most importantly of all, his Whataburger order: All the way with no jalapenos.

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/TED KIRK - AP.
During his junior year at Rice, he took the school to its first College World Series and very nearly took a job as a volunteer assistant coach at his alma mater before deciding to sign with the Rangers this winter. He has a keen interest in returning to the college game, which he says is "less jaded" than MLB. "In the majors, most people want to believe it’s all about winning, but there are a lot of guys who play for their individual accomplishments and the betterment of their families," Berkman told SportsDay's Evan Grant. "In college, it is simply about the competition.”

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/Jonathan Daniel - Getty Images.
AccordingOn...

/Louis DeLuca - Staff Photographer.
Berkman's knees have suffered through quite a lot during his 14-year career. Since entering the big leagues, Berkman has undergone six separate knee surgeries, including two during the 2012 season alone. Still, Berkman's been a workhorse player throughout his career, averaging nearly 148 games per season from 2001 to 2011 before the knee troubles kept him sidelined for much of last year.

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/Pat Sullivan - AP.
Berkman donned himself “The Big Puma.” After disliking the original nickname many fans had given him due to his plumpness, “Fat Elvis.” Berkman mentioned to a couple Houston-area radio guys he was more like a puma and it went from there. (Houston Chronicle)

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/Tony Gutierrez - AP.
After batting .248 with just 14 home runs and


A revelatory new video clip from a different angle clearly shows Alton Sterling did not pull a weapon on the Baton Rouge cops who shot him to death. The cellphone video, via The Daily Beast shows what appears to be one of the two officers plucking the gun from the right pants pocket of Alton. An earlier 48-second video, shot from the parking lot, did not include the shot of the cop taking the gun away from Sterling'spocket. R.I.P. Alton Sterling. Posted By Persist[su_label type=”success”]The beginning of ukiyo-e art style[/su_label]

Woodblock Prints in the Ukiyo-e Style | Essay | Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History | The Metropolitan Museum of Art

The person who is supposed to be the origin of ukiyo-e is ,in early Edo Period, the woodblock prints artist Iwasa Matabei (岩佐又兵衛). It is said that he was the son of samurai warrior, but it is not known what kind of person was.

Also, it was Hishikawa Moronobu (菱川師宣) in the middle of the Edo period that introduced woodcut prints. It made the ukiyo-e artists and the publishers offer pictures to a wide range of people.

Until then, the name of artists did not appear on the work, but he distinguished his name clearly. After that the Japanese woodblock artists followed the way.

In the


incision in a fold of the axilla. Through this axillary incision, the sentinel lymph node biopsy or lymphadectomy was performed, and the external part of the latissimus dorsi muscle was harvested endoscopically for the reconstruction. Both the medical team and the patients reported high satisfaction with the aesthetic and functional results due to the preservation of the breast shape and the absence of any scarring on the back. Endoscopy-assisted techniques make either three small scars on the back or one long scar, with the muscle sectioned distally, or a vertical incision in the midaxillary line, which may form a hypertrophic or keloid scar. The authors' approach avoids the creation of these scars on the back because the endoscopy and the distal sectioning of the muscle flap are performedPreview — Through His Eyes
by Nikki Ash

Through His Eyes

The moment I saw her walk through the door of Forbidden Ink, I knew she was the one. With her wide hips, thick thighs, and perfect breasts, she’s every man’s wet dream.

Add to that her dark, soulful eyes, pouty lips, and a body covered in gorgeous art, and I knew I needed to make her mine.

She’s a walking contradiction of sass and strength and determination, hidden by inseThe moment I saw her walk through the door of Forbidden Ink, I knew she was the one. With her wide hips, thick thighs, and perfect breasts, she’s every man’s wet dream.

Add to that her dark, soulful eyes, pouty lips, and a body covered in gorgeous art, and I knew I needed to


was full of hope, sweetness and a bit of sexiness. It grabbed me by the heart and held tightly right to the end.

Lachlan was sweet, he was kind, he was loving, but he had a dominant side that I drooled over. He was young too, but it seemed as though he was probably more mature than most his age. Another plus in my books.

Quinn was strong, she was a mother, she struggled at times, and she struggled with her insecurities from things that happened in her past but she always pushed past and got on with it. She was the type of person I would admire, and I admire the author for creating such a strong heroine. Truly one of a kind.

These two together were sexy as hell,even when she felt she didnt. I cringed and felt my gut sink when she felt every last insecurity. I praised and celebrated when she got through those insecure thoughts and found herself and see how truly amazing she is. She is every single woman, who struggles every single day with the insecurities this world forces and pushes on us. The world's perfection is not the same in everyone's eyes, and that's exactly what she finds in Lachlan's eyes.

I didn't think Nikki could write a more perfect male character than Killian. But once again, Nikki has proved she can and will. Lachlan is the man every woman deserves and should have. That Irish hunk, with his patiences of a saint and heart of gold, was everything Quinn needed.


would kill me. And boy did it!

There is a rather large chance, that you will get a single parent book, when you pick up a Nikki Ash book and Through His Eyes is one of them. There is a reason for the reoccurring trope. Her love for this trope shines through in her ability to write the cutest kids on this planet, and between these pages lives Kinsley, the life of this book.

So if you are into single parent books, love/lust at first sight, strong believable characters and an absolutely amazing story, look no further, this one is it!...more

This book... so incredibly written... Nikki Ash has done it again. Quinn and Lachlan are an amazing story. She has such insecurities and he is so honest. Despite age differences,characters you will ever find!

Quinn Crawford is absolutely my favorite heroine. She is the most relatable character I have ever read. Every self doubt, every insecurity, every bad thought she feels about herself just hits home.Quinn is the single mother to a five year old daughter. Her husband died before finding out she was pregnant, but he was an awful man who made her feel horrible about herself. When she talks about herself the way she does, I couldn't help but think "yep, that's exactly how I feel."

Lachlan Bryson, the tattooed Irish tattoo artist that comes barreling into Quinn's life at full speed and changes her life forever. Lachlan is what Quinn needs most in life. He sees how perfect she is from the very first glance. Lachlan


have anyone, especially someone his own age and “beautiful”. His pursuit of her is beautiful and honest. If only she could see herself through his eyes..... Quinn dealt with some horrible emotional abuse by her husband...she felt utterly unattractive and worthless. Even after he was gone she lived with those words in her head and believed them. The transformation of her realizing that she was beautiful and worthy of love was amazing. This part of the story really touched my heart because life is not easy for women, particularly as we get older and our focus shifts to our kids and not ourselves. This world can make us feel pretty expendable as we age and physically change. I am so glad Nikki brought this part of the storyBonus games may additionally award players with “progressive jackpot” awards that are funded, at least in part, by a percentage of coin-in from the gaming machine or a plurality of participating gaming machines. Because the bonus game concept offers tremendous advantages in player appeal and excitement relative to other known games, and because such games are attractive to both players and operators, there is a continuing need to develop gaming machines with new types of bonus games to satisfy the demands of players and operators.
Gaming machines typically include a gaming cabinet, which generally surrounds the interior of the gaming machine and is viewable by the players. A plurality of wires are typically included in the interior of the gaming machine, which helps distribute power, signal communications, and operational


A European agreement to prevent discrimination against LGBT people has been blocked by Hungary.

The Dutch government, which currently holds the EU Presidency, had tabled a draft agreement at the Council of the European Union this week, which called on the European Commission to tackle homophobic and transphobic discrimination, promote measures to advance LGBTI equality, and step up efforts to collect data on the treatment of LGBTI citizens.

The agreement had been well received by the majority of member countries – with Latvia, Lithuania and Poland lifting their initial objections.

However, the agreement was vetoed by the representatives for Hungary who blocked the agreement – the same day it also blocked a proposed deal with Turkey on the migration crisis.

A statement from the country’s right-wing government said: “Hungary is not inObama in Tucson: Providing an amnesty for the right wing

By Patrick Martin

13 January 2011

In his remarks Wednesday night to a memorial service for the victims of last Saturday’s massacre in Tucson, Arizona, President Obama refused to offer any political explanation for the attempted assassination of Democratic Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords.

On the contrary, his entire speech was an argument against such an analysis, as he declared the causes of the massacre to be unknowable. It was a statement of intellectual bankruptcy, carried out, as usual in modern American politics, amid nonstop invocations of religion.

Sitting in the audience, unacknowledged and unmentioned by Obama, was the sheriff of Pima County, Clarence Dupnik, who spoke out Saturday, attributing the attempted assassination of a prominent Democrat to the promotion of bigotry and political violence


by the right-wing media and politicians.

Dupnik’s bluntness made him a target of the ultra-right, with the Wall Street Journal, Fox News, Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh all denouncing his remarks. In his speech in Tucson, Obama effectively joined in this campaign, offering a full-fledged amnesty for the right.

Four or five decades ago, an occasion such as this in the United States would have seen a clear demarcation between the invocation by the preachers and the speeches by political leaders. Wednesday night’s affair, by contrast, was an awkward combination of campus pep rally and sermonizing.

The bizarre tone was epitomized by Janet Napolitano, secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, and Attorney General Eric Holder, who took the podium in succession and confined their remarks to reading passages from theTucson—or in America—it is “thriving.”

The city and the country are both mired in the deepest economic slump since the Great Depression. A few figures suffice to indicate the scale of the crisis. Tucson has an unemployment rate that topped 9.2 percent during the summer, with more than 40,000 people currently out of work.

Arizona has the second highest poverty rate among the 50 states, 21.2 percent, and Tucson has the highest poverty rate of any city in the state. The median household income in Tucson is 28 percent below the national average, while the per capita income is 26 percent below the national average.

Barely 45 percent of the people of Arizona have private health insurance, with 20 percent on Medicaid and 13 percent on Medicare. Twenty percent of the


New Owners of Former McGurn YMCA Ask City for Zoning Changes

Published January 16th, 2013

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GAINESVILLE - The sale of the former McGurn YMCA facility in northeast Gainesville has been finalized, giving that building a new "lease on life".

The sale was completed late last month. The facility was sold to a mother and daughter team who plan on turning it into a charter school. But before the school can officially open, the owners say they need a variety of permits from the city of Gainesville, including a land-use change and a rezoning permit.

Abbitt wrote a letter to the city commission on Tuesday, asking them to speed up the permitting process so the school can be ready for its planned opening in July. Abbitt says construction and renovation of theaccessories serve to add comfort and convenience and to personalize a particular bike to its owner's taste.
One such accessory is an air horn. The air horn usually includes an air compressor and a horn connected to the compressor via an air-supply line. In the case of Harley-Davidson motorcycles, for example, the stock horn is mounted on the left side of the bike, from the rider's perspective, and between the V-shaped cylinders formed in the engine block. A stock horn-cover usually shields the stock automotive- type electric horn and related components. As it happens, there has been a demand by enthusiasts for air horns having different sounds, appearance, and presentation than the standard horns provided by the manufacturer. However, the air horns known in the related art have generally


could be “no military solution” to the Syrian conflict and that the conflict could be settled only through a “negotiated political process.”

The presidents of Iran, Russia and Turkey, whose countries act as guarantors of the Syria ceasefire, also reaffirmed their determination to continue their cooperation in order to ultimately eliminate Daesh, Nusra Front and all other individuals, groups, and entities associated with al-Qaeda or Daesh as identified by the UN Security Council and underscored the success of their collective efforts in the fight against international terrorism.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani (L), Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (C) and Russian President Vladimir Putin pose for a photo ahead of the Turkey-Russia-Iran tripartite summit in Ankara, Turkey, on April 04, 2018. (Photo by president.ir)

They also underscored their joint determination to “speedup their efforts to ensure calm on the ground and protect civilians in the de-escalation areas as well as to facilitate rapid, safe and unhindered humanitarian access to these areas” and emphasized that the creation of de-escalation areas was temporary as provided for by their agreement of May 4, 2017.

They also expressed their satisfaction with the outcomes of the first year of the Astana meetings held since January 2017. They underlined that the Astana format had been the only effective international initiative that had helped reduce violence across Syria, contributed to peace and stability in Syria, and gave impetus to the Geneva process in order to find a lasting political solution to the Syrian conflict.

The three presidents also said that the Syrian National Dialogue Congress, which was convened


in the Black Sea city of Sochi on January 30, 2018, constituted an important milestone in paving the way for the political process and reiterated their commitment to follow up on the results of the Congress

They also decided to hold their next meeting in Iran.

Iran blames US for backing militants in Syria

During the summit, Rouhani said although Daesh, al-Nusra and other terrorist groups had been hit hard and were on the brink of annihilation, some sides kept arming them and had enabled terrorists to continue their brutal actions against the Syrian people, including residents of Damascus.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani (2nd-L) attends a tripartite meeting with his Russian and Turkish counterparts, Vladimir Putin and Recep Tayyip Erdogan (not seen), in Ankara on April 4, 2018. (Photo by president.ir)

The continuinga symbol of the national sovereignty of the country,” the Iranian president said.

The Wednesday meeting between the three leaders was their second tripartite summit under six months aimed at speeding the peace process in Syria.

The first meeting was hosted by Putin in November in Sochi.

Iran, Russia and Turkey have also backed peace talks in the Kazakh capital Astana, which are a parallel process to support UN-supported discussions in Geneva.


and
beyond, and a burgeoning slum population across
Sub-Saharan Africa.

However, cities are also engines of growth and loci
of social, cultural and political dynamics that can
leverage rural, national and global level change – as
demonstrated by the democratisation movements
during the Arab Spring in 2011, in Africa in the 1990’s
or in Latin American in the 1980’s. Cities are economic
and cultural magnets for migrants in search of
economic opportunities or freedom from oppressive
social or gender norms. Cities are the markets where
food consumption, distribution and processing
patterns set the rules for food producers. Cities are
the first contributors to, and potential first victims of,
climate change and environmental depredation.

Many international non-governmental organisations
(INGOs) have been running small scale urban
programmes over the last 10 years, but approaches,
skills, learning, policy and funding is in its infancy
compared to the rural programmes where therechallenge, the increased volume of
humanitarian programmes in urban settings has been
met by innovative and varied programming in many
diverse contexts from cash and voucher programmes
in Haiti, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and the
Philippines (reflected in articles by ACF) to rooftop
gardening and aquaponics in Gaza (shared by FAO) to
rabbit rearing in Gaza (Oxfam programming).

Malnutrition – wasting and stunting – is a daily
reality of impoverished urban populations. This is
often a ‘hidden’ problem, as reflected in an article by ALIMA on their early experiences of an urban
programme in Chad that has been inundated with
admissions for treatment of malnutrition (page 68).
Routine screening for stunting as well as wasting is
one recommendation from MSF emerging from
research in an urban slum in Bangladesh (page 24).
Rollout of integrated management of acute malnutrition
in urban contexts is increasingly a


female workers, get a sense of pride that she is a female plumber. Some people are surprised when she says that she is one. But Tamara loves the work and at the same time, she loves the reaction she gets from people surprised of her doing a man’s job.

The NEW Program – Non-Traditional Employment for Women

Once on welfare, Tamara is now as an apprentice with the plumbers’ union earning a decent 22$ an hour plus benefits. Tamara says she can now spoil her kids and get to buy the things her kids. She credits her success to a program called NEW – Non-Traditional Employment for Women in New York, a non-profit organization that trains women in jobs in construction like carpenters, electricians, plumbers, and painters.

Women are not exactlythe light most favorable to the prosecution,
any rational trier of fact could have found all the essential elements
of the crime beyond a reasonable doubt." United States v. Cottrill,
45 MJ 485, 487 (1997); seeJackson v. Virginia, 443 U.S.
307, 319 (1979).

The Government introduced evidence that appellant
engaged in sexual intercourse with Ms. L in his barracks room. On this
occasion, two of appellantís roommates were present in the barracks room.
One of them was asleep, and the other was watching a football game on television.
Appellant pinned up a sheet that substantially blocked his roommates' view
of his side of the room.

The record reflects that one roommate, who
was awake, was quite suspicious of the activity on the other side of the
sheet. The other roommate, once he was awakened, shared the same suspicions.Under these circumstances, there


was sufficient evidence of the "open
and notorious" nature of the conduct for the matter to be resolved by the
court members.

In the present case, where there was evidence
that the roommates were suspicious of the nature of the activity between
appellant and Ms. L. behind the sheet, the members -- who heard the evidence
and observed the witnesses -- could reach the conclusion that appellant
did not negate the open and notorious nature of the sexual activity merely
by placing a sheet between the beds. Under Jackson v. Virginia,
supra, the members had sufficient evidence before them to reach
that conclusion in this case.

The Government introduced evidence that appellant
and Ms. C. engaged in sexual intercourse in his barracks room. While the
sexual events occurred, the door was closed and nobody else was in the
room. Under these circumstances,3. Jeff Bridges in The Big Lebowski - Bridges gives an enjoyable performance as both a funny slacker but as well a straight man in the role he was apparently born to play.

Best Scene: The two Lebowskies meet.

2. Ian McKellen in Apt Pupil - McKellen's film is terrible as the
film's direction stays in one direction while the writing goes in a
completely different way. McKellen though matches the two opposing sides
with his performance. The first side giving a chilling portrayal of an
evil man given the chance to reflect on his evil deeds. The second being
an entertaining portrayal of an evil Nazi. McKellen stays above the
film by taking his own path apart from the film.

Best Scene: Dussander visits Todd's family.

1. Brendan Gleeson in The General - Gleeson gives an endearing


portrayal
of the "folk hero" side of his character, but is also effective in his
portrayal of the growing desperation of man whose world is closing in on
him.

Ian McKellen did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Kurt Dussander who goes by the name
Arthur Denker in Apt Pupil.

Apt Pupil tells the story of a high school student who blackmails a former Nazi to get him to tell him his stories of the past. The film has some severe problems. One of the biggest is Bryan Singer's excessively literal direction causes the exploitative material to leave a particularly bad taste. In addition it has a terrible leading performance by Brad Renfro as the boy Todd (Ryan Gosling or Ben Foster probably would have better choices). The film may have worked quitewell if it took the material more as a pitch black comedy about an inspirational mentor who happens to be a Nazi and part of the reason I say this is due to the performance I'm about to get to.

Ian McKellen actually shared a few of his wins from critic groups for Gods and Monsters with his performance in this film. Although there was likely no doubt that McKellen would be recognized for his portrayal of the troubled James Whale rather than his performance as a man who calls himself Arthur Denker because he is actually a Nazi war criminal by the name of Kurt Dussander. The high school student Todd goes to Dussander, after doings some research to identify him completely, to hear a first hand account


of the Nazi's brutality. McKellen effectively creates not only the Nazi but the old man in Dussander. McKellen is actually playing a much older age, but you would not notice as McKellen so naturally infuses the physical mannerisms of seventy year old into his performance. McKellen's German accent also always feels right for the character and helps amplify its past by having an innate cruelty just in his voice.

There are kinda two sections of this performance so it is best to start with the first half where he portrays a more realistic depiction of the character as the film takes a less absurdest approach. McKellen is terrific in the earliest scenes where Todd is prodding him for the information about his days as an executioner. McKellen is greatbecause he does not portray Dussander as gloating over his accomplishments nor does he portray any guilt in his voice either. McKellen instead plays Dussander's reflections as bluntly as possible of a man recalling events in his past that are said and done. He's not proud of them but he's not sorry for them either. The strongest emotion that McKellen exudes in the same is an exasperation not over having to recall a bad memory, but rather the exasperation of being forced to tell his stories by some young fool. McKellen actually makes these moments the most cruel as Dussander relates his massacres as merely something he did.

One relatively brief but fantastic scene for McKellen is when Dussander visits Todd's family for dinner one night. McKellen portrays the


the face of potentially nice old man or even a possible mentor.

Of course Bryan Singer is not a master of tone and there arrives a problem as he takes such a straight approach to the film even though the writing forces the story to go down an absurdest path. The film and Renfro stumble very badly due to this but one man does not and that is Ian McKellen. McKellen apparently seemed to understand the material better than anyone else as he switches his performance accordingly into a darkly comic portrayal of Dussander. At this point McKellen starts to play the part with an evil glee as Dussander controls the boy but also chooses to help him achieve at school. McKellen takes revels in his performance as hebrings to life the Nazi inspirational teacher in quite the entertaining fashion. McKellen is very enjoyable to watch as he has a tremendous amount of fun in the part, which he adapts into a more maniacal villain fitting to the film that probably should have been made out of the material.

I have admit I did not even feel a disconnect between the two sides of McKellen's work really as he does slowly alter into the other path as it becomes obvious where the story is going. The early scenes McKellen gives a performance that would not be out of place in a film like Schindler's List and in the later scenes McKellen's performance would be a great fit for Marathon Man or The Boys From Brazil. It is


with the kidnapping plot that involves some very weird people. He also is prodded along on his own side by his crazy best friend Walter (John Goodman) who comes up with his own absurd ideas involving the plot since it includes a large sum of money. As stated in the film though The Dude is purposefully a constant therefore Bridges keeps his performance on a very similair note throughout, although importantly he never feels one note either.

Bridges is good in the role by keeping a certain realism in the part even though the Dude technically really should have nothing to do with what is going on around him. Bridges does not take his approach too far though and still portrays the Dude as a real guy. This becomesmost evident when at first it appears that the kidnapping plot may be serious and that someone's life really is in danger. Bridges is effective in portraying The Dude's reaction as one of genuine fear and concern that his actions and the actions of his friends might have caused someone harm. Bridges is equally good as he gets threatened, and slightly physically accosted by the likes of some Nihilists, the thugs of a pornographer, and a cop. Bridges again does well to portray The Dude rightfully becoming slightly more exasperated and even more intense as the business involving the Big Lebowski becomes more harmful to him. Bridges never makes it that heavy so to speak, but he effectively does bring the right sort of weight to the noir


elements.

The majority of his performance is of course not being serious and in fact being that easy going guy as others keep laying down more information on him. Bridges's does well to be both a straight man yet flamboyant in his own sort way as well. Bridges is funny on one end of things in portraying the Dude's confusion at the weird people he comes across as well as the annoyance when Walter's behavior gets too out of hand sometimes. At the same time Bridges is funny as well by not necessarily being the straight man, particularly in the scenes where he interacts with the Big Lebowski and his assistant. Here technically Bridges is the one more actively comical and he does well in that to by beingenough film about the exploits of a most unusual Irish crime boss.

Brendan Gleeson plays Martin Cahill, in his most prominent leading performance before his work with the McDonagh brothers, and from the get go Gleeson benefits from having a fairly close physical resemblance to the real Cahill. The reality of Cahill though doesn't come too deeply into the film itself which takes the approach of making him somewhat of a folk hero of sorts, since in reality it appears Cahill was an even more devious sort than the film presents him to be. Gleeson though is terrific in creating the "heroic" version of Cahill that we meet early in the film as he does things his own way, and that's too an even more absurd extent than most


played by Anthony Wong the true star of the film. It's too bad there's no Lieutenant in the Hong Kong Police because Tung wouldn't fit too badly into the mold of a bad lieutenant, although closer to Nicolas Cage's version rather than Harvey Kietel's. Although he might be best described as lazy Lieutenant, as his corruption seems from mostly a lack of caring but Tung's life as a cop certainly involves drinking, using drugs, some prostitution, very casually taking bribes, and having far too comfortable of a relationship with the local Triad members.

Anthony Wong is in top form from the first scene by not being in particularly top form. Wong was apparently actually ill while filming the movie and this only contributes in making Tung the spent typeof cop he is. In the opening scenes he's barely at all interested in doing what is required of a cop as Wong is very good in portraying Tung's manner of just basically going through the motions of being a cop. Wong is great though because he does not make Tung just a big nothing though and he's particularly good in portraying the sorta attempted manner to be the cop while failing to really fulfill his duties. Wong brings that certain boisterousness about Tung as if Tung is still the king of his neighborhood, and has any importance at all in his position even though he's basically nothing. Wong brings the right sort of wholly pathetic quality about Tung's routine as he feigns getting involved in a triad


murder, but in fact just goes along and warns his friend in the Triad to get out of town.

We are then introduced to the other Wong's character who first meets Tung at a nightclub. Wong, the better Wong that is, is actually quite funny in his scenes where Tung is doing his best to kinda maneuver around his new boss and make him feel comfortable in his own way. Tung's first attempt is to make him not notice his considerable corruption by trying to have him as good of a time as possible. Wong's quite the delight as he portrays Tung over enthusiastic manner as he brings so much energy in Tung's attempt at making everything just too good for his new boss. I particularly love the momentTriad. Although I don't think the other Wong gets along all the well with the tonal shift, the better Wong thrives along with it despite being the funniest performer in the humorous scenes. Wong has a terrific short moment where Tung threatens the under boss for an attack on Cheung which causes the under boss to remind Tung of his corruption. Wong's brings the intensity of the moment to life especially as he quickly reflects the guilt and forced hesitation as Tung basically recognizes what he is for a moment. Things only get worse though when the Triad boss, who had been on the run, is killed in a power struggle leaving Tung to finally take action. Tung pumps himself on all sorts of things and basically goes


for the rest of the film, and he successfully bridges the character to this point. Wong I would say is easily the highlight of the entire film as he just goes with the material in a way that any of the actors are not able to compete with. Wong makes Tung quite the memorable and rather likable dirty cop to follow through the film and he's especially good due to the way he manages to mediate between the humor and the drama of the material so well.

Friday, 21 November 2014

Paul Muni in Scarface - The same year where Muni gave, at least from what I have seen, his best performance in I Am Fugitive From A Chain Gang he also played perhaps one of his best known rolesof his sister. 3.5/5

Best Actor Ranking:

Paul Muni in I Am A Fugitive From a Chain Gang

Oliver Hardy in Pack Up Your Troubles

Stan Laurel in Pack Up Your Troubles

William Powell in Jewel Robbery

Paul Muni in Scarface

Boris Karloff in The Mummy

John Barrymore in State's Attorney

Herbert Marshall in Trouble in Paradise

Gary Cooper in A Farewell to Arms

John Barrymore in A Bill of Divorcement

Groucho Marx in Horse Feathers

Joel McCrea in The Most Dangerous Game

Bela Lugosi in White Zombie

Junior Durkin in Hell's House

William Gargan in Rain

Harry Earles in Freaks

Johnny Weissmuller in Tarzan The Ape Man

David Manners in The Mummy

John Harron in White Zombie

John Barrymore in Grand Hotel - Barrymore is rather good here in creating the outward suaveness of the Baron as he he charms his way into seemingly everyone's heart around him.


Magwitch comes back.

4. William Bendix in The Blue Dahlia- Bendix, despite the writing messing up his ending, gives an affecting portrayal of a man driven to moments of insanity due to his war experiences.

Best Scene: Buzz is bothered by the music.

3. Roger Livesey in A Matter of Life and Death- Livesey steals the film right out from David Niven and manages to give weight to the central romance of the film than the two performers portraying it do.

Best Scene: The doctor fights for Peter's life in the Heavenly court.

2. Henry Travers in It's A Wonderful Life- Travers gives a funny and quite wonderful realization of the pure goodness of his character.

Best Scene: George after visiting his mother.

1. Lionel Barrymore in It's a Wonderful Life- Good Predictions Kevin, Maciej,moviefilm, koook160, and Jackiboyz. The year itself came down to one of my favorite depictions of a villain of all time against Claude Rains who manages to make the villain the most sympathetic character in his film. Both I think are equally good in their roles and I don't see how either could be better. In a way to cheat out of really choosing I'll just base it on their second films of the year. Rains was also great in Angel on my Shoulder whereas Barrymore was quite forgettable in Duel in the Sun.

Best Scene: George goes to Potter for help.

Overall Rank:

Claude Rains in Notorious

Lionel Barrymore in It's A Wonderful Life

Harold Russell in The Best Years of Our Lives

Henry Travers in It's A Wonderful Life

Roger Livesey in A


Matter of Life and Death

Thomas Mitchell in It's A Wonderful Life

Claude Rains in Angel on My Shoulder

William Bendix in The Blue Dahlia

Charles Coburn in The Green Years

Raymond Massey in A Matter of Life and Death

Samuel S. Hinds in It's A Wonderful Life

William Conrad in The Killers

Hume Cronyn in The Postman Always Rings Twice

Finlay Currie in Great Expectations

Marius Goring in A Matter of Life and Death

Kirk Douglas in The Strange Love of Martha Ivers

Victor Mature in My Darling Clementine

Alec Guinness in Great Expectations

H.B. Warner in It's A Wonderful Life

Francis L. Sullivan in Great Expectations

Sheldon Leonard in It's A Wonderful Life

Richard Attenborough in A Matter of Life and Death

Walter Brennan in my Darling Clementine

Frank Faylen in It's A Wonderful Life

Roman Bohnen in The Best Years of Our Lives

Bobby Anderson inIt's A Wonderful Life

Bernard Miles in Great Expectations

Ward Bond in It's A Wonderful Life

Walter Baldwin in The Best Years of Our Lives

Howard da Silva in The Blue Dahlia

Robert Coote in A Matter of Life and Death

Elisha Cook Jr. in The Big Sleep

Nigel Bruce in Terror By Night

Albert Dekker in The Killers

William Edmunds in It's A Wonderful Life

Anthony Wager in Great Expectations

Henry Travers in The Yearling

Charles MacGraw in The Killers

Clifton Webb in The Razor's Edge

Marcel Andre in Beauty and the Beast

Hoagy Carmicheal in The Best Years of Our Lives

Walter Huston in Duel in the Sun

Reinhold Schunzel in Notorious

Hardie Albright in Angel on My Shoulder

Todd Karns in It's A Wonderful Life

Lionel Barrymore in Duel in the Sun

Will Wright in The Blue Dahlia

Richard Haydn in The Green Years

Herbert Marshall in The


Razor's Edge

Michel Auclair in Beauty and the Beast

William Demarest in The Jolson Story

Ward Bond in My Darling Clementine

Louis Calhern in Notorious

Charles Waldron in The Big Sleep

Cecil Kellaway in The Postman Always Rings Twice

Jess Barker in The Time of Our Lives

Joseph Calleia in Gilda

John Payne in The Razor's Edge

Leon Ames in The Postman Always Rings Twice

Hume Cronyn in The Green Years

Philip Mervale in The Stranger

Hugh Beaumont in The Blue Dahlia

Chill Wills in The Yearling

Richard Long in The Stranger

Philip Terry in To Each His Own

George Macready in Gilda

Bill Goodwin in To Each His Own

Edwin Maxwell in The Jolson Story

Bill Goodwin in The Jolson Story

John Lund in To Each His Own

Next Year: 1932 Lead might as well suggest any Supporting ideas as well.

Finlay Currie did not receive an Oscar nomination forportraying Abel Magwitch in Great Expectations.

Great Expectations is a well directed adaptation of Charles Dickens's book about a meek orphan Pip's coming of age story which includes meeting some unusual characters.

One of these unusual characters appears rather early on in the film as the boy Pip finds an escaped convict who he is played by Currie. Currie is appropriately rough in his depiction of the convict's manner not sugar coating him at all at the beginning, and suggesting the hard life that the man his lead. Currie moment here is quite brief but he makes Magwitch memorable enough before he is taken away again by the police. Eventually Pip finds himself rich through a mysterious benefactor, who Pip assumes is the wrong person, but eventually he is surprised


to see Magwitch in his house once again which is quite the surprise. Currie's is quite good in his reappearance by know portraying Magwitch as a much more jovial sort certainly made happy by his far better life, although Currie still carries the right roughness around the edges to still show that Magwitch never could quite lose his criminal past completely.

Currie is effective in turning Magwitch into a likable figure in these few short moments and realizes his whole character best he can. We do want to indeed see Pip help him out as Currie brings an earnest charm into the role. After his first introduction he disappears for a long time and then after his second introduction he placed firmly into the background as the film focuseson Pip basically coming up with a way and the preparing his eventual devised way to smuggle Magwitch out of England. Currie has one more scene where talks about the pain of his past which he makes fairly poignant by honestly portraying the sentiment within the general roughness of Magwitch's character. This is a solid enough performance by Currie as he probably does as much as one could do with how the role Magwitch is used in this version at least. He does not make that much an impact, but his work certainly is more than satisfactory.

Thursday, 20 November 2014

Lionel Barrymore did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Henry F. Potter in It's A Wonderful Life.

The previous collaboration before It's Wonderful Life between director Frank Capra and


Lionel Barrymore was in You Can't Take It With You where Barrymore played the role of the jovial patriarch of a free spirited family. Well in this their next collaboration Barrymore's character could not be more different. Barrymore plays the antagonist of the film Mr. Potter who is a banker who owns half the town of Bedford Falls to begin with as the film opens. Although Barrymore was certainly quite believable as a lovable old man he's even better here as Mr. Potter who is introduced as being the meanest man in the county. We first introduced to Potter as he is chewing out George Bailey's father for not foreclosing on homes. Even though Barrymore is confined to a wheel-chair he has a considerable presence as Potter, andis actually quite imposing figure despite needing to be wheeled around by a lurch like figure at all times. His brief introduction though is really a warm up though for the rest of Barrymore's performance.

The greatness of Barrymore's performance actually comes most into play as a most worthy opponent for James Stewart as George. There first face off, and Barrymore's second scene, is after George's father has died and the share holders of his father's company the Bailey Building and Loan are there to determine its fate. Potter wants it to be dissolved as it poses a threat to his control of the town, although he has a backhanded praise of George's father. Barrymore is brilliant in how he does this as he stats that Bailey was a


or awkward or any way and in fact Barrymore uses that as well as his hands as an effective way to make up for the fact that he obviously has some physical constraints. Barrymore is great just to watch here with all that he does in his various facial movements and hand gestures. They never feel like too much but only aid in making his Potter all the more memorable as a character. These certainly come into play in one of Barrymore's best scenes when Potter calls in George to his office in an attempt to get George to accept a high paying job in order to rid himself of his rival. Barrymore is amazing in this scene because he does shed the true nature of the characterGeorge's predicament. As Potter asks about embezzlement or possibly an affair George is thought to be, incorrectly, having Barrymore has almost a fatherly tone as if Potter is trying to mentor the young man on proper business practices, even though he knows the truth. When Potter sees that George has nothing financially to offer him Barrymore brings out the full sinister nature of Potter, and he gives basically a sickly inverted of George's earlier speech against him. Barrymore's is incredible as he matches Stewart's passion from that earlier scene but is quite chilling by making the passion serve such a horrible notion and purpose.

Lionel Barrymore and Henry Travers don't share any scenes together and whereas Barrymore has a some scenes throughout Travers's are all one after another, but


man incapable of seeing the error of his ways. I love this performance, which is even very entertaining due to Barrymore's energetic style, yet that never takes away even an ounce of the viciousness of his characterization.

Henry Travers did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Clarence Odbody, angel second class, in It's A Wonderful Life.

Henry Travers first speaks rather early in the film as he is called upon by God and Joseph to be the one to go down to Earth to help George Bailey (James Stewart) before he takes his life. Before Clarence can go help him though he is first given George's back story which is about the first two thirds of the film. During this time Clarence makes the occasional comment, and you couldnot ask a better voice for an angel. There is such a genuine warmth and goodness to Travers voice that is hard to imagine anything but kindness coming from him, making his casting as a mean old man in The Bells of Saint Mary's all the more ridiculous I mention this mostly because it's the movie on the marquee in Bedford Falls. Anyway, although we get the very short comments Travers does not appear in the flesh until very late in the film when it takes its last act turn, and Travers's appearance is what indicates this turn in the film.

George is about to commit suicide, due to a lost large sum of money, by jumping off a bridge. In this darkest of moments for the film we


such a sweetness in his performance, which never feels too much or forced, but rather is truly angelic.

Travers also manages to bring a certain kookiness to the role that he also so carefully portrays as it could easily become cloying but Travers is only ever endearing in his portrayal of it. Travers has a very sly comic timing and manner in his performance. He never distracts too much away from the importance of the emotions concerning George's story and brings these humorous moments flawlessly into these scenes. Travers is actually quite unassumingly hilarious as Clarence as he makes the character's naivety and somewhat absentmindedness both funny yet just so very charming at the same time. This is one of those performances where you could almost take any lineTravers also contributes greatly to making the transformation as powerful as it is through his realization of Clarence as a entity of pure goodness.

Wednesday, 19 November 2014

William Bendix did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Buzz Wanchek in The Blue Dahlia.

The Blue Dahlia is a decent enough film noir about an ex-bomber pilot Johnny (Alan Ladd) who is accused of murdering his unfaithful wife.

William Bendix plays Buzz who is one of the two buddies who comes home along with Johnny. The other buddy is George who is as much as a straight arrow as one can be but what do you expect when he's played by Hugh Beaumont. William Bendix is one of the more underrated character actors from the period as I have yet to be


disappointed by him, although I must admit that I have not seen the Babe Ruth Story. Bendix, like in his work in Lifeboat, carries an innate likability. There is such a genuine earnestness about his work that he manages to make Buzz a guy who is pretty easy to feel sorry for even though in his first scene it becomes clear that Buzz has a short fuse as he lashes out against a guy simply for playing music from a jukebox. The reason for his short fuse though is not because Buzz simply has a bad temper, but rather due to his experiences from the war which left a metal plate in his head.

Like in his performance in Lifeboat where he had the drunk scenes here he hastoo much time on it, Bendix gives a fairly remarkable portrayal of his character's post traumatic stress disorder.

The film is about Ladd's characters attempt to find the real culprit to his wife's murder so it might seem obvious where Buzz fits into that when Johnny's wife invites Buzz over. Bendix is extremely effective in these rather brief scenes as brings a considerable poignancy to the moment where Johnny's wife talks to Buzz, even though she is only trying to manipulate him. Bendix makes it appropriately tragic though by honestly portraying how desperate Buzz is for a real tenderness which he will not be receiving from Johnny's wife. There major problem in regards to Bendix comes into play when the film reaching its conclusion and it turns out Buzz


Dr. Frank Reeves in A Matter of Life and Death.

Roger Livesey plays the doctor who Peter (David Niven) and June (Kim Hunter) goes to see because of Peter miraculous survival from jumping out of a plane, and his subsequent apparent visitations from someone from beyond. As I wrote in David Niven's review the romance between Peter and June loses its steam as soon as they meet each other face to face for the first time I still loved the film though because of the splendid direction of Powell and Pressburger, and due to the performances from the supporting players with Livesey being the most important of these. Livesey basically picks up the slack since he becomes the crowd in Niven and Hunter's scenes together. It should be statedLivesey's portrayal of the doctor is not some excessively serious performance and he equally excels in his reactionary moments. Livesey is excellent in beginning a certain casual curiosity as the doctor seems somewhat bemused by Peter's claims, but he effectively transforms this to genuine concern as it becomes abundantly clear that no matter what is the truth it's not good for Peter's well being.

Livesey's best scene though takes places in the court of the most high as he defends Peter's right to stay and lie a much longer life then what was intended for him. The doctor must defend Peter against the bitter prosecution of one Abraham Farlan (Raymond Massey) who hates all things English since he was the first casualty of the American Revolution. Livesey and Massey's


He makes for an appropriately jerky villain but as well brings the right humanity and animal into his earnest depiction of the beast.

Best Scene: Just before the transformation.

1. Dana Andrews in The Best Years of Our Lives - Good Prediction RatedRStar, mcofra7, and Luke. Andrews gives a powerful understated portrayal of man repressing his anguish of the war as he faces civilian life once again.

Henry Fonda did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Wyatt Earp in My Darling Clementine.

My Darling Clementine is a decent enough, although especially inaccurate I mean it seems to almost go out of its way in this regard having Morgan Earp the only surviving brother even though he was the only one who died in Tombstone, telling of Wyatt Earp's time as theMarshall of Tombstone as he faces off against the Clantons.

Henry Fonda plays the famous and often portrayed Wyatt Earp, but My Darling Clementine isn't really trying to represent the historical Earp nor is it really realizing much of its own vision regarding the man. Fonda would go on to portray a rather negative depiction of an Earp like character in Warlock but in this film, as written, Earp is more of just a pretty standard western hero. The film makes brief mention of his earlier days in law enforcement but they are mostly glossed over in favor of him being a fairly typical hero you'd expect in a John Ford western. He comes in with his brothers to Tombstone with cattle, and is just looking to make a


new life for himself much like many a standard heroes. This is only continued when he gets wrong by someone leaving him to have to stay in Tombstone to find the culprits again in a pretty standard hero sort of fashion.

Henry Fonda's performance though does work well enough within this extremely limited version of Wyatt Earp in which every part of him is pretty muted as written. The history of the character is only mentioned without giving any more depth to the man, his brothers are non-entities, and he's barely even friends with Doc Holliday (Victor Mature). In fact they are slightly antagonistic to one another before Holliday helps at the end to get revenge. Even the antagonism between the two is pretty simplified to the point ofEarp just saying for Holliday not tell people they need to get out of town. Then there is Earp's romance with the titular Clementine which never amounts to anything more than a few longing glances from Earp since she is far more interested in Holliday than him. This is altogether a pretty thin role and really it's only in the depiction of Earp's vengeance for his brothers that the film illustrates much about the character.

The character is actually pretty much left to Fonda himself since Earp's most defining feature throughout the film is to want to keep the peace despite the rowdy nature of almost everyone around him. Fonda certainly brings the needed presence and command for a part such as his, but really what he adds to


portraying Captain Fred Derry in The Best Years of Our Lives.

The Best Years of Our Lives was well loved by the Oscars being nominated for 8 Oscar winning seven of them and even receiving an extra honorary Oscar for Harold Russell to go along with his supporting win. Although it is pretty ridiculous that Teresa Wright wasn't recognized for her supporting work in the film it seems even stranger that out of the three men playing the veterans returning home after the war Andrews, who probably has the most substantial role, was ignored. It is perhaps the role that sunk Andrews since his manner of dealing with his problems from the return home are a bit more muted than the other men. Harold Russell's Homer lost both hisof Fred Derry. Andrews portrays Fred most of the time as a mostly unassuming man who even stays unassuming when dealing with many of his problems involving his return home. These includes his inability to find himself decent employment as well as dealing with very shallow wife (Virginia Mayo) who obviously seemed to have married Fred mainly for his soldier's pay. Andrews plays Fred much of the time as dealing with this problems with a brave face to say the least as he presents Fred as trying to merely pick up the pieces after coming back from the war.

Andrews's method here is quite effective though as he does not portray Fred as being an unemotional or boring man, but rather a reserved one who doesn't ever rely on


top in its melodramatic story about a cold but powerful married couple who's dark secret comes to the surface when their old childhood friend comes to town.

Van Heflin, according himself, was told that he would never get the girl at the end of the film. This can certainly be seen in probably his two made famous films, at least in modern times, of Shane and 3:10 to Yuma. Funny enough he actually gets the "girl" in both of those films so to speak, but in both of those films he plays the more bland average man character, as written, compared to the more flamboyant individuals of Shane and Ben Wade played by Alan Ladd and Glenn Ford respectively. The reason I mention this is in this film becauseboth of the two main women of the film are both rather blunt in displaying their affections toward Heflin's character. One being his old childhood friend the titular Martha Ivers (Barbara Stanwyck) who is married to a man named Walter (An against type Kirk Douglas since it was his first film before he even had a type), and another being a troubled woman Toni (Lizabeth Scott).

Van Heflin is actually kinda against type himself by playing the technically romantic lead which is interesting since his character starts out as the more troubled child. Even though he is drifter who does some gambling Sam is in no way a malicious character. It is interesting to see Heflin, who was obviously being very generous to his co-stars in those later westerns


he made, since he proves himself to have quite the charm when he calls upon. Heflin carries himself well with a certain slick devil may care manner as Sam first arrives into town and he just seems to be enjoying his time of soaking in the nostalgia of being in his old hometown. His instant befriending of Toni is made wholly believable by Heflin's performance. He has a great easy going charisma here and he does a great job of establishing Sam as a likable guy, and his work here makes it a bit surprising the way he was often given the role as the other guy.

Heflin does well to kinda establish Sam outside of the melodrama a bit as his performance always feel very reserved well theemotions start flying quite freely with the other characters. Heflin's take with the character really works because he frankly presents Sam as basically a reluctant participant in the almost absurd level of drama that takes place involving Douglas's and Stanwyck's characters. This makes the most sense because Sam is not only tricked into staying more than once by Martha, but this also leads to him being constantly harassed by goons hired by Walter who happens to be a politician with some local sway. This leaves Sam as basically a man who just wants to leave possibly with the young woman he happened across. Unfortunately for Sam Martha keeps making her advances which leaves Walter to also become increasingly desperate as well. Heflin is great by portraying just the


very down to earth exasperation of dealing with the insanity he'd rather not be a part of.

Van Heflin does some fine work here by resisting the urge ever to become part of the melodrama and it is perfect for the character of Sam who is really pulled along to the plot. Heflin is able to somewhat alleviate the intensity of the melodrama by playing Sam in just a rather charming and honest fashion. This does limit his character arc somewhat in that he mainly becomes disillusioned with his old friends, but Heflin handles this well by just being so genuine in his depiction of Sam's reactions throughout. The film isn't a great success but Heflin is essential to keeping it on a rail as he brings some powermake the Beast his own. The first time we see the Beast it is in his more beastly way as Belle's father goes to retrieve a rose and he suddenly appears when the father takes the rose. He quickly sentences the father to a quick death unless he brings one of his daughters for the same death. Marais does not simply make the costuming do the work here. In his first appearance he portrays the Beast as rather imposing figure. Marais accentuates an ever so slight almost hiss as he speaks that is effective in creating the animal of the character, while never making it seem silly either. It's a relatively short scene but he sets up the cold side of the beast in a rather effectively.

Belle is


the one to come in order to save her father, but immediately it becomes obvious that the Beast's demands were less due to a vicious nature but rather those of a lonely man. Marais is terrific in his first scene where Beast meets Bell as instead of that commanding presence he brought in the meeting with her father there is a shyness to his physical manner as though the Beast is ashamed of his appearance while being around a beautiful woman. Marais manages to go from being the threatening monster to a rather somber figure quite efficiently. Marais makes the most of his eyes suggests the strong humanity in the beast as you see the sadness and even fear in the eyes of the Beast as he mustWASHINGTON - A key U.S. lawmaker is warning China against harsh reprisals on pro-democracy protestors in Hong Kong, thousands of whom occupied the territory's international airport on Monday, forcing the cancellation of all flights.

"The people of Hong Kong are bravely standing up to the Chinese Communist Party as Beijing tries to encroach on their autonomy and freedom, " Senate Republican Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said on Twitter. "Any violent crackdown would be completely unacceptable."

"As I have said on the Senate floor: The world is watching," McConnell said.

The people of Hong Kong are bravely standing up to the Chinese Communist Party as Beijing tries to encroach on their autonomy and freedom. Any violent crackdown would be completely unacceptable. As I have said on the Senate floor: The world is


watching. https://t.co/5VPm5P4PfB — Leader McConnell (@senatemajldr) August 12, 2019

There was no violence reported at the airport, one of the world's busiest, but dozens of injuries were reported on Hong Kong's streets, where angry protesters blocked roads and refused police orders to disperse after riot officers fired tear gas and non-lethal ammunition at fleeing crowds.

China on Monday termed the protests "terrorism."

McConnell, a political ally of President Donald Trump, has taken a stronger public stance against the treatment of the demonstrators in Hong Kong, a Chinese territory, than the U.S. leader.

Last month, in a speech to the Senate, McConnell attacked China's treatment of the Hong Kong demonstrators, saying, "Increasingly brutal police tactics and pro-Mainland vigilantes are drawing blood in an effort to intimidate Hong Kongers back into submission."

FILE - Anti-extraditionbill protesters attend a mass demonstration at Hong Kong International Airport, Aug. 12, 2019.

He added, "The world is watching and wondering: If a government cannot respect the basic rights of people it claims as its own citizens, why on Earth would it be trusted to respect the rights and interests of its neighbors, its trading partners, or the companies that invest in its economy?"

Trump has imposed tariffs on hundreds of billions of dollars of Chinese exports to the U.S. and attacked Beijing's unwillingness to reach agreement on a trade deal with the U.S. But he has adopted a hands-off stance on Beijing's treatment of the Hong Kong protesters.

"I don’t know what China’s attitude is," Trump told reporters last week. "Somebody said that at some point they’re going to


possession and promised to supply Stylemaster with storage containers in the upcoming years in exchange for Stylemaster's promise to pay Matrix's outstanding invoices. Stylemaster paid Matrix's pre-November 1997 invoices in 1999, and by 2002 had paid all invoices dated prior to July 2001. Whether this extinguished Matrix's lien would become a subject of debate in the bankruptcy.
Also in 1997 Stylemaster entered into a loan agreement with its primary lender ANB. To secure a credit line with the banksomething that it had trouble doing given its shaky financesStylemaster pledged all of its assets and property as security. ANB filed a Uniform Commercial Code financing statement with the Illinois Secretary of State on the same day the agreement was executed. The loan agreement was modified several times and in 2001was amended to include Stylemaster's assets and property "wherever located." In the bankruptcy court, Matrix claimed that this amendment was an attempt to usurp its lien over the Stylemaster molds in its possession.
In 1998 Stylemaster's principals formed Gateway Park LLC ("Gateway"), which negotiated with the City of Chicago to build an industrial park on the city's southwest side. Stylemaster told Matrix that after it moved into this new industrial space, it would need an even greater supply of plastics. Matrix dubs this the "Greater Gateway Scheme" and claims that Stylemaster sought to build up its inventory in order to increase its line of credit with ANB and then use the larger credit line to move its plastics manufacturing in-house. To carry out this scheme, Matrix says, Stylemaster delayed


energy efficiency in livestock production by around a factor 10. The differences between the case studies can be attributed in part to differences in the composition of land use and livestock species. Livestock EROI was lowest in Decatur, USA, where cattle, the least energy-efficient major livestock species in our case studies, accounted for over 95% of standardized livestock units. In Vallés, where livestock rearing was dominated by pork production, and ruminants account for less than 10% of total livestock, livestock EROI was the highest. Similarly, land use composition explains part of the differences in land EROIs, with the highest value in St. Florian, where 77% of farmland was used as cropland, the most productive land use type in industrialized agroecosystems, and the lowest in Vallés (18% cropland).

The shareApplicants to medical school: the value of predicted school leaving grades.
Among school leavers applying to study medicine in the United Kingdom a majority offer General Certificate of Education, Advanced Level (A-level) examinations as part of the assessment of academic ability. At the time of application, up to 9 months before completing A-level studies, schools are requested to predict the final grades likely to be achieved by the applicant. A total of 5054 A-level predictions from 1661 applicants to a single medical school were compared with the results achieved. Predicted and achieved grades were both high with 93% of predicted grades being A or B. Over half the predictions were correct, with 41% of predictions above achieved grades and only 7% below achieved grade. Independent and selective schools predicted


Ex-CEO charged with multimillion-dollar embezzlement

Health care funds were for the sick, elderly and poor

(Photo courtesy of The Miami…)

February 13, 2013|By Wayne K. Roustan, Sun Sentinel

The former CEO of the Miami Beach Community Health Center was charged on Wednesday with embezzling millions of dollars from federal, state, and community funded programs, according to U.S. Attorney Wifredo A. Ferrer.

Kathryn Abbate, 64, of Hollywood, is accused of siphoning off several million dollars while she was running two health care clinics between 2008 to 2012, prosecutors said.

Abbate obtained vacation pay that was not approved or authorized by the Board of Directors. She also had the MBCHC issue more than 800 checks worth millions of dollars made payable to her for "community development." She would pocket the funds and cover up the paymentsFull-featured OPAC
 Harness the library user in both design and implementation of services
 Library users should be able to craft and modify library provided services
 Harvest and integrate ideas and products from peripheral fields into library service models
 Continue to examine and improve services and be willing to replace them at any time with newer and better services.

In 2009, Holmberg et al. identified 7 key principles for Library 2.0: "interactivity, users, participation, libraries and library
services, web and web 2.0, social aspects, and technology and tools", and offer the following definition for Library 2.0: "Library 2.0 is a change in interaction between users and libraries in a new culture of participation catalysed by social web technologies."

Alex Byrne argues that the use of Web 2.0 strategies in the library context


through the window except for the tail. Also, a series of illustrations referred to as the Ten Ox-herding Pictures portrays a young boy taming the generally wayward and stubborn creature to signify the quest for mastering self-discipline.

Looking for the Ox This is one of a series of ten images, generally known in English as the Ox-herding (or Bull-herding) pictures, by the 15th century Japanese Rinzai Zen monk Shubun. They are said to be copies of originals, now lost, traditionally attributed to Kakuan, a 12th century Chinese Zen Master.

Noticing the Footprints

Catching Sight of the Ox

Getting Hold of the Ox

Taming the Ox

Riding Home

Ox Vanished, Herdsman Remaining

Ox and Herdsman Vanished

Returning to the Source

Entering the Marketplace This is the final one of a series of ten images, generally known in English asgame. It is a story book with the chess pieces as a background. It is suitable to be read to children who are interested in the game.

>Living chess games have been referenced in works from classic authors such as Lewis Carroll and Kurt Vonnegut; this theater art was also mentioned in J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. With The Living Chess Game: Fine Arts Activities for Kids 9-14, any parent, librarian, teacher, or after-school instructor can successfully stage an educational and entertaining living chess game.

The Small Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings is based on the same 500 fundamental codes and system of elimination but it's a fifth the length. Instead of five books just one! The best and most up to date information. The creative output of


generations of chess masters filtered for the reader's convenience.

The Joys of Chess is an unforgettable intellectual expedition to the remotest corners of the Royal Game. En route, intriguing thought experiments, strange insights and hilarious jokes will offer vistas you have never seen before. The beauty, the struggle, the culture, the fun, the art and the heroism of chess  you will find them all in this sparkling book that will give you many hours of intense joy.

The Grandmaster Battle Manual explains how to be a more competitive chess player. Chess grandmaster Vassilios Kotronias has been a professional player for two decades and now he explains the secrets of his success. As a writer, Kotronias has the skill to explain in words what other top players can only expressin long lists of chess moves. Improve your chess with a grandmaster guide.

This is a reprint of the 1891 edition of "Chess Praxis" by Howard Staunton. This book contains so much valuable infomation about chess and chess players that it has never gone out, and never will go, out of style. This book is especially noteworthy because of the sections of the games by Morphy.

Autobiography of Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, President of the World Chess Federation ("FIDE") from 1995 to the Present. This is an amazing book because it describes the break-up of the Soviet Union and provides an autobiography of how a man realizing the huge changes in the process of taking place in Russian society was able to become a millionaire.

Bobby Fischer is regarded as the greatest chess


player of all time. A movie "Searching for Bobby Fischer" was made about two of the times he disappeared. Although there are many books about Bobby Fischer, this is the only one that deals in depth with his second, in 1992, match against Boris Spassky and the one that explores in greatest depth his playing style and thought process.

This is a book in Descriptive Chess Notation of great importance not only because of the question it addresses, but because of who asks and then answers that question. Dr. Max Euwe, who was world chess champion from 1935 to 1937, compares and contrasts Bobby Fischer with the three greatest players before him, world champions Lasker, Capablanca and Alekhine.

Paul Keres — "the greatest player never to have been world champion"— was a legendary figure in chess. The depth of his conceptions and the elegance and beauty of his play rank him among such immortals as Alekhine, Tal, Bronstein, Botvinnik, and Bobby Fischer.

This book reprints 35 issues of Virginia chess publications from 1946 to 1965 plus one issue of the Carolina Gambit from 1960. Most notable is the Virginia Chess News Roundup, published quarterly from 1954 to 1959, edited by Leonard Morgan.

The California Chess Reporter ran for 25 year from 1951 to 1976. It was published six times a year. The first issue of the California Chess Reporter, that promised continuous coverage of the entire state, appeared on June 1951.

This volume includes reprints “The Chess Players”, originally from the October 1953 issue of The Magazine of Fantasy and


Science Fiction. The story of Zeno the Rat by Charles Harness faithfully recreates the small chess club atmosphere of 60 years ago.

Through a revolutionary testing system, Dr. Kopec is able to quantify their overall chess strength, specific deficiencies and definite abilities, allowing him to pinpoint which aspects need the most work. This book, developed with the US Chess Federation, represents the sum of Dr. Kopec's knowledge and efforts to help chess players understand and acquire the knowledge necessary to achieve chess mastery.

The Bright Side of Chess is a collection of curious stories, fantastic games, unusual positions, surprising combinations, all under one cover. Irving Chernev was not the strongest player, but he was the most entertaining writer in the history of chess.

The legendary chess players that Genna Sosonko bringsto life in this new collection of his acclaimed writing have one thing in common: Capablanca, Alekhine, Euwe, Botvinnik, Smyslov, Tal and Petrosian, they were all world champions.

It is very important for the practical player to train his or her ability, understand when to rely on intuition, rules of thumb and more general positional considerations, when to try to solve problems by calculating variations to the end and how to manage time to avoid time pressure. With these goals in mind, the second edition of Dvoretsky's Analytical Manual delivers excellent, high quality training materials and many exercises.

US Chess Federation's Official Rules of Chess - SIXTH EDITION IN STOCK AND SHIPS IMMEDIATELY

This comprehensive rulebook is the only guide sanctioned and compiled by the U.S. Chess Federation (USCF), the governing


Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and TT Games have confirmed that The LEGO Movie Videogame will be available in 2014 alongside The LEGO Movie. In a scenario drawn from the film, The LEGO Movie Videogame puts players into the role of Emmet, an ordinary, rules-following, perfectly average LEGO minifigure who is mistakenly identified as the most extraordinary person and the key to saving the world.

In The LEGO Movie Videogame players will be able to collect and use LEGO instruction pages to build construction sets or harness the awesome power of the Master Builders to virtually build extraordinary LEGO creations along the way. With more than ninety characters inspired by the film and fifteen exciting levels, kids can build and adventure like never before.

The LEGO Movie Videogame will be releasedArchitecture of Promoters of House-Keeping Genes in Polytene Chromosome Interbands of Drosophila melanogaster.
This is the first study to investigate the molecular-genetic organization of polytene chromosome interbands located on both molecular and cytological maps of Drosophila genome. The majority of the studied interbands contained one gene with a single transcription initiation site; the remaining interbands contained one gene with several alternative promoters, two or more unidirectional genes, and "head-to-head" arranged genes. In addition, intricately arranged interbands containing three or more genes in both unidirectional and bidirectional orientation were found. Insulator proteins, ORC, P-insertions, DNase I hypersensitive sites, and other open chromatin structures were situated in the promoter region of the genes located in the interbands. This area is critical for the formation of the interband, an open chromatin region


cars effectively and efficiently but let's also think about the people who are walking and the people who are biking and move them with equal safety and respect," said C.J. Eisenbarth Hager with Vitalyst Health Foundation.

Hager is also the Vice-Chair of the Complete Streets Advisory Board in Phoenix.

Complete Streets is based more on a concept than a hard and fast rule. Wider sidewalks, shade to provide comfort, crosswalks, and bike lanes are examples of Complete Streets elements.

Parts of Grand Avenue exemplify some of those elements. On the other hand, 7th Avenue near Interstate 10 is an example of a road that is not a "Complete Street," as there are narrow sidewalks and no bike lanes.

Hager encouraged the Phoenix City Council Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee to adopt the CompleteLast updated on .From the section Football

Partick Thistle 1-0 Dundee Utd

Partick Thistle leapfrogged Ross County and joined Dundee on 41 points in the race for a top six place and in the process stunned Dundee United in their battle against relegation.

One goal was enough, a superb second half strike from Kris Doolan.

The Tannadice club were made to regret missing a glut of first half chances.

Thistle had luck on their side, but an improved second half showing brought them three vital points and to within touching distance of the top six.

The result leaves Mixu Paatelainen's men bottom, five points behind Kilmarnock with just six games left.

It was the Tayside club who responded to a vociferous travelling support of 1,909 in a crowd of 4,533.

Ryan Dow had a shot held


by Tomas Cerny, and then a great free kick from Paul Paton curled into a dangerous area but could not be cashed in by the United players in the six yard box.

Dow had about four chances in the opening spell, the best of which was a four on three break in which Guy Demel played him in, but he shot over.

Partick Thistle's win moved them above Ross County and level with Dundee

Billy McKay was next to nearly take advantage of some comic cuts Thistle defending with a lob just over the bar, swiftly followed John Rankin having a go but being denied by a fabolous save from Cerny.

Rankin went close again with a sizzling 25 yarder just past the post.

At this stage it was King Canute versus theFirst Detection of Puccinia hordei Virulence to Barley Leaf Rust Resistance Gene Rph3 and Combination with Virulence to Rph7 in North America.
Barley leaf rust, caused by Puccinia hordei Otth., has been problematic in United States barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) production in the Mid-Atlantic coast region and California. During the early 1990s, P. hordei pathotypes with virulence to resistance gene Rph7 caused average yield losses from 6 to 16% (3). 'Doyce' barley was released in 2003 and was described as being resistant to leaf rust (2). Initially in April 2010 and subsequently in spring 2011 and 2012, high severities and infection responses were observed on experimental plots of 'Doyce' in Warsaw and Blacksburg, Virginia. Three single uredinial isolates of P. hordei were derived from collections made from 'Doyce' barley.


using dial-up modems to trade child pornography in the 1980’s. Yet, it wasn’t until the mid-to-late 1990’s that the internet truly became popular for the masses. This advancement in communications technology would allow previously isolated individuals with similar ideas to suddenly find each other and gather into semi-clandestine cliques.

Cullen Fortney was nearly a victim, but survived and was interviewed by Kevin Gannon. One moment the 21-year-old was having a drink in a bar. Then, after a prolonged period of missing time that lasted from 2AM to 6:45AM, he woke up floating downstream in the freezing Mississippi river. Swimming to shore, he staggered up to the street and by some miracle was right in front of a hospital which he entered at about 7AM. If he had been inIRAQI LETTER is a blog dedicated to news reports and viewpoints of Iraqi democrats and Left activists. It endeavours to cover important events and relevant activities of Iraqi democratic groups inside Iraq and abroad.
IRAQI LETTER hopes to contribute to a better understanding of the current complex and difficult situation in Iraq, and the multifaceted struggle of Iraqi democrats for a free, fully sovereign, unified, democratic and federal Iraq.

Wednesday, 3 September 2008

Iraqi Communist Party Leader: National Consensus on Timetable for Withdrawal of Foreign Forces

Hamid Majeed Mousa, the leader of the Iraqi Communist Party, said that a timetable for the withdrawal of foreign forces expresses an Iraqi popular desire and will, and enjoys a consensus among various patriotic forces. He drew attention to the fact that the development of the


political-security process in Iraq requires setting a clearly defined timetable for regaining fully the sovereignty and stability of Iraq. Mousa stressed, in a statement given to the Syrian newspaper Al-Nour, that this would require, first, building the Iraqi armed forces in an efficient, consistent and speedy manner, and strengthening the internal national unity through activating all aspects of national reconciliation. This will provide support for efforts by the government to achieve the withdrawal of the multi-national forces and hand over all security responsibilities to the Iraqis.

He explained that all the patriotic forces are in agreement that the improvement of the political and security situation requires the efforts of everybody, pointing out that this would be the real and effective guarantee for consolidating Iraqi sovereignty and regaining full nationalWelcome to the website of the Segmentation of the Liver Competition 2007 (SLIVER07). The goal of this competition is to compare different algorithms to segment the liver from clinical 3D computed tomography (CT) scans.

This competition started as part of the workshop 3D Segmentation in the Clinic: A Grand Challenge, on October 29, 2007 in conjunction with MICCAI 2007. Teams that participated in the liver segmentation contest of this workshop downloaded training and test data and submitted the results of their algorithms on the test data to the workshop organizers. Those results can be found in the workshop proceedings. Later, they submitted their results to this website.

During the workshop 3D Segmentation in the Clinic: A Grand Challenge most teams also participated in a live competition on ten new, not


position in Asia: negotiating the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), the world’s largest regional trade deal; joining a leader-level multilateral organization called the East Asia Summit (EAS) and attending annual meetings of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), which serve as Asia’s key vehicles to shape rules and norms. There were also new troop rotations in the Philippines and Australia; and constant, high-level engagement with China.

From my vantage point, as a former deputy assistant secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific affairs, I believe that the pivot was successful. What’s the proof? Public opinion of the United States in Asia skyrocketed. The world’s largest regional free trade deal – comprised of roughly 40 percent of global GDP – was negotiated and signed. Our military capabilities and those ofto China there. They expect a robust U.S. military presence, including regular exercises, freedom of navigation operations and a continual strengthening of force posture. And, until recently, they believed that the United States wanted to invest in new trade frameworks in the region.

Regional dynamics are also exacerbating obstacles to U.S. policy. Domestic politics in allied countries have made it more difficult to advance U.S. interests. A political scandal in South Korea brought down a strong U.S. ally in President Park Guen-hye. The president of the Philippines, Rodrigo Duterte, has already created a breach in relations with the US, both by openly criticizing America and through his violent campaign against drugs that has already killed more than 8,000 people. The US-Thailand alliance also remains muddled, as it has since


a 2014 coup when the military took over and left General Prayut Chan-ocha in charge.

The threats themselves are growing too. North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs continue to advance and U.S. defenses are racing to catch up. China’s island building in the South China Sea is further positioning China to challenge freedom of the seas in that critical waterway, and ratcheting up tensions between China and its neighbors.

As evidenced by these continuing challenges, the pivot was far from perfect. The Obama administration could have been tougher with China at times to deter its assertiveness in the South China Sea. Obama could have started pushing TPP earlier to improve its chances at home before the presidential campaign season began. And the administration had little success in getting North Koreain Asia that has only been heightened now that he is president. During the transition period, Trump decided to pick a fight with China over Taiwan by questioning the “One China” policy, the foundation of stability in US.-China relations. Trump yelled at the Australian Prime Minister – a close U.S. ally – during their first phone conversation. And in his first week in office, Trump fulfilled his campaign promise and withdrew the United States from the TPP free trade deal. The ramifications of this in Asia are hard to overstate. It’s a major blow to U.S. credibility after U.S. officials negotiated the TPP for a decade. It also exacerbates the feeling that countries have no alternative to China’s economic dominance.

But the Trump administration has also shown an ability


State Department or the Pentagon. And he could bring in much-needed expertise in the rooms where policy is being discussed in the White House.

But right now there are no Asia experts or officials with significant Asia experience, other than the National Security Council Senior Director Matthew Pottinger (who last worked in Asia as a reporter in China in 2005), at the highest levels of the national security agencies or the White House. Top Trump advisor Steve Bannon – who runs his own foreign policy operation in the White House – said last year that “we’re going to war in the South China Sea in five to ten years… there’s no doubt about that.”

With little expertise at the top and no apparent strategies in place, the best we mayof peanuts were planted in Georgia.

The shortage and ongoing drought are bringing higher prices for peanuts and their favorite cousin -- peanut butter.

The acreage is down because farmers chose to plant cotton, which was commanding higher prices. It was thought plenty of peanuts would still be available, but many of the plants have not come out of the ground due to drought.

The situation has peanut butter manufacturers bracing for tighter supplies, according to Don Koehler with the Georgia Peanut Commission.

Georgia is the nation's largest producer of peanuts, producing 46 percent of U.S. peanuts.


Here are a few notes and observations from Detroit Lions training camp practice on Saturday:

*** The Detroit Lions treated Saturday's practice like a game day, having players go through traditional pre-game warm-up, before splitting the roster into two teams and running a scrimmage.

*** Prior to the scrimmage, some notable players working with multiple first-team special teams groups were Travis Swanson, DeJon Gomes, Joseph Fauria, Darius Slay, Theo Riddick and Bill Bentley.

*** Wide receiver Calvin Johnson was given the day off. Kyle Van Noy was dressed, but didn't participate in team portions of practice. You may remember, the rookie linebacker injured his thumb Monday.

*** The scrimmage consisted of four eight-minutes quarters. The first drive saw the first-team offense, sans Johnson, drive 64 yards for a touchdown. The drive wascapped when Matthew Stafford found Reggie Bush for a short pass in the left flat. The scoring strike was set up by a long completion to rookie tight end Eric Ebron, who got behind cornerback Rashean Mathis deep down the left sideline.

While Stafford did face some heavy pressure at times, his throws were mostly on target.

*** George Johnson again took the first-team reps at right defensive end, while LaAdrian Waddle was at right tackle. Tahir Whitehead, Gomes, Devin Taylor (for Johnson) and Cassius Vaughn rotated in with the first team.

*** Cornerback Jonte Green had a standout performance, breaking up passes intended for Corey Fuller and Ryan Broyles. Rookie corner Nevin Lawson also had a nice breakup, ripping a would-be reception out of Ryan Broyles' hands at the last


possible moment on a long throw down the seam.

*** The kickers continued to trend up, with Giorgio Tavecchio blasting one home from 50 yards and Nate Freese knocking down a 47-yard attempt.

*** Brandon Hepburn, a long shot to make the roster, made his presence felt on Saturday, delivering multiple big hits. He clocked wide receiver Quintin Payton after a reception in the middle of the field and nicely filled his run gap, stuffing fullback Chad Abram near the line of scrimmage.

*** There were a couple issues with the center-quarterback exchange today, particularly with Travis Swanson. The rookie offensive lineman sent a shotgun snap over the head of Kellen Moore in the closing minutes of practice. The fumble was recovered by rookie defensive end Larry Webster.

*** Safety James Ihedigbothe Electric Power Research Institute (1994-1998). He served as a consultant with Pfizer Global Research in 2001 and for AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals in 2009.

Psychoneuroimmunology Research Society
Throughout his career, Kelley has been involved in many capacities with the non-profit research organization, the Psychoneuroimmunology Research Society, which officially was established in 1993. He was elected as a Scientific Councillor for a two-year term starting in 1992, and then served as the second Secretary-Treasurer of the new Society from 1994 to 1998. He was elected as the President of the society in 1999 and later served on the Web Transition Committee, Finance Committee and Communication Committee and ad hoc as the Editor-in-Chief of Brain, Behavior, and Immunity.

In 2012, Kelley initiated the first effort of the PNIRS to engage with Chinese scientists


conducting research in both traditional and Western medicine. He organized the PNIRS-China Committee and served as the Chair of that committee. The Chinese Government awarded him a grant that helped establish an active regional network of Chinese scientists/physicians conducting research in brain, behavior and immunity. In 2016, the PNIRS-China committee was installed as a standing committee, expanded and renamed as the PNIRS-Asia-Pacific committee. This committee has been quite successful in extending the global outreach of scientific symposia that was initiated by PNIRS-China to many Eastern countries in addition to China, including Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand and India.

Research
Kelley's research has been focused on discovering interactions between the nervous and immune systems and their relationship between behavior and health. He was among the first scientists toNY. 540:698 699.
Arkins, S., R.W. Johnson, C. Minshall, R. Dantzer and K.W. Kelley. 2001. Immunophysiology: The interaction of hormones, lymphohemopoietic cytokines and the neuroimmune axis. In B.S. McEwen (Ed.) Coping with the Environment: Neural and Endocrine Mechanisms, Handbook of Physiology, Section 7, The Endocrine System, Vol. 4. American Physiological Society. Oxford University Press. New York, NY. pp. 469-495.
Dantzer, R., R.M Bluthé, N. Castanon, N. Chauvet, L. Capuron, G. Goodall, K.W. Kelley, J.P. Konsman, S. Layé, P. Parnet and F. Pousset. 2001. Cytokine effects on behavior. In R. Ader, D.L. Felten and N. Cohen (Eds.) Psychoneuroimmunology. Third Edition. Academic Press, New York, NY. pp. 703-727.
McCusker, R.H., K. Strle, S.R. Broussard, R. Dantzer, R.M. Bluthé and K.W. Kelley. 2006. Crosstalk between insulin-like growth factors and proinflammatory cytokines. In R. Ader,


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Blog

2013: the year of the start-ups

Following the news that over 500,000 start-ups were created in 2013, the government has announced further measures to help small businesses thrive.

It seems 2013 has been the year of the start-up business, with more than 500,000 being created over past 12 months.

According to Startup Britain’s Daily Tracker, 514,717 businesses have been launched since January and the final figure is expected to hit 523,410 by the end of the year. The tracker, which takes note of the number of businesses registered with Companies House, was created three years ago and this is the first timeof their cancer had gone.

One 76-year-old woman remained in remission for over a year, despite being given the herbal drug for just five months.

Summarising the results, an editor of the journal Science Translational Medicine, said: ‘Acute myeloid leukaemia is a difficult disease to treat under the best of circumstances.

‘The treatment showed promising results which in a trial which included elderly patients and those who have failed all previous treatments, paving the way for further development of this drug.’

The drug is made from the leaves, and sometimes the bark, of Cephalotaxus harringtoni, the Japanese, or Chinese, plum yew.

Twenty of the 24 patients treated with the herb, plus a conventional medicine that boosted its effect, went into remission – meaning all signs of their leukaemia had gone

The coniferous shrub is


named after the Cephalotaxus harringtonia, the Earl of Harrington, who was one of the first to grow the plant in a European garden.

The drug stops tumours from making the proteins they need to live and grow.

The University of Hong Kong researchers said Homoharringtonine has been used for decades, in mainland China, for the treatment of acute myeloid leukaemia.LOCALMARKETSPROUTSORGANICFOODSTUFFS

Half a dozen stalls at the Lawrence Farmers Market feature produce and baked goods labeled organically grown or pesticide free more than ever before in the history of the 13-year-old market.

The open-air outlet for locally grown produce and many other food items is open from 4 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays and from 6:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. Saturdays in the city parking lot in the 1000 block of Vermont. Nov. 11 is the final session for this season.

"I've seen an increase in organics every year I've been there," said Kala Patterson, market manager for the past three years. "It's probably the fastest-growing type of selling at the market, just ahead of bedding plants."

IN SPITE of the rapid growth in this kind of produce, there is


no formal definition of what the term "organic" means. No state or federal organic standards exist at this time, and only a few organic growers in Kansas have been certified through a new program of the international Organic Crop Improvement Assn., a private sector certifying agency.

As a consequence, consumers concerned about the conditions under which their food is grown must take the initiative to talk with growers about their individual techniques.

Following is a list of many of the "organic" growers and "pesticide-free" growers who regularly attend the Lawrence market, and information from them about their operations:

ORGANIC GROWERS Lakeview Farm

Willis and Velma Vann of Lakeview Farm, Carbondale, sell organic wheat, honey and bread made from their wheat and honey, as well as handcrafts. They began growing wheat without pesticides,been chosen by leading forces around the world

Sky Sapience - a leading developer of mobile, tethered, hovering platforms - will introduce the unique, HoverMast-100 hovering system for small vehicles, for the first time to the International Market at Eurosatory 2014, taking place in Paris June 16-20, Israel National Pavilion, Hall 6, Stand 591.

Completely autonomous and stable, the HoverMast-100 system is the only mobile, tethered hovering platform for small vehicles. It is designed for a wide range of vehicles, including pick-up trucks, UGVs, USVs, boats, communication vehicles, and ground stations, and is suitable for military, HLS, law enforcement, border control, and civilian uses. Supplying data in real time to forces in the field while providing 360⁰ over-the-hill vision, it is ideal for surveillance and observation missions. The system has


did a very nice job in helping solidify our bullpen after his call up last summer. As a veteran left-hander, and one that had adjusted very nicely to his new role, we are looking forward to his contributions as we go into the 2013 campaign.”

With Tacoma he went 2-2 with 1 save and a 4.65 ERA (16 ER, 31.0 IP) with 42 strikeouts in 22 relief appearances after signing a minor league contract with the Mariners on January 18, 2012.

Perez is a veteran of 10 Major League seasons with San Diego (2002-2003), Pittsburgh (2003-2006), New York-NL (2006-2010) and Seattle (2012). He has a career record of 59-72 with a 4.57 ERA (579 ER, 1141.2 IP) with 1150 strikeouts in 239 games (195 starts).

With this signing the Mariners 40-manMinnesota Timberwolves guard Brandon Roy will miss Friday's game in what would have been his return to the Rose Garden in Portland as he is slated for knee surgery later this week, according to Jason Quick of the Oregonian in Portland.

Roy is no stranger to knee problems. Roy has dealt with knee issues his entire NBA career and has undergone several surgeries. He finally decided his ailments were too much to overcome prior to the 2011-2012 season and announced his retirement from the NBA. One year later, he decided to return to the league, but he was unable to return to the Portland Trail Blazers since they had released him under the amnesty clause.

He signed with the Timberwolves this past offseason. Through five games, Roy had averaged 5.8


innovation?

Well, just this morning, I got to sit with, and learn about the life of, John D Rockefeller for 45 minutes.

It’s all possible through the amazing (and transformative) power of books.

In 2013, I was fortunate enough to be passed a book by my boss at the time. It was the story of how legitimate entrepreneur, Gerry Harvey, built a series of home furnishing companies called: “Harvey Norman” (now operating in 8 countries worldwide) with his (now deceased) long time business partner, Ian Norman.

That book took me several weeks to get through. I would get to the gym in the morning at 5:30am and for 15-30 minutes, while drinking a long black coffee, I would sit and attempt to read about the mindset and psychology of success from theWASHINGTON — The White House on Tuesday backed off a much-criticized proposal to gut the Office of National Drug Control Policy, which directs the country’s drug prevention efforts and has taken a lead in fighting the opioid epidemic.

Earlier this month, the Trump administration floated a plan to slash the ONDCP budget by 95 percent and eliminate two anti-drug programs — a proposal greeted with bipartisan condemnation from Congress.

In its budget released Tuesday, the White House scrapped those deep cuts in favor of much smaller trims to the ONDCP, totaling about 3 percent. Amid fierce lobbying from Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, and others, the White House plan also calls for preserving the two targeted programs — the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas program and the Drug Free Communities initiative.

Portman


and others applauded the reversal.

"We must continue to support these and other programs ... which are aimed at prevention, treatment and recovery services that so many Americans desperately need," he said in a statement Tuesday.

Congress has the final say on spending, so the White House budget is more a statement of priorities than a legislative starting point. It's important in terms of telegraphing the Trump administration's wishes but it may have little impact on the final spending plan Congress passes for fiscal year 2018.

Overall, the president's budget would allocate about $27.8 billion for anti-drug efforts, according to White House documents. But some critics said the plan skimps on treatment and prevention programs in favor of beefing up interdiction and enforcement. Advocates said that represents a shift away fromJNS.org – Major solar energy projects are nearing completion in the southern Israeli communities of Ashalim and Kibbutz Sde Boker, marking the latest phase of the Jewish state’s significant prioritization of renewable energy.

To date, Israel has invested upwards of $850 million in new solar energy projects in the Negev desert. Megalim Solar Power has recently completed the construction of the world’s tallest solar tower in the Negev. Plot B, the thermo-solar power station in Ashalim, is one of the largest projects of its kind in the world, and is also Israel’s first commercial thermopower facility to be based on solar tower technology. The project includes 50,600 computer-controlled mirrors, with a surface area of more than 215 square feet each, covering an area stretching more than 1.2 square miles.

The