher. She thinks she’s so clever! The numbers clearly correspond to their position in the alphabet.” She took a pen off the table and began to translate. “Nine would be I, and thirteen is M. Yup, that’s what she did. The first word is I’m. Let’s see…I’m…on…the…highway…to…” She eagerly anticipated the answer, fully believing it would reveal important information. “I’m on the highway to…hell? Very funny! I bet the bottom of the page is more serious.” She translated the bottom and stood up in anger. “Go fuck yourself!?!” Hank roared in laughter. “I told you not to look at that! Didn’t I say it would waste your time?” “Why you-!” She stepped towards him as if she was going to attack him. Just then, the police officers returned from the kitchen and upstairs. The cat ran into the kitchen, almost tripping the cop. The other officer reported, “We searched every inch of the house. It’s clear.” Jorden didn’t like hearing this. she ogled Hank, who simply smiled and shrugged. She reluctantly relented, “We’ll come back again another day. He’s hiding something, I know it!” Giving him an angry face, Jorden stormed out. The police indifferently followed. The cat returned to the living, staring up at Hank, who praised him, “Good boy, Orlando! They have no respect for your prowess, so they underestimated your worth.” He peeked under the sweater and saw the three pieces of Zartex’s papers rolled up into a fine tube. He put the sweater back into place. “Good boy!” He pat Orlando on the head, and the cat seemed pleased. As Carmen, Garith, and Zartex gingerly scaled down a sandy, pebble-filled hill, Garith discussed, “Okay, let’s go over it one more time. THE VOBS were the company’s sale system?” “Yes,” Carmen concurred. “But after we got promoted and began to build our teams, they said it would help us with managing a company too. It wasn’t a sale system-they called it the system.” “Right. So the T stood for turn every corner,” Garith recited. “In sales, it referred to thoroughly working your territory.” “And in management, it referred to recruiting people from high and low,” Carmen explained. “Sales are a numbers game, but so is recruitment, especially for a job people generally aren’t willing to do.” Zartex added, “On a corporate level, they turn every corner to find people who escape, as we’ve seen.” “That’s true!” Garith agreed. “H stood for haste. The quicker you move, the quicker you reach your goals. People forget about a deal if you don’t nab it quickly. And managers will lose recruits to other jobs if they don’t act fast. And corporate wants to grow quickly, of course. If they can get ahead enough, one failure won’t mean that much of a loss. That’s why they were so fast to kill off one of their managers. Find the problems quick. Like escapees, find them fast!” “E is for envy,” Carmen continued. “They turn sales people into the cool kids on campus so everyone will get jealous of their life. It gets recruits excited for a chance to share the spotlight. They dress sharply and make it look like we did all these fun things to create that insatiable desire to be trendy and fabulous. That’s how they motivated people to stay.” Zartex stated, “That goes along with V for voracity. They play on people’s greed to get sales and to trick people into thinking they want to get promoted. They got so focused on making lots of money and doing flashy things that their voracity clouded their judgment, which allowed them to heinous things like murder.” Carmen bitterly commented, “O is optimism. They claim it was to attract positive things by thinking positive. They didn’t want us to think any negative thoughts. So, any negative impulse we had about the job we had to ignore or destroy. They brainwashed us into thinking we were happy. It made us compliant to their whims.” “B, big picture, did the same sort of thing,” Garith appended. “They talked about delayed gratification, paying now so you can play later. Forget about how miserable you are now, focus on the goals we made for you stemming from greed and envy! It made you forget your identity.” Zartex finished with, “S is for seize control. That’s the obvious end goal.” At the bottom of the hill, they came to an expansive lake with a clear view of the mountains on the opposite side. Carmen breathed, “It’s beautiful!” “Didn’t I tell you that Utah Lake would be a great place to camp out?” Garith remarked. “I won’t say you were right,” Carmen bickered. “You don’t have to,” Garith gloated, “not wehen it’s obvious.” “Who are you bragging to?” Carmen retorted. “There’s no one here that cares.” “I’m sorry, I won’t be cheerful then,” Garith said sarcastically. “I don’t have a problem with your cheerfulness!” Carmen argued. “In the last week, I had to deal with failing in sales and running out a doomed marriage. I have to walk to California with company that I didn’t have a choice on! I gotta live like a homeless person to survive while trying to avoid getting killed by hit men! I’m usually hungry and always tired! I’ve had so much go wrong that I don’t need a smug jerk pointing out another reason why I suck at life! So, I’m sorry if I’m a little cranky, but if you know this, why are you purposely making it worse?” Carmen was clearly fuming, which immediately made Garith uncomfortable. “I’m gonna…I gotta go to the bathroom. There’s no bathroom here, but you know what I mean. I’ll find a tree to hide behind far enough away so that I don’t disturb you…again!” He ran off. Zartex observed, “You sure scare him when you’re angry!” Carmen didn’t respond. She sat down and faced the lake. As she gazed at the lake, she felt a little more peaceful. She shifted a little to make herself more comfortable, which made her remember that she had to sleep there. The prospect made her a little more disappointed. She thought about their discussion on THE VOBS and how they had used that on her to trick her into joining their cult. “Why didn’t I see it sooner?” “See what?” Zartex asked. “The red flags!” Carmen answered dramatically. “They exaggerated the earning potential, but I ignored this because of the big picture. For once in my life, I felt like a somebody! I thought I closed the chapter on petty, dead end jobs. No one gave me a shot at leadership because I’m an actress and I’m pretty; no one took me seriously! II never cared about management though, I just wanted to make enough money to pay rent so I didn’t have to be an adult dependent on family to survive. I don’t care about making a ton of money, and I’ve never cared about materialistic things. I wanted a circle of friends and a sense of being part of an important team. I wanted to belong somewhere! And I just wanted to prove myself to the world. When I make a goal, I see through it ’til the end. I’m fine closing that chapter of my life, but I just wish I knew what was coming next! So far, this has been a miserable experience, but when it’s over, what’s next? Will it, just be more of my old life of floating from place to place never truly finding my sense of independence or belonging? They say everyone goes through hard times, but my whole life has been this way! Why can’t I just be happy? This job made me give up on my dream, and I gave up on this job too. I’m just an all around failure, aren’t I?” As she said this, tears welled up in her eyes. Suddenly, all of her hurt seemed to surface. All of the hard times that THE VOBS made her bury came out. The sacrifices she made, the heartbreak, the defeat…she didn’t feel it then, but she felt it now! Carmen buried her head into her knees and sobbed uncontrollably. Zartex noted, “I don’t need to use my emotional reader to know how you feel!” Carmen heard him but did not acknowledge his assessment. She couldn’t. Zartex observed, “I spent my whole career analyzing humans and their emotions, but not once did I learn how to deal with them. I understand you’ve been through more hardship than most people have ever or ever will deal with. This is overwhelming and caused an out pour of emotion. I know all of this, but I don’t know how to make it better. I’ve never had to know. It’s not a requirement of the job to make our subjects feel better, just understand them. I do understand you, but you’re different than my other clients because I actually want to make you feel better! You’re the first subject I’ve ever cared about! I never had an Earthling as a friend. The problem is my species doesn’t process emotions the same way yours does. So, I don’t know how to help you. But I want to, I really do!” Carmen continued to sob, so he made an awkward attempt at comfort by stiffly patting her back and spouting, “There, there!” She continued to cry as Garith came back. “Oh good! You can show me what to do!” Zartex requested. “You are human and experience these emotions. Help!” Garith ineptly sat next to her and gracelessly pat her back much like the way Zartex did. He bumbled, “There, there!” Carmen wailed, “Forget it guys! I’m hopeless!” Zartex looked to Garith, who quickly analyzed the situation. “What was she saying before it happened?” “Um…” Zartex thought back. “She wanted to be successful in Mirage because she didn’t succeed in acting or getting a job that pays rent. She gave up on her dreams and she gave up on Mirage too, so now she wonders if the next part of her life will ever make her feel like less of a failure.” “Okay, I got this!” Garith put his arm around her and rested his hand on her shoulder. “There’s a big difference between giving up and realizing that you’ve had enough. Like, it’s why I stopped getting houseplants. I got busy at work and went straight to bed when I got home. I forgot about it until Fourth of July. I stayed home ’cause it was a holiday, and as I tidied up, I saw it turning yellow. I felt guilty and vowed to bring it back to life. I kept giving it plant food and watered it like crazy, but it just grew more and more brown. One day, I realized that there’s no point in watering something that will never live. when something in your life is over, it’s better to let go ’cause holding onto the past will break your back. Your life will get better as long as you do something different. Doing the same habits will get you the same results. I can’t guarantee success, but at least you can take pride in the fact that you gave a shot. No matter how often you fall, get back up again! Keep trying different things until you succeed. If you don’t give up, at least you can say you did everything you could. If you try, you might fail, however, if you never try at all, failure is guaranteed. You’re not a failure from walking away from an unhappy situation. I’m proud of you for overcoming all you went through and for having the courage to move on!” Carmen pondered his words for a moment. Mirage always made anyone who gave up on their goals feel lower than dirt, but sometimes important to let yourself fail so you can move on. It’s true that a person can’t focus on new ideas if they stick to the old ones. She still feared perpetual failure, but she knew she wouldn’t stop trying and took some pride on that. This didn’t make her feel optimistic, but she realized that she had stopped crying. Zartex inquired, “How are you feeling?” “I’m feeling…”Carmen listened to her innermost feelings and heart before she finished her thought. “I’m feeling like I gotta pee!” She had so much mixed emotions that she couldn’t even process it all right now, and she said that without even thinking about it. She had decided that she didn’t have to understand it all tonight. She gingerly got up and headed for the trees. Garith and Zartex high fived, and Garith sprawled out to go to sleep. Tagged action, adventure, advice, alien, anxiety, author, book, bravery, challenges, comedy, conversation, courage, creative, creative writing, deep, depression, doubt, drama, emotions, entertainment, escape, exciting, failure, family, fantasy, fantasy/sci-fi, feelings, fiction, friends, friendship, funny, humanity, imagination, intuition, leadership, life, literature, love, loyalty, motivation, moving on, mysterious, mystery, new beginnings, novel, overcoming, overwhelmed, power, relationships, sad, sci-fi, science-fiction, story, trust, wisdom, Writing “I can’t breathe!” Carmen croaked. She always knew this day was coming, but it felt like a fantasy this whole time. Carmen had a comfortable rut for the last three years that she realized that she never really liked but had become accustomed to this lifestyle. Even on bad days or weeks, she could foresee the consequences of her actions. On the flip side, once the wedding finished, she knew her path. After her honeymoon, she would move in with Teddy and work on becoming manager. Today was a different story though. Today felt as though it would never come. Yesterday, she was in the field as normal. She didn’t felt any pressure during the week to make sales because she couldn’t earn any interviews while she was out of town. That level of indifference should’ve garnered her some promising sales, but it didn’t. When she got back, she would have to work really hard to get sales so that she wouldn’t have to scrimp so much. That was a normal thought on a normal day for her, but today was far from normal. The change she spent so much time working toward was upon her, and she wasn’t ready! She gazed at her stricken expression in the full length, antique mirror. She had a v-neck bodice with a lacy flower pattern that went down to her waist with a tiered tulle skirt that flowed down to the floor. Normally, stilettos hurt her feet, but she couldn’t feel anything right now. She had her make up professionally done, and they had added heavy eye shadow and lots of blush, a level of cosmetics she had not dealt with since her theatre days. She didn’t have her hair in an up-do but only because the veil,which her maid of honor would bring soon,had such an intricate template. She reminded herself of a Barbie doll that she had in the nineties! The gown itself was worth more than she made from a whole month of sales. Every detail down to the most minute facet wreaked of luxury. This was the moment every woman dreamed of, and so now she wondered why she didn’t feel more excited. The gossamer curtains of her preparation tent ruffled. The area was now empty except for the mirror and various things left behind from her bridesmaids. From one of the flaps at the entrance, Lilith entered. She commanded the attention of any room she went into. Her ivory skin was so smooth that people often forgot that she was in her forties. She had chestnut colored hair with a natural bounce, and her piercing brown eyes could terrify even the meanest person around. She wore a lavender chiffon gown with an empire bodice and a sweetheart sweep train, which made her look like a fierce princess. She could hardly believe that the vice president of Mirage agreed to be her maid of honor! Then again, Lilith was the one that set them up in the first place. She brought in Carmen’s elaborate rose bouquet and ornate flowery veil. Lilith leered, “Uh oh! Someone is getting cold feet!” “This is different!” Carmen wailed. “I’ve gotten butterflies in my stomach before, plenty of times! Before running my first meeting, before my first play I was in…this is bigger! I’m scared! I’m petrified! I…I can’t breathe!” Lilith straightened Carmen up and started to put on her veil. “It’s just nerves! You and Teddy are perfect for each other! That’s why I set you two up. I’ll never forget the day he first laid eyes on you. While I was in the western Colorado main office, he happened to see a picture of you on my phone. I just got off the phone with you after a one-on-one, which, by the way, I normally never do for anybody who isn’t a manager, so Teddy saw your picture ID. Teddy said he never saw anyone so beautiful! Just wait ’til he sees you today!” She heard music starting to play. “That’s my cue. I’m so proud to be your maid of honor! See you soon!” She winked and left the tent. Carmen knew that she needed to walk to the other pier, but she was having a hard time moving. Zartex pulled up the back of the tent and checked in, “Oh good! I thought you were dying! Your emotional reading is off the charts!” “I can’t do this!” Carmen shrieked. Zartex slipped into the tent and encouraged her by saying, “You’re scared, but you get scared a lot. In the past week, I’ve seen you constantly brave your fears and knock on all of those doors. Do you know how many people fear all of that? Talking to people, going to strange houses, failure…Yet, you always persevere! I’m quite convinced you can overcome anything! Are you telling me that you don’t have the nerve to participate in this ritual?” “Yes!” Carmen cried out. “I got good at ignoring my feelings for work, but I can’t ignore this Even on the days I got a serious injury I didn’t have anxiety like this! I feel like I’m walking into my own funeral!” Zartex pointed out, “Well, you have to do something! You can’t stay in this tent forever!” “You’re right!” Carmen bitterly admitted. “As we said in theatre, the show must go on!” She took a deep breath, opened the tent flaps, and marched outside. As she stood on the old pier, a cold wind hit her face. She heard the attendees gasp in admiration as she stepped out. She jerked her head over to the other pier, and everyone looked like ants. She would have to walk fast to catch up. The sound of her heels hitting the pier seemed so loud. Everyone of note from Mirage and all of the Grand Junction office were there. She could see Seth Dabria, the president of Mirage, take a picture with a digital camera. It was hard to tell one person from another from a distance, but she knew it was him because he always wore the loudest suits. Today was no exception; he wore a purple plaid suit with a periwinkle tie! He always wore his Buddy Holly glasses, and the only ordinary thing about him was his brown, curly hair. The president and the vice president were there to honor her, so she should feel grateful, right? Teddy stood at the alter waiting for her. As she quickened her step, she thought about how often people congratulated Teddy for finding a bride like her. They were happy for Teddy more than her. She never really thought about it before, but they never really made a big deal about her milestones. Why, in exactly two weeks she would be turning thirty, and no one had mentioned it yet, just like all her other birthdays. Her big days were never a big deal. In fact, she reasoned that Seth, Lilith, and the other executives were way closer to Teddy than her, so most of this ceremony was celebrating Teddy. They were all here because Teddy wanted to marry her, just like they wanted her to be a manager for them. Suddenly, she realized this whole thing was never about her! The field, the promotion, the wedding, they weren’t about her goals or needs. Sure, some of it fit her long term goals, and they knew that! They sold her on the idea to help them, not her! So no, they weren’t there to honor her, and they won’t make a big deal on her milestone birthday either. And they never would! This was the first day of the rest of her life! Instinct overtook her body. The truth radiated through her body, and she stopped dead her tracks. The wedding party stared at her in bewilderment. She knew what she had to do. She turned around swiftly and ran in the other direction. She could hear chairs scraping and people rushing over. She couldn’t let them catch her. She didn’t know why, exactly, she needed to avoid them, all she knew was her intuition told her to run! Run! And never look back! Before they could get any closer, she jumped off the pier and into the lake! Carmen sank down but bobbed back up a little. She then swam over to under the dock. She got her head above the water and took a deep breath. She heard almost the whole wedding party calling her name, so she knew eventually they would peek under the dock. Serendipitously, a motor boat jetted in her direction. She quickly pulled off her veil with one hand, and as the motor boat passed by, she threw the veil on it. She heard Arius shout, “She’s on the boat!” Everyone ran off the pier, and Carmen hid behind one of the support poles. She watched them all run along the lake shore, and once they were far enough away, she swam to shore. Carmen could feel her heart pounding rapidly, and all of the nerves in her body were stirred. She ran for the nearby woods. Soon they would discover that she was never on that motorboat and would come looking for her. She had no time to ponder why her instincts told her to escape them, but she trusted her intuition. She ran, and she kept running as fast as she could. She ran and ran, dodging every bush and gnarled branch in her path. Suddenly, part of her skirt got caught onto some shrubbery. Panic flooded her body as she heard footsteps in the distance. She ripped off the bottom layer of her dress! When she freed herself, she heard footsteps coming from multiple directions. She spun around frantically, trying to figure it out. All of a sudden, Zartex appeared before her and commanded, “Stay hidden!” He threw her up into a tree. After recovering from the momentary shock of getting flung into the air, she clung onto a large branch well above the ground. She laid on her stomach and watched the scene below her. Zartex must’ve teleported out of there. She didn’t move and even tried to slow down her breathing, although they worried that they could hear her heart pounding inside her ears. From one end, she saw Seth, Lilith, and a few executives searching across the forest floor. In the next moment, Seth held out his arms to stop the others as they glared at someone approaching from the other direction. Seth forcibly pried, “Who are you? What are you doing here?” Carmen caught a glimpse of the man from the back. He wore a brown suit, so Carmen’s curiosity was roused; what would someone like that be doing in the middle of the woods? She couldn’t tell if he was young or old, but she guessed that he must be somewhere close to his age since his dirty blond hair had no gray. From the sound of his voice, he projected strength and knowledge. The mysterious man pushed back, “I was gonna ask you the same thing! What business do you have here?” Lilith seethed, “We’re looking for a fugitive!” Most men would cower when Lilith gave them a stare down like that, but this man had the bravado walking up to her and staring at her dead in the eye! “Oh, you’re federal agents? I don’t like your type! Just ask your friend in that clearing!” “A friend in the clearing?” Seth inquired skeptically. “Yeah, let me help you get reacquainted.” The man reached into his back pocket as if he was pulling out a gun. Seth, Lilith, and the others unwillingly backed away. Carmen didn’t move. She didn’t want to get mixed up with gangsters at a time like this, but somehow she didn’t think he was dangerous. There was something about his aura that made her trust him. He stood in the same place with a fixed stare in the direction where the Mirage executives came from. After what seemed like an eternity, the man gently instructed, “You can get down now, Carmen.” Carmen’s heart fluttered at the mention of her name. She wondered how he could possibly know who she is! She hesitated as she silently debated if coming down would throw her from one danger to another, but since he already knew she was there, she didn’t have much of a choice. She couldn’t just stay in the tree! Besides, her nerves had calmed down, so she took that as a cue to follow him. She gingerly climbed down and saw him holding his arms out to catch her. She wanted to get a little closer so her fall didn’t have too much of an impact on the mysterious man, especially if he could turn into her ally! At that moment, a branch snapped, and she lost her footing. She fell threw a few more branches and…smack! She landed on top of the man on her back causing the man to fall onto his back with a huge grunt. Carmen anguished, “I’m so sorry! Are you hurt?” He breathed, “Get off! You’re too heavy!” “Excuse me?” Carmen replied, slightly offended. Zartex appeared and grabbed her by the hand. “I think he’s having trouble breathing ’cause you’re on his throat.” Carmen took Zartex’s hand, and the man got up, gasping. Carmen apologized, “Are you okay? I hope I didn’t hurt you too badly!” “It’s okay; I’m real strong!” the man responded breathily. Carmen finally got to take a glimpse at his face. He had kind, blue eyes and facial features that conveyed a mix of fortitude and softness. He did seem to be in good shape as he claimed. It took her a while to realize that she had been staring at him too much, so she looked away shyly. She couldn’t believe that, for a moment, she forgot about what danger she was in or that she had a lot of hurt from the past that made her miserable. She remarked, “Thank you for helping me! You seem to know who I am, so can I know who you are?” “Garith Kendric,” he told her. “The reporter from San Francisco?” Carmen got surprised by discovering this, but then it occurred to her that she recognized him from all of his social media friend requests. “What are you doing here?” “Well,” Garith explained hastily, “I came to spy on a big corporate wedding, but now I’m here to rescue you!” Now that he had recovered from the fall, his senses were reawakened. He finally registered that Zartex was there and made a strange face. “Who is this?” “Zartex the alien!” Zartex held out his hand. “What?” Garith didn’t believe him, but he didn’t have time to object. He absentmindedly shook his hand and notified Carmen, “Whatever. Look, they’ll be back soon, and we gotta get you out of here! You’re in terrible danger!” Zartex grabbed Carmen’s hand and ran in the direction he came from. Zartex followed them as Garith led Carmen through the woods. Carmen felt compelled to ask, “I know I’m in danger, but could you explain to me exactly why I suddenly felt like I was at death’s door?” Determinedly focused ahead, Garith told her, “Because you’re escaping from the world’s most dangerous cult!” Tagged action, adventure, anxiety, author, beauty, birthday, book, bravery, colorado, comedy, courage, culture, deep, drama, emotions, entertainment, fantasy, feelings, fiction, friendship, funny, goals, humanity, hurt, intuition, job, leadership, life, light bulb moment, literature, love, loyalty, marriage, motivation, moving on, new beginnings, novel, power, relationships, romance, romantic, sci-fi, science-fiction, society, story, trust, wedding, work, Writing June 8, 2017 by danatheactress Just keep smiling, Carmen told herself as she unlocked the front door. Two of her roommates, Mario and Thomas, were playing video games, so their backs were towards the entry way. Carmen hoped she could pass the couch and slip into the hallway without speaking to them. They were two people who struggled in the company, and thanks to her advice, they were swimming in sales. Now she wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or bad thing. As soon as she shut the door behind her, Mario grunted, “Tucker?” She steeled herself up and answered, “Nope, just me.” “Oh hey.” Neither of them looked away from their game, which Carmen was grateful for. Without saying another word, she slipped into the hallway and darted into her room. Zartex sat criss-crossed at the foot of her bed. “I hope you don’t mind that I sat on your bed. There isn’t anywhere else to sit in your room.” “No, that’s perfect actually,” Carmen responded. “The floors in these mobile homes creak a lot. My roommates and I can’t hide anything from each other.” She started to take off her winter gear and a thought occurred to her. “You…aren’t gonna watch me sleep too, are you?” “No, of course not!” Zartex replied hastily. “I won’t learn much by watching your private moments like that. Are you changing? I could step out.” “How would you know when I’m done?” Carmen could just imagine shouting ‘I’m done!’ after every she changed, went to the bathroom, showered, etc. Or worse, he could close his eyes and accidentally catch a glimpse every now and then. Zartex pulled up his floating screen and pulled up a heart app. “It’s called an Emotional Reader. It reads a measure of energy my subject and I feel. If you’re sleeping, for example, it would show me your mood-unconscious, and mine, probably bored. I usually have an even keel. Only one things really stirs my emotions-music. Only certain music though, stuff with high energy. Try not to play music like that or I’ll go into an emotional overload. You wouldn’t like it when I go into an emotional overload!” “Well, I can’t control what a customer might listen to in the field.” Carmen felt insanely curious yet dreaded what obstacle that this might prevent. “What happens during an emotional overload?” Zartex revealed, “My energy beams into the atmosphere around me and everyone gets pulled into my thoughts. Whatever image the song pours into my heart basically broadcasts out and everyone gets transported into a music video-like experience.” Carmen gazed at him in utter disbelief. “You want me to show you?” “No!” Carmen’s bewilderment of this fact was more unbelievable than the fact an alien was sent to Earth to observe her behavior. “How is it that you’ve never been discovered on our planet before?” “Oh, only people who I’ve told about the E.O. effect actually remember it,” he explained. “Everyone else just blacks out a little.” Carmen felt a jolt of excitement. “So, since you told me about teleportation, that means you can use it on me right? This solves so many of my transportation issues!” Slightly guilty, Zartex informed her, “I can alter the area around me, but to actually make physical matter move from one place to another is different. It doesn’t work on carbon-based life forms.” Disappointment washed over her. She sighed, “I’m going to get my jammies on in the bathroom.” Zartex twiddled his thumbs for a few minutes while she changed. She came back, threw her work clothes into the hamper, and grabbed her very square laptop. She sat on her bed like it was a sofa. “I catch up with my friends and family on social media after work.” She didn’t know why she was narrating her life to him except it felt awkward to sit in silence with someone else in the room. “Let’s see…a friend request from…ew, Garith Kendric!” “Who’s that?” Zartex asked. She replied, “A reporter from San Francisco. Reporters are always trying to talk to us and gain our secrets. I’m not a traitor though!” She paused as a flurry of ill feelings stirred inside her. “I don’t think so anyways. I mean, maybe I should. Maybe the world should know what’s going on. But what if I’m not being fair to Mirage? Okay, they’re kind of a cult, but are all cults bad? I have a future set up here-I just can’t imagine doing anything else! Oh, I don’t know! I don’t know how I feel! Zartex, how am I feeling?” Zartex glanced at his watch. “Uncertain.” “You don’t know?” “No, that’s how you feel.” “Oh!” Zartex was right, she thought. She kept cruising the internet, trying to distract herself enough to relax. If she didn’t know how she felt, she knew she couldn’t pressure herself to figure it out tonight. She could be on the verge of making a major decision, and that wasn’t something to do hastily. She had no other choice but to live her life normally until she figured it out. The next day, a group of thirty professionally dressed people in their late teens to early thirties stood in a circle in an empty meeting room. Motivational posters lined up around two walls, a window laid on the third, and a giant white board roosted on the side opposite of the door where a bell hung. The people in the room stood with a pen and notebook in hand and wide smiles on their faces. Bob stood next to Carmen, who really hoped she had succeeded in fooling the room of her current mood. Bob whispered, “What’s wrong?” Of course Bob would figure it out, she reasoned, he’s been her team leader/coach for years now. “Nothing. Just tired,” she fibbed. Bob advised, “Don’t forget our treat-Arius Delaynie is here! Let his meeting jazz you up for the field today!” Carmen but said nothing. Suddenly, a man with a fine Italian suit burst into the room. He had hair styled with gel, a five o’clock shadow that somehow made him look gruffly handsome, and the build of a former football player. His brown hair matched his eyes, except for the redness. Even though everyone figured he must always feel tired, he hid it extremely well and practically bounced off the walls. He had to-managers set the tone of the whole company. He exclaimed, “Hiiiii yaaaaa!” “Hi ya!” the room chanted back. “Hi ya!” he exclaimed again as he pranced over to the white board. “Hi ya!” the room chanted again. Carmen briefly wondered what Zartex would think of their morning meetings’ rituals. “Who’s ready to learn?” Arius shouted enthusiastically. “Ohhhh yeahhhh!” they shouted back. Arius concluded, “Great! Pens out, and get ready to gleam some knowledge!” Everyone eagerly awaited his presentation. Arius wrote on the board as he spoke, “Back to basics. We have some new people in the room who may not have heard this before, but old hats in the room, take notes too. Numbers are down, so I need to remind everyone the System of Success! THE VOBS! T-turn every corner! Leave no stone unturned! Search high and low-sales can hide anywhere and if you don’t check everywhere, you’ll miss some. H-hustle! Move quick; procrastination gets you nowhere. The faster you move, the quicker you find sales and complete personal goals. E-envy. Customers are people, and people want what they can’t have. Play on that! Remind them others have it and they don’t. V-voracity. People always want more-more bang for their buck and more things in their life! They love upgrades for a reason, remind them! O-optimism. Gloomy gusses don’t gain greatness. Focus on the positive and you’ll attract the positive. Any negative thought should get washed away! Your vibe attracts your tribe! B-big picture. When you’re out there and things get rough, don’t forget about the light at the end of the tunnel. Delayed gratification-we pay now so we can play later. Let your goals be the torch that burns brightly in the dark cave and let it comfort you when you need motivation. Lastly S-seize control! You are in charge! You dictate the conversation! You decide what you want the customer to do and accept nothing less!” Carmen’s leg started to ache. She wished that they would sit down for these meetings. Actually, she really didn’t need to hear this meeting at all. They reused the same meetings every few months or so and just reworded it slightly to sound original. It was drilled so hard in her head that she could never forget them. Arius concluded the meeting, “The vobs! Never forget the vobs! The vobs will take you to success and…” “Beyond!” Everyone but Carmen shouted. As Arius started talking about pricing changes, Carmen found her mind wandering. The giant blister from her frostbite must have been healing, but it still hurt. She tried to be a good worker and pay attention, but she found the subject to be dry. The sales tablet automatically updated pricing changes, but some people always get confused when this happened. She realized at this moment that she told herself that she loved morning meetings because she wanted to gain knowledge and help her future, but now she wasn’t gaining any knowledge. Morning meetings had become quite dull! Colt stuck his big head in the room. Carmen admonished herself for thinking so, but all of his features just seemed larger than normal. He had big ears, big black eyes, and a big nose. His black hair clashed terribly with his pale skin. Carmen wondered why she criticized him so much in this moment. Incidentally, Colt pointed to her and motioned for her to come over. Carmen slipped behind everyone without their concentration and left the room. At first glance, Colt’s office looked impressive. He had a big, dark stained oak desk that faced the door. The windows opposite of the door, which rested behind the desk, showed off a gorgeous view of the mountains. One corner by the door had a steel cabinet and the other had a trophy case. Carmen could understand how this exhibit of grandeur could intimidate yet amaze prospective employees, but interviewees probably never noticed the details that she saw after a few years-the various knicks and scuffs on the wood, the dust on the trophy case, and the files stacked so high that his picture frames could barely be seen. Carmen sat in one of the weathered leather chairs expecting bad news from him. He pushed over a form and simply instructed, “Can you verify that this information about your injury is correct for the workman’s comp insurance so they can pay your medical bills?” “Oh!” Carmen felt a little relieved and a bit silly for fearing ill will. Colt laughed warmly as if he could read her thoughts. He pushed his pen to her, but Carmen missed it causing it to fall to the floor. As Carmen bent to pick it up, Arius burst into the room. “Whoo! I love visiting the Grand Junction office! You totally suck at promoting people, but you keep ’em happy! Is my beer still in here?” Carmen stayed hidden from his view because she had a funny feeling that he was divulging information that would otherwise not be privy to her. Arius went into the cabinet, opened up a mini fridge, and cracked open a beer. He guzzled as much as he could and took a refreshed sigh. “I have them playing a game for ‘team work.’ I’m gonna go join them!” He laughed boisterously as he put the rest of the beer in the fridge. “Hey, keep up the cancellation rate! We’re racking in the dough!” He guffawed and left the room. Carmen sat up and stared at Colt for an explanation. “He was joking!” Colt quickly countered. “He’s a kidder! Deep down, he’s a good guy. You should reach out to him. You’ve been here three and a half years, but it took him eight!” “But, since our business model said that the average promotion takes a year or two,” Carmen mused, “Why would his manager keep him around for so long?” “For the same reason I keep you around-you’re too nice of a person, too sweet and kind, for you to face the reality of quitting Mirage.” Colt suddenly had a look as if he just said too much and casually tried to cover it up. “Anyways, we’re good. Go back to the Semblance Room and remember to have a good day. I wanna start giving you interviews again!” Later that day, Carmen laid flat on a twin bed that was not her own. The room matched hers except that it was blue and more bare. The lights were out, and a man with a somewhat husky body laid on top of her. Although he seemed pretty motionless, he grunted mightily. Carmen gazed vaguely off to the distance. He rolled off of her and sighed happily. Even though she called him her teddy bear, Carmen always found him to be very square. He had a square jawline, a flat top hair cut, and even somewhat square glasses. His glossy brown eyes sprinkled for a moment but suddenly darted to her. “What’s wrong, sweetie?” “Nothing,” she automatically responded. He turned over to see her better. “You’re lying. You usually make way more noise when we make love.” “Teddy,” Carmen decided to try some emotional honesty, “do you ever feel like you’re telling yourself that you enjoy our sex or do you seriously get satisfied?” “What’s the difference?” Teddy chuckled. “Oh, never mind,” Carmen relented. She turned away from him. “I think I’m just having wedding day jitters.” “Ah, that’s normal.” Teddy wrapped his arms around her. “Plus, you’ll be away from the field for a whole week! I don’t think you’ve ever taken this much time off! It’s been a while for me too. It’ll be weird to have Lilith take over our accounting for a week. That makes me a little nervous.” “I won’t earn any money during my time off, that’s scary!” Carmen tilted her head towards him and probed, “Teddy, do the managers make money even if the customers cancel?” “The clients pay each branch a bonus for the initial sign up but get more if if the customers get it installed,” Teddy explained. “That’s why we gotta get you promoted! That way you won’t stress on sales or worry if a customer cancels. You’ll get paid no matter what happens!” Carmen felt uneasy about this. She didn’t understand why the managers didn’t tell them this. Why didn’t they get a piece of the sign on bonus? What more secrets would she learn as manager? It started to be harder to even picture herself as manager. She half joked, “Since you’re a big shot regional accountant, couldn’t I just be your darling little housewife?” Teddy laughed heartily. “Nonsense! You’ll be a great wife and a great manager! Now get some rest.” Teddy kissed her cheek and fell asleep. Carmen couldn’t sleep. She stared at her ring. Teddy gave her a round cut diamond with more diamonds embedded in the band. She initially hated it-it seemed so garish! She learned to love it because of the sentimental value. Teddy really marked her as his trophy wife. She knew that they would be a power couple- Western Colorado’s head accountant and a soon to be regional manager. Her future spelled out simply before her, and a life of luxury awaited. It was the life that most people dreamed of, and many of her goals aligned with this vision. Simplicity was a treasure that everyone sought, so predictability was a good thing, right? One week and she would be a lucky wife. And how nice was it that her manager wouldn’t give up on her getting promoted! So, she now wondered…with all this before her, why didn’t she feel more excited? Tagged alien, book, business, colorado, comedy, creative, cult, culture, depression, emotions, entertainment, fantasy, feelings, fiction, happiness, humanity, job, life, literature, love, motivation, novel, power, relationships, sci-fi, science-fiction, sex, story, wedding, work, Writing November 19, 2016 by danatheactress Turning 30, Chapter 25 Feliz, Cera, Will, Lavena, Ashlynn, and Tadd sat a table in a large chain restaurant. The restaurant was busy and full of happy people. Even though their table had balloons, party hats, and noise makers, the six friends looked pretty morose. Feliz asked the group, “Should we sing Happy Birthday?” They all replied, “Nah.” Ashlynn apologized to Tadd, “I’m sorry I didn’t plan a more exciting party. We all got wrapped up in issues-ours and everyone else’s. It’s funny how when someone reaches a milestone how you start evaluating your own life. What kind of birthday could I possibly have with no job and still living with mom and dad?” Feliz sniffed a little. “You think your birthday will be a bummer? At least your family supports you. Mine disowned me. I can finally start dating who I want, but I will probably still be single when my thirtieth comes ’cause what guy’ll wanna enter that family drama?” “You think you’ll still be single on your birthday?” Will put in. “I work in an arcade and live with a crazy cat lady-I know I’ll be single! What are the odds I’ll have my shit together in two months?” “At least you have some dignity!” Cera opinionated. “I’ll be a thirty year old virgin! Probably. I mean, who would sleep with me? I live with my parents too, but it’s worse ’cause I’ve never even had a real job. I’m like a kid, and my birthday party will probably get treated like that too!” Lavena lamented, “My birthday will probably be an actual kid’s party! I turn thirty the same day as Mrs. Hollingsworth, so who would babysit them? If I had a husband, we could celebrate as a family. Being a single mom is so hard, ad it’s just gonna keep getting worse as I get older.” Everyone except for Tadd had a glum look on their face. Tadd observed his friends in surprise. He had been so obsessed with his own woes that he didn’t think about their issues. He was there through all of this and saw everything, but he didn’t have the confidence to say anything…until now. “Wow. Look at the effect I had on you. You all think your life is over and that you’re failures. You’re wrong! There’s nothing wrong with us! When you turn thirty, everyone has all these expectations for how your life should look. Your parents, your religion, your family, neighbors, random community members-everyone expects us to have our life totally together. We’re supposed to have a good job, a happy marriage, a perfect body, et cetera. It was okay to not have it all figured out when we were in our twenties; we still had time to go wild and crazy and figure out this whole ‘adult’ thing. Suddenly, thirty hits and at the drop of a hat, we’re supposed to just have it all figured out. There’s still a lot of things we’re figuring out. We’re only human, and we’ve gone through a lot, probably more than most people. Excuse me if our life isn’t put together yet. I’m sure we’d all like to be there, and we tried our best to make it happen, but the things we want are gonna take a little more time than we thought to come to fruition. What, suddenly we have a deadline ’cause other people are judging us? Screw them! We’ll get there at our own pace! “Feliz, if your family won’t accept you for who you are, fuck ’em! You deserve to be happy, and if being with a man will give you that, then you should find a good guy! Don’t rush it though-the right man will come around when you least expect it. “Lavena, you ever wonder why so many skeezy guys hit on you? It’s cause you’re desperate, and men can sense that. The right man gets turned off by that and it turns the wrong guy on. If you want Mister Right, be Mrs. Right. Be the strong, confident woman we both know you are! Enjoy single life, and your prince charming will come around! “Will, if you don’t like your house or job, then do something about it! Find a new place and a new job. Take classes to get a good job so you can afford a better place. That bartender, Leon, seemed to really enjoy his job, and I can totally see you doing that! Be proactive! “Cera, you can’t follow every rule in the Bible, it’s impossible! You can still be a good Christian and do more adult things. If you don’t wanna follow your parents’ lifestyle, then don’t. Get a job and move out. I’m sure your church has a dating group, and there’s plenty of online religious dating sites. This is how you find a middle ground between being overly devout and being a deviant: go on dates, find a nice guy, and hey, what happens between you is between you and God. Virgin or not, it’s none of our business! “Ashlynn, no one cares if you’re broke. You’ve done so much good with your time off, and that’s worth more to society than wasting away at some dead-end job. You turned something very negative into something positive. You brought us together, and your saint-like patience changed my life! I’ll be forever grateful!” Feliz, Lavena, Will, Cera, and Ashlynn beamed. They went from feeling lousy to almost glowing. Tadd made them feel so good about themselves, and it was such a relief to let go of some of their self, and society’s, criticisms. Ashlynn exclaimed, “This is the Tadd we remember! You’re amazing! Thank you so much for that!” “Yeah, thanks man!” Will added. “You guys think I’d be a good bartender?” “You’d be a great one,” Feliz told him. “And I don’t want you to worry about paying for bartending school on your arcade salary-I’m paying for it! Just promise me when you get your own bar that my future boyfriend and I get free drinks!” “You got it!” Will happily agreed. They bumped fists. Lavena remarked, “You know, I think I’ll go back to school too. I can squeeze in an online class with my schedule. I wanna set a good example for my kids by going to college and going for a career versus a job!” “I’m gonna get my first real job!” Cera stated, excited by the idea. “Just something to get me experience and pay for an apartment. And I shouldn’t be ashamed for what I do or don’t do behind closed doors. I don’t know when I’ll lose my virginity, but I’d rather take my time and do it right.” “Let me know when you find a job,” Will said to Cera. “We can find an apartment together-split the costs and be roommates.” “Okay!” Cera looked elated. They bumped fists too. Feliz got a text message, and when he looked at his phone, his heart melted. “Nonna said she knew all along and loves me anyways! She’ll accept my future husband, but he can’t know the family’s cannoli recipe. Oh Nonna!” He wiped away a tear. Ashlynn was so happy that her friends were planting seeds that would grow into something that would make their life grow into something that would make their life better. Now she just needed to figure out where she wanted to work so she could move out too. She wished that she could find an answer as easily as her friends did. As if the universe read her thoughts, Tadd got an email. He read it immediately, and then he breathed a sigh of relief. “I got approved for a small business loan! I haven’t took a gig in so long that I’m a little behind the finances of it all. I got that loan so I could hire someone to do my bookkeeping. So Ashlynn, that was part of your duties at your old job right? Do you think we’d work well together?” Ashlynn felt thunderstruck. “Are you offering me a job?” “Yes.” Tadd grinned. “Would you accept it?” Ashlynn’s heart practically danced. “Oh Tadd! Of course I’ll accept it! You don’t know how much this means to me!” Tadd shrugged but smiled knowing how happy this gesture made her. “It’s the least I could do!” They gave each other a hug. Cera, Feliz, and Will also smiled, but it was more of a knowing way. Lavena looked like she was about to burst if she didn’t say something! Feliz, Cera, and Will silently urged her not to do it, but Lavena blurted out, “Kiss her already!” Ashlynn and Tadd stopped hugging because they felt shocked by the outburst. “What?” Tadd reacted. “Why would we kiss?” Ashlynn felt like she knew why she would say that but also felt a denial, like she did not want to jump to conclusions. “Oh come on!” Lavena commented excitedly. “You know how it was so obvious to us all that Feliz was gay? Well, we’ve all known for, like, forever that you two have feelings for each other. Why did it take so long to admit the truth? Quit lying to yourself! You two have a romance budding; you are long overdue for your first kiss together!” Tadd and Ashlynn gave each other a look of disbelief. When they looked back at their friends, they all seemed to agree more with Lavena. It could not be true. How could she have suppressed feelings like that for so long? She held Tadd in the highest regard, he was the most amazing person that she ever met, but to have romantic feelings? Furthermore, even if she did find a fleeting feeling, she shook that notion because she never felt good enough for a guy like him. Wait, that thought sounded like it agreed with them. It just could not be true! Ashlynn stammered, “I just…it can’t be…I…” Tadd was on the same page as her. “But I…” Cera, Lavena, Will, and Feliz now all started to chant, “Kiss her! Kiss her! Kiss her!” Ashlynn turned to Tadd for answers. Tadd suggested, “We could humor them…” Ashlynn felt totally awkward but complied. They gave each other a quick peck, but then they lingered. They felt something-electricity. The truth flooded Ashlynn like a dam suddenly sprung a leak. There was feelings-strong ones. Tadd was everything she ever wanted, and she could not believe it took her this long to wake her heart up. Tadd obviously felt the same way too. They kissed each other again, but this time it was longer and more passionate. There was no denying it now-she was in love! They broke apart from their embrace, but they kept their heads close. Ashlynn told him sweetly, “What d’ya know, they were right!” “How did I get so lucky?” Tadd beamed and grabbed her hand, caressing it gently. Ashlynn blushed-he felt like the lucky one? Cera and Lavena reacted with, “Awwww!” while Feliz and Will reacted with “Finally!” Cera raised her glass to make a toast, “Here’s to new beginnings!” “To the end of blaming society and to the realization that we are society, so we can change it for the better!” Feliz added while raising his glass. “To our generation, not quite millennials but not generation x-the bridge generation! To generation xy!” Will added while raising his glass. “To choosing happiness above anything else!” Lavena added while raising her glass. “To good friends!” Tadd added while raising his glass. “To a happy thirtieth birthday!” Ashlynn added while raising her glass. They clinked their glasses together and drank. Tadd smiled from ear to ear. “This turned out to be a great party after all!” “Happy birthday, Tadd!” Ashlynn exclaimed. Everyone gave him a hug. They all had a flashback to twelve years ago when Tadd turned eighteen and they hugged him the same way but in their high school’s quad. They came back to this moment and cherished it. It took them a long time to notice a waiter tapping his pen and impatiently waiting for them. “So…are you gonna order or what?” They happily sat and decided what they wanted to order. It’s funny how ordinary moments become the greatest memories. No one knew what exactly the next chapter of their life held, but they were too happy to care. It took them many years to gain the wisdom that there was no point in worrying about the future-happiness came from enjoying the little moments in life happening right now. Tagged advice, anxiety, birthday, book, bravery, break up, bridgegeneration, career, change, comedy, coming of age, coming out, courage, creative, culture, dating, depression, drama, emotions, entertainment, expectations, family, fear, fears, fiction, friends, friendship, friendships, funny, gay, generation x, generation xy, generation y, happiness, happy, job, life, light bulb moment, literature, love, loyalty, mental-health, millennials, motivation, moving on, new beginnings, novel, overcoming, party, pop culture, relationships, romance, romantic, sad, sex, society, story, sweet, thirtieth birthday, true love, turning 30, turning thirty, victory, winning, wisdom, work, Writing Ashlynn hung out in Lavena’s living room. The mismatched furniture, though in good condition, looked as though she got them free from various online sites. Lavena has random decor, and although the house is blanketed in toys, it appears very clean and well maintained. Lavena also had several framed pictures of her two kids,and they could be heard playing in the back rooms. Both Ashlynn and Lavena were on their laptops. Ashlynn commented, “I can’t believe how many people post ads for jobs and have huge descriptions but never say the name of company! Who applies for these jobs?” Lavena laughed but kept scrolling on her laptop. “I love these dating sites! It’s like shopping for men!” Michael ran up and stared at her. “Oh, I got a message. It’s from Ramrod sixty-nine. Oh yeah, that sounds like my future husband!” “Mom!” Michael said. Lavena ignored him to finish her thought. “My profile clearly says that I want someone who would make a good father…” “Mom!” Michael repeated. Lavena, again, ignored him. “So he says ‘You can call me daddy!'” Lavena kept talking even though Michael continued to repeat himself. “Isn’t that lovely? What kind of mom do they think I am? As much as I want a man, I am a mom first! These guys are my angels-I love them so much!” Michael’s repetition finally got under her skin, so she screamed, “WHAT? What is so important that you feel you need to keep interrupting me when I’m talking?” “Can I go to the bathroom?” Michael requested. That question flabbergasted Lavena. “Since when do you need my permission to go potty?” Michael answered with another question, “Did you fix it?” “Fix it? What hap…?” She put down her laptop and decided to investigate for herself. She made a beeline for the bathroom, and a moment later, she yelled, “Are you kidding me?” Lavena stormed into the living room. “Hannah, get your butt in here!” Hannah sheepishly walked into the living room. Both kids hung their heads guiltily. “Who flushed Spiderman down the toilet?” Hannah inquired, “How did you know it was Spiderman?” Lavena put her hands on her hips and gave Hannah a stern look. “You can see part of his arm still. Hannah! Why did you do that?” Hannah abandoned all pretense of innocence. “He broke my Tiana doll!” “I tripped on her by accident!” Michael defended himself. “Did not!” “Did too!” “SHUT UP!” Lavena interjected. They recognized that tone and came to attention. “You’re both in trouble! And you’re going to get punished as soon as I’m not angry enough to land an episode on us on Snapped!” Michael and Hannah gave a remorseful expression, and Lavena paced to try to calm down. Ashlynn joked, “I can see what you mean about them being angels!” “Of course they have a dark side-they get half their genes from their father!” Lavena stopped pacing and thought for a moment. “It’s Sunday, so I can’t call the super. Michael, Hannah, you’re on time out! Ashlynn, can you keep an eye on them while I try to unclog the toilet?” “No problem,” Ashlynn consented. Lavena looked irritated but somewhat mollified as she went to the bathroom to fix the toilet. Michael and Hannah stood in separate corners of the living room, and Ashlynn kept an eye on them as she scrolled through Facebook. Michael tried to peek, and all Ashlynn had to do was point at him to get him to behave. Suddenly, she saw something troubling on her screen. “Uh oh!” From the bathroom, Lavena shouted, “What did they do now?” “Nothing,” Ashlynn explained, “But I noticed that Tadd used to post things on Facebook several times a day, but he hasn’t posted anything in a couple of days. And the last thing he posted was a Sylvia Plath poem…” Lavena came into the living room with the plunger in her hand, and she looked kind of scared. “But we just saw him! I guess that was a couple days ago…” Ashlynn started, “He hasn’t returned my texts either. You don’t think he would…” Lavena and Ashlynn looked at each other with fear. They rushed out of the apartment. Out of curiosity, Hannah and Michael followed them. Ashlynn and Lavena burst into Tadd’s living room, fearing the worst. Their hearts were pumping, but they felt a rush of relief to see Tadd laying on his couch watching the music video for “Gangsta’s Paradise” in a trance-like manner. He reacted to their entrance by gazing at them in confusion. Ashlynn, relieved, said breathily, “Tadd! You’re okay!” “Physically or emotionally?” Tadd asked, half joking. “Why wouldn’t I be okay?” Lavena explained, “You haven’t texted us in a while, and we saw this depressing poem on Facebook…” “Oh that,” Tadd told them, “I reposted that ’cause it’s supposed to raise suicide awareness. But they cut off my internet three days ago, and I’m running low on texts and data. I’m having trouble paying my bills since I’ve been too depressed to take any catering jobs.” Ashlynn sat by him on the couch. “You’re scaring me! You love to cook, I remember that from when we were kids. Wouldn’t you rather be doing that right now? Why are you here watching old school music videos?” Tadd told them sadly, “I watch this one all the time. It was…our song!” Lavena reacted, “Your song? Wha…?” Hannah went up to Tadd and told him a story, “When I was in kinny-garten, everyday, we would walk in, put our backpacks away, and listen to Miss Rastmusen talk, and then we go do worksheets, and then we went to room two to play, and then we did learning games. Then it was recess. Then we would do more work…” Tadd tried to hid his confusion and listened politely. Ashlynn looked amused while Lavena felt like she should say something but let her keep going to see if she was going anywhere with this. Hannah continued, “and we lined up. If we did good, Miss Rastmusen would give us a sticker. Then we did free time. The mommy would come get me. Miss Rastmusen gave me a hug goodbye. It was my favorite thing.” “Uh huh…” Tadd tried to follow the logic of her telling him this story. “But then it was summer, and I didn’t go to school. I was so sad ’cause my friends were gone, and I missed my teacher. Then it was first grade. It wasn’t the same as kinny-garten. There was no room two, and also, the worksheets were harder. My teacher didn’t hug me. But it was okay ’cause I saw my friends again. I finded new things I liked about first grade, like Mrs. Underhill taught us about animals! It was weird, but I liked different things.” Hannah concluded, “Sometimes good things go away, but it’s just a for a little while. It’s not the same, but you find your new favorite things and feel better. You were happy before, but you can be happy again. You just need to find your new kind of happy!” Everyone was surprised by the depth of her story. It ended up having a very touching, heartwarming effect. Tadd’s eyes well up, but they do not look like sad tears. Michael and Hannah give him a hug, which he found surprisingly comforting. Ashlynn and Lavena both cooed, “Awwww!” Lavena was close to tears herself. “My angels!” Ashlynn felt very touched by the emotions of the moment, but her thoughts on the subject got interrupted by a text message. She looked at her phone and frowned. “Uh, guys…!” They all gave her full attention because of her tone. “Cera signed us up for a speed dating event…” Lavena growned, “I’ll go call the babysitter!” Tagged advice, anxiety, birthday, book, break up, break ups, children, comedy, coming of age, couples, courage, creative, culture, dating, depression, drama, emotions, entertainment, family, fear, fears, fiction, friends, friendship, friendships, funny, kids, life, literature, love, mental-health, motherhood, motivation, moving on, new beginnings, novel, overcoming, overwhelmed, relationships, romance, sad, sex, story, thirtieth birthday, true love, turning 30, turning thirty, wisdom, Writing	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0041.json.gz/line3836
__label__wiki	0.700688	0.700688	‘We’re looking for the lads’: Inside Jameson’s targeting strategy October 12, 2015 by Lucinda Southern Jameson Irish whiskey, part of France’s Pernod Ricard, is targeting an unlikely demo with its latest U.K. outdoor ad campaign: beer-swilling lads. “The core challenge has been recruiting men within the age group 25-30 into the brand,” said Vicky Hoey, head of marketing at the brand. “We’re looking for ‘lads,’ really: those laid-back, urban, social males.” Lads may not fit the typical demographic for a whiskey brand. Using outdoor advertising company Posterscope and Havas Media, Jameson launched a data-driven campaign to select the sites to most effectively reach young men. Outdoor advertising is increasingly using mobile and social data to understand what people think, feel and do, and targeting them accordingly. “We needed a smart data strategy to reach this ‘lad’ audience,” said Ryan Hedditch, business director at Posterscope. According to research from outdoor-planning agency Kinetic Worldwide, outdoor advertising makes £1 billion a year. Twenty-two percent of these sales are on digital out of home (DOOH), a figure set to rise to 35 percent in the next five years. Brands like Jameson contribute to this by planning campaigns by the audience rather than the format. In the case of Jameson, the whiskey brand used an audience-discovery engine called Locomizer. The platform’s algorithm analyzed Twitter data that was geographically close to the 4,500 bars or pubs that sell Jameson whiskey. It zeroed in on males fitting the lad demo on Fridays and Saturdays to see where drinkers went before or after a night of drinking. Affinity scores were calculated for each DOOH site based on the data and the proximity to a whiskey-selling venue. Posterscope and Havas could use that data to place ads on nearby digital outdoor sites to prime the target audience before a night on the town. One surprise that the data showed was that sites around the University of Oxford had particularly high affinity scores for certain venues, despite not being geographically close to them, which bucked the trend for other sites near universities in the country. Jameson’s messages were then tailored for students, appearing earlier in the week coinciding with more student drinking nights. Jameson is used to running campaigns that last just a few weeks, but this campaign, at seven months, is the longest it has ever run. That, along with the use of data, makes sense, as reaching a new audience may take longer. Time will tell if targeting lads pays off for Jameson. Image courtesy of Shutterstock.	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0041.json.gz/line3841
__label__cc	0.683091	0.316909	You are here: Home / International / Peru: Serious Food Gaining Global Popularity Peru: Serious Food Gaining Global Popularity June 13, 2012 by hb 1 Comment Ceviche with a Chinese influence, as served at El Tule in Lambertville, New Jersey. In the US, New Jersey is a significant population center for Peruvians. Sharing its menu with Mexican food, El Tule provides superior examples of traditional Peruvian dishes. Start with a (non-alcoholic) iced glass of Chicha Morada, traditionally made from purple maize blended with pineapple, quinces, cinnamon and cloves. Then, have a look at the menu, a mix of traditional Latino cuisine with (of all things) Chinese influences. Lomo Saltado is a good example of the cultural mix. Beef strips are marinated in soy sauce, vinegar, and spices, then stir-fried with tomatoes, yellow peppers, and red onions. It’s typically served with cut potatoes that resemble thick french fries, and with rice. Why the Chinese influence? Apparently, roughly 1 in 10 people living in Peru are Chinese or claim Chinese origin. The history dates back to the 1850s, when contract workers from Macau (in the day’s vernacular, “coolies”) who replaced the slaves on the sugar plantations and guano mines. As their contracts expired in the 1860s and 1870s, they brought family, married Peruvian women, and opened small businesses, including restaurants. In fact, the largest Chinatown in Latin America is located in Lima: El Barrio Chino de Lima. As with most Latin cuisines, the roots cross with other cultures (often, conquering cultures), but the deepest layers are native. In this vein, the ancient Carapulcra stew is based up0n a rich mix of pork, spice, a thick and richly flavored brown sauce, and potatoes. In fact, Peruvian vegetables are fascinating in their own right, a range of vegetables that has not yet reached public markets and popular tastes in the US: caigua, or stuffing cucumber, similar to a pumpkin; yuca, also known as cassava, which replaces the potato (and must be carefully prepared to remove the toxic cyanide); and maiz morado, or purple corn. There’s an emphasis on root vegetables, and, in some cases, health benefits (explained on the linked page). Escabeche is a Spanish dish, imported by Peru and by a large number of other Spanish-conquered nations. Meat or fish is marinated in an acidic mixture, sometimes with vinegar, sometimes with a citrus juice. Ceviche is also common to many cultures, but Peruvians have evolved an impressive range of ceviche variations. Start with the basics: a white fish, lemon and/or lime juice (and there are all sorts of ongoing arguments about which lemon, which lime, because there are many varieties), salt, garlic, cilantro, and, often, some sort of fish concentrate. There’s a nice introduction to the Lima street version of ceviche here, and it includes some video. The roots of ceviche precede the Spanish conquest, and, according to this article, it was the Spaniards who added onions and lime. Ceviche is not easy to cook–the timing of the acid must be perfect, the balance of flavors is difficult to manage, especially in a busy restaurant kitchen. One key ingredient, distinctive to Peru, is a spice called huacatay. A relative of the marigold, it’s also known as Peruvian black mint. Another is the aji, or pepper, some quite hot. Sweet potatoes are also common: recently, I tried the Peruvian version of a tamale, with mashed corn replaced by sweet potato (and excellent idea). For more about Peruvian food, try these links: World’s Best The one familiar piece of local Peruvian cooking that has made its way to the US, the UK, and elsewhere is quinoa, a grain. Clearly, there’s lots more to explore. Here’s a list of restaurants and menus that specialize in traditional food from Peru: Lima’s Taste, Greenwich Village, NY Panca, Greenwich Village, NY Macchu Picchu, Chicago, IL Andina, Portland, OR Puro Peru, Sunnyvale, CA Aromas del Peru, Coral Gables (near Miami), FL Sabor a Peru, Miami, FL Ceviche, London, UK Inca’s, New South Wales, Australia Astrid & Gaston, various global locations, mostly in Latin America Italian + Peruvian – Taranta, Boston Thai + Peruvian – Thai Peru, Ventura, CA Mexican + Peruvian – El Tule, Lambertville, NJ As I scanned a wide range of websites, many promised that Peruvian cooking would be the next big thing. Some were old, some were new. All made me hungry. Just as a reminder, here’s Peru on the map of South America. Filed Under: International, Travel & Food, Trends Tagged With: Carapulcra, Cevhice, Chicha Morada, Chine, global, Lomo Saltado, maize, Peru « Learning from Woody Green, Blue, and Extremely Portable » My Homepage says: […] Read More here: diginsider.com/2012/06/13/peru-serious-food-gaining-global-popularity/ […]…	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0041.json.gz/line3843
__label__wiki	0.59038	0.59038	Study Lets Teens Sound Off on Acne Therapies Most would pay hundreds of dollars to get rid of the problem MONDAY, Aug. 18, 2008 (HealthDay News) -- American teens would be willing to pay a lot of money to be acne-free, according to researchers who surveyed 266 high school students in San Francisco. The study found the teens, on average, would pay about $275 to have never had acne. They also said they'd be willing to pay much more to be acne-free ($100) than they'd pay to have 50-percent clearance of their acne ($10) or to have clear skin with acne scars ($0). The teens' parents were also surveyed and said they'd pay $250 for their child never to have had acne, $100 for them to be acne-free, $100 for 50-percent acne clearance, and $0 for clear skin with acne scars. Obesity May Boost Odds for MS in Kids Curbing a Skin Oil Might Help Curb Acne, Study Suggests Scientists Spot Brain Cells That Control Traumatic Memories Teens with more severe acne said they'd be willing to trade more time/money to clear their acne than teens with less severe acne. Acne affects almost all teens and can cause anxiety, depression, embarrassment, and social problems, according to background information in the study. "Reducing the psychosocial impact of acne is considered one of the guiding principles for its clinical management, and it is important to measure and evaluate this impact," wrote Dr. Cynthia L Chen and colleagues at the University of California, San Francisco. "Knowledge of these patient preferences may help dermatologists balance clinical trial results with patients' expectations of therapy," the researchers wrote. "Randomized, blinded, placebo-controlled clinical trials have shown that three to four months of conventional acne therapy, including topical benzoyl peroxide, topical retinoids and oral antibiotics, typically produces reductions in lesion counts in the 40 percent to 60 percent range." "It has also been suggested that the incidence of scarring from facial acne approaches 95 percent. Thus, adolescents' marked preference for total clearance over partial (50 percent) clearance or clearance with scarring suggests that physicians must weigh high patient expectations against these clinical data," the team added. The study was published in the August issue of the journal Archives of Dermatology. Corresponding author Dr. Lee T. Zane has participated on advisory boards for Connetics Corp., Stiefel Laboratories Inc., Medicis Pharmaceutical Corp., and QLT Inc., and now works for Anacor Pharmaceuticals Inc. These types of patient questionnaires can help improve patient care, Dr. Marta J. VanBeek, of the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinic, wrote in an accompanying editorial. The American Academy of Dermatology has more about acne. SOURCE: JAMA/Archives journals, news release, Aug. 18, 2008 Last Updated: Aug 18, 2008 Copyright © 2008 ScoutNews, LLC. All rights reserved.	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0041.json.gz/line3844
__label__cc	0.669693	0.330307	5 Addictive Time Killing Games to Play Online By Ariana Smith Last updated Mar 9, 2019 Hey! What are you doing?! Shouldn’t you be– eh. Who am I kidding? There’s probably (definitely) something more productive you could be doing right now. Instead, you’re here, reading this. It’s not good to enable your friend’s addictions… but I’m just saying, if you really want to make the most of your procrastination, I know a guy. In fact, I know five guys (not the burger place). Read on for five of the most addictive, time killing games you’ll ever play. Just remember, you didn’t meet me here. I know nothing. We’ve never met before. That’s right. The OG/pioneer of the first person shooter genre is still available to snatch the trophy of Kill Your Time, 2018. Originally released in 1993, Doom may have single-handedly invented the first-person shooter game style. While other new games at the time were fighting for attention in retail stores, Doom skipped the lines with shareware and mail order distribution. Within two years, more than 15-20 million people were wasting their time by wasting demons left and right. Flash Player revitalizes DooM as a free browser game, and you can find it here. You’ll be assuming the role of an unnamed Space Marine turned Satan-slayer, with a variety of firearms to choose from. You refused to follow your commander’s orders to fire on civilians, so now you’re stuck with security duty on the most boring planet ever. Or is it boring? “Something fraggin’ evil” this way comes. If you’re tired of the usual tower defense games, give Plants vs Zombies a try. Or two. Or three. Or 1,239,098. This adorably creepy free browser game and iPhone app is one of the most popular downloads in the iTunes store. Chances are you’ve already heard of it or tried playing it yourself. Just thought we’d tempt you again with one of the best games to kill time and bring PvZ back from the dead. It’s a beautiful sunny day, and hoards of business-formal Zombies are on their way to destroy your house and murder you. You know, a typical Tuesday. Help your garden full of anthropomorphized vegetables hold them off by collecting sunshine and spitting pea-cannons. How many levels can you pass? Alright, have fun. Let us know how it goes. See you in ten years. A Dark Room/A Firelit Room : Now, this one is a little different from the rest. There are no animations or key commands in this game. In fact, the only thing you’ll ever see while playing A Dark Room is text. But the urge to keep reading and make your own decisions makes this minimalist story game hard to quit. A Dark Room jumped on several Best of the Year lists in Forbes, Paste, and Giant Bomb after it became available for iPhone in 2013. If you want to play the free browser game version (with no Flash Player necessary), check out A Firelit Room here. You start in a cold, dark room with nothing but firewood. You keep stoking the fire, and more people join you. Something feels off, though… Why are there scraps of clothing in the animal traps? Why are we suddenly calling each other slaves? To find out, you’ll just have to keep clicking. Prepared to be spooked by one or more of the endings. Let’s lighten the mood, shall we? You’ve played Bubble Shooter, you’ve played Candy Crush, now what? For a connect three game with a clever twist, try Cube Crash. Yes, you do still need to connect three of the same color cubes to remove them from the board. Just don’t be too hasty, or you may be left with an impossible scrap of cubes that have no sets of three. All the time spent on that level will have been for nothing. You can play Cube Crash and other free browser games here. In this game, you have to plan ahead. So put on some good music, and strategize while you connect pieces and rack up points. See how high you can get your score without screwing yourself over by the end of the level. Happy crashing! Looking for a chance to kill time and earn cash? This ain’t your mama’s bingo. Online bingo sites make it easier than ever to learn to play bingo, earn free playing bonuses, and make some friends. True, bingo is almost entirely luck. That’s why it’s one of the oldest and most addicting time killing games out there. You really can’t make any epic mistakes in luck games like bingo. However, because money is involved, you’ll need to make sure you’re willing to lose whatever money you come in with. You may also find it hard to access bingo sites at work or other places with strict internet firewalls. While bingo is regulated like gambling, it’s legal in all 50 states. Always make sure you’re playing bingo games on reputable websites that have permission to host. Be conscious of your in-app purchases, and know your limits. Who knows? You may actually make some extra cash on the side while wasting the day away. More Time Killing Games and Content That’s all I’ve got for ya. If you’re feeling heroic and creepy, you can shoot demons on mars in Doom or split peas at Zombies. You might even make to the end of the nightmarish storytelling of A Dark Room. When you want some time killing games that won’t give you nightmares, you’ve always got Cube Crash and good split’ fashioned Bingo. Still not enough? If you enjoyed this post, check even more killer content on our blog. We can’t wait to waste more of your time. What Makes Online Casino Games So Popular? Top 3 Indoor Games Millennials Should Learn To Play 7 Inexpensive Games For Teen Girls 10 of eSports Most Popular Video Games Top 10 Best Android Games to Play in 2019 3 Reasons Dragon Ball Z is the Best Action Anime Show Top 6 PC Games in History Which You Should Definitely Try	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0041.json.gz/line3847
__label__wiki	0.541893	0.541893	Opening Concert: Animal Collective-siblings perform at CPH:DOX Discover Avey Tare and Abby Portner in a unique audio-visual performance at Kunsthal Charlottenborg on March 16. The 2017 edition of CPH:DOX and its concert series AUDIO:VISUALS will begin with a unique audio-visual performance by siblings Dave Portner (Avey Tare) and Abby Portner. Avey Tare is a singer and songwriter in Animal Collective, while artist Abby Portner is affiliated with the group as a visual artist. When they perform at CPH:DOX on March 16 it will be in those respective roles. Together they will transform the new festival centre Kunsthal Charlottenborg into a melting pot of psych-electronic music and spacey visuals. About the concert Abby says: “Excited to collaborate with my brother to create something new and fun for my favorite festival in my favorite city!” AC x CPH:DOX = A true love story It is the fourth time that CPH:DOX and Animal Collective will work together. In 2010, the band curated a film programme for CPH:DOX, made an installation at the National Art Gallery with live show from guitarist Deakin and a DJ set from Avey Tare. Two years later they were back at CPH:DOX and the National Museum with a full audio-visual concert by virtue of their ‘Centipede Hz’ album. In 2014 Abby Portner debuted her collaboration with Danish band Reptile Youth during a piano concert at the National Museum. About Dave & Abby Portner Apart from the ten Animal Collective albums since 2003, Dave Portner released 2 out of 3 records under his Animal Collective alias Avey Tare: 2007’s ‘Pull Hair Ribeye’ with Kria Bekken (Múm), 2010’s ‘Down There’ and 2014’s ‘Enter the Slasher House’ with his Slasher Flicks band. He has also released three albums with Eric Copeland of Black Dice called Terrestrial Tones. And who know what 2017 will bring…? Abby Portner is a veteran visual artist and responsible for Animal Collective’s artistic expression beyond the music. Throughout the band’s career, she has made visuals, scenography, album covers, music videos, and the list goes on. Recently, she made the scenography for John Cale (Velvet Underground), visuals for Reptile Youth and many more. She is also a musician herself and has a record under her belt as Draw Sterling. Avey Tare vs. Abby Portner March 16, Kunsthal Charlottenborg 20:00 (Doors open 19:00) Price: 185, – By Adam\| 2017-01-06T12:19:24+00:00 December 20th, 2016\|Categories: Frontpage-news, NEWS, Uncategorized\|Tags: concert, Early Announcement\| ‘Four Brothers’ wins Eurimages Co-Production Development Award 2019 March 28th, 2019 \| Comments Off on ‘Four Brothers’ wins Eurimages Co-Production Development Award 2019	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0041.json.gz/line3856
__label__wiki	0.627106	0.627106	Journal of Creation 16(3):11–14, December 2002 MOND over dark matter? by Bill Worraker The average orbital velocities of planets in the solar system vary as the inverse square root of distance from the Sun. Thus the Earth orbits at about 30 km/s, Mercury at 48 km/s and Pluto at a leisurely 4.7 km/s. This behaviour, an expression of Kepler’s laws of planetary motion, is termed ‘Keplerian’. It arises from Newtonian dynamics, including the inverse-square law of gravitational attraction, together with the fact that most of the mass in the solar system is concentrated very close to the centre in the Sun. Figure 1. Rotation curve of the galaxy M31 in Andromeda plotted to scale against an optical photograph of the galaxy. Measurements were based on 21-cm radio emission from neutral hydrogen, which extends beyond the visible edge of the galaxy (this hydrogen is not counted in its presumed ‘dark matter’ inventory) (From Begelman and Rees).41 When mid-twentieth century astronomers first investigated galaxy rotations, they expected orbital velocities outside the nuclear bulge to decrease with distance from the centre in Keplerian fashion. Indeed the earliest attempts to obtain rotation curves (plots of orbital velocity against distance from the centre) for spiral galaxies, although subject to large measurement errors, produced results roughly consistent with this expectation. However during the 1970s Vera Rubin and colleagues used the Doppler shifts of spectral lines—mainly optical emission lines from clouds of ionized hydrogen and the 21-cm radio emission line from neutral hydrogen—to establish reliable rotation curves for numerous spiral galaxies.1–3 The results were both surprising and remarkably consistent: rotation curves in the outer regions of galaxies did not fall with radius in Keplerian fashion. Instead they stayed roughly constant, or even rose slightly towards the outer edges of galaxies. An illustrative rotation curve is shown in Figure 1. The mass discrepancy problem This result may be viewed as a discrepancy between galaxy masses inferred dynamically and from their emitted light distributions—the ‘mass discrepancy’ problem. Once generally accepted, it was taken as evidence that galaxies were accompanied by very significant quantities of otherwise undetected or ‘dark’ matter distributed up to and often beyond, their visible boundaries.4 This postulated dark matter is important in today’s mainstream cosmology. Modern cosmology proposes a ‘flat’ inflationary big-bang universe in which the effective mass density of the universe consists of dark energy, dark matter and the more familiar visible matter (stars, gas, planets and the like), with the latter only contributing a few percent of the total. Galaxy formation is thought to have begun with density variations in the supposed distribution of dark matter in the early expanding universe. Not only have objects such as white dwarf stars, brown dwarfs, black holes and neutrinos been proposed to account for the dark matter, but also various exotic hypothetical objects including gravitinos, photinos, axions, magnetic monopoles, WIMPs and MACHOs.5 But, we ask, is all this really good science? To begin with, the presence of dark matter has recently been called into question in creationist6,7 and in general astronomical literature.8–11 The recent detection of faint white dwarf stars allegedly belonging to the Milky Way halo population was hailed as revealing a sample of the elusive dark matter.12 However, these stars more probably belong to a thick galactic disk population.13 Not only this, but have alternative interpretations of the mass discrepancy problem been proposed and only rejected after careful investigation? The answer to this last question proves to be very interesting. As early as 1963 Finzi14 suggested a distance-based modification of gravity to resolve the mass discrepancy problem for galaxy clusters, but this seems to have received little attention. Then in 1983 the Israeli physicist Moti Milgrom proposed15 a modification of Newtonian dynamics, known as MOND, designed to reproduce the observed ‘flat’ galaxy rotation curves using only observed distributions of visible matter and reasonable assumptions about mass/light ratios as input data. MOND applies at the very low accelerations which occur in the outer regions of spiral galaxies and in galaxy groups; accelerations are higher in the familiar (inner) region of the solar system. The Newtonian equation for a particle moving under gravity, viz a = GM / r2 (where a is the radial acceleration, G the universal gravitational constant, M the attracting mass and r the distance from the centre of mass), becomes a2 / a0 = GM / r2 where a0 is the critical acceleration level below which MOND applies.16 This can be viewed as either a modification of the law of inertia or of the law of gravity,15 the latter being preferred because it involves a less radical modification of recognised physics.17 Indeed there are still several mysteries surrounding gravity, for example possible shielding of the Sun’s gravity by the Moon during solar eclipses18,19 and general relativistic ‘frame dragging’, shortly to be investigated by the Gravity Probe B experiment.20 Van Flandern21 has reviewed some of the questionable aspects of our understanding of gravity. Wright, Disney and Thompson22 have suggested a modified (inverse linear) law of gravity beyond a certain distance scale to explain the mass discrepancy problem in galaxies, galaxy clusters and superclusters. Liboff23 and others have considered similar possibilities too, but McGaugh and de Blok24 insist that acceleration, not distance, is the decisive factor. This is because the mass discrepancy is less severe for high surface brightness (HSB) galaxies than for smaller, low surface brightness (LSB) galaxies where centripetal accelerations fall to extremely low values of order 10–11 ms–2. By using MOND for a single universal value of a0 , i.e. 1.2 ×10–10 ms–2 (about 100 billion times smaller than the acceleration due to gravity at the Earth’s surface), the rotation curves of many galaxies can be reproduced without assuming the presence of appreciable quantities of dark matter!25 Testing MOND predictions When Milgrom’s ideas were first published, sufficient rotation curves of HSB galaxies were already established that MOND calculations could scarcely be regarded as predictions; they could rather be viewed as parameter-fitting exercises for a0. Since then, however, rotation curves for LSB galaxies have become available which provide a more stringent test of MOND than the earlier data. The results are remarkably good.24,26 Furthermore, MOND naturally predicts the Tully-Fisher relation for spiral galaxies,27 the observed correlation between rotation velocities and mass (originally expressed in terms of neutral hydrogen line widths and absolute luminosity) which is often used as a distance indicator. A detailed comparison between MOND and ‘Dark Matter’ predictions for a sample of spiral galaxies with accurately measured rotation curves28 concluded that MOND provided the best available description. This was despite ‘Dark Matter’ being allowed three adjustable model parameters, while in most cases MOND was only allowed one, the mass/light ratio for each galaxy. Figure 2 shows sample MOND fits to measured rotation curves from this paper. Figure 2. MOND fits to the rotation curves of sample galaxies from Ref. 28 using the value of a0 given in the text. Dotted curves are one-parameter fits (M/L) while solid curves are two-parameter fits (M/L and distance). Galaxy rotation is not the only way of testing theories of gravity or inertia. Astronomer Stacy McGaugh (University of Maryland) has set up a MOND web site,29 which includes a page30 listing itemized comparisons of the predictions of MOND and ‘Dark Matter’. These deal with the dynamics of individual elliptical and spiral galaxies of various sizes, motion within galaxy clusters, large scale structure in the universe, gravitational lensing and indeed the spatial structure of the cosmic microwave background radiation. Frequently MOND gives clear predictions where the dark matter hypothesis either has serious fine-tuning problems or gives no prediction. In most cases MOND predictions match the data very well, though sometimes the data is inadequate to provide a clear test. Rubin31 briefly alludes to X-ray observations32,33 which apparently discredit MOND predictions for galaxy clusters. However McGaugh and de Blok24 point out that this data is subject to major uncertainties which preclude a critical test, and that the dark matter interpretation is also problematical, and Sanders34 has shown how MOND neatly predicts the mass-temperature relationship for gas-rich galaxy clusters. Some authors15,17,35 have noted that the MOND acceleration constant a0 is of the same order as cH0 , where c is the speed of light and H0 the Hubble constant, thus hinting at its possible cosmological significance. Gravitational lensing appears to be the least promising area for MOND. However, this is essentially a GR (general relativistic) phenomenon, and MOND has yet to be formulated in GR terms. Thus Binney36 has commented that MOND cannot fairly be tested against such effects. Milgrom35 has recently considered its possible origin in vacuum effects, and Sanders37 has shown how scalar-tensor theories can be constructed which reproduce many MOND predictions. The main objection to MOND is thus summed up by Livio: ‘Milgrom’s conjecture has not gained many supporters, primarily because it has never been developed into a truly complete theory.’38 Future developments could change this. Why is MOND unpopular? Thus it seems that MOND has been ignored not for objective scientific reasons but largely because it implies the existence of much less dark matter than is required by the currently dominant flat, accelerating-universe cosmology The answer to our question regarding the interpretation of the mass discrepancy problem is, therefore, that MOND is a very successful, albeit purely phenomenological, alternative to dark matter. It is strongly favoured by Occam’s razor in that it makes clear predictions and is therefore falsifiable, but remains unfalsified. However, rather than being carefully investigated by experts in the field, it has largely been ignored. Those who have commented tend to dismiss it summarily. Thus Rubin says: ‘this possibility must remain as a last resort’39 and ‘Most astronomers prefer to accept a universe filled with dark matter rather than to alter Newtonian gravitational theory.’40 Thus it seems that MOND has been ignored not for objective scientific reasons but largely because it implies the existence of much less dark matter than is required by the currently dominant flat, accelerating-universe cosmology which Livio5 regards as so beautiful that it ‘has’ to be true. What interest do creationists have in MOND, a purely mechanistic theory, which was not developed with origins in mind? First, creationist astronomers and cosmologists should be aware of developments which, at least indirectly, impinge on our understanding of the astronomical data relevant to creation. Moreover the remarkably successful predictions of MOND could be pointing to the need for fundamentally new physics at a time when we are hearing that human understanding of the physical universe is nearly complete! MOND exposes deep cracks behind the self-confident façade of modern uniformitarian cosmology and thus reminds us of the fallibility of scientific paradigms, especially when they have been developed in ignorance of the Creator. Recall Isaiah 29:14, which says of those who ignore God: ‘ … the wisdom of the wise will perish, the intelligence of the intelligent will vanish.’ Is ‘dark matter’ the ‘unknown god’? Rubin, V.C., Bright Galaxies Dark Matters, Springer-Verlag Inc., New York, 1996. Return to text. Rubin, V.C., Ford, W.K., Jr. and Thonnard, N., Rotational properties of 21 Sc galaxies with a large range of luminosities and radii, from NCG 4605 (R = 4 kpc) to UGC 2885 (R = 122 kpc), Ap. J. 238:471–487, 1980. Return to text. Rubin, V.C., Burstein, D., Ford, W.K., Jr. and Thonnard, N., Rotation velocities of 16 Sa galaxies and a comparison of Sa, Sb, and Sc rotation properties, Ap. J. 289:81–104, 1985. Return to text. Dark matter had also been inferred from the large velocity dispersions observed in galaxy clusters by Zwicky and Oort in the 1930s. Return to text. Livio, M., The Accelerating Universe, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York, 2000. Return to text. Oard, M. and Sarfati, J., No dark matter found in the Milky Way galaxy, Journal of Creation 13(1):3–4, 1999. Return to text. DeYoung, D.B., Dark matter, CRSQ 36(4):177–182, 2000. Return to text. Lucentini, J.A., Handle on dark matter? Sky and Telescope 103(1):16–17, (News Notes, January 2002), 2002. Return to text. Olling, R.P. and Merrifield, M.R., Luminous and dark matter in the Milky Way, MNRAS 326(1):164–180, 2001. Return to text. Binney, J.J. and Evans, N.W., Cuspy dark matter haloes and the galaxy, MNRAS 327(2), pp. L27–L31, 2001. Return to text. Governato, F., Moore, B., Cen, R., Stadel, J., Lake, G. and Quinn, T., The Local Group as a Test of cosmological models, New Astronomy 2(2):91–106, 1997. Return to text. Oppenheimer, B.R., Hambly, N.C., Digby, A.P., Hodgkin, S.T. and Saumon, D., Direct detection of galactic halo dark matter, Science 292(5517):698–702, 2001. Return to text. Reid, I.N., Sahu, K.C. and Hawley, S.L., High-velocity white dwarfs: thick disk, not dark matter, Ap. J. 559(2):942–947, 2001. Return to text. Finzi, A., On the validity of Newton’s Law at a long distance, MNRAS 127:21–30, 1963. Return to text. Milgrom, M., A modification of the Newtonian dynamics as a possible alternative to the hidden mass hypothesis, Ap. J. 270:365–370, A modification of the Newtonian dynamics: implications for galaxies, 371–383 and A modification of the Newtonian dynamics: implications for galaxy systems, 384–389 (referred to as papers I, II and III where necessary), 1983. Return to text. There is a ‘transition range’ of accelerations characterized by a~a0 where an interpolation function, not prescribed a priori, is required to match the conventional and MOND regimes, but MOND predictions do not seem to depend critically on the form chosen for this function. Return to text. Bertin, G., Dynamics of Galaxies, Cambridge University Press, 2000. Return to text. Wang, Q.S., Yang, X.S., Wu, C.Z., Guo, H.G., Liu, H.C. and Hua, C.C., Precise measurements of gravity variations during a total solar eclipse, Phys. Rev. D 62:041101, (pp. 1–3), 2000. Return to text. Unnikrishnan, C.S., Mohapatra, A.K. and Gillies, G.T., Anomalous gravity data during the 1997 total solar eclipse do not support the hypothesis of gravitational shielding, Phys. Rev. D 63:062002, (pp. 1–4), 2001. Return to text. See <einstein.stanford.edu/>, 16 July 2002. Return to text. <www.metaresearch.org/cosmology/gravity/possiblenewpropertiesofgravity.asp>, 16 July 2002; see also Van Flandern, T., Possible new properties of gravity Ap&SS 244:249–262, 1996. Return to text. Wright, A.E., Disney, M.J. and Thompson, R.C., Universal gravity: was Newton right? Proc. ASA 8(4):334–338, 1990. Return to text. Liboff, R.L., Generalized force law and hidden mass, Ap. J. 397:L71–L73, 1992. Return to text. McGaugh, S.S. and de Blok, W.J.G., Testing the hypothesis of modified dynamics with low surface brightness galaxies and other evidence, Ap. J. 499:66–81, 1998. Return to text. Sanders, R.H. and Verheijen, M.A.W., Rotation curves of Ursa Major galaxies in the context of modified Newtonian dynamics, Ap. J. 503:97, 1998. Return to text. de Blok, W.J.G. and McGaugh, S.S., Testing modified Newtonian dynamics with low surface brightness galaxies: rotation curve fits, Ap. J. 508:132–140, 1998. Return to text. Tully, R.B. and Fisher, J.R., A New method of determining distances to galaxies, Astr. Ap. 54:661–673, 1977. Return to text. Begeman, K.G., Broeils, A.H. and Sanders, R.H., Extended rotation curves of spiral galaxies: dark haloes and modified dynamics, MNRAS 249:523–537, 1991. Return to text. <www.astro.umd.edu/~ssm/mond/>, 7 June 2002. Return to text. <www.astro.umd.edu/~ssm/mond/mondvsDM.html>, 7 June 2002. Return to text. Rubin, Ref. 1, pp. 137, 138. Return to text. Buote, D.A. and Canizares, C.R., X-ray constraints on the shape of the dark matter in five Abell clusters, Ap. J. 400(2):385–397, 1992. Return to text. Buote, D.A. and Canizares, C.R., Geometrical evidence for dark matter: X-ray constraints on the mass of the elliptical galaxy NGC 720, Ap. J. 427(1):86–111, 1994. Return to text. Sanders, R.H., A Faber-Jackson relation for clusters of galaxies: implications for modified dynamics, Astr. Ap. 284,L31–L34, 1994. Return to text. Milgrom, M., The modified dynamics as a vacuum effect, <arxiv.org/astro-ph/pdf/9805346>, 1999 (or Phys. Lett. A 253:273–, 1999). Return to text. Binney, J.J., private communication, 2002. Return to text. Sanders, R.H., A Stratified Framework for Scalar-Tensor Theories of Modified Dynamics, Ap. J. 480:492–, 1997. Return to text. Livio, Ref. 5, p. 90. Return to text. Rubin, Ref. 1, p. 115. Return to text. Begelman, M.C. and Rees, M.J., Gravity’s Fatal Attraction: Black Holes in the Universe, Scientific American Library, W.H. Freeman and Co., ISSN 1040–3213: no. 58, 1996. Return to text. Hubble, Bubble: Big Bang in Trouble Starlight, Time and the New Physics, second edition; updated by Dr John Hartnett	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0041.json.gz/line3860
__label__wiki	0.675276	0.675276	Journal of Creation 28(2):97–103, August 2014 Solar-powered sea slugs defy evolution and horizontal gene transfer by Jeffrey Tomkins Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) has been proposed as the major explanation for the large number of genes shared among completely unrelated taxon that share no lineage-specific evolutionary trajectory in the schema of life. However, mechanisms to explain HGT between multicellular eukaryotic life are lacking. Initial reports of HGT in a defined biological relationship between the solar-powered sea slug E. chlorotica and its algal prey seemed to provide the key evidence for such a mechanism. However, new data from the germline sequencing of the slug’s genome via the use of eggs as a DNA source has shown that no algal DNA is present—definitively negating HGT in E. chlorotica. The explanation for the original data that seemed to support HGT is now believed to be that it is due to the presence of extra chromosomal circular DNAs (eccDNAs) excized from the algal genome. The nature of how these eccDNAs are formed and utilized in slug cells to help support the maintenance of its stolen algal chloroplasts remains to be deduced. This amazing phenomenon can only be explained within the context of a highly co-designed and biologically complex system inherent to the model of intelligent design. Solar-powered sap-sucking sea slugs (sacoglossan molluscs) (figure 1) are amazing creatures that feed on various types of algae, sucking out the contents of the large filamentous cells through highly specialized mouthparts.1,2,3 Figure 1. Picture of E. chlorotica displaying parapodia (wing like flaps) with finely branched diverticula of the digestive tract. While feeding on the algae, the slugs somehow selectively capture (as opposed to digesting them) small photosynthetic intracellular organelles called chloroplasts and use them for solar energy. Amazingly, the chloroplasts are actually internalized and maintained in a functional state inside the epithelial cells that line the sea slug’s pervasive intestinal tract (figure 1). Because the slugs obtain these chloroplasts from another organism, they are called kleptoplastic and their stolen chloroplasts are referred to as kleptoplasts. The study of kleptoplasty in sea slugs is no easy task given that different types of plastid retention and physiological models for it exist between different species of sacoglossans, the only known metazoans to exhibit the unusual trait. In 2009, researchers studied two major groups of sacoglosans (Oxynoacea and Plakobranchacea) to determine the preponderance of chloroplast retention.4 The only slugs showing chloroplast retention and photosynthetic activity were in the Plakobranchoidea, a taxonomic superfamily within the clade Sacoglossa, of which 13 species out of 17 showed the trait. The types of algae fed on by the various sea slug species are diverse and variable not only between slug species but also during the slug’s life cycle. The ability to retain and maintain functional chloroplasts is variable and has been divided into two general groups demarcated as short-term and long-term.4 The short-term retention is characterized by the disintegration of functional chloroplasts after about 7 to 14 days and is the most common type of kleptoplasty observed in sea slugs. The long-term retention group is characterized by the intact persistence of light-harvesting functional chloroplasts after more than 20 days (up to a year in one species) inside the cells that line the slug’s digestive tract. The long-term-plastid-retaining sea slugs that have garnered the most interest among biologists are characterized by five main species—Elysia chlorotica, Elysia clarki, Elysia crispata, Elysia timida, and Plakobranchus ocellatus. Collectively, these animals have a wide geographical distribution and are found in the majority of shallow tropical and temperate marine environments.2 Some evolutionary scientists like to imagine that sea slug kleptoplasty is a type of symbiosis, but it does not fit the definition. Nevertheless, it is often referred to as ‘chloroplast symbioses’ or ‘endosymbiosis’. In an authentic symbiotic (from Ancient Greek σύν ‘together’ and βίωσις ‘living’) relationship, two unique organisms are interacting with each other in what is typically a long-term relationship that may be mutualistic, commensalistic, or parasitic. The chloroplast is only an organelle, an isolated subcomponent of the main organism, the algae. Thus, there is no actual organismal symbiotic relationship occurring in kleptoplasty. In contrast, there are instances where algae and cyanobacteria form real symbiotic relationships with corals, sponges, sea anemones, etc. in which the complete photosynthetic organism remains intact.5 The types of algae fed on by the various sea slug species are diverse and variable not only between slug species but also during the slug’s life cycle. Curtis et al. showed that E. clarki obtained and sequestered chloroplasts from four different species of algae and that newly metamorphozed juvenile slugs utilized chloroplasts from algal species different than the adults.6,7 The slug P. ocellatus has been shown to feed on chloroplasts from a wide variety of species representing the members of four completely different genera of algae.8,9 One of the best studied slugs, E. chlorotica, is limited to two species of algae.10 Amazingly, the E. chlorotica relationship with its two algal species is so specific that it is obligate, meaning that the sea slug will not complete its metamorphosis and develop into an adult when no algae are present for plastid uptake.6,11 Thus, there exists quite a bit of variability in specificity and complexity in the species-species interactions between slug and algae. And no one specific kleptoplasty model defines all types of kleptoplastic sea slugs. For a graphical depiction of the complex interplay of factors affecting kleptoplast longevity, see figure 2. Figure 2. Graphical depiction of the complex interplay of factors affecting kleptoplast longevity. Biocomplexity of kleptoplasty The complexity of both acquiring and maintaining foreign chloroplasts by the sea slugs poses multiple challenges that can only be explained by highly designed and engineered processes in the slug, which include selective sequestration of the chloroplasts in the digestive tract from the normal processes that degrade all other ingested algal components, specific subcellular localization of the chloroplasts to adult (differentiated tissues) in the lining of the sea slug’s digestive tract, regulation of the cellular and biochemical environment to favour active sustained periods of photosynthesis in the stolen chloroplasts, transfer of photosynthate from the chloroplast for metabolic exploitation in the slug cell, possible provision and replenishment of proteins for turnover in the chloroplast machinery associated with long-term retention, suppression of the slug immune system from rejecting and attacking the chloroplasts for internalization, and the unique morphology and design of the slug’s pervasive digestive tract integrated into its maneuverable wing-like flaps called parapodia (figure 1), which allows for the maximized pervasive dispersal of the photosynthetic process. The first design obstacle to overcome for kleptoplasty to occur is the selective targeting of chloroplasts from the ingested milieu of algal material after and during feeding. What little is known about this process has only recently been discovered in E. timida, with the use of recent advanced improvements in electron microscopy.12 The use of this technique has shown that most of the cellular contents of the ingested alga sap are preferentially degraded very rapidly except for chloroplasts and chloroplast components. Thus, the slug’s digestive system and its biochemistry somehow preferentially favours the preservation of chloroplasts and chloroplast components, while digesting other intracellular algal debris. The process whereby the chloroplasts are then internalized from the digestive tract is only just beginning to be understood and varies between the different slug species analyzed. Using electron microscopy, researchers have recently documented different stages of phagocytosis (cellular engulfing) of chloroplast components from ingested algal food by the digestive gland cells in E. timida; this occurred within 37 to 60 min after feeding.12 Actual progressive images of the finger-like extensions (processes) of the slug’s digestive gland cells could be visualized as they reached out, grabbed, and then internalized the chloroplasts. Amazingly, the chloroplasts were not internalized whole as has been documented in other slug species, but the thylakoid stacks and stroma (internal plastid photosynthetic machinery) had their double-layered membrane removed and, after phagocytosis, were surrounded by a single membrane generated by the slug cell. In contrast, an earlier study in the slug E. viridis showed that the entire double-membrane of the chloroplast was engulfed completely intact and then surrounded by a phagocytic membrane.13 Yet another variation of this theme has been observed in the well-studied slug E. chlorotica, which feeds on an algae species that contains four chloroplast membranes of which apparently the outer two are stripped while the inner two remain intact after phagocytosis.11 When chloroplasts are sequestered, they are restricted to the epithelial cells lining the slug’s finely branching diverticula of the digestive tract to achieve an optimal surface area-to-volume ratio for photosynthesis.11 The process whereby the chloroplasts are then internalized from the digestive tract is only just beginning to be understood and varies between the different slug species analyzed. One of the most amazing enigmas of kleptoplasty is how the chloroplasts are retained in a functional state and exploited for their photosynthate over extended periods of time. Evolutionists find this aspect of the phenomena the most intriguing because they believe that understanding the retention process would answer “important evolutionary questions surrounding endosymbiotic events and the emergence and spread of photosynthesis in the eukaryotes”.14 The most simple model to explain chloroplast retention, especially in the short-term scenarios, is the ‘chloroplast stability model’.14 In this model, the chloroplast maintenance proteins encoded by algal nuclear genes are not required. One aspect of this model is that the internal biochemistry of the slug’s digestive cells assists in maintaining the temporal functional state of the kleptoplast despite the absence of algal nuclear genes that would normally produce chloroplast maintenance proteins. The photosynthetic capabilities and retention times of the sequestered chloroplasts can also be modulated through the slug’s folding of its parapodia (lateral wing-like body flaps) in response to light intensity, which also has been proven to provide a significant longevity effect on chloroplast retention time.2 Other research has shown that the slugs can control overall photosynthesis and kleptoplast turnover rates by other behavioural traits, such as shade seeking, water depth, and algal prey species selection, which are specific to different species.15 Both light intensity modulation and the algal species from which the kleptoplasts are taken play major roles in retention times and turnover rates. Horizontal gene transfer negated The second idea of kleptoplast longevity to explain how long-term kleptoplasty might occur involves the use of proteins possibly imported into the chloroplast to facilitate the turnover of photosystem proteins, although this presents several serious challenges. Fully functioning chloroplasts in both plants and algae require specialized transfer portals (translocons) in their outer and inner membranes, termed TOC and TIC, respectively.16 The TOC/TIC translocons import thousands of specifically synthesized preproteins produced in the cytoplasm from nuclear-encoded genes, which are then processed and utilized in the chloroplast. Amazingly, well over 500 nuclear-encoded genes are required to make and support a functional plastid—none of which is expressed by sea slugs.9,17 As noted above, the chloroplast membranes in E. timida are stripped during phagocytosis and effectively eliminate this key translocon import system. In other slug species, the chloroplast membranes appear to be engulfed intact, but are still covered within a phagoyctic membrane, although this remains to be fully confirmed. Thus, the whole paradigm of how this would effectively occur raises difficult issues for explaining genetic and cellular mechanisms in long-term kleptoplasty. Despite the apparent insurmountable difficulties associated with protein import, it is postulated that some level of it must occur for at least some of the algal nuclear-encoded proteins. This is largely based on the idea that, as noted previously, some slug species involved in long-term kleptoplasty can maintain captured chloroplasts in a non-replicative functional state for several months to a year.1,2,3 Interestingly, this is also about the length of the slug’s life cycle. In a recent review, Pierce and Curtis noted, “So it is not certain that the decline in photosynthesis of the aging E. chlorotica is due to the failure of the chloroplasts per se, which seems to be the case in the shorter, E. viridis, E. timida-type 3 associations, or the aging of the entire animal.”1 Short-term kleptoplasty (hours to weeks) can easily be explained in most cases by photosynthetic maintenance via whatever molecular resources were acquired along with the capture of the chloroplast. Short-term kleptoplasty (hours to weeks) can easily be explained in most cases by photosynthetic maintenance via whatever molecular resources were acquired along with the capture of the chloroplast. However, cases of long-term maintenance, as in the case of E. chlorotica, appear to be much more complicated. To do so, it is believed that the slug needs the help of genes found in the nucleus of the algae which code not only for photosystem plastid proteins, but key regulatory factors targeted to the plastid genome.18,19,20 Potential sources for these transcribed genes could be long-lived algal transcripts, horizontally transferred genes from the algal genome to the slug genome via horizontal gene transfer (HGT), or the presence of algal genes in extrachromosomal DNAs. The most appealing of these options to many evolutionists is the idea of HGT because it would help explain why the genes of many organisms arise suddenly in lineages with no apparent ancestral precursors—recently reviewed by Tomkins and Bergman.21 If, in fact, HGT could be proven in sea slug kleptoplasty, it would provide the first instance of such an event occurring between two multicellular eukaryotes. Much of the idea surrounding HGT in multicellular animals is based on the evidence that eukaryote hosts can be the recipient of foreign genes in their genome from an intracellular bacteria (primarily wolbachia) as proven in a variety of studies, including one in which this author participated.22,23 In sea slug kleptoplasty, the whole idea surrounding HGT postulates that the seemingly required algal nuclear genes were somehow stolen from the ingested algal milieu and integrated into the genome of a sea slug through a process yet to be postulated, much less identified. Given the increasing importance that HGT is thought to play in the grand schema of evolution, some proponents of it in the kleptoplastic sea slug research community have pushed the idea in the face of strong scientific opposition from even their own colleagues. As noted in a recent review written by nine different secular evolutionists that oppose the idea of HGT in sacoglossans, they state, “But gene transfer stories are hard to stop once they get going.”17 In several studies in kleptoplastic sea slugs, scientists originally thought they had found evidence of HGT. Most of this information has come from studies of the slug E. chlorotica, where the kleptoplasts derive from the filamentous alga Vaucheria litorea. After the slug sequesters the chloroplasts, it can continue to photosynthesize for 10–12 months in the absence of any algal food.11 The idea of HGT is supported by a number of studies using adult and larval E. chlorotica that had been starved and supposedly free of algal contamination, although, as we shall see later, this was probably not the case and the data actually supports a different conclusion. Originally, evidence of about 11 different translated algal nuclear-encoded proteins used in chloroplast maintenance was reported in five different studies published between 2007 and 2010, recently reviewed by Pierce and Curtis.1 However, the first large-scale alleged evidence of algal transcripts in E. chlorotica was published in 2012, when researchers reported the presence of 111 transcripts matching 52 different algal nuclear-encoded sequences.24 These results were in contrast to another study in which the transcriptomes of two other slug species were sequenced (E. timida and P. ocellatus) in which no expressed algal nuclear genes were found.9 However, the authors of the E. chlorotica study believed that the algal transcripts they discovered at nearly single copy level, were due to algal nuclear genes integrated in the slug genome and expressed at very low levels. They based this idea on the assumption that the starved slugs had no other explainable source for the production of transcripts. Thus, the idea that HGT might have actually been proven between two eukaryotes seemed plausible—at the time. In 2013, scientists extracted decidedly uncontaminated DNA from E. chlorotica sea slug eggs that had never come in contact with algae.10 They then sequenced the genome to a 100-fold level of redundancy and evaluated the gene content. The researchers also sequenced the expressed genes from the algal host (V litorea) of the sea slug and then compared those gene sequences to the slug genome data to further test for the presence of HGT. The scientists concluded that “Taken together, the results of our analysis indicate the absence of algal-derived genes in the germ line of E. chlorotica” (p. 1844), “Most importantly, our analysis does not return any genes or DNA regions shared by V. litorea [the algae] and the sea slug that are involved in photosynthesis”. (p. 1845) The sequencing of eccDNAs has revealed a broad range of DNA features, including protein-coding genes. It is also noteworthy that the researchers detected no algal plastid genes, indicating that no transfer of chloroplast genes to the slug genome had occurred either. The problem with previous studies that seemed to indicate the presence of HGT was that researchers were always using slug tissue to extract DNA that contained algal contamination. By using DNA extracted from eggs that had never been exposed to algae, the question had been settled. Despite the fact that no evidence of HGT was found in this recent study, when the researchers also analyzed a number of individual slugs that had been feeding on algae—both immediately and after starving them—they found the presence of 11 different algal gene fragments reported to exist via HGT in earlier studies. Instead of pooling slugs as in previous studies, they tested individual slugs and found a great deal of inconsistency and variability between individuals—showing that pooling would indicate that “all 11 of these genes would be ‘present’ in the DNA leaving the false impression that HGT is present in all members of the sea slug population”. (p. 1847) This also explains why only 14–20% of the samples showed the presence of algal genes. Are extrachromosomal circular DNAs the answer? So what is going on in this scenario where HGT is clearly negated by the lack of algal genes in the germline of E. chlorotica, but genes sporadically appear later, after the slugs feed on algae—even after prolonged starvation? It appears that the only explanation for this phenomenon is that of extrachromosomal circular DNAs (eccDNA)—also called small polydispersed circular DNA (spcDNA), which have been found in eukaryotes from yeast to humans, including plants.25,26,27,28,29 In fact, Bhattacharya et al. proposed this idea as the best explanation for their recent results in E. chlorotica, but did not elaborate on the possibilities for a model or significantly cover research related to the idea.10 EccDNAs are formed from chromosomal DNA in both plants and animals and have been found to vary between 400 and 20,000 bases in length.26,27 Their stability is based on the fact that they are circularized, apparently after being spliced out of the genome—a fact verified by their distinct signatures in two-dimensional gel electrophoresis.26,27,29 The sequencing of eccDNAs has revealed a broad range of DNA features, including protein-coding genes, ribosomal genes, transposable elements, tandem repeats, and other features.25,26,27,29 However, despite the high representation of tandem repeats in eccDNA, some repeat categories that are also common in the genome are markedly absent in eccDNAs, indicating that the process is somewhat selective and not completely random.26 Furthermore, because the eccDNAs appear to form distinct ladders on two-dimensional gels, it is thought that they correspond to monomers and higher order repeats that form discrete units of demarcating sequence in the genome, particularly in plants.26,29 Figure 3. Two different models for the presence of algal eccDNAs in E. chlorotica. Even more startling is that eccDNAs also appear to have the property of being copied through a process called ‘rolling circle replication’. The rolling circle replication of eccDNA has been demonstrated in Drosophila without any apparent correlation to the expression of the replicated genes.30 In mung beans, eccDNA molecules exhibiting a sigmoid form (circles with hanging tails) were characterized by electron microscopy, indicating that rolling circle replication for these molecules also occurs in plants.31 Despite the ubiquitous occurrence of eccDNAs across the complex spectrum of eukaryotic life, their specific mechanism of origin or purpose in the cell largely remains a mystery. Nevertheless, multiple studies have shown that DNA-damaging mechanisms promoted by chemical stress and other agents will stimulate the formation of eccDNAs.26,32,33,34 While many problems exist with attempting to form a model of eccDNA in sea slug kleptoplasty, if this is what is contributing to the recent results, then several scenarios could be possible (figure 3). The first is that algal eccDNAs could be formed and exist in the natural state of the algae and then be ingested by the slug. Or the formation of eccDNAs may be stimulated in the algae in response to the stress of slug feeding. In either case, the ingested eccDNAs would then be exploited by the slug. The second scenario would entail the disintegration of the algal nuclei in the ingested milieu, which would then form the substrate for eccDNA formation in the slug, by its cell machinery. Several hurdles for these scenarios exist, the first being that of transport—how are the eccDNAs or the algal chromosomal fragments imported into the slug’s digestive cells? Secondly, if they are successfully imported, where is transcription of the eccDNAs occurring? Would the eccDNAs also be imported into the cell nucleus after being ingested? In any case, the presence of eccDNA would explain the persistence and low-level expression of algal genes in slugs that have fed on algae in contrast to their complete absence in slug germline DNA—negating HGT. Sacoglossan phylogenetic quagmire Needless to say, the wide variability in how the whole kleptoplastic process occurs and is maintained among sacoglossan slugs makes phylogenetics extremely difficult for evolutionary studies among the varying taxon.35 In fact, because of the diversity of mechanisms, Rumpho et al. state that “at least four species of sacoglossans independently evolved the ability for long-term plastid retention”. (p. 304)11 Maeda et al. also stated that “the evolution to kleptoplasty from non-kleptoplasty would have occurred multiple times”.35 In addition, the various algal targets of the slugs themselves are also sources of origins mystery, as Chan et al. reported in a recent publication: “Algae are defined by their photosynthetic organelles (plastids) that have had multiple independent origins in different phyla.”36 The real story is that sea slug kleptoplasty appears suddenly in the schema of life in a diversity of slug taxon. The process of kleptoplasty is separated into functional and non-functional forms, which are largely determined by the retention time of chloroplasts.35 However, the mechanisms for both non-functional and functional kleptoplasty remain unclear and show great variety among slug species. Although evolutionists have proposed that non-functional kleptoplasty was a precursor evolutionary state that led to functional kleptoplasty, phylogenetic analyses performed in a recent study using a variety of concatenated gene sequences produced a discordant outcome.35 In the modified phylogenetic model, non-functional kleptoplasts were acquired somewhere in a basal position of the Sacoglossa (including Cylindrobulla) in some mystical unidentified ancestral slug, then gained in the Plakobranchea and then selectively lost in subsequent lineages. And this is just a simplified evolutionary generalization of the data, which is replete with incomplete lineage sorting—a pervasive evolution-negating problem with phylogenies constructed across the spectrum of life.21 The fact is that no contiguous phylogeny for kleptoplastic sea slugs can be constructed that makes any evolutionary sense. The real story is that sea slug kleptoplasty appears suddenly in the schema of life in a diversity of slug taxon, with a diversity of mechanisms, and diversity of algal preferences and biochemical relationships. In complete contradiction to evolutionary predictions, each of these slug species group within their own clades (which include non-kleptoplast species), based on multiple alignments of concatenated gene fragments. Furthermore, these different species have varying levels of algae host interactions in addition to plastid retention times. There is no coherent pattern of evolution discernable. Horizontal gene transfer is considered somewhat common among various types of bacteria because they are known to exchange segments of DNA between each other, although mechanisms of action beyond plasmids and phage still remain to be elucidated.37,38 In other spheres of life that are more complicated, HGT can also occur between a bacteria and a multicellular host that it interacts with during its life cycle.22,23 In this case, the genes of the bacteria are transferred to the genome of the eukaryotic host. In other spheres of life that are more complicated, HGT can also occur between a bacteria and a multicellular host that it interacts with during its life cycle. In the case of the kleptoplastic sea slug E. chlorotica, researchers originally thought that they had detected the first case of solid evidence for HGT between multicellular eukaryotes based on a known and defined biological relationship. This was based on the finding of algal genes expressed at low levels in the slug.19,24 However, even in the cases of using starved slugs as an RNA/DNA source, the creatures had still been exposed to algae during their life cycle. A new study analyzing the germline genomes of slug eggs has shown that HGT has not actually occurred—the algal genes are simply not present in the slug’s genome.10 Because the scientists also tested slugs exposed to algae, and found the presence of algal DNA in their system, they concluded that the genes most likely resided on extra chromosomal DNAs that are circular and called eccDNA. Surprisingly, eccDNAs that are spliced out of the genome and formed into stable circles are found across the spectrum of life—even humans.6 How these algal eccDNAs are formed and utilized is still not well understood, although it is known that they are transcribed. The incredible mystery of this whole scenario and its bewildering and confounding complexity was recently expressed by the evolutionist authors that reported the recent germline sequencing of E. chlorotica when they assessed the situation and proposed additional research.10 They stated: “This leaves the far more interesting possibility that the animal is able to harvest plastids and carry out photosynthesis using non-chromosomally integrated algal-derived genes, modified animal genes, or some combination of the two. Exploring these mechanisms using a combination of developmentally targeted mRNA-seq approaches, proteomics, and deeper genome sequencing offer potential avenues to elucidate the (nearly abominable) mystery of long-term sea slug photosynthesis”. (p. 1848) Could it be that the creator designed the algae to not only provide chloroplasts for the sea slug, but also the algal eccDNAs that contain the genes to make the whole system work? In this scenario, both the chloroplasts and the eccDNAs would be extracted from the algae at the same time. Alternatively, the eccDNAs could be formed in the slug after feeding. It is the contention of this author that sea slug kleptoplasty is, in its entirety, a system of divinely created irreducible complexity involving both the slug and algal host. In all of the various sacoglossan slugs, their feeding apparatus, digestive system with its finely branching diverticula (visually resembling a plant’s leaf), unique cellular biochemistries that make photosynthesis work in an otherwise seeming foreign environment, the behavioural adaptations of the slug to maximize photosynthesis, etc. must all be in place at the same time along with the unique properties of the algae for the entire system to work. It is truly an all-or-nothing proposition—especially in the slugs that literally depend on the larval feeding of algae to progress in their life cycle. The slug and algal systems are clearly co-designed and engineered to work together. Adding to the incredible biocomplexity of this phenomenon is the fact that inquisitive and clever humans with all their advanced biotechnology are still baffled by the incredible mystery of this exquisite example of the Creator’s wisdom and design in an amazing and beautiful little creature that is no more than a few centimetres in length. It is not a ‘nearly abominable mystery’, but a perfect example of the scripture in Romans 1:20 which states, “For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse.” Photosynthetic sea slugs: an evolutionary enigma Sea slugs leave Darwin’s theory slipping Did cells acquire organelles such as mitochondria by gobbling up other cells? Mitochondria—created to energize us Design Features Questions and Answers The diving Bells Pierce, S.K. and Curtis, N.E., Cell biology of the chloroplast symbiosis in sacoglossan sea slugs, Int. Rev. Cell Mol. Biol. 293:123–148, 2012 \| doi: 10.1016/B978-0-12-394304-0.00009-9. Return to text Cruz, S., Calado, R., Serôdio, J. and Cartaxana, P., Crawling leaves: photosynthesis in sacoglossan sea slugs, J. Exp. Bot. 64:3999–4009, 2013 \| doi: 10.1093/jxb/ert197. Return to text Maeda, T. et al., Algivore or phototroph? Plakobranchus ocellatus (Gastropoda) continuously acquires kleptoplasts and nutrition from multiple algal species in nature, PloS One 7:e42024, 2012 \| doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0042024. Return to text Handeler, K., Grzymbowski, Y.P., Krug, P.J. and Wagele, H., Functional chloroplasts in metazoan cells—a unique evolutionary strategy in animal life, Frontiers in Zoology 6:28, 2009 \| doi: 10.1186/1742-9994-6-28. Return to text Venn, A. A., Loram, J.E. and Douglas, A.E., Photosynthetic symbioses in animals, J. Exp. Bot. 59:1069–1080, 2008 \| doi: 10.1093/jxb/erm328. Return to text Curtis, N.E., Pierce, S.K., Massey, S.E., Schwartz, J.A. and Maugel, T.K., Newly metamorphosed Elysia clarki juveniles feed on and sequester chloroplasts from algal species different from those utilized by adult slugs, Marine Biology 150:797–806, 2007 \| doi: 10.1007/s00227-006-0398-x. Return to text Curtis, N.E., Massey, S.E. and Pierce, S.K., The symbiotic chloroplasts in the sacoglossan Elysia clarki are from several algal species, Invertebrate Biology 125:336–345, 2006 \| doi: 10.111/j.1744-7410.2006.00065.x. Return to text Christa, G., Wescott, L., Schäberle, T.F., König, G.M. and Wägele, H., What remains after 2 months of starvation? Analysis of sequestered algae in a photosynthetic slug, Plakobranchus ocellatus (Sacoglossa, Opisthobranchia), by barcoding, Planta 237:559–572, 2013 \| doi: 10.1007/s00425-012-1788-6. Return to text Wägele, H. et al., Transcriptomic evidence that longevity of acquired plastids in the photosynthetic slugs Elysia timida and Plakobranchus ocellatus does not entail lateral transfer of algal nuclear genes, Molecular biology and evolution 28:699–706, 2011 \| doi: 10.1093/molbev/msq239. Return to text Bhattacharya, D., Pelletreau, K.N., Price, D.C., Sarver, K.E. and Rumpho, M.E., Genome analysis of Elysia chlorotica egg DNA provides no evidence for horizontal gene transfer into the germ line of this Kleptoplastic Mollusc, Molecular biology and evolution 30:1843–1852, 2013 \| doi: 10.1093/molbev/mst084. Return to text Rumpho, M.E., Pelletreau, K.N., Moustafa, A. and Bhattacharya, D., The making of a photosynthetic animal, J. Experimental Biology 214:303–311, 2011 \| doi: 10.1242/jeb.046540. Return to text Martin, R., Walther, P. and Tomaschko, K.H., Phagocytosis of algal chloroplasts by digestive gland cells in the photosynthesis-capable slug Elysia timida (Mollusca, Opisthobranchia, Sacoglossa), Zoomorphology 132:253–259, 2013 \| doi: 10.1007/s00435-012-0184-x. Return to text Evertsen, J. and Johnsen, G., In vivo and in vitro differences in chloroplast functionality in the two north Atlantic sacoglossans (Gastropoda, Opisthobranchia) Placida dendritica and Elysia viridis, Marine Biology 156:847–859, 2009 \| doi: 10.1007/s00227-009-1128-y. Return to text Pillet, L., The role of horizontal gene transfer in kleptoplastidy and the establishment of photosynthesis in the eukaryotes, Mobile genetic elements 3:e24773, 2013. Return to text Schmitt, V. and Wagele, H., Behavioral adaptations in relation to longterm retention of endosymbiotic chloroplasts in the sea slug Elysia timida (Opisthobranchia, Sacoglossa), Thalassas 27:225–238, 2011. Return to text Kikuchi, S. et al., Uncovering the protein translocon at the chloroplast inner envelope membrane, Science 339:571–574, 2013 \| doi: 10.1126/science.1229262. Return to text Martin, D. et al., Gene transfers from organelles to the nucleus: How much, what happens, and why none in Elysia?, J. Endocytobiosis and Cell Research 23:16–20, 2012. Return to text Puthiyaveetil, S. et al., Transcriptional control of photosynthesis genes: the evolutionarily conserved regulatory mechanism in plastid genome function,Genome Biology and Evolution 2:888–896, 2010. Return to text Rumpho, M.E. et al., Horizontal gene transfer of the algal nuclear gene psbO to the photosynthetic sea slug Elysia chlorotica, PNAS 105:17867–17871, 2008. Return to text Woodson, J.D. and Chory, J., Coordination of gene expression between organellar and nuclear genomes, Nature Reviews Genetics 9:383–395, 2008. Return to text Tomkins, J. and Bergman, J., Incomplete lineage sorting and other ‘rogue’ data fell the tree of life, J. Creation 27(3):84–92, 2013. Return to text Dunning Hotopp, J.C. et al., Widespread lateral gene transfer from intracellular bacteria to multicellular eukaryotes, Science 317:1753–1756, 2007. Return to text Dunning Hotopp, J.C., Horizontal gene transfer between bacteria and animals, Trends in Genetics 27:157–163, 2011 \| doi: 10.1016/j.tig.2011.01.005. Return to text Pierce, S.K. et al., Transcriptomic evidence for the expression of horizontally transferred algal nuclear genes in the photosynthetic sea slug, Elysia chlorotica, Molecular Biology and Evolution 29:1545–1556, 2012 \| doi: 10.1093/molbev/msr316. Return to text Shibata, Y. et al., Extrachromosomal microDNAs and chromosomal microdeletions in normal tissues, Science 336:82–86, 2012 \| doi: 10.1126/science.1213307. Return to text Cohen, S., Agmon, N., Sobol, O. and Segal, D., Extrachromosomal circles of satellite repeats and 5S ribosomal DNA in human cells, Mobile DNA 1:11, 2010 \| doi: 10.1186/1759-8753-1-11. Return to text Cohen, S., Houben, A. and Segal, D., Extrachromosomal circular DNA derived from tandemly repeated genomic sequences in plants, The Plant J. for Cell and Molecular Biology 53:1027–1034, 2008. Return to text Schmidt, H. et al., Small polydispersed circular DNA contains strains of mobile genetic elements and occurs more frequently in permanent cell lines of malignant tumors than in normal lymphocytes, Oncol. Rep. 22:393–400, 2009. Return to text Navratilova, A., Koblizkova, A. and Macas, J., Survey of extrachromosomal circular DNA derived from plant satellite repeats, BMC plant biology 8:90, 2008 \| doi: 10.1186/1471-2229-8-90. Return to text Cohen, S., Agmon, N., Yacobi, K., Mislovati, M. and Segal, D., Evidence for rolling circle replication of tandem genes in Drosophila, Nucleic Acids Research 33:4519–4526, 2005. Return to text Bhattacharyya, N. and Roy, P., Extrachromosomal DNA from a dicot plant Vigna radiata, FEBS Letters 208:386–390, 1986. Return to text Cohen, Z. and Lavi, S., Replication independent formation of extrachromosomal circular DNA in mammalian cell-free system, PloS One 4:e6126, 2009 \| doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0006126. Return to text Cohen, S., Regev, A. and Lavi, S., Small polydispersed circular DNA (spcDNA) in human cells: association with genomic instability, Oncogene 14:977–85, 1997. Return to text Cohen, S. and Lavi, S., Induction of circles of heterogeneous sizes in carcinogen-treated cells: two-dimensional gel analysis of circular DNA molecules, Molecular and Cellular Biology 16:2002–2014, 1996. Return to text Maeda, T., Kajita, T., Maruyama, T. and Hirano, Y., Molecular phylogeny of the sacoglossa, with a discussion of gain and loss of kleptoplasty in the evolution of the group, Biol Bull 219:17–26, 2010. Return to text Chan, C.X., Gross, J., Yoon, H.S. and Bhattacharya, D., Plastid origin and evolution: new models provide insights into old problems, Plant physiology 155:1552–1560, 2011 \| doi: 10.1104/pp.111.173500. Return to text Zhaxybayeva, O. and Doolittle, W.F., Lateral gene transfer, Current Biology 21:R242–246, 2011 \| http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2011.01.045. Return to text Koonan, E., The Logic of Chance: The Nature and Origin of Biological Evolution, FT Press Science, Upper Saddle River, NJ, 2011. Return to text Unlocking the Mystery of Life Evolution's Achilles' Heels Blu-ray Evolution's Achilles' Heels by Nine Ph.D. scientists mobi (Kindle) epub (ebook) Soft cover The Greatest Hoax on Earth? by Dr Jonathan Sarfati Evolutionists Say the Oddest Things by Lita Cosner (editor) mobi (Kindle) Soft cover Refuting Evolution Refuting Evolution 2, updated edition Inspiration from Creation The Creation Answers Book epub (ebook) Soft cover Evolution Impossible by Dr John F Ashton Discovery of Design by Donald DeYoung & Derrik Hobbs Hallmarks of Design, 2nd Edition by Stuart Burgess Apemen: ‘Missing Links' & The Bible Programming of Life, Blu-ray & DVD How Evolution Hurts Science Evolution: Good Science? by Dominic Statham Refuting Compromise mobi (Kindle) epub (ebook) Chemicals to Living Cell 15 Questions for Evolutionists Narindra R. FR June 18th, 2016 Our Creator God is simply truly awesome.	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0041.json.gz/line3861
__label__wiki	0.810794	0.810794	https://twitter.com/EuropeInGhana https://www.facebook.com/EuDelegationToGhana Delegation of the European Union to Ghana EEAS homepage > Ghana > EU releases €3.5 million in emergency aid following cyclone Idai and deadly floods in Mozambique, Malawi and Zimbabwe EU releases €3.5 million in emergency aid following cyclone Idai and deadly floods in Mozambique, Malawi and Zimbabwe Severe flooding and tropical cyclone Idai have caused large numbers of casualties and damage to homes and infrastructure in Mozambique, Malawi and Zimbabwe. To help those affected, the Commission has announced an initial emergency aid package of €3.5 million (approx. USD 3,97 million). Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management Christos Stylianides said: “The EU stands in solidarity with all those people affected by Cyclone Idai in Mozambique, Malawi and Zimbabwe. Just hours after the Cyclone’s impact, we are making emergency aid available to address the pressing humanitarian needs and to boost the local response efforts. In addition, we are sending our technical experts on the ground and our Copernicus satellite system has been activated to identify needs and help our humanitarian partners and the local authorities in their response." The funding will be used to provide logistical support to reach affected people, emergency shelter, hygiene, sanitation, and health care. Out of the aid package, based on needs, €2 million will be provided in Mozambique, €1 million in Malawi and €0.5 million (approx. USD 0.567 million) in Zimbabwe. This comes in addition to €250,000 in initial humanitarian assistance. For more information: Carlos Martin Ruiz De Gordejuela – Tel.: +32 229 65322; Daniel Puglisi – Tel.: +32 229 69140 Photo: UNICEF Zimbabwe/2019/TMukwazhi Press and information team of the Delegation to ZIMBABWE European Union, UN and Government launch Spotlight Initiative to end violence against women, girls From Vision to Action: The EU Global Strategy in Practice - Three years on, looking forward EU supports fight against poverty by strengthening micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises Human rights and democracy in the world: 2018 EU annual report adopted Europe Day 2019: for a world that leaves no one behind EU on the ground to assist those affected by Cyclone IdaiExtremely concerned after the deadly impact of Cyclone Idai in Zimbabwe, the European Union is on the ground in the worst affected areas. EU provides helicopter for Cyclone Idai relief operationThe European Union has provided a helicopter to support the relief efforts in the Eastern Highlands following the devastating impact of Cyclone Idai earlier this month. The helicopter (Mi-8AMT), operated by the World Food Programme (WFP), started its mission on Monday from Mutare. EU supports citizen participation in development processesThe European Union in Zimbabwe has launched a new call for proposals aimed at strengthening Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) to meaningfully contribute to governance and development processes in Zimbabwe. EU encourages reforms and re-engagementThe European Union’s Managing Director for Africa, Mr Koen Vervaeke, has encouraged Zimbabwe to continue on the path of reform and engagement in order to enhance not only relations between Brussels and Harare, but also the livelihoods of Zimbabweans. The Round House, 81, Cantonments Road, P. O. Box 9505 KIA, Accra, GHANA Telephone: +233 (0) 30 277 4201 Fax: +233 (0) 30 277 4154 delegation-ghana@eeas.europa.eu	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0041.json.gz/line3869
__label__cc	0.511191	0.488809	War of the Rebellion: Serial 010 Page 0376 KY.,TENN.,N. MISS.,N. ALA.,AND SW. VA. Chapter XXII. thicket on the left. About 10 o'clock the enemy's skirmishers were seen on the extreme right of the field. The right and left pieces opened fire on them, expending 5 rounds each, 4 of which taking effect in a building on the extreme right of the field, the enemy immediately disappeared. The right and left pieces immediately changed to their original position and continued firing. When 500 rounds were expended the balance of the ammunition was transferred to the left section, its position being the best, the right and center sections retiring. At about quarter to 12 o'clock the enemy charged upon the left section from the thicket on the left of the field to within 60 yards of our position. We immediately opened fire upon them with canister, firing 25 rounds, the effect of which was to drive them back. We, being out of ammunition, retired from the field at about 12 m., and went to the steamboat landing for supplies of ammunition. When we returned the battle had so near ended that we did not again engage. Counted 55 dead of the enemy lying in a space of about 30 yards square, where they received our canister. The right section was commanded by Lieutenant Crable, the center by Lieutenant Osborn, the left by Lieutenant Marshall. I would speak in highest praise of the noble and gallant conduct of Lieutenants Crable, Osborn, and Marshall, who each seemed personally at their right places during the action. I would call particular attention to Lieutenant Marshall, who commanded the left section. Too much credit cannot be given him for the manner he served the left piece. Particular praise is also due to each of Sergeants Sliney, Carter, Bills, Farwell, and Clark, and, in fact, to all the members of the company. I would make honorable mention of First Sergt. R. D. Whittlesey and Quartermaster-Sergeant Treat, who were seen foremost during the whole engagement, and whose valuable services could not have been dispensed with. I would also make particular mention of Private David W. Camp, who, though a mere boy, only fourteen years old, served as Numbers 5 man at the left piece with the skill and bravery of an old soldier during the entire engagement. I did not for a moment see him flinch. Praise is due to Actg. Lieutenant John S. White for the manner he conducted the line of caissons, and Commissary-Sergeant Clinton for valuable services by acting as cannoneer. Yours, most respectfully, JOSEPH BARTLETT, Captain Battery G, First Ohio Light Artillery. Captain JOHN MENDENHALL, Fourth Artillery, Chief of Staff, Fifth Division. P. S.-Agreeably to request of Brigadier-General Boyle the field was examined by an officer of the battery, who counted 106 dead in the thicket on our left and 59 dead in the wood directly in front of our position; all killed, as near as could be judged, by canister and shell. There were also 13 dead horses lying in the thicket. Numbers 130. Report of Brigadier General Thomas J. Wood, U. S. Army, commanding Sixth Division. HDQRS. SIXTH DIVISION, ARMY OF THE OHIO, On the Battle-field, near Pittsburg, Tenn., April 10, 1862. SIR: I have the honor to submit the following report of the operations of my division in the battle of the 7th instant: ‹ Serial 010 Page 0375 Chapter XXII. PITTSBURG LANDING, OR SHILOH, TENN. up Serial 010 Page 0377 Chapter XXII. PITTSBURG LANDING, OR SHILOH, TENN. ›	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0041.json.gz/line3870
__label__cc	0.664357	0.335643	Are wearables failing? An early 2016 recap By Ben Davis February 24th 2016 10:06 Most people think wearables will be a big deal, but they’re not yet, and there’s the sneaky suspicion that we don’t quite understand their best use cases or ideal UX. Here’s a roundup of some doom and gloom surrounding wearables in early 2016. Prepare yourself for lots of pictures of hairy wrists… The Apple Watch just ain’t very useful (and ain’t selling) Celebrities don’t wear them any more. High profile reviews have highlighted how frustrating they are to use. Same goes for all smartwatches, reliant as they are on pairing with a smartphone, they haven’t carved out a niche yet. When will a truly watch-first app come along? IDC estimates 4.1m Apple Watches were sold in Q4 of 2015, only a 5% increase on Q3 (uplift from Q3 to gift-buying Q4 is usually much higher for tech hardware). Essentially, many analysts reckon sales in 2015 can be explained by Apple fans and the power of the brand. Wearables absent from Mobile World Congress 2016 Well, not really, but it’s clear that the hype has disappeared, with this year’s flavour being VR and 360-degree video. Even in the hype-driven world of flashy trade expos, if consumer uptake isn’t promising, something has to give. From Espresso: Smartphones are so passé. It’s all about VR at Mobile World Congress https://t.co/NWnEXrmBSY #MWC16 pic.twitter.com/HiMobUMTjm — The Economist (@TheEconomist) February 23, 2016 FitBit $50m down on projected Q1 revenue Q1 is massive for fat fighting, which obviously forms a big part of the motivation to use a connected wristband. The company still expects to make $2.4bn revenue in 2016, which is not to be sniffed at, but profit was zilch in Q1, as FitBit spent big preparing two new products (a smartwatch and an improved wristband that includes, amongst other features, reminders to move). Though the end of 2015 was positive, share price is down since IPO. Toshiba Glasses withdrawn They were only a week from being shipped but with Toshiba in trouble (on track for its biggest ever loss this year), it has decided to focus on profitable areas of the business. This is presumably an admission that either demand is too low, the product wasn’t great, or perhaps both. Either way, this is the latest wearable never to see the light of day. Looking at Toshiba’s Wearables page, one can tell that priorities are a little muddled, with the website itself horribly dated. Toshiba Wearvue The anniversary of the death of Nike FuelBand Nike FuelBand launched four years ago – it’s been dead a year. It’s old enough that you can find pictures of Lance Armstrong promoting it. Though Nike was a pioneer, its failure to adapt to Android was notable. Then, Apple incorporated a lot of fitness and lifestyle features into its devices, rendering Fuel superfluous for some. Device apathy The FT reports on so-called ‘second phoneys’, people who are fed up with the demands of a smartphone and use a dumb or feature phone in the evenings to run their social lives. Eddie Redmayne is apparently one of these people, though presumably using a dumb phone is easy if you can just call your secretary and ask her to Google something. Device apathy isn’t necessarily a problem at the moment for wearables, they’re a lot more passive than the smartphone. But therein lies another quandry – wearables need to begin to offer more (become more prescriptive, offer genuinely useful apps). Security is possibly a concern Just this month, Open Effect released a report into the security of eight popular fitness trackers. Only the Apple Watch was deemed satisfactory, with the other seven using static MAC addresses and therefore potentially giving away the user’s whereabouts. But are failures a good thing? Some argue that numerous failures mean nothing and that it’s hard to predict when success will come. Perhaps I’ll write another article including notable successes, of which there have been many. The Mi band (by Xiaomi) is available for $15 and has sold very well. Techcrunch has reported on a component revolution in wearables. Industry, particularly health, is the area where wearables are predicted to have the biggest immediate effect. Perhaps the tech world’s obsession with consumer-focused products just means they’ll be a little time in coming. For an intro to wearables, see A Marketer’s Guide to Wearable Technology. Blog Apple Watch Mobile smartwatches wearable tech wearable technology wearables 10+ of the best APAC digital marketing stats from February 2016 29 Days later and it’s time for another stats roundup from the Asia Pacific region. February’s roundup includes LINE, WePay, mobile and programmatic advertising in Australia, virtual reality in China, print (!), Japanese ad spend, Tmall, social media use and more. February 26th 2016 10:41 Blog Ecommerce Eight interesting US digital marketing stats from the past week It’s that time again. I’ve been reading through some of the best US-focused digital marketing stats from the last week or so and I’ve summarized some of the most interesting ones below. This week we’re covering the top frustrations of mobile shoppers, native ads, email, The Oscars and much more. Our 10 favourite digital marketing stats from the past week Aristotle Onassis once said, ‘It is during our darkest moments that we must focus to see the weekly Econsultancy digital marketing stats round-up.’ So turn up that screen brightness, put your glasses back on and let’s do this thing.	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0041.json.gz/line3881
__label__wiki	0.640186	0.640186	Items Post route map of the State of Florida with adjacent parts of Georgia and Alabama also the neighboring West India Islands showing post offices with the intermediate distances and mail routes in operation on the 1st of February 1885 Post route map of the State of Florida with adjacent parts of Georgia and Alabama also the neighboring West India Islands showing post offices with the intermediate distances and mail routes in operation on the 1st of February 1885 cartographic Lionel Pincus and Princess Firyal Map Division United States. Post Office Department Wanamaker, John, 1838-1922 Nicholson, W. L. Maps of North America United States (except New York) United States. Post Office Department (Publisher) Wanamaker, John, 1838-1922 (Creator) Nicholson, W. L. (Creator) United States. Post Office Department (Creator) Date Issued: 1885 (Inferred) Place: Washington, D.C. Publisher: Post Office Department Shelf locator: Map Div. 15-5718 Postal service -- Florida Counties -- Florida Railroads -- Florida Content: Scale 1:760,320.12 miles to 1 inch (W 87°38ʹ--W 79°58ʹ/N 31°00ʹ--N 27°20ʹ). Citation/reference: New York Public Library. Dictionary catalog of the Map Division, v. 4, page 55, column 1, no. 7 Date: "The service on this diagram brought up to date of March 1st. 1885." Statement of responsibility: "Published by order of Postmaster General John Wanamaker; under the direction of by W.L. Nicholson, topographer P.O. Dept., 1884." Funding: Mapping the Nation (NEH grant, 2015-2018) Extent: 1 map : color ; 60 x 106 cm, on sheet 66 x 114 cm Shows railroads, postal routes, counties, cities, towns, and notable physical features. Includes "explanation of mail service." At head of title: [logo] Post Office Department.Map is the northern part of a 2 sheet set. RLIN/OCLC: 973333735 Folder number: US053.4.01 Universal Unique Identifier (UUID): 4cc2c200-f22f-0134-c9f3-05ff77673824 Lionel Pincus and Princess Firyal Map Division, The New York Public Library. "Post route map of the State of Florida with adjacent parts of Georgia and Alabama also the neighboring West India Islands showing post offices with the intermediate distances and mail routes in operation on the 1st of February 1885" The New York Public Library Digital Collections. 1885. http://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/c551c3b0-f22f-0134-1049-11bd4e72d2e6 Lionel Pincus and Princess Firyal Map Division, The New York Public Library. "Post route map of the State of Florida with adjacent parts of Georgia and Alabama also the neighboring West India Islands showing post offices with the intermediate distances and mail routes in operation on the 1st of February 1885" New York Public Library Digital Collections. Accessed July 19, 2019. http://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/c551c3b0-f22f-0134-1049-11bd4e72d2e6 Lionel Pincus and Princess Firyal Map Division, The New York Public Library. (1885). Post route map of the State of Florida with adjacent parts of Georgia and Alabama also the neighboring West India Islands showing post offices with the intermediate distances and mail routes in operation on the 1st of February 1885 Retrieved from http://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/c551c3b0-f22f-0134-1049-11bd4e72d2e6 <ref name=NYPL>{{cite web \| url=http://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/c551c3b0-f22f-0134-1049-11bd4e72d2e6 \| title= (cartographic) Post route map of the State of Florida with adjacent parts of Georgia and Alabama also the neighboring West India Islands showing post offices with the intermediate distances and mail routes in operation on the 1st of February 1885, (1885) }} \|author=Digital Collections, The New York Public Library \|accessdate=July 19, 2019 \|publisher=The New York Public Library, Astor, Lennox, and Tilden Foundation}}</ref>	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0041.json.gz/line3886
__label__wiki	0.79783	0.79783	Items Pulitzer Fountain, Grand Army Plaza Pulitzer Fountain, Grand Army Plaza Trager, Philip, 1935- Philip Trager Photographs Trager, Philip, 1935- (Photographer) Shelf locator: 111PH083.043 Content: Series: New York Content: Annotated on verso: "Pulitzer Fountain" Ownership: Library Purchase, 2011 Extent: Print Size: 8 7/16 x 10 3/16 in. (21.4 x 25.9 cm) TMS Object Number: 111PH083.043 TMS ID: 158365 Universal Unique Identifier (UUID): 8f362090-c6cf-012f-f067-58d385a7bc34 © Philip Trager The Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs: Photography Collection, The New York Public Library. "Pulitzer Fountain, Grand Army Plaza" The New York Public Library Digital Collections. 1978. http://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/c6498860-6569-e31d-e040-e00a18061621 The Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs: Photography Collection, The New York Public Library. "Pulitzer Fountain, Grand Army Plaza" New York Public Library Digital Collections. Accessed July 19, 2019. http://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/c6498860-6569-e31d-e040-e00a18061621 The Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs: Photography Collection, The New York Public Library. (1978). Pulitzer Fountain, Grand Army Plaza Retrieved from http://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/c6498860-6569-e31d-e040-e00a18061621 <ref name=NYPL>{{cite web \| url=http://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/c6498860-6569-e31d-e040-e00a18061621 \| title= (still image) Pulitzer Fountain, Grand Army Plaza, (1978) }} \|author=Digital Collections, The New York Public Library \|accessdate=July 19, 2019 \|publisher=The New York Public Library, Astor, Lennox, and Tilden Foundation}}</ref>	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0041.json.gz/line3887
__label__cc	0.605946	0.394054	The Best Horse Trails in Iowa Kerrie Tischer of CowgirlDiary.com reveals the top equine trails in Iowa for the Equitrekking 50 State Trail Riding Project. by Kerrie Tischer I was recently asked to write a guest post for Equitrekking.com about the best horseback riding trails in Iowa. Equitrekking.com is conducting a 50 State Trail Riding Project, and needed a post for good horseback riding trails in Iowa. I set out on a mission to complete a descriptive guide to my favorite horse riding trails around the state. I have been to most of these trails, and the others are trails that I have heard about from my trail riding friends and would love to make a trip to ride them this summer. Pierce Creek Equestrian Trails The trail riding experience at Pierce Creek Recreation Area is one of my absolute favorites. Located in the southwest corner of the state of Iowa, four miles north of Shenandoah, Pierce Creek has relatively easy trails that are wide enough for a group of riders to enjoy riding side by side and visit with each other while riding. It features over 10 miles of trails, mostly laid out around a 40 acre lake surrounded by wildflowers, butterflies, birds, deer, and other beauties of nature. A group of horseback riders have recently raised money to upgrade the facilities, put in electric campsites and water on the equestrian side of the park, and build stalls, a round pen, a competitive trail obstacle course, and maintain the trails for better riding conditions. I have taken my seven-year-old daughter riding on these trails, and she had a wonderful time. To check trail conditions, call 712-542-3864. Elk Rock State Park It’s been a few years since I’ve been to Elk Rock, but it’s on my list to ride there again soon. It is located in central Iowa southeast of Des Moines, seven miles north of Knoxville on Highway 14, on Iowa’s largest body of water, Lake Red Rock. There are 13 miles of multi-use trails; some heavily wooded, some lakeside and rough, and some through flat, grassy, prairie-type areas. A non-profit group called Friends of Elk Rock recently completed a new all-weather trail and challenge course. The equestrian campground features water, hitch rails, stalls, corrals, electric hookups, a 100′ X 200′ riding arena, equestrian wash station, and modern showers and restrooms. It’s the perfect spot for a weekend getaway with horses. For park information and reservations, call 641-842-6008. Rock Creek State Park The Rock Creek campground is a smaller, off-the-beaten-path park you might say, but that makes it more appealing to horseback riders who want to see some new territory. Located in central Iowa, you can get there by going seven miles west on Highway 6 out of Grinnell. Turn north on County Road T38 for two miles, then west on County Road F27 for two or three miles, and then south on Rock Creek E Street. The park features 13 miles of single track trail through dense oak timber with bridges over creeks and streams, skirting around a 600 acre lake through some hills with lots of wildlife and beautiful terrain. There is a stretch of trail where it seems like you’re riding through people’s back yards, because they mow their lawns right down to the lake, but it is park property that you are allowed to ride on. Really good ride for families, not too hard, but don’t go when it’s wet. Call 641-236-3722 to check conditions. County road F27 and its bridge over Rock Creek State Park in Iowa. Photo by Colin M.L. Burnett. Shimek State Forest Equestrian Trails Located in the southeast corner of Iowa, Shimek State Forest boasts two public equestrian campgrounds and over 25 miles of riding. There is no fee for riding or using horse shelters in the day use unit of Lick Creek, but there is a small fee for camping. The horseback trails have undergone major improvements, including a rocked and lime chip trail that can be ridden even in wet weather. There are horse shelters for shade and stalls, and 37 non-electric campsites. A volunteer group called Friends of Shimek help maintain the trails for horseback riding. The park is located one mile east of Farmington, Iowa on Highway 2. Call 319-878-3811 for trail conditions. Check out this map of equestrian trails at Shimek State Forest. Brushy Creek State Recreation Area Brushy Creek has over 6,000 acres of land, located in north central Iowa and 15 miles southeast of Fort Dodge on Highway 20. Take Lehigh County Road four miles south of Highway 20. There are 45 miles of multi-use trails, including a rocked all-weather trail that rarely closes during wet weather. Modern camp facilities at the campsites include showers, restrooms, water hydrants, grills, and a playground. There is no charge to use the Equestrian Day Use Staging Areas, which have shade, hitch rails, and porta potties. There is also a 100′ X 200′ arena. Trails include beautiful scenery, wildlife, and lots of distance where you can ride all day and still not see it all. Maps of the trails can be picked up at kiosks around the campground. Call ahead for trail closures due to mud. The number is 515-543-8298. Waubonsie State Park Located in southwest Iowa near Interstate 29, this is a great place for people with horses traveling through Iowa needing an overnight place to stop. Waubonsie State Park is located 7 miles southwest of Sidney, Iowa. From Sidney, take Highway 275 south four miles, then 2 miles west on Highway 2. This park features a spacious campground, non-modern restrooms, drinkable water from hydrants, corrals, and hitching posts. The fee is $12 per night. The park includes 12 miles of some of the more difficult trails in the state—up ridges, down ravines, through rugged country, but the trails are wide, well-marked, and maintained. Breast collars and cruppers are highly recommended, or you’ll be stopping frequently to re-set your saddles. These trails are not safe to ride if it has rained recently, as they can be steep, slick, and muddy. Call for trail conditions before you travel at 712-382-2786. The above list includes trails I have personally ridden or trails that were recommended to me by my friends who ride. If you’re new to Iowa and looking for a group of trail riders to join, here are some helpful links: Iowa Horse Council –Includes tips for trail etiquette, groups you can join, ways you can promote trail riding. Iowa Trail Riders Association — A list of resources for trail riders, events calendar, and trail safety tips. Iowa Department of Natural Resources Equestrian Guidelines –Good information for camping with horses in Iowa. DNR Equestrian Trails in Iowa –A six page color brochure with horseback riding trails around the state. HorseAndMuleTrails.com –A great list of horseback riding trails in Iowa and information from riders on each. About the Author: Kerrie Tischer was born on a cattle ranch in the middle of the Sandhills of Nebraska. On horseback by the age of five and helping with the daily cattle work, she had a hunger to learn about training horses and an all-encompassing desire to have her own horse some day. On her horse blog, Cowgirl Diary, she shares her stories of growing up on a horse ranch, the horse training knowledge she acquired, the individual horses she has known and loved, and the work and progress she’s making with the ones she owns now. “While I have never worn a cowboy hat, and my first pair of spurs have been hanging in a dusty tack room for the last fifteen years, I have made it my life goal to get to know horses, and the hours I’ve spent riding are the most well-invested moments of my life. I am a cowgirl.” « Back to 50 State Trail Riding Project Iowa Equine Trails Iowa Horse trails Iowa Horseback Riding Shimek State Forest Horse	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0041.json.gz/line3892
__label__wiki	0.676002	0.676002	Lizzie McQuade is a London-based, Scottish milliner who creates hats and head-pieces for the discerning, romantic woman. Utilizing a skillset in traditional millinery, embroidery, leather-work, beading and hand dying techniques, McQuade creates modern headwear that is quirky, feminine and desired. McQuade fluently fuses straw, felt or sinamay with textural embroidery, hand-crafted trimmings and unexpected materials such as PVC and latex. Her trademarks are intriguing embellishments and inspired dip-dyed brims and peaks. McQuade began her career in fashion at Edinburgh College of Art studying womenswear and then she went on to work for Emma Cook. After leaving this position to focus on her own creative projects, such as working with renowned stylists such as Cathy Edwards and Kate Phelan, McQuade discovered a passion for artesian millinery and devoted herself to learning this craft. Under the tutelage of Noel Stewart, McQuade refined strong hat making skills and began to form her own label. In 2013, McQuade was chosen from over 2000 to be the winner of the Triumph ‘Women in Making’ award and won invaluable mentorship from the likes of Roksanda Ilincic, Grace Woodward and Gizzi Erskine. In addition to creating her seasonal collections, McQuade frequently works on commissioned pieces for catwalk shows and fashion magazines with clients including Vogue, Vogue Italia, Dazed & Confused, Brides, and Felder Felder. Lizzie was chosen by Stephen Jones and the British Fashion Council to join the Headonism initiative in S\|S15, which saw her collections showcased at London Fashion Week. Hats by this designer Sign up for more information about this designer	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0041.json.gz/line3899
__label__wiki	0.766312	0.766312	Ishaq Dar presents Rs 4.778 trillion FY 2017-18 budget in NA Pakistan Important News 04:57 PM, 26 May, 2017 Islamabad (Staff Report): Federal Finance Minister Muhammad Ishaq Dar is presenting FY 2017-18 budget in the National Assembly. READ MORE: Shehbaz terms Abbasi's arrest as worst revenge in the garb of accountability “This is the fifth budget being presented by the PML-N government, and this is an achievement for democracy,” the finance minister said in his opening remarks. The resource availability during next year has been estimated at 4,681.2 billion rupees. Tax collection by FBR is estimated at 4,013 billion rupees. The provincial share in federal taxes is estimated at 2,384.2 billion rupees, which is 11.6 percent higher than the budget estimates of the outgoing fiscal year, Radio Pakistan reported. The external receipts during next year are estimated at 837.8 billion rupees. The budget envisages defense allocations of over 920 billion rupees. The budget envisages merger of fifty percent adhoc relief allowance granted to civil employees and adhoc allowances of 2009 and 2010 for personnel of armed forces into the salary and then ten percent adhoc relief allowance on the basic salary after merger. Zarb-e-Azb allowance for armed forces personnel will be in addition to this. READ MORE: 92nd birth anniversary of Mehdi Hassan observed The Minister announced ten percent increase in pensions. Minimum wages have been increased from the existing fourteen thousand to fifteen thousand rupees per month. Several allowances of different categories of employees have also been increased. These include sixty percent increase in daily allowance rate, enhancement of orderly allowance from 12000 to 14000 rupees, increase in the rate of burial grant from 1600 to 4800 and from 5000 to 15000 rupees; constant Attendant Allowance from 3000 to 7000 rupees and fifty per cent increase in design allowance. Batman allowance and Hardlying Pay for Pakistan Navy and different allowance of Pakistan Post have also been increased. Personnel of frontier constabulary will get a fixed monthly allowance of eight thousand rupees irrespective of their deployment in any part of the country. The finance minister said the government will bear an additional burden of 125 billion rupees because of relief to government employees. The finance minister announced launching of a new national saving scheme for the welfare of family members of martyrs. READ MORE: NAB arrests former PM Shahid Khaqan Abbasi Under this scheme, heirs of martyrs of Pakistan Army, police and other security institutions will get an extra amount. The budget of Pakistan Bait-ul-Maal will be increased from the existing 4 to 6 billion rupees. He announced revival of the scheme launched by PML (N) government in 1999 envisaging payment of all dues of HBFC mortgage by the widows. The limit of loan for this scheme has been increased from three hundred thousand to five hundred thousand rupees. He said a one billion dollar non-convertible bond will be issued to attract investment by overseas Pakistanis in the country's infrastructure. The Finance Minister said all pending refunds of sales tax will be paid in two phases. Those involving one million rupee will be cleared by 15th of July and others by 14th of August this year. Ishaq Dar also announced relief measures relating to sales tax and federal excise duty for different sectors of economy. These include elimination of additional tax on lubricant oil by marketing companies, reduction in sales tax rates on import of hybrid electric vehicles at par with locally manufactured vehicles, automatic stay in cases related to federal excise duty till decision of appeal and elimination of withholding tax on supplies between registered individuals. The Finance Minister said that sales tax rate has been reduced from seventeen to seven percent on different types of machinery used in poultry sector. READ MORE: About 13 feared dead in suspected arson at Japan animation studio Sales tax rate on multimedia projectors for use in educational institutions would be reduced from the existing seventeen to ten percent. He said that there will be no custom duty for import of new and five year old harvesters to facilitate farmers. The Minister also announced relief in custom duty for several items for some pharma and bio technology sectors. Regulatory duty on import of aluminium waste scrap, used in auto parts, fans and pottery is being reduced from the existing ten to five percent. Customs duty on import of raw material for baby diapers is being reduced from 16 to 11 per cent. Customs duty of 11 per cent and 16 per cent imposed on telecommunication equipment are being abolished and replaced with a uniformed nine percent regulatory duty. The finance minister said rate of withholding tax for non-filers will be increased on contracts, sales, and services, payments to nonresidents, rental income, prize bonds, lottery, commission, auction, gas bills for CNG stations and sales by industrialists and importers to distributors, dealers, and wholesalers. However, the existing rates for filers will continue without any change. READ MORE: PM Imran to meet LCCI representatives today The rate of withholding tax on dealers, distributors and wholesalers on electronic goods is being increased from the existing 0.5 percent to one percent. The Finance Minister announced reduction in the rate of withholding tax on registration of vehicles by taxpayers. The withholding tax on vehicles up to 850 CC is being revised from 10,000 to 7,500 rupees; for vehicles 851 to 1000 CC, the rate has been reduced from 20,000 to 15,000 and for vehicles between 1001 to 1300 CC from 30,000 to 25,000 rupees. However, there will be no reduction in withholding tax for non-filers. Vehicles purchased under Prime Minister Youth Loan Scheme would be exempted from the withholding tax. Federal Budget proposes total development outlay of 2.5 trillion rupees for the next financial year, highest in the history of the country. Federal development spending has been estimated at 1,001 billion rupee, which is twenty-five percent higher than the current financial year. READ MORE: PM Imran appreciates ICJ's verdict in Kulbhushan Jadhav case The cumulative provincial annual development plans were estimated at 1140 billion rupees, a 27 percent increase over current year. Allocations for Azad Jammu and Kashmir have been enhanced from 12 to 22 billion rupees, which will ensure rapid development process in the area. Gilgit Baltistan will also be given 15 billion rupees for its development projects as against 9 billion rupees during outgoing year. FATA's development budget has been enhanced to 24.5billion rupees from 21 billion rupees. Higher Education Commission will get 35 billion rupees, social sector 135 billion rupees and special measures have been proposed for the growth of IT sector during the next financial year. Infrastructure gets priority in the new budget with huge allocations of 414 billion rupees, including 320 billion rupees for National Highway Authority. The budget envisages 404 billion rupee allocations for energy sector. About 180 billion rupees have been earmarked for China-Pakistan Economic Corridor projects while social sector allocations have been increased from the existing 90 billion to 153 billion rupees. READ MORE: ICJ rejects India’s plea against spy Kulbhushan Jadhav’s conviction The new budget envisages GDP growth rate of six percent for the next financial year as against 5.28 per cent during outgoing year. Exports are projected to grow by 6.4 per cent next year to 23.1 billion dollars against estimated 21.7 billion dollars this year. Import growth target has been set at 9.6 percent to 50 billion dollars as against expected 45.7 billion dollars this year. The Finance Minister said allocation for BISP is being enhanced to one hundred and twenty one billion rupees as against forty billion rupees in 2013. The Finance Minister said federal excise duty on cement is proposed to be increased from one rupee per kilogram to one rupee and twenty five paisa per kilogram. Sales tax on commercial imports of cloth is being increased to six percent to provide a healthy competitive environment for the local industry. READ MORE: Former Miss India International confirms marriage with Nawab Shah On steel sector, the existing rate of electricity is being increased from nine rupee per unit to ten point five rupee per unit. The Finance Minister said it is the first time in the country's history that a sitting Prime Minister and the Finance Minister are presenting their fifth fiscal budget. He said this reflects that the democracy has taken roots in the country and the entire nation can be proud of it. Highlighting the performance of different sectors over the last four years, the Finance Minister said that the GDP growth witnessed growth of five point two eight per cent during the outgoing fiscal year, which is the highest in ten years while the fiscal deficit has reduced to four point two per cent from over eight per cent in 2013. He said that foreign exchange reserves are at stable position while revenue collection has been enhanced by eighty one percent over the last four years. Loans granted to the private sector for development purpose has increased by five times. The Finance Minister said during the current fiscal year, import of machinery saw an increase of over forty per cent while gas supplies to the industries also improved. He said that zero load shedding has been ensured in the industries while outages for domestic sector has also decreased significantly. He was confident that that the outages will be eliminated by next year. He said per capita income has gone up from 1334 dollars to 1629 dollars during the last four years, showing 22 per cent increase. READ MORE: FIA arrests main suspect who made judge Arshad Malik’s video FBR receipts stood at just 1940 billion rupees in 2012-13 which are targeted to reach 3521 billion rupees this year, which shows 81 per cent increase in four years. The Minister said imports during first ten months of the current financial year stood at 37.8 billion dollars. He said increase in imports is due to 40 percent increase in import of machinery and industrial raw material, increase in petroleum products prices and CPEC related projects. He said exports in first ten months decreased by 7.8 per cent as against same period last year. He said foreign exchange reserves stood at 21 billion dollars while remittances by overseas Pakistanis reached 19.9 billion dollars last year and they reached 15.6 billion dollars during first ten months of the current financial year. The Finance Minister said market capitalization of stock exchange increased from 51 to 97 billion rupees in four years, depicting 90 per cent improvement. READ MORE: UHS to hold medical, dental colleges admission test on August 25 The finance minister laid before the house the finance bill 2017-18. He also laid before the house the supplementary demands for grants and appropriations for the financial year 2016-17. The house will now meet on Monday at four pm. Tagged ishaq dar FY 2017-18 budget National assembly Economic survey 2016-17: Dar announces 5.28pc growth in GDP, missing ... AC declares Ishaq Dar proclaimed offender 12:26 PM, 21 Nov, 2017 Assets reference case: Bailable arrest warrants issued for Ishaq Dar 10:22 AM, 30 Oct, 2017 Shehbaz terms Abbasi's arrest as worst revenge in the garb of ... At least 21 killed, several injured as two trains collide near ...	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0041.json.gz/line3900
__label__cc	0.714615	0.285385	Palaestra For the mythological characters, see Palaestra (mythology). For the sports arena in Philadelphia, see Palestra. For the Japanese mixed martial arts and grappling team, see Paraestra. Find sources: "Palaestra" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (April 2017) (Learn how and when to remove this template message) Look up palaestra in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. A palaestra (/pəˈliːstrə/ or /-ˈlaɪ-/;[1] also (chiefly British) palestra; Greek: παλαίστρα)[2] was the site of ancient Greek wrestling schools. Events that did not require a lot of space, such as boxing and wrestling, were practised there. The palaestra functioned both independently and as a part of public gymnasia; a palaestra could exist without a gymnasium, but no gymnasium could exist without a palaestra. Compare Ancient Greek palaiein - "to wrestle" and palē - "wrestling" Palaestrophylax or palaistrophylax (Greek: παλαιστροφύλαξ), meaning “palaestra guard”, was the guardian or the director of a Palaestra.[3] Architecture[edit] The architecture of the palaestra, although allowing for some variation, followed a distinct, standard plan. The palaestra essentially consisted of a rectangular court surrounded by colonnades with adjoining rooms. These rooms might house a variety of functions: bathing, ball playing, undressing and storage of clothes, seating for socializing, observation, or instruction, and storage of oil, dust or athletic equipment. Vitruvius, through his text On Architecture, is an important ancient source about this building type and provides many details about what he calls “palaestra, Greek-style”. Although the specifics of his descriptions do not always correspond to the architectural evidence, probably because he was writing around 27 BC, his account provides insight into the general design and uses of this type of space. As Vitruvius describes, the palaestra was square or rectangular in shape with colonnades along all four sides creating porticoes. The portico on the northern side of the palaestra was of double depth to protect against the weather. Big halls (exedrae, εξέδρες) were built along the single depth sides of the palaestra with seats for those enjoying intellectual pursuits, and the double depth side was divided into an area for youth activities (ephebeum, εφηβαίο), a punching bag area (coryceum, κωρυκείον), a room for applying powders (conisterium, κονιστἠριον), a room for cold bathing (λουτρόν), and an oil storeroom (elaeothesium, ελαιοθέσιον). Good examples of this building type come from two major Greek sites: Olympia and Delphi. During the Roman Imperial period the palaestra was often combined with, or joined to, a bath. When the Arabs and the Turkish adopted the tradition of the Roman baths, they did not continue the tradition of the attached palaestra. Palaestra at Olympia Palaestra at Delphi ^ http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/palaestra ^ παλαίστρα. Liddell, Henry George; Scott, Robert; A Greek–English Lexicon at the Perseus Project. ^ Nuttall, P. Austin (1840). A Classical and Archaeological Dictionary of the Manners, Customs, Laws, Institutions, Arts, Etc. of the Celebrated Nations of Antiquity, and of the Middle Ages: To which is Prefixed A Synoptical and Chronological View of Ancient History. Whittaker and Company. p. 358. "Palaestra". Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Perseus Digital Library, Olympia Perseus Digital Library, Delphi Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Palaestra&oldid=886126126" Architecture of Greece Sport in ancient Greece Articles needing additional references from April 2017 Articles containing Greek-language text	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0041.json.gz/line3901
__label__wiki	0.663147	0.663147	‘The Best of Rev’ fanzine 29 Jan 2018 Do You Know Hardcore? Leave a comment ‘The Best of Rev’ “Our first mini zine in an new ongoing series features our favorite 6 releases from the first 24 put out by the label. Includes little anecdotes and write up of each release. Perfect zine for an envelope and stamp shipment! Perfect for keeping in your wallet! Perfect for any hardcore lover!” http://newmoralityzine.storenvy.com/ hardcorefanzinerevelationrecords WNYU, WNYU'S CRUCIAL CHAOS Stand Proud – WNYU Originally released in Chiller Than Most fanzine, issue 4. Artworks by Andrew Monserrate. STAND PROUD Live – WNYU: http://www28.zippyshare.com/v/92pqCaCm/file.html CTM – What are your memories of this classic radio program? Andrew Monserrate – I started listening to Crucial Chaos, WNYU 89.1 in the mid 80’s every Thursday night. It’s what really turned me on to “ALL” Hardcore Punk. I mean, usually in the Lower East side scene people listened to the same “IN” stuff “Murphy’s Law, AF, Cro Mags, … Bad Brains and all the local skin head bands. Listening to Spermicides mixes really shaped my taste for all underground music… I still have cassettes from the mixes of the stuff she played, then the live bands that played afterward. Her mixes included all Hardcore music from all over the country and world, she would mix a Poland band, with the Ramones song, then a rare GBH song, with a local band that put out one basement demo and then broke up, then a Warzone song, A Circle Jerks song, Gang Green song, then another foreign German song etc etc etc… it was incredible. Each cassette (Thursday show) took on a life of it’s own, like a greatest hits album, every song fit perfect and were great because of the songs that came before & after them. I had four or five friends I made copies for and we would listen to them over and over again, even giving each cassette a name. What made every show of hers great and it came out on the cassettes were her announcements of upcoming shows and news about bands… I can still her voice. CTM – Stand Proud live on WNYU: Andrew Monserrate – Stand Proud was a band from Woodside NY. We meet in 86-87. I’ve played guitar in a few Hardcore bands in the mid 80’s but always as a sit in Guitarist. I was introduced to this younger band, Stand Proud from my friends in Warzone. They had some great songs, and I was allowed to write a bunch of songs, so it was really cool shit. We played CBGBs twice and a few other shows and were building a little following. But I’ll never forget… Tommy the Singer for SP, called me and said we had a gig to play Crucial like 6 days away… I Freaked a bit, mainly because I didn’t think we were tight enough as a band… we rehearsed everyday leading up to that show. But I remember that day like it was yesterday… I was actually working as a construction worker and asked the boss if I could leave early because… I was playing live on the radio… We showed up to the building there on Broadway, with our equipment and it took a few elevator rides to get our gear up there. It was very surreal for me, and I must say, I was very nervous, because we had to sit there for the entire first half hour of the show of her playing her mix… Then it was time for us to get ready to go on… Spermicide came on the air made a bunch of announcements.. but there was a problem… there were about 30 of our fans in the studio, and about 50 more in the lobby trying to get up… she announced on the air to the fans to stop trying to come up and the guards were told not to let anymore people up… so this little studio was packed with fans sitting all around the amps and floors… it was crazy… Spermicide said in all her years she never saw anything like that. So anyways.. we start our set and play way to fast, to our standards, because of nerves… but we got through most of it pretty tight, until I broke a string… and of course I don’t have a back up, so I had to play with a missing g-string for the last few songs… but over all it was a great time… to actually play on the station, I loved so much, it was so surreal. crucialchaosnyhcstandproudWNYU Righteous Jams interview by Learn To Listen fanzine Originally published in Learn To Listen fanzine, issue 1. (Click the picture for bigger size.) RJ pic by moshaholic. learntolistenfanzinelockinoutrighteousjams Tompkins Square Park, Ray’s Candy Store / A hardcore-fanatic’s guide – Part III. Pics by Robin Graubard, KT Tobin, Peter LeVasseur, Ray’s Candy Store. (Click the picture for bigger size.) If there wasn’t a show, every hardcore/punk/skinhead kid would hang out at the park on Avenue A at Tompkins Square Park or drink egg creams at Ray’s Candy Store. Surprisingly, there are no eggs or cream in this fountain drink favourite. It’s actually made with chocolate syrup, milk, and club soda. The key to the perfect egg cream is the ratio of syrup to milk. Ray’s Candy Store is a deli located at 113 Avenue A. Ray Alvarez has operated Ray’s Candy Store since 1974, he truly loves serving his customers and making them happy with delicious food as he has done for over 40 years. This tiny little place sells everything except candy. You will find hot dogs, ice cream, sugar-coated beignets, chicken fingers, fries, milk shakes, fried bananas and fried oreos. (Yes, fried oreos!) Hand written signs are everywhere, photos, newspapers cover the walls, colorful and cluttered. Ray was born on January 1 (his birth name was Asghar Ghahraman), 1933 in Iran and moved to New York in 1964, where he worked for another decade as a dishwasher in New York until he purchased the candy store for 30.000 in 1974. In his first hours in Manhattan, after acquiring a coat, he stumbled upon a YMCA that offered room and board for homeless people. When he worked as a waiter at New Jersey’s Short Hills Country Club, he made good with the manager, who took Alvarez with him to many other well-paying jobs. On the notorious night of August 6, 1988, while the police battled protesters in what came to be known as the Tompkins Square Park Riot, Ray’s Candy Store remained open, per Ray, “because all the combatants were my customers.” The police and East Village residents clashed after Parks began enforcing the park’s closing hours, in effect barring homeless from camping in the park. – Tompkins Square Park is the place where I ate my first fried oreo, and it was amazing. – Tompkins Square Park is the place where Agnostic Front, the Beastie Boys, Death Before Dishonor, Antidote, Murphy’s Law, the Psychos, the Abused, Cause For Alarm, the Undead, Heart Attack and a few other bands were always hanging out between shows in the early 80s. The dangerous East Village of the early 80s bore little resemblance to today’s tourist zone, it was the center of the lower New York drug scene. Tompkins Square Park served as home turf to vicious Puerto Rican street gangs. There were so many drugs, there were rapes in the park and the cops didn’t want to deal with it. There were some really tough guys there, and there were fights all the time. – Tompkins Square Park is the place where Alex Kinon (Agnostic Front, Skinhead Youth, Cause For Alarm) was shot, and Vinnie Stigma responded by rushing toward the gunfire, armed with only an improvised shield in the form of a garbage-can lid. – Tompkins Square Park is the place where Breakdown, Supertouch, Reagen Youth, Absolution played their legendary sets on the old bandshell six days after the riot. – Tompkins Square Park is the place where Irate (Tommy Carroll – Straight Ahead), Sergio Vega- Collapse/Quicksand, Jerry Williams – 171A, Eric “EK” Komst – Warzone) played this post-riot show in 1988 and they killed it. Irate only played two shows and never had the chance to properly develop their songs. – Tompkins Square Park is the place where Hare Krishnas started a food program and did a music festival called “Rock Against Maya” in 1982. Cause For Alarm, Murphy’s Law, Frontline, Antidote, The Mob, Kraut, Reagan Youth, Mode of Ignorance were on the bill. – The park underwent a large renovation in the 1990s and the bandshell was removed, so I didn’t get a chance to take a photo about the infamous stage. – Tompkins Square Park is the place where Black N’ Blue Productions in association with The New York Hardcore Chronicles did the Dr. Know benefit show in 2016 and organized the Raybeez tribute gig in 2017. – Tompkins Square Park is across the street, a little ways down from the Pyramid club. At one of the Pyramid gigs Raybeez wanted to take some photos with all the kids at the show in Tompkins Square Park so there were maybe 40 or 50 kids crossing Avenue A to the park, blocking traffic and the cops showed up and told them to go back into the club. (Originally released in Chiller Than Most fanzine, issue 5.) agnosticfrontantidotebreakdowndeathbeforedishonornyhcrayscandystoresupertouchTompkinsSquarePark CHILLER THAN MOST FANZINE, FANZINES Fury interview by Chiller Than Most fanzine Jeremy Stith (Fury) interview originally published in Chiller Than Most fanzine, issue 3 (2014). Pictures by Sophia Juliette, Farrah Skeiky, Spencer Chamberlain, Angela Owens, Dan Rawe. Chiller Than Most – Let’s start with how Fury came together? What was the inspiration for the band, who is in it, and what are the goals? What was your motivation to start this band? Jeremy – FURY is Madison Woodward and Alfredo Gutierrez on lead and rhythm guitar, Jerrod Stith slappin that bass, and Big Al Samayoa on drums. We started out of the blue last year when Madison had sent me some song ideas for our other band Pocketknife. He had a few days off work, so he was just writing stuff on his guitar, and for fun was just writing these Battery/late Turning Point-esque riffs. He was fuckin on one and just wrote a handful songs that day and threw out the idea of maybe we should start a band with em and that I should sing. The thought of being a frontman never crossed my mind so I laughed it off and thought nothing would come of it. Big Al had just moved in with Madison and liked the riffs he wrote and my brother Jerrod was learning bass so Madi had a band, and shortly after I was somehow hoodwinked into fronting the band, I can’t exactly remember how but here I am. Our goal is to rock. Our motivation is from these mofos playing in bands who are undeservedly eating all the pie and to show people how real rockers do things. Chiller Than Most – You guys split your time between lots of bands. Are there ever any problems because people are doing too many other things or giving their creativity to other bands? Jeremy – There aren’t many problems at all with all of our different bands because everyone in all the bands are friends and hang out on a regular basis. It’s pretty encouraging actually, we all try to make steps forward and push each other. We all share lockout spaces for practice and we take our bands seriously but not ourselves and that goes a long way as well. There aren’t overbearing egos and stuff like that, and we are all just hang and sometimes in the middle of everything, we play music. We are all fans of each others bands too. I met a lot of my good friends in our little scene over here from going to see their bands or vice versa, as a fan. Everyone out here works a lot so there isn’t as much time as we’d like for bands, but we all make it work somehow, some way. Chiller Than Most – Fury. The name of the band seems to a have definite message, also present in the song of the same name. What does this name mean to you and how is it applied to your own life? Jeremy – “Fury” fits the music, it’s is simple and to the point. The greeks coined it as a spirit of punishment and greek goddesses would unleash tortured stings of conscience to the weak or guilty. I like looking at it that way. I don’t agree with a lot of how the “hardcore scene” is ran nowadays and Fury to me is a my pent up anger and annoyance to those people gumming up the works for the actual genuine people that are around. We have gotten a lot of gruff for the name but none of those nasayers have taken time to even comment on the songs, which I doubt they even have even listened to. Haters will hate until they need you and can gain something, and to those people I say step off and kick rocks. Chiller Than Most – Could you explain the lyrics of the song called “Play (BAB)”? Jeremy – Play (BAB) is just about where my head was at when we started the band. California is filled with people doing exactly what they’re told so they can keep up with the status quo and if you step out of line, you are punished or looked down upon. Everyone is shitting their pants in fear of tomorrow and think that their bank accounts and retirement plans are real and will make them happy when deep down, they just want to be free. I just want to be with my friends and play, just like we did when we were kids at recess or stuff like that, and that’s what FURY is to me, play. Chiller Than Most – Some folks think that “West Coast bands don’t have good mosh parts…”. What are ya doin’ at the Moshers Delight Records? I am just kidding. Your demo was released on tape format at MDR. Are you satisfied with the results and how have been the reactions so far? Jeremy – People need to get their thick skulls out of their asses thats for sure. We love Moshers Delight and were all fans of those bands before we even started. We are more than satisfied with how it all came out. I look up to Zizzack and John and the whole DC/Newton House/East Coast crew, so I felt immense validation and joy when they dug our stuff. The reactions have been overwhelming. They’ve allowed us to be heard to a much wider audience than ever imagined, and we couldn’t be more grateful for the opportunity. We wanted to come out of left field and I think we’ve done well so far in that goal. Chiller Than Most – I heard that you are going to release a live set tape at Fineprint Records. What are your future plans? What’s up next for Fury, as far as tours, shows, records. Jeremy – We released a cassette tape with our friends at Fineprint Records (Placentia, CA) from a set we played in Fresno with Title Fight back in April. We got asked to play that show out of nowhere and we packed our van with 12 of our friends and just did the damn thing. The sound guy recorded our set for us on the soundboard and there are still have some copies left on their website, along with other fine records and tapes from some of California’s best kept secrets. As far as future stuff goes for us, we just got done recording a 5-song 7″ for BBB Records that should be out by November. We will be going on a 6 week tour with our friends Soul Search around that same time, and Forced Order, Skinfather, and Violent Situation will be playing scattered dates as well. It’s our own little California Takeover. Chiller Than Most – Tell me something about the Munoz Gym. It seems interesting in videos. What does it feel like to play in a boxing ring? Jeremy – Munoz Gym is in central California in a town called Bakersfield, and it is a training gym for boxing during the day, and at night it’s a punk venue. It is my favorite venue ever. A group of us went and saw Milk Music and Iceage play there awhile ago and we’ve been hooked on that spot ever since. Bakersfield also has the best record store called Going Underground Records, and they got a good thing going out there. It is surreal to play in a boxing ring. I played soccer most of my life and the only other sport I fully respected was boxing, and would have loved to have boxed growing up but my skin wasn’t thick enough I guess. One of my favorite films is this one called The Set Up and I felt like Stoker Thompson at that first show, I was in way over my head but I kept going and fighting. We used a line from that flick as the intro to the demo as well, so it all came around full circle in the end. Chiller Than Most – The Beyond demo has always been a Top 5 NYHC demo to me and “No Longer At Ease” is one of my favourite LPs. Every time when we are on a long trip in the car with my good friend, we listen to this unique record. Good to see that you covered them. How did the idea come to play the song called “Vitality”? What is your fave Beyond release and why? I feel like Beyond is a somewhat underrated band. Why do you think that is? Jeremy – Beyond is definitely in that group of bands that we all really admire. They are a huge influence and inspiration to us. Vitality is just a perfect song, its original and short and to the point. Is there a better drummer than Alan Cage? I listen to No Longer At Ease the most so thats probably my favorite. Had they released something on Rev or did a big tour, then they would probably be up in the upper-eschalon of nyhc bands from that era. Had they not fizzled out though, then we wouldnt have a lot of great bands like Burn or Quicksand, so it is what it is. We all get to enjoy and listen to Effort/Ancient Head whenever we please, so we are all in debt to those guys for their fine work at the end of the day. Chiller Than Most – Let’s say I gave you a hardcore time machine. It’s the end of the 80’s and you are about to take a road trip to the Anthrax club in Connecticut. Who are joining you on the ride and who are playing the show? Jeremy – My car only has 4 seats so it would be filled with my brother, my friends Berti and Cole, and Scud (RIP). The lineup would be more NY than CT too with Bad Brains, Insight (on tour), Supertouch, Ramones, and Talking Heads and it would have THE VIBE baby. Chiller Than Most – A lot of people that are involved in reunited bands no longer participate in hardcore on a spectator level anymore. I think it’s funny that people celebrate their own (rightfully) legendary recordings from the 80’s for years meanwhile they have no connection to the scene at all anymore. What do you think about this? Would you say it’s important for hardcore kids to do more than just be audience members? Jeremy – I’m pretty indifferent about reunions because like life, things aren’t so simple and black & white. Sure people bag on YOT, supertouch, breakdown or even Judge now with how they are just doing the circuits and making their rounds, but we’ll never know all the details behind all that stuff. They might taking advantage of an opportunity for a nice & easy paycheck, but they also might be taking advantage of an opportunity to play songs that mean(t) a lot to them with people who mean(t) a lot to them for an audience whose lives were all changed by those songs. They are just like us working dumb jobs day to day, but for 20 minutes they get rock with their old friends, so fuck anyone who thinks they deserve to shit on their parade. I don’t get where people’s entitlement comes from nowadays, but if you think Mike Judge owes you something than you need to think about your silly life. Maybe those keyboard jockeys should get off their leather asses and write something comparable to New York Crew or The Earth Is Flat first before they run their mouths. Ive seen some reunions that blow and Ive seen some that inspired me more than any contemporary band could have done (Medicine, Quicksand, Sugar, COS, etc come to mind). As far as kids being audience members rather than more active members of the scene, Im also pretty indifferent. You get what you put in, but it’s all time and place and I can see how you need some luck to make a good scene. Sometimes you live in the lower east side in 87 or you live in Pigsknuckle, Arkansas in 1997, its just the luck of the draw. Chiller Than Most – Let’s talk about California hardcore. Please choose a frontman from California who left an impression on you. Why did you choose him? Jeremy – The person who left the biggest impression on me in the past few years is Justin from New Brigade. He is straight up and no bullshit. Ive had many friends in bands inspire me but Justin was a guy I looked up to from afar at first for awhile before I even talked to him. When he has a mic, there is no one around who can touch him, and he’s no different away from the mic. If it wasn’t for him, I wouldnt have the balls to be a frontman. I can see peoples flaws when they play, but with him, its impossible. He is style and he is hardcore. I seen him mosh hard as a mofo in a bar to Creatures and also stand up front n center just vibing to Fugue, there’s just no one around like him. Chiller Than Most – If you could release a california hardcore compilation with six bands, which bands would be on it? What would you have named this compilation? Jeremy – My California flavored comp would feature Discrepancy, Strike Fast, Enough Said, Disapproval, Forced Order, and a one off reunion song from What Life Is. The comp would be called The Dance Of Days. I would beg Mike Hartsfield to release it on New Age, and then when I get denied, I would then beg Fineprint Records to put it out. Chiller Than Most – Many people in the hardcore scene consider the Ash Return demo and the Scarred For Life record to be Ignite’s best work. What do you think about that? I think a lot of hardcore kids love to hate a band as soon as they get any hype. What do you think about Ignite? Jeremy – I havent listened to Ignite since I saw them play at one of the first hardcore shows I ever went to (Comeback Kid, Killing The Dream, First Blood, and Ignite at chain reaction) and I don’t have an opinion on them to be honest. But Ignition, now thats a fuckin band. Chiller Than Most – Pushed Aside was a pretty straight forward, pissed-off hardcore from Southern California. MDR describes your band super pissed-off. What kind of themes do you write about? Do you feel there is a similarity between Fury and Pushed Aside? Jeremy – I just write what I’m feeling. Some songs are about people who push you in a corner, some songs are about how you can see right through someones shit and they should get off their high horse and come back down to reality, some songs are about my fight with myself and trying to figure out who I am by questioning how or why I do what I do. The new record has a particular theme as well. It’s all fallen empires and how its time for the old guard to step aside and let the real rockers take over. As far as Pushed Aside, I can see the similarity to our two bands, we are from the same area and deal(t) with the same conservative up-tight cultures. Chiller Than Most – Who is the most underrated band in California’s hardcore history? Jeremy – Most underrated band in California hardcore for me is Against The Wall. I am learning more and more all the time now about hardcore in Orange County and they stick out the most to me. I’m sure by the time this gets out that people will have heard about this next band, but DISCREPANCY from out here is some sick ass shit for those folks into ochc. Most people who are in my position would say I’m a hardcore novice but those guys in that from that band know their shit better than anyone and it is just another encouraging band to have around. The 2nd most underrated California hardcore band is What Life Is (RIP). Chiller Than Most – Do you like the Solitude “I hear silence” demo? Jeremy – I had never heard it until you asked so I checked it out. My first impression was Davey Havok definitely stole some crooner screams from this demo. Mike Hartsfield is in it and that is a comforting and unsurprising name to see on any Southern California band’s release. I found out they recorded this in Riverside, so shouts to Baker’s and Scott Aukerman. Chiller Than Most – Have you heard about the upcoming movie called “Fury”? It will be an American action-drama war film about World War II directed and written by David Ayer. A battle-hardened army sergeant named Wardaddy (Brad Pitt) commands a Sherman tank called “Fury” and its five-man crew on a deadly mission behind enemy lines. What are your favourite World War 2 movies? Jeremy – We heard about Fury shortly after we named the band, and I have to say it’s a better movie to share a name with compared to our friends Placentia, Enough Said. Basterds was last good WWII flick I have seen. Can’t go wrong with Saving Private Ryan. Das Boot is the best one I ever saw. Chiller Than Most – Thanks for your time dude, I really appreciate it. Last words? Jeremy – Keep Rockin In The Free World. chillerthanmostfanzinefurytriplebrecords Stop And Think interview by Quick To Judge fanzine Originally published in Quick To Judge fanzine, issue 2. (Click the picture for bigger size.) bostonhcfanzinelockinoutpainkillerrecordsquicktojudgefanzinestopandthink Free Spirit – Edgegazer fanzine Originally published in Edgegazer fanzine, issue 1. Picture by future-breed. (Click the picture for bigger size.) bostonhcedgegazerfanzinefreespirithardcorefanzine	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0041.json.gz/line3904
__label__wiki	0.520756	0.520756	They look fierce, don’t they? But, seriously, borrowing what our feisty heroine has to say “Must we really have to do this?” What I was referring to was the X-File-ish music theme going on in the background while what seems to be a serious interrogation of sorts unfolds before us. Anyways, continuing on, easily at first glance, it gives us an impression that our tough police woman was grilling the guy for information BUT apparently it’s the other way around. The truth is, Officer Oh Ha Na was brought in as a suspect and was the object of the investigation. With a straight face, (yes, literally—see images above) our resolute inquisitor (For now we’ll call him that since his identity has not yet been imparted at this point.) cross-examines the validity of Officer Oh Ha Na’s testimony. However, her plead for innocence (Just look at those expressions!) just doesn’t cut it. So, what else was our heroine left to do but to let the other person know how sincerely truthful her claims were. And she does it like this… Ha Na: it’s unbelievable, but you have to believe all of it because life is filled with unbelievable things. Way to go girl! Looking at their expressions were just priceless! Just imagine what was going on their minds when Ha Na held both her inquisitor’s hands. Anyhow, it appears that our inquisitor has not been moved by her narrative but instead shouted at her. Why would he not lose his patience with her? The answer to which lies at the other side of the one way glass mirror. Two men were discussing about Officer Oh Ha Na. Obviously, the inquisitor has a good enough reason of not accepting the truth in Ha Na’s statement. What would be able to persuade him that she’s telling the truth when her records relate otherwise. She’s even been in jail twice! Talk about rotten! So really, you can’t blame them, if they’re not convinced whether or not she tipped off someone from the drug syndicate. In probably a last ditch effort to catch whether Ha Na’s lying or not, our persistent inquisitor engaged Ha Na again to give an account of what transpired that fateful 14th day of March except that he did not anticipate Ha Na to disclose it with such an ornate articulation. It’s quite amusing when she blurted out those rhetorical testimonials. Just for laughs, you’d think she made a blunder of a career choice by being a police woman instead of a writer! Moving on to fully understand how deep in trouble Ha Na is at this moment, let’s do a little flashback time with the butterfly. Here we see Ha Na picking out a dress she’ll be using when she proposes marriage to her boyfriend that day when she’s interrupted by these thugs asking for protection-rental fees from the stall owner. Then it’s fearless Officer Ha Na to the rescue. Now that they’re back to business, Ha Na bargains for a discount which eventually leads to a barter trade of sorts with her getting the dress in exchange for the energy drink! Nicely done! She pulled a fast one with the stall owner. Just smooth, she’s no better than those thugs. Okay, fine she’s the lesser of two evils anyway! Now it’s proposal time! NOT! It turns out it’s just a false alarm. Finally, the real deal arrived and so there goes Ha Na singing out to her heart’s content. She looked so happy even though, she practically murdered Lee Seung Gi’s Will You Marry Me song. Unfortunately, her boyfriend refused her marriage proposal. Could it be because Lee Seung Gi was his favorite singer and Oh Ha Na bombed at singing his song? Nah, her jerk of a boyfriend used her mother’s troublesome ways as an excuse. What a loser! What’s more, he breaks up with her at that instant! He even had the nerve to give her an envelope with money then greeted her a happy birthday! OMG! He just declined her proposal and broke up with her but still had the audacity to greet her a “happy” birthday! How could he do that to her! Despite of it, she’s trying all her mighty best to gather her composure. See that look? After the idiotic creep left, what’s our heroine left to do at this awful moment? Yes, the cliché, let’s get drunk like this… And this. Until you become like this. Which leads to our clichéd meet cute (Yes, the mistaken identity type one), only there’s really nothing cute about it from my POV and though others may digress and there I rest my case. Continuing ahead, Ha Na happened to fortuitously discover a guy who placed a tiny camera at the women’s restroom. The guy (the very same false alarm boyfriend) tried his best to explain what the situation was all about but to no avail our sassy though a bit drunk miss could not care less to listen much less believe what he was saying. A struggle in what ended with a head butt ensues and our guy escapes only to be caught by our main girl who literally punched the lights out of him. Yes, like this. Ha Na cited that the last thing she recalled that happened that day were they were both escorted to the police station and this disgusting thing called throwing up. Then we go back to having a field day with this merry-go-round called interrogation process . Undercover Guy: Officer Oh Ha Na, you obstructed the NIA (National Intelligence Agency) investigation. If you’re found to have worked together with the criminal syndicate last night to obstruct our investigation, you will be subject to disciplinary action. Ha Na: Do you have proof? Undercover Guy: Officer Oh Ha Na. You have been caught red-handed while divulging confidential information to others in the past, right? You were even warned because you didn’t return confiscated items right? Ha Na: Well, those were in the past. Undercover Guy: Because of you screaming “Police” here and there, the suspect managed to escape! Please tell us the truth, how did you manage to find out about our investigation. We shall give you a chance to save yourself. Ha Na: I will be honest with you. When I saw you in that whole attire and get-up…Ah, this jerk… Undercover Guy: Jerk? Ha Na: Ah… this man is a psycho who targets female rest rooms. So upon my conclusion, I decided to act on my righteousness as a police officer. Undercover Guy: A police officer’s sense of righteousness? Then why did you hit me? If you don’t tell the truth, we will bring your boyfriend in here to interrogate him. Good job inquisitor guy! You’ve mentioned the most dreaded magic word (“boyfriend”) of all. See what you did to her? She’s gone from shocked to crazy! End of investigation. Kidding aside, the head honcho of their division decided to just close the case against Officer Ha Na since aside from some minor embezzlement records they really can’t find any substantial evidence towards her. We’ll do the next couple of scenes the fast way since it kind of became draggy for me at the middle of this episode. Although, make no mistake, I still think it’s quite important (but not as necessary for me to detail it in this recap, that’s your assignment already) that they show us those scenes since it basically describes where Oh Ha Na’s character is coming from. She’s got this mundane life which can be pretty much summarized into being a habitually reprimanded police officer, having a troublesome mother, practically at the beck and call of a whiny tenant and last but not least an ex-girlfriend to a rotten almost fiancée ex-boyfriend. At the other end of the rainbow, we see Mr. Tough Guy’s world. Nope, there’s no pot of gold found there, but more like a stockpile of felons. We see him at work. He’s the head of the investigation team assigned to apprehend drug traffickers. From their extensive high-tech gadgetries, it was found out that the left-hand man (Lee Young Sam) of the drug syndicate had a drugs exchange at a public bath with an active drug trafficker in Busan known as Han Jung Pil. It was derived that the drugs were still at Han Jung Pil’s hands so Mr. Tough Guy gave out orders to tail Han Jung Pil and take him into custody, while he himself takes off to nail Lee Young Sam at where else, but Lee Young Sam’s wedding itself! He even undertakes the uncompromising task of psychological blackmail to engage the arrested Lee Young Sam to divulge his needed information at a record-breaking 2 minutes and 30.7 seconds. Whew, talk about effortless! He sure makes it a tough act to follow! While things are looking good at Go Jin Hyuk’s (aka Mr. Tough Guy) end, everything’s seems to go wrong at Oh Ha Na’s front. She just received the bad news that she’s been temporarily suspended for 3 weeks until the final report from the NIA has been completed regarding the investigation of the mishap wherein she was unfortunately involved. In addition to her suspension the misfortune of having no salary for this time period has placed her in dire financial straits. How dire, you ask? This dire! Look! She’s selling (okay, hoodwinked is more appropriate) her mom’s energy drinks to these two lowlifes (While in uniform too, no less!). What do we have here? Didn’t I tell you her mom just loves to stir trouble? Yes, the kind of trouble wherein she deceives her daughter so as to get money in order to buy a month’s supply of imported supplements. I was like so irritated at her! Come on, her daughter is a police officer and she buys these stuff from a questionable character at what looks like a shady venue. In the meantime, the whiny tenant called Ha Na asking for the money to be used to wallpaper their walls. Now that she knows her mother is at it again, off our heroine goes to the rescue of her foolish Omma. She stops by her police station to get the cuffs and what looks like a stun gun and proceeds to the night club (aka shady venue) to find her dearest mom. Good thing she found her immediately but in such an undesirable company that of Guen Bae, the low life. Upon seeing her arrive, Guen Bae, the low life takes it as his cue to leave the ahjummas at the mercy of Officer Oh Ha Na. Ha Na asks her mother to hand the money back to her but unluckily her dear mom does not have the money anymore because she’s given it already to Geun Bae as payment for the said supplements. She chases Geun Bae and catches up with him demanding the money that he took from her mother. Geun Bae couldn’t care less (‘cause you know he’s in thugs territory). Ha Na doesn’t give a damn as well and even warns Geun Bae that her colleagues are on standby outside (Yeah, right. As if.) Hearing this, Geun Bae escapes in order to tip off his boss who is in a drugs exchange process as they speak. Did I forget to mention, Mr. Tough Guy, Jin Hyuk is at the same place too, simply because they have a sting operation to entrap the leader of the drug syndicate. And they say that lightning does not strike twice. But in Ha Na’s situation, bad luck comes in droves this instance included. So what’s our girl got to do but hide of course! In the nick of time, she found a place to hide. Where else? Oops! Wrong room! Double oops! What’s a lady doing lying down there for? Hope she’s not dead. She attempted to get out fast but not fast enough as she was caught by these two thugs by the door. As if that wasn’t bad enough, she’s really on a roll of uber bad luck as one of the thugs pulled her jacket, it was revealed that she was a cop. She pulls out her gun… He tries to enter the room and you can see for yourself what happened. Were the bad guys caught? Hmmm… at this rate do you think will they ever be caught? Let’s see in the next episode… Overall, it was an okay premier episode for me. Although, they could have done it better if they’d just cut out some of the unnecessary scenes in the middle part of it ‘cause as what I’ve mentioned earlier it kind of slowed down the pace of what’s supposed to be for me a fast paced rom-com/action drama. Still, the usual drama cliché’s are there but it‘s alright, at least for now since I think it’s used for story development. Credits: Some portions of the dialogs found in the recap came from WithS2 2 thoughts on “My Country Calls: Episode 1” norma on May 31, 2010 at 4:22 am said: This drama is hilarious….I was laughing through the recap. Great photos and good job! Tina on May 31, 2010 at 9:02 am said: I thought watching it was funny but the pics were hilarious 😀	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0041.json.gz/line3905
__label__cc	0.688453	0.311547	Home Wastewater Fatberg-fighting grease cup collection program launches Canada-wide Fatberg-fighting grease cup collection program launches Canada-wide The Your Turn cup is a biodegradable cup that helps keep fats, oils and grease out of sewers and prevent kitchen fires. To address the fallout of paying $600,000 a year to flush out fatbergs from its wastewater system, the City of London, Ontario, has found success and clog prevention in its Your Turn collection cup campaign that allows citizens to store and return kitchen fats, oils and grease known as FOG. Since the FOG collection program began in 2013, some 100,000 32-ounce paper cups have been distributed across London’s 381,000 service residents, saving the City more than $100,000 each year on its drain diversion program. It’s also been fatberg free for three years. “People want to do the right thing but it also has to be convenient,” Barry Orr, sewer outreach and control inspector for the City of London, said in a statement to media. The latest environmental engineering news direct to your inbox. You can unsubscribe at any time. In collaboration with London, Montreal-based FluksAqua, an online Q&A forum for water utility professionals, has elevated the program’s profile and generated actual collection opportunities across Canada and the U.S., stoking interest as far away as Australia and Japan. December marks the rollout of the national campaign for Your Turn FOG cup collection across Canada. Ontario municipalities like Sarnia, Windsor, Sudbury, Oxford County, Middlesex Centre and Central Elgin are already on board. Your Turn has spoken to municipalities in Alberta and New Brunswick about joining the program as well. “Water professionals regularly discuss their frustration at the expense, environmental damage and safety issues of maintenance personnel caused by fatbergs on our forum,” said Dr. Hubert Colas, President Americas, FluksAqua. “With easy access to Your Turn cups through our campaign, we’re hoping municipal water professionals will sign up to bring cups to their communities and residents will use the Your Turn cups to keep FOG out of the water system.” B.C. is also in talks to join the YouTurn program, but has also taken independent efforts to fight fatbergs through a public awareness video ad campaign. Metro Vancouver says it spends some $2 million every year to unblock FOG from its sewer pipes. Over the 2017 U.S. Thanksgiving holiday, FluksAqua conducted a national survey of some 1,000 residents to determine how many people were safely disposing of their potential fatberg add-ons. The survey found more than 80% properly disposed of Thanksgiving FOG by using a separate container, while the remaining 20% admitted to dumping down a kitchen drain or toilet. Of course, just one month prior to the survey, a fatberg in Baltimore was responsible for a sewer overflow that discharged 4,542 m3 of sewage into Jones Falls. Furthermore, the City of New York Department of Environmental Protection, which services over eight million customers, reports that 71% of 2016 sewer backup complaints were fatberg related. Municipalities and water professionals can sign up for the Your Turn program by visiting www.getyourfogcup.com. There is a nominal cost for production of the collection cups, but free distribution of the containers to consumers.	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0041.json.gz/line3911
__label__cc	0.693363	0.306637	Skip to main content (access key 's'), Skip to navigation (access key 'n'), Accessibility information (access key '0') EuDML - The European Digital Mathematics Library Login \| Register \| (Why Register?) български (bg) čeština (cs) Deutsch (de) ελληνικά (el) English (en) español (es) français (fr) italiano (it) lietuvių kalba (lt) polski (pl) português (pt) română (ro) русский (ru) slovenčina (sk) Browse by Journals Refs Lookup Approximation of the Zakai equation in a nonlinear filtering problem with delay Krystyna Twardowska; Tomasz Marnik; Monika Pasławska-Południak International Journal of Applied Mathematics and Computer Science (2003) Volume: 13, Issue: 2, page 151-160 Access Full Article Access to full text Full (PDF) A nonlinear filtering problem with delays in the state and observation equations is considered. The unnormalized conditional probability density of the filtered diffusion process satisfies the so-called Zakai equation and solves the nonlinear filtering problem. We examine the solution of the Zakai equation using an approximation result. Our theoretical deliberations are illustrated by a numerical example. Twardowska, Krystyna, Marnik, Tomasz, and Pasławska-Południak, Monika. "Approximation of the Zakai equation in a nonlinear filtering problem with delay." International Journal of Applied Mathematics and Computer Science 13.2 (2003): 151-160. <http://eudml.org/doc/207630>. @article{Twardowska2003, abstract = {A nonlinear filtering problem with delays in the state and observation equations is considered. The unnormalized conditional probability density of the filtered diffusion process satisfies the so-called Zakai equation and solves the nonlinear filtering problem. We examine the solution of the Zakai equation using an approximation result. Our theoretical deliberations are illustrated by a numerical example.}, author = {Twardowska, Krystyna, Marnik, Tomasz, Pasławska-Południak, Monika}, journal = {International Journal of Applied Mathematics and Computer Science}, keywords = {stochastic differential equations with delay; Zakai's equation; nonlinear filtering; Galerkin technique}, language = {eng}, title = {Approximation of the Zakai equation in a nonlinear filtering problem with delay}, url = {http://eudml.org/doc/207630}, AU - Twardowska, Krystyna AU - Marnik, Tomasz AU - Pasławska-Południak, Monika TI - Approximation of the Zakai equation in a nonlinear filtering problem with delay JO - International Journal of Applied Mathematics and Computer Science AB - A nonlinear filtering problem with delays in the state and observation equations is considered. The unnormalized conditional probability density of the filtered diffusion process satisfies the so-called Zakai equation and solves the nonlinear filtering problem. We examine the solution of the Zakai equation using an approximation result. Our theoretical deliberations are illustrated by a numerical example. LA - eng KW - stochastic differential equations with delay; Zakai's equation; nonlinear filtering; Galerkin technique UR - http://eudml.org/doc/207630 Ahmed N.V. and Radaideh S.M. (1997): A powerful numerical technique solving Zakai equation for nonlinear filtering. - Dynam.Contr., Vol. 7, No. 3, pp. 293-308. Zbl0880.93052 Atar R., Viens F. and Zeituni O. (1999): Robustness of Zakai's equationvia Feynman-Kac representation, In: Stochastic Analysis, Control, Optimization and Applications (W.M. McEneaney, G.G. Yin and Q. Zhang, Eds.). - Boston: Birkhauser, pp. 339-352. Zbl0920.93038 Benev V.E. (1981): Exact finite-dimensional filters for certain diffusions with nonlinear drift. - Stochastics, Vol. 5, No. 1-2, pp. 65-92. Bensoussan A., Głowinski R. and Rascanu A. (1990): Approximation of the Zakai equation by the splitting up method. - SIAM J. Contr.Optim., Vol. 28, No. 6, pp. 1420-1431. Zbl0726.60040 Brzezniak Z. and Flandoli F. (1995): Almost sure approximation of Wong-Zakai type for stochastic partial differential equations.- Stoch. Proc. Appl., Vol. 55, No. 2, pp. 329-358. Zbl0842.60062 Bucy R.S. (1965): Nonlinear filtering theory. - IEEE Trans. Automat. Contr., Vol. 10, No. 2, pp. 198-212. Chaleyat-Maurel A., Michel D. and Pardoux E. (1990): Un theorème d'unicite pour l'equation de Zakai. -Stoch. Rep., Vol. 29, No. 1, pp. 1-12. Zbl0696.60043 Cohen de Lara M. (1998): Reduction of the Zakai equation by invariancegroup techniques. - Stoch. Proc. Appl., Vol. 73, No. 1, pp. 119-130. Zbl0933.93071 Crisan D., Gaines J. and Lyons T. (1998): Convergence of a branchingparticle method to the solution of the Zakai equation. - SIAM J. Appl. Math., Vol. 58, No. 5, pp. 1568-1590. Zbl0915.93060 Dawidowicz A.L. and Twardowska K. (1995): On the relation between the Stratonovich and Itô integrals with integrands of delayed argument. -Demonstr. Math., Vol. 28, No. 2, pp. 456-478. Zbl0838.60046 Elliot R.J. and Gl owinski R. (1989): Approximations to solutions of the Zakai filtering equation. - Stoch. Anal. Appl., Vol. 7, No. 2, pp. 145-168. Elliot R.J. and Moore J. (1998): Zakai equations for Hilbert space valued processes. - Stoch. Anal. Appl., Vol. 16, No. 4, pp. 597-605. Zbl0910.60031 Elsgolc L.E. (1964): Introduction to the Theory of Differential Equations with Delayed Argument. - Moscow: Nauka (in Russian). Florchinger P. and Le Gland F. (1991): Time-discretization of the Zakai equation for diffusion processes observed in correlated noise. - Stoch. Stoch. Rep., Vol. 35, No. 4, pp. 233-256. Zbl0729.60036 Gyongy I. (1989): The stability of stochastic partial differential equations and applications. Theorems on supports, In: Lecture Notes in Mathematics (G. Da Prato and L. Tubaro, Eds.).- Berlin: Springer, Vol. 1390, pp. 99-118. Zbl0683.93092 Gyongy I. and Prohle T. (1990): On the approximation of stochastic partial differential equations and Stroock-Varadhan's support theorem. - Comput. Math. Appl., Vol. 19, No. 1, pp. 65-70. Zbl0711.60051 Ikeda N. and Watanabe S. (1981): Stochastic Differential Equations and Diffusion Processes. - Amsterdam: North-Holland. Zbl0495.60005 Itô K. (1996): Approximation of the Zakai equation for nonlinear filtering theory. - SIAM J. Contr. Optim., Vol. 34, No. 2, pp. 620-634. Zbl0847.93061 Itô K. and Nisio M. (1964): On stationary solutions of a stochastic differential equations. - J. Math. Kyoto Univ., Vol. 4, No. 1, pp. 1-75. Zbl0131.16402 Itô K. and Rozovskii B. (2000): Approximation of the Kushner equation. - SIAM J. Control Optim., v.38, No.3, pp.893-915. Zbl0952.93126 Kallianpur G. (1980): Stochastic Filtering Theory. - Berlin: Springer. Zbl0458.60001 Kallianpur G. (1996): Some recent developments in nonlinear filtering theory, In: Itô stochastic calculus and probability theory (N. Ikeda, Ed.). - Tokyo: Springer, pp. 157-170. Zbl0880.60042 Kloeden P. and Platen E. (1992): Numerical Solutions of Stochastic Differential Equations. - Berlin: Springer. Zbl0925.65261 Kolmanovsky V.B. (1974): On filtration of certain stochastic processes with after effects. - Avtomatika i Telemekhanika, Vol. 1, pp. 42-48. Kolmanovsky V., Matasov A. and Borne P. (2002): Mean-square filtering problem in hereditary systems with nonzero initial conditions.- IMA J. Math. Contr. Inform., Vol. 19, No. 1-2, pp. 25-48. Zbl1020.93022 Kushner H.J. (1967): Nonlinear filtering: The exact dynamical equations satisfied by the conditional models. - IEEE Trans. Automat. Contr., Vol. 12, No. 3, pp. 262-267. Liptser R.S. and Shiryayev A.N. (1977): Studies of Random Processes Iand II. - Berlin: Springer. Zbl0364.60004 Lototsky S., Mikulevičius R. and Rozovskii B. (1997): Nonlinear filtering revisited: A spectral approach. - SIAM J. Contr. Optim., Vol. 35, No. 2, pp. 435-461. Zbl0873.60030 Pardoux E. (1975): Equations aux derivees partielles stochastiques non lineaires monotones. Etude de solutions fortes de type Itô. - Ph. D. thesis, Sci. Math., Univ. Paris Sud. Pardoux E. (1989): Filtrage non lineaire et equations aux derivees partielles stochastiques associetes. - Preprint, Ecole d'Ete de Probabilites de Saint-Fleur, pp. 1-95. Pardoux E. (1979): Stochastic partial differential equations and filtering of diffusion processes. - Stochastics, Vol. 3, pp. 127-167. Zbl0424.60067 Sobczyk K. (1991): Stochastic Differential Equations with Applicationsto Physics and Engineering. - Dordrecht: Kluwer. Zbl0762.60050 Twardowska K. (1993): Approximation theorems of Wong-Zakai type for stochastic differential equations in infinite dimensions. -Dissertationes Math., Vol. 325, pp. 1-54. Zbl0777.60051 Twardowska K. (1995): An approximation theorem of Wong-Zakaitype for nonlinear stochastic partial differential equations. -Stoch. Anal. Appl., v.13, No.5, pp.601-626. Zbl0839.60059 Twardowska K. and Pasławska-Południak M. (2003): Approximation theorems of Wong-Zakai type for stochastic partial differential equations with delay arising in filtering problems. - to appear. Zbl1052.93058 Twardowska K. (1991): On the approximation theorem of Wong-Zakai type for the functional stochastic differential equations. -Probab. Math. Statist., Vol. 12, No. 2, pp. 319-334. Zbl0774.60056 Wong E. and Zakai M. (1965): On the convergence of ordinary integralsto stochastic integrals. - Ann. Math. Statist., Vol. 36, pp. 1560-1564. Zbl0138.11201 Zakai M. (1969): On the optimal filtering of diffusion processes. - Z. Wahrsch. Verw. Geb., Vol. 11, pp. 230-243. Zbl0164.19201 Citations in EuDML Documents Łukasz D. Nowak, Monika Pasławska-Południak, Krystyna Twardowska, On the convergence of the wavelet-Galerkin method for nonlinear filtering NotesEmbed ? To embed these notes on your page include the following JavaScript code on your page where you want the notes to appear. Language to use for this widget. български (bg) čeština (cs) Deutsch (de) ελληνικά (el) English (en) español (es) français (fr) italiano (it) lietuvių kalba (lt) polski (pl) português (pt) română (ro) русский (ru) slovenčina (sk) Only the controls for the widget will be shown in your chosen language. Notes will be shown in their authored language. Number of notes per page 5 10 15 20 Tells the widget how many notes to show per page. You can cycle through additional notes using the next and previous controls. Note: Best practice suggests putting the JavaScript code just before the closing </body> tag. stochastic differential equations with delay, Zakai's equation, nonlinear filtering, Galerkin technique Suggest a Subject You must be logged in to add subjects. Stochastic systems and control Systems governed by functional-differential equations Functional-differential and differential-difference equations Stochastic functional-differential equations Find Similar Documents In Other Databases PLDML Articles by Krystyna Twardowska Articles by Tomasz Marnik Articles by Monika Pasławska-Południak Search for Related Content Add to Personal Lists You must be logged in to use personal lists. To add items to a personal list choose the desired list from the selection box or create a new list. To close, click the Close button or press the ESC key. This article was successfully added to the collection. EuDML About EuDML initiative	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0041.json.gz/line3913
__label__wiki	0.689481	0.689481	A Minor Review of 2017: Boston Red Sox by Marc Hulet The Red Sox system has fallen on hard times but the good news is that the big league club is littered with young, impact talent. The pitching depth is pretty sparse. The Graduate: Andrew Benintendi, OF: After watching mutants like Aaron Judge and Cody Bellinger perform as rookies in 2017, it would be easy to consider Benintendi’s season pretty modest. However, he was a 20-20 (HR-SB) threat and got on base at a regular clip thanks to a walk rate of more than 10%. His struggles against southpaws pulled down his overall numbers but he needs to continue to face them to round out his game. I’d also like him to show a little more sting in his bat as he might be more of a 12-15 homer guy without the juiced ball. The Stud: Michael Chavis, 3B: As mentioned above, the system is thin and it lacks true impact players. Chavis had a breakout 2017 season and hit 31 home runs but it remains to be seen just how good of a hitter he really is. He needs to improve his approach at the plate and show better pitch selection and patience. Chavis, 22, has a very strong arm, which gives him a shot to stick at third base, but the presence of Rafael Devers could push the double-A infielder to the outfield (not that there’s an opening there, either). From an offensive profile, he might be the next Adam Duvall. The Draft Pick: Tanner Houck, RHP: The Blue Jays tried to nab Houck out of high school but he was considered all but unsignable. After three years in college, the big right-hander received some early first round consideration but he ultimately slid to the Sox at the 24th slot. There are concerns that his overall package is not polished enough to stick as a starter but I don’t share those concerns. His heater has a chance to work in the upper 90s and should produce a good number of ground-ball outs. Because it’s so good, he only needs the slider and changeup to be average. If they improve from there, he moves from a potential No. 3 guy to a No. 1 or 2. The Riser: Mike Shawaryn, RHP: This 2016 fifth round draft pick has moved quickly through the system and could open 2018 in double-A. He has three slightly-above-average offerings and above-average control, which could allow him to develop into an innings-eating No. 3 or 4 starter. Shawaryn is not flashy but he’s the type of arm that champion teams need to help chew up innings. The Sleeper: Lorenzo Cedrola, OF: Cedrola catches my eye as a player that can really, really hit but he may never be strong enough to be more than a fourth or fifth outfielder. He has enough speed to be a nuisance on the bases and a strong fielder in center. His slight frame makes projecting increased strength difficult and he could end up being similar to Carlos Tocci (who was recently nabbed in the Rule 5 draft). If Cedrola can get stronger and can learn to take more free passes to utilize his speed, he becomes an intriguing future bench option for Boston. Another Sleeper: Chad De La Guerra, IF: I’m tacking on De La Guerra because I wanted to write a few words about him. He reminds me of Darwin Barney (without the plus glove) — a guy with some offensive potential that’s not quite good enough to be an everyday guy… although he could probably handle it as an injury fill-in for a few months. He has good line-drive pop geared for the gaps and should produce a solid on-base average due to his willingness to take a walk. He also keeps the strikeouts at a modest level so he could hit for a decent average. We hoped you liked reading A Minor Review of 2017: Boston Red Sox by Marc Hulet! Please support FanGraphs by becoming a member. We publish thousands of articles a year, host multiple podcasts, and have an ever growing database of baseball stats. FanGraphs does not have a paywall. With your membership, we can continue to offer the content you've come to rely on and add to our unique baseball coverage. Reality as a Fantasy Lesson Revealed: Statcast Charged Batter xHR/FB Rate, Version 2.0 Marc Hulet has been writing at FanGraphs since 2008. His work focuses on prospects and fantasy. Follow him on Twitter @marchulet. Only one word for that. Sad!	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0041.json.gz/line3921
__label__wiki	0.853328	0.853328	Home / Books by Mike Aquilina / A Pocket Catechism for Kids, Updated A Pocket Catechism for Kids, Updated On Sale at CatholicBooksDirect.com! SKU: MMS-PCK Categories: Books by Mike Aquilina, Books by Mike's Friends, Clearance Books From the very first “Who are you?” to the final “What other prayers does the Church recommend?” A Pocket Catechism for Kids, Updated is the ideal introduction to the treasures of the Catholic Faith for children in kindergarten through grade 8. Using a popular question-and-answer format, authors Father Kris Stubna and Mike Aquilina explain the saving truths that Jesus taught in short, easy-to-understand-and-memorize sections that draw from both Scripture and the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Examining the basics, A Pocket Catechism for Kids, Updated serves as both a primer on the Faith and a readily accessible resource and reference guide. A Pocket Catechism for Kids, Updated also contains sections on traditional Catholic prayers, a guide to making a good Confession, an explanation of the Mass, and more – virtually everything children need to know to understand and live the Faith! The Feasts: How the Church Year Forms Us as Catholics View on Amazon.com Terms and Conditions: Assorted Poems, 1985-2014 The Holy Land: A Guide for Pilgrims	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0041.json.gz/line3924
__label__cc	0.649136	0.350864	FORMAX is not a drug. The statements below have not been evaluated by the FDA or any government agencies. The products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure and prevent any diseases. Why Formax Medically Endorsed Used Ingredients Payment-CSD Payment-COD How To Order (Online) How To Order (WhatsApp) Affiliate Reseller AR-Application Form AR-Answered Questions AR-Use Coupon Code AR-Order Now Locator-Store Daily Pills (Testosterone Booster) 60 cap In a man’s brain, there is a complex chain of signals called the thypothalamic-pictuitary-gonandal axis. The testosterone produced in the testes is regulated by this chain. At the onset of puberty, there is a rapid increase in the production of testosterone. But just as rapidly as it increases at puberty, testosterone production begins to slow down at the age of 30 onwards. FORMAX Testosterone Booster has been formulated with a special blend of 100% natural ingredients that guarantees that its potencies will help to optimize the health of the male performance system. It has been scientifically formulated to regulate the testosterone levels, leading to an increase in virility, vitality and muscle mass levels. This formulation includes nitrix oxide booster to improve endurance, speed recovery time and maximizes strength before, during and after a workout. The most amazing thing is that also helps in increasing the volume of semen available for your erections and orgasms. And this increases in fluid volume has been scientifically proven that you will not only experience a bigger and harder erections, but also feel more satisfying with the performance. It can also produce some of the most intensely pleasurable organisms in your life, as your penile muscles are forced to contract harder and more frequently to ejaculate all that semen! The harder and more frequently your penile muscles contract to ejaculate the increased semen volume, the more pleasurable the orgasm! Oysters Extract: Contains the highest amount of zinc and supplementation of Zinc has been shown to increase free testosterone levels in the blood that increases libido, reduce fatigue and playing very important role for testicular health, prostate health and overall sexual health. Flax Seed Extract: Inibit the enzyme called 5 alpha reductase, which converts testosterone into the male hormone dihydrotestosterone (DHT). It also helps to fight against diabetes which can cause erectile dysfunction. Pumpkin Seed Extract: Increasing the production of natural testosterone, which is good for maintaining good health throughout your lifetime. L-Argine: Precursor of nitric oxide in the human body, an essential compound that helps blood circulation, important to normal sexual function in both men and women. Insufficient blood flow is a major cause erection dysfunction in men. Ginseng Extract: Ginseng roots may be taken orally for many benefits, such as for aphrodisiac, stimulants, diabetes or for sexual dysfunction in men. Damiana Extract: Sstimulates the intestinal tract that brings oxygen to the genital area. It also increases energy levels in order to restore libido and desire. Schisandra Extract: It is used to support sexual sensitivity and endurance. Human tests have confirmed the efficacy of schisandra in running marathons. Zinc Chelate: With the highest concentration in the prostate gland. It is a key mineral in male sexual function and a protector nutrient against prostate cancer. Selenium Chelate: Constituent of sperm capsule selenoprotein which is vital to the integrity of sperm flagella that can influence the motility of the sperm. Copyright © FORMAX International All Rights Reserved (Official Website) This website is intended for persons of 21 years old and above only. If you enter this website, you are deemed to have accepted terms and conditions of this Website and our Order & Shipping procedures as well. NOTE: Any payments or orders made by today will be considered as the next day's order	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0041.json.gz/line3931
__label__wiki	0.942248	0.942248	Zondo commission of inquiry Court ruling on NMB mayor election victory for residents, says Bobani The Eastern Cape High Court on Thursday dismissed an application by the Democratic Alliance (DA) challenging the outcome of last month's council meeting in which Athol Trollip and his administration were ousted. Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality Mayor Mongameli Bobani. Picture: EWN Democratic Alliance Mongameli Bobani United Democratic Movement Shamiela Fisher \| 302 days ago CAPE TOWN - The United Democratic Movement (UDM)'s Mongameli Bobani has described Thursday’s court ruling that confirms his election as mayor as a victory for residents of Nelson Mandela Bay. The Eastern Cape High Court dismissed an application by the Democratic Alliance (DA) challenging the outcome of last month's council meeting in which Athol Trollip and his administration were ousted. The ruling means Bobani remains in charge. He says he's not surprised by the court ruling. “Everything that happened in that council meeting was within the law. So, the court confirmed what we knew was within the prescripts of the law. Thanks to our very strong legal team, they managed to put everything into perspective.” He says the coalition is currently concluding a two-day strategy session to discuss the way forward. “Right now we are in a strategic session with all our officials and members to put together a proper plan to move the city forward.” Bobani says the new administration's goal will remain to ensure service delivery for residents. He adds they'll meet with the community on Friday to discuss their future plans for the city. DA in EC lays criminal complaint against Amathole Municipality officials DA threatens to stop Zandile Gumede from returning to office DA refuses to give mayoral position in Tshwane to EFF EFF won't vote with other political parties after failed Tshwane bid	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0041.json.gz/line3945
__label__cc	0.546624	0.453376	Home Ashridge Strategic Management Centre Performance through People Performance through People SchoolAshridge Strategic Management Centre All dates September 16-20, 2019 LocationAshridge Business School, Berkhamsted, UK CategoryLeadership Have you ever wanted to go back in time to change how a situation or conversation played out? What would you do differently to create a better, more productive result? On this course, you will get to do exactly that and learn from our faculty who have mastered the art of influencing in the workplace as consultants, directors, and vice presidents—long before they became academics. The Performance through People course will teach you how to motivate, delegate, and coach for success. You'll leave aware of your impact on others, and be able to encourage confident, effective communication in your team. Upon completion, you will: Have a deep understanding of your own innate influencing approach Have grasped the influencing styles of others, and understand how to adjust your approach for maximum effectiveness Have learned how to apply these theories of persuasion and influence to real challenges you’re currently facing in the workplace Course information from Ashridge Strategic Management Centre Patricia Hind Director of the Ashridge Centre for Research in Executive Development Patricia Hind is a Director of the Ashridge Centre for Research in Executive Development. She works with a range of clients, nationally and internationally from both the public and private sectors, specialising in leadership, organisational behaviour and change management. Her most recent research interests include the role of responsible leadership in embedding sustainable businesses practices in organisations. As an organisational behaviour specialist, Patricia has worked on many Ashridge customised programmes, most recently in the Middle East for the Sheik Mohammed Leadership foundation in Dubai. Elsewhere she has worked closely on the design and delivery of programmes for organisations such as Philips, BP, E.On, Barclays and Alcatel. Patricia has recently been appointed a Visiting Research Fellow at the University of Stellenbosch. Patricia has a degree in Psychology, an MSc in Organisational Psychology and a Doctorate in Managing without Authority. A Chartered Psychologist, she has been appointed an Associate Fellow of the BPS and is qualified to use a wide range of psychometric instruments. Pam Jones Open Programmes Director As an open programmes director, Pam has responsibility for the Fast Track Advanced Management Programme, as well as a suite of influencing and performance management development programmes. She also works with a range of international clients, including JTI, Spirax Sarco and Saint Gobain. Before joining Ashridge Pam worked internationally with HSBC based in Hong Kong, and also with Monash Mount Elisa Business School in Melbourne. She has a degree in Sociology and Social Administration from Warwick University and an MBA from Cass Business School. She is qualified in a range of psychometric instruments, and is an NLP practitioner and accredited Ashridge coach. Her publications include Managing for Performance (Prentice Hall 2007); Teams Surviving in Complexity (Ashridge 2006); The Impact and Presence Pocket Book (2004); The Performance Management Pocket Book (1999); and Delivering Exceptional Performance (Times Pitman, 1996). She currently researching and writing a book on Team Coaching due for publication in 2015. Sharon Olivier Sharon teaches, researches and consults in Career/Competencies Architecture; HR Business Partnering; Leadership and Team development, particularly in Inter-Cultural Intelligence, Engagement, Polarity Management, Spiritual (SQ) Intelligence; Talent identification, Personal and Team Wellbeing. Before Ashridge, Sharon spent 20 years as a Senior Manager/ OD consultant/Learning Facilitator/Coach/Speaker. She started her career as HR Manager in the Motor Industry, then led Human Capacity Building in a large consulting company, after which she established a successful consulting practice (Impact Consulting) in South Africa. Clients have included Audi, BMW, Land Rover, De Beers, Anglo, Sage Life, University of Johannesburg and Sasol. Sharon holds a MA in Industrial Psychology and a Management Advanced Programme Certificate. She is a Master Practitioner in NLP (neuro-linguistic programming) and a PNI practitioner (psychoneuroimmunology). She has established a track record as an inspirational speaker at conferences and is an accredited Laughter/Levity facilitator. She has co-published a book on resilience “Diamonds in the Dust” HP4 1NS Disclaimer: When you click submit, we will send an email on your behalf to Ashridge Strategic Management Centre from which you are requesting information. The email will contain your contact information so a school representative will be able to get in touch with you. Leadership Development Program (LDP)® October 21-25, 2019 5 days Enterprise Executive Program Cranfield IT and Digital Leadership Programme September 2 - November 1, 2019 9 days	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0041.json.gz/line3946
__label__cc	0.7474	0.2526	Officer Log Founded in 2004 with deep roots in the Pacific Northwest. Executive Security Services was built from the ground up by two police officers that specialized in the security and risk management fields. President and co-founder Carl Witt, retired in 2003 from a distinguished 37 year career in law enforcement. His son and co-founder Bryan Witt, who served as a police officer since 2000 had an idea to start a security business that utilized their experience, training and expertise in risk management to cater to clientele that needed security while traveling or transporting valuable merchandise. Initially, our primary focus was on Executive Protection and providing security for traveling jewelry salespeople. While building a solid reputation as a premier physical security provider in the Pacific Northwest, and recognizing a need to raise the bar in the private security industry, over time we evolved into a full service security company providing armed and unarmed, uniform and plain clothes security professionals for a wide variety of clients in various industry sectors. We are extremely proud to be locally owned and operated, with our corporate headquarters in Portland, Oregon. In July 2017, we opened a branch office in the Seattle/Tacoma area to serve the Puget Sound region, and our Washington state operations. Our experience and specialized training sets us apart. Our entire management team has actual law enforcement experience as career police officers. This experience and training is imparted on our employees, some of whom are current or retired law enforcement themselves, and bring a unique set of skills to the table in fulfilling our goal to be the premier security firm in the Pacific Northwest. At Executive Security Services we take pride in what we do, and you’ll notice it in everything from our uniforms and our appearance to our training and attitude. We know that security is more than just a pair of shades and a uniform – it’s a quality service that adapts to your situation. You are more than just a site or number to us and we don’t allow you to get lost in the shuffle. We care, because once we are fortunate enough to earn your business and your trust, we want to keep you. Contact us today to see how we can help, and we look forward to becoming your preferred security provider. Executive & Personal Protection Jewelry Escorts & Transportation Reception & Concierge Off Duty Police Licensing & Training Investigations & Consulting Carl Witt – President Bryan Witt – Vice President, Business Development Renee Shanholtzer – Operations Manager Eric Ha – Operations Manager Robbie Reaves – Branch Manager, Seattle-Tacoma Brandy Henderson - Controller Executive Security Services We strive for excellence in the services we provide to our clients by maintaining the highest performance standards in our industry. 12300 SE Mallard Way Suite 216 info@executivesecurityinc.com © 2019 Executive Security Services / Site by Threshold	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0041.json.gz/line3947
__label__wiki	0.589916	0.589916	AMSTUD 226X: Curating Experience: Representation in and beyond Museums (CSRE 226X, EDUC 226) In an age when some 50% of museum visitors only "visit" museums online and when digital technologies have broken open archival access, anyone can be a curator, a critic, an historian, an archivist. In this context, how do museums create experiences that teach visitors about who they are and about the world around them? What are the politics of representation that shape learning in these environments? Using an experimental instructional approach, students will reconsider and redefine what it means to curate experience. (This course must be taken for a minimum of 3 units to satisfy a Ways requirement.) Terms: not given this year, last offered Winter 2017 \| Units: 2-4 \| UG Reqs: WAY-A-II, WAY-ED \| Grading: Letter (ABCD/NP) AMSTUD 246: Constructing Race and Religion in America (AFRICAAM 236, CSRE 246, HISTORY 256G, HISTORY 356G, RELIGST 246, RELIGST 346) This seminar focuses on the interrelationships between social constructions of race, and social interpretations of religion in America. How have assumptions about race shaped religious worldviews? How have religious beliefs shaped racial attitudes? How have ideas about religion and race contributed to notions of what it means to be "American"? We will look at primary and secondary sources, and at the historical development of ideas and practices over time. Terms: not given this year, last offered Winter 2018 \| Units: 4-5 \| UG Reqs: GER:DB-Hum, WAY-ED, WAY-SI \| Grading: Letter (ABCD/NP) AMSTUD 260: Disability, Gender, and Identity: Women's Personal Experiences (FEMGEN 260, FEMGEN 360) This course explores visible and invisible disabilities, focusing on issues of gender and identity in the personal experiences of women. The course emphasizes psychological as well as physical health, the diversity of disability experiences, self-labeling, caretaking, stigma and passing, and social and political aspects. Disabilities covered include blindness, multiple sclerosis, diabetes, arthritis, emotional and learning disabilities, and conditions requiring wheelchairs and other forms of assistance. The readings draw from the disability studies literature and emphasize women's personal narratives in sociological perspective. Note: Instructor Consent Required. Terms: not given this year, last offered Spring 2017 \| Units: 5 \| UG Reqs: GER:DB-SocSci, GER:EC-Gender, WAY-ED, WAY-SI \| Grading: Letter (ABCD/NP) AMSTUD 261: Personal Narratives in Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies (FEMGEN 261, FEMGEN 361) This course explores the contribution of personal narratives to knowledge in the field of feminist, gender, and sexuality studies. Each week, students do extensive readings of exemplary personal narratives that have contributed in substance and method to the field and that have opened up new areas of inquiry. These narratives deal especially with issues of individual and group identity; gender, sexuality, racial and ethnic diversity; and disability. Students select a topic of special interest to them to focus their readings and guide individual research during the quarter. The approach of the course is feminist, ethnographic, and welcoming of a variety of approaches to personal narrative. Instructor consent required; students apply at the first class meeting. Terms: not given this year, last offered Spring 2018 \| Units: 4-5 \| UG Reqs: WAY-ED, WAY-SI \| Grading: Letter (ABCD/NP) AMSTUD 281: Asian Religions in America; Asian American Religions (ASNAMST 281, RELIGST 281, RELIGST 381) This course will analyze both the reception in America of Asian religions (i.e. of Buddhism in the 19th century), and the development in America of Asian American religious traditions. Terms: not given this year, last offered Winter 2014 \| Units: 4 \| UG Reqs: WAY-ED \| Grading: Letter or Credit/No Credit ANTHRO 15: Sex and Gender Commonality and diversity of gender roles in crosscultural perspective. Cultural, ecological, and evolutionary explanations for such diversity. Theory of the evolution of sex and gender, changing views about men's and women's roles in human evolution, conditions under which gender roles vary in contemporary societies, and issues surrounding gender equality, power, and politics. Terms: not given this year, last offered Autumn 2013 \| Units: 3 \| UG Reqs: GER:DB-SocSci, GER:EC-Gender, WAY-ED, WAY-SI \| Grading: Letter (ABCD/NP) ANTHRO 16: Native Americans in the 21st Century: Encounters, Identity, and Sovereignty in Contemporary America (ARCHLGY 16, NATIVEAM 16) What does it mean to be a Native American in the 21st century? Beyond traditional portrayals of military conquests, cultural collapse, and assimilation, the relationships between Native Americans and American society. Focus is on three themes leading to in-class moot court trials: colonial encounters and colonizing discourses; frontiers and boundaries; and sovereignty of self and nation. Topics include gender in native communities, American Indian law, readings by native authors, and Indians in film and popular culture. Instructors: Wilcox, M. (PI) ANTHRO 16 \| 5 units \| UG Reqs: GER:DB-SocSci, GER:EC-AmerCul, WAY-ED, WAY-SI \| Class # 31606 \| Section 01 \| Grading: Letter (ABCD/NP) \| LEC 03/30/2020 - 06/03/2020 - with Wilcox, M. (PI) ANTHRO 28N: Secularism and its Critics Secularism is often taken to be a necessary prerequisite for democracy in the modern world. The separation of religion and politics is often written into constitutions as a fundamental priority. Yet around the world, growing numbers of religious movements have sought to dispute the legitimacy of secularism. Social scientists, including anthropologists, are beginning to research the forms of domination and political violence that have been justified in the name of secularism. This course seeks to make sense of this global debate about secularism. It does so by taking up an anthropological perspective: much as anthropologists might study culture, religion, or kinship, we will interrogate secularism as a comparative social artifact, constituted by historically specific repertoires of signs, identities, everyday practices, and institutional powers. The course focuses on case studies in the United States, Western Europe, the Middle East, and South Asia. Terms: not given this year, last offered Autumn 2016 \| Units: 3-5 \| UG Reqs: WAY-ED, WAY-SI \| Grading: Letter or Credit/No Credit ANTHRO 41: Genes and Identity (AFRICAAM 41, CSRE 41A) In recent decades genes have increasingly become endowed with the cultural power to explain many aspects of human life: physical traits, diseases, behaviors, ancestral histories, and identity. In this course we will explore a deepening societal intrigue with genetic accounts of personal identity and political meaning. Students will engage with varied interdisciplinary sources that range from legal cases to scientific articles, medical ethics guidelines, films, and anthropological works (ethnographies). We will explore several case studies where the use of DNA markers (as proof of heritage, disease risk, or legal standing) has spawned cultural movements that are biosocial in nature. Throughout we will look at how new social movements are organized around gene-based definitions of personhood, health, and legal truth. Several examples include political analyses of citizenship and belonging. On this count we will discuss issues of African ancestry testing as evidence in slavery reparations cases, revisit debates on whether Black Freedman should be allowed into the Cherokee and Seminole Nations, and hear arguments on whether people with genetic links to Jewish groups should have a right of return to Israel. We will also examine the ways genetic knowledge may shape different health politics at the individual and societal level. On this count we will do close readings of how personal genomics testing companies operate, we will investigate how health disparities funding as well as orphan disease research take on new valences when re-framed in genetic terms, and we will see how new articulations of global health priorities are emerging through genetic research in places like Africa. Finally we will explore social implications of forensic uses of DNA. Here we will examine civil liberties concerns about genetic familial searching in forensic databases that disproportionately target specific minority groups as criminal suspects, and inquire into the use of DNA to generate digital mugshots of suspects that re-introduce genetic concepts of race. Terms: not given this year, last offered Spring 2019 \| Units: 4 \| UG Reqs: WAY-ED, WAY-SI \| Grading: Letter (ABCD/NP) ANTHRO 49: Violence and Belonging in the Middle East This course examines politics in the Middle East from an anthropological perspective. We will explore the symbolic expression of political identities, the effects of religious revival on political institutions, and the tumultuous culture of protest in the region. Readings discuss the historical development of rights and citizenship, Islamic politics, sectarian tensions, and imaginings of revolution. Course materials are drawn from ethnographic studies and films, which provide a rich contextualization of social life and cultural politics in the region. Terms: not given this year, last offered Autumn 2014 \| Units: 5 \| UG Reqs: WAY-ED, WAY-SI \| Grading: Letter (ABCD/NP) « prev \| Page: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 \| next »	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0041.json.gz/line3949
__label__wiki	0.649368	0.649368	FEMGEN 24N: Sappho: Erotic Poetess of Lesbos (CLASSICS 16N) (Formerly CLASSGEN 24N.) Preference to freshmen. Sappho's surviving fragments in English; traditions referring to or fantasizing about her disputed life. How her poetry and legend inspired women authors and male poets such as Swinburne, Baudelaire, and Pound. Paintings inspired by Sappho in ancient and modern times, and composers who put her poetry to music. Terms: not given this year \| Units: 4-5 \| UG Reqs: GER:DB-Hum, GER:EC-Gender, WAY-CE, WAY-ED \| Grading: Letter (ABCD/NP) FEMGEN 36N: Gay Autobiography (HISTORY 36N) Preference to freshmen. Gender, identity, and solidarity as represented in nine autobiographies: Isherwood, Ackerley, Duberman, Monette, Louganis, Barbin, Cammermeyer, Gingrich, and Lorde. To what degree do these writers view sexual orientation as a defining feature of their selves? Is there a difference between the way men and women view identity? What politics follow from these writers' experiences? Terms: Spr \| Units: 4 \| UG Reqs: GER:DB-Hum, GER:EC-Gender, WAY-ED \| Grading: Letter or Credit/No Credit Instructors: Robinson, P. (PI) FEMGEN 36N \| 4 units \| UG Reqs: GER:DB-Hum, GER:EC-Gender, WAY-ED \| Class # 43746 \| Section 01 \| Grading: Letter or Credit/No Credit \| ISF \| Students enrolled: 1 / 1 03/28/2016 - 06/01/2016 Tue, Thu 1:30 PM - 2:50 PM at 160-319 with Robinson, P. (PI) FEMGEN 54N: African American Women's Lives (AFRICAAM 54N, AMSTUD 54N, CSRE 54N, HISTORY 54N) Preference to freshmen. We will examine the struggles of African American women to define their own lives and improve the social, economic, political and cultural conditions of black communities. Topics will include women's enslavement and freedom, kinship and family relations, institution and community building, violence, labor and leisure, changing gender roles, consumer and beauty culture, social activism, and the politics of sexuality. Terms: Win, Sum \| Units: 3 \| UG Reqs: GER:DB-Hum, GER:EC-Gender, WAY-A-II, WAY-ED \| Grading: Letter (ABCD/NP) Instructors: Hobbs, A. (PI) FEMGEN 54N \| 3-4 units \| UG Reqs: GER:DB-Hum, GER:EC-Gender, WAY-A-II, WAY-ED \| Class # 45914 \| Section 01 \| Grading: Letter (ABCD/NP) \| ISF 03/28/2016 - 06/01/2016 Tue, Thu 1:30 PM - 2:50 PM at School of Education 313 with Hobbs, A. (PI) 06/20/2016 - 07/29/2016 Tue, Wed, Thu 1:30 PM - 3:00 PM at 200-202 with Hobbs, A. (PI) FEMGEN 93: Late Imperial China (CHINLIT 93, HISTORY 93) (Same as HISTORY 193. History majors and others taking 5 units, register for 193.) A survey of Chinese history from the 11th century to the collapse of the imperial state in 1911. Topics include absolutism, gentry society, popular culture, gender and sexuality, steppe nomads, the Jesuits in China, peasant rebellion, ethnic conflict, opium, and the impact of Western imperialism. Terms: not given this year \| Units: 3 \| UG Reqs: GER:DB-Hum \| Grading: Letter (ABCD/NP) FEMGEN 110X: Introduction to Comparative Queer Literary Studies (COMPLIT 110, COMPLIT 310, FEMGEN 310X) Introduction to the comparative literary study of important gay, lesbian, queer, bisexual, and transgender writers and their changing social, political, and cultural contexts from the 1880s to today: Oscar Wilde, Rachilde, Radclyffe Hall, Djuna Barnes, James Baldwin, Jean Genet, Audre Lorde, Cherrie Moraga, Jeanette Winterson, Alison Bechdel and others, discussed in the context of 20th-century feminist and queer literary and social theories of gender and sexuality. FEMGEN 113: Transgender Studies (FEMGEN 213) Transgender and gender-expansive identities are the subject of growing attention and (often sensationalist) interest in the media as well as in the healthcare field, yet there exists a dearth of legitimate academic courses, research and writing that reflect and explore gender identity and expression as a fluid spectrum rather than a fixed binary. This course will address transgender and gender expansive identities from historical, medical, literary, developmental and sociopolitical perspectives. Terms: Win \| Units: 3-4 \| UG Reqs: GER:DB-Hum \| Grading: Letter or Credit/No Credit Instructors: Cerankowski, K. (PI) ; Hansen, I. (PI) FEMGEN 113 \| 3-4 units \| UG Reqs: GER:DB-Hum \| Class # 46171 \| Section 01 \| Grading: Letter or Credit/No Credit \| SEM \| Students enrolled: 11 01/04/2016 - 03/11/2016 Mon, Wed 3:00 PM - 4:20 PM at McMurtry Building rm 360 with Cerankowski, K. (PI); Hansen, I. (PI) Instructors: Cerankowski, K. (PI); Hansen, I. (PI) FEMGEN 115: Queer Reading and Queer Writing in Early Modern England Considers the possibility of identifying queer reading and writing practices in early modern England as well the theoretical and historical obstacles such a project necessarily encounters. Focus on the role which Renaissance discourses of desire continue to play in our negotiations of homo/erotic subjectivity, identity politics, and sexual and gender difference. Study of Renaissance queerness in relation to the classical tradition on the one hand and the contemporary discourses of religion, law, and politics on the other. Readings include plays, poems, and prose narratives as well as letters, pamphlets, and ephemeral literature. Both major and minor authors will be represented. Terms: not given this year \| Units: 5 \| UG Reqs: GER:DB-Hum, GER:EC-Gender, WAY-A-II, WAY-ED \| Grading: Letter or Credit/No Credit FEMGEN 126D: Victorian Sex How can we make sense of a culture of extraordinary sexual repression that nevertheless seemed fully preoccupied with sex? Examination of the depictions of sex in Victorian literary and cultural texts. Authors include: Collins, Braddon, the Brownings, Swinburne, Stoker and Wilde. Terms: not given this year \| Units: 5 \| UG Reqs: GER:DB-Hum, GER:EC-Gender, WAY-A-II, WAY-ED \| Grading: Letter (ABCD/NP) FEMGEN 130: Sex and Gender in Judaism and Christianity (JEWISHST 120, RELIGST 130) What role do Jewish and Christian traditions play in shaping understandings of gender differences? Is gender always imagined as dual, male and female? This course explores the variety of ways in which Jewish and Christian traditions - often in conversation with and against each other - have shaped gender identities and sexual politics. We will explore the central role that issues around marriage and reproduction played in this conversation. Perhaps surprisingly, early Jews and Christian also espoused deep interest in writing about 'eunuchs' and 'androgynes,' as they thought about Jewish and Christian ways of being a man or a woman. We will examine the variety of these early conversations, and the contemporary Jewish and Christian discussions of feminist, queer, trans- and intersex based on them. Terms: not given this year \| Units: 3 \| UG Reqs: GER:DB-Hum, GER:EC-Gender \| Grading: Letter (ABCD/NP) FEMGEN 134: The Marriage Plot (ENGLISH 134) The centrality of the marriage plot in the development of the British novel beginning in the 18th century with Samuel Richardson's Pamela and ending with Woolf's modernist novel Mrs. Dalloway. The relationship between novelistic plotting and the development of female characters into marriageable women. What is the relationship between the novel and feminine subjectivity? What aspects of marriage make it work as a plotting device? What kinds of marriages do marriage plots allow? Is the development of women's political agency related to their prominence in the novel form? Terms: Win \| Units: 5 \| UG Reqs: GER:DB-Hum, GER:EC-Gender, WAY-SI \| Grading: Letter (ABCD/NP) Instructors: Jarvis, C. (PI) FEMGEN 134 \| 5 units \| UG Reqs: GER:DB-Hum, GER:EC-Gender, WAY-SI \| Class # 45756 \| Section 01 \| Grading: Letter (ABCD/NP) \| SEM \| Students enrolled: 5 01/04/2016 - 03/11/2016 Tue, Thu 1:30 PM - 3:20 PM at 160-323 with Jarvis, C. (PI) « prev \| Page: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 \| next »	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0041.json.gz/line3950
__label__cc	0.535682	0.464318	Posts Tagged ‘Long Trouble’ International Fringe 2018: A Welcome to Artists from Around the World Posted September 2nd, 2018 The United States government may be pursuing an isolationist policy but the Philadelphia Fringe is doing the opposite: opening its doors not only to the most creative American performers and performances but also to the best and most creative theater artists and their productions from around the world—overcoming the ancient fear of the symbolic Tower of Babel with people not understanding each other. To show the worldwide scope of the 22nd Philadelphia Fringe Festival, we offer this spotlight on performers from abroad and productions by American artists that present a global perspective. Theater writer Henrik Eger, editor of Drama Around the Globe and contributor to Phindie and Broad Street Review, among other publications, has lived in six countries on three continents and has visited Africa and Australia as well. He bids everyone a hearty WELCOME to the City of Brotherly Love—this year in 18 different languages: Arabic, Celtic, Chinese, English, Esperanto, Estonian, Farsi, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Hindi, Irish, Italian, Latin, Polish, Romanian, and Spanish. We start this year’s overview with a special welcome to two programs featuring a wide range of global creators: INTERNATIONAL CREATIVES Bienvenue & welcome to Montreal-based choreographer Sylvain Émard and Le Super Grand Continental. Le Grand Continental wowed audiences during its run at the 2012 Fringe Festival and has garnered enthusiastic response across the world. Fully realizing a blissful marriage between the pure delight of line dancing and the fluidity and expressiveness of contemporary dance, the celebratory event enlists hundreds of local people to perform its synchronized choreography in large-scale public performances. The world’s most infectious performance event returns to the front steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art in an even larger spectacle of dance. More info and tickets here Bonvenon, willkommen, bienvenido, witamy, bienvenue & welcome to Do You Want A Cookie? from The Bearded Ladies Cabaret—a world premiere with an international cast. Do You Want A Cookie? serves up a delicious romp through cabaret history, with an international cast of artists performing a live revue of cabaret from the Chat Noir to Weimar nightlife to 21st-century drag. The all-star cast comes draws from around the world, including Bridge Markland (Berlin), Malgorzata Kasprzycka (Paris/Warsaw), Dieter Rita Scholl (Berlin), and Tareke Ortiz (Mexico City). REFUGEES and EXILES As Far As My Fingertips Take Me. Photo by وسهلا اهلا (ahlaan wasahlan) & bienvenu. Welcome to Tania El Khoury who lives in Lebanon and the UK with her multifaceted program ear-whispered. Little is known about Palestinian refugee camps and their communities. El Khoury presents her Fringe work in five parts through interactive performances and installations at Bryn Mawr College: Gardens Speak, an interactive sound installation containing the oral histories of ten ordinary people who were buried in Syrian gardens. (Bryn Mawr College.) Read more. Camp Pause, a video installation that tells the stories of four residents of the Rashidieh Refugee Camp on the coast of Lebanon. (Bryn Mawr College.) Read more. As Far As My Fingertips Take Me, an encounter through a gallery wall between a single audience member and a refugee. (Old City & Bryn Mawr College.) Read more. Stories of Refuge, an immersive video installation that invites audiences to lay down on metal bunk beds and watch videos shot by Syrian asylum seekers in Munich, Germany. (Old City.) Read more. Tell Me What I Can Do, a newly commissioned work featuring letters that audiences have written in response to Gardens Speak. (Bryn Mawr College.) Read more. Bienvenido & welcome to the bilingual (Spanish & English) cast of La Fábrica performing Gustave Ott’s Passport. Lost in a foreign country, Eugenia is detained and thrown into a vicious maelstrom of miscommunication. This poetic and immersive Kafkaesque thriller delves into the question of immigration—exposing the mechanics of language and power. Some performances will be presented in English, some in Spanish, and some will be decided at the toss of a coin. Tags: music, Trey Lyford, circus, Peter Pan, Christ Church Neighborhood House, international, Dance, Theater, Film, Circus Arts, Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philly Improv Theater, Poland, Sylvain Emard, The Latvian Society, Alex Bechtel, Iran, Sculpture, France, Gabrielle Revlock, Rhonda Moore, Jess Conda, Phindie, dance theater, live music, LGBTQ, Mary Tuomanen, Tara Webb, Philadelphia Artists' Collective, Italy, Dito van Reigersberg, Bethany Formica, South Philly, Center City, Digital Fringe, John Jarboe, Samuel Beckett, Cookie Diorio, Manayunk Theatre Company, Ted Hearne, The Crossing, Boris Charmatz, Daniel Park, Robin Stamey, Michael Kiley, spoken word, Hua Hua Zhang, Cambridge Footlights, Nick Jonczak, Cherdonna Shinatra, Le Super Grand Continental, Songs of Wars I have seen, Of Arms and the Man, Donald Nally, manger, Tania El Khoury, Gardens Speak, As Far As My Fingertips Take Me, Stories of Refuge, Tell Me What I Can Do, Heiner Goebbels, The Accountant, The Bearded Ladies Cabaret, Camp Pause, Late Night Snacks, The Propaganda Machine Show, Evan Kassof, Anaïs Naharro-Murphy, Nicole Renna, ear-whispered, Circa, Humans, Company, EgoPo Classic Theater, Svaha Theatre Collective, AntiCone, Passport, La Fábrica, Mary Rose, P Pan and Beyondland, Kathleen Murphey, Gertrude Stein, Pratima Agrawal, Voided, The Adrienne, William Shakespeare, ShakesBEER Roulette, R&J, Long Trouble, Jessica Creane, Pillow Talk, Paprika Plains, Philly PACK, As You Like It, International Fringe, International Fringe 2018, Philadelphia Fringe Festival, United States government, Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Philadelphia theater arts scene, 22nd Philadelphia Fringe Festival, Chris Munden, Comedy/Improv, Happenings, and Visual Arts, Audience Participation, Dark Themes, Free Shows, Literary, Outdoor Performances, Solo Shows, Unique Venues, Independently Produced, FringeArts Curated, Kensington-Fishtown, North Philly, Northwest Philly, Suburban Fringe, West Philly, Henrik Eger, Drama Around the Globe, Arabic, Celtic, Chinese, English, Esperanto, Estonian, Farsi, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Hindi, Irish, Italian, Latin, Polish, Romanian, Spanish, Philadelphia Fringe Festival 2018, Montreal, Martin Tétreault, Sarah Gladwin, Sanchel Brown, Edgardo Colon, Amalia Colon-Nava, Do You Want A Cookie? Chat Noir, Weimar nightlife, 21st-century drag, Bridge Markland, Berlin, Adrienne Truscott, Machine Dazzle, Malgorzata Kasprzycka, Dieter Rita Scholl, Messapotamia LeFae, Tareke Ortiz, REFUGEES & EXILES, Lebanon, Bryn Mawr College, Palestinian refugee camps, Abir Saksouk, Dictaphone Group, Rashidieh Refugee Camp, Tyre, Palestine, Canaday Library Rare Book Room, Walter Benjamin, Syrian gardens, Bashar Hafez al-Assad, full body interactive experience, Naya Salame, Jessica Harrington, Keenana Issa, Ziad Abu-Rish, Dia Batal, Khairy Eibesh, Stronghold Sound, Hepburn Teaching Theater, Goodhart Hall, Kafkaesque thriller, immigration, language and power, Proscenium Theatre at the Drake, AUSTRALIA, Queensland, acrobats, contemporary dance, Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts, CANADA, Joni Mitchell, sisters Natalie Fletcher and Jessica Noel, Don Juan’s Reckless Daughter, body painting, John Noel, CHINA, 天问 TIAN WEN: HEAVENLY QUESTIONS FOR MODERN TIMES, experimental puppetry, movement, Philadelphia Young Playwrights Independence Foundation Learning Lab, ENGLAND, C. S. Lewis, Christian apologist, Cupid/Psyche myth, Orual, gods for sadism and fraud, Tony Lawton, staged reading, TILL WE HAVE FACES, Lantern Theater Lab Space, John Fletcher’s Henry VIII, Queen Catherine, Mary Queen of Scots, lady-in-waiting Anne Boleyn, Mascher Space Cooperative, Indecorus Theatre Production, cross-dressing lesbian princesses, Spring Gardens Community Garden, Hamlet! Macbeth! Romeo and Juliet!, Much Ado About Nothing!, Romeo and Juliet, web-based game, digital abyss, ESTONIA, Annu Tali, Philadelphia Orchestra, baroque ensemble Tempesta di Mare, literary-musical event, Baroque compositions, modernist harmonies, World War II memoir, Matthew Locke, Fringe Arts Philadelphia, Savannah Reich, Avignon France, PESTILENCE: WOW!, Bubonic Plague, Panorama Philly, GERMANY, International Festival of the Arts Ruhrtriennale, STIFTERS DINGE (STIFTER’S THINGS), Navy Yard, Kurt Weill, Bertolt Brecht, West Chester University Department of Theatre and Dance, BERLIN TO BROADWAY WITH KURT WEILL—A MUSICAL VOYAGE, L’Etage, Nazi puppet state of Vichy France, GREECE, Antigone story, INDIA, Kalpana Chawla—the first Indian female astronaut in space, Sara Mashayekh, OFF THE CURTAIN, East meets West, one-woman show, Arden Theatre Independence Foundation Studio, IRELAND, Krapp’s Last Tape, Ben Bass, Coralie Holum Lyford, Cole Kamen-Green, Eric Novak, immersive sensory experience, blindfolded audiences, ISRAEL, Yael Bartana, AND EUROPE WILL BE STUNNED, Jewish Renaissance Movement in Poland, complexity of Jewish-Polish identity, Outside the walls of the Museum, BURY OUR WEAPONS, NOT OUR BODIES!, performance is a call to action, military funeral, BEHOLD HER, “What is a Jewish beauty?”, Dell Theater at the National Museum of American Jewish History, Virgil’s Aeneid, contemporary composers, Louis Andriessen, Benjamin C. S. Boyle, Sebastian Currier, Suzanne Giraud, Gabriel Jackson, David Lang, David Shapiro, Kyle Smith, Toivo Tulev, cellist Arlen Husko, cellist Sujin Lee, cellist Thomas Mesa, ONWARDS & UPWARDS: THE ITALIAN AMERICAN DREAM, Angelo Aiello, Antonello Di Matteo, Italian immigrants in America, Filitalia International & Company Aiello, History of Italian Immigration Museum, Tribe 12, 20s/30s adults who have a Jewish connection, SAGE WISDOM, Chelm Poland, Wise Sages, Philadelphia Ethical Society, ROMANIA, Diana Lobontiu, SF NTA, Moldovan convent, Philadelphia Young Playwrights Asian Arts Initiative, SCOTLAND, J. M. Barrie, Woodlands Mansion and Cemetery, Beyondland, German Society of Pennsylvania, SPAIN, Greenland, Dreyfus film Refuge, Joshua Hartman, 1fiftyOne Gallery, Family, Old City, Nudity Posted in Curated Fringe, Independent Fringe, Festival 2018 Festival Spotlight: Shakespeare in the Fringe Posted August 21st, 2018 No theater is more timeless than the work of Shakespeare. The artists behind these Festival shows honor the Bard of Avon’s legacy with new twists on his immortal classics. Indecorous Theatre Productions Do you like the woods? Do you like crossdressing lesbian princesses? Do you like people who are incapable of expressing their deepest emotions? Then pack a picnic and join us for this unconventional production of Shakespeare’s greatest romantic comedy As You Like It in the gorgeous Spring Gardens Community Garden. Long Trouble Svaha Theatre Collective Adapted from William Shakespeare and John Fletcher’s Henry VIII, this new work calls attention to the trials and tribulations of Queen Catherine, her daughter Mary, and her lady-in-waiting Anne Boleyn. Tags: Fairmount Park Art Association, Revolution Shakespeare, Manayunk Theatre Company, Svaha Theatre Collective, William Shakespeare, Troilus & Cressida, ShakesBEER Roulette, R&J, Long Trouble, Jessica Creane, Indecorous Theatre Productions Posted in Independent Fringe, Theater	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0041.json.gz/line3954
__label__wiki	0.663312	0.663312	September 12, 2018 December 22, 2018 / F.T. McKinstry / 1 Comment N E W R E L E A S E ! Sometimes, stories become books, or books become stories. So it happened with this new novelette. I took an excerpt from The Wolf Lords, lovingly repainted it to cast it into its own thing, and voila! A tale about a hedge witch, two dodgy ravens and a sea monster with a score to settle. Old women tell tales of Otherworld beings one must never tangle with. Powerful, elusive and malevolent, these beings will lay traps around one’s ignorance and need, if given the chance. But once in an age, a mortal comes along who dares to either cross or bargain with such creatures…and a darker tale is born. Ingifrith, an ordinary hedge witch, thinks little of such tales until she falls afoul of the Fenrir Brotherhood, an ancient order of sorcerers who serve the Wolf Gods of the North. They know her secrets. They know her weaknesses. And she has something they want. So does the sea witch who lures and traps her into a nasty bargain—in return for protection from the Brotherhood’s reach. Fleeing for her life with nothing but a scrap of advice given to her by a demon warlord, Ingifrith must use her wits to trick a seasoned pirate out of a stolen charm, a feat that will either get her killed or placed in the hands of the sorcerers hunting her. It’s always a good idea to heed old women. Hell Hath No Fury Plastic Tulips and Writing What You Know July 31, 2017 June 29, 2018 / F.T. McKinstry “Cosmic Garden” by F.T. McKinstry My maternal grandmother, now in the arms of the gods, had a degree in microbiology. I don’t know that she ever did much with it; marriage, a family and the expectations of her generation made that difficult. A classic German stoic, she didn’t talk much about her past, or how she felt about things. She was smart and she didn’t take any crap from anybody. But she loved her gardens. When it came to plants, my grandmother knew the scientific names of everything, it seemed. To a lesser extent, so does my mother; and to a lesser extent than that, so do I. My grandmother grew up in the North, and at some point moved with her family to Texas. She was always experimenting, trying to grow things that didn’t like heat. She was persistent. She tried tricks like freezing tulip bulbs to force dormancy, but the southern Texas climate would have none of that and eventually she gave up and stuck some plastic tulips in the garden to see if anyone noticed. She did this with such stealth and subtlety that even my mother fell for it. Hook, line and sinker. I never saw my grandmother get excited about much, but oh, how she laughed when her tulip scam was exposed. She was less amused the time I stabbed my brother with a stitch ripper (he so deserved it, btw); she curled up her fist and punched me. But what I most remember is how she lit up when I moved to the North, where it was easier to grow things like astilbe, monarda, broccoli, and of course, tulips. I loved my grandmother’s dark, ornery sense of humor and her penchant for tinkering, which I inherited. Every year I wage a military campaign against cabbage worms. My cats chase the pretty white butterflies, but that is not an effective means of pest control. So this year, I decided to try planting some nasturtiums, because supposedly bugs hate them. Believe it or not, there are less caterpillars than usual amid this jungle. How’s that for optimism. Far be it for me to ignore writing gardens into a story or two. Though my stories tend to be dark, full of war, sorcery and creepy things, there will be a gardener in there somewhere; a witch growing herbs for her spells, for example. In my short story “The Trouble with Tansy,” a young woman born of three generations of wisewomen knows little of her ancestral garden’s mysteries until she discovers her own power in the darkness of winter, the words of a witch, and the loss of her innocence. Excerpt: “The Trouble with Tansy” Tansel loved her garden with all her heart. It surrounded the cottage and spread out beneath the edges of the forest like a wild thing, singing. She grew things for eating, seasoning and healing; things that smelled pretty, attracted butterflies, birds, bees and cats; she grew things for the shapes of their leaves, the way the sun and moon shone upon a petal or a stalk, or the way one thing grew beside another, tangling high and low in arches, tendrils and delicate patterns. Some plants loved the high bright sun; others preferred the shadows beneath hemlock trees, or water caressing their roots. Tansel grew things that she liked the names of. Things no one knew the names of. Few could have said what grew in Tansel’s garden. Not even Tansel knew, from season to season. The garden had a rhythm of its own, a balance that took care of itself. “The Trouble with Tansy” is included in Wizards, Woods and Gods, a collection of twelve dark fantasy tales exploring the mysteries of the Otherworld through tree and animal lore, magic, cosmos, love, war and mysticism. This story was also the original inspiration for The Winged Hunter, Book Three in the Chronicles of Ealiron. One of the protagonists in Outpost, Book One in The Fylking, has an ancient power she spins into her knitting that gets the attention of not only the gods but also a malevolent immortal with nothing good in mind. She also has a garden, of course. Excerpt: Outpost Autumn was a knitter’s busy time. Melisande knit brindled patterns of drops and sky over the summer; wove strands of sky-blue wool into the edge of a belt as the hard gray line of a late frost passed her garden by; pulled threads of weeds from the stitched patterns of the vegetable patch, leaving purple violets to grace the air with Othin’s favorite scent; and braided black yarn with rosemary and periwinkle to protect her cottage when the shadows grew long. Such amusements aside, she always had something to do. Folk from far around prized her work for its weird charm. Well, most of them. April 20, 2017 March 11, 2019 / F.T. McKinstry Some fish stories should be taken seriously. Very seriously. Introducing the Second Edition of The Gray Isles, in which the legends of sailors and wizards collide in a tale of witchery, secrets, curses, and the birth of an immortal. Revised and reformatted, this is Book Two of the Chronicles of Ealiron, a heroic fantasy series that revolves around an assassin called Lorth of Ostarin. In the Gray Isles, a northern realm cloaked in legends and storms, lives a secret. For thousands of years it lay in the Otherworld, known only in the imaginations of sailors. Now, it has surfaced; first to Eadred, a wizard banished by his kind after being cursed by a witch; and then to Hemlock, a fisherman’s son orphaned by the sea. When their paths collide, a change is set into motion that the heavens watch with dread; for the legends tell, it heralds the birth of an immortal and the death of the realm. Lorth of Ostarin is a formidable wizard with a turbulent past. An elite assassin and servant of the old powers, he is given a mission by his masters to question Eadred, a high-ranking wizard banished for breaking the codes of his order. Lorth arrives in a fog of eerie impressions to find both Eadred and Hemlock missing, a mystery that swiftly deteriorates into a manhunt that plunges Lorth into a tricky world of visions, secrets, legends, and island politics. Some secrets are best kept hidden, and madness often hides wisdom. In his quest to lift a curse responsible for his fall and subsequent exile, Eadred has gathered great knowledge of Hemlock’s origins. Through him, Lorth reaches the sobering conclusion that Hemlock is not what he seems. Unfortunately, Lorth is not the only one who has discovered Hemlock’s secret. Racing time, he must bare his sword against an army, violate discretion and risk his own stature in order to free Hemlock from an otherworldly fate before the forces of earth and sea are unleashed upon the mortal world. Novel, 170 pages Can be read as a standalone story. Ebook includes a Glossary and a link to Maps. “Wow. Gorgeous. Highly recommended.” – Amazon Customer Review (See Entire Review) “F.T. McKinstry has a lyrical voice that suits the ancient magic she describes. The majesty of the gods and mystical forces of the novel entranced me…” – David Lee Summers, Editor of Tales of the Talisman and author of Owl Dance “The Gray Isles is a very tight and compelling tale of suspense on rocky shores and the high seas.” – Alex Willging, Mr. Rhapsodist “The strength of this novel lies in its descriptions of Hemlock’s psychological states as he undergoes his psychic changes. It also abounds in excellent descriptions of emotions and sensations.” – Michael D. Smith, author of the Jack Commer Series “The Gray Isles is an incredible mystery set in an incredible mythical land. Its story captivated and enthralled me from beginning to end.” – Aimee at redheadedbooklover (See Entire Review) The Wardens’ Order February 21, 2016 June 15, 2018 / F.T. McKinstry Arcmael is a seer, an occupation thrust upon him by a royal father pledged to the arts of war. The sword was a preferred occupation for a firstborn heir, but Arcmael had no love for that. So he was stripped of his titles and exiled to a mysterious conservatory high in the northern mountains to learn how to see between the worlds. Once trained, Arcmael became a warden in service to the Fylking, a warrior race who came from the stars nine thousand years ago to use the realm as an outpost from which to fight an ancient war. Immortal and unseen to all except those sensitive to the Otherworld, the Fylking live by the sword. To travel to and from Dyrregin and nearby star systems, the Fylking built the Gate, a portal shining like a sigil on the surface of the world. By virtue of their stature in the dimensions of living beings, the Fylking had the ability to build the Gate using the natural materials of the world; however, their methods would have been terrifying to humans and created unnecessary complications. Though the Dyrregins were at that time greater in number and sophistication, they would not have understood a tower being built by sound or the higher laws of manifestation, let alone ten of them in specific places over the land. And so the Fylking, having the patience of the immortal, befriended humankind by creating the Wardens’ Order. The Fylking taught their wardens the arts of interdimensional perception and the properties of light, energy, crystals and architecture. The wardens built the towers, watched over them with human eyes and maintained them over millennia, generations upon generations, gathering the relatively infinite energies of celestial bodies to provide a bridge for their immortal guests. In return the Fylking protected them, and gave them the honor of representing them to humankind. ~ From “The Arrival of the Fylking,” Outpost For Arcmael, it is cruel irony to have only immortal warlords as guardians and companions–until sorcery and war engulf the land. Spanning the realm over 213 leagues, the Gate is built into a pentacle with a stone tower on each point and intersection. The towers gather light from the sun, moon and stars and focus it into a complex pattern of crystal arrays, providing an energy source. Starting from the northernmost point and going clockwise, the towers are called: Sif, Sol, Sin, Soc, Sae, Som, Sef, Sos, Sie, and Sor. In Fylking, these names refer to the patterns of openings in the tower walls, which are positioned to align with the cosmos. The Gate (click to see entire map) Each gatetower is manned by five elite Fylking warriors who watch over the realm and protect their interests there. Millennia after the Gate was built by the original wardens under the direction of the Fylking, the sea engulfed the granite shoals around one of the outer points, Tower Sef, isolating it from land. War took Tower Sie, a second outer point which stands in the realm of Fjorgin across the Njorth Sea. Tower Sif stands on the northernmost point of the Gate in the Vale of Ason Tae. Called the Apex, Tower Sif is where the Gate merges with an array of other worlds on which the Fylking conduct their bloody business. As such, the Apex is the first line of defense, and as any warden will tell you, the High Fylking of Tower Sif are a nasty bunch with scant tolerance for mortal concerns. Read an Excerpt from Outpost July 24, 2015 July 25, 2017 / F.T. McKinstry Edros stepped up to the standing stone that marked the boundary of the Fylking’s domain. Smooth and unadorned, the ancient monolith offered no clues as to its purpose. But it had tales to tell. The city of Merhafr, a dense, lively port clustered around the King’s Citadel, spread out behind him like shells cast over the rocky hills plunging into the Njorth Sea. Edros planted his staff with a breath and started up the path toward Tower Sor, perched on the distant crags rising from the plain. The tower’s presence, normally as rough and volatile as the ocean winds, lay cloaked in silence. Gulls wheeled and cried around the height. A shepherd appeared over a rise, driving a small flock of sheep. When he saw Edros with his warden’s cloak and staff, he quickly directed the animals into the brush and stood with his head bowed. The warden murmured a greeting as he passed. The calm that cloaked the sea at dawn had given way to the unruly rifts and white of heavy weather. Wind carried the scent of brine, heather and wild roses. The warden’s Guardian Fylking, who took the shapes of watery places, began to withdraw as they usually did in the presence of the High Fylking, who ruled the towers. Unseen by all but their wardens, the immortal warriors kept their oaths and vigils by the sword. One by one, a whisper in his ear, water lapping on a shore, a cold spot in a lake, fell into quiescence. Sor was one of ten towers that defined the realm of Dyrregin. Five inner towers, each 50 leagues apart and 35 leagues from the center of the realm, stood on the intersections of lines between five outer towers. The resulting boundary formed the Gate, a pentacle with a diameter of 213 leagues. In the nine thousand suns since the Gate was built by the original wardens under the direction of the Fylking, the sea engulfed the granite shoals around one of the outer points, Tower Sef, isolating it from land and giving all sailors except wardens something to avoid, as they might a siren’s song. War took Tower Sie, a second outer point which stood in the realm of Fjorgin across the Njorth Sea. Politics, bloodshed and treaties aside, no one interfered with the wardens in their business there unless they wanted to risk being destroyed by their Fylking. Being relatively new to the Order, Edros had not yet journeyed to Fjorgin. But he had heard the stories. Being deployed on the rugged coast for thousands of suns had given the High Fylking of Tower Sor sullen, moody dispositions. Like the sea, the warriors were rarely silent. Today, however, Edros felt only the storm. He gazed ahead, rallying his inner senses around the tower with unease. The last time he had felt such quiet up here was after he banished the Fylking for frightening a ranger so badly he had lost his footing and fallen to his death on the rocks below. Such things happened around the gatetowers sometimes. Not everyone believed the tales, and fools abounded regardless. But it was the wardens’ charge to protect the citizens as much as they could—or so the high constable of the King’s Rangers had needlessly reminded him. It was said the ranger’s spirit wandered the cliffs beneath the tower, cursing the Fylking. That was nonsense. The Fylking would never stand for such a thing, even if they could cross the boundaries of their dimensions and those of the mortal dead. Silence. Nothing but the sea, crying gulls and wind in the brush. The tower gazed down with a discomfiting stare. On a parapet crowning the top crouched the shapes of dragons—so the Fylking called them—reptilian creatures with scales, long snouts and large bat wings folded against sinuous bodies. The creatures’ snaky tails twined down into the stones. Their eyes were empty. A subtle prickle touched the warden’s navel as he began his ascent up the winding steps. The ground fell away, the sea grew vast and the wind quickened. Dark clouds streaked the sky like an infection. He reached the door, a tall arch of weathered oak with iron hinges shaped like talons. Rain pelted him. As he entered, a screech echoed from the stones, followed by a rush of warm air carrying the scent of wood smoke. His mind went blank as the smell filled his lungs. An impossible smell, in this place. Edros slipped through and closed the door. He had never entered a gatetower to anything but cold and damp—except for that time the High Fylking had greeted him with the smell of roast partridge, a jest aimed at the late King Farcas, who died last winter with a wing bone lodged in his throat. They had never liked him. “Hail!” Edros called out, stepping from the shadow of the thick stone wall. The interior of the gatetower was as large as a warlord’s feasting hall, a cylindrical well rising seventy feet to a ceiling glinting with quartz crystal. Narrow, steep steps spiraled up the walls to a hatch that accessed the top. Thin openings placed here and there in the heights aligned the light of the sun, stars and moon. The Fylking jokingly referred to these as arrow slits, though as far as Edros knew, the inaccessible windows had never been used for that. His heart skipped a beat as he saw the source of the smoke. In the center of the floor, directly on top of the crystal circle that focused the light of the heavens for the Fylking, burned a fire. Heather and broom had been ripped from the roots, tossed into a pile and lit as if by lightning. An old man stood there warming his hands. Stunned by this flagrant transgression of the Fylkings’ domain, Edros strode forward and yanked his hood from his face. “Are you mad?” he said, none too kindly. “What means this?” Where were the High Fylking? They would turn a man to dust for building a fire in here! Chilled to the bone despite the heat, the warden opened his senses to the subtle murk of the rising storm. Wind whistled through the arrow slits, as cold and strange as a nightmare lost to memory. The old man said nothing. “How did you get in here?” Edros asked in a quieter voice. He and the man were not alone. He sensed the stormy presence of a Fylking filling the tower vaults. Immense and unfriendly, this Fylking had no care for humanity, even hidden by the lofty ascendancy of the unseen. His antipathy was tangible. The warden moved his hand into a Banishing sigil, his fingers curling one after the other into a fist, like a many-legged sea creature withdrawing into a shell. It had no effect. “Don’t trouble yourself with that,” the old man said. “The Sor Fylking are dead and your Guardians scattered to the wind.” He straightened his back and shrugged his tattered cloak to the floor. He was fully armed and clad in shades of brown and green stitched with branches, marking him as a votary of the Blackthorn Guild. Once a noble order of magicians created by King Magnfred, the first ruler to claim Dyrregin’s throne after the Gate War, the Guild had been stripped of its thorns over the centuries and now comprised a harmless assortment of hedge witches and warlocks that served the Old Gods and studied the forces of nature, mapping the heavens, concocting potions for common ailments, talking to crows. Edros had never heard of a Blackthorn warlock wielding arms or associating with the Fylking. Aside from hair the color of ashes, he was not as old as he initially seemed. He had smooth flesh and eyes like winter twilight, pale gray and ice cold. Something about him stirred the warden’s memory. “Do I know you?” he asked. The warlock gazed back, his expression inscrutable but for a sliver of scorn. Blackthorn, indeed. Edros struck the floor with his staff and raised his voice to the stormy presence enveloping the tower. “Show yourself! What Fylking would disregard a sigil cast by a Warden of Dyrregin? You are bound to an ancient oath.” The wind howled and thunder shook the earth, driving rain and snow into the tower, the spiraling frozen tears of fallen warriors, five of them, beautiful and lying on the floor like felled trees in broken armor made of stars, long hair tangled in blood, and fair eyes staring at nothing. Dead? He had not believed the claim. Edros broke from his trance as the warlock moved. Before the warden understood the way of this, the intruder pulled a knife from his belt and hefted it by the blade. By his side stood the shimmering form of a tall warrior clad in black steel, wearing a helmet in the shape of the spike-crested, fanged creatures on the parapet. Niflsekt. It was the warden’s last thought as the knife struck him between the eyes. You can read the first several chapters of Outpost here.	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0041.json.gz/line3957
__label__cc	0.548451	0.451549	Libro de Oro 2012 The Golden Book 2013/2014 The activities of our main orchestras, theatres, festivals and musical institutions. Fundación Autor de la SGAE Published %A %B %e%q, %Y 5 January, 2014 by admin Head office: Fundación Autor C/Bárbara de Braganza, 7 Telephone: (+34) 91 503 68 00 President: Antonio Onetti Alternate President: Mariano Marín Secretary: Raquel García García General Manager: Xosé Luis García Canido The Fundación Autor was born in 1997 with the purpose of developing social, welfare and promotional activities to support authorship, creativity and culture. In these sixteen years of career, the Fundación Autor has become one of the most important cultural agitators in Spain, serving as a reference for other Latin American and European societies when choosing a model for proceeding. The aid programmes offered by the Fundación Autor are aimed at both young talents who are beginning their career and those who are half way through their career, as well as those that have devoted their lives in working. Within contemporary music and in the field of creativity of the youngest authors, worthy of mention is the Premio Jóvenes Compositores, called for the first time in 1987, which has reached in 2013 its 24th edition and has awarded throughout its history authors of an early age, discovering young talents who have been consolidating their career with the passing of time. Premio Jóvenes Compositor has been awarded to Agustí Charles, Mauricio Sotelo, Joseba Torre, Sergio Blardony, Pilar Jurado or Eneko Vadillo, among others. Likewise, one of the fundamental concerns of the Fundación Autor has been the encouragement of creativity. Hence, important support activities have been developed like, for example, the system of incentives for creativity which, since its implementation in 2006 has supported the creation of more than eighty orchestral works of a new repertoire, commissioned and on proposal of the different member orchestras of the AEOS. In this way, it has made an essential effort to contribute to contemporary music programming by Spanish orchestras within their concert series and tours. Among others and thanks to this programme, works by various composers have been performed for the first time, like César Camarero, Benet Casablancas, David del Puerto, Consuelo Diez, Jacobo Durán-Loriga, Gabriel Erkoreka, Manuel Moreno-Buendía, Jesús Rueda, Eduardo Soutullo or Jesús Torres. The Fundación Autor has also wanted to be an active programmer within the scenario of contemporary music concerts and series, collaborating with different institutions and festivals, to bring to the public works by creators. Among others, worthy of mention is the annual collaboration with the CNDM series (formerly CDMC), the Festival Internacional de Música Contemporánea de Tres Cantos or the Festival Leo Brouwer de Música de Cámara. Of course, the group of author and editor associations of symphonic and chamber music have found in the Fundación Autor encouragement to develop their professional work, through support to their presence in international markets like the Midem or Musikmesse, or the joint development and support of their work, with programmes like edition incentives, support of the symphony edition of sound track works and their performance by orchestras, etc. Those authors that have devoted their whole lives to contemporary music also find aid in the Fundación Autor, which organises homages to place value on their career, also contributing to promote a greater dissemination of their works: the centenary of the death of Ruperto Chapí, the 60th anniversary of the death of Joaquín Turina, Agustín Bertomeu, Agustín González Acilu, Valentín Ruiz, Marlos Nobre or Leo Brouwer, among others, have been the reason to pay homage by the Fundación Autor. This recognition to the most hallowed contemporary music, receives its paramount expression with the introduction of the Premio SGAE de la Música Iberoamericana “Tomás Luis de Victoria”, one of the most important prizes within current composition and which has recognised the work of creators like Harold Gramatges, Joan Guinjoan, Antón García Abril, Luis de Pablo or Josep Soler, among others. In 2013, this accumulated experience resulted in the Fundación Autor de la SGAE implementing a strategic support plan to authors taking on the fields of research, training, dissemination and promotion. The institution has invested more than one million Euros in an aid programme to foster creativity and encourage the international promotion of the repertoire, 66% more than 2012. Hence, and in the specific case of classical contemporary music, the way has been paved to a new system of aids and travels for member authors of the SGAE and an aid system to international tours for musical groups interested in the foreign dissemination of the repertoire of our symphony composers. It has renewed the incentive system for premieres, incorporating a new incentive for works written for symphony bands. Once again it has called the Premio Tomás Luis de Victoria and the Premio Jóvenes Compositores, and has created new repertoire support and dissemination projects. For the first time, since 2013, the Fundación Autor organises the Semana de la Ópera Actual offering a programme of debates, projections, a children’s workshop and the live performance of chamber operas, with the purpose of gauging the realities and wishes of the sector and offering a sample of the most modern opera creation. A project that has managed to revive the opera Tres Desechos en Forma de Ópera, by Jorge Fernández Guerra, and has achieved the performance for the first time in Madrid of the last production of the opera by Butxaca, Dido & Aeneas Reloaded, a work with music by the young Catalonian composers Xavier Bonfill, Raquel García Tomás, Joan Magrané y Octavi Rumbau. Also, in 2013, the Fundación Autor remembers one of the most relevant modern composers, Francisco Guerrero Marín, in a concert In Memoriam, under the baton and musical direction of José Ramón Encinar, who conducts Koan 2. Likewise, it participates in a new initiative to be held for the first time in Madrid, Expoclásica, a professional forum of the musical sector, where the presence of the contemporary music of our creators cannot be forgotten. All the latter, in its effort to disseminate the symphonic music repertoire and collaborating in our authors finding suitable forums to develop their profession, in which it will continue working in 2014. This entry was posted in Organizing. ← Fundación Antón García Abril Fundación Gredos San Diego → Activity supported by	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0041.json.gz/line3958
__label__cc	0.662234	0.337766	Books Meta-Reading Picture Books Reading Themes Little Charlies and their Books (with Beetles, Bugs, Butterflies, Pirates and Knights) We are not unfamiliar with books about books, having used that as our reading theme back in 2013. We have also featured Lauren Child’s postmodern Who’s Afraid Of The Big Bad Book (complete with my daughter’s video recording once upon a time) and her Beware of the Storybook Wolves. When I discovered that Lauren Child had a similarly-themed title in her Charlie and Lola Series, I immediately borrowed it from the library, thinking that it would pair nicely with Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler’s picturebook. They do go together quite nicely, if I may say so myself. But Excuse Me That Is My Book Written and Illustrated by: Lauren Child and Bridget Hurst and Carol Noble and Tiger Aspect (Producer) Published by: Dial Books for Young Readers, 2006 Borrowed from the Jurong West Public Library. Book photos taken by me. The story is written from Charlie’s point of view whose little sister Lola simply couldn’t stop talking about an “extra specially special” book that she loves oh-so-dearly: “Beetles, Bugs, and Butterflies.” While the reader somewhat senses Charlie’s growing exasperation with his younger sister who talked about nothing else as they head over to the library to borrow it for the seemingly-nth time, he does a fairly acceptable job of humoring his sister. His patience is naturally tested when Lola could not find the “very best book in the world” while at the library, despite her combing through bookshelves beginning with B, as suggested by Charlie. To amuse his sister who is increasingly getting frustrated by the lost book, Charlie shows Lola other titles that may be of interest to her, such as this gorgeous pop-up book that Lauren Child has done beautiful justice: Naturally nothing comes quite close to “Beetles, Bugs, and Butterflies.” Then Lola sees something that nearly broke her heart: her book in the hands of another child: How the siblings reacted to this, I shall leave for you to discover. Truth be told, the ending felt kind of anticlimactic to me. I feel that the real star here is Child’s traditional collage art chock-filled with tiny details that a reader can spend hours poring over. For more sibling stories, I invite you to pair this book with Giselle Potter’s Tell Me What To Dream About and Liniers’ The Big Wet Balloon. Charlie Cook’s Favourite Book Written by: Julia Donaldson Illustrated by: Axel Scheffler Published by: Macmillan Children’s Books, 2005 Now this one has a Scheherazade-vibe to the entire narrative, with Charlie Cook “curled up in a cosy chair” reading his favourite book about a pirate who found a book inside a treasure chest that tells a story about a girl named Goldilocks who was reading a book in Baby Bear’s bed about a knight fighting a dragon… and so the story goes. To call the book “clever” would be an understatement. I particularly enjoyed the tiny details that made the feel of the story so authentic – from the changing titles at the header of each page: to the changing typography and the changes in the design and layout reflecting the different story found in each book found in each page. Then there are the side bars that are worth a leisurely read as well (see below): As I was reading this, I was reminded a little bit of Allan Ahlberg and Bruce Ingman’s Previously as each page leads the reader to another story. But I feel that this would best be paired with Jesse Klausmeier and Suzy Lee’s Open This Little Book. https://gatheringbooks.org/2016/02/27/saturday-reads-9/ https://gatheringbooks.wordpress.com/2014/02/24/monday-reading-finalists-in-cybils-fiction-picturebook/ Do let us know if you have other book recommendations similar to these titles. TagsBut Excuse Me That Is My Book Written and Illustrated by: Lauren Child and Bridget Hurst and Carol Noble and Tiger Aspect (Producer) • Charlie Cook's Favourite Book by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler 0 comments on “Little Charlies and their Books (with Beetles, Bugs, Butterflies, Pirates and Knights)”	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0041.json.gz/line3977
__label__cc	0.540138	0.459862	The Best Gmail Clients For Your Phone That Aren't Gmail David Nield Filed to: emailFiled to: email Image: VMWare Boxer Gmail is a fantastic email service, and a great alternative to Yahoo, which saw 500 million user accounts hacked in 2014, and AOL, the preferred email service for Mike Pence business. If you want to tap into the power and cloud storage offered by Google’s Gmail service, but don’t necessarily like the Gmail apps put out from Mountain View, then you’ve got plenty of choice when it comes to alternatives. Thanks to the IMAP support built right into Gmail (head to Settings then Forwarding and POP/IMAP in the web interface to configure it), you can set up just about any email client to work with Google’s email service. We’ve focussed on apps that are particularly well suited to Gmail’s search-first, organize-later approach. To help sift through the plethora of programs out there, we’ve also decided to prioritize apps with slick and updated mobile clients, so you can keep on top of your email while you’re on the move. 1) Newton (Android, iOS) Image: Screenshots If you’re a serious emailer and can make use of the macOS app too (Windows “coming soon”) then Newton should definitely be on your radar. You can save emails to apps like Evernote and Trello, build up contact profiles from LinkedIn and Twitter, and dismiss emails until you can open them on your desktop. Newton also has less social media focused features like read receipts, scheduled emails, an undo send feature, and snoozing capabilities. Yet Newton (née CloudMagic) throws in those premium-level features for a premium-level price. To get everything you need to put up $49.99 a year, which might put some people off straight away, though there is a 14-day trial you can use to give it a spin first. 2) VMWare Boxer (Android, iOS) If you’re in the market for a heavy-duty email client for your mobile then VMWare Boxer could be just what you’re looking for: It connects to a long list of email services besides Gmail, and lets you blast through messages with bulk actions and customizable swipes. Its also got a Gmail-esque conversation view in case you miss Gmail, as well as support for labels and integration with Evernote. The interface might not be in the running for the best-designed email client of the year, but it’s still tidy and functional, and keeps all the key features within easy reach. Contacts and calendar apps are included too, so it’s a one-stop replacement for a number of Google services besides Gmail, and connecting up all your email accounts is straightforward. 3) WeMail (Android) If speed is your main priority, and you’re on Android, then give WeMail a look—it takes an instant messenger approach to emails, sorting emails by sender and automatically organizing as many of your messages as possible. It also supports voice input, so you can dictate those quick replies on the go without having to peck away at the keyboard. Attachments are clearly presented too, and the search function is almost as fast as the one built into Gmail, while you can get all your accounts unified in a single inbox too (handy if you have a lot of Google logins to stay on top of). It’s not an ugly app by any means, but what it lacks in spit and polish it makes up for with an abundance of helpful features. 4) Spark (iOS) As far as iOS exclusives go, Spark is difficult to beat. The app wants to get you to “love your email again” and has a pile of tricks to try and kindle some romance—smart sorting (to keep those newsletters and notifications at a distance), quick replies with pre-loaded text for snappy responses on the go, and smart alerts for only the most important messages. What’s more, you can power through your inbox with (customizable) gesture controls, snooze emails until a later time, and easily integrate the app with other services like Google Drive and Dropbox. It’s clean and crisp in the looks department too, and apparently a macOS client is in the works—but don’t hold your breath for an Android one. 5) Microsoft Outlook (Android, iOS) You may have tried and dismissed Outlook before, and that’s totally fair, but it’s earned a second chance: Microsoft has polished and improved the app a ton in recent years, especially on mobile (thanks to a few acquisitions), and you don’t need to pay anything to use it. It looks the part, works across multiple platforms and the web, and includes some incredibly useful features. Features such as the Focused inbox that automatically identifies your most important messages, just like Google’s Priority Inbox. As with many an email client these days, there’s also the option to snooze messages til later, plus customizable swipe gestures that make sorting through email on the go a breeze. There’s an integrated calendar here too. 6) Inbox by Gmail (Android, iOS) This one is a little bit of a cheat...Inbox is an alternative Gmail client made by Google itself. If you haven’t had a chance to try it out since it launched back in 2014 then now is as good a time as any. It takes the basic foundations of Gmail and adds some extra twists for modern messaging, such as email snoozing, automated replies, smart sorting, and inline previews so you don’t have to open an email to know its contents. You can think of Inbox as Gmail but with more of the dirty work (like sorting and prioritizing) done for you. Take the way it automatically parses and collates information on your upcoming trips, for instance. It’s actually not that difficult to use Inbox and Gmail together, so this is a good option if you don’t want to stray too far from Google’s primary email app. Emailing made easy How to Use the Infinite Number of Email Addresses Gmail Gives You Tame Long Email Threads Using This Easy Trick How to Tell If Someone Is Tracking Your Emails Recent from David Nield DisplayPort 2.0 Is Finally Here, and This Is Why It Matters 7 Ways OnePlus and OxygenOS Beat Google's Stock Android How to Take Control of Where Every Link on Your Phone or Computer Opens Up	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0041.json.gz/line3984
__label__wiki	0.82988	0.82988	Uganda \| About Us \| Jobs \| Contact Us \| Help You are here: Home Page > Arts & Humanities > History > Regional & National History > United States History > US Social History > How Sex Became a Civil Liberty 352 Pages \| 24 hts This item is printed to order. Items which are printed to order are normally despatched and charged within 5-10 days. Available in Oxford Scholarship Online - view abstracts and keywords at book and chapter level. Bookseller Code (AJ) http://global.oup.com/academic/covers/uk/pop-up/9780190206529 How Sex Became a Civil Liberty Leigh Ann Wheeler First book to demonstrate the centrality of the ACLU to establishing a constitutional basis for sexual rights that came to dominate American popular culture. Shows how creative individuals wrote sexual rights into the U.S. Constitution, a document that made no mention of them. Discusses ongoing debates over gay rights, gay marriage, sex education, birth control, abortion, pornography, compulsory sterilization, rape, and sexual harassment . How Sex Became a Civil Liberty is the first book to show how and why we have come to see sexual expression, sexual practice, and sexual privacy as fundamental rights. Using rich archival sources and oral interviews, historian Leigh Ann Wheeler shows how the private lives of women and men in the American Civil Liberties Union shaped their understanding of sexual rights as they built the constitutional foundation for the twentieth-century's sexual revolutions. Wheeler introduces readers to a number of fascinating figures, including ACLU founders Crystal Eastman and Roger Baldwin; nudists, victims of involuntary sterilization, and others who appealed to the organization for help; as well as attorneys like Dorothy Kenyon, Harriet Pilpel, and Melvin Wulf, who pushed the ACLU to tackle such controversial issues as abortion and homosexuality. It demonstrates how their work with the American Birth Control League, Planned Parenthood Federation, Kinsey Institute, Playboy magazine, and other organizations influenced the ACLU's agenda. Wheeler explores the ACLU's prominent role in nearly every major court decision related to sexuality while examining how the ACLU also promoted its agenda through grassroots activism, political action, and public education. She shows how the ACLU helped to collapse distinctions between public and private in ways that privileged access to sexual expression over protection from it. Thanks largely to the organization's work, abortion and birth control are legal, coerced sterilization is rare, sexually explicit material is readily available, and gay rights are becoming a reality. But this book does not simply applaud the creation of a sex-saturated culture and the arming of citizens with sexual rights; it shows how hard-won rights for some often impinged upon freedoms held dear by others. 1. "Where else but Greenwich Village?": Taking Sexual Liberties, 1910s-1920s 2. "Queer business for the Civil Liberties Union": Defending Unconventional Speech about Sex, 1920s-1930s 3. "Are you free to read, see, and hear?": Creating Consumer Rights out of the First Amendment, 1940s-1950s 4. "To be let alone in the bedroom": Expanding Sexual Rights through Privacy, 1940s-1960s 5. "To produce offspring without interference by the state": Making Reproductive Freedom, 1960s-1970s 6. "What's happening to sexual privacy?": Easing Access to Sexual Expression, 1960s-1970s 7. "Solutions must be found within civil libertarian guidelines": Protecting against Rape and Sexual Harassment, 1970s-1990s Leigh Ann Wheeler, Professor of History, Binghamton University Leigh Ann Wheeler is Professor of History at Binghamton University. She is co-editor of the Journal of Women's History and the author of Against Obscenity: Reform and the Politics of Womanhood in America, 1873-1935. "In an engaging style and with impeccable organization and analysis, Leigh Ann Wheeler explains how laws and constitutional interpretation developed since the early 1900s to protect individual rights related to sexual expression." - Susan M. Hartmann, Journal of American Studies Choices and rights, children and murder By Leigh Ann Wheeler How did we arrive at this stunningly polarized place in our discussion — our national shouting match — over women's reproductive rights? Certainly it wasn't always this way. Indeed, consensus and moderation on the issue of abortion has been the rule until recently. Even if we go back to biblical times, the brutal and otherwise misogynist law of the Old Testament made no mention of abortion, despite popular use of herbal abortifacients at the time. Americans Against the City Steven Conn The Rabbi's Atheist Daughter Bonnie S. Anderson The Oxford Handbook of the History of Crime and Criminal Justice Paul Knepper, Anja Johansen Founding Friendships Cassandra A. Good After the Vote Elisabeth Israels Perry The Legacy of Ronald Dworkin Wil Waluchow, Stefan Sciaraffa Fade In, Crossroads Until There Is Justice Jennifer Scanlon The Great Demarcation Rafe Blaufarb Sweet Taste of Liberty W. Caleb McDaniel The Complete American Constitutionalism, Volume Five, Part I Mark A. Graber, Howard Gillman Classroom Wars Natalia Mehlman Petrzela Charity and Sylvia Rachel Hope Cleves Military Justice: A Very Short Introduction Eugene R. Fidell The Republic for Which It Stands Richard White Arts & Humanities > History > Regional & National History > United States History > US Social History Arts & Humanities > History > Regional & National History > United States History > American Women's History Law > History of Law Law > Civil Law	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0041.json.gz/line3985
__label__cc	0.565313	0.434687	Account Deactivation and Content Removal: Takeways from Oct 28 call On October 28th, the GNI held the third call as part of our “Emerging Issues” learning series, which is focused on highlighting, exploring, and deepening our understanding and responses to emerging online free expression and privacy issues. Overview of the Issue Online service providers usually reserve—and often exercise—the right to deactivate accounts or remove content for various reasons. Content takedowns and account deactivations can occur because of legitimate terms of service violations by users, such as spamming or harassment. In other cases, misunderstandings of terms of service by users, mistakes by automated content monitoring processes, or targeted campaigns to “flag” a user’s legitimate post can lead to decisions to remove content or deactivate accounts. These issues may be exacerbated by systems that enable users to report content that violates terms of service yet do not provide sufficient supervision and safeguards; these systems may also be open to abuse by users or governments that disagree with a view voiced by someone on the platform. In some cases, unclear appeals processes or a lack of other forms of remedy can leave users with few opportunities to resolve their issues with the platform in question. Account deactivation and content removal processes are of particular concern for human rights activists. Web 2.0 platforms are invaluable tools for many activists, but the nature of the material posted by activists may makeC this content especially likely to be targeted for removal. The GNI has been actively engaged with this issue, and hosted a call in April on key cases and challenges. A follow up call, in July 2010, featured a discussion of next steps for GNI: 1.) Helping a broad range of companies develop their understanding of the human rights impact of content removal/account deactivation. 2.) Showcasing company best practices in this space and building a clearinghouse for information related to account deactivations/content removal. 3.) Building a network that can connect activists facing account deactivations/content removal with operational people at the relevant companies. 4.) A small working group, led by the Berkman Center and the Center for Democracy & Technology is currently developing good practices and guidelines for companies around account deactivation and content removal. They will draw on recent developments and outcomes from these calls; a draft document will be circulated in the coming months, and input from participants will be invited. This most recent call focused on updates on each of these priority activities, with a particular focus on identifying areas where GNI participants and other stakeholders can have an impact on the human rights risks implicated by account deactivation and content removal processes. Learning Call #3: Agenda GNI Executive Director Susan Morgan kicked off the call with a description of recent developments, including considerable activity and dialogue regarding the issue as it relates to user-generated sites and social networking platforms at the Internet at Liberty conference in Budapest and elsewhere. Other notable examples of late include the suspended account of a LiveJournal blogger who was embroiled in debates about Azerbaijan and Turkey and the suspended Facebook accounts of three Hong Kong users who were administrators of a group created to protest a luxury housing development. Speakers from a company, academic, and NGO perspectives then made brief remarks on key aspects of the issue, including: Recommendations for activists, companies, and the GNI around account deactivation policies and practices, including the importance of establishing strong human rights expertise within technology firms; creating ties and channels of communication between human rights organizations that face similar challenges; and developing a monitoring and response system to report suspicious activity more promptly. Participants also discussed the flip side of this issue – i.e. unauthorized account intrusion requiring temporary account disabling or deactivation. For additional information, see “Access recommendations to the GNI on account deactivation, content removal and unauthorized account access.” The company perspective focused on the ways in which diverse companies necessarily develop different processes for handling requests for content removal or account deactivation, including transparent and timely appeals processes. One participant highlighted the complexity of the issue when viewed through the lens of account control. Such questions can emerge both when re-instating legitimate accounts and when deactivating compromised accounts. The group agreed that establishing a human rights contact group could help expedite the resolution of such situations. However, a careful balance must be struck between creating a group that is effective, but also decentralized and informal; capable of acting swiftly, but also resistant to misuse or capture. Some participants noted that such a group should only be used for individual cases of urgent human rights issues, cases that cannot or have not been appropriately handled within the normal customer support chain. Another focal point of the discussion was the idea of a clearinghouse for information related to requests for account deactivation and content removal. Such a clearinghouse could help researchers, activists, companies and others develop their understanding of trends and issues, and collect, analyze and write about account deactivation trends and processes. Participants noted that gathering specific data and information from platforms regarding how they are auditing human rights cases could be a useful mapping exercise. The call concluded with participants outlining next steps for the GNI and its members. In addition to broadening the conversation into other areas like expedited deactivation, the GNI should focus on implementing the “next steps” outlined during the call, including: developing good practices and guidance for companies and advocates; creating an information communication network that includes activists and contacts within companies; and taking the first steps toward building a clearinghouse, or alternative mechanism for collecting examples, numbers and other useful analyses and data points. “GNI Convenes Stakeholders on Account Deactivation and Human Rights Issues” “Policing Content in the Quasi-Public Sphere” by Jillian York “Public Spaces, Private Infrastructure – Open Video Conference” by Ethan Zuckerman “Hong Kong: Three Activists Harassed by Facebook” by Oiwan Lam “Access recommendations to the GNI on account deactivation, content removal and unauthorized account access” (Word Document) David Sullivan2018-03-15T14:53:28+00:00November 11, 2010\|Categories: Resources\|Tags: Account Deactivation, Content Removal, Learning Call\| ABOUT THE GLOBAL NETWORK INITIATIVE Launched in 2008, the Global Network Initiative occupies a unique place in the global conversation about freedom of expression and privacy in the Information and Communications Technology sector. The GNI is a multi-stakeholder forum that brings together companies, civil society (including human rights and press freedom groups), academics and investors from around the world to protect and advance freedom of expression and privacy. A full list of GNI members and observers can be found here.	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0041.json.gz/line3986
__label__cc	0.718359	0.281641	Freisamer The white grape variety is a new breed between Sylvaner x Pinot Gris (which published by 2012 DNA analysis was confirmed). Synonyms are Freiburg 25-1 and (in Switzerland) Freiburger. The crossing took place in 1926 by the vines breeder Karl miller (1881-1955) at the State Wine Institute Freiburg (Baden-Württemberg). The first name was Freiburger, which was then changed in 1958 in Freisamer. The second name derives from Freiburg and the small river Dreisam flowing through the city. The Zuchztiel was a fungus resistant PIWI variety as an alternative to the Ruländer (Pinot Gris), but in the meantime has undergone extensive improvement by clone selection. That's why the importance of Freisamer has fallen dramatically. The medium to late ripening vine produces acidic white wines. She finished in 2010 in Germany only four hectares of vineyards. There are also small stocks in the Switzerland and in England, Pictures: Ursula Bruehl, Doris Schneider, Julius Kühn Institute (JKI) This page was last modified at 30 December 2018 at 20:13.	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0041.json.gz/line3987
__label__cc	0.718065	0.281935	10:57 am: Words at World's End To get this out of the way at the start: I work on the environmental effects of air transport. Since starting this work, I have gradually built up the sort of carbon footprint which in forensic terms might be used to identify a barbecued yeti. How? By flying. A lot. To many and varied conferences in many and varied places. I've just counted up the things I already know I will or might be doing next year and they include five trips to the Americas, so it ain't getting any better. On the plus side, I've been to many and varied places! Only without writing about them or doing anything with the copious pictures I've taken. There being a whole upcoming three months without international travel on the horizon, I thought I'd sit back, take stock, and post pictures. This is set of pictures number one, containing various things to do with words, peculiar translations and found things, including a particularly fine example of garbled pseudoscience. It is mostly silly and flippant. Malta, July 2009: Ghar Dalam cave. Whilst in this cave, we were completely safe from space bees! Thank goodness. Malta, July 2009: church at Marsaxlokk. Possibly a creche? Admittedly the thought of no food or drink does make me quite sad. Beijing, July 2009: hotel bedside table. Make your choice, adventurous stranger; Strike the bell and bide the danger, Or wonder, till it drives you mad, What would have followed if you had - C.S. Lewis, The Magician's Nephew Substitute button maked 'do not' for bell. Reader, I pressed it. A little red LED came on above the button. Nothing else happened[1]. As yet, calamitous retribution has not crashed down on my head, but it can only be a matter of time. Beijing, July 2009: Olympic Park. For what it's worth, I'd do a great deal more than detour in such a situation. (In the interests of mocking bizarre translation in an equal-opportunities way, it is worth pointing out that both English from Chinese/Japanese and Chinese/Japanese from English can go very, very wrong.) Beijing, July 2009: Forbidden City. Man. Um, this is kind of true. Beijing, July 2009: Olympic Park. I kind of feel I have an emotional connection with this grass by now. There it was, baring its sensitive underbelly before me, and all I could think of doing was crushing it beneath my feet. No longer, I can assure you. Although I'm not sure how the people who cut it can live with themselves. Beijing, July 2009: Dongzhimen Night Market. It should be noted that this was the only stall with English labels on the foodstuffs and Chinese labels separately, as opposed to the other way round. Draw your own conclusions. One of my conclusions was 'ooh, curly!'[2]. Anyhow, we didn't eat at the market. Instead, we ate at a nearby restaurant where the vegetarian section of the menu proudly began with "fatty intestine slices". Washington, December 2006: Smithsonian Museum. This was at the end of an illustrated line of panels discussing the Awesomeness of Spacesuits!! And how each layer of a Spacesuit did Really Cool Things!! I'm guessing from the expression on the poor astronaut dude's face that he's really wishing they'd concluded the discussion one layer above. Anchorage, September 2008: cab of old steam locomotive, public park. An unconventional approach to the personal ad. Plus points: has not lost the power to dream. Minus points: leaves personal ad in an abandoned train, creepy, picky, lists address as local prison. Anchorage, September 2008: W 5th Avenue and N St. For reference, this was in the brief period between Sarah Palin being unveiled as John McCain's running-mate and the global financial system going completely tits-up. This stencil was all over the place, as were the attendant devil-horns and altering of 'hope' to 'nope'. Interestingly, the Anchorage Daily News was strongly pro-Obama. My attempt to cycle to Wasilla was thwarted by a magic disappearing cycle path, but I can still hum the jingle of the Wasilla Mattress Ranch. Cambridge MA, January 2008: Restaurant wall near MIT. Could this graffito be based on one of the London 2012 BBC user-submitted olympic logos? I detect a certain similarity in design. Mumbai, October 2007: Sanjay Gandhi National Park. I mainly include this picture because it's rather blurred, in the sort of way that photos become a little blurred when it's getting dark of an evening, or the photo-taker is trying to move at a greater-than-anticipated velocity. Savannah GA, September 2009: Fire Station. Um, I'm kind of unclear about whether the person in black is meant to be facing forwards or backwards. I feel it might be good to have the situation clarified before taking advantage of this Safe Place. Bucharest, July 2009: Otopeni Airport, TAROM inflight magazine. The key to truly earth-shattering pseudoscience is to start, somewhere, somehow, with a tiny grain of truth. Maybe even more than one. Then mix those tiny grains of truth with fifteen hundred gallons of high-fructose corn syrup, strain through a dog's left bollock, add the heart of a pink unicorn and advertise them as whole-grain truth-containing wisdom. Bonus marks: derive the theory of relativity! Heck, it's not that hard. [1] In the interests of telling the whole story, we eventually worked out from comparing the Chinese characters with ones elsewhere that the button was meant to say 'do not disturb', and thus a great deal of nothing happening when it was pressed was perhaps not very surprising. [2] I hear tell that Google has a big screen at Google headquarters which contains nothing but an endlessly scrolling list of the searches currently ongoing in the world[3]. I imagine that at least the publically-viewable screen is filtered somewhat. Only this is the sort of food-related experience that has one googling such things as 'sheep penis dildo', see, and I wouldn't want anyone at Google to get the, uh, wrong idea (for what it's worth, ducks definitely have curly penises, wheras the kangaroo has a most unnerving bend. FWIW, these sites are probably not safe for work, unless you work in a cock factory.) [3] Which makes me wonder: what will the searches be like, when the rate starts to slow? What will the last Google search be? purplepiano September 29th, 2009 10:13 am (UTC) Be patient with our little server, gnimmel's friendslist! strokes fluffhouse gently mooism I am stealing that Forbidden City quote. I think that's where the title to brrm's LJ comes from. Looks like it - I just had a look at their userinfo and there's a very very similar picture.... ashfae September 29th, 2009 02:08 pm (UTC) I'm so smitten with the grass now. ellarien Hotel bedside console Was this the Friendship Hotel, by any chance? I think the "Do not" button turns on the "Do not disturb" light outside the door. I saw some wonderfully whimsical variants on "Keep off the grass" on my visit to Beijing. The best one was probably "The grass is growing pleasedon 't disturd it." October 2nd, 2009 12:36 pm (UTC) Re: Hotel bedside console It was the Beijing North Star Continental Hotel, but I suspect it was the same system (we did work out in the end that it meant 'do not disturb', and shortly thereafter found out about the outside light). atreic This is an awesome and wonderful post.	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0041.json.gz/line3988
__label__cc	0.682685	0.317315	Home / Lifestyle/ Living Artistic sensibilities Visual artist and fashion label co-owner Deborah Crowe takes us through the creative processes and design elements of her stunning Auckland apartment. Words Leanne Moore. Photography Helen Bankers Deborah Crowe’s home is a high-rise Auckland apartment that she has transformed into a platform for artistic expression and exploration. For Crowe, creating a home is a journey that lasts a lifetime. In the decade since she moved into the apartment with her husband Gary, she has transformed it into a unique space where staying power wins over passing fads. The secret to turning the apartment’s blank canvas into a harmonious whole is building layers of character over time, she says. Her expert eye as a visual artist is evident in the mixed-up décor that successfully combines colours, art, family memories and repurposed objects. Her colour confidence is perhaps most evident in the energising jolt of bold yellow on a wall of the apartment’s open-plan kitchen, dining and living space. Crowe and her business partner, Kim Fraser, have relaunched their clothing label, Fraser Crowe. The Fraser Crowe fashion label was exhibited internationally and won a number of New Zealand Fashion awards in the late 1990s in high-end womenswear. This time around, the label maintains its distinctive architectural references but it has a new emphasis on the environment and ethical issues in the clothing industry. “Fraser Crowe pushes against trend-focused fashion, thinks about the future of the planet, and designs clothing that feels gorgeous to wear,” says Crowe. A former senior lecturer in art and design, Crowe has worked from her studio in an historic building on Ponsonby Rd, five minutes walk from the apartment, for about nine years. “I love living just off K Rd. There’s a great buzz of creative activity, Western Park is close and there’s always something going on. The community has an open-mindedness and when I’m walking or cycling around our neighbourhood I always find something that makes me smile.” See below for Crowe's commentary on her home's design and personal touches. "The juxtaposition of opposites, a kind of duality or putting things together with potential double meaning seems quite consistent. For instance, the furniture in our living room is mostly simple and modern but the cream chaise with its curvy legs and ornate carving creates a playful contrast. That corner is a great foil to the more sober pieces and areas in the living space – a serious tone with a bit of folly thrown in. I like the idea of being informed about design – which comes from being trained in design history years ago – but also not taking myself too seriously. In fact, maybe the one consistent theme throughout our apartment is its inconsistency: a kind of eclecticism." I’m drawn to collectables that pique my interest and make me think. These pieces may contain some kind of contradiction or pose a question about relationships of material, ideas, colour, form or texture. I value the intention of the maker in the things I collect and am interested in the concept and history that influence an object’s creation. Aesthetically, I have a diverse range of collectables. In some pieces high-technical finishing is of utmost importance, whereas in others the aesthetic is the exact opposite – a kind of deliberate shonkiness. There are also things that hold meaning because of family connections, the place they originated or have special ties because they were gifted. Of course, because our living environment is a space influenced by the tastes and style of two people, my husband’s and mine, the range of things we collect and their composition evolves as we do. I could list many artists, architects, designers, musicians and creative practitioners, but really who and what inspires me are people who speak their minds to uphold truth. People who are brave, not fearful of being criticised by the masses, or by the dominant group or culture, and who are focused on achieving a long-term balance for humankind. The “what” that inspires me is making and taking actions – small or large – that make a difference to our environment and/or political structures. From a slightly less abstract perspective, I get inspired when I encounter uncensored happiness and contentment, for example my exhausted English bull terrier proudly hanging her ball on her lower canine tooth on the walk back from the park. Related to my creative work, I get ideas when I walk around cities, taking in the structures, sounds, smells and sights, or when I breathe in the air high up in Tongariro National Park. Rather than a current colour crush, I tend to have single colours or colour combinations I just love forever. For example, the combination of bright yellow and light salmon pink; together they jar a little, but just enough to create a bit of tension and soft uneasiness (if that’s not an oxymoron). I also love the colour we painted one of our living room walls “Lady Lime” (PPG Paints). Apart from the brilliant name (which helped close the deal in the paint shop) the slight tinge of green makes this colour change in different light throughout the day. I like how certain colours do that – have a life of their own and appear quite fluid and are responsive to what’s around them. In terms of colours related to my current art practice, some jarring, slightly uneasy colour combinations provide my colour language. Alongside flecks of intensely saturated colours, I love to utilise a full tonal range of greys – from dirty green grey to the amazing Payne’s Grey. Probably if I had to pick my all-time favourite colour, it could be Payne’s Grey – a dark blueish grey that in itself contains almost a contradiction of being a hue without chroma (colour) but actually has so much chroma in it too. At home I like to feel comfortable, to observe changes of light and sound throughout the day, and to have long sight lines. I love that from my bed I can see shoes in my plywood tower built by my husband; a jewellery collection; Maungawhau (Mt Eden); the rooftops of the CBD; the bridges of spaghetti junction; and the local sex shop and gallery. For me to feel fulfilled I like to be surrounded by things that stimulate, but also to have breathing spaces for contemplation. For me it’s about arranging things that have potential to strike up a conversation with each other, and whomever engages with them. That conversation might be a humorous one, or one about colour, function, materiality, politics, gender issues, environmental considerations. From a practical perspective, I love to take time positioning objects in relation to each other. It’s almost meditative for me, and feels a bit like the objects are dancing, with space as their partner. The object, the space and I respond to little actions from each other, working out a nuanced partnership that feels complete. Slight movements a few centimetres or so create the tension or flow of the conversation to just what works in relation to the intention. In general, when I think about establishing composition and character I would summarise it like this: I like pushing against and disrupting the system in some instances, but have areas where respect of craft, or design history, or other associations kick in and I flip back to being a little more rigid. It’s all about creating balance. Your creative home Fostering your creativity for greater health and happiness. A force of nature A young family’s off-the-grid bush escape in South Africa’s untamed Little Karoo blends rugged st... Open home Inspired design hacks have turned this small urban apartment into an expansive work-eat-sleep-pla... Forget garish colour or fussy fabrics – pure rustic style is about interiors pared back to the ba...	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0041.json.gz/line3991
__label__cc	0.729863	0.270137	US & Canada: 732-818-9600 • UK & All Other: +44 161 818 4725 Headphone Disco The Silent Party People Headphone Rental Show Hire Summer Round Up Headphone Disco has enjoyed it’s busiest summer yet with some truly exceptional shows. We’ve re-visited old friends; performing at Belladrum Festival for the 6th year in a row. We’ve made some new friends; hello End Of The Road Festival, hello Lushfest! We’ve played in 28 US states since April (and Alaska can get crossed off the list in Feb 2013!!!). We’ve sold out the o2 Academy in Sheffield for the 4th year in a row at our annual self-promoted Freshers hoedown. And along the way we’ve staged the world’s biggest ever Headphone Disco on the opening night of Creamfields UK for 16,000 people across four arenas (and watch out, next year the capacity is gonna be even bigger). Our DJ family has expanded significantly as we continue to develop the concept and spread the love to new and exciting locations and we’ve had a lot of fun continually tweaking and adapting our show to ensure maximum excitement for any newcomers to the concept and some unexpected twists for any regular fans of the HD show. If you like the sound of this and you’d like to be involved in Headphone Disco then get in touch and tell us what you’re good at. We’re always looking for people that are good at stuff….. Category: Uncategorized October 16, 2012 BOOKING & PRESS ENQUIRES Jeff or Ari at DEGY Booking International UK & All Other Bookings & Enquiries COPYRIGHT © 2006-present HEADPHONE DISCO ALL RIGHTS RESERVED	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0041.json.gz/line4011
__label__wiki	0.908497	0.908497	Sri Ramakrishna Institute of Oncology and Research Paediatric cancer Madras Metropolitan Registry Coimbatore : Cancer cure rates better, but new cases on the rise too On World Cancer Day, which is observed on February 4, a majority of city oncologists are worried about the increasing incidence of cancer.Pratiksha Ramkumar \| TNN \| February 04, 2016, 10:08 IST According to a new study, a combination of low dose tablets taken orally promises to be not just a cost effective chemotherapy but is also showing positive results in terms of survival rate. Coimbatore: On World Cancer Day, which is observed on February 4, a majority of city oncologists are worried about the increasing incidence of cancer. Though Coimbatore does not have a dedicated registry, data available with the Madras Metropolitan Registry shows that the number of paediatric cancer cases and incidence has gone up by 60% among both boys and girls. However, doctors say the positive side of the story is that new forms of genetic testing, targeted molecule drugs, awareness and lessons learnt from the past have led to better cure rates. Doctors say cure rates for low risk leukaemias are close to 90% now and is close to 80% for standard risk cancers too. They attribute the increase in cure rates to multiple factors like better knowledge and technological advancements to better drugs and early awareness. "Due to newer technologies like genetic testing and molecular testing, which helps us identify cancer causing chromosomes, we can clearly categorise under low, standard or high risk," says director of Sri Ramakrishna Institute of Oncology and Research, Dr P Guhan. "Treatment is based on the category. The chemotherapy we administer is also more intensive followed by better supportive care," he added. They say the discovery of newer drugs which act as targeted molecules and produce antibodies also have played a major role. "These new drugs act only on the cancer cells and are low in toxicity for the normal tissues," says Dr Sudhakar. "So the side effects of prescribing such strong drugs are not extreme on children and they remain strong enough to fight the disease." A majority of childhood cancers are leukaemias, following lymphomas and brain cancer. "While we used to see around two to three new cases a day a decade ago, now we see four to five new cases a month," says consultant oncologist at Kovai Medical Centre and Hospital, Dr N Sudhakar. Senior oncologist at New Delhi-based Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, Dr Shyam Aggarwal, says they see "at least 70 to 100 new cases of paediatric cancer a month compared to hardly 30 cases seen a decade ago". "However, the increase is probably due to better diagnosis and awareness than an actual increase in cases," said. Dr Revathi Raj, consultant paediatric haematologist, at Chennai-based Apollo Specialty Hospital. According to the Madras Metropolitan Tumour Registry, 285 boys were diagnosed with cancer between 1982-'86 contributing to an incidence of 10.7 per 1 lakh children. This number rose to 376 cases in 2007-'11 leading to a rise in incidence of 14.9 for every 1 lakh children. Among girls too, the number of cases has risen from 189 cases in 1982-86 to 263 cases between 2007-11. The trend also seems to be seen across the country. Data from the National Cancer Registry Programme which compiles data from 25 population based registries, like MMTR, across the country shows an increase in contribution of peadiatric cancer to the total number of cancer cases. It went up from 2.5% in 1998-2000 to 5.5% in 2007-2011. Cancer screening centres and more awareness among doctors which leads to early detection also plays a role, say doctors. "Now most patients come in the early stages without other complications," says Dr Guhan. For example, a 14-year-old girl, Geetha Selvaraj, from Pollachi walked into a primary health centre thinking she just had a strange fever that kept returning every three days. She was diagnosed with lymphoblastic leukemia in the first stage. "However, cure rates in brain cancer and neuroblastoma is yet to increase beyond 50% to 60%," says Bindu Nair, founder of Aroh Foundation which works with cancer affected children. Tags : Industry, World Cancer Day, Sri Ramakrishna Institute of Oncology and Research, Paediatric cancer, oncologists, Madras Metropolitan Registry	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0041.json.gz/line4012
__label__wiki	0.886115	0.886115	End of the Corcoran? New Plan Would Dissolve the Gallery FacebookTweetEmail There Is No "Pride" in Appropriation The Lingering Presence of Jannis Kounellis Dismantling Beauty Through Extreme Self-Portraiture When White "Allies" Go Wrong The Growing Tide Against Unpaid Internships Advertise on Hyperallergic with Nectar Ads Call to Artists: $120,000 Sculpture Commission Opportunity in White Plains, NY MassArt’s 2019 MFA Summer Thesis Exhibition Opens July 22 Brookfield Place Presents Tepkik, an Installation by Jordan Bennett Discover Why the Pacific Northwest Is the Center of Glass Art at Refract: The Seattle Glass Experience Learn New Skills and Strengthen Your Portfolio with Pratt Institute’s School of Continuing and Professional Studies The Corcoran Gallery’s Beaux-Arts building, designed by Ernest Flagg (photo by Laura Padgett, via art around on Flickr) After years of financial crisis, Washington, DC’s Corcoran Gallery of Art — the city’s largest and oldest private museum, which focuses on American art — has announced a plan that would see it “cease to exist as an independent institution,” the Washington Post reports. Under the terms of arrangement, which is not yet final, the museum’s collection would go to the National Gallery, while its landmarked Beaux-Arts building and the Corcoran College of Art and Design would go to George Washington University (GW). The National Gallery would not keep all 17,000 Corcoran-owned artworks but instead conduct a study and acquire “a large fraction of them,” giving the rest away to institutions throughout the US. The National Gallery would also mount modern and contemporary art exhibitions in the Corcoran building under the title Corcoran Contemporary, National Gallery of Art, and a Corcoran Legacy Gallery would be maintained in the building, “featuring works closely associated with the Corcoran’s history.” Entry would be free; the Corcoran is currently one of very few museums in Washington that charge admission. George Washington, meanwhile, would incorporate the Corcoran College of Art and Design into the university. It would also receive the Corcoran building for free but would be obligated to pay for its renovation, whose cost has been estimated as high as $130 million. The Corcoran has been seeking institutional partners to help save it for years now; last spring, a widely reported deal with the University of Maryland seemed imminent but then fizzled by the fall. The deadline for working out the details of the present arrangement is April 7. Whether or not the GW/National Gallery plan comes to pass, it seems certain that the Corcoran will not remain a unified whole, which had still been the hope when museum officials were negotiating last year. “There is no way to continue the Corcoran as we knew it or as we know it,” Peggy Loar, interim director and president of the Corcoran, told the Post. Under the current deal, the Corcoran would remain an independent nonprofit entity, but its actions would be limited to consulting with the National Gallery and shaping the institution’s legacy. In its press release regarding the deal, the Corcoran tries to paint the announcement in a positive light, writing: The proposed arrangement among the three prominent Washington, D.C., institutions comes as the culmination of a five-year effort by the Corcoran’s Board of Trustees to preserve the 17th Street building as both a museum space and a home for the College and to ensure the future of the Corcoran collection as a treasure accessible to all. Due to the challenges faced by the Corcoran, its Board has sought to achieve these goals by exploring collaborations with other cultural and educational institutions. But many blame the board and the institution’s leadership for those unnamed “challenges.” Just read the Corcoran announcement of their board's utter failure. Whoever wrote it shld get hired on the Hill immediately. @allyschweitzer — gregorg (@gregorg) February 19, 2014 Just this: The demise of the Corcoran is a case-study in horrible, terrible, dim, absent leadership. — Tyler Green (@TylerGreenDC) February 19, 2014 In addition to breaking the news, the Post also has a piece by its art critic, Philip Kennicott, in which he calls the plan “cultural euthanasia” and writes, “this is the end of the Corcoran and its final dismemberment.” He offers this eulogy for the belovedly idiosyncratic but long troubled institution: The collection as a living entity is gone, and so, too, the Corcoran as an independent presence in Washington cultural life. The quirks of the old gallery, founded in 1869 as Washington’s first art museum, will disappear. Any lingering sense of the Corcoran’s collection as the expression of William Wilson Corcoran’s aesthetic taste, any reflection of the giants of Washington cultural life who also left their art in its care, will vanish. The eccentricities of the Corcoran’s staff and curators, the peculiar feistiness of the place that arose from its dual mission as a college and gallery, all of that will be gone, too. Corcoran Gallery of ArtGeorge Washington UniversityMuseumsNational GalleryWashington DC More from Hyperallergic These Pillows Are One Way You Can Help Immigrants Detained by ICE 83% of Gen Z Phone Users Feel More Comfortable Expressing Emotions Through Emojis Benin Receives $22.5 Million Loan From France for New Museum Louvre Removed Sackler Name From Its Walls and Website Untethering Filipino History From American Exceptionalism Julia Friedman3 days ago Artist Mari Katayama uses objects both to reference her body and to submerge the viewer in a world where the expected limits of the bodily form are reimagined. Zachary Small2 days ago There Is No “Pride” in Appropriation Joseph Pierce2 days ago Andy Warhol Foundation Awards $3.81 Million in Spring 2019 Grants Eric Vilas-Boas7 hours ago Developer Planning Luxury Towers Atop Senior Housing in Chinatown Halted Again Zachary Small8 hours ago Dora Maar’s Seductive Surrealism Joseph Nechvatal10 hours ago	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0041.json.gz/line4022
__label__cc	0.586691	0.413309	Cataract Symptoms What Is Cataract Surgery? Premium Lens Options Why Cataract Surgery? Cataract Recovery Is Cataract Surgery Safe? Cataract Self Test Cost of Cataract Surgery What is LASIK? Why LASIK? LASIK Recovery Is LASIK Safe? LASIK Self Test Cost of LASIK LASIK Calculator Pterygium Removal Clear Lens Exchange Submit a Referral Treating Glaucoma with “Natural Cures” is Unwise. Here’s Why. By tdower, January 14th, 2019 Unregulated websites across the internet claim to offer homeopathic solutions for glaucoma, but the science behind them isn’t always sound. Glaucoma affects more than 3 million Americans, making it one of the leading causes of vision loss in the country — and the leading cause of blindness for African Americans and Hispanic Americans. While many people may link glaucoma with high eye pressure, the latter is only a risk factor of the former rather than the sole cause. Instead, glaucoma is a group of eye disorders connected to a range of risk factors that pose a threat to the optic nerve. Because there’s no cure for glaucoma, many patients are understandably curious about the options available for treating the condition before it worsens. As always, conferring with a qualified eye care specialist is your best bet at catching glaucoma early and making a plan to halt its progress. However, some have become invested in homeopathic remedies for glaucoma — also known as “natural cures” — that claim to treat the condition if followed properly. While many of these remedies are not explicitly harmful, the science backing them up is thin. What’s more, unregulated websites published beyond the quality control of peer-reviewed scientific journals may be persuading patients to sit tight with natural treatments for a condition that needs to be identified and managed as early as possible. For the 50% of patients who experiment with these remedies, it’s important to know the facts. If you’re following one of the following homeopathic regimens, you should consider reaching out to an eye doctor instead. Patients could be forgiven for believing in the potential of vitamin supplements to support their bodies’ fight against glaucoma. However, because glaucoma is actually a group of related diseases — and a grouping that differs from one patient to the next — researchers haven’t been able to pinpoint exactly what combination of vitamins is needed to effectively treat glaucoma patients. For patients trying their own natural cures, this makes finding the right mix of vitamins, or a mix that will do anything at all, challenging. For instance, vitamin C can potentially reduce intraocular pressure, but in order for it to be meaningfully effective, patients would have to take such high doses that they’d likely deal with complications such as diarrhea and dehydration. Similarly, herbal remedies that may benefit patients with unrelated health issues shouldn’t be used as the primary treatment when dealing with glaucoma. While herbs such as gingko biloba are useful with vascular disorders, for example, and have been shown to increase blood flow in the eye in some studies, other research hasn’t arrived at the same conclusions. Again, patients may not be doing their bodies any harm by taking these supplements, but with conflicting studies disagreeing on the efficacy of herbal treatment, patients risk losing valuable time better spent on scientifically proven methods. As the regulatory attitude toward cannabis has changed around the country, many patients are curious whether medical-grade marijuana can benefit eyes as they deal with glaucoma. While cannabis has been shown in some studies to reduce intraocular pressure, the drop typically only lasts for a little while before the effects wear off. Additionally, because marijuana has so many substances that have received so little research attention because of federal substance controls, more studies will need to be done in order to understand what role they play in treating glaucoma. Anti-Inflammatory Diets It’s always wise to watch what you eat — especially if you’re struggling with serious health conditions like glaucoma. However, websites that claim that anti-inflammatory diets alone can stop or even reverse glaucoma are doing patients a disservice. It’s true that leafy greens and limited salt intake can help prevent inflammation — something that’s important when dealing with this condition — but they can’t carry the weight of treatment alone. Receiving Qualified Attention The bottom line? It’s best to have a comprehensive discussion with an eye care specialist about what your fight against glaucoma will look like. They may well recommend vitamin supplements and an anti-inflammatory diet, but they’ll also provide you with essential recommendations when it comes to medication and procedures that you’ll need to protect your vision. Additionally, glaucoma can be difficult to spot until it’s already begun to damage the optic nerve. This means that attending regularly scheduled check-ups is important if you want to detect the condition as early as possible. If you’re wondering where to start, schedule a consultation today with ICON Eyecare. Our team can get you the information you need to start a well-informed treatment plan today. LASIK Recovery: What to Expect and When Dry Eye After LASIK: How to Get Relief Glaucoma: Critical Symptoms to Look Our For How a Vegetable-Rich Diet Can Help Prevent Cataracts Important Questions to Consider Before You Undergo LASIK The Dos and Don’ts of Cataract Surgery Recovery Don’t Panic: Some Blurred Vision After LASIK Is Normal 6 Tips to Protect Your Eyesight Why Cataracts Can’t Come Back after Removal How to Know if You Have Wet or Dry Age-Related Macular Degeneration Schedule Your VIP Consultation. For fastest service during hours 8am-5pm M-F, Sat 12-5pm, call us at 720-307-4794. Otherwise fill out the form below to schedule your VIP consultation. Appointment TypeLASIKCataractOther LocationDenverLone TreeGoldenLovelandGrand Junction Prefered Communication: Let’s schedule! At ICON Eyecare, it’s our life’s work to help you see more of the moments that matter. Your eyes shouldn’t keep you from seeing more of sunsets, more friends and family, more accomplishments, more acts of kindness, more goodness. © 2019 \| All Rights Reserved \| Site by MD Connect Schedule Your VIP Consult. Are You a Physician?	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0041.json.gz/line4024
__label__wiki	0.729757	0.729757	Twitter should not have suspended Gavin McInnes Taylor MillardPosted at 8:01 pm on August 12, 2018 The mob has struck again – this time removing Vice co-founder Gavin McInnes from Twitter. The move was done a couple days before Unite the Right 2 happened in Washington, DC. Via Buzzfeed. The company suspended the group’s main account @ProudBoysUSA, as well as that of its founder Gavin McInnes, for violating its policy on “violent extremist groups.” The company also took down several regional accounts associated with the organization. “We can confirm that these accounts have been suspended from Twitter and Periscope for violating our policy prohibiting violent extremist groups,” a company spokesperson said in a statement to BuzzFeed News. I had to do some research into what, if any, violent rhetoric McInnes may have uttered with the only possible instances being an endorsement of the Fraternal Order of Alt Knights and apparently saying, “When they go low, go lower. Mace ’em back, throw bricks at their head. Let’s destroy them. We’ve been doing it for a while now and I gotta say, it’s really invigorating.” Where McInness made the statement is questionable. DePaul University claims it happened during a speech and NYU while Canada’s National Post says it was in a video for Rebel Media. All we know is it wasn’t on Twitter. The endorsement of FOAK happened on social media – but the question is where. Britain’s HOPE not Hate posted a screenshot of a 2017 tweet claiming McInnes gave the a-OK to FOAK, but McInnes’ own Proud Boys article features a Facebook screenshot. The distinction is key because a Facebook screenshot obviously isn’t the same as Twitter. One would think McInnes’ comment on Facebook wouldn’t be in violation of Twitter’s terms of service regarding violence – as Twitter is complaining. McInnes was accused of making homophobic tweets (NSFW) by the account Hoarsewhisperer. Of course, I’m not exactly sure how homophobic the cited tweet can be if McInnes was simply pointing out Milo Yiannopoulos is now married to a black man. It’s certainly vulgar, but not homophobic. So it doesn’t make sense for Twitter to suspend McInnes’ account for “violent rhetoric” if none on Twitter can be found. It only shows Twitter’s handling of suspensions needs work and their appeals process needs to be fixed as soon as possible. It might be why people are slowly leaving Twitter. McInnes’ solution to his Twitter ban is simple: we need more government. Via Breitbart: “I interviewed Alex Jones this week, I dedicated an episode on my show to him and he said “you’re next!” and he was talking about me, but all conservatives, and 24 hours later, I was next. I think the future is socialism, the future is Tucker Carlson getting on a plane and being tapped on the shoulder and being told he has to get off the plane, and that’s already happened with ICE agents, by the way, they’re told they can’t use certain airlines. We’re going to be kicked out of hotels, it’s already happening with restaurants, so utilities follows after that and that includes web hosters y’know they’re trying to get rid of [social media network] Gab and yes, of course, Breitbart is next on the chopping block, of course Daily Caller, Daily Wire, they will attack the hosts for those and try to make sure they can’t have that site and they’ll make up a ‘unite the right’ story to justify it.” Breitbart News Editor Amanda House asked McInnes: “What needs to happen? Is it Congress stepping in, is it people just getting off these platforms altogether?” McInnes replied: “Trump has to stand up and say ‘this is not the free market, this is collusion with the DNC and big business and big tech and that’s illegal, that’s unamerican, that’s not acceptable.’ The whole reason that InfoWars was shut down was because the DNC saw him as a threat, the whole reason me and the Proud Boys were shut down is because the DNC hated our millennial appeal. We can’t have the DNC deciding how big companies behave, that’s called fascism.” A reminder to the alleged libertarian McInnes. Twitter is a private company which can do what it wants. The company has the ability to associate with whoever it wants – meaning it can decide to remove those it doesn’t want on its platform. Its methods may be selectively and hypocritically enforced, but it is up to Twitter executives to answer why they decide to remove McInnes and keep other unseemly accounts active. Those answers will have to come from shareholders and news organizations – both mainstream and new media. The only way it becomes “illegal” is if there’s evidence Twitter is acquiescing to the orders of the government to remove accounts or censor speech. Then the punishment should come down on the government via a lawsuit or election, while Twitter suffers the ignominy of losing users. Look at how many people left Yahoo after it was revealed they cooperated with the NSA and then suffered the massive hack of millions of users. The free market works – even if it is slower than any of us want it to be. The last thing the government should get involved in is social media. A few exit questions to those who want to see the government exert some kind of control over Twitter: What happens when the opposition gets into power and decides to modify the regulations of social media? Would you be okay if the regulations included allowing a government monitor of all direct messages or even tweets while they’re being written? Or would that be a bridge too far? I don’t think McInnes should have been removed from Twitter, but I sure as, um, crap don’t want government power over social media. Those who claim to want limited government shouldn’t be in favor of it either. We don’t need, “Big Brother is Watching You,” more than we already have in America. Inviting government into social media governance only encourages it. Update: An embedded tweet with NSFW content has been removed, but a link to it put in its place. Tags: #TwitterPurge big government gavin mcinnes Internet regulations social media Twitter Brother Of Newtown Victim Running For Office As Pro-Gun?	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0041.json.gz/line4031
__label__cc	0.5297	0.4703	UK and EU EXIT – Preparing for a No Deal Brexit UK and EU EXIT – Preparing for a No Deal Exit Notes as of January 2019 EU Exit Portal launched Since August the UK Government has steadily published various technical guidance notes giving advice to businesses and individuals about being prepared for a no deal when the UK leaves the EU on 29th March 2019. This note contains information for HTA members about some of the guidance relevant to members. Full guidance notes and other information can now be accessed via an EU Exit Portal. The portal, launched in January 2019 contains all the advice for individuals and businesses on preparing for EU Exit, with or without a deal. Ther is also a brief update on the HTA News Pages Advice to Businesses on No Deal Planning Completely read and understand the implications of a no deal. Seek advice if necessary. The British Retail Consortium and Confederation of British Industry both have advice pages for businesses Think about how you will need to adapt your activities to comply with new systems, processes and controls Assess the impact of any changes on your business Consider if you need to recruit & train additional staff Stay up to date with changes by subscribing to Government e-mail alerts:- https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/UKHMRCED/subscriber/new If you import familiarise yourself with HTA's Importing advice on the Brexit page. this is in the form of both a slide presentation and a longer advice document. General Brexit information can be found here, including advice for individuals and businesses :- EU Exit Portal Sign up and read the HTA's E-News every Tuesday, it's free for everyone. The newsletter includes initiatives, issues and comment direct to your inbox, email htanews@hta.org.uk to subscribe. UK Government Approach: The technical guidance says that the UK Government still believes that a deal will be reached with the EU prior to 29th March 2019. However, it has published the guidance notes to allow people and businesses to start preparing should a deal not be agreed. The technical guidance also stresses the importance of the Northern Ireland border in the ongoing negotiations. The Government has published an excellent "Partnership Pack" which lays out in great detail the changes which will affect the UK border after a 'no deal' EU Exit. The pack gives comprehensive updates and advice to anyone who imports or exports both in and out of the EU and also in and out of third countries. Importing and Exporting Plants and Plant Products if There is No Withdrawal Deal EU Plant Variety Rights post-Brexit Brexit White Paper Commentary - July 2018	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0041.json.gz/line4033
__label__cc	0.64739	0.35261	https://d2wldr9tsuuj1b.cloudfront.net/2843/slideshows/homeMedium/2013Festival_of_ministries.jpg Annual Festival of Ministries Each year parishioners enjoy a Festival of Ministries giving them the opportunity to put their time and talent to work. https://d2wldr9tsuuj1b.cloudfront.net/2843/slideshows/homeMedium/clergyataltar.jpg The Clergy venerate the altar at Liturgy. We come together in Eucharist to worship the Lord and be strengthened by His presence in Word, Sacrament, the Assembly and the Presider. https://d2wldr9tsuuj1b.cloudfront.net/2843/slideshows/homeMedium/IMG_1106.JPG Vacation Bible School There's always sun shining brightly for Vacation Bible School https://d2wldr9tsuuj1b.cloudfront.net/2843/slideshows/homeMedium/ChurchConfirmation.jpg Our Parish Church bathed in light during the Celebration of Confirmation Bishop Sheltz joins us for the celebration of the Confirmation of our Youth. https://d2wldr9tsuuj1b.cloudfront.net/2843/slideshows/homeMedium/GonzagaPaintng.jpg Painting of St. Aloysius Gonzaga, S.J. Portrait Artist and parishioner, David Parks, has completed this painting to hang in the Gonzaga Center to tell the story of St. Aloysius Gonzaga. CLICK HERE to see painting. /painting-of-st-aloysius-gonzaga-sj _self https://d2wldr9tsuuj1b.cloudfront.net/2843/slideshows/homeMedium/St_Ignatius_school_supplies_2014.jpg School Supplies for Teachers Kaiser Elementary Teachers were thrilled to find all the supplies they needed for the first day of school this year, thanks to parishioners at St. Ignatius who donated two truckloads of class room supplies as part of the parish’s annual Back-to-School Drive. https://d2wldr9tsuuj1b.cloudfront.net/2843/slideshows/homeMedium/FrancisClosingRemarks.gif Pope Francis' Apostolic Exhortation: GAUDETE ET EXSULTATE ON THE CALL TO HOLINESS IN TODAY’S WORLD Click on the picture to read the document. http://w2.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/apost_exhortations/documents/papa-francesco_esortazione-ap_20180319_gaudete-et-exsultate.html _blank https://d2wldr9tsuuj1b.cloudfront.net/2843/slideshows/homeMedium/107.JPG The Annual St. Joseph Altar Jo Simpson, Co-Chair of the St. Joseph Altar Guild, leads the assembled crowd of hungry people in the "tupa tupa" in preparation for the blessing of the altar and the food. Stewardship...A Way of Life Faith Direct has benefits: on-line giving one time contributions earn points with your credit card contributions catch up on missed giving and pledge commitments Memorial gifts for the Gonzaga Center in memory or honor of a loved one, or special event flood relief donation For donations for flood relief, use "One-Time Gifts". God entrusted each one of us with unique gifts. Stewardship focuses on the responsibility each one of us has to manage and share these gifts responsibly. Sharing in God's work here at St. Ignatius is the first step to a Stewardship...A Way of Life. It is never too late to sign up for a ministry, we invite you to take a look at new opportunities in our Ministry Directory by clicking HERE. Join St. Ignatius of Loyola Are you interested in making St. Ignatius of Loyola your home? MY PARISH APP The ability for St. Ignatius of Loyola to connect well with our parishioners throughout the week is invaluable. Everything in the app has one goal in mind; help YOU orient YOUR daily life towards Christ. Click HERE to download MyParish App for your tablet or smart phone and then stay connected to the parish and our activities. Friday of the Fifteenth Week in Ordinary Time Reading 1 Ex 11:10—12:14 Responsorial Psalm Ps 116:12-13, 15 and 16bc, 17-18 Gospel Mt 12:1-8 RSS Feed More News News from the Vatican Synod emphasizes Church’s mission to defend the vulnerable, cardinal says The objective of the upcoming Synod of Bishops for the Amazon is to highlight the need for religious, political and social leaders to come together and defend the dignity of indigenous men, women and... British-born Italian layman appointed new Vatican spokesperson Pope Francis has appointed British-born Italian layman Matteo Bruni as the new director of the Holy See Press Office. A new exhibit celebrates 35 years of Vatican-U.S. diplomatic relations. United States to co-host Vatican summit on religious freedom The Vatican and the U.S. will co-host a summit on religious freedom. Vatican Museums loan Leonardo da Vinci work for special anniversary The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York is marking the 500th anniversary of the death of Leonardo da Vinci with a painting by the artist that will draw crowds but also pay solemn tribute to the... Marriage Orientation Session The Marriage Orientation Session is the first step in the marriage preparation process for St. Ignatius. Registration is required by the 15th of the month. To register contact Natasha Faircloth at the parish office. Natural Family Planning Introductory Session (NFP) in English Monday, August 5, 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM The Introductory Session for the Creighton Model FertilityCare System is open to all who are interested in learning more about this method of natural family planning (NFP). It fulfills the NFP requirement for marriage preparation in the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston. Sunday, August 25, 1:30 PM - 3:00 PM Sunday, September 22, 1:30 PM - 3:00 PM Monday, October 7, 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM 2019 Holiday and Office Closure Schedule 2018 Directory of Ministries FY 18 Annual Parish FInance Council Presentaton FY 18 Annual Parish Finance Council Presentation (Spanish) SILCC Early Childhood Registration Form 2019-2020 With great affection, I address this Apostolic Exhortation to all Christian young people. It is meant to remind you of certain convictions born of our faith, and at the same time to encourage you to grow in holiness and in commitment to your personal vocation. But since it is also part of a synodal process, I am also addressing this message to the entire People of God, pastors and faithful alike, since all of us are challenged and urged to reflect both on the young and for the young. Consequently, I will speak to young people directly in some places, while in others I will propose some more general considerations for the Church’s discernment. For the full Apostolic Exhortation, click HERE. meet our new Director of Youth ministries We are happy to announce that our parish has a new Director of Youth Ministries. Mr. Chris Osgood was selected out of a group of a dozen applicants. Chris converted to the Catholic faith in 2007 while aspiring to be a Baptist pastor at Liberty University. He has 8+ years of experience serving in youth & young adult ministry from being a parish youth minister to serving twice as a diocesan director of youth & young adult ministry (Diocese of Laredo, TX & Diocese of Savannah, GA). In his spare time, he enjoys watching baseball and college football (especially the Navy Midshipmen). The Osgood family is excited to join our parish and are especially excited to see what the future has in-store for the young people of our community. A special thanks to the members of the Search Committee who committed themselves to the process of selecting the best candidate to meet the needs of our youth and their families. Chris begins with us on Monday, July 15th. Please keep Chris, his family and our youth in your prayers as he begins serving in our parish community. Map Pastor: Very Rev. Norbert Maduzia, Jr., E.V., D. Min. Parochial Vicar: Rev. Justin Cormie Parish Administrator: Ron Svoboda Webmaster • Staff Directory • Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0041.json.gz/line4037
__label__wiki	0.959672	0.959672	Mobile & Tabs Techook Microsoft to retire Groove Music app for Android, iOS by December 1https://indianexpress.com/article/technology/social/microsoft-to-retire-groove-music-app-for-android-ios-by-december-1-5200376/ Microsoft to retire Groove Music app for Android, iOS by December 1 Microsoft has decided to discontinue Groove Music, on both Android and iOS. While the service will not be available for installs from June 1, the service will be retired from December 1. By Tech Desk \|New Delhi \| Updated: June 2, 2018 9:20:09 am Microsoft data shows hackers still targeting US elections Microsoft warns Windows 10 users of RASMAN bug that affects VPN services Microsoft will retire Groove Music, its music player app, from Android and iOS. Microsoft will retire Groove Music, its music player app, from Android and iOS. The news was first reported by The Verge on May 31, which said through a source that the Microsoft service will not be available for download from June 1, and will be retired. This was also confirmed by tweets from Microsoft tipster Richard Hay. In one of Hay’s tweets, dated May 31, the tipster has attached a link to a Microsoft US support page, which features FAQ about the Groove Music player. The page states that after December 1, the Groove Music iOS and Android apps will stop working, and asks users to uninstall the app before the deadline. It also adds that the music saved with these Groove Music apps will be available in OneDrive, where users will be able to listen to their files and playlists from the Groove Music apps on PC, Xbox, or Windows Phone. Microsoft plans to retire the Groove Music apps on iOS and Android effective 01 December 2018. https://t.co/i3oFrIWCsA — Richard Hay (@WinObs) May 31, 2018 In addition, Windows has also given a step-wise procedure to continue listening to music stored in OneDrive through their iPhones and Android smartphones. Firstly, OneDrive users will need to download the app to PC, and then play music via the OneDrive app. Subsequently, music enthusiasts should play the music saved on OneDrive via another streaming service, such as Google Play Music, or Apple’s iTunes Match. Since December 2017, Microsoft’s Groove Music had to step aside from many platforms for popular music streaming service Spotify. At that point, Microsoft had decided to discontinue with streaming services for Groove Music. Soon after, Groove Music was also built into digital assistant Cortana, where it is used as a music identification tool, like Shazam. 1 WhatsApp Predicted Upload feature rolling out for Android, iOS: Report 2 Ramdev’s Kimbho app taken down from Google Play Store, Patanjali explains why 3 Struggling with petrol, diesel price hikes? These apps will help you keep tab of fuel prices	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0041.json.gz/line4041
__label__wiki	0.770079	0.770079	FOX: Miranda Lambert shares rare photo of husband Brendan McLoughlin to promote puppy adoption Miranda Lambert shared a rare photo of her new husband while calling on her fans to adopt a couple of puppies. After an On-Air Correction, Naomi Wolf Addresses Errors in Her New Book. During a BBC Radio interview, the host pointed out that Ms. Wolf misunderstood an important legal term in her book “Outrages.” >> Apollo 11 brooch worn by Neil Armstrong's wife surfaces, up for sale. A commemorative gold brooch that belonged to the wife of Apollo 11 astronaut Neil Armstrong is up for sale. >> Aretha Franklin’s Sons Debate Whether New Will Is Valid. When the singer died last year, her family thought she had no will. But documents have surfaced that detail a specific plan on how to distribute her estate. >> Auger-Aliassime to meet Paire in Lyon final. Felix Auger-Aliassime will seek a first ATP title against local favorite Benoit Paire in the Lyon Open final >> CEO pay shot up 7% in 2018. The typical CEO in 2018 took home $12 million, but many received multiples of that. A new survey shows it would take 158 years for the typical worker at most big companies to make what their CEO did last year. >> Cory Booker >> Driving in flip-flops isn't illegal, but you can still be fined thousands if this happens. Contrary to a widely-held belief. >> Hear part of Jayme Closs' statement read in court. The attorney for Jayme Closs, as well as members of her family, read impact statements in court to Jake Patterson, who pleaded guilty to homicide and kidnapping charges. >> HP, Hibbett rise; Foot Locker, Autodesk fall. HP, Hibbett rise; Foot Locker, Autodesk fall >> Jayme Closs’s Kidnapper Gets Life in Prison Without Parole. “I was smarter,” Jayme said in a statement at the sentencing hearing for Jake Patterson, who pleaded guilty to abducting her and killing her parents. >> Lawmaker explains why he stalled disaster aid bill. A $19 billion disaster relief bill stalled in the House after Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) objected to passing the bill. >> Pete Buttigieg >> Quickly catch up on the day's business news. Here's what you might have missed Friday from CNN Business. >> Rascal Flatts’ Jay DeMarcus explains why he wrote about giving his daughter up for adoption in new memoir. Rascal Flatts bassist Jay DeMarcus explains why he wrote about giving his daughter up for adoption in his new memoir 'Shotgun Angels.' >> Tapping to His Own Beat. Evan Ruggiero has always moved to his own beat. At the age of 6, he fell in love with tap dancing. But, at age 19, a bone cancer diagnosis cost Evan his right leg and threatened to end his dancing dreams. Nevertheless, he kept his hopes up, fighting cancer one step at a time. Less than a week after his final chemo session, Evan was back in the studio, learning to dance with a prosthetic. Now, he’s lighting up the world with his unique brand of dance. >> Thanks for the Invite! I’ll Have to Let You Know. One potential party guest’s saga. >> The battle over abortion. Coverage of abortion laws and controversies >> Wilson-Raybould, Philpott to announce their political plans Monday. Ousted former Liberal cabinet members Jody Wilson-Raybould and Jane Philpott say they will make announcements Monday about their political futures. >>	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0041.json.gz/line4043
__label__cc	0.678055	0.321945	POWER Series Bands Ionic Balance Bands CORE Series Bands Ionic Watches What are Negative Ions? Alpha Waves Scientific Testing Ions are invisible particles, either molecules or atoms, which bear an electric charge. Atoms, for instance, consist of an atomic nucleus that contains neutral neutrons and positively charged protons, as well as orbiting electrons that are negatively charged. When an atom is in a neutral condition, the number of protons (+) and electrons (-) is equal. When the number of protons and electrons is not the same, the particle becomes an ion that is either positively or negatively charged. Positive Ion (Cation): an atom (or molecule) that has lost one or more electrons due to a high-energy impact. Natural forces that generate positive ions include the decay of radioactive minerals, radon gas, forest fires, lightning and ultraviolet rays. Negative Ion (Anion): an atom (or molecule) that has gained one or more extra negatively charged electrons. Negative ions are naturally generated by evaporating water, ocean surf, waterfalls and ionic minerals such as Tourmaline. How are Negative Ions generated naturally? There are also certain minerals that emit Negative Ions for example Tourmaline and Germanium. Can Negative Ions be generated artificially? Negative Ions can be artificially generated by electrical devices such as Air Ionisers which use an external power source (electricity) to generate large quantities of Negative Ions. Our USB Personal Air Purifier Ioniser and our 8 in 1 Room Air Purifier Ioniser both use electricity to generate Negative Ions. Facts about Negative Ions Tasteless, Odourless. Urban areas typically have much lower concentrations of Negative Ions in the air than rural areas. Ionisation is mandatory in many European and Russian Hospitals. In March of 1999, Good Housekeeping Magazine had its engineers test an ionizer by using a smoke test, and found that it cleared out the smoke in a tank. A recent study by the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture found that ionising a room led to 52% less dust in the air, and 95% less bacteria in the air (since many of the pollutants found in the air reside on floating dust particles). How Negative Ions Purify the Air Virtually all particles in the air have a positive charge, while negative ions have a negative charge. In which case, negative ions and particles magnetically attract to one another. When there is a high enough concentration of negative ions in the air, they will attract to floating particles in large numbers. This causes the particle to become too heavy to remain airborne. As a result, the particle will fall out of the air, and will then be collected by normal cleaning activities, such as vacuuming or dusting. In nature, negative ions are generated by processes such as sunlight, lightening, waves from the ocean, and from waterfalls. "Concrete Jungles" minimize the natural production of negative ions by disrupting the delicate electrical balance between the atmosphere and the earth. Ioniser/ionic air purifiers recreate them with electrode pins ("needlepoints") to electrically produce negative ions. What Ionic Products are available? The most popular product we stock is the Ionic Balance Band (worn on the wrist) which uses Tourmaline to naturally emit Negative Ions. We carry a range of ionic products suitable for humans and pets. Our USB Personal Air Purifier Ioniser is ideal for travel and can be plugged into any USB socket. Are there any scientific studies on Negative Ions? Ancient peoples recognized that the air is "electric" so to speak, but it is thought that the formal study of ions did not begin until fairly recently. In 1899, two German scientists, Elster and Geitel, discovered that there are particles in the atmosphere that carry electricity. These particles were later named "air ions" by the British scientist Faraday. The word "ion" was taken from the Greek language, in which it means to "go" or "wander about." To date over 5000 studies have been conducted on Negative Ions. Many of these are available online. 30 Day No Quibble Money Back Guarantee on ALL products Warranty / Returns Copyright © 2019 Ionic Balance \|	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0041.json.gz/line4059
__label__cc	0.741277	0.258723	Results of Temperature Affecting Peroxidase Activity Rate Christopher Goddard General Biology Section 02 Dr Results of Temperature Affecting Peroxidase Activity Rate Christopher Goddard Dr. James Martiney The purpose of this experiment was to gauge the effect that temperature had on enzyme activity and the substrate concentration. The rate of enzyme activity had a direct correlation to amount of concentration of the enzyme or substrate. If the concentration of substrate was halved, the enzyme activity rate was also halved. If the concentration of substrate was doubled, the enzyme activity rate was also doubled. The use of environments with a fixed temperature was used to aid enzyme activation rates. The group tested the absorbance levels of the enzymes for twenty seconds intervals out of a total two minutes. Using a spectrophotometer, results showed that enzyme activity rate had a correlation to increased temperature until the incubation chamber of temperature of 60 °C caused denaturation in the protein and showed a lower activation rate than the coldest temperature measured (5 °C). The independent variables in this experiment were temperature, concentration of substrate, and concentration of enzyme. The only dependent variable was the reaction rate. Enzymes are macromolecules called proteins. Enzymes act as catalysts within living cells, thus speeding up biochemical reactions by lowering the activation energy required. Each individual enzyme has a structure that correlates to a specific function and an area of activation called the activation site. An activation site is a concave shape until a substrate combines with it. Within this specific experiment there were many enzymes within the horseradish, but the group can conclude that peroxidase was the only enzyme used because only peroxidase enzyme can have a specific reaction with the substrate in the reaction. This is because the definition of substrate is “a substance or layer that underlies something, or on which some process occurs, in particular” the key word being “particular”. The perfect analogy to explain this process is called the Lock and Key. Imagine you get off from work and attempt put your car keys into your 2003 Cadillac CTS. As your try to insert your key you notice it stops halfway. Although your car is a 2003 Cadillac CTS the car you’re attempting to unlock is not yours. An everyday example is when rennin (enzyme) is added to liquid milk proteins (substrate) that produce coagulated milk solids known as curd (product). The main takeaway from these examples above is that only a compatible enzyme can work with a substrate. In this experiment the enzyme used was and extract of horseradish called peroxidase which is acquired by homogenization in buffer. These broken cells release many enzymes including peroxidase. To test for peroxidase the group had to mix the extract with the compound guaiacol. Guiacol is normally colorless but becomes brown after oxidation. Peroxidase Combined with 25 ml of 0.1M Citrate Phosphate buffer and the substrate hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) showed a chemical reaction. There are many factors that can increase enzyme activation rate, but in this lab the primary focus was on temperature. Similarly to people, enzymes work optimally in a desirable temperature. Heat is used to increase the kinetic energy of the surrounding molecules which result in a greater number of collisions between molecules causing reactions to happen quicker. In colloquial terms a higher temperature can increase reaction rates while a lower temperature will decrease reaction rates. Because enzymes are proteins they are affected by denaturation which causes a protein’s structure to breakdown. Temperature has a measurable effect on enzyme activity rates within the spectrophotometer. As temperature decreases so does activity rates. As temperature increases activity rates increases. This holds true until the high enough temperature creates an unsatisfactory for an enzyme and causes denaturation. Enzymes are similar to humans in this case. Human beings work optimal at 34° C (body temperature), but a lower or high body temperature can affect output negatively. Description of experiment: The production of this experiment began with the extraction of peroxidase from a horseradish, 25 mL 0.1M cirate-phosphate buffer, and a blender jar. The group then cut and weighed 1.0 gram of the horseradish and placed it in the blender for twenty seconds. After it was well blended, a double layer cheesecloth was used as a cover, then the contents (except for the chunks of horseradish were poured into a beaker (except for the chunks of horseradish). For the next steps the group labeled the enzyme concentration and a graduated cylinder with the word “buffer” that held citrate-phosphate ph 5 and then used two pump dispensers of hydrogen peroxide and guaiacol solutions into 9 labeled test tubes. Test tubes labeled #2 and #3 were placed in an incubation chamber of 5° C. Test tubes labeled #4 and #5 were placed in incubation chambers of 25°C. Test tubes labeled #6 and #7 were placed in incubation chambers of 34°C. The final test tubes labeled #8 and #9 were placed in an incubation chamber of 60°C. Once the test tubes reached an incubation time of ten minutes they were put through the spectrophotometer to calculate absorbance rate. Before calculating the absorbance rate the spectrophotometer was set to a wavelength of 500. Ian began to write down absorbance rate for twenty second intervals as soon as the enzyme and substrate were mixed for a total time of two minutes. After writing the absorbance rate for each twenty second interval. These graphs show a direct correlation between temperature and the enzyme activity rate. The only outlier of this is when a protein is in an area where temperature is around 60 °C. High temperatures result in enzyme denaturation resulting in a protein losing its structure. The incubation chamber that showed the highest enzyme activity was at 34° C. Oddly enzyme activity at 5°C occurred at a faster overall rate than 60°C. Temperature has a measurable effect on enzyme activity rates within the spectrophotometer. As temperature decreases so does activity rates. Enzymes are similar to humans in this case. Human beings work optimal at 34° C (body temperature), but a lower or high body temperature can affect output negatively. Both tables from the spectrophotometer analysis shows that all temperatures and a steady increase in enzyme activity this can be seen that all slopes were going upwards. And this is concrete evidence that even though temperatures can speed up reaction rates, High temperatures can also adversely affect a protein by destroying its structure. A problem with this experiment that may have affected results was that Christopher delayed 12 seconds on timing the enzyme activation rate for 34°C at 60 seconds on the effect of enzyme concentration reaction, but the trend would have been similar. The data is corroborated by a popular Worthington publication from 1972 that shows the effect temperature has on reaction velocity. In that study a 10 degree centigrade in temperature increased enzyme activation from 50% to 100%. Going back to the data I had listed on Table 2 comparing enzyme activation rate from 25°C and 34° C (a 11 degree centigrade difference) showed on average enzyme activation rate increased 93.1%. Furthermore, their data shows that enzymes become denaturized at temperatures above 40°C. This can also be compared to the group’s data that 34° C was optimal for enzyme activity while 60°C showed rapid degradation. Mechanism for enzymatic reaction As for the mechanism Fungi are the most important group of organisms contributing to degradation of lignocellulosic biomass I would like to apply for the sports prefect as I not only see this as a way to give back to the school but to also become a leader and represent the school with pride Jessica Valenzano Dr	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0041.json.gz/line4064
__label__wiki	0.993607	0.993607	Four Fianna Fáil candidates seek to fill council seat \| Kildare Nationalist Four Fianna Fáil candidates seek to fill council seat FOUR Fianna Fáil candidate have thrown their hat into the ring in the fight for Mark Dalton’s seat. The former county councillor has pleaded guilty to 28 charges of fraudulently taking more than €200,000 from a voluntary housing association in 2014 and he faces sentencing in the circuit court this week. He resigned from the party that year but only gave up his seat on the county council last September. The convention vote will take place on Monday next 19 November in Molly O’Looney’s in Narraghmore. Back in November 2014 a special meeting of the Frank English Fianna Fáil Cumann Athy, of which Mr Dalton was previously a member, selected Brian Dooley as a local area representative until Cllr Dalton finally resigned his seat. He is favourite to fill the seat via co-option at the November meeting of Kildare Co Council. But he will fight off competition from Vera Louise Behan, a mother of three from Maganey, who has been put forward by the Narraghmore Cumann, Castledermot nominee Emmett Kane and Castlemitchell’s Gerry Brigette. “Brian Dooley is from the same cumann as that which proposed Mark Dalton, the same cumann whose members campaigned and canvassed for Mark Dalton, resides and is involved in the same catchment area of Athy and its hinterland. He is very heavily involved in a various of organisations from local GAA to the local Lions Club,” said Michael Foley PRO of the Athy cumann. “Since taking on the position of local area representative, Brian has had the best interests of Athy, the Municipal District and the Fianna Fáil party in general at heart,” he said pointing out that Mr Dooley has held local area representative clinics in Athy and Castledermot for example. Brian Dooley, Athy cumann nominee to the selection convention to fill the vacant seat on Kildare Co Council with Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin Mr Foley said it would be probable that Mr Dooley would receive votes that would previously have gone to Mark Dalton and the Athy cumann would be committed to providing whatever support necessary to Mr Dooley during any election campaign “Brian Dooley is based in the same catchment area as the former Councillor Mark Dalton and from a Fianna Fáil viewpoint, would stand the best chance of retaining this seat at next year’s local elections.To me personally, it would seem to be a no-brainer that Brian Dooley should be the candidate to win the co-option,” said Mr Foley. Ms Behan said her interest in the council seat grew out of the inspirational work of her grandparent’s generation. “I feel we owe a duty to that generation, to take care of our communities and continue to develop local resources today” she said. “I want to join the team in Kildare Co Council to help maximise the economic potential, along with the social and cultural aspects of Athy and Castledermot. “I want to continue to support the ongoing work in these communities and I am grateful for the opportunity to contest for this seat at the selection.” Mr Brigette is keen also and knows exactly what he would like to do if he takes the position. He has four key areas of focus, jobs, the outer relief road, broadband and the development of the old vocational school in Athy. He hopes to lobby for IDA supported industry in the district, speed up slow progress regarding the outer relief road in Athy and push for a speedier roll out of rural broadband. “I would also work to see the old vocational site in Athy developed as an outreach centre for Carlow IT, the future technology university for the south east,” he said.	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0041.json.gz/line4065
__label__wiki	0.689246	0.689246	O.J. Simpson Officially Has A Twitter Account nweaver June 17th LOVELOCK, NV - JULY 20: O.J. Simpson speaks during his parole hearing at Lovelock Correctional Center July 20, 2017 in Lovelock, Nevada. Simpson is serving a nine to 33 year prison term for a 2007 armed robbery and kidnapping conviction. (Photo by Jason Bean-Pool/Getty Images) Yes. You read the title correctly…O.J. Simpson has made his Twitter debut with saying that he has a “little gettin’ event to do.” He may have been acquitted for the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Rob Goldman twenty-five years ago, but now he’s on Twitter. The 71-year-old has officially made his social media debut. As LauRen shared in her Dirty On The 30 segment, he made his debut with a video saying he’s got “a little gettin’ even to do.” While he didn’t elaborate on what he meant he did promise to share his views on everything from sports to politics. Thanks to all my new followers. Love learning how to use Twitter. pic.twitter.com/J4JnN59yKl Obviously, there are some people who are less than thrilled about his social media debut. Yashar Ali has staged a protest by having people to follow Kim Goldman, the sister of Ron Goldman. Per ESPN, Ali tweeted, “I see that the unrepentant murdered just joined Twitter. Can everyone do me a big favor? Please follow Ron Goldman’s sister, @ KimEGoldman. She should have more followers than that monster.” The first thing I want to set straight is this story Pardo (who was not my manger) is talking about all over the media regarding me & @KrisJenner pic.twitter.com/tZ9EJd4qxF Let’s just say this will probably get interesting in the future…what are your thoughts on OJ’s Twitter presence? Vote below! . @TheRealOJ32 is officially on Twitter.... good or bad idea? #DirtyOnThe30 — The MRL Morning Show (@themrlshow) June 17, 2019 Intern Darian / The MRL Morning Show kiss 951,MRL Morning Show	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0041.json.gz/line4069
__label__cc	0.528806	0.471194	Do I emit greenhouse gases through my daily acts? The greenhouse effect, it is well known, is the result of the guilty behaviour of industrials, of Americans, of Chinese that should not start to consume oil, but…..not mine for sure ! Alas, we all are, through our everyday actions, direct or indirect emitters of greenhouse gases, either because we directly burn a fossil fuel (oil, coal or gas), what generates CO2 emissions, or because we choose to buy a product, which led to emissions during its production, or because we use a service that requires combustion (for exemple an admission to the swimming pool “includes” the emissions linkeed to the heating of the water). Considering that, as consumers, we do not have the slightest share of responsibility is probably drawing a conclusion a bit quickly ! I would like to suggest below a couple of figures linked to acts that belong to everyday life (or almost). Unless otherwise mentionned, these figures include all greenhouse gases. All these figures have been obtained from the Bilan Carbone (that I could translate as “carbon balance sheet”) that I contributed to set up for the french environment agency, ADEME. To make these figures meaningful, it might be useful to recall that the average emission of a French is 2,2 tonnes carbon equivalent per year, all greenhouse gases taken into acount, the forestry sink also taken into account. But what will be really useful is to compare these figures with what we can emit in order to stabilize the CO2 concentration in the atmosphere… To heat a house in the winter, one will emit (essentially in CO2) : with 3,000 liters (800 US gallons roughly) of oil : 2,4 tonnes carbon equivalent (this figure includes emissions linked to the oil extraction, transport, and refining, and of course the combustion in our boiler) ; with natural gas, for the same amount of energy given to the boiler, that is 29.780 kWh : 1,9 tonne carbon equivalent (the upstream emissions, linked to extraction and transport of natural gas are also included), with electricity, for a quantitiy of energy equivalent to what we get with 3.000 liters of fuel oil and an efficiency of the boiler of 80% (that means roughly 24,000 kW of electricity), and supposing we take the average “carbon content” of the electric kWh on the grid : 0,6 tonne carbon equivalent in France (where electricity is 80% nuclear produced and 15% hydro-produced) almost 3,8 tonnes in the UK (30% nuclear, the remainder composed of coal and gas fired power plants), more than 5,5 tonnes in Denmark (electricity mostly produced with coal, despite wind turbines….) or in Greece (a lot of coal also). It is important to precise that in winter, when electric heating is used, and therefore when electric consumption rises, coal fired power plants are used more intensively than in summer (in France) to provide extra power, what raises an interesting methodological problem : what should “inherit” the emissions linked to the increase of coal generated electricity ? only electric heating, say its opponents, everybody, say others, because there is not only the consumption linked to heating that rises in winter, and anyway electric heating represents twice the amount of electricity produced by coal power plants, so it is not possible to attribute a “pure coal” value to any heater ! I confess that I am among those that agree with the second conclusion. If one moves 15,000 km (the average distance covered by french cars is 14.000 km per year), it will lead to the following emissions, depending on the means of transportation used : in a small subcompact car (like a Twingo or a C3), driving in the country, with no trafic jams (giving 47 miles to the gallon or consuming 5 liters/100 km) : about 0,8 tonne carbon equivalent, including the emissions linked to the production of the car and the oil industry taken into account. in a large car, in urban trafic, with trafic jams (giving 17 miles to the gallon or consuming 14 liters/100 km)) : roughly 2 tonnes carbon equivalent (in addition large cars, at least in France, cover a greater annual distance than small ones : they cover close to 20,000 km). in train (suburban whose work is 30 km away from home, or 10 return trips from Paris to Marseilles) : only 35 kg carbon equivalent per person in France, without taking into account the manufacturing of the train, which is 20 to 30 times less than alone in a small car. This amount depends on the country, because the proportion of trains that run on electricity and the way to producce electricity vary depending on the country. Kg carbon equivalent linked to 15,000 km traveled by train depending on the country. Let’s recall that alone in a very small car it would be close to 1,000 kg : the train is always better. Source : Infras, 1998 in plane, short haul (10 return trips from Paris to Marseilles, or roughly 15 return trips from Paris to London) : about 1,2 tonne carbon equivalent per person (all greenhouse gases included) in second class, that is 40 times more than in a French train, and still 4 times more than in an English train. This amount ,even jumps to 2,7 tonnes carbon equivalent in Business Class ! (because one occupies more ground space). in plane, long haul (one return trip from Paris to New York, or a one-way trip from Europe to Japan) : about 0,9 tonne carbon equivalent per person (all greenhouse gases included) in second class, but 3,15 tonnes in First Class, that is 25 to 80 times more than in a boat (where a passenger generated roughly 40 kg carbon equivalent for the same distance). It is easy to notice that while travelling by plane a passenger emits as much as he would have travelling alone in a car over the same distance. A 747 over Paris-New-York is the equivalent of 450 to 500 small subcompact cars that would travel the same distance. I also calculated that an airport like Roissy (Paris) is indirectely at the origin of 5 to 10% of all french emissions. the production of a tonne of wheat generates about 110 kg carbon equivalent, coming for 25% from N2O deriving from nitrogenous fertilizers, and for 75% from CO2 generated by fertilizers and pesticides manufacturing and the direct combustion in the tractor. producing a tonne of beef carcass (that is just meat with bones, but without skin, entrails, etc) generates roughly 4 tonnes carbon equivalent (more than 10 for veal), coming partly from the methane resulting from enteric fermentation, and partly (and mostly) from the cereal cultures required to feed cattle. for a ton of poultry (no entrails), 0,5 to 1,5 tonne carbon equivalent depending on the type of animal and the quality. Manufacturing then delivering (NB : all these values are european values. I never had the opportunity to work on other figures) : the production of one tonne of steel generates roughly 0,8 tonne carbon equivalent (from iron ore), of one ton of aluminium roughly 3 tonnes carbon equivalent (from ore also), all greenhouse gases taken into account. the production of one tonne of plastic generates from 0,5 to 1,6 tonne carbon equivalent depending on the plastic, the production of one tonne of glass (from sand) generates roughly 0,4 tonne, but 0,12 tonne only if starting from recycled glass, the production of one tonne of cement generates roughly 0,25 tonne carbon equivalent, the production of one tonne of wood….sequestrates roughly 0,5 tonne carbon equivalent if it is timber wood produced in europe. Substituting a ton of steel for a ton of wood (for example for a building) allows a saving (a “sink”) of more than one tonne carbone equivalent overall if the wood comes from european forests (because new trees must be planted where the old ones where cut in order to make forestry a sink, otherwise it’s mere deforestation !). Transporting goods transporting one tonne of goods over 1.000 km in an articulated lorry generates roughly 25 kg carbon equivalent (this figure accounts for the average load factor of trucks in France) ; a tonne of apples coming from the local producer to the open market in a light truck (25 km) generates roughly 3 kg carbon equivalent, a tonne of mangoes – or apples – going from South Africa to Europe by plane (let’s say 10.000 km) generates 3,2 tonnes carbon equivalent, a tonne of oranges going from Tunisia to France by plane generates 1,2 tonne carbon equivalent, a tonne of mail travelling 800 km by night train will generate 2 kg carbon equivalent (in France), while by truck it will go up to 20 kg (for the same distance), and by short haul plane (express delivery, for example) it will soar to 550 kg (10 times more than in train !). Here as for people, anything that travels by plane leads to emissions way over what it is with the other transportation means, but trucks and even trains are not “climate safe” either ! Of course, all these figures correspond to average values, and are susceptible to vary depending on the circumstances. One might find on this website some considerations on the individual acts that allow a savin on the greenhouse gases emissions. After consulting these figures, I hope that my reader will accept that it seems difficult to imagine that a massive reduction of the emissions might be achieved by the mere action of some courageous and shrewd political leader, that would just have to do “what is necessary” so that emissions fall, without us having to change anything in our consuming habits….	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0041.json.gz/line4074
__label__cc	0.678656	0.321344	MOLECULAR BIOLOGY OF PATHOGENS Isolation and Characterization of rpoS from a Pathogenic Bacterium, Vibrio vulnificus: Role of σS in Survival of Exponential-Phase Cells under Oxidative Stress Kyung-Je Park, Min-Jin Kang, Songhee H. Kim, Hyun-Jung Lee, Jae-Kyu Lim, Sang Ho Choi, Soon-Jung Park, Kyu-Ho Lee Kyung-Je Park Department of Environmental Science, Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, Yongin, Kyunggi-Do 449-791 Min-Jin Kang Songhee H. Kim Department of Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics, University of Maryland at College Park, College Park, Maryland Hyun-Jung Lee Jae-Kyu Lim Sang Ho Choi Department of Food Science and Technology, Seoul National University, Seoul 151-742 Soon-Jung Park Department of Parasitology, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul 133-791, South Korea Kyu-Ho Lee For correspondence: khlee@san.hufs.ac.kr A gene homologous to rpoS was cloned from a fatal human pathogen, Vibrio vulnificus. The functional role of rpoS in V. vulnificus was accessed by using an rpoS knockout mutant strain. This mutant was impaired in terms of the ability to survive under oxidative stress, nutrient starvation, UV irradiation, or acidic conditions. The increased susceptibility of the V. vulnificus mutant in the exponential phase to H2O2 was attributed to the reduced activity of hydroperoxidase I (HPI). Although σS synthesis was induced and HPI activity reached the maximal level in the stationary phase, the mutant in the stationary phase showed the same susceptibility to H2O2 as the wild-type strain in the stationary phase. In addition, HPII activity, which is known to be controlled by σS in Escherichia coli, was not detectable in V. vulnificus strains under the conditions tested. The mutant in the exponential phase complemented with multiple copies of either the rpoS or katG gene of V. vulnificus recovered both resistance to H2O2 and HPI activity compared with the control strain. Expression of the katG gene encoding HPI in V. vulnificus was monitored by using a katG::luxAB transcriptional fusion. The expression of this gene was significantly reduced by deletion of σS in both the early exponential and late stationary phases. Thus, σS is necessary for increased synthesis and activity of HPI, and σS is required for exponentially growing V. vulnificus to develop the ability to survive in the presence of H2O2. Journal of Bacteriology May 2004, 186 (11) 3304-3312; DOI: 10.1128/JB.186.11.3304-3312.2004 You are going to email the following Isolation and Characterization of rpoS from a Pathogenic Bacterium, Vibrio vulnificus: Role of σS in Survival of Exponential-Phase Cells under Oxidative Stress	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0041.json.gz/line4076
__label__cc	0.723186	0.276814	“Injury Rate and Patterns Among CrossFit Athletes,” Dr. Brian Giordano Dr. Brian Giordano. Photo Credit: Youtube Anther survey-based study of CrossFit has surfaced on the internet, this time in the Open Access Journal for Orthopedic Sports Medicine. The study, titled Injury Rate and Patterns Among CrossFit Athletes, reports a near 20% injury rate among CrossFit participants, but then compares this to the “incidence rate” of injury in running, cited to be between 19.4% to 79.3%. This obviously puts CrossFit on the lower end of the calculated range. But there is a problem with this study. What the authors call an “injury rate” is simply not an injury rate. The 20% figure represents the percentage of respondents to the study who claimed to have an injury from CrossFit. By definition, an injury rate is a calculation of how many injuries occur during a given span of time. The authors seem to conflate the calculation of an injury rate with the calculation of incidence. For a detailed description of the differences between these terms, read Dr. Feito’s blog post on the subject. Why is this a problem? Consider that dozens of news sources have already misquoted or misinterpreted the injury survey study by Paul Hak, which clearly distinguishes between the percentage of injured survey respondents and the rate of injury. If the media gets it wrong that easily, then it’s just going to cause more problems for CrossFit when the academics get it wrong for them. In order to address this, I emailed the corresponding author, Dr. Brian Giordano, who was more than happy to schedule a phone interview with me. That is, until he mysteriously backed out and requested I follow the formal process of sending a letter to the editor if I had questions or critiques of his work. In other words, Dr. Giordano must have googled me and discovered what can happen during my interviews. He did, however, consent to answering a few questions via email. Below is a copy of the email I sent him on June 3rd, 2014. So far I have received no response: For the sake of simplicity, I will only ask three questions. I’ll also keep the focus of these questions confined to a single topic, your study’s use of the term “injury rate.” 1. How did you define the term “injury rate” for the purposes of your study? How did you calculate this? 2. It appears that you calculated “injury rate” as the percentage of respondents to your survey that reported injuries, yet none of the studies you cite for comparison calculate injury rate this way: – (11) Handball injuries during major international tournaments. This study uses the terms “incidence of injury” and “injury rate” interchangeably, and calculates “The incidence of injury was expressed as (a) number of injuries/match and (b) number of injuries/1000 player hours.” – (13) Risk factors for lower extremity injuries in elite female soccer players. This study calculates injury rates as “Individual exposure data were calculated as the total number of hours of training and match play during the season, and injury rates are reported as the number of injuries per 1000 player hours” – (10) Prevalence of Musculoskeletal Injuries in Swedish Elite Track and Field Athletes. This study calculates injury “prevalence” as “…an indicator of morbidity, accounting for the number of individuals with an existing disease or injury in a given time interval.” You acknowledge this study when your paper compares the 42.8% “1-year retrospective injury prevalence” from this study with your “20%” calculated “Injury rate” for CrossFit. This comparison implies that these calculations are the same, and yet no explanation of the difference in terminology is given. Is your 20% figure an “injury rate”, as claimed, or a measure of injury prevalence among your respondents? – (3) Gymnastics injuries. You use this study to compare your “injury rate” data to the injury rate of gymnasts, yet this study also calculates injury rates as “number of injuries/1,000 h.” Can you explain your justification for comparing your measure of “injury rate” with these apparently different injury rate calculations? 3. I can find no basis in scholarly literature for defining “injury rate” as the percentage of solicited survey respondents who report injuries. The most authoritative documents on the subject repeatedly define injury rate as a ratio of the number of injuries per unit of exposure time. source:http://www.sportsci.org/2007/Hopkins_risk_stats_CJSM.pdf Given this information, how do you justify referring to your calculation as an “injury rate?” by Russell Berger on June 7, 2014 Categories: Uncategorized • Tags: CrossFit, CrossFit Study, injury, Injury Rate, interview, Peer review, prevalence, Rochester, science, survey ← CrossFit Inc. is Suing the National Strength and Conditioning Association Chairman Phil Mendelson Wants to Tax Fitness in D.C. → DrFeito Russ, thank you for mentioning my post. I have reached out to the Editor of the Journal for Orthopedic Sports Medicine and have submitted a “letter to the editor”, which address the issues you point out. I will follow up once I hear a response. Cheers! Pingback: Response Letter From Dr. Brian Giordano \| THE RUSSELLS Matt L Well, looking at the original article, a lot can be deduced by the author list for the publication. It’s pretty clear that it was probably written by a recent college grad, Benjamin Weisenthal, with very little research background. Dr. Brian Giordano is listed at the bottom of the author list and is probably just the head of the lab in which Mr. Weisenthal did his research. Even though primary authorship for this manuscript is by a young researcher, the other authors for the manuscript must take responsibility for the contents therein. You are generally correct in your critique of the publication as it has some serious flaws in its study conclusions/analysis/design. It’s clear that the primary author does not understand rate as it was stated in this paper. I’m just surprised that the second author on the paper, Christopher Beck, allowed this manuscript to be published in its current form. I’m even more appalled by the editorial board of the journal it was published in. Even if it’s an open access journal, there should be some quality controls by its reviewers. Shame on both the authors and the journal. Pingback: Giordano Calculates a CrossFit Injury Rate \| THE RUSSELLS	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0041.json.gz/line4080
__label__wiki	0.850034	0.850034	Lego Jurassic World: The Basics Stephen Totilo Filed to: jurassic parkFiled to: jurassic park lego jurassic park What is it? Lego Jurassic World, another of those Lego games we're always getting, this time covering the four Jurassic Park movies (including this summer's Jurassic World). Who is making it? TT Fusion, who previously made the superb Lego Movie Videogame. Here's a trailer... Did we play it? Yes, briefly during a demo session at a hotel in San Francisco a couple of weeks ago. Publisher Warner Bros. likes to invite reporters who are in town for Game Developers Conference to check out games. Not quite what GDC was made for, but I had a spare half hour open before a Nintendo indie developer showcase to drop in, so I went. I am a Lego gaming aficionado after all (I still like either the Lego Movie one or Lego Star Wars III the best). Plus, sometimes it's just a hoot. I sat through a short presentation from one of the members of the development studio that involved a playthrough of some of the levels you see in the trailer and a lot of references to what kids like about these games. Then I played the T-rex chase from the first movie and a level involving raptors. And? It plays like a Lego game. After so many of these, a demo of a new one is the definition of What You Would Expect. Not too helpful, I know. Anything stand out about it? Most of what I know about the game checks off the usual Lego-game boxes: levels are based on scenes from the movies and are connected through two big hub islands; you'll be able to play as over 100 characters (including Mr. DNA); there's optional local two-player co-op. One new thing is that you can play as some of the dinosaurs, though that wasn't an option at this demo. Oh, and there are some weather changes as you play. Got a fun detail? Sure. The Lego version of Laura Dern's character, Ellie, has the special ability to dig through dinosaur dung. Said TT Fusion's Mike Taylor while showing us the game recently: "We do a lot of focus testing, and this mechanic was very popular especially with the younger audience." Platforms: -deep breath-… PS4, PS3, Xbox One, Xbox 360, Wii U, PC, Vita, 3DS The Basics is our way of telling you a little bit about a new game before it comes out...maybe...we're just trying something new! These days, we prefer writing about games after they are released and also like writing more fleshed-out pre-release impressions for you when we have a lot of material to work with. But if we've just seen a sliver of a game, maybe this'll do until release? Let us know. Recent from Stephen Totilo Assassin's Creed Odyssey's New Atlantis Expansion Is Jaw-Dropping Okay, Seriously, Maybe VR Gaming Is About To Have Its Big Moment The Division 2's next big content update, which includes two new story missions and a more puzzle-oriented challenge called…	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0041.json.gz/line4083
__label__cc	0.529102	0.470898	Archives for posts with tag: Olin & Anderman Posted on November 16, 2010 by Finkelstein & Partners When a worker suffers an injury on the job, they need to worry about getting better, not whether or not they’ ll have a job to return to after their recovery — and they certainly don’t need, or expect, to be disciplined after a workplace accident. That was the case argued, and won, recently by Finkelstein & Partner’s sister firm, Fine, Olin & Anderman (FOA) LLPon behalf of a number of affected Verizon employees. FOA, which represents union members and their families, filed a discrimination lawsuit when they learned that many of their workers’ compensation clients employed by Verizon were disciplined for having a work place accident. “We believed that Verizon’s actions violated the law, and their employee’s rights, as their policy discriminated against people who had work place accidents,” said FOA attorney Vincent Rossillo. “The cause of the accident didn’t matter. People were disciplined, even if the accident wasn’t their fault. As a result of this policy, workers have been suspended without pay, sent to ‘safety school,’ written up, or given warnings,” continued Rossillo. “The company is worried about their bottom line, not the well-being of their employees.” As stated in the case, Verizon employees have been reporting fewer work place accidents because of the discriminatory policy.Rather than subjecting themselves to discipline, employees are simply not reporting the accidents and are shifting the medical costs to their private health insurance. By under-reporting accidents, Verizon’s workers’ compensation insurance costs will decrease while the cost of private health insurance premiums will rise. “This is likely what Verizon hoped would happen when they implemented their policy,” argued Rossillo. “If the company’s workers’ compensation costs decrease while the costs of private health insurance increase, the company can use that to their advantage against the union when negotiating the next contract.” The lawsuit noted that Verizon’s new policy only affected those workers who had work place accidents. If an employee was injured at home or off the job, no disciplinary action was taken. In addition, workers were disciplined regardless of fault. The simple fact that an accident occurred on the job was cause for disciplinary action. FOA team argued that the Workers’ Compensation Law specifically prohibits an employer from discriminating against employees who have work place accidents. This section of the law was created to prevent employers from taking any action that would harm or intimidate an employee because they filed or intended to file a Workers Compensation claim. As a result of their findings, FOA filed discrimination complaints on behalf of numerous clients. Two cases have gone to trial and in both cases, the Workers’ Compensation Law Judge determined that Verizon had violated the law. In one of the cases, the Law Judge noted that Verizon was clearly not disciplining employees for working in an unsafe manner, but rather was disciplining the employee for simply being involved in a workplace accident. Back pay was awarded to the employee who had been suspended. In another case where the employee was sent to safety school with no loss of pay, Verizon was fined the maximum amount under the law. “While these favorable decisions are subject to appeal, the initial decisions are encouraging for protecting the rights of workers,” remarked Rossillo. “If Verizon continues to lose these cases and has to pay fines, back pay, and lawyers’ fees, and starts to feel the affect on their bottom line, maybe they’ll reconsider their policy. In the meantime, we’ll continue to fight for the rights of our clients,” added Rossillo. If you or a co-worker have been unfairly disciplined for having a work place accident, contact Fine, Olin & Anderman (FOA) and your local union office. FOA will review your claim to determine if you meet the criteria. You should be aware that there are very strict time limitations in which to file a workers compensation and discrimination claims. If you do not file a claim timely, you may be forever barred from doing so. Tags 70 Million Dollar racial lawsuit against Verizon:, Abusive Work Environment, alltel lawsuits, Anti Bullying, at&t lawsuits, Bullying, Career at Verizon, Careers at Verizon, Civil Rights and Anti-Bullying Leadership Summit, Class Action Suits, Conspiracy, CWA / IBEW, CWA / IBEW Members Bullied at Verizon, CWA / IBEW Members Bullied at VerizonX CWA / IBEW New PolicyX IBEW / CWA Members Bullied at VerizonX IBEW / CWA New Policy, CWA / IBEW New Policy, Discrimination, Discrimination and EEOC Compliance, Diversity, Diversity at Verizon, Employment Attorneys, Employment Opportunity Commission, Ethics, Fine, Harassment, Hostile Work Environment, IBEW / CWA Members Bullied at Verizon, IBEW / CWA New Policy, Jobs at Verizon, Justice, Justice at Verizon, Massachusetts Commission against Discrimination, MCAD, Members Bullied at Verizon, My Verizon, Neal Dias, Neal Dias – Verizon, Neal W. Dias, Neil Dias, Neil Diaz, Nynex And At&T Can't Hang Up On This Scandal, Olin & Anderman, Our Sister Firm, Parking at Verizon Center, Perjury, Petition, Probe Connects N.Y. Phone Firm to Bawdy Parties, Racism, Retaliation, Searches related to verizon management, Sexual Harassment, Sexual Harassment at Verizon, sprint lawsuits, Tampering with Evidence, Tapering with Evidence, U.S. Department of Justice, U.S. EEOC, U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Uncategorized, Verizon, Verizon - Bullying Protection for all CWA / IBEW Members, Verizon Anti Bullying, Verizon at Home, Verizon at hotmail, Verizon at Yahoo, Verizon – DSL Fraud, Verizon Business Code of Conduct, Verizon Careers, Verizon Class Action Lawsuits, verizon complaints, Verizon Corporate Security, verizon data charges lawsuit, Verizon Diversity, Verizon Email, verizon email management, Verizon employees, Verizon employment, Verizon EXEC'S NIGHTIE SHIFT DID LINGERIE STRIP, Verizon FIOS, verizon fios lawsuits, verizon fios management, Verizon Ipad, Verizon Jobs, Verizon Lawsuits, verizon leadership, Verizon Management, verizon management rif 2012, verizon management structure, verizon management style, verizon management team, Verizon online, Verizon Raped My Family, Verizon Screwed Me, Verizon Strike, Verizon sued for "fostering and condoning a sex-based hostile work environment.", Verizon Summary Judgment Hearing, Verizon Union Employees, Verizon Union Members, Verizon Unions, Verizon Wireless, verizon wireless lawsuits, verizon wireless management, Verizon Workplace Lawsuits, Wins Discrimination Suit Against Verizon, Woman at Verizon, Workplace Bullying Summit - Verizon, Wrongful Termination, Wrongful Termination Anti Bullying Verizon – Petition to stop Workplace Bullying I created a petition about the historical bullying and unethical behavior that has taken place at Verizon, for too long now. Verizon receives over 100,000 EEO complaints a year, which is 400 a day. Many ignored, covered-up and too many are slipped under the rug. It is now time to demand change in behaviors at Verizon, in the best interest of the Company and the Country. That’s why I created a petition to Lowell C. McAdam, Verizon President and COO, Marc Reed, Verizon Executive Vice President Corporate Human Resources, and Randal Milch, Verizon EVP & GC Legal. Will you sign this petition to help others? We have already over 450 people, keep the numbers climbing. If you say nothing, you stay a victim. Let Verizon know, “Enough is Enough.” Please help to stop the continued abusive treatment at Verizon. Maybe, if they change, other companies will take suit. http://signon.org/sign/bullying-at-verizon-enough?source=c.em.mt&r_by=4096164 Press Release June 11, 2012: My Speech / News Paper Article: National Petition: Here’s a National Petition against Workplace Bullying that generates individual emails notifying both President Obama & DOL Secretary Solis each time someone signs — please help us reach our goal and get the word out: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/protect-us-workers/ Tags 70 Million Dollar racial lawsuit against Verizon:, About us overview - Verizon, About us overview - Verizon Wireless, Abusive Work Environment, alltel lawsuits, Anti Bullying, at&t lawsuits, Bullying, Career at Verizon, Careers at Verizon, Civil Rights and Anti-Bullying Leadership Summit, Class Action Suits, Conspiracy, CWA / IBEW, CWA / IBEW Members Bullied at Verizon, CWA / IBEW Members Bullied at VerizonX CWA / IBEW New PolicyX IBEW / CWA Members Bullied at VerizonX IBEW / CWA New Policy, CWA / IBEW New Policy, Discrimination, Discrimination and EEOC Compliance, Diversity, Diversity at Verizon, Employment Attorneys, Employment Opportunity Commission, Ethics, Fine, Harassment, Hostile Work Environment, IBEW / CWA Members Bullied at Verizon, IBEW / CWA New Policy, Internet, Jobs at Verizon, Justice, Justice at Verizon, Massachusetts Commission against Discrimination, MCAD, Members Bullied at Verizon, My Verizon, My Verizon online sign in, Neal Dias, Neal Dias – Verizon, Neal W. Dias, Neil Dias, Neil Diaz, Nynex And At&T Can't Hang Up On This Scandal, Olin & Anderman, Our Sister Firm, Parking at Verizon Center, Perjury, Petition, Probe Connects N.Y. Phone Firm to Bawdy Parties, Racism, Retaliation, Searches related to verizon management, Sexual Harassment, Sexual Harassment at Verizon, sprint lawsuits, Tampering with Evidence, Tapering with Evidence, TV and Phone \| Compare FiOS to Cable \| Verizon, U.S. Department of Justice, U.S. EEOC, U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Uncategorized, Verizon, Verizon - Bullying Protection for all CWA / IBEW Members, Verizon Anti Bullying, Verizon at Home, Verizon at hotmail, Verizon at Yahoo, Verizon – DSL Fraud, Verizon – Youtube, Verizon Business Code of Conduct, Verizon Careers, Verizon Class Action Lawsuits, verizon complaints, Verizon Corporate Security, verizon data charges lawsuit, Verizon Diversity, Verizon Email, verizon email management, Verizon employees, Verizon employment, Verizon EXEC'S NIGHTIE SHIFT DID LINGERIE STRIP, Verizon Facebook, Verizon FIOS, verizon fios lawsuits, verizon fios management, Verizon Ipad, Verizon Jobs, Verizon Lawsuits, verizon leadership, Verizon Management, verizon management rif 2012, verizon management structure, verizon management style, verizon management team, Verizon Official Site \| verizonwireless.com, Verizon online, Verizon Prepaid Plans, Verizon Raped My Family, Verizon Screwed Me, Verizon Store Locator, Verizon Strike, Verizon sued for "fostering and condoning a sex-based hostile work environment.", Verizon Summary Judgment Hearing, Verizon Union Employees, Verizon Union Members, Verizon Unions, Verizon USA, Verizon Wireless, Verizon Wireless – Youtube, Verizon Wireless Facebook, verizon wireless lawsuits, verizon wireless management, Verizon Wireless USA, Verizon Workplace Lawsuits, Wins Discrimination Suit Against Verizon, Woman at Verizon, Workplace Bullying Summit - Verizon, Wrongful Termination, Wrongful Termination Anti Bullying Verizon Whistleblower wins Lawsuit Whistleblowers are making the headlines on a regular basis and none more than Stephen Shea, who having already been awarded $13.7 million for his role in the Verizon lawsuit, was granted an additional payment of almost $7.5 million in February 2012 thanks to the efforts of his whistleblower lawyer, Colette Matzzie. The lawsuit against Verizon Communications was filed back in January 2007 when it was alleged that Verizon had submitted phony bills to the federal government for additional surcharges under two telecommunication contracts, as a means of reimbursing themselves for certain other business costs. The suit remained sealed whilst investigations were taking place and since the Government and the whistleblower couldn’t agree on the attorney’s fees, the US government intervened on February 18th 2011 and settled the action for $93.5 million including interest, paying Shea just over $13.7 million (around 15% of $91,5 million), as an advance of the ultimate share which would be decided by the court. In April 2008, the Government recovered an extra $3 million for Stock Universal Fund Surcharges that had been included in Shea’s claim. On July 27th 2011, Shea with the help of his lawyer then filed for a “Relator Share Award” asking for an additional sum of just under $7.5 million for a total overall reward of $21 million (approximately 22% of $96.5 million). This was granted in part and denied in part, with Shea receiving 20% for his share in the settlement figure reached in February 2011 and 15% of the $3 million that the government recovered in 2008 from Verizon for Stock Universal Fund surcharges. As explained by a whistleblower lawyer: The False Claims Act, under which the allegations against Verizon were filed, guarantees a whistleblower a minimum percentage of 15% and a maximum percentage of 25% of the total settlement figure. The amount awarded is dependent on how much information and work the whistleblower has put into the case. Lawyers for the Justice of Department tried to persuade the Judge not to award Shea any more money by trying to play down his involvement in the case saying that he did not have first hand knowledge of the billing arrangements that Verizon had with the government under the two contracts. They also went on to say that Shea’s complaint was little more than a lucky guess, albeit an educated one. The Judge in response said that this was a totally unfair comment given the amount of experience, expertise, knowledge, analysis, and pure hard work that Shea had carried out. Shea at the time he filed the complaint was a managing director at TechCaliber LCC which is a leading consultant firm dealing in telecommunication and network infrastructure for their clients. It was Shea’s job to negotiate contracts for large commercial companies and also help manage the costs of the contracts. Prior to filing the complaint, he had been responsible for collecting over $50 million in overbilling charged to his clients by their carriers. It was during this work for his private clients that he reportedly discovered the fraudulent billing practices being carried out by Verizon. There seems little doubt that Stephen Shea was highly knowledgeable and experienced in his job and thanks to using a highly experienced whistleblower lawyer to help him build the case, he was fortunate in receiving a substantial award. Should you ever be in a position to report a large scale fraud against the Government, then this case will serve to show you that it really does pay to appoint a highly experienced attorney who has previous experience in the field of the complaint and can take a case all of the way. It’s unlikely that you’ll receive a double payout like Shea, but your attorney will work to get as large an award as possible, after all, they stand to receive a large payment. Obstruction of Justice – at Verizon / The Massachusetts Commission against Discrimination Massachusetts State House Attn: Governor Deval Patrick Boston, MA. 02133 Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office Attn: Attorney General Martha Coakley One Ashburton Place Attn: Director Robert L. Sanders John F. Kennedy Federal Building Government Center, Room 475 Boston, MA. 02203-0506 Bristol County District Attorney Office Attn: District Attorney Samuel Sutter 888 Purchase Street New Bedford, MA. 02740 Attn: Director Kevin J. Berry 33 Whitehall Street, 5th Floor Attn: Attorney General Eric Holder Attn: Attorney Mindy Weinstein, Acting 131 M Street, NE Forth Floor, Suit 4NW02F Washington, DC. 20507-0100 The Commonwealth of Massachusetts Commission against Discrimination Attn: Julian T. Tynes Ref: Investigation into: The Massachusetts Commission against Discrimination Agency Unethical EEOC Investigations Practices, Failure to hold Verizon and possibly other companies accountable for perjuring on testimonies. Verizon and Verizon EEO Officer Mr. Paul McGoven Illegal, Unethical EEO Investigations and Corporate Security Investigative Practices, Perjury, Tampering with Evidence and Conspiracy. MCAD Docket Number: 11BEM03271 EEOC Number: 16C-2012-00449 Investigator: Lynn D. Goldsmith Dear: Governor Deval Patrick, General Martha Coakley, Director Robert L. Sanders, District Attorney Samuel Sutter, Director Kevin J. Berry, U.S. Attorney General Erik H. Holder Jr., and U.S. EEOC Atty. Mindy Weinstein, My name is Neal W. Dias from Swansea Massachusetts. I am a former U.S. Marine, honorably discharged, and I have been through hell over the last eight years fighting for my rights and justice. I was a Verizon employee in both union and management from May 1997 – November 2008, so I had the opportunity to experience in full both sides of the house. My last four years of employment with Verizon was as a manager. I am writing you specifically because I was not being heard or receiving equal justice because of my race and color while working for Verizon in Massachusetts. At one point I had no choice but to reach out to external State and Federal Agencies looking for help and guidance. When I was terminated in November of 2008 for filing complaints against some very powerful and connected Verizon managers, and after years of using my proper chain of command with patience and hope, as they were all protected and took care of their own, I reached out to the Verizon CEO – Ivan Seidenberg as a last resort and was also ignored as well. Nepotism and racism played a major and factual role in this injustice. I currently have a case in Federal Court in Boston Massachusetts (file number 10-CV-10496-NG), because of what I know was a wrongful termination for filing these complaints as a form of retaliation. I am not writing you today in reference to my civil suit for wrongful termination, racism, discrimination and harassment while working for Verizon. I am writing you today for what I know there were unethical and illegal investigation practices that were conducted by Verizon, Verizon’s Equal Employment Opportunity Investigator Mr. Paul McGovern, Verizon’s Corporate Security Department and now recently known fact about the Massachusetts Commission against Discrimination. First, I know that Verizon tampered with evidence. There was obstruction of justice and conspiracy to terminate me as I have proof of what I say. Verizon’s main EEO Investigator is an attorney as well as EEO Department Head in Boston Massachusetts for Verizon New England. His name is Mr. Paul McGovern, and he acknowledged under oath in a deposition recently that he has full knowledge of Verizon’s EEO and Code of Conduct Policies, state laws and federal laws pertaining to racism, discrimination and harassment. I suspect his full knowledge and obligation was hampered by his connection with Verizon, to do the right thing. He had a legal obligation to investigate EEO complaints without prejudice, and I believed he failed to do so. He was caught lying, and covered up racist attacks, harassment discrimination, ongoing abuse towards myself and other Verizon employees and modified his investigation to protect Verizon from embarrassment and or legal actions. It wasn’t until Verizon EEO Mr. Paul McGovern’s deposition on March 30, 2011, that I found out about the lies, cover-ups and conspiracy that had taken place within Verizon and found Mr. Paul McGovern’s statement and actions inexcusable, unethical and without a doubt and illegal act. As I had learned that day in the depositions, Verizon and EEO Mr. Paul McGovern was stringing me along for two years, and never fulfilling their obligation to a proper unbiased EEO investigation into my claims of racism, discrimination, harassment, and retaliation. The investigation was intentionally prolonged and I was then forced to proceed outside of Verizon by trying to seek justice and answers with the Massachusetts Commission against Discrimination (MCAD). Verizon failed to protect me, my rights, and in the end, I was blackballed and retaliated against for standing up for myself. During my employment as a manager at Verizon I was torment as a minority manager for that exact reason and so much had happened to me. I was forced to sit in assigned seating in the back of the room full of Caucasian managers (as punishment) for making complaints. I was advised that blacks were of less quality and deserving of certain positions. I was advised that blacks were stupid. I listened to Caucasian managers tell black jokes. I was advised that blacks only received their positions because of Affirmative Action. I was advised that hiring stupid blacks did nothing for diversity in Verizon and was advised how blacks eat certain foods. The racial comments were many inexcusable, and that’s just the beginning. Verizon had full knowledge of these racial complaints as they were reported to EEO, and to just exactly whom was making these comments to me, but they failed to question them. They protected their own, and I was forced to endure the continued racial torment, harassment and retaliation. At another time I was told to my face by a Verizon employee that he hated f***g black people. He also advised me that he hated working for f*g minorities. The sad fact is that these Verizon employees still work at Verizon is proof of the acceptable racial and bullying norm that exist. Verizon also stated in a response letter to MCAD, that a minority manager was not deserving of his position. It stated; “Numerous managers, including the promoted African American manager himself, questioned whether the promotion was warranted give the lack of technical knowledge.” I decided to track this retired African American manager down in North Carolina. Read the statement that Verizon stated about him what Verizon has stated in the response letter to MCAD. He was appalled as the statement from Verizon and advised me that his promotion was warranted. The manager felt that he was highly qualified for the position and had more than enough experience. Verizon lied about the claim that this African American manager stated about himself. Over the course of my last fours years as a manger, I was harassed in many ways. I was threatened and bullied while other managers and employees were present and nothing was done about it. I was intentionally given low ratings in performance reviews to set me up to be terminated in the future. I was asked to do the work of another Caucasian manager and I received less pay as to raises and bonuses. I was stripped of benefits (as to duty status), pay and overtime as a form of control and punishment. I was forced to do additional paperwork compared to my Caucasian co-workers. I was ridiculed, belittled, sworn at and yelled at in front of my subordinates and peers because I refused to lie down and be treated badly. I write you today to request a look into my case specifically on a local level and extend your investigation nationally if need be to look into Verizon’s unethical and illegal procedures when investigating EEO Violations and Violations to the Verizon Business Code of Conduct by their Corporate Security Department. As Verizon has stated, they receive thousands of EEO complaints a year. Verizon has proven to me that they have obstructed justice, protecting perpetrators, tampered with evidence and violated my human rights to equal and proper investigations into EEO and Verizon Code of Conduct Practices. I am particularly requesting an investigation into just how my complaint to Verizon’s EEO Department was handled by Verizon and EEO Head Compliance Officer and Attorney Mr. Paul McGovern in February of 2005. I opened an internal Investigation into the violations against my human rights by Verizon management with their EEO Compliance Department. During that time, Verizon and Mr. McGovern requested supplementary data to support my claims besides the numerous notes I had already provided him in the initial complaint. As time went on, I would ask Mr. McGovern through telephone calls and emails on the progress or conclusion of my case. Mr. McGovern would often tell me that he was still working on my case, as this went on for years. It was not until Mr. McGovern’s depositions that I had found out the truth and that Verizon and EEO Mr. Paul McGovern lied under oath. After seven months of my EEO complaint being opened with Verizon in February of 2005, he admitted closing out my investigation in October of 2005. Mr. Paul McGovern during depositions admitted that he had closed out my EEO complaint and stated there were no findings to support my claim of any EEO violations or of any Verizon Business Code of Conduct violations. Six years later, in March of 2011, the truth was uncovered about the investigation and exposed the cover-ups and conspiracy of Verizon. It was in the depositions that I found out that Verizon and Mr. Paul McGovern closed out my case long before he had ever stated that he did. Mr. McGovern through telephone conversation and emails would advise me that he was still working on the case and at one point around August of 2006 stated that he was waiting for his boss to talk with him about it. He stated this, when in fact it was already closed out almost one year previously. About August of 2006, I wrote Mr. McGovern (a year and a half into my so-called complaint being investigated) requesting information of the results and was advised to keep my ears to the ground to find out the conclusion. I then patiently waited six more months (with my ears to the ground awaiting results) for a total of two years and wrote Mr. Paul McGovern a letter. In February 2007, I wrote Mr. McGovern a letter stating that I had waited two years for the completion of my EEO complaints and still no response from him. I also requested certain outcomes of my case and never received any confirmation of any sort. Once again, Mr. McGovern never responded to me and I was forced to file externally with the Massachusetts Commission against Discrimination in February of 2007 (which I believe is an umbrella under EEOC in Boston Massachusetts). I finally heard what I knew all along, the truth came out. EEO Mr. McGovern during the depositions admitted that he “never investigated” the two Verizon management employees in Brockton Massachusetts (Mr. Malcome Benvie and Ms. Anne Best). Mr. Malcome Benvie and Ms. Anne Best are the Verizon managers that I complained about causing havoc in the workplace, bullying individuals, and racial torment directly towards me. The complaints were in reference to harassment, sabotaging of my work, retaliation, discrimination, threats to do bodily harm, creation of a hostile work environment, bullying, racial comments, racial jokes and racial comparisons. These were direct violations of the Verizon Business Code of Conduct, federal and state laws, which I believed protection my human rights. Mr. McGovern stated that he closed out my case in seven months and never spoke to either Mr. Malcome Benvie or Ms. Anne Best about my complaints. I was left to fend for myself in an environment full of retaliation and hostility. Mr. McGovern did also state that he spoke to Mr. Malcome Benvie and Ms. Ann Best about my complaint after it was closed out, “during another investigation” and complaint against them, while they were working at a Verizon garage in Plymouth Massachusetts. Mr. McGovern stated that was the first time that he had spoken to both of them about my complaint, as this was also was in his company notes. Verizon admits several times during the response letters to MCAD and through EEO and Verizon Corporate Security notes that, Mr. Benvie and Ms. Anne Best were not the most ethical employees and have been part of a long history of several ethics complaints against them. They were known to use profanity often and had been warned to stop. They made threats to other Verizon employees, falsified records, and the list goes on with violations. Yet, Mr. Paul McGovern and Verizon never spoke to them about my complaint of harassment, sabotaging of my work, retaliation, discrimination, threats to do bodily harm, creation of a hostile work environment, bullying, racial comments, racial jokes and racial comparisons and closed it out. These violations began in 2004 and are still in existence because Verizon continues to protect and allow Mr. Malcome Benvie and Ms. Anne Best to treat Verizon employees poorly and blacks even worse. It is still in existence because it continues to allow another manager by the name of Mr. Paul McCarthy to discriminated, retaliate and harass me as well based on my race and for that exact reason and in combination of retaliation. In June of 2008, I was working for a new boss, Mr. Paul McCarthy, and the harassment never stopped as I was indeed blackballed and treated differently because of making EEO complaints. After filing complaints over the last year or so there was an incident that I felt I had no choice but to report to Verizon Corporate Security. Even though I had lost faith in Verizon’s investigative procedures, this could not be ignored. I was forced to report my present boss Mr. Paul McCarthy to Verizon for violation of the Verizon Business Code of Conduct as enough was enough. After about 2 years of dealing with discriminatory, racial, harassing and threatening acts from Mr. Paul McCarthy, in June of 2008 he lost control of himself in my office. He used profanity, threw papers in my face, charged at me several times not allowing me to speak and cornering me in my office. It so happens that there were, two other witnesses in the room. An investigation was opened the very next day, because of a complaint I filed that day for workplace violence. The witnesses testified to the violations and abusive treatment that I was forced to endure. Over the next three months I did request information on the investigation from Verizon Corporate Security and never received a response from them until September of 2008. I was then instructed to contact my Director Mr. John Puopolo on the conclusion of my case. Mr. John Poupolo never contacted me when I requested help in this matter. The investigation was closed with no violation found from Mr. Paul McCarthy’s misconduct as I was then notified by Human Resource’s Eileen Cannon. I was then terminated from Verizon soon after in November. Once again I was denied justice and my rights were violated. There were two other witnesses in my office that provided their honest and truthful statements of what occurred on that day. Verizon management covered up another investigation and protected Mr. McCarthy. Verizon Corporate Security stated to myself and the witnesses that day that our testimonies were valid with support of one another. In or about 2010, I was advised by a retired Verizon minority manager about how he had complained of racial pictures and gestures that were posted on a bulletin board at one of the Verizon garages in the Southeastern Massachusetts area. He stated that he had complained of this issue to his boss and Verizon’s EEO Compliance Department and nothing was ever done about this. The same boss that this retired manager complained too, was the same boss that I had complained of racial issues to back in 2004. Also, he had complained to the Verizon EEO department (headed by Mr. Paul McGovern) about this incident and once again, nothing was done about his complaint. A retirement package came at a good time for him, so he left Verizon but racial incidents like this, really helped him to make his decision possible. I can also provide documented proof and comparisons of how Verizon disciplines or terminates minorities compared to Caucasian employees. Unequal justice is the track that Verizon has chosen when compared to minority employees. I never thought in a million years that a company so large that promotes the notion that they care for their employees could do such a thing in this century. I like how Verizon places on their recruiting web site the Verizon Business Code of Conduct as a selling point as to why you would want to work there. They want outsiders think that they treat their employees with the utmost respect, the overall reality is not true. Throughout my tenure as a manager with Verizon, I was not given the equal rights nor justice as a minority when it came to making racial, discriminative, harassing and retaliatory complaints against Caucasian management employees. In fact, I was ignored and investigations were indeed covered up. My rights under the law were violated and Verizon needs to be held accountable for these violations and practices. I lost my job only because I was following the rules of the company and the law in which I was governed by. These complaints that I am asking you to address will justify to my family the fight we have been a part of and the heartache and pain we have endured. It will justify to my family that what Verizon, Mr. Paul McGovern from EEO, Verizon Corporate Security, Mr. Jim Fennell, Mr. Robert Glynn, Mr. Malcome Benvie, Ms. Anne Best and Mr. Paul McCarthy and others did to us has repercussions and they should be held accountable. We have at least eight documented perjury statements from Mr. Paul McCarthy that he had made during depositions, which I guess will have to be discussed. There is so much to my story and it cannot be told this quickly. This story is not over yet, as I believe that based on what has happed to me, I feel that there may be a tie between Verizon and the Massachusetts Commission against Discrimination. On my path to justice I reported to: Verizon: Reported these and many other unethical issues through the proper chain of command from my boss all the way to the CEO of Verizon. The Massachusetts Commission against Discrimination: 3/9/07 1st case with MCAD (never made any decisions) 11/17/08 2ND case with MCAD (never made any decisions) 2/2/10 pulled out of MCAD 152 weeks 12/5/2011 3rd case with MCAD (filed just to get a decision on the perjury from Verizon) It was not until Mr. McGovern’s federal depositions in the spring of 2011 (6 years later) that I had found out the truth of what happened back in 2005. After seven months of my Equal Employment Opportunity complaint being opened with Verizon in February of 2005, Mr. Paul McGovern closed it out in October of 2005. Mr. Paul McGovern admitted in 2011 that he had closed out my Equal Employment Opportunity complaint and stated there were no findings to support my claim of any Equal Employment Opportunity violations or of any Verizon Business Code of Conduct violations. Mr. McGovern during the depositions admitted that he never interviewed the two Verizon management employees in Brockton Massachusetts (Mr. Malcome Benvie and Ms. Anne Best). I now had the proof I needed to preset to the Massachusetts Commission against Discrimination that they were taken advantage of by “Verizon and Verizon EEO Officer Mr. Paul McGovern,” lied to and justice was denied because of tainted response statements in 2007. I put in a request to be heard in 2011 to the Massachusetts Commission against Discrimination, and was denied. I appealed the decision requesting to be heard on the proof that I have to my disposal. On Wednesday May 16th, 2012, I was at the Massachusetts Commission against Discrimination office in Boston Massachusetts. I was in a hearing, with the Massachusetts Commission against Discrimination attorney, and the Verizon attorney from, “Edwards Wildman Palmer LLP,” a miss Emily M. Smith. After dealing with the Massachusetts Commission against Discrimination for 5 years now, I have no trust or faith in the Massachusetts Commission against Discrimination, so I decided to tape the whole hearing, it was just a feeling that I had. I requested this hearing only to bring to the attention of the Massachusetts Commission against Discrimination of the proof that I now had. I wanted to hear there answer face-to-face to see what they were going to tell me. I wanted to provide them with the opportunity to do the right thing and to hold both Verizon, and Verizon EEO Officer’s (Mr. Paul McGovern and Mr. Dennis Hogan” accountable for lying, falsifying documents, perjury and interfering with an investigation, tampering with evidence. The Massachusetts Commission against Discrimination tell me something that made my jaw drop. The Massachusetts Commission against Discrimination stated,” We do not hold companies or people accountable for lying on their testimonies to the agency.” Massachusetts Commission against Discrimination is an agency that is designed to help employees with workplace issues like, “Retaliation, Harassment, Discrimination and other unethical and illegal workplace issues,” especially to a protected class, as this is their sole purpose for existence. The Massachusetts Commission against Discrimination proved to be complete failures, and this is extremely outrageous. Can you imagine, taking money from the state from taxpayers, being an agency that investigates claims of illegal acts, and when someone or a company lies, the agency states basically, “Its ok to lie to us, we won’t do nothing to you. So lie and cover up bullying, racism, discrimination, harassment, abusive behaviors because you will never be punished for it.” In 2005, I brought to the attention of the M.C.A.D / EEOC, my case. I advised them that Verizon – EEO Officers Mr. Paul McGovern and EEO Officer Mr. Dennis Hogan also from Verizon EEO was lying, when they reported on a State / Federal Document that they performed a full and extensive investigation into my claim. It was on March 30, 2011 in depositions, that the truth came to the surface. Verizon Mr. Paul McGovern, finally admitted that he “never” spoke to Mr. Malcome Benvie or Ms. Anne Best about my claims. Can you imagine that an agency, that principles are to help people and protect people that are also counting on them, fail them. People come to them often as a last resort. These people have no voices, so they count on agencies like the Massachusetts Commission against Discrimination and the EEOC to help them to put an end to harassment, bullying, racism, retaliation and discriminatory acts in a workplace to employees by these powerful companies like Verizon. To admit to my face that they (the Massachusetts Commission against Discrimination) were a waste of time to all the employees of companies in Massachusetts bothered me more than anything. I was so naive in the beginning until three years later seeing the lack of justice from this agency, but even worse when they stated that it was ok for people / companies to lie on their statements to the agency, and we don’t hold them accountable. So what is the reason or purpose to this agency? What is the reason to build the hope of so many victims when they walk through those doors in Boston Massachusetts? So many people that have no idea, of the political ties and the injustice they will face when they walk through those doors of the Massachusetts Commission against Discrimination in Boston Massachusetts. Each and everyday as people walk through those doors, hundreds to thousands a year believing that the Massachusetts Commission against Discrimination will have the support system, and a voice to help them, how sad and how wrong to lied to. One complaint took, “2 years, 11 months – 152 weeks – 6,080 hours, and never came to a conclusion. My case was not about probable cause, I provided endless proof. I was advised about 25 times by the Massachusetts Commission against Discrimination that my case was coming to a close, but it never did. By law I was forced to pull it out and place it into the hands of a Federal Court – as I am still awaiting justice. What Verizon did was manicure years of a relationship with the Massachusetts Commission against Discrimination, make them comfortable and played them. The Massachusetts Commission against Discrimination relied of the powerful name of the company (VERIZON) and the credibility of the EEO officer at Verizon who also is an attorney, who knows better. Most companies by now know that the can get away with lying to the Massachusetts Commission against Discrimination / EEOC because not many people or attorneys get to the point that I am in this case, or have the knowledge and courage to fight this for all the right reasons, I was a victim of an abusive company that did not help or protect me. So by the Massachusetts Commission against Discrimination stating that they do not hold people accountable, where is justice, who holds the Massachusetts Commission against Discrimination, companies or EEO officers accountable for lying and tampering with justice with intent to deny people justice or a fair investigation? This is what I need to know from you? Company EEO Officers, can lie on their investigations, submit them to a State / Federal Agency and that agency says, “It’s ok to lie; we don’t do anything about it anyway!” WOW – Can you imagine how much harder it makes it for a person who does not have the education or knowledge to know better? How many cases and people have the Massachusetts Commission against Discrimination failed to support, relying on the truth of testimonies and not caring or holding liars accountable for their false and misleading actions? As I advised them, Verizon already knew they were a weak agency, penetrate and knew they could lie to them, and get away with it because, Verizon has done it for too many years and times before. Verizon knew they were smarter, swifter, and more educated than the Massachusetts Commission against Discrimination, and fully believed they would never get caught! They prayed on the Massachusetts Commission against Discrimination’s ignorance, and would have gotten away with it if we never went into Federal Depositions. The more I dig deeper, the more that I have uncovered so much negligence and corruption. It has to end, for the best interest of so many including myself. I do not deserve to have had my life torn apart or have to fight so hard, for justice. Why do we (the citizens of this state of Massachusetts) need you to investigate this case at the Massachusetts Commission against Discrimination / Verizon / EEO Officer’s at Verizon? It is simple, powerful companies and unethical agencies can no longer get away with this! Almost one year ago July, I was face-to-face with attorneys from Verizon and Verizon hired external attorneys from Edwards, Angell, Palmer and Dodge. They advised me to my face that: I will never see justice, as Verizon has endless resources, and even if I ever win in court, (which they highly doubt because of the new judge that is assigned to my case, will never allow this case to go to trial, because this judge does not favor discrimination and wrongful termination cases), they will tie me up in court with appeals, so I will never see a dime or receive justice! It is great to know that justice can be bought and manipulated as if you have endless resources, employees like myself that were great workers, was ethical, decided to be a whistle blower against racism, discrimination, harassment other illegal and immoral behaviors at Verizon will be denied justice because of less power and money. You need to step in, and help me and so many other victims of the neglect that has happened because the Massachusetts Commission against Discrimination and Verizon that failed to do their jobs. The Massachusetts Commission against Discrimination agency, is paid by the state and I bet receives funding from the Federal Government. Their purpose is to investigate and eliminate discrimination that takes place within workplaces as well as other areas. On their home page the Massachusetts Commission against Discrimination it states: Have you been discriminated against? We can help! The Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination is the state’s civil rights agency. The Commission works to eliminate discrimination on a variety of basis and areas, and strives to advance the civil rights of the law enforcement, outreach and training. For a complete list of protected classes in the Areas of Discrimination. Employees are suppose to come to work each day without the fear of abusive or discrimination treatment. If an illegal act was performed by a company, most employees still are afraid to step up and complain. They are afraid of reprisal, so they begin to second guess themselves on going forward. They begin to think of all that may be lost, especially if they have a family. These people like myself have the though of fear going through their minds that if they report the abuse, they may loose their jobs, career’s and livelihood. So when an employee has the courage to step up to the plate, and ask their state or federal government agency for help, they should not be denied justice and hold companies accountable for lying on investigations. I credit the employees with courage like myself that took that next step to justice and ask for help from their government. Your investigation will force Verizon, Verizon’s EEO Investigator Mr. Paul McGovern and the Massachusetts Commission against Discrimination to “never cover-up any investigations or deny justice ever again.” They all had a legal obligation to uphold the law and the Verizon Business Code of Conduct, State and Federal Laws and never be blinded by color or powerful influences when it comes to justice and all three failed because of the political connections, power and influence and corruption. I am requesting that you open an investigation asap, into Verizon’s EEOC policies, procedures and investigative practices into how their EEO Complaints are handled – especially mine. I also anticipate that you will investigate the cover-up into the Verizon Corporate Security investigation that I opened in June of 2008 that ultimately led to my wrongful termination. I also want to know why the Massachusetts Commission against Discrimination allows companied to lie, and not be held accountable. I have to my access the full appeal hearing on tape, to prove they stated what I am claiming. Verizon committed blatant and deliberate perjury and justice needs to be rendered. I am serous about seeking justice, look below at my links, speeches and blogs. I am victim of Verizon, and want answers from my State and Federal Government. I need your answer, please. I thank you in advance for any and all assistance that you may be able to give to this matter. 645 Marvel Street Swansea, MA. 02777 Fightingfor7@hotmail.com Verizon Code of Conduct: https://www22.verizon.com/about/careers/codeofconduct.html Tags 70 Million Dollar racial lawsuit against Verizon:, About us overview - Verizon, About us overview - Verizon Wireless, Abusive Work Environment, alltel lawsuits, Anti Bullying, at&t lawsuits, Bullying, Career at Verizon, Careers at Verizon, Civil Rights and Anti-Bullying Leadership Summit, Class Action Suits, Conspiracy, CWA / IBEW, CWA / IBEW Members Bullied at Verizon, CWA / IBEW Members Bullied at VerizonX CWA / IBEW New PolicyX IBEW / CWA Members Bullied at VerizonX IBEW / CWA New Policy, CWA / IBEW New Policy, Discrimination, Discrimination and EEOC Compliance, Diversity, Diversity at Verizon, Employment Attorneys, Employment Opportunity Commission, Ethics, Fine, Harassment, Hostile Work Environment, IBEW / CWA Members Bullied at Verizon, IBEW / CWA New Policy, Internet, Jobs at Verizon, Justice, Justice at Verizon, Massachusetts Commission against Discrimination, MCAD, Members Bullied at Verizon, My Verizon, My Verizon online sign in, Neal Dias, Neal Dias – Verizon, Neal W. Dias, Neil Dias, Neil Diaz, Nynex And At&T Can't Hang Up On This Scandal, Olin & Anderman, Our Sister Firm, Parking at Verizon Center, Perjury, Petition, Probe Connects N.Y. Phone Firm to Bawdy Parties, Racism, Retaliation, Searches related to verizon management, Sexual Harassment, Sexual Harassment at Verizon, sprint lawsuits, Tampering with Evidence, Tapering with Evidence, TV and Phone \| Compare FiOS to Cable \| Verizon, U.S. Department of Justice, U.S. EEOC, U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Uncategorized, Verizon, Verizon - Bullying Protection for all CWA / IBEW Members, Verizon Anti Bullying, Verizon at Home, Verizon at hotmail, Verizon at Yahoo, Verizon – DSL Fraud, Verizon – Youtube, Verizon Business Code of Conduct, Verizon Careers, Verizon Class Action Lawsuits, verizon complaints, Verizon Corporate Security, verizon data charges lawsuit, Verizon Diversity, Verizon Email, verizon email management, Verizon employees, Verizon employment, Verizon EXEC'S NIGHTIE SHIFT DID LINGERIE STRIP, Verizon Facebook, Verizon FIOS, verizon fios lawsuits, verizon fios management, Verizon Ipad, Verizon Jobs, Verizon Lawsuits, verizon leadership, Verizon Management, verizon management rif 2012, verizon management structure, verizon management style, verizon management team, Verizon Official Site \| verizonwireless.com, Verizon online, Verizon Prepaid Plans, Verizon Raped My Family, Verizon Screwed Me, Verizon Store Locator, Verizon Strike, Verizon sued for "fostering and condoning a sex-based hostile work environment.", Verizon Summary Judgment Hearing, Verizon Union Employees, Verizon Union Members, Verizon Unions, Verizon USA, Verizon Whistleblower wins Lawsuit, Verizon Wireless, Verizon Wireless – Youtube, Verizon Wireless Facebook, verizon wireless lawsuits, verizon wireless management, Verizon Wireless USA, Verizon Workplace Lawsuits, Wins Discrimination Suit Against Verizon, Woman at Verizon, Workplace Bullying Summit - Verizon, Wrongful Termination, Wrongful Termination Anti Bullying Verizon being sued over FMLA – Federal Violations Verizon is once again proved to be an enormous bully. They believe that they can do just about anything they want to just about anyone they choose. Pass this on to all the union heads ASAP! Contact the head IBEW / CWA asap. Let them know so they can pass this on to all their members!!!! One of my biggest issues against Verizon was discrimination of FMLA time used. It is well know that Verizon management didn’t like workers using their FMLA time. Yet it seems like more workers are coming out of the woodwork making the very same claim. Verizon would be breaking Federal Law if this is proven in a court of law. Verizon employees, I urge you to contact your attorney if your rights were violated as well. Have your attorney contact the attorney’s handling this case as well. The court said the individual claims could go to trial. (Oakley v. Verizon Communications, No. 09-CIV-9175, SD NY, 2012) Tags 70 Million Dollar racial lawsuit against Verizon:, About us overview - Verizon, About us overview - Verizon Wireless, Abusive Work Environment, alltel lawsuits, Anti Bullying, at&t lawsuits, Bullying, Career at Verizon, Careers at Verizon, Civil Rights and Anti-Bullying Leadership Summit, Class Action Suits, Conspiracy, CWA / IBEW, CWA / IBEW Members Bullied at Verizon, CWA / IBEW Members Bullied at VerizonX CWA / IBEW New PolicyX IBEW / CWA Members Bullied at VerizonX IBEW / CWA New Policy, CWA / IBEW New Policy, Discrimination, Discrimination and EEOC Compliance, Diversity, Diversity at Verizon, Employment Attorneys, Employment Opportunity Commission, Ethics, Fine, Harassment, Hostile Work Environment, IBEW / CWA Members Bullied at Verizon, IBEW / CWA New Policy, Internet, Jobs at Verizon, Justice, Justice at Verizon, Massachusetts Commission against Discrimination, MCAD, Members Bullied at Verizon, My Verizon, My Verizon online sign in, Neal Dias, Neal Dias – Verizon, Neal W. Dias, Neil Dias, Neil Diaz, Nynex And At&T Can't Hang Up On This Scandal, Olin & Anderman, Our Sister Firm, Parking at Verizon Center, Perjury, Petition, Probe Connects N.Y. Phone Firm to Bawdy Parties, Racism, Retaliation, Searches related to verizon management, Sexual Harassment, Sexual Harassment at Verizon, sprint lawsuits, Tampering with Evidence, Tapering with Evidence, TV and Phone \| Compare FiOS to Cable \| Verizon, U.S. Department of Justice, U.S. EEOC, U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Uncategorized, Verizon, Verizon - Bullying Protection for all CWA / IBEW Members, Verizon Anti Bullying, Verizon at Home, Verizon at hotmail, Verizon at Yahoo, Verizon – DSL Fraud, Verizon – Youtube, Verizon being sued over FMLA – Federal Violations, Verizon Business Code of Conduct, Verizon Careers, Verizon Class Action Lawsuits, verizon complaints, Verizon Corporate Security, verizon data charges lawsuit, Verizon Diversity, Verizon Email, verizon email management, Verizon employees, Verizon employment, Verizon EXEC'S NIGHTIE SHIFT DID LINGERIE STRIP, Verizon Facebook, Verizon FIOS, verizon fios lawsuits, verizon fios management, Verizon Ipad, Verizon Jobs, Verizon Lawsuits, verizon leadership, Verizon Management, verizon management rif 2012, verizon management structure, verizon management style, verizon management team, Verizon Official Site \| verizonwireless.com, Verizon online, Verizon Prepaid Plans, Verizon Raped My Family, Verizon Screwed Me, Verizon Store Locator, Verizon Strike, Verizon sued for "fostering and condoning a sex-based hostile work environment.", Verizon Summary Judgment Hearing, Verizon Union Employees, Verizon Union Members, Verizon Unions, Verizon USA, Verizon Whistleblower wins Lawsuit, Verizon Wireless, Verizon Wireless – Youtube, Verizon Wireless Facebook, verizon wireless lawsuits, verizon wireless management, Verizon Wireless USA, Verizon Workplace Lawsuits, Wins Discrimination Suit Against Verizon, Woman at Verizon, Workplace Bullying Summit - Verizon, Wrongful Termination, Wrongful Termination Anti Bullying Verizon Raped My Familly – Law Makers Dear Law Maker: I am a 46 year old former U.S. Marine, who was brought up by my father, due to my mother passing away when I was 8 years old. I have five children, a grandchild and a wonderful wife of over 20 years. I was born in 1965, in Fall River Massachusetts. I lived on the 2nd floor from my Grandmother. I come from a very large family Cape Verdean family. In 1973 we moved from the city, into the suburban neighborhood, a place called Swansea. It was that year when I lost my mother in an auto mobile accident. In 1984 I went into the U.S. Marines which enforced respect for one self and our Nation. After getting out of the Marines, I furthered my education and received my first degree, which was in Electrical Technology. In 1997 I was hired by Nynex (now called Verizon), as a lineman. In 2004 I was promoted to manager as I was in the process of working on my second degree in Business Management and advanced to upper management, rapidly. I was a valued leader on the Verizon Diversity Committee, and spoke at several locations. I was on the Diversity committee and was directly responsible for ensure the first ever Verizon’s Diversity Week went on without any hitches. I was awarded for my success in New York by the Verizon New England President. I was apart of other specialized organizations within Verizon to ensure my voice was heard as I stood up against Bullying, Harassment, Racism and Discrimination was not accepted with the Verizon walls. But it was in 2004 when I was promoted, I began to see Verizon employees getting bullied by Verizon Management. I did what I through was best, and tried to halt the bullying that was taking place at Verizon, then it shifted to me. After standing up against the powers to be, trying to help others I was targeted, harassed, bullied, discriminated against, endured racial harassment and eventually wrongfully terminated. I was brought up with the belief of how you treat people, is how you will be treated. It was embedded into my mind that respect was how it will be in my family. My father said, “Respect people, work hard and life will treat you kind.” This was the belief of a man who was discriminated against for so many years, because of his color, but never changed his values. I knew then, I cannot walk away like so many others that have had to endure such cruelty, and that this bullying issue is larger than me. After seven and a half years my story is still is not over as I am still in federal court in Boston Massachusetts awaiting the second summary of judgment decision. I will continue to fight for justice and my honor. I now have committed my life to help others, and started a blog page which has acquired over 14,000 readings and over 2,000 comments in only a few months. After hearing all these stories, I knew I had to do something and became an advocate for workplace bulling. This is when I stumbled upon “New York Healthy Workplace Advocates.” I have helped to organize many in the fight against Verizon and other companies in the war against bullying in corporate America. I have helped to guide so many to resources to guide these victims in the fight against any form of harassment or discrimination in the workplace, as this is my mission. I am in the working on publishing a book, which will be out later this year as it is about the immoral, unethical and illegal treatment of employees and myself while working at Verizon. The U.S. Department of Labor produced a fact sheet on numerous events in the workplace. July 2010 they concluded that over a 5 year span, from 2004 – 2008, there were an average of 564 work-related homicides that occurred each year in the United States of America. About 4 out of 5 homicide victims in 2008 were male The U.S. National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health states that Homicide is the second highest cause of death on the job after motor vehicle accidents. That amounts to every 3 cases to 10,000 workers. Over 2 million workers are assaulted each year and 2, 000 people are murdered. A 2007 national survey by Zogby International and Workplace Institute found that: 37% of workers have experienced workplace bullying. 62% of employees who received complaints about workplace bullying either ignore the problem or made it worse. 64% of bullying targets eventually are pushed out of their jobs. 73% of workplace bullies are supervisors. In the spring of 2011, I was in a Federal Deposition with Verizon, and they admitted, under oath that they receive over 104,000 EEO Complaints a year. That comes out to 8,666 a month, and 2,000 a week, 400 a day. Why so many? In the last four years of my career at Verizon as a manager (from February 2004 – November 2008), as a black manager I have been a victim of enormous and continued bullying. Discrimination, harassment, intimidation tactics, racism, endured racial comments, racial jokes, belittlement being forced to endure demeaning behavior and language. I was ignored when reporting unethical behavior and abusive treatment to upper management and corporate compliance departments like Verizon Ethics and Corporate Security. I was threatened physically, targeted, falsely accused of a crime, my work sabotaged, un-voluntarily relocated (7 times in 2 ½ years and verbally attacked. My pay was intentionally withheld several times, my annual bonus withheld, unequal treatment, diminished development and diminished opportunities. I was moved regularly, yelled at, called names, harassed at my home while being out sick. I was so belittled, treated with the utmost disrespect, given low ratings and my pay was being withheld. I was then removed from duty call out list, advised to do my Caucasian peer managers work and were given lower raises and bonuses than them. I was denied of justice, forced to do extended work and harassed till no end, been the butt end of a conspiracy and my technicians attacked in a retaliation method to reduce my team’s productivity and demoralize my team. I was given unfavorable performance evaluations, treated like a criminal, been thrown out of meetings for no reason. I’ve been embarrassed due to being treated horribly in front of peers, isolation and stripped of responsibilities which dramatically reduced my income to support my family. My employment was threatened, sworn at, called a liar as well as my morals and values questioned. I was called psychotic, called pathetic, harassed at home on my property while I was out ill, while on my property. I endured repulsive behavior, forced to endure hostile treatment, forced to sit in the back of the room in meeting as a punishment, forced to be in a hostile environment and consistently retaliated against and in the end wrongfully terminated, because I choose not to accept this brutal behavior from Verizon. This Healthy Workplace Bill Today, there is an active bill in most states which, with the work of you, and others in office that have the power to make this a Law, bullying can save lives. The bill is called: “Healthy Workplace Bill,” Bullies are an internal terrorist, attacking the moral of our character, and society from the inside. They are destroying good people, and their lives. Just as we, as a country dominate in containing world wide terrorism, we need to strengthen our cause and focus on luring out the bullies in each and every workplace in this country, and hold them accountable. This, “Healthy Workplace Bill,” will do such a thing, this bill if we can get it to become law – will save lives! Bulling Advocates: The people that are complaining of bullies are not sissy’s, they are not pansies’ they are not people that aren’t afraid to do anything that they have to, including being violent. They are people that choose to take a non-violent activist way of doing what is right for themselves and their families and many others. So they are individuals that have no problem standing up for themselves, if they have to protect themselves in a violent manner, but they choose not do. They are individuals that follow the law, based on the law is what society asks, is to be non-violent when making a stand. These individuals whether children or adults, make a stand up against bullying, is making a stand are doing what’s right for the best interest of all. I myself had the potential and ability to act out in a violent manner and harm the individuals that harassed, bullied, discriminated against and targeted me, if I had to but choose not to. I choose to make a stand utilizing the proper chain of command, and within the law in the best interest of my family and myself. I refused to have to sit behind bars of kill myself, because of acting out in a violent manner to resolve these immoral issues. I choose the right path; I choose what I had to for all the right reasons and has still been denied justice. So I credit all the individuals that are standing as advocates all across this world against bullies, so we can change society so people can go to work each day and make a reasonable income to support their families. Life is stressful enough, no one needs to be abused and tormented in the process. Please help, and get this Healthy Workplace Bill recognized and into a law. If you need me at anytime to speak, I will be glad to offer my word. I am now an active Advocate in Massachusetts for Healthy Workplace Bill. I am also starting a National campaign across this country called: “Enough is Enough – End Bullying in Corporate America.” This is the year to end Corporate Bullying, it is up to you. The Healthy Workplace Bill needs to become Law. If this bill becomes law, it will help to create healthier workplaces, and saves lives. Attached is my story: My full story U.S. Justice Department Letter 2 Pictures taken at the Capital Press Conference in Albany New York on April 30, 2012 Blog Address (GOOGLE): “Bullied at Verizon – Enough is Enough” or “Bullied at Verizon – Enough is Enough” Healthy Workplace Bill Press Conference in New York April 30, 2012 (Video), I begin the speech about Verizon at the 27:00 minute: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W6pPe2gqGRI&feature=share Tags 70 Million Dollar racial lawsuit against Verizon:, Abusive Work Environment, alltel lawsuits, Anti Bullying, at&t lawsuits, Bullying, Career at Verizon, Careers at Verizon, Civil Rights and Anti-Bullying Leadership Summit, Class Action Suits, Conspiracy, CWA / IBEW, CWA / IBEW Members Bullied at Verizon, CWA / IBEW Members Bullied at VerizonX CWA / IBEW New PolicyX IBEW / CWA Members Bullied at VerizonX IBEW / CWA New Policy, CWA / IBEW New Policy, Discrimination, Discrimination and EEOC Compliance, Diversity, Diversity at Verizon, Employment Attorneys, Employment Opportunity Commission, Ethics, Fine, Harassment, Hostile Work Environment, IBEW / CWA Members Bullied at Verizon, IBEW / CWA New Policy, Jobs at Verizon, Justice, Justice at Verizon, Massachsuetts Commission Against Discrimination, Massachusetts Commission against Discrimination, MCAD, Members Bullied at Verizon, My Verizon, Neal Dias, Neal Dias – Verizon, Neal W. Dias, Neil Dias, Neil Diaz, Nynex And At&T Can't Hang Up On This Scandal, Olin & Anderman, Our Sister Firm, Parking at Verizon Center, Perjury, Petition, Probe Connects N.Y. Phone Firm to Bawdy Parties, Racism, Retaliation, Searches related to verizon management, Sexual Harassment, Sexual Harassment at Verizon, sprint lawsuits, Tampering with Evidence, Tapering with Evidence, U.S. Department of Justice, U.S. EEOC, U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, U.S. Equal Employment Opprotunity Commission, Uncategorized, Verizon, Verizon - Bullying Protection for all CWA / IBEW Members, Verizon Anti Bullying, Verizon at Home, Verizon at hotmail, Verizon at Yahoo, Verizon – DSL Fraud, Verizon Business Code of Conduct, Verizon Careers, Verizon Class Action Lawsuits, verizon complaints, Verizon Corporate Security, verizon data charges lawsuit, Verizon Diversity, Verizon Email, verizon email management, Verizon employees, Verizon employment, Verizon EXEC'S NIGHTIE SHIFT DID LINGERIE STRIP, Verizon FIOS, verizon fios lawsuits, verizon fios management, Verizon Ipad, Verizon Jobs, Verizon Lawsuits, verizon leadership, Verizon Management, verizon management rif 2012, verizon management structure, verizon management style, verizon management team, Verizon online, Verizon Raped My Family, Verizon Screwed Me, Verizon Strike, Verizon sued for "fostering and condoning a sex-based hostile work environment.", Verizon Summary Judgment Hearing, Verizon Union Employees, Verizon Union Members, Verizon Unions, Verizon Wireless, verizon wireless lawsuits, verizon wireless management, Verizon Workplace Lawsuits, Wins Discrimination Suit Against Verizon, Woman at Verizon, Workplace Bullying Summit - Verizon, Wrongful Termination, Wrongful Termination Anti Bullying Categories Anti Bullying, Bullying, Class Action Suits, Conspiracy, Discrimination, Employment Attorneys, Harassment, Justice, Justice at Verizon, Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination, MCAD, Perjury, Petition, Racism, Retaliation, Tapering with Evidence, U.S. Department of Justice, U.S. EEOC, U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Uncategorized, Verizon, Verizon Anti Bullying, Verizon Careers, Verizon Wireless, Wrongful Termination	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0041.json.gz/line4089
__label__cc	0.653027	0.346973	Tag: Honest John missile launcher Duxford Air Show, Sunday 2014 featuring two Avro Lancasters in formation If you love aircraft, especially old aircraft, you will love this post but if not, look away! This is necessarily going to be a long post! I went to Duxford on the Sunday, drawn by the prospect of seeing two Avro Lancasters in formation. As all flight buffs will know, this is probably the last time more than one Avro Lancaster will be seen flying together and the crowds were huge. I arrived before 9 am and the queues were already long. By the time I left, I knew that many hadn’t got in. I saw people standing on bridges, miles down the motorway, hoping to see something. They probably weren’t disappointed. Apart from the First World War crates, most aircraft were fast enough that their displays were spread over miles of the countryside around Duxford. Indeed, one of the highlights was a display but a Boeing 727, which has recently retired from passenger carrying and been converted to an environmental disaster response unit by a consortium of large oil companies. The red and silver jet was piloted by a first time diplay pilot who clearly had no idea about constraint because he proceeded to come in low over the airfield many times and climb away with both engines roaring at somewhere near full power. He was not that far from the onlookers, possibly flouting UK air traffic laws, but who could blame him? The two Lancasters came early on, at about 3.15, and rumbled elegantly back and forth over the grass runway for us all to enjoy. Two Spitfires and a Hurricane, which turned up unexpectedly, joined them at the last moment. I went for a short walk and took a turn in a Battle of Britain flight simulator, along with about ten other people. The simulated flight was of a Bf109E. The bumps and tight turns were faithfully reproduced but, of course, we felt no G-Force. I also found the Blenheim Society hangar and spoke to one of the engineers who has been working to get the crashed Bristol Blenheim ready for flight again, this time with a Mark I short nose. If you have read Ordo Lupus and the Temple Gate, you will know that the later Mark IV features in the book. I also attended a re-enacted Bomber Command briefing where I asked how on earth they launched the pigeons, which were used to carry coded information about a downed bombers location back to England. They told me that the pigeons were kept in biscuit tins while in flight and only released after the crash landing or ditching Shortly after, we were treated to a display of American Naval power from WWII; a Grumman Hellcat, a Chance Vought Corsair and a Grumman Bearcat. While the two former aircraft rumbled slowly back and forth, the Bearcat executed a dazzling display in the background, sometimes going into loops which took it way beyond our vision, up into the clouds. A Consolidated PBY Catalina (see photos below) took off twice and chugged around, keeping its nose wheel off the ground for an extended landing run, just to compete with the B-17 pilot who made a speciality of this maneouvre, we were told. Then the B-17 Sally B fired up, sending clouds of black/brown smoke into the air. This B-17, actually a G model, distinguished by the chin gun, was painted to look like Memphis Belle, the first B-17 to survive 25 missions and return to the states, as filmed in the eponymously entitled film. Still in those colours, she rumbled past the crowd and took off for a short, but elegant display, showing her wide belly to the crowd each time. I happened to be looking for lunch when I saw a Sally B stand and enquired whether I could actually get inside the aircraft. To my complete surprise, I was able to get a ticket to go inside for only £10; apparently a special deal for the day. I paid my money and climbed inside this old aircraft. If you want to see the photographs inside B-17 Sally-B (Memphis Belle) and find out more, take a look at my post two weeks ago. Just before I sought lunch, I made a quick tour of the military vehicle hanger. If you like this sort of thing, you won’t be disappointed. I saw a Jagdpanther, a Conqueror and an Honest John missile launcher (I had a Dinky Toys one as a kid), to mention a few. The hanger containing American aircraft had an SR-71 blackbird, a B-29 Superfortress, another B-17G a U-2 and many other interesting aircraft. Most of these aircraft feature in the photographs below. I apologise about the layout but I have struggled all day to get it as good as this; I didn’t know that the WordPress ‘Gallery’ mode for posts does absolutely nothing and took a while to find out that you can’t easily fit three photos on one line. Anyway, enjoy the photographs, click to enlarge, and please leave a comment. B-17G Flying Fortress Sally-B (aka Memphis Belle) If you want to see the photographs inside B-17 Sally-B (Memphis Belle) and find out more, take a look at my post two weeks ago. Handley Page Hastings port engine and undercarriage detail. Hastings served as transports at the end of WWII and during the Berlin Airlift. Avro York Cockpit. These two were used in the Berlin Airlift and were a development of the Avro Lancaster. Unfortunately, my photos of the exterior are not good. Airspeed Ambassador. Anybody who loves airliners is going to love this album. DeHavilland Comet Cockpit DeHavilland Comet 4, one of the last, serving on Dan Air route to Alicante until 1973. I flew on a Dan Air Comet in 1973, but not this one. They were noisy and shook a lot! Vickers Viscount. I must admit, airliners are not really my thing but its a trip down memory lane, looking at these things. Bristol Britannia front Bristol Britannia cockpit VIckers VC10 Trident Vickers VC10 cockpit VC10 engines. This would have been your view (minus the red covers) when you stepped off the aircraft at some hot holiday destination. BAC 111 cockpit Nose of the museum’s static display B-17G Flying Fortress. The chin gun has been removed for restoration. TSR2 nose section. Such a shame this beautiful aircraft was cancelled by the Government. Grumman Wildcat. This and the next sequence of photos were taken in the ‘Restoration’ hangar. Hawker Fury with a long way to go until it flies. Very tatty looking Spitfire. Fairy Firefly. Two are being restored, one to flying condition and the other for museum display only. An SR-71 Blackbird cockpit. The pilot of one of these gave guided tours on the day and I have his autograph. He said the crew had to stay in the cockpit for 30 minutes after landing because the canopy and fuselage were far too hot to touch. SR-71 fuselage; Elegant but menacing. Ball turret of the B-17G. Tail turret of B-17G. If memory serves, this variant is called the Cheyenne turret. B-29 Superfortress tail section. B-29 Superfortress port outer engine. These had magnesium parts which were prone to melt and set light to the firewall between the engine and the tank, which soon sent the aircraft up in flames! B-29 Superfortress starboard cupola. The B-29 had remote-controlled guns and the operator would sight his targets through this cupola. Inside, you can just see the upper cupola. B-29 Superfortress belly gun. B-29 Superfortress. View from outside nose of bombsight. B-29 Superfortress. View from right of cockpit B-29 Starboard view of cockpit B-29 Superfortress starboard undercarriage detail. B-29 Superfortress starboard undercarriage bay, looking up. The motor is to the right and forward. B-29 Superfortress starboard undercarriage bay, looking up and to the rear. Nose of B-52 Stratofortress. Those still in service have been upgraded to serve on until 2040, which will mean they will be the first front-line aircraft to complete 90 years of service! B-17G Sally B taxing. As you can see, Sally B is still painted to represent Memphis Belle, which she portrayed in the film of same name. I went inside Sally B so read on if you want to see the photos. Sally B flying. The privately owned Canadian and RAF Lancaster flying together in formation. The Canadian Lancaster was flown over for a season of displays because the RAF Lanc is due for a long servicing dismantlement and this was the last chance for them to be seen together before that. With increasing fuel and insurance costs, this sight may well never be seen again (at least with real Lancasters!) If you are interested in aircraft, you might like one of my Wartime aviation novels. Screaming Angels explores the causes of the MiG-15s superiority at the beginning of the Korean War and includes a chapter about the De Havilland Mosquito. Attack Hitler’s Bunker! is about a raid using composite Hawker Hurricane and Short Stirling aircraft in a daring raid on Hitler’s Bunker in Berlin. December Radio is about secret German technology during WW2 and features detail on Eugen Sanger’s Orbital Bomber, sometimes called the Amerika Bomber, which could skip along the Earth’s atmosphere to reach New York and reach Japan, making it the forerunner of the American Space Shuttle. Explore these books under the main menu item Wartime (Aviation) Series. Download three free eBooks by clicking here: http://bit.ly/3fbsup October 6, 2014 June 7, 2018 Airspeed Ambassador B-17G B-29 Superfortress B-52 Stratofortress BAC 111 Bf109 Flight Simulator Conqueror tank DHavilland Comet Duxford Air Show 2014 Fairy Firefly Honest John missile launcher Jagdpanther Sally B	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0041.json.gz/line4100
__label__cc	0.503299	0.496701	Events - 1 March 19 Free Nature Play Group Juniper Hill School 180 Golden Ridge Road 03/01/2019 \| 9:00 am - 11:00 am Come play and learn at Juniper Hill School with Anne Stires, early childhood teacher and school founder & director with 20 years of experience in nature-based education. Nature Play Group is designed for babies, toddlers and young children ages 0-3 years accompanied by parent or other adult caregiver. Hearts and Hands for Haiti St. Patrick's Church 380 Academy Hill Road 03/01/2019 \| 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm Ninth Annual Lincoln County Haiti Benefit Dinner. Haitian Creole food prepared by Damariscotta River Grill. Select Haitian artwork and handicrafts for sale. Dinner and sale proceeds go directly to Gros Morne, Haiti, for school supplies & lunches, a new poultry project, and building materials to repair the 2018 earthquake damage. John Bottero of Thomaston Place Gallery will be the MC. Tickets $30 ($35 at the door), available at Sherman’s Maine Coast Bookshops in Damariscotta and Boothbay Harbor, Treats in Wiscasset, and Skidompha Library in Damariscotta. For more information, call Sharon Marchi at 529-5239. Town Hall with Midcoast Humane Boothbay Region YMCA 261 Townsend Ave. Midcoast Humane: Our name has changed, but our commitment to the animals of Lincoln County hasn’t. Please join Midcoast Humane for a Lincoln County Town Hall Meetings to hear more about our work. Friday, March 1 261 Townsend Ave, Boothbay Harbor, Maine Can’t make it? We want to hear from you! Reach out to our Executive Director Trendy Stanchfield at 207-449-1366 or tstanchfield@midcoasthumane.org, and visit midcoasthumane.org to learn more. Thank you for your continued support…we can’t help the animals of Lincoln County without you. Open Mic at The Boothbay Opera House The Opera House at Boothbay Harbor 86 Townsend Avenue The final open mic of the Opera House’s winter season is tonight. If you have a song or story to share, please plan to arrive at 6:30 to sign-up. The mic goes live at 7:00 PM. Free, but donations accepted.	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0041.json.gz/line4101
__label__cc	0.660949	0.339051	Tag: short stories Art & literature come out to play together at the Leon Rooke & John Metcalf Salon Exhibition I had the great pleasure of attending the Leon Rooke and John Metcalf Salon Exhibition last night, hosted by Fran Hill Gallery at Rooke’s residence at 246 Brunswick Ave., Toronto—also the new contact space for the gallery since it moved from its St. Clair W./Christie neighbourhood Show Room. The event featured Rooke’s latest paintings and sculptures, and the Biblioasis launch of two new books by Metcalf: The Canadian Short Story and Finding Again the World—Selected Stories. Ushered up to event in the spacious, open and bright second floor space of the home—with its striking sky lights, interesting nooks and gorgeous fireplace—several of us (including me) remarked that we wanted to take up residence there ourselves. And it was here that we wandered about, viewing Rooke’s art over wine and cheese, and treated to a reading by Metcalf. Comprised of small to medium-sized canvasses, and curious, detailed and often delightful sculptures and shadow boxes, much of Rooke’s (who is also an author) work in this exhibit has a light, playful, whimsical quality—with some of the pieces emerging with a richer, deeper palette and darker, mysterious and even erotic undertones. Be forewarned: Not all of the pieces on display are necessarily for sale (exhibit pieces are noted with a number, accompanied by a printed guide with titles and pricing) and at least one piece (the Fish sculpture, featured at the top of this post) sold last night. Following a brief introduction by Biblioasis Publisher Dan Wells, Metcalf—who also worked for years as a highly respected editor, most notably on Best Canadian Stories, curating the anthology and shepherding writers—read us excerpts from The Canadian Short Story and The Museum at the End of the World. Part historical overview, part critical guide, part love letter to the form, The Canadian Short Story is anything but a dry, academic tome, despite its hefty size. Sharply insightful, and full of humour and interesting examples and anecdotes about authors; hearing the excerpt, it struck me as being the “inside baseball” for the short story lover. And the audiophile journey Metcalf took us on with the piece from The Museum at the End of the World (a series of linked stories and novellas) gave us sharply drawn characters; visceral and present details that pique the senses; and a curiosity shop environment that enveloped the intimate, almost confessional nature of the characters’ conversation—about the musicians, birthplace and evolution of the blues. I was so taken by this work of autobiographically inspired fiction that I left with a signed copy. All in all, it was a lovely and inspirational evening of striking art, literature and people. The Leon Rooke exhibit continues throughout the fall; give Fran Hill a shout at 416 363-1333 or franhillartgallery@gmail.com to book an appointment. The residence at 246 Brunswick Ave. is tucked in behind 244 Brunswick Ave., accessed by the walkway to the right. You can visit the Biblioasis website or your favourite book shop to find works by John Metcalf. Here are some snaps I took last night. Author life with more cowbellPosted on October 5, 2018 Categories Art, Books, Moments, WritingTags anecdote, autobiography, Best Canadian Stories, Biblioasis, critical guide, Dan Wells, Finding Again the World, Fran Hill, Fran Hill Gallery, history, John Metcalf, Leon Rooke, Leon Rooke & John Metcalf Salon Exhibition, literature, love letter, novellas, painting, salon, sculpture, shadow boxes, short stories, The Canadian Short Story, The Museum at the End of the WorldLeave a comment on Art & literature come out to play together at the Leon Rooke & John Metcalf Salon Exhibition Playfully whimsical, profoundly poignant & sharply candid ruminations in Dawna J. Wightman’s honey be Dawna J. Wightman. Photo by Vince Lupo. Montreal-born Dawna J. Wightman is an award-winning Toronto-based actor, playwright and writer. Toronto audiences will recognize Wightman from her solo show Life as a Pomegranate, as well as Yellow Birds (Alumnae Theatre’s FireWorks Festival, 2015) and A Mickey Full of Mouse (Buddies in Bad Times Theatre, 2016 and Toronto Fringe, 2017). She’s currently working on adapting her unpublished dark fantasy novel A Yarn of Bone & Paper, based on her ebook: Faeries Real & Imagined: How to Create Magical Adventures for Very Young Children, into a feature film. She’s also working with director Theresa Kowall-Shipp on her short Kid Gloves, set to shoot November 2018. As part of the funding process for Kid Gloves, Wightman self-published and sold honey be, “a collection of sweet words and some that sting,” including hand-painted covers and “surprises” stuffed inside. The first 50-volume print run sold out in about a week; and a second run will be available this month, featuring cover art design by Wightman’s daughter Sabine Spare. Much like Wightman’s theatre work, the stories, poems and snippets in honey be range from playfully whimsical to profoundly poignant to sharply candid—often all in the same story and sometimes autobiographical in nature. While there are no titles, each piece bears an italicized post-script at the end; in some cases, these take on a conversational and even self-deprecating tone, making for a personal, intimate read. The themes of family, motherhood and friendship come up in several pieces. There’s the story about Mrs. Kay, written from the perspective of a precocious, neglected eight-year-old who finds a home with fellow misfit schoolmate Sandra Kay and her quirky family; and the goofy four-legged family member Bella in just a dog. Reminders that family can sometimes be found in unexpected places—and to never judge a book by its cover. There’s heart-wrenching nostalgia with an ode to her son in little boy; and remembrances of wearing an itchy baby blue Phentex dress and being her mother’s go-fer at the bingo hall, in pretty little head. And the heartache and fumbling for what to say to a friend living with cancer tumble out in the visceral when we found out you had cancer and in the outpouring of loving, supportive words in the piece that follows. Ruminations on body image and aging come up as well, from the erotic in late summer, to the sharply candid and calling bullshit on the ridiculous expectations placed on women’s bodies—professionally and personally—in tits and ass and #chubbyprettywoman, and the #MeToo shock of new neighbour. Quirky, bittersweet, child-like grown-up, all of the stories in honey be are tinged with humour and poignancy, and the everyday acknowledgement of life’s remarkable moments. And one gets the sense that, beyond coming from a place of truth telling—there’s a deep longing to share these words. There’s a line in the movie Shadowlands, from a C.S. Lewis quote: “We read to know we are not alone”—one could easily also say “We write to let others know they are not alone.” Copies of honey be will be available for $20.00 via emailing wightrabiit@gmail.com; website coming soon. Wightman will be performing a reading from the book at Stratford’s SpringWorks Festival on October 11. Author life with more cowbellPosted on October 2, 2018 October 2, 2018 Categories Art, Books, Moments, Radio, WritingTags #MeToo, A Mickey Full of Mouse, A Yarn of Bone & Paper, Alumnae Theatre Company, autobiography, body image, Buddies in Bad Times, calling bullshit, candid, chosen family, Dawna J. Wightman, Faeries Real & Imagined: How to Create Magical Adventures for Very Young Children, family, feature film, FireWorks, friendship, honey be, illness, Kid Gloves, Life As A Pomegranate, memory, mental illness, Montreal, motherhood, nostalgia, poems, ruminations, Sabine Spare, self-publish, short film, short stories, SpringWorks Festival, storytelling, Stratford, Theresa Kowall-Shipp, Toronto, Toronto Fringe, truth telling, Vince Lupo, Yellow BirdsLeave a comment on Playfully whimsical, profoundly poignant & sharply candid ruminations in Dawna J. Wightman’s honey be Interview: Lizzie Violet Lizzie Violet—photo by Anna Lozyk Romeo Happy International Women’s Day! Today’s post is an interview with an incredibly talented, hard-working, gutsy and generous woman in the Toronto arts scene. Lizzie Violet is a writer, spoken word artist and horror aficionado—that “dark little girl with the crooked grin” who took her finely tuned, quirky sense of observation and love of zombie lore, and wrote it down. Evocative, darkly funny and sharply drawn, her writing ranges from hilarious and poignant personal storytelling, to socio-political observation, to chilling tales of the supernatural and deadly creatures from beyond the grave. LWMC: You first become attracted to horror when you were a kid, staying up late with your dad watching old horror movies on TV. What was it that hooked you? LV: Apparently, I liked to scare myself. Even as a young introverted kid, I figured out how invigorating an adrenaline rush felt. Even more so than watching the movies, the stories I would make up in my head scared me even more. I had an overactive imagination. I was never afraid of the boogieman or the monsters in the closet. I was all about the bizarre versions of monsters and ghosts my mind would visualize or create and I would wonder if the creak in the stairs was a werewolf coming to gobble me up. I loved every second of it. Recently, my mom dug up some of the stories I wrote as a kid. You can see where it all began. LWMC: You also became infamous around the school library for your interest in horror literature and biographies of serial killers. When did your love of the genre translate into wanting to writing horror-themed poems and stories? LV: How that all started, was my Great Grandfather Bill died when I was 10 years old. I was really close to him. They took me to his viewing at the funeral home and to me, the man in the casket looked nothing like him. He had this weird heavy makeup on, including rouge and lipstick. At the viewing, I started asking a lot of ‘inappropriate’ questions about why he looked that way and what was going to happen to him now that he had ‘passed away’ (no one would actually use the word dead). No one would answer me. I had a melt down and then wasn’t allowed to go to the funeral. After that, I would continually ask the librarians for books about death, eventually progressing to books on serial killers and hauntings. We used to get the Scholastic Book Club magazines and I would get upset when there weren’t books along that theme as an option. They (teachers and the librarian) became concerned about how morbid this young child had become. My parents were not pleased, to say the least. All of this pushed me further into introversion and a way for me to cope was to start writing. To everyone’s dismay… my writing was always horror themed. From that point on in my life I became death-obsessed. Not in a ‘wanting to kill myself way,’ rather needing to seek the knowledge about death. Why it happened, what happened to you and your body when you died. Why we had funerals. Did it hurt? Recently, I discovered a writer and YouTuber called Caitlin Doughty (her channel is ‘Ask A Mortician’); I wish I had known someone like her as a kid. She is open about death and death positivity. LWMC: Over the years, you’ve written in a number of media, from poetry, to the story for I Hate Todd’s “Zombie Love” music video, to screenwriting, stage and radio playwriting, and blogging, including your new Not Vegan Now Vegan food/recipe blog. Do you have a favourite medium? LV: Short stories. I am madly in love with short stories. It goes back to that adrenaline rush feeling. You have to get people pulled in and worked up in a short amount of words. The pressure to do that in under 10,000 words is exhilarating for me. If I had to pick a second, it would be screenwriting. I love storytelling in that format as well. When you read a book or a short story, the reader sees the setting or character differently. They create their own visual. When you put it on a screen, they get to see what you want them to see. They get to actually be in your head and that terrifying thought, is appealing to me. LWMC: Last Fall, you bid farewell to Lizzie Violet’s Cabaret Noir and tapered off your event production work. And, most recently, you quit your day job to pursue writing full-time. What led up to that decision and how has it been, adjusting to the new routine? LV: I realized I had my fingers in too many pies and, because of this, I wasn’t getting enough writing done. When I don’t write, I actually get depressed. I sat back and took a look at what I have accomplished; what I could accomplish and realized I needed to be all in. Life is too short and I don’t want to ever have regrets for not trying. You only fail when you don’t make the effort. I’ve been adjusting well. I freelanced for almost 10 years prior to my last job, and am able to focus and be productive. There are days when you just can’t be creative, and my mantra for those days is to do something else. Go for a walk. Write a list. Have a dance party in the living room. Dig holes somewhere. Just don’t let frustration take over. Sometimes you need to shake the cobwebs out—then you will be fine. LWMC: What have been your biggest challenges? Your biggest rewards? LV: Other than things being tight financially at the moment, I don’t really have any challenges. I do have a lot of rewards. Being able to wake up every day and write is the best feeling in the world. I am also lucky to have a partner who is supportive of my dreams. LWMC: You’re working on a novel right now. What can you tell us about it? LV: Without give too much away—it’s semi-autobiographical, yet still fiction, a ghost story and set in small-town Ontario. The two main characters are teenagers who don’t fit into society’s ideals of what a teenager should be and, did I mention, it’s ghost story. The title of the novel is Freaks & Grimm. In the next month or so, I am going to start hitting up open mics and read parts of the novel. LV: Oh yeah! Going back to your question about shows, though I am no longer producing shows similar to the Cabaret, I am still producing shows that showcase my work. Heather Babcock and I are working on a new format for our RedHead Revue. Hoping to have a date for this spring. I am also working on a YouTube channel called Lizzie Violet’s Lair. The content will be segments on horror, b-horror movies, talks about death and the dead. I will have regular guests to chat about ghoulish things such as hearses, graveyard tours, the paranormal, ghosts, zombies and more. Oh… and don’t worry, we will also talk about horror-based writing. I’m working on the set-up and scripts. I’m hoping to launch it this summer. You should all subscribe so you don’t miss the launch: https://www.youtube.com/user/lizzieviolet1313 The RedHead Revue page is https://www.facebook.com/redheadrevue/. LWMC: I’d like to finish up with James Lipton’s Pivot questionnaire: What’s your favourite word? All of them! If I had to just pick one, it would be gloomy or serendipity. Can I choose two? What’s your least favourite word? Moist. Why does that word even exist? What turns you on? When someone gets my weird and morbid sense of humour. What turns you off? Phoniness. Say what you mean. Say what you feel. Don’t pretend to be something or someone you aren’t. Being authentic is important. Oh… damn… I sounded like a hipster. What sound or noise do you love? The sounds of a thunderstorm rolling in. Nothing more soothing than thunder and lightning. What sound or noise do you hate? The sounds of animals in pain. It breaks my heart. What is your favourite curse word? What profession other than your own would you like to pursue? There isn’t any other profession. This is what I’ve dreamed of all my life. What profession would you not like to do? Veterinarian. When I was a kid, I had a brief moment were I wanted to be a vet, until I found out that they had to euthanize the animals. If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates? You made a wrong turn. It’s the other gates you want. Thanks, Lizzie! You can also keep up with Lizzie Violet on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Author life with more cowbellPosted on March 8, 2017 March 8, 2017 Categories Poetry, Spoken word, Uncategorized, WritingTags Anna Lozyk Romeo, Ask A Mortician, blogging, cabaret, Caitlin Doughty, Freaks & Grimm, ghost story, Heather Babcock, Horror, I Hate Todd, International Women's Day, interview, Lizzie Violet, Lizzie Violet's Cabaret Noir, Lizzie Violet's Lair, Not Vegan Now Vegan, novel, Pivot questionnaire, RedHead Revue, short stories, small town, Toronto arts scene, vegan recipies, YouTube, Zombie Love, zombies2 Comments on Interview: Lizzie Violet Compelling, poetic, unflinchingly honest snapshots of working class people in Of Being Underground & Moving Backwards Heather Babcock at the launch for Of Being Underground & Moving Backwards – photo by Lizzie Violet Where do the words Interrupted Of the working class people go? Lost somewhere within their time Interrupted. This is the prologue to Heather Babcock’s chapbook Of Being Underground and Moving Backwards, a collection of short stories published by DevilHousePress. A compelling and vividly detailed collection of works, Of Being Underground and Moving Backwards opens with “Break,” a first-person narrative from the point of view of a heart-broken, over-worked waitress soldiering on through her shift to pay the bills – and finding emotional release in an unexpected moment of solitude during a much deserved break. The workaday characters – Wilbur and Christina in “Half Off” and Betty in “The Trees Turned to Glass” – struggle through harsh and unfair circumstances, doing the best they can to survive as they scramble to eke out a living, and find snatches of happiness and moments of ecstasy when they can. Constantly faced with judgement in the present and haunted by ghosts of the past, daydreams and fantasies become a welcome escape – an oasis from the dull, grey hopelessness of a world that sees them as disposable. And in “Rebecca,” we get a portrait of one of those judgemental, comfortably smug points of view, as wealthy record producer Conrad washes his hands of responsibility for someone he supposedly loved once. There is beauty and poetry, grit and defiance, especially in the stories of family and loss. Jake in “The Dancing Bear,” escaping from his brother’s hospital bedside and into a local bar and a pretty woman. First-person memories of a mother, a dead sister and flowers in “Marking Words” and the title story “Of Being Underground and Moving Backwards;” the sharp edges of family history smoothed by nostalgic recollections made bittersweet by family tragedy. And the closing story “Wind Pudding and Wagon Tracks” is parable-like in its insight into the human spirit; set in a place where everyone is treated equally and all are given the same choice – only each comes from different places with which to make that choice. Of Being Underground and Moving Backwards is a beautiful collection of unflinchingly honest snapshots of otherwise invisible working class people; their everyday drudgery finding momentary respite in after-hours second lives, rich fantasy worlds, moments of recollection and in the imperfect love of equally lost souls. You can find more of Babcock’s work online on her website. Babcock performs regularly around the city reading her work; coming up, she’ll be performing with Neil Traynor at I Got You Babe! And Evening of Poetry and Music with Heather and Neil at Hirut Restaurant on March 19 at 8 p.m. Author life with more cowbellPosted on February 11, 2016 February 11, 2016 Categories Books, MomentsTags chapbook, DevilHousePress, family history, Heather Babcock, Hirut Restaurant, I Got You Babe! An Evening of Poetry & Music with Heather & Neil, Lizzie Violet, Neil Traynor, Of Being Underground and Moving Backwards, short stories, working class5 Comments on Compelling, poetic, unflinchingly honest snapshots of working class people in Of Being Underground & Moving Backwards	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0041.json.gz/line4103
__label__cc	0.695692	0.304308	Mail Theft Laws By: Lennon Simpson Consequences for Mail Tampering Mail theft is the #1 white collar crime in America today, according to postal inspectors. It leads to all sorts of problems, including stolen money, disrupted correspondence and even identity theft. It's become such a growing problem and worry that laws are becoming stricter and harsher in many principalities. Existing laws relate not only to the theft of mail, but also subsequent related crimes. Mail Theft Mail theft is a federal crime and is defined as anyone taking any piece of mail, be it a letter or a package, for any purpose. This includes stealing from postage workers, from private mail boxes, from collection boxes and even from mail trucks. Mail theft alone carries a penalty of either five years imprisonment, a fine or both. Other crimes may also be added to this charge, such as assault or breaking and entering, depending on the method of theft. Mail Fraud Similar to mail theft is mail fraud. Mail fraud is defined as someone seeking to steal from you using the United States Postal Service. Usually this is done by way of a complex scam. Such fraud was recently brought to wide public attention following charity scams in the wake of natural disasters. The perpetrator need not be successful to be prosecuted. Simply attempting to receive fraudulent payments is enough to prosecute someone. One of the main motivators in mail theft is to subsequently steal that persons identity and receive access to their private information, including bank accounts and credit cards. Identity theft is incredibly destructive to the victim and can take years to sort out and fix. Much like mail fraud, one needs not be successful to be punished for identity theft. Simply gaining personally identifying information without consent is illegal. Because of this, identity theft is often tacked on to charges of mail theft. US legal definitions: Mail Theft US legal definitions: Mail Fraud US legal definitions: Identity Theft Lennon Simpson is a graduate of Hendrix College where he received his B.A. in philosophy. His articles on politics and current events have appeared in "The Profile." He also volunteers for after-school creative writing clubs in local high schools where he teaches writing to at-risk youth. Simpson began his professional writing career in 2008 as a poet in Central Arkansas. american Mail box and freeway sign image by Ashle Whittle from Fotolia.com What Is the Federal Law for Opening Mail Not Addressed to You? USPS Dry Ice Rules What Is the Penalty for Using a Stolen Credit Card? United States Postal Laws Mail Box Tampering According to Federal Law U.S. Mail Delivery Problems	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0041.json.gz/line4117
__label__wiki	0.935196	0.935196	Wife abducts daughter to Mexico while husband is at work by Madeline Cox 3rd Jun 2019 1:00 PM John flew home from a stint in outback WA expecting to see his then-two-year-old daughter Naomi waiting at the door. But instead, the FIFO mining engineer was greeted by stern-faced police officers who marched him through the house to collect his possessions. Unable to process what was happening, John followed the police inside. It was only later he would learn the horrifying story that his estranged wife Monica had spun to the authorities back in 2008. "What were the words? I molested my daughter, I bashed my wife and watched child porn. All bullshit," John told The Advertiser. "I was ripped apart, what just happened? "I've done none of this shit, but she got in first and had a restraining order slapped on me." As John tried to fight the horrifying allegations, he discovered Monica had drained their savings accounts. She had used the money to purchase tickets to her native home of Mexico for her and Naomi. Despite John assuring authorities that Monica wouldn't have abducted their daughter - it appeared she had done exactly that. In fact, she had spent months putting her plan into motion, secretly requesting a passport for Naomi. "I thought I'll pay for her house in Perth and keep the income going and we will just separate," he said. "I was willing to keep supporting her and Naomi no matter where they lived. "But I think it was premeditated and she was trying to set this up for months before." It's now been 12 years - and John has no idea if Naomi even knows he is her father. "There's someone who you've made through your own genes and suddenly she's not in existence anymore - that hurts and there's no closure - so yeah, it is probably worse in some ways than if you knew your child was dead," he explained. "I can still smell her and think of her and what we had in those first few years. "I'm telling you though, I still have times where I cry a lot, and all I can think is 'what the hell has happened? How can this happen to me? "I don't know if she's dead. Is she alive? I just don't know." Initially, John and his family hoped to bring Naomi home using the Mexican court system. John's mum, and Naomi's grandmother, Christine led the effort after it was deemed too dangerous for John to travel to Mexico. "We consider that if John had gone to Mexico then he would've been arrested by the Mexican authorities," Christine said. "They would just take Monica's side. "We didn't want him to stuff his life up by doing that. "So I got this lawyer to go to the court case which ended with the court saying Monica gets to keep Naomi because John hadn't gone to Mexico." In the years since the court case, the desperate family has tried everything to get in contact with Naomi. Christine managed to briefly get in contact with one of Monica's relatives who confirmed that the then-little girl was safe - but soon they stopped responding. But that was years ago - with John even unable to find his daughter's social media profiles online. "I've had no contact. Nothing. Zilch. The only contact was when Monica managed to look at my LinkedIn profile a couple of years ago," he said. "Either she's dead, or very diligent about who sees Naomi, or that she has a very close circle of friends who don't allow any photos of Naomi to go up online," John said. "It feels like, for me, how a grieving parent would feel if their child had died." This originally appeared on Kidspot and has been republished with permission. ‘The most insane thing I’ve ever watched’ ‘I’m gonna kill you’: Woman’s terrifying abduction Police seek witnesses to terrifying attempted abduction abduction children daughter mexico parenting	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0041.json.gz/line4127
__label__wiki	0.565693	0.565693	YOURSAY \| 'Nik Abduh wants ties to remain until Judgment Day – truly a marriage not made in heaven.' Vijay47: What a cute, romantic wish from Bachok MP Nik Abduh Nik Abdul Aziz – a yearning for Umno and PAS be together, till death do they part and beyond. Truly a marriage not made in heaven. On Judgment Day, if you are asked about Lembaga Tabung Haji funds, blame Pakatan Harapan's Rafizi Ramli or Tony Pua. That should bring the house down. The only one in tears would be Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat. Don't bother about packing warm clothes. A small warning, though, Nik Abduh, compared to where you all are heading, Sungai Buloh would seem like paradise. Teh Tarik: Formal merger or not, this Umno-PAS cooperation seems to be working, which doesn't augur well for a plural society like Malaysia. If it succeeds, it will be bad for racial harmony and even worse for the economy. Rantau and other recent by-elections show that at least 80 percent of conservative Malays are not ready for reform. The narrative is that only a Muslim leader or political party can safeguard the interests of Malay-Muslims, and that syariah law is superior to civil law, on which the Federal Constitution is based. This is exactly what has been said repeatedly by PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang, and other leaders from his party and Umno. There is a strong chance that this alliance will be in power in the future, perhaps during the next general election, and push for a more Islamic state. This will cause panic and chaos among the non-Muslim population, who will be further sidelined. My strong advice is for all non-Muslims and liberal Malays to be prepared for this day of reckoning. Once this 'tsunami' hits, it might be too late, as what will lay in the aftermath is a failed state. Anonymous_5a309591: Nik Abduh, your father Nik Aziz was a great man. You, not so much. To Harapan leaders, concentrate on exposing and charging those guilty of corruption. Keep engaging with rational folk and you will rule eternally. Umno will ultimately collapse because of the arrogance and rottenness of its leaders. Anonymous_1527925538: I don't get it. What is there to shout about with the by-election win in Rantau? An acting Umno president and three-term assemblyperson won against a relatively unknown contender with a reduced majority. Anonymous 2043581479977820: Rantau was a walkover for the acting Umno president. He is a local boy, and has represented Rantau for three terms already. It was clear from day one that Mohamad would take the seat. So the fact that he has won does not reflect the purported messages that the opposition says the rakyat is sending to Harapan. Of course, it is only to be expected that the opposition leaders will capitalise on the victory by interpreting the results to their advantage and running down the ruling government. That's politics. Lodestar: It's nonsense to say that the results of the Rantau by-election prove the success of the Umno-PAS alliance. PAS doesn't have much support in Rantau. Non-Malays voted for Mohamad because he is seen as a moderate Malay leader. Unlike in previous by-elections, Umno did not pursue a racist, ultra-Malay narrative in Rantau, so what it proves is that they can win big in a multiracial electorate if they drop that sort of toxic narrative. The results also show that Harapan cannot take the vote of non-Malays for granted, because they are not its fixed deposit. VGeorgeMy: Wanita Umno chief Noraini Ahmad, are you sure that there is an ascendency of political Islam in Malaysia and around the world? What about in Sudan, where political Islam came to power as early as 1983? Or across the Middle East, where ageing dictatorships were running amok with public wealth assisted by the Western countries? Theocracy once appeared as the only viable opposition to moral and economic deprivation. Sudan instituted Islamic law in a diverse society like ours. This exacerbated the rift between the Islamic north, the seat of the government, and the animists and Christians in the south. Differences in language, religion, and political power erupted in a civil war between government forces, eventually concluding in the independence of South Sudan in 2011. In sum, the same type of political Islam propagated by Umno-PAS was that which divided Sudan into two countries along religious lines. Noraini might have heard the fall of the al-Bashir regime and its political Islamic leadership last week. She might have seen on social media a young woman dressed not in conservative garb, but in a traditional white tobe, elegantly symbolic of the powerful, politically active woman of the 1960s and 1970s, as was the case here. We are confident that as in Malaysia, that the current revolution underway in Sudan will succeed in placing an administration representative of its diverse society, that allows a new generation of young people to flourish – representing the real potential of what humanity can achieve. Noraini, what is in the ascendency is the traditional democratic way of life, as it is in 'New Malaysia'. And Sudan is only the beginning. Benar123: Even if Harapan was the best government in the world, there would still be those who would vote for Umno-PAS – because they have been poisoned for so long, not able to think beyond their little boxes. Even if the cost of living dropped a great deal, and the economy improved a great deal, they would still vote for the conservative alliance. Now the only option we have left is to punish all the corrupt crooks harshly, jailing them without delay. This will serve as a wake-up call to the rakyat. NA: It's just far too easy to stereotype the Malays. Without Malay votes, Harapan would not have won GE14, and Umno would not have been brought down. Harapan can and must do better. It hasn't even been in government for a year. There are over four years to GE15, plenty of time to win people over. The ruling coalition cannot dance to the tune of Umno-PAS, but must instead continue to focus on good governance and improving the well-being of the people. It was initially difficult in Penang and Selangor as well, but the people were eventually won over. Cogito Ergo Sum: The results in Rantau, unfortunately, are a referendum on prime minister-in-waiting Anwar Ibrahim. When it comes to politics and religion and now political Islam, Anwar it seems, has been rejected by the Malay-Muslim electorate. Understanding this new dynamic is key for Harapan. Sadly, the only way Harapan can win anything anywhere any more is if Umno is deregistered. And that is the political reality on the ground. Osman willing to use experience to help new Johor MB Kadir reminds new MB about Johor palace in GE14 Muhyiddin thanks sultan for consenting to Harapan's MB selection New Johor MB promises exco reshuffle soon	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0041.json.gz/line4128
__label__cc	0.580962	0.419038	Food+Drink » Food Picklesburgh is No. 1, Wigle Whiskey turns 7, and more Pittsburgh food news You could say that Pittsburgh is kind of a big dill Picklesburgh is No. 1! Congratulations, Pittsburgh! Picklesburgh is officially the nation’s “Best Specialty Food Festival,” taking the number one spot in a competition by USA Today. You could say that Pittsburgh is kind of a big dill. Picklesburgh took the crown from fierce competitors, like the nationwide Bacon and Beer Classic, Miami’s South Beach Seafood Festival, and the Kentucky Bourbon Festival. Pittsburghers’ diligent daily voting was a huge player in the local win. The free, three-day event will return in July of 2019 for more pickle fun. Dates for this year’s Picklesburgh will be announced in the coming weeks. Wigle Whiskey Turns Seven Wigle Whiskey is officially seven years old! And, the distillery is celebrating in the best way possible: they’re bringing back port rye whiskey. After the spirit’s debut in 2017, Wigle fans have been asking for a port rye revival. Two years later, Wigle has finally caved, lining the release up with a birthday bash. The 2019 batch of port rye features the distillery’s Pennsylvania rye, first aged in American charred-oak barrels before a transfer to Tawny Port barrels for 11 months. The end result is a vibrant whiskey, deep plum and berry notes from the port combining with the whiskey for a rich, full spirit. Head over to the Strip District tasting room tonight to celebrate. Start off with free port rye samples (there will also be bottles available) and stop for a chat with the distiller. Millie’s Homemade Ice Cream is providing pay-as-you-go treats to the sweet sounds of singer-songwriter Adam Fitz. All night, Wigle is featuring a cake-day cocktail, “You can have your cake & drink it too.” Pre-register for the bash online to get a free port rye sweet from Prohibition Pastries! Warm weather is coming, which means one thing: lots and lots of ice cream. This year, several locally-owned ice cream shops have linked together, no chains allowed. Rather than compete, the shops are coming together with a rewards card. As Klavon’s Ice Cream Parlor wrote in a Facebook post, “It's ok, we know you see other ice cream parlors. We never said you had to be exclusive.” The ice cream rewards card is valid at NatuRoll Creamery, Betsy’s Ice Cream, Sugar & Spice Ice Cream Parlor, Sugar Spell Scoops, Klavon’s Ice Cream Parlor, and Any Given Sundae. Every $10 purchase at any of the stores earns a stamp. Fill up the card and receive a free specialty item from any shop. To start earning free ice cream, pick up a card at any of the participating shops. Emo Brunch Relive the days of All-American Rejects, Panic! at the Disco, and Fall Out Boy every fourth Saturday of the month at The Smiling Moose’s Emo Brunch. Sponsored by The Emo Band and Jagermeister, bust out your eyeliner and angst for this brunch. Ditch the mimosa for an “emosa,” and bloody mary for “dear bloody maria.” The menu is full of favorites, like “what’s my eggs again” (a well-balanced veggie omelette), “makehamsure” (a pretzel bun breakfast sandwich), and “misery pigness” (bacon). Bigelow Grille The Bigelow Grille, attached to the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel & Suites in Downtown, is welcoming a new executive chef. Fred Davis, most recently of the Fairmont Hotel, is taking the reins and revamping the restaurant’s menu. Currently, the menu is a mix of pasta, sandwiches, and steaks. Davis plans to add flavor to the list, with dishes such as BBQ carrots and Lamb Kofta. Who's playing at Picklesburgh 2019 Pittsburgh Grooveline: April 25-May 1 Pittsburgh Grooveline: April 11-17 Food Picklesburgh Klavon's Smiling Moose Wigle Whiskey Pop-up no more: Pigeon Bagels opens a permanent home in Squirrel Hill Thirty years ago, a man named Bruce opened a local ice cream parlor The best places to celebrate National French Fry Day	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0041.json.gz/line4129
__label__wiki	0.848944	0.848944	Mangrove fish communities in tropical Queensland, Australia: spatial and temporal patterns in densities, biomass and community structure A.I. Robertson & N.C. Duke Regular daylight sampling over 13 mo (February 1985-February 1986) in and adjacent to intertidal forested areas, in small creeks and over accreting mudbanks in the mainstream of a small mangrove-lined estuary in tropical northeastern Queensland, Australia, yielded 112 481 fish from 128 species and 43 families. Species of the families Engraulidae, Ambassidae, Leiognathidae, Clupeidae and Atherinidae were numerically dominant in the community. The same species with the addition of Lates calcarifer (Latidae). Aeanthopagrus berda (Sparidae) and Lutjanus agentimaculatus (Lutjanidae) dominated total community biomass. During high-tide periods, intertidal forested areas were important habitats for juvenile and adult fish, with grand mean (+/-SE) density and biomass of 3.5+/-2.4 fish m-3 and 10.9 +/- 4.5 g m-3, respectively. There was evidence of lower densities and less fish species using intertidal forests in the dry season (August, October), but high variances in catches masked any significant seasonality in mean fish biomass in this habitat. On ebb tides, most fish species (major families; Ambassidae, Leiognathidae, Atherinidae, Melanotaeniidae) moved to small shallow creeks, where mean (+/-1 SE) low-tide density and biomass were 31.3+/-12.4 fish m -2 and 29.0+/-12.1 g m -z, respectively. Large variances in catch data masked any seasonality in densities and biomasses, but the mean number of species captured per netting in small creeks was lowest in the dry season (July, August). Species of Engraulidae and Clupeidae, which dominated high tide catches in the forested areas during the wet season, appeared to move into the mainstream of the estuary on ebbing tides and were captured over accreting banks at low tide. Accreting banks supported a mean (+/- 1 SE) density and biomass of 0.4 +/- 0.1 fish m- z and 1.7 + 0.3 g m- 2, respectively, at low tide. There were marked seasonal shifts in fish community composition in the estuary, and catches in succeeding wet seasons were highly dissimilar. Comparison of fish species composition in this and three other mangrove estuaries in the region revealed significant geographic and temporal (seasonal) variation in fish community structure. Modifications and removal of wetlands proposed for north Queensland may have a devastating effect on the valuable inshore fisheries of this region, because mangrove forests and creeks support high densities of fish, many of which are linked directly, or indirectly (via food chains) to existing commercial fisheries. The conclusions of the study are as follows, indicating a need for a total understanding of individual mangrove ecosystems rather than making a generalization for all mangrove forests: “Our work indicates that large-scale destruction of mangrove forests (deforestation), in addition to substantially reducing coastal primary production, which is available for export to other near-shore habitats (Boto et al. 1984, Robertson et al.1989), will have the direct effect of removing a major habitat for fish. (Coastal) Developments which do not remove mangroves, but which increase water-column organic-matter concentrations or dissolved nutrient loads via runoff, are also likely to have significant negative effects on the dense aggregations of fish and zooplankton (Robertson et al. 1988) which inhabit shallow creeks at low tide, since water exchange in these creeks is poor (Wolanski and Ridd 1986) and mangrove-creek waters in Australia are often naturally characterized by low oxygen concentrations, particularly in their upper reaches (Boto and Bunt 1981). Increased biological oxygen demand in these important fish habitats will lead to greatly reduced densities of juvenile fish. “Too often, developers and governments consider these systems” - mangrove swamps in tropical Queensland - “to be homogeneous over large scales with respect to fish-community structure, and that removal of mangroves in a particular catchment will not affect the general fish community in that region. The data we have presented here indicates that this view needs to be modified, to acknowledge that the overall mangrove fish fauna of an area like north Queensland is composed of different fish communities inhabiting a number of estuaries”(378). Boto, K. G., Bunt, J. S. (1981). Dissolved oxygen and pH relationships in northern Australian mangrove waterways. Limnol. Oceanogr. 26:1176 1178. Boto, K., Bunt, K. S., Wellington, J. T. (1984). Variations in mangrove forest productivity in northern Australia and Papua New Guinea. Estuar., cstl Shelf Sci. 19:321-329. Robertson, A. I., Alongi, D. M., Daniel, P. A., Boto, K. G. (1989). How much mangrove detritus reaches the Great Barrier Reef lagoon? Proc. 6th int. Symp. coral Reefs 2:601 606 [Choat, J. H., et al. (eds.) Sixth International Coral Reef Symposium Executive Committee, Sydney]. Robertson, A. I., Dixon, P., Daniel, P. A. (1988). Zooplankton dynamics in mangrove and other nearshore habitats in tropical Australia. Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser. 43:139-150 Wolanski, E., Ridd, P. (1986). Tidal mixing and trapping in mangrove swamps. Estuar., cstl Shelf Sci. 23:759-771.	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0041.json.gz/line4133
__label__wiki	0.625851	0.625851	Home / Health / New York Post's cover call Rep. Ilhan Omar's 9/11 comment: & # 39; Here's something & # 39; New York Post's cover call Rep. Ilhan Omar's 9/11 comment: & # 39; Here's something & # 39; Leo Tolstoy Health The New York Post returned to Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., Following her recent comment on the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks . The dramatic cover set off a notorious photo of New York City's Twin Towers on the day of the attack. The towers collapsed after being hit by hijacked aircraft. Nearly 3,000 people were killed in the attacks. CRENSHAW MAKES TO DESCRIBE 9/11 ATTAKS, AS AN OLD PEOPLE HAD ANYTHING & # 39; The page reads: "Rep. Ilhan Omar: 9/11 was & # 39; some people did something. & # 39; " Here's something: 2,977 people dead by terrorism. " <img src =" https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2019/04/640/320/ny-post-front. jpg? ve = 1 & tl = 1 "alt =" The coverage of the New York Post on Thursday, April 11, 2019. The cover of the New York Post on Thursday, April 11, 2019. WHITE HOME AREA TO CALL STEPHEN MILLER. & # 39; n & # 39; WHITE NATIONALISTS, & # 39; HIGHLIGHT HERE & # 39; HISTORY OF ANTI-SEMITICAL COMMENTS The bottom of the cover reads in small letters: "Omar outraged the families of 9/11 victims by referring to the terrorist attacks while talking to a Muslim lobby group. "The Post referred to Omar's recent remarks to the US-Islamic Relations Council [CAIR] fundraising last month where she encouraged other Muslim Americans to" make people uncomfortable "with their activism. Another part of the speech appeared this week on social media in which Omar described the al-Qaeda terror attacks. "CAIR was founded after 9/11 because they admitted that some people did something and that we all started to lose access to our civil liberties," Omar said at the event. Her comments have a response from Rep. Dan Crenshaw, R-Texas, a former Navy SEAL, who lost his right eye after being injured by an IED in Afghanistan. "First congressman ever describes terrorists who killed thousands of Americans on 9/11 as a few people who did something," Crenshaw wrote in a tweet. "Unbelievable." . Omar, who was elected the first Somali American in November, appeared on Wednesday night with "The Late Show" with Stephen Colbert. is not addressed. The young man's congresswoman told the host she was still learning after she was accused of making an anti-Semitic comment in February. "The whole process was really one of my growth, right," she said. "I learn that everything is not as simple as we might think. As I said to my constituents and colleagues, if you tell me you're tormented by something I say, I'll always listen and I'll hurt you acknowledged. " Fox News & # 39; Luke Mikelionis contributed to this report. Jerry Seinfeld country & # 39; dream gas & # 39; for the new season of coffee & # 39; Comedians in coffee & # 39; Apparent Prime Day prize error can cost Amazon Lorenzo Cain robs Eduardo Escobar of the home run Google emphasis on incognito mode detection Someone else went blind after showering in their contacts Five guys arrested at the Five Guys burger joint in Florida: police	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0041.json.gz/line4151
__label__wiki	0.979897	0.979897	Motor body publishes emails in McLaren spy case Alan Baldwin 14 Sep 2007 16:07 Formula One’s governing body (FIA) published emails between McLaren drivers on Friday that it said proved the team had made use of information leaked from title rivals Ferrari. McLaren were stripped of their 2007 constructors’ points on Thursday and fined a record $100-million after a hearing into a spying controversy. The decision effectively handed that championship to Ferrari. However, drivers’ championship leader Lewis Hamilton and McLaren teammate Fernando Alonso were allowed to keep their points after the FIA wrote to them offering an immunity in return for providing evidence. The ‘spy saga’ began in July when a 780-page dossier of Ferrari data was found at the home of now-suspended McLaren chief designer Mike Coughlan, who has been accused of receiving it from Ferrari’s Nigel Stepney. In a 15-page document released at the Belgian Grand Prix, the FIA said that while Hamilton had replied that he had no information to offer, Alonso and test driver Pedro de la Rosa had both submitted “highly relevant” emails. “All the information from Ferrari is very reliable. It comes from Nigel Stepney, their former chief mechanic—I don’t know what post he holds now,” De la Rosa emailed Alonso on March 25 in an exchange about the Ferrari’s weight distribution. “He’s the same person who told us in Australia that Kimi [Raikkonen] was stopping in lap 18. He’s very friendly with Mike Coughlan, our chief designer, and he told him that.” Police analysis A few days earlier he had asked Coughlan: “Hi Mike, do you know the Red Car’s weight distribution? It would be important for us to know so that we could try it in the simulator.” On April 12, De la Rosa emailed Coughlan asking for details of Ferrari’s braking system. The FIA said an analysis by Italian police of telephone, SMS and email contacts between Stepney and Coughlan had also been submitted by Ferrari to the meeting of its World Motor Sport Council (WMSC). This, it said, strongly indicated that “the transmission of confidential Ferrari information from Stepney to Coughlan was not limited to the 780-page dossier” and had been far greater than thought at an initial WMSC hearing in July. At that first hearing, McLaren escaped punishment because of insufficient evidence that they had benefited from the information. The team had argued that nothing on their car derived from Ferrari data. The governing body said Italian police had subsequently found that a total of 288 SMS messages and 35 telephone calls appeared to have passed between Coughlan and Stepney during the period from March 11 to July 3. Coughlan was suspended by McLaren on July 3 after a search of his home in southern England. The number of contacts between the two increased considerably during private tests carried out by Ferrari in Malaysia at the end of March 2007 and in the run-up to and during the day of grands prix in Australia, Malaysia, Bahrain and Spain. The FIA cast doubt on McLaren’s assertion that Coughlan and Stepney were acting on their own account and planning to move to another team. It found that De la Rosa had requested and received secret Ferrari information and shared it with Alonso. “The evidence leads the WMSC to conclude that some degree of sporting advantage was obtained, though it may forever be impossible to quantify that advantage in concrete terms,” the statement said.—Reuters Pedro de la RosaNigel StepneyMike CoughlanLewis HamiltonFernando AlonsoBelgiumWorld Motor Sport CouncilItalian police	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0041.json.gz/line4152

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