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Aero Commander 100 Darter Commander, N631PF: Fatal accident occurred October 14, 2020 in Citra, Marion County, Florida
https://registry.faa.gov/N631PF
Location: Citra, FL
Accident Number: ERA21LA020
Date & Time: October 13, 2020, 20:15 Local
Registration: N631PF
Aircraft: Aero Commander 100 Injuries: 1 Fatal
Flight Conducted Under:
On October 13, 2020, about 2015 eastern daylight time, an Aero Commander 100, N631PF, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Citra, Florida. The student pilot was fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91 personal flight.
The sister of the pilot who resided at the private airport property where the airplane departed reported that the pilot was in Ocala, Florida all day on personal business and after he had driven back, the pilot informed her that he was going to take a "quick flight." The airplane departed about 1930, and about 15 minutes later, the pilot called on the phone to ask her to take her car to the runway and light it up with the headlights. The pilot informed her that he had lost sight of the runway and the airplane was low on fuel. She further stated that the pilot sounded like he was in a "panic." Additional neighbors arrived and attempted to light up the runway with their vehicle's headlights, but the airplane appeared to fly towards the east, away from the runway. She lost contact with the pilot about 2014 and attempted to call him several times, but was unable to reach him.
The airplane was subsequently located about 2 miles southeast of the airport. It impacted a swampy area in 5 ft deep water with dense brush. It was inverted in a nose down attitude and partially submerged. The Marion County Sheriff's Office documented the accident site with photographs and drone footage which revealed significant compression damage and buckling of the airplane's fuselage aft of the cockpit. The empennage remained relatively intact and all control surfaces remained attached to their respective locations. The cockpit and engine compartment were submerged.
As of the date of this report, the wreckage had not been recovered.
Aircraft Make: Aero Commander
Model/Series: 100 Aircraft
Category: Airplane
Operating Certificate(s) Held:None
Condition of Light: Night
Observation Facility, Elevation: KOCF,87 ft msl
Temperature/Dew Point: 25°C /22°C
Lowest Ceiling:
Departure Point: Citra, FL
Destination: Citra, FL
Latitude, Longitude: 29.473624,-81.992119 (est)
Those who may have information that might be relevant to the National Transportation Safety Board investigation may contact them by email eyewitnessreport@ntsb.gov, and any friends and family who want to contact investigators about the accident should email assistance@ntsb.gov.
CITRA, Florida – A pilot was killed early Wednesday when a single-engine plane crashed in a remote part of Marion County near the Ocala National Forest, officials said.
The Marion County Sheriff's Office said its aviation unit located the downed plane near Orange Springs.
investigators were able to reach the private plane and discovered the pilot, the sole occupant, dead, sheriff's officials said.
The pilot was identified as John Toole Jr., 65.
Investigators believe that Toole may have been trying to land at a nearby private airstrip when the crash occurred.
Federal investigators are investigating the cause of the crash.
https://www.clickorlando.com
A plane that was reported missing on Wednesday after taking off in Citra has been found in the northeast corner of Marion County along with the body of the pilot from Davie, Florida.
Marion County Sheriff's Office officials said the Federal Aviation Administration told them they lost contact with a singe-engine aircraft early Wednesday morning and needed help in finding it.
With assistance from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officers and the Sheriff's Office helicopter unit, local law enforcement officials searched for the plane and found it in a remote area of Marion County shortly before noon on Wednesday. Officials described the territory as wooded and swampy, off County Road 315 in Orange Springs.
Authorities said they found the body of pilot John Toole, of Davie, Florida, inside the aircraft. There were no passengers.
Deputies said Toole took off from Citra, where he had property and kept the plane for recreational flying in the area. When he did not return as expected, authorities were called to investigate. Citra is about 13 miles from Orange Springs.
The aircraft was an Aero Commander 100, according to the National Transportation Safety Board. It is a single-engine, four-seat, high wing, light monoplane aircraft, according to Skytamer.com.
NTSB investigators will inspect and issue a preliminary report in about two weeks. A more detailed investigation won't be available for as long as two years, a NTSB official said.
Marion County Sheriff's Office officials tell TV20 the plane went down on Wednesday night in the Ocala National Forest.
The pilot has yet to be identified.
NTSB investigators are not yet on the scene of the crash.
https://www.wcjb.com/2020
MARION COUNTY, Florida — The Marion County Sheriff's Office is investigating a plane crash in which one person was killed Wednesday afternoon.
The plane went down in an isolated area of the Ocala National Forest, according to the sheriff's office.
No other information was released as the sheriff's office investigation is ongoing.
https://www.wftv.com
John Toole, Whose Private Airfield Was Banned, Now Runs For Council Doug
John "Bud" Toole didn't like being stopped from using his 15-acres in Davie as a private airfield.
The prohibition may have jeopardized a sale of the land for $7 million to an investor who wanted to expand the landings and takeoffs, he said.
Toole didn't just get mad. He is running for Davie Town Council.
Toole is challenging veteran Council member Marlon Luis, a contractor, for the western Davie District 4 seat in the March 15 election.
Who is John "Bud" Toole?
In many ways, the 61-year-old Toole is a throwback to Davie's unstructured, cowboy past. He lives on 15 acres off Orange Drive east of Flamingo Road, which he also operates as a horse-training center. He also has a long history of run-ins with the law
Toole's problems with authority stretch back more than 40 years.
As an 18-year-old in 1972, he was charged and convicted of petty larceny. He continued his quarrels with authority through last year.
By 2003, he was $13,000 behind in child support and facing a domestic violence protection order. A judge ordered Toole to pay over $13,000 restitution. The justice also stipulated that for future parental visitations, he pick up and return his child in the lobby of the Davie Police HQ.
In 2014, Toole was alleged to have housed a stolen horse from Michigan and refused to return it to the owner, despite a protective order from a Broward judge. The case was eventually settled.
But it is his plane that got Toole in real trouble among his neighbors. He repeatedly landed and took off his 1940 Piper J-5 last year on his Davie training center.
Neighbors feared that Toole might crash into their suburban homes and businesses. Other ranchers complained that the low flying plane was spooking their horses.
"I STRONGLY object to this use in this area and believe it is a safety hazard and significant departure from the quality of life we expect to enjoy," e-mailed Shewen Zhou, who lived in Long Lake Ranches.
Leif Soreide wrote that the plane "…frighten(s) all the animals/horses here and devalue(s) all the surround property."
Zhou and Soreide were joined by more than 75 of their neighbors who flooded Town Hall with complaints.
Town officials looked into Toole and discovered a problem: He had no permit from Department of Transportation or the town to use his property as an airfield.
The Town Council quickly banned any private airfields. Toole then decided to run for Council.
Toole is a candidate who appears to be running because he believes he was wronged.
Toole wasn't wronged. His neighbors believe Toole was the one who was wrong to land and take off his plane in Davie.
"Nobody ever told me that I couldn't do that," Toole whined to the Sun-Sentinel about his airfield.
Your neighbors told you, John Toole, that they didn't like you buzzing | |
cette dame est sa sœur. Je vais présenter ma nouvelle famille à ma mère.
— Je mettrai une hutte à votre disposition et je demanderai aux femmes de vous préparer des paillasses pour dormir.
_–_ Merci, _Mzee_ , mais nous n'avons besoin ni de hutte ni de paillasses. Laissez-nous dresser nos tentes à l'entrée du village, à l'endroit où nous avons arrêté notre véhicule.
— Comme vous voudrez. Je vous enverrai des jeunes gens pour veiller sur votre sommeil et nous vous offrirons à boire et à manger avant de dormir. Nous ne manquons pas de vin de banane, et nous espérons que nos chasseurs rentreront bientôt de la brousse avec assez de gibier.
Pour ne pas l'insulter, Madisha se garda de dire au chef du village qu'ils avaient leurs provisions. Elle le remercia encore et fit signe à son groupe que les pourparlers étaient terminés, et que le chef du village leur permettait de camper sur ses terres. Ils se levèrent et retournèrent à l'endroit où ils avaient laissé le véhicule. Pendant que Réal, le chauffeur et le fils de Madisha dressaient les deux tentes, une pour les femmes et l'autre pour les hommes, le chef du village envoya une grosse calebasse de boisson. Madisha y plongea le chalumeau pour goûter. Elle fut étonnée : il ne s'agissait pas du vin de banane ordinaire, mais de l'hydromel de la meilleure qualité. Réal et Mireille n'en prirent qu'avec modération parce qu'ils ne pouvaient savoir le degré d'alcool de ce breuvage de la brousse.
Au coucher du soleil, on leur apporta de gros morceaux d'antilope et de sanglier, et du bois pour faire du feu. Madisha devina que leurs hôtes voulaient qu'ils grillent eux-mêmes la viande et que, plus tard, on leur apporterait de la polenta de maïs ou de sorgho pétrie par les femmes du village. Elle fit donc du feu et demanda à sa fille de l'aider à griller la viande. Mireille leur prêta main-forte en faisant du riz sur l'un des braseros à pétrole qu'ils avaient apportés. Quand la viande fut cuite, ils virent arriver deux jeunes filles, l'une portant une grosse boule de polenta dans une vaste assiette en métal, l'autre un seau d'eau chaude et un morceau de savon pour permettre aux visiteurs de se laver les mains. Madisha montra à Mireille et Réal comment manger la polenta à la main et, les voyant un peu perplexes devant cette grande quantité de nourriture, elle les rassura :
— Vous pouvez prendre juste une bouchée de polenta. Mireille a fait du riz. Nous mangerons ce que nous pourrons, et le reste ne sera pas gaspillé, soyez rassurés. Il sera donné aux enfants du village et, s'ils sont déjà rassasiés, demain est un autre jour.
Comme prévu, il leur fallut trois jours pour atteindre le coin perdu où Madisha était née. Un village de huttes semblable à beaucoup d'autres, dans l'immensité de la brousse africaine. La mère de Madisha ne l'attendait pas. La vieille dame avait vaguement appris que sa fille s'était remariée, mais elle eut peur en la voyant débarquer au village accompagnée de ses deux enfants et de deux Blancs qu'elle ne connaissait ni d'Ève ni d'Adam. La présence de l'autre inconnu, le chauffeur africain, ne l'étonna pas. Elle crut que c'était lui, son nouveau gendre. Elle s'adressa à sa fille :
— On t'a trompée, Madisha! Tu vois bien que je suis vivante.
— Maman, personne ne m'a dit que tu étais morte ou mourante. Nous ne venons pas à tes funérailles.
— Quel bon vent vous amène alors? Et pour quelle raison viens-tu me voir avec un groupe si bizarre?
— Est-ce à cause des deux Blancs que le groupe est bizarre?
— Oui. Il y a longtemps que je n'ai pas vu de Blanc dans ce village.
— L'homme blanc s'appelle Réal et c'est mon mari. Je viens te le présenter. Mireille, c'est sa sœur.
La vieille dame écarquilla les yeux, puis, revenue de sa surprise, sa bouche édentée offrit un radieux sourire à tous ceux qui guettaient avec appréhension sa réaction. Elle avait tout compris et le signifia en chantant la mélodie que la tradition chrétienne locale avait inventée pour accompagner le cantique de Siméon : « Maintenant, ô Maître souverain, tu peux laisser s'en aller ta servante, en paix selon ta parole. Car mes yeux ont vu le bonheur que tu prépares à mes descendants. »
Madisha en fut émue jusqu'aux larmes. Réal et Mireille, qui ne comprenaient rien de ce que la vieille dame venait de chanter, devinèrent pourtant qu'elle exprimait de la joie. Ils se mirent à applaudir. Le chauffeur, Madisha et ses enfants les imitèrent avant de traduire pour eux le couplet que l'aînée venait de chanter. Cette dernière était manifestement heureuse de les avoir impressionnés.
Réal avait amené, comme il convient, plein de présents à sa belle-mère : des vêtements neufs, un sac de riz, un sac de haricots, des kilos de sel et de sucre, assez de bière pour permettre au petit village de moins de cent âmes de fêter l'événement. Réal remit aussi à sa belle-mère une enveloppe contenant une somme d'argent, qui demeura secrète car l'enveloppe ne fut pas ouverte. La vieille dame la soupesa ostensiblement dans sa main, puis la plia avant de l'enfouir dans la poche de sa jupe.
Cette fois, ce n'est pas du gibier, mais des boucs et des coqs que les villageois offrirent aux visiteurs comme cadeaux de bienvenue. Madisha leur demanda d'abattre les animaux et de débiter la viande. Elle en prit une quantité suffisante pour les repas durant leur séjour au village. Elle remit le reste à sa mère et la laissa distribuer le tout à qui elle voudrait. Trois jours plus tard, les visiteurs rebroussèrent chemin, mission remplie!
Quand Mireille rentra au Canada après son année de bénévolat en Afrique, elle était fière de ce qu'elle avait accompli. Elle n'avait pas seulement donné un bon coup de pouce au dispensaire du centre, elle avait mis son frère dans les bras d'une femme qui veillerait sur ses vieux jours. C'est un Réal plein d'énergie qui, quelques jours avant le départ de Mireille, lui avait fait part d'un nouveau projet. Lors de la fondation du Centre du mont Kenya, Sangwa lui avait dit que, si le premier centre atteignait ses objectifs, les autorités du pays verraient d'un bon œil la création d'autres œuvres du même genre. Réal avait décidé que le moment d'ériger un deuxième centre était arrivé. Mireille revenait au bercail déterminée à aider son frère en menant une campagne de financement pour le nouveau centre de santé communautaire.
1. Mot swahili signifiant « Vieux » : un titre respectueux accordé à tout aîné.
### 19. L'expansion
Mireille était rentrée du Kenya armée de vidéos, d'affiches et de textes à utiliser pour la campagne de financement du nouveau centre. Elle ne cherchait pas uniquement de l'argent, mais aussi des médicaments et toutes sortes d'équipements. L'énergique quinquagénaire embrigada son mari et sa fille dans l'aventure. Zamba et Nanga se laissèrent embarquer sans résistance. Chacun des trois choisit un public cible. Nanga ferait campagne sur les campus universitaires, Zamba dans le milieu des immigrants originaires d'Afrique tandis que Mireille s'occuperait du milieu de la santé, qu'elle connaissait bien et où elle pouvait compter sur beaucoup de solidarité. Comme elle s'y attendait, infirmières, médecins et autres membres du personnel des institutions de santé donnèrent généreusement.
Il fallait également préparer des demandes de subventions destinées à divers organismes publics et privés. Réal avait donné à sa sœur les coordonnées de la personne qu'il avait engagée au tout début pour faire ce travail. Mireille la retrouva et la réengagea. Sur ce front, les réponses seraient plus lentes, mais, dès le départ, elle fut encouragée par les accusés de réception qui contenaient plus de promesses | |
Science: Anaximander's revolution
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Rerum fores aperuisse, Anaximander Milesius traditur primus. Anaximander the Milesian is reported to have been the first to open the doors of nature.
[Pliny, Natural History, II, 31]
It is with this quotation from Pliny the Elder, the famous naturalist who lived in ancient Rome from 23 to 79 AD, that Carlo Rovelli – a theoretical physicist known to other scientists for his research activity and to the general public for his books explaining science – opens his essay "What is science. Anaximander's revolution." By following the formidable thinking of Anaximander – philosopher, cartographer and naturalist – who lived from 610 to 546 BC, Rovelli's book takes us on a journey through the history of scientific thinking, amongst the crucial turning points of the past and challenges for the future. Fasten your safety belts, because we will try to travel through 3 thousand years of investigations into the world and nature in just a few lines.
The cover of Carlo Rovelli's essay
The context: Miletus around the 6th century BC
It is impossible for us to understand the power of Anaximander's teaching if we do not first make an effort to imagine and try to immerse ourselves in the context in which he was born and lived. This was the 6th century before the birth of Christ: the Assyrian Empire was collapsing, while the Persian Empire was gaining power; Egypt was governed by the 26th dynasty of Pharaohs, Rome was ruled by Tarquinius Priscus and Milan had just been founded by the Celts. Two hundred years earlier, Homer composed the Iliad and two hundred years later Greece was to live the golden age of Pericles and Plato. Anaximander was born in Miletus, a city on the coast of south-west Anatolia, at the time a strategically important trading port, and a melting pot on the border between East and West, where not only goods, but also people, knowledge and ideas circulated.
The theatre at Miletus, built in the 5th century BC and later enlarged by the Romans.
Around the 7th century BC, however, something crucial happened in Greece in the history of knowledge: thanks to the arrival, modification and simplification of the Phoenician alphabet, writing became accessible to greater numbers of people, ceasing to be the exclusive domain of scribes and priests. "Secret knowledge" left the confines of the palaces of sovereigns and became accessible to a broader dominant class, with obvious cultural, social and political consequences. The pólis became an independent body and it was no coincidence that, as Rovelli reminds us, the first democratic constitution of Athens (that of Solon) was written in this period. It is clear that a political and social process of this significance was at the same time the cause and effect of a new way of thinking, which also enormously influenced the approach to knowledge of the world: the best conclusions are those that emerge from debate between many people and for this reason knowledge must not be kept secret, but on the contrary divulged as far as possible, discussed, criticised and corrected, to ensure that the best ideas emerge.
Certainly, the debate on "open science" is very topical. Indeed, human society not always has been – and is – able to guarantee access to knowledge. You only have to think of innovation in the military field (did you know, for instance, that the very first embryonic form of internet risked remaining secret, concealed by the American army?), of the very topical debate on open access (for example, with regard to access to scientific publications) or that Christianity in the early centuries led once again to a concentration of knowledge in the hands of the divine (an example of this was the trial of Galileo Galilei).
Therefore, it is clear that the way of "conducting science" and the way of "conducting politics", of organising society and distributing knowledge and power are closely connected and co-evolve, reciprocally influencing each other. Yet there is more: Miletus, just like the sharing of the knowledge that its men produced, was "by far the most open Greek city in the world and in particular was open to the influences of the ancient empires and their centuries-old culture." It was an ideal condition for welcoming great thinkers because, as Rovelli explains, "civilisations flourish when they mix", as proved by the thriving Italian Renaissance, "sparked by the arrival in Europe of the knowledge from the Arab world."
3rd century mosaic originating from Trier portraying Anaximander holding a sundial. Public domain, commons.wikimedia.org)
Anaximander, meteorology and space
But what is the most importance inheritance left by Anaximander and why is he considered by some as perhaps the greatest thinker of ancient times? Let us look together at some of the most revolutionary new ideas introduced by Anaximander.
"Meteorological phenomena have natural causes", in the past they had always been explained by mythical-religious causes (for example attributing the origin of rain and lightning to Zeus, of waves to Poseidon and of wind to Aeolus). Anaximander claimed that rainwater is sea or river water that evaporates due to the heat of the sun and that lightning originates from the collision and splitting of clouds, just as earthquakes are caused by the cracking of the Earth due to excessive heat or excessive rain. Beyond the fact that much of what Anaximander wrote corresponds to reality (to understand the origin of earthquakes, we had to wait quite a few centuries…), the sensational importance of his thinking lies in the fact that he was the first to give an exclusively naturalistic interpretation of the world, without recourse to divinities.
"The Earth is a body with a finite dimension floating in space. It does not fall because it does not have a special direction in which to fall and is not 'dominated' by any other body." Anassimandro did not think that the Earth was spherical (on the contrary he thought that it was cylindrical or disc-shaped), but the importance of his contribution lies in the fact that he understood that the Earth has precise confines and that it is suspended in space, a concept at which he probably arrived by observing the stars disappear and reappear behind the Earth: if, for example, the Sun disappears in the West and reappears in the East, there must be space behind our planet that "allows it to pass". Yet if we are suspended in the sky, why do we not fall? As Aristotle says in De Caelo [295, 11]: "There are some, Anaximander, for instance, among the ancients, who say that the earth keeps its place because of its indifference. Motion upward and downward and sideways were all, they thought, equally inappropriate to that which is set at the centre and indifferently related to every extreme point; and to move in contrary directions at the same time was impossible: so it must needs remain still." Anaximander thus overturned the initial question, which became: why should the Earth fall? Unlike the objects that we see fall in our everyday life, our planet does not have a privileged direction to fall.
Anaximander, the origin of all things and the virtue of rebellion
If, on the one hand, Anaximander attributed natural causes to the phenomena that we observe, thus separating them from the gods, on the other he based his thinking on the fact that not everything can be directly perceived by humans. One the best-known theories developed by Anaximander is in fact that of ἄπειρον, according to which the wide range of things that make up nature all | |
in by the truckload for weeks and months.
Incidentally, Lecia Brooks, who is quoted above in the Heyer press release, holds two concurrent Directorships at the SPLC. One of the few African-Americans in the SPLC hierarchy, Double-Director Brooks has never been named among the company's highest paid executives.
One wonders what Heather Heyer would have made of that?
Tags:Charlottesville, fund raising, fundraising, Heather Heyer, Lecia Brooks, propaganda, Southern Poverty Law Center, SPLC, Stand Strong Against Hate, Unite the Right, Wall of Tolerance
Posted in 2. Public Relations Techniques, Uncategorized | 1 Comment »
SPLC — The "Anti-Muslim" Scam
The Southern Poverty Law Center released its latest "Hate Map" fundraising tool a couple of weeks ago and its "Senior Fellow" Mark Potok has been making the usual media rounds and making the usual empty claims.
The "Hate Map" is a highly lucrative fundraising tool that claims to track the number of SPLC-designated (there is no legal definition for the term) "hate groups" in the country for the previous year. As such, the most recent 2017 map refers to the U.S. in 2016.
Here are some of the highlights from the latest map, according to Mr. Potok:
We'll be breaking down some of the other "hate group" claims in future posts, but let's have a closer look at the big news for 2017:
"Anti-Muslim Groups have exploded by 197%!!"
Ah, Mr. Potok does love his percent sign. It makes the most mundane figures pop with alarm and that brings in the donor dollars. Mr. Potok has been breathlessly announcing that anti-Muslim groups have "nearly tripled" in the past year, by growing from 34 alleged groups to 101, but shies away from the actual details in his media interviews.
We're not shy at Watching the Watchdogs. We'll be happy to flip the flat rock and see what scurries away.
The vast majority of Mr. Potok's alleged explosion, (69% in Potokian terms) comes from one single source. In 2015, Potok added one single instance of something called "ACT for America,"from Virginia Beach, Va., to his Hate Map.
For 2016, Potok counted ACT 45 times! A Potokian increase of 4,400%!!
The group itself has been around since 2007, though Potok only discovered it in 2015. Even more amazing is that the ACT website boasts of more than 1,000 chapters nationwide. That's a huge discrepancy that Mr. Potok seems eager to avoid.
Another ten groups arrived for the first time in 2016 in the form of "The Soldiers of Odin," an apparent American offshoot of a Finnish anti-Muslim outfit founded in 2015. Of the ten chapters claimed by Potok he can only put a known city or town to two. The other 80% is part of the 191 "groups" Mr. Potok cannot locate on any map, including his own. Instead, he papers them over with a catch-all label of "statewide."
We know all 191 of those groups are really, really out there because Mark Potok tells us so.
Most of the remaining "groups" are a rag-tag collection of one-off, one-man websites, something Potok claims he doesn't count, except when he does, which is frequently, such as the "Sultan Knish: A blog by Daniel Greenfield" "group,""Islamthreat.com" and a couple of yahoos peddling pork-tainted anti-Muslim ammunition online.
It is with great sadness that we witness the passing of our all time favorite Potokian "hate group," Casa d'Ice Signs, which was actually an Italian restaurant and bar in a K-Mart strip mall on the outskirts of Pittsburgh.
It's not that we agreed with the crude messages that owner Bill Balsamico would put on the marquee sign outside his bar each week, but Casa d'Ice was the ultimate poster child for just how far Mr. Potok would go to stretch his definition of "hate group."
The good news, according to Daniel Greenfield, is that Balsamico sold the business and retired, undefeated.
In all fairness to Mr. Potok, though, he never claimed that Balsamico was guilty of anything but "wrong thoughts." As the stalwart Senior Fellow has proclaimed on man occasions:
"Our criteria for a hate group, first of all, have nothing to do with criminality, or violence, or any kind of guess we're making about 'this group could be dangerous.' It's strictly ideological."
And so, there you have it. The suits at the SPLC decided that anti-Muslim "hate groups" were going to be the featured flavor for 2017 and instructed Mr. Potok to show "explosive growth" thereof for fundraising purposes and overnight one "group" becomes 45.
Some may remember that last year Potok swore that "the Klan had more than doubled in size!!" in 2015 by claiming it had grown from 72 chapter to 190 overnight. Potok failed to mention that he himself had slashed his Klan count from 163 to 72 the year before.
This year, as the graphic above notes, the Invisible Empire shrank by 32% to a mere 130 chapters, 30 of which Potok cannot find. And as usual, nobody in the media called him on it.
The graphic does include one truly astounding number, besides the spurious "197%" malarkey. Mr. Potok claims there are 193 Black "hate groups" in the country today, far outnumbering the KKK and every other category, respectively, and he knows where every one of those chapters are but two.
But that's a topic for our next post.
Tags:anti-muslim, fundraising, Hate Map, Mark Potok, propaganda, Southern Poverty Law Center, SPLC
Posted in 5. Damned Lies and Statistics | 2 Comments »
SPLC — "200 Post-Election Hate Incidents"
UPDATE — As noted below, on November 11, 2016, the Southern Poverty Law Center claimed on its website that it had "had counted 201 incidents of election-related harassment and intimidation across the country as of Friday, November 11."
On November 14, Watching the Watchdogs noted that the SPLC's "count" included "reports" from a web page it had set up where people could report alleged incidents anonymously, with no verification whatsoever.
The very next day, on November 15, the SPLC updated its "count" to 437, this time adding the interesting note that:
"These incidents, aside from news reports, are largely anecdotal."
This disclaimer is conveniently absent from the November 11 post.
Was the disclaimer a result of our reporting or simply coincidence? You be the judge.
The SPLC followed up its "anecdotal" admission with the claim that "The SPLC did follow up with a majority of user submissions in an effort to confirm reports."
Really? Okay. Prove it. Show us your proof, SPLC. You didn't simply include "a majority" of the alleged claims that no one but you have seen in your count; you counted ALL of them. If you've confirmed any of them, just show your proof on your website. Your word alone isn't good enough.
It's not like you lack publicity. In fact, it will be interesting to see how many media outlets regurgitating your "437 incidents" claim will include your "they're largely anecdotal" disclaimer.
You can read our original post below:
[Nov. 14] In the wake of Donald Trump's surprise victory in the November 8 election, the Southern Poverty Law Center has been ramping up the fear-mongering rhetoric, and, right on cue, the media has been regurgitating the SPLC's claims without performing even the most rudimentary fact checks.
Dozens upon dozens of mainstream and local newspapers, magazines and blogs have been quoting an unvetted USA Today claim that: "Since Election Day, there have been more than 200 incidents of hateful harassment and intimidation across the country, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center."
The claim has been picked up and repeated by such publications as Fortune, Time and the New York Times, all of whom should know better. As with most SPLC fundraising copy, it makes for lurid reading which is guaranteed to agitate certain sectors of the population, (donors), and, as with most SPLC fundraising copy, even the slightest investigation of the company's claims ring hollow.
According to the breathless "Hatewatch" special report on the SPLC website the | |
an overall musician and songwriter, Taehyun has a great understanding of how to make what sounds good come together in a song. He's a born natural artist and knows that his strengths lie on his songwriting over his singing technique. Despite having issues with being deaf in one ear, he's able to overcome them quite well. For the most part when covering songs, he tends to sing more true to the original melody of a song although at times attempting melodic changes as heard in "Lost Stars" and "그리워해요." However when writing his own music, he's able to create melodies from scratch. Harmonically speaking, he's able to blend his voice well with others and does so many times in covers with the rest of the members of WINNER, such as "그리워해요."
Label (Type of Vocalist)
C Vocalists: Commercial Vocalists
S vocalists: Stylistic Vocalists
Best Vocal Performance(s)
Analyzed by Ahmin (Kitsunemale)
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60 thoughts on "Nam Taehyun's Vocal Analysis"
ololo says:
I just found out he was deaf in one ear. How sad :'(. I hope he can still do music good music.
Minh Duc Le says:
Oh dear ! Is it true ? Poor guy, he's accomplished a lot albeit carrying that disability.
pandorafox says:
He can and he loves art and writing music, this is one of the reasons why he's precious because although he has a disability he covers it with his hard work and talent in creating music. ^^
By the way, Ahmin, I have a question, isn't he more of a lead vocalist in his group than Seungyoon? The Baritone singer seems to possess a lot more lines and ad-libs in WINNER's songs so far. Also, what do you think about Jinwoo's singing ? Any strong possibility for an analysis ? His boyish voice is heaven to my ears *_*
ahmin3 says:
It's what's written in their official profiles. Jinwoo's rating would be lower than Taehyun's considering Taehyun's their second strongest vocalist. Our rules are very specific, we only analyze half of the vocalists in a group, so we won't analyze Jinwoo.
oui says:
hello Ahmin! first of all, thank you for Seungyoon's + Taehyun's analysis.. your effort is very much appreciated *thumbs up*
on the other hand, i'd like to apologize on behalf of some loyalist who misunderstood your previous comment about Jinwoo and again, thank you for re-wording it to prevent further misinterpretation.
to my fellows who visit this page/blog, please don't take ratings on this site as an offense/personal attack to a certain individual/company, or a way to merely praise someone's favourite and ridicule others because it's not. ratings are just ratings; the main point is the whole elaboration on the singer's trait/habit of singing. no matter what their classification is, they still can be an amazing artists according to our own taste & level of enjoyment.. but when we talk about vocal, there are several set criteria which we need to look through in order to judge a vocalist. in the end, it's for their sake.. that if our dear songster/songstress managed to fix their weaknesses, it'll only be beneficial for them in the long run. last but not least, i suggest you to drop by these sections:
https://kpopvocalanalysis.net/
https://kpopvocalanalysis.net/about-our-criteria-disclaimer/an-introduction-to-vocal-pedagogy/
https://kpopvocalanalysis.net/about-our-criteria-disclaimer/an-introduction-to-vocal-pedagogy/the-voice/
https://kpopvocalanalysis.net/about-our-criteria-disclaimer/an-introduction-to-vocal-pedagogy/vocal-technique-part-1/
it'll dfinitely help you to understand better albeit not entirely able to digest every single terminology.. haha ^^;
one final request, if you don't mind, could you tell us about Jinwoo's voice potential? pardon me in case it's too much to ask ;_;
No no, it's totally fine but I really appreciate your comment, it's very thoughtful. As for Jinwoo, he is not a very highlighted vocalist so there are very few times when he shows anything noteworthy in his singing. He usually seems to sing in a rather narrow range and he uses a lot of airiness, he doesn't properly support voice nor does he connect his vocal cords together most of the time. He has issues with diction as well, so he doesn't enunciate clearly, he doesn't drop his jaw much, he doesn't open up as one would usually do when singing. All these things really just limit his vocal growth, if he only sings this way, nothing would change. I know for a fact that he's a tenor, but he doesn't mix very high, he doesn't really sing very low so he doesn't usually explore his voice in their repertoire so there's not much I can say besides the basics of vocal technique that I could tell without hearing a solo of his. I wish I could tell you more, I apologize for that.
ah.. true, his part in WINNER's song is very specific.. plus, he doesn't have many chances to show us his real capability. i think the most 'singing' he's done recently is the 'Reply 1988' OST cover as well as his 'Crooked' solo stage at the domestic tour.
it's okay ahmin, i understand and really appreciate your input!
hopefully he'll surprised us in the future.
cree says:
Minh Duc Le, I love Jinwoo, but he has really week vocal and what is more disaster he not really self confidence when he singing and special without back vocals… In various song he sing in various stiles, but i still can't catch which one is better for him i was quite surprised when i heard Sentimental first time when he was raping and i was little happy about it, but still lacking of self confidence 😦
Decim says:
Do you think that he's doing pretty well for someone deaf in one ear? He was showcased as a strong singer during the Win days. But YG never really has a lot of good vocalists anyway
I do think so because I can't honestly say that I can imagine singing without being able to hear myself, so he's gotten over a huge milestone.
So you would have rated him any lower if he wasn't tone-deaf in one ear?
No, him being almost deaf in one ear may affect his singing learning process but it doesn't change the outcome. The way he sings is the way it is and him being deaf doesn't affect the development of his vocal cords and so deafness is completely irrelevant to his vocal ability and final rating.
Heymrpiano says:
That supported range though… XD at first i thought he might be weak since his breath support is shallow but then he manage to be weak to average 😀
Admins, thanks for this especially Ahmin who analyzed our maknae ^_^
I hope he can improve, he's still young and has a lot of potential.
TamasakiLion says:
I like his voice so much, he reminds me of Chen. Too bad he's under average (like most of my favorites are), but hopefully he'll improve. I do feel like since he's deaf on one ear, he's spent a lot of time working on his pitch, so maybe he'll start working on his other weaknesses more (Ik, I'm being delusional XD). Again, thanks so much for making this, and congrats on the new site!
Aiile says:
Thank you so much for making this analysis ^^ . And i want to ask you Taehyun and Taeyang who has better vocal cause are both Light-Lyric Tenor and Weak to Average Vocalist ?
Taehyun has less inconsistency issues than Taeyang, so Taehyun.
Hi Ahmin,
I don't know if you're a songwriter too or not but can you check this song of mine and tell me please if there's anything wrong vocally (musicianship (melodies) and technique wise, but for technique I've improved hips in support since July) ?
Taking a peek at the lyrics is sooooo appreciable though, even though I recorded this song without proper equipments.
http://genius.com/Mynduke-maraschino-lyrics
Honestly songwriting is not my forte and I admire anyone who is capable of doing that well, so I am | |
relevant and calls for action. The threshold concept is altogether one of the most useful concepts to determine when a sequence of events becomes a "trend," and requires attention and probably action, and when events, even though they may look spectacular, are by themselves not particularly meaningful.
Finally, a good many managers have found that the one way of organizing information effectively is simply to organize one's being informed about the unusual.
One example is the "manager's letter." The people who work with a manager write a monthly letter to him or her, reporting on anything unusual and unexpected within their own sphere of work and action. Most of these "unusual" things can safely be disregarded. But again, and again, there is an "exceptional" event, one that is outside the normal range of probability distribution. Again and again, there is a concatenation of events—insignificant in each reporter's area, but significant if added together. Again and again, the management letters bring out a pattern to which to pay attention. Again and again, they convey information.
NO SURPRISES
No system designed by knowledge workers to give them the information they need for their work will ever be perfect. But, over the years, systems steadily improve. And the ultimate test of an information system is that there are no surprises. Before events become significant, managers have already adjusted to them, analyzed them, understood them and taken appropriate action.
One example is the three or four—very few indeed—American financial institutions that, in the late 1990s, were not surprised by the economic collapse of mainland Asia. They had thought through what "information" means with respect to Asian economies and Asian currencies. They had gradually eliminated all the information they got from within their own subsidiaries and affiliates in these countries—it, they had begun to realize, was just "data." Instead, they had begun early in the 1990s to organize their own financial information about all emerging markets into country risk ratios, going from micro to macro financial and economic information such as foreign debt-to-GDP ratios and debt-service ratios. For example, the ING bank had a very sophisticated risk analysis system for emerging markets, which was made available to client companies of the bank. In addition, in September 1996, the International Monetary Fund issued a report warning about potential problems in financial markets in Southeast Asia.
Long before these economic ratios turned so unfavorable as to make a panic in mainland Asia inevitable, these managers had realized that it was coming. They realized that they had to decide whether to pull out of these countries for short-term growth or to stay for very long-term and very risky strategies. In other words, they had realized what economic data is meaningful with respect to emerging countries, had organized it, had analyzed it, and had interpreted it. They had turned the data into information—and had decided what action to take long before that action became necessary.
By contrast, the overwhelming majority of American, European, and Asian companies doing business on mainland Asia and/or investing in it had relied on what their own people in these countries reported to them. This turned out not to be information at all—in fact, it turned out to be misinformation. But only those managers who had spent several years asking the question, "What information is meaningful with respect to our doing business in Thailand or Indonesia?" were prepared.
Managers have to learn two things: eliminate data that does not pertain to the information they need and organize the data to analyze and interpret it. Then managers must focus on the resulting information and take action. For the purpose of information is not knowledge. It is being able to take the right action.
GOING OUTSIDE
An example of the companies investing in developing countries being surprised by the collapse of the emerging economies of mainland Asia underlines the importance of obtaining meaningful outside information.
For the manager there is, in the end, only one way to get it: that is to go, personally, on the outside. No matter how good the reports, no matter how good the economic or financial theory underlying them, nothing beats personal, direct observation, and in a form in which it is truly outside observation.
The largest hospital-supply company in the United States was built by a chief executive officer who himself spent four weeks a year—two weeks twice a year—taking the place of a salesman on vacation. He demanded that all the company's senior managers do the same. When the regular salesman came back, the customer—for example, the nun who purchases supplies for the Catholic hospital—always more or less said, "What dumb cluck took your place? He always asked why I buy things from other suppliers rather than from you. He was never particularly interested in getting an order for what you sell." But this was precisely the point of the exercise.
And it is a very old observation that few things improve the performance of a physician as much as being a hospital patient for two weeks.
Market research, focus groups, and the like are highly valued, and rightfully so. But still, they always focus on the company's products. They never focus on what the customer buys and is interested in. Only by being a customer oneself, a salesman oneself, a patient oneself, can one get true information about the outside. And even that information is, of course, still limited to one's customers and one's noncustomers. What other information about the outside do managers need, however, to do their work? And how can they get it?
This is one reason why being a volunteer in a nonprofit agency is important not only for preparing oneself for the second half of one's life. It is equally important as a way to get outside information—which is information on how other people, with other jobs, other backgrounds, other knowledges, other values, and other points of view see the world, act and react, and make their decisions. For this reason also, the continuing education of already successful adults will be increasingly important. For in that university course, the forty-five-year-old, successful knowledge worker—business executive, lawyer, university president, minister of a church, and so on—is forced to work with people of different backgrounds and different values. It is one way not only to update one's knowledge but to obtain what managers need: information about the outside.
In the long run, information about the outside may be the most important information managers need to do their work. At the same time, it is the one that still has to be organized. This information is not only the foundation for right action. It is equally the foundation for the challenges discussed in chapter 19, the challenges of knowledge-worker productivity, and in chapter 45, the challenges of managing oneself. Both rely heavily on the knowledge workers' knowing what information they need for their work and what information they owe to others, and on systematically developing the methods that turn the chaos of data in the universe into organized and focused information for the manager's own work and job.
SUMMARY
The manager needs three primary types of information, each with its own concepts and tools. First, there is what goes on inside the enterprise. Here we use standard accounting information along with the newer and rapidly evolving techniques of activity-based costing, EVA, and benchmarking. Then, there are the links to be made across organizations that are required in alliances and partnerships. Economic-chain accounting is the tool that is needed there. Finally, there is external information, where major changes usually originate. Business intelligence systems are necessary tools to assist in collecting and organizing this information.
Managers must rely heavily on the information they need for their work, the information they owe to others, and on the methods they use to | |
barrier against a dwindling countdown. The chronometer read three minutes. Someone needed to act quickly or every one of them would fall to the Na′id.
With deceptive casualness, all his apprehension contained, Alihahd walked across the deck—ten steps was suddenly an eternal length—passing between two mutineers, to reach under the command console and take out a gun hidden there. He pointed the gun to his own temple, and said, "Very well, then. Force me."
By the time any of them even thought about stopping him, it was too late to do anything. The crew continued to stare—now completely stumped.
Alihahd gave them a few long seconds to realize defeat, then said, "Move. We are running out of time. You will jeopardize everyone with your ill-timed heroics. The thought is not unappreciated, yet it remains very foolish."
The crewman who had spoken for the others moved first, backing off. And because there was nothing else to do, the rest returned to the duties of the original plan of evacuation—Alihahd's plan.
Alone, Alihahd held the gun close across his chest, one hand around its barrel, trying not to shake and trying to hold inside what must remain inside.
They were going to admire him to death, his crew. They wanted him to live. But at what cost? He pictured himself aboard the shuttle, staying apart like a leper, meeting no one's eyes, reaching haven, and answering the question, "Where is your crew?" He felt sick. He knew this feeling. He breathed with his mouth open as if there were no air left in the ship. A slickness filmed palms that never sweated. He did not relinquish the gun until the last shuttle was launched.
The little fleet of twelve shuttles separated from the mothership, moved off, and disappeared. Alihahd turned off the bright docking lights and leaned back against the bulkhead, his head back, hands loose at his sides. From here there were few decisions, and few mistakes that could bring worse results than success.
An odd elation came over him along with the first peace of mind he could remember.
He put on his spacesuit, secured himself into his seat at the ship's controls, and waited. One minute.
The countdown was still at thirty seconds when blips appeared on the computer tracker with simultaneous visual contact. Six ships of metallic blue sublighted for attack, their hulls ablaze with the red twin symbols of Galactic Dominion/Human Supremacy.
The computer pilot engaged, and the _Liberation_ shot away past the Na′id ships. The stars disappeared.
Before leaving the squadron behind in the sublight universe, Alihahd had recognized the flagship, _Jerusalem_.
_I am being chased by_ Jerusalem. He found that thought horribly funny. Horribly.
Alihahd knew who commanded the flagship _Jerusalem_. That man was not a mindless destroyer. General Atta″id would try to catch Alihahd if he could. A high price had been put on Alihahd's head—something the Na′id did not do as a rule, but how else to combat someone they could not recognize on sight and who left no tracks and tripped no alarms? And, in the end, the price had done it. Alihahd's fall had come through no mistake of his own. He had been betrayed.
_How fitting_.
Six ships they sent after him. They had greatly overestimated him, the reputation grown bigger than the man. They thought him capable of anything.
At length the pursuit ships became visible again, gradually closing the million-mile gap their second's hesitation had made between them. They came into range for weapons. None of the ships flew directly behind the _Liberation_ , fearing what might be dropped back in its wake. They never guessed that the rogue ship might possibly be unarmed. Their caution threw off the accuracy of their fire, and the _Liberation_ was able to lure them farther and farther away from the shuttle convoy.
• • •
Alihahd had made no pretense to his volunteers of having the slimmest hope of getting away. If he could have done without his crew, he would have. He wished they were not with him. Did they expect another miracle?
_I told you this was suicide. And—do you guess?_
_I want it_.
The first close salvo came from the flagship. The next would find its target.
Alihahd touched the intersuit com switch at his throat and gave an order. "Brake."
There was a click in his headset. "Braking, sir."
The engines reversed. The chase ships overshot and disappeared, and the stars returned as the _Liberation_ dropped back into sublight.
The end came in an instant.
Lights, sound, pressure, gravity—even the vibration of the ship's engines—suddenly ceased. Arms and legs flailed with the outrush of air. Stomach jumped. Muscles contracted. Alihahd felt himself come off his seat, pulling against the straps, and he hit the self-destruct switch in the dark.
Nothing happened. He clutched the console with both hands, swallowing, his eyes wide and sightless. He wondered if he had been blinded.
In a moment, when everything was abolutely still again, he reached down, unlocked a catch, and swiveled his seat around.
And he saw stars where the hatch and most of the deck should have been.
No.
He turned on his headlamp. The command platform with him on it, had been sheared clean off. The great bulk of the ship _Liberation_ , with the engines, was gone.
One by one, the crewmembers who remained turned on their headlamps. They were three. They stared at one another in shock, waiting for the circling sharks to board.
To Alihahd, it was a nightmare of nightmares—one of the few things that could go wrong. The thought of facing Na′id mortally terrified him. He knew they wanted him very badly. The only alternative now was suicide by vacuum, which also terrified him or he would have done it long before this.
But the Na′id did not board. They were not circling. They were nowhere to be seen, and it took some moments to realize that when the _Liberation_ had broken in two, the Na′id had chased after the other part.
There came a blue-white flash in the distance like a quick nova. That would be the _Liberation_ 's engines exploding.
Minutes passed. Half an hour. The Na′id did not come back, and the surviving rebels knew they had been overlooked—left alone, without power, light-years from anywhere.
This was not what they had expected at all. They were supposed to have been in that nova, making a statement for the Resistance. The _Liberation_ had made the statement without them.
Here was no end in a blaze of glory. Rather a slow and cold grave.
A creeping feeling of smallness grew in the quiet, nothing between the four small human beings and the inconceivable vastness of space. The gaping breach in the deck let the emptiness in.
Alihahd did not look at the others—knew they were looking at him.
At last, because he had to, he steeled himself to turn and face them. He nodded. He held out no hope to them. They accepted their fate. All they wanted was his approval.
He turned away.
He could not tell if their scrap of ship was moving. The stars did not appear to move. Nothing did. At least they were not spinning.
After a time, the crew began to talk in short, muted murmurs through the suit intercoms. A voice, click, silence. Answer, click, silence. An attempted joke, click, silence. A long pause. A voice, click, silence.
Alihahd was still mercilessly alert. It would be a while yet until their air ran out. And in the silence his thoughts moved in. He was aware of what was left to him. Endless dark, endless void, a floating tomb, the stars' indifferent steady light.
There was some comfort in knowing that he had made his last mistake. He had discovered he had a tremendous capacity for being wrong.
And he was never in a position to be wrong. He was one of those who | |
Carl Friedrich Graf von Pückler-Burghauss, Freiherr von Groditz (* 7. Oktober 1886 in Friedland, Provinz Schlesien; † 12. oder 13. Mai 1945 in Rakowitz, Dritte Tschechoslowakische Republik) war ein deutscher Politiker (NSDAP), SA-Führer und während des Zweiten Weltkrieges zuletzt SS-Gruppenführer und Generalleutnant der Waffen-SS.
Leben und Wirken
Jugend, Erster Weltkrieg und Weimarer Republik
Carl Friedrich wurde am 7. Oktober 1886 in der niederschlesischen Stadt Breslau als erster Sohn des preußischen Politikers Friedrich Graf von Pückler-Burghauss (* 3. Februar 1849; † 10. Juli 1920) und der Gräfin Ella von Köppen (1862–1899) in die schlesische Adelsfamilie von Pückler-Burghauss geboren. Seine jüngeren Brüder waren Sylvius und Otto von Pückler-Burghauss. Sein Großvater war der preußische Politiker Karl von Pückler-Burghauß.
Am 1. April 1908 trat Pückler-Burghauss in das Leibkürassier-Regiment ein. Am 25. Juni 1909 erhielt er das Leutnantspatent. Am 1. Januar 1913 wurde er zu den Reserveoffizieren überführt. Im selben Jahr heiratete er Olga-Elisabeth Prinzessin von Sachsen Altenburg, Herzogin zu Sachsen (1886–1955), die älteste Tochter von Albert von Sachsen-Altenburg und der Marie von Preußen. Aus der Ehe gingen drei Kinder hervor: Die Töchter Ella-Viola (* 8. April 1914; † 4. April 1982), verh. von Flotow, und Eleonore-Renata (* 25. November 1919; † 4. November 1997), zuletzt verh. Petersen, sowie der Sohn Karl Rudiger (*/† 1923). Er nahm mit seinem Regiment am Ersten Weltkrieg teil, in dem er unter anderem mit dem Eisernen Kreuz beider Klassen ausgezeichnet wurde. 1917 wurde er in den Generalstab des VI. Armeekorps versetzt. Im September 1919 nahm er seinen Abschied als Rittmeister, um fortan, spätestens seit 1921, als Landwirt die elterlichen Güter zu bewirtschaften. Zu Schloß Friedland gehörten zu jener Zeit das Rittergüter Ellguth-Friedland mit 749 ha, Floste 404 ha, Friedland selbst mit Schloß, Gut und Vorwerk, 536 ha, Rittergut Sabine auf 336 ha Land sowie RG Wiersbel III, 165 ha. Friedland galt als Majoratsherrschaft, einzelne Teile des Besitztums waren unterverpachtet.
Von 1919 bis 1931 war er Mitglied der Deutschnationalen Volkspartei. Neben seiner politischen Tätigkeit betätigte Pückler-Burghauss sich auch schriftstellerisch. In den 1930er Jahren veröffentlichte er zunächst Bücher über seine Jagderlebnisse und später auch einen Band über seine Kriegserlebnisse bis 1942.
Von 1920 bis 1938 gehörte Pückler der Schlesischen Genossenschaft des Johanniterordens als Ehrenritter an.
Karriere in der NSDAP und SA (1931 bis 1934)
Am 1. Dezember 1931 trat Pückler-Burghauss in die Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei (NSDAP) (Mitgliedsnummer 788.697) und in die Sturmabteilung (SA) ein, in der ihm noch im gleichen Monat der Rang eines Sturmbannführers verliehen wurde. Nachdem er in der ersten Hälfte des Jahres 1932 als Gauredner der NSDAP in Schlesien aktiv war, erfolgte am 1. Juli 1932 seine Übernahme als hauptamtlicher SA-Führer.
Vom 1. Juli bis zum 14. Dezember 1932 war Pückler-Burghauss SA-Führer z. b. V. und Referent für Wehrfragen beim Stab der SA-Gruppe Schlesien (Breslau) und vom 15. Dezember 1932 bis 30. November 1933 (zunächst beauftragter) Stabsführer der SA-Gruppe Schlesien. Er wurde am 29. Dezember 1932 rückwirkend auf den 1. Juli 1932 zum SA-Standartenführer und am 10. April 1933 zum SA-Oberführer befördert. Vom 1. Juni bis 30. Juni 1933 war er Stabsführer der SA-Obergruppe I (mit den unterstellten SA-Gruppen Berlin-Brandenburg, Ostmark, Schlesien, Pommern und Nordmark), anschließend bis 14. März 1934 beauftragter Stabsführer der SA-Obergruppe III (SA-Gruppen Berlin-Brandenburg, Ostmark und Schlesien, Dienstsitz: Breslau).
Bei der Reichstagswahl im März 1933 wurde Pückler-Burghauss Reichstagsabgeordneter der NSDAP für den Wahlkreis 9 (Oppeln). Er stimmte im März 1933 im Reichstag für das Ermächtigungsgesetz, das den Weg in die Diktatur letztlich öffnete. Bei den Reichstagswahlen vom 12. November 1933 wurde er aufgrund von Differenzen mit dem schlesischen Gauleiter Helmuth Brückner nicht wieder als Kandidat aufgestellt.
Vom 15. März bis 30. Juni 1934 war Pückler-Burghauss hauptamtlicher SA-Führer unter SA-Obergruppenführer Edmund Heines, welcher zugleich (seit 31. Juli 1931) Führer der SA-Gruppe Schlesien war, sodann Stabsführer der (neuen) SA-Obergruppe VIII (SA-Gruppe Schlesien, Dienstsitz: Breslau). Nach dem sogenannten Röhm-Putsch schied Pückler-Burghauss vorerst mit Wirkung vom 1. Juli 1934 aus dem hauptamtlichen Dienstverhältnis bei der SA aus und war bis zum 30. Januar 1937 SA-Führer z. V. der Obersten SA-Führung (OSAF).
Nach einer Tätigkeit als selbständiger Landwirt von Juli 1934 bis Anfang 1937 wurde er zum 30. Januar 1937 erneut in den aktiven (hauptamtlichen) SA-Dienst übernommen: Vom 1. Februar 1937 bis 2. Juli 1939 fungierte er zunächst als Amtschef in der OSAF. Nach seiner Beförderung am 1. Mai 1937 zum SA-Brigadeführer war Pückler-Burghauss vom Oktober 1937 bis 2. Juli 1939 Leiter des Verbindungsamts Berlin der Obersten SA-Führung, bevor er am 1. Juli 1939 endgültig aus dem hauptamtlichen SA-Dienst entlassen wurde.
Aus dem Johanniterorden trat er gemäß dem so genannten Heß-Erlass vom Februar, der nicht erlaubten Doppelmitgliedschaft von NSDAP und Orden, weisungsgemäß im Herbst 1938 aus. Dies betraf damals etwa zehn Prozent der Ordensmitglieder. Die Austritte wurden in den Johanniter-Ordensblätter veröffentlicht. Pückler ist dort nicht der einzig bekannte Name aus dem preußischen Landadel. Am gleichen Tag wurde unter anderem das Ausscheiden des Reichssportführers verkündet.
Karriere in der SS (1939 bis 1945)
Am 25. November 1939 stellte Pückler-Burghauss den Antrag an die Oberste SA-Führung auf Genehmigung zum Übertritt in die Schutzstaffel (SS). Nach der Einwilligung der OSAF wurde er am 1. Juli 1940 schließlich als Mitglied in die SS (SS-Nr. 365.136) aufgenommen, in der er noch am selben Tag den Rang eines SS-Brigadeführers erhielt.
Anfang 1942 wurde er als Stellvertreter des erkrankten Erich von dem Bach-Zelewski zum Höheren SS- und Polizeiführer (HSSPF) für den Bereich Russland-Mitte ernannt. Von Januar bis Anfang Mai unterstanden somit die am Massenmord an den sowjetischen Juden beteiligten Einsatzgruppen im Abschnitt Mitte direkt Pückler-Burghauss als HSSPF Mitte. Nach seiner Rückkehr am 7. Mai beschrieb von dem Bach in seinem Kriegstagebuch Pückler-Burghauss als schwer alkoholabhängig und beschwerte sich über dessen Untätigkeit bei der Partisanenbekämpfung. Am 12. September 1942 wurde dieser zum Befehlshaber der Waffen-SS im Protektorat Böhmen und Mähren ernannt und in den Rang eines SS-Brigadeführers und Generalmajors der Waffen-SS befördert. Im Mai 1943 erfolgte eine weitere Beförderung, diesmal zum Befehlshaber der 15. SS-Waffen-Grenadier-Division der SS in Lettland im Rang eines SS-Gruppenführers und Generalleutnants der Waffen-SS. Diesen Posten bekleidete er bis zum 17. Februar 1944. Am 20. März 1944 wurde ihm erneut sein früheres Kommando als Befehlshaber der Waffen-SS im Protektorat Böhmen und Mähren zugewiesen, das er bis zum Ende des Zweiten Weltkrieges ausübte. Offiziell erhielt den Dienstgrad Gruppenführer Anfang August 1944.
Kriegsende, Kapitulation und Freitod (Mai 1945)
Als Befehlshaber der Waffen-SS-Verbände, die ab dem 7. Mai 1945 gegen den Prager Aufstand eingesetzt wurden, wollte sich Pückler-Burghauss zunächst nicht dem kommandierenden General Rudolf Toussaint unterordnen und tat dies erst nach einem telefonischen Eingreifen Feldmarschall Schörners. Danach forderte er mit den Worten "Das ganze Nest muss brennen", das historische Stadtzentrum durch Brandbomben dem Erdboden gleichzumachen. Dies wurde nur durch den Einspruch von General Toussaint verhindert. In einer Meldung vom Abend des 7. Mai gegen 23:30 Uhr beschrieb Pückler-Burghauss seine weitere Planung:
"Gemäß den bisherigen Erfahrungen wegen Mangel an Artillerie und Luftunterstützung das Vorrücken nur bei Niederbrennung der Blöcke erfolgreich. Die tschechischen bürgerlichen Kreise möchten den Kampf einstellen. Die Kommunisten führen und kämpfen. Sie rechnen mit Wlasow. Für die Nacht allen Gruppen angeordnet, Brand- und Sprengtrupps einzusetzen. Bei Morgengrauen greifen die Kampfgruppen in schmaler Schlachtfront an. Wir fordern von neuem einen starken Einsatz der Luftwaffe gegen den Wenzelsplatz – Graben. Die verstreuten Luftangriffe vom heutigen Tage waren zwecklos. Es handelt sich darum, Panik hervorzurufen und sie für den Angriff zu nutzen."
Nachdem am 8. Mai den ganzen Tag über die Kampfhandlungen fortgesetzt wurden, unterzeichnete General Toussaint um 16.00 Uhr ein zunächst nur Protokoll genanntes Schriftstück als Kapitulation der deutschen Truppen in Prag. Pückler-Burghauss weigerte sich zuerst, die Kampfhandlungen einzustellen und musste von Karl Hermann Frank zur Folgeleistung gezwungen werden.
Ab dem Morgen des 9. Mai führte Pückler-Burghauss die überlebenden deutschen Truppen nach Westen, um sie in amerikanische Kriegsgefangenschaft zu bringen. Diese Truppen galten nach der Kapitulation als "bewaffnete Gefangene". Zahlreiche deutsche Zivilisten schlossen sich seinen Einheiten bei der Flucht an. Am 10. Mai lehnte der Befehlshaber der | |
LABOUR FIGHT FOR THE VULNERABLE WHILE THE SNP DESERT THEM.
1 pm, July 27th. 2011 to the house of shame on the banks of the River Cart for a full meeting of Renfrewshire Council.
It was evident from the conduct of the SNP/Libdem coalition that they came in mad as hell. This is becoming more and more noticeable as we get closer to the Council Elections and motions are put condemning their actions, choices and priorities. Their reactions to criticism suggest that they fear a reckoning with the electorate which they know will bring up the things they have done to pensioners, school children and the most vulnerable in our society.
A strong contender for top of the public's hit list would certainly be the most awful Convener of Education in living memory SNP Cllr. Lorraine Cameron. She has presided over the most appalling attacks on education that I have seen, the fact that she is obviously completely out of her depth and willing to sign up to anything put before her by the officers is no excuse. I know her well enough to know that she is no fool which means she has washed her hands of responsibility and just taking the money. I know her to be a smart woman so I have to ask myself why someone like her would agree to the demented Primary School proposals, go figure.
The savage cuts to Social Work provision would put Convener Libdem Cllr. Eileen McCartin right up there next to her, to this day she robustly defends cuts in schools music provision, the removal of School busses, the removal of busses for people with learning difficulties, the withdrawal of Grants for pensioners Christmas Dinners and Pantomime Trips and much more including the aforementioned attempt to withdraw teachers from Primary Schools and replace them with unqualified staff, yes she stands by that as well. The anger and vile behaviour stems from the fact that they know that we will be reminding the voters of their record when the time comes.
The following two motions to council were put by the Labour Group.
1/ Demanding that the SNP/Libdem Council withdraw their decision to take away free travel from people with Learning Difficulties travelling to their Adult Training Centres, the SNP/Libdem Coalition lost the debate but won the vote and the cuts will take place. This Council gave senior officers on salaries of £80,000/£90,000 rises of 23% meaning some officers got more in an annual rise than low paid workers get for an annual salary, they also spent more on Christmas lights, Fireworks and bringing the Mod to Paisley than it cost to provide the free travel for those with Learning Difficulties. It is as we in the Labour Group said today a matter of priorities, compare them for yourself; fireworks or free travel for those with learning Difficulties, you decide when the local elections come round.
2/ A motion criticizing the Council for spending £6,700 on commissioning a feasibility study for a statue of William Wallace, seen by the SNP as a Scottish Hero and by many others, eminent scholars and historians included as 90% fiction but; remember the SNP motto "It might be rubbish but at least it's good old Scottish rubbish" Councillor Nicolson at this point made one of his priceless interjections to tell us all about Scottish culture and how we (Labour) did not understand it. What the cultural attaché for Renfrewshire (Nicolson) meant of course was Scottish culture, ye cannae beat it right? him and the ludicrous Libdem McCartin went on to tell us how great a sculptor Sandy Stoddart was he is (our local sculptor) come to think of it I don't think he has any rivals, does anyone out there know another local sculptor? Still being the only one does not maen he is not great, a genious by all accounts and world famous. Visited by pilgrims from all four corners of the world, I thought at one point they were describing a Scottish Jacob Epstein or the reincarnation of Michelangelo.
Alas when I invited Nicolson and McCartin and the rest of the coalition to name 3 of Mr. Stoddarts works they were predictably unable to do so, still don't worry Mr. Stoddart time is on your side. What does this tell us? particularly about the SNP? This is the kind of bogus positions taken by the nationalists, and this c**p leads to Robert Burns being superior to Shakespeare, Sean Connery better than Lawrence Olivier and John Byrne a greater painter than Vincent Van Gogh It's puerile, it's embarrassing and it's Scottish Nationalism at its 'kailyard' worst.
Posted by Cllr Terry Kelly at Monday, June 27, 2011
"It is as we in the Labour Group said today a matter of priorities"
Talking of Labour priorities, perhaps we should remind ourselves that this is the party that defended their MP Jim Sheridan for charging the public for the following luxury items for his flat.
Luxury Ivory Leather bed with memory foam mattress - £991
Two seater sofa bed - £829 - some luxury for his guests
3 seater sofa - £699 - to keep the other sofa company
Table lamp - £199 (yes that is one hundred and ninety nine pounds-twice what a pensioner gets for a week in total state pension)
Coffee table - £219 - Needed somewhere to put the fancy lamp I think!!
New shower - £1280
42" Plasma TV - £700
Painting and decorating - £1200
Mortgage interest - £924 PER MONTH
Yes it is all a question of priorities and when it comes down to Labour it would seem that living in luxury at the expense of the public is very important!!!!
Tuesday, June 28, 2011 7:43:00 am
Ronnie said...
You fail to tell your readers that if the Wallace statue goes ahead then it will be privately funded.
Therefore the town gets a major tourist attraction for £6700 total.
Only a dimwit such as yourself and your thicket Labour colleauges would condemn such a move.
It is clear that you want to keep the town of Paisley down.
How much did Labour spend on the ridiculous fountain in County Square that eventually had to be pulled down and taken away.
Now there was a spectacular waste of money by non other than.
THE LABOUR PARTY - We waste money better than anyone else!
Tuesday, June 28, 2011 10:35:00 am
By Anonymous on LABOUR FIGHT FOR THE VULNERABLE WHILE THE SNP DESE... at 07:43
You forgot to mention Alex (the spiv) Salmond's £800 claim for food allowances for being in London ocer a two month period when Parliament was in recess but, this is what I expected. You want to discuss anything except what I wrote in the Post. That is because you can't defend the indefensible, tell us what your priorities are, is it Fireworks or free Travel for people with Learning Difficulties? It's not a trick question. You could try pay rises of 23% for senior officers who were already on £80,000/£90,00 a year or Free Travel for people with Learning Difficulties, you people made these deliberate choices now let's see you justify them. Just what kind of morals do you people have?
Tuesday, June 28, 2011 1:12:00 pm
And even with the officer pay rises, they still get paid less than the officers in neighbouring Labour councils!
By Ronnie on LABOUR FIGHT FOR THE VULNERABLE WHILE THE SNP DESE... at 10:35
I suppose it's too much to ask you to stick to the issue here? Can you point to anywhere in my post where I criticized the proposed statue? I criticized the spending of £6,700 at a time when people with Learning difficulties are having free travel to their Adult Training Centres taken from them, that is the choice of the SNP and you and it is immoral. As far as I am concerned Free | |
of the two transactions. As Bonnell writes, despite the significant cap charges for Hayward and Batum, the club could still open up a sizeable chunk of cap room in 2021.
Onyeka Okongwu
Nicolas Batum Apologizes To Hornets
March 4th, 2020 at 8:50pm CST by Arthur Hill
Nicolas Batum isn't hiding from the fact that he hasn't lived up to his contract, writes Scott Fowler of The Charlotte Observer.
The five-year, $120MM deal Batum signed in the summer of 2016 remains the largest ever given out by the Hornets. After putting up decent numbers during the past three years, he lost his starting job this season and has been stuck on the end of the bench as Charlotte opted for a youth movement.
"I apologize to the people here," he said, "because they put so much faith in me. And it didn't go well… . It didn't work out. But what do I have to do? Because I'm still here."
Batum has appeared in 22 games this season, but head coach James Borrego didn't use him at all in February. The last time he saw the court was in a January 24 game played in his native France.
Fowler points out that Batum remains a supportive member of the team and is serving as a mentor to a roster filled with first- and second-year players. As a veteran, he has interceded with officials on behalf of his teammates and estimates he has saved the Hornets from about a half-dozen technical fouls.
"I don't want to be selfish," Batum said. "… I don't want to be that guy who's like, 'OK, let's go out tonight. Coach sucks. Don't show up. You shoot 25 times a game; don't listen to him.' No. I won't do that. I don't need that. They don't need that."
At age 31, Batum figures to remain in a teaching role through the end of next season. He has another year left on his contract, and his $27.13MM salary makes him nearly impossible to trade. Although the Hornets appear headed to their fourth straight year out of the playoffs, Batum believes the young core will get there soon.
"This franchise has got a bright future," he said, "but I don't think I'll be part of it."
Southeast Notes: Wall, Magic, Batum, Hornets
June 27th, 2020 at 12:30pm CST by Arthur Hill
John Wall was feeling like his old self again before the NBA's hiatus forced him to curtail his workouts, writes Fred Katz of The Athletic. The five-time All-Star, who has missed the entire season after a ruptured Achilles and surgery to remove a bone spur, was playing three-on-three games with teammates during the Wizards' last road trip before the shutdown.
"I was out there dunking, crossing over, getting to the rim, doing stuff I was doing before. And I was like, damn, I still got, like, 15 pounds to get off of before I start playing next season. And I'm like, OK, I got six or seven months to get better," Wall said. "So, I was gonna do nothing but get stronger, get more rhythm, get more in sync with everything."
Wall has a gym in his Miami home, but he has been limited to half-court workouts with no competition. He won't take the court when Washington resumes the season in Orlando, but said the discomfort he used to feel every day is gone. The focus all year has been getting ready for next season.
"When I get back to getting on the court when things open up, I'm not rushing anything," Wall said. "I'm easing my way into it, because I know I can't just jump back out there. That's how you end up getting yourself hurt. … It's gonna take me time to be patient with it. It's frustrating because you already got a rhythm. You already was like — I was having fun. I was in a rhythm, having fun. It was just dope to be hooping."
There's more from the Southeast Division:
A pair of games with the Nets will go a long way toward determining whether the Magic can overtake Brooklyn for the seventh seed and avoid a daunting first-round match-up with Milwaukee, observes Josh Robbins of The Athletic. "I think what's going to help us the most is just being in better shape than the guys we're going to play against," Evan Fournier said. "I think that's what it's going to come down to. How fast can you get in shape? And how fast can you get together as a team? That's what's going to make the difference."
The Hornets will be one of the few teams with cap space this offseason, but GM Mitch Kupchak doesn't plan to make a major move in free agency until next year, according to Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer. That means Nicolas Batum will likely finish out his contract in Charlotte unless Kupchak can find a way to trade him without taking back any future guaranteed money.
Even though Devonte' Graham had a breakthrough season and Terry Rozier is under contract for two more years, the Hornets won't hesitate to take another point guard in a draft that is loaded with them, Bonnell adds in the same piece.
Players Who Can't Be Traded Until February 6
December 25th, 2020 at 1:12pm CST by Luke Adams
As teams explore the trade market for potential deals in the coming weeks, there are a handful of trade restrictions those clubs must take into account. Most notably, newly-signed free agents can't be dealt until at least February 6.
The NBA's Collective Bargaining Agreement states that – in a typical league year – a free agent who signs with an NBA team can't be traded for three months or until December 15, whichever is later. That rule has had to be tweaked for 2020/21 to account for the league's revamped calendar, so the new trade eligibility date for most offseason signees is February 6.
There are also some recently-signed players who meet a few specific criteria and can't be traded until March 3. The list of those players can be found right here.
The players who aren't eligible to be traded until February 6 are listed below. Players who have the ability to veto trades in 2020/21 are marked with an asterisk (*).
Solomon Hill
Tyler Johnson *
Bismack Biyombo *
Matthew Dellavedova *
Damyean Dotson
Willie Cauley-Stein *
Wesley Iwundu
Facundo Campazzo
JaMychal Green
Isaiah Hartenstein
Paul Millsap *
Brad Wanamaker
Sterling Brown
Bruno Caboclo
Jae'Sean Tate
JaKarr Sampson *
Reggie Jackson *
Patrick Patterson *
Quinn Cook *
Jared Dudley *
Markieff Morris *
John Konchar
Jontay Porter
Goran Dragic *
Udonis Haslem *
Meyers Leonard *
Torrey Craig
Bryn Forbes
Wenyen Gabriel
Sindarius Thornwell
Alec Burks
Elfrid Payton *
Dwayne Bacon
Gary Clark
James Ennis *
E'Twaun Moore
Carmelo Anthony *
Derrick Jones
DaQuan Jeffries *
Drew Eubanks
DeAndre' Bembry
Alex Len
Jordan Clarkson
Shaquille Harrison
Anthony Gill
Raul Neto
Information from Basketball Insiders was used in the creation of this post.
Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Hoops Rumors Originals
Hornets Notes: Drummond, Draft, Batum
November 28th, 2019 at 9:23am CST by ChrisCrouse
The Pistons' asking price for Andre Drummond would have to be pretty low for the Hornets to trade for the center, Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer contends. The scribe believes that Charlotte shouldn't part with young players or serious draft capital to acquire Drummond in part, because of the risk that he would just leave next summer in free agency.
Here's more from Charlotte:
In the same piece, Bonnell argues that the Hornets shouldn't worry about tanking or making strategic moves to secure a better chance at a high pick in the lottery. Charlotte has several young pieces and it's more important to develop them — if the team wins a few more games as a result, so be it.
Nicolas Batum has a massive contract ($25.5MM this season) and surely, it's player-friendly but that doesn't mean the wing doesn't have value to the Hornets, Bonnell writes in a separate piece. Teammate Marvin Williams believes Batum is the most versatile player on | |
was interrupted by something unexpected. Slowly, everyone's feet simply... left the ground. There were cries of fright at this. Even mine did. This effect lasted for a whole minute before we all ended up falling back to the floor.
"...I can seal you into a protected position," I continued. "You'll be safe there until I can get this sorted out."
"And what happens if you cannot?", asked Sun-Tzu. "What are we supposed to do then?"
"Oh, look at you, Mister Negative," I answered. "So little faith."
"Perhaps he is being pessimistic, but I think he has reason to." This was from Theodore Kurita, who nodded a head toward me. "What shall we do if you fail, Doctor?"
"If I fail?" I shrugged. "Well, I suppose, hypothetically speaking, if I were to actually lose... you should still stay in there and act like I didn't, because either help will get to you, or you're going to have to choose between death or having your brains cut out of your bodies and stuck into emotionless automatons for a very, very long time." I winced. "Oh, that's really depressing-sounding, isn't it? Really a blow to the whole morale there, thinking about defeat. Best if we pretend I didn't say that and simply declared we were going to win. It'll make everyone feel better."
I suppose I was being a bit arrogant and condescending, but my point was made clear, and I got a little head nod of acknowledgement from old Theodore in acceptance of my argument.
"Do you know what caused that strange weightlessness?"
If Victor had been listening in on radio, this was the moment he probably would have sighed in immense relief. I turned toward the door. Omi Kurita had been separated from her brother and father, but she was evidently fine. I even made sure of it with a quick sonic scan. No ear plug. "It'll probably be something important later," I remarked flippantly. "Now, let's get going!"
The armory was a little ways down. Along the way I sealed others into more barracks rooms, especially those not up to fighting. The elderly, for instance.
And the children.
Not that it'd mean much, ultimately, but it's just something you think of, you know?
"What happen`ed to Morgan Hasek-Davion?", I heard Curaitis ask some of the leaders as we came up on the armory.
The look I saw in the Kuritas' eyes told me all we needed to know.
"I see," was Curaitis' response.
"Everyone, take a weapon you are comfortable with," was a command from one of the general-rank officers. A Liao general, I thought, but I didn't recognize him. Various laser rifles and such on the walls started to be taken down, with the trained members of the crowd helping the untrained do safety checks and the like.
I stood outside the door way with a few of the others. Thomas stood on the inside. "My children," he started to say. "Did..."
"Isis and Joshua are safe," I assured him. "They're in the TARDIS with a number of other people."
Relief showed on his features. "Then we should get..."
"Doctor, trouble!"
I turned toward Curaitis in time to see two Cybermen coming from the lift down the hall. They brought their arms up. "Surrender or face deletion," they ordered.
Hohiro raised the laser rifle he had picked up from the armory and opened fire. Being a battle weapon, it was more than sufficient to actually kill the Cyberman it it. The other opened fire and I intercepted the blast with the sonic disruptor.
Beyond the one still standing, more were coming from the lift. "They're going to try and box us in," I said. "We've got to move." I turned to Thomas, made sure he was on the other side of the door, and triggered it to close. While one hand kept up the sonic disruptor and its protective field, the other held the sonic screwdriver and sealed everyone in. "We'll be back!", I shouted through the door. I looked to the others. The Kuritas and Curaitis, essentially. "Fun fun," I murmured. "Alright, I hope you're all ready to run, because we've got to go!"
We started to run the opposite way, toward other sections of this floor. If we could make it to the stairs, we had more options.
But just in case we couldn't, I used a stop to pull Omi into a side room. She looked at me in confusion as I pushed something into her hands. "Here, my sonic screwdriver," I began. "Point and press. Just be thinking of what needs to be done, and if you don't know, well, the screwdriver knows what I need done."
"Doctor...?" There was confusion on her face.
"As for the other. Cloaking system. Keep it on until the Cybermen go past." I secured it to the silk belt on her dress. "Press the big blue button to turn it on. Don't keep it on more than five minutes at a time, though, and give it a minute or two to cycle a recharge before turning it back on."
"What is it you need me to do?", she asked.
"For one, survive. I need you to survive. And for the other..." I whispered some instructions to her. "Do you understand?"
Omi nodded.
"Good." I looked back out into the corridor. We had Cybermen coming up behind us. "Cloak now. And good luck."
That got me another nod. She reached down and hit the blue button, causing her to disappear in a waver of refracted light.
I stepped back out into the hall. "Where is my sister?", Hohiro asked.
"Safer than us," I replied. I looked back down the hall and saw some Cybermen beginning to come from where we'd started. "Now let's go!"
We kept going, ducking over and changing main north-south halls to avoid our pursuers a little longer. Our path couldn't go forever, though. And we soon found the hallway was closed off by a group of Cybermen. "Halt," one ordered.
My followers answered with laser beams, of course, and I had to go, "This way!" while shielding them to get them to go down a side corridor.
By this point, I was beginning to see myself as a rat caught in a maze. The underground levels for ComStar were vast. Centuries of secrets and such, and no easy way out.
And then our luck finally ran out in the worst way.
Another group of Cybermen had cut us off from a third approach to the stairs. As before, I encouraged the others to go down the connecting corridor.
One that was now filling up with Cybermen too.
I tried to get the sonic disruptor over in time to stop the shot, but I was too late.
The blasts from their wrists converged on Hohiro. But it was Theodore whom they hit after, with some surprising speed for a man his age, he knocked his son over and took all the shots. When he fell and I saw the charred flesh smoking on his forehead, I knew it was too late to save him.
"Father!", Hohiro cried out.
I got the sonic disruptor up in time to save him from further shots, He returned fire with cold efficiency born of rage honed by discipline. We advanced together.
"We've got more behind us!", Curaitis called out.
At that point, I realized that it was over. They had us surrounded. "Drop your weapons!", I called out. "Drop them!"
"I will not be turned into one of those machine abominations," Hohiro swore. "Death is a better end."
I grabbed his arm with my free arm. "Your father once said honor is a thin cloak against the chill of the grave. So long as you're alive, there is hope. Trust me on this, Hohiro. Drop the rifle."
"I do not know you," he answered.
"But you know of me. You've heard what I can do. You've undoubtedly learned what I | |
Daily Chatter
Upcoming 10/5/2011
October 4, 2011 by David Welsh
It's a huge week of eagerly anticipated arrivals on the ComicList, so let's get right to it!
Drawn & Quarterly releases the collection of Kate Beaton's super-smart, super-funny Hark! A Vagrant strips. I've read some of these online, mostly in the context of someone linking to individual strips and rightly noting how super smart and super funny they are, but I've resisted reading all of them, because I wanted to hold the book in my hands and enjoy all of these comics in dead-tree form.
NBM delivers Takashi Murakami's Stargazing Dog, which is about a down-on-his-luck guy who gets through tough times with the help of his loyal canine companion. Early word on this is that it's lovely but will probably make me cry buckets, so I've stocked up on handkerchiefs. Here's a preview.
If you missed it in hardcover (as I did), Emblem Editions gives you a paperback opportunity to enjoy Scott Chantler's Two Generals, which portrays World War II through the eyes of average soldiers. Chantler is a marvelous cartoonist, as evidenced by his Northwest Passage from Oni Press, so I'm really excited about this one.
Osamu Tezuka's The Book of Human Insects (Vertical) reaches comic shops. I reviewed the book last week; it's excellent, particularly for fans of Tezuka's unique brand of noir.
Viz is also dumping a ton of new titles on the market, many of which were discussed in the current Manga Bookshelf Pick of the Week and Bookshelf Briefs. Of the series I've not yet personally mentioned, I would highlight the fourth volume of Kazue Kato's increasingly excellent Blue Exorcist and the ninth volume of Yuki Midorikawa's always lovely Natsume's Book of Friends. I'm also led to believe, by a reliable source, that Toshiaki Iwashiro's Psyren becomes a lot better than the first volume would suggest, which is certainly possible; most of the first volume of Blue Exorcist was flat-out awful, and that's become one of my favorite shônen titles.
But enough about my incipient poverty; what looks good to you?
Filed Under: DAILY CHATTER
For this weekend's random question, what have you read recently that just wasn't for you, for whatever reason?
For me, I'd have to pick Jiro Matsumoto's Velveteen & Mandala, though it feels like blasphemy to say that I didn't enjoy a book from Vertical. Matsumoto is clearly very talented, but this particular brand of comic is just… not for me.
Upcoming 9/28/2011
September 27, 2011 by David Welsh
Before we delve into the current ComicList, I just have to reinforce my Midtown Comics Pick of the Week: Osamu Tezuka's Book of Human Insects (Vertical) is amazingly good pulp. Of course, I'm rather fixated on two belated arrivals to comic shops.
When one uses a variety of retail streams to acquire their comics, one can lose all sense of the orderly progression of time. One can also feel like the very last person on earth to get his hands on fabulous, classic shôjo. This is my way of leading up to saying that I will finally, finally be able to purchase my pre-ordered copies of Naoko Takeuchi's Sailor Moon and its prequel, Codename Sailor V, both from Kodansha. With these and Dark Horse's re-release of CLAMP's Cardcaptor Sakura, I feel like all of my magical-girl manga needs are being gloriously met. (Not punctually met, but gloriously.)
I still shouldn't allow all of this delightful sparkle to distract myself from Viz's contributions to the week's bounty. There's the 26th volume of Hiromu Arakawa's Fullmetal Alchemist, possibly my favorite shônen fantasy-adventure ever, and the fourth volume of Natsume Ono's House of Five Leaves, certainly among my very favorite character-driven seinen series.
What looks good to you?
Have you checked out the Manga Bookshelf Pick of the Week? Then we're ready for a perusal of this week's ComicList!
For me, the clear leader, at least in the Diamond-verse, is the fourth volume of Yumi Unita's Bunny Drop (Yen Press). In this volume, single father Daikichi deals with the quirks of another member of his large family as he continues to learn to be a good parent to Rin, his late grandfather's young daughter. It's heartfelt and funny, and I highly recommend you try it if you haven't already.
And I really must catch up on Yuu Watase's very likeable shônen adventure, Arata: The Legend (Viz), though I'm nowhere near ready for the seventh volume, which arrives Wednesday. Fortunately, I can catch up via Viz's iPad app. Now I can have menacing physical stacks of books and too many virtual ones in the queue.
For succinct assessments of some recent releases, check out the latest round of Bookshelf Briefs from the Battle Robot.
Random weekend question: snapshot
What comic, regardless of nation of origin or format, did you just finish reading? How was it? And what are you reading now or planning to start reading?
For me, the book I most recently finished was the first volume of Mardock Scramble (Kodansha Comics). I liked it much more than I expected I would. I'm about to try and chisel my way into Craig Thompson's Habibi (Pantheon). Wish me luck, and send booze.
You already know what I'd pick if I lived within shopping distance of Midtown Comics, but what if I was entirely dependent on the kindness of Diamond for my weekly comic fix? (Which I am!) Let's take a look at the ComicList.
Leave it to Vertical to fill the relative void, even if it only takes the form of one book. But that one book is the ninth volume of Kou Yaginuma's Twin Spica, so it does a lot of void filling.
The eighth volume was customarily enjoyable. As Yaginuma follows his group of young, would-be astronauts, he's starting to fold some romantic elements into the narrative. There's something very heartening about seeing Asumi confronted with the notion that there are some potentially wonderful things on Earth in addition to the promised wonders of the stars. Things we learn about brash, bossy Kei go a long way to soften that character's rather stereotypical edges, which is a welcome development. Overall, this volume creates some additional spokes to the core cast's shared dream, and they give added depth to that core dream by making it more complex and conflicted.
An interesting side effect of this shift in the content is how it reframes the relative success of Yaginuma's illustrations. I very much enjoy the vulnerability he gives to his character designs, but that very vulnerability plays against their increasing emotional maturity. It's not exactly a troubling counterpoint, but it does trigger a weirdly parental response to the notion of Asumi in love: "She's too young for romance! She'll always be too young!" I'm not sure if the counterpoint is entirely intentional, and I'm not sure if it will ultimately but successful, but it's definitely an interestingly discordant note in a generally coherent presentation.
In other shopping choices, Viz offers the 58th volume of Eiichiro Oda's Once Piece, which I covered in this week's Bookshelf Briefs, along with the fourth volume of Kaori Yuki's Grand Guignol Orchestra (also Viz) and the 13th volume of Hiroki Endo's Eden: It's an Endless World! (Dark Horse).
Random weekend question: versatility
I'm reading some Osamu Tezuka manga at the moment, and I'm looking forward to reading some upcoming work of his, and it got me wondering. Who are some of the manga-ka you consider most versatile? Who tell a wide range of stories using different styles, and tell and use them well?
Upcoming 9/7/2011
September 6, 2011 by David Welsh
As the Manga Bookshelf Pick of the Week can testify, Viz is publishing enough manga this week to choke a horse. It's even more crowded over at the ComicList than it is at Midtown Comics.
This gives me the opportunity to save another highlight for | |
occasional streetwise American tonalities - tries to distill the basic relationships and plot to even more simplistic conflicts; throw in a captured wife (Isa Miranda), and you've got a character marker for the audience to follow the cross-cut narratives, before the warring sides finally meet on the battlefield.
Gallone does effectively uses cross-cutting as the Roman and Carthaginian armies anxiously await the first aggressive step that will kick-start the battle. This stylistic ploy may also have been used in earlier scenes, as characters like the separated Roman couple - the hubbie in Scipio's infantry, the wife now Hannibal's concubine - disappear for a long chunk until the grand finale.
Allegedly patterned after Benito Mussolini, Annibale Ninchi's performance is much more reserved than expected, and the military hero is relegated to a posing icon, mostly administering the nitty gritty battle tactics after throwing the pivotal lance that incites Hannibal 's pachyderm division. As with many good villains, the only figure of genuine interest is Hannibal.
Camillo Pilotto as the cruel invader has some strong scenes, including a few brief moments as he hashes out some theoretical strategies with soldiers in his tent; and, most oddly, when he meets the captured upper-class wife of a Roman soldier (Miranda), whose home was trashed by brown-painted soldiers, and who clearly gets raped off-screen by the self-serving ruler.
Revenge is a main theme in Scipio, and the film opens with a sea of bodies, and a lone Roman staff that beckons justice; reclaimed and elevated to a symbolic relic, the staff manages to survive the bloody Battle of Zama in a severely hacked up form, and bookends Scipio as a sign of sweet revenge.
The action finale is a real mixed bag, largely because the production used real elephants in the combat scenes, and some were clearly maimed and killed for 'authenticity.' Scipio marshals his wary soldiers into battle by grabbing a lance at throwing it right into the eye of a mounted elephant; later scenes show the poor creatures getting lanced in the legs, and a mother dying on her side, while the baby - 'humanely' spared by a smiling Roman - hovers close by.
The rest of the battle is fairly standard, as Gallone never manages to impress the immensity and scope of the battlefield in spite of actually having fields full of infantry and cavalry to play with. The hand-to-hand combat scenes are decent, and unusually gory for the era. (Hollywood 's Production Code mandated sadistic stabs be generally reduced to clean and fatal pokes in the tummy or back.)
In their witty, satirical, and informative 1984 book, The Hollywood Hall of Shame, writers Harry and Michael Medved chronicled Scipio in their 'Fascist Follies' wing, and describe the film as the epic that would restore Italy's stature in the filmmaking world. The film did win a prize - the Mussolini Cup at the 1937 Venice Film Festival - but according to the Medveds' research, the $2 million spectacular lasted a week in Italian cinemas before it was reduced to free screenings at diverse public events, and yearly grade school assemblies in Italy. A New York City premiere failed to ignite the interest of critics and cinemagoers, and the film ultimately disappeared in the art house circuits.
Alongside Stalin's The Fall of Berlin and Goebbels' Kolberg, Scipio Africanus is one of three legendary propaganda epics released by IHF on DVD. The source print for this disc is the shorter American release version, and while in decent shape, the print has some harsh contrasts that detract from scenes that one must assume were shot with greater care for richer shades of gray. The mono mix is standard, and the DVD comes with a brief text essay that provides a good intro, and warns viewers about the animal cruelties.
Director Carmine Gallone explored an interesting mix of genres throughout his long career, notably (or infamously, depending upon one's blick) the silent mega-production, The Last Days of Pompeii / Ultimi giorni di Pompeii, Gli (1927), shot on location among the ruins, and costing seven million Lire. After Scipio, Gallone chose to focus on several biopics and filmed operas (including Madame Butterfly, with Asian actors in a unique Italian-Japanese co-production), and returned to the historical epic in 1960 with Carthages in Flames / Cartagine in fiamme, which featured Camillo Pilotto among the cast.
Film editor Oswald Hafenrichter later edited Carol Reed's Fallen Idol and The Third Man, and an eclectic mix of projects, including the Peter Sellers comedy, Smallest Show on Earth, and several British horror and sci-fic films during the 1960s.
Annibale Ninchi later appeared in Frederico Fellini's La Dolce vita and 8 1/2, and Isa Miranda maintained a lengthy career, popping up in a trio of cult films: Dorian Gray (1970), and Mario Bava's Roy Colt and Winchester Jack / Roy Colt e Winchester Jack (1970) and Twitch of the Death Nerve / Bay of Blood/Reazione a catena (1971).
� 2006 Mark R. Hasan
0203The war moves to Africa.doc
The war moves to Africa
After his victories in Hispania, Scipio returned to Rome a great hero, and, although he was technically ineligible, was elected consul in 205 BC. He resolved to end the war by attacking Carthage itself, and appealed directly to the Centuriate Assembly when he found the Senate opposed this. Thus he was given command of the two legions in Sicily, plus 7,000 volunteers he had recruited, and the next year brought the war to North Africa when he landed at Utica, about twenty miles away from Carthage. Here he was counting on support from some Numidians, who resented Carthaginian control and so agreed to provide him with cavalry.
In 203 BC, when Scipio was carrying all before him in Africa and the Carthaginian peace party were arranging an armistice, Hannibal was recalled from Italy by the war party at Carthage. After leaving a record of his expedition engraved in Punic and Greek upon brazen tablets in the temple of Juno at Crotona, he sailed back to Africa. These records have been quoted by Polybius. His arrival immediately restored the predominance of the war party, who placed him in command of a combined force of African levies and his mercenaries from Italy. Hannibal opposed this and tried to convince them not to send these troops into battle. In 202 BC, Hannibal met Scipio in a peace conference, but political circumstances forced him to take battle. Despite mutual admiration, negotiations floundered due to Roman allegations of "Punic Faith," referring to the breach of protocols which ended the First Punic War by the Carthaginian attack on Saguntum, as well as perceived breach in the idealised Roman military etiquette (Hannibal's numerous ambuscades). Thus being a very biased view of the Roman wartime and postwartime propaganda.
The Battle of Zama
Painting of the Battle of Zama by Cornelis Cort, 1567
This decisive battle soon followed. Unlike most battles of the Second Punic War, the Romans had superiority in cavalry and the Carthaginians had superiority in infantry. The Roman army was generally better armed and a head taller than the Carthaginian. Hannibal had refused to lead this army into battle because he expected them not to stand their ground. There have been very hard arguments between him and the oligarchy. His co-general Hasdrubal Gisco was forced to suicide by a violent mob after he spoke in support of Hannibal not to lead these troops into battle. Before the battle Hannibal held no speech to his new troops, only to his veterans. The new troops proved as cowardly and inexperienced as he had expected.
The Roman cavalry won an early victory, and Scipio had devised tactics for defeating Carthaginian war elephants. However, the battle remained closely fought, and at one point it seemed that Hannibal was on the verge | |
in woman's speech is not merely a matter of chance that could be explained by the greater frequency of feminine depressions—a sociologically proven fact. This may also reveal an aspect of feminine sexuality: its addiction to the maternal Thing and its lesser aptitude for restorative perversion.
Cannibalistic Solitude
_The Body as Tomb or the Omnipotent Devouring_. From the time of her birth Helen suffered from serious motor problems that had required several surgical operations and confined her to bed until she was three. The little girl's brilliant intellectual development, however, enabled her to have an equally brilliant professional career, all the more so since nothing remains of her earlier motor deficiencies or of the family context that, quite obviously, fostered them.
Nothing, that is, aside from frequent instances of serious depression that did not seem triggered by the current reality, a rather prosperous one, of Helen's life. A number of situations (speaking with more than one person, being in a public place, defending a position shared by none of the people present) produced in her a state of stupor. "I find myself glued to the spot, as if paralyzed, I lose the ability to speak, my mouth fills with chalk, my mind is completely empty." She was overcome with a sense of total incapacity, quickly followed by utter dejection that separated Helen from the world, caused her to withdraw into her room, dissolve into tears, and remain speechless, thoughtless for days on end. "As if I were dead but I do not even think of killing myself, nor do I desire to do so, it is as if it had already been done."
In such circumstances, "being dead" meant a physical experience for Helen, an unspeakable one at first. When she later tried to find words to describe it, she spoke of states of artificial weightiness, of swept-out dryness, of absence against a backdrop of dizziness, of emptiness cut out into black lightning... But those words still seemed to her too imprecise for what she experienced as a total paralysis of psyche and body, an irremediable dissociation between herself and everything else, and also within what should have been "she." An absence of sensations, a loss of pain or hollowing out of sorrow—an absolute, mineral, astral numbness, which was nevertheless accompanied by the impression, also an almost physical one, that this "being dead," physical and sensory as it might be, was also a thought nebula, an amorphous imagination, a muddled representation of some implacable helplessness. The reality and fiction of death's being. Cadaverization and artifice. An absolute impotence that was, nevertheless, secretly all powerful. The artifice of maintaining herself alive, but... "beyond it all." Beyond castration and disintegration; being _as if_ she were dead, _playing_ dead seemed for Helen when she could talk about it, therefore after the event, like a "poetics" of survival, an inverted life, coiled around imaginary and real disintegration to the extent of embodying death _as if_ it were real. In that worldview, swallowing a vial of barbiturates is not a choice but a gesture that is imperative on the basis of an elsewhere—a non-act, or rather a sign of completion, a near-aesthetic harmonization of its fictitious fullness, "beyond."
A total oceanic death would engulf the world and Helen's being in a prostrate, mindless, motionless passivity. Such a lethal flood could settle down for days and weeks on end, allowing neither interest in nor access to any exteriority. When an object's image or a person's face managed to crystallize in it, they were at once perceived as precipitates of hatred, as hurtful or hostile elements, both disintegrating and agonizing, which she could face in no other way except by killing them. Putting those aliens to death was then a substitute for being dead, and the lethal flood changed into torrents of anguish. Nevertheless, it was anguish that kept Helen alive. It was her vital dance, following and in addition to morbid stupor. Certainly painful and insufferable, anguish just the same gave her access to an extent of reality. The faces to be killed were mainly the faces of children. That unbearable temptation horrified her and gave her the impression of being monstrous, and yet _being_ —emerging out of nothingness.
Faces of the disabled child that she was and henceforth wanted to be finished with? It would seem, rather, that the desire to kill was triggered only when the world of others, previously taken over by the lethal self in its almighty helplessness, succeeded in becoming free from the confinement where dreamlike melancholia had trapped her. Then confronted with others without seeing them as such, the depressed Helen continued to project onto them: "I am not killing my frustraters or my tyrants, I am killing _their_ baby, which they have dropped."
Like an Alice in distressland, the depressed woman cannot put up with mirrors. Her image and that of others arouse within her wounded narcissism, violence, and the desire to kill—from which she protects herself by going through the looking glass and settling down in that other world where, by limitlessly spreading her constrained sorrow, she regains a hallucinated completeness. Beyond the grave, Proserpina survives as a blind shade. Her body is already elsewhere, absent, a living corpse. It often happens that she does not feed it or else, on the contrary, she stuffs it the better to get rid of it. Through her fuzzy, tear-misted gaze that sees neither you nor herself, she savors the bitter sweetness of being forsaken by so many absent ones. Concerned with brooding, within her body and her psyche, over a physical and moral distress, Helen nevertheless strolls among the others—when she leaves her graveyard bed—like an extraterrestrial, the inaccessible citizen of the magnificent land of Death, of which no one could ever deprive her.
At the start of her analysis Helen was warring with her mother—inhuman, artificial, nymphomaniac, incapable of any feeling, and having thoughts only, so said the patient, for money or for seduction. Helen remembered her mother's "bursting into" her room as "a desecration, a forcible entry, a rape," or her overly intimate, overly explicit remarks—"in fact, I thought them obscence"—made in the presence of friends, which made her blush with shame... and pleasure.
Behind that veil of erotic aggressiveness, however, we uncovered another relationship between the handicapped child and her mother. "As much as I try to imagine her face, now or at the time of my childhood, I don't see it. I am sitting on someone who holds me, perhaps on her lap, but actually it isn't anybody. A person would have a face, a voice, a glance, a head. The fact is that I perceive nothing of the sort, merely a support, that's all, nothing else." I venture an interpretation: "As to the other, you have perhaps assimilated her into yourself, you wanted her support, her legs, but as for everything else, _she_ was perhaps _you._ " "I had a dream," Helen went on, "I was climbing your stairs, they were covered with bodies that looked like the people on my parents' wedding photo. I myself had been invited to that wedding, it was a cannibalistic meal, I was supposed to eat those bodies, those scraps of bodies, those heads, my mother's head also. It was ghastly."
Orally assimilating the mother who gets married, who has a man, who flees. Possessing her, holding her within oneself so as never to be separated from her. Helen's almightiness shows through the mask of aggressiveness and shores up the other's nonexistence in her daydream as well as the difficulty she experiences in deciding who she is when facing a person different from herself, separated from herself, in actual life.
The thought of a minor surgical operation distresses Helen so | |
slightly.
I walked back to the car and let the hand brake off. Then I closed the door and stuck my shoulder through the window and took hold of the steering wheel with my left hand and began to push.
I stopped the car a few feet away from the gates and then walked over to the driveway and stood there and listened. There were no sounds of car doors slamming outside the house. There was no sound of anything approaching up the road.
So I walked back to the car and got Margaret.
I drove back to the phone box at Malton. I was a long time getting an operator. When she came on the line I asked for a London number. She asked me to insert two and six. I put in the change I'd taken from Margaret's purse earlier on.
The phone rattled at the other end. The voice that answered was full of sleep.
"Scully. Yes?"
"It's Jack Carter," I said.
After that had sunk in the voice was a little less rumpled.
"Yes?"
"I've got a story for you."
"Go on."
"Involves blue films, a killing, bent cops, drugs and a friend of a couple of people you've been trying to wrap the fish and chips in for a long time now."
There was a long pause.
"It sounds beautiful," he said. "But I'm forced to wonder why it's coming from you?"
"The man who was killed was called Carter."
Another pause.
"Does it have to be over the phone?"
"There isn't time for any other way."
"All right. Go ahead."
"There's a condition."
"I thought there might be."
"You handle the story the way I tell you to."
"I can't guarantee that."
"Yes you can. When you hear the story."
"Go on."
"Not far from where I am there's a party going on. Wild. Cardboard dungeons and things. Right now one of the guests is lying in the grounds full of heroin. She used to be my brother's girlfriend. Until he was killed. After he found out that this woman had pulled his daughter into a blue movie. The man who had my brother killed has enough influence with the local scuffers to make them decide it was accidental. At the same time the scuffers are having to talk to the two birds involved in the movie. One of them being my brother's daughter. The other works for the man I'm talking about. The chances are they'll try and keep things nice and private."
"So what happens?"
"You get one of your local men to phone the scuffers about the bird in the grounds. He tells them he's been tipped off. The scuffers phone the man we're talking about and put him wise and then scream over themselves. But the trick is some of your boys are already there. With cameras and everything. Maybe even yourself if you leave the tip-off late enough. So then of course the scuffers have no choice but to put the pressure on the man we're talking about. And everything's all over the front pages."
"It's beautiful," Scully said.
"Especially as I've mailed you a print of the film in question," I said. "It'll be at your office on Monday morning. I should go through your mail yourself just this once."
The track was only wide enough for one car at a time. There were the occasional stretches where at one time or another they'd got some old bricks and stuck them next to each other to make a surface but the rest of the track was stony and covered with fine red brick dust. On either side of the track were reeds and beyond the reeds the flooded brick-pits stretched broadly under the faintly lightening sky. There was no wind at all and the rain had stopped.
The house was at the end of the track. Beyond the house was the raised bank of the river and on the left four crumbling kilns shaped like Aztec architecture rose above the roofless buildings of the brickyards. Nothing had changed since I had been there last. Twenty-three years ago.
A light was burning in one of the downstairs rooms of the house, its glare deepening the surrounding blue of the dawn. A figure appeared at the window and stared down the track at the approaching noise. I drew closer and the figure disappeared. I reached the end of the track and stopped the car outside the house. I switched the engine off. I could hear the dim sound of the river rushing by beyond the bank. The light went out and the front door opened. Eric appeared, carrying a hold-all. He closed the door behind him and began to walk over to the car.
I rolled the window down. He looked me straight in the face but I was still only a pale blur in the dawn light.
He was only six feet away from the car when he saw who had come to collect him.
He gave a short high scream and dropped the hold-all. Then he began to run.
I got out of the car and leaned back in and picked up the shotgun off the back seat. I propped it up against the car while I took the bottle of scotch from my bag. I put the bottle in my coat pocket and began to walk off after Eric. I had plenty of time and there was nowhere for him to go.
He'd run up the side of the bank and was making for the brick-works, stumbling along the cycle track that the brick-yarders had worn into the bank in the old days. I walked up the side of the bank and followed him watching him disappear into the overgrown brickyard and when I couldn't see him any more I could hear him scrambling over miniature screes of bricks that had fallen from the decaying walls. The sound had the rattle of death.
Now it was getting lighter by the second and on my right the river was changing from purple to grey and I could see the opposite bank a mile and a half away. The tide was out and the mud rippled with dawn colours and from out in the middle of the river the sound of the lightship bell travelled quickly over the vast flatness of the river and its banks.
I paused at the spot where the bank ran into the brickyard. The sound of Eric's running had stopped. I walked forward.
The yard was square. On my right the boundary was a long low kiln so old that its top was totally covered with grass. To the left and in front of me two low broken-down walls occasionally protruded above the briar and the elderberry. On the left, facing on to the river, were the roofless shells of the tileries, half their original height due to natural decay and the erosion of the local kids. Beyond the tileries, out of sight, were the remains of the landing stage. In the centre of all this were the four main kilns, still solid, and two large vats, full of old bricks and rain water. Frank and me, we used to sit on the edge of the vats and throw bangers in and watch them fizz across the surface of the water.
I stopped again and listened. There was still no sound. I walked over to the tileries and looked in each one. He wasn't there. I didn't go beyond them. If he'd gone that far he'd still have been running when I'd come into the yard.
I looked in both vats. Nothing. So I laid the shotgun down on the edge of one of the vats and took out the bottle of scotch and put it next to the shotgun and began to climb up the face of the nearest kiln. The kilns were stepped at intervals | |
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Plum Eyewash
The bottle contains 0.9% sterile sodium chloride solution. The Plum first aid eye wash is suitable for rinsing dirt (such as dust, dirt, metal and wood splinters, etc.) and even certain chemicals such as oils and solvents. It comes in an easy-to-use bottle, with an ergonomic cap, a dust cover and clear instructions for use. It is also suitable for stand-alone use or for filling wall-mounted stations. This small, easy-to-handle bottle also fits in a jacket pocket, first aid box, tool bag or a special belt bag. Shelf life: 3 years.
The product is available in the following sizes:
200 ml bottle (art. no. 4691). Rinse time: approx. 2 minutes. Carton: 10 x 200 ml
Plum pH Neutral
The bottle contains 4.9% sterile phosphate solution, which quickly neutralizes even concentrated acidic or alkaline substances in the event of contact with the eyes. It can be up to 50 times more effective than pure water. The liquid contains phosphates, which are already present in the human body. The hydrogen phosphate component of the buffer neutralizes the acids, while the other part of the buffer, dihydrogen phosphate, neutralizes the alkalis. It comes with an easy-to-use bottle, a shower head, a dust cover and clear instructions for use. It is also suitable for stand-alone use or for filling wall-mounted stations. This small, easy-to-handle bottle also fits in a jacket pocket, first aid box, tool bag or a special belt bag. Shelf life: 3 years.
1000 ml bottle (art. no. 4746). Rinse time: approx. 5 minutes. Carton: 12 x 500 ml
Plum DUO Eyewash
The bottle contains 0.9% sterile sodium chloride solution. The DUO design for simultaneous washing of both eyes. The Plum first aid eye wash is suitable for rinsing dirt (such as dust, dirt, metal and wood splinters, etc.) and even certain chemicals such as oils and solvents. It comes in an easy-to-use bottle, with an ergonomic cap, a dust cover and clear instructions for use. It is also suitable for stand-alone use or for filling wall-mounted stations. This small, easy-to-handle bottle also fits in a jacket pocket, first aid box, tool bag or a special belt bag. Shelf life: 3 years.
500 ml bottle (art. no. 4861). Rinse time: approx. 2 minutes. Carton: 6 x 500 ml
1000 ml bottle (art. no. 4800). Rinse time: approx. 5 minutes. Carton: 6 x 1000 ml
Plum pH Neutral DUO
The bottle contains 4.9% sterile phosphate solution, which quickly neutralizes even concentrated acidic or alkaline substances in the event of contact with the eyes. It can be up to 50 times more effective than pure water. The liquid contains phosphates, which are already present in the human body. The hydrogen phosphate component of the buffer neutralizes the acids, while the other part of the buffer, dihydrogen phosphate, neutralizes the alkalis. It comes with an easy-to-use bottle, a shower head, a dust cover and clear instructions for use. The DUO design allows two eyes to be washed simultaneously. It is also suitable for stand-alone use or for filling wall-mounted stations. This small, easy-to-handle bottle also fits in a jacket pocket, first aid box, tool bag or a special belt bag. Shelf life: 3 years.
Wound and Eyewash spray
With Plum Wound and Eyewash Spray you get immediate care to minor accidents such as cuts and scrapes on the skin or dust and dirt in the eyes. It helps you to minimize the risk of further infection or damage. It is a portable, easy to use, saline-based and pain-free spray. It works at any angle, providing a balanced flow rate of sterile 0.9 % saline solution, strong enough for washing away clot and foreign bodies from wounds, yet soft enough for washing the eyes. Ideal for the industrial sector, production industry, laboratories, transport of dangerous goods, first responders, law enforcement, firefighters, military and first rescue services, such as disaster relief. Plum Wound and Eyewash Spray is CE marked according to the Guidelines for Classification of Medical Device Directive (MDD93/42/EEC).
50 ml bottle (art. no. 45531). Rinse time: approx. 5 minutes. Carton: 24 x 50 ml
250 ml bottle (art. no. 4554). Rinse time: approx. 15 minutes. Carton: 12 x 250 ml
QuickRinse® eyewash ampoules
1 x 5 eyewash ampoules with 20 ml 0.9 % sterile sodium chloride. The ampoules provides easy, quick and hygienic relief for rinsing dust and dirt from the eyes. Suitable for refilling QuickSafe®, QuickFix&Rinse® and QuickRinse® stations.
5 x 20 ml ampoules (art. no. 5160). Carton: 4 x 5 ampoules.
Plum ON-the-GO Eyewash set
Practical eyewash set with 3 x 500 ml bottle containing 0.9% sterile sodium chloride solution. The Plum first aid eye wash is suitable for rinsing dirt (such as dust, dirt, metal and wood splinters, etc.) and even certain chemicals such as oils and solvents. It comes in an easy-to-use bottle, with an ergonomic cap, a dust cover and clear instructions for use. The box is easy to carry, you can take it with you in the car while you get to the doctor. The bottles can be used individually, but are also suitable for refilling eyewash stations. | |
world. My favorite part of this movie is all of the things that weren't technically Bond gadgets but still awesome. Things like Bond's contact's personal subway system, the helicopter with the industrial magnet attached, or the quintessential villain lair in the hollowed out volcano all helped to make this one of the most memorable of the Bond movies.
Oh, and of course the actual Bond gadgets were awesome as well.
Rocket Launcher Cigarette
First One to Make a "Those Things Will Kill You" Joke Gets It
Attack Gyrocopter, A.K.A. "Little Nellie"
Yeah, well…Sean Connery Probably Thinks You Look Ridiculous
Officially recognized by Wikipedia as the most gadget filled of all of the Bond movies, "Live and Let Die" was trying to make people forget that Roger Moore was the new Bond by loading it up with awesome gizmos. It almost works too as we are treated to the full gamut of devices that range from voodoo dolls, flutes that double as communicators, bug sweepers, robotic voodoo priests, enhanced mechanical prosthetic arms, flamethrowers, coffee makers (that surprisingly just make coffee), and the greatest Bond watch of all time, the Rolex Submariner with bullet deflecting magnet and saw watchface. The theme of the movie may have been black magic, but it's the technology that steals the show.
The Rolex Submariner with Magnet
Once You Accept You'll Never Own a Watch This Cool, Life Gets Surprisingly Easier
Posted in: Entertainment, Gadgets, Movies
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Binder's Full of Women: The Evolving Art of the Classic James Bond Title Sequence
Bullz-Eye is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the first James Bond film with look back at every Bond movie, 007 One by One, along with a series of features about the Bond franchise, all laid out in our James Bond Fan Hub.
Over the years James Bonds came and went. Directors and writers shifted and changed. Vocalists were routinely swapped out. Though not the only constant in the Bond franchise, Maurice Binder, as the primary designer of the instantly recognizable title sequence, was certainly one of the most noticeable ones. For the bulk of Bond's first 27 years, Binder brought us a cavalcade of swirling colors and curvaceous ladies, typically set to the tune of a current pop sensation. His job was to help set the tone for the film to come by presenting elements and themes from the movie in an abstract, artistic fashion. For many, these title sequences became an important, even necessary part of the Bond movie-going experience, and remain so today, over 20 years after Binder's passing. Here we take an entirely subjective look at his ongoing contributions to cinema's longest-running movie franchise.
The first thing ever seen in a Bond movie is the opening gun barrel sequence, and no amount of praise can be too effusive for Maurice Binder's creation of it. James Bond emerges in profile from the right, caught in the movie viewer's cross hairs. He then spins around, shoots, and the gun sight fills with, presumably, the viewer's blood.
It's become part and parcel of the Bond films ever since, though only in "Dr. No" is it part of the title sequence proper; afterwards, it would be separated from the titles by the now also iconic pre-credits sequence. Coupled with the infamous Monty Norman-composed Bond theme song, the gun barrel sequence is that instantaneous moment when everyone simultaneously acknowledges they're watching a Bond film.
After the gun barrel sequence, flashing colored lights set to the Bond theme reveal the title "Dr. No" as well as the cast, followed by the silhouettes of people dancing a sort of Jamaican mambo, and, finally, a calypso version of "Three Blind Mice" dovetails nicely into the movie itself. The "Dr. No" titles are a lot fun and unique in the Bond film series; the only real element of them that would come to feature heavily in the future is Binder's inventive, energetic use of silhouette.
It's anyone's guess into what directions the Bond title sequences might've gone if Binder had helmed the titles for the "Dr. No" sequel. But he did not, and for the next two films – "From Russia with Love" and "Goldfinger" – the titles are designed by Robert Brownjohn. Both sequences march to the beat of different drum than Binder's, and even though Brownjohn only ever did these two, his influence on what the Bond titles would ultimately evolve into on Binder's watch cannot be discounted.
There's an elegance and class that Brownjohn brings to the table that may or may not have progressed out of Binder as well, but for certain the one thing Brownjohn can be credited with is the fetishized exploitation of the female form, and both of his sequences are loaded with it; the curvaceous fairer figure is all but worshipped, and the dominant centerpiece of "From Russia with Love."
Brownjohn's other gimmick – projecting imagery over those lovely bodies – is strikingly used in both sequences. In the former, the credits are projected over the undulating female form, and in the latter, snippets of scenes from the movie itself. However, anything Brownjohn does with the "Goldfinger" sequence is very probably overshadowed by the sounds of Shirley Bassey, as this other imperative element – the pop song – finally drops into its place in the title sequence timeline. Bassey is the true star here, and her vocals remain some of the most iconic in film history.
With 1965's "Thunderball," Maurice Binder returned to his post in the franchise, and would remain with the series in this capacity for the next 24 years. Right here, right now . . . BAM! This is where all of the familiar elements finally congeal into the Bond title sequence we all know and love. Silhouettes of floating naked women mingle with silhouetted deep sea divers armed with harpoons. Water bubbles against myriad colors filling the screen. Tom Jones delivers bombastic accompaniment to the intense, widescreen visuals (also a first for the Bond series). This handful of disparate elements combine to create movie history, and our expectations for Bond would never be the same again.
Further, sometimes those silhouettes weren't all that dark. Perhaps the one area where Binder figured he could outshine his temporary predecessor was to titillate the audience with brief flashes of visible boob and butt, and it worked, ahem, swimmingly.
Binder got even more creative on the next outing, by adding graphics and playing around with his silhouette technique by inverting it, as well as throwing filmed bits of flowing lava, erupting volcanoes, and sexy geisha ladies into the mix. Between the titles for "You Only Live Twice" and "Thunderball," most of the tools in Binder's creative | |
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penetrated the wooden hut like it was made of paper." He laughs dryly. "It was a miracle I didn't kill someone."
After Fairfax emptied the gun, the troop leader rushed out and grabbed it from him. Livid, he slapped John, who responded by kneeing him in the groin. "That really made him mad, and he proceeded to kick the shit out of me."
The next day, the Scouts held a special ceremony dedicated to drumming Fairfax out of the corps. They stripped him of his merit badges and sent him home in disgrace. It was a catalyst, he believes, for his development as a loner. His mother chalked it all up to his being incorrigible.
Soon thereafter, John and his mother moved to Argentina. When he was thirteen, he left home to live in the jungle. "I wanted to go to the Amazon and live like Tarzan," he says. "I had a fixation from an early age to be one with nature."
He became a proficient hunter, living off the jungle and occasional barter from local peasants. He would stay out for three or four months, and then return to Buenos Aires to sell his skins, mostly jaguar and ocelot. "There were days when I nearly starved," he says, "but I learned how to survive from those peasants. They all knew me--I was the young, crazy Gringo."
Still a teenager, he read an article in Reader's Digest about Harbo and Samuelsen's first ocean crossing. "I knew right then that I was going to do it. I just didn't know when. My projects take a long time to develop."
When John was twenty, he fell hopelessly in love with a girl. When the affair ended, he was so devastated he couldn't imagine going on. In a manner fitting a professional adventurer, he decided to go into the jungle and commit suicide. "I was going to let a jaguar attack and kill me. I had a spear and a gun with me, and my plan was to use the spear when the jaguar attacked. Since I was not good with a spear, I would be killed. But when the jaguar came at me, instinct took over and I grabbed the gun and killed it." He laughs. "That was the end of my suicide attempts and the start of my pipe smoking."
He finally decided the only way to forget the girl was to leave the country. Having inherited $10,000, a modest fortune in 1959, he took a ship to New York, bought a new Chevrolet, and drove across the country to San Francisco, where he sold the car.
He met a Chinese call girl there, and after three months she had managed to make all his money disappear.
With only $150 left, he decided to return to Argentina. He couldn't very well ask his mother for money, so he bought a bicycle and started pedaling south. Two months later, having reached Guatemala and had enough of the bike, he hitchhiked to Panama, where he fell in with a group of artists. "It was my beatnik phase," he says. "For three months I was a bum."
Adventure continued to course his veins. On the move again, he decided to go up the Amazon. He became a sailor on a Columbian boat, but before they got near the Amazon, the crew ("a bunch of unsavory characters") mutinied. Fairfax, the lone reader on the crew, became their spokesman, prompting the captain to threaten his life, which prompted Fairfax to flee to Panama.
There he met a pirate, the biggest smuggler in Panama. "I told him I'd like to try my hand at smuggling. His response was to take me to a whorehouse and put me in bed between two whores. He said if I survived the night and they approved of me, I could work for him. I was so drunk, I don't remember anything. But I survived, and they must have approved because I soon became his right-hand man. Within a year I was captain of one of his boats. I went all over the world, smuggling guns, whiskey, and cigarettes. Over the next three years I learned navigation and made my first million."
When Fairfax wearied of the pirate life, he arranged a hijacking of his own ship with a man who claimed he wanted revenge against John's boss. "The guy said I could keep the money--$60,000--all he wanted was to screw the big guy."
But when they arrived at the site (even now, thirty years later, he won't say where), the authorities were waiting for them. John was the only member of my four-man crew to get away. "I had been prepared for that day for a long time," he says. "I had my mask, flippers, and false passport all set to go. I swam five miles to get away. The others didn't have a chance."
He hid out in a whorehouse for two weeks and then skippered a boat to Jamaica, where he worked as a fisherman for a year. After returning to Panama, he was involved in a shoot-out and had to leave the country with only the clothes on his back. It occurred to him that he had packed a lot of living into a quarter of a century.
He returned to Argentina by horseback, taking advantage of the leisurely pace to try to sort out his life. He arrived home with precious few answers to myriad questions. In an attempt to humor his mother, who wanted him to be a businessman, he took a job as a manager of a mink farm. Breaking into a hacking laugh, he says, "It didn't work out. I burned up the place and got fired."
As directionless as he had ever been in his life, he happened to read about Ridgway's and Blyth's successful row across the Atlantic. "I felt a sudden sense of urgency," he says. "I realized if I didn't solo it soon, it was going to be done by somebody else. It was time to make it happen."
Two years after arriving in London, things began breaking right for Fairfax. Thanks to contributions from businessman Martin Cowling and a boat design from Uffa Fox, the pieces were fitting together. He had decided to row from the Canary Islands to Florida. While others saw the downside of rowing much farther than previous Atlantic rowers, John saw only the challenge. He had a chance to become not only the first person to row the Atlantic single-handed, but the first to do it east to west. He figured it would take three to four months.
Naturally imbued with faith in his own abilities, he was also a true believer in Uffa Fox and the brilliance of his design for his boat, Britannia. It was a triumph of both form and function. During trials she proved that if capsized, she would right herself in two seconds. If swamped, she was dry in thirty seconds, the water sluicing down the self-bailing slots almost as fast as the eye could follow. She was so stable that two men could stand on a gunwale and she would only tilt a few inches. Easy to handle, she was a pleasure to row, prompting him to say, "I felt sure I could take such a boat to hell and back without either of us being the worse for it."
When Fairfax awoke after what would be his last night's sleep on terra firma for some months, he was struck by how little enthusiasm he had for what lay ahead. Having fought long and hard for this moment, he should feel elated by a sense of accomplishment. But there was none of that, only a dreary, wooden sort of feeling.
Dreading the good-byes, he hugged his mum, who, brave | |
method of representing stock \& flow diagrams, which we can think of as characterizing the syntax of such diagrams. Section 3 of the previous work of Baez et al. (2022) \cite{baez2022compositional} introduces the mathematics underlying stock \& flow diagrams. In this paper, we show how to encode an instance of a familiar stock \& flow diagram -- for the SEIR (Susceptible-Exposure-Infectious-Recovered) model \cite{anderson1992infectious} -- using the categorical method. Figure \ref{fig:SEIR_stockflow} shows the stock \& flow diagram for the SEIR model.
\begin{figure}[H]
\centering
\includegraphics[width=0.9\columnwidth]{fig/SEIR_stockflow.jpg}
\caption{The stock \& flow diagram of the SEIR model}
\label{fig:SEIR_stockflow}
\end{figure}
Figure \ref{fig:schema_stockflow} shows the schema of the stock \& flow diagram. The schema is a description of the structure of stock \& flow diagrams and can be viewed as characterizing the grammatical rules of such diagrams. The schema \ref{fig:schema_stockflow} can be thought of as adding attributes \cite{patterson2021categorical} (the plain text in the figure including ``sname", ``svname", ``fname", ``vname" and ``funcDynam") to the free category \cite{leinster} of the stock \& flow diagrams (the rest of the figure). The following explains elements of the stock \& flow schema:
\begin{itemize}
\item Object $\mathrm{S}$ represents the stocks.
\item Object $\mathrm{F}$ represents the flows.
\item Objects $\mathrm{I}$ and $\mathrm{O}$ represent the relationship between the stocks and flows. Specifically, the span \cite{SevenSketches} $\mathrm{S} \leftarrow \mathrm{I} \rightarrow \mathrm{F}$ indicates that the Flow is the inflow of the stock, and the span $\mathrm{S} \leftarrow \mathrm{O} \rightarrow \mathrm{F}$ indicates that the Flow is the outflow of the stock. Such inflow and outflow structures enable the schema support for half-edged flows (flows that are solely an outflow or solely an inflow) in stock \& flow diagrams.
\item Object $\mathrm{V}$ represents auxiliary (sometimes termed dynamic) variables -- convenience variables whose value is an instantaneous function of the current model state. The morphism $fv$ indicates that the rate of the flows is considered to depend on a (visually implicit) auxiliary variable.
\item Object $\mathrm{SV}$ represents sum auxiliary variable, which is a special type of auxiliary variables introduced in \cite{baez2022compositional} to capture intentions and in support of diagram composition. Sum auxiliary variables characterize are auxiliary variables characterizing the sum of the stocks linked to them.
\item Objects $\mathrm{LS}$, $\mathrm{LV}$ and $\mathrm{LSV}$ represent three types of links distinguished by the types of quantities that they connect. The span $\mathrm{S} \leftarrow \mathrm{LS} \rightarrow \mathrm{SV}$ represents the links from stocks to sum auxiliary variables. The span $\mathrm{S} \leftarrow \mathrm{LV} \rightarrow \mathrm{V}$ represents the links from the stocks to conventional auxiliary variables. Finally, the span $\mathrm{SV} \leftarrow \mathrm{LSV} \rightarrow \mathrm{V}$ represents the links from the sum auxiliary variables to conventional auxiliary variables.
\item Attributes ``sname", ``svname", ``fname", ``vname" and ``funcDynam" represent attributes of the objects to which they relate. Basically, the ``sname", ``svname", ``fname", ``vname" represent the names of the corresponding objects, and the ``funcDynam" represents the functions associated with auxiliary variables.
\end{itemize}
\begin{figure}[H]
\centering
\includegraphics[width=0.7\columnwidth]{fig/schema_stockflow.jpg}
\caption{The schema of the stock \& flow diagram}
\label{fig:schema_stockflow}
\end{figure}
If the free category in the schema (all parts excluding the attributes) is denoted as $\H$, we then define a \define{stock \& flow diagram} to be a pair $(G,\phi)$ consisting of an object $G \in \namedcat{Fin}\namedcat{Set}^{\H}$ and a continuous function map from stocks ($\mathrm{S}$) and sum auxiliary variables ($\mathrm{SV}$) to the auxiliary variables ($\mathrm{V}$). The functor \cite{leinster, SevenSketches} of $G: \H \rightarrow \namedcat{Fin}\namedcat{Set}$ mapping the free category $\H$ to a $\namedcat{Fin}\namedcat{Set}$ amounts to the following:
\begin{itemize}
\item A finite set of stocks $G(\mathrm{S})$, a finite set of flows $G(\mathrm{F})$, a finite set of inflows $G(\mathrm{I})$, a finite set of outflows $G(\mathrm{O})$, a finite set of auxiliary variables $G(\mathrm{V})$, a finite set of sum auxiliary variables $G(\mathrm{SV})$, a finite set of links from stocks to sum variables $G(\mathrm{LS})$, a finite set of links from stocks to auxiliary variables $G(\mathrm{LV})$, and a finite set of links from sum variables to auxiliary variables $G(\mathrm{LSV})$.
\item functions $G(is): G(\mathrm{I})\rightarrow G(\mathrm{S})$ and $G(ifn): G(\mathrm{I})\rightarrow G(\mathrm{F})$ (collectively) characterizing for each inflow the stock downstream from it; functions $G(os): G(\mathrm{O})\rightarrow G(\mathrm{S})$ and $G(ofn): G(\mathrm{O})\rightarrow G(\mathrm{F})$ characterizing for each outflow the stock upstream from it; functions $G(lss): G(\mathrm{LS})\rightarrow G(\mathrm{S})$ and $G(lssv): G(\mathrm{LS})\rightarrow G(\mathrm{SV})$ characterizing for each link of type $\mathrm{LS}$ its source (a stock), and its target (a sum variable); functions $G(lvs): G(\mathrm{LV})\rightarrow G(\mathrm{S})$ and $G(lvv): G(\mathrm{LV})\rightarrow G(\mathrm{V})$ characterizing for each link of type $\mathrm{LV}$ its source stock, and its auxiliary variable target; functions $G(lsvv): G(\mathrm{LSV})\rightarrow G(\mathrm{V})$ and $G(lsvsv): G(\mathrm{LSV})\rightarrow G(\mathrm{SV})$ characterizing for each link of type $\mathrm{LSV}$ its sum variable source, and its auxiliary variable target; a function $G(fv): G(\mathrm{F})\rightarrow G(\mathrm{V})$ characterizing for each flow an auxiliary variable associated with the flow's continuous function.
\item functions $G(ifn)$ and $G(ofn)$ are injective. The injectivity of $G(ifn)$ and $G(ofn)$ ensure that each flow has at most one upstream stock and at most one downstream stock.
\end{itemize}
In essence, we can think of a stock \& flow diagram as an ``instance'' of the schema in Figure \ref{fig:schema_stockflow} -- that is, a well-behaved mapping of the objects and arrows to sets and functions between such sets, respectively (that is, a functor). When a stock \& flow diagram is implemented in software, it is encoded as a categorical database \cite{patterson2021categorical}, an encoding that can represent functors mapping from a category into $\namedcat{Set}$, the category where objects are sets and morphisms are functions between such sets. Figure \ref{fig:schema_database_stockflow} shows the categorical database structure representing a particular stock \& flow diagram -- that for the SEIR model (Figure \ref{fig:SEIR_stockflow}).
\begin{figure}[H]
\centering
\includegraphics[width=1.0\columnwidth]{fig/schema_database_stockflow_SEIR.jpg}
\caption{The categorical database structure representing the stock \& flow diagram associated with the SEIR model}
\label{fig:schema_database_stockflow}
\end{figure}
In this categorical database of the SEIR stock \& flow diagram, each object in the stock \& flow schema is represented by a database table. The row indices within each table consist of the elements of the finite set in $\namedcat{Fin}\namedcat{Set}$ (0, 1, 2, ...) to which the object maps. If there are $K$ elements of that finite set mapped to be the object, the table will hold $K$ rows. And the columns of each table (object) represent all the morphisms that originate in the object associated with the table, and all the attributes of this object. Each column in a given row of the table gives either a foreign key indicating to what element in another table this element maps, or (for schema components that are attributes) the value of that attribute for the element associated with the row. For example, the table of the object $S$ has four rows, because the object of $\mathrm{S}$ in the schema maps to the $\namedcat{Fin}\namedcat{Set}$ of $\mathbf{4}$ representing the unique four-element set and indicating that there are four stocks in the SEIR diagram. And the column ``sname" of the table $S$ represents the attribute of object $\mathrm{S}$ in the schema, while the four elements of this column define the four stocks' names of the stock \& flow diagram of SEIR. By contrast, the table of the object $\mathrm{F}$ has eight rows, reflecting the fact that the object of $F$ maps to the $\namedcat{Fin}\namedcat{Set}$ of $\mathbf{8}$ and, at a higher level, that there are eight flows in the SEIR diagram. The column ``fv" in this (Flow) table represents the morphism $fv$ in the schema that is a function mapping from $\namedcat{Fin}\namedcat{Set}$ of $\mathbf{8}$ (representing the set of flows) to the $\namedcat{Fin}\namedcat{Set}$ of $\mathbf{8}$ representing the set of $\mathrm{V}$, and which serve as primary keys in a separate table associated with object $\mathrm{V}$. And the column ``fname" represents the attribute of the $\mathrm{F}$ object, where each successive row gives the value of that attribute for each member of the set of flows.
This capacity to encode stock \& flow diagrams in a mathematically precise and transparent fashion confers diverse benefits. To list a few, these include the capacity to compose such diagrams (See section \ref{section: open stock | |
Beatson announces details of its vision and aims for EDI
The CRUK Beatson Institute is committed to promoting equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) within our community. We value equity in our actions and deeds, diversity and inclusion within our workforce and collaborators, and the diversity of thought this brings. Read more about our vision and aims for EDI here, including our leading family friendly policies on maternity and shared parental leave.
Beatson International Cancer Conference 2021
We would like to extend a warm thank you to everyone who made our 2021 virtual conference 'The Cartography of Cancer: Mapping Tumours in 3D' a great success. We had a series of fantastic talks covering areas from the tumour microenvironment to immunology, mutation and metabolic mapping.
A special thank you to our keynote speaker Josephine Bunch from the National Physical Laboratory. Josephine is leading the Rosetta Cancer Grand Challenge to build a complete picture of the anatomy of a tumour. She gave a fantastic talk explaining how the NPL has been involved in this challenge with its unparalleled expertise in the art and science of taking precise measurements, something which is essential for building a detailed map of a tumour. She spoke about using an arsenal of advanced techniques such as nanoscale secondary ion mass spectrometry and desorption electrospray ionisation to unpick the metabolic heterogeneity of tumours.
We were also fortunate to be able to hold an insightful careers workshop with Maria Papatriantafyllou from FEBS and Daniel Klimmeck from EMBO, both editors who shared their experience of careers in publishing, as well as our own Laura Machesky.
Congratulations to Colinda Scheele (VIB) for winning the prize for best short talk, and to Toshi Suzuki (Beatson) for the best flash talk.
And of course, a massive thank you to our sponsors: Transnetyx, European Association for Cancer Research, Li-Cor, Fluidigm, National Cancer Research Institute, Merck, The EMBO Journal, FEBS Press, proteintech and Cancer Research UK.
Looking ahead to next year's meeting, we very much hope we will once again be able to welcome everyone in person to the Beatson and Glasgow.
Embedding research integrity at the core of our science
Cancer Research UK has deepened its commitment to good research practice by becoming a signatory of the Concordat to Support Research Integrity. In their recent blog post, they speak two Research Integrity Advisers - Dr Catherine Winchester, CRUK Beatson Institute and Dr Andrew Porter, CRUK Manchester Institute - to find out why supporting scientists to be the best they can be is the only way to ensure quality research...
Read more here: https://news.cancerresearchuk.org/2021/07/28/embedding-research-integrity-at-the-core-of-our-science/
New license agreement signed with Sitryx
Sitryx, a biopharmaceutical company focused on immunometabolism, has entered into a license agreement with Cancer Research UK to develop IP from the Beatson Institute's Drug Discovery Unit relating to small molecule inhibitors of a target kinase, which plays a critical role in a metabolic pathway of emerging importance in immune cells and inflammatory processes: https://www.sitryx.com/news/sitryx-licenses-intellectual-property-rights-for-inhibitors-of-a-new-target-in-immunometabolism-from-cancer-research-uk-in-exclusive-worldwide-agreement
Publication Highlights: June 2021
This month, we were delighted to see the translation of doctoral research into three outstanding scientific publications.
Valentin Barthet and Beatson colleagues progressed our understanding of the cell of origin in liver cancer. In a new preclinical model driven by the loss of a cellular recycling process called macroautophagy and the tumour-suppressor gene PTEN, mature liver cells developed into stem cell-like progenitors giving rise to cancerous cells. On a molecular level, the activation of YAP together with TAZ also highlighted possible new avenues for treatment intervention in liver cancer. [Autophagy suppresses the formation of hepatocyte-derived cancer-initiating ductular progenitor cells in the liver in Science Advances]
Aldo Bader together with Martin Bushell introduced a new program in the latest edition of DNA Repair – through a curated database, this allows for quick and simple meta-analyses of published studies together with the users' own data investigating DNA repair. In his own studies, Aldo identified a network of novel DNA repair genes linked to the progression of cancer of the adrenal gland. The software is free to download from: http://damage-net.co.uk/
Together with a team of Beatson scientists, Anh Hoang Le characterised the cellular role of the protein CYRI-A in his recent article in Journal of Cell Biology. Within cells, the researchers placed CYRI-A at the site of membrane extensions that facilitate the uptake of cargo from the extracellular space. Further work is required, but the authors suggested that CYRI-A takes a regulating role and forces, in particular, the engulfment of external cargo. Through this, CYRI-A together with its paralogue CYRI-B also impacted the cells' ability to adhere and spread to distant sites, such as in cancer metastasis.
Image of an A-673 Ewing's sarcoma cell deleted of both CYRI-A and CYRI-B. The cell is characterised by the presence of a prominent lamellipodia (stained with phalloidin in cyan) with an increased level of surface integrins (in magenta is integrin alpha 5). Image by Anh Hoang Le
Cargo proteins help other proteins maintain their stability when travelling through the cell body. Tamas Yelland, Esther Garcia, Youhani Samarakoon, together with Shehab Ismail characterised the cargo protein UNC119B, solving its crystal structure. With a focus on biochemical differences to its paralogue UNC119A, UNC119B showed overlapping but not identical cargo binding, facilitated by a specific negatively charged site within its structure. [The Structural and Biochemical Characterization of UNC119B CargoBinding and Release Mechanisms in Biochemistry]
By comparing protein signatures across multiple cell models Beatson scientists Kelly Hodge, Sergio Lilla and Sara Zanivan, in a collaboration led by a team at MD Anderson Cancer Center, Texas revised the suite of classic exosome markers. Among 22 enriched core protein markers, they identified Syntenin-1 as the most abundant protein in exosomes. The information generated in this Nature Cell Biology article provides a comprehensive resource for the scientific community interested in the basic biology of exosomes and their translational application.
The Sansom lab continued to develop new insights into the biology underlying colorectal cancer. In their recent Nature article, scientist Dustin Flanagan together with collaborators identified the protein NOTUM as a key factor that allows APC-mutant cells to outcompete non-mutant cells in the intestinal crypt and therefore aid cancer formation. In a recent Nature Communications study, Josh Leach and fellow researchers developed a new preclinical model of right-sided bowel cancer that faithfully mimics human disease. Initial molecular observations of the involvement of YAP signalling and local inflammation set starting points for the development of new, effective therapies and early detection approaches for colorectal cancer.
Kirsteen Campbell receives major award to investigate advanced prostate cancer
Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in the UK, for example it affects 1 in 10 men in Scotland. Glasgow-based scientist Dr Kirsteen Campbell, from the Cancer Research UK Beatson Institute, has just received a major award of £273,534 from the charity Prostate Cancer Research (PCR) to investigate if a protein called MCL-1 could lead to new treatment options.
Kirsteen's award bucks the trend at a time when funding for non-COVID health research has been cut dramatically with some clinical trials being cancelled or postponed and some researchers leaving the sector. The award made by PCR is part of £1.4 million awarded by the charity to new research projects that could have a real impact for those living with advanced prostate cancer. PCR already funds 10 projects across the UK, including one led by Professor Iain J. McEwan at the University of Aberdeen, which is exploring new approaches to hormone therapy for prostate cancer to keep it working for longer.
Patients with advanced prostate cancer have been found to have high levels of a protein called MCL-1. Kirsteen's team hope to understand why this is and develop new treatment options. Little is known about the role of MCL-1 in prostate cancer, but patients with high levels of the protein are more likely to have their lives cut short by the disease | |
Golden Age of Comics in 1938.
After defeating Joey Spider-Man's fame rose further. One day after seeing his aunt continue to struggle with the household finances, Peter finally decided he had to bring in some money. He contacted Maxie Shiffman who booked him an interview on a TV show. Spider-Man was given the slot of astronaut John Jameson much to the vexation of his father, publicist J. Jonah Jameson. As the host began to introducing the show's guests he was attacked by the super powered villain Supercharger, who announced he will kill everyone in the audience to prove how dangerous super powered beings were. Spider-Man had never encountered a super villain before and thought real super heroes should deal with this. He attempted to call The Fantastic Four but after Supercharger attacked someone in the audience, Spider-Man stepped in and defeated his first super villain. "because that's what super heroes do".
^ Jump up to: a b Manning, Matthew K.; Gilbert, Laura, ed. (2012). "1960s". Spider-Man Chronicle Celebrating 50 Years of Web-Slinging. Dorling Kindersley. p. 40. ISBN 978-0756692360. Although he made his debut in the previous issue, it was in this [Stan] Lee and [John] Romita tale [The Amazing Spider-Man #51] that the Kingpin - real name Wilson Fisk - really left his mark on organized crime.
Following the camp depiction of the 1960s live-action television series, director Tim Burton's Batman films feature an all-black Batsuit with bright yellow chest emblem, brass utility belt, heavy armor placed on the chest, forearms, and boots, with the chest armor incorporating the bat-emblem. This became the basic template on which all subsequent live-action Batsuits were based.
After the " Other" story arc, Tony Stark designed for Peter a specialized Red & Gold costume that is similar to Tony Stark's Iron Man costume. It was designated as Spider-Man Armored Fighting suit Version 1.1 which was made of a liquid nano-fiber. It provided Peter with the added functions of a short-ranged gliding function, increased strength, heat-resistant Kevlar microfiber that provided resistance to small caliber bullets, built-in fire, police and emergency scanners, visual amplifications such as infrared and ultraviolet, carbon filter in the mouth to prevent inhalation of airborne toxins, and a short-range GPS microwave communication system. All of which are controlled in the computerized control system in the titanium chest piece in the costume. Another very useful addition was a stealth mode which allowed Spider-Man to blend with the environment or even disappear completely in some backgrounds. Along with this came the customization option to instantly switch between any former style he's worn (Spidey suit, black suit, normal clothes, etc); all on the same suit. It also contained three retractable spider legs called "waldoes" which can be used as offensive weapons. Spidey wore this costume before and during the Civil War but Tony, in order to keep an eye on Peter, had the costume feed him with information about Peter, notably the Spider-Sense. When Peter revealed that he was going to switch sides and fought Iron Man, the latter used a voice activated override which incapacitated Peter for a while. He had already known about this and used his computer expertise to disable the override and managed to defeat Iron Man with a surprise attack. He then discarded the costume and returned to wear his original costume when he joined Captain America's team during the Civil War. The members of the initiative team known as the Scarlet Spiders would start wearing costumes of similar design and functions.
While brooding in his study over how to be a more effective crime fighter, Bruce Wayne saw a bat come through his window (in the earliest Detective Comics portrayal simply flying in an open window, in Post-Crisis continuity such as Batman: Year One, dramatically crashing through the glass) and perch on the bust of his father. Realizing that "criminals are a superstitious, cowardly lot," Bruce adopts the persona of a bat in order to conceal his identity and strike fear into his adversaries. Subsequent origin tales have had Bruce terrified by bats as a child, and observing a bat costume worn by his father at a costume ball, but the primary impetus of his decision to adopt the bat persona has always been the incident of the bat coming in the window of his study. It is as a result of this incident that the batsuit was developed.
Want to look good? Say no more. If you're on the hunt for a stellar style for your next night of trick-or-treating, going to a fun costume party, or any other event, you've found the perfect place to pick out the right costume! From simple, easy, and affordable to ultra-designed and unforgettable, there are tons of men's costumes to choose from right here. Classic horror includes zombies and vampires and an ever-changing collection of new styles so you can stay king of Halloween.
There is no consistent rule or view on Halloween amongst those who describe themselves as Neopagans or Wiccans. Some Neopagans do not observe Halloween, but instead observe Samhain on 1 November,[236] some neopagans do enjoy Halloween festivities, stating that one can observe both "the solemnity of Samhain in addition to the fun of Halloween". Some neopagans are opposed to the celebration of Hallowe'en, stating that it "trivializes Samhain",[237] and "avoid Halloween, because of the interruptions from trick or treaters".[238] The Manitoban writes that "Wiccans don't officially celebrate Halloween, despite the fact that 31 Oct. will still have a star beside it in any good Wiccan's day planner. Starting at sundown, Wiccans celebrate a holiday known as Samhain. Samhain actually comes from old Celtic traditions and is not exclusive to Neopagan religions like Wicca. While the traditions of this holiday originate in Celtic countries, modern day Wiccans don't try to historically replicate Samhain celebrations. Some traditional Samhain rituals are still practised, but at its core, the period is treated as a time to celebrate darkness and the dead – a possible reason why Samhain can be confused with Halloween celebrations."[236]
Beneath the rubble, Parker called for help and writhed in pain, but he noticed an image of his mask in the water and his own reflection. Remembering Stark's words, Parker finally understood what his mentor meant about separating his identity from his suit: with or without the suit, he was Spider-Man. Spider-Man regained his resolve and pushed the rubble off his back, and he continued his pursuit of the Vulture.[2]
In 1984, in order to get exclusive photographs of the new Decepticon fortress in Oregon, Peter Parker donned his Spider-Man costume and used his powers to sneak closer to the action. He intercepted Gears, who had been sent on a scouting mission, and attacked, thinking Gears was one of the invaders. When Skywarp threw a tank at a gaggle of unwary reporters, Gears saved them, convincing Spider-Man he was good.
After suffering numerous defeats at the hands of Spider-Man, the Green Goblin vowed to destroy his foe once and for all. Using a special gas that blocks Peter's Spider-Sense, the Goblin followed Peter around and discovered his secret identity. Now knowing Peter was Spider-Man, the Green Goblin kidnapped him, and although he has the chance to kill Peter, the Goblin instead revealed his own secret identity. He was Norman Osborn, a ruthless businessman who was also Harry's father. Norman released Spider-Man from his restraints to defeat him in combat and prove his superiority. The Web-Slinger managed to defeat him and knocked him into some chemicals, resulting in Norman having amnesia and no recollection of both his and Peter's alternate egos.
Spider-Man (1982) Questprobe Featuring Spider-Man Doctor Doom's Revenge The Amazing Spider-Man (Amiga) The Amazing Spider-Man (Game Boy) The Amazing Spider-Man vs. The Kingpin Spider-Man: The Video Game The Amazing | |
What is the point of this guideline?
"Netiquette" is a clever term coined by The Committee of Cool Internet Terms. It means "follow these rules or be incessantly flamed!" Ok, I don't really know who came up with the term, but it basically means "proper etiquette rules for use in cyberspace."
Imagine this: You are an expert poker player. You decide to invite some friends over to play every Friday night. Each of you has many different forms of poker you like to play, and after a few nights, you have all learned many different games. You have fun. You eat Doritos and drink cheap beer. Life is good.
One evening, your buddy Clyde tells you his cousin wants to play. You are reluctant, but Clyde reminds you of the time he saved your life when you were choking on a chip (Dorito, not poker), and you give in. Wimp.
The cousin, Phil, shows up next Friday night, sits down to play, and you announce the first game: Texas Hold'em! Phil smiles at you and asks, "how do you play Texas Hold'em?" You contemplate throwing your beer at him, but realize just in time that it would be a terrible waste of beer. So, instead, you explain the rules of the game. Fortunately, he seems to get it, and you play on.
Now -- wouldn't it be REALLY cool if you had all the rules of the games printed out so that Phil could have read them before joining your poker table? There is -- Hoyle's Book of Card Games. Well... consider this guide your Hoyle's Rules of Netiquette. Sure, you won't win any money, and you won't learn how to bluff, but hopefully after reading this you will be able to post messages without incurring the wrath of the PHP Gods.
There are many things you can do to make your and everyone's experience on the board more enjoyable. You could try posting some nudie pics, but it probably won't get past the board admins. So instead, here is a list of things to consider. I have pulled this list directly from the official Netiquette Guidelines, RFC 1855. I have only included those that apply to this board. For the full list, see the RFC.
In the interest of saving space, I am dropping the RFC Netiquette guidelines from this post. They are still relevant, however -- please take a look at them here.
Yeah, I know... exciting stuff, huh?
There are a few things to consider that pertain more specifically to this PHP board. I will list them here; this list may grow over time.
Don't send emails or instant messages to members of the board asking for help. That is the equivalent of a salesman calling up in the middle of dinner to sell you a vacuum cleaner. It's rude, and you will NOT get a favorable response. If you want help, that's what the forums are for.
When submitting a problem, state the problem in your subject. Most people will skip over subjects that say "Help me please" or "Please read this!!!!!" If you want help, you need to catch their eye with a specific statement, like "How do I create multiple page searches?"
Having a problem with your code? Include a snippet, and be sure to wrap it in [code=php]...[/code] tags. This makes it MUCH easier to read! Try to minimize the amount of code that has to be waded through. Try to remove parts with the aim of reducing the script to the smallest piece of code that still exhibits the problem. As you snip away parts of your code, you may discover what the problem is yourself, and not have to post your question after all!
Be sure to read and try to understand the error messages. Yes, some of them are somewhat obscure, esoteric and sometimes downright surreal, but they do convey meaning. If it says that a file or directory could not be found, then chances are that a file or directory could not be found.
When requesting help, please be as specific as possible. Don't just say "This code isn't working" and list your PHP code. Nobody has time to read through your entire code list and determine where there might be a problem. Be sure to include the error messages you are receiving, and let them know what you have attempted to do to fix the problem. There's nothing more frustrating than composing a message telling you to try something, only to have you come back and say "I already tried that. It didn't work."
Be accurate! One wrong character can cause code to not work correctly. Make sure the code you are submitting for review is EXACTLY the code you are having trouble with. Cut and paste it -- don't attempt to retype it. Most likely, you will not type it exactly, and if someone tries to tell you "there's your problem, you forgot the semi-colon," the last thing he wants to hear is, "oh, that's there, I just forgot to put in there when I typed it in my message."
EDIT your posts! This forum allows you to edit your posts for a while after you've made them. That is how I keep adding content to this guideline. If you see a mistake, or have something to add, simply edit your post and add it. It is very frustrating to read someone's post about a problem, only to have to go through 5 more posts that basically say "oops, there should have been a semicolon at the end of line 14." Edit your original post and PUT the semicolon in. There's nothing wrong with putting "EDIT: I added a flurg to the blatt on line 42 of my code" at the end of your post.
If you forget the above rule and double post, do NOT post "oops, I double posted -- sorry." That just adds to the mess.
Fill your mouth with cheezits and whistle your National Anthem. Ok, just checking to make sure you are paying attention.
Please do not "bump" your posts. For the uninitiated, a "bump" is a simple post that says "bump" in the subject or body, and doesn't contribute any additional value to the thread. It is done for the sole purpose of making the thread show up at the top of the forum list. If your thread has significant content, someone will find it with a search. You do NOT need to bump it up to the top to force people to read it over and over. It is quite irritating to open a thread that has new posts added only to find out that it has been bumped and has no new important info.
Don't crosspost, or worse, shotgun. Crossposting is the practice of posting the same question in more than one forum. Shotgunning is the same thing, but posted in almost every forum to maximize the number of people reading the post. Most people here read all of the forums, and don't want to read the same questions over and over. If you have a specific question, put it in the most relevant forum. If you can't decide which forum is most relevant, put it in the General Help forum.
DO NOT send a member of the forum an IM asking them for help. The forums are the places to ask for help with issues. Sending an IM to a member is no better than a telemarketer calling you at dinnertime. It's rude, and unwelcome. Don't do it. Only send IM's when invited.
Information such as how to search the board, and how to send email to users.
That's about it. Feel free to add your comments, or discuss it here.
You've definitely got a way with words!
I noticed a few people | |
well, both with the allusions to drug use in regards to the Venom suit as well as how Flash reacts to his father's passing. The emotion of the piece far outshines any sort of failings the other part of the story has. If they could have removed The Avenger's involvement in the main story and included more of Flash Thompson and Eddie Brock, I can only imagine how much more improved my opinion of the overall story would be. The Avengers involvement is really pointless. If you removed them now the story would not be affected in the slightest. Yeah, we're in the Marvel Universe. We know The Avengers are there. Having a character just mention that they are assisting with the trouble would have been good enough for me if it gave the writer the chance to spend more time diving into such rich characters like Flash Thompson and Eddie Brock. While I am not don yet with the story, it sure seems a waste.
November 23, 2015 March 28, 2021 · Leave a comment ·
Another day in the life of Peter Park starts out with him swinging through town contemplating how life has changed for him. I liked how it goes back over his history of how he would inadvertently stumble onto a crime scene or have a crime fall into his lap. You get a sense of the history of the character without having to have a PhD in Spider-Man history. He hears a call of a robbery in progress and proceeds to the scene where two robbers are fleeing a local shop. He takes care of them in due order with his usual quips. The police arrive and thank him for his work.
One of the cops mentioned ol' Flat Top cutting the budget for the police since Spider-Man is taking care of crime in town. Turns out the Flat Top he was talking about was J. Jonah Jameson himself, the Mayor of New York. Seems the Mayor is seeing his poll numbers plummet because he is using city finances toward a Spider-Man task force which the general public doesn't like. Then he has the nerve to complain about The Daily Bugle calling him out for doing this, once again blaming Spider-Man for all his troubles. I get that JJJ is a bit of a one note character. There are some shades to the character which can at times make him interesting but this was just too cliche. This was like how he was presented in Spider-Man 3, a joke. Whereas in the original Spider-Man movie, he's a bombastic ass but he still does the right thing. We'll probably get a little more JJJ in the story what with him being Mayor and all but this is not a good start for the character.
Next up we see Hydro-Man battling a trio of heroes, Gravity, Spider-Woman, and Firestar. Growing up a fan of Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends, I geeked out when I saw Firestar. Especially when she name dropped the show.
Anyway, Spider-Man makes quick work of Hydro-Man by using a special freezing device he made up at his job at Horizon Laboratories. Then it's off to work where he showcases the freezing device to his co-workers who congratulate him. I found his female co-worker quite annoying. I am sure there are animal activists who would freak out over the well being of earthworms but man are they annoying as all hell. Reminds me of an episode of The Howard Stern Show where he got two female members of PETA to make out with each when he threatened to kill some bugs or something. Just stupid. Priorities people.
Next, we have Peter Parker's girlfriend Carlie calling him to speak with him. I never knew this character existed before reading this issue but I liked how someone in my position doesn't feel like her character is wedged into the story. I don't know her history but she feels like she belongs which is a good job from the writer. When Peter inquires as to what she would want to talk about, we see one of the criminals that he had webbed up earlier break free from the webs, which one of the cops mentions that that is something even Rhino could not do. The bugs have bit a lot of people…including Carlie who takes down the criminal with a clothesline John Bradshaw Layfield from the WWE would be proud of.
After the phone call Peter is walking, oblivious to everything around him when a bus barrels down on him. Phil Urich and Norah Winters pull him to safety. Thanks to an editor's note, we discover that Peter lost his spider sense. I have no problem with editor's notes but one annoyance with this issue is that it seems every other panel had an editor's note. I am all for filling in the reader on events they may not have read but when they become obnoxious like this issue, you have to ask yourself whether there was another way for the writer to talk about past events without annoying the reader. I did enjoy the panel where Phil gets pissed at a comment Peter made and you see the image of Phil's alter ego, Hobgoblin. It was an amazing way to show the character having a dark side without making them rattle off a monologue.
We have a quick little scene of Jay and May Jameson in a hotel. It's a quick way to show that the bed bugs making everyone like Spider-Man. It's a nice tease towards the disease spreading across the country.
The scene turns towards a criminal about to be attacked for not being able to pay a mobster. Just when two bad guys are about to break his knees, he breaks out with some spider moves and escapes. That is one thing I never liked about Spider-Man. I get that he gets the strength of a spider but nothing was ever said about him, or anyone else like him with similar powers, becoming a martial arts expert. Show the character taking a beating or two but overcoming the bad guys. Show them learning to fight over time, not breaking out the Bruce Lee gymnastics. Once he escapes he runs across The Jackal, Miles Warren, who invites him to a get together of like minded criminals. Something big is planned.
We get a quick scene at The Baxter Building where Reed Richards is sending Sue and others to The Negative Zone for their protection. I wasn't sure why they were being sent there. While I have to assume it has something to do with the bedbug outbreak, it could have had something to do with an event from a previous Fantastic Four issue that I am not aware. I have to dock points for this because I had no clue what the hell was going on. We did see Peter speak with Mary Jane on the phone. The Thing makes a funny comment to her on the phone. Nothing consequential but it's a great little showcase of his character, how someone looking like a monster deep down is a lovable guy.
The next scene shows Flash Thompson as Venom fighting against agents of AIM. How or why he became Venom I don't know. It's not really explained, just presented as something we should already know. He's talking to his girlfriend Betty Brant at the hospital where she is a patient. He's telling her she needs to stay in bed but being a reporter, when she sees the emergency room filled with people who are freaked out they have spider powers, her eyes spread wide in happiness. This is a scene that will probably make | |
degree by the stress of a bleaching event which reduced growth by more than 50% for up to 18 months compared to pre-bleaching rates. The processes of symbiont change and acute thermal stress are likely to act in concert on coral growth as reefs acclimatize to more stressful warmer conditions, further compromising their regeneration capacity following climate change. PMID:20454653
One of the principle ways in which reef building corals are likely to cope with a warmer climate is by changing to more thermally tolerant endosymbiotic algae (zooxanthellae) genotypes. It is highly likely that hosting a more heat-tolerant algal genotype will be accompanied by tradeoffs in the physiology of the coral. To better understand one of these tradeoffs, growth was investigated in the Indo-Pacific reef-building coral Acropora millepora in both the laboratory and the field. In the Keppel Islands in the southern Great Barrier Reef this species naturally harbors nrDNA ITS1 thermally sensitive type C2 or thermally tolerant type D zooxanthellae of the genus Symbiodinium and can change dominant type following bleaching. We show that under controlled conditions, corals with type D symbionts grow 29% slower than those with type C2 symbionts. In the field, type D colonies grew 38% slower than C2 colonies. These results demonstrate the magnitude of trade-offs likely to be experienced by this species as they acclimatize to warmer conditions by changing to more thermally tolerant type D zooxanthellae. Irrespective of symbiont genotype, corals were affected to an even greater degree by the stress of a bleaching event which reduced growth by more than 50% for up to 18 months compared to pre-bleaching rates. The processes of symbiont change and acute thermal stress are likely to act in concert on coral growth as reefs acclimatize to more stressful warmer conditions, further compromising their regeneration capacity following climate change.
Comparison of Chemical Sensitivity of Fresh and Long-Stored Heat Resistant Neosartorya fischeri Environmental Isolates Using BIOLOG Phenotype MicroArray System.
Jacek Panek
Full Text Available Spoilage of heat processed food and beverage by heat resistant fungi (HRF is a major problem for food industry in many countries. Neosartorya fischeri is the leading source of spoilage in thermally processed products. Its resistance to heat processing and toxigenicity makes studies about Neosartorya fischeri metabolism and chemical sensitivity essential. In this study chemical sensitivity of two environmental Neosartorya fischeri isolates were compared. One was isolated from canned apples in 1923 (DSM3700, the other from thermal processed strawberry product in 2012 (KC179765, used as long-stored and fresh isolate, respectively. The study was conducted using Biolog Phenotype MicroArray platforms of chemical sensitivity panel and traditional hole-plate method. The study allowed for obtaining data about Neosartorya fischeri growth inhibitors. The fresh isolate appeared to be much more resistant to chemical agents than the long-stored isolate. Based on phenotype microarray assay nitrogen compounds, toxic cations and membrane function compounds were the most effective in growth inhibition of N. fischeri isolates. According to the study zaragozic acid A, thallium(I acetate and sodium selenate were potent and promising N. fischeri oriented fungicides which was confirmed by both chemical sensitivity microplates panel and traditional hole-plate methods.
Predictive modeling of infrared radiative heating in tomato dry-peeling process: Part II. Model validation and sensitivity analysis
A predictive mathematical model was developed to simulate heat transfer in a tomato undergoing double sided infrared (IR) heating in a dry-peeling process. The aims of this study were to validate the developed model using experimental data and to investigate different engineering parameters that mos...
Cellular metabolism
Hildebrand, C.E.; Walters, R.A.
Progress is reported on the following research projects: chromatin structure; the use of circular synthetic polydeoxynucleotides as substrates for the study of DNA repair enzymes; human cellular kinetic response following exposure to DNA-interactive compounds; histone phosphorylation and chromatin structure in cell proliferation; photoaddition products induced in chromatin by uv light; pollutants and genetic information transfer; altered RNA metabolism as a function of cadmium accumulation and intracellular distribution in cultured cells; and thymidylate chromophore destruction by water free radicals
Remote Monitoring of Soil Water Content, Temperature, and Heat Flow Using Low-Cost Cellular (3G) IoT Technology
Ham, J. M.
New microprocessor boards, open-source sensors, and cloud infrastructure developed for the Internet of Things (IoT) can be used to create low-cost monitoring systems for environmental research. This project describes two applications in soil science and hydrology: 1) remote monitoring of the soil temperature regime near oil and gas operations to detect the thermal signature associated with the natural source zone degradation of hydrocarbon contaminants in the vadose zone, and 2) remote monitoring of soil water content near the surface as part of a global citizen science network. In both cases, prototype data collection systems were built around the cellular (2G/3G) "Electron" microcontroller (www.particle.io). This device allows connectivity to the cloud using a low-cost global SIM and data plan. The systems have cellular connectivity in over 100 countries and data can be logged to the cloud for storage. Users can view data real time over any internet connection or via their smart phone. For both projects, data logging, storage, and visualization was done using IoT services like Thingspeak (thingspeak.com). The soil thermal monitoring system was tested on experimental plots in Colorado USA to evaluate the accuracy and reliability of different temperature sensors and 3D printed housings. The soil water experiment included comparison opens-source capacitance-based sensors to commercial versions. Results demonstrate the power of leveraging IoT technology for field research.
Effect of particle size in the TL response of natural quartz sensitized by high dose of gamma radiation and heat-treatments
�lvaro Barbosa de Carvalho Jr
Full Text Available This work investigates the effect of particle size in the thermoluminescence (TL response of a quartz crystal that was initially crushed and classified into ten size fractions between 38 μm and 5 mm. Aliquots of each size fraction were sensitized with a dose of 25 kGy of γ rays and heat-treatments at 400 °C. TL glow curves of sensitized and non-sensitized samples were recorded as a function of different test-doses of γ rays. For the non-sensitized samples, the TL peak near 325 °C increases with the decrease in particle size. In the case of sensitized samples, a strong TL peak near 300 °C increases with the increase in particle size up to mean grain size equal to 304 μm. Above 304 μm, an abrupt reduction in the TL intensity is noticed for the sensitized peak. These effects are discussed in relation to the specific surface area of quartz particles and the intensity of the electron paramagnetic resonance signal of the E'1 center induced by the sensitization process.
Combined use of anti-ErbB monoclonal antibodies and erlotinib enhances antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity of wild-type erlotinib-sensitive NSCLC cell lines
Cavazzoni Andrea
Full Text Available Abstract Background The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR is an established target for anti-cancer treatment in different tumour types. Two different strategies have been explored to inhibit this pivotal molecule in epithelial cancer development: small molecules TKIs and monoclonal antibodies. ErbB/HER-targeting by monoclonal antibodies such as cetuximab and trastuzumab or tyrosine-kinase inhibitors as gefitinib or erlotinib has been proven effective in the treatment of advanced NSCLC. Results In this study we explored the potential of combining either erlotinib with cetuximab or trastuzumab to improve the efficacy of EGFR targeted therapy in EGFR wild-type NSCLC cell lines. Erlotinib treatment was observed to increase EGFR and/or HER2 expression at the plasma membrane level only in NSCLC cell lines sensitive to the drug inducing protein stabilization. The combined treatment had marginal effect on cell proliferation but markedly increased antibody-dependent, NK mediated, cytotoxicity in vitro. Moreover, in the Calu-3 xenograft model, the combination significantly inhibited tumour growth when compared with erlotinib and cetuximab alone. Conclusion Our results indicate that erlotinib increases surface expression of EGFR and/or HER2 only in EGFR-TKI sensitive NSCLC cell lines and, | |
the scandals at both prisons have worked to undermine fundamental American values, the United States cannot claim the higher moral ground versus Putin's Russia. Moreover, Putin's preclusive interventions in Crimea and eastern Ukraine in 2014 without a UN mandate have not caused even close to the same degree of death and destruction as has George W. Bush's so-called preemptive decision to engage in a major military intervention in Iraq in 2003, for example, also without a UN mandate. In this sense, one cannot point the finger at Putin alone.
**ALLEGATIONS OF RUSSIAN TAMPERING IN US ELECTIONS AND IN US DOMESTIC AFFAIRS**
Trump has consequently faced severe criticism at home and abroad for his hope to achieve a more positive relationship with Russia—and with Russian leader Putin, in particular. The dilemma is this: Even if Trump is finally able to reach out to Putin and Russia—even in such a way that appears consistent with American national security interests—there will nevertheless be a cloud of suspicion that he did so with his own personal interests, or those of his business associates, in mind.
As the so-called Russia-gate has evolved, the Kremlin has been accused of cyber-tampering in an effort to embarrass Hillary Clinton and the Democrat National Committee, allegedly to help Trump be elected president. These alleged actions resulted in the releasing of private emails of key Democratic leaders that exposed the Democrat's campaign tactics and political manipulations. Moscow (or someone) had also allegedly tapped into Republican Party communications, but these materials were not released.
Alleged Russian meddling in US elections is a major issue that Trump himself made much worse when he urged Russian hackers to target Hillary Clinton's nonsecure personal email server, saying: "Russia, if you're listening, I hope you're able to find the 30,000 emails that are missing." It has been alleged that Moscow used WikiLeaks and other critical media to divulge information that was intended to embarrass Clinton and the Democrats. This accusation has, however, been denied by WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange—even though he himself was not absolutely certain who was ultimately responsible for distribution of the information. But it does appear plausible that disgruntled Democrats who opposed Hillary Clinton may have leaked some materials. In short, Moscow's Fancy Bear espionage group may possibly have engaged in cyber-intrusions, but so did others. In May 2017, Russian President Putin claimed that the Kremlin was not responsible, but that "patriotic-minded" Russians could have been responsible for the alleged cyber-attacks.
At the same time, on the US side, some leaks of highly classified materials at the highest level of government appear to be ignored by Washington, while other leaks have been investigated and prosecuted with the fullest intensity of the law, such as the significant information leaked by Chelsea Manning. In general, the dilemma is that some of these leaks may represent a legitimate reaction to perceived negative government policies that seek to perpetrate conflict or that augment governmental powers. But other leaks may be a result of the opposition by special interest groups to positive state efforts to mitigate conflicts or solve disputes or deal with controversial issues, but which do not serve the interests of those particular groups or individuals. Some leaks may thus be self-serving and done to settle scores. Other leaks may be mis- or dis-information intended to divert attention and shift the focus of journalistic investigations—what Trump himself has called "fake news"—but which is an area in which he himself excels by exaggeration, distortion, or invention of so-called information.
It has been argued that Moscow's alleged cyber hacking was one of the causes in the decline of popular support for Hillary Clinton's bid for the presidency. For her part, Clinton herself did blame Russian President Putin, at least in part, for undermining her presidential campaign, but she also blamed FBI Director James Comey for the way he handled the federal investigation into her use of a non-secure email account for US government purposes. Comey's accusations against Clinton were accordingly seen as impacting voters just days before the election—more so than Russian influence.
But it has not yet been proved whether the alleged Russian hacking or the FBI investigation into Clinton's use of a non-secure email account—if either—was truly responsible for impacting the votes in three key states in Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. Had Clinton obtained roughly 80,000 votes in the aforementioned states, then she might have obtained a large enough number of electoral college votes to win the presidency. Clinton did not even campaign in Wisconsin, because she believed it was solidly blue-collar pro-Democrat state—even though many blue-collar voters were shifting toward Trump. It will be very difficult to prove whether Russian influence and/or the FBI investigation were really the primary reasons for some 80,000 people not to vote for Clinton. Some people did not vote at all or backed third-party candidates simply because they disliked both Trump and Clinton.
**MOSCOW LOSES FAITH IN TRUMP**
Whether or not Moscow had any real influence in helping Trump get elected appears dubious. It is certain that Moscow did attempt to influence popular opinion in the United States and elsewhere, but to what extent is not clear. Moscow did propagandize against US policies through Russian Television (RT) and Sputnik broadcasts. Moscow most likely paid trolls (as can any group or state) in an effort to secretly manipulate US and European public opinion through Facebook and Twitter accounts. Yet whether and to what extent Russian military intelligence, the GRU, intruded into the US presidential elections, through its cyber-espionage group, APT 28 (also known as Fancy Bear), is not certain.
If, and to what extent, Trump himself might have colluded with Moscow is a major dimension of the FBI investigation. The fact that Trump fired FBI Director Comey in May 2017—ostensibly for the poor way he had handled the Clinton email investigation—even if Comey's actions may have helped Trump and cost Clinton some votes—raised real questions as to the possibility that Trump obstructed justice. Comey was fired just a few days after he had purportedly demanded more resources for the FBI investigation into the alleged ties of Trump and his associates to Moscow. (Comey's alleged demands were denied by the Justice Department but affirmed by a number of congresspeople.) Moreover, Trump had previously urged Comey to kill the investigation of the alleged ties of former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn to Russia (an allegation first denied by the White House). Another possible reason for Comey's firing was that the FBI had begun to investigate Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law. Kushner has been accused of opening a secret back channel to Putin, ostensibly to discuss global strategy—an action on the surface that appears appropriate, given the dangerous state of the US-Russian relationship. Yet Kushner; Trump's son Donald Trump Jr.; and Trump's campaign chairman at the time, Paul J. Manafort, all attended a meeting with a lawyer who claimed to possess close connections to the Russian government, in the hope they could obtain damaging information on Hilary Clinton.
Interestingly, while Trump's team was attempting to find dirt on Clinton, Clinton was obtaining dirt on Trump. It is now known that the controversial Fusion GPS report on Russian influence on Trump, which was completed by former British MI6 intelligence agent Christopher Steele, was paid for in part by Hillary Clinton's campaign and the Democratic National Committee. While the Fusion GPS report does not absolutely prove collusion between Trump and the Russian government, and argues that Moscow possessed information that could blackmail Trump, and while fact can be mixed with fiction, the report did point the way to engage in even deeper investigations, given Trump's extensive and long-term connections to Russia.
What gives at least some credence to the Fusion GPS report, and what is not generally stated | |
The timber worktop that you have selected is a natural, prestige, quality product made to the highest standards from environmentally sound and renewable sources. The appeal of timber lies in its inherent warm textures and natural variety of grain pattern and colour.
It gives some background information to explain why some things are so and explains how best to maintain the worktops for a lifetime of service. Please read the guide thoroughly and follow its advice. The effort put in now will be more than repaid in the long term.
We also suggest you check out our door care guide to help get the longest life from your Mastercraft kitchen.
Timber worktops are made from strips or staves of solid wood. These strips are cut, selected, graded and kiln dried to have a moisture level suitable for domestic interior use, before they are glued up into one homogenous panel.
The process, known as finger jointing, gives a stable, durable construction. It reduces the natural defects of the wood and ensures a more consistent colour and grain pattern. There will be some pattern, colour and grain differences over the timber surfaces. This is a normal and valued characteristic of the appearance of wooden products.
Please note that fresh new timber surfaces will weather over time as they are exposed to light. Items left for a period of time in one place will mask the timber, which will then show as a lighter area. If this is a problem, items should be moved regularly from place to place to stop the shading from occurring, until the surfaces are evenly weathered.
Timber is a natural material that responds throughout its life to changes in humidity and moisture in its environment. It absorbs or gives up its own moisture until it is in equilibrium with its surroundings.
When timber moisture content increases, the wood expands; when it dries, the timber shrinks. This change, called 'movement', occurs across the grain only. A worktop will become a little wider and narrower respectively. It is a normal characteristic of all timber.
We will design and install the worktop with slotted fixings and gaps to accommodate this expansion and contraction. In use it is very important to avoid sudden large changes in environmental humidity and moisture since these put great stress on the mass of timber in the top; the wood needs time to adjust to change.
For example: – When the room heating is switched on seasonally, it should be turned up to temperature gradually, over a period of days. This will allow the timber worktops to acclimatise properly.
Timber worktops should be wiped down with a sparing amount of water – not liberal sloshes of soapy water- and water should never be left to stand on wooden surfaces.
Always mop up spills of water and other liquids straight away. Do not allow liquids to stand on wooden surfaces for any period of time. (The finishing oil is water resistant, not waterproof).
Always use pan stands and trivets to protect the timber from rough, hot, wet, dirty pots and pans. Direct contact with iron, steel or copper vessels can also stain the timber surfaces.
Always use cutting boards to chop and slice food. Do not cut directly onto the worktop surface. Clean the tops with a sparing amount of warm water, a drop of washing up liquid and a well-wrung cloth.
It is important that Timber surfaces are re-oiled at regular intervals to remain in the same condition as when it was installed. The time span between oiling is dependent on the degree of use and wear they receive.
For example, a highly worked surface will need re-oiling more frequently than a showroom piece, possibly once a week once installed, gradually working into once a month (see surface care below). At the very least timber work-surfaces should be re-oiled every three months.
The surfaces of the timber worktops are untreated on delivery. We will apply a coat of Danish oil to the finished kitchen but we recommend you carry out a further 3 coats on faces and edges, and 5 coats on endgrain.
The oil is formulated: to be safe for the preparation of food; to enhance the wood colour and grain pattern; to provide a durable, protective surface over the natural timber structure, whilst being easy to look after and restore when the surface becomes worn.
When the top is newly oiled and the surface is in good condition, it will have a sheen on it. Splashes of water will form into properly defined droplets that stand up clearly.
Continued: After a period of use the finish will become worn; the sheen will diminish and the surface becomes dull. Water will not form into droplets as readily but tend to spread out and wet the surfaces. This is a clear sign that the worktop needs re-oiling; in fact, it is better to re-oil before the surfaces quite reach this condition.
The time taken for wear to occur depends on the amount of use the surfaces have had. In any one kitchen, there will be high wear and low wear zones; the former will need more attention than the latter.
The entire kitchen surface should be re-oiled regularly, at the very least every 3-6 months.
The best time to re-oil is at the end of the day when the freshly oiled surfaces can be left overnight without disturbance.
Tops must be clean and dry. Apply worktop oil with a lint free cloth, folded into a pad. Dispense the oil from a bowl or saucer onto the areas to be treated. Apply the oil liberally at first, so that it stands and can soak in. Pay particular attention to, and work the oil well onto areas which will have had repeated wettings in use, e.g. edges and ends, around sink cutouts, into drainer grooves, the water stop and the areas around taps.
After 30 minutes, wipe off the surplus oil with a clean cloth and leave it to soak in and dry naturally, overnight. Several thin coating applied in this way are far better than one liberal application.
Parched areas may need successive oiling like this to restore the surface finish and sheen.
Applying a finish to the wood with oil is simple and effective and should be encouraged if not least of all simply because it gives the wood a warm, natural and lived in look far removed from the plastic look that sprays on modern lacquers give.
Linseed oil is extracted from the seeds of the flax plant by steaming and crushing them. Raw linseed oil is boiled to remove impurities and helps to make the oil dry faster.
gives a natural open-grained low lustre finish.
Teak oil is based on special vegetable oils and resins to give a quick penetrating seal to Teak, Cedar and all bare wood.
From time to time the surface may become roughened as successive coats of oil are built upon low use areas. The build-up can be removed by using a fine nylon abrasive pad and a little worktop oil, worked lightly in the direction of the wood grain until the surface is smooth wipe clean with a dry cloth and apply a coat of fresh worktop oil as above. Replacement quantities of the worktop finishing oil can be obtained from our store.
Over time, with even the most careful use, the surfaces of the timber worktops are going to acquire some cuts, scrapes, chips and stains. The minor ones will become blended in under successive coats of worktop oil, during normal maintenance. More serious blemishes can be smoothed out and re-finished. Make sure that the worktop is totally clean and dry. Use 100 grit abrasive paper, then 150 grit paper and work in the direction of the grain only, with long, firm strokes to gently sand the damage out the | |
/ Marzipan: A Confection
Marzipan: A Confection is the title of my Master of Arts (Research) Thesis in Creative Writing, undertaken at the University of Melbourne between 2002-2004. The Thesis, a 30,000 word novella, describes the invention of Marzipan in a fictional German town during a Famine in the 1400s.
9 January 2012 20 April 2019 by David Prater
The Invention of Marzipan
My MA (Creative Writing) thesis, a 30,000 word novella, described the invention of Marzipan in a fictional German town during a Famine in the 1400s. This paper maps its history and terrain, offering some hints as to Marzipan's general composition and effects.
Marzipan: A Confection
captain cook, marzipan, persipan, terror nullius, thomas mann
Readers familiar with William Shakespeare's dramatic works will recall Act I, Scene V of Romeo and Juliet, wherein the first Servant, whilst clearing away plates, says:
Away with the joint stools, remove the court cubbert, look to the plate. Good thou, save me a piece of marchpane; and as thou loves me let the porter let in Susan Grindstone and Nell. Antony, and Potpan!
William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet
That this 'piece of marchpane', a confection known today as Marzipan—but also marci panis, march payne, martiapanes, panis marcius, marzepaines, mauthaban, marzapane, mazapán, massepain, martaban, martevaan, mawtaban, matapan, mazapan and marzapanetti—should hold such high value for a Servant clearings scraps speaks volumes about the peculiar mystery of this particular Stuffe but also the vicissitudes of human hunger.
In 1926 the German novelist and future Nobel Prize winner Thomas Mann made a speech on the 700th anniversary of his home town of Lubeck, Germany, in which he too discussed Marzipan:
Now if anyone wishes to vent a little spite against me, or take a casual swipe at me, I can count on his bringing up my Luebeck origin and Luebeck marzipan. If some ill-wisher can think of nothing else, he invariably thinks of connecting me with comic marzipan and representing me as a marzipan baker. Such stuff goes by the name of literary satire. But it does not bother me … And I certainly do not feel in the least insulted about the marzipan. In the first place it is a very tasty confection, and in the second place it is anything but trivial; rather it is remarkable and, as I have said, mysterious … And if we examine this sweet more closely, this mixture of almonds, rosewater and sugar, the suspicion arises that it is originally oriental, a [Haremskonfekt] confection for the harem, and that in all probability the recipe for this barely digestible delicacy came to Luebeck from the Orient by way of Venice … And it turns out that those wits are not so wrong as they themselves think, that Death in Venice is really 'marzipan' although in a deeper sense than they ever meant it.
Thomas Mann, 'Lubeck as a Way of Life and Thought' (1926)
I discovered the text of this incredible speech serendipitously, while searching for a copy of Death In Venice in the Baillieu Library at the University of Melbourne. The speech, given on the occasion of the seven hundredth anniversary of Luebeck's founding, can be found in the 1980 Knopf edition of another of Mann's novels, Buddenbrooks, which describes the daily lives of a prominent Merchant family in Luebeck. Mann's reputation in Luebeck, it is said, suffered a downturn upon the publication of the novel, when various real-life Luebeckers recognised themselves in the book's cast of characters.
Mann's descriptions of the drowning city in Death In Venice were echoed by a late-20th-century historian, Peter Lauritzen, who provides the following description of the Church of the Gesuiti in Venice:
The Gesuiti's pulpit is an elaborate confection swathed in the heavy folds of a voluminous brocade curtain . . . This white curtain decorated in a handsome green damask pattern is in fact made of marble; all of the walls of the church are covered with this same white and green imitation damask made of verde antico inlaid in slabs of white marble. The illusion is extraordinary.
Peter Lauritzen, Venice: A Thousand Years of Culture and Civilization
Mann's creation of a triumvirate of Confections—Marzipan, Venice and Lubeck—may well have been palatable to the guests listening to his speech. This is all very well. However, Mann's addition of a fourth characterisation of Marzipan as a Haremskonfekt, surely, would not have gone down well in Lubeck.
For it is in Lubeck—a UNESCO World Heritage city, an island in the middle of a River, quite close to the Baltic Sea—that a strange myth, concerning the invention of Marzipan, has been propagated. According to the bare bones of the story, Marzipan was invented in Lubeck in 1407 during a Famine, or Hungersnot so severe that all there was left to eat were some almonds, eggs and sugar. When these three ingredients were combined, so the story goes, Marzipan was invented, and the villagers (presumably) escaped death at the hands of the Hungersnot.
Indeed, by implication, the Marzipan could be said to have saved the people of Luebeck from hunger forevermore, thus constituting a miraculous substance, not unlike the breadtree explorers dreamt of transporting across entire oceans, or manna flung down from Heaven.
Luebeck's manufacturers of Marzipan have at various stages helped propagate the myth, despite the overwhelming evidence pointing to Marzipan's origins lying much further east: towards Persia (or even further east, in India, maybe even New Guinea) many hundreds (if not thousands) of years earlier.
Therefore for Mann to describe Marzipan, or to be exact the Marzipan made in Lubeck, as a confection originating from a Harem must have sounded completely depraved to some ears that night back in June, 1926.
Today, Lubeck's makers of Marzipan (including the Carstens and Niederegger companies) freely admit to the improbability of the Luebeck Marzipan myth. Their company websites, which in the mid to late 1990s spoke about the Famine in Luebeck and the invention of Marzipan as though it actually happened had, by the turn of this century, been toned down somewhat:
Today, everyone agrees that Luebeck is not the origin of Marzipan. Simply the fact that within our northern climate there is, understandably, a lack of almond trees, demonstrates that this is not the place to look for its origins. Even so, due to the high level of awareness of "Luebecker Marzipan", one is tempted to associate its origin with Luebeck … some ancient accounts state that the recipe for Marzipan came via Italy directly to a Luebeck merchant. However there are no documents or other form of proof for this or for the many anecdotes and sagas.
Carstens GmbH, 'History of Marzipan' (2003)
The origin of marzipan is now known to be the Orient where the delicate almond-sugar mixture was served at the Sultan's table as the crowning of a meal. Through Arabian rule marzipan reached Spain and Portugal, and during the Crusades spread through the rest of Europe via the trading port of Venice.
Niederegger GmbH, 'Lubeck Marzipan conquers the world' (1999)
Some people just can't help themselves, however. The following text from the German-language website Marzipanland has been translated using the Babelfish translation engine:
Everywhere on earth one knows Luebecker marzipan. The mad taste is simply unmistakable! There one does not think at all of the emergency situation, from the marzipan developed. There are several stories, but the probably most well-known one means that during a hunger emergency at the disposal were to the bakers of Luebeck nothing different one than almonds, sugars and rose oil, in order to protect the citizens death. From this the bakers developed "the Marcus bread", our current Marzipan, is subject to which strict regulations and high quality requirements. Only marzipan, which consists to 60% of almonds and at the most 40% sugar, may call itself Luebecker noble edel-Marzipan.
Marzipanland, 'Marzipan' (2002)
In 2002 I visited Luebeck, an | |
_zhuhai qiye zhigong sixiang xiangtai de diaocha fenxi_ ), _Gongyun Luntan_ (December 1996).
. "The Role of the Union Representative in Protecting Rights during Collective Bargaining: Problems and Countermeasures" ( _gonghui daibiao zaijitixieshang tanpanzhong weiquanzuoyong fahuide nandian yu duice_ ), _Handling and Research of Labor Disputes_ (November 1996), 15.
. Xiang Derong, "Stock-Holding Companies' Board of Directors: Existing Problems and Suggestions" ( _gufenzhi qiye dongshihui cunzai de wenti he jianyi_ ), _Union Theory and Practice_ (August 1, 1995), 10.
. Shenyang City Union Investigative Office, "The Experimental Modern Enterprise System in Shenyang: Union Problems and Countermeasures" ( _shenyang Shi xiandaihua qiyezhidu shidianzhong gonghui cunzai de wenti ji duice_ ) _Union Theory and Practice_ (August 1, 1995), 31.
. Xiang (1995). The central union ideally prefers that the union chairman be a full-time elected position with the right to serve and vote on the board of directors.
. Interview, trade union chairman, SOE, Tangshan, April 1997.
. Interview, human resource staff member, American WFOE, Tianjin, November 2003.
. Sino-American JC, general manager, December 2002, Shanghai.
. Interview, deputy general manager, Sino-Japanese JV, November 2003.
. "Workers in Foreign-Invested Enterprises," _China Labor Bulletin_ (March 1996).
. Interview with human resource manager, Taiwanese WFOE, Shanghai, July 1997.
. The manager indicated that he wished they were a "national joint-venture" as they could then take advantage of preferential policies for FDI. His joint venture with a Beijing university did not earn the company the preferential policies awarded foreign firms. Interview, rural collective, general manager, Tianjin, July 1997.
. Interview, rural collective, general manager, Tianjin, July 1997.
. Interview, urban collective, General Affairs office manager, Tianjin, March, 1997.
. This is not to say that the other firms had no labor disputes, only that the disputes were less incendiary. Disputes in other factories included salary and benefits disputes (Sino-Japanese JV, Tianjin), disputes about health insurance for the children of employees (Taiwanese WFOE, Shanghai), termination (Sino-American JV, Shanghai), and worker compensation (SOE, Tangshan). Health insurance for children is not required by Chinese law but it has become increasingly an issue for companies that employ large numbers of women of child-bearing age.
. Ethnographic research in overseas Chinese-invested enterprises has also uncovered paternalistic, militaristic, and exploitative authority relations. You-Tien Hsing, _Making Capitalism in China: The Taiwan Connection_ (New York: Oxford University Press, 1998); Anita Chan (2000); Ching-Kwan Lee "From Organized to Disorganized Despotism: Changing Labor Regimes in Chinese Factories," _China Quarterly_ 157 (1999).
. Interview, Taiwanese WFOE, department manager, Kunshan, May 2001.
. Interview, Taiwanese WFOE, department manager, Kunshan, May 2001.
. In December 2002, three clerical employees were interviewed without management's presence. Interviews, Taiwanese WFOE, Kunshan, December 2002.
. Some analysts of Asian FDI into China divide the flows into two periods. The first period during the 1980s was one of "passive delocalisation" ( _beidongxing chuzou_ ), with firms reacting to higher wages at home. The second period, which began in the 1990s, is called "active delocalisation" ( _zhudong chuji_ ), with firms out to grab up Chinese domestic consumer markets. Firms with more activist plans in China's domestic market also paid greater attention to human resource problems. Philippe Chevalerias, "Investment Strategies in China," _China Perspectives_ 13 (September–October 1997), 64.
. Interview, human resources manager, Taiwanese WFOE, Shanghai, May 1997.
. Interview, human resources manager, Taiwanese WFOE, Shanghai, May 1997.
. Akira Hagiwara, "Foreign Investment and Worker-Management Relations in China—The Experience of Taiwanese Firms," _Asian Economic Review_ (August 1996), 54.
. Recent news articles regarding Taiwanese investment in Nicaragua cites strikingly similar examples of Taiwanese investor's aversion to unions, particularly to unions that have a historical connection to communism. The reports also cite similar despotic tactics, such as militaristic punishment, beatings, and various schemes to fragment the workforce. Noah Adams, "All Things Considered," _National Public Radio_ , August 18, 2000.
. Interview, rural collective general manager, July 1997. See also Zhao and Nichols (1996) and Chan (1999).
. Stephen Crowley and David Ost, eds., _Workers after Workers' States : Labor and Politics in Postcommunist Eastern Europe_ (Lanham, Md.: Rowman and Littlefield, 2001).
### CHAPTER 5: "USE THE LAW AS YOUR WEAPON!"
. "Use legal weapons to protect your own rights" ( _yong falu wuqi weihu zishen quanyi_ ), quoted in "The Awakening of Workers' Rights Consciousness" ( _laodongzhe quanyi yishi de suxing_ ), _Workers Daily_ , January 2, 1997, 6. Chinese reports of labor unrest are generally circumspect, but allude to large-scale collective disputes and strikes that threaten social stability. External reports are more detailed. Human Rights in China reported that 100,000 workers went on strike in Mianyang, Sichuan, after their factories were declared bankrupt and their unemployment funds embezzled by the managers. Twenty thousand miners went on strike in April 2000 to protest the redundancy funds distributed after the mines began to close. "Over 100,000 workers demonstrate in Mianyang City . . ." _Human Rights in China Press Report_ , July 16, 1997; "Huge Mine Protest in China as Angry Laid-off Workers Vent Anger," April 7, 2000, www.insidechina.com/news; John Pomfret, "Miners' Riot a Symbol of China's New Discontent," _Washington Post_ , April 5, 2000, Al. On the large protests in Liaoning Province in the spring of 2002 see "Paying the Price: Worker Unrest in Northeast China," _Human Rights Watch: China_ 14:6 (August 2002).
. These figures are the most conservative measures of disputes, only including disputes that reached the local arbitration level and leaving out disputes that were mediated by the enterprises themselves. Inclusion of mediated disputes and informally negotiated disputes would bring the total in 1999 from 120,191 to 171,669. _China Statistical Yearbook_ ( _zhongguo tongjinianjian_ ), various years (Beijing: China Statistical Publishing House); ( _zhongguo laodong tongji nianjian_ ), various years (Beijing: China Statistical Publishing House).
. People's Republic of China National Labor Law ( _zhonghuarenmingongheguo laodongfa_ ) was adopted at the Eighth Meeting of the Standing Committee of the Eighth National People's Congress on July 5, 1994, and went into effect on January 1, 1995.
. Guo Chengdu, "Fujian Province FIEs' Labor Disputes: Special Characteristics and Countermeasures," ( _fujianshengsanziqiye laozijiufendetedianjiduice_ ), _Research and Suggestions_ (1995); Lin Zhengong and Chen Yulin, "Special Characteristics of and Countermeasures for Slowdowns and Strikes in Foreign-Invested Enterprises," ( _sanzi qiyegongren daigong bagongde tedian he duice_ ) _China Labor Science_ 5 (1993), 33–35; Lu Hong, "From Disorder to Order: Analysis of Special Characteristics of Contemporary Labor Disputes," ( _cong wuxu dao youxu: xianjieduan laodongzhengyi tezheng fenxi_ ) _Journal of Guangzhou Normal University (Social Science Edition)_ 20:6 (1998).
. Interview, Ministry of Labor official, December 12, 2002. For example, see "Where There Is Conflict, They Are There," ( _You maodun de difang jiuyou tamen de shenying_ ), _Xinmin Evening News_ , October 7, 2003, p. 12.
. Stanley Lubman, _Bird in a Cage: Legal Reform in China after Mao_ (Stanford, Calif.: Stanford University Press, 1999) Pitman Potter, "Foreign Investment Law in the People's Republic of China: Dilemmas of State Control," _China Quarterly_ (March 1995), 155–85; Karen Turner et al. eds. _The Limits of the Rule of Law in China_ (Seattle: University of Washington Press, 2000); Franz Michael, "Law: A Tool of Power," in Yuan-li Wu et al., eds., _Human Rights in the People's Republic of China_ (Boulder, Colo.: Westview Press, 1988). Randall Peerenboom is more optimistic about China's development of the rule of law in _China's Long March toward the Rule of Law_ (New York: Cambridge University Press, 2002).
. The concept of "mutual empowerment" was developed in Joel Migdal, Atul Kohli, and Vivienne Shue, eds., _State Power and Social Forces: Domination and Transformation in the Third World_ (New York: Cambridge University Press, 1994). Xu Wang argues that rural elections also have mutually empowered peasants and the state apparatus. Xu Wang, "Mutual Empowerment of State and Peasantry: Grassroots Development in Rural China," _World Development_ , 25 (1997), 1431–42.
. Quoted in Albert H. Y. Chen, "Toward a Legal Enlightenment: Discussions in Contemporary China | |
Category Archives: BBC
December 30, 2021 Acting, Actor, BBC, Christmas, Coronation St, Covid-19, Doctors BBC, Family, Food, friends, ITV, Radio, Sheffield2022, actor, bbc, coronation st, Covid-19, Doctors BBC, family, food, humour, new year, sheffieldDave
So, here we are, it's almost New Year's Eve as I write this on Thursday evening.
It's been another odd year hasn't it? Lockdowns, loss of people, loss of work.
Dad and Benjamin in Canada
New Year is always a time for reflection time for me anyway, my Dad died Dec 31, 2010, and I always feel his loss. This year it feels even more reflective.
So it's back to New Year traditions to say farewell to the old and welcome the new. I've baked lots of tarts, jam and lemon curd. My Gran always cooked them for Christmas and New Year, and as a youngster I helped, cutting out the tarts, scooping the jam fillings. And making a jam turnover with the remaining pastry.
Tomorrow will be an evening at home with my Mum, a beer or two, nibbles…. some Pork Pie, Scotch Egg, Sausage Rolls, vol-au-vents… And this evening I've made Egg Nog for the first time, it's now chilling ready to add to traditions tomorrow. I admit, my Brandy pouring hand may have been over zealous.
At midnight I'll sing Auld Lang Syne, I'll go out and come in again to First Foot, I'll phone and message friends near and far, then to bed and 2022.
I'm hoping work continues next year as it ended in 2021. I ended up quite busy over the last couple of months. An episode of Doctors for BBC1, two episodes of an upcoming series, Compulsion, for Channel 5. And most recently I shot two episodes of Coronation St, airing mid-January on ITV.
To end the year tomorrow, you can hear me doing some radio. As I've mentioned before, I co-host the monthly Comedy Show on Write Radio on Sheffield Live. Tomorrow's show is a year-end special, a murder mystery featuring all the hosts of Write Radio, put together by our amazing producer Andrew Tildesley. It's fun, so listen in, either live, or catch up on the link later. Write Radio airs Friday afternoons, 1-3pm.
And remember, during January I will be taking part in the Run The Month Challenge for Prostate Cancer UK.
So my dears, I bid you all the very best for the coming year.
Be kind to yourself, spread the love, and stay safe and healthy during these dark days and testing times.
If you can find a test.
Dave X
Dad and friend Reg, New Year in Canada.
Coming up – DOCTORS, Weds Dec 15, BBC1
December 12, 2021 Actor, BBC, Coronation St, Covid-19, Doctors BBC, TVactor, bbc, coronation st, Covid-19, Doctors BBC, tvDave
Hi folks! I hope you're keeping safe and well as we head into a higher alert level and possible restrictions as we head towards Christmas. It goes on and on doesn't it?
I'm glad to have had my Booster, please get yours.
Some good news for me though – I'm going to be on your Telly! So, if you're stuck working from home again, why not give this a watch this week?
On Wednesday Dec 15th, 1:45pm, I'm on DOCTORS, BBC 1.
A lovely episode titled "Christmas Cheer." My scenes are with the Legend that is Shaun Prendergast. We also share a scene with Nurse Luca McIntyre (Ross McLaren) & Dr Zara Carmichael (Elisabeth Dermot Walsh). Directed by the amazing Niall Fraser.
"Luca finds himself chasing after a patient who is struggling with his demons at Christmas." – I may be one of those demons……
Dave with Shaun Prendergast, DOCTORS.
So, pop an E-180 in the VCR and set your timer! Hope you enjoy it!
And special thanks to my agent, CiekaBailey Associates, for making it happen!
WHAT'S NEXT? Coming up in January…
A couple of episodes of CORONATION ST!!!!
Very excited to play a lovely character on the cobbles with some of your favourite Weatherfield residents. More on that after Christmas.
I wish you all peace and love, and may your Christmas dreams come true.
Dave XXX
Coming up on MOCKDOWN! Sun Aug 23 @ 8PM
August 21, 2020 Acting, Actor, BBC, Blackpool, celebrities, Celebrity, Chat Show, comedy, Emmerdale, Film, Filmmaking, Humour, ITV, Lancashire, Mockdown, Politics, stage, Summer, theatre, TVactor, comedy, disneyland paris, emmerdale, fans, humour, itv, Lancashire, lockdown, music, music video, politics, sitcom, theatre, tv, videoDave
Coming up Sunday Aug 23 on Mockdown!
You need HOPE in this time of global pandemic – and this week I have Bob Hope, Emmerdale actor TONY AUDENSHAW, here to chat about how his shed kept him busy during lockdown…
I have actor, writer, singer, social media star, and Lockdown SitCom creator FANNI COMPTON…
And we'll travel to France to chat to my friend DOMINIC RAINFORD – he's done panto, opera, Scooby-Doo and Shakespeare – now he's entertaining the crowds at Disneyland Paris.
They'll be here to chat about their lockdown experience – and what they have coming up next…
Join us on Sunday night at 8pm.
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MOCKDOWN AUG 23 TRAILER:
Tony Twitter: https://twitter.com/TonysTrials
Tony In The Shed YouTube Channel – https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTzmZ05_P-3yK6PGUbR-Lyg
Fanni Music website: www.fannicomptonmusic.com
Fanni YouTube: https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCJU6ZsSSC22CyM2hQ43B7Dw
Dominic Twitter: @DommyPoppins
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MOCKDOWN! streams live on Sunday evenings at 8pm (UK) on my Actor Facebook Page and on my YouTube Channel. There are also occasional Mockdown Confidential shows on Tuesday evenings.
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Watch the Mockdown! Chat show for Aug 16th…
August 17, 2020 Acting, Actor, BBC, celebrities, Celebrity, comedy, Coronation St, Covid-19, Film, Humour, ITV, Mockdown, Politics, stage, theatre, TVactor, bbc, BBC Casualty, comedy, coronation st, Covid-19, itv, sheffield, Tenby, theatre, tv, WalesDave
Greetings campers!!!!!!
Had a great chat with two lovely people on Sunday night.
We talked Lockdown, theatre and telly stuff, poetry, and Tenby in Wales!
My guests were both actors, each with over 40 years experience in the business…. CHARLES DALE and KATE RUTTER… [Guest info below video]
CHARLES DALE, he's done it all, English Shakespeare Company, West End, Broadway. Coronation Street (Dennis Stringer), Casualty (Big Mac) and many other bits of general TV shouting. Several films that have disappeared without trace… He's now become a Lockdown Poet…
Charles Dale Twitter
KATE RUTTER, actor in Theatre, Film, TV and Radio. Films include Ken Loach's I, Daniel Blake, Mike Leigh's Peterloo and The Full Monty. She's appeared in many television dramas including His Dark Materials, Scott and Bailey, Cold Feet, Affinity, Silent Witness, DCI Banks, Clocking Off, Fat Friends, Queer as Folk and many more. She's appeared in all the major continuing dramas, most recently as Coronation Street's tough cop, D.S Sam Beckett.
Kate Rutter Twitter
SUPPORT ARTISTS
MOCKDOWN! streams live on Sunday evenings at 8pm (UK) on my Actor Facebook Page and on my YouTube Channel.
Stay safe you beauties!
Mockdown Chat Show, Sunday Aug 16, 8pm (UK)
August 14, 2020 Acting, Actor, BBC, celebrities, Celebrity, comedy, Covid-19, Film, Filmmaking, Humour, ITV, Mockdown, stage, theatre, TV, Voiceoveractor, bbc, BBC Casualty, comedy, coronation st, Covid-19, film, itv, lockdown, politics, theatre, tvDave
Hi Shipmates!!!
Coming up this weekend, join me and two special guests as we chat about the world of entertainment during these strange pandemic days…
This week, two actors, each with over 40 years experience in the business….
First up, CHARLES DALE, he's done it all, English Shakespeare Company, West End, Broadway. Coronation Street (Dennis Stringer), Casualty (Big Mac) and many other bits of general TV shouting. Several films that have disappeared without trace… He's now become a Lockdown Poet…
And KATE RUTTER, actor in Theatre, Film, TV and Radio. Films include Ken Loach's I, Daniel Blake, Mike Leigh's Peterloo and The Full Monty. She's | |
impact psychologically on Porte.
There was a lot of speculation last year, some of it stoked by the rider himself, that Richie would need to consider life away from Sky if he was to really fulfil his potential as a GC rider in the grand tours. I think the way Sky handle Porte this year will have a huge influence on whether or not he decides to stay with the team. I wonder if the stars are poised to align at some point in the next year or so that will see Porte move to Australia's team Orica Green Edge, with one or both of the Yates brothers moving in the opposite direction to Sky.
Talking of Aussie riders I was super happy to see Heinrich Haussler take the Aussie road race title last week. I have been a massive fan of Heino since his Cervelo days and while it has been a while coming it's great to see him getting a result like this for IAM cycling in their first year at the highest level. Haussler has been out of the limelight for a long time and he wasn't wrong when he described his win as the biggest of his career. I hope that Heino can kick on from this result; he's due a better showing in the spring classics too. I remember meeting him during his first year with IAM and he seemed genuinely surprised that anyone would have sought him out when the big crowds were surrounding the Sky Death Star. Hopefully in 2015 Haussler can remind a few more people of just how exciting he was to watch back in 2009.
Continue reading Back to '09.. just don't mention doping!
Posted on January 19, 2015 January 19, 2015 Categories Back Stories, Road RacingTags Adam Yates, Anti Doping, Astana, Cervelo Test Team, Chris Froome, Crankpunk, Etixx Quick Step, Heinrich Haussler, Het Nieuwsblad, IAM, Kuurne Brussel Kuurne, Marcel Kittel, Mark Cavendish, Omega Pharma Quick Step, Orica Green Edge, Paris Nice, Richie Porte, Simon Yates, Team Sky, Tirreno Adriatico, Tom Boonen, Tour Down Under, Velon1 Comment on Back to '09.. just don't mention doping!
The Panda's Revenge – VCSE's Racing Digest #29
Ardennes Classics
Interesting that Amstel Gold was moved to the Sunday this year. Pressure from the sponsors maybe? It can't help any race in search of an audience to be shunted into a weekday spot and weekends have to be the way to go. And before we go any further; confession time. Your correspondent didn't manage to see the race live. Providing a decent summary of what happened was further compounded by a very short highlights slot later in the day on Eurosport that was basically the last 15km. Hardly a problem with Amstel Gold and while we're on this subject Fleche Wallone as the races are pretty much decided on their final ascents of their signature climbs.
LBL 2014 winner – Simon Gerrans
The organisers have tried to make Amstel a bit more interesting by shifting the finish line a little further up the road from the crest (you can hardly call it a summit) of the Cauberg, but with no breaks allowed to remain from earlier in the race and no one able to get off the front towards the end the race was effectlively decided in the final couple of kilometres. The was still a pretty decent sized peloton that sped down into Valkenberg and onto the Cauberg for the final time. The Cauberg is pretty much owned by Phillipe Gilbert with his previous Amstel wins and 2012 world championship and although he (still) doesn't hold the record for most Amstel victories there isn't a single Ardennes preview that won't give him a mention as a potential winner.
Chief rival this year was the rider everyone loves to hate Alejandro Valverde who had stated his aim to challenge for all three races. Let's consider this for a moment; three hard one day races in the space of seven days and Valverde is unrepentant (as he is in so many ways) that he's going to go for the win in all three! Almost a week after the races took place and the facts are that the Movistar rider was as good as his word and he was a feature at all three. Whether or not this was the result of fantastic preparation or fantastic "preparation" remains a bit of a mystery but the facts are (for now) that for the 2014 Ardennes Classics Alejandro Valverde came away with a first, a second and a fourth.
He was beaten in Amstel by Gilbert who knows better than anyone else 'when to go' on the Cauberg. The feint from new for 2014 BMC teammate Sammy Sanchez may have taken the sting out of an attack by any of his rivals, but in shades of his world champs win Gilbert attacked, went clear and looked comfortable by the end of the race.
Missing at the mid week Fleche Wallone but on the podium at Amstel was Orica's Simon Gerrans, perhaps unnoticed at the time but a portent of the Aussie national champs ability to be in the right place at the right time in a one day race. Another rider showing form ahead of the weeks headline race and one day 'monument' was 2013 Liege Bastogne Liege winner Dan Martin. Martin looked like he might have snatched the win in Fleche Wallone after steeing a path through his rivals up the Mur du Huy for the last time. Omega Pharma Quick Step's Michael Kwiatowski who joined Martin on the podium looked a reasonable bet as the riders weaved up the Mur's 19% ramp but the disappointment was all over the Poles face as Valverde skipped by talking on his mobile and eating an ice cream (OK I lied about that bit, but you get what I mean). Valverde demonstrated he's a man without irony when he couldn't understand why a section of the crowd booed as he took the victory garlands.
And so to LBL. Martin who famously won the race the year before chased by an inebriated steel worked in a Panda costume (spawning a bizarre marketing tie in for Garmin) looked as if he was catching the late breaking juniors race otherwise known as Domenico Pozzovivo and Giampolo Caruso. As he turned the final corner though Martin was down. OK, there wasn't a Panda nearby, but even that sounds more plausible than the suggestion that Martin lost his wheel due to someone leaving a pen in the road. This left fans in Birmingham and Ireland cheering for ABV (anyone but Valverde). The juniors were spent, but Gerrans popped up to save the crowd (who were probably at least as lubricated as the Amstel lot) having to boo and hiss at Valverde.
An interesting aside (can't remember who tweeted it) was that Gerrans didn't win a thing in two years with Sky. This is possibly mischief making at the expense of both Orica and Sky, but VCSE would interpret the comment as a dig at Sky's inabilty to make data mining work as strategy and tactics for a one day race. Sky fielded a reduced team at Fleche Wallone and didn't have a single rider in the top 40 at LBL. Ian Stannard's win in Het Nieuwsblad now confirmed as another false dawn for the team as far as the classics go (not withstanding strong rides from Geraint Thomas and Bradley Wiggins in Flanders and Roubaix). Orica haven't had the best of time in the classics this year, but of the two teams you suspect they will feel happier with their return of three monuments for Sky's bust over the same period.
Tour of Turkey
A race that was really enjoyable last year | |
and Sergeant Bowers had been pulled from their horses by Indians. Frank Fessenden's later account corroborates Donovan's: "The savages attempted to catch several of our boys by trying to put their strong bows over their necks and drag them off their horses." Fessenden also reported that Lieutenant Grummond told him "that he shut his eyes and literally slashed his way out, as did many of the others. Grummond said he could hear his saber 'click' every time he cleaved an Indian's skull."
In recording the reunion with her husband after the fight, Frances Grummond wrote: "We both sat for a long time in silence, then mingled our tears in gratitude for the wonderful deliverance... he said that he abandoned the use of spurs and jammed his sword into the weary beast to urge him to greater effort, followed by the chief, in full war-dress, with spear at his back so near that but for his good horse he would then and there have met a terrible fate.... A sense of apprehension that I seemed to have been conscious of ever since my arrival at the post, deepened from that hour. No sleep came to my weary eyes, except fitfully, for many nights, and even then in my dreams I could see him riding madly from me with the Indians in pursuit."
Even the cocky Captain Fetterman seemed to be sobered by the day's events. When he handed his official report to Carrington he professed to have learned a lesson. "This Indian war," he said, "has become a hand-to-hand fight, requiring the utmost caution."
Unfortunately, Fetterman forgot this lesson, the last he would learn from the Indians. Jim Bridger, growing more melancholy every day, must have sensed that he would. "Your men who fought down south are crazy," he told Carrington. "They don't know anything about fighting Indians."
But if Fetterman forgot what he learned, the Indians remembered everything which happened that day. From the high ridges, Red Cloud and other leading chiefs had observed the foolish actions of the soldiers, and later that week in the Sioux lodges along Tongue River, they heard many details of the fighting from a subchief, Yellow Eagle, who had led the main attacks. Years afterward, white men would learn from the Indians that the fight of December 6 convinced the hostiles that they could overpower and destroy any force sent out from the fort to fight them. They decided that on the first auspicious day after the coming of the next full moon they would lay a great trap of more than a thousand warriors, make another feint at the wood train, work the decoy trick, lure as many men out as possible, kill them all, and then burn the fort.
As the gloomy hours of December 6 dragged toward midnight, voices of sentries on the stockade echoed "All's well!" But the fate of eighty-one men in Fort Phil Kearny was already cast. Doom waited for them only a fortnight away, along the frozen flats of Peno Creek.
## 2.
They buried Lieutenant Bingham and Sergeant Bowers on Sunday the 9th. As Bingham had been a Mason, he was accorded the honors of that society, Lieutenant Grummond conducting the rites with the assistance of six other members. Chaplain White led the religious services, and when the chaplain came to speak of Sergeant Bowers, Captain Fred Brown stepped forward and placed his long-treasured Army of the Cumberland badge upon the breast of the dead sergeant. Brown, Bisbee, Powell and other veterans of the regiment had soldiered with Sergeant Bowers from Stone's River to Atlanta and held him in high regard.
In wooden boxes lined with tin, the dead were buried in the little cemetery at the foot of Pilot Hill; their graves were mounded with frozen earth and then covered with stones against the wolves.
Letters had to be written to relatives, and the duty of informing Miss Stella Bingham, St. Charles, Minnesota, of the death of her brother, Horatio, was assigned to Captain Fetterman.
> I send you herewith an Inventory of his Effects taken by me by virtue of my position as his Military Administrator. The money has been forwarded to the Adjutant General, U.S. Army, Washington, D. C, by applying to him it can easily be obtained by his heirs... the sword, sash and epaulettes, with private correspondence etc. have been sent to you. His other effects were sold at auction & the proceeds as before stated sent to the Adjt. Gen.... This is the customary manner of disposing of the effects of deceased officers, which it is supposed his heirs will not want, and which cannot be easily sent to them. Your brother was much esteemed by all who knew him, and his death is severely felt by all. He was buried with military and Masonic honors and the whole garrison attended his remains to the grave, all being desirous to pay their last tribute of respect to one whom all esteemed so highly.
I am madam,
Very Respectfully
Your Obt. Svt.
WILLIAM J. FETTERMAN
Ironically, only a few days later another appointed military administrator would be writing a similar letter concerning the composer of this one.
As soon as funeral services were ended, a mail escort of one corporal and eight troopers from the cavalry gathered in front of headquarters. Joining this escort were Lieutenant Bisbee and his wife and son, who boarded a canvas-topped army wagon which had been especially prepared for winter travel to Laramie. Floor and sides were double-boarded, and a stove had been placed inside. "My outfit," wrote Bisbee, "consisted of buffalo skin cap, two woolen shirts under a heavy blanket suit, buffalo-lined hip boots over two pairs of woolen socks, two pairs of gloves...." All of Bisbee's fellow officers were on hand to wish him luck in his new assignment at department headquarters in Omaha, and Bisbee in turn gave his blessing to the lieutenant succeeding him as post adjutant, Lieutenant Wilbur F. Arnold.
In the mailbag for Omaha were Carrington's full reports of the "skirmish with a body of Indians, numbering in the aggregate not less than three hundred warriors," with accounts of the deaths of Bingham and Bowers. "I need mittens for the men," he added, "and especially do I need every officer I can get. The cavalry has none. There are but six for six companies, including staff.... This is all wrong. There is much at stake; I will take my full share, but two officers to a company is small allowance enough, with mercury at zero and active operations on hand."
Beginning the second week of December, Carrington tightened the duties of his "six officers for six companies." Captain Powell was assigned to drill C Company, 2nd Cavalry, in such basic elements as mounting and dismounting, forming columns of twos and fours, and firing carbines and pistols by command. Daily at retreat, Captain Fetterman drilled the infantry in loading and firing by file and by numbers. Lieutenant Grummond was given full command of the mounted infantry, with orders to keep all serviceable horses—about fifty—saddled and ready for pursuit from dawn to dusk.
During the fortnight following the fight of the 6th, the Indians did not approach the fort or the pinery, yet scarcely a day passed without their scouting parties appearing on distant hills, signaling with mirrors or flags. Carrington doubled the guards assigned to wood trains, and maintained a state of watchful waiting. The weather continued bitter cold, and Surgeon Horton's hospital records showed a sharp increase in rheumatic complaints and frostbitten ears.
The Indians made their long-planned decoy attack on the 19th, and as soon as the vigilant Carrington saw the picket on Pilot Hill signaling "wood train under attack," he ordered his most cautious officer, Captain Powell, to | |
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Tag: SSBU
Tag Archives: SSBU
Rango's Smash Blog: I Still Play Competitive Smash and I Do Not Understand Why.
Welcome back to Rango's Smash Blog! If this is your first time here, allow me to introduce myself.
I'm a competitive esports player and part-time Smash coach. I've been playing Smash since 1999 and playing competitively since Brawl came out on the Wii. My offline tournament journey began in 2014, upon the release of the 3DS and Wii U titles, and I've been competing ever since. As a previously sponsored player who traveled to tournaments across the country, I made myself a name as both as a ranked Georgia player and one of the best Ike mains in the world. If you're interested, you can read a bit more about my tournament history.
2020 and Online Tournaments
Ever since COVID started, I've been inactive in the tournament scene. With CEO Dreamland, hosted in March, being the last major offline tournament, many players have resorted to playing in online tournaments. Moreover, even Nintendo has made bare-minimum efforts to improve online. With that being said, however, I've had no interest in playing in online tournaments.
I've done my fair share of entering a few online tournaments. Waiting around for matches at home isn't the same as actually being inside a venue while interacting with people. It just feels like sitting in a waiting room, in your house, when you could be doing something more productive. It honestly surprises me how many players participate in online tournaments.
However, I also notice that the online rankings differ vastly from the offline rankings. Perhaps a number of top players have just as little interest in entering online tournaments as I do and prefer to focus on content creation and other endeavors.
I cite MKLeo and Fatality as two people who place much higher on the offline rankings. As such, I find this ranking to be subjective either to how online meta works, Or perhaps this is due to top players' lack of interest in online tournament play.
Why I don't enter online tournaments.
With that being said, why not enter? They're easy to find and, I know if I wanted to, I could enter and do incredibly well. I not only main Ike but use several characters proficiently to cover his bad matchups. The online tournaments I'm aware of don't even have a buy-in, so it's basically entering for free and getting paid for placing high.
But truth be told, I'm not interested. While I take my offline tournaments seriously, I've always been someone who plays Smash for fun first and foremost. The same guy who enters 1v1 tournaments to win is also the same guy you'll spot playing 8-player matches with items on. I'll sooner go to a convention and play fun matches with groups of people than go ham when I'm trying to have a good time. I've won my fair share of con tournaments and even won free badges to southeast anime conventions such as Ichibancon and Triad. However, the pacing of a con tournament, coupled with its casual ruleset, no longer interests me.
With that being said, part of me wonders if it would be a good financial endeavor to enter online tournaments. It's hard to find good training partners in Smash online. I struggle to find matches on Anther's Ladder and even Discord. In fact, most of what I really do is just end up playing on Elite Smash, the random matchmaking mode. This leads me to play against players with poor habits, use annoying characters, or end up leaving after one match.
Nintendo's Online and Fighting Games
This is mostly Nintendo's fault for not only having poor netcode but also for offering poor matchmaking options. Joining an arena is a potluck of players of various skill levels which include those lower than what I seek. Even though a more recent update added Elite Smash to play with higher-level players in Arenas, it's totally empty. I kid you not that searching for high-level players on arena matchmaking leads to no results. It's just as empty if you host arenas too.
All-in-all, I want tournaments to come back. I've tried filling the void by playing more viable online fighting games, like Tekken 7. But nothing hits quite like Smash. It's my favorite game by far and the one I still play online in.
Getting Back into the Game
For some reason, though, I just can't stop playing online. Even if I'm tormenting myself on Quickplay, it feels good to just play my characters, practice, and feel some level of improvement. Sometimes I'll find a good challenge on Discord and we'll host arenas to play sets in. While it doesn't happen often, those are some of the highlights of my day.
More than anything, I feel like I'm just prepping right now for offline tournaments to return. Once COVID goes away, perhaps thanks to the new vaccines, we might be able to venture out and compete once more. I would love to become a sponsored player again and travel the country in search of new challenges. I definitely want to become a better player than I am now and I certainly look forward to what comes once we get back in full gear.
Right now, playing online is just to prepare for offline tournaments. I might consider an online tournament if it conveniences me and falls into my time slot. Whether I do or do not, however, I'll still be playing Smash online and getting ready for that day when we can compete offline once more.
Fighting Nintendo Smash Bros. SSBU Switch
The Game Corner – What Are You Playing? Week of 1/4/21
Welcome to the new year! Now that we finally left 2020 behind, we're looking forward to a much brighter and better year! With that being said, welcome to the Game Corner!
What is the Game Corner?
Named after the Pokemon series' casino, the Game Corner is a column where I cover my gaming backlog. I'll also include activities in the games I regularly play, such as Fire Emblem Heroes and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. If you're fond of JRPGs, Nintendo series, PlayStation hits, and a hint of fighting games, you came to the right place!
We encourage you to share your backlogs with us in the replies as well. Hopefully, this column will give you some ideas on what to add to your backlog. If you're looking for new games to play, you might find something you like!
Super Mario 3D All-Stars
Yep, I did it. I cleared Super Mario 64 with 120 Stars. I'm no stranger to this game and I got into it when it came out on the Nintendo 64 back in 1996! I've cleared through this game many times to include on the DS with 150 Stars! Despite being many years since I've last played through this game, though, it's a blast to play no matter how many times I replay it.
Surprisingly, as well as it's held up, it's become easier to identify some of the design flaws in the game. Perhaps it's because Super Mario Galaxy spoiled us. But when it comes to finding 100 coins, redoing a long mission because of a death and no checkpoint, or clearing Tick-Tock Clock, some of the missions were actually frustrating! It's one thing for Mario to be challenging but when you have to go all the way back through the | |
Front Page » Archives » November 2019 »
Warren's Plan to Pay for 'Medicare for All' Without Raising Middle Class Taxes: 'BradCast' 11/1/2019
Guest: Politico's Alice Ollstein; Also: Repubs suppressing the 2020 student vote, Dems push-back in TX; Katie Hill's final floor speech...
By Brad Friedman on 11/1/2019 6:31pm PT
On today's BradCast: Progressive 2020 Democratic candidate Elizabeth Warren finally releases her detailed proposal explaining how she plans to pay for "Medicare for All" with "not one penny in middle-class tax increases" and Democrats begin their push-back against a coordinated national GOP effort to curb surging turnout by young voters who, for some reason, tend to lean strongly Democratic when they are allowed to vote. [Audio link to show is posted below.]
First up, we're joined by longtime health care reporter ALICE OLLSTEIN of Politico to break down the pay-fors and the politics of Warren's newly introduced details on how she hopes to fund her $52 trillion single-payer Medical for All plan without raising taxes on the middle class. Warren, in a 9,300-word Medium post on Friday, explained that "Medicare for All is about the same price as our current path --- and cheaper over time." The difference with our current path and her plan, she says, is that her plan covers everyone and even includes new benefits for dental, vision and long-term care, without spending more money than Americans pay overall right now for care that is twice as expensive as the rest of the developed world, but with worse outcomes.
Where fellow progressive Bernie Sanders has emphasized that middle class taxes would necessary increase under his version of Medicare for All while overall costs to Americans would be lower (thanks to no more monthly premiums, co-pays, deductibles, etc.), and where more centrist 2020 Dems like Joe Biden, Pete Buttigieg, Amy Klobuchar and Kamala Harris have argued that it would be impossible to find the trillions needed for such universal single-payer plans, Warren laid out her proposal for covering everyone with better care, doctors of their choice, and no increases in taxes on the middle class. The burden as she describes will fall largely on corporations and the top 1% of taxpayers.
"It's interesting that there's been so much focus and pressure on her to produce a plan to pay for a plan that she didn't write --- it's Bernie's plan. But she has embraced it, and since she has made her personal brand being the woman with a plan for everything, it makes sense why she was pressed on this, and why she felt that she had to put something serious out there," Ollstein tells me.
Warren's plan, as Ollstein reports, even offers incentives for business to unionize in order to save money for both workers and companies, while companies are required to pay no more for health care than they already do. Effectively, argues Ollstein, Warren's expansive proposal is effectively "trying to flip the tables" back on her opponents to demonstrate how either she is wrong about her plan, or how their own plans might offer better coverage to all for less money.
Her Democratic competition, however, are not the only ones currently gunning for both her as she continues to rise in the polls, and the others seeking to improve our woeful health care system. "The medical providers have been mobilizing all year long, not just against Medicare For All but for all of the more incremental reforms, as well. They do not want to take a haircut on any of this. And this would be far more than a haircut. This would be a very deep cut."
The debate over Warren's extraordinary ambitious proposal, however, and those of other Democratic candidates, will continue for some time, even if one of them is elected. "What ends up getting actually debated and passed will not look like what we're talking about now," Ollstein predicts. "How close it looks like to what we're talking about will depend on who turns out to vote in 2020, and who sits in those seats in the House and Senate. Because, man, elections matter."
Yes, they do. And Republicans know it. And the GOP effort to prevent Warren or any other Dem who wants to improve health care for Americans from taking ofice is already well under way in a number of battleground states, including Wisconsin, New Hampshire, Florida, North Carolina and Texas, where Republican lawmakers have been instituting particularly insidious measures to make it much harder for young voters, in particular, to cast a vote at all next year. We detail some of those anti-democratic and anti-Democratic measures today, along with some of the first of the push-back from Dems, who filed suit this week against a recently adopted Texas law that effectively shuts down voting all together on many college campuses. That, as voters in Texas and a number of other states, including Virginia, head to the polls for important elections this coming Tuesday.
In related breaking news as well today, Democratic 2020 candidate Beto O'Rourke of Texas announced that he would be dropping out of the Presidential nominating contest.
Finally, freshman Democratic Congresswoman Katie Hill of California offered her final U.S. House floor speech on Thursday, following the vote on rules for the process of impeachment of Donald J. Trump. Her remarks come after announcing her abrupt and surprise resignation last weekend in the wake of an ugly divorce battle, an ethics investigation regarding an affair with a staffer (which she denies), and nude photos of her being published by rightwing websites. She suggests those photos were given to her opponents by her "abusive" husband. In her fiery final floor remarks, Hill excoriates what she describes as a double-standard for women who are victimized by revenge porn, even as men who are credibly accused of sexual assault and violence, like the President of the United States (and two U.S. Supreme Court Justices) remain happily in office...
Article Categories: Florida, Election Reform, North Carolina, Texas, BRAD BLOG Media Appearance, Virginia, Rights And Freedoms, Wisconsin, New Hampshire, Photo ID Laws, U.S. House, Vote Caging, Health Care, Democrats, Republicans, Joe Biden, Economy, KPFK, Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, IRS/Taxes, BradCast, Election 2020, Gerrymandering, Beto O'Rourke, Election 2019, Katie Hill
Divided House Holds Historic Vote on Impeachment Guidelines: 'BradCast' 10/31/2019
Also: Impeachment 101; NSC official offers first-hand corroboration of Trump's quid pro quo pressure campaign...
By Brad Friedman on 10/31/2019 5:59pm PT
On today's BradCast, in an historic vote, the U.S. House officially adopted formal rules and procures to govern the ongoing impeachment inquiry of Donald J. Trump. We also do a bit of helpful Impeachment 101 to explain how it works, and what we know historically about the process from the three prior Presidential impeachment proceedings against Andrew Johnson, Richard Nixon and Bill Clinton. [Audio link to program is posted below.]
Then, it's on to today's vote in the U.S. House, undercutting a limp Republican argument --- already undercut by a federal court last week which determined no such vote was actually required by the Constitution to proceed with impeachment --- a sharply divided House adopted a resolution [PDF] by a 232 to 196 vote, setting out official rules for how the inquiry will proceed. All present members of the GOP voted against the measure and all but two Democrats (conservative ones, from districts won by Trump in 2016) voted in favor. So did former Tea Party Republican turned Independent Rep. Justin Amash of Texas.
The resolution sets the ground rules for upcoming public hearings in the House Judiciary Committee with witnesses who have testified to members behind-closed-doors in recent weeks. The adopted procedures allow the President and his attorneys to participate and cross-examine witnesses in those hearings, as well as request subpoenas for their own witnesses and other evidence, as long as | |
Author: Alfonso Aguilar
Alfonso Aguilar is the Executive Director of APP's Latino Partnership. He is the former Chief of the U.S. Office of Citizenship under President George W. Bush.
Posted on August 17, 2015 January 5, 2017
Trump's Immigration Plan Is Irresponsible, Inhumane, and Politically Expedient
It's hard to take Donald Trump's immigration rhetoric seriously when he's taken literally every position possible on the issue of immigration. A month ago, he was arguing for a path to legal status. Three years ago he criticized Mitt Romney's self-deportation policy as 'maniacal'. And now he's supportive of mass deportation? Trump may characterize himself as an anti-politician, but he's certainly showcasing himself as a typical politician who says whatever is most politically expedient in the moment.
Mr. Trump's proposal is irresponsible and lacks seriousness. But most importantly, Trump's proposal is inhumane.
The immense majority of undocumented immigrants are honest, hard-working people who ended up here illegally only because we have a broken immigration system that impedes the legal flow of the foreign workers that our economy needs. To suggest that we should expel all of them from the country they have made their home and to which they contribute so much is cynical, unfair and shows a total lack of human compassion.
Trump is playing politics on this issue and has conveniently flip-flopped on the issue out of crass political expediency.
Rather than hurting the middle class, immigration actually helps it. In a dynamic economy like ours, immigrants generate more economic activity and expand the consumer base. Foreign workers also fill niche jobs that American are not taking and by doing so they create better paying jobs upstream in the labor market for Americans. Here again, Trump contradicts himself once again. Only a few weeks ago he said in a CNN interview he was very supportive of legal immigration and now he's completely changed his tune. Continue Reading
When Will Hillary Return Trump's Donations?
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (photo credit: Marc Nozell via Flickr, CC BY 2.0)
Hillary Clinton has been extremely irresponsible in taking advantage of Donald Trump's insulting comments about Mexican immigrants. Saying that all GOP presidential candidates agree with Trump on immigration is factually untrue.
Several key candidates including Governor Rick Perry, Governor Jeb Bush and Senator Marco Rubio, have forcefully denounced Trump for his insulting and baseless comments. Clinton's comments are misleading Latino voters and this is the worst kind of crass political pandering.
If she is so appalled by her friend Donald Trump's comments, she should give back the over $100,000 she received from the Trump Foundation. Today I call on her to do so.
Alfonso Aguilar is the executive director of American Principles in Action's Latino Partnership. Continue Reading
What Would a Conservative Immigration Reform Look Like?
On Sunday, I was invited to C-SPAN to discuss immigration reform and APIA's new five-point action plan to fix our country's immigration system. You can see the full video, as well as an excerpt of the discussion, below:
Steven Scully: "I want to share with you a poll that came out a couple of months ago. It's available online at washingtonpost.com. But as you look at the breakdown of how Democrats and Republicans view the issue of immigration, 70 percent of those self-identified Republicans say they oppose any path to citizenship. Seven zero…"
Alfonso Aguilar: "Right, but the problem is with this issue that it has been oversimplified, mainly by Democrats, saying that the issue is about a path to citizenship, and that is not true. The majority of Republicans do not oppose a path to legal status, bringing people out of the shadows. The important thing is to give them a legal status. But this is not necessarily a special path to citizenship. That is what we're talking about.
Photo credit: Craig Nagy via Flickr (CC BY-SA 2.0)
"The majority of Republicans are not saying, 'let's close the door to citizenship.' But if you want to become a citizen, you would have to follow the path established by current law, which means you would have to get to the back of the line, not cutting in line. So the question here is really not the path to citizenship, but we shouldn't give them a special path to citizenship. And that's what Democrats are proposing: some sort of entitlement, that we would pass a law that would guarantee that people reach citizenship.
On Immigration, the President Wants an Issue, Not a Solution
President Barack Obama (photo via Wikimedia Commons)
On Tuesday, a Federal Court of Appeals ruled against lifting an injunction against President Obama's executive order to halt deportations. This latest ruling represents a small portion of a much larger problem with the President's handling of immigration policy.
When it comes to immigration, the President clearly wants an issue, not a solution. Sadly, the President chose to play with the hopes and aspirations of millions of undocumented immigrants for political purposes, instead of trying to work with the new Congress to find a real and permanent solution to our immigration problems.
This unfortunate circumstance, however, presents Republicans with an extraordinary opportunity to show that they are compassionate and capable of rising above the President's political games. If they decide to deal with the issue constructively and pass legislation to begin fixing our dysfunctional immigration system, rather than sitting on their hands out of sheer frustration with the President's disregard for the constitutional process, they can show the American people that they have the leadership to accomplish what Democrats have so far only talked about.
As Republicans move forward, however, they should understand that they do not have only two options — Obama's executive amnesty, on one hand, or Romney's self-deportation, on the other. However, this is a false choice. There is a third way — a conservative way — to approach immigration that is based on the rule of law and on the realization that immigration is good for the country and for our economy. Continue Reading
Posted on May 2, 2015 January 5, 2017
Bush Takes on National Review on Immigration
Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (photo credit: Gage Skidmore, CC BY-SA 2.0)
Jeb Bush, the former Florida governor, responded to National Review's criticism of his position favoring a path to citizenship to undocumented immigrants by saying: "I love you… I just think you are wrong on immigration".
Unlike many politicians, who flip flop with the political winds, Jeb Bush keeps coming forward and staying consistent on his pro-immigration reform stance, which nowadays seems as an odd position within official and non-official pre-presidential Republican candidates. The National Journal even refers to Bush as "a moderate outlier" just for defending his immigration position versus an array of ideas coming from most of the other Republican pre-candidates, which are widely distant and critical of supporting a reform process which may include a pathway to citizenship. But support for immigration is not a "moderate position." It was Ronald Reagan's position.
Describing the exchange between Bush and the Review's Rich Lowry, The National Journal reported that:
"That's how you're going to grow your economy, is bringing young, aspirational people in," Bush said. "I think I'm right about this, and if we're going to grow economically, then we better figure out how to fix this quick."
Bush said President Obama wants to see reform delayed, so he can continue to use it as a cudgel against Republicans.[process that may include a pathway to what has been one of his main talking points regarding Immigration on the Right to Rise PAC candidacy exploration visits.
Outreach to Latinos Takes Center Stage at Pro-Life Gala
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) (photo credit: Department of Defense via Flickr, CC BY 2.0)
The Susan B. Anthony List's annual gala was a star-studded affair: Republican names from Rand Paul to Carly Fiorina took the stage to celebrate the latest victories for the pro-life movement and recommit | |
Apart from the details the result seems clear
Categories: Labour UK state
Demoralisation or fightback? That is the main question after June 8, writes Eddie Ford
With Theresa May robotically saying "strong and stable" at every single opportunity, this general election campaign so far has proved to be less than thrilling. But, leaving that aside for now, there have been some very worrying regional polls for the Labour Party - all of which strongly indicate, as we have long predicted, that the party is heading towards a crushing defeat on June 8.
Despite a lot of the left believing the myth that Scotland is an eternal Tory-free zone, an ORB International poll shows that the Tories are significantly ahead of Labour there with 27%, as opposed to Labour's 16%.1 At the moment, as our readers will know, the Scottish National Party has a near monopoly in Scotland when it comes to the House of Commons, with the three major all-Britain parties having only one seat each. But that was a bit of a freak result, thanks to the marvels of the first-past-the-post electoral system - it was never going to be repeated or bettered, except in the dreams of nationalists.
Obviously things could change, but, when you factor in other polls, it is more than reasonable to expect that the Tories will emerge after June 8 as the second party in Scotland, picking up between five to seven seats (perhaps even up to 10, if they have a very good night). Meanwhile, it seems like the Liberal Democrats will gain two seats and the SNP will lose about nine or so. With regards to Labour, you can do the maths. Just as ominously, if not more so, it looks almost certain that Glasgow will fall to the SNP on May 4 in the local elections - the first loss of control since 1980. Interestingly, since the 1930s onwards Labour control of Glasgow has been punctuated by periods of rule from the Progressive Party (or 'Progressives') - essentially a lash-up between the Unionist Party (ie, Scottish Tories) and Liberals to keep Labour out, something that happened all over Scotland until the PP was dissolved in the late 1970s.2
Anyhow, it looks like there will be no revival of Labour in Scotland, but rather of the Tories instead - not that this should not surprise us, even if it may come as a slight shock to dewy-eyed leftwingers in England who believe everything they read in Socialist Worker. Quite inevitably, Nicola Sturgeon's reaction to the Brexit vote was to immediately raise the prospect of another referendum on independence, given that Scotland voted to stay in, and to come out in clear opposition to Brexit - unlike Labour, which trots out the indistinct and rather pathetic formulation, 'We respect the vote, but …' Meaning that the SNP can pick up those anti-Brexit votes, while the Tories are now well positioned to pick up those who are anti-European Union and Labour could be squeezed out - neither fish nor fowl. What is it trying to say about Europe? Your guess is as good as mine.
Ditto in Wales, of course. According to another ORB poll, the Tories are on a fairly incredible 56% - making the party now stronger in Wales than in the 'Tory heartlands' such as the south-east, where they have 50% support.3 If true, this will be the first time the Conservatives have had a majority in Wales since 1859, when the franchise was massively restricted - only one in seven men had the vote and, of course, no women. This obviously represents a huge political change. Then again, Wales voted 'leave' by 52.5%, so Theresa May is trying to capitalise on this fact. By contrast, Labour is only on 32%. Similarly, in London, generally regarded as cosmopolitan and more leftwing - but here we have the same phenomenon. The Tories are on 43% and Labour has 32%. Again, quite a remarkable figure.
Needless to say, Labour looks set to take a drubbing on May 4, which will see 2,370 seats contested in 27 county councils, six English unitary authorities, one metropolitan authority and two mayoralties - there will also be votes for six new "combined authority" mayors in Greater Manchester, Liverpool City Region, Tees Valley, West Midlands, Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, and the West of England. As previously mentioned in this paper, Labour could lose around 125 council seats - which would be the worst local election results for an opposition party since 1985, excluding the years when there was also a general election. On the other hand, the Tories seem on course to gain more than 100 seats - chiefly at the expense of the UK Independence Party, which is on the road to nowhere (it would be a minor miracle if Ukip ends up with any MPs after June 8). The Lib Dems too could see a net gain of about 100 seats - possibly retaking control of Somerset and Cornwall from the Tories, the party clawing back support in the region despite a majority Brexit vote.
Labour will be particularly judged by its performance in Nottinghamshire, Lancashire and Derbyshire - it currently controls the latter and is the largest party in the other two counties. Of the councils which are up for grabs, Durham looks like the only place where it is certain to maintain control - but watch this space.According to some pollsters, Labour might be able to mitigate the embarrassment with victories in the elections for the new 'metro mayors' in Manchester and Liverpool - but that is not much consolation, if it happens.
When it comes to the wider, national, picture, the polls are consistently grim for Labour. ICM's weekly poll for The Guardian still has the Tories ahead by 19-points - getting 47% to Labour's 28% (with both the Lib Dems and Ukip on 8%).4 The same poll also had some questions on the general campaign so far. Questioned about whether the leaders were running a good or bad campaign, Theresa May was the only one to get a positive rating (41% good, 22% bad) - whilst Jeremy Corbyn's ratings were almost a mirror image (21% good, 40% bad), with 'Dr' Paul Nuttall getting the very worse results (8% good, 31% bad). As for the Financial Times's 'poll of polls' tracker, which calculates a time-weighted average of seven pollsters' most recent polls, it currently gives the Conservatives an 18-point lead over Labour (47% to 28%).5
Perhaps the most interesting findings - or depressing, depending on how you look at it - come in a recent YouGov poll, which shows that 48% of those who voted for Ed Miliband in the last election will be taking their votes elsewhere, whilst the Tories will retain 77% of theirs.6The Lib Dems and Ukip will only hang on to 47% and 43% respectively. It almost goes without saying that the unusually high rate of 'churn' between political parties is directly linked to the Brexit vote.Breaking down the results by the vote in last year's referendum, it can be seen that many 'leave' voters are coming over to the Tories from Ukip - and to a lesser extent Labour - while many 'remain' voters are drifting toward the Lib Dems from Labour. There is also a small, but significant number of 'remainers' who have switched to the Lib Dems from the Greens. Chris Curtis, YouGov's political researcher, pointed out that if these voters were to drift back to the party they voted for last time, then this would "disproportionately help" Labour - but if they start to move towards the Conservatives, just like other voters have, "we could be heading for an even bigger Tory victory than many currently anticipate". | |
From this article, you will see how does rangefinder work - from learning main types and fields of use to camera vision analysis
Even though the mode of operation of an average rangefinder is not complicated, you still need to know how it works to get the best out of it.
So, how does rangefinder work? A rangefinder basically focuses on a target and acquires a measurement that is typically displayed on the device's screen. There are different types of rangefinders and their applications also differ in some cases. For you, a rangefinder can be about getting an accurate shot at your game. Or it can even be about getting the right swing when golfing. Besides, having a solid understanding of how the rangefinder works can help you pick the right option. So, what are you waiting for? Ride along with us as we explore the world of rangefinders.
Types of Rangefinders
Gone are those days when you had to judge a distance by your eyes only. Thanks to the advent of rangefinder technology, different types of rangefinders can help you get the job done, very easily and accurately. Read on to learn about the rangefinder types below:
We know that an optical rangefinder is a monocular device with built-in scales. But how does an optical rangefinder work? It works by using the principle of parallax—some form of triangulation. Also, the optical rangefinder features two lenses at opposite ends. These lenses focus on the object or target during application. Then, a focusing knob superimposes the two images on each other.
Additionally, the knob is calibrated with the scale responsible for converting the reading into the distance. Besides, the optical rangefinder requires utmost care to deliver accurate results. Essentially, you must point the rangefinder at the pin and focus with extreme care because the accuracy of the measurement depends on how precisely the device is focused.
Furthermore, the optical rangefinder offers various benefits that you can count on to ensure very accurate results. For example, this type of rangefinder does not need a reflective target. Apart from that, optics don't get confused by surrounding terrain, weather, and other atmospheric conditions. Hence, the device's vision is hardly influenced by external factors.
We must also mention that the optical rangefinder has various applications. For instance, it can be used to accurately measure distances on a golf course or a bow hunting exercise.
Another question; how do laser rangefinders work? This question is quite important because by knowing the answer, you can be able to employ the device skillfully in the field. So, let's get you some answers. Laser rangefinders—perhaps the most accurate type—all work with the same basic concept. As you might have guessed, they emit laser beams at just the push of a button.
Then, those beams zoom in and bounce off your target. The device's high-speed clock goes on to measure the total time it took the beams to bounce back off the object. Again, you can guess that the beam travels at the speed of light. Hence, it's easy to use the time measurement to acquire the distance the beam has traveled. Afterward, the rangefinder displays the distance to you.
Besides, the laser rangefinder's accuracy usually depends on the amount of beam reflected on your target. Essentially, the larger the target's reflective surface, the more accurate the reading. Therefore, you can expect a reflective surface to return more of the beam for better accuracy.
Little wonder that some users attach small reflective pieces to their targets. For example, it's not uncommon for golf courses to attach these reflective pieces at the top of their flagsticks. We must also note that laser rangefinders are arguably the most popular type and unsurprisingly, they have the most applications.
Besides their use for golfing, they're ideal for long-range shooting and hunting too. So, if you're looking for the best rangefinder for long-range shooting, a laser rangefinder is the smartest investment. However, you should ensure that you buy one that has the range, magnification, modes, advanced technology, and some extra features that suit your purpose(s).
Before we go ahead with defining a sonar rangefinder, what exactly is sonar Trusted Source What is sonar? Sonar, short for Sound Navigation and Ranging, is helpful for exploring and mapping the ocean because sound waves travel farther in the water than do radar and light waves. oceanservice.noaa.gov ? Since sonar is now commonly spelled with lowercase letters as we've done ourselves, many people do not know that it's an acronym. In fact, SONAR stands for Sound Navigation and Ranging. As the full meaning suggests, a sonar rangefinder works using a sound pulse.
But how exactly does the sound pulse produce results? The sonar rangefinder uses the sound pulse and then measures the total time it takes the sound waves to travel to and return from a target. It also measures the speed of sound so that it can calculate the distance to the target accurately.
Besides, the sonar rangefinder uses various components, including a traducer, an acoustic pulse generator, a set of amplifiers, a delay timer, an acoustic pickup, and a display. Also, this type of rangefinder is used underwater, where radio waves and laser light don't travel easily.
Therefore, it's common to find sonar rangefinders on board boats and ships to measure the depths of water bodies. Their application is not limited to that; they're also used to locate underwater targets such as submarines, fish, and so on. So, if you're going fish-hunting, you now know the type of rangefinder to opt for.
Lidar—like sonar—is also an acronym. It represents Light Detection and Ranging. Although it uses the principle of the laser rangefinder, the Lidar rangefinder works on a much larger scale. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Trusted Source What is lidar? LIDAR — Light Detection and Ranging — is a remote sensing method used to examine the surface of the Earth. oceanservice.noaa.gov , lidar sends out light pulses that are targeted at individual objects—also known as targets.
These light pulses bounce off the target and return to the device's sensor. Afterward, the sensor uses the total time taken for each pulse to return to calculate the distance traveled. Besides, the lidar rangefinder is effective for the detection of very small objects. Like most other types of rangefinders, this one also has various applications, including road safety.
Despite the impressive ability of the lidar rangefinder, it has a few limitations that can pose some concerns to users. It is influenced by weather conditions such as fog and clouds. That means these weather conditions can cause inaccurate measurements during application. The rangefinder also operates over relatively short distances. Going more than certain distances can deliver inaccurate results.
Radar is also an acronym that stands for Radio Detection And Ranging. A radar rangefinder works similarly to a laser rangefinder. However, instead of using a focused laser beam, a radar rangefinder uses a radio signal. This type of rangefinder sends out the radio signal in a spread and measures the time taken for it takes to bounce back to the sensor.
Since radio waves travel at the speed of light, the time and the speed for them to bounce back from the target can be used to determine the distance from the radar rangefinder to the objects within the spread. Besides, the radar rangefinder is perfect for long-range measurement because the medium through which radio waves pass weakly absorbs them.
Unlike some rangefinders such as the Lidar rangefinder, the radar rangefinder is not affected by weather conditions such as clouds, rain, fog, snow, and falling snow because they're usually transparent to radio waves. It's also not affected by ambient light (works in bright sun or at night).
Therefore, it's easy to avoid certain radio frequencies that were scattered by raindrops, water | |
become permanently paralyzed as a result of the torture. Eight of the passengers detained were killed, the remaining 21 were imprisoned in Berbera and later released.
Mass killings
Atrocities committed by government forces in Berbera are especially notable because no fighting between government forces and SNM had taken place there, and as such the government had no pretext to commit atrocities against Isaaq civilians in Berbera (and other Isaaq settlements not attacked by SNM). According to Human Rights Watch the city had suffered "some of the worst abuses of the war even though the SNM never attacked Berbera".
As soon as news of the SNM's attack on Burao reached government authorities in Berbera, the city was completely blocked and hundreds of people were arrested. "More than 700 experienced worse deaths than had occurred elsewhere in the region." Methods of killing included the slitting of throats, getting strangled by wires, the cutting of the back of the neck, and getting severely disabled by beating with clubs before getting shot. The killings took place near the airport at a site about 10 kilometers from Berbera, and were conducted at night. The victims were killed in batches of 30–40. Most of them were men of fighting age that "the army feared would join the SNM," a few women were also among the victims.
Between June and the end of September, government forces as well as armed Ethiopian (Ogadeni) refugees continued to raid the immediate vicinity of Berbera as well as the villages between Berbera and Hargeisa. The attacks included the burning of villages, the killing of villagers, raping of women, confiscation of livestock and the arrest and detention of elders in Berbera. Some of these villages included Da'ar-buduq, which lies half-way between Hargeisa and Berbera; Dara-Godle, which lies 20 kilometers southwest of Berbera; Sheikh Abdal, near the central prison of Mandera; Dubato; Dala, located east of Mandera prison; and Lasa-Da'awo.
The genocide continued in Berbera as late into the conflict as August 1990, when a group of 20 civilians were executed by the military in reprisal for an SNM ambush that happened in Dubar, near Berbera, the incident demonstrated that "the genocide continued in Berbera longer than other cities."
Burning of Isaaq civilians in Berbera
Human Rights Watch's Africa Watch also reported the case of 11 Isaaq men, some of whom were nomads, being arrested by the government on the outskirts of Berbera. They were accused of helping the SNM. The Marine Commander of Berbera, Colonel Muse 'Biqil', along with two other senior military officers ordered the 11 nomads be burnt alive. The burnt nomads were buried in a spot about 10 kilometers east of Batalale, a communal beach and tourist spot in Berbera.
Erigavo
Like Berbera, Erigavo was an Isaaq inhabited city that the SNM did not attack, it has experienced no armed conflict between the SNM and the Somali army for at least several months, yet civilian Isaaqs have suffered both killings and arrests there at the hands of the army and other government forces.
The army started its campaign in Erigavo soon after the outbreak of fighting in Burao and Hargeisa. Hundreds of civilians were killed, and SNM forces did not reach that part of the country until 1989. One incident following a brief capture of the town in 1989 saw 60 Isaaq elders, who could not escape the city due to the difficult mountainous terrain, get taken out of their homes by government forces and were "shot by a firing squad against a wall of the public relations office". A number of large mass graves were found in Erigavo in 2012.
In January 1989, Oxfam Australia (at the time known as Community Aid Abroad), an aid agency which was based in Erigavo and ran a primary healthcare program for the Sanaag region, withdrew its program after operating for eight years in Somalia. It published a report "to draw attention to recent events in Somalia which have resulted in civil war, a huge refugee problem, persecution of a large section of the population along tribal lines and widespread human rights violations". The report denounced the "lack of basic freedom and human rights" in Somalia, which resulted in the agency's decision to leave Somalia due to what it described as a "drastic decline in security and human rights". The report noted that the agency's staff have reported "many violations of human rights for which they believe the Somali Government must take the main responsibility".
In describing the government's response to the SNM offensive, the report observed:The government response to the attack has been particularly brutal and without regard to civilian casualties – in fact there is ample evidence that civilian casualties have been deliberately inflicted so as to destroy the support base of the SNM, which is composed mainly of people from the Isaaq tribe. Following the SNM attacks on the major towns of Hargeisa and Burao, government forces bombed the towns – causing over 400,000 people to flee the atrocities across the border into Ethiopia, where they are now located in refugee camps, living in appalling conditions, with inadequate water, food, shelter and medical facilities.In Sanaag region access to villages by CAA staff was denied by the military and project resources such as vehicles and drugs misappropriated by government officials. This combined with poor security, made primary health work impossible and endangered the lives of staff, leading to a withdrawal by the agency. Project staff were frequently harassed by the military even when attending medical emergencies and on one occasion shots were fired.Whilst human right have been deteriorating for some years in Somalia...we believe that the government must bear a particularly heavy responsibility for events over the last six months.With regards to atrocities specific to Erigavo the report noted:The military occupation of Erigavo has resulted in widespread suffering for the people of that area forcing many people flee to the bush including most of the population of Erigavo. It is believed that the military gave the elders of the village money in payment for boys as young as twelve and thirteen years of age. Untrained and disciplined, these youths were armed with AK47s and sent to patrol the town, unsure and ignorant of how to use their newly acquired power.The report noted one case where a 13-year-old girl from Erigavo was raped by six government soldiers, it also stated that "looting, raping and bashing are commonplace." In a separate case, a man leaving Erigavo with money and food was "robbed, beaten and shot by the military". His body was then "dumped in the town and was eaten to the waist by hyenas".
In describing the Somali government policies in the region, Peter Kieseker, a spokesman for the CAA commented: "Genocide is the only word for it."
El Afweyne
In El Afweyn in the Sanaag region and its surrounding territory "over 300 persons were killed in October 1988 in revenge for the death of an army officer who was killed by a rebel-laid landmine."
Oxfam Australia (formerly known as Community Aid Abroad) described the situation in El Afweyn as follows:It is known that many people have fled from the town of Elafweyn following bombing attacks by the government forces. A "scorched earth" policy applied to the villages in the Elafweyn plains. These displaced people are hiding in the bush without adequate access to food and medical supplies.
Sheikh
When news of the outbreak of fighting in Burao reached Sheikh, government-armed Ogadeni refugees in the area as well as the army units stationed there started to kill civilians and loot their homes. The government continued to commit atrocities in Sheikh despite the lack of SNM activity there. There were also widespread arrests of Isaaq men in the area, they were usually detained at a nearby | |
The following is a guest post by Ashley Kornee. Ashley is a blogger and freelance writer. She always tries to write about ordinary things in a creative way. She's currently working as a writer for dissertation writing services. You can find her on Facebook and Twitter.
Facebook is one of the largest social media platforms available for free with over 1.04 billion users. This makes it one of the most efficient and most importantly one of the best free ways to promote your brand.
Are you looking for some simple and quick ways to engage your Facebook audience? Here are a few ideas that do not include Facebook ads.
Contrary to what you might believe, most of your posts might be uploaded at the wrong time. Timing is key if you wish to succeed and you need to keep in mind that the time you think is right for you to post might be terrible for most of your followers.
It's essential to know that you shouldn't update your wall post at times where people could be sleeping, or be at work, as very few people will actually see it. The best time to post would be at around noon when most people are at home after work and free to scroll through Facebook.
Experiment with when you post. There are some tools online that allow you to check when people share or like your posts the most. You can use this tool to your advantage to pick a time that people are the most active.
Pictures always seem to catch the eye of Facebook users and they are a great way to make your audience interact with your brand. Use pictures of your products and let people know what each product does.
Another idea on this matter is to add pictures of your employees or coworkers as well as your customers who have used your products or services and were satisfied. This will allow your potential customers to get an inside look at your company and feel closer to it.
Last but not least, ask for people to review your products and let them know they will gain a shout out and have their picture shared on your company's page if they do so. This is a great way to interact with your audience and build a relationship with them.
Most people are very excited to see that their favorite brand is having a giveaway. They will not only participate in it themselves but they will also want to invite their friends to participate in it as well.
You can use this to your advantage very easily if you wish to promote the interaction with your customers. Giveaways are not only a great way for you to get more followers or likes, but they can also allow your potential customers to try your products for free and let others know how they enjoy them.
Don't forget to ask the winners to post a picture of the products they won on their Facebook wall. Friends and family that will see that post will also want to have a chance to win something for free and they will become members of your Facebook page too.
Polls and asking your audience questions can be a great way for you to enhance your communication with them. You can always either start by posting two of your products that are quite similar and ask people to choose which one they personally prefer.
You can also make it a little more interesting and interactive by asking them to choose between things like famous travel destinations, food choices or anything that might seem engaging to your followers.
This can be a great way for you find out what your followers prefer so you can create more meaningful content for them.
Not every post has to be 100% relevant to your brand or promoting it. You should focus on making your audience interested in your posts and the rest will follow.
People nowadays are all about hashtags. Especially when it comes to younger people, they always like to add at least one hashtag to their own Facebook posts. This also applies to their Facebook comments, where they will also use hashtags very frequently.
You can use this fact to your advantage by asking people to comment down below using a particular hashtag as a comment. For example, have them describe their first love using a hashtag, or their favorite song. You can definitely come up with many ideas and even make it a weekly post where people can expect to reply with a hashtag to one of your wall posts.
One of the most important things to remember if you wish to increase the interaction between your followers and your brand is to always reply to their comments. People like to ask questions and they like to know that they get the attention they want. By replying to their comments, you offer your brand a "voice" and you make it more approachable.
People are more likely to comment on your posts if they know that you will get back to them. It's also good to reply in a polite and respectful manner. Your audience is bound to feel welcome by your brand and is more likely to keep following your posts.
Even if you come across the occasional trolls that always post on various pages just to get some attention, keep being respectful and you will still gain a lot of support from your audience.
Most people don't have the time or the patience to sit down and actually read a post that will take more than a few moments for them to go through. National Public Radio (NRP) had decided to study a long list of their Facebook posts, over 3000 of them actually, and they came to find that the posts that were under 120 characters had higher click-through rates than their posts that were longer.
Keep this in mind and try to only add information that you believe to be essential in your post. If it's simple and to the point, people will go through it easier and understand it better. They will also be more likely to like it or comment on it as it won't take up that much of their precious time.
Another thing to bear in mind is to keep posting frequently on your Facebook page but at the same time not overdoing it. Studies like the Track social study conducted in 2012 have shown that the best way to get more comments and likes is to post 1 or 2 times per day, at most.
This study also showed that the pages that post to Facebook twice a day only receive 57% of the likes and 78% of the comments per post. If they keep posting more throughout the day, these percentages keep falling more and more.
More than those numbers will simply oversaturate your page and make people less interested, while any fewer posts will make you disappear from your followers' feeds.
It's really very important in the end to just have fun. Make sure that you are having fun interacting with your followers. Post a joke or a funny meme and see how they react. If that's something you enjoy doing, it will help adding more personality to your brand and making your audience excited to see your future posts.
As long as you are having fun and being yourself, you are bound to create posts that get a great response from your followers.
These are just a few ways in which you can boost the interaction between your brand and your audience. Facebook can be a great way for you to get to know your audience and their needs. Through this, you can improve your services and make them enjoyable for everyone.
As long as | |
hours of work a week, their personal lives are chopped down to virtually nothing. Work is the place where people spend the majority of their days, make their friends and yes – meet mates. Said Ann Fishman, president of Generational Targeted Marketing, a New York- and Louisiana-based marketing firm: "People move to New York, Los Angeles or San Francisco for work, so they are disconnected from family and friends. Where else are they going to meet people if not the office? A health club?"
The Internet, you might respond. But even bloggers – many of whom spend their lives online – are beginning to dismiss online dating services as an ineffective way of meeting a significant other. "People my age are sick of the impersonal nature of Internet dating," says Jessica Valenti, 28, the voice behind the popular blog Feministing.com and author of the book "Full Frontal Feminism." Valenti is now dating a man she met through work; he hired her to write for the Web site where he works. "It's nice to be around people who care about the same things as you do. My blogger boyfriend understands if I am on a computer at 2 a.m., and isn't offended."
Office romance gets a bad rap because the phrase conjures up images of Christmas party hook-ups and Clintonesque gropings, but potential couples tend to take months, if not years, to recognize and act on the vibe between them. (This is in no small part because of an understandable instinct to protect their paychecks.) As a result, people who form an emotional attachment at work often won't make a move until they're absolutely sure there's something substantial between them that might go the distance, which is precisely why it so often does."
"Pixar, like most of the companies we contacted for this article, would not discuss its workplace romance policy, if any. But if Pearl's and Stanton's perception that there is none is correct, Pixar is in the majority. Nearly 70 percent of companies have no policy at all. Sometimes emphatically so. Said Netflix spokesman Steve Swayze: "We like to think of ourselves as rule-averse. We hire adults and we expect adult behavior. Personal stuff is personal, and if it isn't interfering with work, it's not worth spending any time on."
Pixar gets the dankprofessor's highest award for furthering freedom of association in the workplace. Such a simple notion that is generally discarded by those who are into power and control of their employees- their employees are adults and that personal stuff should be personal. The fact that such a notion is held to be an anachronistic one by almost all human resources personnel and the cadre of lawyers advising and defending employers indicates the level of disconnect existent in the workplace as well as in the university place. The article continues-
"Very few companies ban workplace romance entirely, probably for a very pragmatic reason: Enforcing such a ban is nearly impossible. Says Robyn Zazulia, 27, who met her fiance Alex Rogin, 34, when they worked on a project together at Wells Fargo: "I have a very good girlfriend who worked for a small company of 200 people, but there were very clear rules, explicit rules prohibiting intercompany dating. But nobody followed it; there was a lot of inter-company dating there because they worked together at far-flung places without friends or family around." And why would companies want to try to outlaw behavior that enhances so many employees' lives? Each couple interviewed for this story said that they were only one of many at the same firm.
The companies that do have a written policy on office romance commonly prohibit supervisors and subordinates from being romantically involved in an effort to avoid conflicts of interest and charges of sexual harassment. For example, Schwab restricts management or supervisors from having a close personal relationship with employees they supervise. In the event such a relationship forms, the parties are required to report it to their superiors or to human resources. Said Sarah Bulgatz, Schwab's director of corporate PR: "They can work together – absolutely – as long as one is not the direct or indirect supervisor of the other."
Nevertheless, as we found when we did the research for our book "Office Mate: The Employee Handbook for Finding – and Managing – Romance on the Job," there is an enormous disconnect between the attitude of HR directors toward office romance and the paranoia of corporate attorneys and public relations departments when it comes to discussing the topic, which may be why people believe that companies frown on interoffice dating. In the example of one company we contacted for this story, an executive said that in-house counsel would not allow him to discuss the firm's office romance policy on the record. We had intended to interview a young female employee of one of the company's subsidiaries, but when she sought permission she was told she couldn't even voice her opinions on the topic – let alone talk about her own experiences dating colleagues – if we said where she worked. Which means that it's fine to date the people you work with, but talking about it could get you fired.
Chris Edmonds-Waters, head of HR for SVB Financial Group, a diversified financial services firm of 1,600 employees in San Francisco, says companies should stop being afraid of talking about office romance, whether within or without the company. "It's good corporate hygiene," he says. "All companies should have a policy on workplace relationships and should communicate that policy because it guides people's behaviors and gives them a resource to use if they run into a sticky issue. It's the fair and right thing to do."
Policy or none, managers who find couples forming where they see potential risk occasionally ask them to sign a legal document pioneered by a San Francisco law firm called – you can't make this stuff up – the "love contract." According to Stephen Tedesco, a partner at the firm of Littler Mendelson, they do "steady business" writing contracts that confirm there is a romantic relationship between the two parties, that it is consensual, that no offensive conduct has occurred and that they agree to conduct themselves in a professional manner. Says Tedesco, "The love contract does prevent someone from rewriting the past if the behavior goes from non-offensive to offensive."
It also guards against the possibility that an office romance – particularly between people who are highly placed – does not become fodder for a claim of sexual favoritism in response to the sort of behavior made famous in the early 1980s by William Agee, CEO of the manufacturing conglomerate Bendix. Agee hired a fresh grad from the Harvard Business School named Mary Cunningham and proceeded to promote her up the ranks so quickly that a national scandal ensued. They later married. Thanks to a 2005 California Supreme Court ruling, co-workers who witness such favor-granting are free to file a third-party claim of sexual harassment.
But outside of such blatant misbehavior, colleagues have no problem with co-workers who couple. According to a new survey from Yahoo! HotJobs, almost half of the respondents said they don't really care if two co-workers become involved. If anything, they approve; 56 percent say they support colleagues becoming romantically involved, as Jennifer Taylor and Eliza Laffin discovered. When Jennifer Taylor was hired at Macromedia in the spring of 2003, her boss kept talking about a colleague named Eliza. "You and Eliza are going to love each other," the boss would say. "You're from Vermont; she's from Vermont; you went to Brown; she went to Brown – you're just going to love each other."
In a city where single women chronically complain about the shortage of available | |
and use the term
Older Alexandrian, as distinguished from the later Alexandrian, and so
fall back on the threefold division of Alexandrian (earlier and later),
Graeco-Syrian, and Western, though for this last-mentioned term a more
expressive designation may perhaps hereafter be found.
The third drawback to the unqualified acceptance of the text of Westcott
and Hort is their continuous and studied disregard of Western
authorities; and this, notwithstanding that among these authorities are
included the singular and not unfrequently suggestive Codex Bezae--of
which Dr. Blass has lately made so remarkable a use--the Old Latin
Version, the Graeco-Latin manuscripts, and, to some extent, the Old
Syriac Version, all of them authorities to which the designation of
Western is commonly applied. To this grave drawback Dr. Salmon has
devoted a chapter to which the attention of the student may very
profitably be directed. Here I cannot enter into details, but of this I
am persuaded, that if there should be any fresh discovery of textual
authorities, it is by no means unlikely that they may be of a Western
character, and if so, that many decisions in the text of Westcott and
Hort will have to be modified by some editor of the future. At any rate,
taking the critical evidence as now we find it, we cannot but feel that
Dr. Salmon has made out his case, and that in the edition of which now we
are speaking there has been an undue, and even a contemptuous, disregard
of Western authorities.
Here I must close this address, yet not without expressing the hope that
I may have induced some of you, my Reverend Brethren, to look into these
things for yourselves. Do not be deterred by the thought that to do so
you must read widely and consult many authorities. This is really not
necessary for the acquiring of an intelligent interest in the text of the
Greek Testament. With a good edition (with appended critical
authorities), whether that of Tischendorf or of Tregelles, and with
guidance such as that which you will find in the compendious _Companion
to the Greek Testament_ of Dr. Schaff, you will be able to begin, and
when you have seriously begun, you will not be, I am persuaded, very
likely to leave off.
ADDRESS IV
NATURE OF THE RENDERINGS
From the text we now turn to the renderings, and to the general
principles that were followed, both in the Old and in the New Testament.
The revision of the English text was in each case subject to the same
general rule, viz. "To introduce as few alterations as possible into the
Text of the Authorised Version consistently with faithfulness"; but,
owing to the great difference between the two languages, the Hebrew and
the Greek, the application of the rule was necessarily different, and the
results not easily comparable the one with the other.
It will be best then to consider the renderings in the two Testaments
separately, and to form the best estimate we can of their character and
of their subordination to the general rule, with due regard to the widely
different nature of the structure and grammatical principles of the two
languages through which God has been pleased to reveal His truth to the
children of men.
I. We begin then with the Revised Version of the Old Testament, and
naturally turn for general guidance to the Preface of those who were
engaged in the long, diversified, and responsible work. Their general
principles as to departures from the Authorised Version would appear to
be included in the following clearly-specified particulars. They
departed from the Authorised Version (_a_) where they did not agree with
it as to the meaning or construction of a word or sentence; (_b_) where
it was necessary, for the sake of uniformity, to render such parallel
passages as were identical in Hebrew by the same English words; (_c_)
where the English of the Authorised Version was liable to be
misunderstood by reason of its being archaic or obscure; (_d_) where the
rendering of an earlier English version seemed preferable; and (_e_)
where, by an apparently slight change, it was possible to bring out more
fully the meaning of a passage of which the translation was substantially
accurate.
These principles, which I have been careful to specify in the exact words
of the Revisers, will appear to every impartial reader to be fully in
harmony with the principle of faithfulness; and will be found--if an
outsider may presume to make a passing comment--to have been carried out
with pervasive consistency and uniformity.
The Revisers further notice certain particulars of which the general
reader should take full note, so much of the random criticisms of the
revised text (especially in the New Testament) having been due to a
complete disregard in each case of the Preface, and of the reasons given
for changes which long experience had shown to be both reasonable and
necessary.
The first particular is the important question of the rendering of the
word "JEHOVAH." Here the Revisers have thought it advisable to follow
the usage of the Authorised Version, and not to insert the word uniformly
in place of "LORD" or "GOD," which words when printed in small capitals
represent the words substituted by Jewish custom for the ineffable Name
according to the vowel points by which it is distinguished. To this
usage the Revisers have steadily adhered with the exception of a very few
passages in which the introduction of a proper name seemed to be
required. In this grave matter, as we all probably know, the American
Company has expressed its dissent from the decision of the English
Company, and has adopted the proper name wherever it occurs in the Hebrew
text for "the LORD" and "GOD." Most English readers will agree with our
Revisers. It may indeed be said, now that we can read the American text
continuously, that there certainly are many passages in which the proper
name seems to come upon eye or ear with a serious and appropriate force;
still the reverence with which we are accustomed to treat what the
Revisers speak of as "the ineffable Name" will lead most of us to
sacrifice the passages, where the blessed name may have an impressive
force, to the reverential uniformity of our Authorised Version, and to
the latent fear that frequent iteration might derogate from the solemnity
with which we instinctively clothe the ever-blessed name of Almighty God.
The next particular relates to terms of natural history. Here changes
have only been made where it was certain that the Authorised Version was
incorrect, and highly probable that the word substituted was right.
Where doubt existed, the text was left unchanged, but the alternative
word was placed in the margin. In regard of other terms, of which the
old rendering was certainly wrong, as in the case of the Hebrew term
_Asherah_ (probably the wooden symbol of a goddess), the Revisers have
used the word, whether in the singular or plural, as a proper name. In
the case of the Hebrew term "Sheol" (corresponding to the Greek term
"Hades"), variously rendered in the Authorised Version by the words
"grave," "pit," and "hell," the Revisers have adopted in the historical
books the first or second words with a marginal note, "Heb. _Sheol_," but
in the poetical books they have reversed this arrangement. The American
Revisers, on the contrary, specify that in all cases where the word
occurs in the Hebrew text they place it unchanged in the English text,
and without any margin. The case is a difficult one, but the English
arrangement is to be preferred, as the reader would not so plainly need a
preliminary explanation.
The last case that it here seems necessary to allude to is the change
everywhere of the words "the tabernacle of the congregation" into "the
tent of meeting," as the former words convey an entirely wrong sense.
These and the use of several other terms are carefully noted and
explained by the Revisers, and will, I hope, induce every careful reader
of their revision to make it his duty to study their prefatory words.
The almost unavoidable differences between them and the American
Revisers, as to our own language, are alluded to by them in terms both
friendly and wise, and may be considered fully to express the sentiments
of the New Testament Company, by whom the subject is less | |
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Fintan O'Toole: 2018, year of the dark new normal
On August 2nd, Apple became the world's first public company to achieve a market capitalisation of $1 trillion. A month later, Amazon became the second. Their share prices receded shortly afterwards, but the high tide had left a new mark on the beach, a number so high that it might as well have been a calculation of the number of grains of sand: 1,000,000,000,000; a million million dollars.
It spoke of the astonishing wealth that 21st century global capitalism can generate, and of the staggering power of the technological revolution that underpins it. These are companies that make us feel like gods, carrying the world in our pockets, summoning the produce of the earth to our doors with less strain than a click of the fingers.
Amid all the godlike power, there is also a human helplessness in the face of the forces we are unleashing on our planet
On August 4th, two days after this euphoric moment in the history of capitalism, the part of the world with which this great revolution is most associated – the US state of California – got approval from US president Donald Trump for what is formally known as a "presidential major disaster declaration". At that point, there were 17 huge wildfires burning out of control across the state. In making the announcement, California governor Jerry Brown noted that "This is part of a trend – a new normal – that we've got to deal with."
Except that it couldn't really be dealt with. Amid all the godlike power, there is also a human helplessness in the face of the forces we are unleashing on our planet. The fires were never fully controlled and blazed anew with even greater ferocity in November. One of them, in and around the hauntingly named town of Paradise, claimed 85 lives and destroyed 18,733 buildings. Reporting on one couple who lost everything, the San Francisco Chronicle found people echoing, consciously or otherwise, Brown's words: "'You're so strong', their friends said. 'You'll find a new normal'."
A strange place
Is 2018 the year of the new normal? Trump himself is a presidential major disaster warning, but a warning that we barely even hear anymore. No one was even vaguely surprised that Trump's response to the wildfires was to deny that they had anything to do with climate change, to keep repeating some guff about leaves on the forest floor and to misname Paradise as Pleasure. When you have a US president on Twitter calling a porn star "Horseface", the new normal is a very strange place to be.
One side of this normalcy is the vast wealth and power encoded in Apple's trillion dollars. The other is the wildfires – not just the literal ones that engulfed California, Queensland in Australia, British Columbia in Canada, large parts of Portugal, Greece and Spain and even, after freakishly hot weather in northern Sweden, Lapland – but the political wildfires that continued to rage across much of the democratic world.
In California, the fires had names like the Mendicino Complex Fire, the Carr Fire and the Camp Fire. In the political world, we have the still-burning Trump Fire, Brexit Fire, Putin Fire, Orbán Fire, Erdogan Fire and Duterte Fire, joined in 2018 by the Bolsonaro Fire in Brazil, the Khashoggi Fire in Turkey and Saudi Arabia, the Gilets Jaunes Fire in France and so on.
Donald Trump: a disaster warning we barely hear any more. Photograph: Al Drago/NYT
But these are not unrelated phenomena. At the most obvious level, the Cambridge Analytica scandal that finally exploded in March when it emerged that Facebook had allowed Cambridge Analytica to harvest the data from 87 million users and target them with pro-Trump ads, showed the direct connection between the rise of reactionary politics and the unregulated power of the tech giants.
The continuing reverberations from the Mueller investigation into collusion between Russia and the Trump campaign added to suspicions of a very dark nexus. Trump's astonishingly subservient press conference with Vladimir Putin, in which he parroted the Russian president's line on interference with US elections – "I have [asked] President Putin; he just said it's not Russia. I don't see any reason why it would be" – gave us another kind of new normal in the international pecking order.
The vast wealth created by the globalised economy goes hand in hand with terrible environmental destruction and inequalities incompatible with political stability
There are, though, deeper connections. The coincidence of the arrival of the $1 trillion corporation with the catastrophic infernos reminded us that the vast wealth that is being created by the globalised, digitally connected economy goes hand in hand with terrible environmental destruction and inequalities that are incompatible with political stability. We have a model of capitalism that is making both extreme weather events – experienced even in Ireland in 2018 – and gross economic inequality the new normal.
Since the Reagan-Thatcher project to undo the broadly social democratic post-war consensus got under way in 1980, income inequality has increased rapidly in North America, China, India, and Russia and more moderately but nonetheless very markedly in Europe.
In the United States, the share of income going to the bottom half of earners decreased from more than 20 per cent in 1980 to 13 per cent in 2016. The global top 1 per cent of earners has captured twice as much of all the economic growth since 1980 as the poorest 50 per cent.
Gaming the system
It is rather ironic that in Ireland the first controversy of 2018 arose from an accusation (without stated evidence) by the head of the Housing Agency, Conor Skehan, that homeless people were "gaming the system". Ironic because the system certainly is being gamed and it is not by the poor.
Russia v the West: Vladimir Putin's new cold war
Reasons to be cheerful amid globalisation and rising inequality
The global corporate tax avoidance industry (in which Ireland plays a large part) is a gaming of the system on a massive scale. So is the alliance between the super-rich and far-right figures like Trump whose excesses and vulgarities are acceptable so long as he delivers (as he has done) tax cuts overwhelmingly directed towards the top earners.
This long-term ability of the very rich to monopolise the vast new wealth being created in the world is the ultimate fuel for the political wildfires.
Inequality on this scale is not compatible with the promise implicit in democracy, that everyone counts the same. But it has also created its own new normal for ever larger sections of society: stagnant wages, precarious work, poorer access to overstretched public services and a sense that things that were once taken for granted are now slipping inexorably away.
In Ireland, as elsewhere, these things include even housing – Dublin, in particular, is becoming uninhabitable for the unprivileged young. As consumers of the dazzling new technology, we have never felt so powerful; as citizens we are acutely conscious of our powerlessness.
Jair Bolsonaro supporters in Rio. Photograph: Sergio Moraes/Reuters
The only compensation on offer is the chance to feel superior to someone worse off than yourself. We are seeing the growth of what Timothy Snyder in one of 2018's best political books, The Road to Unfreedom, calls a "sadopopulism" in which people are willing to inflict pain on themselves so long as they can believe that, in the same moment, they are making their imagined enemies hurt more.
There is little sign of a lessening of this urge: one of the world's largest democracies, Brazil, succumbed to it in 2018 when Jair Bolsonaro was elected president in October. But so did one of the keystone countries of the European Union: after Italy's general election in March, it has become ever more obvious | |
All posts tagged The Bug
Published September 7, 2012 by subcultureshanghai
In recent years, vinyl culture has come back big time and recently there has been a whole load of amazing releases landing in shops around the world. Even in China vinyl collecting seems to be getting a lot more popular and I have been meeting a lot of collectors, both local and foreign, who are just as excited as me about the resurgence of the beautiful music format. As an avid vinyl collector and sucker for limited editions, the bank balance has taken a real hit in the last few weeks with a string of releases that are impossible not to buy on sight. Here are just a few of the things we've been excited about recently.
Flying Lotus – When The Quiet Comes – Collectors Edition
Probably one of the most anticipated albums of 2012, Flying Lotus' 4th album 'When The Quiet Comes' is almost here, with its full release on October 1st. If the first track to be released from the album, 'See Thru To U' feat Erykah Badu, is anything to go by, this album is going to be very special indeed.
A limited 'Collectors Edition' is available now for preorder here. 180g vinyl with full colour inner sleeves, download redemption code and credit sheet in rigid gatefold sleeve, wrapped in black buckram embossed paper with tipped on cover image. An absolute must buy in our eyes.
Yesterday a short film by Kahlil Joseph previewing more tracks from the album was released and it sounds stunning. October 1st can't come quick enough!
Mala – Mala In Cuba – Limited Box Set
Another heavily anticipated album is 'Mala in Cuba', an album instrumented by Giles Peterson and Havana Cultura by inviting Mala to travel to Cuba to record with contemporary Cuban artists and reconstruct the music to make it his own. Brownswood label boss Peterson described as the most important record he's had a hand in since Roni Size's 1997 landmark New Forms.
The album, released this coming Monday, comes in the form of a 4 x 12" boxset. Having already sold out at source as well as many other online stores on pre-order, be fast if you want to get one of these. It isn't specified how limited the vinyl set is, but better safe than sorry, order now!
The album is now available to stream in full and is beyond what we expected it to sound like, and we expected a lot!
The Bug – Acid Ragga
Those of you who were lucky enough to attend our event with The Bug and Daddy Freddy earlier in the year will know that Kevin Martin is firing on all cylinders at the moment and his latest venture, a new 7" sub-label on Ninja Tune entitled Acid Ragga is some of the most exciting, nastiest, dancehall destroying music to appear in years. The first release came out a few weeks back, kicking off the series with the incredible 'Can't Take It No More' with Daddy Freddy and backed with an Inga Copeland vocal on the same riddim called 'Rise Up'.
The releases, as well as sounding great, look the business too. Pressed on florescent yellow vinyl, he first release features the work of Sub-Culture favourite Zeke Clough (Skull Disco), and the 2nd release 'Ganja Baby' is designed by King Midas Sounds' Kiki Hitomi (both of these artists have designed Sub-Culture posters in the past). Bad!
Death Waltz Recording Company
Limited colour vinyl, horror soundtracks & art prints. These are probably 3 of our favouriite things, and the amazing Death Waltz Recording Company have answered our prayers and combined the 3 with incredible effect. As soon as we found out about this label the very limited subscription was bought without a second thought and so far has not disappointed. The first release on the label was, surprisingly, the first ever vinyl Fabio Frizzi's soundtrack to Lucio Fulci's 'Zombie Flesh Eaters', possibly one of the best movie soundtracks ever made, and they have followed this up with a string of amazing soundtracks including Escape From New York, Donnie Darko and Let The Right One In.
The latest release, pictured above, is the soundtrack to the zombie classic 'The Living Dead At The Manchester Morgue' and, for subscribers, comes on beautiful green and black vinyl, along with a huge poster and lithograph of the fresh artwork by Luke Insect. With the soundtracks to Halloween II and III, Prince Of Darkness, They Live and The Devil's Business scheduled for release in the next few months, plus a partnership with Hammer Films, the second subscription is a no brainer!
Silent Servant – Negative Fascination
This release came online just yesterday and, although we don't usually buy many techno releases, this one was bought on sight. After Sandwell District disbanded at the beginning of the year, we've been waiting with bated breath for Juan Mendez, aka Silent Servant, to release his debut album, and if the sound clips are anything to go by it does not disappoint. An edition of only 900, it looks like the initial limited white vinyl has already sold out, and I'd think quick if you want to get a copy of the regular version as this wont stick around for long. Go here, quick!
Tagged: Acid Ragga, Death Waltz, Flying Lotus, Mala, Silent Servant, The Bug, vinyl
This Saturday's Line-Up
You know the drill. Sub-Culture this Saturday @ The Shelter. Doors open at 9pm. No admittance from 10pm – 11pm. Here is Saturday's full line up:
9pm – 10pm: B6
As a special surprise to set the tone and quality for the evening, we are honored to have non other than Shanghai's B6 join us for a special early evening semi-live ambient set before our lock down. B6 is one of China's most celebrated electronic musicians, and this very rare appearance is the perfect way to open up a night of serious music.
***** Doors to The Shelter will be locked at 10pm. There will be no admittance from 10pm until 11pm. If you wish to leave The Shelter during this time you will not be allowed to re-enter until 11pm***
10pm – 11pm: King Midas Sound DJ Set
As you probably know, The Bug and Daddy Freddy are our guests for this month's Sub-Culture. The Bug is one of the many pseudonyms of Kevin Martin, the multi talented frequency-fiend from the UK. As well as 'The Bug', Kevin's other current project is King Midas Sound, a group consisting of Kiki Hitomi (Dokebi Q), poet Roger Robinson and himself. Signed to Kode 9's Hyperdub, Ming Midas Sound released one of 2009's best albums – 'Waiting For You', and their incredible 2011 remix project 'Without You', which included reworks by Flying Lotus, Mala, Kode9 and Kuedo to name but a few. Much deeper than 'The Bug', beautifully heavy and hauntingly cerebral, the KMS sound has morphed and progressed over the last few years and is a serious force to be reckoned with. With Kevin already in town, we thought we would bring a little something extra to the table to make this, already immense event, just that bit more special. For the first time ever, Kevin will be playing a DJ set under the King Midas Sound banner. It is something that he is very excited about as we were the first people to ever suggest this (they usually play live as a group) and so he is planning to make this debut something to remember. Dark drones, warped pop, ambient sound scapes and more, this is an exclusive chance to hear where the King Midas Sound came from, and where its heading.
***** Doors to The Shelter reopen at 11pm *****
11pm – 12pm: dji + George Wyndham + Nick Muzyczka
Quebec's dji is one of the original | |
Thinking About Inking: the role of comic book inkers
As a long-time comic book reader, I have come to recognize that one of the most important aspects of the creation of comic artwork is inking. It is also, unfortunately, one of the least understood.
Some people make the mistake of thinking that all inking is the same, that it is little more than going over the penciler's work with a pen (I sometimes think that Kevin Smith should be dunked in a giant vat of India Ink for that line he wrote about "tracers" from his movie Chasing Amy). But the reality is that no two inkers are the same. The difference between one inker and another is often the difference between a very polished finish and a rough, gritty mood. Therefore, it is important to recognize the vital role that inkers have in the crafting of the final, finished look of a comic book story.
I think that the major reason why inkers often do not receive their due credit is that is usually difficult for the casual reader to recognize what, precisely, the inker has brought to the finished artwork. True, there are certain inkers with easily spotted styles, among them Terry Austin, Klaus Janson, and Tom Palmer. But the majority of inkers have work that is of a more subtle sort. John Beatty, Scott Hanna, Mark McKenna, Josef Rubinstein, and Bob Wiacek are all excellent inkers. But when looking at their work, to my unfortunately untrained eye, there isn't often an occasion where a particular stylistic signature leaps out at me so that I can readily identify them at a casual glance.
Certainly, when a reader only sees the finished, inked work, it can be difficult to discern who did what. And unfortunately most of the time if the reader sees something he really likes in the artwork he is more than likely to ascribe this to the penciler. You really need to be able to view a "before and after" piece, with the raw, uninked pencils side by side with the finished, inked work, in order to fully appreciate who did what.
Bob McLeod is an extremely talented artist, both as a penciler and an inker. He is often at the forefront of the voices rightfully proclaiming that inkers do not receive the credit due them. To that end, on his Facebook page he has posted scans of a number of before and after examples of his inks over other artists' pencils. Below, reproduced with his kind permission, is one of these (click to enlarge).
This is a page from Spider-Man #34, cover dated May 1993. Lee Weeks provided the pencil layouts on this page, and McLeod the inks / finishes. As you can clearly see by viewing these two pages side-by-side, while Weeks is responsible for the storytelling & pacing, the majority of the important details found in the finished artwork are courtesy of McLeod's inking.
It can be even more informative when one is able to see how the same penciled piece is inked by several different individuals. I remember that in the early 1990s DC Comics on one of their editorial pages had reproduced a panel of pencil art from a then-recent Batman story. They had three different artists re-ink this panel. Looking at these next to one another, it was readily apparent how each inker brought a very different mood & sensibility to their work, resulting in several very different pieces of art. I really wish I could find that so I could post an image here. It was extremely enlightening, and must have been one of the very first occasions when I realized the importance of the inker.
UPDATE: Here is a scan of that DC Universe piece "What exactly does an inker do?" Thanks to Steve Bird for locating a pic of this and passing along a link in the comments section below.
This clearly demonstrates that Scott Hanna, Gerry Fernandez and Jed Hotchkiss have their own individual styles, and utilized different approaches to when it came to inking Jim Balent's pencils. This has resulted in three distinctive finished images.
Another earlier example of this sort is equally useful. This was posted on Facebook in January 2013. Originally published in Comics Scene #5 in 1982, a Mike Zeck pencil drawing of the Hulk was inked by four different artists.
As is readily apparent from the images below, Bob Layton, Klaus Janson, Tom Palmer, and Josef Rubinstein each bring something very different to the final look of the artwork. (My personal favorite is the one by Rubinstein.) If you were an editor who was going to hire Zeck to pencil a story, and if you had any common sense, you would not just randomly pick a name out of a hat to choose who was going to ink it. Hopefully, if you were doing your job and knew the styles of the various inkers in your rolodex, you'd give some consideration as to which one would be the best match-up for Zeck's style, and would bring the desired finished look to the story that you were seeking.
Bob Almond, a very talented inker, is responsible for setting up the Inkwell Awards, which recognize excellence in inking. One of the great things about the Inkwells is that they have helped to demonstrate the importance of inking by putting out various examples of both "before and after" pieces and penciled artwork that have been inked by different artists to demonstrate what each illustrator brings to the table. I encourage everyone to look through their website and Facebook page. There's a great deal of beautiful artwork on display that really puts the spotlight on the crucial role inking plays.
One last indication of the importance of inking is the rise in prevalence over the last decade of comic books that have been printed from uninked pencil artwork. I first noticed this in 2001 when Marvel began publishing X-Treme X-Men, featuring the art of Salvador Larroca. The book was shot directly from Larroca's extremely tight, finished pencils. I was never a huge fan of this, because however detailed the penciling may have been it still seemed to be missing something, and the printed comics just looked rather faint and, well, blurry. It's a bit difficult to describe. But I would have much preferred it if there had been an inker on the book.
Art wise, I felt X-Treme X-Men was much improved in its third year, when the art team of penciler Igor Kordey & inker Scott Hanna came on board. And, again, that also demonstrated the importance of an inker. Anyone who is familiar with Kordey's work will probably know that when he inks his own pencils, it has a rough, gritty style a bit reminiscent of Joe Kubert. In contract, when he was inked by Hanna, the result is a more polished, slick look. Kordey is usually his own best inker, but he and Hanna definitely did make a very good art team.
In any case, as far as the practice of printing from uninked pencils goes, one of the main publishers to use this is Dynamite Entertainment. They have many talented artists working for them, but the uninked art has its drawbacks, the same I cited concerning Larroca's work. This especially stood out for me when Mike Lilly was working at Dynamite. I love Lilly's art, and he did nice stuff for Dynamite. But it would have been even stronger if he had been paired up an inker. Someone like Bob Almond, who had worked very well with Lilly in the past, would have given it a very polished heft, making it more substantive. The lack of inkers on so many of Dynamite's titles is the major | |
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Highsted Students in British Taekwondo Championship
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GCSE Students Show Grit & Determination!
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The Photos Say It All!
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Follow the links below to our new Mental Health Awareness pages:
Student page Staff page
As part of International Women's Day 2021, students have been exploring a range of activities under the slogan #ChooseChallenge.
Year 13 have been leading workshops for Lower School girls on the presence of gender inequality and our need as women to build a positive mindset that captures the idea of Brave, not Perfect. Year 12 have produced a video which champions Courageous Women. To view this thought-provoking piece of work, please follow this link.
More events are planned, so watch this page for further updates.
Year 7 Admissions: September 2021
The offer of a place for your daughter will be given on Monday 1 March 2021. If you do not want the school you have been allocated and wish to appeal for a place at Highsted Grammar School, our September 2021 Appeals Process opens on Monday 1 March and runs until Friday 26 March. For further information regarding this please follow this link to our Opportunities: Admissions webpage.
Super-Curriculum 2021
Our new Super-Curriculum provision for Pre-GCSE and GCSE is now live online. To access our Pre-GCSE materials for Year 9 students who are preparing to begin their GCSE courses in September and our GCSE Enrichment and Extension materials for Key Stage 4 students, please follow this link to the Super-Curriculum 2021 webpage.
During the current Coronavirus pandemic, Highsted Grammar School is providing a comprehensive package of curriculum materials, teaching and support for all our students. To read how this provision is organised and see the answers to frequently asked questions, please follow this link to our new information page.
Holocaust Memorial Day 2021
Please click here to view our tribute to Holocaust Memorial Day,
New webpage: Health & Wellbeing
In Mental Health Awareness week we have created a new webpage to draw together support materials for all in the Highsted community, particularly throughout the current Coronavirus pandemic.
To access the new information please go to Our School: Health & Wellbeing by following this link.
Online Safety at Home
To support the Highsted community through the Covid-19 school closure and to enable everyone to continue their education by working safely online, we have collected together a range of new resources for students and their parents/carers.
NEW information sheet and activities are available now by following this link.
The new Highsted Super-Curriculum activities are now available for all Key Stage 3 students, by opening the tab at the top of this page or by following this link.
A new suite of Pre-A-level Bridging Materials, A-level Enrichment Materials and Pre-University Extension Materials are currently being developed for Year 11 & Post-16 students. A range of these activity sheets are now available by following this link.
Important Safeguarding Update - Friday 20th March
Safeguarding Procedures During School Closure
At this difficult time, it is more important than ever that you report concerns linked to a child's wellbeing.
Please report your concerns as follows:
During normal school hours, contact the school team at: safeguarding@highsted.kent.sch.uk
Outside School Hours, contact Social Services on:
03000 41 11 11 (text relay 18001 03000 41 11 11) or email social.services@kent.gov.uk
If you feel a child is in immediate danger, call 999.
Activities at Highsted
Please follow the links below to read more about our pre-Covid activities and achievements:
Highsted Presents at ASGS 2020 Conference
Heroes and Heroines - World Book Day 2020
Highsted Gains Champion School Award
Year 7 Discovery Park Trip 2020
Year 10 'Maths Feast 2020' Competition
Kent Schools' Table Tennis | |
reformer he knew that his exposé would exert public pressure on Trinity to clean up an environment that was ruining the lives of thousands. Because reformers placed great faith in the potency of a changed physical environment, the slum cause was as important as the regulation of the "trusts" and the control of municipal corruption. "There is such a thing as a criminal mind," Russell once wrote, "but in every instance it can be traced back to environment and living conditions." Urban problems stemmed from rotten housing, not rotten hearts.
Russell saw Trinity as a wonderful example of systemic failure—capitalism had forced even a beneficent institution such as Trinity to "divide responsibility between church and Wall Street." The "system" forced even the good men of Trinity into following bad policies. While reform and regulation might ease some of the tenement's worst excesses (Russell praised the work of tenement reformers), it did not go far enough to suit Russell's increasingly radical beliefs. Thus, Russell's Trinity exposé could kill two birds with one stone: lending a hand to the forces of tenement reform that had been making slow progress in improving housing conditions while also condemning the profiteering that was—as Russell now saw it—at the root of the problem.
When Russell decided to go after Trinity, the magazine writers who had become known as the "muckrakers" had been going strong for nearly six years, ever since Ida Tarbell and Lincoln Steffens began it all in McClure's magazine with their startling exposés. Mass circulation magazines, like McClure's, Collier's, and Everybody's, each reaching upwards of a half-million people, were akin to today's television newsmagazines, such as "60 Minutes" and "20/20." They entered thousands of homes all over the country, had no competition, and had a much greater impact than newspapers, which circulated only locally. The magazines in which the muckrakers made their homes were the turn-of-the-century's town forums, the place where industrialism's excesses were being revealed, where political shenanigans were unfurled in monthly installments, and where the connection between politics and business was becoming clearer with each exposé. Most importantly, the establishment was being forced to respond to the rising public indignation and demand for reform.
The climax of it all came when Russell's best friend David Graham Phillips wrote a blistering indictment of the U.S. Senate in 1906. The articles appeared in Cosmopolitan, which had been purchased a year earlier by Russell's old boss, William Randolph Hearst, as he expanded his media empire from newspapers into magazines. "The Treason of Senate" articles accused seventeen U.S. Senators of being slaves and well-paid butlers for various corporate interests. Phillips's "Treason" articles were a wild success. Cosmopolitan could not print enough copies to keep up with demand. The public and the forces of reform were roused, but so was President Theodore Roosevelt who, in April 1906, launched his famous counterattack. Fearful that these "muck-rakers"—Roosevelt was the first to use the word publicly—were building a revolutionary fervor in the nation, Roosevelt implored the writers and the nation to remember all that was good in capitalist America. Look at the sky, not at the muck, he urged, slyly unleashing a torrent of criticism of exposé journalism. Russell understood what Roosevelt was trying to accomplish. He explained: "Whenever a depraved reformer suggests any change in this holy and perfectly authenticated order, there is first laughter, then contempt, then alarm, then a rapid banding together of the forces of righteousness [until there results] a glorious victory for the right and the total defeat of the forces of unrest
Phillips was wounded by the attacks on his articles. "I had an anxious time with him [one] Sunday, walking him around the streets while I tried to comfort him under the blow," Russell remembered. "He was terribly cut up." After the "Treason" articles, Phillips never again wrote nonfiction, sticking only to the novels that made him one of the bestselling writers in America. Russell feared the damage that Roosevelt's attack had brought. "Many of the magazine editors," he noted, "took fright at the presidential command and abandoned expose stuff." Louis Filler, the preeminent historian of the muckraking movement, concurs. After Roosevelt's 1906 speech, the legend grew that "muckraking was dead.... that the public was thoroughly 'tired' of muckraking, and that the few remaining muckrakers were mere outlaws with no following." But Russell was one of the outlaws who, at forty eight, was just beginning to hit his stride. Needing an outlet, he turned to Benjamin Hampton's New Broadway Magazine, which was a listless and dry little magazine with 12,000 readers when Hampton bought it in 1904. By 1908, with persistent muckraking articles, Hampton's circulation had soared to 480,000. Russell would have an audience.
II. "HORRIBLE THINGS... UNSPEAKABLE TERROR"
Russell first heard about Trinity Church from his father. When the family arrived in America, they were briefly housed in a ramshackle Trinity tenement. The experience led the family to leave New York. Then, when he came to New York as a reporter Russell observed and wrote about the poor victims who lived in Trinity's properties. Although it operated admirable schools and shelters, Trinity Church was also the owner of "the worst tenements in New York," Russell concluded. This, he declared, "was a disgrace to civilization and to the city of New York." The angry Russell set out to expose the Trinity-slum connection to a national audience and to pressure the church into revealing, for the first time since 1814, the extent of its wealth and income. This was no easy task. Reformers had been looking into Trinity's tenements on and off for nearly two decades and Trinity was the church of the establishment—wealthy, powerful, well connected. Its board of directors was made up of Wall Street types who ran New York City, part of the "invisible government" that Steffens had written about in his 1902 "Shame of the Cities."
As Russell and two researchers began to dig into Lower Manhattan's "pangs of poverty," finding "dirt, darkness and squalor," it was not Trinity's rulers who motivated them. It was the victims—"respectable and industrious Americans," as he called them, many of whom were to his surprise second- and third-generation citizens, victims he had seen for years but about whom he now had a reason to write. In November 1907, Russell visited dozens of the properties owned by Trinity and found "horrible things." He knocked at a door and a silver-haired, seventy-year-old woman answered. "She looked respectable and decent despite her surroundings, but the last vestige of the human spirit had long been crushed out of her," Russell found. Dressed in rags, gaunt and bent, with "unspeakable terror in her eyes," she cringed at Russell's questions. "The utter dreariness of her surroundings had shriveled away the soul of humanity," he wrote.
And then there were the children—"chalk-faced" and "growing up in terrible places" owned by Trinity, Russell wrote. One little girl in particular struck him. Her family lived behind a tiny and scantily stocked store. The girl was sick, lying on a filthy old mattress in a wooden shed that was her bedroom. Russell wrote: "The floor was filthy, the walls were bare, the room was a cold, cheerless hole." The child lay against a wall, beyond which was a backyard, "reeking of things I must not speak about," Russell said. The child was dying, as were so many of the children who "had been stupefied by the crushing misery in which they lived."17
Russell speculated that the child had tuberculosis. Thus, he argued in the three articles he wrote about Trinity Church, the public had a vital self-interest in forcing a cleanup of the slums. When a reader complained that Russell had no right to attack a private church because it was "none of | |
non-racist and culturally sensitive, terrorists could safely assume that the TSA wouldn't oblige a Muslim woman to lift her veil if she didn't want to.
Note that Harris is the one playing the "PC" card. And taking it to a stupid conclusion. How often do we see that here? But no, it's nice that he's willing to be brave enough to raise those possible moral dilemmas that nobody else is willing to touch, eh?
It's especially stupid with Schneier, since he never raised any sort of political correctness. He was focusing on how such a proposed policy was bad security, not tactful or touchy-feely or culturally sensitive.
That's basically what Schneier was saying. He might not have used the word "scale," but that's effectively what he was saying. To the best of my knowledge (and memory).
Which, admittedly, does suck.
Oh good, I was starting to worry about you. As a new member of the Horde, I do look to you to set the standard for poor behavior, because how will I know how to create a hostile atmosphere without being told what to think?
Don't fret if you can't get it right away. It's taken me decades to become the awful person I am.
Undoubtedly, but I just wanted to be clear to pre-empt any He never said thats.
After rereading the whole thing (skimming first, then more carefully), this really bugged me (link provided upstream, cut out some fluff to make my point, this seems a fair characterization to me so go look it up yourself if you disagree):
BS: What you described above is behavioral profiling, and very different from what we're discussing here…
SH: Sorry, but your purified notion of "behavioral profiling" is a fiction…
BS: Actually, it's not. The two are very different…
SH: The whole purpose of my previous articles … if a plane gets blown up by someone who looked and acted like Betty White, I will issue a public apology.
BS: Yes, you will…
That, to me, is really representative of Harris's technique in this debate. Define something based on "theoretical" grounds, have the expert in the field say "uh, actually, these have already been defined", and then just ignore it, talk about something else, and bring up a Betty White canard.
This is starting to feel like masturbation to me (though not quite as much fun). I am glad I participated, because I was very much on the fence as to questions of bad faith/honesty, and … well, now I'm not.
A particularly delightful experience since that mainly came from me looking up much more about this debate than I ever had before. On the other hand, I now have a lot of stuff to catch up on. But still…my first real Pharyngula thread as a participant! Which way to the echo chamber? I've asked repeatedly for the Spanking Parlor, with no luck.
@ Brownian: hopefully I won't get caught by any stray bullets words in the meantime.
'Tis Himself says
Harris claims there are possible situations where torture would be effective. He's smart enough not to give specifics because he knows holes could be poked in any scenario he suggests, but he sincerely knows there must be some hypothetical, far-fetched, incredibly unlikely setting in which torture might possibly, perhaps, maybe could almost by some chance be effective, therefore it stops being morally repugnant and becomes merely morally iffy (albeit still illegal).
Harris' hypothetical circumstances where torture and profiling might work are no different and no less dishonest as all those anti-abortion late-term-one-second-from-gestation-fetuses hypotheticals.
And rajkumar's 'god'.
But still…my first real Pharyngula thread as a participant!
And a damned fine first showing.
I bow in your general direction. I just hope security doesn't think I'm facing Mecca.
QFT. I was taken aback when you wrote that, PatrickG. [Grumbles] These kids today…showin' us old-timers up with their smarty-smart blog comments…
(Ha)LOL!
@ Amphiox
I really like that comparison. I will almost certainly steal it from you for use in future (though I'll do my best to attribute it where possible).
@ Nigel: Thanks for the kind words!
@ Brownian: I'd thank you too, but despite your earlier protestations, I have yet to be messaged by Madame Patricia. Foo on you.
hotspurphd says
ANRI:
You quote me:"While it is well known that torture does not usually work, is it really true that there are NO cases of it working? And can you be sure that there wouldn't�t be a ticking bomb case where it would work, and would indeed be the lesser evil though illegal. I haven�t seen any evidence here that this couldn't�t happen or that it couldn't�t perhaps be predicted with high probability to work (though I haven�t read every post). Is it possible, or even likely that a terrorist MIGHT give the info needed. If there is little time to spare and no time to use the usual interrogation methods that do work with enough time, can anyone say categorically that torture would never ever get the info to save a lot of innocent lives?"
Then you say:
"Please, please quote the (I presume) multiple places in which people have categorically said it can never work. May I speculate that you didn't�t� because you can�t� because there haven�t been?"
I think you are right, there haven't been. But people keep saying torture shouldn't be used because (among other reasons) IT DOESN'T WORK!! No one that I noticed mentioned that there have been times that it has worked or could work. If this is true then the statement "It doesn't work is not entirely true. So, though no one has said it, it SOUNDS as if people mean it NEVER works so let's not do it.
You continue:
"The answer to your �what if� is another �what if�: What if there were other techniques that work better and also aren't�t morally bankrupt? Because there are.Knowing a technique that works frequently and tends to produce good results, and that another technique works badly and tends to produce poor results, which would you work with, given that you have limited time?Or, indeed, under any circumstance?
"It would be greatly appreciated if anyone responding please address the issues and not insult me. thanks."
Well, ok, but just as a word of advice: if you enter a thread and ask a question that has been answered many times previously � about a position nobody is actually trying to take -people might very well take it as uninformed or disingenuous straw manning and are likely to think their intelligence is being insulted. They are likely to respond in kind.The thing that will really determine if you get insulted or not is how you respond to the explanation that your point is both nonsensical and has already been covered. If you continue with �But what if� what if� what if�� you�re going to be insulted. Just giving you a heads-up."
Well, thanks for the heads-up but I don't see why insult is helpful in a debate or discussion. I prefer to stick to the arguments.
I don't think the question had been answered before. No one dealt with the possibility that torture might work. Your response ""Knowing a technique that works frequently and tends to produce good results, and that another technique works badly and tends to produce poor results, which would you work with, given that you have limited time?" doesn't seem to make sense( notice how I don't insult you here by calling you a moron or accuse you of ignorance for perhaps not knowing that since, as I understand it, one needs time for interrogation techniques to work-weeks, months?) The ticking bomb scenario may be different.
Perhaps the only thing that would work in a very limited time is torture. Do the experts say the usually effective techniques can work in a very short time? Anyone? If not, is it more morally repugnant to let lots of | |
He added: "The results of the election were not impacted. The Trump campaign did nothing wrong – no collusion!"
Nor does it have anything to say regarding the origins of 'Russiagate':
The indictment does not mention the hacking of Democratic emails, which then turned up on WikiLeaks. It does not mention the infamous Trump Tower meeting in June 2016. It does not mention the four Trump associates who are facing charges that range from money laundering to lying to the FBI about conversations with Russia's ambassador. America, and the world, is waiting for Mueller to join the dots. 6
I shall come back to Trump in a moment. But first please note how Mueller has been given a free pass by the media. This is the same Robert Mueller who was appointed FBI head by George W Bush literally one week prior to the September 11th attacks and who thereafter, as former FBI special agent and whistleblower Coleen Rowley points out at length, alongside then-Deputy Attorney General James Comey, "presided over post-9/11 cover-ups and secret abuses of the Constitution, enabled Bush-Cheney fabrications used to launch wrongful wars, and exhibited plain vanilla incompetence":
I wanted to believe Director Mueller when he expressed some regret in our personal meeting the night before we both testified to the Senate Judiciary Committee. He told me he was seeking improvements and that I should not hesitate to contact him if I ever witnessed a similar situation to what was behind the FBI's pre 9/11 failures.
A few months later, when it appeared he was acceding to Bush-Cheney's ginning up intelligence to launch the unjustified, counterproductive and illegal war on Iraq, I took Mueller up on his offer, emailing him my concerns in late February 2003. Mueller knew, for instance, that Vice President Dick Cheney's claims connecting 9/11 to Iraq were bogus yet he remained quiet. He also never responded to my email. 7
Click here to read Coleen Rowley's full article entitled "Russia-gate's Mythical 'Heroes'"
Jimmy Dore reflects on Rachel Maddow's reaction to the collapse of Russiagate – uploaded on March 25th:
Drilling down into 'Russiagate' to find the origins of 'fake news'
The following extract is a later section drawn from the same post entitled "'fake news' is the new blackwhite" published Feb 20th 2018.
'Fake news' as a meme has befuddled millions. To paraphrase Orwell: like so many Newspeak words, this phrase has two mutually contradictory meanings. Used by the mainstream it represents a shield against deception. Used by an opponent, however, and it merely confirms the habit of impudently claiming that black is white, in contradiction of the plain facts.
Presumably for this reason, an oddly prevalent misapprehension has grown, especially amongst liberal-minded Trump opponents, that the term 'fake news' was coined by Donald Trump himself as a vain attempt to defend himself against regular attacks from the press corps. However, as soon as we retrace the breadcrumbs that lead back to 'Russiagate' reality becomes clearer.
'Fake news' was manufactured not by Trump, but by opponents. It arose from the ashes of the original 'Russiagate' scandal that had been concocted to divert attention from electoral rival Clinton in light of the leaks of campaign director John Podesta's emails. After her defeat, however, 'Russiagate' quickly resurfaced to spare Democrat blushes and with it came this new meme 'fake news'.
[I then parsed a Yahoo! News story written by Michael Isikoff…]
The Obama administration today publicly accused the Russian government of cyberattacks against U.S. political organizations and prominent figures that are "intended to interfere with the U.S. election process."
The extraordinary move comes after months of disclosures stemming from the hacks of the Democratic National Committee and other groups — cyberattacks that the U.S. intelligence community is now "confident" were directed by the Russian government.
In other words, we find the origins to what would soon become 'Russiagate': a story transparently devoid of any substantiated facts at all and based solely on allegations in turn determined baseless by a range of independent experts (read earlier post) and then widely forgotten.
This had followed from a joint statement made by the office of the Director of National Intelligence and the Department of Homeland Security claiming:
"The U.S. Intelligence Community (USIC) is confident that the Russian Government directed the recent compromises of e-mails from US persons and institutions, including from US political organizations…
"These thefts and disclosures are intended to interfere with the US election process…
"Such activity is not new to Moscow — the Russians have used similar tactics and techniques across Europe and Eurasia, for example, to influence public opinion there. We believe, based on the scope and sensitivity of these efforts, that only Russia's senior-most officials could have authorized these activities."
This clumsy yet effective scapegoating of Russia quite deliberately switched the attention of our gullible and obedient press away prying any further into Clinton's emails, and there was more…
Earlier Friday, a group of former top national security officials and experts warned that Russian intelligence agents may "doctor" emails hacked from the Democratic National Committee and other political groups as part of a sophisticated "disinformation" campaign aimed at influencing the 2016 election.
The group, including former Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff and former White House counterterrorism adviser Richard Clarke, urged the news media to be "cautious" about publishing such material lest they play into Russian hands.
"What is taking place in the United States follows a well-known Russian playbook: First leak compelling and truthful information to gain credibility. The next step: Release fake documents that look the same," the group said in a joint public statement.
"The Russians aren't coming. They're already here," said Tara Sonenshine, a former undersecretary for public diplomacy under Clinton and one of the organizers of the joint statement.
The fear that more embarrassing emails may be coming is especially acute among Democratic operatives and loyalists, who have become convinced Russian President Vladimir Putin is more favorably disposed to Trump and doing what he can to assist his candidacy. And perhaps not surprisingly, most, if not all, of the 16 former officials and national security experts who signed the statement — including Chertoff, who served during the Bush administration — have endorsed Clinton.
Sonenshine insisted that the purpose of the letter was not to pressure the news media to refuse to publish any leaked emails. Instead, she said, it is only to inject a cautionary note into the review of such material given the Russian propensity to fabricate documents.
"You can't put out a red stop sign to journalism," she said. "But you can put up a yellow flag."
Sonenshine and another organizer of the letter, Ken Gude of the Center for American Progress, said there is evidence that the Russian intelligence service has fabricated or altered documents to further its political aims in Ukraine and elsewhere. And the joint statement warns that such actions appear to fit into a larger strategy of using "cyber tools" targeting Western democracies. Similar concerns about Russian "information warfare" were raised in a recent U.S. intelligence report, disclosed last week by Yahoo News, that cited the activities of Russian Internet trolls and the broadcasts of RT and Sputnik, two state-sponsored media outlets. 8
Click here to read the full Yahoo! News story entitled "U.S. accuses Russia of cyberattacks 'intended to interfere' with election".
Follow the link and still the list of allegations goes on…
Another tactic of the [Russian] trolls is to inject blatantly false stories into the media, forcing public officials in Europe and the U.S. to respond, according to Weiss and other experts. A New York Times Sunday Magazine piece last year documented how Russian trolls based in the St. Petersburg office had swamped Twitter with hundreds of messages about an explosion at a Louisiana chemical plant that never took place, setting up dozens of fake accounts and doctoring screenshots from CNN | |
DeepDive
Kaqexeß
Sharing the Joy of Personal Discipleship
Does the Prophet Amos Predict a Literal Rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem?
By Clarke Morledge
When Donald Trump was running for the office of President of the United States, one of his campaign promises was to move the U.S. embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Such a symbolic act would have huge geopolitical ramifications, but why? It all boils down to how you read the Bible.
Look at the prophet Amos. The Book of Amos is mostly a rather devastating prophetic critique of the ancient, northern kingdom of Israel. After discussing all of the problems with Israel's neighbors, Amos launches into a scathing attack on Israel, and how they are in many ways worse than their neighbors. God pronounces judgment, showing how God's people do not pass the standard set by God's plumb line (Acts 7:7-8), and the prophecy came true when Israel was conquered by the Assyrians. It is a rather sober message for a disobedient people.
But at the very end of the book, Amos gives the people a message of hope:
"'In that day I will raise up
the booth of David that is fallen
and repair its breaches,
and raise up its ruins
and rebuild it as in the days of old,
that they may possess the remnant of Edom
and all the nations who are called by my name,'
declares the Lord who does this."(Amos 9:11-12 ESV)
Many Jews and Christians today understand "the booth of David" to be a reference to the temple in Jerusalem. The temple was the center of worship for the Jews, and with the destruction of the first temple, built by King David's son, Solomon, not many years after this prophecy was made, it gave hope to the Israelites that God would one day restore God's people to the land, along with a rebuilt temple. A second temple was eventually built but subsequently destroyed in 70 C.E. With the reconstitution of modern Israel, partially centered around Jerusalem, there are many who still hope for the rebuilding of yet a third temple, and the full restoration of Israel promised by Amos.
President Trump's campaign pledge would imply a type of endorsement to this hope. Yet setting aside the geopolitical issues, there is a major question as to how we are to read the Bible on this point: Is this really how we should read the prophecy of Amos today, regarding a future rebuilt temple in Jerusalem?
Reading Amos Through a New Testament Lens
Reading Amos in this way is complicated by how the New Testament cites the same text. In Acts 15, we read about a council convened by the leaders of the early Christian church to discuss a big problem with how the church was growing. Earlier in Acts, the original followers of Christ were nearly all Jewish in background, and they still sought to keep the Law of Moses, such as with the requirement for circumcision. Eventually however, Gentiles, or non-Jews, were also coming to follow Jesus and join the Christian movement. But many of the Jewish Christian believers insisted that these Gentile converts should submit to circumcision, whereas others, like the Apostle Paul, said that they do not need circumcision.
In order to resolve the matter, the council arrived at a solution that would allow the Gentile Christians to join the movement without requiring circumcision. In explaining their decision, James, the leader of the church in Jerusalem, made an appeal to Amos, recognizing that God indeed was transforming the hearts and minds of these Gentiles, through their faith in Christ:
(13) After they finished speaking, James replied, "Brothers, listen to me. (14) Simeon has related how God first visited the Gentiles, to take from them a people for his name. (15) And with this the words of the prophets agree, just as it is written,
(16) "'After this I will return,
and I will rebuild the tent of David that has fallen;
I will rebuild its ruins,
and I will restore it,
(17) that the remnant of mankind may seek the Lord,
and all the Gentiles who are called by my name,
says the Lord, who makes these things (18) known from of old.'
(19) Therefore my judgment is that we should not trouble those of the Gentiles who turn to God,
Many contend today that a future rebuilding of the temple is not in view, as it would appear that James is teaching that the expectation of Amos has been fulfilled with the new gathering in of these Gentile converts into the people of God. If this is indeed the case, it would indicate that the prophecy of Amos, instead of predicting a restoration of a physical temple, is instead being fulfilled in the New Testament era, by the inclusion of the Gentiles among God's people. In other words, the New Testament church has become the fulfillment of God's purposes for the Jewish temple. Therefore, there is no need for the rebuilding of a future temple.
There are a few things to observe in how James is quoting Amos, as the quotation is not identical to what most Bibles have back in Amos itself:
In the earlier Amos text, the text in most Bibles today is taken from the earliest Hebrew manuscripts, the Masoretic text.
In the Acts 15:16-17 reference to Amos, James is quoting from the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Old Testament, in common use by Greek-speaking Jews and Christians of James' day.
The Masoretic text reading has, at the beginning, "In that day…," whereas the Septuagint version has, "After this…."
The Masoretic text reading has "the booth of David that is fallen," whereas the Septuagint version has, "the tent of David that has fallen."
The Masoretic text reading has "that they may possess the remnant of Edom," whereas the Septuagint version has, "that the remnant of mankind may seek the Lord."
Different commentators on the Bible react differently to these pieces of evidence from the text. With regard to the "booth" or "tent" of David, some say that this is a reference to the temple in Jerusalem, mainly because a "booth" or "tent" suggests a physical structure. Essentially, the original tabernacle in the Sinai wilderness was a movable "temple," as it was indeed a "booth," or "tent."
Many other scholars disagree, and they say that this is really a type of reference to the dynasty of King David. In other words, what is being promised, is not necessarily a restoration of a physical temple, but rather, it is the restoration of a future Davidic reign, through David's son or sons.
But even if you follow the view that this is about the restoration of the Davidic monarchy, it does not resolve the question of when this restoration takes place. Some say that the "after this" introduction, from the Septuagint, teaches that the actual fulfillment of the prophecy will come after the events in the Book of Acts have taken place, which would indicate a future fulfillment, presumably during a future millennial reign of the Messiah.
Others protest this interpretation, noting that the "this" in "after this" is actually a reference to the days of Amos, not the days of Acts. This would imply that the fulfillment of the prophecy is future with respect to Amos' time, and not James' time. Therefore, James is treating the Amos' prophecy as being fulfilled in the New Testament church.
Finally, there is the curiosity about "Edom." Many scholars would agree that "Edom" is used in Amos as a way of speaking about the Gentiles, in general. Amos is therefore saying that the Gentiles are, in some sense, included in the promises of God. But there is a lingering debate as to whether this Gentile inclusion as prophesied by Amos was fulfilled in the early church of Acts, or will be fulfilled during a future millennial period, along | |
fully committed to his job as Britain's Prime Minister, the message was that he was a workaholic. When it was implied that he was strong of character, it was an underhand move to downplay comparisons with Stalin. Understanding these linguistics tricks is the result of living in the UK for so many years.
However, my comments shouldn't be taken as a slight against this most British of British personality traits, up there with self-deprecation and resilience. On the contrary, this post was born out of a fascination for what I consider to be an art in the UK. Besides, coming from a land where straightforwardness is the standard, I welcome a culture where often you say what you mean but you not always mean what you say. Of course, sometimes euphemisms can be used to look down on others. For instance, imagine you're having a conversation and your interlocutor suddenly says "To be honest with you..." You'd better brace yourself, for he/she is just to unleash the hounds of hell on you. Same with "Saying that/Having said that, though...", usually deployed after you think that the other person has completely agreed with your argument. But no, he or she hasn't and they're just about to let you know why. Possibly euphemistically. And what to say of those fashionable phrases, "efficiency savings" and "staff restructuring", covert terms for "cuts" and "sackings" respectively?
Still, as I mentioned before, the benevolent nature of euphemisms shouldn't be overlooked. And sometimes they even make a person feel better about his or her job. If not, ask my school's site manager. Or caretaker, as we used to say back in the day.
Labels: A Cuban In London, Cubans in London, Living in a Bilingual World
It seems that the Hollywood onslaught on forty- and fifty-somethings continues apace. For some time now big studio moguls have realised that the best way to make us, parents and carers, get out of bed to take our little ones to that Saturday morning show or that Sunday matinee slot is to include a few references to earlier - and probably better - cinematographic times. The two biggest winners at last week's Oscar ceremony were The Artist and Hugo, the former a tribute to the silent era of cinema (true, that could well be aimed at ninety-somethings, but then, my generation in Cuba grew up to the sight of La Comedia Silente with the excellent Armando Calderón on telly every Sunday doing all the voices and sound effects of classic silent flicks) and the latter about the magic of cinemascope.
To which we could add the latest incarnation of The Muppets.
It's hard for me to select my favourite Muppet character. Was it the drumming machine, Animal? Or hapless Kermit the frog? Or saucy - but control-freak - Miss Piggy? Despite the fact that they were dubbed in Spanish and the voices didn't always match the characters' personalities (a fact I found out much later, to my chagrin, when I came across the original programmes during my uni days) I fell for the charm of this facetious pastiche of famous songs and artists.
But the Mariel boatlift happened and a blackout on most things in English took place in Cuba. For a couple of years, from 1980 to 1982, I don't recall watching too many shows, cartoons or movies in the Germanic language. They weren't totally eliminated from our tellies; they were just replaced mostly by imports from the old socialist bloc. So, instead of Huckleberry Hound and Yogi Bear, we had the Bolshevik Tio Stiopa (Uncle Stiopa), a tall and strong police officer who stood up for the weak and punished the bullies. Lolek and Bolek arrived from Poland about the same time as Statler and Waldorf abandoned their critics' box.
But imports not only came from European countries where socialism had been imposed by pro-Stalin regimes. We also had programmes from Latin America and there's one from Brazil I remember very fondly. Its name was The Ranch of the Yellow Bird (I'm doing a literal translation). In Portuguese it was simple called Sitio do Picapau Amarelo.
Originally produced by TV Globo, this was a children's series that ran between 1977 and 1986. At the height of it, 1980-1981, the programme landed in Cuba.
Whereas the Muppets' brand of humour was on the euphemistic side (possibly, although I might be wrong, because of a certain British influence as the show was produced in the UK. Please, correct me if I'm wrong) Sitio do Picapau Amarelo oozed innocence through its every pore. Its stories were based on Brazil's rich folklore, the characters reflected that South American nation's diverse ethnic make-up - a factor that is often overlooked when analysing racial relationships in the different countries that form the Latin Diaspora - and each tale had a moral attached to it. For a nine- or ten-eleven-year, who was light-years away from the world of adult cynicism, characters such as Zé Carneiro, Emília and Narizinho were as fun as, or probably more enjoyable than the anarchic authors of the Mahna Mahna song. Whilst later on in life I became fond of the music by the likes of Elton John, Stevie Wonder and Queen, at the beginning of the 80s, the soundtrack to my childhood was the theme song of Sitio do Picapau Amarelo, composed by Gilberto Gil, who would later become Brazil's minister of culture during Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's presidency in the noughties.
Do they make them like that anymore? I mean, do they make programmes like The Muppets Show and The Ranch of the Yellow Bird? The former treated its child audience like people. It never, in my opinion, patronised them or talked down to them. It was intellectual, without being over the top, fun without being stupid and culturally challenging without dumbing down. The latter, on the other hand, was didactic without being preachy and balanced without being bland. Its remit went beyond the natural geographical borders of Brazil, and yet it was Brazilian through and through.
I will definitely be going to the cinema to watch The Muppets film with my children. And I know that when I sit there in the dark room, watching Miss Piggy chasing after Kermit the frog, a cracked voice undulating between a high and a low pitch, will be ringing in my ears, that of Zé Carneiro and his friends, mucking about in the Ranch of the Yellow, or as they called it in Brazil, Sitio do Picapau Amarelo.
Talking of music, last time an artist bared his torso on an album cover was D'Angelo with his sophomore record "Voodoo" as far back as 2000. Bearing in mind the turn his music career took thereafter, let's hope it's not the same fate that awaits Cuban pianist virtuoso Roberto Fonseca because he's just produced the most mature record of his short, but prolific musical career.
"Yo" ("Me" in Spanish) finds the Cuban maverick extending his remit beyond the natural borders of Afro-Cuban jazz and straying into the realm of traditional African melodies. The album's opener "80's" kicks off with an up-tempo piano riff supported by drum and guitar that will make the listener sway from side to side. This track is followed by the mellower "Bibisa" with guest singer Fatoumata Diawara, fresh from her own success with her debut album "Fatou". A mid-song kora-piano dialogue adds to the beauty of this track. Things can only look up from there, and they do, indeed, as evidenced on "7 Rayos" ("7 Rays"), a percussion- and piano-driven melody that samples the voice of Cuba's National Poet and one of the pillars of Afro-Cuban culture, the late Nicolas Guillén.
Whereas up to now Fonseca's work has mainly drawn from his Afro-Cuban roots | |
result, commodity prices also will affect the amount of cash flow available for distribution to the RoyaltyTrust unitholders. Lower prices may also reduce the amount of oil and natural gas that MMR or the third-party operators will be able to economically produce.
Credit Risk. The Royalty Trust's most significant credit risk is adverse changes in FCX's financial condition or results of operations. Because none of the subject interests are currently producing any oil or gas, the Royalty Trust has no source of income. Therefore, it must rely on FCX for funding of its administrative expenses. FCX has agreed to pay annual trust expenses up to a maximum amount of $350,000, to the extent the Royalty Trust lacks sufficient funds to pay such expenses and to lend additional funds to the Royalty Trust if necessary. Any material adverse change in FCX's financial condition or results of operations could materially and adversely affect the Royalty Trust and the Royalty Trust unitholders.
(a) Evaluation of disclosure controls and procedures. The Trustee has evaluated the effectiveness of the Royalty Trust's "disclosure controls and procedures" (as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934) as of the end of the period covered by this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q. Based on this evaluation, the Trustee has concluded that the Royalty Trust's disclosure controls and procedures are effective as of the end of the period covered by this report.
Due to the nature of the Royalty Trust as a passive entity and in light of the contractual arrangements pursuant to which the Royalty Trust was created, including the provisions of (i) the amended and restated royalty trust agreement and (ii) the master conveyance of overriding royalty interest (the master conveyance), the Royalty Trust's disclosure controls and procedures necessarily rely on (A) information provided by FCX, including information relating to results of operations, the costs and revenues attributable to the Royalty Trust's interests under the master conveyance and other operating and historical data, plans for future operating and capital expenditures, reserve information, information relating to projected production, and other information relating to the status and results of operations of the subject interests and the royalty interests, and (B) conclusions and reports regarding reserves by the RoyaltyTrust's independent reserve engineers.
(b) Changes in internal control over financial reporting. During the quarter ended March 31, 2013, FCX, as depositor, maintained the Royalty Trust's internal control over financial reporting. During the quarter ended March 31, 2013, there has been no change in the Royalty Trust's internal control over financial reporting that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Royalty Trust's internal control over financial reporting. The Trustee notes for purposes of clarification that it has no authority over, and makes no statement concerning, the internal control over financial reporting of FCX.
Between December 11, 2012 and December 26, 2012, ten putative class actions challenging the proposed merger of FCX with MMR were filed on behalf of all MMR stockholders by purported MMR stockholders. Nine were filed in the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware (the Court of Chancery). On January 9, 2013, one of the actions was voluntarily dismissed by the plaintiff. On January 25, 2013, the Court of Chancery consolidated the remaining eight actions into a single action, In re McMoRan Exploration Co. Stockholder Litigation, No. 8132-VCN. One action was also filed on December 19, 2012 in the Civil District Court for the Parish of Orleans of the State of Louisiana: Langley v. Moffett et al., No. 2012-11904. The actions name some or all of the following as defendants: MMR and its directors, FCX, the Royalty Trust, subsidiaries of FCX, and Plains Exploration & Production Company. The lawsuits allege, among other things, that members of MMR's board of directors breached their fiduciary duties to MMR's stockholders because they, among other things, pursued their own interests at the expense of stockholders, failed to maximize stockholder value with respect to the merger, and failed to disclose material facts regarding the merger. These lawsuits seek, among other things, an injunction barring or rescinding the merger, damages, and attorney's fees and costs. The MMR and FCX defendants believe the lawsuits are without merit and intend to defend vigorously against them.
The value of the royalty trust units is uncertain.
The only assets and sources of income to the Royalty Trust are the royalty interests burdening the subject interests. The royalty interests entitle the Royalty Trust to receive a portion of the proceeds derived from the sale of hydrocarbons from the subject interests, if any. To the extent there is no production from the subject interests, the Royalty Trust receives no income.
While data from the seven ultra-deep wells drilled on the subject interests thus far tie ultra-deep geologic formations to productive zones encountered (i) onshore, (ii) in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico and (iii) in Mexico, only the Davy Jones No. 1 well has been completed and efforts continue to obtain a measurable flow rate. No other exploratory well in the subject interests has been completed and consequently none of the seven wells is producing. As such, the subject interests remain "exploration concepts" and further drilling and flow testing will be required to determine the commercial potential of the subject interests.
As of March 31, 2013, none of the subject interests have any proved, probable or possible reserves associated with them (other than the onshore Lineham Creek well) and none of the subject interests have any associated production. As such, it is possible that no production is derived from the subject interests in the future, the result of which would be that the Royalty Trust receives no income from the subject interests.
Further, the Royalty Trust has no ability to direct or influence the exploration or development of the subject interests. Additionally, FCX is under no obligation to fund or to commit any other resources to the exploration or development of the subject interests.
The subject interests target ultra-deep formations in the shallow water Gulf of Mexico and onshore Gulf Coast, which have greater risks and costs associated with their exploration and development than conventional Gulf of Mexico prospects. The subject interests also include the Davy Jones ultra-deep prospect, which has not yet been fully evaluated.
MMR's objectives in the subject interests are formations below the salt weld (i.e. ultra-deep targets) in the shallow water of the Gulf of Mexico and onshore in South Louisiana. These ultra-deep targets have not traditionally
been the subject of exploratory activity in these regions, thus little direct comparative data is available. To date, there has been no production of hydrocarbons from ultra-deep reservoirs in these areas. As a result of the unavailability of direct comparative data and limitations of diagnostic tools that operate in the extreme temperatures and pressures encountered, it is much more difficult to predict with accuracy the reservoir quality and performance of ultra-deep formations. Additionally, ultra-deep formations are significantly more expensive to drill and complete than their conventional shallow water counterparts. Major contributors to such increased costs include (i) far higher temperatures and pressures encountered down hole and (ii) longer drilling times. Thus, costs for drilling and completing ultra-deep wells are significantly higher than shelf equivalents at more conventional depths.
For example, the Davy Jones ultra-deep prospect has not yet been fully evaluated, and the ultimate impact of this potentially significant discovery will depend on, among other things, the volume of recoverable resources from the Davy Jones location, which will require significant capital expenditures for commercial development. In January 2010, MMR announced a potentially significant discovery at the Davy Jones ultra-deep prospect. However, flow testing is required to confirm the ultimate hydrocarbon flow rates from the separate zones within this prospect. Because of the pressures and temperatures | |
Below is a list of our latest news releases as well as past editorial covering topics including greywater, septic systems, septic tank upgrades, sewer systems, wastewater systems, septic system prices, home septic systems, commercial wastewater systems and other Ozzi Kleen Water and Waste Water product updates.
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position of the Ukrainian elites.
Moscow and Kyiv viewed the future of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), created on December 8, 1991, from opposite perspectives — as "reintegration" or a "civilized divorce," respectively. Ukraine has not ratified the CIS Charter.
Therefore, despite being one of its founding states, Ukraine is not formally a member of the CIS, thereby avoiding binding political commitments. Ukraine also refused to sign the 1992 Tashkent Treaty on Collective Security in order to avoid the possibility of becoming involved in military conflicts within the CIS.
Ukrainian diplomacy avoids discussions about supranational integrationist structures and instead focuses on developing bilateral relations within the CIS and on Russia's ratification of the 1994 CIS free trade agreement (which is still pending!). For the same reason, Ukraine decided only to have observer
status in the Eurasian Economic Community (into which the CIS customs union was transformed in 2000).
It did formally join the Single Economic Space with Russia, Belarus, and Kazakhstan in 2003, but limited its participation to support for creating a free trade zone, but not the custom union, as this conflicted with its official aim to join the European Union (EU).
[8] QUESTION: What is the "tapegate scandal" and how has it influenced Ukraine's politics?
[Page 19] In September 2000, internet journalist Georgiy Gongadze, who had written critical articles about the government and oligarchs, disappeared, and in early November he was found murdered. In late November, one of the opposition leaders, Socialist Party leader Oleksander Moroz, released tapes allegedly recorded in Kuchma's office shortly before Gongadze's disappearance.
In the recordings, the President and his entourage appear to be discussing Gongadze's kidnapping and murder. The recordings were made by one of the president's former security officers, who was later granted asylum in the United States.
The opposition organized rallies and marches demanding Kuchma's resignation. In early 2001, the Russian and Ukrainian media controlled by pro-Kuchma "oligarchs" claimed that the scandal was masterminded by the U.S. in order to undermine Russian-Ukrainian relations and to make pro-Western Prime
Minister Viktor Yushchenko the president.
However, these claims were not substantiated by subsequent developments. In fact, Ukraine's relations with the West quickly deteriorated in the wake of the scandal. In April 2001, the parliament dismissed Prime Minister Yushchenko. In contrast, Russian President
Vladimir Putin supported Kuchma and intensified Russia's activity in Ukraine. This fed rumors that Russian special services stood behind the scandal.
However, because closer ties with Russia threatened the power of the Ukrainian elite, Kyiv tried at the same time to improve relations with the West, especially the U.S. Kuchma sacrificed the very term "multi-vector policy" (balancing between Russia and the West) in favor of European integration and even sent Ukrainian troops to Iraq. Despite these efforts, he was unable to restore his reputation in the West after the "tapegate scandal."
During the 2004 presidential campaign, Yushchenko promised to find the people responsible for Gongadze's killing and bring them to justice. But five years later, the investigation continues (as does the investigation of Yushchenko's near fatal poisoning during the 2004 campaign). In March 2005, just hours before he was to provide testimony as a witness in the Gongadze case, former Interior Minister Yuriy Kravchenko allegedly committed suicide.
A court sentenced three former officers of the Interior Ministry to 12-13 year prison terms, but it was not until July 2009 that one of the chief suspects, General Oleksiy Pukach, was arrested. It is still not clear who ordered the kidnapping and killing of Gongadze, how the recordings in Kuchma's cabinet were made, and, finally, what forces were behind the making and release of the tapes.
[9] QUESTION: How was the country deliberately polarized by
Kuchma's administration during the 2004 presidential elections?
[Page 20] The main force of the opposition, former Prime Minister Yushchenko's Our Ukraine bloc, included not only the traditional national-democratic opposition, but also former state executives who opposed Kuchma's crony capitalism.
Among politicians loyal to Kuchma, Viktor Yanukovych, the Prime Minister since November 2002 and representative of the Donetsk group, had the highest personal rating (because of his administrative power). His past, especially his two terms of imprisonment, weakened his position. But from Kuchma's
perspective, this only enhanced Yanukovych's appeal, because a weaker candidate could be more easily controlled.
Throughout the election campaign, Kuchma's administration did everything possible to prevent Yushchenko from winning the elections. Its main strategy was to present Yushchenko as a radical nationalist who would "oppress" the Russian-speaking population, whereas Yanukovych was portrayed as a great friend of Russia. Yanukovych's Russian and Ukrainian consultants also promoted the idea of a "schism" in Ukraine between the "nationalistic" West and
"industrial" East.
Their posters depicted Yushchenko in fascist uniform or Ukraine divided into three segregated parts. They also started to wage an anti-Western, anti-American campaign. Russian authorities openly supported the Yanukovych campaign, and President Putin twice congratulated Yanukovych on his "victory."
The results of the vote were falsified. Exit polls showed that Yushchenko won the elections by 9% in the run-off, but the changes in favor of Yanukovych comprised almost 12% (and in the center of the country — 17.4%)!
In the course of massive, non-violent protests, which came to be known as the Orange Revolution, the Supreme Court ordered a new runoff. This time Yushchenko won 52% of the vote and Yanukovych 44%. However, the country emerged from these elections extremely polarized. The rivals reached a compromise by changing the Constitution to limit the power of the future president (see below).
[10] QUESTION: What were the reasons for the success of the Orange Revolution? Was it a Western plot?
[Page 21] The West's continuous support of civil society during Ukrainian independence was extremely important for its development, but the dominant factors of the Orange Revolution were domestic. It was no secret that the opposition was prepared to call people to the streets.
But even Yushchenko and his allies did not expect such gigantic, continuous, non-violent rallies all over Ukraine, which combined the celebration of the "orange" victory (the color of Yushchenko's campaign) with protests against falsifications. The main factors leading to the success of the peaceful protests were:
1) weakness of the regime and relative pluralism of Ukraine's political system compared to Russia and most post-Soviet states;
2) support from small and medium-sized businesses (the middle class);
3) split within large business groups dissatisfied with Kuchma's growing authoritarianism;
4) maturity of civil society;
5) international condemnation of the falsifications and the West's demand that Kuchma renounce the use of force.
[11] QUESTION: What were the results of the Orange Revolution?
[Page 22] The Orange Revolution appeared to be an event of crucial importance for the entire post-Soviet space. Despite support from Moscow, Kuchma did not manage to pass power to his designated "successor" and to repeat the "Yeltsin-Putin scenario".
The main accomplishments of the Orange Revolution are political freedoms (including freedom of the press) and free and fair elections. After the elections of 2006, Ukraine was recognized in the ratings of Freedom House as the only free country in the CIS. The results of the elections have been accepted in Ukraine by those who lost, and since 2004 the reigns of government switched hands three times. This means that elections in Ukraine do matter
and no political force can monopolize power.
On the other hand, many aspirations of the Orange Revolution were not realized, especially fighting corruption, strengthening the rule of law, judicial reform, etc. Hence, many voters were frustrated, especially those who voted for Yushchenko in 2004 and his political bloc Our Ukraine in 2006 and 2007.
There were several obstacles to implementing reforms:
1) the constitutional reform which weakened the role of the presidency, leaving Yushchenko only one year to implement reforms (see below);
2) the country within a year shifted from presidential elections to a scheduled 2006 parliamentary campaign, hence the growing populism in Ukrainian
politics;
3) divisions and internal disagreements within the broad coalition in power.
The | |
of Santa Ana Lodge No. 794,
B. P. O. Elks. The high regard in which Mr. McMillan is held as a builder is best
exemplffied by the fact that his former patrons have retained him to construct their
buildings without asking for competitive bids. Their confidence in his superior judg-
ment and unquestioned integrity in all business transactions assures them that their
work will be most satisfactorily completed.
ROY S. LANCASTER. — A wide-awake young rancher intensely interested in the
growth of Orange County, and willing to do his share towards the advancement of
Southern California interests, for the benefit of his neighbors as well as himself, is
Roy S. Lancaster, whose talented wife and true helpmeet is proud of her birth as a
native daughter. He was born in Travers ICounty, Mich., in 1875, the son of James B.
and Minnie (Tracy) Lancaster. His father was a druggist and postmaster, and Roy
grew up with certain home advantages not accorded every young man.
This did not prevent him, however, at the age of seventeen, from feeling the lure
of the outside world, and to such an extent that he went to South Dakota, and in
Britton, Marshall County, worked in the harvest field. He also traveled considerably,
stopping in each place only for a season, and at Rock Island, 111., he engaged in mining
for a year. From Rock Island he then went to Chicago, where he worked for nearly a
year in the Harvey Steel Works, at the same time that he was attending the Columbian
Exposition of 1893.
Mr. Lancaster's next move took him to Idaho, where he secured a timber claim;
but he stayed there only a year. The greater attractions of California brought him to
Orange County in 1894. and here he found employment working out on farms. Since
1913 he has lived on his present ranch at 1426 North Baker Street. Santa Ana.
On July 2, 1901. Mr. Lancaster was married to Miss Grace Greenleaf, daughter
of Eli F. and Lucy A. Greenleaf. who was born in Santa Ana. Her father was born
in Maine and the mother in Ohio, their marriage taking place in Missouri. They
crossed the plains in the sixties in an ox-team train, and spent several years in
Northern California. Pioneer settlers of Santa Ana, they came there in 1871, and
both passed away there. Six children — four boys and two girls — have blessed the
union of Mr. and Mrs. Lancaster: Berney; Robert is a high school student; Lucile,
Catherine and Ray are pupils in the grammar school; and Jack is at home. Mr.
Lancaster is a Republican in national politics, but never allows partisanship to interfere
with his loyal and liberal support of any movement likely to make for the betterment
of the community in which he lives.
EMIL KRUEGER. — A sturdy pioneer who has become one of the most loyal of
American citizens and respected agriculturists of his neighborhood is Emil Krueger,
the owner of a very productive ranch on La \"eta Avenue, Orange. He was born in
West Germany in July, 1863, and his parents were Herman and Mathilda Krueger.
They had five children, and all three of those still- living are residents of California.
Mrs. Krueger having passed away, the father emigrated to the United States nine
months in advance of his children. He sought here and found a sheltering government
under whose fostering care they could breathe the air of freedom and enjoy equal
rights and privileges.
Emil grew up in his native country, and while profiting from the excellent schools
there, met and cheerfully accepted the challenge of hard work. In 1883 he came to
the United States and spent four years as a weaver in the cotton mills at Exeter, N. H.,
and in 1887 he came to Orange, Cal., where he worked in orchards and for the Santa Fe
Railroad until he purchased his present ranch, which he improved, and thus advanced
steadily. He is a member of the McPherson Heights Citrus Association and the
Tustin Lemon Association.
In February, 1893, he was married at Orange to Miss Augusta Rosenthal, also a
native of Germany, and by her he has had three children: Herman, a farmer here;
Rose, now Mrs. Harris, and Bertha, now Mrs. Cook, both of Orange.
Mr. Krueger purchased his land in 1890, when it was unimproved stubble, and the
uneven surface seemed to make it quite unfit for irrigation; but by very hard work
during long hours and weary months, he at length set out his fruit trees and accom-
plished the task of improvement. Now the ranch is so productive and famous that
the Valencia oranges are a wonder to behold, and the lemons bring the highest price.
He now has fifteen acres in a body, under the Santa Ana Valley Irrigation Company,
and he also has a pumping plant. He is a member of the Lutheran Church, and as
a self-made man, Mr. Krueger belongs to that type of citizen of which the town and
county of Orange may well be, as it ever is, justly proud.
SAM STEIN. — A hustling, thoroughly enterprising merchant who has steadily
advanced from a modest beginning to a position of prominence in the commercial
circles of Santa Ana, in which city he has gained the respect of all classes, is Sam
Stein, the proprietor of Stein's Stationery Store at 210 West Fourth Street. By the
public generally he is familiarly known for his stature and his jollity; while to his
many patrons he is the one out of a hundred who not only takes infinite pains to please,
but studies the conditions of today and so anticipates the wants of tomorrow. Once a
man has come to be a customer of Stein's Stationery Store, he is seldom found to turn
elsewhere for that kind of service.
He was born in Russia on September 5. 1885, and his parents were Samuel H.
and Lena Stein. They had five children, and Sam was the second child born to them.
When he was still a child, the parents crossed the wide ocean to the United States;
and as they stayed in New York for a while, he attended the public schools there, and
then for a couple of years went to the City College of New York.
When old enough to do so, Sam learned the plumber's trade, at which he also
worked for a couple of years; but on coming to California in 1902 he entered the
employ of the Lazarus Stationery Company at Los Angeles. This experience with one
of the best firms on the Pacific Coast proved the finest of mercantile schools.
In September, 1914, Mr. Stein came to Santa -•\na and started in the stationery
business in a small way, with one clerk; and having attended to business, business
increased until now he employs eleven persons. He carries a full line of office supplies
and stationery, and he maintains such a completely equipped kodak finishing house
that, as the only concern of its kind in the county, he does work for many other stores
all over Orange County. Naturally, he is a live wire in the Santa Ana Chamber of
Commerce and the Santa Ana Merchants and Manufacturers Association.
On February 23. 1908. Mr. Stein was married at Los Angeles to Miss Celia Singer
of Los Angeles: and two children have blessed their union — .Arthur and Helen. He
belongs to the Masons, the Elks and the Eastern Star; but as a man deeply interested
in public affairs, he is above party and partisanship.
ANDREW J. KOCH.— Coming to Orange County in 1900, Andrew J. Koch has
indeed attained a splendid success in the twenty years of his residence here and is
now one of the most prosperous citrus ranchers of the Yorba district. Mr. Koch's
parents were Henry P. and Lydia (Bucktingj Koch, the father being a native of Ger-
many, while the mother was born in Missouri. Henry P. Koch was a pioneer settler
of Rhineland, Mo., having left his home in Germany in early manhood, arriving at
New York March 6, 1854. Some time after his advent to America he located in
Rhineland, where he followed his trade of a blacksmith | |
may assume that $\ker(f)=E[\a]=\ker(i_\a)$, so that $f$ factors as $E\to E\otimes_{O_K}\a^{-1}\overset{\sim}{\longrightarrow} E'$. Now as $E$ and $E'\overset{\sim}{\longrightarrow} E\otimes_{O_K}\a^{-1}$ are locally isomorphic it follows that $\underline{O_K}_S$ and $\underline{\a^{-1}}_S$ are locally isomorphic. Any such and isomorphism is locally constant from which it follows that there exists an isomorphism $\a^{-1}\overset{\sim}{\longrightarrow} O_K$ and we get \[E'\overset{\sim}{\longrightarrow} E\otimes_{O_K}\a^{-1}\overset{\sim}{\longrightarrow} E.\]
\end{proof}
\begin{theo}\label{theo:mcm-is-a-torsor} The functor \[\mc{M}_\mathrm{CM}\times \mc{CL}_{O_K}\to \mc{M}_\mathrm{CM}\times \mc{M}_\mathrm{CM}: (E, \mc{L})\mapsto (E, E\otimes_{O_K}\mc{L})\] is an equivalence of stacks and $\mc{M}_\mathrm{CM}$ is locally (over $\mathrm{Spec}(O_K)$) equivalent to $\mc{CL}_{O_K}$.
\end{theo}
\begin{proof} The functor in question is essentially surjective as, given any pair $(E/S, E'/S)\in \mc{M}_\mathrm{CM}(S)\times \mc{M}_\mathrm{CM}(S)$, by (\ref{prop:tensor-eval-isom}) we have \[(E/S, E'/S)\overset{\sim}{\longrightarrow} (E/S, E\otimes_{O_K}\underline{\mathrm{Hom}}_S(E, E')/S).\] Full faithfulness is the bijectivity of the map \[\mathrm{Isom}_S^{O_K}(E, E')\times \mathrm{Isom}_S^{O_K}(\mc{L}, \mc{L'})\to \mathrm{Isom}_S^{O_K}(E, E')\times\mathrm{Isom}_S^{O_K}(E\otimes_{O_K}\mc{L}, E'\otimes_{O_K}\mc{L}').\]
If $\mathrm{Isom}_S^{O_K}(E, E')= \emptyset$ this is clear. If $\mathrm{Isom}_S^{O_K}(E, E')\neq \emptyset$ we may assume that $E=E'$ and instead show that \[\mathrm{Isom}_S^{O_K}(\mc{L}, \mc{L'})\to \mathrm{Isom}_S^{O_K}(E\otimes_{O_K}\mc{L}, E\otimes_{O_K}\mc{L}')\] is bijective but this follows from (\ref{prop:cm-tensor-homs}).
For the second statement, if $E/\mathrm{Spec}(O_K^\mathrm{sep})$ is any CM elliptic curve (\ref{lemm:cm-over-separably-closed-fields}) the functor \[ \mc{CL}_{O_K}\times\mathrm{Spec}(O_{K^\mathrm{sep}})\to \mc{M}_{\mathrm{CM}}\times\mathrm{Spec}(O_{K^\mathrm{sep}})\] sending a rank one $O_K$-local system $\mc{L}$ over a $\mathrm{Spec}(O_K^\mathrm{sep})$-sheaf $p: S\to \mathrm{Spec}(O_{K^\mathrm{sep}})$ to $p^*(E)\otimes_{O_K}\mc{L}$ is the desired local equivalence.
\end{proof}
\begin{rema}\label{rema:rohr-q} One might ask whether, as in the analogous situation of Lubin--Tate $O$-modules (\ref{coro:lubin-tate-moduli-trivial}), there exists a CM elliptic curve over $\mc{E}/\mathrm{Spec}(O_K)$ inducing a trivialisation of the $\mc{CL}_{O_K}$-torsor $\mc{M}_\mathrm{CM}$, i.e.\ an equivalence of stacks: \[\mc{CL}_{O_K}\overset{\sim}{\longrightarrow} \mc{M}_{\mathrm{CM}}: \mc{L}/S\mapsto E_S\otimes_{O_K}\mc{L}/S\] We shall show later (see (\ref{rema:rohr})) that in general this is not the case (and for non-trivial reasons).
\end{rema}
\begin{coro}\label{coro:hom-map-reduction-epi} Let $E$ and $E'$ be a pair of \textup{CM} elliptic curves over $S$ and assume that $\a$ is invertible on $S$. Then the homomorphism \[\underline{\mathrm{Hom}}_S^{O_K}(E, E')\to \underline{\mathrm{Hom}}_S^{O_K}(E[\a], E'[\a])\] is an epimorphism.
\end{coro}
\begin{proof} We may work locally on $S$ and so assume that $E'\overset{\sim}{\longrightarrow} E\otimes_{O_K} \b^{-1}$. We may find a $k\in K^\times$ such that $\b(k)$ is prime to $\a$ and using the isomorphism $k: \b\overset{\sim}{\longrightarrow} \b(k)$ we may assume $\b$ is prime to $\a$. In this case, the restriction of $i_\b$ to the $\a$-torsion defines an isomorphism $E[\a]\overset{\sim}{\longrightarrow} E[\a]\otimes_{O_K}\b^{-1}$ which, as $E[\a]$ and $E[\a]\otimes_{O_K}\b^{-1}$ are locally isomorphic to $\underline{O_K/\a}_S$, induces an isomorphism \[\underline{O_K/\a}_S\overset{\sim}{\longrightarrow} \underline{\mathrm{Hom}}_S(E[\a], E[\a]\otimes_{O_K}\b^{-1}): a\mapsto a\cdot i_\b\] and it follows that \[\underline{\mathrm{Hom}}_S^{O_K}(E, E\otimes_{O_K}\b^{-1})\to \underline{\mathrm{Hom}}_S^{O_K}(E[\a], E[\a]\otimes_{O_K}\b^{-1})\] is an epimorphism as the image contains $i_\b$.
\end{proof}
\section{The global reciprocity map and CM elliptic curves} We now consider CM elliptic curves over $\mathrm{Spec}(F)$ where $F$ is a field of arbitrary characteristic. First, we define a homomorphism $[-]_F$ from the Galois group $G(F^\mathrm{sep}/F)$ into a certain class group (which depends only on the characteristic of the field $F$) (\ref{subsec:def-morphism-h}). We then prove a relation between this homomorphism $[-]_F$ and the character $\rho_{E/F}$ defining the action of $G(F^\mathrm{sep}/F)$ on the torsion of a CM elliptic curve $E/\mathrm{Spec}(F)$ (\ref{prop:h-homs-and-characters}). Moreover, we show the character $\rho_{E/F}$ determines $E/\mathrm{Spec}(F)$ upto isogeny (\ref{prop:cm-iso-iff-h-equal}) and we use the homomorphism $[-]_F$ to classify exactly which characters $\rho$ of $G(F^\mathrm{sep}/F)$ are of the form $\rho_{E/F}$ for some CM elliptic curve $E/\mathrm{Spec}(F)$ (\ref{prop:cm-exist-given-h}). In (\ref{prop:compute-the-homomorphisms-h}) we compute the homomorphisms $[-]_F$ when $F=K$, $F=K_\ideal{p}$ and $F=\mathbf{F}_\ideal{p}$ for $\ideal{p}$ a prime. In particular, for $F=K$ the homomorphism $[-]_K$ takes the form \[[-]_K: G(K^\mathrm{sep}/K)\to \mathrm{CL}_{O_K, \infty}\] and we show that for $\sigma\in G(K^\mathrm{sep}/K)$ we have \begin{equation}\theta_K([\sigma]_K)=\sigma|_{K^\infty}\label{eqn:main-theorem}\end{equation} where $\theta_K: \mathrm{CL}_{O_K, \infty}\to G(K^\infty/K)$ is reciprocity map (\ref{eqn:define-theta}). This fact is, at least in spirit, equivalent to the main theorem of complex multiplication (see Theorem 5.4 of \cite{Shimura94}). The method we use to derive this fact is quite similar to (and in fact reliant on) the method used to prove (\ref{theo:main-theorem-lubin-tate}) for Lubin--Tate $O$-modules in Chapter 1. Finally, we use these results to derive a sharpening of the criterion of good reduction adapted to CM elliptic curves (\ref{coro:image-of-inertia-group}).
The results of this section are, at least when $F$ is a finite extension of $K$, probably more or less known when translated into the language of algebraic Hecke characters though the proofs we give are, to the best of the author's knowledge, original. We would like to emphasise that the rather abstract approach taken -- which eschews Hecke characters -- works for all fields $F$ simultaneously and allows for more conceptual proofs.
\subsection{}\label{subsec:def-morphism-h} Let $F$ be a field over $O_K$ with separable closure $F^\mathrm{sep}$, let $S=\mathrm{Spec}(F^\mathrm{sep})$ and let $\ideal{f}\in \mathrm{Id}_{O_K}$ be invertible on $\mathrm{Spec}(F)$. By (\ref{lemm:cm-over-separably-closed-fields}) there exists a CM elliptic curve $E/S$. Moreover, if $E'/S$ is another CM elliptic curve then there exists a rank one projective $O_K$-module $L$ and an isomorphism $f: E\otimes_{O_K}L\overset{\sim}{\longrightarrow} E'.$ Of course, we could take $L=\mathrm{Hom}_{O_K}(E, E')$ and $f$ the evaluation map, but for what follows it will be more useful to work with arbitrary modules $L$ and isomorphisms $f: E\otimes_{O_K}L\overset{\sim}{\longrightarrow} E'$.
In particular, for each $\sigma\in G(F^\mathrm{sep}/F)$ there is a rank one projective $O_K$-module $L_\sigma$ and an isomorphism \[f_\sigma: E\otimes_{O_K}L_\sigma\overset{\sim}{\longrightarrow} \sigma^*(E).\] This isomorphism, restricted to the $S=\mathrm{Spec}(F^\mathrm{sep})$-points of the $\ideal{f}$-torsion, is then given by \[E[\ideal{f}](S)\otimes_{O_K}L_\sigma\stackrel{E[\ideal{f}](\sigma)\otimes\lambda_\sigma}{\longrightarrow} E[\ideal{f}](\sigma_!(S))=\sigma^*(E)[\ideal{f}](S)\] for a unique level-$\ideal{f}$ structure $\lambda_\sigma: L_\sigma\to O_K/\ideal{f}$ on $L_\sigma$. It is clear from this construction that the class \[[\sigma]_{F, \ideal{f}}:=(L_\sigma, \lambda_\sigma)\in CL_{O_K}^{(\ideal{f})}\] is independent of the choice of $L_\sigma$ and the isomorphism $f_\sigma: E\otimes_{O_K}L_\sigma\overset{\sim}{\longrightarrow} \sigma^*(E)$. Moreover, as every other CM elliptic curve $E'/S$ is of the form $E\otimes_{O_K}\a$ for some ideal $\a$, having chosen $L_\sigma$ and an isomorphism $f_\sigma: E\otimes_{O_K} L_\sigma\overset{\sim}{\longrightarrow} \sigma^*(E)$, the map $f_\sigma\otimes_{O_K} \a$ defines an isomorphism \[(E\otimes_{O_K}\a)\otimes_{O_K}L_\sigma = E\otimes_{O_K}L_\sigma\otimes_{O_K}\a\stackrel{f_\sigma\otimes_{O_K} \a }\longrightarrow \sigma^*(E)\otimes_{O_K}\a=\sigma^*(E\otimes_{O_K}\a)\] which induces on the $S$-valued points of the $\ideal{f}$-torsion \[(E\otimes_{O_K}\a)[\ideal{f}](S)\otimes_{O_K} L_\sigma \stackrel{(E\otimes_{O_K}\a)[\ideal{f}](\sigma)\otimes \lambda_\sigma}{\longrightarrow}(E\otimes_{O_K}\a)[\ideal{f}](\sigma_!(S)).\] Therefore the class $[\sigma]_{F, \ideal{f}}$ is also independent of the choice of $E/S$.
If $F\to F'$ is a field extension and \[\mathrm{res}:G(F'^\mathrm{sep}/F')\to G(F^\mathrm{sep}/F)\] denotes the restriction map then it follows easy from the definitions that \begin{equation} [-]_{F',\ideal{f}}=[-]_{F, \ideal{f}}\circ \mathrm{res}.\label{eqn:h-restriction}\end{equation} This relation implies that once we known $[-]_F$ for $F=K$, and $F=\mathbf{F}_\ideal{p}$ for each prime ideal $\ideal{p}$, we essentially know $[-]_F$ for any field $F$. The computation of the map $[-]_F$ for these values of $F$ will be given in (\ref{prop:compute-the-homomorphisms-h}).
If $\tau\in G(F^\mathrm{sep}/F)$ then the composition \[E\otimes_{O_K}L_\sigma\otimes_{O_K}L_\tau\stackrel{f_\sigma\otimes_{O_K}\mathrm{id}_{L_\tau}}{\longrightarrow}\sigma^*(E)\otimes_{O_K}L_\tau \stackrel{\sigma^*(f_\tau)}{\longrightarrow} \sigma^*(\tau^*(E))\] induces on the $S$-points of the $\ideal{f}$-torsion the map \[(E[\ideal{f}](\sigma^{-1}\circ \tau\circ \sigma)\otimes_{O_K}\lambda_\tau)\circ (E[\ideal{f}](\sigma)\otimes_{O_K}\lambda_\sigma\otimes_{O_K}\mathrm{id}_{L_\tau})=E[\ideal{f}](\tau\circ \sigma)\otimes_{O_K}\lambda_\sigma\otimes_{O_K}\lambda_\tau\] so that \[[\sigma\tau]_{F, \ideal{f}}=(L_\tau\otimes_{O_K}L_\sigma, \lambda_\tau\otimes_{O_K}\lambda_\sigma)=(L_\tau, \lambda_\tau)(L_\sigma, \lambda_\tau)=[\sigma]_{F, \ideal{f}}[\tau]_{F, \ideal{f}}.\] In other words, $[-]_{F, \ideal{f}}: G(F^\mathrm{sep}/F)\to \mathrm{CL}_{O_K}^{(\ideal{f})}$ is a homomorphism.
\subsection{} The homomorphism of (\ref{def:bracket-homo}) \[[-]_\ideal{f}: (A\otimes_{O_K}K)^\times\to CL_{O_K}^{(\ideal{f})}\] restricted to $A_{O_K}^\times$ factors through the quotient $A_{O_K}^\times\to (O_K/\ideal{f})^\times$ and we denote the resulting map by the same symbol \[[-]_\ideal{f}: (O_K/\ideal{f})^\times\to \mathrm{CL}_{O_K}^{(\ideal{f})}.\] Note that $\ker([-]_\ideal{f})=\mathrm{im}(O_K^\times\to (O_K/\ideal{f})^\times)\subset (O_K/\ideal{f})^\times$.
\subsection{}\label{subsec:definition-h-for-cm-curves} Now let $E/F$ be a CM elliptic curve and denote by \[\rho_{E/F, \ideal{f}}: G(F^\mathrm{sep}/F)\to (O_K/\ideal{f})^\times\] the character defining the action of $G(F^\mathrm{sep}/F)$ on the rank one $O_K/\ideal{f}$-module $E[\ideal{f}](S)=E[\ideal{f}](\mathrm{Spec}(F^\mathrm{sep}))$, i.e.\ \[E[\ideal{f}](\sigma)=\rho_{E/F, \ideal{f}}(\sigma): E[\ideal{f}](S)\to E[\ideal{f}](S).\] We also note for future reference that as $(O_K/\ideal{f})^\times=\mathrm{Aut}_{O_K}(E[\ideal{f}](S))$ is abelian for each $\ideal{f}$ it follows that the extension $F(E[\ideal{f}])/F$ generated by the $\ideal{f}$-torsion is an abelian extension of $F$. Moreover (as is obvious) the character $\rho_{E/F, \ideal{f}}$ is continuous, as it vanishes on the open subgroup of $G(F^\mathrm{sep}/F)$ fixing $F(E[\ideal{f}])$.
\begin{prop}\label{prop:h-homs-and-characters}
\begin{enumerate}[label=\textup{(\roman*)}]
\item The homomorphism $[-]_{F, \ideal{f}}$ is continuous and
\item if $E/F$ is a \textup{CM} elliptic curve the diagram \[\xymatrix{G(F^\mathrm{sep}/F)\ar[dr]_{[-]_{F,\ideal{f}}}\ar[r]^-{\rho_{E/F, \ideal{f}}^{-1}} & (O_K/\ideal{f})^\times\ar[d]^{[-]_\ideal{f}}\\
& \mathrm{CL}_{O_K}^{(\ideal{f})}}\] commutes.
\end{enumerate}
\end{prop}
\begin{proof} (i) We shall reduce this claim to the second. By passage to the limit (applied to any CM elliptic curve over $\mathrm{Spec}(F^\mathrm{sep})$) we may find a CM elliptic curve $E/\mathrm{Spec}(F')$ for some finite extension $F'/F$. If the diagram \begin{equation}\label{eqn:commutativity}\begin{gathered}\xymatrix{G(F^\mathrm{sep}/F')\ar[r]^-{\rho_{E/F', \ideal{f}}^{-1}}\ar[d] & (O_K/\ideal{f})^\times\ar[d]^{[-]_\ideal{f}}\\
G(F^\mathrm{sep}/F)\ar[r]^-{[-]_{F, \ideal{f}}} & CL_{O_K}^{(\ideal{f})}}\end{gathered}\end{equation} commutes then, as the composition along the top and right is continuous, it follows that $[-]_{F, \ideal{f}}|_{G(F^\mathrm{sep}/F')}$ is continuous. But $G(F^\mathrm{sep}/F')\subset G(F^\mathrm{sep}/F)$ is open and of finite index and $\mathrm{CL}_{O_K}^{(\ideal{f})}$ is discrete so it follows that $[-]_{F, \ideal{f}}$ is continuous.
As $[-]_{F, \ideal{f}}=[-]_{F, \ideal{f}}|_{G(F^\mathrm{sep}/F')}$ (\ref{eqn:h-restriction}), the commutativity of (\ref{eqn:commutativity}) is equivalent to the commutativity of the diagram \[\xymatrix{G(F^\mathrm{sep}/F')\ar[dr]_{[-]_{F', \ideal{f}}}\ar[r]^-{\rho_{E/F', \ideal{f}}^{-1}} & (O_K/\ideal{f})^\times\ar[d]^{[-]_\ideal{f}}\\
& \mathrm{CL}_{O_K}^{(\ideal{f})}}\] and so we may assume that $F=F'$ and instead prove (ii).
(ii) Write $E_{F^\mathrm{sep}}=E\times_{\mathrm{Spec}(F)}\mathrm{Spec}(F^\mathrm{sep})$ and let \[d_\sigma: E_{F^\mathrm{sep}}\to \sigma^*(E_{F^\mathrm{sep}})\] be the descent isomorphism i.e.\ (the isomorphism coming from the fact that $E=E\times_{\mathrm{Spec}(F)}\mathrm{Spec}(F^\mathrm{sep})$ descends to $\mathrm{Spec}(F)$). Then | |
When Pop Culture Meets High Literature. The case of Cruel Intentions and the epistolary novel Les Liaisons Dangereuses
by Betty Kaklamanidou Volume 9, Issue 4 / April 2005 9 minutes (2243 words)
In 1782, just 7 years before the French Revolution, Choderlos de Laclos, an ambitious but quite unlucky military man, wrote what became the greatest epistolary novel of the 18th century. Les Liaisons Dangereuses [1] shocked the entire society of its time and is still a shining example of debauchery and decadence. In 1999 its fourth cinematic adaptation was released, Cruel Intentions , directed by Roger Kumble [2]. Kumble's directorial debut was considered as just another teen-flick for most, but a closer look reveals otherwise.
Narrative: the tool for a fruitful approach to the adaptation process
What cinema and literature share is above all the capacity to narrate stories. Both semiotic systems are langues [3]. What better way of comparing them, then, than using the narrative as the basis? The science of narratology offers the theory, as well as the methodological tools, which allow the theorist to make the barren issue of fidelity to the literary source disappear once and for all, when confronted with a novel to film adaptation. In his famous article "Introduction à l'analyse structurale des récits," (1966) Roland Barthes distinguishes a set of two categories of narrative functions, which can be either easily transferred on the screen or pose a certain degree of difficulty. He names the first category Functions and the second Indices. The first category includes the sub-categories of cardinal functions and catalysts. The cardinal functions refer to significant events that are directly involved in the development of the plot, whereas the catalysts denote secondary events whose role, as Brian McFarlane states (1996: 14), is to "root the cardinal functions in a particular kind of reality, to enrich the texture of those functions." As the above mentioned functions do not depend on language, "they are directly transferable from one medium to the other" (McFarlane 1996: 14). The category of Indices includes the indices proper (to use the McFarlane translation) and the informants. The indices proper "relate to concepts such as character and atmosphere and are therefore more broadly open to adaptation… informants include knowledge such as names, ages, and professions of characters, certain details of the physical setting and… share the authentication and individuating functions performed in other respects by catalysts" [McFarlane 1996: 14-15]. The tools proposed by Barthes will be used in the comparative analysis that follows as they aid the understanding of the adaptation process.
Main Structural Differences between Cruel Intentions and the novel
In accordance with Geoffrey Wagner's breakdown, Cruel Intentions belongs to the category of adaptation called "commentary" (1975: 222) [4]. Kumble modernised Laclos' epistolary novel by setting it in the midst of the upper class of Manhattan at the end of the 20th century. Although Kumble's directorial debut is based on a 18th century novel, it constitutes a personal commentary on human relationships at the end of the second millennium, as well as on the dark side that is hidden within each one of us.
Changes in Informants
There are numerous changes in some of the characters' names (informants). These changes from the original French names are understandable since it is an American production. A more substantial change is setting Cruel Intentions in modern times. A consequence of this is that the nobility titles are eliminated, even though the protagonists belong to the upper social classes.
The main protagonists are still Valmont and Merteuil, with the following differences in informants. Le Vicomte de Valmont becomes Sebastian Valmont (Ryan Philippe ) and La Marquise de Merteuil becomes Kathryn Merteuil (Sarah Michelle Gellar). The two youth are about to enter their senior high school year and they are not former lovers but step brother and sister living in an antique-filled mansion resembling a French chateau. Sebastian retains the qualities of the novel's Valmont. He is handsome, ruthless, immoral and a womanizer, a modern dandy with an appalling reputation. Kathryn is an impudent young lady who manages to retain an impeccable social façade, just as the novel's Marquise. The case of the post-modern Présidente de Tourvel is quite remarkable. In the film she is Annette Hardgrove (Reese Witherspoon), a 17-year-old young woman who does not believe in pre-marital sex and publishes articles with her views in teen magazines. One of these articles, entitled "Why I plan to Wait," catches Sebastian's attention and makes him decide to seduce her. An added bonus to her unquestionable virtue is the fact that Annette is also the daughter of Sebastian and Kathryn's new headmaster and his victory would ensure him the notoriety he desires.
Reese Witherspoon and Sarah Michelle Gellar
Cecile Caldwell (Selma Blair ), and not de Volanges, is a new girl in school and Kathryn is responsible for her orientation. The secondary characters are carefully chosen with an eye toward political correctness. For example, Kumble transforms Danceny into Cecile's African-American music teacher; Madame de Volanges, the close friend of Tourvel, into Greg, a gay football player; and Azolan (Valmont's faithful servant) into Blaine, the gay classmate who deals drugs and knows what skeletons hide in anyone's closet, information that can be revealed at the right price. Much to the reader's surprise, the ages of Kumble's heroes and heroines are much closer to the original than those in Frears' or Vadim's adaptations, since Laclos' Merteuil and Valmont are in their early twenties, and Cecile is 15 and Danceny 17. Therefore, we could note that Kumble only changed some names and occupations simply to fit his 20th century setting as well as a different continent.
The above-mentioned changes mark a change in the indices, that is in the atmosphere of the narration, as well as the psychological information about the characters, which clearly reflect the transposition of the plot to a new century and a new continent, something which fashions new customs, new beliefs and even new ways of conduct.
Changes in Cardinal Functions and Catalysts
Cruel Intentions follows the narrative programs of the main heroes (Merteuil and Valmont) and the differences in catalysts and cardinal functions have to do mainly with the ending.
Firstly, the duel between the Vicomte and Danceny is a catalyst in the novel that leads to a main cardinal function, the death of Valmont. Sebastian still dies in the film but his death occurs as a result of a freak accident after a fight on the streets of New York and not as the outcome of a duel. What is more, Sebastian dies while trying to save Annette (Tourvel). Whereas his death remains in the film, the difference in the catalysts which lead to it offer different interpretations. To begin, the custom of the duel has ceased to exist in modern society, making it understandable that Kumble did not include it in his adaptation. What is interesting however is that Kumble has Sebastian die trying to save his only true love. In the novel le Vicomte dies because his opponent was better than him and the reader has no way of knowing his true feelings for Tourvel. Nevertheless, in the film the spectator may exonerate Sebastian because even at the end of the story, and perhaps for the first time in his life, he manages to perform an unselfish deed.
Another main difference in a cardinal function is that Annette does not die of pain for her love for Valmont nor of her betrayal to God. The last scene of the movie finds her driving Sebastian's luxurious Jaguar, in possession of his precious journal where he described in detail his and Kathryn's machinations. In Cruel Intentions Annette is the only character that emerges victoriously out of a painful experience, despite the fact that she also violated | |
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23. On or about June 13th, 2012 in Calgary, Alberta, six (6) entrants (the "Selected Grand Prize Entrants") from all eligible entries received during the Contest Period will be selected by the Selection Committee to win one of the Grand Prizes (as defined below). There will be a Gold, Silver and Bronze Grand Prize selected in two (2) different categories - Members and Sport Partner Athletes. The Member category includes annual full pay pass holders, annual continuous pass holders, one (1) month pass holders, 10-pass card holders, and Talisman Centre Triathlon Club members. The Sport Partner Athletes category includes any athletes holding an active swipe card during the Contest Period as part of their Sport Partner agreement with Talisman Centre. The Selection Committee will select the Selected Grand Prize Entrants based upon what it believes, in its sole discretion, to be the most inspirational sports story about the entrant, has the power to motivate and inspire others, has | |
Supply Chain in.sights: Delivering with Data
Published Date July 6, 2021
"Not everything that can be measured is important, and not everything that is important can be measured."
This quote from Adrian Gonzalez, president of Adelante SCM, succinctly summarizes one of the main points of "Data: Don't Drown in It, Deliver with It!" the first session in Trimble's Supply Chain in.sights Virtual Series + Interactive Community Event, held June 22, 2021.
In the first of two sessions on the theme of "Elevate Your Data Perspective," Gonzalez shared many poignant insights into how fleets can better track and utilize their data in actionable ways.
Tracking the Right Data
Transportation is one of the most data-intensive areas of the supply chain. Given the large number of available data sources in the transportation and logistics industries – ELDs, ERPs, GPS, EDIs, APIs, weather, traffic and more – it can be difficult to know where to begin.
The first step, Gonzalez says, is making sure you're tracking data points that are actually relevant to your current fleet operations and your company's goals. That sounds like a simple task, but the fact is that many companies track too much – or too little – data, which then becomes noise.
It's not uncommon for fleets to be tracking data points that were relevant at one point – say, due to an acute issue at a moment in time – but are still being tracked despite having no real value to an operation.
For example, Gonzalez says he previously worked in a new product development role at a manufacturing company that measured temperature on the line, but no one knew why. To the best of his knowledge, the reason why it was being tracked was due to a problem that had occurred with a product years before but had since been fixed and was no longer an issue: it had simply become noise.
It's important to not only set up the right data points to track, but also to evaluate incoming data on a regular basis to ensure that what you're tracking is relevant and necessary to your operation – otherwise, as mentioned before – it's just noise that distracts from the truly relevant information.
Starving for Logistics Insights
Gonzalez, who oversees the Indago market research service, presented data from a recent survey of transportation professionals. The first question, "Do you agree with the statement, 'We are drowning in data, but starving for insights,' as it relates to your transportation and logistics operations," saw a whopping 65% of respondents agreeing or strongly agreeing.
A follow-up question about the biggest factors that inhibit the ability to convert data into actionable data revealed that most respondents have data scattered across many systems, showing a need for more integrated platforms that bring data together, rather than in siloes.
That integration can have big payoffs when it comes to developing actionable insights: one survey respondent shared that by bringing production schedules and routing maps together, their company was able to successfully eliminate one-off, one-way trips into existing round-trip routes, ultimately saving more than $1 million in six months.
Gonzalez says that digitizing your company's data and information should be a top priority in integrating data sources. Many companies have data sources like spreadsheets or "tribal knowledge" that lives within teams that can't be accessed by a system automatically. Transitioning data sources to a cloud-based platform can help reduce reliance on manual processing and save a great deal of time, bringing data analytics to near real-time.
Contextualizing Information
Gonzalez also underscored the importance of putting data into context: "Data without context is just numbers."
One of the transportation professionals who responded to an Indago survey mentioned that while it's easy to see trends in data, it can be difficult to gauge the performance against a standard or benchmark – does the data indicate something good is happening, or does something need improvement?
The top recommendation Gonzalez had for organizations that are looking to improve or enhance their data analytics activities is to start by clearly defining their goals. For example:
Are you looking to reduce costs? If so, which ones specifically?
Are you aiming to improve customer service? If so, is there a certain customer you'd like to focus on?
Would you like to launch a new service (such as final mile)?
Are you hoping to improve the utilization of your fleet?
Answering these questions can help you set some initial goals and benchmarks – but it's important to remember that transportation is a dynamic industry, so these goals will likely evolve and change over time.
Start by establishing a baseline that you can measure your progress against in order to define and implement Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), which ultimately define what data you're collecting.
In today's increasingly connected supply chain, the amount of incoming data can sometimes feel overwhelming, which is why it's important to have clearly defined goals, expectations and processes in place. "If you don't have a strategy and processes in place to manage the data you collect, you can quickly find yourself buried in it."
Catch a Full Replay to Learn More
Looking for more helpful "in.sights" into the important role of data in the transportation supply chain?
Check out an on-demand replay to watch the entire discussion and uncover additional advice on how to make the most of data within your business.
The Role of Video Intelligence in Transportation: Q&A with Trimble's Jesse Chappell
See how video platforms like Trimble's Video Intelligence are helping fleets increase safety and enhance accident liability protection.
Beyond the Atlas: Commercial Navigation Solutions Can Be a Driver's Best Friend
Hear from a veteran truck driver about technology's evolution and how commercial navigation tools can help increase safety and route efficiency.
Compare and Contrast: How Artificial Intelligence is Being Applied to Healthcare and Transportation Industries
Find out how innovative technologies such as artificial intelligence are transforming how transportation businesses operate and serve their customers.
The Human Element: Where the Driver Experience Fits in the Connected Supply Chain
Learn how to support drivers and their role as a crucial link to your success in the connected supply chain.
Accident Liability: 4 Ways Technology Can Help Reduce Your Fleet's Risk
While technology can help improve productivity, fleets are also turning to these platforms to enhance safety efforts and reduce accident liability.
The State of the Supply Chain: A Q&A with Trimble's Dan Popkin
Gain a perspective on the trends and issues poised to impact the transportation supply chain in 2022 and beyond.
Digital Transformation Means Accelerating Without Braking
Get an industry perspective on how digital transformation is helping streamline the management of the supply chain logistics.
WATCH: Discover 3 Reasons to Enhance Your Warranty Tracking
Catch a replay of our recent discussion with The Heavy Duty Parts Report about how to improve warranty tracking in your business.
The Crucial Role of Drivers in Enabling a Connected Supply Chain: A Q&A with Trimble's James Langley
Discover how carriers and drivers are a critical part of the world's connected supply chain and how technology can help them operate more efficiently.
Pandemic Continues to Reshape Strategies, Investments in Last-Mile Logistics
See how the pandemic has made the last mile the Holy Grail of the B2C value chain and how last-mile logistics businesses are responding.
Trimble and Procter & Gamble to Collaborate in Transforming Transportation Procurement
Trimble announced a new strategic relationship with Procter & Gamble to enhance how shippers and carriers partner during the transportation procurement process.
New TMT Fleet Maintenance Integrations Aimed at Enhancing Connectivity and Improving Productivity
Learn how new TMT Fleet Maintenance integrations are designed to streamline the user experience and improve connectivity throughout the maintenance process.
Find Out How to Elevate Your Driver Perspective with Our Supply Chain in.sights Series
Register today for our latest installment of Supply Chain in.sights to find out how to better support your fleet's drivers.
Mitigating the Risks of Extending Fleet Asset Life Cycles With Technology
Get an understanding of how technology can help extend asset | |
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Meredith Dulaney and Carl Wooland in Ballet Tucson's Nutcracker.
Let's try eine kleine Nutcracker quiz.
How old is this perennial Christmas favorite?
Answer: 113. Premiering on Dec. 18, 1892, at the Maryinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg, the ballet was choreographed to Tchaikovsky's music by Ivanov, the relatively unknown assistant to the famous Petipa.
Extra credit: Why didn't Petipa stage it himself?
The master fell ill during rehearsals, but the scuttlebutt had it that he bowed out in fear of a critical disaster. Nutcracker scholar Jennifer Fisher writes that even Tchaikovsky, while he was working on the score, confessed to a nephew in a letter, "This ballet is far weaker than The Sleeping Beauty--no doubt about it." And in fact, critical reception was decidedly mixed.
When did this European import make its American debut?
Answer: 61 years ago, in 1944. Bonus points for knowing that the San Francisco Ballet gave it its first full-length U.S. production.
Who was responsible for turning The Nutcracker into an indispensable American Christmas ritual?
Answer: George Balanchine, who choreographed his version at the New York City Ballet in 1954, drawing on his memories of dancing the ballet at the Maryinsky.
How many American versions have been staged each Christmas since Balanchine made it de rigueur?
Answer: anybody's guess. Nearly every ballet company in the United States stages a Nutcracker every Christmas, partly because it almost always makes money, and partly because audiences love it and expect it.
This season, Tucson is treated to three productions in the city, and one in Sahuarita. The more venturesome can travel up to Phoenix, where Ballet Arizona is keeping its Nutcracker to itself. It's been several years since the company traveled down I-10 to give Tucsonans a taste of its artistry.
But the Old Pueblo's two leading ballet troupes offer up highly polished renditions of their own, each performed to live music by an orchestra. Ballet Tucson is now a professional company, and its paid staff of 10 dancers will dance the major roles, complemented by apprentices, advanced students and scores of cute little kids. Tucson Regional Ballet imports two stars from San Francisco Ballet, who'll be joined by this troupe's apprentices, advanced students and scores of little kids.
Musicians from the Tucson Symphony Orchestra play for the Tucson Regional Ballet's 12th annual Southwest Nutcracker, full of coyotes and tíos and copper queens. After one season at the TCC Music Hall, A Southwest Nutcracker is back in Leo Rich because of a scheduling problem, but the smaller theater has better sight lines for dance.
"We invested in a huge, wonderful tree last year," says artistic director Linda Walker, of the tree that grows and grows in Act 1. "But we can still fit it in Leo Rich."
Guest artist Chidozie Nzerem of the San Francisco Ballet dances the Caballero, the Southwestern counterpoint to the traditional Cavalier, as well as the Gunslinger. He last guest-starred here two years ago. "The audience loved him," Walker says. "They were gasping out loud. And not only is he a gorgeous dancer; he's friendly, optimistic and great with the kids." His regular partner, Sherri LeBlanc, comes to Tucson Regional for the first time to dance the Prickly Pear, a fairy elsewhere known as Sugar Plum. LeBlanc, formerly with New York City Ballet, is on hiatus from San Francisco, after giving birth to a baby earlier this year.
Among the locals, Paetia Mechler, a Doolen eighth-grader, shares the lead part of Maria (aka Clara) with Jessica Holland, a sophomore at Catalina High. Simon Wexler, a seventh-grader at Tucson Hebrew Academy, dances the Nutcracker. University High senior Seth Burch, an accomplished gymnast and competition jump-roper, makes a muscular Tumbleweeds, the part akin to the Russian in traditional versions. Brittany DeGrofft, 15, plays the Native American Queen.
"We move the location from Germany to Tucson," Walker explains. "We have cavalry and coyotes, and a Spanish hacienda. Candyland becomes a Desert Dream."
Tucson Regional Ballet's A Southwest Nutcracker is at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 2; 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 3; and 1 and 4:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 4, at TCC's Leo Rich Theatre, 260 S. Church Ave. Tickets cost $31 adults, $21 students, children, seniors, groups. Info's at the TCC box office, 791-4266; the Tucson Regional box office, 885-0862; and Ticketmaster, 321-1000.
Ballet Continental stages its 20th-anniversary Nutcracker down in Sahuarita. Mike Cain of Green Valley has designed new some sets, and the 75 cast members will sport some new costumes. Choreographed by artistic director Lisa Baker DiGiacomo, this traditional Nutcracker features Brittani Johnson and Emily VanWagenen as alternating Claras. Guest artist Wally Meinel of Tucson dances the Cavalier.
Ballet Continental performs The Nutcracker at 7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 2; 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 3; and 2 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 4, at Sahuarita Auditorium, 350 W. Sahuarita Road, at Interstate 19. Admission costs $12 general, $10 seniors, $7 for students and children. Advance tickets cost $2 less. Order them at 326-7887.
Ballet Tucson rounds up Linda Ronstadt, the Tucson Boys Chorus and harpist Christine Vivona to perform holiday music at its fifth annual Sugar Plum Tea at the Arizona Inn. On the menu is a traditional tea with all the trimmings, along with a silent auction and boutique. The fundraiser also features cast members performing short previews of The Nutcracker. The teas are at the Arizona Inn, 2200 E. Elm St., at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 3, and 11 a.m. Sunday, Dec. 4. Tickets cost $75. Information is at 903-1445.
Ballet Tucson celebrates its 20th anniversary season with its 11th annual Nutcracker. For the second year in a row, the Ballet Tucson Orchestra, whose musicians also perform for Arizona Opera, will play Tchaikovsky's music in this traditional production at Centennial Hall. Arizona Opera's Cal Kellogg conducts.
"We create our own orchestra," says artistic director Mary-Beth Cabana.
But Cabana is not importing guest dancers. "My principal professional dancers in my own troupe are the dancers," she says. "We're excited that we have the caliber of dancers who can pull it off."
Her stars are Ballet Tucson regulars Jenna Johnson and Daniel Precup, formerly of Oakland Ballet and the Romanian National Opera, dancing Sugar Plum Fairy and Cavalier, and Joanne Jaglowski, a former principal with Cleveland Ballet. She alternates the part of Sugar Plum and also takes on the grand pas de deux, with partner Mark Krieger.
Company choreographer Mark Schneider has re-done the Snow Scene entirely, in part to keep it fresh, Cabana says, and in part to make use of the troupe's new male dancers. Instead of just a Snow Queen and King dancing among the Snow Maidens, the new scene features two pairs of Snow Princesses and Princes. Pros Meredith Dulaney and César Rubio are the Snow Queen and Snow King.
That doesn't mean that the advanced students and apprentices don't get parts. Around 150 dancers, including local kids, participate in the Victorian-style extravaganza, complete with velvet costumes, falling snow and a giant growing Christmas tree. Apprentices Celina Ginn and Megan Terry are the Snow Princesses; Clayton Frey and Isaac Sharratt alternate the Harlequin, Soldier Doll and Mouse King, and a pair of 13-year-olds, Mia Wright and Irina Streitfeld, share the part of Clara. Twelve-year-old Aaron Sharratt plays Drosselmeyer's nephew.
"We have national-level pro dancers now," Cabana says. "But we're still developing the talent here."
Ballet Tucson presents The Nutcracker at the UA's Centennial Hall at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 9; 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 10; and 2 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 11. Tickets cost $26 to $46 general, $23 to $35 students, seniors, groups. Call 621-3341.
Ballet Arizona begins its 2 1/2-week run of 24 Nutcrackers this weekend. The fully professional company now has 27 dancers, who are joined on stage by students and children from its ballet school. Ib Andersen, a veteran of New York City Ballet and the Royal Danish | |
It's about time that I make my return to the first Spanish city I fell in love with... which I subsequently ended up hating just a couple of months later. My time studying abroad in Cádiz was less than ideal, but through the trials and tribulations I ended up learning a lot about myself. And while living there wasn't necessarily a good fit for me, it's still a beautiful place that's perfect for visiting. I know returning will bring back a lot of intense emotions, but at this point I feel ready to face those demons and fully embrace everything wonderful about this charming southern town.
Portugal is calling my name, and it'd be rude not to answer. After falling for Lisbon four and a half years ago, I'm ready to see what else Portugal has to offer. I've heard Porto is colorful, gritty and decidedly picturesque, so I'm hoping to seriously improve my photography skills before going!
This has been my top destination in Spain for quite some time now, and there's really no question as to why. Widely regarded as the culinary capital of the world, San Sebastián was also chosen as the European Capital of Culture in 2016. Breathtaking scenery, distinct culture, world renowned gastronomy... what more could you ask for?
One of these days I'd like to travel all throughout Scandinavia, but for now I'm enchanted by the idea of Copenhagen. I'm not sure what about it specifically attracts me, I just know that I've wanted to go for the longest time. I'm enticed by the potential of getting to know a part of Europe that I've never explored before, and from what I've seen on the blogosphere, Copenhagen looks absolutely darling.
I think I've made it pretty clear that my survival depends on a lot of Vitamin D. A sunny weekend in Mallorca sounds like the perfect island getaway with a necessary Spanish twist. Palm trees and beaches by day, tapas and vino by night? Yes please.
Depending on my summer plans, I hope to make a stop in Iceland on my way back home this July. Not only is there a direct flight from Reykjavík to Seattle, but Iceland Air also offers free stopovers for up to seven nights. Score!
53 comments on "2015 Destinations On My Radar"
Great list! I'm hoping to get to a few of these this year as well. I'm headed to Porto in May and so excited about it!
This list is wonderful! I'm hoping to do the same in France - 2014 for me too was filled with European travels so this year I would like to focus on staying within France a bit more. Yet reading your list is reminding me how I do want to see more of Spain. I actually had no real desire to visit Spain (no particular reason against it) but my hubby wanted to go, so our first trip was to Barcelona. And I declared 4 hours after landing in town that I felt like I could live in Barcelona. Needless to say I loved Spain, have been to Madrid and Sevilla since, and would love to explore more!
I totally recommend San Sebastián, it's my favourite Spanish city (I can't shut up about it)! Try going when the weather's a little nicer, because the beaches are gorgeous.
If you come to northern Spain, let me know! I'd love to show you around Cantabria, if you're in/near my area.
Such a good list! I'm thinking of visiting Iceland as well on a stopover to California in July. I just keep seeing posts about it and now it's calling my name!!
Iceland and Mallorca are on my list as well, except not for this year haha (more like in the next 3 years). I can't wait to see you cross off each of these places on your list this year!
So many great spots on your list for this year! You've got to try to do Iceland, it's such an incredible place! We're doing our long memorial day weekend there this year for a return trip and I can't wait!
Fantastic picks! I too was considering a future Iceland Air stopover sometime soon-- good to know that 7 days is the max (and you know I'm gonna max it out, haha). Such a cool initiative.
Oh my goodness, all of these places look amazing! I wish I lived closer!
Fantastic! I'm hoping to make it in either February or March. Fingers crossed for warm weather!!
Hey hey shout out to Galicia!! :D :D I'm here until the end of May/early June so if you want a free tour guide for the region hit me up :) also, so excited that you're thinking about taking advantage of that Iceland stopover tour!
Great list! We loved Porto and Asturias! SO much to see in Spain. And do. And eat. And drink. We share much of the same list. ¡Salud! ¡Disfrutan!
This is a great list, and a fantastic way to explore more of Spain and really get to know it. I know what you mean about making the best use of your time there.
Some of your bucket list destinations are the same as mine (I'm completely obsessed with going to Copenhagen). Porto always sounds so charming and beautiful whenever I read about it that it also makes me want to jump on a flight!
Ooh I bet there are so many wonderful places to see within France! I think that's a wonderful goal :) One of these days I want to set aside a large chunk of time to exploring more of France too! It makes me so glad to hear that you loved Spain. There are so many hidden gems here to see, and I hope you get to experience more soon!
Definitely! The first time I went there was in winter and it was still 18C and sunny, so you should be safe in the spring.
Totally understandable! Although I was only in Istanbul for 4 days, it definitely blew my budget. How exciting that you're moving to Chile though!!
That would be wonderful! I'll totally let you know when I plan on coming up there! I want to eat lots of pimientos de padrón, finally conquer my fear of trying pulpo, and drink tasty white wine. I might even put up with the rain if it means getting the full experience!!
Gracias Kelly :) I couldn't agree more - Spain just has so much to offer! I never want to leave!!
Your list makes me realize that I've been neglecting so much of Southern Europe...especially Spain and Portugal!
It's so easy from the PNW... like 6.5-7 hour flight and you're there... it's really not that much further or more expensive than going to Hawaii!!!
Yay Iceland! And absolutely yes to all the places you listed! I definitely look forward to getting to know Spain better, as well. I'm desperate to go to Seville (and stalk the Game of Thrones cast).
Great list! Love all o fthe spanish adventures! My Pop is still touring through Spain right now and I am LOVING reading about all of the different places on his blog. He is sticking to the southern beaches though.
They're definitely worth visiting! Well, at least Spain is :) I feel like I don't know Portugal well enough to have any official say - but I've loved everything I've seen so far!
SEVILLE IS THE BEST! Aside from Madrid, it's my favorite city in Spain. It's so insanely beautiful and charming! You must go soon!! It's like a fairytale.
Oh fun! You really can't beat those southern beaches!! I hope the weather is nice for him down there!
I had my sights on Spain and Portugal for this year too but I don't think they're going to work out. Gosh I never knew the | |
Gorman is an unincorporated community in northwestern Los Angeles County. It is located in Peace Valley south of the Tejon Pass, which links Southern California with the San Joaquin Valley and Northern California. Due to this location, the area has served as a historic travel stop dating back to the indigenous peoples of California. Tens of thousands of motorists travel through Gorman daily on the Golden State Freeway (Interstate 5) since the highway's completion in the mid-20th Century.
Geography
Gorman is in size. It lies where three Transverse System mountain ranges meet, namely the Sierra Pelona Mountains, the Tehachapi Mountains, and the San Emigdio Mountains.
One of the Mountain Communities of the Tejon Pass, it is southeast of Frazier Park and south of Lebec. Interstate 5 runs through Gorman, and State Route 138 connects to the freeway a few miles south.
California poppies, lupines, and other wildflowers dramatically cover the hills in the springtime when there is sufficient rain.
Gorman is near the intersection of the two largest fault systems in California: the San Andreas Fault which slices directly through Gorman in a southeast–northwest direction, and the Garlock Fault which intersects the San Andreas about 5 km (3 miles) WNW of the town and travels approximately 250 km (160 mi) northeast along the Tehachapi Mountains to the Avawatz Mountains in the Mojave Desert.
Population
The U.S. Census Bureau does not break out separate population figures for this small place, but in 2005 Gorman had only 15 homes and approximately a dozen registered voters.
History
18th century
Gorman is "one of the oldest continuously used trail and roadside rest stops in California," as the Native Americans of California "would have stopped there when it was the Tataviam village of Kulshra'jek" explains Mountain Communities historian Bonnie Ketterl Kane.
The Spanish and Mexican colonial El Camino Viejo passed through the area en route to Old Tejon Pass. The route of the Stockton–Los Angeles Road went through Tejon Pass after 1852.
19th century
The Gorman area was part of Rancho Los Alamos y Agua Caliente, an 1846 Mexican land grant.
The first American settler in the area was a man named Charles Johnson, after 1853. The 1853 account of Lt. Robert S. Williamson of the vicinity for the transcontinental railroad survey expedition report makes no mention of any habitations on the east side of the pass, only that a good wagon road (Stockton–Los Angeles Road) passed through it.
After Johnson's death, his widow, Soledad Girado ran the place, which by 1855 had become known as Rancho la Viuda (Widow's Station). Historian Frank F. Latta noted that the Johnsons' daughter, Isabel, was the only girl to study at the historic Escuela Normal of Los Angeles in the 1860s.
Reed's Station
A man named Reed took up residence next, calling it Reed's Ranch. In 1857 a woman was killed on his ranch when the great Fort Tejon earthquake struck the area and collapsed the roof of his adobe house.
Reed then built a substantial log house, which became Reed's Station, on the Butterfield Overland Mail 1st Division Stations in 1858. A stop for the postal stagecoach, it was located 8 miles southeast of Fort Tejon and 14 miles west of French John's Station.
The Butterfield Overland Mail ceased in 1861, but was replaced later by the Telegraph Stage Line, which stopped at most of the former stations, including at renamed Gorman's, where the horses were changed. Six of them were used for the pull up Tejon Pass from Bakersfield to Gorman's.
Gorman
It was next bought by David W. Alexander, the sheriff of Los Angeles County, who sold the place to James Gorman Sr. in 1867 or 1868. The log "public house", which furnished food, lodgings, and liquor, soon became known as Gorman's Station. Gorman was a veteran of the Mexican–American War of 1848 and was at Fort Tejon as a civilian teamster and herder in 1854 while it was being built. In 1876, Gorman Sr. died after he was run over by his own supply wagon.
The first post office was established in December 1877 with Henry Gorman, probably James' brother, as the postmaster. (The community today is served by a contract postal unit in the local market, but delivery is through the Lebec post office.) Gorman's widow, Johanna, continued to run the family farm and the roadside rest until she died in 1889.
In 1898, the ranch was bought by Oscar Ralphs, whose brother, George, had already begun a business in Los Angeles (in 1872) that eventually became the Ralphs supermarket chain.
20th century
In 1901, Oscar Ralphs married Mary McKenzie, who, as Mary Ralphs, later served 57 years on the Gorman School Board (from 1908 to 1965) and was honored for her service by Vice President Hubert Humphrey at a National School Boards Association convention.
The 1960 movie Psycho also briefly featured footage filmed in the township.
Ridge Route
The Ridge Route road through Gorman was paved in 1919. In 1923, the first gasoline station in California to be located away from a railroad track was established by Standard Oil. Gorman was a stop on the Ridge Route, and Highway 99 after 1926, where its Standard service station beckoned travelers. It was a rest stop for the Greyhound bus until 1977, and for long-distance truckers, who now use a Pilot Flying J station in Lebec.
"Being located on the busiest highway in California," wrote historian Kane, "the people of Gorman knew well the need for an ambulance, as so many of the injured were brought to their homes. An ambulance service was established in 1932 with the purchase of an old Packard automobile that was converted into an emergency unit, equipped with one stretcher. The ambulance could be reached through the switchboard at the motel, and whoever was available would drive it."
Aviator Charles Lindbergh established a camp in 1930 on the northeast side of the Gorman Hills, where he tested and flew a folded-wing glider called the Albatross.
Interstate 5 replaced U.S. Route 99 through Gorman and over Tejon Pass in 1964.
The Umbrellas
"The Umbrellas," a site-specific art installation by Christo and Jeanne-Claude, surrounded Gorman and Tejon Pass in late September and early October 1991. It was created with 1,760 large yellow umbrellas, placed from the roadsides to the mountainsides. A simultaneous installation of blue umbrellas was created in Japan.
Thousands of visitors flocked to Gorman from all over the world.
21st century
In January 2006, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors unanimously rejected a bid by 32 of the area's 75 property owners to give up Gorman so it could be annexed to Kern County. Reasons cited for the proposal included red tape and zoning regulations restricting development in Los Angeles County. However, Los Angeles County and opponents of the proposal did not want to lose sales and occupancy-tax revenue the county collected annually from Gorman businesses.
Government and infrastructure
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department (LASD) operates a resident deputy program in Gorman staffed by two deputies. Oversight of the Gorman substation is provided by the Santa Clarita Valley Station in Santa Clarita, The County of Los Angeles sends a bookmobile to Gorman every Tuesday.
Education
Gorman Joint School District
Gorman Elementary School
Accounts differ as to the origin of Gorman Elementary School, although the pioneer Ralphs family certainly played a role in its founding. According to researcher Harrison Irving Scott, the first school in the area appears to have been the one-room Manzana School, a mile south of Gorman, where in 1925 there were only four pupils — the Ralphs brothers, Glenn, Harry, Albert and Dewey. After it was torn down, the children went to Quail Lake School in another one-room schoolhouse. Gorman Elementary School was built by the federal government's Works Progress Administration in 1939. There is no accessible record of the first teacher, but Martha Forth was the second; she taught | |
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specular[4];
} lightSource[2];
} lightingData = {
{{ { 0.5, 0.2f, 1.0f, 0.0f },
{ 0.1f, 0.1f, 0.1f, 1.0f },
{ 0.7f, 0.7f, 0.7f, 1.0f },
{ 0.8f, 0.8f, 0.8f, 1.0f } },
{ { -0.8f, 0.4f, -1.0f, 0.0f },
{ 0.0f, 0.0f, 0.0f, 1.0f },
{ 0.5f, 0.5f, 0.5f, 1.0f },
{ 0.8f, 0.8f, 0.8f, 1.0f } }}
};
if (! g_lightingUB) {
glGenBuffers(1, &g_lightingUB);
glBindBuffer(GL_UNIFORM_BUFFER, g_lightingUB);
glBufferData(GL_UNIFORM_BUFFER,
sizeof(lightingData), NULL, GL_STATIC_DRAW);
};
glBindBuffer(GL_UNIFORM_BUFFER, g_lightingUB);
glBufferSubData(GL_UNIFORM_BUFFER,
0, sizeof(lightingData), &lightingData);
glBindBuffer(GL_UNIFORM_BUFFER, 0);
glBindBufferBase(GL_UNIFORM_BUFFER, g_lightingBinding, g_lightingUB);
if (g_mesh->GetDrawContext()->GetVertexTextureBuffer()) {
glActiveTexture(GL_TEXTURE0);
glBindTexture(GL_TEXTURE_BUFFER,
g_mesh->GetDrawContext()->GetVertexTextureBuffer());
}
if (g_mesh->GetDrawContext()->GetVertexValenceTextureBuffer()) {
glActiveTexture(GL_TEXTURE1);
glBindTexture(GL_TEXTURE_BUFFER,
g_mesh->GetDrawContext()->GetVertexValenceTextureBuffer());
}
if (g_mesh->GetDrawContext()->GetQuadOffsetsTextureBuffer()) {
glActiveTexture(GL_TEXTURE2);
glBindTexture(GL_TEXTURE_BUFFER,
g_mesh->GetDrawContext()->GetQuadOffsetsTextureBuffer());
}
if (g_mesh->GetDrawContext()->GetPatchParamTextureBuffer()) {
glActiveTexture(GL_TEXTURE3);
glBindTexture(GL_TEXTURE_BUFFER,
g_mesh->GetDrawContext()->GetPatchParamTextureBuffer());
}
if (g_mesh->GetDrawContext()->GetFvarDataTextureBuffer()) {
glActiveTexture(GL_TEXTURE4);
glBindTexture(GL_TEXTURE_BUFFER,
g_mesh->GetDrawContext()->GetFvarDataTextureBuffer());
}
glActiveTexture(GL_TEXTURE0);
return program;
}
//------------------------------------------------------------------------------
static void
display() {
g_hud.GetFrameBuffer()->Bind();
Stopwatch s;
s.Start();
glClear(GL_COLOR_BUFFER_BIT | GL_DEPTH_BUFFER_BIT);
glViewport(0, 0, g_width, g_height);
// prepare view matrix
double aspect = g_width/(double)g_height;
identity(g_transformData.ModelViewMatrix);
translate(g_transformData.ModelViewMatrix, -g_pan[0], -g_pan[1], -g_dolly);
rotate(g_transformData.ModelViewMatrix, g_rotate[1], 1, 0, 0);
rotate(g_transformData.ModelViewMatrix, g_rotate[0], 0, 1, 0);
rotate(g_transformData.ModelViewMatrix, -90, 1, 0, 0);
translate(g_transformData.ModelViewMatrix,
-g_center[0], -g_center[1], -g_center[2]);
perspective(g_transformData.ProjectionMatrix,
45.0f, (float)aspect, 1.0f, 500.0f);
multMatrix(g_transformData.ModelViewProjectionMatrix,
g_transformData.ModelViewMatrix,
g_transformData.ProjectionMatrix);
// make sure that the vertex buffer is interoped back as a GL resources.
g_mesh->BindVertexBuffer();
if (g_displayStyle == kVaryingColor)
g_mesh->BindVaryingBuffer();
glEnable(GL_DEPTH_TEST);
glBindVertexArray(g_vao);
OpenSubdiv::OsdDrawContext::PatchArrayVector const & patches = g_mesh->GetDrawContext()->patchArrays;
// patch drawing
int patchCount[11][6][4]; // [Type][Pattern][Rotation] (see far/patchTables.h)
memset(patchCount, 0, sizeof(patchCount));
// primitive counting
glBeginQuery(GL_PRIMITIVES_GENERATED, g_queries[0]);
#if defined(GL_VERSION_3_3)
glBeginQuery(GL_TIME_ELAPSED, g_queries[1]);
#endif
for (int i=0; i<(int)patches.size(); ++i) {
OpenSubdiv::OsdDrawContext::PatchArray const & patch = patches[i];
OpenSubdiv::OsdDrawContext::PatchDescriptor desc = patch.GetDescriptor();
OpenSubdiv::FarPatchTables::Type patchType = desc.GetType();
int patchPattern = desc.GetPattern();
int patchRotation = desc.GetRotation();
int subPatch = desc.GetSubPatch();
if (subPatch == 0) {
patchCount[patchType][patchPattern][patchRotation] += patch.GetNumPatches();
}
GLenum primType;
switch(patchType) {
case OpenSubdiv::FarPatchTables::QUADS:
primType = GL_LINES_ADJACENCY;
break;
case OpenSubdiv::FarPatchTables::TRIANGLES:
primType = GL_TRIANGLES;
break;
default:
#if defined(GL_ARB_tessellation_shader) || defined(GL_VERSION_4_0)
primType = GL_PATCHES;
glPatchParameteri(GL_PATCH_VERTICES, desc.GetNumControlVertices());
#else
primType = GL_POINTS;
#endif
}
#if defined(GL_ARB_tessellation_shader) || defined(GL_VERSION_4_0)
GLuint program = bindProgram(GetEffect(), patch);
GLuint diffuseColor = glGetUniformLocation(program, "diffuseColor");
if (g_displayPatchColor and primType == GL_PATCHES) {
float const * color = getAdaptivePatchColor( desc );
glProgramUniform4f(program, diffuseColor, color[0], color[1], color[2], color[3]);
} else {
glProgramUniform4f(program, diffuseColor, 0.4f, 0.4f, 0.8f, 1);
}
GLuint uniformGregoryQuadOffsetBase =
glGetUniformLocation(program, "GregoryQuadOffsetBase");
GLuint uniformPrimitiveIdBase =
glGetUniformLocation(program, "PrimitiveIdBase");
glProgramUniform1i(program, uniformGregoryQuadOffsetBase,
patch.GetQuadOffsetIndex());
glProgramUniform1i(program, uniformPrimitiveIdBase,
patch.GetPatchIndex());
#else
GLuint program = bindProgram(GetEffect(), patch);
GLint uniformPrimitiveIdBase =
glGetUniformLocation(program, "PrimitiveIdBase");
if (uniformPrimitiveIdBase != -1)
glUniform1i(uniformPrimitiveIdBase, patch.GetPatchIndex());
#endif
if (g_displayStyle == kWire) {
glDisable(GL_CULL_FACE);
}
glDrawElements(primType, patch.GetNumIndices(), GL_UNSIGNED_INT,
(void *)(patch.GetVertIndex() * sizeof(unsigned int)));
if (g_displayStyle == kWire) {
glEnable(GL_CULL_FACE);
}
}
s.Stop();
float drawCpuTime = float(s.GetElapsed() * 1000.0f);
glEndQuery(GL_PRIMITIVES_GENERATED);
#if defined(GL_VERSION_3_3)
glEndQuery(GL_TIME_ELAPSED);
#endif
glBindVertexArray(0);
glUseProgram(0);
if (g_drawCageEdges)
drawCageEdges();
if (g_drawCageVertices)
drawCageVertices();
g_hud.GetFrameBuffer()->ApplyImageShader();
GLuint numPrimsGenerated = 0;
GLuint timeElapsed = 0;
glGetQueryObjectuiv(g_queries[0], GL_QUERY_RESULT, &numPrimsGenerated);
#if defined(GL_VERSION_3_3)
glGetQueryObjectuiv(g_queries[1], GL_QUERY_RESULT, &timeElapsed);
#endif
float drawGpuTime = timeElapsed / 1000.0f / 1000.0f;
if (g_hud.IsVisible()) {
g_fpsTimer.Stop();
double fps = 1.0/g_fpsTimer.GetElapsed();
g_fpsTimer.Start();
int x = -280;
g_hud.DrawString(x, -360, "NonPatch : %d",
patchCount[OpenSubdiv::FarPatchTables::QUADS][0][0]);
g_hud.DrawString(x, -340, "Regular : %d",
patchCount[OpenSubdiv::FarPatchTables::REGULAR][0][0]);
g_hud.DrawString(x, -320, "Boundary : %d",
patchCount[OpenSubdiv::FarPatchTables::BOUNDARY][0][0]);
g_hud.DrawString(x, -300, "Corner : %d",
patchCount[OpenSubdiv::FarPatchTables::CORNER][0][0]);
g_hud.DrawString(x, -280, "Gregory : %d",
patchCount[OpenSubdiv::FarPatchTables::GREGORY][0][0]);
g_hud.DrawString(x, -260, "Boundary Gregory : %d",
patchCount[OpenSubdiv::FarPatchTables::GREGORY_BOUNDARY][0][0]);
g_hud.DrawString(x, -240, "Trans. Regular : %d %d %d %d %d",
patchCount[OpenSubdiv::FarPatchTables::REGULAR][OpenSubdiv::FarPatchTables::PATTERN0][0],
patchCount[OpenSubdiv::FarPatchTables::REGULAR][OpenSubdiv::FarPatchTables::PATTERN1][0],
patchCount[OpenSubdiv::FarPatchTables::REGULAR][OpenSubdiv::FarPatchTables::PATTERN2][0],
patchCount[OpenSubdiv::FarPatchTables::REGULAR][OpenSubdiv::FarPatchTables::PATTERN3][0],
patchCount[OpenSubdiv::FarPatchTables::REGULAR][OpenSubdiv::FarPatchTables::PATTERN4][0]);
for (int i=0; i < 5; i++)
g_hud.DrawString(x, -220+i*20, "Trans. Boundary%d : %d %d %d %d", i,
patchCount[OpenSubdiv::FarPatchTables::BOUNDARY][i+1][0],
patchCount[OpenSubdiv::FarPatchTables::BOUNDARY][i+1][1],
patchCount[OpenSubdiv::FarPatchTables::BOUNDARY][i+1][2],
patchCount[OpenSubdiv::FarPatchTables::BOUNDARY][i+1][3]);
for (int i=0; i < 5; i++)
g_hud.DrawString(x, -100+i*20, "Trans. Corner%d : %d %d %d %d", i,
patchCount[OpenSubdiv::FarPatchTables::CORNER][i+1][0],
patchCount[OpenSubdiv::FarPatchTables::CORNER][i+1][1],
patchCount[OpenSubdiv::FarPatchTables::CORNER][i+1][2],
patchCount[OpenSubdiv::FarPatchTables::CORNER][i+1][3]);
g_hud.DrawString(10, -180, "Tess level : %d", g_tessLevel);
g_hud.DrawString(10, -160, "Primitives : %d", numPrimsGenerated);
g_hud.DrawString(10, -140, "Vertices : %d", g_mesh->GetNumVertices());
g_hud.DrawString(10, -120, "Scheme : %s", g_scheme==kBilinear ? "BILINEAR" : (g_scheme == kLoop ? "LOOP" : "CATMARK"));
g_hud.DrawString(10, -100, "GPU Kernel : %.3f ms", g_gpuTime);
g_hud.DrawString(10, -80, "CPU Kernel : %.3f ms", g_cpuTime);
g_hud.DrawString(10, -60, "GPU Draw : %.3f ms", drawGpuTime);
g_hud.DrawString(10, -40, "CPU Draw : %.3f ms", drawCpuTime);
g_hud.DrawString(10, -20, "FPS : %3.1f", fps);
g_hud.Flush();
}
glFinish();
//checkGLErrors("display leave");
}
//------------------------------------------------------------------------------
static void
#if GLFW_VERSION_MAJOR>=3
motion(GLFWwindow *, double dx, double dy) {
int x=(int)dx, y=(int)dy;
#else
motion(int x, int y) {
#endif
if (g_hud.MouseCapture()) {
// check gui
g_hud.MouseMotion(x, y);
} else if (g_mbutton[0] && !g_mbutton[1] && !g_mbutton[2]) {
// orbit
g_rotate[0] += x - g_prev_x;
g_rotate[1] += y - g_prev_y;
} else if (!g_mbutton[0] && !g_mbutton[1] && g_mbutton[2]) {
// pan
g_pan[0] -= g_dolly*(x - g_prev_x)/g_width;
g_pan[1] += g_dolly*(y - g_prev_y)/g_height;
} else if ((g_mbutton[0] && !g_mbutton[1] && g_mbutton[2]) or
(!g_mbutton[0] && g_mbutton[1] && !g_mbutton[2])) {
// dolly
g_dolly -= g_dolly*0.01f*(x - g_prev_x);
if(g_dolly <= 0.01) g_dolly = 0.01f;
}
g_prev_x = x;
g_prev_y = y;
}
//------------------------------------------------------------------------------
static void
#if GLFW_VERSION_MAJOR>=3
mouse(GLFWwindow *, int button, int state, int /* mods */) {
#else
mouse(int button, int state) {
#endif
if (state == GLFW_RELEASE)
g_hud.MouseRelease();
if (button == 0 && state == GLFW_PRESS && g_hud.MouseClick(g_prev_x, g_prev_y))
return;
if (button < 3) {
g_mbutton[button] = (state == GLFW_PRESS);
}
}
//------------------------------------------------------------------------------
static void
uninitGL() {
glDeleteQueries(2, g_queries);
glDeleteBuffers(1, &g_cageVertexVBO);
glDeleteBuffers(1, &g_cageEdgeVBO);
glDeleteVertexArrays(1, &g_vao);
glDeleteVertexArrays(1, &g_cageVertexVAO);
glDeleteVertexArrays(1, &g_cageEdgeVAO);
if (g_mesh)
delete g_mesh;
delete g_cpuComputeController;
#ifdef OPENSUBDIV_HAS_OPENMP
delete g_ompComputeController;
#endif
#ifdef OPENSUBDIV_HAS_TBB
delete g_tbbComputeController;
#endif
#ifdef OPENSUBDIV_HAS_GCD
delete g_gcdComputeController;
#endif
#ifdef OPENSUBDIV_HAS_OPENCL
delete g_clComputeController;
uninitCL(g_clContext, g_clQueue);
#endif
#ifdef OPENSUBDIV_HAS_CUDA
delete g_cudaComputeController;
cudaDeviceReset();
#endif
#ifdef OPENSUBDIV_HAS_GLSL_TRANSFORM_FEEDBACK
delete g_glslTransformFeedbackComputeController;
#endif
#ifdef OPENSUBDIV_HAS_GLSL_COMPUTE
delete g_glslComputeController;
#endif
}
//------------------------------------------------------------------------------
static void
#if GLFW_VERSION_MAJOR>=3
reshape(GLFWwindow *, int width, int height) {
#else
reshape(int width, int height) {
#endif
g_width = width;
g_height = height;
int windowWidth = g_width, windowHeight = g_height;
#if GLFW_VERSION_MAJOR>=3
// window size might not match framebuffer size on a high DPI display
glfwGetWindowSize(g_window, &windowWidth, &windowHeight);
#endif
g_hud.Rebuild(windowWidth, windowHeight, width, height);
}
//------------------------------------------------------------------------------
#if GLFW_VERSION_MAJOR>=3
void windowClose(GLFWwindow*) {
g_running = false;
}
#else
int windowClose() {
g_running = false;
return GL_TRUE;
}
#endif
//------------------------------------------------------------------------------
static void
toggleFullScreen() {
// XXXX manuelk : to re-implement from glut
}
//------------------------------------------------------------------------------
static void
#if GLFW_VERSION_MAJOR>=3
keyboard(GLFWwindow *, int key, int /* scancode */, int event, int /* mods */) {
#else
#define GLFW_KEY_ESCAPE GLFW_KEY_ESC
keyboard(int key, int event) {
#endif
if (event == GLFW_RELEASE) return;
if (g_hud.KeyDown(tolower(key))) return;
switch (key) {
case 'Q': g_running = 0; break;
case 'F': fitFrame(); break;
case GLFW_KEY_TAB: toggleFullScreen(); break;
case '+':
case '=': g_tessLevel++; break;
case '-': g_tessLevel = std::max(g_tessLevelMin, g_tessLevel-1); break;
case GLFW_KEY_ESCAPE: g_hud.SetVisible(!g_hud.IsVisible()); break;
case 'X': g_hud.GetFrameBuffer()->Screenshot(); break;
}
}
//------------------------------------------------------------------------------
static void
rebuildOsdMesh()
{
createOsdMesh( g_defaultShapes[ g_currentShape ].data, g_level, g_kernel, g_defaultShapes[ g_currentShape ].scheme );
}
static void
callbackDisplayStyle(int b)
{
if (g_displayStyle == kVaryingColor or b == kVaryingColor or
g_displayStyle == kInterleavedVaryingColor or b == kInterleavedVaryingColor or
g_displayStyle == kFaceVaryingColor or b == kFaceVaryingColor) {
// need to rebuild for varying reconstruct
g_displayStyle = b;
rebuildOsdMesh();
return;
}
g_displayStyle = b;
}
static void
callbackKernel(int k)
{
g_kernel = k;
#ifdef OPENSUBDIV_HAS_OPENCL
if (g_kernel == kCL and g_clContext == NULL) {
if (initCL(&g_clContext, &g_clQueue) == false) {
printf("Error in initializing OpenCL\n");
exit(1);
}
}
#endif
#ifdef OPENSUBDIV_HAS_CUDA
if (g_kernel == kCUDA and g_cudaInitialized == false) {
g_cudaInitialized = true;
cudaGLSetGLDevice( cutGetMaxGflopsDeviceId() );
}
#endif
rebuildOsdMesh();
}
static void
callbackLevel(int l)
{
g_level = l;
rebuildOsdMesh();
}
static void
callbackModel(int m)
{
if (m < 0)
m = 0;
if (m >= (int)g_defaultShapes.size())
m = (int)g_defaultShapes.size() - 1;
g_currentShape = m;
rebuildOsdMesh();
}
static void
callbackAdaptive(bool checked, int /* a */)
{
if (OpenSubdiv::OsdGLDrawContext::SupportsAdaptiveTessellation()) {
g_adaptive = checked;
rebuildOsdMesh();
}
}
static void
callbackCheckBox(bool checked, int button)
{
switch (button) {
case kHUD_CB_DISPLAY_CAGE_EDGES:
g_drawCageEdges = checked;
break;
case kHUD_CB_DISPLAY_CAGE_VERTS:
g_drawCageVertices = checked;
break;
case kHUD_CB_ANIMATE_VERTICES:
g_moveScale = checked;
break;
case kHUD_CB_DISPLAY_PATCH_COLOR:
g_displayPatchColor = checked;
break;
case kHUD_CB_VIEW_LOD:
g_screenSpaceTess = checked;
break;
case kHUD_CB_FRACTIONAL_SPACING:
g_fractionalSpacing = checked;
break;
case kHUD_CB_PATCH_CULL:
g_patchCull = checked;
break;
case kHUD_CB_FREEZE:
g_freeze = checked;
break;
}
}
static void
initHUD()
{
int windowWidth = g_width, windowHeight = g_height;
int frameBufferWidth = g_width, frameBufferHeight = g_height;
#if GLFW_VERSION_MAJOR>=3
// window size might not match framebuffer size on a high DPI display
glfwGetWindowSize(g_window, &windowWidth, &windowHeight);
glfwGetFramebufferSize(g_window, &frameBufferWidth, &frameBufferHeight);
#endif
g_hud.Init(windowWidth, windowHeight, frameBufferWidth, frameBufferHeight);
g_hud.SetFrameBuffer(new SSAOGLFrameBuffer);
g_hud.AddCheckBox("Cage Edges (H)", g_drawCageEdges != 0,
10, 10, callbackCheckBox, kHUD_CB_DISPLAY_CAGE_EDGES, 'h');
g_hud.AddCheckBox("Cage Verts (J)", g_drawCageVertices != 0,
10, 30, callbackCheckBox, kHUD_CB_DISPLAY_CAGE_VERTS, 'j');
g_hud.AddCheckBox("Animate vertices (M)", g_moveScale != 0,
10, 50, callbackCheckBox, kHUD_CB_ANIMATE_VERTICES, 'm');
g_hud.AddCheckBox("Patch Color (P)", g_displayPatchColor != 0,
10, 70, callbackCheckBox, kHUD_CB_DISPLAY_PATCH_COLOR, 'p');
g_hud.AddCheckBox("Screen space LOD (V)", g_screenSpaceTess != 0,
10, 90, callbackCheckBox, kHUD_CB_VIEW_LOD, 'v');
g_hud.AddCheckBox("Fractional spacing (T)", g_fractionalSpacing != 0,
10, 110, callbackCheckBox, kHUD_CB_FRACTIONAL_SPACING, 't');
g_hud.AddCheckBox("Frustum Patch Culling (B)", g_patchCull != 0,
10, 130, callbackCheckBox, kHUD_CB_PATCH_CULL, 'b');
g_hud.AddCheckBox("Freeze (spc)", g_freeze != 0,
10, 150, callbackCheckBox, kHUD_CB_FREEZE, ' ');
int shading_pulldown = g_hud.AddPullDown("Shading (W)", 200, | |
ensemble analogy, this
would correspond to having {\em individual} microstates on the
opposite sides of the interface as opposed to ensembles resulting from
averaging over all microstates (with corresponding Boltzmann
weights). Conversely, the situation in Eq.~(\ref{gequil}) would be
analogous to the canonical ensemble only at sufficiently long times
that much exceed the nucleation time from Eq.~(\ref{tauF1}). Note that
at such long times, we have identical, equilibrated liquid on both
sides and so there is no surface tension in the first place.
Now, the situation where the system can reside in long-lived states
whose free energies are distributed in a Gaussian fashion can be
equivalently thought of as a perfectly ergodic, equilibrated system in
the presence of a {\em static}, externally-imposed random field whose
fluctuations scale in the Gaussian fashion. In the absence of this
additional random field, the mismatch penalty between such two regular
phases would be perfectly uniform along an interface with spatially
uniform curvature. The simplest system one can think of, in which this
situation is realized, is the random field Ising model:
\begin{equation} \label{RFIM} {\cal H} = - J \sum_{i<j} \sigma_i \sigma_j -
\sum_i h_i \sigma_i , \hspace{10mm} \sigma_i = \pm 1,
\end{equation}
where $J > 0$ while the Zeeman splittings $h_i$'s are random,
Gaussianly distributed variables. In the Hamiltonian above, if one
were to impose a strictly flat interface between two domains with
spins up and down, the domain wall would distort some to optimize the
Zeeman energy. However, the amount of distortion is also subject to
the tension of the interface between the spin-up and spin-down
domains. The overall lowering of the free energy, due to the interface
distortion, corresponds to the optimal compromise between these two
competing factors. Likewise, a smooth interface between two distinct
aperiodic states will distort to optimize with respect to local bulk
free energy, which is distributed. The energy compensation will scale,
again, as the square root of the variation of the volume swept by the
interface during the distortion. The final shape of the interface
will be determined by the competition between this stabilization and
the cost of increasing the area of the interface.
The mapping between the random field Ising model and large scale
fluctuations of the interface between aperiodic liquid structures was
exploited by Kirkpatrick, Thirumalai, and Wolynes (KTW) \cite{KTW},
who used Villain's argument \cite{Villain} for the renormalization of
the surface in RFIM to deduce how the droplet interface tension scales
asymptotically with the droplet size. The mapping relies crucially on
the condition that the undistorted interface must not be too thick, as
it would be near a critical point. This assumption turns out to be
correct since the width of the undistorted interface is on the order
of the molecular length $a$.~\cite{RL_sigma0}
Let us now consider a variation on the KTW-Villain argument concerning
the surface tension renormalization. This argument produces the sought
scaling relation for the mismatch penalty but some of its steps are
only accurate up to factors of order one, and so the latter will be
dropped in the calculation. All lengthscales will be expressed in
terms of the molecular length $a$, which simply sets the units of
length. Now, consider two dissimilar aperiodic states in contact, and
assume we have already coarse-grained over all length-scales less than
$r$, while explicitly forbidding interface fluctuations on greater
lengthscales. The interface is thus {\em taut}. Further, consider
spatial variations in the shape of the interface on lengthscales
limited to a narrow interval $[r, r(1+ \Delta)]$. The dimensionless
increment
\begin{equation} \label{increment}
\Delta = d \ln r
\end{equation}
is the increment of the running argument for our real-space
coarse-graining transformation $r \to r(1+ \Delta)$. (Ultimately, $r$
will be set at the droplet radius). We may assume, without loss of
generality, that the mismatch penalty may be written in the following
form, in $D$ spatial dimensions:
\begin{equation} \label{Fsr} \Gamma = \sigma(r) r^{D-1},
\end{equation}
The quantity $\sigma(r)$ may be thought of as a renormalized surface
tension coefficient, where the amount of renormalization generally
depends on the wavelength, which is distributed in the (narrow) range
between $r$ and $r(1+\Delta)$. Our task is to determine under which
condition such renormalization takes place, if any.
To do this, let us deform the interface so as to create a bump of
(small) height $\zeta$ and lateral extent $r$. Because the interface
is taut, the area will increase quadratically with $\zeta$. The
resulting increase in the interface area will incur a free energy cost
\begin{equation}
\delta F_s \sim \sigma(r) r^{D-1} (\zeta/r)^2 \Delta,
\end{equation}
when $\zeta \ll r$. It will turn out to be instructive to use a more
general form
\begin{equation} \delta F_s \sim \sigma(r) r^{D-1} (\zeta/r)^z \Delta.
\end{equation}
This generalized form is convenient because (a) rough interfaces may
exhibit a $z$ other than $2$
(b) the scaling of the interface tension with $r$ will turn out be
independent of $z$ at the end of the calculation. Thus the obtained
$\sigma$ vs. $r$ scaling can be argued to still apply even to
situations when $\zeta/r$ is not necessarily small. (Which it will not
be!) Now, as already mentioned, one can always flip a region (of size
$N$) at the interface so a to lower its bulk free energy by $\sim h
\sqrt{N}$. The resulting bulk free energy gain is thus:
\begin{equation} \label{Fb} \delta F_b \sim - h \sqrt{N} \Delta \sim -
h (r^{D-1} \zeta)^{1/2} \Delta,
\end{equation}
where the constant $h$ is straightforward to estimate in light of our
earlier discussion that the bulk stabilization above is the result of
fluctuations of the Gibbs free energy. Thus,
\begin{equation} \label{h2} h \sim \delta G_i /\sqrt{N},
\end{equation}
with $\delta G_i$ from Eq.~(\ref{dGi}). Properly, we should have
written $h^2 = 2 (\delta G_i)^2/N$ in Eq.~(\ref{h2}) because the bulk
free energy stabilization is a {\em difference} between two random
Gaussian variables, whose distribution widths are $\delta G_i$ each,
but we have agreed to drop factors of order one in the derivation, see
also below.
Finally, one should not fail to identify the stabilization in
Eq.~(\ref{Fb}) with the Bouchaud-Biroli free energy stabilization of a
compact region due to matching with its surrounding.
Next we find the value of $\zeta$ that minimizes the total free energy
stabilization: $\partial (\delta F_s + \delta F_b)/\partial \zeta = 0$,
which yields:
\begin{equation} \label{zeta} \zeta \sim (h/\sigma)^{2/(2z-1)}
r^{(2z-D+1)/(2z-1)}.
\end{equation}
The resulting energy gain per unit area,
\begin{align} \label{minF}
\min_\zeta\{& \delta F_s + \delta F_b\}/r^{D-1} \sim \nonumber \\
&\sim - (h^z/\sigma^{1/2})^{1/(z-1/2)} r^{-z(D-2)/(2z-1)} \Delta,
\end{align}
thus represents the renormalization $\delta \sigma(r)$ of the
$r$-dependent ``surface tension coefficient'' that resulted from
integrating out degrees of freedom in the $k$-vector range between
$1/r$ and $1/(1+\Delta) r$.
The energy gain per unit area from Eq.~(\ref{minF}), due to the
real-space renormalization in the wavelength range $[r, r(1+\Delta)]$,
can be viewed as an iterative relation, by Eq.~(\ref{increment}):
\begin{equation} \label{dsdr}
d \sigma \sim - (h^z/\sigma^{1/2})^{1/(z-1/2)} r^{-z(D-2)/(2z-1)}
d \ln r.
\end{equation}
A quick inspection of this differential equation shows that the
surface tension coefficient {\em decreases} with $r$. To determine the
actual $r$-dependence of $\sigma$, we must decide on the boundary
condition $\sigma(r=\infty) \equiv \sigma_\infty$. Suppose for a
moment that $\sigma_\infty > 0$, which implies that at sufficiently
large distances, the interface width tends to some {\em finite} value
$l_\infty$, however large. This is because the surface tension
coefficient of a {\em flat} interface between non-matching
equilibrated structures goes as $g^\ddagger l_\infty$, where
$g^\ddagger$ is the local free energy density excess at the
interface.~\cite{RowlinsonWidom, Bray} Since the free energy excess
per unit volume $g^\ddagger$ tends to a finite value
$g^\ddagger_\infty > 0$ in the limit of a flat interface, so should
$l_\infty$, if $\sigma_\infty$ is finite. Now, the surface tension
coefficient is thus given by the expression
\begin{equation*} \sigma^{2z/(z-1)}(r) = h^{2z/(2z-1)}
r^{-z(D-2)/(2z-1)} + \sigma^{2z/(z-1)}_\infty.
\end{equation*}
Inserting the above formula in expression (\ref{zeta}) yields:
\begin{equation} \label{zeta1} \zeta \sim \frac{r^{(2z-D+1)/(2z-1)}}
{[r^{-z(D-2)/(2z-1)}+ (\sigma_\infty/h)^{2z/(2z-1)} ]^{1/z}}
\end{equation}
The above formula indicates that although incremental changes in the
interface curvature following the renormalization are small, the
compound increase in the interface thickness---due to the curvature
changes in the broad wavelength range spanned by the coarse-graining
procedure---is not necessarily so.
Eq.~(\ref{zeta1}) indicates that there are two internally-consistent
options regarding the value of the surface tension coefficient
$\sigma_\infty$. In the conventional case of zero random field, $h =
0$, $\sigma_\infty$ is finite while $\zeta = 0$, and so no
renormalization takes place while the interface width tends to a
steady value $l_\infty$ at diverging droplet radii. If, on the other
hand, the random field is present, the only remaining option is
$\sigma_\infty = 0$. Indeed, by Eq.~(\ref{zeta1}), the interface width
$\zeta$ diverges as $r \to \infty$, when $h > 0$, implying the
supposition of a finite $\sigma_\infty$ and, hence, | |
noise made by your walking will scare the fish, so you have to move either like a ballet dancer or a special-forces member. They are quite different people, but both of them are really good at moving lightly; choose the style that suits your personality.
You will need to fish either at short or medium distance. If you are able to see the nymph in the water, short-distance sight fishing will be your choice. Cast as close to the bank as possible and follow the drift of your fly with your eyes. If you see anything happening close to your fly, like a sudden flash or a shadow covering the fly, strike. Often, that flash or shadow is a fish. If you have a problem seeing the fly or if the water is colored, use an indicator made with a piece of fluorescent nylon, or use a dry fly as an indicator.
There are strike indicators that look like a small float that you can buy in a fly fishing shop, but consider that the bigger the indicator, the more takes you will miss. This happens for two reasons. Very often, the fish takes the fly and spits it back out very quickly because it realizes there is something wrong; in this case, you will not even see the smallest movement in the float. The second reason is connected to this first. The resistance offered from the strike indicator to the nymph affects its drift and will increase the chances that the fish realizes there is something wrong and refuses your fly completely.
It is better yet to use a dry fly as an indicator. Working a nymph suspended to a dry fly will make it much more effective to fish the undercut banks: The fly will pass in front of the nose of the fish at the fish's depth, and you will be able to fish at longer distances, thereby reducing the chances of spooking the fish. Cast as close to the bank as possible and follow the drift of your fly with your eyes. If you see your indicator stop, strike immediately.
As a general rule, remember that we are trying to make a fish believe that a bunch of hair, fur, and feathers is real food. We should feel obliged to present it with the most natural drift. Otherwise we would be shameless.
If you are fishing a pool, the first place to look will be its head, where the food taken by the current settles down. Normally, there are also fish at the tails of the pools, but because the water is often shallower there, it is a better spot for the wet or dry fly fisher.
More often than not, it is mandatory to fish upstream, so the most effective technique will be high-stick nymphing. Keep your leader pretty short when fishing with a regular fly fishing rod and reel; you want to keep as much fly line as possible out of the tip to load the rod more easily. A good compromise for the leader is seven to eight feet with a tippet length of two feet.
Most of the time, one nymph will be sufficient, but if you like fishing tandems, the combination of a nymph and a dry fly can be very efficient. You can try the two-nymphs rig only in a very deep pool, where the use of a heavy nymph as point fly will help you reach the bottom quickly. Tie on a smaller fly as the dropper to differentiate the offer.
– Mauro Mazzo
#### DRY FLY FISHING SLOW MEADOW WATERS
Slow meadow waters always appear inviting and easy to fish with trout holding in every bend, but their gentle character belies their fickle nature. Here, the fish will not allow as close an approach as those trout rising in rough water. And myriad currents make drag a constant consideration. Make your cast and watch carefully as the fly approaches a rising fish.
If you see a trout holding, but not rising, try a beetle, ant, or bee straight upstream or slightly across and up. Limit your cast to not more than twenty-five feet. Usually, the fish will come up and take on your first or second offering. Often, it may inspect the fly on the first cast, then move back to its hold. Don't pick your fly off the water too quickly, as many times the fish will come back from its hold and take the fly. If you had pulled your fly off the water, the trout returning to search for it might spot you and spook, or the fish might become suspicious and refuse to look at your next presentation.
When fishing dry caddis patterns on slow meadow water, approach from upstream and cast across and slightly downstream. If you have to approach from downstream, present your fly on a slightly up-and-across angle.
In summer, with so many other insects emerging on smooth flowing waters, many anglers fail to consider midges when they come upon rising trout. There are times, however, when fish will take only impaired or crippled adult midges, even though there may be far more caddis or mayflies present on the water.
Use terrestrial patterns to prospect slow meadow waters. A favorite method on slow meadow waters is to walk the high banks and bluffs of rivers and streams and every few yards creep to the edge of sharp banks and bluffs that overlook the river. You will be amazed at how many fish are in knee-deep water waiting on terrestrials to fall, crawl, or fly into the water. Fish searching for terrestrials will travel considerable distances, so it is always best to have someone watch the fish while the other sneaks up from downstream: It's of no use casting to where a fish was instead of where it is.
– Craig Mathews
Feedlines, rocks, and deep depressions equal ideal trout water. The Gallatin River in Yellowstone Park. _Photo: John Juracek_
### Fooled by Midges
My good friend Terry and I were fishing the Firehole River last spring during epic pale morning dun and caddis emergences. Fish were feeding everywhere along the meadow stretches of the river. We walked to the river and sat on the bank, excited by so many fish we thought were feeding on emerging PMDs or caddis. Instead of taking time to carefully observe the river and determine what the fish were feeding on, we rigged up—Terry with a caddis emerger and I with a PMD mayfly cripple. Several minutes and no fish later, we sloshed to the shore and took out our handy insect nets to sample the flow. There we saw what the river was telling us to do; in the tiny mesh of our insect nets were dozens of midge emergers, many crippled and impaired. We knotted on Zelon midges and each took several rising fish that morning.
– Craig Mathews
Dawn patrol: Streamer fishing for fall-run brown trout on the upper Madison River, Montana. _Photo: John Juracek_
## SPRING CREEKS
Spring creeks are rich with aquatic plants and insects. Idaho. _Photo: Steven Wohlwender_
Spring creeks offer the most challenging fly fishing opportunities. They feature constant, clear flows in mixed currents over weed banks and obstructions. To get to know one is to spend much time on its waters. They are often moody and changing, and anglers must adapt to be successful.
Spring creek trout are usually visible as they actively feed on insect activity like emergences and egg-laying times. Look for fish to be holding in or near weed banks, overhangs, undercuts, downed trees, and brush as well as under bridges. It pays to be patient and spend time observing and sneaking along at a snail's pace learning the creek and its secrets.
#### WET FLY FISHING SPRING CREEKS
One of | |
of one stimulus, as in the Stroop task. Due to the fact that in this task a pair of stimuli, such as words, are presented separately, reaction times to the probes that replace them (one at a time) show whether the subject's attention is preferentially directed towards or away from the stimuli.
The dot probe task protocol and rationale
In the dot probe task, subjects are seated in front of a computer screen with their chins securely positioned on a chin rest. They are asked to stare at a fixation cross at the center of the screen (the cross was absent in the original version of the task), and then a pair of stimuli (words, facial expressions, or pictures) are displayed simultaneously near the fixation cross, approx. 5 cm apart (one above and the other below it, or one to the left and the other to the right) for a certain amount of time, which is usually 500 ms (Cisler et al., 2009). Subsequently, a neutral item known as a probe (e.g., a dot, asterisk, or letter) is presented at the location of one of the stimuli. Participants are requested to indicate the location of the probe (i.e., signal whether the probe has replaced the top, bottom, left, or right stimulus) using either a keyboard (pressing two differently colored buttons) or a special response box with two buttons, also differently colored. Latency is measured automatically by the computer (MacLeod et al., 1986; Rieger et al., 1998; Aisnworth et al., 2002; Fox et al., 2002; Asanowicz & Wolski, 2007; Frewen et al., 2008; Cisler et al., 2009; Klumpp & Amir, 2009; Ouimet et al., 2009; Bannerman et al., 2010; Cisler & Koster, 2010).
The methodological rationale underpinning this measure of attention allocation (Fox et al., 2002) is that that the subjects' reaction time will vary between trials partly as a function of the stimulus on which they first focus their attention (Frewen et al., 2008). It is expected that the subjects will detect more quickly those probes that are displayed in the same spatial locations as the stimuli they focused on as opposed to locations they did not focus on (Posner, Snyder, & Davidson, 1980; Navon & Margalit, 1983; Faunce, 2002; Lee & Shafran, 2004; Mogg & Bradley, 2005; Frewen et al., 2008; Shafran et al., 2007; Lee & Shafran, 2008) because of the additional time it takes for the subject to shift his or her attention toward the location of the probe in the latter case (Frewen et al., 2008). In other words, response latency to the probe will be reduced when it appears in an attended rather than unattended region of the computer screen (Mogg & Bradley, 2005). It is thought that reaction times to the probe are faster if at the time of probe display the subject's attention is already allocated to the location of the probe (Koster et al., 2004). For instance, if the subject's attention was initially oriented towards a negative word (i.e., the subject exhibits a negative attentional bias), the reaction time should be shorter if the probe appears in the region where that word was displayed. On the other hand, if the subject's attention was oriented away from the negative word, then the reaction time should be shorter if the probe is displayed in the location previously occupied by a positive word (Bar-Haim et al., 2006; Bar-Haim et al., 2007; Hoppit & Mackintosh, 2009).
In the "emotional" variant of the task, subjects are presented with a pair of words that differ in their emotional valence (threatening vs. neutral, or positive vs. negative), usually for 100-1250 ms (MacLeod et al., 1986; Mogg & Bradley, 2005; see also Asanowicz & Wolski, 2007; Frewen et al., 2008, Ouimet et al., 2009). Later versions of the dot probe task included masked exposure conditions with word pairs presented for 14 ms. It should be noted that over time the range of stimuli was expanded to include schematic facial expressions (e.g., Bradley et al., 1999; see also Mogg & Bradley, 2005) and pictures (Asanowicz & Wolski, 2007; Frewen et al., 2008; see also Shafran et al., 2008). Researchers typically use two types of stimuli - neutral and threat-related (Fox et al., 2001; Bar-Haim et al., 2007, Derakshan et al., 2007, Klumpp & Amir, 2009; see also Koster et al., 2004; Lee & Shafran, 2004; Szymura, 2007).
Attentional biases are diagnosed based on differences in reaction times towards probes replacing threatening and neutral stimuli in congruent and incongruent trials, respectively (Cisler et al., 2009; Cisler & Koster, 2010). Shorter RTs in congruent trials show that the individual had attended to the location where the probe was displayed (suggesting vigilance to threat), whereas longer RTs in incongruent trials indicate that he or she detected the probe by shifting attention to a previously unattended location (suggesting difficulty with attentional disengagement from threat). In turn, shorter RTs in incongruent trials than in congruent ones indicate that the individual avoids threatening stimuli. This interpretation was corroborated by reports that probe detection latencies are correlated with eye shifts between the two regions of the computer screen (Bradley, Mogg, & Millar, 2000; see also Ouimet et al., 2009) (Figure 1).
Advantages of the dot probe task
Thanks to the fact that participants performing the dot probe task respond to a neutral probe, latency is not affected by any emotional reaction to that probe or some general arousal. An additional advantage of this paradigm is the ability to manipulate the time interval between the presentation of the stimulus pair and the probe (i.e., stimulus onset asynchrony, SOA, also known as the Inter-Stimulus Interval, ISI), which allows for exploring the time course of attentional allocation (Bar-Haim et al., 2007). When exposure time is very short, then attentional orientation towards or away from a threat is probably unconscious, while in the case of longer exposure times this orientation may be linked to conscious processing. The dot probe task is also advantageous in that it enables measurement of whether attention is preferentially directed toward certain stimuli or perhaps the stimuli are avoided (Placanica et al., 2002).
Reservations as to what kind of attentional bias(es) the dot probe task actually measures
Despite the fact that some studies using the Stroop test on non-clinical and clinical groups, and especially on anxious individuals (e.g. Bradley et al., 1998; see also MacLeod et al., 1986), showed the procedure to be sensitive to attentional biases (MacLeod et al., 1986; Rieger et al., 1998), other studies have called this into question (Koster et al., 2004). The original interpretations of the patterns obtained with the dot probe task have been challenged (Fox et al., 2002; see also Klumpp & Amir, 2009). These concerns have not been allayed even by the study of Bradley and colleagues (2000), who reported that subjects exhibiting eye movements towards threatening faces also responded faster to probes that replaced those faces as compared to non-threatening faces. According to Bradley et al. (2000), these results seem to confirm that anxious individuals (in contrast to nonanxious ones) are characterized by attentional vigilance to threat faces (see also Klumpp & Amir, 2009).
However, their argument has been criticized on three main grounds.
First criticism
First, it has been observed that in dot-probe trials where the probe is displayed at the location of a threat-related stimulus, short reaction times (positive attentional bias manifested as the difference in RTs between congruent and incongruent trials, e.g. Bar-Haim et al., 2007) may be linked to either vigilance to threat or difficulty in disengaging attention from it (Bar-Haim et al., 2007; see also Koster et al., 2004). The Posner paradigm appears to be better suited for investigation of the disengagement mechanism: since a threat-related or neutral stimulus is displayed briefly in one of two | |
way to make sure that your elderly members who have mobility issues are able to receive church services from their own homes.
Other groups who you can reach by using church live streaming equipment are soldiers or missionaries who are in other countries and far away from home. You can help them remain connected to their faith and provide them with strength and support as they carry out their mission to serve in various parts of the world.
There are many wonderful celebrations and important activities which happen in church, such as weddings, baptisms, bible studies, and holiday shows or concerts. As much as everyone may want to attend these events, this may not always be possible.
However, if you have church live streaming cameras, nobody has to miss those special moments or activities, even when they can't attend or participate in person. Grandparents can witness the baptism of their grandchild live. Or, a young church member who is currently studying abroad can still watch your annual Christmas concert from a laptop.
New members to your town or city could be looking for a new local church to join. Today, the more common step to take when you want to find something you need is to search on the internet.
If you have church live streaming equipment to broadcast sermons or services on the web, there is a bigger chance they will find your church video production online. This then becomes their way to get to know your church and your activities. This also allows them to get a feel of your community and helps them determine what they can expect and how well they might fit in.
Among today's technologies which are causing a lot of buzz is the 5th generation of cellular mobile communications, also known as 5G. By simple definition, it is a new wireless mobile technology that promises super fast speeds and other benefits in telecommunication. Its standard architecture specifications have already been finalized by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP)—the standard committee created by groups of telecommunications standards associations called the Organizational Partners. The technology is already on its way to being rolled out for commercial use. Sure enough, this technology will have a significant impact on the video broadcasting industry, especially live streaming.
According to predictions, 5G is going to start making its presence felt in the early part of 2019, and businesses will most likely be the ones who will discover its implications. For broadcasters, now would be the time to assess this technology and plan how to take advantage of it in the future.
5G is going to change the telecommunications landscape for the better—there's no doubt about it. However, among the areas that will be greatly affected by this technology is the way videos are produced, distributed, and shared.
Compared to 4G, 5G is of course expected to offer highly improved download data rates. Without the enhancement brought about by Long-Term Evolution (LTE), the former could only top out at about 100 megabits per second (Mbps) under perfect conditions. For example, it can provide this rate when you are downloading very close to a cell tower. On the other hand, the latter is predicted to support 10 gigabits per second (Gbps), which is 100 times faster, with a latency of not more than 1 millisecond (ms). This is truly a significant development that will offer a lot of benefits to different users.
But like other technologies, 5G also has its downsides. First, it supports much higher bandwidths, which means that it also requires wider millimeter wave bands (frequencies). This entails smaller and more frequent antenna placements. Second, its signal is observed to be easily disrupted. Third, 5G signals travel shorter distances than those of 4G, so 5G transmissions would need more transmitter sites. On the bright side, these sites will be significantly smaller and can be built anywhere.
As for telecom carriers and those who are looking forward to using 5G, the technology is a win on the whole. It was reported that the Federal Communications Commission has voted not to require local historical and environmental assessment reviews, which means that 5G's deployment will come a little sooner.
As for churches, 5G promises a lot of possibilities. It will certainly change the way they make a church video production for live streaming, with futuristic digital technologies like augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) becoming mainstream.
Looking forward in the future, 5G is an important capability that will have a huge impact on the video streaming industry. It is something which people who live stream must keep an eye out for.
Where could you host your live stream? First of all, an option could be the church website. However, not all churches have it, and it is not always the most convenient option, for many reasons. That is why many prefer using streaming services.
Those services are capable of handling all the traffic and provide stable streaming without the interruptions and video drops. This put emphasis on the value that the best church live streaming equipment brings in providing high-quality streaming for all church members, especially those who aren't able to attend some events or sermons.
Church live streaming cameras might work at their fullest, but if the streaming service isn't able to manage the high-quality video, the entire idea will not work. Can you imagine watching a high-quality video that requires a lot of traffic with slow internet? The best you can get is a blurry image and strange sounds. The same applies to church video streaming, even though you might install the best camera for live streaming church can afford.
Then, the church live streaming setup follows. At this stage, you need to have a streaming service selected. Make sure it has all the features needed for people to log in and leave their comments and feedback. Can church members and all who want to keep the video record it? Are older events available easily? Is the camera for live streaming church activities suitable for the streaming service?
Now, the main challenge follows: how to select those church streaming services? Simply researching on the internet will reveal many different options. Some of them are free, and they are usually less reliable; some are paid, and they normally offer more options, and are more convenient and reliable.
So when the church live streaming equipment is installed, you can devote some time to the selection of the best streaming service for your church. If you use the best camera for live streaming church events, why not use the best streaming service then?
Youtube - a free streaming service, very convenient to use once you set up your channel. It is a platform that is very simple to get started and has a huge user base that is always growing.
Facebook - one of the most popular streaming services, especially among younger people. A great option if you want to grow the number of church followers.
Twitch - provides high-quality streaming for all purposes.
Church Streaming - high-quality live streaming and video distribution that was made for churches.
Dacast - live and VOD streaming platform. Video streaming, hosting, management and many more options.
streamingchurch.tv - a wonderful live streaming platform that allows not only the streaming of your church video but also the archiving and distribution of it.
You might be wondering how to select the best option for your church. First, check the camera that you're using, verify that it is compatible with the service you like most, perform the church live streaming setup, and then test it.
Testing is what you need to do each time when you are trying out something new. Ask some more members to test the streaming quality and consider their feedback.
When setting up a live streaming system, it is essential to consider | |
Supernatural is an American television drama series created by writer and producer Eric Kripke. It was initially broadcast by The WB network from September 13, 2005, but after the first season, the WB and UPN networks merged to form The CW network, which was the final broadcaster for the show in the United States by the series' conclusion on November 19, 2020, with 327 episodes aired. The Winchesters, a spin-off prequel/sequel series to Supernatural developed by Robbie Thompson, Jensen Ackles and Danneel Ackles, premiered on The CW from October 11, 2022.
Supernatural and The Winchesters each feature two main characters, Sam Winchester (played by Jared Padalecki) and Dean Winchester (played by Jensen Ackles), and Mary Campbell (played by Meg Donnelly) and John Winchester (played by Drake Rodger).
In Supernatural, the two Winchester brothers are hunters who travel across the United States, mainly to the Midwest, in a black 1967 Chevy Impala to hunt demons, werewolves, vampires, ghosts, witches, and other supernatural creatures. Supernatural chronicles the relationship between the brothers, their friends, and their father. Throughout the seasons, the brothers work to fight evil, keep each other alive, and avenge those they have lost. In The Winchesters, Dean Winchester narrates the story of how his parents John Winchester and Mary Campbell met, fell in love and fought monsters together while in search for their missing fathers.
Supernatural features many recurring guests that help Sam Winchester and Dean Winchester with their hunts and quests. Frequent returning characters include hunter Bobby Singer (who becomes a father figure to Sam and Dean after season two), Castiel (an angel), Crowley (a demon and the King of Hell), and Jack Kline (the Nephilim). The series also featured recurring appearances from other angels, demons, and hunters.
Cast
Main
Recurring
Notable guests
Notes
Angels
Angels of God are extremely powerful spiritual beings. Merely perceiving their true form - even psychically - typically results in blindness, as the appearance of their natural "visage" is overwhelming. Only a select few can withstand their true appearances and voices, though no one is ever featured on the show that could do so. They often take human vessels to exist in and interact with the physical world; however, they can only enter with the hosts' consent. Angels need a particular vessel called the "chosen" one or "true vessels" to be their host if they want to reach their full potential.
Most angels are portrayed as emotionless authoritarian beings. Some angels show disdain for humanity, noting that humans are flawed and inferior creations. Lucifer was the only angel to refuse kneeling before humans at God's command. All angels, fallen or not, refer to each other as siblings and refer to God as their Father. However, most angels never actually meet or talk to God. God, their former leader, is noted as missing throughout the majority of the show, leaving the angels to protect humanity instead. There is a ranking among the angels, with the higher ranks commanding those at a lower rank.
Creator Eric Kripke originally did not want angels to be featured in the series, believing God worked through hunters rather than angels. However, with so many demon villains, he and the writers changed their minds when they realized that the show needed angels to create a "cosmic battle" between the angels and demons. As Kripke put it, "We had the empire, but we didn't really have the rebellion." They wanted to have a storyline with a few central characters, but with the massive battles in the background, comparable to Star Wars and The Lord of the Rings, the addition of angels allowed for this. Kripke eventually found that it opened up new storylines to include in the show.
Demons
Demons in the series are generally portrayed as cruel and sadistic, often taking pleasure in causing humans pain. They are also, as series creator Eric Kripke deemed them, "erudite and sophisticated". While the demon "tyrant" Azazel commands them in the first two seasons, demons were the sole antagonists of the third season. At times, their culture is compared to normal humans, with the third-season episode "Sin City" introducing their religious side. Many believe Lucifer was their own higher power. Though many demons came to lose faith, they followed the fallen angel upon his release from Hell in the fifth season.
Inspirations for these types of demons came from numerous sources, such as the devil-on-your-shoulder concept used in the episode "Sin City". The writers often tried to base the demons on actual aspects of history, as was done in "Malleus Maleficarum" by having the demon Tammi turn a group of women into witches. An encyclopedia on demons was used for research, with Binsfield's Classification of Demons inspiring "The Magnificent Seven's" storyline of seven demons being the physical embodiment of the Seven Deadly Sins.
The writers originally intended for demons to not rely on human hosts, but rather exist "halfway between spirits and corporeal creatures." However, the demon in "Phantom Traveler" demonstrates the ability to possess people. This quality and its other characteristics were chosen without foresight solely to fit with the episode's storyline, and the writers opted to maintain it as an element of all demons. Kripke felt it added an interesting aspect to the storylines, as the viewers "never quite know who the bad guy is". Another source of debate for the writers stemmed from the demons' eye color, which is based on a demon's place in the hierarchy. The writers preferred to limit unique colors to only the "big, big, bad guys". Writer Sera Gamble noted, "If every time we had a demon that was powerful we gave them a different eye color, pretty soon it'd be like, 'The Chartreuse-Eyed Demon is coming for us!'" During the production of the second season, Kripke viewed the horror film I Walked with a Zombie, and found one of the creatures having all-white eyes to be "really disturbing". The writers considered changing the eye color of regular demons to white, but eventually decided against it. However, Kripke later used the idea when Lilith and other high-level demons were introduced.
The appearance of a demons' true form became more complex as the series progressed. Originally depicted as small, thin streams of black smoke, demons began to appear as large, thick smoke clouds. When in large groups, the clouds have electricity pulsing throughout them. The visual effects department based the demons' shape on that of a snake, giving it a "predatorial" and "intelligent" look. Visual effects supervisor Ivan Hayden found demon smoke to be one of the hardest visual effects in the series.
Abaddon
Primarily portrayed by actress Alaina Huffman, Abaddon is the last remaining Knight of Hell, a class of mighty demons who were among the first of their kind. Abaddon is too strong to be affected by exorcisms or to be killed by Ruby's knife. She is introduced in the eighth-season episode "As Time Goes By" in which she is sent to destroy the Men of Letters organization in 1958 and sets off in pursuit of Sam and Dean's grandfather, Henry Winchester, who escaped with the key to the Men of Letters' bunker. Wanting to break into the bunker to gain access to the powerful supernatural spells and artifacts inside, Abaddon follows Henry through time to the present and hunts him and his grandsons throughout the episode. As a result, she holds Sam hostage to force Dean to hand over Henry and the key, promising to let Sam and Dean go after the trade. Abaddon goes back on her agreement and ends up mortally wounding Henry, but not before he shoots her in the head with a bullet engraved with a devil's trap, binding her powers and her to her now-paralyzed host body. Sam and Dean then cut her up and bury | |
It was a big day in Kansas City for the Royals and sports fans. In the morning, owner John Sherman announced a sudden afternoon press conference at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, and immediately into the forum, Sherman let the media know what the purpose of the meeting was:
BREAKING: Dayton Moore out as Royals president of baseball operations. Story with @ByMcCullough: https://t.co/PQazogCsYc
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) September 21, 2022
The entire press conference can be found on YouTube KMBC 9's channel (and I will embed it below).
The Dayton Moore era began back in 2006, and until his firing today, he was the third-longest tenured top baseball executive, behind only Oakland's Billy Beane and the Yankees' Brian Cashman.
On one end, Moore brought the Royals to incredible heights, as he was the architect of two AL Pennant-winning teams in 2014 and 2015, as well as a World Series-winning one in 2015. In fact, the World Series win in 2015 was the second World Series championship in franchise history (the other being in 1985), and the first in the post-Ewing Kauffman era.
There's no question that Royals fans and Kansas City as a whole are grateful for what Moore brought to the community, especially in 2014 and 2015 (and the wildly underrated 2013 season as well). After the death of Ewing Kauffman, it seemed like it would be ages before the Royals would make the playoffs, let alone win another World Series. Moore thankfully ended that 29-year playoff drought, as well as the 30-year World Series one.
However, it was obvious that it was time to make a change, especially after six straight losing seasons, which includes a 59-89 mark in 2022, as of Wednesday. Sherman made that abundantly clear in his afternoon press conference.
"The bottom line is it's time for change."
Royals CEO John Sherman regarding the dismissal of Dayton Moore. #Royals
— Josh Vernier (@JoshVernier610) September 21, 2022
In a corresponding move, Sherman also announced the promotion of JJ Picollo to head of baseball operations in Kansas City. It doesn't necessarily seem like Picollo is changing his title at all. Rather, it seems like Picollo will be the lone executive calling the shots for the Royals, and not sharing the role with another executive like he did this season with Moore.
The move is certainly a big one and raises all kinds of questions and polarizing feelings among hardcore Royals fans. For some, the move may not be enough, as some Royals fans may feel that Picollo may just be "Dayton 2.0", especially since Picollo has been in the Royals organization since Moore took over in 2006.
On the other hand, Picollo was an architect of the big change in hitting development after the 2019 season, which has suddenly become a strength of this Royals organization. After the Moore announcement, Alex Duvall of Royals Farm Report credited Picollo for creating a culture in hitting development that has turned around MJ Melendez, Nick Pratto, and Drew Waters, just to name a few.
I may catch some heat for this, but whatever.
JJ Picollo is the reason the Royals have Drew Saylor. Picollo was on the ground with the hitters in Wilmington in 2019 when things started going south. The sweeping changes that were made don't happen without him, IMO. https://t.co/GVM1qLJet1
— Royals Farm Report (@RoyalsFarm) September 21, 2022
Thus, what can Royals fans expect moving forward with Picollo now the one officially "in charge" of the front office in Kansas City? And also, how will Royals fans look back on Moore's tenure as GM/President of the Royals from 2006-2022 once the dust clears?
Don't Expect the Royals to Be Done Making Moves
One of the big questions that came up during the press conference was this: Are there other changes on the horizon?
Sherman didn't explicitly say "yes", but he certainly made a hint that more moves were in place, though it sounds like Picollo is going to be the one who ultimately makes those changes.
Sherman on whether other changes are coming: "I think there will be, but I don't want to get in front of J.J. on that." #Royals
Stream: https://t.co/3VK1WZnoPA pic.twitter.com/EYI7XrqvTY
— Bally Sports Kansas City (@BallySportsKC) September 21, 2022
If one watched the press conference, via live or on replay (the video is embedded in this post for chrissakes), Sherman harped on the disappointment of the veterans and the pitching development as primary factors that inspired him to make a change. That kind of dissatisfaction probably means that change could be in store at both the Major and Minor League levels.
In terms of the pitching development, those pieces are already in place, as I wrote about it not too long in the wake of Jason Simontacchi being let go as Minor League pitching coordinator. Now, it will be interesting to see where Picollo goes to make those changes in pitching development after this year. Will Director of Pitching Paul Gibson still be around? Will Picollo go outside the organization to help boost pitching development, especially at the Minor League level?
In fact, it was interesting to hear Boddy actually be "complimentary" of Picollo, after years of being critical of him and Moore on the app.
Truly a great article. I do hope people see the good things that JJ had to say, because it wasn't all bad. I have no love for how the Royals develop skill, but there's elements in how they do things I respect. Hard to see as a fan, but at the minor league level, it exists.
— Kyle Boddy (@drivelinebases) September 15, 2022
Has Picollo maybe contacted Boddy about a similar role in Kansas City to the one he held in Cincinnati previously? Is Picollo looking to perhaps think "outside the box" with pitching development after Moore failed so spectacularly in this area during his tenure?
It may be a pipe dream and I wonder if there's too much bad blood between Boddy and the Royals to make this happen. However, the hiring of the "Driveline Guru" would be a major sign that Picollo is certainly not "Dayton 2.0".
Now, let's go to Sherman's former point, which is about the underperforming veterans, and the club not living up to expectations in 2022.
Does it mean that Mike Matheny will be gone as Royals manager at the conclusion of the 2022 season?
Nothing has been made official yet, and in this afternoon's press conference with Matheny, he seemed to not be worried.
Matheny on Dayton Moore leaving the #Royals organization: "The business side shows its face in times like these, and we all understand it's a results-oriented game. … Every single one of us were a recipient of his trust in us…and let's not take that for granted." #Toyota pic.twitter.com/2wY9HkDg7L
To be frank, Matheny does have a pretty good poker face in moments like this, so I don't think Royals fans should have expected anything dramatic, especially with Matheny having a couple of hours to prep. That said, it was interesting that he mentioned baseball being a "results-oriented" business, which makes one think that he knows being fired is a realistic possibility.
He does have experience with it as manager of the Cardinals after all (and his record was a whole lot better in St. Louis to boot).
The decision on Matheny will be an interesting one, and it could set the tone of how the "Picollo-era" will start this offseason. On the other hand, it seems unlikely that Cal Eldred will be back, especially when one considers the pitching struggles of the Royals this season, which Sherman also mentioned frequently in his press conference. After five years, and plenty of struggles to see the rotation or bullpen develop at the Major League level, it seems like the sun will finally set on Eldred's tenure as Royals pitching coach, much to the satisfaction of disgruntled Royals fans.
The | |
to lie just beneath the Celtic skin and which had fuelled four centuries of belligerence toward Rome. While Fronto remained ready to parry a blow, his sword wavering with the effort of holding it up above his painful, aching wounded torso, Ategnio advanced slowly, cautiously and with a glare of pure malice.
Cison, however, swung his axe in a continuous seemingly-random sequences of circles, loops and figure eights and, coming on implacably, Galronus was faced with a disastrous set of options: stand and attempt to weather that first strike, or give ground and back away. The latter would leave Fronto open, though, and the Roman was relieved beyond belief to see his friend hold his position, even though it put him in mortal danger.
The axe swept in from the right and would have bitten deep into Galronus' leg had the Remi not thrust Verginius' blade in the way and turned it slightly aside. Even then, the immense momentum the axe carried could not be entirely shifted, and the tip of the blade bit into Galronus' waist, shearing through his belt, exploding his chain shirt in a shower of links, and drawing blood in a deep line that could so easily have done for him entirely.
Try not to kill them indeed!
Galronus yelped and staggered to the side. He tried to take advantage of the man's extended arms to strike at him, but Cison was quick for a big man and the axe haft came back in time to knock the blow aside. Fronto's attention was lost to his friend at that moment, for Ategnio was there, jabbing with his sword.
Fronto knew he was doomed from the very first exchange. Ategnio was as fast as Cison, but while Galronus could claim to be a match for either of them Fronto was wounded and slow, and every sharp move sent torrents of pain flowing through him. More than that, he could feel his strength ebbing. The blood loss had reached dangerous levels. He could feel weakness creeping over him.
He turned Ategnio's blade with enough effort that it left him staggering back two paces, clutching his middle and burbling in agony. His sword wavered and floundered out to the side as he concentrated on not blacking out.
Ategnio was there again, right before him, sword swiping. Another parry that almost did for Fronto as he used every ounce of his strength not to collapse to his knees.
'I could kill you with a breath,' the Arenosio warrior sneered in surprisingly good, if heavily-accented, Latin.
'I don't doubt it. You smell like a cow's arse even on the outside.'
A look of fiery hatred passed through the warrior's eyes and his upper lip acquired a twitch.
'I would kill you. I would not bother making it slow and painful. Only idiots drag out the kill for their own joy.'
'I might argue that that is exactly what you're doing with all this chatter,' murmured Fronto, heaving in more breaths and slowly bringing himself to a fighting stance again, the tip of his blade coming up, wavering.
'If I were going to kill you, I'd have done it,' Ategnio growled. 'But the king wishes you to live, so you shall live. Never follow, though, for I do not wish my loyalty tested like this again.'
With a contemptuous flick, Ategnio knocked aside Fronto's blade and, reversing his sword in a masterful sweep, jabbed the rounded pommel straight into Fronto's wound.
The former legate screamed and fell to his knees, his sword clattering to the ground, forgotten. The soaked bandage started to pulsate with extra torrents of blood, and he clutched the wound, whimpering, his eyes streaming at the pain. Unable to do anything to prevent it, he watched the Arenosio warrior back away and sheath his unsullied blade, wiping the blood from the pommel with his sleeve. The man turned with a sneer and walked away after Verginius, paying no further heed to the Roman on the ground.
Galronus almost died on the spot. His attention distracted by Fronto's howl he turned, expecting to see the Roman cleaved in two and as, with relief, he found Fronto alive, the great axe smashed into his left arm. A misjudged angle, miraculously, saved the Remi's limb from severance. By chance, the axe blade slipped on the iron links of the chain sleeve and turned sideways, but there was an audible crack as the weight of the axe head, side on, broke the arm. Verginius' beautiful sword fell to the floor and Galronus stumbled back, shocked, in pain and unarmed.
They were doomed. Cison, it seemed, was not loyal enough to his king to hold anything back in the fight. Instead, he took a step forward, growling, preparing to kill the Remi facing him. Fronto looked desperately off after the retreating shapes of Verginius and Ategnio, then at his endangered friend. Hissing in pain, he scrabbled around until his fingers closed on his fallen sword. Gripping it by the upper end of the blade, he turned and flung it toward Galronus with all his pitiful strength.
The Remi failed to catch the badly-thrown sword, but it skittered along the gravel near his feet and he managed to stoop and sweep it up in his left hand. Cison said something in his gravelly dialect, and Galronus barked something back at him in a similar tongue.
'Fronto?'
'What?'
'This animal doesn't speak Latin. He doesn't know what we're saying.'
'Oh, well everything's fine then.'
'Fronto, I'm going to circle backwards. My left arm's not so strong with a sword, but I might be able to manage a few parries.'
'Just bring him close,' Fronto said.
Galronus gave ground one pace at a time, staying out of the way of the swinging axe, using Fronto's sword to turn blows whenever he could. Fronto was impressed. He himself could barely peel fruit with his left hand, let alone swing a sword. Galronus was doing pretty well by his estimation. Now: a weapon...
He couldn't reach Galronus' fallen sword without scrabbling across the ground, and that would draw attention to himself. Currently, Cison seemed to have forgotten the downed Roman was even there. Slowly, quietly, Fronto drew the pugio dagger from his belt and waited.
Galronus was bringing the big man closer, carefully leading him. Fronto took a deep breath, knowing he was running out of strength with every passing moment, and then the fighting pair were beside him, Galronus backing past first, then Fronto saw the leg-wrappings of the mountain man and his big fur and leather boots.
He swung the dagger over-hand, slamming it into the unprotected calf muscle, where only woollen trousers covered the flesh. The blade sank in deep, grated between the tibia and fibula and lodged there, ripped from Fronto's hands as the big man passed. It took a moment for the message to reach the warrior's brain from his leg, and then all at once he howled and fell to the side, his axe swinging wildly and almost taking off Fronto's head by pure chance before it struck the ground and bit deep.
With a roar, Cison turned to rise as best he could and met Fronto's sword in Galronus' hand coming the other way. The blade slammed into the big warrior's mouth, sending teeth and chips of jaw flying in a shrapnel cloud, some of which drew blood from Galronus' face. The blade grated as it slid into the mouth, punched through gristle and bone and emerged from the back of the neck, spraying Fronto in warm blood where he half-kneeled, half-lay beneath.
The legate barely managed to slide out of the way before Cison hit the ground, convulsing and gurgling, a rasping scream cleft by the blade on its way out of his bifurcated mouth. Fronto stared.
'You've ruined my sword,' he | |
invention. A motor/encoder system 1062 in conjunction with the computer 1014 are used to meter (i.e., adjust the intake and delivery stroke) the flow of liquid from the chamber 1058 and to adjust the intake and expulsion of liquid from the chamber 1058.
In one embodiment, pumping unit 1006 and pumping unit 1020 combine to form a first channel, which outputs liquid to a first channel output 1028. In another embodiment, pumping unit 1044 and pumping unit 1056 combine to form a second channel, which outputs liquid to a second channel output 1036. Both the first channel output 1028 and the second channel output 1036 are coupled to a pumping system output shown as 1034. Therefore, the combined liquid conveyed on the first channel output 1028 and the liquid conveyed on the second channel output 1036 is conveyed on the pumping system output 1034.
In one embodiment, a flow sensor 1030 is positioned on the first channel output 1028 and detects the flow of liquid conveyed on the first channel output 1028. In another embodiment, a flow sensor 1038 is positioned on the second channel output 1036 and detects the flow of liquid conveyed on the second channel output 1036. In another embodiment, a flow sensor 1032 is positioned on the pumping system output 1034 and detects the flow of liquid conveyed on the pumping system output 1034.
FIG. 11A displays a flow diagram depicting a method of configuring sensors in a pumping system. FIGS. 9A, 9B, and 10 will be discussed in conjunction with FIG. 11A. At step 1100, a pumping system, such as the pumping system represented by the schematic diagrams depicted in FIGS. 9A, 9B, and 10, are configured with flow sensors. Configuring may include manufacturing the pumping system with a specific configuration of flow sensors or implementing (i.e., operating) a specific configuration of flow sensors in the pumping system during operation of the pumping system. Implementing a specific configuration of flow sensors may include real-time operation of flow sensors connected to the pumping system, non-real time implementation of flow sensors between testing, etc.
In one embodiment, selected flow sensors are implemented in the pumping system to individually detect the flow of liquid in the pumping system. In another embodiment, flow sensors are implemented in the pumping system and simultaneously operate to detect and compare the flow of liquid throughout the pumping system. For example, referring to FIG. 9A, flow sensors 918, 932, and 942 may each individually be implemented within the pumping system and work individually to detect liquid flow within the pumping system. In another embodiment, flow sensors 918, 932, and 942 may all be implemented within the pumping system and work collaboratively to detect and determine the flow of liquid throughout the pumping system. Lastly, any combination of flow sensors may be implemented and operate collectively within the pumping system.
Referring to FIG. 9B, flow sensors 956, 968, 976, 988, and 994 may each individually be implemented within the pumping system and work individually to detect liquid flow within the pumping system. In another embodiment, flow sensors 956, 968, 976, 988, and 994 may all be implemented within the pumping system and work collaboratively to detect and determine the flow of liquid throughout the pumping system. Lastly, any combination of flow sensors 956, 968, 976, 988, and 994 may be implemented and operate collectively within the pumping system.
A similar methodology may be implemented using FIG. 10 as a reference. Flow sensors 1005, 1018, 1030, 1032, 1038, 1043, and 1054 may each be implemented individually or collectively in the pumping system 1000. Further, any combination or permutation of the flow sensors 1005, 1018, 1030, 1032, 1038, 1043, and 1054 may be implemented in the pumping system 1000.
Once the flow sensors are configured, the pumping system performs normal operations as shown by 1102. At step 1104, leaks may be determined by using the flow sensors. A variety of techniques may be used to determine leaks using the flow sensors. For example, 1) a change in the flow rate recorded by a flow sensor over time may suggest a leak in a pumping system; 2) a comparison between the flow rate metered by the motor/encoder system and the flow rate measured by a flow sensor may identify a leak; 3) a comparison in flow rates measured by different flow sensors within the channel or between channels may suggest a leak in a pumping system; and 4) a comparison of flow rates metered by different pumping units within the channel or between the channels may suggest a leak in a pumping system. While specific examples of determining a leak with a flow sensor are provided, numerous examples for determining leaks with a flow sensor are presented in the instant application and are within the scope of the present invention. At step 1106, once a leak is determined, compensation is made for the leaks in the pumping system. For example, each pumping unit may be controlled to compensate for the leaks by varying the metering of liquid flowing through each pumping unit.
FIG. 11B displays a flow diagram depicting a method of reconfiguring sensors in a pumping system. FIGS. 9A, 9B, and 10 will be discussed in conjunction with FIG. 11B. At step 1120, a pumping system, such as the pumping system represented by the schematic diagram depicted in FIGS. 9A, 9B, and 10, is configured with flow sensors. Configuring may include manufacturing the pumping system with a specific configuration of flow sensors or implementing/operating (i.e., turning on and off) a specific configuration of flow sensors in the pumping system during operation of the pumping system.
In one embodiment, selected flow sensors are implemented in the pumping system individually to detect the flow of liquid in the pumping system. In another embodiment, flow sensors are implemented in the pumping system and simultaneously operate to detect and compare the flow of liquid throughout a pumping system. For example, referring to FIG. 9A, flow sensors 918, 932, and 942 may each be individually implemented within the pumping system and work individually to detect flow within the pumping system. In another embodiment, flow sensors 918, 932, and 942 may all be implemented within the pumping system and/or work collaboratively to detect and determine the flow of liquid throughout the pumping system. Referring to FIG. 9B, flow sensors 956, 968, 976, 988, and 994 may each individually be implemented within the pumping system and work individually to detect liquid flow within the pumping system. In another embodiment, flow sensors 956, 968, 976, 988, and 994 may all be implemented within the pumping system and work collaboratively to detect and determine the flow of liquid throughout the pumping system. Lastly, any combination of flow sensors 956, 968, 976, 988, and 994 may be implemented and operate collectively within the pumping system.
A similar methodology may be implemented using FIG. 10 as a reference. Flow sensors 1005, 1018, 1030, 1032, 1038, 1043 and 1054 may each be implemented individually or collectively in the pumping system 1000. Further, any combination or permutation of the flow sensors 1005, 1018, 1030, 1032, 1038, 1043, and 1054 may be implemented in the pumping system 1000. It should also be appreciated that any combination of the foregoing methods or configurations may be implemented and still remain within the scope of the present invention.
Once the flow sensors are configured into a first configuration as stated at 1120, the pumping system performs normal operations as shown by 1122. At step 1124, leaks may be determined by using the flow sensors. A variety of techniques may be used to determine leaks using the flow sensors. For example, a change in the flow rate, such as a decrease in the flow rate | |
Update: I installed these parts last night and everything went fine. The old bushing popped out super easy with a 17mm socket and extension. I just slid it into the spindle, toggled it to one side, tapped with a hammer, moved to another side, tapped again, and it came right out. Sure enough, the metal ring on the inside of the knuckle had to come off but it was very easy. The new seals on the knuckle and the axle were made with thin metal so I found a small block of wood was necessary to seat them.
The whole thing went together great, but the axle still doesn't come through the spindle *quite* far enough for the snap ring to go on. There may just be too much grease stuffed in there. Looking at how it's designed it doesn't seem like the snap ring does much anyway, given that the "gold bolt" is there holding things together!
Yeah, now that you mention it, I had the same problem. I'm not sure why that is. I'll tell ya what I did though. I slid the snap ring as far on as I could. Then after threading it in the end of the shaft and turning it 'till it bottomed out, I grabbed hold of the head of that "gold bolt" with a good pair of vise-grips and tugged on it real hard with my good arm and pushed the snap ring into place with a screwdriver held in the hand of the other. I was able to get the snap rings on both sides seated in their slots like that. It was a super-tight fit though for sure.
EDIT: No I didn't, that's not the way that went at all. See post #25 below.
I'd be a little concerned that the shafts would have enough play without them to back off enough to cause a gap between those two seals though. Which may cause some leakage into the spindles. Then again, maybe not, just a thought.
Last edited by MudHippy; 12-07-2010 at 04:12 PM.
Yeah, I threaded a longer M8x1.25 bolt into the end of the shaft, put vise grips on that, and pulled as hard as I could while pushing the snap ring with a screwdriver, but to no avail.
O.k. NOW I remember what I did to make it work. I did have the same problem, that much was true. BUT after hearing that pulling on the bolt didn't work for you, I thought about it some more...and then it suddenly dawned on me. I said to myself "wait...that's right! Pulling on the bolt didn't work for me either! I had to file down the extra rubber on the inner ring of the hub/spindle seals where their faces mate to the hubs/spindles...yeah that's right! After I did that and reinstalled them the snap rings went on just like they're supposed to!".
Then I got to thinking "now how exactly do I explain that though?".
Well, a picture says a thousand words right? I guess I'll go pop one of them out and show 'em what I mean. Since they're just sitting there, trucks not put together at this point(long story), and it won't take me but 10-15 minutes to do...I might as well. All I have to do is pull the locking hub and CV half shaft on one of the spindles(A-arms and CVs still attatched)that are sitting out behind the shed, and then pop out one of those seals for a quick pic. No biggie. And I can use it as excuse to see how well they've been working in the mean time too. So I did just that, and they've been working splendidly too I might add. Nothing in there but grease, just how I likes it!
Anywho, here's the pic. This is the male end of the hub/spindle seal.
The part I filed down to make a custom fit seal out of it is marked down the center(ish) with a red stripe. Just file off a couple mm(at most, likely less, try maybe 1mm first) of the extra rubber from it there, bang it back into the hub/spindle, and that oughta do it. The snap ring will go on MUCH easier now. If not, pop it back out and take off some more, then try again. Sooner or later it WILL work. And you'll have done no real harm to the seal itself by doing so(if you're careful).
Now I'll go put it back on, and bolt everything back up. Feeling proud that I've done my YT good deed for the day.
Last edited by MudHippy; 05-01-2016 at 01:18 PM.
I'll try to get to this soon and let you know what I find out!
Quick update on this: I never did get around to trimming the new seal, so one CV has been running without a snap ring. However, the "gold bolt" seems to hold it in contact with the splines no problem. I have been on a few wheeling trips and spent some extended time in 4WD up to about 40mph in the ice Atlanta had after Xmas. So far no problems at all, which makes me think that the snap ring may simply be a redundant restraint -- it doesn't seem to be necessary with the gold bolt in place. This is kind of a bonus because the CV can come out without removing the hub body, just the face!
Do you happen to have any pics, aside from the seal with the rubber trimmed down (thanks mudhippy)? I finally got my new spindle in and will be pulling the old one off in the next day or two. I'm just curious what exactly I'm going to be looking at, seeing as the FSM shows squat in terms of pics of these actual components.
gonna have to bump this. Hopefully MudHippy will see this. I have a qustion regarding this, I switched out my inner bushing for one out of an early 90's 4runner. Same issue, the bushing is slightly longer then the original one, I wonder if it's hitting some sort of lip inside the knuckle? Same problem, c-clip won't go on. The washer runs right over the groove in the cv.
The seal that is cut down, this is the one on the inner part of the knuckle that surrounds that bushing?
Am I one of the few who is changing these bushings?
ok, I'm back again. So need clarification on these two part numbers. 90304-76005 for the CV seal and 90316-60004 for the hub seal. This is so confusing because the parts catalog only show 1 part number. And what I took off appears to be one piece, however with the amt of rust we see , it wouldn't be surprising if the steel shield and seal were two different parts.
This is the photo of what Mud Hippy posted and what I took out.
Really surprised here that no one is chiming in on this. Maybe because the title is so vague? I am having a hard time believing I am the only currently active member who has or is replacing these.
ok, found both diagrams. Looks like originally this was two part numbers (90316-60001 plus 90304-76001) Both superseded into one part number (90304-76005). However 90316-60004 is nowhere listed in either of those two diagrams.
And then 43410E (90304-76001) in this diagram and the reference page.
Last edited by xxxtreme22r; 11-23-2011 at 10:32 AM.
I think I finally might be getting it. I just need a pic of 90316-60004 to be sure.
Here is the difference between the two different styles of CVs. Which is what leads to this confusion at least for me. And I have a feeling this is where the hangup is with the c-clip.
New style on the left, old style from | |
strike up conversations. It will be a challenge for you to clarify your goals. You'll need to guard against overpowering people, spending too much time talking without focusing on the result you want, and forgetting about your goals because you are enjoying the process of connecting.
**_If you prefer to "go it alone,"_** it will feel natural to you to plan carefully what you will do at a networking event, to make your Agenda (What to Give and Get), to get one-on-one with people, and to be creative in your approach. It will be a challenge for you to make yourself get out there, to learn to trust others, to demonstrate that you are trustworthy, and to share personal information and Success Stories.
**_If you like "taking things easy,"_** it will feel natural to you to Listen Generously to your partner, to feel that networking is cooperating not competing, to save time by targeting your networking and to set goals. It will be a challenge for you to respond quickly in conversations, to focus on your needs and wants, and to feel a sense of urgency to get things done.
**_If you like to "floor it,"_** it will feel natural to you to seek out a variety of people and organizations, to enjoy the excitement of making those initial contacts, and to have lots of irons in the fire. It will be a challenge for you to be strategic, to Follow Through to deepen your contacts, to focus and concentrate on selected contacts rather than continuing to seek new ones, to limit the number of organizations you are a member of, and to take the time to develop trust.
**_If you like to get "your ducks in a row,"_** it will feel natural to you to use The Contacts Count Networking System—to learn the steps to become a more skillful networker, to practice your skills, to appreciate the Give/Get concept of networking because it's fair, and to keep track of your contacts and networking activities. It will be a challenge for you to get started, to keep from worrying about being perfect, to quit being concerned about meeting the "right people."
**_If you like to "go with the flow,"_** it will feel natural to you to be upfront about what you want and need, to appreciate the Contacts Count System's non-manipulative approach, to be candid with contacts to move relationships forward, and to give up the tired, old rituals we use when meeting people. It will be a challenge for you to focus on the details of making and maintaining contact, to Follow Through effectively and systematically, and to develop relationships over the long haul.
You don't have to change who you are. Whatever your style, know that you can customize all the ideas in this book to enhance who you already are.
## PART II
## Set Your Strategy
The biggest mistake networkers make is not being strategic. To be strategic, you must understand and use two underlying concepts: How trust develops and how relationships develop. These unique Contacts Count ideas will provide a strong base for all your networking activities. Then you can create the goals and Projects that get you where you want to go.
Do you know that trust building is _the_ most important networking activity? Even if you realize its importance, you may not know how to do it. What do you know about trust? We break it down into its two essential components—Character and Competence—and show you how to demonstrate them in every encounter.
Do you have a binary approach to networking? Do you think people are either a part of—or not a part of—your network? Networking relationships are much more complex than that. You can plot each one of your contacts on the Six-Stages Model. Once you know where they are on this map, you'll immediately be able to see what you can do next to enhance those relationships. You'll understand your relationships and how to develop them in a new way that makes re-connecting and staying in touch easy—and more and more beneficial for both you and your contacts.
Want to get the biggest bang for your networking buck? Create the networking Project that will take you to your goal.
## CHAPTER 3
## Teach Trust
Everybody says, "People want to do business with people they trust."
Have you ever been at a networking event where someone came up to you and introduced himself saying, "Hi, I'm George. I sell long-term care insurance. Do you need any?"
It's this kind of "going for the jugular" that gives networking a bad name. You don't know or trust George enough to do business with him.
Trust is the outcome of several (our research indicates six to eight) conversations in which you provide examples of your trustworthiness and observe your contact's behavior and listen to what he says to determine if he can be trusted.
People teach people to trust them.
If Peter, a career coach, takes sloppy minutes at the committee meeting, or forgets to return JoAnn's phone call, or has a couple of typos in his marketing brochure, JoAnn probably won't hire him. Nor will she recommend him to her friends and acquaintances.
On the other hand, if he handles his committee responsibilities carefully, and promptly returns calls, and has professional looking marketing materials, then JoAnn will probably think of him when she decides to make a career change and needs some help.
After JoAnn becomes Peter's client, if she cancels sessions at the last minute, fails to follow through on her "homework" that will help him guide her job hunt, and looks as if she came straight from her workout at the health club, Peter will be reluctant to recommend her for a job he knows about.
If JoAnn arrives on time, dresses professionally, completes all of the assessments Peter has provided, and speaks positively about her expertise and her current employer, then Peter probably will pass along the job lead.
### Move from Taking to Trusting
As people begin to network, they typically focus on trying to get something for themselves. There's nothing wrong with wanting your efforts to bear fruit. But, that's only part of the story. Networking is not just about TAKING.
The TAKING mindset works when you happen to connect with somebody who has what you want or needs what you're offering.
George, the guy who sells long-term care insurance, is focusing on TAKING. He's only interested in you if you, at that very moment, in the middle of the Chamber of Commerce's "Business After Hours" event, let's say, happen to need long-term care insurance and are willing (remarkably!) to buy it from him. His approach is no more than a face-to-face cold call. Chances are he'll go home after the event and grump, "This networking stuff is a bunch of hooey!"
Charlene went to that same Chamber event thinking about a problem: how to ship a fragile antique desk to her daughter in London. When she asked Bart, whom she'd just met, what he did, he said, "I ship anything anywhere, especially valuable things. I just sent a baby grand to the Philippines." Bingo!
But if that's the only kind of networking you are ready to do, you are not going to be very satisfied. During that networking event that lasted two hours and involved more than 800 people, how many serendipitous meetings like Charlene and Bart's do you think happened? Probably not very many.
When you begin to realize that the point of networking is to exchange something of value, you've begun to think of networking as TRADING.
TRADING is exciting. It makes you feel as if your networking efforts are worthwhile. Clarice, who has her own training company, went to a networking breakfast and met the college-age son of a member. She was delighted to meet | |
together to not only plant trees, but gain a greater understanding of the benefits of trees in their communities," says Tabares.
Carmichael's study is gaining attention from city planners across North America hoping to learn Detroit's lessons. Local governments and non-profits in Austin, Denver, Indianapolis, Sacramento, Toronto and Vermont have reached out for help implementing her research.
The study also offers lessons for how non-profits and donors measure successful outcomes, Carmichael says.
With limited resources and watchful donors, some non-profits often focus on narrow outcomes — such as the number of trees planted per year – without also prioritizing deeper community engagement, which might slow the immediate work of planting trees, but create more a sustainable outcome.
"We need to broaden the measurable outcomes that we can gauge success by," says Carmichael. "Healthy urban forests cannot be measured just by the number of trees planted. We also have to capture who is involved, and how that involvement affects the well-being of people and trees in the long-term."
The Royal Parks of the United Kingdom summarized the benefits of urban trees.
The Royal Parks wrote in Why are trees so important?
Trees are vital. As the biggest plants on the planet, they give us oxygen, store carbon, stabilise the soil and give life to the world's wildlife. They also provide us with the materials for tools and shelter.
Not only are trees essential for life, but as the longest living species on earth, they give us a link between the past, present and future.
It's critical that woodlands, rainforests and trees in urban settings, such as parks, are preserved and sustainably managed across the world….
Trees benefit health
The canopies of trees act as a physical filter, trapping dust and absorbing pollutants from the air. Each individual tree removes up to 1.7 kilos every year. They also provide shade from solar radiation and reduce noise….
Trees benefit the environment
Trees absorb carbon dioxide as they grow and the carbon that they store in their wood helps slow the rate of global warming.
They reduce wind speeds and cool the air as they lose moisture and reflect heat upwards from their leaves. It's estimated that trees can reduce the temperature in a city by up to 7°C.
Trees also help prevent flooding and soil erosion, absorbing thousands of litres of stormwater.
Trees boost wildlife
Trees host complex microhabitats. When young, they offer habitation and food to amazing communities of birds, insects, lichen and fungi. When ancient, their trunks also provide the hollow cover needed by species such as bats, woodboring beetles, tawny owls and woodpeckers.
One mature oak can be home to as many as 500 different species. Richmond Park is full of such trees, which is one of the reasons it has been designated a National Nature Reserve and Site of Special Scientific Interest.
Trees strengthen communities
Trees strengthen the distinctive character of a place and encourage local pride. Urban woodland can be used as an educational resource and to bring groups together for activities like walking and bird-watching. Trees are also invaluable for children to play in and discover their sense of adventure.
Trees grow the economy
People are attracted to live, work and invest in green surroundings. Research shows that average house prices are 5-18% higher when properties are close to mature trees. Companies benefit from a healthier, happier workforce if there are parks and trees nearby.
Trees protect the future
Soon, for the first time in history, the number of people with homes in cities will outstrip those living in the countryside. Parks and trees will become an even more vital component of urban life. We must respect them and protect them for the future…. https://www.royalparks.org.uk/parks/the-regents-park/things-to-see-and-do/gardens-and-landscapes/tree-map/why-trees-are-important
See, Envisioning a Great Green City: Nature needs cities. Cities need nature. https://www.nature.org/en-us/what-we-do/our-insights/perspectives/envisioning-a-great-green-city/
Urban Forestry & Energy Conservation Bibliography https://articles.extension.org/pages/71120/urban-forestry-energy-conservation-bibliography
Urban Forestry Bibliography Created by the Forest Service … https://www.milliontreesnyc.org/downloads/pdf/urban_tree_bib.pdf
Tags: Asthma attacks reduced in tree-lined urban neighborhoods, Exeter University, How Urban Trees Can Save Lives, Science Daily, The Nature Conservancy, The Planting Healthy Air, Tree, Tree Canopy, University of Vermont, Urban Forests, Why people reject city trees, Why Trees Are So Important
Tufts University study: Racial inequality in the deployment of rooftop solar energy in the United States
The Department of Energy described the use of solar energy:
Despite this impressive progress, significant work remains before solar becomes as affordable as conventional energy sources and meets its full potential throughout the country. Solar hardware costs have fallen dramatically, but market barriers and grid integration challenges continue to hinder greater deployment. Non-hardware solar "soft costs"—such as permitting, financing, and customer acquisition—are becoming an increasingly larger fraction of the total cost of solar and now constitute up to 55% of the cost of a residential system.4 Technological advances and innovative solutions are still needed to increase efficiency, drive down costs, and enable utilities to rely on solar for baseload power.
1See: http://www.seia.org/research-resources/us-solar-market-insight
2The Solar Foundation. National Solar Jobs Census. See: http://www.thesolarfoundation.org/national/
3National Renewable Energy Laboratory and U.S. Department of Energy. SunShot Vision Study. Feb. 2012. pp.4-5. See: http://energy.gov/eere/sunshot/sunshot-vision-study.
4National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Dec. 2013. See: http://www.nrel.gov/news/press/2013/5306.html.
https://www.energy.gov/eere/solarpoweringamerica/solar-energy-united-states
If use of solar technology is to become more widely used, income issues must be addressed.
Peter Hanlon wrote in The Middle Class is Driving the Solar Revolution:
According to some fascinating new research by the Center for American Progress, the American middle class is overwhelmingly driving the solar revolution. After looking at certain demographics of households that installed solar panels in Arizona, California and New Jersey (the three top solar states), the analysis found three common trends:
1. At least 60 percent of homeowners are installing solar panels in zip codes with median incomes ranging from $40,000 to $90,000. (In Arizona that figure jumps to 80 percent.)
2. The distribution of solar installations across income levels lines up closely with population distribution. In other words, households of all income levels are going solar, from those in lower income neighborhoods to the wealthiest zip codes.
3. The share of solar installations within middle class neighborhoods – those in the $40,000 to $90,000 income range – continues to increase, meaning that solar installers are relying less on wealthier customers to drive growth and more on middle income customers. (Case in point, the most solar growth in New Jersey took place in areas where median income was between $30,000 and $40,000.)
One of the biggest reasons that rooftop solar panels have become much more than green status symbols for wealthy customers is net metering, a policy which allows solar panel -owning homeowners to see their electric meters spin backwards – and their utility bills shrink – as they generate their own electricity.
Even with the rapid growth in the number of residential solar installations, rooftop panels are still only providing one quarter of 1 percent of all electricity produced in the US. Nevertheless, the Center for American Progress analysis reports that many utilities see in their future the ominous-sounding "utility death spiral." Their theory goes like this: Homeowners install solar panels, which reduces the amount of electricity they buy from the electric utility, thereby reducing the amount of fees that customers pay for grid maintenance, which then causes the utility to raise rates and, ultimately, encourages more and more customers to go solar which… causes rates to soar…. http://www.gracelinks.org/blog/3390/the-middle-class-is-driving-the-solar-revolution
A Tufts University study reported on inequity in the use of solar panels.
Science Daily reported in Racial inequality in the deployment of rooftop solar energy in the United States, study finds:
Although the popularity of rooftop solar panels has skyrocketed because of their benefits to consumers and the environment, the deployment has predominantly occurred in white neighborhoods, even after controlling for household income and home ownership, according to a study by researchers from Tufts University and the University of California, Berkeley, published today in the journal Nature Sustainability.
While solar energy is a popular, cost-effective, sustainable source of energy that can be deployed at large, utility-scale
Researchers | |
Home > Automotive & Transportation > Small Off-road Engines Market
Small Off-road Engines Market Size By Engine Displacement (Up to 100cc, 100cc to 500cc, 500cc to 800cc), By Number Of Cylinder (Single, Double, Multi), By Drive Shaft Orientation (Horizontal, Vertical), By End-use Sector (Agriculture, Domestic, Gardening/Landscaping, Industrial, Automotive, Construction), By Distribution Channel (OEM, Aftermarket), Industry Analysis Report, Regional Outlook, Application Potential, Competitive Market Share & Forecast, 2021 – 2027
Report Format: PDF
Summary Table of Contents Industry Coverage Methodology
Small Off-road Engines Market size valued at USD 55.6 billion in 2020 and will grow at 5.9% CAGR from 2021 to 2027. Rising indulgence in landscaping and gardening activities globally will largely drive the market growth.
Small off-road engines (SORE) are compact gasoline-powered internal combustion engines having a range of small displacements and insignificant power output. These low-powered engines find wide applications in various equipment/machinery, such as lawnmowers, pumps, generators, blowers, concrete mixers, etc., that require an independent source of power for their operations.
Get more details on this report - Request Free Sample PDF
Developing urban green spaces, such as community gardens/parks, playing fields, and several open areas, will mainly increase the use of trimmers, edger, lawnmowers, leaf blower, chainsaws, and other independent power source equipment/machinery for gardening/landscaping applications, which in turn, will positively influence the demand for small off-road engines.
Small Off-road Engines Market Report Coverage
Market Size in 2020:
USD 55.64 Billion
Forecast Period 2021 to 2027 CAGR:
2027 Value Projection:
Historical Data for:
Tables, Charts & Figures:
Segments covered:
Engine displacement, Number of cylinder, Drive shaft orientation, End-use sector, Distribution channel
Growth Drivers:
Rising technological advancement
Increasing consumer spending and presence of industry players
Escalating use of product in gardening/landscaping industry
Pitfalls & Challenges:
High noise, vibration and increased pollution levels
Increasing uncertainties and significant policy focus toward environment
Expanding urbanization has compelled residents to utilize available social spaces for nursery/gardening to enhance physical and mental fitness. Furthermore, ongoing trends toward campus, corporate gardening, and urban farming will surge product growth in the commercial landscaping industry. According to Garden Media, over 20% of the middle age population in the U.S. is involved in gardening as a recreational pursuit. Such activities will propel SORE utilization to operate garden tillers, string trimmers, leaf blowers, and other independent power source equipment/machinery for commercial and residential landscaping/gardening applications.
Superior performance capabilities to boost the 100cc to 500cc engines demand
100cc to 500cc small off-road engines industry is likely to witness around 5.5% CAGR from 2021 to 2027 driven by their high-performance with extended durability, lesser emission, and noiseless performance. Additionally, an exceptional power output with lower fuel consumption makes them suitable for high debris applications to endure extended use in extreme conditions. These factors will increase product penetration in the construction, agriculture, and gardening/landscaping end-use sectors.
High durability to support twin or double cylinder engines market growth
In 2020, twin or double cylinder engines accounted for over 35% of the small off-road engines market revenue share and are expected to see significant growth through 2027 owing to its superior performance with high durability. In addition, the availability of double cylinder engines in small displacement variants, i.e., 100cc to 200cc will surge their growth in various domestic applications in the near term.
Modest setup & low maintenance to surge vertical drive shaft engine segment
Vertical drive shaft engines to dominate the segment and will foresee a strong growth of more than 5% till 2027. They offer superior performance and prolonged durability in various applications that mainly include landscaping and gardening equipment such as lawnmowers, leaf blowers, tillers, trimmers, etc. Simple setup, low maintenance, and relative availability of the product will surge their penetration across various end-use sectors.
Ever-increasing demand for gardening/landscaping equipment to augment demand
Gardening & landscaping segment generated around USD 30 billion in 2020. Strong growth in the lawn & garden industry will foster small off-road engines market revenue. Growing standards of living and increasing disposable incomes are key factors influencing the adoption of gardening activities. Moreover, rising consumer spending toward new garden and lawn equipment along with favorable tax regime and easy availability of attractive insurance & finance options will propel consumers to purchase new lawn & garden equipment.
Consumer preference toward product quality to intensify the revenue generation of OEMs
OEMs accounted for more than 90% market share in 2020 led by their wide distribution network. However, enhanced durability, provision of safety, and superior service with reduced maintenance are among the other key factors boosting segment growth. Consumer propensity toward product reliability, quality, and cost-effective post-sales services will surge product growth through OEMs through 2027.
North America to fuel small off-road engines market expansion
North America holds above 50% market share due to growing demand for equipment/machinery in gardening & landscaping activities. According to the National Gardening Association, more than 90 million U.S. households participate in some type of garden and lawn activity. In the U.S., many gardeners agree that gardening is good for the mind, body, and soul. Thus, the aging population will support the demand for gardening equipment and small engines collectively. Additionally, the increasing number of upcoming residential and commercial projects along with growing activities of transforming outdoor spaces into relaxing areas, such as entertainment, lounge, outdoor kitchen, and party spots, is boosting the demand for gardening & landscaping activities and thereby propelling small off-road engines market size.
Moreover, the presence of large players, such as Briggs & Stratton and Kohler, is predicted to escalate the regional market trends. Industry participants are majorly focusing on expanding their presence and product portfolio, which are further expected to surge the industry demand. In August 2019, Briggs & Stratton Corporation announced the expansion of its manufacturing facility to produce small gasoline engines used in lawnmowers in the U.S., which will increase its presence and add new jobs in the region.
Geographic expansion to emerge as a key growth strategy
SORE manufacturers are undergoing geographic expansion to strengthen their industry foothold. For instance, in August 2019, Honda expanded its existing plant in Alamance County, U.S. The USD 46.4 million expansion is set to manufacture a new generation of Honda's general-purpose engines used in its latest lawnmowers.
The key small off-road engines market participants include Briggs & Stratton Engines, Kubota Corporation, Honda Motor, Yamaha Motor, Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Kohler Co., Lifan Industry (Group), Yanmar, and Motorenfabrik Hatz.
This market research report on small off-road engines includes in-depth coverage of the industry with estimates & forecast in terms of volume in Thousand units and revenue in USD Million from 2017 to 2027 for the following segments:
Market, By Engine Displacement
Up to 100cc
Market, By Number Of Cylinder
Single cylinder
Multi cylinder
Market, By Drive Shaft Orientation
Market, By End-use Sector
Gardening/Landscaping
Market, By Distribution Channel
The above information is provided on a regional and country basis for the following:
Authors: Kiran Pulidindi, Akshay Prakash
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) :
What was the status of global small off-road engines market in 2020?
The global market for small off-road engines had reached USD 55.6 billion in 2020 and will expand at around 5.9% CAGR over 2021-2027.
Why are 100-500cc small off-road engines witnessing robust demand?
The market for 100cc-500cc small off-road engines will register 5.5% CAGR through 2027 owing to benefits like enhanced durability, noiseless performance and lower emissions.
What was the share of double cylinder small off-road engines during 2020?
Double cylinder small off-road engines held more than 35% of the global market share in 2020 and will expand with the need for more durable products and availability of low displacement variants.
How does increased gardening expenditure drive small off-road engines market?
The gardening and landscaping application contributed nearly USD 30 billion towards small off-road engines industry during 2020.
Why is North America a major market for small off-road engines?
North America region accounted for almost 50% of the global market share and will expand owing to higher use of gardening equipment and machinery.
Industry Coverage Methodology
Premium Report Details
Published Date: Apr 2021
Companies covered: 15
Tables & Figures: 336
Countries covered: 18
Get a report that explains COVID-19 impact | |
Duterte gives credit to US, China for helping PH in Marawi conflict
President Rodrigo Duterte acknowledged the help given by the United States and China in the country's fight against the Maute Group in Marawi City.
"Let us give [credit] where credit is due. The United States helped the Armed Forces in this fight," Duterte said during his speech in front of Fil-Am tourists at the 11th Ambassadors' Tour Philippine reception in Davao City on July 14.
He noted China delivering firearms and ammunitions last June.
"And China committed and delivered a lot of firearms for us," Duterte said.
Duterte also said that Russia also talked about providing assistance to the Philippines.
"I don't know about Russia but [President Vladimir] Putin, sabi niya tutulong siya," he said.
Duterte added that neither Russia nor China asked for something in return.
"Walang attachment diyan. Walang head of state, si Putin o si President Xi Jinping magsabi, 'O, bigyan kita but you should be loyal,'" he said.
The President added that while the Philippines reached out to other allies, the country would observe the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty between the Philippines and the US.
"Welcome ko lahat 'yan. Now, do not make the mistake of, you know, putting something on my behavior, I like talking to people. You have to make friends, and there is a need for you to acquire the kind of firearms at nandiyan sila," he said.
"'If you have this…' 'Yes, we can help you." Ganon lang. So, meron tayong RP-US Military Pact, that was in 1950. Nandiyan pa 'yan. So I cannot enter into military alliances with other nations because I would be violating the US-RP agreement," the President added.
Both China and the US pledged to contribute to Marawi City's rehabilitation process.
Earlier, American troops were spotted near the area of the conflict, but the Armed Forces of the Philippines clarified that the troops were merely giving the Filipino soldiers technical support. President Duterte denied asking the Americans for help in resolving the Marawi crisis, but the US embassy spokesperson said that the Philippine government requested for assistance.
Duterte slammed former US President Barack Obama for criticizing his war on drugs.
"Obama talked publicly about me, and how I run this country. Sabi ko sa kanya, these are my exact words, 'para wala kayong—'p***** i** ka, l— ka. Do not tell me what to do, and do not just—you know—giving me admonition. I am not a federal postal employee, so if you want something, go to the United Nations, miyembro man kaya tayo. Then, you can talk there until kingdom come and file a case against me,'" he said.
"Tapos pumunta ako sa China. Pagkatapos last year, man of the year ako, 't— ina. Simple. If I have committed a wrong before your eyes, your estimation, that is your problem. I have my problems to solve," Duterte added.
Sources: ( manilatimes.net , newsinfo.inquirer.net )
Related Topics:ChinaDuterteMarawiUS
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Duterte to consider nationwide martial law if NPA intensifies recruitment, attacks
President Rodrigo Duterte drew flak for another controversial comment involving women after he remarked on May 24 that women "could not stand threats and intimidation."
Duterte said that while he believed in women's competence, it does not necessarily ring true in all aspects of life.
"I believe in the woman, the competence and capability, pero hindi lahat sa buhay dapat.Hindi ka, hindi, hindi. Dapat lang. It's not appropriate when you cannot stand threats and intimidation," he said in his May 24 speech.
He also said that women should be "prim and proper" and talked about his reservation in sending women police and soldiers to the field because unlike men, they did not grow up with a mindset that involves violence.
"Ang mga babae, sundalo pati pulis, ayaw ko 'yan sa bukid. Unlike men kami, maliit pa lang, suntukan, bakbakan, barilan. And we grew up with a sort of a mindset na sometimes prone to violence. Itong mga babae, prim and proper man 'yan, isang tingin lang sa nanay niyan, wala na tunaw na 'yan. Tapos gawin mong pulis, ipaaway mo doon. Naku," Duterte remarked.
Netizens then took to social media to react to Duterte's most recent statements, making #BabaeAko trend again on Twitter.
"Mr. President, you just horrifyingly disrespected your own mother who bravely fought against the Marcos dictatorship. She withstood threats and intimidation. Siya ay babae! #BabaeAko," a Twitter user remarked.
Forensic expert Dr. Raquel Fortun spoke out, too, saying "I am threatened and intimidated a lot. All my life. Don't me. #BabaeAko."
So did film and theater actress Chai Fonacier, who said, "Encouraging women — and I mean including those who identify as women — and our friends from the entire spectrum to share your #BabaeAko statements to fight the misogyny that the President and his ilk normalize through their behavior. Make them remember the feminine strength."
KABATAAN Partylist Rep. Sarah Elago also reacted, saying she refused to be stereotyped.
Former Solicitor General Florin Hilbay urged other Filipinos to protest against Duterte's misogynistic statements.
Other Twitter users weighed in on the issue.
Duterte's previous misogynistic remarks
His remarks in his speech on May 24 seemed to have sought to explain another controversial remark he made on May 16 when he said that he did not want a politician, especially a woman, to become the next Ombudsman.
"Mag-nominate sila, pero I choose, but gusto ko 'yung bilib ang tao sa integrity niya. Of course it could not be a politician, lalo na hindi babae," he said during a chance interview.
This gave birth to the launching of the #BabaeAko movement on social media on May 21 by women activists and other people who also want to protest Duterte's misogynistic and sexist statements.
One of the women who joined the #BabaeAko campaign was former Social Welfare Secretary Judy Taguiwalo who said, "Akala ko taumbayan ang boss ni Duterte. Yun pala sina Marcos, Gloria, Trump at China. Para sa bayang makatarungan at malaya, lalaban ako."
In February, he was also slammed for telling his audience of former NPA rebels that he told his soldiers to shoot female rebels in the vagina.
Sources: ( rappler.com , philstar.com )
Newly installed Department of Tourism (DOT) Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat said she plans on talking with Tourism Promotions Board (TPB) COO Cesar Montano to ask for his side on certain accusations that were hurled against him.
Among these accusations came from an Abante report where Montano was said to have rushed a speaking engagement staged by the DOT in New York to watch the Broadway musical show "Hamilton."
DOT reportedly launched the Philippine Tourism Presentation and Dinner Reception on May 9 to showcase Philippine tourism and fashion at the Roosevelt Hotel in New York. Montano was introduced as the event's keynote speaker, but he was said to have only spoken for a bit before hurriedly leaving the venue, disappointing the guests, which also included US officials.
Montano was said to have been invited to the event in behalf of the now-resigned Tourism Secretary Wanda Teo. He was also named as one of the two hosts, the other being Teo, of the said event.
In reaction to this report about Montano, Puyat said she would talk to Montano as well as the Tourism attache and other DOT officials who attended the event to verify the accusation in the report mentioned above.
Puyat said that she would investigate into the "Buhay Carinderia" program that the TPB is set to implement. This was after Philippine Star Boo Chanco accused Montano of issuing P80-million worth of three checks to the event proponent and organizer.
"I still don't have | |
immediately attempted a clumsy salute. Half the bunting slipped out of his hands onto the pavement. "It's for tomorrow, sir," he said. "Founder's Day. National holiday, sir."
"Ah yes. Of course. Gladstone's birthday. I forgot." The boy tossed a coil of peel into the gutter and departed, leaving the workman grappling with the bunting and swearing under his breath.
And so down to Whitehall, a region of massive gray-clad buildings, heavy with the odor of long-established power. Here, the architecture alone was enough to browbeat any casual observer into submission: great marble pillars; vast bronze doors; hundreds upon hundreds of windows with lights burning at every hour; granite statues of Gladstone and other notables, their grim, lined faces promising the rigors of justice for all enemies of State. But the boy tripped with light steps past it all, peeling his orange with the unconcern of one born to it. He nodded to a policeman, flashed his pass to a guard, and stepped through a side gate into the courtyard of the Department of Internal Affairs, under the shade of a spreading walnut tree. Only now did he pause, gulp down the remainder of his orange, wipe his hands on his handkerchief, and adjust his collar, cuffs, and tie. He smoothed back his hair a final time. Good. He was ready now. It was time to go to work.
More than two years had passed since the time of Lovelace's rebellion, and the sudden emergence of Nathaniel into the elite. By now, he was fourteen years old, taller by a head than when he had returned the Amulet of Samarkand to the protective custody of a grateful government; bulkier, too, but still lean-framed, with his dark hair hanging long and shaggy around his face after the fashion of the day. His face was thin and pale with long hours of study, but his eyes burned hot and bright; all his movements were characterized by a barely suppressed energy.
Being a keen observer, Nathaniel had soon perceived that among working magicians, appearance was an important factor in maintaining status. Shabby attire was frowned upon; indeed it was a sure-fire mark of mediocre talent. He did not intend to give this impression. With the stipend that he received from his department, he had bought a tight-fitting black drainpipe suit and a long Italian coat, both of which he considered dangerously fashionable. He wore slim, slightly pointed shoes and a succession of garish handkerchiefs, which provided an explosion of color across his breast. With this outfit carefully in place, he would walk around the Whitehall cloisters with a lanky, purposeful stride, reminiscent of some wading bird, clutching sheaves of paper in his arms.
His birth name he kept well hidden. To his colleagues and associates, he was known by his adult name, John Mandrake.
Two other magicians had borne this name, neither of great renown. The first, an alchemist in the days of Queen Elizabeth, had turned lead to gold in a celebrated experiment before the court. It was afterward discovered that he had managed this by coating gold pellets with thin films of lead, which vanished when gently heated. His ingenuity was applauded, but he was beheaded nonetheless. The second John Mandrake was a furniture-maker's son who had spent his life researching the many variants of demonic mite. He had amassed a list of 1,703 increasingly irrelevant subtypes before one of them, a Lesser Frilled Green Hornetwing, stung him in an unguarded area; he swelled to the size of a chaise lounge and so died.
The inglorious careers of his predecessors did not concern Nathaniel. In fact, they gave him quiet satisfaction. He intended to make the name famous for himself alone.
Nathaniel's master was Ms. Jessica Whitwell, a magician of indeterminate age, with cropped white hair and a frame that was slender, tending to the skeletal. She was reckoned one of the four most potent magicians in the government, and her influence was long. She recognized her apprentice's talent and set about developing it fully.
Living in a spacious apartment in his master's riverside townhouse, Nathaniel led an ordered, well-directed existence. The house was modern and sparsely furnished, its carpets lynx-gray and the walls stark white. The furniture was made of glass and silvered metal, and of pale wood felled in Nordic forests. The whole place had a cool, businesslike, almost antiseptic feel, which Nathaniel came to admire strongly: it signaled control, clarity, and efficiency, all hallmarks of the contemporary magician.
Ms. Whitwell's style even extended to her library. In most magical households, libraries were dark, brooding places—their books bound in exotic animal skins, with embroidered pentacles or curse runes on the spines. But this look, Nathaniel now learned, was _very_ last century. Ms. Whitwell had requested Jaroslav's, the printers and bookbinders, to provide uniform bindings of white leather for all her tomes, which were then indexed and stamped with identifying numbers in black ink.
In the center of this white-walled room of neat white books was a rectangular glass table, and here Nathaniel would sit two days every week, working on the higher mysteries.
In the early months of his tenure with Ms. Whitwell, he had embarked on a period of intensive study and, to her surprise and approval, mastered successive grades of summoning in record time. He had progressed from the lowest level of demon (mites, moulers, and goblin-imps), to medium (the full range of foliots), to advanced (djinn of various castes) in a matter of days.
After watching him dismiss a brawny djinni with an improvisation that administered a slap on its blue rump, his master expressed her admiration. "You're a natural, John," she said. "A natural. You displayed bravery and good memory at Heddleham Hall in dismissing the demon there, but I little realized how adept you'd be at general summonings. Work hard and you'll go far."
Nathaniel thanked her demurely. He did not tell her that most of this was nothing new to him, that he had already raised a middle-ranking djinni by the age of twelve. He kept his association with Bartimaeus strictly to himself.
Ms. Whitwell had rewarded his precocity with new secrets and tuition, which was exactly what Nathaniel had long desired. Under her guidance, he learned the arts of constraining demons to multiple or semipermanent tasks, without recourse to cumbersome tools such as Adelbrand's Pentacle. He discovered how to protect himself from enemy spies by weaving sensor webs around himself; how to dispel surprise attacks by invoking rapid Fluxes that engulfed the aggressive magic and carried it away. In a very short space of time, Nathaniel had absorbed as much new knowledge as many of his fellow magicians who were five or six years older. He was now ready for his first job.
It was the custom for all promising magicians to be given work in lowly departmental positions as a way of instructing them in the practical use of power. The age at which this occurred depended on the talent of the apprentice and the influence of the master. In Nathaniel's case, there was another factor, too, for it was well known about the coffee bars of Whitehall that the Prime Minister himself was following his career with a keen and benevolent eye. This ensured that, from the outset, he was the object of much attention.
His master had warned him of this. "Keep your secrets to yourself," she said, "especially your birth name, if you know it. Keep your mouth shut like a clam. They'll pry it all out of you otherwise."
"Who will?" he asked her.
"Enemies you haven't yet made. They like to plan ahead."
A magician's birth name was certainly a source of great weakness if uncovered by another, and Nathaniel guarded his with great care. At first, | |
Tim Albone & Mark Hudson
Afghanistan – In a Nutshell
Read by Benjamin Soames
'In a Nutshell', the new 1-CD audiobook series from Naxos AudioBooks, continues with a fascinating history of Afghanistan. For centuries it has been the playground of big powers, from Alexander the Great to the British Empire and the Soviet Union. It has been torn by internal strife and ideological differences, yet Afghans, tribal though they may be, remain a proud nation. Here is a short history, setting the background to the current situation.
Running Time: 1 h 19 m
Download PDF booklet
Digital ISBN: 978-962-954-852-0
Cat. no.: NA196112
Download size: 19 MB
BISAC: HIS026000
Released: June 2009
Listen to this title at Audible.com↗
Buy on CD at Downpour.com↗
Darwin – In a Nutshell
Karma and Rebirth – In a Nutshell
Tibet – In a Nutshell
Napoleon – In a Nutshell
The Renaissance – In a Nutshell
Benjamin Soames
Benjamin Soames trained at LAMDA. He has appeared in the popular TV series Sharpe and toured worldwide in Measure for Measure with Cheek by Jowl. A former Royal Marine Commando, serving in Kosovo and Iraq, he teaches Hostile Environment Security Training for the EU and is still active as a close protection officer in the UK and abroad. His productions for Naxos AudioBooks include Tales from the Greek Legends, Tales from the Norse Legends, The Tale of Troy, The Adventures of Odysseus, Venus and Adonis, Great Inventors and their Inventions, Great Scientists and their Discoveries and Afghanistan – In a Nutshell.
Titles read by Benjamin Soames
The Adventures of Odysseus (unabridged)
Afghanistan – In a Nutshell (unabridged)
The Christmas Collection (unabridged)
Classic Erotic Verse (selections)
Classic Poems for Boys (unabridged)
Classic Poems for Girls (unabridged)
The Great Poets – Samuel Taylor Coleridge (selections)
Composers' Letters (selections)
Dinosaurs (unabridged)
Dracula (abridged)
A Family Christmas (unabridged)
From Shakespeare – with love (selections)
The Glory of Ancient Greece (unabridged)
Great Adventurers (unabridged)
Great Inventors and their Inventions (unabridged)
Great Men and Women in the History of Medicine (unabridged)
Great Rulers of Ancient Rome (unabridged)
Great Scientists and their Discoveries (unabridged)
Great Victorians (unabridged)
Gulliver's Travels: Retold for younger listeners (abridged)
Hamlet (unabridged)
The Junior Homer (unabridged)
Kings and Queens of England (unabridged)
Lady Windermere's Fan (unabridged)
Macbeth (unabridged)
A Midsummer Night's Dream (unabridged)
The Moonstone (unabridged)
More Great Inventors and Their Inventions (unabridged)
More Great Scientists and Their Discoveries (unabridged)
Stories from Shakespeare – The Plantagenets (unabridged)
The Tale of Troy (unabridged)
Tales from the Greek Legends (unabridged)
More Tales from the Greek Legends (unabridged)
Tales from the Norse Legends (unabridged)
Twelfth Night (unabridged)
Venus & Adonis, The Rape of Lucrece (unabridged)
Titles by Tim Albone
Titles by Mark Hudson
Afghanistan, with its poppies, forbidding geography, earthquakes and internecine clashes, has been invaded since the fourth century. This history ends with the present invasion by Nato forces and explains the tensions between Russia, USA and Britain that led to it.
Rachel Redford, The Observer
It took Alexander the Great six months to conquer Persia and three years to subdue Afghanistan, 'a land of leonine and brave people', he wrote to his mother, where 'every foot of ground is like a wall of steel'. Two millennia on, it was Britain's turn to take on the legendary warrior horsemen. In January 1842, three years after the start of the first Anglo-Afghan war (we're now on the fourth), the beleaguered British garrison in Kabul, escorting 1,500 civilians, began the desperate retreat to Jalalabad. As they crossed the snows of the Hindu Kush, they were massacred by Pashtun tribesmen, leaving a single British survivor to tell the story. In 1979, 30,000 Soviet troops were dispatched to help Kabul's new liberal government fight the Islamist mujahideen guerrillas, in whose ranks a youthful Osama bin Laden was already making a name. They retreated 10 years later with a butcher's bill of 15,000 dead and 65,000 wounded, leaving behind a million dead Afghans. No country as ethnically, politically and religiously fragmented as Afghanistan, with its warlords, honour codes, Taliban fanatics, suicide bombers and a single illegal source of revenue – opium poppies – could expect an easy ride, but since the Soviet occupation it has not had a single year of peace. If only all guides to complex subjects were as clear, compact and impartial.
Sue Arnold, The Guardian
Booklet Notes
The first time I arrived in Afghanistan was on 11 September 2003. I flew in on Ariana Airlines and it was a truly terrifying experience. After 30 years of war, the Afghan national carrier leaves a lot to be desired. The plane was old, overloaded and there were no life vests. During check-in the passengers staged a protest. The ground staff were insisting there was too much luggage: the plane was too heavy, there could be problems with take off, they may not have enough fuel to make it all the way to Kabul. Despite the concerns, the passengers won and all the bags made it on. And so we took off from Dubai in an old plane, heavy and overloaded, donated by India. As we spluttered into the sky my fear of dying in a plane crash was replaced by the very real fear that I might actually survive. What then? I was heading to Kabul, the Taliban had only been ousted two years ago, and I'd failed to arrange accommodation or even someone to meet me at the airport. It was the sort of folly that even youth fails to disguise.
Regardless of my fears – and there were many – coming into land I was staggered by what a remarkable setting Kabul presented. It was, for the first-time visitor, truly awesome. Snow-capped mountains ringed the city and I still remember how clear and blue the sky was. As the plane swooped down into the basin I saw adobe huts dotting the mountains. It was a truly marvellous sight, although the beauty was somewhat spoiled by the groaning engines and the number of passengers using their mobile phones as the plane came into land. I couldn't help remembering all the warnings I'd heard about phones interfering with radar systems.
I arrived in Kabul with nothing but the name of a hotel where I knew journalists stayed. I headed there in a taxi with illusions of making my name as a foreign correspondent. I spent my first night alone in the bar. Later I would discover that all the other residents had headed to the rooftop for drinks, for the very good reason that the night of the anniversary of the devastating terrorist attacks on the USA was not a good time to be sitting in a bar in downtown Kabul – especially as it faced a street and one wall was lined with glass windows.
My university dissertation had been on the Taliban and Afghanistan, and I fancied myself as a bit of an expert, a notion that was short-lived. Undeterred by how little I knew about the country, I boarded a local bus and headed up to the northern city of Mazar-e-Sharif. It should have taken around eight hours, but the Salang tunnel, a marvel of Russian engineering, was closed for repairs and the journey actually lasted more than thirty hours. We spent the night on a mountain pass: the driver had fallen asleep at the wheel and only my screams kept us from veering off the road to almost certain death. And there was, so the rumour went, the likelihood of a bandit attack just ahead.
Afghanistan had
captivated me.
There is a beauty
to the country
that is hard
to describe
It was, despite the danger, a remarkably beautiful journey. The bus drove along narrow dirt tracks, with valleys dropping below on one side, while on the other mountains soared. We stopped along the way in small teahouses that appeared unchanged for centuries. We feasted on kebab – the most delicious, I remember, were minced lamb mixed with tomatoes – all washed down with sweet green tea.
In Mazar I stayed in the most basic of hotels and fell into a sewage ditch while walking at night. Aside from | |
Social Service (ISS), (13 and 14 September 2019).
Louisa joins the panel of expert speakers at LaingBuisson's Fertility Forum 2019 in London and delivers a session on the future legal and regulatory landscape for fertility treatment and calls for fertility law reform (1 November 2019) and publishes an article "Perspectives on Fertility Forum 2019" (5 November 2019).
Louisa calls for fertility law reform and publishes an article in BioNews entitled "Why we need root and branch fertility law reform" and a longer blog article entitled "Why we need fertility law reform: the paradigm shift", (25 November 2019)
Louisa attends the Progress Educational Trust conference "A Realistic Look at Assisted Reproduction" in London and joined the debate addressing key issues affecting fertility treatment in the UK and globally (4 December 2019).
Louisa features in The Lawyer Hot 100 List 2018 as a top litigator for her groundbreaking fertility and modern family law practice, which recognises her as 'an influential figure' at a law and policy making level (January 2018).
Successful representation by Louisa of an intended mother in complex international contested assisted reproduction and modern family law proceedings in the High Court concerning 2 surrogate born children, AB v CD, EF, GH & IL [2018] EWHC 1590 (Fam). This case marks a legal first in the treatment of blended families in the UK following assisted reproduction, divorce, re-marriage, serious allegations of domestic violence and abuse as well as the legal status and identity of two surrogate born children, their biological, intended and social parents and arrangements for the children's care and upbringing (April 2018) and publishes an article about the case in Family Law entitled "Anything but child's play: surrogacy and thorny issues of identity, parenthood and status in modern families" (September 2018).
Louisa joins the expert panel of speakers at the British Fertility Society Modern Families Day, London, and delivers a lecture on surrogacy law and policy in Britain (June 2018).
Louisa was part of the wife's legal team and secured a landmark legal ruling in The Court of Protection to extract and store the sperm of a fatally injured man for his wife's use in posthumous fertility treatment. This followed a catastrophic injury whilst in the early stages of fertility treatment. This case, Y v A Healthcare NHS Trust & The HFEA & Z (by his litigation friend, The Official Solicitor) [2018] EWCOP 18, represents a unique and important legal ruling on posthumous conception in the UK that individual fertility and reproductive legacy can warrant protection in appropriate circumstances, featured in The Independent (13 July 2018) and The Times (14 July 2018).
Article in BioNews (3 September 2018) by Louisa on the significance of fertility in which she calls for better education and understanding of fertility preservation in Britain.
Article published by Louisa in lifestyle magazine Female First about fertility preservation in which she calls for better understanding and take-up of specialist fertility and family law advice in Britain(7 September 2018).
Article published by Louisa in The Times on posthumous conception law and policy in the UK in which she calls for intervention by the HFEA entitled "Was it legal to create a grandson with a dead man's sperm?" (13 September 2018).
Provision of expert evidence by Louisa in parliament on surrogacy law reform to the All Party Parliamentary Group on Surrogacy (APPG on Surrogacy) led by Andrew Percy MP (November 2018).
Provision of expert evidence by Louisa on fertility and surrogacy law in complex medical negligence proceedings tested in the Court of Appeal, XX v Whittington Hospital NHS Trust [2018] EWCA Civ 2832. For the first time, the Court of Appeal awarded damages for the costs of fertility treatment and commercial surrogacy in California for a woman rendered infertile and unable to carry a pregnancy following a delay in detecting cancer in smear tests and biopsies. The case featured in The Telegraph 19 December 2018 and The Times, The Telegraph, The Mail Online and The Mirror on 27 January 2019.
Louisa publishes an article on fertility law and policy implications of 3-person IVF in Family Law (January 2017).
Louisa is quoted in The Telegraph on growing demand for surrogacy in the UK (March 2017).
Louisa is quoted in The Economist on surrogacy law and policy and growing global demand for surrogacy and assisted reproduction (May 2017).
Louisa joins the expert panel of speakers at the British Fertility Society's Modern Families Day, London, and delivers a lecture on surrogacy and fertility treatment law and policy in Britain (June 2017).
Provision of expert evidence by Louisa on fertility and surrogacy law in complex medical negligence proceedings in the High Court, XX v Whittington Hospital NHS Trust [2017] EWHC 2318 (QB). This was instrumental in winning the first ever UK damages award for altruistic UK surrogacy and fertility treatment (£74,000) for a woman rendered infertile and unable to carry a pregnancy following a delay in detecting cancer in smear tests and biopsies. This case created a new 'fertility head of claim' and marks the cross-section of fertility, family and medical negligence law in the UK.
Specialist contribution on surrogacy law by Louisa to leading practitioner textbook "International Family Law Practice" (Fifth Edition, 2016-17), used by solicitors, barristers, judiciary and academics.
Lecture by Louisa at the British Fertility Society's Alternative Parenting Day, London, on surrogacy law and policy in Britain (June 2016).
Louisa is interviewed on BBC Radio 4 Woman's Hour on Indian Surrogacy Law Reform and surrogacy policy (20 September 2016).
Louisa quoted in The Daily Mail calling for reform of surrogacy law and policy in the UK (November 2016).
Louisa successfully obtained a declaration of parentage in the High Court for a woman in a same-sex relationship for a child conceived through fertility treatment at a UK fertility clinic,In the matter of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 2008 (Case V) [2016] EWHC 2356 (Fam). The HFEA Consent Form WP was missing from the clinic file. The case for the first time gave guidance on the practice of making interim costs orders in favour of patients to fund litigation and secure access to justice following errors by UK fertility clinics in the completion of consent forms.
Louisa was interviewed on BBC World Service 'Have Your Say' on international surrogacy, policy and law reform (20 February 2015).
Louisa is quoted on the complexity of surrogacy law in The Independent as 'a leading UK surrogacy lawyer and family law expert' (March 2015).
Louisa becomes a co-author of medical textbook "Reducing Risk in Fertility Treatment" (First Edition, April 2015), addressing complex fertility treatment and modern family law for medical clinicians treating fertility patients at UK fertility clinics.
Louisa is quoted in The Guardian on surrogacy law and policy reform in the UK.
Publication by Louisa of an article in The Times entitled "Surrogacy in the UK; time for legal reform?" (26 November 2015).
Representation by Louisa of an intended father in a high profile complex UK surrogacy dispute in the High Court, JP v LP & Ors [2014] EWHC 595 (Fam). For the first time, this established a legal framework for cases where the legal criteria for a parental order cannot be met, including use of the Court's inherent power of wardship and featured on BBC News and The Telegraph (6 March 2014) and Daily Mail (5 March 2014) and BioNews (17 March 2014)
Louisa features in New Law Journal as an 'award winning and leading fertility and family law expert' and calls for greater diversity and more women to take senior roles in the legal profession (September 2014).
Louisa is interviewed on BBC Radio Berkshire about the IVF postcode lottery and legal challenge against The Secretary of State for Health (December 2014).
2014 -2018 Louisa was a member of the Surrogacy UK Working Party on Surrogacy Law Reform and contributor to its first-of-its-kind report on surrogacy in the UK entitled "Myth busting and | |
The first edition of this autobiography was printed in August 1905, "not for sale, but for private circulation, and for the reasons mentioned in the Introductory paragraph. An unexpected demand gave rise to a second edition with some additional facts and comments." Reproduced here are the individual chapters with authors footnotes and added illustrations.
I have again and again been asked by publishers and literary interviewers to write a biographical sketch of myself, or to supply, or assist in supplying, the necessary materials the purpose; but I have always declined, because I thought that anything I may have said or done was scarcely entitled to such specific notice and also because I had not finished the educational and ameliorative work I had marked out for myself. Many sketches and accounts, however, of one kind or another, have, from time to time, been published in magazines or newspapers without my concurrence or consent and all of them, as far as I know, have been more or less inaccurate.
For instance, one account, recently published in book form, and consisting of 160 pages, says:-" In the year 1889 the Rev. C. F. Mythian, Vicar of Blackwater, and president of its little Institute, wrote Mr. Passmore Edwards asking his assistance in the shape of books." The author should have said, if he said anything, "The Rev. C F Rogers, Vicar of Mythian," as Blackwater, my birthplace, is only a small village in the parish of Mythian. Referring to my first engagement on the Press, the author says: "He obtained a post on the Citizen paper, published in Manchester." He should have said the Sentinel newspaper, published in London. Another writer in another publication says I" bought The Builder from Mr. George Maddick." He should have said, if he said anything, that I bought The Building News from Messrs. Kelly. I ought perhaps to share the blame for the publication of such inaccuracies, as I have declined opportunities offered me to supply data and correct proofs. Unfortunately, these and other mistakes have been reproduced in other publications; and to prevent, if possible, their recurrence, and in the interest of fact and self-protection, I have jotted down the following fragmentary reminiscences.
I was born March 24th, 1823, in Blackwater, a small village, situated between Redruth and Truro, in Cornwall, which contained at the time about two hundred inhabitants. My father was a Cornishman and by trade a carpenter, and my mother, whose maiden name was Passmore, was a native of Newton Abbot, Devonshire. I had three brothers, William, Richard, and James. The cottage in which I and my brothers were born consisted of four small rooms. As there was not much carpentering to do in the neighbourhood, and my father not being fully employed, he built, mainly by borrowed money, a larger house near by, for which he obtained a public-house licence.
Though the new house had eight small rooms, it had more rooms than windows; consequently two bedrooms at the back of the house had no direct window light, but only borrowed light from a small window between the two rooms, over the stairs. I mention this circumstance to recall the fact that during the early part of the last century almost everything consumed by the people was taxed, including the wood, glass, and other materials used in the production of windows, and the Windows as well. One of the results of this state of things was that I, with one of my brothers, slept thousands of times in a small bedroom into which the light of heaven never directly entered. As with us, so with hundreds of thousands of others. The window tax alone assisted to enfeeble the British race. As with the window tax, so with hundreds of other taxes, including the tax on bread, which still more enfeebled the race, and which a partisan statesmanship would triumphantly re-impose, and thereby endanger the power and prosperity of the country. I well remember some of the blighting effects of the Corn Laws, when large numbers of the industrious poor of Cornwall ate barley bread, and many had not enough of that. The repeal of the Corn Laws and the introduction of a Free Trade era soon broadened and brightened national prospects.
My father not only brewed his own beer, which he sold "on the premises," but he supplied beer to some of the beershops in the adjacent villages. A copper mine, however, having been started near by, or rather an old mine having been revived, drained away the water from our pump; and the little brewing business gradually dried up, the little public-house business having dried up several years before. My father then cultivated a large garden, which surrounded the house, and which was most productive, particularly of strawberries. These, when gathered, were sent for sale to neighbouring towns on market days. I, for years after I left school, assisted in brewing, in gardening, and in carrying strawberries to market.1
My only school education was obtained at the village school, which was conducted by Mr. James Blackney, who became school-master after he had injured his health by working underground as a miner. He commenced his school and carried it on for a year or two in a room about nine feet square, and afterwards in a little schoolroom built for the purpose. He taught reading, writing, and arithmetic, and a smattering of grammar and geography; and once a week he treated his scholars with a good dose of catechism, when he read both questions and answers. One of the questions I thought at the time, and all the time I was at school, was "Who are water devils?" and, when hearing it, II imagined fiery devils plunging about in water. The question in reality was "Who and what are devils?" I give this as a specimen of the quality of the teaching we received. Mr. Blackney was, nevertheless, a painstaking and conscientious man, and he has always had a green spot in my memory. His general teaching fee was twopence a week, and threepence a week for older and more advanced scholars. I remember one evening, after school hours, his calling on my father and saying that the time had come to increase his school fee for me from twopence to threepence weekly. My father at first demurred to the increased claim, but when told I was making good progress consented, and I for a year or two longer remained a day scholar, and afterwardsI for twelve or fifteen months as an evening scholar at twopence a week.
When I was about ten years of age a cholera wave passed over the country, and additional sanitary arrangements were demanded; and my father was appointed one of two inspectors to see that they were complied with in our village. At that time most of the cottages, with their immediate surroundings, were in a most insanitary condition. The wonder was, and is, that during the early part of the last century contagious diseases were not more numerous and destructive than they were. In consequence of improved regulations both cholera and small-pox, which paid periodic visits to the district, became less and less. The two evils, fed and fostered by the same causes, were resisted and driven back by the same means. But, while improved sanitation in Cornwall and throughout the country has had the credit for reducing or banishing cholera, a similar diminution of small-pox has been attributed to vaccination!
About this time my brother William, who was four years my senior, suffered so much from indigestion that the doctor of the district had to be consulted, and he, like most other members of the profession at the time, advised that my brother | |
a long and successful career in the NFL, fits the mold of what you're looking for in a center who can captain the OL group.
His lack of effective length is a considerable problem.
On pass block, NT grabs his chest and violently flings him sideways, going right by him to the QB as the C stumbles off balance. Same type of thing happened repeatedly. NT rips him to the side and the C leans forward losing balance as the NT gets around the side. DT throws him to the side, then crushes the QB.
NT controls the inside gap on zone run, because center's arms are too short, the NT is able to extend his arms and control the C, freeing up his inside arm. DE pulls him down and swims over him. DT bench presses him, then discards on run play.
NT pulls him down, then puts his arm up to try to deflect the pass. JMS's inability to control pass blocks could lead to some batted balls at the LOS.
DT rips under him, gaining advantage to inside. After initial contact, JMS doesn't have the length or active hands to consistently disrupt pass rush moves, which creates issues trying to sustain blocks.
Average athlete with limited quickness and speed. Not able to climb to the 2nd level fluidly or with short area explosiveness. Instead of getting out to the LB, often he'd meet the LB "halfway", closer to the LOS than optimal. Can almost be "clumsy" going to 2nd level, with lumbering, heavy feet. Easy combo, because the C can climb directly to the LB and what the C has to do is engage or cut off the LB so he can't flow laterally towards the RB, but the C doesn't get far enough past the LOS, so when the LB pursues, the C is caught behind the LB and can only deliver a gentle shove from the side, there were multiple plays similar to this. A lineman needs "tennis feet" to move in a short area and get their hips and shoulders to the proper angle, but sometimes JMS is just too slow and ends up chasing the defender.
Not a good screen pass blocker. Doesn't have enough speed and short area burst to get out in front quickly.
Average effective play strength. On combo blocks, he is unable to consistently move the DT. Sometimes, he's pushing against the DT, but to no effect and the DT holds his ground. When making solo run blocks on a big NT, he can't generate movement by himself.
Has a bad habit of leaning into the defender, like a tired boxer grabbing onto his opponent in the ring, instead of moving his feet to keep a stable base and sustain the block. Ducks head and gets cement shoes on run blocks after initial contact, leading to him getting shed.
Strong defenders occasionally push him backwards on wide zone runs, distorting the LOS.
Some of his blocks turn into wrestling matches, because the defender breaks free from his control, then JMS with his arms around them tries to pursue and get a takedown.
Played in RPO style offense that was OL friendly. Not required to take traditional pass block sets as often and there were very few plays where he had to solo pass block. Facing 1 vs 1 pass block, a big DT jolts him off his feet, forcing him to recover. I think he could have some issues with NFL level speed and power and his weaknesses were somewhat hidden in college.
Will miss some snaps high, not so high to fly over the QB's head, but there were times it messed up the timing of the play, because the QB had to reach up to catch it. Not many snaps under center, except for short yardage.
Debatable position versatility. He might have enough size to try at guard, but he has limited length and athleticism, which makes me question whether he would be effective there. I see center as his best position, maybe his only position. Playing him at guard might be comparable to using Matt Skura at guard.
Reputation partly build upon Minnesota's strong rushing attack, but I feel that Mohamed Ibrahim is an underrated RB prospect in this year's draft. Sports Illustrated only ranks Ibrahim as a 6th round prospect and he could end up an UDFA per ESPN's board. I have him graded considerably higher. I don't think Ibrahim's college production was all due to the OL, I think it also is a reflection of his individual talent as a RB.
About 2 years older than an average prospect.
Draft Grade and Pro Comp
3rd round grade. Tyler Biadasz (compensatory 4th round 2020, Dallas Cowboys, Wisconsin)
Projects as an NFL starter, because he has high football IQ and awareness, is consistent, plays with good technique and has sufficient size. On the other hand, I have reservations about whether Schmitz will ever be more than an average starter.
JMS isn't really elite at anything. He's not a true power player like Meinerz. He's not as good a pass blocker as Creed. He's not as athletic at Myers or Hennessy. Yes, he doesn't have any huge, glaring weaknesses and he might not be woefully deficient in any of those departments either, but even that marginal difference is enough to ask what exactly there is about JMS that would justify drafting him inside the top 50 picks.
Biadasz at Wisconsin was a better combo, 2nd level and screen blocker than JMS. Both Biadasz and JMS have short arms and they both struggled with that limited length in similar ways. Biadasz would sometimes lunge and whiff on blocks. Biadasz also had limited lateral range, so I'd say JMS is the better player at making difficult reach blocks. JMS is better in short yardage situations. Biadasz was a better power generator, he could move guys on solo and double team blocks more consistently than JMS. When you put all the different pieces together, I see Biadasz as being the better overall prospect.
I don't have an issue with the Rams drafting JMS if the value is right. He's a smart and consistent player, with sufficient size and strength to be a starting center in the NFL. But, IMO taking JMS at slot 36 is way too early. Even the top of the 3rd round might be too early for him. I view JMS as the type of prospect who in a normal draft would be taken between the middle of the 3rd round to the middle of the 4th round. The only thing that pushes him up the board this year is there don't appear to be enough top center prospects ahead of him, creating the potential for a team to reach for him.
In the Peter Konz draft, John Sullivan as a 6th round pick turned out to be the best center in that draft. When it comes to centers and especially when we're not talking about a top 50 type center prospect, the best center in the draft isn't necessarily the first center taken in the draft. When the Rams drafted Barrett Jones, the other great center from that class besides Frederick wasn't technically even a center. JC Tretter played left tackle in college. A similar thing might happen in 2023. The best center could be a prospect listed as a G or OT on draft boards and didn't even play the position in college.
We can't go backwards in time and draft guys like Quinn Meinerz (77.7 PFF in 2022, the 5th best guard in the NFL) or Creed Humphrey. Meinzerz wasn't taken until very late in the 3rd round. I had a 2nd round grade on him. If the Rams made a mistake by passing on those guys, don't | |
bed. Simply stated, they can make you think deeply about your present and future life. And, this is the last thing you need before going to sleep.
Here's a better solution: Read books that make you feel present in the moment. The whole point of reading before you go to bed is to ease tension and beat stress in 10-15 minutes. So take your mind off your day to day life by diving into a fairy tale or a romantic story and wake up refreshed in the morning.
Green tea consists of an anti-stress relieving amino acid called theanine. It is the main component in green tea that makes us feel good and bring feelings of well being after drinking a hot cup of it.
According to a study done in a university in Japan, caffeine-free green tea can not only make us feel good but can also help us enjoy a deeper, more restful sleep.
Due to stereotypes, a lot of people avoid exercising at night time. They think it will hinder their sleep by making them more active and lively. But nothing could be further from the truth as recent research says the complete opposite of it.
According to the Center of Studies in Psychobiology and Exercise, Brazil, light exercising before improves sleep patterns in good sleepers who are non-athletes. It didn't seem to hinder the subject's sleep or comply with any stereotypes people had prior to this study.
Knowing what you have to do the next day makes you more focused and keeps you more relaxed. You don't have to write a detailed plan for the next day before you go to bed, but making a bullet list of urgent tasks can help you to stay ahead to everyone else.
It's better to wake up with a short purpose in mind than to spend precious morning time thinking and recollecting where you left off yesterday.
Most people spend their entire day working and engaging in other recreational activities. We rarely get time to check on our family members and talk to them about how their day went.
A recent survey conducted by visitanaheim suggests that American families spend just 37 minutes of quality time together per day during the week.
So don't forget to allocate at least a couple of hours to your family members who need your attention and care more than anyone else.
Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response (ASMR) videos are one of the most viewed categories on YouTube. Audiences get a tingling sensation in the crown of the head by audio-visual triggers such as whispering, tapping, and hand movements displayed on the screen by their favorite ASMR artist aka ASMRist.
Most people fall asleep very quickly while listening to these relaxing sounds. There are various categories of ASMR, the sleep and relaxation category is best suited to watch before you go to bed.
The environment is a major factor when it comes to a good night's sleep. It influences our feelings and reactions and can have a great effect on our sleeping patterns.
Most people tend to automatically feel sleepy in a dark and cozy ambiance. So, make sure the windows are properly sealed and there is no light seeping through windows or coming over the top of curtains.
For people working night shifts, a sleeping eye mask can be a lifesaver. Coupled with a comfortable pair of earplugs it can help you create an ideal environment for sleeping even during daytime.
Meditation is an ancient method developed by numerous spiritual teachers from the Eastern world. At present, it is widespread and popular in western countries as a way to relieve stress and tension.
A 15-minute mindfulness session just before you go to bed can help clear your mind and prepare you for a deep uninterrupted sleep. Different types of meditation techniques like mindfulness, transcendental, focusing on a particular object etc can help you in different ways.
Mindfulness meditation is known to promote a healthy sleep cycle. So, find a calm and comfortable place in your room and practice meditation daily before you go to bed. I meditate twice daily, once right after waking up in the morning and once before going to bed. I used the Headspace app for all my meditations.
Affirmations are positive statements made in present tense either in written or consumed in audio format. \ Simply stated, an affirmation isthe repetition of a desired scenario several times in our minds to become more aligned and aware of it in order to manifest it in real life.
Writing them down on a piece of paper may seem like a lot of work but it is more effective than just listening to them. However, listening to the audio format just before you go to bed can be relaxing and rejuvenating. I read my affirmations right after I do my morning meditation.
Most successful people spend at least one-hour reading books. They sleep better after reading because now they have a better understanding of the events that took place on the same day. Reading in the evening also keeps their mind rational and organized the next day.
However, due to numerous reasons, some of us can't manage to slip in this one hour in our existing schedule. This precious time before you go to bed can be used for such self-improvement yet relaxing practices.
1. "A shower before bedtime may improve the sleep onset latency … – NCBI." Accessed March 23, 2019. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28691581.
2. "Sleep onset latency – Wikipedia." Accessed March 23, 2019. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sleep_onset_latency.
3. "Reduced Stress and Improved Sleep Quality Caused by … – NCBI – NIH." Accessed March 23, 2019. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5537891/.
4. "Physical exercise performed before bedtime improves the … – NCBI – NIH." Accessed March 23, 2019. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22092095.
5. "American Families Spend Just 37 Minutes Of Quality Time Together …." Accessed March 23, 2019. https://www.studyfinds.org/american-families-spend-37-minutes-quality-time/.
6. "Autonomous sensory meridian response (ASMR) – NCBI – NIH." Accessed March 23, 2019. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6010208/.
There are a lot of habits that are advised to be adapted if you want to succeed. It is equally important to get rid of the habits that will hinder your success a.k.a. bad habits.
The kind of habits you have, dictate the kind of life you live. The way you live your life has a huge effect on how you work, and it does not require a genius to figure out that how you work has a huge impact on your success.
Here are some of the habits that you need to get rid of, not only to work for your success but also to become a better version of yourself.
After waking up, many people check their phones. This then leads them to scroll through the feeds of multiple social media channels. Precious morning hours that could have been used to work on yourself or your work are wasted.
Make a rule to not look at your phone until and unless you have completed your morning chores. If you want, you can go through your phone while you have breakfast, that way you will take your time to finish the meal, instead of rushing and forgetting breakfast altogether.
Watching TV is one of the most time-consuming forms of entertainment people engage in. One show leads to another and then another. Now we have Netflix that helps us fuel this addiction more by allowing us to binge watch complete shows.
While some shows can be helpful, reality shows aren't. They are like junk food for our brain. We might enjoy seeing them, but they are going to have negative effects on us.
Reading is a great tool for anyone thinking of learning anything. Reading is one of the important hobbies to take on. Most successful people find time to read. They also advise reading at least one book every week.
If you think reading books is a difficult thing and you can't commit to reading an | |
will successfully complete the ITU coordination process with Russia in the future, at which time the complete system will be formally registered in the MIFR. On September 27, 2007, the FCC transmitted an Advance
Publication submission to the ITU relating to the CDS, the quick-launch satellites and the next-generation satellites; the first step in the international coordination process for our new satellites. If design modifications to future system satellites entail substantial changes to the frequency utilization by the subject system component(s), additional international coordination may be required or reasonably deemed advisable. However, we believe that ITU coordination can be successfully completed in all circumstances where such coordination is required, although we cannot assure you that we will successfully complete such ITU coordination. Failure to complete requisite ITU coordination could have a material adverse effect on our business. Regardless, to date, and to our best knowledge, the system has not caused harmful interference to any other radio system, or suffered harmful interference from any other radio system.
We use and hold intellectual property rights for a number of trademarks, service marks and logos for our system. We have one main mark — "ORBCOMM" — which is registered or is pending registration in approximately 125 countries. In addition, we currently have three issued patents and one patent application relating to various aspects of our system, and at any time we may file additional patent applications in the appropriate countries for various aspects of our system.
We believe that all intellectual property rights used in our system were independently developed or duly licensed by us, by those we license the rights from or by the technology companies who supplied portions of our system. We cannot assure you, however, that third parties will not bring suit against us for patent or other infringement of intellectual property rights.
As of December 31, 2010, we had 99 full-time employees. Our employees are not covered by any collective bargaining agreements and we have not experienced a work stoppage since our inception. We believe that our relationship with our employees is good.
Our principal executive offices are located at 2115 Linwood Avenue, Fort Lee, New Jersey 07024, and our telephone number is (201) 363-4900. Our website is www.orbcomm.com and information contained on our website is not included as a part of, or incorporated by reference into, this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Our annual, quarterly, and other reports, and amendments to those reports can be obtained through the Investor Relations section of our website or from the Securities and Exchange Commission at www.sec.gov.
Executive Officers of the Registrant
Certain information regarding our executive officers is provided below:
Marc J. Eisenberg
44 Chief Executive Officer and President
Robert G. Costantini
51 Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
John J. Stolte, Jr.
51 Executive Vice President — Technology and Operations
Christian G. Le Brun
43 Executive Vice President and General Counsel
Brian J. Bell
44 Executive Vice President — Sales and Marketing
Marc J. Eisenberg is our Chief Executive Officer and President, a position he has held since March 31, 2008, and a member of our board of directors since March 7, 2008. From June 2006 to March 30, 2008 he was our Chief Operating Officer and from March 2002 to June 2006, he was our Executive Vice President, Sales and Marketing. He was a member of the board of directors of ORBCOMM Holdings LLC from May 2002 until February 2004. Prior to joining ORBCOMM, from 1999 to 2001, Mr. Eisenberg was a Senior Vice President of Cablevision Electronics Investments, where among his duties he was responsible for selling Cablevision services such as video
and internet subscriptions through its retail channel. From 1984 to 1999, he held various positions, most recently as the Senior Vice President of Sales and Operations with the consumer electronics company The Wiz, where he oversaw sales and operations and was responsible for over 2,000 employees and $1 billion a year in sales. Mr. Eisenberg is the son of Jerome B. Eisenberg, our Chairman of the Board.
Robert G. Costantini is our Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, a position he has held since October 2, 2006. From October 2003 until September 2006, he served as Chief Financial Officer, Senior Vice President and Corporate Secretary of First Aviation Services Inc., an aviation services company providing aircraft parts and maintenance services. From 1999 to 2003, Mr. Costantini was the Chief Financial Officer of FocusVision Worldwide, Inc., a technology company providing video transmission services. From 1986 to 1989, he was Corporate Controller and from 1989 to 1999 he was Vice-President — Finance of M.T. Maritime Management Corp., a global maritime transportation company. Mr. Costantini started his career with Peat Marwick, Mitchell & Co. Mr. Costantini is a Certified Public Accountant, Certified Management Accountant, and a member of the bar of New York and Connecticut.
John J. Stolte, Jr. is our Executive Vice President, Technology and Operations, a position he has held since April 2001. From January to April 2001, he held a similar position with ORBCOMM Global L.P. Mr. Stolte has over 20 years of technology management experience in the aerospace and telecommunications industries. Prior to joining ORBCOMM Global L.P., Mr. Stolte held a number of positions at Orbital Sciences Corporation from September 1990 to January 2001, most recently as Program Director, where he was responsible for design, manufacturing and launch of the ORBCOMM satellite constellation. From 1982 to 1990, Mr. Stolte worked for McDonnell Douglas in a number of positions including at the Naval Research Laboratory where he led the successful integration, test and launch of a multi-billion dollar defense satellite.
Christian G. Le Brun is our Executive Vice President and General Counsel, a position he has held since March 31, 2008. From April 2005 to March 30, 2008, Mr. Le Brun was our Senior Vice President and General Counsel. Prior to joining ORBCOMM, from 1999 to 2005, Mr. Le Brun was an attorney with Chadbourne & Parke LLP, where he oversaw a broad range of transactions, including mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, corporate restructurings and work-outs, as well as debt and equity financing arrangements involving publicly-held and private companies. In addition, from 1994 to 1999, he was a corporate attorney with Pullman & Comley, LLC. Mr. Le Brun is a member of the bar of New York.
Brian J. Bell is our Executive Vice President, Sales and Marketing, a position he has held since joining the Company on July 1, 2009. From 2007 to 2009, he served as Regional Head of Sales for British Telecom, where he was responsible for strategy, development and management of their Global Partners sales organization in North America. From January 2004 to September 2007, Mr. Bell was Executive Director of Sales with Verizon Business where he managed a sales and support organization responsible for some of Verizon's largest and most complex accounts including IBM, CSC, Northrop Grumman and the Federal Aviation Administration. From 1996-2004, Mr. Bell held various senior management roles at IBM, Winstar Communications and Internap where he successfully developed large account sales teams, global distribution alliances and channel marketing programs with an emphasis on launching new business initiatives and developing new geographic markets. Mr. Bell started his career in 1990 at MCI Communications, where he held positions of increasing responsibility in finance and sales management.
Set forth below and elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K are risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the results contemplated by the forward-looking statements contained in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Any of these risks could also materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition or the price of our common stock. Because of the following factors, as well as other variables affecting our operating results, past financial performance should not be considered as a reliable indicator of future | |
" _Fire Child, Water Child_ is a breakthrough work. Children are unique and deserve an expanded and elevated approach to healing. This stunning book points toward complementary and healthy alternatives to pharmaceutical remedies."
—Deepak Chopra, MD, author and cofounder of the Chopra Center for Wellbeing
"'Not a disease, but a symptom,' is Dr. Cowan's stunningly insightful summation of ADHD. _Fire Child, Water Child_ offers a deep understanding of the types of children who may manifest attention difficulties. Dr. Cowan identifies what is right about them, innate positive qualities we can support to promote their development. Far more compassionate than the standard narrow medical approach, this book is also more scientific in its appreciation of children's relationship to their environment."
—Gabor Maté, MD, author of _Scattered: How Attention Deficit Disorder Originates and What You Can Do About It_
"Stephen Scott Cowan's clinical skill and experience is unrivaled. His original approach has helped hundreds of children. Read and heed the wisdom embedded in his work."
—Frank Lipman, MD, author of _Revive: Stop Feeling Spent and Start Living Again_
"Dr. Cowan has written an exceptionally thoughtful, repercussive book that will surely change the lives of children and parents looking for profound, holistic ways to understand and heal attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Not only has he created a masterful treatise in which children's root natures are brought to light as key ingredients in their bespoke recoveries, but he has also contributed a beautifully crafted ode to rebuilding attention. Dr. Cowan's support and recommendations have indeed proven transformative for me and for my son, Water child extraordinaire. This unique and brilliant book is a tour-de-force and finally, blessedly, reveals Dr. Cowan's gentle genius to the world."
—Maggie Lyon, writer on wellness and spirituality, holistic lifestyle consultant, and founder of lyonlifestyle.com
"This is such a good book—as practical as it is poetic. Dr. Cowan helps us to know our anxious, troubled, and sometimes troubling kids in new, more appreciative, and more compassionate ways. He teaches us that ADHD is as varied as the children who show its symptoms. In helping us adults step-by-step to help them, he helps us grow in love as well as knowledge."
—James S. Gordon, MD, psychiatrist, founder of The Center for Mind Body Medicine, and author of _Unstuck: Your Guide to the Seven-Stage Journey Out of Depression_
"I was deeply fortunate to have Dr. Cowan as our devoted and honorable pediatrician. His passionate and essential life's work is expressed beautifully and accessibly on these pages and profoundly serves to revolutionize, demystify, and guide families lost in the ambiguities of ADHD/ADD; pharmaceuticals; the cultural divide; and diversities of treatments, awareness, and balance. This book is a critical tool parents can use to support their children and encourage them to find a home within themselves, a precious gift."
—Paulette Cole, CEO and creative director of ABC Home in New York, NY
"Cowan empowers us to see beyond generic labels that lead to one-size-fits-all thinking. He offers dazzling insights into the nature of each individual child, potentially revolutionizing how children are cared for by their families, educated by their teachers, and treated by their physicians."
—Harriet Beinfield, coauthor of _Between Heaven and Earth_
"This is an extraordinary addition to the literature on childhood developmental disorders. Every parent and clinician treating this complex set of problems needs to read this book. Dr. Cowan has taken his thorough knowledge of medical science and decades of personal experience in studying and treating ADD and other developmental disorders, then combined them in an amazing synthesis with the energetic principles and characteristics of imbalance given to us by traditional Chinese medicine. This allows a broader, deeper and more individual understanding of each person's unique problems and needs, allowing a much better chance of success in producing lasting transformations. Brilliant."
—Woodson Merrell, MD, chairman of the department of integrative medicine at Beth Israel Medical Center in New York, NY, and author of _Power Up_
"Dr. Cowan's _Fire Child, Water Child_ is a breath of fresh air in the current world of ADD and ADHD literature. He combines his true healer's motivation, years of successful practice, sound modern medical knowledge, and sane judgment derived from serious study of time-tested Asian medical wisdom to present us with a new way of seeing ADHD. His method encourages us to look at kids as the wondrous individuals that they are, care for them one by one in a truly human way, and save them and their parents from deep angst. As a dad and a granddad, I love this book and recommend it highly to everyone who loves their kids and wants to make sure that they thrive against whatever odds they face."
—Robert Thurman, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, and professor of Tibetan Buddhist studies at Columbia University
Publisher's Note
_This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information in regard to the subject matter covered. It is sold with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering psychological, financial, legal, or other professional services. If expert assistance or counseling is needed, the services of a competent professional should be sought._
Distributed in Canada by Raincoast Books
Copyright © 2012 by Stephen Scott Cowan
New Harbinger Publications, Inc.
5674 Shattuck Avenue
Oakland, CA 94609
www.newharbinger.com
Cover design by Amy Shoup
Text design by Tracy Carlson
Acquired by Jess O'Brien
Edited by Carole Honeychurch
All Rights Reserved
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Cowan, Stephen Scott.
Fire child, water child : how understanding the five types of ADHD can help you improve your child's self-esteem and attention / Stephen Scott Cowan.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references.
ISBN 978-1-60882-090-0 (pbk.) -- ISBN 978-1-60882-091-7 (pdf e-book) -- ISBN 978-1-60882-092-4 (epub)
1. Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder--Psychological aspects. 2. Attention-deficit-disordered children--Psychology. 3. Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. I. Title.
RJ506.H9C69 2012
618.92'8589--dc23
2011044085
# Contents
Foreword
Acknowledgments
Introduction: Mapping a Path to Attention
Problems with the Diagnosis of ADHD
Stress and Attention
Taking a Closer Look: The Three Treasures
The Five Ways of Focus
Mapping Solutions for Your Child
The Wood Child
The Fire Child
The Earth Child
The Metal Child
The Water Child
Afterword
Appendix
Resources for Caregivers
References
# Foreword
Parents of an ADD/ADHD-identified child are often led to believe that there's something neurologically wrong with their child's brain. The child, confounded by impulses and actions out of sync with prevailing standards and expectations, is labeled as pathological. Reacting to an ominous judgment, fraught parents are plunged into a quagmire of conflicting opinions—medical, educational, social, and even moral. They are urged to make agonizing choices about brain- and mind-altering pharmaceuticals with side effects and unknown long-term consequences. Then there's the daunting task of sorting through a panoply of adjunctive therapies including dietary changes to address potential food sensitivities, the use of nutritional supplements, and cognitive and learning interventions.
Dr. Stephen Cowan, a gifted neurodevelopmental pediatrician, was dissatisfied after treating thousands of children over three decades. In response, he created an innovative model that deconstructs, demystifies, and reframes ADD/ADHD. In this book he provides a method for comprehensively evaluating _who the individual child is_ that has been given the label ADD/ADHD.
Cowan paints pictures of five types of children who manifest five different types of ADD/ADHD. Each child has an intrinsic organizing pattern, a true nature, known as that child's _type_. Each type shares the agency of one of the five primal powers described in Chinese medicine as Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water. One of these five powers functions as the governing center that is the source of a child's predispositions, organizing how her experience is received, incorporated, and expressed.
Identifying children by their type provides insight into how they are likely to function within themselves and in their world. In this model, type defines the dynamic pattern that shapes us from birth to old age—it is the ontological matrix out of which each unique life forms itself.
Cowan's elastic framework articulates a coherent account of the causes and diagnosis of this perplexing syndrome. Informed by the observed features of each child according to type, he offers tailored treatment approaches. Identifying a child's | |
first and second members can be the reinforcement member and the upper forefoot member. The first and second members can be the upper forefoot member and the reinforcement member.
The heel section 150 of the second member 122 can be located at a heel location in a region near the rear of the foot device where the heel of a natural foot would be located. Similarly, the toe sections 138 and 142 are located at a toe location in a region near the front of the foot device where the toes of a natural foot would be located.
The members 118, 122 and 152 can be resilient and energy storing foot members that deflect or flex, storing energy, much like a leaf spring. Thus, the members can be formed of a flexible and resilient material that allows the foot members to deflect or flex. In one aspect, the members can be formed of a fiber reinforced resin material, such as a graphite-reinforced resin.
The cells 110 or 112 or the prosthetic foot 100 can include a generator 154 to produce energy, such as electricity, to power the control electronics, the electrical signal, magnets, and/or cells. For example, the generator 154 can include coils and magnets movable with respect to one another to produce electricity, as is known in the art. The movement of the foot or shoe can provide the movement to the generator. The generator can be electrically coupled to the control electronics and cell.
The transducer 62 can be operatively coupled to the foot 100, the upper forefoot member 118, the lower foot member 122 or the reinforcement member 152 to sense strain or deflection or other load factor of the foot or members. In addition, the control electronics 66 and power source 70 also can be coupled to the foot 100.
Referring to FIG. 8, another prosthetic foot 160 is shown with a pair of variable resistance cells 162 and 164. The prosthetic foot 160 can have a first member 168 to be coupled to a stump of an amputee, and a second member 172 pivotally coupled to the first member at a pivot point or pin 176. Spaces or gaps can be formed between the first and second members forward and rearward of the pivot point. The cells 162 and 164 can be disposed between the first and second members. As the second member 172 pivots about the pivot point 176 they apply force to the cells. The prosthetic foot 160 can include a generator, as described above and shown in FIG. 7.
Referring to FIG. 9, another prosthetic foot 200 is shown with a variable resistance cell 210. The foot 200, however, has a different configuration than that described above. The foot 200 can have an upper or forefoot member 218 with an attachment section 226 (horizontal shown in solid lines, vertical shown in dashed lines), curving downwardly and forwardly through a curvilinear spring or ankle section 230, an arch section 234, and a toe section 238 at a toe location of toes of a natural foot. Thus, the upper of forefoot member 218 can have a general C-shape or a J-shape. In addition, the foot can have a lower heel member 222 with and can have an attachment section 242 attached to the arch section 234 of the upper or forefoot member 218, and extending rearwardly towards a heel section 246 at a heel location of a natural heel. The upper or forefoot member 218 can be a first member and the lower heel member 222 can be a second member. The variable resistance cell 210 can be disposed between the first and second members, or forefoot and heel members 218 and 222.
The adaptor 250 can include an attachment plate 258 attached to the foot 200. The adaptor 250 also can include a bracket 262 pivotally coupled to the attachment plate 258 (or to the foot 200). The bracket 262 can include a base 266 and a pair of arms 270 extending therefrom with distal ends pivotally coupled to the attachment plate 258 or foot 200. The cells 254 can be disposed between the first and second members, or the adaptor 250 and the attachment plate 258 or foot 200. Therefore, the adaptor 250 can be used with existing prosthetic feet to add cells. Again, the prosthetic foot can include a generator as described above and shown in FIG. 7.
Referring to FIG. 9 b, a plurality of cells 260 can be disposed between first and second members 264 and 266 of a prosthetic foot. The cells can be positioned in for and aft locations with respect to a pivot point 270 to variably resist movement between the members 264 and 266 in the for and aft directions, or to variably resist plantar flexion and dorsal flexion. Similarly, the cells can be positioned on opposite lateral sides with respect to the pivot point 270 to variably resist movement between the members 264 and 266 in the side to side directions, or to variably resist inversion and eversion. Such a configuration can be applied to either of the prosthetic feet shown in FIGS. 8 and 9.
Referring to FIG. 10, a shoe 300 is shown with a variable resistance cell 310. The cell 310 can be positioned at a heel of the shoe, and can act as a cushion. A cavity 314 can be formed in the heel to receive the cell 310. The cell can be disposed between upper and lower surfaces of an outsole. A generator, as described above and shown in FIG. 7, can be included in the shoe and operatively coupled to the cell.
Referring the FIGS. 11 and 12, another variable resistance cell 350 in accordance with the present invention that is similar in many respects to those described above. The cell 350 can include a variable orifice 354 that is variable in size and/or shape. An actuator 358 can be associated with the orifice 354 to vary the size of the orifice. For example, the actuator can surround the enclosure, and can constrict to reduce the size of the orifice, and can expand to increase the size of the orifice. Alternatively, a servo-valve can form the orifice, and can be disposed between the first and second chambers. The servo-valve can have an opening that varies in size. It will be understood that the cell with the variable orifice can be used with variable viscosity fluids described above, and other fluids that are not necessarily variable in their viscosity because the flow through the orifice can be controlled by the variable orifice.
The enclosure can include a bladder to contain the fluid. The block and cup, or magnets, can be movably disposed with respect to one another, with the magnets moving towards one another under the load factor.
g) a cup, formed around the first chamber, to receive the block therein in the second position.
a) a spring, coupled to the enclosure, and biasing the enclosure to the first position.
3. A device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the enclosure is resilient and biased to the first position.
4. A device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the enclosure is flexible.
5. A device in accordance with claim 4, wherein the enclosure flexes outwardly in the second position to form the second chamber.
6. A device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the enclosure includes a tubular sleeve.
a) means for varying the viscosity of the variable viscosity fluid in response to the load factor.
8. A device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the load factor includes at least one load factor selected from the group consisting of: a load, a load rate, a load acceleration, a strain, a strain rate, a strain acceleration, a pressure, | |
armed with .50-caliber machine guns, their
gunners never fired a round.40
Tactical air operations in Panama were often tightly controlled
by ground force commanders. When civilians were present, the
employment of AC-130 tube- or rocket-launched weapons was
prohibited without the permission of a ground commander with
at least the rank of lieutenant colonel. Close air support in civilian areas required approval from at least division level. The
commander of Operation Just Cause, Lt Gen Carl Stiner, authorized air strikes for fighter aircraft.41
Because of ROE restrictions on the use of mortars, Cobra attack
helicopters were often the only fire support available to the
United Nations Task Force commander in Somalia. To help reduce collateral damage, the Cobras 20mm cannons were fitted
with an AIM-1 laser designator, permitting the gunner to score
first-round hits at night, when the laser was visible to nightvision goggles.42
While they were in effect, Russian ROE in Chechnya restricted
the use of air-to-ground munitions in civilian areas. However,
these ROE were eventually violated because of the limited supply
of precision-guided weapons, poor weather, and a lack of training. Heavy civilian casualties resulted.43
The local Marine commanders insistence that ROE be loosened
to permit the use of Cobra gunships at Tirana proved essential to
40Although these restrictions precluded close air support for troops on the ground,
they may have limited the number of aircraft targeted by the Lebanese militia. LtCol.
Larry Medlin, CO, HMM-162, November 20, 1983, pp. 1314; and LtCol. Amos R.
Granville, CO, HMM-261, Oral History Interview, Washington, D.C.: Marine Corps
Historical Center, Marine Corps Oral History Program, May 22, 1984, pp. 78.
41Jennifer Morrison Taw, Operation Just Cause: Lessons for Operations Other Than
War, Santa Monica, Calif.: RAND, MR-569-A, 1996, p. 24.
42Jones, 1996, p. 12.
43Nevertheless, most of the 10,000 to 40,000 civilian deaths in Grozny by August 1995
were caused by artillery fire, not aerospace power. See The Casualties of Chechnya,
The New York Times, August 10, 1995, p. 18.
protecting transport helicopters involved in evacuating the U.S.
Embassy compound there in 1997.44
Intelligence:
In Grenada, U.S. intelligence failed to anticipate the degree of
initial resistance by Cuban advisers. Anticipating a short military
intervention, planners were forced to put together a Tactical Air
Control system on the fly. 45
The complexity of the political-military situation during the U.S.
peacekeeping operation in Beirut in the early 1980s made it extremely difficult to know whether any one position would be targeted and, if it was, who lay behind the attack.46
Tactics and Training:
The tendency of XV Air Force bombers at Cassino to drop their
munitions from too high an altitude, given the slight anti-aircraft
threat and good visibility, meant that bombing accuracy was
worse than it might otherwise have been.47
Low-altitude dive-bombing and strafing, in close coordination
with troops on the ground, proved effective in suppressing
German defenses at Cherbourg.48
In an attempt to avoid hitting friendly troops through
backsliding, many aircraft at Caen ended up bombing ahead of
the target, thus adding to the devastation of the city center while
causing little harm to the enemy.49
44LtCol. Dan E. Cushing, X0-HMM-365, Operation Silver Wake, Oral History Interview,
Program, June 12, 1997, p. 13.
45Adkin, 1989, p. 140.
46Hammel, 1991, p. 196.
47Headquarters, MAAF, 1944, p. 10.
48Air Force Operations in Support of Attack on Cherbourg, 1944, p. 5.
49Backsliding refers to the tendency of a bomber pilot as he neared the drop zone to
drop his load as soon as was acceptable. When the majority of bombs were dropped
on the near edge of the zone, the zone itself would begin to slide back from the target.
Because backsliding at Caen would have meant bombing friendly ground forces,
In Grenada, AC-130s were not earmarked specifically to support
Navy SEAL operations in the vicinity of St. Georges. This failure
contributed to U.S. and prisoner casualties resulting from
Peoples Revolutionary Army armored personnel carrier (APC)
and mortar fire.50
In attempting to minimize casualties and collateral damage in
the crowded residential areas of Quarry Heights and Albrook Air
Station, U.S. forces in Panama successfully employed a
graduated response technique. This technique involved loudspeaker appeals to surrender, combined with a nearby firepower
demonstration by AC-130 gunships, threatening imminent destruction unless the adversary gave up.51
The AC-130 fratricide incident in Panama might have been
avoided had AC-130s exercised more frequently with heavy
forces in urban environments. 52
Although subsequently provided, air cover (and armored support) to the 10th Mountain Divisions Quick Reaction Force was
lacking during the evening of October 3, 1993. This lack contributed to the units initial failure to break through a Somali ambush and enact a timely rescue of the Rangers pinned down in
the vicinity of Mogadishus Bakara Market.53
Logistics:
Because the movement of fighter groups had not kept pace with
the Allied ground advance, U.S. fighter-bombers were forced to
operate from airfields over 100 miles from the front lines during
the Battle of Aachen. The resulting logistics difficulties cost IX
TAC almost one-third of its striking power.54
many airmen overcompensated and actually dropped on the far side of their target.
McKee, 1964, pp. 228230.
51In both cases, the PDF soldiers either surrendered or fled. See Donnelly et al., 1991,
pp. 143144, 153.
52Donnelly et al., 1991, p. 405.
53Col. David Hackworth, Rangers Ambushed in Somalia, Soldier of Fortune, Vol. 19,
January 1, 1994, pp. 9394.
54Hughes, 1995, p. 262.
When military operations commenced in Chechnya, supplies of
food, fuel, ammunition, and spare parts amounted to 50 percent
of those required. The shortage in material resources compromised the ability of Russian aircrews to operate in adverse
weather and to employ their weapons effectively.55
Ground-Force Cooperation:
At Stalingrad, Luftwaffe General Wolfram von Richthofen berated
the German commander, von Paulus, for not taking better
advantage of the suppressive power provided by von
Richthofens Stukas and Junker bombers so that ground assaults
could be launched into the city.56
Likewise, U.S. Army Air Forces reports on the Battle of Cassino
are critical of the infantry for not advancing quickly enough under barrage, as well as for relying too heavily on bombardment to
neutralize German defensive positions.57
In the defensive battle of Bastogne, U.S. ground units and Army
Air Force fighter-bombers performed as part of a well-honed
combined-arms team, breaking up numerous German armored
attacks. 58
Following the Grenada invasion, U.S. infantrymen were criticized for their failure to advance in the face of light opposition
without overwhelming air and artillery support. 59
Opposition Countermeasures:
At Stalingrad, Soviet commander Lieutenant General Vasily
Ivanovich Chuikovs tactic of employing squad-sized storm
groups in strategic buildings, a city-hugging tactic, hampered
55NATO, 1995, p. 1.
56Craig, 1973, p. 133.
57Headquarters, MAAF, 1944, p. 8.
58See Michael D. Doubler, Closing with the Enemy: How GIs Fought the War in Europe,
19441945, Lawrence, Kansas: University Press of Kansas, 1994, pp. 220221.
the Germans ability to coordinate artillery and air support because doing so risked engaging their own troops.60
By contrast, the German practices at Bastogne of keeping their
armored and support vehicles on the roads and, at least initially,
refraining from using their anti-aircraft guns increased the effectiveness of American close air support.61
During the Battle of Hue, Communist Vietnamese anti-aircraft
fire drove helicopter gunships from the city and made conditions
extremely difficult for airborne observers.62
In Grenada, the enemy had no air force or radar-controlled air
defenses with which to challenge the attack helicopters and
those AC-130 gunships providing close support to invading U.S.
ground forces.63
Most of the anti-aircraft fire directed at Marine helicopters during the Beirut peacekeeping mission was limited to small arms
and some RPGs. However, even that minimal opposition was sufficient to severely restrict gunship operations over the city. 64
In Panama, the oppositions lack of effective air defenses contributed greatly to the success of aerospace power.65 However,
the PDFs use of human shields limited the ability of attack helicopters to return fire during the 82nd Airborne operations at
Panama Viejo and Tinajitas barracks. At Panama Viejo, PDF soldiers ducked into a crowd of civilians after firing. At Tinajitas,
they fired from civilian buildings near the objective.66
60Colonel Michael Dewar, War in the Streets: The Story of Urban Combat from Calais
to Khafji, New York: David & Charles, 1992, p. 21; and Craig, 1973, p. 91.
61Marshall, 1988, p. 144.
62Jones, 1996, p. 5.
64Maj. Dick Gallagher, USMC OpsO, HMM-261, Oral History Interview, Washington,
D.C.: Marine Corps Historical Center, Marine Corps Oral History Program, May 22,
65Even so, 30 percent of the Special Operations aircraft in Panama were damaged or
shot down, including | |
The pharmacology of cyproterone acetate (CPA) concerns the pharmacology (pharmacodynamics, pharmacokinetics, and routes of administration) of the steroidal antiandrogen and progestin medication cyproterone acetate.
CPA blocks the effects of androgens like testosterone in the body, which it does by preventing them from interacting with their biological target, the androgen receptor (AR), and by reducing their production by the gonads and hence their concentrations in the body. In addition, it has progesterone-like effects by activating the progesterone receptor (PR). By activating the PR, CPA has antigonadotropic effects and can inhibit fertility and suppress sex hormone production in both men and women. CPA can also produce weak and partial cortisol-like effects at very high doses under certain circumstances by activating the glucocorticoid receptor (GR).
CPA can be taken by mouth or by injection into muscle. It has near-complete oral bioavailability, is highly and exclusively bound to albumin in terms of plasma protein binding, is metabolized in the liver by hydroxylation and conjugation, has 15β-hydroxycyproterone acetate (15β-OH-CPA) as a single major active metabolite, has a long elimination half-life of about 2 to 4 days regardless of route of administration, and is excreted in feces primarily and to a lesser extent in urine.
Pharmacodynamics
CPA has antiandrogenic activity, progestogenic activity, weak partial glucocorticoid activity, weak steroidogenesis inhibitor activity, and agonist activity at the pregnane X receptor. It has no estrogenic or antimineralocorticoid activity. In terms of potency, CPA is described as a highly potent progestogen, a moderately potent antiandrogen, and a weak glucocorticoid.
Antiandrogenic activity
CPA is a potent competitive antagonist of the androgen receptor (AR), the biological target of androgens such as testosterone and dihydrotestosterone (DHT). It was at one time the most potent known AR antagonist of the steroidal antiandrogens, out of hundreds of other compounds. CPA has the highest antiandrogenic activity of any other clinically used progestin. It directly blocks endogenous androgens like testosterone and DHT from binding to and activating the AR, and thus prevents them from exerting their androgenic effects, such as masculinization and prostate gland growth, in the body.
A comparative study of binding inhibition to the AR in rat prostate cytosol AR found IC50 values of 3 nM for DHT, 24 nM for cyproterone acetate, and 67 nM for spironolactone.
Antiandrogenic efficacy and potency
The antiandrogenic activity of CPA is dose-dependent. Although CPA is a potent antiandrogen, relatively high doses of CPA are nonetheless required for clinically important AR antagonism. The clinical antiandrogenic efficacy of birth control pills containing CPA, which have only low doses of CPA in them (2 mg/day), often can't be distinguished from that of birth control pills containing other progestins. It is likely that the antiandrogenic effects of CPA-containing birth control pills are due mostly to the ethinylestradiol component and/or suppression of androgen levels, rather than the antiandrogenic activity of the small doses of CPA present in them.
CPA has been found to decrease inflammatory acne lesions in males by about 15% at 5 mg/day, by 45% at 25 mg/day, and by 73% at 100 mg/day. A dosage of 100 mg/day CPA can achieve a 65 to 70% reduction in sebum excretion rate in males within 4 weeks of treatment, but doses of 10 mg/day CPA or less are said to have a negligible effect. On the basis of these findings, it has estimated that the threshold dosage of CPA to reduce sebum production may be 5 mg/day in males. In other studies, 25 mg/day CPA resulted in substantial improvement or complete clearance of severe acne in almost all males, whereas 12.5 mg/day was ineffective.
CPA has been found to be strongly catabolic in young healthy males. It was shown to result in a mean negative nitrogen balance of 1.2 g at 50 mg/day, 1.4 g at 100 mg/day, and 2.5 g at 200 mg/day. This corresponded to mean losses of lean tissue of 780, 945, and 1,515 g, respectively. Conversely, the catabolic effect was much less in an older male, and no such effect was observed in adult females consuming a diet with sufficient calories and protein. The catabolic effects of CPA were found to be greater than those of corticosteroids.
Although higher doses of CPA are necessary for considerable systemic AR antagonistic activity, it is notable that even low doses of oral CPA appear to be able to significantly antagonize AR signaling in the liver in women. This may be related to the hepatic first-pass effect of oral administration, and is evidenced by the fact that whereas combined birth control pills containing CPA increase SHBG levels by 300 to 400%, combined birth control pills containing various other progestins, with either androgenic or antiandrogenic activity, increase SHBG levels by only 50 to 300%. This is relevant as estrogens stimulate hepatic SHBG production while androgens inhibit hepatic SHBG production, and vice versa for their antagonists. The antiandrogenic activity of CPA may also be responsible for the relatively greater risk of venous thromboembolism with CPA-containing birth control pills compared to those containing other progestins.
In rats, a dosage of CPA of 25 mg/kg/day results in complete regression of prostate gland growth in gonadally intact males. The equivalent dosage in humans, on the basis of body surface (conversion factor from rat to human of 6), was estimated to be approximately 4 mg/kg/day, or around 300 mg/day CPA for a 75 kg (165 lb) man. Other techniques for determining the dosage of CPA have validated this extrapolation, for instance affinity studies and prostatic CPA levels. The affinity of CPA for the AR is around 20-fold lower than that of DHT, and an excess of CPA levels of around 20 to 30 times those of DHT would hence be expected to maximally neutralize androgen signaling. In accordance, different publications have stated based on preclinical experiments that a 2- to 5-fold excess of CPA can inhibit the effects of testosterone by 50%, a 3- to 10-fold excess of CPA can reduce the effects of "potent androgens" (presumably testosterone and/or DHT) by 50%, and a 10-fold excess of CPA can inhibit the effects of testosterone by "almost 100%". High-dose CPA has been found to achieve prostatic levels that are at least 30-fold those of DHT. One study found that levels of CPA in the prostate gland in men being treated with 200 mg/day oral CPA were about 28 times those of DHT. In accordance with the preceding findings, it has been stated that oral doses of CPA of at least 300 mg/day may achieve a combined androgen blockade action in the treatment of prostate cancer. At a dosage of CPA of 100 mg/day in men with prostate cancer, circulating levels of CPA (e.g., 350 ng/mL) are on the order of 200-fold higher than circulating levels of testosterone (e.g., 100 ng/dL). In men who have undergone orchiectomy, 50 mg/day oral CPA results in a 500-fold excess of circulating CPA relative to circulating testosterone.
In accordance with such findings, high-dose CPA shows equivalent effects on the prostate gland in men relative to high-dose diethylstilbestrol or buserelin, which both achieve castrate levels of testosterone. However, a lower dosage of 50 mg/day CPA has been found to produce a reduction in prostate volume in men with benign prostatic hyperplasia that is reportedly comparable to that observed with surgical or medical castration. In accordance, the dosage of CPA that achieves complete inhibition of the secretory function of the healthy prostate gland is around 50 to 100 mg/day, which is less than the dosage of 200 to 300 mg/day CPA that is used to treat prostate cancer. It has been said that in combined androgen blockade regimens with castration and CPA as the AR antagonist for prostate cancer, due to the marked reduction in androgen levels, lower dosages of CPA than those used as a monotherapy would seem to be equally effective. Relative to the 200 to 300 mg/day dosage of CPA used as a monotherapy in prostate cancer, the recommended dosage in combined androgen blockade is 100 to 200 mg/day. It has been stated that this dosage | |
How a 'better version' of Bottas plans to make F1 2019 his best yet
Lewis Larkam
Valtteri Bottas has returned to the F1 paddock with a steely determination to hit back in 2019 following a tough sophomore campaign with Mercedes, but will a new-found resilience help him?
Having hit the reset button over the winter, Valtteri Bottas plans on making the 2019 Formula 1 season his best one to date.
The Finn endured a tough 2018 campaign. Entering the year off the back of a solid maiden season with Mercedes - in which he racked up three victories and four pole positions - Bottas had high hopes for a title challenge.
But those aspirations quickly evaporated. Despite edging teammate Lewis Hamilton during the early stages of the season, misfortune denied Bottas the chance to claim early wins in China and Baku, before his campaign completely unravelled.
Singapore GP: Back for more in 2019
CrashTV:
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Bottas slipped out of championship contention and was forced to play a supporting role to Hamilton's title bid, and had what appeared to be certain victory taken away from him in Russia just as he looked to be recovering some form.
Giving up a victory he deserved in Sochi proved to be one blow too far for Bottas, who struggled to fifth place in the standings with zero wins to his name. In stark contrast, Hamilton went on to secure a fifth drivers' crown and racked up 11 victories in the process.
Exasperated and emotionally drained, Bottas disappeared into the winter to reflect on what had gone wrong and try to work out how on earth he could recover.
Following a much-needed three-month break spent travelling and making his rallying debut back in his native Finland, Bottas returned to the F1 paddock refreshed, rejuvenated (and even sporting a beard) as he heads into 2019 with a new approach both physically and mentally.
Photo4_s.r.l._931139.jpg
"There were many things I learned from last year and I want to do better, be a better version of myself," Bottas said. "I aim to finish this season with the feeling it was my best year ever and that will bring a good result.
"You always try to learn about yourself and the best way to prepare yourself. I did some different things over the winter. For example I'd never done a rally before and I did one at the end of January and it was pretty cool, good fun.
"I think driving something completely different but fast is always good, so it was a good exercise. Training-wise, with the new weight rules allowing me to be a bit more relaxed on what I could eat.
"I could make sure I stayed healthy and recovered from all the training. It was the first time in many years I didn't get ill during the winter months."
While Bottas was keeping a relatively low profile, the forecasts and predictions for the new season had already begun in full swing, with the likes of Hamilton, Ferrari and Red Bull-Honda dominating the winter headlines.
There was little mention of Bottas being a title contender as the media whipped up its usual pre-season hype heading to first testing and then Melbourne, though the Finn insists it is not something that bothered him.
"It's not a problem for me," Bottas said. "I don't care what people talk about and don't even know what has been said about the other situations in the other teams.
"I know there is always talking but, for me, I don't want to waste any single bit of my energy on that and just focus on my own performance this year and on the things that matter. That's it."
Pressure mounting on Bottas from within
Bottas, like with any top-level athlete when they underperform, was his own harshest critic after 2018, conceding he feels he is yet to really achieve anything in F1. He has since re-grouped, appears to have a tougher mindset than ever before, and is determined to right the wrongs in what he described as a "fresh start".
One of Bottas' biggest areas for improvement has to start with attempting to beat the man next door to him. That is no small feat when said man just so happens to the most successful driver of the current era of the sport. Hamilton is in his prime and appears to be at the peak of his powers, with little sign of slowing down.
Of course, he is not invincible. Former teammate Nico Rosberg managed to turn the tables on the Briton to beat him to the 2016 world championship, though Hamilton learnt valuable lessons in his only title defeat of the V6 hybrid era and looks to have eradicated any potential weaknesses, becoming stronger than ever before both over one lap and in race trim.
Bottas will be forgiven should he not overcome Hamilton this season, but it is critical for him to ensure he is right up there with his teammate, particularly as Mercedes braces itself for its toughest fight yet against a revitalised Ferrari in its bid to become the first team in F1 history to claim six consecutive double world championships.
Then there is there additional element of highly-rated Esteban Ocon to consider. The Mercedes junior is vying for the seat alongside Hamilton in 2020 after losing his F1 drive this season, which coincides with Bottas entering the final fixed year of his contract. Add into the equation the pressure from within and Bottas very much needs to deliver.
"In Formula 1 it's always important to have a good season, there's always people ready to take your seat if you don't perform, that's absolutely normal in this sport and in many other sports," he acknowledged.
"You either get the result or you go home, that's how it goes. For me there are no concerns, I'm focused on my targets and on the targets the team has for this year, in achieving those or being nearby it will be good."
Amid the prospect of an even closer title fight in 2019, Bottas knows he needs to hit the ground running.
That means avoiding the sort of costly mistakes that saw him spearing into the Albert Park barriers during Q3 last year, leaving him on the back foot in Melbourne and 15th on the grid (following a gearbox penalty) as Hamilton stormed to pole by nearly a second.
"It's always better to start the season well, so you don't feel after the first few races that you need to chase the others," Bottas explained.
"Even though I had a bad start of the season in 2018, only scoring a few points here, I had quite a strong beginning of the year and it was possible to be in a good position in the championship and remain for quite a long time in the fight.
"So it's not all about the first few races, the same amount of points is available in all 21 races, but in terms of feeling, it would be nice."
Providing Bottas can recapture the sort of potential he displayed during 2017 and turn in a consistent campaign, he could well emerge from the shadows as a genuine contender. If not, the pressure will mount and the questions surrounding his future continue to ramp up.
Only time will tell if 2019 proves to be Bottas' best-ever season, but for certain it is shaping up to be the most important of his entire career.
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\section{Introduction}
The theory of cosmic inflation~\cite{Starobinsky1980, Guth1981, Sato1981, Linde1982, Albrecht1982, Linde1983a, Lyth1999}, i.e. a period of quasi--de Sitter expansion of the Universe during the first instants after its birth, was initially motivated by its solution to the problems of traditional Big Bang cosmology, like the observed flatness and large scale CMB temperature uniformity. Nevertheless, its present appeal is that it provides a mechanism through which the tiny primordial inhomogeneities, arising as quantum fluctuations, are allowed to grow and become classical at superhorizon scales~\cite{Starobinsky1979, Mukhanov1981b, Hawking1982a, Hawking1983, Starobinsky1982a, Guth1982a}. Present experimental efforts focused on the CMB~\cite{Akrami2018, Ade2018}, strongly constrain the inflationary spectrum with an increasing accuracy, having narrowed considerably the range of viable inflationary models. Although the power spectrum of scalar perturbations is very nearly scale-invariant and Gaussian, and this agrees with inflationary models in their simplest implementation, in the medium-term future non-Gaussianities might be uncovered through the increasing accuracy of observations. The scalar degree of freedom (inflaton) employed in these models can either be a fundamental scalar field or can arise as an effective scalar degree of freedom incorporated in gravity itself. The latter possibility is realized in the so-called modified gravity models (see for a review~\cite{DeFelice2010, Sotiriou2010, Capozziello2011, Clifton2012, Odintsov2016}) and in particular in the Starobinsky model\cite{Starobinsky1980}, which is persistently in agreement with observations, regarding its inflationary spectrum. In fact, the Starobinsky model, as well as any theory of gravity with an action $\int\,d^4x\,\sqrt{-g}\,f(R)$, can be reformulated as a scalar--tensor theory of gravity with a non-minimal coupling of the effective scalar degree of freedom to the Ricci scalar.
Although known for sometime, the so-called first order or Palatini formulation of gravity~\cite{Palatini:1919} has recently received considerable attention~\cite{Bauer2008, Borunda2008, Bauer2011, Tamanini2011, Enqvist2012, Borowiec2012, Racioppi2017, Rasanen2017, Fu2017, Stachowski2017, Azri2017, Enckell2018, Enckell2018a, Jaerv2018, Rasanen2018, Antoniadis2018, Rasanen2018a, Antoniadis2019b, Racioppi2019, Shimada2019, Jinno2019, Tenkanen2019, Rubio2019, Gialamas2019, Tenkanen2020, Shaposhnikov2020, Tenkanen2020a, Shaposhnikov2020a, Lloyd-Stubbs2020}, since, in the case of scalar fields non-minimally coupled to gravity, it leads to different predictions than the standard (dubbed as metric) formulation. In the Palatini formulation the metric $g_{ \mu\nu}$ and the connection $\Gamma_{ \mu\nu}^{\rho}$ are treated as independent variables. Although within GR the Palatini formulation is entirely equivalent to the standard metric formulation, its application in theories containing $f(\phi)R$-type non-minimal couplings, leads to different results. For example, the Starobinsky model within the Palatini formulation does not lead to any propagating scalar degree of freedom, in contrast to its metric formulation. Quadratic gravity with an $R^2$ term combined with a fundamental scalar non-minimally coupled through $\xi\,\phi^2\,R$, considered in the Palatini framework, leads to a generalization of a $k$-inflation-type theory~\cite{Armendariz-Picon1999, Chiba2000, Armendariz-Picon2000, Armendariz-Picon2001, Chiba2002, Malquarti2003, Malquarti2003a, Chimento2004, Chimento2004a, Scherrer2004, Aguirregabiria2004, Armendariz-Picon2005, Abramo2006, Rendall2006, Bruneton2007, Putter2007, Babichev2008, Matsumoto2010, Deffayet2011, Unnikrishnan2012, Li2012}, featuring additional kinetic terms $A(\phi)(\nabla\phi)^2+B(\phi)(\nabla\phi)^4$ with field-dependent coefficients. In this article we investigate the phenomenological features of such models departing from the usual slow-roll approximation, where the second derivative in the inflaton equation of motion is neglected, and assuming that the constant-roll condition~\cite{Motohashi2015a, Motohashi2017a, Odintsov2017, Odintsov2017a, Nojiri2017, Motohashi2017b, Gao2017a, Oikonomou2017, Odintsov2017c, Oikonomou2017a, Cicciarella2018a, Anguelova2017, Karam2018c, Yi2017, Gao2019, Odintsov2020} holds true, meaning that $\ddot{\phi}/H\dot{\phi}\approx$ constant. One of the features of constant-roll is its association with non-Gaussianities in the CMB spectrum, in contrast for example to the slow-roll treatment of $k$-inflation models where non-Gaussianities are small.
In the present article we reconsider the model of a scalar field coupled to gravity in the presence of an $R^2$ term in the framework of the Palatini formalism. We investigate the inflationary dynamics assuming that the constant-roll condition is valid and focus on the case of a quartic self-interaction potential for the scalar field, a potential modelling the particularly appealing case of Higgs inflation~\cite{Bezrukov2008a, DeSimone2009, Bezrukov2009a, Barbon2009, Barvinsky2009, Lerner2010a, Bezrukov2011, Kamada2012, Bezrukov2013, Bezrukov2014, Allison2014, Hamada2014, George2014, Salvio2015, Hamada2015, Calmet2016, Artymowski2016, Rubio2018, Enckell2018}. We find that the Einstein frame Lagrangian of the model
\begin{equation}\label{LAGRA}
{\cal{L}}\,=\,A(\phi)(\nabla\phi)^2+B(\phi)(\nabla\phi)^4-U(\phi),
\end{equation}
corresponds to a generalized $k$-inflation model with a significant contribution of the higher order kinetic terms to the predictions concerning the inflationary observables. All predicted observables are in agreement with the limits set by current observations for a reasonable range of the model parameters, while the inflationary dynamics takes place in the large field domain. This is in contrast to the slow-roll case where this was achieved only at the expense of an unusually large amount of $e$-folds~\cite{Antoniadis2019b}. Both the cases of minimal as well as non-minimal coupling of the scalar to gravity lead to acceptable results.
The paper is organized as: In the following section we formulate the theory of quadratic gravity in terms of an auxiliary field $\chi$ in the presence of a fundamental scalar field $\phi$ with a possible non-minimal coupling and self-interaction potential $V(\phi)$. Under a Weyl rescaling of the metric and after solving the constraint equation of the auxiliary field, we arrive at the Einstein frame with a Lagrangian of the form of \eqref{LAGRA}. Assuming a flat FRW background metric, we obtain the equations of motion of the theory. Then, in section \ref{s3}, we set up the inflationary parameters and observables under the assumption of the constant-roll condition. In section \ref{s4}, we focus on the quartic model and study its predictions for the primordial tilt, tensor-to-scalar ratio and power spectrum for the cases of minimal and non-minimal coupling to gravity. Finally, in the last section we summarize our conclusions.
\section{Quadratic gravity in the Palatini formalism}
Consider a scalar field $\phi$ with a self-interaction potential $V(\phi)$, that is coupled non-minimally to gravity through a term $\xi\phi^2R/2$ in the presence of an $\alpha R^2/4$ term. We are anticipating that these terms are generated by radiative corrections. The interactions are parametrized in terms of the dimensionless parameters $\xi$ and $\alpha$. The resulting action
\begin{equation}
\mathcal{S}=\int\!\mathrm{d}^4x\,\sqrt{-g}\left\{\frac{1}{2}(M_P^2+\xi\phi^2)R+\frac{\alpha}{4}R^2-\frac{1}{2}(\nabla\phi)^2-V(\phi)\right\},
\end{equation}
can be equivalently expressed in the scalar representation, reading
\begin{equation}
\mathcal{S}=\int\!\mathrm{d}^4x\,\sqrt{-g}\left\{\frac{1}{2}(M_P^2+\xi\phi^2+\alpha\chi^2)R-\frac{1}{2}(\nabla\phi)^2-V(\phi)-\frac{\alpha}{4}\chi^4\right\},
\end{equation}
where $\chi$ is an auxiliary scalar, satisfying $\chi^2\!=\!R$ on-shell. Going to the Einstein frame via the Weyl rescaling\footnote{Hereafter we assume Planck units, i.e. $M_P^2\equiv 1$.}
\begin{equation}
\bar{g}_{\mu\nu}=(1+\xi\phi^2+\alpha\chi^2)\,g_{\mu\nu}
\end{equation}
and dropping the bars, we get
\begin{equation}\label{EFact}
\mathcal{S}=\int\!\mathrm{d}^4x\,\sqrt{-g}\left\{\frac{1}{2}R-\frac{1}{2}\,\frac{(\nabla\phi)^2}{(1+\xi\phi^2+\alpha\chi^2)}-\frac{V+\frac{\alpha}{4}\chi^4}{(1+\xi\phi^2+\alpha\chi^2)^2}\right\}.
\end{equation}
Note that, since we are working within the Palatini framework, the Ricci scalar $R=g^{ \mu\nu}R_{ \mu\nu}(\Gamma)$ is only rescaled multiplicatively and no derivatives of $\phi$ and $\chi$ arise, the latter keeping its auxiliary field status. Solving the constraint equation $\delta_\chi\mathcal{S}\!=\!0$ for $\chi^2$, we obtain
\begin{equation}
\chi^2=\frac{4V+(1+\xi\phi^2)(\nabla\phi)^2}{(1+\xi\phi^2)-\alpha(\nabla\phi)^2}
\end{equation}
and substituting back into \eqref{EFact} we arrive at the action
\begin{equation}
\mathcal{S}=\int\!\mathrm{d}^4x\,\sqrt{-g}\left(\frac{1}{2}R+\mathcal{L}(\phi,X)\right),
\end{equation}
expressed in terms of an effective Lagrangian
\begin{equation}
\mathcal{L}(\phi,X) \equiv A(\phi)X+B(\phi)X^2-U(\phi)\,,
\end{equation}
where
\begin{equation}
X\,\equiv\,\frac{1}{2}(\nabla\phi)^2\,\,\,\,\,{\text{and}}\,\,\,\,\,\,\left\{\begin{array}{l}
A(\phi)\,\equiv\,-\left(1+\xi\phi^2+4\alpha\frac{V(\phi)}{(1+\xi\phi^2)}\right)^{-1}\\
\,\\
B(\phi)\,\equiv\,\alpha\left(\,(1+\xi\phi^2)^2+4\alpha V(\phi)\right)^{-1}\,=\,-\frac{\alpha A(\phi)}{(1+\xi\phi^2)}\\
\,\\
U(\phi)\,\equiv\,V(\phi)\,\left(\,(1+\xi\phi^2)^2+4\alpha V(\phi)\right)^{-1}
\end{array}\right.
\end{equation}
Note that ${\cal{L}}$ features up to quartic kinetic terms with field-depended coefficients, belonging to a generalized class of $k$-inflation models.
The energy-momentum tensor corresponding to the source field $\phi$, governed by $\mathcal{L}$, is
\begin{equation}
T_{\mu\nu}\equiv \frac{2}{\sqrt{-g}}\,\frac{\delta\mathcal{S}}{\delta g^{\mu\nu}}=-\frac{\partial\mathcal{L}}{\partial X}\,\left(\nabla_{\mu}\phi\right)\left(\,\nabla_{\nu}\phi\right)+g_{\mu\nu}\mathcal{L}
\end{equation}
or
\begin{equation}
T_{ \mu\nu}\,=\,-(A+2BX)\left(\nabla_{ \mu}\phi\right)\left(\nabla_{ \nu}\phi\right)+g_{ \mu\nu}(AX+BX^2-U)\,.
\end{equation}
Then, assuming that the scalar field is spatially homogeneous, depending only on time, we can obtain the energy density $\rho=T_{00}$ and the pressure as $T_{ij}=p\,g_{ij}=\mathcal{L}\,g_{ij}$, i.e.:
\begin{align}
\rho&=A(\phi)X+3B(\phi)X^2+U(\phi),\label{g00}\\
p&=A(\phi)X+B(\phi)X^2-U(\phi).
\end{align}
Assuming a spatially flat FRW metric, the equations of motion are:
\begin{align}
&3H^2=\rho,\\
&\dot{\rho}+3H(\rho+p)=0,
\end{align}
where the dot denotes derivative with respect to the cosmic time $t$. These equations combined give the following equation
\begin{equation}
2\dot{H}+3H^2=-p.
\end{equation}
Finally, the scalar field equation of motion is
\begin{equation}
\ddot{\phi}(A+6BX)+3H\dot{\phi}(A+2BX)-A'X-3B'X^2=U'.{\label{EQOFMO}}
\end{equation}
Hereafter, we denote with a prime the derivative with respect to $\phi$.
\section{Constant-Roll Inflation}\label{s3}
The field $\phi$, being the sole scalar degree of freedom, is our candidate for the inflaton. We shall assume that the constant-roll condition
\begin{equation}
\ddot{\phi}=\beta H\dot{\phi},
\end{equation}
is satisfied, $\beta$ being a constant parameter. This condition approaches the slow-roll condition where $\ddot{\phi}\simeq0$ in the limit $\beta\ll 1$. Let us also introduce the following slow-roll parameters (SRP)~\cite{Odintsov2020}
\begin{equation}\label{srps}
\epsilon_1=-\frac{\dot{H}}{H^2},\qquad\epsilon_2=-\frac{\ddot{\phi}}{H\dot{\phi}},\qquad\epsilon_3=\frac{\dot{F}}{2HF},\qquad\epsilon_4=\frac{\dot{E}}{2HE},
\end{equation}
where
\begin{equation}
F=\frac{\partial \mathcal{L}}{\partial R}, \qquad E=-\frac{F}{2X}\left(X\,\frac{\partial\mathcal{L}}{\partial X}+2X^2\,\frac{\partial^2\mathcal{L}}{\partial X^2}\right).
\end{equation}
We shall also assume that $\dot{\phi}^2/2\ll U(\phi)$, at least during the initial stages of inflation, so that the parameters defined above also make sense. Later on, we shall check the smallness of the SRPs. Note that the constant-roll condition fixes $\epsilon_2=-\beta$. Also, in our case, being in the Einstein frame where $F=1/2$, we have just $\epsilon_3=0$. In terms of the SRPs we | |
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Шоров алгоритам, назван по математичару Питеру Шору (), је квантни алгоритам (алгоритам који функционоше на квантном рачунару) за разлагање целих бројева на просте чиниоце формулисан 1994. У суштини он решава следећи проблем: За дати цео број -{N}-, налази његове просте чиниоце.
На квантном рачунару, да би свео број -{N}- на просте чиниоце, Shor-ов алгоритам ради у полиномијалном времену (време потребно за извршавање алгоритма је полином у -{log N}-, што је величина улаза). Прецизно, потребно му је време -{O((log N)}-3), показујући да се проблем растављања броја на просте чиниоце може ефикасно решити на квантном рачунару и да се налази у класи сложености BQP (квантно полиномијално време са ограниченом грешком) проблема. Ово је знатно брже од већине познатих алгоритама за растављање на просте чиниоце, изузетак је алгоритам сита поља општег броја који ради у под-експоненционалном времену — отприлике . Ефикасност Шоровог алгоритма је у ефикасности квантних Фуријеових трансформација, и модуларном степеноваљу помоћу квадрата броја.
Ако би квантни рачунар са довољним бројем квантних бита могао да ради без утицаја шумова и осталих квантних сметњи, Шоров алгоритам би се могао користити за разбијање шема криптографије јавног-кључа као што су веома познате RSA (РСА) шема. RSA се заснива на претпоставци да је растављање великих бројева на просте чиниоце рачунарски неизводљиво. За сада колико је познато, ова претпоставка важи за класичне (не-квантне) рачунаре; не зна се ни за један класичан алгоритам који може да раставља на просте чиниоце у полиномијалном времену. Међутим, Шоров алгоритам показује да је растављање на просте чиниоце ефикасно на идеалном квантном рачунару, тако да је могуће да се победи RSA конструкцијом великог квантног рачунара. То је такође била велика мотивација за дизајнирање и конструкцију квантних рачунара и за учење нових алгоритама за квантне рачунаре. У исто време отпочело је истраживање нових криптосистема који су били сигурни од квантних рачунара, целокупно названи пост-квантна криптографија.
2001., Шоров алгоритам је демонстрирала група са IBM-а, која је раставила 15 на 3 × 5, користећи NMR (Нуклеарну магнетну ресонансу) имплементацију квантног рачунара са 7 квантних битова.
Ипак, јавиле су се неке сумње око тога да ли је IBM-ов експеримент био права демонстрација квантног рачунара, пошто никакво квантно уплитање није виђено.
Од IBM-ове имплементације, неколико других група је имплементирало Шоров алгоритам користећи фотонске квантне битове, наглашавајући да је уплитање виђено. 2012., растављање броја 15 је поновљено. Такође 2012., растављање броја 21 је постигнуто, постављајући тако рекорд за највећи број растављен на просте чиниоце са квантним рачунаром.
Поступак
Проблем који покушавамо да решимо је: за дат непаран сложен број , наћи цео број , строго између и , који дели . Нас занимају непарне вредности броја јер парне вредности броја имају број као прост чинилац. Можемо да искористимо алгоритам за тестирање да ли је број прост да будемо сигурни да је број стварно сложен.
Штавише, да би алгоритам радио, потребно је да не буде степен чиниоца. Ovо се може тестирати налажењем квадратног, кубног, ..., -ог корена од , за , и проверавањем да ни једна од ових вредности није цео број. (Ово заправо искључује да је за неке целе бројеве и .)
Пошто није степен чиниоца, он је производ два узајамно проста броја већа од . Као последица кинеске теореме остатка, број има бар четири различита корена модула , два су и . Циљ алгоритма је да нађе корен од један, осим и ; такав ће довести до растављања броја , као и у другим алгоритмима за растављање броја на чиниоце као квадратно сито.
Заузврат, проналажење таквог је сведено на проналажење броја парног редоследа са одређеном додатном особином (као што је објашњено доле, неопходно је да услов Корака 6 класичног дела не буде испуњен). Квантни алгоритам се користи за налажење редоследа насумично одабраног елемента , јер је налажење правог редоследа тежак проблем на класичном рачунару.
Шоров алгоритам се састоји из два дела:
Смањења, које се може извести на класичном рачунару, проблема растављања на просте чиниоце на проблем налажења правог редоследа.
Квантног алгоритма да реши проблем редоследа.
Класичан део
Одабрати насумичан број a < N
Налажење НЗД(a, N). Ово се може урадити користећи Еуклидов алгоритам.
Ако је НЗД(a, N) ≠ 1, онда постоји не-тривијалан чинилац од N, тако да смо завршили.
У супротном, искористити под-рутину за налажење редоследа (испод) да би се нашло r, редослед следеће функције:
,
редослед од у , који је најмањи позитиван цео број r за који важи
or
Ако је r непаран, иде се назад на Корак 1.
Ако је a r /2 ≡ −1 mod N), иди назад на Корак 1.
НЗД(ar/2 ± 1, N) је не-тривијални чинилац N. Завршили смо.
На пример: , gcd(4 ± 1, N)
Квантни део: Под-рутина за налажење редоследа
Квантна кола коришћена за овај алгоритам су посебно направљена за сваки избор N и насумично a коришћено у f(x) = ax mod N. За дато N, наћи Q = 2q тако да , из чега следи . Улазни и излазни квантни бит регистри морају да задрже вредности супер-позиција од 0 до Q − 1, и тако имамо q квантних бита појединачно. Коришћењем дупло више квантних битова него што се чини потребним осигуравамо да има барем N различитих x који дају исто f(x), иако се редослед r приближава N/2.
Поступамо на следећи начин:
Поставити регистре на
где x иде од 0 до Q − 1. Ово почетно стање је суперпозиција Q стања.
Направити f(x) као квантну функцију и применити је на горње стање, да би се добило
Ово је и даље суперпозиција Q стања.
Применити квантне Фуријеове трансформације на улазни регистар. Ова трансформација (радићи на суперпозицији степена двојке Q = 2q states)
користи Qти јединични корен као што је да распореди амплитуду било ког датог стања једнаког међу свим Q стања, и да уради то на другачији начин за свако различито x:
Ово води до последњег стања
Ово је суперпозиција од много више Q стања, али много мање Q2 стања. Иако постоје Q2 изрази у суми, стање се може занемарити кад год x0 и x дају исту вредност. Нека је
Qти јединични корен,
r редослед f,
x0 најмањи од скупа x који дају исто задато f(x) (имамо x0 < r), и
b које иде од 0 до тако да
Онда је јединични вектор у сложеној равни ( је јединични корен а r и y су цели бројеви), и коефицијент у последњем стању је
Сваки израз у овој суми представља различит пут до истог резултата, и долази до квантне сметње—када јединични вектори показују у скоро истом смеру на сложеној равни, што захтева да показују уз дуж позитивне реалне осе.
Извршити мерење.
Долазимо до неког исхода y на улазном регистру и на излазном регистру.
Пошто је f периодично, вероватноћа мерења неког пара y и је дата помоћу
Анализе данас показују да је ова вероватноћа већа, што је јединични вектор позитивној реалној оси, или је yr/Q ближе целом броју. Уколико р није степен 2, он неће бити чинилац Q.
Користећи Верижни разломак на y/Q да би направили његову апроксимацију, и направимо c/r′ од њега тако да задовољава два услова:
A: r′<N
B: |y/Q - c/r′| < 1/2Q.
Уколико смо задовољили ова два услова, r′ би био прави редослед r са великом вероватноћом тачности.
Проверити да ли је f(x) = f(x + r′) Ако јесте, завршили смо.
У супротном, узети још кандидата за r користећи вредности близу y, или мултипликаторе r′. Ако било који кандидат задовољава услове, завршили смо.
У супротном, врати се назад на Корак 1 под-рутине.
Објашњење алгоритма
Алгоритам се састоји из два дела. Први део алгоритма своди проблем растављања броја на просте чиниоце на проблем налажења редоследа функције, и може се имплементирати класично. Други део налази редослед коришћењем квантних Фуријеових трансформација, и одговоран је за квантно убрзање алгоритма.
Налажење чинилаца из редоследа
Бројеви мањи од N и узајамно прости са N формирају коначну Абелову групу са множењем по modulo N. Величина је дата помоћу Ојлерове фи функције .
До краја Корака 3, имамо цео број a у овој групи. Пошто је група коначна, a мора имати коначан поредак r, најмањи позитиван цео број такав да
Стога, N се дели (пише се и | ) a r − | |
A collection of miniaturized lawn games, 3 new and 3 classic, using only solid metal components. Late pledges still available below.
752 backers pledged $25,226 to help bring this project to life.
Designed by Jordan Draper, METAL is the first installation in the Material Series, a group of games that will focus on a single material while partnering with specialized companies. Lay Waste Games was the obvious home for this first installment because...well...IT'S METAL!
Let's get this first question out of the way. Yes. Everything is solid metal. Even the box. For serious! And that is why we need Kickstarter to make this happen. With METAL, we want to showcase different metals, and create something that lasts forever, similar to the build quality of classic car frames and toaster oven bodies.
This is also just the start of something truly innovative by Jordan Draper: the Material Series!
The planned lineup is Wood, Paper, Rubber, and Fabric. Each title in this new line of games sets out to explore and showcase how a single material can be utilized in the context of tabletop games, with the highest manufacturing quality and techniques.
Every material will be a different partnership with a specialist company that leads in knowledge and experience. With your help, we aim to break the mold of what's possible!
METAL comes with 38 solid metal pieces made from 3 different types of metal: Steel, Aluminum, and Zinc alloys. And yes, they are all housed inside of a solid metal, two-piece telescoping box.
One of the parts of METAL that we are most excited about is the steel box. Jordan wanted the box to be a traditional board game box, with 1.5mm wall thickness, rather than simply using a tin box that might be found with breath mints. It took months of research but we nailed it. To make the steel box, massive metal presses will take sheets of steel and stamp them under intense pressure, forming the shape needed. The game's title, our logos, and our websites will all be imprinted onto the box during this process, for something truly unique in your collection.
Our process is very similar to the GIF above, but involves more magic and love. The piece that might be made with the most love is the kingpin. This is what you will use for striking in various games, and Jordan decided to make this piece extra sweet. Atop traditional kingpins are often crowns, but in METAL, you get our signature Human Skull from Dragoon!
In order to cast these pieces as accurately as possible, we typically use spin casting in rubber molds. Some have told us there is a better way that is more natural. That is, of course, casting in real watermelons. We gave it a try, but it didn't work out as planned.
Moving forward, we will be casting the pieces professionally, not with watermelons. And since the watermelon above is on a lawn, here is Jordan to discuss how lawn games influenced METAL. Perfect segue!
I love a summer picnic, when you forget about everything and just play ridiculous lawn games. I also miss the feeling of being a kid, seeing a bunch of stuff lying around, and making a game out of it. Metal is an homage to these times, tapping into those experiences, but this time while you're out to eat with friends at a restaurant, or stuck in a queue for 3h to see a Panda.
Reading Is FUN-damental! We all know this to be true and gave you more fun fuel below. When released, the rules will be available on our websites, which are stamped onto the back of the box. For now, all games are outlined below.
However, we know some of you are busy business people who can't spend time reading because markets are fluctuating and DOWs are on the...rise or something? For those people, here is a video!
Now that you have watched the video, you can get back to...playing the market with stock tickers...or something. For the rest of you, read onward!
Randomly spread out and stand up the 1-12 pegs on the table. Give each player a unique large ball, and start their ball in front of them. Taking turns passing the kingpin around in clockwise order, players will take one hit with the kingpin to try to knock over the lowest numbered peg, and keep it for points. One hit per turn. As soon as all 12 pegs are collected the game is over. The winner is determined by the sum of the point values of all pegs each player has collected. If a player hits over the wrong peg, they must return a peg they have collected to the center of the table. It is allowed to combo hits together like in pool, but you must hit the lowest number first and then only the next highest number. So for example, you could hit the 1 peg into the 2 peg, and collect both in the same turn, but if you hit the 3 peg into the 5 peg, you would fail and need to put back a collected peg as well as stand up the 3 and 5.
Evenly distribute the large balls among players, then put the small ball in the center of the table. In real time, all players now roll their large balls to try to hit the small one, receiving 1 point each time they hit the small ball. If they hit the small ball and it then falls off the table, that player will have their score reset to 0. All of the large balls can be taken as they roll to you. The first player to get 3 points wins the game immediately.
Form two teams, across from each other at least 1m apart, and place all of the golden pegs numbered 1-12 in the center. Each team will now draft pegs until the sum of their numbers add up to exactly to 20. Teams will take one peg at a time, starting with the youngest player at the table and alternating back and fourth between teams. If it is not possible to reach exactly 20, your team will put a peg back and take a new one in its place on your turn. (example draft picks could be (team 1: 11, 9) (team 2: 3, 4, 5, 8).
Stand up your pegs on the other teams side, spaced evenly and far apart, with the numbers facing toward you. Each turn, your team can take any combination of balls and throwing batons equal to the difference between your lowest number peg (numbers facing you), and the other teams highest number peg (on your side facing them). In this example, team 1 would receive 1 item, team 2 would receive 8 items. Starting with the team with the least items, they will roll balls and throw batons at their pegs, which must be knocked over in order from lowest to highest. If any number that isn't the lowest is hit, stand it up again. The other team will then do the same, alternating back and forth until one team knocks over all their pegs! If both teams have pegs left, take items as described above given the pegs left, and repeat.
Most of you are probably familiar with at least one of these timeless classics. For those who are new to them, we debated rewriting the rules for each. However, in this glorious world of the internet, we believe the best way to learn about them is to simply link you to basic explanations on Wikipedia (Bocce / Kubb / Croquet) and encourage you to find some sweet content on YouTube (Bocce / Kubb / Croquet).
There are historically tons of ways to play each game | |
// Copyright (c) 2012 The Chromium OS Authors. All rights reserved.
// Use of this source code is governed by a BSD-style license that can be
// found in the LICENSE file.
'use strict';
lib.rtdep('lib.f');
/**
* @fileoverview VT test suite.
*
* This is more of an integration test suite for the VT and Terminal classes,
* as each test typically sends strings into the VT parser and then reads
* the terminal to verify that everyone did the right thing.
*/
hterm.VT.Tests = new lib.TestManager.Suite('hterm.VT.Tests');
hterm.VT.Tests.prototype.setup = function(cx) {
this.setDefaults(cx,
{ visibleColumnCount: 15,
visibleRowCount: 6,
});
};
/**
* Clear out the current document and create a new hterm.Terminal object for
* testing.
*
* Called before each test case in this suite.
*/
hterm.VT.Tests.prototype.preamble = function(result, cx) {
var document = cx.window.document;
document.body.innerHTML = '';
var div = document.createElement('div');
div.style.position = 'absolute';
div.style.height = '100%';
div.style.width = '100%';
document.body.appendChild(div);
this.div = div;
cx.window.terminal = this.terminal = new hterm.Terminal();
this.terminal.decorate(div);
this.terminal.setWidth(this.visibleColumnCount);
this.terminal.setHeight(this.visibleRowCount);
};
/**
* Ensure that blink is off after the test so we don't have runaway timeouts.
*
* Called after each test case in this suite.
*/
hterm.VT.Tests.prototype.postamble = function(result, cx) {
this.terminal.setCursorBlink(false);
};
/**
* Overridden addTest method.
*
* Every test in this suite needs to wait for the terminal initialization to
* complete asynchronously. Rather than stick a bunch of biolerplate into each
* test case, we use this overridden addTest method to add a proxy around the
* actual test.
*/
hterm.VT.Tests.addTest = function(name, callback) {
function testProxy(result, cx) {
var self = this;
setTimeout(function() {
self.terminal.setCursorPosition(0, 0);
self.terminal.setCursorVisible(true);
callback.apply(self, [result, cx]);
}, 0);
result.requestTime(200);
}
lib.TestManager.Suite.addTest.apply(this, [name, testProxy]);
};
/**
* Basic sanity test to make sure that when we insert plain text it appears
* on the screen and scrolls into the scrollback buffer correctly.
*/
hterm.VT.Tests.addTest('sanity', function(result, cx) {
this.terminal.interpret('0\r\n1\r\n2\r\n3\r\n4\r\n5\r\n6\r\n' +
'7\r\n8\r\n9\r\n10\r\n11\r\n12');
var text = this.terminal.getRowsText(0, 13);
result.assertEQ(text, '0\n1\n2\n3\n4\n5\n6\n7\n8\n9\n10\n11\n12');
result.assertEQ(this.terminal.scrollbackRows_.length, 7);
result.pass();
});
/**
* Test that we parse UTF-8 properly. Parser state should persist
* across writes and invalid sequences should result in replacement
* characters.
*/
hterm.VT.Tests.addTest('utf8', function(result, cx) {
// 11100010 10000000 10011001 split over two writes.
this.terminal.interpret('\xe2\x80');
this.terminal.interpret('\x99\r\n');
// Interpret some invalid UTF-8. xterm and gnome-terminal are
// inconsistent about the number of replacement characters. We
// match xterm.
this.terminal.interpret('a\xf1\x80\x80\xe1\x80\xc2b\x80c\x80\xbfd\r\n')
// Surrogate pairs turn into replacements.
this.terminal.interpret('\xed\xa0\x80' + // D800
'\xed\xad\xbf' + // D87F
'\xed\xae\x80' + // DC00
'\xed\xbf\xbf'); // DFFF
var text = this.terminal.getRowsText(0, 3);
result.assertEQ(text,
'\u2019\n' +
'a\ufffd\ufffd\ufffdb\ufffdc\ufffd\ufffdd\n' +
'\ufffd\ufffd\ufffd\ufffd');
// Check the upper and lower bounds of each sequence type. The
// last few will turn into single replacement characters. Some may
// require surrogate pairs in UTF-16. Run these through the
// decoder directly because the terminal ignores 00 and 7F.
result.assertEQ(
new lib.UTF8Decoder().decode('\x00' +
'\xc2\x80' +
'\xe0\xa0\x80' +
'\xf0\x90\x80\x80' +
'\xf8\x88\x80\x80\x80' +
'\xfc\x84\x80\x80\x80\x80'),
'\u0000\u0080\u0800\ud800\udc00\ufffd\ufffd');
result.assertEQ(
new lib.UTF8Decoder().decode('\x7f' +
'\xdf\xbf' +
'\xef\xbf\xbf' +
'\xf7\xbf\xbf\xbf' +
'\xfb\xbf\xbf\xbf\xbf' +
'\xfd\xbf\xbf\xbf\xbf\xbf'),
'\u007f\u07ff\uffff\ufffd\ufffd\ufffd');
result.pass();
});
/**
* Basic cursor positioning tests.
*
* TODO(rginda): Test the VT52 variants too.
*/
hterm.VT.Tests.addTest('cursor-relative', function(result, cx) {
this.terminal.interpret('line 1\r\nline 2\r\nline 3');
this.terminal.interpret('\x1b[A\x1b[Dtwo' +
'\x1b[3D' +
'\x1b[Aone' +
'\x1b[4D' +
'\x1b[2B' +
'\x1b[Cthree');
var text = this.terminal.getRowsText(0, 3);
result.assertEQ(text, 'line one\nline two\nline three');
result.pass();
});
/**
* Test absolute cursor positioning.
*/
hterm.VT.Tests.addTest('cursor-absolute', function(result, cx) {
this.terminal.interpret('line 1\r\nline 2\r\nline 3');
this.terminal.interpret('\x1b[1Gline three' +
'\x1b[2;6Htwo' +
'\x1b[1;5f one');
var text = this.terminal.getRowsText(0, 3);
result.assertEQ(text, 'line one\nline two\nline three');
result.pass();
});
/**
* Test line positioning.
*/
hterm.VT.Tests.addTest('line-position', function(result, cx) {
this.terminal.interpret('line 1\r\nline 2\r\nline 3');
this.terminal.interpret('\x1b[Fline two' +
'\x1b[Fline one' +
'\x1b[E\x1b[Eline three');
var text = this.terminal.getRowsText(0, 3);
result.assertEQ(text, 'line one\nline two\nline three');
result.pass();
});
/**
* Test that a partial sequence is buffered until the entire sequence is
* received.
*/
hterm.VT.Tests.addTest('partial-sequence', function(result, cx) {
this.terminal.interpret('line 1\r\nline 2\r\nline three');
this.terminal.interpret('\x1b');
this.terminal.interpret('[');
this.terminal.interpret('5');
this.terminal.interpret('D');
this.terminal.interpret('\x1b[');
this.terminal.interpret('Atwo\x1b[3');
this.terminal.interpret('D\x1b[Aone');
var text = this.terminal.getRowsText(0, 3);
result.assertEQ(text, 'line one\nline two\nline three');
result.pass();
});
/**
* Test that two ESC characters in a row are handled properly.
*/
hterm.VT.Tests.addTest('double-sequence', function(result, cx) {
this.terminal.interpret('line one\r\nline two\r\nline 3');
this.terminal.interpret('\x1b[\x1b[Dthree');
var text = this.terminal.getRowsText(0, 3);
result.assertEQ(text, 'line one\nline two\nline three');
result.pass();
});
/**
* Test that 8-bit control characters are properly ignored.
*/
hterm.VT.Tests.addTest('8-bit-control', function(result, cx) {
var title = null;
this.terminal.setWindowTitle = function(t) {
// Set a default title so we can catch the potential for this function
// to be called on accident with no parameter.
title = t || 'XXX';
};
result.assertEQ(this.terminal.vt.enable8BitControl, false);
// Send a "set window title" command using a disabled 8-bit
// control. It's a C1 control, so we interpret it after UTF-8
// decoding.
this.terminal.interpret('\xc2\x9d0;test title\x07!!');
result.assertEQ(title, null);
result.assertEQ(this.terminal.getRowsText(0, 1), '0;test title!!');
// Try again with the two-byte version of the code.
title = null;
this.terminal.reset();
this.terminal.interpret('\x1b]0;test title\x07!!');
result.assertEQ(title, 'test title');
result.assertEQ(this.terminal.getRowsText(0, 1), '!!');
// Now enable 8-bit control and see how it goes.
title = null;
this.terminal.reset();
this.terminal.vt.enable8BitControl = true;
this.terminal.interpret('\xc2\x9d0;test title\x07!!');
result.assertEQ(title, 'test title');
result.assertEQ(this.terminal.getRowsText(0, 1), '!!');
result.pass();
});
/**
* Test that long unterminated sequences are properly ignored.
*/
hterm.VT.Tests.addTest('unterminated-sequence', function(result, cx) {
var title = null;
this.terminal.setWindowTitle = function(t) {
// Set a default title so we can catch the potential for this function
// to be called on accident with no parameter.
title = t || 'XXX';
};
// Lower this threshold to make the test simpler.
this.terminal.vt.maxStringSequence = 10;
// The "0;" is part of the sequence, so we only have 8 bytes left.
this.terminal.interpret('\x1b]0;12345678\x07!!');
result.assertEQ(title, '12345678');
result.assertEQ(this.terminal.getRowsText(0, 1), '!!');
title = null;
terminal.reset();
this.terminal.interpret('\x1b]0;12345');
this.terminal.interpret('678\x07!!');
result.assertEQ(title, '12345678');
result.assertEQ(this.terminal.getRowsText(0, 1), '!!');
title = null;
terminal.reset();
this.terminal.interpret('\x1b]0;123456789\x07!!');
result.assertEQ(title, null);
result.assertEQ(this.terminal.getRowsText(0, 1), '0;123456789!!');
title = null;
terminal.reset();
this.terminal.interpret('\x1b]0;12345');
this.terminal.interpret('6789\x07!!');
result.assertEQ(title, null);
result.assertEQ(this.terminal.getRowsText(0, 1), '0;123456789!!');
result.pass();
});
hterm.VT.Tests.addTest('dec-screen-test', function(result, cx) {
this.terminal.interpret('\x1b#8');
var text = this.terminal.getRowsText(0, 6);
result.assertEQ(text,
'EEEEEEEEEEEEEEE\n' +
'EEEEEEEEEEEEEEE\n' +
'EEEEEEEEEEEEEEE\n' +
'EEEEEEEEEEEEEEE\n' +
'EEEEEEEEEEEEEEE\n' +
'EEEEEEEEEEEEEEE');
result.pass();
});
hterm.VT.Tests.addTest('newlines-1', function(result, cx) {
// Should be off by default.
result.assertEQ(this.terminal.options_.autoCarriageReturn, false);
// 0d: newline, 0b: vertical tab, 0c: form feed.
this.terminal.interpret('newline\x0dvtab\x0bff\x0cbye');
var text = this.terminal.getRowsText(0, 3);
result.assertEQ(text,
'vtabine\n' +
' ff\n' +
' bye'
);
result.pass();
});
hterm.VT.Tests.addTest('newlines-2', function(result, cx) {
this.terminal.interpret('\x1b[20h');
result.assertEQ(this.terminal.options_.autoCarriageReturn, true);
this.terminal.interpret('newline\x0dvtab\x0bff\x0cbye');
var text = this.terminal.getRowsText(0, 3);
result.assertEQ(text,
'vtabine\n' +
'ff\n' +
'bye'
);
result.pass();
});
/**
* Test the default tab stops.
*/
hterm.VT.Tests.addTest('tabs', function(result, cx) {
this.terminal.interpret('123456789012345\r\n');
this.terminal.interpret('1\t2\ta\r\n');
this.terminal.interpret('1\t2\tb\r\n');
this.terminal.interpret('1\t2\tc\r\n');
this.terminal.interpret('1\t2\td\r\n');
this.terminal.interpret('1\t2\te');
var text = this.terminal.getRowsText(0, 6);
result.assertEQ(text,
'123456789012345\n' +
'1 2 a\n' +
'1 2 b\n' +
'1 2 c\n' +
'1 2 d\n' +
'1 2 e'
);
result.pass();
});
/**
* Test terminal reset.
*/
hterm.VT.Tests.addTest('reset', function(result, cx) {
this.terminal.interpret(
// Switch to alternate screen and set some attributes.
'\x1b[?47h\x1b[1;33;44m' +
// Switch back to primary screen.
'\x1b[?47l' +
// Set some text attributes.
'\x1b[1;33;44m' +
// Clear all tab stops.
'\x1b[3g' +
// Set a scroll region.
'\x1b[2;4r' +
// Set cursor position.
'\x1b[5;6H');
var ta;
result.assertEQ(this.terminal.tabStops_.length, 0);
ta = this.terminal.primaryScreen_.textAttributes;
result.assert(ta.foreground != ta.DEFAULT_COLOR);
result.assert(ta.background != ta.DEFAULT_COLOR);
ta = this.terminal.alternateScreen_.textAttributes;
result.assert(ta.foreground != ta.DEFAULT_COLOR);
result.assert(ta.background != ta.DEFAULT_COLOR);
result.assertEQ(ta.bold, true);
result.assertEQ(this.terminal.vtScrollTop_, 1);
result.assertEQ(this.terminal.vtScrollBottom_, 3);
result.assertEQ(this.terminal.screen_.cursorPosition.row, 4);
result.assertEQ(this.terminal.screen_.cursorPosition.column, 5);
// Reset.
this.terminal.interpret('\x1bc');
result.assertEQ(this.terminal.tabStops_.length, 1);
ta = this.terminal.primaryScreen_.textAttributes;
result.assertEQ(ta.foreground, ta.DEFAULT_COLOR);
result.assertEQ(ta.background, ta.DEFAULT_COLOR);
ta = this.terminal.alternateScreen_.textAttributes;
result.assertEQ(ta.foreground, ta.DEFAULT_COLOR);
result.assertEQ(ta.background, ta.DEFAULT_COLOR);
result.assertEQ(ta.bold, false);
result.assertEQ(this.terminal.vtScrollTop_, null);
result.assertEQ(this.terminal.vtScrollBottom_, null);
result.assertEQ(this.terminal.screen_.cursorPosition.row, 0);
result.assertEQ(this.terminal.screen_.cursorPosition.column, 0);
result.pass();
});
/**
* Test the erase left command.
*/
hterm.VT.Tests.addTest('erase-left', function(result, cx) {
this.terminal.interpret('line one\r\noooooooo\r\nline three');
this.terminal.interpret('\x1b[5D\x1b[A' +
'\x1b[1Ktw');
var text = this.terminal.getRowsText(0, 3);
result.assertEQ(text,
'line one\n' +
' two\n' +
'line three');
result.pass();
});
/**
* Test the erase right command.
*/
hterm.VT.Tests.addTest('erase-right', function(result, cx) {
this.terminal.interpret('line one\r\nline XXXX\r\nline three');
this.terminal.interpret('\x1b[5D\x1b[A' +
'\x1b[0Ktwo');
var text = this.terminal.getRowsText(0, 3);
result.assertEQ(text,
'line one\n' +
'line two\n' +
'line three');
result.pass();
});
/**
* Test the erase line command.
*/
hterm.VT.Tests.addTest('erase-line', function(result, cx) {
this.terminal.interpret('line one\r\nline twoo\r\nline three');
this.terminal.interpret('\x1b[5D\x1b[A' +
'\x1b[2Ktwo');
var text = this.terminal.getRowsText(0, 3);
result.assertEQ(text,
'line one\n' +
' two\n' +
'line three');
result.pass();
});
/**
* Test the erase above command.
*/
hterm.VT.Tests.addTest('erase-above', function(result, cx) {
this.terminal.interpret('line one\r\noooooooo\r\nline three');
this.terminal.interpret('\x1b[5D\x1b[A' +
'\x1b[1Jtw');
var text = this.terminal.getRowsText(0, 3);
result.assertEQ(text,
'\n' +
' two\n' +
'line three');
result.pass();
});
/**
* Test the | |
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, conocida en Hispanoamérica como Naruto la película: ¡Batalla ninja en la tierra de la nieve!, es la primera película basada en el anime y manga Naruto de Masashi Kishimoto. Se estrenó en Japón el 21 de agosto de 2004.
Esta película se quedó en la cima de las taquillas japonesas durante un tiempo. Fue tan popular, que pronto recibió una segunda película en verano de 2005, Naruto: Daigekitotsu! Maboroshi no Chiteiiseki Dattebayo. Esta primera película apareció en DVD el 28 de abril de 2005. La canción principal se titula "Home sweet home" y es cantada por Yuki.
La película es un éxito de taquilla recaudó ¥1,370,000,000 y se consagró como una de las películas de anime basada en el manga más taquilleras y con mayor recaudación tanto en Japón como a nivel mundial.
Como extras en la película viene incluido el cortometraje El festival deportivo de Konoha.
Argumento
Cronológicamente, esta película se encuentra antes del viaje al país del te.
La película comienza con una heroína previamente desconocida en la continuidad de Naruto: La Princesa Fuun. Su némesis, Mao, la desafía con un ejército de soldados zombis. Sus oscuras intenciones parecen tener éxito, hasta que la Princesa y sus seguidores, Shishimaru, Brit, y Tsukuyaku, liberan el poder del Chakra de Siete Colores sobre él. Con eso salvan el día, y Naruto, que está viendo desde lejos, no podría estar más emocionado.
Como es de esperarse, Naruto simplemente está viendo la escena en una película, al igual que sus compañeros. Pero luego, la audiencia se enfada por el ruido que hace Naruto al no dejarles ver la película en paz y empiezan a aventarle objetos para que se calle. El administrador del cine viene a quejarse creyendo que están viendo la película sin pagar, pero luego le muestran los boletos.
Habiendo salido del cine, el equipo 7 comenta sobre la película, y se preguntan a qué clase de "preparación" se refería Kakashi con respecto a su próxima misión. Sakura se pregunta por qué Kakashi les ordenó que vieran la película antes de su misión. Mientras están en eso, pasa frente a ellos ni más ni menos que la Princesa Fuun cabalgando, perseguida por los tipos malos de la película.
Sin pensarlo mucho, los tres Gennin se lanzan a "rescatarla", pero cuál será su sorpresa al aparecerse Kakashi, y les dice a Sasuke y a Sakura que uno de los tipos a los que atraparon es el cliente de su próxima misión. Mientras, Naruto encuentra a la princesa y le empieza a hablar sobre su película, por lo que esta escapa cabalgando; Naruto la persigue y luego sube a su caballo. Al llegar a la aldea unos niños se atraviesan y Naruto y la princesa caen; los niños le piden un autógrafo, pero ella se molesta y se va, dejando atónitos a Naruto y a los aldeanos cercanos.
Kakashi les explica a Sasuke y a Sakura que su misión consiste en proteger a la actriz Yuki en su viaje al país de la nieve.Mientras Naruto sigue persiguiendo a Yuki para que le dé un autógrafo. Ella empieza a firmarle uno, pero luego lo rocía con un repelente de sus aretes y rompe el autógrafo, este se tambalea por el ardor que tiene en sus ojos y tumba una base de madera, que se derrumba y lo deja sepultado. Yuki escapa a un bar y se pone a beber; en eso llega Naruto y empiezan a discutir.Un tipo que estaba en el bar avisa a otros ninjas que Yuki tiene un cristal hexagonal, y que Kakashi fue contratado para escoltarla.
Yuki no quiere ir y quiere escapar, pero Kakashi la duerme con su sharingan para que no se oponga y cuando Yuki despierta se encuentra en el barco y no tiene más remedio que rodar la escena que tocaba en él. De repente ven con un enorme iceberg y el director decide rodar ahí la siguiente escena así se suben a él; pero de repente salen 3 ninjas de la nieve que quieren robar el colgante hexagonal de Yuki.
Kakashi, Naruto, Sasuke y Sakura salen a luchar mientras el equipo de rodaje vuelve al barco; Kakashi le explica que los ninjas traen una armadura que repele cualquier ninjutsu o genjutsu .Kakashi consigue destruir el iceberg con un jutsu que copió a un ninja de la nieve y consiguen escapar.
Finalmente llegan al país de la nieve, donde Yuki vuelve a escapar y todos los dispersan para buscarla, finalmente Naruto la encuentra y cuando vuelven son perseguidos por un tren, el cual planea matarlos; pero no pueden escapar, pues están en un túnel.Del tren sale Dotou, el jefe de los 3 ninjas de la nieve que les habían atacado y el asesino del padre de Yuki, que busca desesperadamente el colgante hexagonal de esta.
Después de un gran ataque por parte de Dotou, se va en el tren, pero llega un dirigible; este captura a Yuki y Naruto se cuela en su nave para rescatarla pero es capturado, y se le pone un dispositivo que absorbe el chakra, y que no puede ser destruido.Los 2 son metidos en prisión ya que el colgante que llevaba Yuki era una falsa copia y espera que Kakashi venga por ellos.Naruto está esposado y colgado a la pared, pero mientras habla con Yuki, logra quebrar las ataduras que lo colgaban a la pared, pero le causa gran daño, pues el dispositivo empezaba a absorber su chakra.
Kakashi hace un ataque durante la noche, y Sasuke y Sakura rescatan a Yuki y Naruto ;pero al final, Yuki le entrega a Dotou el colgante hexagonal, el cual es la llave para abrir el tesoro del país de la nieve.Koyuki(Yuki) le clava un cuchillo a Dotou, pero este la ahorca y los dos caen. Dotou se levanta y muestra que trae una armadura de chakra, la cual lo protegió.
Dotou destruye el lugar y escapa con sus ninjas, pero Naruto se cuelga con una cuerda que sostiene Yuki, pero Dotou la corta y Naruto cae.Sasuke, Kakashi y Sakura derrotan a los ninjas.Todos quedan sorprendidos al ver lo que el tesoro escondía y finalmente Dotou es vencido por el Rasengan de Naruto hecho gracias a los deseos y sentimientos de Koyuki, al final de los créditos, Naruto recibe su anhelado autógrafo y una foto de él inconsciente en el hospital siendo besado por Koyuki.
Personajes
Serie
Naruto Uzumaki
Sakura Haruno
Sasuke Uchiha
Kakashi Hatake
Únicos de la película
Koyuki Kazahana/Yukie Fujikaze/Princesa Fū'un
Es la actriz que hace de la Princesa Fuun bajo el nombre falso de Yukie Fukikaze. En verdad es la princesa del País de la Nieve, cuyo verdadero nombre es Koyuki Kazehana. De pequeña tuvo que ser rescatada por Kakashi, pues su castillo había sido incendiado y la querían matar. Debido a esto, era una persona muy egoísta y sin sentimientos. Pero después de ver a Naruto y ver como se arriesga y no se rinde, ella va cambiando. Al final, vuelve a convertirse en la gobernante del país sin dejar de ser actriz.
Asama Sandayū
Era uno de los sirvientes del padre de la Princesa. Después de diez años del incidente, este la vio en un escenario y se hizo su mánager. Su propósito siempre fue el devolverla al su país natal, para que ella lo gobernase. Murió protegiéndola, intentando matar a Dotou.
Nadare Rōga
Es uno de los ninjas de la nieve bajo las órdenes de Dotō. Tiene una cuenta pendiente con Kakashi, ya que, diez años atrás, Kakashi había huido de la lucha para salvar a la Princesa. Usa una armadura especial que genera campos de chakra para protegerse y atacar. Pero al final fue derrotado por Kakashi, tras destruirle la armadura con un Raikiri y realizarle | |
Idli or Dosa is a staple breakfast in any South Indian home. Idli-Dosa batter is a multi-purpose batter that can be found in almost every South Indian refrigerator. The list of breakfast foods/snacks that can be prepared using this batter is too long – Idli, Dosa, Uthappam, Guntha Ponganalu/Appe, and the list goes on and on.
Making Idli-Dosa batter is very simple. It is difficult to make the perfect Idli-Dosa batter for soft and fluffy Idlis. It took a while to learn that, at least for me. The key to get soft and fluffy Idlis is making a perfectly fermented batter.
Fermenting batter is difficult (especially in winter) in colder places like the US. The Instant Pot yogurt function maintains a good fermentation temperature and is helpful (to a certain extent) to achieve nice fermentation of the batter. If you do not have an Instant Pot, you can place the batter in a preheated oven (Just heat the oven to 175 F and turn it off when it reaches that temperature). Make sure the batter container is oven safe. It is tricky to get perfectly fermented batter in the first attempt, but you can get it right with a few attempts. It is not just the recipe that gives the best results, but a little practice and following the key points will definitely give you perfect results. The idlis will turn hard if the batter is not fermented well, but you can still use the batter to prepare dosas.
I am sharing a step by step pictorial recipe for the all-in-one/multi-purpose Idli-Dosa batter recipe in this post.
Fenugreek/Methi seeds – 1 Tsp.
Crushed non-iodized salt – 1 Tsp.
In a bowl, add urad dal and fenugreek/methi seeds. Rinse them 3-4 times, until the water runs clear. Soak in enough water. Wash rice until water runs clear. Soak separately in enough water. I usually soak them overnight and prepare the batter in the early morning.
Drain the water from the urad dal. Add 1/4 cup ice cold water in the wet grinder and turn it on. While it is running add the urad dal and grind it for 30 minutes. Add very little ice cold water as needed, while grinding the batter. The batter should not be runny. It should be fluffy. Turn off the wet grinder and transfer the batter to the instant pot insert. It should be around 2 cups (2 cup mark in the insert) after grinding.
Drain the water from the soaked rice. Add 1 cup ice cold water to the wet grinder and turn it on. While it is running add the rice and grind it for 20-30 minutes(I usually grind it for 20 minutes). The batter might need additional 1-2 cups of ice cold water. Add ice cold water gradually, as needed. Transfer the batter to instant pot insert. The batter should be around 7 cup mark in the insert. If it is less than that, add more water in the wet grinder and run it for few seconds. Add this water to the insert.
Add crushed sea salt and mix the batter with clean hand for at least 4-5 minutes. Mixing with hand helps the fermentation process.
Place the insert in the instant pot. Close the instant pot lid. I remove the sealing ring. Steam releasing position can be venting or sealing (it does not matter). Press the 'Yogurt' button on instant pot. The default time is 8 hours. Press the '+' button and adjust it to 9 hours. After 9 hours the batter will be fermented. Sometimes it is around 10 cup mark and sometimes it is even more. Unplug the instant pot. I leave the insert in the instant pot for few more hours if I feel that batter needs to ferment more (especially in winter). If the batter has fermented well, I remove the insert. Gently mix the top layer of the batter and the batter is ready to use. Cover it and store it in the refrigerator for later use.
'Yogurt' mode' on low' setting.
I experimented with 'normal' setting and 'low' setting. The batter was successfully fermented with both the settings. I feel that I am getting better results with 'Yogurt' mode on 'low' setting. You can navigate to 'low' setting by pressing 'Adjust' button. Press the Plus and Minus button to set the fermentation time.
Few readers who tried this recipe mentioned that, it took longer than 9 hours (around 12-14 hours) for the batter to ferment. If the batter hasn't fermented in 9 hours, leave it in 'Yogurt' (low mode) for few more hours.
To prepare the Idlis, there is no need to add additional water if you have prepared the batter exactly as shown in my recipe.
Idlis come out really soft when prepared with the fresh batter. Usually, Idlis are prepared on the first two days (after fermenting the batter) and the rest of the batter is used to prepare Dosas.
Do not mix the whole batter after fermenting. The top half portion is good to make idlis and the bottom half portion is good to make Dosas. Take the required amount of batter into a separate bowl and add few spoons of water to make Dosas. Dosa batter needs to be slightly thinner than Idli batter.
You can also use a glass lid to close the instant pot in yogurt mode. I have read few Facebook posts, where some people faced the trouble of overflowing fermented batter and the lid getting locked. It never happened to me though.
Grease Idli plates with oil. Pour the batter in the greased Idli plates. Add 1 cup(250ml) water in the IP insert and let the water come to a boil on saute mode. Cancel saute mode and place the Idli stand and close the lid with sealing ring. Turn the valve in venting position. Steam for 7-8 minutes. Use an external timer. Turn off the IP. Open the lid after 7-8 minutes. Remove the Idli stand and let it cool for 3-4 minutes. Run a butter knife(dipped in water) around the edges of Idlis and use a spoon to remove the Idlis from the Idli plates.
I will share a detailed step by step procedure to make Idlis and Dosas in a separate post.
Enjoy soft and fluffy Idlis, thin and crispy Dosas with your favorite chutney!!!
Thanks dear!! I went through that phase too. Finally I can get them right now.
Can these be done with brown rice?
They can be done with brown rice but the color of the Idlis will be light brown. I like my Idlis white. I know that some people have made them successfully with brown rice. Some of them have used a combination of idli rice and brown rice.
I tried the technique of fermenting in IP as explained here.. Batter feemented amazingly and Idlies came out amazingly soft.. thank u so much!
It raised but didn't come out sour, what went wrong?
The batter has raised so it is a good indication that it fermented well. If you want the batter to turn sour, you need to leave the batter at room temperature for few more hours.Do not refrigerate. It might rise even more too.
Thank you for the step by step guide to making idli batter in the IP. I can't tell you how useful this has been for me! The batter fermented in the IP. Took a little longer than the 9 hrs but it worked! Also, your measurement of how much water to add really helped, and made me realize I had been using less water in the past. Thank you!
Hi. When I switch IP to yogurt mode, it first seems to switch to "Boil" and starts heating the batter. How do you ensure it doesn't cook the batter? Thanks!
Press 'Yogurt' button and |