the brethren who had been appointed to office.

John then presented Tony with a cheque for £300 made out to the Freemasons Grand Charity – Masonic Charitable Foundation West Lancashire 2021 Festival.

More than 100 brethren retired to the main dining room to enjoy the festive board after the meeting was closed. They enjoyed a fine meal and listened as Tony responded to the toast to his health.

Tony paid tribute to the excellent work in the lodge by the installing master Philip Gambrill and all the officers who took part in the ceremony.

Tony continued by saying: “Congratulations to you John on being installed as WM of this very important lodge within our Province. I do not know what the Province would do without Quingenti Lodge and the work they dofor the Province at our Provincial meetings.”

He also thanked all the members of the lodge who had voted to make him an honorary member of the lodge, which he said he was delighted to accept.

Tony then spoke about how pleased he was to see 12 Provincial Grand Stewards and one Past Provincial Grand Steward join the lodge. He said he was disappointed that since he had been appointed as Provincial Grand Master that not all 18 stewards had joined the lodge.

Tony then said: “That he agreed it was sensible for the lodge to convert to a past masters’ lodge and he was fully supportive of the lodge converting, if, it is the wish of the members to do so.”

He then spoke about the Tercentenary Gala Diner that had


been held in the Hilton Hotel to mark the end of the Province’s celebration of the founding of the Premier Grand Lodge, at the Goose and Gridiron public house on 24 June 1717. He concluded by thanking all the brethren who had celebrated the Tercentenary in many ways across the Province.

He also thanked all those brethren who were supporting the Masonic Charitable Foundation 2021 Festival by wearing their “Jewel with Pride”, the light blue clubs than have been formed in the Province saying: “Please support the clubs by encouraging light blue Masons to join their local club.”

He then wished John Karran well in the coming year, he said: “You lead a most important body of men. Once again, I have greatly enjoyed my visit to our very finelodge.

John then thanked all the members for supporting him and he wished them a very merry Christmas and a happy and prosperous New Year.

The toast to the visitors was proposed by the new steward of the lodge Steve Ralph. John Astbridge replied on behalf of the visitors, saying he had greatly enjoyed the ceremony and he congratulated John on attaining the chair of lodge and Philip for the excellent way he installed John.

During the meal a raffle was held which raised £598.50 for the MCF 2021 Festival. The charity plate in the lodge raised £493

The final toast of the evening was in the hands of the tyler Keith Lang who gave the tyler’s toast.


Dominic Lalli and Jeremy Salken, better known as Big Gigantic, played another one of their high octane and high energy shows last Friday (2/15/2013) night at the House of Blues in Boston. The large Big Gigantic (confusing I know) fanbase was in full attendance for the show and were dazzled by the signature lights and sounds. Gigantic played their album Nocturnalin its entirety with some of their old songs in the mix. Read on for my full gallery from the show…New stop loss order means young father heading to Iraq

Chad and Christy Fitzpatrick realize that after Chad leaves for
Iraq, it will be about two and a half years before the family lives
together again. Pictured with them are their sons, Jacob, left, and
Jackson.

"We go out and we search for landmines," Fitzpatrick said.

When soldiers find the mines, they blow them up. And, in hazardous areas, they put up barriers to keep troops out of harm's way.

Fitzpatrick was one of two young military men celebrating an early Christmas at a large family gathering in Tonganoxie on Saturday. One of the men, Scott Ward, will leave Sunday to return to Kuwait. And in early January, Fitzpatrick will be deployed to Iraq.

It's a bitter pill for Fitzpatrick and his wife, Christy. Until recently,


he was lined up to serve 18 months in Korea, starting in January. And after that, Fitzpatrick had thought he then would be stationed in Germany, where Christy and their two sons would join him.

But a mid-November announcement of the army's stop loss means Fitzpatrick will first have to serve eight months in Iraq and then three months at Fort Riley, before his 18-month tour in Korea.

A stop loss is a program that allows the service to temporarily halt separations and retirement during times of war, deployments or national emergency.

Christy, who is the granddaughter of J.B. and Nona Smith of Tonganoxie, said the news of the stop loss hit her hard.

"I think I cried for three hours straight," Christy said.

She cried for her children, Jackson, who is 3months old, and Jacob, who is almost 3 years old.

"It's hard knowing I'll have to explain to Jacob why Daddy's gone and why he can't see him," Christy said.

Even Chad Fitzpatrick, who enlisted in the army in 1993 at the age of 17, and re-enlisted in 1997 and 2003, was upset.

"I don't think that the chief of staff realizes that the stop loss that they put in not only affects the soldiers, but the families too, who are waiting for their sons and daughters or husbands and wives, to come home," Fitzpatrick said.

The couple's seven-year marriage has been wrought with challenge.

A daughter, Jordyn, was born in March 1998. A year later, while the family was living in Germany, physicians diagnosed Jordyn with leukemia. The family moved to the


United States for medical treatment, but Jordyn died 14 months later. She is buried in Holton, Christy's hometown.

Christy agonizes about the situation in Iraq.

"The war's not over," she said. "On paper it is, but in reality it's not. Almost every day there is somebody else killed."

She said that 77 soldiers died in Iraq in November, the largest count since the war ended. And 17 soldiers from Fort Riley have died in Iraq.

Even while worrying about American service men and women, Christy also expressed sympathy for Iraqi citizens.

"They say there are innocent Iraqi people getting killed, too," Christy said. "They probably live in fear too, like the military wives do -- of getting that phone call, or of seeing the chaplain on the doorstep."

And then, with the thought of“The mission of the 50th State Judo Association is to provide the people of Hawaii with a nurturing environment that encourages learning and growth for both the competitive and recreational judoka. As the largest black-belt organization in the nation and a proud member of the United States Judo

Federation, the 50th SJA is committed to developing people of character who will positively contribute to their community and society.”


Drinking beer for a cancer cure?

When Todd Ruggere approached the bar at The Islander in Osterville on Saturday evening, he was getting ready to do a good deed.

Comment

By ABBY EISENBERG

capecodtimes.com

By ABBY EISENBERG

Posted Jun. 16, 2013 at 2:00 AM
Updated Jun 16, 2013 at 9:37 AM

By ABBY EISENBERG

Posted Jun. 16, 2013 at 2:00 AM
Updated Jun 16, 2013 at 9:37 AM

» Social News

OSTERVILLE — When Todd Ruggere approached the bar at The Islander in Osterville on Saturday evening, he was getting ready to do a good deed.

He sat down on a stool and ordered a Samuel Adams Summer Ale — his fourth that day. He got out his Massachusetts state map, and started planning. This is stop 249; he's still got 102 to go. Maybe tomorrow, he'll try to hit Nantucket.

SinceJanuary, Ruggere, 38, has been on a mission to drink a beer in each of Massachusett's 351 towns and cities in one year to raise money for the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston.

The unorthodox campaign started as a simple conversation with friends.

Ruggere, a Weymouth native now living in Grafton, knew there were 351 towns in Massachusetts. But when he tried to name them all, he could only get about 150. When he looked up the full list, he was struck by some of the stranger ones — like Florida and Peru — and set out to have a beer in every one. A Sam Adams, to be precise. His favorite kind.

But as time went on, his idea evolved.

He would turn his quest into a fundraiser for the pediatric


when people take initiative to raise money to support cancer research and care," McHale wrote. "Todd's very creative approach isn't one that we would undertake ourselves, but we are grateful for his efforts, and wish him great success."

Ruggere's journey started off low-key with him drinking four beers alone in his Grafton apartment. His 3-year-old puggle, Zenyatta, was his witness.

But as he started to make more trips, he gained support of the people he met. He really got the public's attention during his stop in Waltham, where he was met by NBC film crews. Soon after, he began to be featured on television, on the radio, and in newspapers. The calls started pouring in from people wanting to help.

One of those calls was from Joe Dunn, who, with hiswife Bev, owns The Islander as well as The Island Merchant in Hyannis, both stops on Ruggere's journey.

Dunn first heard about Ruggere on the radio when he was driving his mother from the Cape to Dana-Farber for a chemotherapy treatment. Dunn was impressed.

"It was a simple, fun idea and he was enthusiastic about what he was doing," he said.

Ruggere said he's been surprised by how many people from all over the state have reached out to him. They've opened their homes to him and offered him food, rides, beer and recommendations on where to go next.

"Everyone helps out," Ruggere said. "It gives you hope, you know?"

He's also been surprised at some of the places where he's ended up: Places like Gosnold, which has a year-round population of about


30 and is one of Massachusetts' eight dry towns. Thanks to the coordination of Lisa Wright, Gosnold's town clerk, the town held a cookout in his honor that raised more than $400. Wright had just lost a friend to cancer, and he said she was happy to help Ruggere on his mission.

"It was just a small event, but (Ruggere) seemed very appreciative," she said.

About halfway through his beer at The Islander, Mary Miller approached Ruggere to ask what he was doing. After he explained, she shook his hand and quietly thanked him. Miller was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2009 and has gotten treatment at Dana-Farber. Ruggere said that at almost every stop, someone comes to him with a similar story. He said he's been shocked to learnGLENROCK Illusion set a new world record price for a Limousin animal when sold for 125,000gns (£131,250) at Borderway Mart, Carlisle.

The maiden heifer also established a new all-breeds UK and European record for a bovine animal.

The sale of the Glenrock Limousin Herd on behalf of Mr & Mrs Stephen Illingworth, of Howgillside, Lockerbie, attracted a crowd from across the UK and Southern Ireland.

She was purchased by Mike & Melanie Alford, of the Foxhillfarm pedigree herd, Cullompton, Devon, in a half share with Danny Sawrij for his Swalesmoor herd at Kedzlie, Galashiels.

Illusion, a January 2013-born embryo calf by the 23,000gns Goldies Comet and out of Glenrock Spangle, already has a glittering show record.

She was junior Limousin champion and reserve junior interbreed champion at the 2014 Royal Highland; junior Limousin


champion at this year’s Great Yorkshire Show; Scottish Limousin Grand Prix champion in August, and junior champion and reserve interbreed at the 2013 Stars of the Future Show.

Melanie Alford said they may flush Illusion to Sympa or their home-bred 38,000gns Foxhillfarm Irishlad to add to the tremendous female line of the herds Bankdale Elizabeth.

The Glenrock sale was caused by the Illingworths – Stephen and Helen and son, Thomas, and daughter, Vicki – being given the chance to buy Howgillside after 20 years as tenants.

They only kept Glenrock Spangle, their 12 year-old “herd matriarch cow”, which has bred females to 20,000gns and bulls to 16,000gns.

At the sale, her progeny sold for a gross of £257,000 sending her life-time progeny past £366,000.

Mr Illingworth said: “While we always knew Illusion wasTina Turner (born Anna Mae Bullock; November 26, 1939) is an American singer and actress whose career has spanned more than 50 years. She has won numerous awards and her achievements in the rock music genre have earned her the title The Queen of Rock 'n' Roll. Turner started out her music career with husband Ike Turner as a member of the Ike & Tina Turner Revue. Success followed with a string of hits including "River Deep, Mountain High" and the 1971 hit "Proud Mary". With the publication of her autobiograp...


Doctor Who, Season 6

Doctor Who

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The Doctor returns in a thrilling new season, alongside newlyweds Amy and Rory, to face monsters and mysteries and wild adventures. Together they’ll find themselves in sixties America, on the high seas of 1696 aboard a pirate ship and venturing across centuries and galaxies, they will encounter the greatest war criminal in all of history - and Hitler. Together, they'll discover there's no scarier place in the universe than a child's bedroom and realize the Doctor's time has yet to come. He has one last stop to make on his final journey - an old friend needs his help and an old foe must be defeated. But time catches up with us all and the Doctor can delay no more. By the shores ofnot invested personally. He has trouble understanding women at all, much less relating to them and their problems on a emotional level. This doesn't necessarily make him a bad person.
Slick obviously cares a great deal about Monique. He loves her, or at least believes he does, and he's definitely been a friend to her in the past. Does he relate to her struggles? Not even a little bit. He relates so little he doesn't even know why she's mad. He's utterly mystified by her angry reaction and has apparently assumed she thought he was criticizing her performance. A stance which he is prepared to defend, since to his mind she made a poor choice of topic if she wanted to be successful on stage. It doesn't occur to


thereafter, thanks to Kings VP Mike Futa, he signed another tryout, this time with the Manchester Monarchs. At the time, Bissonnette shared some rather deep thoughts on the entire process in an exclusive interview with MayorsManor. If you missed it, it’s worth going out of your way to read.

Fast forward to this week and Bissonnette finally has a city he can call home for the balance of the season. Though he was once again released from his tryout, the move was made so the team could sign him to a standard player contract, keeping him a Monarch until summer. Minutes after his team’s game on Wednesday, Bissonnette once again sat down with MayorsManor for a one-on-one chat about his new contract, his future, Mike Richards, and more…

On drawingby a set of “not hosts” Tina Fey, Amy Poehler and Maya Rudolph got the 2019 ceremony off to a hot start, with the Lady Gaga-Bradley Cooper performance of “Shallow” providing that “moment” Oscar producers dream about.

Having Fey and Poehler — major stars and accomplished hosts, having emceed the Golden Globes three years in a row to strong reviews — was a key ingredient to the host-less 2019 Oscars’ success.

As Deadline reported last month, The Academy was believed to be following a similar blueprint for the 92nd Academy Awards, going after top entertainers to give the show the burst of energy a good opening monologue by a host provides.

The more streamlined 2019 ceremony, which was 30 minutes shorter than the 2018 telecast, saw a 12% uptick in viewers


Columbia's 7 astronauts were close, diverse crew

Source :

Last Updated: Wed, Jan 30, 2013 22:15 hrs

The seven astronauts who died aboard space shuttle Columbia 10 years ago were husbands, fathers, wives and a mother. Military pilots, doctors and engineers. Born in the United States, Israel and India.

"It's amazing to me how cohesive they were with the diverse backgrounds that they had," said the widow of Columbia's last commander, Evelyn Husband Thompson.

"They had a genuine affection for each other that was just tremendous. And they had fun together. I mean, what a blessing at whatever job you're in, to have fun with your co-workers," she said in a phone interview from Houston this week.

A brief look at the seven Columbia astronauts and their families:

___

Commander Rick Husband, 45, an Air Forcecolonel from Amarillo, Texas, who was making his second space shuttle flight. Wife Evelyn lives in Houston with 17-year-old son Matthew, a high school sophomore, and new husband Bill Thompson. Daughter Laura, 22, is a seminary student pursuing a master's degree in theology. The ordeal, and the family's faith in God, prompted Evelyn to write a memoir about Rick in 2004 titled "High Calling."

___

Co-pilot William McCool, 41, a Navy commander from Lubbock, Texas, who was making his first space shuttle flight. Wife Lani and three sons, now in their 20s and 30s. The oldest, Sean, is a Marine captain with three children of his own. Middle son Christopher is a photographer who works with high school debate teams, according to family. The youngest, Cameron, is finishing a master's


degree in fine arts in New York.

___

Flight engineer Kalpana Chawla, 40, an Indian-born engineer who was making her second space shuttle flight. Husband Jean-Pierre Harrison remarried and has a young son. He runs a publishing company in Los Gatos, Calif., and, in 2011, wrote what he calls the authoritative biography of his first wife, "The Edge of Time." He reveals how Kalpana's birthdate was misrepresented to be a year earlier than it actually was, so she could start school sooner at her insistence.

___

Payload commander Michael Anderson, 43, a lieutenant colonel in the Air Force from Spokane, Wash., and one of NASA's few early black astronauts. It was his second flight; he traveled to Russia's Mir space station in 1998. Wife Sandra still lives in Houston. Daughters Kaycee andSydney are now 19 and 21.

___

Dr. Laurel Clark, 41, a Navy captain and medical doctor from Racine, Wis., who was making her first space shuttle flight. Husband Jonathan Clark, a former NASA flight surgeon. Son Iain, 18, will graduate from boarding school in Arizona this spring. Clark has dedicated himself to improving space crew safety, and helped bring skydiver Felix Baumgartner back alive from a 24-mile-high jump from the stratosphere last fall.

___

Dr. David Brown, 46, a Navy captain and medical doctor who grew up in Virginia and was making his first space shuttle flight. He was single.

___

Ilan Ramon, 48, a fighter pilot who became the first Israeli in space with Columbia's launch. Wife Rona lives in Israel. Their oldest son, Asaf, became a fighter pilot like his father


and died, at age 21, in a 2009 training accident. One surviving son is a combat soldier in Israel; another is studying music in college. The youngest, a daughter, is 15. Rona Ramon went back to school after her son's death. She works as a grief counselor.Summary: Finland released, Blu-Ray/Region B : it WILL NOT play on regular DVD player, or on standard US Blu-Ray player. You need multi-region Blu-Ray player to view it in USA/Canada: LANGUAGES: Finnish ( Dolby Digital 5.1 ), Finnish ( Dolby DTS-HD Master Audio ), English ( Subtitles ), Finnish ( Subtitles ), Swedish ( Subtitles ), WIDESCREEN (2.35:1), SPECIAL FEATURES: Interactive Menu, Scene Access, SYNOPSIS: Maarit is a beautiful, intelligent and sexy woman - who used to be a man. Struck by the oddity of gender change, she is estranged from the daughter she fathered, her ex life and is working as a cleaner. When she meets and falls in love with Sami - soccer coach, teacher and family man - she finally feels like she can 'fit


Olympic gold medalist Allison Schmitt happy to be home in Canton

With the London games behind us, cities across the country are welcoming back their hometown Olympians. This week, Canton, Michigan welcomed home swimmer Allison Schmitt.

At 22, Schmitt won three gold medals, one silver medal, and one bronze medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. She won gold in the women's 200m freestyle with an Olympic record time.

“I’ve been training for it and I knew I was ready for it, and I knew I had strong legs to finish, so I just wanted to swim out the race and swim a smart race. And it definitely helped out, and I was very happy with the outcome,” said Schmitt.

She tells Michigan Radio's Jennifer White she's very happy to beMonday, December 10, 2018

Dream Again

Today I was reminded of Isaiah Austin's story. He played basketball at Baylor University and was expected to be chosen in the 2014 NBA draft until he was diagnosed with Marfan syndrome three days prior, a condition that affects the heart and prematurely ended his basketball career.

Three days before Austin's childhood dream was about to come true, it was taken away from him. Devastating.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver did a wonderful thing that night by recognizing Austin during the draft with an honorary selection. The crowd gave the young man a standing ovation, and Austin was moved to tears. It was an emotional moment for all involved.

But what really stood out for me was Austin's interview. When Jay Williams asked about Austin's next step, he


Swami Dayananda Saraswati’s Ashram in 2001, she had undergone what she calls a cognitive shift where she found it difficult to identify or resonate with what was happening with Yoga in America. By 2012 – 13, she had started critiquing some of her peers.

She had made a proposal for a conference called “Race and Yoga” and the topic she chose was “Lost in Translation or the Looting of Yoga”. When the conference was a few months away, she happened to be in India at the Rishikesh ashram and she came across Invading the Sacred.

Invading the Sacred and Being Different, especially the chapter on “non-translatable” resonated with what she had learned under Swami Dayananda. She says that Swami Dayananda used to emphasize that certain words such as mithya, satSherrod practicing but slowly

Nov. 15, 2012

Sherrod is coming back from a severe leg injury – he broke both bones in his lower leg last December in a game at Kansas City. He didn’t practice in the offseason, was on the physically unable to perform list from the start of training camp, and had to start his three-week window to practice last week, though the Packers were off because of their bye.

This week has been Sherrod’s first work in practice since just before he was injured. During the portion of practice open to reporters today, he took part in individual and small-group drills but didn’t appear to be moving anywhere near full speed and strength. He can practice the rest of this week and next, and then the Packers


such right is granted to or is vested in a probationary teacher. A.R.S. § 15-259 expressly so states. Nevertheless, the Board decided to afford the teacher the privilege of a hearing. The hearing consumed the evenings of 20 and 25 May 1971. Prior to the hearing the teacher and her attorney received a "letter of dismissal expanded."
The teacher and her attorney were in attendance and were granted the right of cross examination, together with the privilege of presenting evidence in the same manner as though she was a continuing teacher. Forman v. Creighton School District No. 14, 87 Ariz. 329, 351 P.2d 165 (1960). The strict rules of evidence are not required even in a hearing for a continuing teacher. Forman, supra.
The hearing was conducted by the Board.Albert Firestein, a Deputy County Attorney who devotes much of his time to school problems, presented the evidence in support of the notice of termination and the President of the Board ruled on the procedural and evidentiary matters.
After the Board had had the opportunity to review the reporter's transcript of the hearing and the other evidence presented, the Board with the aid of the Superintendent, prepared and entered its findings upholding the Superintendent's decision to not renew the teacher's contract for the fourth consecutive year. The teacher thereby lost her opportunity to acquire the status of a continuing teacher.
Had the teacher been a continuing teacher A.R.S. § 15-254 requires not only that there be a hearing but that there must be "good and just cause" for the non-renewal


Paleontologists have unearthed a new species of dinosaur in Tanzania, a long-necked, plant-eating giant that crops up in varied forms on every continent, but rarely ever has been found in the continent of Africa.

The fossils of the newly minted Rukwatitan bisepultus were spotted in in the Rukwa Rift Basin of southwestern Tanzania, embedded into a cliff wall. Paleontologists from the University of Ohio excavated the fossils over several months, unearthing vertebrae, ribs, limbs and pelvic bones.

A silhouette of Rukwatitan showing the recovered skeleton and general shape of the titanosaurian. Eric Gorscak

The fossils clearly belonged to a creature within the family tree of sauropods, the long-necked giants that frequently turn up in the soil of South America, but CT scans revealed a distinct species that had developed unique traitspotential predictors of GWG, IBW, and PPWR. Prepregnancy BMI was associated with GWG, and EI was associated with IBW; each model captured only 6%-18% of the variability. In contrast, PPWR was predicted by PP-BMI, GWG, and EI, which together explained 61% of its variability, whereas GWG alone explained 51% of the variability in PPWR. Modeling the relationship using hierarchical models suggests that PP-BMI, prepartum PA, and EI differentially impact GWG, IBW, and PPWR.


a playwright who is writing a who-dun-it in which all the characters have the last name Butler. It will play July 9-12. These plays, as well as the Main Stage productions, take place in the Albert L. Jeffers Theatre in the Communication Arts Building on campus.

The theatre presents two sets of offerings during the regular academic year, Main Stage and Off Main Stage. Main Stage plays are designed to appeal to the general public. Usually, they are well-known plays that every serious theatre lover should want to know. At times, like this year, a premiere of a new play is also part of the mix.

Off Main Stage includes plays that may be controversial, of limited interest or designed for specific audiences, such as children’s plays. They are notSatellites peer down upon us, as we peer into the screens onto which their images beam.

Every action we take online adds to the story the earth is writing.

The next chapter?

Articles

Creative Director Stefan Sojka is one of Australia’s most published freelance writers and commentators on Web business and Internet culture. He has been a regular monthly columnist for the award-winning NETT magazine for the past three years. Previous roles included 7 years writing for internet.au magazine and the Australian Net Directory. He continues to contribute to a number of blogs and publications.

Name of Site: Kooks Museum
URL: home.pacifier.com/~dkossy/kooksmus.html
Load Time: Scorching
Ease of Navigation: Walk in the Park
Plug Ins Required: None
Review: This site has been around for quite some time, yet still hasn't gotten around to getting a decent domain name. Still,


German train drivers have announced their ninth strike in 10 months due to an ongoing dispute with rail operator Deutsche Bahn.

Freight trains shut down at 3pm on Tuesday (May 19) with passenger trains stopping from 2pm Wednesday.

The GDL union, representing 20,000 drivers, has not given a date for when the strike will end but says it will give 48 hours notice.

In Germany 5.5 million people travel by train every day and 620,000 tonnes of freight is moved.

The economic cost to Germany could be as much as 100 million euros for each day the strike lasts.

The union want to secure a 5 percent pay rise for its members and a shorter working week. It also wants the right to represent other rail workers such as train stewards.

Deutsche Bahn, withSougwen Chung

Sougwen Chung (鍾愫君) is an interdisciplinary artist whose work explores transitional edges. Her artistic practice spans installation, sculpture, still image, drawing, and performance, informing her multi-faceted approach to experiential art.
Canadian-born, Chinese-raised Sougwen Chung graduated with a BFA in Graphic Design and received a Diploma in Interactive Art from Hyper Island, Sweden, before taking up residency in New York.
Chung’s work iterates on the expressive agency of form catalyzed with software, sound, light, and space. Her installations involve multiple layers of light on intricate structures, taking a variety of media and transforming it into spacial experiences. Chung's works explore the fine line between man-made and machine-made aesthetic, between figuration and abstraction, and how audio and video can harmonise or contrast each other
Her work has been featured in exhibitions in


North America, Europe and Asia. Recent venues include the Museum of Contemporary Art in Geneva, Switzerland and 319 Scholes in Brooklyn, New York. She has participated at international festivals including Mutek, OFFF, FICT and SXSW in 2014. Additionally, Chung has been featured in The New Yorker, Dazed and Confused, Cool Hunting and The Creators Project.
Sougwen Chung's website can be found at sougwen.comTommy Swanson

Tom studied Music and Architecture at Iowa State and became a piano major at NWMSU. He has been performing in the Omaha area for over 30 years.

He's played Jimmy Buffett and Bob Marley music at "Cheeseburger in Paradise" - Island, Pop, and Rock on the patio at "Rick's Boatyard" - Lounge and Dinner music at "Zurlo's Ristorante", "Beverly's", "Cellar 19", Jazz at "Howard Street Tavern", and won an open audition with a piano player from Minneapolis to open up the "Vertigo Lounge" at the top of Harrah's Casino.

His music includes artists like Billy Joel, Elton John, Jimmy Buffett, Frank Sinatra, Michael Buble', Bob Marley, John Mayer, Eric Clapton, Sting, Bruce Springsteen, Van Morrison, Maroon 5, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Jason Marz, Kenny Rogers, Michael Franti, James Taylor, Shaggy,


When former doctor turned director George Miller released his first full-length feature film, Mad Max, in 1979, he wasn’t to know he had created what would become one of Australia’s greatest celluloid exports. Mad Max spawned a number of imitators and knockoffs internationally and had a profound impact on the Australian film industry. It resulted in two sequels in the 80s and a third, Mad Max: Fury Road (2015), which received rave reviews internationally.

Australia’s sheer size and relatively concentrated population means much of its cinema has either taken the form of road movies or contains aspects of the road film genre. Australian road movies encompass comedy (The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, 1994), romance (Japanese Story, 2003) and drama (Last Ride, 2009). Unless the characters haveaesthetic elements, as well as character and plot tropes. Many also share cast members, vividly illustrated by the presence of Hugh Keays-Byrne, the central villain known as the Toe Cutter, in the original Mad Max, who also stars as Immortan Joe in Mad Max: Fury Road.

Here are 10 important films in the body of local dystopian and noir-influenced Australian road movies.

The Cars That Ate Paris (1974)

Director Peter Weir

Peter Weir’s first full-length film is a horror story about a small country town called Paris that survives by deliberately causing road accidents and salvaging the remains, both mechanical and human. Survivors are experimented on in the town’s hospital. The film is particularly notable for the bizarrely souped-up ransacked cars driven by Paris’s young male population. The most famous of these


is the spiked Volkswagen that adorned the movie’s original promotional poster, a version of which is visible among the vehicles in Mad Max: Fury Road.

Originally envisaged by Weir as a comedy, the film mixes flashes of gallows humour with its dark plot, aspects of which are similar in style to The Wicker Man (1973). The Cars That Ate Paris struggled to find an audience in Australia, but did well internationally. It is recognised as the first Australian road movie and, despite its relatively poor local performance, was a significant milestone in the 70s revival of Australian cinema.

Stone (1974)

Director Sandy Harbutt

Stone is Australia’s entrant into the considerable canon of low-budget biker movies, popular in the 60s and early 70s. It’s hard to categorise: an exploitation movie, but one withelements of pseudo-documentary and political conspiracy thriller. While tripping on acid, a member of a satanic outlaw biker gang called the Gravediggers accidentally witnesses the assassination of an anti-pollution campaigner. After members of the gang start being killed off to cover up the crime, the Gravediggers reluctantly allow a policeman, Stone, to travel undercover with them in an attempt to find out who is behind the killings.

The only feature film directed by Sandy Harbutt, Stone contains some impressive stunts and, for added authenticity, real-life bikers were cast as a rival biker club. It was released in the UK eight years after its Australian debut to cash in on the popularity of Mad Max.

Mad Max (1979)

Director George Miller

Mad Max depicts a world on the edge of chaos due to


budget imbues Mad Max with a rough and ready-made feel, but the director also delivers an undeniable energy and authenticity. Real bikers were recruited for many of the roles and damaged vehicles were patched up and re-used.

The Chain Reaction (1980)

Director Ian Barry

Billed as ‘Mad Max meets The China Syndrome’, The Chain Reaction begins with an earthquake in a remote rural area that houses a nuclear waste disposal site. The quake causes a radiation leak that contaminates the surrounding groundwater. A scientist from the facility, badly contaminated in the accident, escapes into the bush and stumbles upon a holidaying couple, Vietnam veteran and mechanic Larry (Steve Bisley, who got the role off the back of his performance as one of the patrol cops in Mad Max) and his wife,Carmel (Arna-Maria Winchester). The secretive American owners of the waste disposal site dispatch a pair of hired killers to locate and eliminate the scientist and anyone he has had contact with.

The Chain Reaction combines some terrific stunt work, with an innovative soundtrack that includes the use of barely audible radio broadcasts in the background to create an unsettling sense of surveillance and events spiralling out of control. The remote bush setting, which included an eerie, supposedly haunted, disused shale mine, adds to the sense of menace.

Mad Max 2 (aka The Road Warrior) (1981)

Director George Miller

Mad Max 2 had 10 times the budget of the original and at the time was the most expensive film ever made in Australia. The social collapse prefigured in the first instalment is complete,


and Max is a damaged drifter roaming the desert wasteland in his Ford XB Falcon Coupe (a limited edition car sold in Australia in the 70s). Coming across a community of survivors who have their own supply of much coveted petrol, he is brought into conflict with a gang of leather-clad bikers under the command of the masked Humungus, who want the fuel.

The characterisation and dialogue in Mad Max 2 are minimal. The main focus is the stunts, many of which are simply jaw-dropping, even by today’s standards. Interestingly, the homoerotic punk aesthetic vaguely present in the first film – the leather, eye shadow and exotic hairstyles – is in overdrive. It works here, whereas in the third instalment, Mad Max beyond Thunderdome (1985), this element just comesvictim accidentally dies on them, leaving in their possession a video of a powerful sporting personality having sex with a young boy. Nearly everyone they meet as they cross the Nullarbor Plain from Adelaide to Perth ends up horribly murdered and each begin to suspect the other is responsible.

This is one of a handful of feature films directed by Bill Bennett (he also helmed the critically well-received In a Savage Land, 1999). Much of the film is improvised, giving it a scrappy, intense feeling that well suits the subject matter. Bennett also does a good job contrasting the beautiful locations with the tense, paranoid feeling of mistrust between Nikki and Al, a quality further emphasised by the complete absence of any soundtrack.

The Goddess of 1967 (2000)

Director Clara Law

Chinese-born


at times almost dreamlike atmosphere in which reality and imagination blur. This works well with the film’s settings – Lightning Ridge in remote north-central New South Wales and the dark, anonymous confines of Tokyo.

The Rover (2014)

Director David Michôd

Australian director David Michôd’s follow-up to his first film, crime drama Animal Kingdom (2010), The Rover is set in the outback 10 years after an unspecified global financial collapse. A lone, unnamed traveller (Guy Pearce) has his car stolen by three men fleeing the scene of a bloody heist. The traveller finds the fourth member of the crew (Robert Pattinson) left wounded at the scene of the heist and forces him to assist in tracking down men who have stolen his vehicle.

Beautifully shot and with an excellent performance by Pearce, TheThe claim

Adelaide is experiencing growing pains, and ahead of the March 17 state election both sides are promising to tackle congestion. But how will they pay for it? And what role should the Commonwealth play?

Labor's federal infrastructure spokesman Anthony Albanese has weighed in, accusing the Turnbull Government of "ripping off" South Australia on infrastructure by shifting funding to other states.

Mr Albanese said the Commonwealth should be investing in public transport to stop traffic congestion in Adelaide acting as a hand brake on growth and eroding the city's quality of life.

"The Turnbull Government will slash South Australia's share of its infrastructure grants to a paltry 2 per cent in coming years, despite the state being home to 7 per cent of the national population," Mr Albanese said in a


it is important to recognise that the figures merely represent the latest predictions.

As new funding announcements are made, the carve-up of infrastructure grants among the states and territories will inevitably change.

Context to the claim

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In his press release, titled "Feds rip off South Australia on infrastructure investment", Mr Albanese talks of the federal budget's "forward estimates", Treasury's economic and financial predictions over four financial years.

Mr Albanese says Commonwealth infrastructure grants allocated to South Australia will drop from $921 million 2017-18, to $474 million in 2018-19, $349.5 million in 2019-20 and $95 million in 2020-21.

"This represents a 90 per cent decline over four years as the Turnbull Government shifts its funding focus to other states at South Australia's expense," he said.

Federal infrastructure grants to the states

Commonwealth infrastructure spending agreements withCommonwealth funding percentages and 2017 population by state

Over the course of the forward estimates, South Australia's population share is expected to fall slightly as other jurisdictions, particularly Victoria, bear the brunt of Australia's population surge. According to projections in the federal budget, South Australia's population share will fall from 7.0 per cent in 2017-18, to 6.96 per cent in 2018-19, 6.91 per cent in 2019-20 and 6.87 per cent in 2020-21.

Mr Albanese talks of South Australia's share of infrastructure grants falling to 2 per cent "in coming years".

While this figure is broadly correct, the analysis shows South Australia is set to get an annual average of 7.1 per cent of the total over the four years, which matches the state's share of the national population, as at June


2017.

This is because South Australia is expected to receive a disproportionately large 11.6 per cent share in 2017-18, and roughly proportionate 7.4 per cent and 7 per cent shares in 2018-19 and 2019-20 respectively.

South Australia's funding share then falls to 2.4 per cent of the total in 2020-21.

Hugh Batrouney, an economist and infrastructure specialist from the Grattan Institute, said the relationship between infrastructure spending and population size was a rough, albeit practical, guide to a state's actual infrastructure needs.

However, he said there was "no strict reason" for the population shares of jurisdictions to match their share of the federal funding.

"Different projections for each state's population and economic growth, differing total volume and quality of existing infrastructure, the role of the Commonwealth in providing incentive-based payments, and the sometimesper cent share of the national population.

A June 2017 submission to the Productivity Commission by the Grattan Institute found "clear evidence" of biased Commonwealth decisions relating to infrastructure funding.

In particular, it said the Commonwealth had "consistently spent more of its transport infrastructure dollar in New South Wales and Queensland".

"The significance of these states is that recent federal elections have been won and lost because a sizeable number of New South Wales and Queensland seats changed hands," the submission says.

What the experts say

David Hayward, a budget and political specialist from RMIT's School of Global, Urban and Social Studies, said the process for awarding federal infrastructure funding was currently the most politicised he had seen.

Professor Hayward noted that while South Australia's share did fall over the forward estimates, its annual


average level of funding over the four years was broadly in line with its population share.

"South Australia's average over the period is broadly in line with its population share and the drop only happens in the out years, which haven't happened yet," Professor Hayward said.

"It wouldn't take much to correct it (with new spending announcements), in which case the average will go up."

The Grattan Institute's Mr Batrouney said focusing on a single year's allocation risked taking the longer term trend out of context, for example when a state had previously received a larger than average share.

"However, our analysis shows that, over the years 2005-06 to 2016-17, South Australia in most years received less than its population share," Mr Batrouney said.

Mr Batrouney also said the claim that the Commonwealthis shifting its focus to other states at the expense of South Australia misses the often overlooked but important role that the Commonwealth Grants Commission plays in determining shares for the allocation of the GST pool.

He said in determining each state's share of the GST pool, the commission, in most cases, takes into consideration infrastructure grants

"In other words, the GST redistribution methodology partially unravels the effects of Commonwealth decisions to fund more transport infrastructure in one state rather than another," he said.

According to a Productivity Commission report on federal-state relations, the Commonwealth has used infrastructure grants as a tool to even out the carve-up of the GST among the states and territories, which is determined by the Commonwealth Grants Commission.

For example, it estimates that, since 2014-15, the Commonwealth


has provided over $1.2 billion in infrastructure funding to Western Australia to effectively maintain Western Australia's GST proportion at 2014-15 levels.

Phillip O'Neill, director of the University for Western Sydney's Centre For Western Sydney, pointed out that there was an obvious link between population growth, economic growth and infrastructure spending. This, he said, partly explained differences between jurisdictions.

"More spending on roads, transit, urban water and energy systems will obviously take place in the faster growing east coast cities," Professor O'Neill said.

He said federal infrastructure grants in recent years had also been tied to state spending on various projects.

"Record levels of state infrastructure spending in NSW, enhanced by privatisations, have thereby attracted significant Federal Government contributions."

Lead researcher: Josh Gordon, Senior Researcher, RMIT ABC Fact Check

Sources

Machine and Mirror

The Lord of Leaves was destroyed. Undone due to the effects of the God Machine on Andrew Wiggins. In the conflict of October 31, 1999, most of the major players in the supernatural landscape of Shorepoint were killed. The Circle of Six, a Cabal of Mages with an unknown agenda was dissolved when 5 of their member were killed by the Liberating Hand and their Chantry was taken by Myron Vance.

Andrew Wiggins was approached by the Cheiron Group with a proposition. They were grooming him to become a sort of processor they could use to take control of the God-Machine. He could work with them, or their would be severe consequences for his friends and family. Wiggins assented and was whisked away, his current whereabouts are


unknown.

With the help of her allies, Carolina Caraballo banished her demonic sire, El Santo de los Demonicos back to hell. With the Hispanic population of Shorepoint saved and the major supernatural threats to the city nullified, she finished high school and sought to follow her dream of becoming a news reporter.

Sarrah Harrington hung around Shorepoint for a time. She had recovered her fortune and could make actual strides in the development of Harrington Industries. The Leviathan threat in Shorepoint had dried up however and she eventually drifted off in search of Captain Plutonium, Adventure, and more Leviathans to battle.

With the inheritance of his father’s assets and the majority of supernatural rivals negated, Myron Vance began to build his empire. With funding and clandestine guidance he was able to

Taiwanese diva A-Mei was banned from singing her LGBT-friendly song “Rainbow” at a concert in Singapore last weekend. She was informed the song about same-sex relationships would not be allowed shortly before her performance at the Spring Wave Music and Art Festival on 7 June, stunning her and her staff—particularly as she had performed the song and spoken on gay rights at previous gigs in the Lion City.

A-Mei, a Taiwanese aborigine from the Puyuma nation, previously courted controversy in 2000 when she sang the ROC national anthem at the inauguration of pro-Taiwanese independence president Chen Shui-bien. Beijing responded by ordering all radio stations to cease broadcasts of her music, banning her from performing in the PRC and pressuring Sprite into cutting their endorsement contract with her.

The music video


for her 2004 single “Love is the Only Thing” featured a gay wedding and a kiss between two men—a scene that had to be cut before the video could air in China—and in 2009 she performed as Rainbow Ambassador at the Taipei Gay Pride Parade, setting the record for the largest gay pride event in Asia. Last year, she held a free concert in Taipei in support of gay rights that was attended by over 20,00 fans.

Images of kissing same-sex couples on the screen won loud cheers from the audience during A-Mei’s previous Singapore concert

By Ryan Kilpatrick

Follow @shanghaiist

it was applied pulsatively; the amount of the pressure was as much as one third of the researcher\'s thumb would become pale. It must be noted that points were pressured on both sides of the patients at the same time with both hands. For female patients, the intervention was performed by a female researcher and for male patients it was performed by a male colleague. On the day of the intervention, the patient would be laid on their back, which is the desirable position, in their room on their bed, and their systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, heart rate, and arterial oxygen saturation were measured and recorded as their physiologic indices 10 min before the intervention. Then, the researchers performed acupressure on the mentioned points by both


but already the band brought with them four new songs in addition to playing the entirety of the album. They continue touring the U.S. through May, followed up by some Japan dates. Scope all those dates at the Dischord site.

I recorded this from dead center, with the MBHO’s in DIN stereo configuration, combined with board feed from the Bell House FOH Travis. The sound is excellent. Enjoy!

Chain and the Gang is the latest from provocateur and frenetic frontman Ian Svenonius (ex- Nation of Ulysses, The Make-Up, Weird War). Since 2009’s Down With Liberty… Up With Chains through last year’sMinimum Rock N Roll, Svenonius and co. have been laying down heavy grooves, lampooning late capitalism, and doing it all with irresistible style. I mean, this band oozes cool—just checkdate at legendary DC club The Black Cat to coincide with a screening of the film, the reunion quickly expanded to include two nights at Brooklyn’s Saint Vitus and an additional night at The Black Cat. The four shows sold out almost immediately with a bare minimum of hype and promotion.

Of the 1980s DC hardcore scene, Soulside are hardly the most well-known. Fugazi is, of course, the most visible of all those bands. Soulside often get pegged as followers of Fugazi, but in fact they were active years before Fugazi and the relationship between the two bands is less of one band following another and more of a cross-pollination within a community. After disbanding in 1989, lead singer Bobby Sullivan would take a break from music, later forming


the bands Rain Like the Sound of Trains and Sevens. The rest of Soulside—Scott McCloud (guitar), Johnny Temple (bass), and Alexis Fleisig (drums)—would go on to form seminal noise rock band Girls Against Boys.

Twenty-five years to the day since the band’s final gig, Soulside took the stage at Brooklyn’s Saint Vitus. Over two nights, from the rumbling opening bass riff of “God City” to the lean punk of “Under the Glare,” the band draws from their entire body of work. Many of us relative newcomers too young to have experienced Soulside during their initial run encountered the band via the CD collection, Soon Come Happy, which gathers the better known Dischord albums Trigger and Hot Bodi-Gram. Each of those albums is well represented here. From Trigger, which wasIn conversation with Anne Teresa de Keersmaeker

As part of Sydney Festival 2016, Anne Teresa de Keersmaeker, a world-renowned Belgian choreographer and dancer, was in Sydney with her contemporary dance company, Rosas. First stop, the Sydney Opera House with De Keersmaeker’s celebrated work Fase. This work was first performed in 1982 and is considered a seminal work in the history of contemporary dance. It is also a work in which De Keersmaeker herself still performs…35 years after its premiere.

After the Opera House, the company moved to Carriageworks to present an Australian exclusive work – Vortex Temporum – an interaction between dancers and musicians.

On January 12, De Keersmaeker joined Erin Brannigan, University Lecturer and Writer, for an Artist Talk at Carriageworks. Here are excerpts of their conversation.

Exploring Choreography

“What is choreography?


product overcrowding as their biggest criticisms, yet still rated the chain 4.5/5 on average.

In February 2015, Poundland agreed to buy 99p Stores for £55 million, with regulatory approval received in September 2015. The 99p Stores fascia began being phased out in favour of Poundland branding from late 2015.

History

Foundation

Nadir Lalani came to the UK in 1973 from Tanzania, having owned a cash and carry store in Mwanza. Since moving to the UK he built up and sold two convenience store chains (including buying Whistlestop Discount Stores, a 27-strong chain which he sold in 2005) before moving into discount retailing, with intentions of handing the business over to his two sons, who also work for the company, in due course. Lalani was inspired to start 99p Stores after stumbling uponsaline irrigation, a rectangular osteotomy measuring about 20 × 6 mm was prepared on the buccal lateral wall of the infraorbital nerve tube, extending from the outlet of the infraorbital nerve tube to the mesiobuccal side of M1. The bony window was removed to expose the infraorbital nerve. The infraorbital nerve was then gently pulled to one side to expose the lateral wall of the maxillary sinus, which was located palatally on top of the PM4 and M1 roots. A circular bone window with a diameter of about 5 mm was created on the sinus lateral wall corresponding to the tip of the highest dental cusp of PM4 (i.e., a mini-lateral window). The sinus membrane was subsequently peeled and slightly pushed upward.

Next, an incision was made on the palatal gingival


jurassic park 4 (fan-trailer 2)

[media id=135 width=500 height=400]

Jurassic Park is a 1993 science fiction thriller film directed by Steven Spielberg and based on the novel of the same name by Michael Crichton. The film centers on the fictional island of Isla Nublar, where scientists have created an amusement park of cloned dinosaurs. John Hammond (Richard Attenborough) invites a group of scientists, played by Sam Neill, Jeff Goldblum and Laura Dern, to inspect the park prior to its public opening. Sabotage sets the dinosaurs loose, and the technicians and visitors attempt to escape the island.

Plot

On Isla Nublar, an island to the West of Costa Rica, an employee for the genetic engineering company InGen is attacked and killed while placing a Velociraptor into a specially built enclosure, prompting a lawsuitfrom his family. CEO John Hammond is pressured by his investors to allow a safety inspection by experts before opening the park. He invites paleontologist Alan Grant, paleobotanist Ellie Sattler, chaos theorist Ian Malcolm, and his investors’ attorney Donald Gennaro to perform the inspection. The group meets a Brachiosaurus when they set off into the park. At the park, they learn that InGen created the dinosaurs by cloning genetic material found in mosquitoes that fed on dinosaur blood, preserved in Dominican amber. The DNA from these samples was spliced with DNA from frogs to fill in sequence gaps. Only female dinosaurs are created in order to prevent uncontrolled breeding within the park. The team is also shown the enclosure of the Velociraptor, dubbed “raptors”, extremely intelligent, aggressive and


ferocious predators.

Production

Michael Crichton originally conceived a screenplay about a graduate student who recreates a dinosaur; he continued to wrestle with his fascination with dinosaurs and cloning until he began writing the novel Jurassic Park.Spielberg learned of the novel in October 1989 while he and Crichton were discussing a screenplay that would become the television series ER. Before the book was published, Crichton demanded a non-negotiable fee of $1.5 million as well as a substantial percentage of the gross. Warner Brothers and Tim Burton, Sony Pictures Entertainment and Richard Donner, and 20th Century Fox and Joe Dante bid for the rights,[ but Universal eventually acquired them in May 1990 for Spielberg.Universal paid Crichton a further $500,000 to adapt his own novel which he had finished by the time Spielbergthat was distributed by Hasbro, and a novelization aimed at young children. The released soundtrack included unused material. Trailers for the film only gave fleeting glimpses of the dinosaurs, a tactic journalist Josh Horowitz described as “that old Spielberg axiom of never revealing too much” when Spielberg and director Michael Bay did the same for their production of Transformers in 2007. The film was marketed with the tagline “An Adventure 65 Million Years In The Making.” This was a joke Spielberg made on set about the genuine, millions of years old mosquito in amber used for Hammond’s walking stick.

Reception

Commercial

Jurassic Park became the most financially successful film released worldwide as of that time, beating Spielberg’s E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial which previously held the title, though it did not top E.T.


in North America. The film opened with $47 million in its first weekend and had grossed $81.7 million by its first week. The film stayed at number one for three weeks and eventually grossed $357 million in the U.S. and Canada. The film also did very well in international markets, breaking opening records in the United Kingdom, Japan, South Korea, Mexico, and Taiwan. Spielberg earned over $250 million from the film. Jurassic Park’s worldwide gross was topped five years later by James Cameron’s Titanic.

Legacy

The American Film Institute named Jurassic Park the 35th most thrilling film of all time on June 13, 2001, and Bravo chose the scene where Lex and Tim are stalked by two Raptors in the kitchen as the 95th scariest of all time in 2005.On3 brothers' childhood revisited with new footage of how Sabo came to Dressrosa

The story summary, full title, and visual for this summer's new One Piece television special debuted on Tuesday. One Piece Episode of Sabo ~3-Kyōdai no Kizuna Kiseki no Saikai to Uketsugareru Ishi~ (One Piece Episode of Sabo: The Three Brothers' Bond - The Miraculous Reunion and the Inherited Resolve) will revisit the childhood past of the three sworn brothers Luffy, Ace, and Sabo, when they all dreamed of becoming pirates. In addition, it will depict how Sabo originally came into the kingdom of Dressrosa (which was not depicted in Eiichiro Oda's original manga or the television anime), as well as his reunion with Luffy from his point of view.

The special will air on Fuji TV on


Saturday, August 22 from 9:00 to 11:10 p.m. (The One Piece television anime series normally airs on Sunday mornings.)

The One Piece "3D2Y" Ace no Shi wo Koete! Luffy Nakama to no Chikai special celebrated the 15th anniversary of the television anime last August, and it ended with a shot of Sabo standing at a place pivotal to the story.

One Piece Episode of Merry: Mō Hitori no Nakama no Monogatari (One Piece Episode of Merry: The Tale of One More Friend) aired on August 24, 2013. Before that, the One Piece Episode of Luffy: Hand Island no Bōken special and One Piece Episode of Nami: Kōkaishi no Namida to Nakama no Kizuna special also aired on Saturday evenings in 2012.

Sources: Oricon, Comic NatalieFounded in 1993 by brothers Tom and David Gardner, The Motley Fool helps millions of people attain financial freedom through our website, podcasts, books, newspaper column, radio show, and premium investing services.

Carnival Cruise Lines is the industry leader among cruise vacation companies. In a market of over 20 million cruisers per year and growing, that makes for a promising investment.

Cruises have risen in popularity over the last few years as vacation options. Cruises are attractive vacation ideas because they require little planning, and are fairly inexpensive for the whole family or for a couples getaway. Because of this trend, cruise line industry revenues on whole have risen at 7.9% per year since 1980, with 20.3 million passengers having embarked on a cruise in 2013 alone.Carnival Cruise Lines(NYSE:CCL) looks


WASHINGTON -- Pope Benedict XVI met Thursday for the first time with US victims abused by priests, offering them his support after he acknowledged the pain and damage caused by the Church's sex scandal.

After celebrating Mass with a crowd of some 48,000 people, the pope held unprecedented talks with a small group of people who were sexually abused by members of the clergy, the Vatican said in a statement.

The group prayed together and the pontiff then listened to the stories of the victims, and "offered them words of encouragement and hope."

"His Holiness assured them of his prayers for their intentions, for their families and for all victims of sexual abuse," the statement added.

The private meeting with five victims lasted 20 to 25 minutes, officials said.

Some of the victimssincerity and there's a phenomenal hope that I came out of that meeting with."

The pope was accompanied by the archbishop of Boston, Cardinal Sean O'Malley, who was given a list of 1,000 victims in the diocese -- where the massive scandal was first reported.

The pope has already apologized several times since the start of his first US papal visit saying he was "deeply ashamed" of the scandal which has rocked the Catholic Church.

A US group for victims of clerical sexual abuse said the meeting was positive but that the pope needed to do much more to reform the Church and prevent further abuse.

"This is a small, long overdue step forward on a very long road," the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) said in a statement.

The


US clergy sex scandal mushroomed into a nationwide embarrassment for the Church after the then archbishop of Boston, Cardinal Bernard Law, resigned in 2002 amid intense pressure due to his handling of abusive priests.

Last year, the US Church paid out $615 million (400 million euros) to settle sex abuse cases, according to the US Conference of Catholic Bishops.

"No words of mine could describe the pain and harm inflicted by such abuse," Benedict told some 48,000 people who gathered for a Mass earlier Thursday in the new Washington Nationals ballpark celebrated by the pontiff.

The Church was making amends though, Benedict insisted, in dealing "honestly and fairly with this tragic situation and to ensure that children ... can grow up in a safe environment."

The crowds of faithful had given thepope a joyful welcome as he appealed for Americans to embrace the church and help it heal from its tragic recent past.

But the tone turned somber when the pope in his homily once again addressed the "tragic" sexual abuse of children by priests which has become a dominant theme of his six-day visit to the United States.

The crowd sat silent, some fanning themselves in the bright spring sunshine, as Benedict urged Catholics in the United States and around the world to reinforce their own faith and seek new converts in responding to "signs of alienation, anger and polarization" in society at large.

"The challenges confronting us require a comprehensive and sound instruction in the truths of the faith," he said, decrying rising violence, looser morals, "and a growing forgetfulness


of God."

Bishops, priests, seminary students, ordinary Americans of all races and families with children in tow had flocked to the stadium to hear the German-born pontiff.

The service was punctuated by hymns sung by four choirs of 570 singers, with renowned tenor Placido Domingo and soprano Denyce Graves singing solos.

On Friday, the pope travels to New York where he is expected to address the UN General Assembly, which the Vatican said will be the highlight of his US visit.

Copyright 2015 Agence France-Presse. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.market and further summation of the regional markets provides the automotive suspension system market. Model mapping for air suspension and leaf spring suspension types has been done separately to find the market by region.

The automotive suspension system ecosystems consists of manufacturers such as Continental AG (Germany), Tenneco (U.S.), and ZF Friedrichshafen AG (Germany), automotive original equipment manufacturers (OEM) such as Toyota Motor Corporation (Japan), Honda Motor Co. Ltd. (Japan) Volkswagen AG (Germany) and Ford Motor Company (U.S.), research institutes such as The Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI), European Automotive Research Partners Association (EARPA), & The United States Council for Automotive Research (USCAR) and regional automobile associations such as China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM), Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association (JAMA), & European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA), among others.

Study


on developing new products and forming partnerships and collaborations with key organizations to expand their presence in the automotive suspension system market. ZF Friedrichshafen AG is currently the market leader and has adopted expansion as the key strategy to gain the traction in the market. For instance.

ZF Friedrichshafen AG has established its extended R&D Center in Plzen, in the Czech Republic. The new location has a workforce of 250 employees who will be engaged in development services for the ZF Group and its divisions.

In this study, 2015 has been considered as the base year, and 2016 to 2021 as the forecast period, for estimating the market size of suspension system market.

The objective of the report is to analyze and forecast the market segments with respect to four regions,consists of manufacturers such as Continental AG (Germany), Tenneco (U.S.), and ZF Friedrichshafen AG (Germany), automotive original equipment manufacturers (OEM) such as Toyota Motor Corporation (Japan), Honda Motor Co. Ltd. (Japan) Volkswagen AG (Germany) and Ford Motor Company (U.S.), research institutes such as The Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI), European Automotive Research Partners Association (EARPA), & The United States Council for Automotive Research (USCAR) and regional automobile associations such as China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM), Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association (JAMA), & European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA), among others.

Study answers several questions for the stakeholders, primarily which market segments to focus in next two to five years (depends on range of forecast period) for prioritizing the efforts and investments


A sunny Saturday should give way to a wet Sunday.

A dose of rain and wind could dampen the area this weekend as the warmest October on record wraps up in the Lower Hudson Valley.

Storms are expected to pelt the region on Sunday — the five-year anniversary of Hurricane Sandy — as temperatures continue to soar to historic levels.

Today and tomorrow should be sunny, with temperatures peaking in the low 60s today and in the high 60s on Saturday, according to the National Weather Service. Temperatures could dip into the high 40s tonight.

"Today's a nice day. A little bit on the cool side. Good amount of sunshine," said Tom Kines, a meteorologist for AccuWeather. "Tomorrow gets off to a good start. Should be sunshine in the morning. Should beSunday night, according to the weather service.

Temperatures are expected to hit the mid-60s on Sunday and drop into the mid-40s on Sunday night, according to the weather service. Winds could hit 15 to 25 mph, Kines said.

There is a 40 percent chance of rain on Monday morning before the sun pokes through again after noon, according to the weather service. Monday and Tuesday should be mild, with temperatures hovering in the mid- to high 50s, according to the weather service.

Halloween is expected to be sunny as temperatures dive to around 40 degrees on Tuesday night.

Kines said that so far, this month has been the warmest October on record in the area, with an average temperature of 62.9 degrees in White Plains this month. The historical average for October


New boa species “on its way to extinction” discovered in the Bahamas

A team from Harvard’s Museum of Comparative Zoology discovered the silver boa (Chilabothrus argentum) in a remote corner of the Bahamian Archipelago called the Conception Island Bank — and the team says it’s one of the most critically endangered boas in the world.

Like all members of the Boidae family, to which it belongs, the Bahamian silver boa or Conception Bank silver boa is a nonvenomous, constricting snake.

In a paper published last month in the journal Breviora describing the new species, the team writes that the snake should not only be listed as critically endangered based on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List criteria but that it is “one of the most endangered boid snakesglobally.”

Conservation measures are now being developed with local organizations, including the Bahamas National Trust, in order to protect the snake and prevent it from going extinct.

There are now 12 known species of West Indian boas.

A team from Harvard’s Museum of Comparative Zoology discovered the silver boa (Chilabothrus argentum) in a remote corner of the Bahamian Archipelago called the Conception Island Bank. Like all members of the Boidae family, to which it belongs, the Bahamian silver boa or Conception Bank silver boa is a nonvenomous, constricting snake.

In a paper published last month in the journal Breviora describing the new species, the team writes that the snake should not only be listed as critically endangered based on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List criteria but that it


is “one of the most endangered boid snakes globally.”

“We found this species on its way to extinction, and now we have the opportunity to intervene on their behalf so that doesn’t happen,”Graham Reynolds, a professor at the University of North Carolina, Asheville who led the team that made the discovery in 2015 while he was a Harvard Postdoctoral Fellow, said in a statement.

Reynolds knew he had stumbled on something new the first time he laid eyes on the silver-colored, distinctly shaped boa in July 2015. During a subsequent trip to the islands in October 2015, Reynolds and team found 14 more individuals, which they sampled, measured, and tagged.

Conservation measures are now being developed with local organizations, including the Bahamas National Trust, in order to protect the snake andClimate of fear prevails over the island nation a day after the worst attacks in a decade kill 290 people.

Colombo, Sri Lanka – The Sri Lankan capital resembled a ghost town, a day after the island nation was hit by devastating bomb attacks that left people scared to leave their homes.

Parts of Colombo had transformed into a garrison, with over 1,000 security personnel deployed to ensure the city was safe, as the military and police carried out combined operations following the deadliest attacks in the past 10 years.

At least 290 people were killed in Easter Sunday’s coordinated attacks, which the country’s health minister said were carried out by a little-known Muslim organisation. Over 500 victims were still receiving treatment at various hospitals.

190421092621543

The usual hustle and bustle that is


characteristic of Colombo was missing on Monday – the first working day after the country’s New Year holidays.

Shops remained closed as an occasional vehicle moved along empty roads. There was an eerie calm instead, as a dozen men in uniforms patrolled the streets in the Fort area of the capital.

Sri Lanka has gone into mourning a week after it celebrated its main national festival, the Sinhala-Tamil New Year, on April 14.

‘Senseless violence’

In Colombo’s Muslim neighbourhood of Maradana, a shopkeeper who identified himself as Segu appeared worried.

“Bad things happened yesterday. I wonder what god these people believe in,” the 67 year old said, in an apparent reference to the perpetrators of the Easter Sunday violence.

We have lost so many people in a single moment. And now we live inBrandy Melville

Brandy Melville is an Italian clothing and fashion accessories brand, marketing their products to teenage girls and young women. The company was established in 1970 in Italy by Silvio Marsan and his son, Stephan Marsan. The brand name and logo was inspired by the fictional tale of two people – Brandy, an American girl, and Melville, an English guy who met in Rome and fell in love.

Brandy Melville's first retail store was opened in 2009, bordering UCLA in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles. By 2015, the brand had grown to 95 stores worldwide. In a similar way to Primark, the stores place little emphasis on advertising, relying instead on social media and word-of-mouth. The clothing line is extended to some pop-up stores in Nordstrom and


its oddball units like:

Snapfish, a website that lets consumers print digital photos that it acquired in 2005

Its outsourcing business. HP is trimming 29,000 jobs from its workforce, and its HP Enterprises Services unit is a major target of those cuts. There's been ongoing speculation that outsourcing business is on the block.

WebOS, now called Gram, which is the remnant of the HP's acquisition of Palm.

All of these are more likely targets than the PC group, Del Prete told Business Insider.

"The PC group is the first thing everyone is zeroing in on," Del Prete said, but he "would be very surprised" if HP would really dump it, particularly now that it has been merged with the printer business.

In 2011, HP shocked the market with an announcement that it was consideringCumberland continues to stay the course at Eastern Softball Regionals

Cumberland's Renae Lacroix, left, and teammate Mackenzie Vallely congratulate each other after the two scored runs in the top of the fourth inning against Massachusetts last Friday. The locals made it 3-for-3 in the win department at the Eastern Regional tournament after disposing of Maine on Tuesday. Cumberland closes out pool play Wednesday night against Seymour, Conn. at Breen Field in Bristol, Conn. PHOTO BY ERNEST A. BROWN

BRISTOL, Conn. --- After watching his All-Star team nearly mercy-rule the Mount Abraham All-Stars of New Haven, Vt. in an easy victory on Sunday, Cumberland manager Chris Bodington knew that his girls had probably seen their last lopsided win of the Eastern Regional tournament.

On deck was a pool play contest against a


up and scored with ease on a sacrifice fly to right by Chloe Kessler.

After the next batter, Kaitlyn D’Abrosca, picked up two bases on an error on a routine grounder to third, Mackenzie Vallely legged out an infield hit. The speedy D’Abrosca raced for the plate and was able to score when the catcher dropped the throw home.

Cumberland extended its lead in the third, when with one gone, Bodington laced a line single to right (her second of the day) and came around to score on a double by Alex Pina that she belted into the gap in right-center.

The locals’ final run came in the fourth on a two-out bloop single to center by Lacroix that plated Dana Jackvony, who reached on a fielder’s choice and went toDudamel was speaking after his team, nicknamed the "Vinotinto" (Red Wine) for their burgundy colors, beat Uruguay 4-3 on penalties in the semi-final of the FIFA Under-20 World Cup in South Korea.

"Mr. President, let's stop the weapons now. The only thing those kids going onto the streets want is a better Venezuela ... the same as the Vinotinto kids," Dudamel said after the match, referring to young protesters fighting security forces.

Football Benfica coach baffled by ban on supporters in Portugal 3 HOURS AGO

"Today, a 17-year-old has given us joy, and yesterday a 17-year-old died," he added of the latest fatality.

The government said teenager Neomar Lander died when a homemade mortar exploded in his hands while hundreds of youths faced off with National Guard troops in Caracas on Wednesday.

Opposition


lawmakers, however, said he was killed by a tear gas cannister fired straight at him.

At least 67 people have died, with victims including government and opposition supporters, bystanders and members of the security forces, since demonstrations began against the socialist government at the start of April.

Each side blames the other for the violence.

But there was a brief national unity on Thursday as fans celebrated arguably the greatest moment in Venezuela's soccer history. The Under-20 squad meets England, 3-1 victors over Italy in the other semi-final, in Sunday's final.

Dudamel's comments were only carried locally on one cable sports TV channel in the early morning, but they were also widely circulated by social media during the day. (Reporting by Diego Ore; Writing by Andrew Cawthorne; Editing by Grant McCool)

Football Lillepass. As Pickford suggests: I get up.

Some time ago, I was given a book—the name of which I cannot presently recall—written by a former Harvard-educated attorney who, after many years of unsatisfactorily earning piles of cash in New York, decided one day to walk away from her job and become an artist. Her successful crossover led her to motivational speaking. She’d go to high schools and ask the kids who they thought was the most successful: the doctor, the lawyer, or the poet? The children, naturally, would attach a dollar amount to that question and choose the doctor or the lawyer. But the writer argued that success was measured not by amounts of money but by happiness and the ability to do what one loves every day. In


first degree, a BA in German. Forty years later, I retired as a high school and middle school German teacher for the Virginia Beach Schools. My success in German had shaped my entire career. Failure was nowhere in sight.

Before I began my teaching career; however, I went through a ten-year period of constant failure. I worked as a truck driver, a salesman, bowling- lanes- technician, waiter, chauffeur, clerk, truck loader, carpenter, lifeguard, gas- station- attendant, mechanic, steel supervisor, handyman, trapper, crab- boat- captain, and furniture deliverer. None of these jobs provided enough income to support a family. Failure had kept me company all the way.

By the time I was offered my first teaching position, I was six months behind in my trailer-park-rent. I was driving a car IToday President Barack Obama hosted Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff at the White House. Their meeting underscored the long-standing and increasingly diverse partnership between the United States and Brazil, which is rooted in a shared commitment to expand inclusive economic growth and prosperity; promote international peace and security and respect for human rights; strengthen bilateral defense and security cooperation; and deepen our people-to-people ties through exchanges in education, energy, health, science and technology, and innovation. The visit highlighted our cooperation in the following areas:

Expanding Economic Growth and Prosperity

Social Security Agreement: The United States and Brazil seek to ease the burden on companies in order to facilitate job creation and growth, while enhancing the protection of our workers. To support this effort, the United States and Brazil have signed a


annual automatic exchange, on a reciprocal basis, of specific account holder information that financial institutions in each country will report to their own governments as required under local law. The first exchange of information is scheduled to occur in September 2015.

The United States welcomes the entry into force of the agreement between the United States and Brazil to implement the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA). The FATCA agreement will improve international tax compliance and combat offshore tax evasion by facilitating an annual automatic exchange, on a reciprocal basis, of specific account holder information that financial institutions in each country will report to their own governments as required under local law. The first exchange of information is scheduled to occur in September 2015. Mutual Recognition Joint Work Plan:and Brazil share the view that helping small businesses grow and entrepreneurs start new companies is key to creating jobs and ensuring inclusive economic growth. To that end, the United States and Brazil have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Promoting Entrepreneurship and the Growth of Micro-and-Small-Sized Enterprises. Under the MOU, the countries will advance the objectives of the Small Business Network of the Americas to foster greater connections among the thousands of business service providers and the millions of businesses they serve annually. The two countries will also promote entrepreneurship among women and expand opportunities for women-owned businesses through the Women’s Entrepreneurship in the Americas Initiative.

The United States and Brazil share the view that helping small businesses grow and entrepreneurs start new companies is key to


creating jobs and ensuring inclusive economic growth. To that end, the United States and Brazil have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Promoting Entrepreneurship and the Growth of Micro-and-Small-Sized Enterprises. Under the MOU, the countries will advance the objectives of the Small Business Network of the Americas to foster greater connections among the thousands of business service providers and the millions of businesses they serve annually. The two countries will also promote entrepreneurship among women and expand opportunities for women-owned businesses through the Women’s Entrepreneurship in the Americas Initiative. Worksharing on Patents: Recognizing the value of collaboration on patents to promote innovation in the United States and Brazil, the United States Department of Commerce and Brazil’s Ministry for Development, Industry and Foreign Trade signed a Joint Statementto further facilitate lawful trade while identifying illicit or non-compliant shipments.

Recognizing the robust engagement under the United States-Brazil Commercial Dialogue and the efforts of both countries to facilitate trade, the United States and Brazil will exchange lessons learned and best practices as each country develops and deploys their respective single window systems for international trade. This engagement, which will be initiated before the end of 2015, will support each country’s efforts to use automated capabilities and modernized trade processes to further facilitate lawful trade while identifying illicit or non-compliant shipments. Support for Financial Market Transactions: Through collaborations between private sector entities and National Institute of Standards and Technology on time and frequency standards, Brazilian financial markets will soon have access to precision network timing at the 50 microsecond


collaboration on human rights issues in multilateral fora. In addition to ongoing efforts to fight racial and ethnic discrimination and advance gender equality, the United States and Brazil will work together at the United Nations Human Rights Council to promote the human rights of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender persons, and pursue cooperation on defending freedom of expression and advocating for citizens with disabilities.

The United States and Brazil are establishing a Global Human Rights Working Group under the auspices of our Global Partnership Dialogue to enhance collaboration on human rights issues in multilateral fora. In addition to ongoing efforts to fight racial and ethnic discrimination and advance gender equality, the United States and Brazil will work together at the United Nations Human Rights Council to promote the humanrights of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender persons, and pursue cooperation on defending freedom of expression and advocating for citizens with disabilities. Food Security Support in Africa: The United States and Brazil have jointly provided select developing countries with technical assistance to enhance food security and nutrition, while strengthening local institutional capacity. Building on existing bilateral and trilateral partnerships, the United States Agency of International Development, in close coordination with the Brazilian Cooperation Agency, has proposed an increased investment of $2 million to improve food security in Mozambique. The investment will raise agricultural production through the Brazilian-led transfer of science and technology and targeted training for agricultural policy makers, technicians and farmers.

The United States and Brazil have jointly provided select developing countries with technical assistance to enhance food


security and nutrition, while strengthening local institutional capacity. Building on existing bilateral and trilateral partnerships, the United States Agency of International Development, in close coordination with the Brazilian Cooperation Agency, has proposed an increased investment of $2 million to improve food security in Mozambique. The investment will raise agricultural production through the Brazilian-led transfer of science and technology and targeted training for agricultural policy makers, technicians and farmers. Partnering on the United Nations Post-2015 Development Agenda: In addition to the trilateral food security cooperation described above, the United States and Brazil will jointly promote the implementation of the Post-2015 Development Agenda Sustainable Development Goal on food security, nutrition, and sustainable agriculture by working bilaterally and through the United Nations. To fulfill this pledge, the United States and Brazilagree to work together via the Food and Agriculture Organization-hosted Tropical Agricultural Platform on improving nutrition by promoting innovation in local agricultural production. Furthermore, the United States and Brazil agree to strengthen their commitment to sustainable agriculture, including by enhancing their cooperation in the Global Research Alliance (GRA) for Agricultural Greenhouse Gases. As a symbol of our broader collaboration on food security and nutrition, the United States and Brazil will support the outcomes of the Second International Conference on Nutrition. The United States also commits to support Brazil in its leadership of the 2016 Nutrition for Growth initiative, which Brazil will host during the 2016 Olympic Games.

In addition to the trilateral food security cooperation described above, the United States and Brazil will jointly promote the implementation of the


Post-2015 Development Agenda Sustainable Development Goal on food security, nutrition, and sustainable agriculture by working bilaterally and through the United Nations. To fulfill this pledge, the United States and Brazil agree to work together via the Food and Agriculture Organization-hosted Tropical Agricultural Platform on improving nutrition by promoting innovation in local agricultural production. Furthermore, the United States and Brazil agree to strengthen their commitment to sustainable agriculture, including by enhancing their cooperation in the Global Research Alliance (GRA) for Agricultural Greenhouse Gases. As a symbol of our broader collaboration on food security and nutrition, the United States and Brazil will support the outcomes of the Second International Conference on Nutrition. The United States also commits to support Brazil in its leadership of the 2016 Nutrition for Growth initiative,which Brazil will host during the 2016 Olympic Games. Supporting the Brazilian National Truth Commission: At the request of the Brazilian National Truth Commission, the United States surveyed its departmental and archival holdings for relevant records on human rights abuses and political violence in Brazil between 1964 and 1985. The National Declassification Center (NDC) led an initial search of 2.5 million pages, reviewed 400,000 potentially responsive pages, and identified over 4,500 relevant pages that were declassified in full or in part. The NDC will digitize these pages, which will be available at the United States National Archives, and has provided them to the Government of Brazil.

At the request of the Brazilian National Truth Commission, the United States surveyed its departmental and archival holdings for relevant records on human


rights abuses and political violence in Brazil between 1964 and 1985. The National Declassification Center (NDC) led an initial search of 2.5 million pages, reviewed 400,000 potentially responsive pages, and identified over 4,500 relevant pages that were declassified in full or in part. The NDC will digitize these pages, which will be available at the United States National Archives, and has provided them to the Government of Brazil. Cyber and Internet Policy: The United States and Brazil are partners in strengthening the “multistakeholder” approach to Internet governance to preserve the benefits of a single, reliable, open, interoperable, and secure Internet. Toward that end, both countries are committed to holding the next iteration of the United States-Brazil Internet and Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) Working Group this fall inBrasilia. Through discussion between our governments and with key stakeholders in the Internet Community, we will promote a vibrant digital economy, improve our collaboration on cybersecurity, discuss cybercrime prevention, strengthen capacity building activities, reaffirm our commitments to international security in cyberspace, and encourage the acceptance of norms of responsible state behavior in peacetime. The United States looks forward to Brazil hosting the Internet Governance Forum in November 2015.

Strengthening Defense and Security Cooperation

Defense Cooperation Agreement: The United States notes with satisfaction the entry into force of the United States-Brazil Defense Cooperation Agreement (DCA). The DCA will strengthen bilateral defense relations and enable greater cooperation between the United States and Brazil in defense-related matters, especially research and development, commercial initiatives, logistics support, technology security, and the acquisition and development of


defense products and services. The agreement promotes joint exercises and the exchange of information and equipment, especially to improve the conduct of international peacekeeping operations.

The United States notes with satisfaction the entry into force of the United States-Brazil Defense Cooperation Agreement (DCA). The DCA will strengthen bilateral defense relations and enable greater cooperation between the United States and Brazil in defense-related matters, especially research and development, commercial initiatives, logistics support, technology security, and the acquisition and development of defense products and services. The agreement promotes joint exercises and the exchange of information and equipment, especially to improve the conduct of international peacekeeping operations. The General Security of Military Information Agreement: The United States notes with satisfaction the entry into force of the United States-Brazil General Security of MilitaryInformation Agreement (GSOMIA). The GSOMIA will allow the United States and Brazil to share certain types of information, technology, and hardware. The GSOMIA will allow for more military exchanges, more sophisticated joint exercises and training, and improved interoperability. It will also further facilitate the sharing of sophisticated capabilities and technologies and pave the way for space and other advanced technology demonstrations, scientific exchanges, and potentially joint technology development initiatives.

The United States notes with satisfaction the entry into force of the United States-Brazil General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA). The GSOMIA will allow the United States and Brazil to share certain types of information, technology, and hardware. The GSOMIA will allow for more military exchanges, more sophisticated joint exercises and training, and improved interoperability. It will also further


facilitate the sharing of sophisticated capabilities and technologies and pave the way for space and other advanced technology demonstrations, scientific exchanges, and potentially joint technology development initiatives. Defense Industry Dialogue: The United States Departments of Defense and Commerce together with the Brazilian Ministry of Defense announced their endorsement of industry efforts to launch a bilateral Defense Industry Dialogue later this year. This dialogue will institutionalize engagement between the U.S. and Brazilian private sectors to enable governments and industry to exchange information and ideas; increase technology cooperation and collaboration in the defense sector; deepen mutual understanding of our defense industries; and discuss long-term defense priorities.

The United States Departments of Defense and Commerce together with the Brazilian Ministry of Defense announced their endorsement of industry efforts to launch a bilateralDefense Industry Dialogue later this year. This dialogue will institutionalize engagement between the U.S. and Brazilian private sectors to enable governments and industry to exchange information and ideas; increase technology cooperation and collaboration in the defense sector; deepen mutual understanding of our defense industries; and discuss long-term defense priorities. Collaboration on Law Enforcement: The United States Department of Homeland Security and Brazil Federal Highway Police agreed to formalize their already robust collaboration to counter international criminal organizations by signing a Joint Statement on Law Enforcement Collaboration. The Joint Statement supports the continued collaboration of both governments to combat intellectual property rights violations, transnational criminal organizations, money laundering, and human trafficking.

Deepening People-to-People Ties through Education, Energy, Science and Technology, Health, and Innovation


A medieval nun faked her own death and ran away from her convent to escape a life of celibacy and pursue a 'life of carnal lust'.

Joan of Leeds was living at the house of St Clement by York in 1318 when she decided to enlist the help of her fellow sisters to create a dummy which would represent her corpse and slip away into the night.

The ruse was foiled by the Archbishop of the time who ordered her to return to her life of 'poverty and obedience' and abandon her newly-adopted 'way of carnal lust'.

It remains unknown if the nun returned to the institute or continued her renegade life of freedom, in what researchers called a 'frustrating outcome'.

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Joan of Leeds was living at the houseof St Clement by York in 1318 when she decided to enlist the help of her fellow sisters to create a dummy which would represent her corpse and slip away into the night. The saga was discovered as archivists translated Latin transcripts revealing the day-to-day activities of York's archbishops during the 14th-Century

Researchers at the University of York discovered a note written in Latin buried within the pages of one of the 16 registers used to log the activities of the archbishops of York between 1304 and 1405.

The comical charade was described by Professor Sarah Rees Jones, director for medieval studies at York University and lead researcher of the project, as 'extraordinary – like a Monty Python sketch'.

Archbishop William Melton penned a note in Latin to the runaway nun,


which read: 'To warn Joan of Leeds, lately nun of the house of St Clement by York, that she should return to her house,' The Guardian reports.

He also sent an additional letter to the dean of Beverley to tell him of the rogue nun's shenanigans.

In his note he slandered the promiscuous nun and spoke of her 'scandalous behaviour'.

Further assassination of her character included claims she 'impudently cast aside the propriety of religion and the modesty of her sex'.

He added: 'Out of a malicious mind simulating a bodily illness, she pretended to be dead, not dreading for the health of her soul, and with the help of numerous of her accomplices, evildoers, with malice aforethought, crafted a dummy in the likeness of her body in order to mislead thedevoted faithful and she had no shame in procuring its burial in a sacred space amongst the religious of that place'.

He also spoke of the discovery of the nun's deceit and the outrage it caused.

WHAT DID ARCHBISHOP MELTON SAY ABOUT THE RUNAWAY NUN? The story is recorded in the register an on 11 August 1318. William Melton issued a mandate to the dean of Beverley Minster in the archdeaconry of the East Riding. He informed the dean that a scandalous rumour had recently reached him that the Benedictine Joan of Leeds had arrived in Beverley. It read as follows: 'Having impudently cast aside the propriety of religion and the modesty of her sex, out of a malicious mind simulating a bodily illness, she pretended to be dead, not


dreading for the health of her soul, and with the help of numerous of her accomplices, evildoers, with malice aforethought, crafted a dummy (quandam imaginem corporis sui similitudinem exprimentem) in the likeness of her body in order to mislead the devoted faithful, and she had no shame in procuring its burial in a sacred space amongst the religious of that place, and thus, she having faked her death and, in a cunning, nefarious manner, turning her back on the observance of religion that she previously professed, and having turned her back on decency and the good of religion, seduced by indecency, she involved herself irreverently and perverted her path of life arrogantly to the way of carnal lust and away from poverty and obedience, and, having broken hervows and discarded the religious habit she now wanders at large to the notorious peril to her soul and to the scandal of all of her order'. Advertisement

Archbishop Melton continued: 'I a cunning, nefarious manner… having turned her back on decency and the good of religion, seduced by indecency, she involved herself irreverently and perverted her path of life arrogantly to the way of carnal lust and away from poverty and obedience, and, having broken her vows and discarded the religious habit, she now wanders at large to the notorious peril to her soul and to the scandal of all of her order.'

The texts recorded the unfolding of the events but did not include any information as to if the scandal was ever resolved.

'Unfortunately, and this is really


past the age of five due to illness, disease and poor medical knowledge. Up to 20 per cent of women would die during child birth or because of post-birth infections. If a person survived a risky childhood and lived in a time without war, the average life expectancy peaked at around 40-45 years of age. The House of Plantagenet were the royals that oversaw the entire century; from Charles III through to the deposition of Richard II in 1399. In the middle of the century, a four year span between 1347 to 1351 saw one of the worst pandemics of all time - The Black Death. It killed an estimated 200 million people - between 30 and 60 per cent of the total European population. The Oriental ratThe Hundred Years' War (which lasted 116 years from 1337 to 1453) was a series of conflicts waged between the kingdoms of England and France over the 'rightful' succession to the French throne. In 1381, the working-class people snapped back at the affluent rulers in the 'Great Rising' or the 'Peasants revolt' in which 1,500 rebels died in protest against poor living conditions and increasing taxes. Advertisement

The comical charade of the promiscuous nun was described by professor Sarah Rees Jones, director for medieval studies at York University and lead researcher of the project, as 'extraordinary – like a Monty Python sketch' (file photo)

Researchers hope to translate the contents of all 16 books and make their contents available online in a bid to learn more about the church during